It wasn't that they didn't believe, but rather that the frogmen described Ning Beichen as being too fantastical. They spoke of him flying through the air and smashing mountain-sized boulders with a single punch underwater.
Were they sure they weren't recounting myths from the Classic of Mountains and Seas?
In truth, it couldn't be entirely blamed on them for not believing. After all, Ning Beichen had never displayed such extraordinary strength in front of them. When he dealt with Ling Jue before, it had only taken a few punches, which didn't seem particularly remarkable.
And when Zhang Jinhong first met Ning Beichen, he hadn't been as extraordinary. At most, he could be described as possessing skilled combat abilities and being very mysterious, with seemingly powerful forces behind him.
However, the frogmen had just portrayed Ning Beichen as a mythical figure, so it was understandable that they didn't believe it.
Still, no one rebuked the frogmen. Since they had been rescued and Ning Beichen and the others were unharmed, the people on the platform felt relieved.
Ning Beichen's message, relayed through Old Bei to them, stated that he and Ling Jue might be staying in the underwater cave for an indefinite period. Therefore, Ning Beichen suggested that Zhang Jinhong and the others could leave and didn't need to wait for them.
However, Zhang Jinhong and the others chose to stay and wait for Ning Beichen and his group to return.
At this moment, Ning Beichen had already brought Ling Jue to the mountain wall.
Ling Jue's eyes lit up upon seeing the formation diagram on the wall, and he became visibly excited.
Ning Beichen, however, let out a dismissive chuckle behind him, thinking to himself, "What are you so excited about? Even if there's something good inside, it's all mine. It'll never be your turn."
But for now, Ning Beichen wouldn't dampen his confidence.
"How long will it take you to break this formation?" Ning Beichen asked him.
"This formation is too complex. I can't break it alone. I need to find Zhao Yingdie, who came with me. She understands formations and ancient formations the best. Without her, we won't be able to break this formation," Ling Jue turned to Ning Beichen and said.
"Zhao Yingdie? She's a woman?" Ning Beichen asked him expressionlessly.
"Yes, she's also the only woman among our six, and she's skilled in formations," Ling Jue replied.
"Then do you have a way to find her?" Ning Beichen deliberately asked, without mentioning his own ability to break the formation.
"I should be able to. We have a way to contact each other," Ling Jue immediately said.
"Then why didn't you say so earlier!" Ning Beichen's voice suddenly turned cold, and an aura of dread enveloped Ling Jue.
Ling Jue became flustered and panicked, hastily explaining to Ning Beichen. "I... I forgot. You didn't ask, and I didn't think of it at the time. Believe me, I really didn't do it on purpose."
Ning Beichen stared at him, not retracting his oppressive aura, until Ling Jue was sweating profusely and feeling uneasy. Only then did Ning Beichen withdraw his presence.
"Since you haven't done anything to betray me, why are you so nervous?" Ning Beichen asked him deliberately.
"I... I'm not nervous." Ling Jue's back was soaked with sweat, his clothes clinging to him. He thought to himself, "You're radiating murderous intent, how can I not be nervous?"
However, Ling Jue's words were only partly true. He hadn't forgotten; he had merely been considering if an opportunity arose to contact his companions and have them rescue him, which was why he had remained silent.
Although Ning Beichen lacked the ability to read minds, he could sense Ling Jue's nervousness and knew that this fellow certainly had some hidden intentions.
"Then when can you have her come?" Ning Beichen asked him.
"I don't know where she is right now. It will probably take some time to contact her," Ling Jue replied.
"Can you contact her from here?" Ning Beichen asked.
Ling Jue nodded. His method of contact wasn't like a phone, so it wouldn't be affected by a lack of signal.
"Then contact her. Remember, know what to say and what not to say," Ning Beichen warned him.
Ling Jue quickly nodded, now regretting his haste earlier in mentioning Zhao Yingdie. He feared he might implicate her this time. "No, I need to find a way to warn her, to tell her not to come," Ling Jue thought to himself, and he had to do it without Ning Beichen knowing, otherwise, he would surely face a terrible fate.
Under Ning Beichen's watchful eye, Ling Jue began to contact Zhao Yingdie. A halo appeared in his hand, like a mirror, and then Ling Jue transmitted his message through the light mirror, which was quite miraculous.
"Is that it?" Ning Beichen asked, watching Ling Jue disperse the light mirror, his gaze fixed on him.
Ling Jue's legs trembled under Ning Beichen's stare as he replied with his head bowed, "Yes, as long as she receives it, she will come."
Ning Beichen looked at him for a long time, a slight curve forming on his lips. "I hope you're not lying to me."
"I wouldn't dare," Ling Jue replied hastily.
When he had left the message for Zhao Yingdie earlier, he had indeed made some minor adjustments. This adjustment was known only to those within their group. The communication was genuine, but he had also included a danger signal within it. Out of the six of them who had come, three were already under Ning Beichen's control. If Zhao Yingdie were also controlled, they would truly have no hope left.
"Alright, in that case, let's go out and wait for her to arrive," Ning Beichen said, neither exposing Ling Jue's thoughts nor intending to break the formation himself. The place was here, and this blessed land wouldn't disappear. Ning Beichen wasn't in a hurry at all. As for the bronze fragment they were looking for, if his guess was correct, it was in his possession, likely the cultivation technique to cross the sea of suffering. Therefore, the initiative was firmly in Ning Beichen's hands.
Soon, the two left the cave and returned to the platform. Ning Beichen's return naturally brought immense joy to Ye Ya'er and the others.
Since they had to wait for Zhao Yingdie, Ning Beichen decided not to wait there. They planned to return first and come back once Zhao Yingdie arrived.
The group soon returned to Wangjiang, and then everyone went their separate ways. Ning Beichen, however, continued to reside in the Imperial Garden. This time, however, there was one more person.
That person was Ling Jue. Although Ling Jue had his own place to live, Ning Beichen wanted to keep him under his direct supervision to prevent him from causing trouble behind his back.
Three days passed in a flash. Zhao Yingdie still hadn't appeared, which made Ning Beichen very displeased with Ling Jue. Thus, Ning Beichen beat him up today, leaving Ling Jue bruised and swollen. He then ordered Ling Jue to contact Zhao Yingdie again and issued a warning. If Zhao Yingdie didn't appear within three days, Ning Beichen would cripple him forever! And not just cripple him, but render him unable to live a normal life, which was worse than death.
Ling Jue, in extreme fear, frantically contacted Zhao Yingdie again. This time, he didn't dare to play any tricks.