Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

Under the watchful eyes of all the monkeys, Ning Xuan quickly finished the entire jar of wine.

After a hearty wipe of his mouth, he burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, a sweet aftertaste that lingers on the palate. Delightful!"

All the monkeys stared at him, not even blinking.

After a long moment, the monkey leader suddenly attacked Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan’s figure flashed, and he dodged it.

BANG!

The empty wine jar in his hand shattered instead.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Ning Xuan’s face darkened, bristling with killing intent.

The monkey leader waved its hands frantically, so agitated it could finally speak.

"You’re not drunk?"

"It was just one jar of wine. How could it possibly make me drunk?" Ning Xuan snorted.

The monkey leader stared at Ning Xuan in shock and gave him a thumbs-up.

What it didn’t know was that as soon as the monkey wine touched his throat, Ning Xuan had noticed something extraordinary about it. He immediately used his Cultivation Technique to refine and absorb the energy contained within. Under such circumstances, let alone drinking one jar, he couldn’t possibly get drunk even if he drank ten or a hundred.

"This wine is basically useless aside from its decent taste. I’m not trading with you," Ning Xuan said, retreating strategically as he prepared to leave again.

The monkey leader quickly stopped him. "Wait, I have something even better!"

Then, it instructed the monkey that had fallen earlier to go and fetch it.

The latter hesitated, but ultimately acted under the pressure of its leader’s domineering presence.

The other monkeys only now realized that their king could speak. One by one, after confirming the fact, they jumped around joyfully.

Only the monkey leader kept a furrowed brow.

Beside it, Ning Xuan, showing no hint of politeness, was already chugging more monkey wine. Although the energy in a single jar was limited, quantity could lead to a qualitative change.

And so, after Ning Xuan had downed five jars, a jug of monkey wine as large as a water vat finally appeared before his eyes. A single glance told him it was an absolute vintage, likely buried underground for at least a century.

"It has been buried in the deepest part for over five hundred years. I will exchange it with you," the monkey leader said.

The instant Ning Xuan looked over, he caught a glimpse of unease in its eyes.

A thought crossed his mind, and Ning Xuan said reluctantly, "Although I don’t know what you plan to do with it, I do know it’s very important to you. This wine probably won’t be much use to me, but... alright, it’s a deal."

As he spoke, Ning Xuan nonchalantly tossed the Strange Mushroom to the monkey leader.

The leader caught it, clutching it tightly to its chest.

Ning Xuan, with a calm expression, stored the massive jug of monkey wine in his consciousness storage space.

Immediately, Ning Xuan waved his hand, ready to take his leave.

"Hold on," the monkey leader called out.

As Ning Xuan turned, another jar of monkey wine flew toward him.

Ning Xuan caught it with one hand, puzzled by the gesture.

"After you leave, head to your right until you see a mountain spewing fire. There’s a Fire Lotus in the very center of that volcano, but it doesn’t usually show itself. You need to throw this wine in to make it emerge. Once you have it, you must run. Don’t look back, and leave this space as fast as you can!"

"Worthy of the name Great Saint, truly righteous! Thank you!" After expressing his gratitude, Ning Xuan departed.

The monkey leader watched him go. Why did he call me ’Great Saint’? But what a powerful-sounding name. From now on, that will be my name!

Ning Xuan had no idea what kind of stir his subconscious utterance would cause in the future.

Upon exiting the cave, he couldn’t wait to head in the direction the monkey leader had indicated. After racing for dozens of miles, he indeed saw an active volcano spewing molten lava.

Ning Xuan landed directly on the summit and peered into the volcano from its edge.

Just as expected, he immediately spotted the volcano’s eye in the heart of the fiery lava.

He threw the monkey wine in his hand straight into it.

Bullseye!

Then, amidst the tremors, a Fire Lotus truly emerged.

Without moving his real body, a Dao Body shot straight toward the Fire Lotus. He obtained it effortlessly and without any danger.

The moment it was in his hand, Ning Xuan felt an extremely violent and terrifying energy! It didn’t feel like he was holding a single Fire Lotus, but rather a vast, boundless ocean. This Fire Lotus was definitely extraordinary.

Recalling the monkey’s words, Ning Xuan didn’t linger for a moment longer and left at top speed.

He had just left the volcano when—

RUMBLE—

Amidst the deafening roar, the entire volcano erupted. Scorching lava obliterated everything!

When Ning Xuan looked back, he was astonished to see a gigantic fire dragon bursting out from the volcano’s center! Its blood-red, lantern-sized eyes locked onto him instantly!

Immediately after, BAM!

The fire dragon, suspended in midair, opened its mouth and spewed a torrent of fierce flames hundreds of feet long!

"Damn! That monkey really overestimated me!" Ning Xuan’s expression changed as he accelerated to his maximum speed. His body vanished from sight; he had activated his Body Technique Skill.

However, the fire dragon was only stunned for an instant before it resumed the chase. His movement technique, Piercing Willow Without Breath, had failed!

"Damn it all!" Ning Xuan had no choice but to activate his Cultivation Technique and Bloodline, fleeing for his life at full power.

He was like a wisp of smoke. Forget martial artists; even a true cultivator with insufficient cultivation wouldn’t be able to perceive his whereabouts.

Still, he couldn’t shake the fire dragon.

It’s not me... it’s the Fire Lotus!

Ning Xuan immediately identified the source of the problem. He wrapped the lotus with layers of his consciousness, then severed the connection to that space within his mind.

As expected, the fire dragon lost his trail.

Then, unable to find the Fire Lotus, it went completely berserk!

「Time rewinds to when Ning Xuan arrived at the Water Curtain Cave.」

As Ning Xuan had anticipated, when Wang Ao found the prodigies from all the realms, they spent everything they had the moment he explained the situation, all for a chance to enter the secret realm and improve their strength. In total, more than twenty people entered the secret realm.

Wang Ao made a fortune. Watching them disappear, he smiled smugly. "Who’d have thought those guys from the Big Dipper Western Region were so filthy rich. I owe Brother Ning Xuan big time for this. When he comes out, I’ll have to give him a bigger share!"

As he was speaking, he immediately sensed something unusual about the painting scroll. He took a closer look and his eyes widened.

"Damn, Grandpa wasn’t lying! There really is a jug of monkey wine over five hundred years old!"

"Brother Ning Xuan is too awesome! He actually got the Hua Yuan Clan to willingly give up their clan’s greatest treasure!"

As he spoke, his already wide eyes bulged as he stared fixedly at the scroll! He saw the area he had marked as the Hua Yuan Clan’s territory had changed its name on its own!

"Something’s not right! Damn it! How did the Hua Yuan Clan’s territory turn into the Great Sage Mansion?!"

"What’s going on? Why do I get the feeling that monkey is about to tear its way out of the painting?" Wang Ao was completely stunned.

Soon, he discovered this was just the beginning. The place he had marked as Fire Lotus Mountain suddenly erupted! An endless crimson spread rapidly across the scroll, devouring the surrounding areas. But he ignored all that; his eyes were glued to a lotus flower as it moved!

"Grandpa, help... help me! The Fire Lotus... it’s escaped..." His voice trembled as he spoke.

He watched the Fire Lotus move closer and closer to the secret realm’s exit. Seeing the draconic creature in violent pursuit behind it, his legs began to tremble.