It was late at night, one month later.
Ning Fa sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his hands forming seals that shifted and changed. Streaks of silver lightning weaved around his body, creating a startling phenomenon that gave him an air of mystery and unfathomability.
After a long while, he opened his eyes, and the phenomenon around him vanished.
"Why is this happening?"
Ning Fa murmured, his expression turning grim.
Due to his injuries, he hadn't had any alchemy tasks for the past month. All his time had been dedicated to cultivation.
After the Thunder Rune Pattern within his body became complete, his body underwent a miraculous change. His spiritual energy perception became astonishing, and his cultivation efficiency was extremely high.
Initially, his internal magical power had indeed increased rapidly. However, seven days ago, for some unknown reason, his internal magical power stopped growing altogether.
Under normal circumstances, this would indicate reaching a bottleneck in his current cultivation realm, requiring him to break through before his internal magical power would continue to increase.
But the problem was that Ning Fa couldn't sense any bottleneck whatsoever, and therefore, he had no way to break through. This was quite vexing for him.
Ning Fa couldn't figure it out. After all, his cultivation realm was too low, and this situation was beyond his understanding.
"It seems I can't delay any longer. I need to go to the Scripture Repository and find relevant ancient texts to research, to see if there are any clues."
Ning Fa muttered.
In fact, after the Thunder Rune Pattern became complete, he had already realized that his body had undergone a peculiar change. It shouldn't be as simple as just having a Lightning Spiritual Root.
Putting aside other things, his Thunderball Technique, which was previously at the minor accomplishment stage, had directly advanced to the Paragon stage, and he had even obtained a Perfected Technique Seal. This was simply inconceivable.
Therefore, he had long planned to visit his family's Scripture Repository to see if any relevant ancient texts were recorded there.
The Ning Family had been established for over six hundred years. Over the years, the Scripture Repository had accumulated a vast collection of texts, including various cultivation methods, talisman scriptures, alchemy scriptures, artifact scriptures, array strategy treatises, and so on. Among them were also many ancient texts.
Even the major shops in Tianshui Market would find it difficult to match such a rich collection of texts. It was possible that records related to the Thunder Rune Pattern could be found there.
Ning Fa had originally planned to go to the Scripture Repository a month ago, but because he was eager to cultivate and attempt to break through the bottleneck of the Qi Condensation mid-stage, he hadn't set out.
Now, facing the predicament of his magical power not advancing, he had no choice but to make a trip to the Scripture Repository to see if he could gain any clues.
Unless absolutely necessary, Ning Fa did not intend to reveal the abnormalities of his body to the family.
The reason was still the existence of the Mysterious Scroll. He dared not risk its exposure.
The next morning, Ning Fa took a Spirit Boat and rushed to Ningchang Island, the Ning Family's territory.
After all, the Scripture Repository was a vital location for the family, so it naturally had to be placed in the most heavily guarded ancestral land.
Standing on the dock of Ningchang Island, pure and dense spiritual energy washed over him. A towering mountain that reached into the clouds came into view.
This mountain was named Changning Mountain, symbolizing the eternal existence of the Ning Family. It was the place with the most concentrated spiritual energy on the island, and most of the core members of the Ning Family resided on this mountain.
Not far away was a bluestone plaza spanning over a thousand feet. There were no other buildings on it, only a sculpture of a middle-aged man, dozens of feet tall, in the center.
This sculpture was lifelike, with distinct facial features. The middle-aged cultivator's face was filled with majesty, his gaze fixed on the distance, his eyes firm and filled with strong confidence.
This person was the Ning Family's ancestor, Ning Kaiqian.
It was said that the Ning Family was not without roots, but originated from a major cultivation family. For some unknown reason, Ning Kaiqian led his branch of clansmen away from the family and came to the distant Thousand Wave Lake.
Through hardship and struggle, he established a domain, laying a solid foundation for the Ning Family's current prosperity.
This ancestor's sculpture was not purely symbolic; it was also the core of the second-grade high-quality array on Ningchang Island, the Two Forms Subtle Origin Array. Once Ningchang Island was attacked, this sculpture would play a crucial role.
Looking at the somewhat familiar scene before him, Ning Fa couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
His previous self had lived here for five years. After being driven out, he hadn't returned until now, and another five or six years had passed.
"Kid, are you healed? Why did you come to Ningchang Island?"
A familiar, rough voice called out, and a burly man, built like an iron tower, walked over and clapped Ning Fa on the shoulder, asking.
"Uncle Lie."
The person who arrived was Ning Zonglie, a good friend of Ning Fa's father. He happened to be on duty patrolling Ningchang Island today. Ning Fa greeted him.
This Uncle Lie had visited him when Ning Fa was unconscious. Ning Fa thanked him again, "Thank you for visiting before, Uncle Lie. My injuries are no longer serious. I've come here today to find some ancient texts in the Scripture Repository."
Ning Zonglie nodded, then glanced around and lowered his voice, "I heard the Ninth Elder caused a huge scene at the Elder Council, insisting on using the Heart-Questioning Talisman on Ning Zhen'an, putting the Tenth Elder in a very difficult position. Although the Third Elder rejected the Ninth Elder's request in the end, Ning Zhen'an still received a very severe punishment. You won't have to worry about anyone daring to injure you casually anymore."
Ning Fa was stunned. He knew that Ning Zhen'an had been severely punished. Ning Zifeng had already told him this over the past month, but he didn't know the details.
Now, hearing Ning Zonglie's words, he realized the role the Ninth Elder had played, which made him recall what Ning Shaohong had said about seeking justice for him.
He hadn't expected Ning Shaohong to go to such lengths for him.
Ning Fa silently noted this favor. He was a person who clearly distinguished between kindness and enmity. Since Ning Shaohong had helped him so much, he would surely repay her in the future.
Afterward, seeing Ning Zonglie bringing up the past again and inviting him to his home to meet his daughter, Hu Niu, Ning Fa quickly escaped.
Arriving at the foot of Changning Mountain, Ning Fa took out a white talisman from his storage bag. A small white crane was drawn on the palm-sized talisman.
As Ning Fa infused spiritual energy into it, the talisman emitted a white glow, and then a white crane about ten feet large appeared before him, lifelike.
This was a first-grade low-grade talisman, the Feathered Crane Talisman, which could transform into a feathered crane and be ridden for flight.
Compared to expensive flying artifacts, this kind of Feathered Crane Talisman was much cheaper, costing only ten Spirit Stones.
However, the speed was very slow, and it lacked protective formations, allowing it to fly for over a hundred miles.
Ning Fa rode on this Feathered Crane, slowly flying towards the mountain.
Not long after, he arrived at a protruding platform halfway up the mountain, where a five-story pavilion stood.
Faintly visible, a glazed light shield enveloped the entire pavilion. Amidst the swirling mist, a dangerous aura emanated, clearly indicating that this glazed light shield was a powerful formation.
Ning Fa put away the Feathered Crane, then took out his Alchemy Hall Token and lightly waved it towards the glazed light shield.
A green light shot out from the token, striking the glazed light shield in an instant.
The surface of the glazed light shield flared with light, then rippled like water, revealing a passage more than a person tall.
Ning Fa walked into it and soon entered the five-story pavilion. At the entrance, a middle-aged cultivator sat on a bamboo chair, leisurely reading a book.
However, judging by the alluring beauties in revealing attire and their suggestive poses on the book's cover, it was likely not a proper book.
The middle-aged cultivator read it without restraint, his feet propped on the table, letting out lewd laughter from time to time.