The Ning family members followed Ning Shaoyuan further inside, and a group of people appeared not far away.
"Master!"
"The patriarch has returned!"
"Aheng is back too!"
"The patriarch brought quite a few people back with him. Was Wen Yi among them?"
"I've never even met my second uncle!"
The group was noisy and boisterous, but it was clear that they had a very close relationship.
Ning Yao couldn't help but think of Ning Wensheng, who was probably the only oddball to emerge in thousands of years.
Ning Yao and Ning Que Linyu walked at the back.
When everyone saw the two people, they were shocked.
Some people stared straight at Ning Que Linyu, speechless with surprise.
"This...this..."
"Is this fake?"
"What do you mean, real or fake?"
"This person looks so much like the ancestor in the main hall!"
From a one-year-old child at the foot of Thousand Illusion Mountain to a hundred-year-old man at the top, everyone knows the portrait in the main hall.
Ning Shaoyuan said, "Let's go to the main hall first! We can discuss other matters later!"
This statement temporarily quelled everyone's curiosity, and they all followed Ning Shaoyuan to the main hall.
Although Thousand Illusion Mountain is named after Thousand Illusion Secret Realm, its interior is quite different from that of Thousand Illusion Secret Realm.
Because a golden lotus is kept in the main hall, and many rare medicinal herbs and plants are planted around it, in a continuous cycle, one can faintly feel a very shallow spiritual energy.
This is what Ning Yao and Ning Que Linyu felt. Ning Wenyi and the others could only feel physically and mentally refreshed, and their fatigue was swept away.
Apart from Ning Yiyi, the others on Ning Yao's side had not yet come into contact with spiritual energy, so coming to Thousand Illusion Mountain was their first time doing so.
Thousand Illusion Mountain is not a single mountain, but rather a collection of many peaks.
The main hall that Ning Shaoyuan mentioned is located on the highest mountain peak, and is connected to the other mountain peaks by a bridge.
Looking up from below, it seems precarious and unsafe, but once you step on it, you'll find that although it's a wooden bridge suspended high in the air, it's actually more secure than having your feet on the ground.
Moreover, although the mountains may seem far apart, you only realize how close they are once you get there.
Beyond marveling at the wonder of Thousand Illusion Mountain, there was an even more peculiar feeling.
The group arrived at the main hall of Thousand Illusion Mountain and stepped inside. They saw a giant portrait, tens of meters long, hanging in the center.
Below the portrait were many memorial tablets.
Ning Yiyi exclaimed in surprise, "The ancestor is up there!"
Ning Que Linyu also saw it, but his face darkened: "Am I that old?"
Ning Shaoyuan's heart skipped a beat. While complaining about his ancestors, he explained, "It must be that after you died, you did not leave behind a usable portrait. This portrait must have been pieced together by our ancestors based on what you left behind."
"Ancestor, you died of old age, so I guess you must look like this... um... a venerable immortal..."
Ning Que Linyu was also speechless, but seeing that their mistakes weren't too outrageous, he didn't pursue the matter.
"Grandfather, I will have someone replace him immediately!"
Ning Que Linyu nodded and said nothing more.
Turning my head, I looked at an indoor pond in one corner of the main hall, where golden lotuses were being grown.
Ning Yao had already strolled into the pond while they were arguing about the portrait.
As soon as they entered the main hall, Jinlian's side showed unusual activity, but Ning Que Linyu's presence caused everyone to overlook it.
Ning Yao's approach now further stimulated the golden lotus, causing the surrounding spiritual plants to become joyful as well.
Ning Yao could sense Jinlian's admiration and longing.
Perhaps due to their shared origins, the golden lotus in the Thousand Illusions Secret Realm also reacted.
Ning Yao quietly sensed it.
"You mean, if we don't come today, it will wither away in less than three months?"
...
"But I heard that the Ning family has been using the method of cultivating golden lotuses with spiritual plants for a long time without any problems."
...
"I understand. Ning Wensheng stole the spiritual spring water that was originally meant for it, which deprived it of its spiritual energy supply. Even with spiritual plants, it could only slow down its decline, is that right?"
...
"Alright, don't worry. Since it's from the same clan as you, I'll definitely take care of it. I'll change the water to spirit spring water for it right away."
...
"No? We have to move it in? But as far as I know, the Thousand Illusion Lotus's formation is supported by it. If we rashly move it, the entire Thousand Illusion Mountain will be paralyzed instantly!"
"It's alright, it's alright. Since I said I'd help it, I'll definitely find a way. Don't you trust me?"
After calming the golden lotus in the secret realm, Ning Yao drew up a large amount of spiritual spring water and poured it into the pond, also using spiritual energy to create a protective shield for it.
The sweet fragrance of the spiritual spring water instantly filled the entire hall, attracting everyone's attention.
"This is???"
"That treasure from the Treasure Pavilion! I've smelled that scent before!"
"Yes, yes, yes, I even broke through my own limits last time I helped Ah Heng!"
"No, no, I'm about to break through!"
Inside the main hall, many elderly men sat down on the floor and instantly entered a meditative state.
Wisps of spiritual energy flew towards them, helping them break through their limitations.
The spring water flowed into the pond, causing the golden lotus to suddenly emit a burst of golden light.
The fragrance of the golden lotus and the spiritual energy intertwine and combine to form a kind of nourishment, which is then absorbed by the golden lotus. Once the absorption is complete, the golden lotus will grow one size larger.
The fragrance of lotus and spiritual energy continuously emanate and merge, then are absorbed, and so on in a continuous cycle. The originally thin and malnourished golden lotus not only becomes plump and vibrant, but also grows slowly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
What was originally just a flower bud has unfolded into three petals in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and this continues.
Ning Yao did all this and then did not interfere anymore. She could feel that the formation of Thousand Illusion Mountain had been strengthened, all because the Golden Lotus had become stronger.
The golden lotus in the secret realm was right; although the golden lotus in the main hall was not as old as it, it was still a thousand years old.
If spiritual energy weren't so scarce in the world today, it would have already blossomed.
If transplanted to a secret realm, it would probably bloom instantly, and its size would be no less than that of the golden lotus in the secret realm.
However, considering the entire Thousand Illusion Mountain, Ning Yao did not do so.
Not only has the main hall changed drastically, but the entire Thousand Illusion Mountain has also undergone tremendous changes.
The creatures that sensed this unusual aura were irresistibly drawn to it and wanted to get closer.
Animals would linger nearby, while plants would stretch out their branches and leaves, trying their best to absorb the scent.
Ning Que Linyu stepped forward, bent down, and reached out to touch the golden lotus in the pond.
Jinlian sensed the familiar presence and, instead of rejecting it, became even more affectionate.
He yearns for and idolizes Ning Yao, but feels affection and dependence on Ning Que Linyu.
"Lian Jiu, thank you for your hard work."
The familiar voice once again thrilled Jinlian, causing her lotus petals, which had been opened to reveal three petals, to tremble uncontrollably, as if trying to tell a story.
Lian Jiu's fluctuations also caused her aura to become unstable, affecting all the creatures around her.
The elderly men who were in meditation had flushed faces, and some even had blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
The spiritual plants and animals outside wanted to leave, but they were too attached to this aura, so they suppressed their discomfort and stayed put.
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