Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

"Haha, of course. I understand. Go ahead and don’t mind me. You can attack directly!"

After hearing Ning Xuan’s words, his opponent spoke with great magnanimity. He was utterly exhausted from a series of fierce battles, but his opponent was merely a Martial Artist, and a polite one at that. If he were to pause and recover his energy now, it would be taking unfair advantage of the man. Even if he won, it would be a victory without honor.

"Don’t do it! This bastard is strange; you can’t afford to underestimate him!" The warning came from the cultivator who had just suffered a double loss.

If this guy becomes one of the Judge’s four Law Enforcement Officers, it’s going to be a huge problem. Although they both wore black robes, once someone donned the uniform of a Law Enforcement Officer, seeking revenge would only be possible if the officer made a mistake. The probability of a Law Enforcement Officer making a mistake was practically zero. After all, in Dali, there were almost no taboos aside from restrictions on marriage.

It wasn’t just him; other powerful experts also began to speak up. Even though this man was a Martial Artist, they all had a gut feeling that if he were allowed to attack now, the cultivator who had fought his way to the end would most likely be defeated. That was an outcome they absolutely could not accept.

"For him to be chosen by the Judge, he must have some extraordinary ability. You can’t take him lightly!"

"Exactly! He’s one of the Judge’s men now. You have to show him respect!"

"You’re being careless just because he’s a Martial Artist. That won’t do. Fighting with all your strength is the greatest respect you can show to the Judge and to him!"

A chorus of voices rose, all trying to persuade the cultivator on the stage.

The cultivator began to look troubled. He had to admit they all made valid points, but he had already made his magnanimous offer. Now he was in a difficult position. Left with no other choice, he looked toward Zhou Nian.

"Don’t look at me. This is a duel between the two of you," Zhou Nian said, having no desire to get involved.

At that moment, Ning Xuan spoke up voluntarily. "I also think they have a point. You should recover first, and then we’ll fight."

"Thank you." The cultivator’s face filled with gratitude.

Zhou Nian and several other cultivators felt their facial muscles twitching. If you win, fine. But if you lose after this, you’re definitely going to have a complete meltdown, aren’t you!

The cultivator who had been tricked by Ning Xuan earlier was suddenly struck by a thought. Given how things were developing, letting that little bastard win might not be such a bad thing after all. If he won, his opponent would surely go insane. After all, the man had defeated a multitude of cultivators and was just one step from victory. To be defeated by a Martial Artist, especially while at his peak, would be utterly unbearable. With a little fanning of the flames afterward, there was no way the man could restrain himself!

Perfect!

With this thought, they suddenly became eager for the match to begin. They didn’t have to wait long. The cultivator on the high platform finished his meditation and recovered his strength.

"Let’s begin!" he called out to Ning Xuan, his voice filled with unparalleled confidence.

"Be careful!"

As soon as the words left Ning Xuan’s mouth, he vanished.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion echoed as the air itself seemed to rupture. A figure was sent flying backward, spewing blood. Only one person remained standing proudly on the high platform.

It was Ning Xuan!

Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. This was simply outrageous! Even Zhou Nian’s eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. He knew Ning Xuan would win, but he had never imagined it would be this easy. One punch! He had actually knocked a cultivator off the platform with a single punch! It was far too ridiculous!

"Impossible! How could you possibly defeat me...?" Below the platform, the cultivator sent flying by Ning Xuan staggered to his feet. His eyes were locked on Ning Xuan, completely unable to accept reality.

"I was fortunate," Ning Xuan said, offering a polite clasp-fist bow.

The cultivators who had been preparing to stir up trouble didn’t even have a chance to speak.

"Fortunate my ass...!" the defeated cultivator roared, instantly reappearing on the high platform and lashing out with a palm strike at Ning Xuan.

A strike fueled by a cultivator’s rage was terrifyingly powerful. A massive palm made of Element Force manifested like a towering mountain, intent on crushing Ning Xuan into a bloody pulp!

The stronger cultivators in the crowd smiled. While the attack wasn’t much to them, it was definitely not something a mere Martial Artist could withstand.

"Serves you right for being so shameless! If you don’t die, who will?"

"Despair, you little bastard! Remember not to provoke cultivators in your next life!"

Many of the cultivators who had been tricked off the stage by Ning Xuan were now reveling in his misfortune.

Zhou Nian was also frowning, feeling conflicted. Logically, there was no way Ning Xuan could withstand this blow. But a part of him felt he could still be saved. What if another miracle happened?

It all happened in a flash. Before Zhou Nian could resolve his internal debate, the enormous Palm Seal had already descended upon Ning Xuan.

"Dammit!"

His expression changed drastically. A moment ago, he would have believed Ning Xuan could dodge. But under such immense Majestic Pressure, it was impossible for a Martial Artist to defy the heavens. This guy was far too arrogant! Now, he was doomed. Even if Zhou Nian wanted to intervene, it was too late.

BANG!

As the cultivator’s palm crashed down, Ning Xuan simply vanished!

Blinking, Zhou Nian jumped in fright. Ning Xuan was now standing right in front of him!

What in the world... This was just ridiculous!

"Holy shit, that’s possible?!"

"He actually dodged it? How did he do that?!"

"This guy is a wolf in sheep’s clothing! He’s definitely not a Martial Artist!"

"Son of a bitch, we’ve all been tricked!"

The square instantly erupted into a cacophony of voices as countless cultivators seethed with righteous indignation.

On the platform, the attacker froze for a second upon seeing Ning Xuan dodge, then his face contorted with even greater fury. He immediately spun around, preparing to launch another fatal attack.

Ning Xuan didn’t move an inch. He just looked at Zhou Nian.

"Enough!"

Zhou Nian’s voice was no louder than normal and carried no terrifying energy fluctuation. Yet, the cultivator poised to attack Ning Xuan froze, and then his body simply exploded into nothingness.

With just two words, he had obliterated a cultivator.

Ning Xuan was filled with envy. The cultivator who had attacked him possessed the strength of at least the Fourth Layer Heavens of the Holy Realm, yet he was erased just like that.

Looks like I really need to step up my game. I’ve been in the Venerable Realm for way too long, Ning Xuan murmured to himself.

Fortunately, none of his acquaintances were around. If they had heard that, they would have definitely wanted to beat him senseless. The entire time from when Ning Xuan first entered the Venerable Realm to reaching its peak at the twelfth layer had only been a few months. Calling that kind of progress "too long" was just asking for a thrashing.

"Ahem, my current cultivation level doesn’t quite match my new position. Do you happen to have any methods for advancing through the Cultivation Realms quickly?" Since he was temporarily working under Zhou Nian, Ning Xuan felt no shame in asking for a handout.

"You’re asking if you can inherit your predecessor’s power, just like I did, aren’t you?" Zhou Nian glanced at Ning Xuan, instantly seeing through him.

Ning Xuan just chuckled. He didn’t bother to hide it as he nodded eagerly. If he could acquire it for free, that would obviously be the best outcome. He wasn’t an idiot, after all.