Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

"Now, can you arrange the Teleportation Array for me?"

At the head of the hall, Ning Xuan’s voice rang out again.

The two of them nodded repeatedly.

"Go on. Come back when it’s ready," Ning Xuan said indifferently.

The two didn’t dare to disobey. They quickly propped up the burly man’s corpse and retreated from the council hall.

「Outside.」

The other members of Skywolf Fort had not yet left. When they saw the Fort Master’s party exit in such a state, they were all stunned.

The bearded man’s body stiffened. Lanyi immediately spoke up, instructing them to disperse.

No one dared to breathe a word, and they all left as quickly as possible. Then, they gathered again in small groups here and there, all discussing the same topic.

"Tell me, were my eyes playing tricks on me? Was the second-in-command drunk?"

"Drunk my ass! I saw blood dripping from his forehead!"

"There was blood on the back of his head too!"

"The second-in-command was actually killed?! Why would the Fort Master kill him?!"

"Are you an idiot? The Fort Master never uses bladed weapons. If the Fort Master had really killed him, would there only be such a small wound?!"

"It couldn’t have been the third-in-command either! His weapon is the Bone Fan!"

"Then who killed him... Holy crap, no way?!"

When the same figure simultaneously flashed through their minds, they were all dumbfounded.

Wasn’t that youth a Martial Artist?! Was he only acting so arrogant because of his family’s influence?!

Even they could crush a whole bunch of Martial Artists with one hand. And yet, the young Martial Artist had killed their second-in-command with a single strike!

They reached this conclusion because they understood the vast power gap between a Cultivator and a Martial Artist. If a Martial Artist couldn’t succeed with their first strike, they would never get another chance. But didn’t that make the situation even more terrifying?!

"No, that’s not right! Even if he’s from the Imperial City, this should be impossible!"

"Exactly! The Holy Realm is a transcendent state. A Martial Artist killing a Cultivator is simply impossible unless the other party doesn’t resist!"

"I get it now! The second-in-command must have been ambushed by the Fort Master or the third-in-command, leaving him unable to fight back. That’s the only way this could have happened!"

This explanation immediately gained unanimous agreement. Then, they all became excited. Whether the Fort Master or the third-in-command had made the move, it meant the youth’s identity was just as they had speculated. Soon, they would be able to go to the Imperial City!

What they didn’t know, however, was that the Fort Master and the third-in-command were currently beside themselves with worry.

They did indeed possess Teleportation Arrays—more than one, in fact. They had originally thought the arrays were non-functional, as they had tried to use them more than once but never succeeded in teleporting.

Until, not long ago, someone had arrived through one of those very arrays.

It was late one night. The three of them had been on high alert, for the newcomer was extremely powerful. Just when they thought they were doomed, the person flashed away and disappeared. Only after that did the third-in-command release the news about the array.

They had assumed the Teleportation Array was working normally again. But when they tried it now, the result was still failure.

"Boss, should we try that Teleportation Array?" Lanyi gestured with his chin, looking at the array through which someone had descended.

The bearded man nodded, but the result was still the same.

"Could it be that these Teleportation Arrays only work for receiving?"

As the thought surfaced, both their faces clouded with worry. If the Young Master found out about this, they feared they would lose their heads.

"Ahem, Third Brother, I’ll go think of another way. You go inform the Young Master," the bearded man said quickly.

Lanyi’s face turned green.

That bastard! What kind of boss was he? Trying to sacrifice me when disaster strikes!

"Boss, you know I have some aptitude for studying these things. If I try a little harder, I might make a breakthrough. It would be better if you made the trip," Lanyi said with a smile, quickly adjusting his attitude.

The bearded man also felt he had gone too far. He sighed and said, "Why don’t we go together?"

"Okay!" Lanyi agreed without a second thought.

He genuinely knew a little about the subject. Even if the Young Master became furious, he might be able to buy himself some more time. The bearded man knew this as well. Therefore, he racked his brains the entire way there.

Each harboring their own thoughts, the two finally appeared before Ning Xuan, looking deeply uneasy. The bearded man then steeled himself and told Ning Xuan the results. Before Ning Xuan could speak, he blurted out as quickly as he could, "Don’t worry, my third brother and I both have some knowledge of Teleportation Arrays. We will definitely fix it!"

"Take me to see it," Ning Xuan said, showing no signs of anger.

The two kneeling men were stunned, unable to understand why he was being so reasonable.

"Some guy has his entire family chasing me down! Seriously, just because I borrowed his wife to warm my bed... so petty!" Ning Xuan grumbled as he walked out.

Behind him, the corners of the two men’s mouths twitched.

These young masters from the Imperial City really know how to live!

The two led Ning Xuan to the location and pointed out the Teleportation Arrays. They also voluntarily pointed out the one through which the person had arrived.

Ning Xuan glanced at the latter before paying it no more mind.

Although that was the one he needed most. If I’m not mistaken, that’s the Teleportation Array leading to the Dali Realm. The person who arrived earlier was naturally Lu Jing.

Eager to prove his knowledge, Lanyi desperately showed off in front of Ning Xuan. During this time, the bearded man was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. His forehead broke out in a cold sweat, especially when he saw Ning Xuan frown. He was terrified.

"Alright, that’s enough," Ning Xuan suddenly said, stopping Lanyi from speaking further.

Then, Ning Xuan looked toward the bearded man. Before he could even say a word...

THUMP!

The bearded man dropped to his knees, his voice cracking with tears. "Please forgive me, Young Master! I didn’t mean to deceive you, I just want to live!"

Ning Xuan was stunned speechless. "Who said I wanted your life? I want you to help me prepare some materials. With them, I can repair this Teleportation Array."

He immediately listed a series of materials. It required Divine Crystals as the primary component, supplemented by nine other materials.

"Yes, yes! I’ll get right on it!" The bearded man was overjoyed and scurried away.

The materials he wanted weren’t rare; the fort already had them in stock.

"Go and gather all the members of Skywolf Fort. After the Teleportation Array is repaired, you will all come with me to the Imperial City," Ning Xuan then instructed Lanyi.

Only by doing this could he ensure his whereabouts remained secret.

Lanyi was stunned.

Ning Xuan raised an eyebrow. "What, you’re not willing?"

As if waking from a dream, Lanyi was ecstatic. "Willing! Of course, I’m willing! Thank you, Young Master!" He too rushed off to carry out his orders.

Once he was certain no one else was around, Ning Xuan began to inspect the Teleportation Array that led to the Dali Realm. Soon, he had identified the problem. He couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

When the bearded man returned, he hesitated for a long time. It wasn’t until Ning Xuan clapped his hands, a satisfied smile appearing on his face, that he finally dared to ask, "Young Master, I heard you’re planning to take us to the Imperial City?"