Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

"Crap!" he cursed inwardly, his expression turning grim. The attacker is from Chi Ming! And their real target isn’t even me! Now that I’m injured, they’re sure to succeed!

However, just at that moment, a loud noise erupted.

BOOM!

He whipped his head around to look and was utterly stupefied. Before him, the once-dense forest had vanished, reduced to ashes as if by a cataclysm. The one who had struck was none other than Cheng Dabao, who had just screamed in alarm! He was so certain because the girl hadn’t even lowered her hand yet.

When Wang Ao came to his senses, he was utterly exasperated. With such terrifying strength, why the hell did you scream?! I got hurt because of you! The thought of his injury made him break out in a cold sweat. There’s still someone else hiding in the shadows! He immediately assumed a defensive posture, but there was no further movement.

Could that guy have been scared off by her attack? The thought naturally sprang to his mind.

Just then, he heard Cheng Dabao complaining.

"Ning Xuan, where did you run off to? I was almost captured!"

Turning his head, Wang Ao saw that Ning Xuan had arrived.

"You call that ’almost captured’? Sis Bao’er, can’t you be a bit gentler?" Looking at the devastation before Cheng Dabao, Ning Xuan couldn’t help but tease her. With one slap, she not only pulverized her attacker but probably scared off the hidden one as well. Well, so much for the fun.

"Greetings, Young Master Ning. I am Wang Ao, from Chi Ming," Wang Ao said, taking the initiative to approach.

As Ning Xuan nodded, he looked toward You Ruo.

"That’s his real name," You Ruo said with a smile. "However, he can represent Yao Guang in the Star Domain Conference."

Ning Xuan nodded. And then, that was it.

You Ruo’s expectant expression turned to one of astonishment. She couldn’t help but ask, "Is that your only reaction?"

"What else should there be?" After a moment’s pause, realization dawned on Ning Xuan, and he quickly added, "I wish you two a long and happy life together, and may you have children soon!"

"What are you talking about?! He’s my brother! My biological brother!" You Ruo was completely exasperated.

Ning Xuan was dumbfounded, then it clicked. "So, your surname is Wang."

"You’re the one with the surname Wang! This guy is the spawn of that heartless bastard who abandoned his wife and daughter and married into another family!"

Wang Ao’s already awkward expression instantly darkened.

Ning Xuan glanced between the two of them and couldn’t help but mumble, What a tangled web...

After glancing at the fuming You Ruo, Wang Ao suddenly said to Ning Xuan, "Young Master Ning, you should probably sit out the Star Domain Conference."

"No way! He has to participate!" Cheng Dabao declared before Ning Xuan could even speak.

Wang Ao couldn’t help but remind her, "Everyone coming this time is an expert!"

"What? Are you looking down on Ning Xuan?" Cheng Dabao retorted, ready to list his battle records. Although she hadn’t seen Ning Xuan fight many times, the fact that he had emerged from the Heavenly Principle Star Realm unscathed proved he was one of a kind. Besides, everyone had relied on him back in Xuan Ge.

"It seems you know a lot about them," Ning Xuan said, cutting Cheng Dabao off with a single sentence.

Cheng Dabao immediately fell silent. She wanted to hear about the backgrounds of these people.

"Yuheng’s Zhang Yuan, from the Chi Ming Dynasty’s Yan King’s Manor. Age eighteen, his cultivation is at the Third Layer Heavens of the Holy Realm!"

"Tian Quan’s Qin Yuan, from the Chi Ming Dynasty’s Qin King’s Manor. Age eighteen, cultivation at the Third Layer Heavens of the Holy Realm!"

"Tianxuan’s Kang Qing, from the Chi Ming Dynasty’s Kang King’s Manor. Age seventeen, cultivation at the Fourth Layer Heavens of the Holy Realm!"

"Tianzhu’s Chen Lin, from the Chi Ming Dynasty’s Chen King’s Manor. Age sixteen, cultivation at the Fourth Layer Heavens of the Holy Realm!"

"Dali’s Duan Qi, from the Chi Ming Dynasty’s Duan King’s Manor. He is only sixteen but has long since transcended the mundane to enter sainthood. His cultivation is now at the Fifth Layer Heavens of the Holy Realm!"

Wang Ao listed their backgrounds as if he knew them by heart. After rattling them all off in one breath, he paused, exhaled, and continued, "Strictly speaking, there are only ten realms in Martial Arts. The Venerable Realm is the end of the road for a Martial Artist! The ’Holy’ in Holy Realm doesn’t mean saintly; it means transcendent. Transcending the mundane to enter sainthood! Once someone enters this realm, they are no longer a mortal. The power of a Holy Realm Cultivator is unimaginable!"

Ning Xuan nodded, though inwardly he was rather dismissive. Back in the Tianyang Realm, he had annihilated Holy Realm Cultivators on more than one occasion.

"I’m guessing you’ve defeated Holy Realm Cultivators before. However, I must remind you that those so-called Holy Realm Cultivators are only in a False Realm! Oh, and speaking of that, I should warn you about Zang Peng from Tianyang. His strength is terrifying. His master is likely a true, great cultivator of the Holy Realm!"

Ning Xuan’s pupils constricted. This Wang Ao hasn’t even entered the Holy Realm, but his perception is quite impressive.

"By the way, what about Luo Ji?" Ning Xuan asked, his interest piqued by the mention of Tianyang.

"Him? I don’t know much about him. The Luo Family has always kept a low profile, far from the center of power. Chi Ming was supposed to have seven great Vassal King Clans, but the Luo Family’s ancestors refused the title. Their ancestral precepts are to avoid conflict and not get close to the Imperial Clan. I have no idea why he decided to show up this time. In any case, he isn’t your enemy. If you compete, your strongest opponent will be Zhao Guan!"

"Zhao Guan is from the Prime Minister’s Manor. He was their hidden trump card but has made his debut earlier than expected. I heard he passed the Manor’s Myriad Manifestations Array. In the last hundred years, he’s only the second person to pass that array at the age of fifteen!"

Ning Xuan nodded. He then turned to Cheng Dabao, who looked utterly dejected.

"You heard him. They’re all genuine Cultivators. I’m only at the Tenth Heavens of the Venerable Realm, and still just a Martial Artist. It’s impossible for a Martial Artist to fight a Cultivator."

Cheng Dabao was also dumbfounded. In the Heavenly Principle Star Realm, Ye Qingqing had never told her any of this. In fact, Ye Qingqing had told her from the very beginning that they were Cultivators who had already transcended the mortal plane, which was why the first realm was the Holy Realm. Only now did she realize there were ten whole realms before that. She had originally thought there was only one. Ning Xuan was still a Martial Artist, a completely different concept from a Cultivator! What were they going to do?

You Ruo, who was standing to the side, wanted to remind Cheng Dabao that Ning Xuan was different. But after a moment of thought, she held her tongue. This is the Star Domain Conference, after all. Ning Xuan is strong, but he’s no match for the Chi Ming Dynasty, which rules the entire Big Dipper Star Domain! If he competes, he’ll probably be killed! It would be better if he didn’t participate.

However, Cheng Dabao wasn’t ready to give up. She immediately asked Wang Ao, "Brother Wang, do you know a way to rapidly raise someone’s cultivation realm?"

Seeing the hope in Cheng Dabao’s beautiful eyes, Wang Ao’s heart skipped a beat, and a single word escaped his lips.

It was too late for You Ruo to stop him, and she seethed with frustration.

Ning Xuan’s eyes lit up as well, and he immediately asked, "What is it?"

Participating in the Star Domain Conference wasn’t important to Ning Xuan; what he really wanted was to raise his cultivation realm.

Before Wang Ao could respond, You Ruo snapped irritably, "Wang Ao, think about what you’re doing! Help him get to the Holy Realm sooner so he can die faster on the stage!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she turned and walked away, leaving the three of them utterly perplexed.