Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

True Servant Society Headquarters.

The first thing Zang Peng said when he showed up was, "Ning Xuan, don't tell me they all went to kill Fang Hao and his servant?"

Just a moment ago, he had been deep in thought about how to deal with the pair when he suddenly saw several elders of the True Servant Society entering Trial Mountain, every one of them radiating murderous intent. The first thought that popped into Zang Peng's head was that this was definitely Ning Xuan's doing. He immediately found Ning Xuan and confronted him directly.

Ning Xuan didn't hide it, saying with a smile, "I was just worried you'd be at a disadvantage."

Zang Peng's mouth twitched.

I'll believe you, my ass! Worried I'd be at a disadvantage? Get lost! As if you're that kind-hearted!

"How did you do it?"

He had half a mind to leave then and there, but Zang Peng's body and mind seemed to have gone their separate ways, refusing to obey him.

Though he hated to admit it, that bastard Ning Xuan's mind was just too sharp!

Zang Peng decided to learn from Ning Xuan first and then find a way to deal with him later.

Ning Xuan glanced at him, a faint, unreadable smile on his face. "Do you really want to know?"

Zang Peng knew immediately that this bastard had no good intentions. But unable to resist his curiosity, he nodded anyway.

Ning Xuan responded with a very serious expression, "If you go to Trial Mountain right now, you'll immediately get the answer you're looking for!"

"Really?" Zang Peng felt like Ning Xuan was trying to fool him.

Ning Xuan spread his hands. "Believe it or not."

"Fine. You'd better not be lying to me, or you're dead meat!"

After leaving a threat with absolutely no deterrent effect, Zang Peng quickly vanished.

"I've been here for quite some time, and my revenge is complete, so I won't be staying any longer," Ning Xuan muttered to himself before heading for the Domain Lord's Mansion. Having ranked in the top ten in the selection competition, he had earned his freedom and could leave at any time.

Most importantly, Ning Xuan didn't have much confidence in those elders from the True Servant Society. Even though Fang Hao only had his servant with him, the elders were most likely no match for them. Ning Xuan didn't want to get entangled with Fang Hao, nor was he particularly interested in Trial Mountain. Although it was an excellent place for cultivation, if that master and servant did win, he wouldn't have a moment's peace for a long time. It would be even worse if the Fang Family sent more people here.

After weighing the pros and cons, Ning Xuan decided it was best to slip away first. As for where to go? He would leave it to fate.

Inside the Domain Lord's Mansion.

Ning Xuan couldn't help but frown. Although a fair amount of time had passed since Fang Hao had gone on a killing spree here, the place still reeked of blood. The further in he walked, the stronger the smell became, though the number of corpses on the ground was decreasing.

Ning Xuan's eyes swept over their fatal wounds, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The attacker's methods are terrifying. And it was an area-of-effect skill, too.

"If all of that power were focused on a single person, I'm afraid very few could withstand it," Ning Xuan sighed, his resolve to leave strengthening.

He had already gathered information about the Teleportation Array, so he headed straight for his destination without taking any wrong turns. However, when he arrived, he found the place was already occupied by two people, both dressed in black robes.

They both seemed quite surprised to see Ning Xuan. Immediately, one of them asked, "Are you a Law Enforcement Officer?"

His voice was somewhat hoarse, but Ning Xuan instantly recognized who it was.

Qiu Yu!

The man was also a Law Enforcement Officer but hadn't participated in this selection. In fact, Ning Xuan had just been wondering back on Trial Mountain why he was absent. He never expected to run into him here.

"No!" Ning Xuan denied without a second thought.

This wasn't a lie. After placing in the top ten, his status as a Law Enforcement Officer had automatically ended. His answer was perfectly accurate.

"My apologies, I mistook you for someone else." Qiu Yu cupped his fist toward Ning Xuan and even bowed slightly, appearing very polite.

However, just as he bowed—

BANG!

A Palm Seal suddenly descended! It was a sudden attack, impossible to defend against.

But Ning Xuan had been prepared. He dodged the attack and asked indifferently, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"It's been a long time since I've fought anyone, and the itch was becoming unbearable. My apologies." Before his voice had even faded, Qiu Yu lunged at Ning Xuan again.

His methods were exceptionally strange. He wasn't constraining the void, yet it was as if he could dominate the space in some other way, launching various attacks from the void that were impossible to guard against. However, Ning Xuan was extremely fast, and his Six Senses were incredibly sharp, stubbornly preventing the other man from succeeding.

Suddenly, Qiu Yu stopped. He pulled back the hood of his black robe, stared straight at Ning Xuan, and said in a deep voice, "So it really was you!"

Ning Xuan was bewildered.

What the hell does he mean by that?

"What 'it was me'? Are you crazy?!" But no matter what the man meant, Ning Xuan understood the principle of striking first. "I have already received the Realm Lord's approval and just need to use the Teleportation Array. Yet you attacked me for no reason. Do you think I can no longer wield a blade?!"

Qiu Yu ignored him and stated with utter confidence, "You're the one who stole my things in Trial Mountain!"

Damn! How did this guy know?

Ning Xuan was baffled. He was certain the man hadn't seen him at the time, and there were definitely no hidden measures left on that Dao Mark. He wasn't even using the Dao Mark now, so how had he figured it out?

"You must be wondering how I could possibly know, aren't you?" Qiu Yu seemed to have read Ning Xuan's mind, a playful look on his face.

Ning Xuan shook his head. "I'm just wondering what the hell Trial Mountain is!"

Qiu Yu raised an eyebrow.

"Brother, why waste words on him? Let's just kill him!" At this moment, the black-robed man behind Qiu Yu also threw back his hood. He stepped forward, locking onto Ning Xuan, not bothering to conceal his murderous intent.

"You two are lurking around in black robes; you're clearly up to no good! Leave now, or I'll call for help!" Ning Xuan had an idea and seized the initiative.

Qiu Hao burst out laughing. "Hahaha, besides us, there isn't a single living soul in the entire Domain Lord's Mansion, and you're going to call for help?!"

Ning Xuan laughed as well. "I finally understand why you two didn't participate in the selection competition!"

With this statement, he had tacitly admitted his identity.

A murderous glint flashed in Qiu Yu's eyes, but he didn't move.

Qiu Hao was still laughing. He tilted his head slightly and taunted, "Oh? Then why don't you tell us the reason?"

Ning Xuan didn't answer, instead countering with a question of his own. "Besides you two, are your people in every city? And who is your leader?"

Qiu Yu and Qiu Hao's expressions changed drastically.

"It seems I guessed correctly," Ning Xuan said with a smile, seeing their reactions.

The two brothers' faces instantly darkened. But just as quickly, smiles bloomed on both of their faces.

"So what if you did? Thanks to your help, we were able to succeed!"

"In fact, we've been waiting for you here all along."