Time flashed by, and a year had passed in a blink.
In this year, Zhao Shuning had accomplished many things.
She seemed to be the backbone of the Zhao Family. With her formidable strength, she cleared many obstacles for the family.
Then, the Zhao Family smoothly became one of the four major families in the Dongze Wilderness.
Just as Zhao Shuning had predicted, it wasn't easy at the beginning.
The other three major families all wanted to annex the industries that had belonged to the Wang Family before. So they came up with many excuses to claim that the Zhao Family had risen by taking advantage of the situation.
However, they didn't expect that Zhao Shuning had taken precautions this time. She had planted her spiritual power in the servants and secret guards of the Wang Family.
In this way, no matter how the other three families tried to instigate them, they firmly stood on the side of the Zhao Family.
After several setbacks, the people from the three families finally gave up and acknowledged the status of the Zhao Family.
But even so, among the four major families, the Zhao Family was still the weakest.
Zhao Shuning had anticipated this as well.
Among the four major families, the most powerful was the An Family. An Susu was not only a spiritual herb master but also an alchemist. Her contracted divine beast was the ancient Chongming Bird.
Next was the Yuan Family. Yuan Xin was highly skilled in martial arts and was mainly in charge of the troop deployments in the barracks of the Dongze Wilderness. His power should not be underestimated.
Then came the Lin Family led by Lin Feng. Finally was the Wang Family. Now the Zhao Family had taken the place of the Wang Family, but its strength was even weaker than that of Wang Cheng back then.
However, one couldn't be hasty when eating hot tofu, and it was impossible to become fat with one mouthful.
Zhao Shuning wasn't worried about the future plan of the Zhao Family.
Because the Zhao Family still had a remarkable figure, Zhao Huai.
Zhao Shuning had witnessed Zhao Huai's strength.
On her fourteenth birthday, Zhao Huai had summoned a white tiger that was almost a divine beast. Such a feat was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
After his return, he had also conquered many territories with the help of the white tiger.
Soon, it would be Zhao Shuning's sixteenth birthday.
The people in the main hall were discussing how to celebrate her birthday. After a while, Zhao Shuning rushed in from outside excitedly.
"Shuning, what's up? What makes you so happy?"
Zhao Shuning quickly said, "Grandpa, Father, Mother, Brother said that he would try his best to come back for my birthday in half a month."
"The Clan Council has allowed him to leave?"
"Yeah."
Zhao Shuning walked into the room happily with the letter in her hand.
In the main hall, Lin Min'er said to Zhao Zheng with relief, "Brother Zheng, look, it was the most correct decision for us to adopt Huai'er back then. Shuning really likes her brother Huai'er."
Zhao Zheng nodded.
"Huai'er has a gentle personality. He has always smiled at everyone since he was a child. Even if he gets hurt, he never sheds a tear or complains about the pain. His state of mind has always been like this. But as long as it comes to Shuning's matters, Huai'er can't stay calm. I really don't know whether I should be happy or worried about their good sibling relationship."
"Children have their own fortune. It's useless for us to say too much, right?"
"Yeah. When Huai'er becomes more powerful, Shuning will have a good backer."
Zhao Zheng smiled and said, "Do you think our Shuning would want to rely on others?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Indeed, she didn't need to.
Zhao Shuning's strength and ability amazed everyone.
Now that she was almost sixteen years old, she had grown into an extremely beautiful young woman.
Her ability was almost unparalleled among people of her age.
After Zhao Shuning returned to her room, she read the letter again.
Brother said that the elders of the Clan Council had arranged one last mission for him. After he completed this mission, he could come back.
By then, he would bring the best gift for Zhao Shuning.
What did the best gift mean? Zhao Shuning didn't care. The fact that Zhao Huai was coming back was enough to make her happy.
But Zhao Shuning didn't know that what Zhao Huai was about to do at this moment was not an ordinary mission.
When Zhao Huai's hand touched the barrier of the Ghost Domain.
Yan Ruyu, who had been with his eyes tightly closed on Qingyun Peak, suddenly opened his eyes.
Feng Lingtong was also on the peak. Seeing Yan Ruyu looking solemn, she quickly asked, "Buran, what's wrong?"
"I always feel a bit uncomfortable in my heart."
"Sister, don't worry about me. I'll take another look."
Yan Ruyu closed his eyes again. His spiritual sense reached above the Ghost Domain. Seeing that the barrier of the Ghost Domain was intact, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Maybe he was really overthinking.
At this moment, Zhao Huai was in the water below the Ghost Domain.
He used his huge wings to protect his whole body, preventing the corrosive acid water from eroding his body.
According to the conversation of the elders, in addition to breaking the barrier, one could also enter the Ghost Domain through a sensing stone at the bottom of the sea.
Why did Zhao Huai come to the Ghost Domain?
It was because that day he had overheard the conversation between the elders.
They said that the divine beast Phoenix might also be in the Ghost Domain. The Phoenix was an ancient divine beast, and its nobility was well - known to Zhao Huai after so many years in the Dongze Wilderness.
Previously, on Xiaoning'er's fourteenth birthday, he had given her a white tiger. Although the white tiger was very precious, Xiaoning'er hadn't signed a contract with it.
At that time, Zhao Huai had sworn that on Zhao Shuning's sixteenth birthday, he must give her an ancient divine beast as a contracted divine beast.
The Phoenix mentioned by the elders was exactly the perfect choice for Zhao Huai.
Moreover, before this, Zhao Huai had noticed that Zhao Shuning had always had the habit of collecting night pearls. It was said that the Phoenix liked night pearls very much, and the bigger the better.
In this way, Zhao Huai was even more certain that Zhao Shuning wanted and liked the Phoenix. If he gave the Phoenix to Xiaoning'er as a birthday gift, she would definitely be very happy.
But he wasn't sure if there was a Phoenix in the Ghost Domain.
So when Zhao Huai completed the mission assigned by the elders, he came to the sky above the Ghost Domain.
Maybe he was lucky.
After flying around above the Ghost Domain for a while, he heard the cry of a phoenix.
Then, he saw a figure resembling a phoenix flash by below the Ghost Domain.
At this point, Zhao Huai made up his mind and decided to take a risk and enter the Ghost Domain from behind the sensing stone at the bottom of the sea.
It had been about five days when Zhao Huai found the sensing stone at the bottom of the sea.
He placed his hand on the sensing stone, and a beam of golden light shot through the sea.
At this moment, the sensing stone in the main hall of the Ghost Domain also emitted a faint golden light.
"The fish has bitten the hook."