Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

Cheng Yun reeked of blood, and her hands were stained with fresh crimson. Ning Xuan’s heart lurched.

That guy can’t really be dead, can he?

"Where is he? Take me to him."

At Ning Xuan’s words, Cheng Yun immediately led the way, causing his heart to sink even further. If she had claimed the body was taken away or something similar, it might have all been an act. Her current reaction, however, did not seem fake.

「A moment later.」

They arrived at the spot where Ning Xuan had parted ways with Jiang Donglin.

The once lively Jiang Donglin was now a corpse. There was a clear-cut gash across his neck. From the look of the wound, his head had been completely severed. His body had been pieced back together.

"Who did this?!" Ning Xuan’s face turned grim, his killing intent flaring.

Jiang Donglin died because of him. This was a debt he had to repay.

Cheng Yun immediately replied, "The Evil Plunder Group! They wanted to claim what was meant for you for themselves."

"The Evil Plunder Group? What’s their story?" Ning Xuan asked.

Despite Jiang Donglin having been decapitated, not a single drop of blood had spilled from the wound.

The cultivation technique used by the killer is truly sinister.

Cheng Yun replied, "They’re an organization that lives off robbery. There aren’t many of them, but every member possesses a profound cultivation and practices some form of Evil Cultivation Technique. Their movements are notoriously difficult to track."

Hearing this, Ning Xuan suddenly grabbed Cheng Yun. "How did you get blood on your hands?"

"It’s..." As she began to speak, Cheng Yun glanced toward a one-armed young man kneeling beside Jiang Donglin’s body.

Ning Xuan followed her gaze, and his eyes narrowed instantly. He quickly struck several major acupoints on Cheng Yun’s arms and ordered in a low voice, "Hold out your hands!"

Cheng Yun immediately obeyed.

Ning Xuan held his own hands, palms down, hovering just above hers. A moment later, wisps of black energy began to seep out from her palms.

Cheng Yun’s face paled as she pleaded with Ning Xuan, "Young Master, I beg you, please save Dafei!"

"Sis, I’m fine!" the young man said, forcing a smile despite his deathly pale face.

Cheng Yun tried to struggle, but Ning Xuan’s voice was stern. "Don’t move!" He then turned to the young man. "Seal several of your major acupoints."

The young man immediately did as he was told.

After a moment, Ning Xuan’s eyes flashed. "Not much time has passed since I left. I’ll go after them. Dafei, you will lead the way!"

"Alright!" Cheng Dafei didn’t hesitate for a second, immediately taking off at top speed.

Behind them, Cheng Yun covered her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Ning Xuan’s actions had already told her everything she needed to know.

In a secluded alley just three blocks from Bi Luo Palace, Cheng Dafei stopped. His lips had turned black, and his body trembled slightly. "Young Master, they ambushed us right here."

The foul poison had already invaded his vital organs. Even with Ning Xuan’s extraordinary abilities, he could not be saved.

Ning Xuan sighed. "Alright. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Young Master, your abilities are miraculous. Can you just keep me alive a little longer? I want to see the Evil Plunder Group annihilated."

Without another word, Ning Xuan furiously activated his Azure Dragon Divine Meridian. "After I’ve dealt with them, I’ll send you a signal!"

Before his voice even faded, Ning Xuan vanished.

"Thank you," Cheng Dafei said to the empty air. He hunched over and left the alley.

Ning Xuan followed the trail, which led him further and further from the city. He finally stopped in a grassy field. In the distance, endless mountains rose, their snow-capped peaks gilded by the sun. Closer, a winding river cut through the meadow, and beside it stood a lush weeping willow. A figure stood beneath the willow, their back to Ning Xuan.

"To think they only sent one person. As expected of Bi Luo Palace. They’re certainly confident," the figure mocked without turning around.

"Not as confident as you lot," Ning Xuan retorted. "It’s one thing to kill a manager from Bi Luo Palace in the middle of the city, but to deliberately leave a trail to follow? Now that’s true confidence."

The man didn’t respond to the jab, instead adding, "I specially selected this place. It’s large enough to bury plenty of people. I hope you’re worthy of such a prime burial spot."

As his words fell, he slowly turned around.

Ning Xuan was stunned. It was Jiang Donglin.

At that very moment—WHOOSH!

A streak of light tore through the sky, arriving in an instant. The timing was impeccable.

However, a cold smile touched Ning Xuan’s lips.

PFFT!

A head flew high into the air!

BANG!

A headless corpse collapsed to the ground several meters away from Ning Xuan.

"Going to all this trouble, only to send a single attacker?" Ning Xuan’s smile was mocking. "Is that confidence, or are you just digging your own graves?"

The man under the willow didn’t seem surprised. Instead, he began to clap. "No wonder you dared to come alone. You do have some skill."

As he finished speaking, figures began to materialize in the distance. In the blink of an eye, four more men surrounded Ning Xuan. Each stood dozens of feet away, but Ning Xuan knew that for cultivators of their level, such a distance was meaningless.

"The Evil Plunder Group... Is this all you’ve got?" Ning Xuan said, his face an emotionless mask. He clearly didn’t take them seriously. "Have everyone come out. You can all attack me together."

By the river, the weeping willow, which had been perfectly still, suddenly rustled. Its branches sounded like countless inverted blades clashing and chiming.

Ning Xuan’s expression changed, and he staggered.

BOOM!

With an explosive sound, all four men vanished from their positions, reappearing instantly at Ning Xuan’s sides.

"Fall back!" the man under the willow shouted, his face contorting in alarm.

His warning was swift, but it was still too late.

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

Four heads hit the dirt. Then, they all rolled toward the man under the willow.

"I told you to come out and attack together, but you just wouldn’t listen," Ning Xuan sighed, adding a verbal jab to the slaughter.

The man ignored the four rolling heads, his eyes locked on Ning Xuan. "How are you unharmed?!"

"You mean that Weeping Willow Demon Sound?" Ning Xuan shook his head, a look of disappointment on his face. "It was far too gentle. It could hardly be considered an attack."

The man fell silent. The technique he had just used was called Silent Universe. The name implied that once the sound was unleashed, the vast universe itself was meant to fall silent in its wake. He had never failed with it before, not even against peak experts in the late stage of the Holy Realm. Yet now, it had no effect on this teenager. This was simply absurd.

"Excellent! No wonder you dared to come alone! To bury you here will not be a disgrace to this place!"

The man took a deep breath, and the weeping willow emitted a sharp, metallic screech. As the sound rang out, one figure after another appeared out of thin air.

"Is that all of them?" Ning Xuan asked when no more figures appeared.

No one answered.

Ning Xuan’s gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on one of the men. "You’re the one who killed Jiang Donglin, aren’t you?"

"That’s right, it was me. You’re—"

PFFT!

Before the man could finish his sentence, his head shot into the sky, a fountain of blood spraying dozens of feet high.

"How... How did you break his Stilling Body Curse?!" The man under the willow stared, his eyes wider than a bull’s.