Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

Ning Xuan shrugged and urged the mobile villa forward. He hadn't gone far, however, before the Warships that had just swept past returned and immediately surrounded his villa. Their operators were extremely well-trained.

On the Warship directly opposite the mobile villa, someone used a device similar to a loudspeaker to address Ning Xuan. "Sir, we are the Tianji Alliance Army. Could we trouble you to allow our personnel to board and inspect your vessel?"

The words were polite, but the tone left no room for refusal. The other four Warships had even activated their Defensive Shields, revealing massive cannon muzzles.

Cheng Dabao wrinkled her nose in displeasure and was about to speak, but Ning Xuan stopped her with a glance and nodded his assent.

If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide. By accommodating them, he could also take the opportunity to gather some information.

Seeing Ning Xuan's nod, tall Mecha soldiers appeared on the four Warships. Five of them leaped in unison, landing in the villa's courtyard. Four of the Mechas remained outside, their optical sensors glowing brightly as if scanning the surroundings.

"I heard you mention that you're with the Tianji Alliance Army," Ning Xuan said. "Are you from the Tianji Realm?"

The Mecha soldier standing nearby seemed surprised that Ning Xuan could speak without any external device. After a moment's hesitation, he pressed a button on the chassis. The large Mecha's head promptly split apart mechanically, revealing the face of a young man who nodded at Ning Xuan.

"That's great!" Cheng Dabao exclaimed before Ning Xuan could speak again. "Do you have a Teleportation Array in the Tianji Realm that leads to the Tian Shu Realm?"

Hearing her question, the young man's expression instantly turned cold.

"No!"

After spitting out the single, blunt word, he started to close his face shield.

"Wait," Ning Xuan interjected. "We're not actually trying to go to the Tian Shu Realm; we're just not sure where to go."

His words made the young man pause and look at him with a puzzled expression. This was interstellar travel. A slight misstep could mean getting lost in the vast cosmos. Who just wanders aimlessly without a destination?

"It's true," Ning Xuan said. "I come from a place called the Yuan Ling Continent, which is merely in the Yao Guang…"

He hadn't finished speaking when the young man's eyes widened in shock. Even the other four Mecha soldiers simultaneously turned their heads to stare at him.

"Did you say you come from the Yuan Ling Continent?"

Ning Xuan nodded.

The young man didn't reply. He immediately closed his face shield and moved to one side, apparently using a special channel to contact his superior. Before long, he returned to Ning Xuan's side, opened his face shield again, and said, "Our commander sincerely invites you to be a guest in Tianji."

"This…"

"To be honest, now is not a good time for you to go to the Tian Shu Realm."

"Why is that?"

"Because the Teleportation Arrays leading to Tian Shu were all recently closed. Rather than waste your effort, you'd be better off coming with us to Tianji. The Teleportation Array to Tian Shu in our realm is controlled by our Alliance Army. Once it reopens, you'll be among the first who can use it."

Just as Ning Xuan was about to speak, his eyes narrowed slightly. He had just received a telepathic message. "Don't believe what they say!"

Just as Ning Xuan was about to refuse, the young man spoke again. "You probably noticed that I only decided to report this after hearing you were from the Yuan Ling Continent. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Ning Xuan asked, although he already had a guess. Wild speculation was no substitute for getting a direct answer.

"Ning Yang!"

Just as he'd expected.

"Is he currently in Tianji?" Ning Xuan asked immediately.

The young man didn't answer, instead staring intently at Ning Xuan.

"To be honest," Ning Xuan said, "my surname is also Ning. My name is Ning Xuan."

His words took the soldier by surprise. A flicker of joy crossed the young man's eyes, and he nodded. "That's right! He is currently at our Alliance Army Headquarters!"

"Well, that's great. I must make a trip there!"

"Very well, I'll report this immediately!"

The young man reported back once more and quickly received a response. He turned to Ning Xuan and said, "They will lead the way. We just need to follow."

The other four Mecha soldiers showed no intention of leaving. This was hardly the way to treat a guest. On the contrary, the five of them seemed afraid he might try to flee.

At that moment, the hidden voice transmitted another message to Ning Xuan: "Idiot! They're deceiving you, don't go!"

Ning Xuan remained unmoved. Even if Ning Yang wasn't there, he had to make this trip. He needed to find out what his old enemy had been doing in the Tianji Realm.

"What about the mission you were on?" Ning Xuan asked, piloting the mobile villa behind the Warships and making small talk with the soldier.

"You mean...? Oh, it's nothing. Just a petty thief who stole some insignificant items. You're our honored guest, so of course, you're more important," the young man replied nonchalantly.

However, Ning Xuan caught the fleeting worry deep in the man's eyes. Clearly, whatever was stolen was far from insignificant.

"That thief must have some skill, managing to escape an encirclement of five Warships," Ning Xuan commented.

The young man's face stiffened. What a slap in the face.

"Heh… *cough, cough*. You're an interesting one!" the hidden voice transmitted again. "Your so-called friend is their guest, yet you don't give them an ounce of respect!"

"Thief," Ning Xuan transmitted back, "what exactly did you steal from them to cause such a commotion?"

He could sense the young soldier's strength. The man was a genuine Venerable! A Venerable equipped with a custom-made Mecha could more than double their combat power. And yet, a warrior of that caliber was merely the leader of four other Mecha soldiers. From this, he could infer that the stolen item was anything but ordinary.

"I'm not a thief; they are!" the hidden voice shot back, its tone suddenly agitated. "They stole from me... I was merely taking back what was mine!"

Ning Xuan chose to believe him. Therefore, he added, "Have you heard of Ning Yang?"

"I know of him."

Ning Xuan hummed in acknowledgment, then clarified, "Although we're from the same place and share the same surname, he's no friend of mine. We are mortal enemies. The feud between us can only end in death."

After a long silence, the hidden voice asked, "I haven't even told you if I'm his friend or foe, and you're telling me all this?"

"He is my enemy," Ning Xuan replied. "At the moment, you are not. Besides, I have many enemies; I don't mind adding one more."

"Good. I like dealing with people like you," the hidden voice said, its tone seeming much more cheerful. "I have something I want to sell you."

"I'm very poor."

"No problem. I haven't decided on a price yet, anyway. You can take it, use it for now, and pay me later."

"Why?"

"Ning Yang is strong. Not many people are qualified to be his enemy, but you are. I like your potential!"

Ning Xuan gave a wry laugh.