Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

BOOM!

Ning Xuan threw a punch, but it slammed into an invisible barrier. The four powerhouses had constructed the barrier, sealing him in completely.

"The Divine Martial Battle Armor is already tremendously powerful. When a cultivator like you puts it on, the boost to your combat strength is unimaginable!" the commander standing before them declared, his voice laced with anger but brimming with even more confidence. The look he gave Ning Xuan was one of pure mockery. He wanted to see despair on Ning Xuan’s face, but he was destined to be disappointed.

"Do you have any idea how terrifying Ning Yang was a year ago after he donned this very armor? He single-handedly destroyed the entire Alliance Army! If we higher-ups hadn’t managed to escape, the whole army would have been annihilated!

"We expended all our resources to research a countermeasure, and just recently, we finally developed a viable one! Even if that Ning Yang were to show his face again, we are confident we could bring him to justice!"

Ning Xuan didn’t seem to hear a word he said as he launched another powerful assault. The commander was stunned. He discovered that even though Ning Xuan had just acquired the Divine Martial Battle Armor, his mastery and application of it were in no way inferior to Ning Yang’s!

What’s going on? Could everyone with the surname Ning be this terrifying? Or is it that Yuan Ling Continent... The thought of finding the Yuan Ling Continent’s location flashed through the commander’s mind.

Instantly, he commanded the four, "We have important matters to attend to. Finish this quickly!"

The next moment—BOOM!

A fist thundered out. The commander looked down in disbelief at the bloody hole in his chest.

"How... how is this possible..." His eyes widened, utterly unable to accept this reality.

The four powerhouses were equally stunned. Then, the other three all whipped their heads around to stare at Yu Lu.

Yu Lu immediately shook his head frantically. "It wasn’t me!"

He truly hadn’t held back! However, neither the other three nor the commander with a hole through his chest believed him.

"Yu Lu, what are you standing around for? Move!" Ning Xuan shouted, lunging directly at one of the others.

The remaining two ignored Ning Xuan, choosing instead to attack Yu Lu. They opened with lethal moves! If they didn’t eliminate Yu Lu, they would be next to die. As for the commander, he had already begun retreating under the cover of his guards.

At this critical moment, Yu Lu let out a furious roar and charged after the commander. It was his only chance of survival. Pushed into a desperate corner, the combat strength he unleashed was terrifying. Coupled with Ning Xuan’s sudden intervention, which blocked the two men rushing him, he managed to charge into the closing passageway just in time.

Outside, Ning Xuan, clad in the Divine Martial Battle Armor, ended the battle in an instant. Reverting to his normal appearance, he muttered, "This armor really is terrifying. No wonder Ning Yang was so fixated on it."

After putting on the armor, the enhancements to all his abilities were simply monstrous.

But that’s not right. From what I know of him, he disdains relying on external objects. The only exception would be if he was going somewhere his own strength at the time couldn’t reach. Still not right. His cultivation speed is also terrifyingly fast, so he could have just waited a little longer. What could have been so urgent that he couldn’t wait even a moment more?

He suddenly recalled the vision of Ning Yang that Luo Tianyi had shown him.

I wonder if Ning Yang’s path severance happened before or after this? Though it seemed like a minor detail, the implications were worlds apart.

No matter what, I have to work harder! My cultivation realm is still seriously lacking!

Whenever this came to mind, Ning Xuan thought of that swindler, Luo Tianyi. It had happened twice now! Every time he obtained something good, she claimed it for herself. How the hell was he supposed to improve? The things he regretted losing the most were the Earth Spring Spirit Milk and the Heavenly Sacrifice Cauldron. With those two items, his strength would have skyrocketed! But now...

Tian Shu... I need to get to Tian Shu quickly and find that swindler. I can’t go on like this!

Ning Xuan’s resolve hardened. But before that, he intended to make full use of this place.

Just as he was thinking, the sealed passageway reopened. Yu Lu, covered in blood, appeared before him. In his hand, he held a head, its eyes wide open in an eternal, resentful stare.

"So, should I call you Commander Yu now?" Ning Xuan asked with a smile.

"Whether I can become the commander depends on your help, Master," Yu Lu said, kneeling before Ning Xuan without a moment’s hesitation.

The Divine Martial Battle Armor Ning Xuan wore was practically invincible to begin with, and their only potential countermeasure had just been snuffed out. Here, no one was Ning Xuan’s match. If he failed to read the situation, only one fate awaited him.

Ning Xuan walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

「At the Alliance headquarters, inside a vast experimental base.」

"Tough guy, I, Qin Ruonan, have never been impressed by anyone in my life, but you, damn it, you’re the first!" The moment she saw Ning Xuan, Qin Ruonan, dressed in a cat-girl outfit, punched him on the shoulder.

When Ning Xuan had sent her a telepathic message to leave with Cheng Dabao, she thought it was their final goodbye. But then... good lord. They had barely entered interstellar space when the mobile villa Cheng Dabao was piloting spiraled out of control. Everything went dark, and she thought they’d been pulled into a wormhole. Instead, they appeared right here.

One look at her surroundings and she understood everything. Ning Xuan had taken complete control of this place. This was just too damn absurd! A year ago, when Ning Yang had obtained the Divine Martial Battle Armor, he had wrought havoc but ultimately had to flee. This guy, however, had seized total control of the enemy’s base! It was something she wouldn’t have even dared to imagine.

Cheng Dabao, on the other hand, was blissfully carefree, immediately captivated by all the weird and wonderful contraptions around her.

Ning Xuan had no time for pleasantries and got straight to the point with Qin Ruonan. "Cut the crap. I need something that surpasses this Divine Martial Battle Armor. Do you have a way?"

Qin Ruonan’s eyes lit up with excitement. "You’ve definitely come to the right person! Let me tell you..."

「One day later.」

Ning Xuan, who had been completely taken in by Qin Ruonan’s theories, his face turned green. This prodigal woman had a new theory for everything, but it turned out she was nothing but an armchair strategist. A mountain of materials had been wasted for zero practical results.

Ning Xuan was about to ask Yu Lu to find him another team of researchers, but he stopped himself. "Forget it. Did your father pass down any other inheritance? I’ll go..."

Before Ning Xuan could finish, Qin Ruonan pressed something, and a huge hidden space opened up before him. It was filled with all kinds of books, from parchment scrolls to bamboo slips.

"It’s all in there. Go look for yourself and don’t bother me. I just had another idea, and this time it’s sure to work!" With that, she buried her head in her work again.

The corner of Ning Xuan’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t dare to waste time. Soon, he was completely engrossed in the texts.

Cheng Dabao dropped by at one point, but before she could even finish flipping through a single book, she was yawning nonstop. A moment later, she was fast asleep.