In the frigid lands, after my exile, I began to slay demons and monsters.

Chapter 240 Information Exchange

Tianji's camp was not far from the sea, but the waves could not reach it no matter how hard they crashed.

Ning Xiaoxi entered Tianji's tent and saw him sitting on a recliner, his face calm and peaceful.

On a low table sat a pot of bubbling mutton soup, along with several soft-looking flatbreads.

The aroma of mutton soup in the air made Ning Xiaoxi's stomach rumble, and she didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly.

After ladling a bowl of piping hot mutton soup, he looked at Tianji and asked, "My lord, would you like to drink some with me?"

Tianji didn't even lift his eyelids, "One should not speak while eating!"

Ning Xiaoxi smiled and said, "Alright, then I'll eat!"

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they enjoyed the tea served by Sui Lanting.

"I have to go back to the capital now that things are settled here. Are you coming with me, or do you have other plans?" Tianji's voice was gentle, as if she was just asking about her itinerary.

"My lord, from what Elder He said, we have to wait for arrangements."

"You're still nominally registered with me, it's no different from before."

"Then why did I come for the trial?"

"The resume looks good; it's just to accumulate experience."

Why should I bother accumulating experience points?

"Only by raising your status will you have the opportunity to enter the Celestial Master Pavilion's secret realm, obtain rare and precious materials, and enhance your space."

What level is required to enter the secret realm?

"Earthly Fiend".

How much more do I need?

"Your level should be fine. It's just that you haven't been a Celestial Master for long enough, so you can only rely on your achievements. With your previous achievements and the results of this trial, if you have the opportunity to kill two high-level mid-level demons, that should be enough."

"You have news?"

"Find it yourself."

Ning Xiaoxi rolled her eyes. Fine, she'll find it herself. With her lucky physique and the luck she had in the North, it doesn't seem that difficult.

Ning Xiaoxi took out a white mask from her bosom and handed it to Tianji, saying, "My lord, I found this inside."

Tianji opened his eyes, looked around, and then sat up. "How many did you collect?"

"There are two in the trial grounds, one hand and one foot." He took out another one and handed it over.

"The others should be in this desert too. You stay here and collect all the masks."

"What's the use of this?"

"If we can collect all the substitutes that were made by eating the flesh and blood of Nüba, we might be able to rebuild Nüba's physical body."

Ning Xiaoxi looked at Tianji with a horrified expression, "Why are you reshaping its physical body? Does Your Excellency want to revive it?"

Tianji was speechless. "Who are you trying to fool with that fake expression?" he thought. "Nüba's physical body is incredibly strong and makes her an excellent vessel. If soul power could be infused into her, she might become a very good clone, the best choice to ward off disasters."

Ning Xiaoxi lowered her head. "Is it a good vessel? As for soul power, is it a living soul or a remnant soul? Or can it be either?"

"Oh, I'll give them to you, sir, once I've collected them all."

Tianji tapped her forehead. "What would I do with this? It's a puppet-like thing for you to use for self-defense."

Ning Xiaoxi opened her eyes wide with curiosity, "For me?"

"Remember to infuse it with soul power as soon as you've collected it, regardless of whose it is, as long as it's loyal to you. If you really can't use it, just destroy it."

Deep purple flames erupted from Ning Xiaoxi's palm, leaving the mask completely unharmed. The mask hadn't even been burned away by her black flames before, so purple flames certainly wouldn't suffice.

"Don't use such a high-level fire," Tianji advised irritably.

Ning Xiaoxi was stunned. What was the principle behind this? She tried to reduce the intensity of the flames, and when the flames appeared as normal as could be, the edges of the mask began to melt, which frightened Ning Xiaoxi so much that she quickly stopped.

Looking at the somewhat collapsed mask, I was truly astonished. High-level flames couldn't harm it, yet normal cooking flames could melt it. I couldn't understand it.

"Nüba is of the fire element, and she becomes stronger when faced with a stronger opponent. No one can match her strength."

Ning Xiaoxi said she had learned something, "Then, sir, when are you setting off?"

Tianji stood up. "Now."

Ning Xiaoxi quickly stood up, threw the mask back into the cave, and said, "Thank you for your hard work, my lord. Goodbye, my lord!"

Tianji gave Ning Xiaoxi a disgruntled look. "Tianwei has also broken through."

Ning Xiaoxi was stunned. Tianwei felt so distant. How long had it been since she had thought of this person?

"The most talented celestial master in the dynasty is no joke. He has always kept a low profile, but his sudden high-profile breakthrough is likely aimed at the royal treasure. However, he won't be able to cause any trouble in the short term. I will keep an eye on him, so remember to seize the opportunity."

"I suddenly feel like my shoulders are too thin," Ning Xiaoxi muttered softly, then looked at Tianji with bright eyes, "When are you going to break through, Master?"

"If I break through now, I can no longer become a Heavenly Gang. I will have to enter the Elder Council, which is not a convenient place to do things."

Ning Xiaoxi nodded. She was currently busy finding a place for Qingli and the others to stay, and she certainly didn't want them to be stuck in one place.

"The spiritual energy in the North is rapidly disappearing. How much does Xiaoxi know about this?"

Tianji's sudden change of topic caught Ning Xiaoxi off guard, and she was stunned for a long time. "What, what do you mean?"

"Qingli went to investigate, and the Northern Spiritual Source has disappeared."

"Ah!" Ning Xiaoxi remained completely bewildered. "What is a spiritual source?"

Tianji withdrew his gaze from Ning Xiaoxi, "The spiritual source is the foundation of this world. If the spiritual source disappears, there will be no more spiritual power. Whether it is a celestial master or a demon, they will gradually decline and eventually become ordinary people, with no more magic passed down."

"Ah!" Ning Xiaoxi's mouth dropped open, and she asked incredulously, "But I can still cultivate now, and the spiritual energy here is still quite abundant!"

“What has disappeared is the source of the North, but the one in the West is still there,” Tianji said softly. “I have already investigated.”

What do you mean? Are you spying on me? If it gets lost too, then it's my fault!

"Phew! That's good, that's good!" Ning Xiaoxi breathed a long sigh of relief. At worst, I won't take it this time, I can come back next time.

"Don't you want to go and see?" Tianji bent down, looking Ning Xiaoxi straight in the eye.

Ning Xiaoxi felt that the stiff expression suited her well. "Go...go see what?"

"Take a look at the spiritual source!" Tianji's voice was very soft, almost touching Ning Xiaoxi's nose.

"Such an important item, is it... is it something that can be looked at casually?"

"Although it is protected by a divine beast, it is still an inanimate object. I can see it by myself, so wouldn't it be even easier with you?" Tianji's voice carried a hint of seduction.

Ning Xiaoxi smiled somewhat absentmindedly, about to nod, but suddenly shook her head. "My lord, I am greedy. If I see such a treasure, I will not be able to resist wanting to possess it. But that is the blessing of all the Celestial Masters. I cannot be greedy." As she spoke, her cheeks began to blush. "But if I see it with my own eyes and know its location, how can I resist coveting it?"