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Xiao Li crawled back up pathetically as he vomited a mouthful of fresh blood. Although he still looked very handsome, no matter how one looked at him, he looked like a sad puppy.

On the street, martial artists passing by looked at him mockingly as they teased. "Here goes another toy thrown away by Madam Yinchi."

"Pfft! You're just a lowly dog, a plaything for Madam Yinchi in bed. Men without any guts like you deserved to be killed by Madam Yinchi."

"You're nothing but Madam Yinchi's dog!"

…

…

Xiao Li gritted his teeth as the Qi around his body riled up. Then, he heavily injured the martial artists that laughed at him and threw them into the smelly ditch.

He hated Ning Xiaochuan. If it was not for Ning Xiaochuan's appearance, he would have helped Madam Yinchi a lot and might just enjoy his time with Madam Yinchi that night.

At the same time, he hated Madam YInchi deeply as well.

The woman had utterly destroyed him by turning him into a male dog focused solely on serving her.

She abandoned him mercilessly when she was angry, doing so without any hesitation.

She was a b*tch.

A shameless wh*re b*tch!

"Madam Yinchi. I'm going to make you kneel down and lick my toes one day. I'll make you into Xiao Li's slave!"

Xiao Li understood very well that he was still no match for Madam Yinchi. In fact, he knew that he could no longer leave Madam Yinchi's side as her body made him crazy. Hence, he decided to kill Ning Xiaochuan and present the latter's head before Madam Yinchi. Perhaps then he could return to her side and be pampered by her once again.

As Xiao Li's thoughts came to that conclusion, he charged towards Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall.

…

At Jingpeng Heart-nourishing Hall.

Ning Xiaochuan placed the blood-red Bloodstone Mystical Herb back into the box.

"Sizzle!"

The Bloodstone Mystical Herb turned into a pile of dust instantly!

In truth, Ning Xiaochuan did not turn the Stoneherb back to a Bloodstone Mystical Herb. He merely used the Blood-toad Wood's Qi in his body to create an illusion.

The moment the Stoneherb left Ning Xiaochuan's hand, it would immediately turn back into a pile of dust.

One could say that it was a close call. The two Heart-nourishing Halls had battled it out and Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall won by a hair's breadth.

"We're really lucky that Madam Yinchi was furious. We'd be in great trouble had she taken the Stoneherb." Ning Xiaochuan let out a long sigh of relief.

On the other hand, Yu Qianqian was incredibly happy. "Madam Yinchi was a very powerful martial artist and controls the power of entire Marquis' Residence. Their residence is filled with talented people and she commands all of them. An arrogant woman like her will definitely run away from the scene when she's humiliated. She wouldn't be in the mood to care about a Grade Four Mystical Herb. Xiaochuan, thank you. If it wasn't for you, Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall's reputation would be destroyed."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "I'm a Heart-nourishing Master from Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall and I obtain my monthly allowance from Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall. Hence, it's only natural that I should help you all out."

The sixth Attendant carried a box made out of jade. He walked towards them and passed it to Yu Qianqian respectfully.

Yu Qianqian picked it up with her jade-like hands and passed the small box to Ning Xiaochuan. She smiled elegantly. "Xiaochuan, this is the reward for helping Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall. The Heart-nourishing Hall has decided to reward you for your contribution."

Ning Xiaochuan wanted to reject it but a weird sensation spawned within him. Hence, he took the small box and opened it.

Inside the box laid a Mystical Pill the size of a yellow bean. It was incredibly round and shiny. Layers of Qi could be seen surrounding it and its thick fragrance was oozing out as well.

Ning Xiaochuan could feel his blood flow had increased just from a whiff of the pill's Qi. The Combat Qi within his body was flowing rapidly as it crackled about.

"It's a mid-grade Pill!" Ning Xiaochuan was over the moon as he immediately closed the box. "Thank you, princess, for the reward!"

A mid-grade Pill was incredibly expensive and it was something Ning Xiaochuan would not reject. After all, this was nothing but a speck of dust to Jingpeng Heart-nourishing Hall.

With this mid-grade Pill, his advancement to the Divine Body Realm would be possible.

Once Ning Xiaochuan reached the Divine Body Realm, he would be able to create his own mid-grade Pill.

Yu Qianqian was petite and had beautiful eyes and white teeth. She was as slender as a crescent moon. She warned. "I've something to remind you. Although Madam Yinchi is incredibly beautiful, her reputation is notorious. She's raised dozens of handsome young men over the decade, but all of them were killed by her. You better not get in touch with such a woman. She will definitely destroy your future the moment you're acquainted with her."

Ning Xiaochuan recalled the figure of that beautiful, elegant, woman. That woman was indeed the most beautiful woman in the century. Although her beauty was on par with Yu Qianqian, her assets were so great that she would instantly win against an undeveloped woman like Yu Qianqian. Hence, she was much more seductive than Yu Qianqian.

If she really intended to seduce a man, not many men would not be fazed by her. Even Ning Xiaochuan was not confident that he could retreat away by her seduction.

The sixth Attendant stood not far away from Yu Qianqian and Ning Xiaochuan as he looked at the two. Although they were both about sixteen or seventeen years old, they were behaving much older than their age; intellectually and calmly.

They had teamed up and used their wits to fight against Madam Yinchi. The way they handled her was much better than the elders. These two would certainly play an important role in the future.

Yu Qianqian said, "Feel free to look for me at Great King Jinpeng's Residence if you need any help. There really aren't many things Great King Jinpeng's Residence can't solve."

Ning Xiaochuan bought a large number of Mystical Herbs from Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall. There were Heart-nourishing Herbs, Blood-increasing Herbs, Bone-regenerating Liquid, and so on. He could be considered wealthy since he had six million and three hundred thousand copper coins on him right now. Hence, it was only natural that he could afford such a large number of Mystical Herbs.

Ning Xiaochuan drove the Green Deerhorse carriage back to Begonia Manor after purchasing the Mystical Herbs.

As the Green Deerhorse carriage left the Imperial City, Ning Xiaochuan stopped the carriage and said, "Friend, aren't you tired of tailing me all the way from the Imperial City?"

"Boom!"

A cold scoff could be heard underneath the Green Deerhorse carriage.

Xiao Li appeared from below and threw a punch. Due to his powerful Qi, the entire Greendeer Horse carriage was shattered into pieces.

"Sching!"

The copper coins on the carriage rained and scattered all over the ground.

The carriage had been shattered.

Acting swiftly, Ning Xiaochuan had leaped out beforehand, evading Xiao Li's punch. He immediately retreated far away as he stared at the messy-haired youngster who had appeared from underneath the carriage.

He was none other than the handsome youngster beside Madam Yinchi all the way earlier.

Xiao Li gave a cold glance at Ning Xiaochuan. "Your awareness is quite high. When did you realize I was hiding underneath your carriage?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "Your cultivation level is quite high, so much so that you can evade my Mind Perception's detection. It wasn't until I left the Imperial City and you could no longer control your killing intention that I realized someone was hiding underneath the carriage. Did Madam Yinchi send you here to kill me?"

"I don't like speaking to a dead man." In Xiao Li's eyes, Ning Xiaochuan was already a dead man. A Qi Sword had formed in his palm as he walked towards Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan felt strong oppression coming towards him. It felt like the entire space had frozen and he found it difficult to move even his finger.

Since this youngster's cultivation was in the Divine Body Realm, Ning Xiaochuan was definitely no match against him.

"Wait a minute, why are you so confident that you can kill me?" Ning Xiaochuan acted calm and did not panic at all.

Xiao Li scoffed. "You're just someone whose cultivation level is at Qi Realm Stage Nine. Furthermore, you're a Heart-nourishing Master. Do you really think you can survive against me?"

The battle prowess of a Stage Nine Qi Heart-nourishing Master was definitely no match against a Stage Nine Qi martial artist.

Furthermore, Xiao Li's cultivation level was Divine Body Realm Stage One. He was very confident that killing a Stage Nine Qi Heart-nourishing Master would be a piece of cake.

"I don't know your name. If you want to kill me, at least let me die knowing the reason why." Ning Xiaochuan knew that it would be hard for him to escape now. Hence, he could only delay the situation as long as possible in the hopes that a certain powerhouse would save his life.

However, he was disappointed as he did not seem lucky that day and nobody came to save him.

"Xiao Li!"

Xiao Li did not bother chatting with Ning Xiaochuan anymore as he threw his Qi Sword. It was lightning fast and had arrived at Ning Xiaochuan's neck in an instant.

Since nobody came to save him, he had no choice but to save himself.

Ning Xiaochuan moved the Qi within his body the instant Xiao Li released the sword. He formed a layer of protective Mystical Fortification before he turned around and escaped.

"Boom!"

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The Fortified Qi shattered as the Qi Sword struck Ning Xiaochuan's back, leaving behind a bloody wound on his back.

Ning Xiaochuan took advantage of this attack and pushed his body forward by 52.5 feet.

Xiao Li thought that this sword would be able to chop off Ning Xiaochuan's head. He did not expect that a Heart-nourishing Master with Stage Nine Qi had such powerful protective Mystical Fortification. It was powerful enough to resist the attack of a person at Divine Body Realm's attack, leaving only a light wound.

He did not know that even though Ning Xiaochuan was a Heart-nourishing Master, his combat capability was no weaker than a normal martial artist at the same Stage. In fact, he was an invincible being in comparison to people at the same Stage due to him having the Seven-orifices Devil Heart.

Ning Xiaochuan was at least a hundred feet away by the time Xiao Li reacted.

"You're quick when it comes to escaping. Unfortunately, your death is inevitable today." Xiao Li screamed as he chased after Ning Xiaochuan swiftly. His speed was much quicker than Ning Xiaochuan.

Quick! Quick! Quick!

Ning Xiaochuan circulated his blood to its peak as he made his desperate escape by zipping through the jungle. The blood from his back had completely soaked his shirt through and was now dripping to the ground.

Xiao Li gave chase quickly, and soon the distance between him and Ning Xiaochuan began decreasing. A hundred feet, ninety feet, eighty feet…

If he were to send Sword Qi flying towards Ning Xiaochuan now, it would definitely be able to strike the protective Mystical Fortification that Ning Xiaochuan was encased in.

Once Xiao Li managed to reduce the distance to thirty feet, his Sword Qi would definitely be able to break through Ning Xiaochuan's protective Mystical Fortification.

"Hua la la!"

Ning Xiaochuan could hear the sounds of a river. It came from a large, roaring river that flowed past the hillside up ahead. The sight of this river gave Ning Xiaochuan hope, pulling him from his despair.

He was about thirty feet away from the large river. Once he crossed this distance, he would be able to survive.

Ning Xiaochuan quickly retrieved a mid-grade Pill, which he immediately popped into his mouth before running towards the bottom of the hillside.

"Boom!"

The medicinal potency and Qi of the mid-grade Pill exploded within his body, increasing his speed sharply. However, Xiao Li's speed was still slightly faster than his and Xiao Li was getting close.

Ning Xiaochuan allowed the medicinal potency of the mid-grade Pill course through his body, his gaze never leaving the large river in the distance. He felt a deep chill run down his back, he was completely soaked in sweat, while the sound of rushing wind behind him became louder and louder.

"Boom!"

A pillar of Sword Qi had shattered his protective Mystical Fortification.

Ning Xiaochuan was only one step away from reaching the large river but now that his protective Mystical Fortification was broken, jumping into the large river now would only spell certain death for him.

In this life and death situation, Ning Xiaochuan forcefully turned himself around. He circulated his entire body's worth of Combat Qi and condensed a Qi Sword. "Qi Sword Five Continuous Cleaves."

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Ning Xiaochuan sent out five continuous slashes.

At the same time, Xiao Li also sent out five continuous slashes. His five slashes hit Ning Xiaochuan square in the chest, sending Ning Xiaochuan flying back. With a loud splash, Ning Xiaochuan fell into the large river.

Xiao Li rushed towards the river's shore and stared into the murky red water. He lightly touched his neck with his fingers and realized that his neck had a small gash.

It was definitely the result of the fifth slash from Ning Xiaochuan's "Qi Sword Five Continuous Cleaves".

The fifth slash was quite powerful and even Xiao Li could not block it in time.

If that fifth slash was angled slightly differently, Xiao Li would have been beheaded and killed.

'A Stage Nine Qi Heart-nourishing Master managed to almost kill me. How infuriating.'

Xiao Li knew Ning Xiaochuan was not dead yet; although all five of Xiao Li's slashes had hit Ning Xiaochuan square in the chest, they had missed all of Ning Xiaochuan's vital points, resulting in a non-fatal attack.

A martial artist had strong vitality, so death did not come easily.

Xiao Li walked along the river, attempting to track Ning Xiaochuan's trail downstream.

About ten miles down the large river, Ning Xiaochuan pulled himself out of the water by gripping onto the water plants. His entire body was covered in blood and his face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

"Pfft!"

Ning Xiaochuan spat out a mouthful of river water and it came out of his mouth mixed with blood.

Due to the excessive blood loss, Ning Xiaochuan felt dazed and dizzy. His eyesight went dark for a second and he fell into the muddy ground and grass, heaving heavily as he did so.

After a long moment, Ning Xiaochuan sat up with difficulty, enduring the great pain and weakness his body was feeling. He circulated the Combat Qi within his body to seal his wounds, temporarily stopping the blood loss.

'It's fortunate that I ate the mid-grade Pill earlier, letting me stay underwater for an hour, otherwise I would've died today. Huh! Why do I have three more blood vessels in my body?'

Ning Xiaochuan realized he had three extra blood vessels in his body now. These blood vessels were extremely fine, barely visible to the naked eye, and could only be seen using inner sight.

The first blood vessel started from the Combat Atrium into the cerebral cortex, before it looped back into the Combat Atrium from there. It was the shortest of the three blood vessels.

The second blood vessel started from the Combat Atrium and spread through the five viscera and six bowels1 before returning to the Combat Atrium.

The third blood vessel started from the Combat Atrium and went through all four limbs before it returned to the Combat Atrium, making it the longest of the three blood vessels.

All three blood vessels were independent of each other and also separated from the other blood vessels in Ning Xiaochuan's body. They all circulated through weird routes.

This was something that Ning Xiaochuan would not have even about before; it was beyond conventional understanding.

'Are these possibly my body's Three Great Hidden Vessels?'

These Three Great Hidden Vessels appeared in his body after he had consumed the mid-grade Pill.

However, the Three Great Hidden Vessels had not opened up yet so they were currently closed up "dead vessels".

Once a martial artist opened these vessels and turned them into "live vessels", their ordinary body would turn from rotten into celestial and would morph into the Divine Body. Then, all the Divine Treasures hidden in their body would be activated and various unimaginable divine skills would be born.

Since Ning Xiaochuan's Hidden Vessels had now appeared, things would be so much easier now!

Ning Xiaochuan began sending impacts to his Hidden Vessels, immediately deciding on the third Hidden Vessel—the one that looped from the Combat Atrium and into his limbs!

The longer the length of the Hidden Vessel, the more time it would take to open up. If it were any other time, Ning Xiaochuan would have chosen the first Hidden Vessel, the one that was connected to the brain, instead. After all, it was the shortest, which meant it would use the least time.

However, he was in an emergency now. His powerful enemy would come for his life at any moment so Ning Xiaochuan had no choice but to pick the third Hidden Vessel.

If he could open up the third Hidden Vessel, then he would be able to transmit Qi from his Combat Atrium directly to his limbs. Not only would doing that make his legs go faster, but it would also increase the strength of his arms.

Although these Hidden Vessels were blood vessels, Combat Qi flowed through them instead of blood. This naturally meant that Ning Xiaochuan needed to use Combat Qi to impact the Hidden Vessels.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

…

After multiple failed attempts, Ning Xiaochuan quickly calmed himself. He no longer forced all of his Qi against the Hidden Vessel since doing that repeatedly would only affect his internal injuries.

Ning Xiaochuan controlled the Qi within his Combat Atrium and mobilized a wisp of it so that he could condense the Qi as fine as a needle. He then slowly pushed it into the tip of the Hidden Vessel.

"Bang!"

The Qi managed to pierce through a small part of the Hidden Vessel.

It was a success!

Although it was only a small part of the vessel, it was still a small entrance into the vessel.

The vessel, which was as thin as a strand of hair, was completely blocked.

Ning Xiaochuan was now going to open up the Hidden Vessel so that Qi could flow through it.

Ning Xiaochuan slowly inched the Combat Qi through the vessel. With every section the Combat Qi passed through, the pain that wreaked through his body increased.

The Combat Qi had only made it through one-tenth of the Hidden Vessel but Ning Xiaochuan already felt like he was going to die from the pain as drops of blood seeped from his pores.

Ning Xiaochuan quickly maneuvered the Combat Qi back into the Combat Atrium before he released a long breath. He then cleaned the bloodstains on his body with water.

Although he had not successfully opened up the third Hidden Vessel, this was still something to be celebrated.

'The fact that I managed to open up one-tenth of the Hidden Vessel on the first impact is great. I need three days, by then I should be able to open up the third Hidden Vessel. I won't be that much slower than Xiao Li once I'm done.'

Suddenly, Ning Xiaochuan felt something. He slowly spread the water plants and looked towards the opposite bank of the large river, only to see a young man dressed in white standing on the distant shore. The man seemed to be searching for something, his gaze deadly.

Despite being separated by the large river, Ning Xiaochuan could still see the opposite bank clearly.

The young man was Xiao Li!

Xiao Li stood on the water's edge, his gaze scanning the area in search of any trace of Ning Xiaochuan. A martial artist in the Divine Body Realm had exceptionally sharp eyesight; they would be able to see even the wrinkles on the wings of an insect that was flying a thousand meters away.

"I can see you. You're on the opposite bank and I'll be coming for your life now," said Xiao Li, laughing loudly right after.

Ning Xiaochuan felt his heart leap in his chest. He almost exposed himself by dashing out of the water plants.

However, he quickly readjusted his position instead. 'I almost fell for his trick. Xiao Li is definitely baiting me. If he had really seen me, he would've already quietly come over here to kill me. He would've never said anything to shock me out of hiding.'

Ning Xiaochuan held his breath and waited for a moment. Once he realized that Xiao Li was merely testing him and had not crossed the river, Ning Xiaochuan heaved a sigh of relief.

'This won't work for long since, sooner or later, Xiao Li will search over here. I should leave.'

Once the sky was dark, Ning Xiaochuan emerged from the marsh full of water plants and ran into the forest.

However, it did not take long for Xiao Li to catch up to him.

"How can this be? How did you find out where I was?" Ning Xiaochuan was fleeing quickly but he was utterly confused.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Xiao Li leaped from the top of one tree to another, approaching Ning Xiaochuan rapidly. With a sneer, he said. "My Combat Atrium is the Abnormal Beast Atrium, which is extremely sensitive towards the scent of my enemies. It would have been fine if you hadn't left the water but once you did, your scent was easy to pick up. So, finding you was more than easy."

Ning Xiaochuan finally understood why during the day, Xiao Li had stood in that position while trying to bait Ning Xiaochuan out into the open. His Abnormal Beast Atrium must have picked up on Ning Xiaochuan's scent but since Ning Xiaochuan was hiding in the marsh, Xiao Li could not pick up Ning Xiaochuan's exact location. Therefore, he attempted to lure Ning Xiaochuan out into the open.

Xiao Li must have stood there until Ning Xiaochuan came ashore before immediately giving chase.

Since Ning Xiaochuan finally understood the reasoning behind it all, he quickly stopped in his tracks before dashing towards the river once more.

Xiao Li chuckled coldly. "Do you think you still have a chance?"

Xiao Li spread his arms out and condensed five Qi Swords that revolved around his body. He then mobilized the Qi Swords, morphing them into sword images that rushed towards Ning Xiaochuan all at once.

"Qi Sword Six Continuous Cleaves!"

Ning Xiaochuan sent six slashes out in a row. Each slash was larger than the previous one, rippling through the air as it flew.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

All six swords shattered Xiao Li's five sword images.

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"You better try to stop me from achieving the Divine Body Realm, otherwise, death is coming for you." Ning Xiaochuan spat coldly as he ran, disappearing into the forest.

"He actually got stronger again!" Xiao Li's eyes were cold before he, once more, gave chase.

The first time they had crossed swords, Ning Xiaochuan could not stop his five swords and had thus been greatly injured.

However, Ning Xiaochuan actually managed to shatter his five swords this time.

This was too much progress for just a day.

"Splash!"

Ning Xiaochuan jumped into the large river once again, disappearing into the cold river water.

Xiao Li stood on the bank and peered into the dark water before he growled, "Let's just see how long you can stay in the water."

Although a martial artist's body was strong, they would never be able to achieve a complete state of fetal breathing1. If a martial artist with Stage Nine Qi managed to stay underwater for ten minutes, it would already be quite an amazing feat.

Ning Xiaochuan sank to the bottom of the river and started quickly walking along the bottom. About ten minutes later, he found it harder and harder to breathe internally. His actions became slower and slower while his brain became duller and duller.

'Since I can't breathe using my mouth, I'll use my Combat Atrium so that I can breathe through my pores.'

Ning Xiaochuan sat cross-legged on the bottom of the river and started cultivating Heaven and Earth Qi.

Qi was everywhere so there would definitely be Qi in the water.

The objective of cultivating Heaven and Earth Qi was to absorb the Qi within Heaven and Earth and convert it into one's own Combat Qi.

"Boom!"

Under the strong pressure of the water and the stress of the life and death situation, Ning Xiaochuan's absorption rate of Heaven and Earth Qi had doubled and he had achieved Level Three Heaven and Earth Qi.

Each time Heaven and Earth Qi increased by one level, the absorption rate of the Qi within Heaven and Earth would double as well.

Level One Heaven and Earth Qi had a normal absorption rate.

Level Two Heaven and Earth Qi had twice the normal absorption rate.

Level Three Heaven and Earth Qi had four times the normal absorption rate.

Level Four Heaven and Earth Qi had eight times the normal absorption rate.

…

Once one achieved Level Seven Heaven and Earth Qi, one would have sixty-four times the normal absorption rate.

Once one had cultivated Heaven and Earth Qi to Level Seven, it would be even more powerful than many of the best cultivation manuals.

After all, even if the top scripture of Marquis Jiange's Residence, the Heart Furnace Scripture was cultivated to Level Six, it would only achieve sixty times the normal absorption rate. Besides, within the Residence, there were not more than five people that could cultivate the Heart Furnace Scripture to Level Six.

Furthermore, Heaven and Earth Qi did not only have seven levels. Rumor had it that someone in the Yulan Empire had once managed to cultivate Heaven and Earth Qi to Level Eleven, which meant they had a Qi absorption rate more than a thousand times the normal rate. This level of Cultivation was well past the Earthly Supreme Realm and had transcended into a realm that was beyond the most mysterious of mysteries.

However, this was still a myth.

The copies of Heaven and Earth Qi circulating in the market now only had the written accounts of the cultivation methods for the first four levels.

Even Marquis Jiange's Residence only had the cultivation methods of the first six levels.

The initial stages of cultivating Heaven and Earth Qi were too difficult while there were almost no records of the cultivation methods for the later stages. This was the main reason nobody chose to cultivate Heaven and Earth Qi and why its cultivation manual was everywhere.

Once Ning Xiaochuan achieved Level Three Heaven and Earth Qi, he gained four times the normal absorption rate of Heaven and Earth Qi, which finally allowed him to barely maintain his physical condition. Even if he were to stay underwater for three days and three nights, he would not die from lack of oxygen.

Since he had to open up the first Hidden Vessel as soon as possible, Ning Xiaochuan once again started impacting his Hidden Vessels.

He might even try to open up all three Hidden Vessels and achieve the Divine Body Realm in the process.

…

Xiao Li waited above the water for two days straight. However, never once did Ning Xiaochuan emerge from the water, which made Xiao Li feel uneasy.

He had already dived to the bottom of the river three times in search of Ning Xiaochuan but none of the attempts were successful.

'Could he have escaped?' Xiao Li was a little anxious now and contemplating whether to stay or leave.

If Ning Xiaochuan had indeed escaped, was he not just wasting time by waiting here?

"Whoosh!"

Waves suddenly rocked the surface of the water.

A huge boulder emerged slowly from within the water. It seemed to weigh about ten thousand pounds yet it floated upon the water's surface like a bubble.

A human hand was seen holding the boulder immediately afterward. They took slow steps out of the river as their head first appeared above the water before their body followed closely after.

While Ning Xiaochuan supported the ten thousand-pound huge boulder with a single hand, he slowly made his way towards the river bank.

Xiao Li was both surprised and delighted.

He was surprised because a Heart-nourishing Master at Stage Nine Qi was able to carry a ten thousand-pound huge boulder with one hand while his delight was due to the fact that Ning Xiaochuan had finally emerged from the water.

Since Ning Xiaochuan had emerged, Xiao Li was not going to let him escape back into the water anymore.

"That's amazing! You've made progress again. It seems I've been underestimating you." Xiao Li stood on the river bank as he condensed thick wisps of Qi onto his palm. Once Ning Xiaochuan seemed like he would be running back into the water, he would immediately send out his strongest blow to kill Ning Xiaochuan immediately.

Ning Xiaochuan laughed coldly before taking in a deep breath. The Qi within his body started crackling before he suddenly flung the ten thousand-pound boulder in his hand.

Xiao Li knew Ning Xiaochuan was not easy to deal with. Xiao Li schooled his expression and extended his palm. Countless wisps of Qi flowed around right above his palm before they condensed into a three-meter-long beast's claw.

"Roar!"

Its claws were sharp and the scales could be clearly seen.

Bang!

The claw had pulverized the huge boulder into dust.

This was "Taotie's Claw1", a Divine Martial Art that had emerged from within Xiao Li's body after he achieved Stage One of the Divine Body Realm.

Using this Divine Martial Art was equivalent to wielding the power of one of Taotie's Claws, which had enough power to tear steel tanks to pieces.

As soon as the boulder exploded, Ning Xiaochuan rushed forward. "Qi Sword Seven Continuous Cleaves!"

Ning Xiaochuan had completely opened up his third Hidden Vessel and had already done one complete cycle of Qi through it as well. His arms surged with Qi and with a kick of his legs, he leaped sixty feet into the air.

He was no slower than a martial artist with a Stage One Divine Body.

The Qi Swords surged towards Xiao Li one after another, almost completely drowning Xiao Li in them.

Once Ning Xiaochuan had sent the sixth slash out, Xiao Li's Cultivation no longer allowed him to resist them completely so he was pushed backward.

The seventh slash that went out pierced through Xiao Li's protective Mystical Fortification, leaving a foot-long wound across his chest that seeped beads of blood.

"You dare injure me!" Xiao Li was furious; a Stage Nine Qi Heart-nourishing Master had actually broken through his protective Mystical Fortification, he had been disgraced.

"You're going to die now! Taotie's Claw."

A beast's roar could be heard from Xiao Li's heart as Qi enveloped his body. His palm then morphed into the claw of a giant beast. The claw was even bigger than Ning Xiaochuan's body and it seemed to be completely capable of turning Ning Xiaochuan's body into bloody paste with one swat.

Ning Xiaochuan's entire body was covered in mud and his hair stuck to his face like strands of water plants. His eyes glowed a reddish tint, which made it even scarier than a wild beast's eyes. Through gritted teeth, Ning Xiaochuan growled, "Devil Sword!"

Ning Xiaochuan stretched out his palm against the giant beast's claw before weird red light started emitting from his palm.

"Boom!"

The surface of the water all around Ning Xiaochuan rippled violently and continuously as he exploded with Qi fluctuations, probably killing many creatures in the water as well.

Within Ning Xiaochuan's Combat Atrium, the Devil Sword chirped violently as wisps of blood-red Qi flowed directly into his arms through his Hidden Vessel. He now had a tight grip on the giant beast's claw.

Xiao Li originally thought this beast's claw of his would be able to kill Ning Xiaochuan but he never expected the strong power that had surged from Ning Xiaochuan's palm to absorb his blood.

Blood flowed quickly out of Xiao Li's palm.

Xiao Li's expression fell drastically. "You… You…cultivated a Devil Technique… Devil Technique…"

Ning Xiaochuan spat, "I'll use all your blood to help me achieve the Divine Body Realm!"

Ning Xiaochuan used Xiao Li's blood to begin his onslaught against the second Hidden Vessel—the one that looped from the Combat Atrium to his five viscera and six bowels and back. After all, the most important mark of a man was connected to this Hidden Vessel.

The Qi within his body increased dramatically!

Xiao Li's eyes widened as he could only watch his arm shrivel, the skin turning black.

"No, no, this can't be…"

Xiao Li's mouth emitted a loud roar at the same time a beast-like howl came from his Combat Atrium!

His gaze steeled before he slapped a palm into his own chest to knock himself back.

Now that Xiao Li had finally escaped from Ning Xiaochuan, his body landed onto the ground heavily and he coughed up blood continuously.

He looked at his right arm and screamed in horror. His arm was completely useless now; it was as shriveled as a corpse's arm. Although he was looking at his own arm, Xiao Li was filled with fear and he felt his blood run cold!

Ning Xiaochuan circulated Qi with both his hands; now that his five viscera and six bowels were enveloped in Qi, the Qi his body contained had doubled again.

Since he had fully opened up the second Hidden Vessel, his blood would be able to complete eight cycles through his body in a minute.

Based on his current Qi Cultivation, he would be able to use Qi Sword Eight Continuous Cleaves.

All Ning Xiaochuan needed to achieve the Divine Body Realm now was open up his first Hidden Vessel.

Although he had not achieved the Divine Body Realm, he was already on the pinnacle of the Qi Realm. Once he mastered Qi Sword Eight Continuous Cleaves, nobody beneath the Divine Body Realm would be a match for him.

Even the geniuses of Marquis Jiange's Residence Like Ning Hengqing and Ning Meier were no longer any match for Ning Xiaochuan now as he could easily overwhelm them completely.

Ning Xiaochuan stared at Xiao Li, who was lying on the ground, and said, "Didn't you want to kill me? Do you still think you can kill me now?"

"I can only blame myself for underestimating my enemy, otherwise you would be long dead by now. You're still far behind me based on Cultivation alone." Xiao Li was unwilling to admit defeat, his gaze cold as he spoke.

He was a martial artist of the Divine Body Realm and could look down upon all the ants of the Qi Realm, so how could he let himself be defeated by Ning Xiaochuan?

It was impossible!

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Is that so? Then stand up and continue our fight. We'll find out who's stronger."

Xiao Li had lost a lot of Blood Qi so it would be impossible for him to recover in a short time which meant he could not go against Ning Xiaochuan right now.

Xiao Li pushed himself off the ground before fleeing quickly into the forest. His hatred for Ning Xiaochuan grew even more within him and he vowed that once his injuries healed, he would definitely make mincemeat out of Ning Xiaochuan.

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"Escape? Do you think you can escape?"

Since he had circulated Qi into his legs, Ning Xiaochuan was as fast as the wind and quickly caught up to Xiao Li.

After all, what goes around comes around.

Two days ago, Xiao Li had forced Ning Xiaochuan into narrowly escaping death and two days later, Xiao Li was the one that was fleeing for his life.

Ning Xiaochuan chased after Xiao Li, murderous intent growing in his heart.

Although Ning Xiaochuan was a doctor, he was never a person that would show mercy upon his enemies.

"Bang!"

Qi condensed into Fortified Qi before it morphed into a sword that was half-tangible and half-intangible. It zipped through the air and struck Xiao Li in his back, sending him flying forward. He crashed into the trunk of a large tree and blood covered his head immediately.

Xiao Li fell ungracefully to the ground before he glanced in horror at Ning Xiaohuan, who had caught up to him. He quickly got to his feet and dashed away.

Ning Xiaochuan repeatedly sent Fortified Sword Qi flying into Xiao Li until his back was badly mangled, the flesh completely riddled with gashes as his bones peeked through.

In the end, Xiao Li's injuries were too grave for him to bear, and he could no longer hold on. His eyesight went dark and he fell head-first towards the ground, his face crashing into the soil.

Xiao Li lifted his head with difficulty as he stared in horror at Ning Xiaochuan, who was getting closer and closer. Hopelessness overcame Xiao Li completely.

Ning Xiaochuan condensed a Qi Sword with his hand as he stepped closer. "It's time to end this."

Ning Xiaochuan then stabbed the sword downwards!

"Whoosh!"

A throwing knife came flying out of the dark forest, hitting against the Qi Sword in Ning Xiaochuan's hand and knocking it out of its original angle.

Now that the Qi Sword had deviated slightly, it did not pierce through Xiao Li's heart and instead went through his upper back, though it still went through his body.

"How brazen for you to dare to commit murder in the Imperial City. Death penalty!" In the dark night, a cold voice exclaimed, scattering the birds in the trees.

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

Three silhouettes leaped across the treetops in the night, their every leap spanning at least a hundred feet each as they hopped rapidly like shadows.

These three people had extremely high Cultivation. They were able to offset the Qi Sword in Ning Xiaochuan's hand by throwing a knife from a few miles away, which went to show their shocking Cultivation.

Through the darkness of the night, Ning Xiaochuan could only see three monster-like shadows rushing towards him. Each jump they took was at least a hundred feet in distance and the whistling that followed each jump was enough to shake his body to the core like it was going to explode.

'They're a powerful trio!'

Ning Xiaochuan knew powerhouses were rapidly approaching so he did not dare to stay and quickly fled the scene.

A moment later, three shadows fell lightly onto the ground from the treetops.

They each held a thirty-six feet long spear that was as thick as the rim of a bowl. These weapons were five to six times longer than their bodies, longer than most of the trees even. They looked just like pillars with mysterious etchings.

These weapons were Dragon Elephant Halberd Pikes that could only be wielded by Dragon Elephant Divine Soldiers.

Dragon Elephant Halberd Pikes were Grade Three Mystical Equipment that weighed three thousand eight hundred pounds each. Only Dragon Elephant Divine Soldiers, who had strong Cultivation, could wield these pikes with ease.

One swing of the pike could easily wipe out an army, which allowed any one person who wielded it to defeat thousands of soldiers.

All three of their bodies surged with powerful and unyielding Qi, showing their profound Martial Art Cultivation and making them people that all Martial Monks looked up to.

The one that stood at the forefront was a peerless beauty with blue hair and blue eyes. Her aura was cold and her figure slender; her legs were straight and lean and her long hair was like a blue fountain. She emitted a gentle and beautiful feeling that was beyond words.

Two three-feet long light beams shot out of her bright eyes as she took one glance at Xiao Li before saying, "A genius with the Taotie Atrium, a Beast Atrium. Unfortunately, his lungs have been pierced through by that evildoer so his injuries are very serious."

Her blue eyes took on a wisp of green and now resembled the blue-green color of jade, pure and distinct.

"Out of all the Abnormal Beast Atriums, the Taotie Atrium is regarded as the top Atrium. His future martial accomplishments will be incalculable. Captain, why not recruit him into the Dragon Elephant Divine Camp?" Zuo Jinfeng knelt down to help Xiao Li to his feet. White Qi exploded from his palm as he helped to get Xiao Li's internal injuries under control.

The three people that had appeared were actually the Dragon Elephant Divine Camp's Three Great Powerhouses—Ji Hanxing, Zuo Jinfeng, and You Zui.

Ji Hanxing held her pike horizontally, her defined body stood upright. Her eyelashes were long and her nose was exquisite. She said coldly, "Not every gifted person can be recruited into the Dragon Elephant Divine Camp but the Taotie Atrium is definitely rare. He has a lot of potential, so send him over to the Heavenly Emperor Academy's Diamond Martial Art Institution first. Let Dean Yan train him first before we decide if he can join the Dragon Elephant Divine Camp."

"Huh! Captain, come take a look!" Zuo Jinfeng's voice carried a hint of fear.

The three powerhouses of the Dragon Elephant Divine Camp had their eyes locked onto Xiao Li's arm, which had shriveled up entirely. It had been drained entirely of blood and was completely unresponsive, just like the arm of a corpse.

"It's the Bloodthirsty Devil Technique! This was done by someone from the Bloodthirsty Devil Sect. Someone from that sect is in the Imperial City again."

The expressions of the Dragon Elephant Divine Camp's Three Great Powerhouses shifted slightly.

Ji Hanxing's eyebrows furrowed her dark eyebrows lightly before she lightly cut her left hand's middle finger. A small gash appeared on the tip of her slender finger and a single drop of blood, which had a light fragrance, fell from her fingertip onto Xiao Li's shriveled arm.

"Wha—"

Her drop of blood erupted with blinding red light like a blood-red magical lamp. It contained intense life energy and bloomed into a blood-red divine flower in mid-air.

The divine flower fell onto Xiao Li's shriveled arm, rapidly resuscitating his withered muscles. His flesh grew rapidly and his skin returned to its former state.

A single drop of blood had morphed into a divine flower, which helped Xiao Li not only regain his lost blood but also helped regenerate his arm and made it stronger!

Zuo Jinfeng and You Zui shared a look; their Captain was truly the captain for a reason. Her Cultivation was incredibly powerful since only a drop of blood was enough to save someone that had been drained by the Bloodthirsty Devil Technique. They could never do what Ji Hanxing had just done.

The tiny gash on Ji Hanxing's fingertip healed instantly, leaving no scar behind.

Suddenly, she directed her gaze onto the footprints in the ground. Two beams of light emitted from her eyes once more before she said, "The same footprints, the same scent."

The footprints in the ground reminded her of the mysterious person that had saved Official Tian in Southpearl Mountain.

Ji Hanxing immediately ordered, "Zuo Jinfeng, you are to bring this young man to the Heavenly Emperor Academy. You Zui, you are to report to the Old Marquis that Official Tian might've been taken by someone from the Bloodthirsty Devil Sect."

Zuo Jinfeng and You Zui instantly left.

Ji Hanxing, on the other hand, followed the footprints in the ground and went after the person that had saved Official Tian. However, once she arrived at the bank of the large river, the footprints had disappeared.

It was obvious that the person had jumped into the river to hide their scent.

'Do you think I won't be able to track you just because you've jumped into the river? You'll come ashore sooner or later.' Ji Hanxing stared into the roaring river. Her skin was like ice jade and her hair danced in the wind as her eyes glistened with light.

With her Dragon Elephant Halberd Pike in her grip, a cloud of white Qi condensed below her feet and her body rose before she landed smoothly on the river's surface.

Her beauty could throw a city into chaos as she stood still like a reflection. Her body did not sink and she scanned both river banks intently so that once someone went ashore, she would see them immediately.

…

After swimming for six hours in the water, Ning Xiaochuan went ashore on a hidden part of the river bank. As he watched the ray of sunlight reflecting off the water's surface in the distance, he felt calmness wash over himself.

He was dozens of miles away from where he had dived into the river. Even if someone wanted to trace his trail, they would not catch up to him for a while.

'It's fortunate I escaped so quickly. Those three were definitely absolute powerhouses. If they find out I've cultivated a Devil Technique, they'll definitely try to exorcise me.'

Although Ning Xiaochuan had not cultivated a Devil Technique, he had a Devil Sword that could absorb the blood of humans inside himself, which made it no different from him actually cultivating a Devil Technique.

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He only hoped that Xiao Li had died. Otherwise, that tattletale personality of Xiao Li would definitely cause Ning Xiaochuan endless trouble.

Although the past two days were life-threatening, Ning Xiaochuan had still made excellent progress on his Cultivation. His only regret was losing his cart of coins.

He had more than six million pieces of copper coins in there, not to mention the hundreds of stalks of Mystical Medicine and a branch of Blood-toad Wood, which was definitely worth more than millions. He wondered which b*stard had gained from his loss.

Two days had passed since then so Ning Xiaochuan no longer hoped he would be able to retrieve his coins and Blood-toad Wood. He could only think of himself as unlucky for encountering a lunatic.

Ning Xiaochuan believed that he had never offended anyone. Even if he did, it was probably only Madam Yinchi. What had she got to do with Xiao Li?

Ning Xiaochuan heaved a sigh and started walking back.

Although he had been extremely cautious, he had severely underestimated the power of the Dragon Elephant Divine Camp's Three Great Powerhouses. A few moments later, Ji Hanxing landed onto the place where he had emerged from the river before she went after him by following his footprints.

"Master, where have you been for the past two days? Why are you in such a state? Did you encounter bandits?" When Yu Yan saw Ning Xiaochuan in his tattered clothes, messy hair. dirtied face, and the wounds all over his body, she thought that he had just escaped from a dire situation.

Technically, he did just escape from a dire situation.

"You could say that I encountered bandits! It's hard to summarize things up so we'll talk about it later. Oh right! Yu Yan, I've lost the entire household's money and have zero coins on me right now. Financially speaking, how long will the manor be able to last?" Ning Xiaochuan asked a rather key question.

He took all of the manor's money when he left. Such a huge manor needed a huge amount of funding to feed hundreds of servants.

Could Begonia Manor survive in such a state?

Yu Yan pursed her lips softly and said, "It's fine. These are all small matters. Master, please don't worry about it."

Ning Xiaochuan squinted. "Yu Yan, where is your butterfly hairpin? What about the jade bracelet on your wrist? Where's the jade accessory on your waist? Where have your accessories gone?"

Yu Yan was once Guanyu Tower's third-rate hostess and her financial assets were in the millions. She possessed many valuable accessories but all of them were no longer there.

Was it possible for her to hide all of this from the perceptive Ning Xiaochuan?

Yu Yan lowered her head softly. "I don't have to rely on my looks to survive now. It's only natural that I've no need for those accessories any longer. Master, you've allowed me to become a lowly housekeeper in Begonia Manor. It's only fair that I give more consideration to the manor and prevent master from worrying about the financial situation of the manor. About those accessories… those accessories… I've sold them off to support the place."

Ning Xiaochuan held onto Yu Yan's tiny hand tightly. "Idiot! Which girl doesn't want to be pretty? Isn't it easy to earn money?"

Ning Xiaochuan entered Purple Cloud Yard and chopped off about 30 pounds of Blood-toad Woods before driving to the Imperial City to sell them off.

He came back at noon with around a hundred bouquets of Mystical Herbs and a large sum of money.

"Yu Yan, come here."

Ning Xiaochuan held out a pendant. The thread was made out of lazurite and the pendant was a pure white Soul-connecting Jade shaped like a beautiful, transparent shell.

Soul-connecting Jade could be found within a Mystical Beast's body. It was hidden within their bones and was a jade that was made from its Qi and bone. It was incredibly rare and valuable.

This pendant necklace was specifically chosen by Ning Xiaochuan fo rYu Yan. He had spent one million and two hundred copper coins to purchase it.

This necklace was so expensive that even the pampered daughters from Noble families might not get to wear it.

Ning Xiaochuan placed the necklace on Yu Yan's neck before the edge of his lips curled up. "That's more like it! You're so beautiful. Do you like it?"

Yu Yan's hand kept caressing the little shell as she nodded excitedly. She was just like a little chicken pecking at rice and tears flooded her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

Yu Yan knelt on the ground and said, "Although there were people who gifted me accessories back in Guanyu Tower, since Yu Yan is no better than a beggar, I always believed that they were doing it out of pity. However, when master gifted me this accessory, your gaze held no hint of other intentions. I couldn't sense any pity and this means a lot to me. Yu Yan was incredibly touched and started crying uncontrollably."

Ning Xiaochuan carried her up as he wiped away her tears with his finger. "It's just a necklace. Go, go tell those people to take this money into the storeroom. You've free reign to manage."

"Yes!"

Yu Yan nodded softly as she turned around and left. She was holding the little shell on her neck tightly. The sweetness in her heart was as sweet as honey.

Then, Begonia Manor's recently promoted Attendant came rushing in and knelt down. "Proprietor, bad news! The Southern Mountain Cluster's main army has surrounded Begonia Manor!"

Ning Xiaochuan frowned. The Southern Mountain Cluster dared to surround Begonia Manor with their armies. Did they not know that this was Marquis Jiange's Residence's Manor?

He had a bad feeling about this!

The military had been mobilized to surround the manor. This was no small matter even in the Imperial City. Something big must have happened for them to make such a big move.

However, Ning Xiaochuan was still in the dark as to why Begonia Manor was being surrounded. Hence, he immediately stood up and rushed out.

"Boom!"

Two seven feet tall soldiers in heavy armor resembling a bear attacked with their palms simultaneously. Their palms were filled with densely packed Qi as they struck Begonia Manor's main door, shattering the approximately two feet thick steel door into pieces.

These two soldiers were top notch martial artists and were known as aggressive people among the military. Furthermore, each of them led a small team of a few hundred.

"What are you guys doing? This is Begonia Manor. This isn't a place you can simply barge in!"

Begonia Manor's guards went up to block them but their cultivations were no match against these two powerhouses. It only took the two soldiers a brief moment before all of the guards fell to the ground.

Begonia Manor's guards' cultivations were not high. Other than the previous Commander Ye Chenglong being a Stage Nine Qi powerhouse, the majority of the guards were no higher than Stage Six Qi.

Among the soldiers, one powerful soldier, whose face was covered by a beard, stomped on a guard's chest with his leg and scoffed. "What the f*ck is Begonia Manor? You dared to hide a wanted criminal from the court. Do you believe me when I say that everyone here will have their heads chopped off?"

"I don't believe you have got the b*lls to do that!"

Ning Xiaochuan walked out of the manor. He looked at the broken door and the dozens of guards on the brink of death. His gaze turned cold as he muttered, "Who are you? Do you know this manor belongs to Marquis Jiange's Residence? You must have got a huge b*lls to dare to destroy the manor's door! Men, tie these two up and chop off their hands!"

The area just beyond the main entrance was filled with soldiers in heavy armor. Their gazes were cold and filled with killing intent. They were oozing out an oppressing aura and some of them were even riding ferocious Mystical Beasts. The manor was completely surrounded.

The entire army was lined up and in position.

They were truly a huge army. Their training was of high quality and they were cold-blooded. Although their cultivation levels were similar to Begonia Manor's guards, a hundred of them were able to kill off five hundred guards without any problem once they were in position.

Begonia Manor was surrounded by so much killing intent that the manor's servant's expression turned incredibly pale.

Had Begonia Manor's guards ever seen such a scene before? They did not even dare to move a step, let alone tie their enemies up.

"This is what a real army looks like!"

Ning Xiaochuan was shocked. If this army were to charge Begonia Manor, the place would be flattened in an instant and corpses would fill up the entire place.

The huge bearded soldier glanced softly at Ning Xiaochuan. His leg remained on the guard's chest as he spoke coldly, "Kid, who are you?"

"I'm Begonia Manor's proprietor." While Ning Xiaochuan looked calm, he could not even look at this strong man in the eyes. He had been staring at a woman the entire time.

This woman was standing in the empty field between Begonia Manor and the army. She was tall, her waist was slim, and she had her back facing Begonia Manor. She crossed her hands in front of her and she stood as straight as the Dragon Elephant Halberd Pike planted down on the ground beside her.

Although the three thousand soldiers that had surrounded Begonia Manor were incredibly intimidating, their gazes were filled with fear when they stared at this woman before them.

She was like an incredibly tall mountain, giving off a sensation to every martial artist that they would never reach the peak of this mountain. She was so cold that nobody could get close to her.

Ning Xiaochuan had a feeling that if this woman really wanted to, she could kill all three thousand soldiers without any single problem.

It was not just Ning Xiaochuan who had this feeling. The soldiers felt it as well and that was the reason why they were so afraid of her.

"So you're Begonia Manor's proprietor!"

Ji Hanxing turned around. Her blue hair fluttered freely. Her gaze was ice-cold and her pupils were emitting out a three feet long aura as she stared at the footprints behind Ning Xiaochuan. She nodded softly and said, "Yup. You're the one!"

Ning Xiaochuan felt that her gaze was incredibly sharp and was able to pierce through his flesh. His entire body froze and he found it incredibly difficult to move.

She was incredibly powerful!

Even with him at Stage Nine Qi, he felt like he was a firefly competing against the moon in terms of brightness.

Ning Xiaochuan immediately activated his Devil Sword to shroud his Qi as he tried to act like a commoner who had no cultivation. He then said sternly, "Are you here for me?"

Ning Xiaochuan found this woman rather familiar as he seemed to have met her once at the Southern Mountain Cluster. She was sitting on top of a Dragon Elephant back then and was a Dragon Elephant Divine Soldier well respected by everyone.

Ji Hanxing arrived at Begonia Manor by tracing Ning Xiaochuan's footsteps. The reason why she had mobilized a great army of three thousand to surround the Begonia Manor was that she did not want Official Tian to escape once more.

Ji Hanxing frowned slightly. 'What's going on? He has no Combat Qi in his body?'

Ji Hanxing had cultivated Qinghao's Glass Eye and was able to see through any martial artist's cultivation that was higher than hers. However, she could not even sense any Combat Qi in Ning Xiaochuan and this raised her suspicion.

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Could a youngster without martial arts be able to save Official Tian?

Could a youngster without martial arts be able to learn the Bloodthirsty Devil Technique and almost kill a martial artist whose skill was in the Divine Body Realm?

What was going on here?

Ji Hanxing walked towards Ning Xiaochuan. Her waist was small and she was very tall. Her hourglass body was simply seductive but she gave off an incredibly aloof and cold vibe. She took out a badge and said oppressively, "This Dragon Elephant Divine Soldier is here to apprehend a wanted criminal of the court. I hope you can cooperate with us!"

Ning Xiaochuan finally understood why this great army had surrounded Begonia Manor. They were here to capture Official Tian!

'This is going to be troublesome!'

"These people are amazing. I covered my tracks and yet they still managed to arrive at this place." Ning Xiaochuan sighed in his mind.

Official Tian was an important figure in the Dark Emperor City and he was currently taking refuge in Begonia Manor. Once they found Official Tian in Begonia Manor, then everyone here would have their heads chopped off. Furthermore, this might even affect Marquis Jiange's Residence as well.

From the court's perspective, the threat of Dark Emperor City was no less than Bloodthirsty Devil Sect.

Ning Xiaochuan did not show any weird expression and was as calm as the sea. He scoffed. "Do you think you're all that just because you're a Dragon Elephant Divine Soldier? Do you know where this is? This is Marquis Jiange's Residence's manor. Do you know who I am? I'm a direct descendant of Marquis Jiange's Residence."

"You said that a wanted criminal of the court is hiding here. Do you have any proof of that? If you don't have any proof and have brought a huge army to surround Begonia Manor,do you have your sights set on Marquis Jiange's Residence? Marquis Jiange's Residence has never been afraid of other people's challenge and only a handful of people who have challenged us in the past suffered no consequences."

Ji Hanxing was rather suspicious of this young master who had no cultivation at all. That was because he was able to be this calm despite her trying to oppress him with her powerful Combat Qi. In fact, he was still daring enough to antagonize her as well!

Even the skilled soldiers that frequent the battlefield did not have the courage to do that to her.

She thought that Begonia Manor was only a decorated manor by Marquis Jiange's Residence. However, she had not expected that Begonia Manor's proprietor would have such a strong background.

He was Marquis Jiange's direct descendant. He had the blood of an actual Noble coursing through his body.

Things would become much more complicated if Marquis Jiange's direct descendant had saved Official Tian. In fact, a Marquis' Residence might just be raided.

If another person had been there that day, that person might just be scared off by Ning Xiaochuan's threat.

However, Ji Hanxing was not a person who would be afraid of such a thing.

Her eyes were filled with fighting spirit as the power oozing out of her body was much more oppressive than a Dragon Elephant. A hint of killing intent could be seen in her gaze as well. She grabbed hold of Ning Xiaochuan's shirt by the chest and picked him up. She scoffed, "This Dragon Elephant Divine Soldier is on duty. I can barge into any place even if it's a Noble's Residence, let alone a puny manor. I've seen many princes and Nobles and I've even killed some of them. Do you really think you can bind me? Men, search the place immediately!"

"You dare?! Have you really thought of the consequences of going against Marquis Jiange's Residence?" Ning Xiaochuan screamed.

The soldiers were stunned by Ning Xiaochuan's words.

What a joke! Marquis Jiange's Residence has been around for at least eight hundred years and their influence was bottomless. In the military, their power reigned supreme and no ordinary Noble's Residence could fair against them.

If one were to go down this rabbit hole, everyone who raided Begonia Manor today would be in serious trouble since they have offended a direct descendant of Marquis Jiange's Residence.

Even this Dragon Elephant Divine Soldier would be in trouble for going against such a prominent entity such as the Marquis Jiange's Residence.

Ji Hanxing stared coldly at the soldiers and felt rather helpless as she understood very well how they felt. Although she was not afraid of Marquis Jiange's Residence, these normal soldiers were utterly terrified. Who would dare to go against the entire Marquis Residence?

"Unhand me!" Ning Xiaochuan scoffed as he stared at Ji Hanxing.

Ji Hanxing's fully-armored hand was still on Ning Xiaochuan's chest as she lifted him up off the ground.

Her one hand was able to exert tens of thousands pounds of strength. Lifting ten Ning Xiaochuan's up would be a piece of cake, let alone lifting one.

Ji Hanxing scoffed. "It's a no wonder that you, as a direct descendant of Marquis Jiange's Residence, would be placed at such a secluded manor since you don't have a single ounce of Combat Qi!"

She released Ning Xiaochuan and dropped him on the ground.

"What's so great about it? It just makes a warrior stronger. This is especially true for a rough woman like you. Who would dare to marry you?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

"Rough?! Who are you calling rough?!"

To begin with, Ji Hanxing's temper had never been good. She was angered by what Ning Xiaochuan said as this was the first time someone dared to say it to her right at her face.

The Combat Qi in her body trembled chaotically, forming into a huge vortex as it released a chill that one could feel down to the bones.

"Whoosh!"

The ground was frozen in 105 feet diameter circle.

The saliva in Ning Xiaochuan's mouth froze. However, he spat it out without any fear on his face.

"Naturally, I'm talking about you! Isn't it rough for you to simply grab hold of a man's chest? You've got no manners, no elegance, and no etiquette at all. I'm certain that you'd be furious if I were to grab your chest now." Ning Xiaochuan rubbed his chest as if he was incredibly hurt by her actions. Disdain was written all over his face.

Rough!

No ettique!

No woman would be able to endure such a comment from others.

Ji Hanxing clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth. A blue halo gushed out of the pike that was as thick as her wrist which made the soldiers around her turn pale.

"Whoosh!"

The Dragon Elephant Halberd Pike was pointed at Ning Xiaochuan's throat as killing intent was gushed out from her body.

"What's the matter? Are you angry? Are you trying to kill me? Come on! You want to kill me, right? Why don't you try and touch a single hair?" Ning Xiaochuan's performance was wild as he showcased how the descendant of a Noble should behave.

He had to distract her and prevent her from entering the Begonia Manor at all cost.

If he could not distract her, Ning Xiaochuan would certainly die if she found Official Tian in Begonia Manor.

The reason Ning Xiaochuan was so brave and willing to go against her was that he was certain that Ji Hanxing did not dare to kill him.

Naturally, Ning Xiaochuan was not that wild. In fact, he was incredibly wary of Ji Hanxing. 'Her cultivation is simply too high. I'm sure she can kill me in just one hit even if I don't hide my cultivation.'

Ji Hanxing stared at Ning Xiaochuan and was slightly confused. How could a youngster who had zero Combat Qi in him be so calm and even challenge her when faced against her domineering Combat Qi. This was more than just being crazy.

His mentality far exceeded many martial artists. He would certainly become an incredible talent if he could cultivate Combat Qi.

Could a youngster who had no Combat Qi really be calmer than herself?

As Ji Hanxing knew that her domineering cultivation did not scare him, she absorbed the Qi back into her body and the Dragon Elephant Halberd Pike. She was so angry that fumes were seeping out through her teeth. "Don't you dare think that I can't do anything to you just because you're a direct descendant of Marquis Jiange's Residence. I'm going to request an order from the Cloud Marquis and take every single bit of clay away from this place."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "This is Marquis Jiange's Residence's territory. You won't be able to do anything with the Cloud Marquis's emblem, even if the Cloud Marquis personally visited the place."

The ground trembled greatly the instant he finished speaking.

"Rumble!"

A huge carriage could be seen coming from the distance.

The carriage was pulled by six Dragon Elephants. The wrist-thick chains were pulled straight as the elephants roared. The ground trembled as if doomsday approached.

A sky of cloud approached them as well.

That domineering force was so oppressive that Ning Xiaochuan's face turned pale.

"Roar!"

The Dragon Elephant roared, sending shockwaves high up into the sky.

"Whoosh!"

All the soldiers knelt down as they said in unison. "Good day, Marquis!"

"Good to see you Marquis!"

"Good to see you Marquis!"

All three thousand soldiers greeted him and their voices trembled the sky and earth.

Even Begonia Manor's servants knelt down. None of them could resist the domineering existence of a Marquis.

It felt like the Noble carried the same vibe as the court. It was merciless, almighty, and was able to oppress minorities and criminals in an instant.

Hence, commoners dozens of miles away would kneel down when a Noble arrived.

This was the power a Noble should possess!

Everyone but Ning Xiaochuan. He remained standing at the entrance of Begonia Manor and did not kneel.

A turbulent wind blew, fluttering the shirt on him about chaotically and exaggerating his slightly childish-looking face.

The Cloud Marquis had personally arrived!

Ji Hanxing was in her blue battle armor. Her body was incredibly seductive and her blue hair was flowing about freely. With the pike in her hand and the three-inch-thick chill surrounding her, she greeted the humongous carriage. "Good to see you Marquis!"

Ji Hanxing took a peek at Ning Xiaochuan as she wanted to see the change in his expression. However, she was greeted with disappointment as Ning Xiaochuan remained standing still at the entrance. He did not wimper out in the slightest despite the Cloud Marquis's arrival.

He really had the nerves!

He did not even kneel down in front of a Noble!

There was a powerful martial artist following beside the Cloud Marquis's carriage. His hair was tied up and his face was covered by a moustache. He was in black, heavy armor and stared angrily at Ning Xiaochuan. He bellowed as a shockwave came out from his mouth. "Insolence! Why aren't you kneeling when you see the Cloud Marquis?!"

This powerhouse's cultivation was incredibly high. He had been alongside the Cloud Marquis in the battlefield for many years and had killed millions. The Qi around him was oozing with anger. He was one of the Twelve Powerhouses under the Cloud Marquis.

He was also known as Commander Tiger of the Twelve Clouds.

His roar contained an unrivaled divine power as it blasted the sand and stones off the ground.

The shockwave took the shape of a golden bell as it charged towards Ning Xiaochuan.

Ji Hanxing's expression changed slightly as she immediately sprung up from the ground. Her speed was miraculously fast as she appeared in front of Ning Xiaochuan in an instant. She swung the pike sideways as she shattered the bell-like shockwave into nothingness.

"Boom!'

The pike and the bell clashed against each other.

Ji Hangxin remained firm.

The skilled martial artist that had been standing beside the carriage jolted three steps back, each step leaving a visible footprint on the ground, causing the dirt around it to crack open.

The martial art powerhouse screamed furiously, "Ji Hanxing, what is the meaning of this?"

Ji Hanxing put away her pike and scoffed, "Luo Mufeng, can't you tell that he has absolutely no Combat Qi in his body? That shockwave of yours would kill him."

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Luo Mufung smirked. "Those who disrespect the Marquis should die."

Ji Hanxing replied, "However, he's Marquis Jiange's direct descendant."

Luo Mufeng's smirked disappeared slightly as he stared at Ning Xiaochuan. He was shocked. If Ji Hanxing had not stopped him, he might be in big trouble.

"Since you've said my life, I'll turn a blind eye to you disrespecting me and grabbing me by my chest. We don't owe each other any longer," Ning Xiaochuan said in a generous tone.

Ji Hanxing was so angry that she kept gritting her teeth. She could not believe that he was still upset about the situation. In fact, he had even said it out loud in front of so many people. She could imagine that this incident would soon spread across the entire Dragon Elephant Divine Camp and many people would see her as a joke.

She regretted saving him earlier as this type of person should die by being pierced by thousands of swords.

The Cloud Marquis' voice could be heard coming from the carriage. "Marquis Jiange's direct descendant? Are you Ning Qianwen's son or Ning Qianwu's?"

Ning Xiaochuan was neither humble nor pushy about it as he replied, "Ning Qianyi!"

"Oh?"

The Cloud Marquis' shock could be heard from his voice. "So you're Ning Qianyi's son. I see, I see. That's right, you should be at this age right now."

Ji Hanxing was quite skeptical as well as she glanced at Ning Xiaochuan worryingly. Was he really Ning Qianyi's only son?

That man had been unrivaled, even the Cloud Marquis had lost to him four times.

The Cloud Marquis said, "Since you're the son of that man, I'll let today slide. Stand down! I'm here to capture a wanted criminal and nobody will stop me. Those who block my path shall die."

"Whoosh!"

Luo Mufeng led the Cloud Marquis's personal army as they entered Begonia Manor.

Since the Cloud Marquis had already given the order, anyone going against the order would be seen as going against the Empire. He had the right to even kill a direct descendant of Marquis Jiange.

"Haha! It looks like the Cloud Marquis is quite a big shot, so much so that you don't even see Marquis Jiange's Residence as a threat." A bold and thick voice could be heard from the wind. It was like a thunderclap.

"Gallop!"

A herd of Ironhoof Bloody Wolves with soldiers on them came from the distance. All of them were filled with killing intent.

The man at the front was riding a green giant dragon.

The dragon's body was as big as a mountain and each step it took would shake the ground. The dragon let out a long cry which caused unrest to the people hundreds of miles away.

The man jumped down from the back of this humongous dragon. His entire body was filled with Qi. He glided tens of miles before landing just outside Begonia Manor and standing beside Ning Xiaochuan. He then glanced at the Cloud Marquis's personal army and yelled, "Kneel down!"

The soldiers of the personal army knelt down instantly under this man's dominance.

Everyone was shocked.

Who exactly was this guy that dared to challenge the Cloud Marquis?

He was even able to shock the Cloud Marquis' powerhouses down to their knees with just his voice alone.

Ning Xiaochuan and Ji Hanxing stood beside this man and could clearly sense the powerful energy coming out from him. It literally felt like the sea and he seemed to be able to destroy an entire city by just stepping onto it.

It was an incredibly astounding feeling!

Although the man looked like he was in his thirties, his true age must have been more than fifty years old. The man's posture was straight and he was in battle armor, which had a cape behind him. His eyes were especially sharp and filled with bloodlust as it carried a very strong sense of arrogance, so much so that only a handful of people dared to look him in the eyes.

A typhoon appeared as this man inhaled.

Far away, the herd of Ironhoof Bloody Wolves and the green giant dragon turned into Qi as they were absorbed into his mouth and disappeared from the empty field.

"Soul Shadows!" Ji Hanxing stared at the man in fear as she knew that this man stood at the pinnacle of the world.

Ning Xiaochuan nudged Ji Hanxing with his shoulder and asked, "What's a Soul Shadow?"

Ji Hanxing took two steps back and stared at Ning Xiaochuan. "That's something only the best martial artists can create. A normal person only has Three Souls and Seven Spirits, but the martial artists who reach the end of their Cultivation are able to absorb something else into their souls. This forms into what we call Soul Shadows and is able to greatly strengthen their Souls and Spirits."

"Take the pack of Ironhoof Bloody Wolves and that green giant dragon you saw earlier as an example. They don't really exist. Instead, they're just the man's Soul Shadows! It's really strange however, as the legend says that Soul Shadows are hidden within the body and exist as latent strength. How did he make his Soul Shadows appear?"

Ning Xiaochuan stared at this man. Perhaps he was also a descendant of Marquis Jiange's Residence?

"How dare you stop the Cloud Marquis' carriage from moving? Don't you know that this is the border of the Imperial City? You'll have to take a step back even if you're God!" Someone shouted.

That man stared at him coldly. "Yue Wuyang, it's been ten years and you seem to grow bolder and bolder. How dare your commander scream at me."

"Oof!"

All the man did was to glare at him and the soldier in armor vomited a mouthful of blood instantly, falling to the ground!

He was able to kill a person by just staring at them!

The Cloud Marquis' words revealed this man's identity. "Ning Qiancheng, you really have returned!"

This man was the second son of Marquis Jiange, Ning Qiancheng.

He was also Ning Xiaochuan's father's second elder brother.

Ning Qiancheng had been away from the Imperial City for ten years and had been fighting in wars the entire time. Latest intel had said that he had led a legion of two million soldiers in a raid against the Tianji Dynasty and would return in a few days.

This news had created an uproar in the Imperial City as many were guessing just how Ning Qiancheng would be rewarded once he returned to the Imperial City. Some even said that he might be knighted as a Noble.

Now, the legend had returned.

Ning Qiancheng glanced at these soldiers and said, "Yue Wuyang, you were a match for my third brother last time. I can't believe you can hold your own against his son now! It looks like, after all these years, you've gone backwards!"

Cloud Marquis said, "I'm merely acting on behalf of the Empire, sharing the burden with His Highness, and thinking about society. Ning Qiancheng, are you really going to go against His Empire? Against his decree? Against society?"

Ning Qiancheng said, "You're just a Promoted Noble who didn't inherit your title from the previous generation. How dare you barge into Marquis Jiange's Residence's Manor? Who gave you the nerve to do such a thing? Do you even have His Highness' decree?"

The Cloud Marquis' power and authority in the current empire was massive and he was a hot topic in the Yulan Empire. No average Noble would dare to speak to him in such a manner.

Only Ning Qiancheng, who had no fear of anything, dared to speak to him this way.

Ten years ago, Ning Qiancheng was an infamous man within the Imperial City. He even dared to punch the prince and break down the Empire Instructor's door back then. He was literally a tyrant within the Imperial City.

Ning Qiancheng stared at these soldiers and said, "Do you really think that we, Marquis Jiange's Residence are going to be bullied just like that? Or do you really believe that the Cloud Marquis is more prestigious than Marquis Jiange's Residence? How dare you invade our manor! Do you believe me when I say that I'll chop all of your heads off?!"

The soldiers looked at each other, fearing for their own lives.

Marquis Jiange's Residence's influence had not waned for the past eight hundred years and the Cloud Marquis had only been around for a few years. In terms of actual influence and strength, the former was on a totally different level.

"Let's go!" The Cloud Marquis said coldly.

Hence, the army that had surrounded Begonia Manor went away like a flash flood.

Ji Hanxing rode her Dragon Elephant beside the Cloud Marquis' carriage. "Marquis, why are we afraid of Ning Qiancheng? Official Tian must be hiding inside Begonia Manor. Once we've captured Official Tian, even Marquis Jiange's Residence would have to be involved in this."

"Hanxing, you're still too inexperienced. Ning Qiancheng has successfully raided a Grade Four Dynasty and has significantly contributed to the Yulan Empire. He showed his strength when he returned. If we were to really go against him, we'd only win by a slight margin, if we even succeed. This is the first reason."

"Secondly, Marquis Jiange's Residence has been around in the Yulan Empire for the past eight hundred years. They've spread deeply throughout every corner of the Empire. The court, Imperial Harem, barracks, and society. They hold power everywhere and even His Highness would have to think twice if he wanted to go against these True Nobles. We won't be able to shake Marquis Jiange's Residence at all, even if we found Official Tian in Begonia Manor."

"Thirdly, it's true that we don't have definite evidence. We can't guarantee that Official Tian is really inside Begonia Manor."

Ji Hanxing said, "However, those footprints really did come from Begonia Manor. Official Tian must have been saved by Ning Xiaochuan."

The Cloud Marquis replied, "Are you certain that this is not a trap set by Marquis Jiange's Residence and Official Tian? What if they led us here on purpose? How are we supposed to clean up this horrible mess if we don't find Official Tian in Begonia Manor? How would the enemy attack us then?"

Ji Hanxing squinted. "I understand my lack of diligence. It really does feel like a trap since Ning Xiaochuan can't cultivate any Combat Qi at all, yet was able to save Official Tian. Marquis, do you think that Marquis Jiange's Residence has teamed up with the Dark Emperor City to fight against us?"

"We can't determine that as of yet and it's something we can't just say. Please be extremely careful from now on. Marquis Jiange's Residence and the Dark Empire City aren't something you can mess with. They might be able to kill you with a word," the Cloud Marquis muttered.

Cold sweat started covering Ji Hanxing. "There's one more thing that I don't understand. wasn't Ning Qiancheng supposed to return two months from now? Why has he already returned?"

"What you saw earlier isn't really his body. It's just his Astral Combat Body!" The Cloud Marquis said.

The Astral Combat Body!

No wonder Ning Qiancheng was able to appear with his Soul Shadows when he returned. That was merely his Astral Combat Body.

If his Astral Combat Body was this strong, just how strong was the actual person then?

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Ji Hangxing stopped abruptly and said, "Marquis, I'm going to stay back. I'm very certain that Official Tian is still within Begonia Manor."

"Stay then! However, you must be careful. If you see Official Tian, you must escape immediately. That's because he'll certainly notice you the instant you find him. It's not an easy task to run away from him and you could say that this is going to be your first challenge."

The Cloud Marquis put his hand out of the carriage as a white Mystical Pill appeared in his palm then fell into Ji Hanxing's hand.

"Please consume this Dragon Wing Mystical Pill when you're in trouble. It might just save your life."

Hence, the Cloud Marquis' carriage slowly disappeared into the distance.

Ji Hanxing jumped down from the Dragon Elephant's back as she secretly went back to Begonia Manor.

Begonia Manor.

Ning Qiancheng stared intently at Ning Xiaochuan, a look of admiration on his face as he said, "That's not bad. Although you can't cultivate Combat Qi, you aren't bringing shame to Marquis Jiange's Residence either. You somewhat resemble my younger brother all those years ago."

Ning Xiaochuan instantly knew who this man before him was; it was the Second Uncle he had never seen before.

The legend of Marquis Jiange's Residence.

Ning Xiaochuan tentatively asked, "Wasn't Second Uncle leading an army on the outside, why have you suddenly returned?"

Ning Qiancheng replied, "It's been ten years! I figured it was time for me to come back and take a look at things! This time, I've invited quite a strong Heart-nourishing Master from the Tianji Dynasty, he should be able to completely cure your inborn fetal disease."

Ning Xiaochuan actually wanted to tell Ning Qiancheng that his fetal disease had already been completely cured but Ning Xiaochuan was also wary towards strangers. After all, this was his first time meeting Ning Qiancheng and he knew nothing about the man.

Revealing his secrets to a person he just met for the first time would be rather stupid of him.

Ning Xiaochuan continued hiding the Combat Qi within his body and said, "Where is this Heart-nourishing Master now?"

"He's on the way here. Both of us will be returning to the Imperial City in two months" replied Ning Qiancheng.

"In…two months?" Ning Xiaochuan stared intently at the Ning Qiancheng before him.

"What you're seeing now is merely my Astral Combat Body. The image will be maintained for three days before it disappears. I want to return to Marquis Jiange's Residence for a bit, would you be willing to return there with me?" asked Ning Qiancheng.

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head and replied, "I can't cultivate Combat Qi so why go back? Even if I do return there, I'll probably do so after I've cured my fetal disease and have attained Greater Achievement with martial arts."

"Haha! That's some integrity."

Ning Qiancheng did not say anything more before he disappeared from outside Begonia Manor as soon as his body moved. The next moment, he had entered the Imperial City and was standing on one of the bustling and lively streets.

He could only maintain his Astral Combat Body for three days and had spent two of those days on the road, so he did not have much time left.

Ning Qiancheng had projected his Astral Combat Image in a hurry to rush back as he wanted to discuss an important matter with the Old Marquis. He had merely intercepted the Cloud Marquis from breaking into Begonia Manor because he was passing by.

Ning Xiaochuan looked at the broken gate in front of him and breathed a long sigh. "How much will fixing this cost me? Hey, you. Yes, you, go to the barracks in the Southern Mountain Cluster and get that general of theirs to send me money to fix this gate. Otherwise, I'll visit them for the money myself."

Ning Xiaochuan crossed his arms and walked into Begonia Manor. Just as he entered Purple Cloud Yard, he saw Official Tian sitting by the pond. Official Tian sat at a table as he nursed some tea in a bronze cup.

He was dressed in black robes and was also wrapped up in wisps of black Qi that escaped from his body.

"You seem quite relaxed. Do you know that Begonia Manor was almost razed to the ground just now because of you?" asked Ning Xiaochuan.

Official Tian put one of his legs over the other and watched the fish in the pond. He held his cup of tea in his hand as he said, "Of course I do, even Yue Wuyang came over!"

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Since you know Yue Wuyang came over then you should also know he'll return any time he wants. Now's the best time for you to leave."

Official Tian shook his head and replied, "I can't leave because this place is the best place to seek refuge. Yue Wuyang has always been careful and cautious. He has definitely arranged for some powerhouses to monitor Begonia Manor. Once I take a step out of this place, I'll be throwing myself right into his trap."

Ning Xiaochuan had never seen such a thick-skinned person. He no longer paid him any attention and instead sat cross-legged below the Blood-toad Tree to start impacting his final Hidden Vessel.

After meeting Yue Wuyang and Ning Qiancheng, who both had super strong Cultivations, Ning Xiaochuan was deeply aware of just how lacking his own body was. He could not even begin to compare himself to Yue Wuyang since he was still leagues below Yue Wuyang's disciple, Ji Hanxing.

Ning Xiaochuan only had his final Hidden Vessel left so once he opened it up, he would be entering the Divine Body Realm.

Once he entered the Divine Body Realm, things would be entirely different. Ning Xiaochuan's body would transcend worldliness and the material world. Additionally, he would also gain divinity and nurture Divine Martial Art, thus gaining power beyond his wildest imagination.

Entering this realm meant he would no longer be pitting himself against other people using his fists and feet. It would become a battle of Divine Martial Arts instead.

This final Hidden Vessel looped from his Combat Atrium to his cerebral cortex, where it made one complete circulation around his brain before returning to his Combat Atrium.

Although this Hidden Vessel was the shortest, Ning Xiaochuan had never dared to carelessly open it up. The most vulnerable part of a person was their brain, which could not tolerate even the slightest damage. Once the brain was injured, it could lead to cerebral palsy or in the worst case, death.

'Could the Qi be going directly to my brain to develop my intelligence? Or is it related to my soul?'

Ning Xiaochuan did not dwell on this matter for long. He began condensing his Combat Qi and started carefully impacting the final Hidden Vessel.

Official Tian stared intently at Ning Xiaochuan, who was sitting cross-legged below the Blood-toad Tree, from his seat a short distance away. His green eyes reflected with surprise. 'He actually has a Hidden Vessel that passes through the brain. That's such a rare thing and if he does successfully break through it, this fellow's intelligence will rise to another level. How interesting.'

Each martial artist had different Hidden Vessels and these vessels usually only passed through a small part of their body. Some had their Hidden Vessels in the abdominal cavity, some had theirs in their arms but rarely anyone had a Hidden Vessel passing through their brain.

Usually, the longer the Hidden Vessels inside a martial artist's body, the more potential they had.

In the same vein, the more profound the Hidden Vessels inside a martial artist's body, the more profound their body as well.

If Official Tian were to find out that Ning Xiaochuan's other two Hidden Vessels went into his four limbs as well as his five viscera and six bowels, his surprise would be amplified.

After all, these two Hidden Vessels completely covered almost his entire body. Any martial artist with Hidden Vessels like these would possess unlimited potential.

For three days in a row, Ning Xiaochuan had been trying to open up this final Hidden Vessel.

Although this Hidden Vessel was the shortest one, it was also the most complicated one and he needed to advance carefully.

After spending three entire days, Ning Xiaochuan had finally opened up this final Hidden Vessel of his to its final section.

He was merely one step away from completely opening this Hidden Vessel.

Wisps of Qi surrounded Ning Xiaochuan's body, entirely enveloping him.

"Break!" He said out loud.

"Boom!"

The final Hidden Vessel was finally opened up and Combat Qi surged out of his Combat Atrium and into the Hidden Vessel, which went towards his cerebral cortex.

This Hidden Vessel would then morph into even tinier vessels, becoming like thousands of rivers that were rushing into the cerebral cortex. Ning Xiaochuan's brain cells would then be activated and his thinking speed would run faster than usual.

The Qi would rush back to his Combat Atrium after that and the cycle would be complete.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Ning Xiaochuan's body was starting to change and the sound of explosions went off continuously. His blood vessels, bones, five viscera, and his spirit and marrow were all whistling thunderously as rays of light emitted from his body.

Light and electricity emitted from inside of his body to the outside.

Official Tian, who was still by the pond, was once again taken by surprise. He stared intently at Ning Xiaochuan. 'Cultivating a Divine Body isn't easy, yet his body is emitting thunder and lightning. Could this be the Astronomical Divine Body?'

Official Tian knew it was a crucial moment for Ning Xiaochuan's breakthrough so he did not disturb Ning Xiaochuan.

The Qi within heaven and earth was rapidly flowing into Ning Xiaochuan's body. The naked eye could clearly see wisps of Qi flow towards him before they disappeared into his pores because he had absorbed them.

The Devil Sword inside Ning Xiaochuan's heart was frantically absorbing Qi and Blood Qi. The source of the Blood Qi was the Blood-toad Tree Ning Xiaochuan was currently sitting under.

The Blood Qi from the Blood-toad Tree was rapidly flowing into Ning Xiaochuan's body and its bark was starting to wither.

The Devil Sword in his heart spun around in place and the blood vessels running along the body of the sword became clearer before it released a strong force of attraction.

Ning Xiaochuan felt the Devil Sword pulling at his soul so that it was as close as possible to his heart.

Ning Xiaochuan stood before the Devil Sword and felt that his body was extremely small, like a grain of sand. The Devil Sword, on the other hand, was vast and boundless, like a blood-red mountain with its peak in the clouds.

"Who are you? Why are you hiding in my heart?"

Ning Xiaochuan felt that the Devil Sword was not just a sword. It resembled a human, and a human with intelligence at that too.

Suddenly, the silhouette of a woman appeared on the body of the sword!

This woman carried a mysterious and unfathomable air. Her long hair flowed freely, her skin was like jade, and she was as beautiful as a goddess. She looked like she belonged in a painting and made people feel the desire to kneel before her in worship.

Ning Xiaochuan never expected for someone to appear and took two steps back before he said, "Who the hell are you? Why are you in the sword?"

The woman's temperament did not resemble a goddess, but rather a sorceress with overflowing wickedness. She said, "The third successor of the Apocalypse Order, Sui Hanyu."

"The Apocalypse Order!"

Once Ning Xiaochuan heard this name, he felt his heart shudder violently. Images of mountains of bodies, of seas of blood, and of stars falling appeared in his mind. "Why are you sealed away in the sword?"

Sui Hanyu did not answer Ning Xiaochuan's question and instead said, "There's a wisp of the Apocalypse Sword's Sword Qi in your body. That means the Apocalypse Sword has chosen you as the fourth successor. The Apocalypse Sword brought you here but we can only communicate briefly. Once your Cultivation reaches a certain strength, the Apocalypse Sword's Sword Qi will naturally bring you to me. When that happens, all the questions you have will be answered."

"Bang!"

The scene before Ning Xiaochuan had completely shattered.

Ning Xiaochuan felt like he had something extra in his mind; there were some strange inscriptions that formed the word "sword1".

'So it turns out the Devil Sword in my heart is actually just the convergence of the Apocalypse Sword's Sword Qi. If its Sword Qi was already so strong, how much more powerful would the actual Apocalypse Sword be?'

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Ning Xiaochuan closed his eyes to study the "sword" when he suddenly opened his eyes again and exclaimed, "Sword!"

A blood-red greatsword that reeked with devilish energy and surged with Sword Qi flew out of his chest before it slashed at Official Tian.

The presence of the sword was suffocating and made people feel like it was completely deadly.

Logically speaking, Official Tian's Cultivation was that of a martial artist that had just achieved Divine Body Realm, which meant the sword was no threat to him.

However, Official Tian was startled when the Sword Qi rushed towards him because it felt like an otherworldly being was about to slash him with a sword.