Chapter 269: The New Ghost Envoy

Chapter 269: The New Ghost Envoy

"Where is Tianchenzi?" Murong Hua chased after them, emerging from the earth and standing before Ning Xiaochuan.

His Blood Qi was slightly inferior to Ning Xiaochuan and Tianchenzi, so he had lagged behind and only caught up now.

Ning Xiaochuan smiled. "He’s already dead by my hand."

Murong Hua was utterly shocked. The renowned Tianchenzi had actually been killed by an eighteen-year-old youth—how could the older generation of powerhouses like him face such a reality?

Of course, he was genuinely pleased. This proved Ning Xiaochuan’s unparalleled talent, a young king whose future achievements in the martial path would be immeasurable.

Ning Xiaochuan poured out a Blood Qi Treasure Pill from a jade vial and handed it to Murong Hua. "This was refined from Tianchenzi’s Blood Qi. If you take it, Senior Murong, it will surely heal the lingering injuries in your body. In the future, you might even have a chance to break through to the Earthly Venerable Realm."

Murong Hua’s expression darkened. "I know my own body better than anyone. I’ll never reach the Earthly Venerable Realm in this lifetime. Why waste such a precious Blood Qi Treasure Pill? Manor Lord, you also lost a great deal of Blood Qi in your battle with Tianchenzi. You should take this pill yourself. Only by growing stronger can you help us take revenge against Yue Wuyang in the future."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Tianchenzi’s Blood Qi essence yielded five Blood Qi Treasure Pills in total. This is just one of them—I still have four left. Trust me, and trust yourself. You will reach the Earthly Venerable Realm."

Murong Hua’s heart trembled violently as he stared deeply at Ning Xiaochuan.

After ten years of suffering from injuries, Murong Hua’s fighting spirit had long been worn away, even to the point of self-abandonment. But Ning Xiaochuan’s words struck him like a thunderclap, jolting him awake.

If even a junior had such faith in him, how could he lose faith in himself?

Murong Hua’s gaze sharpened, as if he had regained the pride of his youth. He accepted the Blood Qi Treasure Pill and said, "Tianchenzi is dead, but he left behind many loyal followers. We must return to Ghost Manor immediately to take control of the situation."

"Not all of his followers need to be killed," Ning Xiaochuan said. "As long as they are willing to submit to Ghost Manor, we can spare their lives."

Both Murong Hua and Ning Xiaochuan were powerhouses in the Transcendent Realm, moving at incredible speeds. Before long, they returned to Ghost Manor.

With no leader, Ghost Manor had indeed fallen into chaos. But after Murong Hua and Ning Xiaochuan returned, they quickly suppressed the disorder.

By the time Ning Xiaochuan returned to his residence in the Purple Qi Garden, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

The battle with Tianchenzi had left Ning Xiaochuan severely injured, having lost a third of his Blood Qi. Fortunately, he had slain Tianchenzi, and with the remaining four Blood Qi Treasure Pills, he could surely recover the lost Blood Qi—perhaps even advance further.

Through this battle, Ning Xiaochuan also realized the shortcomings in his cultivation realm.

Ning Xiaochuan was currently at the Fifth Level of the Transcendent Realm. Without using the Demonic Sword, he could contend with Martial Artists at the Seventh Level of the Transcendent Realm, even possessing the combat strength to face those at the Eighth Level. With the Demonic Sword, he could hold his own against some weaker Martial Artists at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm.

However, his low cultivation realm remained his weakness. In many aspects, he still couldn't compare to Martial Artists above the seventh level of the Transcendent Realm, and a single misstep could lead to severe consequences.

For instance, when he fought Meng Ying, her speed far surpassed his, allowing her to easily take his life.

If he could reach the Transcendent Realm Sixth Layer and harness the power of the Demonic Sword, he might not be able to contend with experts of Meng Ying's caliber, but at the very least, he could hold his own against ordinary Martial Artists at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm.

In the martial world, those at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm were already considered towering figures, nearly unattainable in status.

"If I refine these four Blood Qi Treasure Pills, I might be able to break through to the sixth level of the Transcendent Realm." Ning Xiaochuan sat cross-legged beneath the Blood Toad Wood Tree, stabilizing the Blood Qi within his body and balancing the energy in his meridians before swallowing the Blood Qi Treasure Pills.

But suddenly, Ning Xiaochuan opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them as he scanned his surroundings. "Meng Ying, I know you're already here. Show yourself."

Right beside him, a seductive and charming laugh rang out. "The Manor Lord's vigilance has dropped, hasn't it? It seems you were injured in the fight with my master. How heartbreaking."

A wisp of black mist materialized in the air, coalescing into a woman clad in black robes, standing just two meters to Ning Xiaochuan's left.

For an expert like Meng Ying, a distance of two meters was practically negligible. If she could approach a Martial Venerable undetected within two meters, she was confident she could severely injure—or even kill—them.

As for Ning Xiaochuan? If she had truly come to assassinate him, he would already be dead.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Aren't you concerned about whether your master is alive or dead?"

"If the Manor Lord is alive, then that old ghost is naturally dead."

Meng Ying's figure was as supple as a willow branch, her long, slender legs faintly visible beneath her black robes, her curves breathtakingly alluring. "Why hasn't that jealous Saintess come to Ghost Manor? How could she let you risk your life alone? Thankfully, the Manor Lord was skilled enough to eliminate Tianchenzi. If anything had happened to you, I would never have forgiven her."

"She didn't come to Ghost Manor for her own reasons. But what about you? Did you reveal Yu Ningsheng's identity?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

"Guess?" Meng Ying's figure flickered unpredictably as she instantly appeared before Ning Xiaochuan, removing her golden mask to reveal a stunningly beautiful face. With a resentful tone, she said, "You never cared when she injured me. But the moment I heard you were dealing with Tianchenzi, I rushed here to help as soon as my wounds stabilized. You heartless man, only ever thinking about her. Don't you know how to please a woman at all?"

When she was seductive, she resembled a peerless enchantress, capable of stealing a man's soul. Yet when she feigned vulnerability, she looked like a pitiful, delicate maiden.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "If you stay, I can let you take Tianchenzi's place and become the new 'Ghost Envoy.' Are you willing?"

With Tianchenzi dead, Ghost Manor had suffered a significant blow and was in dire need of capable hands.

With Meng Ying's cultivation level, she was absolutely capable of replacing Tianchenzi. Moreover, she had once been Tianchenzi's disciple, making her the perfect choice to subdue his remaining loyalists.

"A mere Ghost Envoy position to buy me over? Manor Lord, do you truly not understand my feelings?" Meng Ying's eyes sparkled, as beautiful as the stars in the night sky.

"Cough... Some things cannot be forced," Ning Xiaochuan said.

"You always act so serious. Have I truly forced you? Do you not know that even if I may not be as beautiful as Yu Ningsheng, I am certainly not ugly? Even compared to the imperial concubines in the palace, I doubt I fall short. So why do you reject me so?"

Ning Xiaochuan was no saint who could remain unmoved by temptation. However, he was not of this world—the concept of "monogamy" was deeply ingrained in his heart, making him exceedingly cautious in choosing a partner.

Had he stayed in this world longer, perhaps he would have gradually forgotten such notions. After all, in this world, it was perfectly normal for nobles to have dozens of wives and concubines. Some particularly promiscuous nobles even boasted hundreds of beautiful consorts—nothing unusual about it.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "If you are willing to stay and assist me, I can give you another 'Great Earth Solemnity Pill' to help you break through to the Earthly Venerable Realm. What do you think?"

Meng Ying possessed extraordinary talent and an exceptionally strong will, which was why she had reached the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm at such a young age.

However, the gap between the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm and the Earthly Venerable Realm was vast. Even with peerless talent and an indomitable spirit, one might never reach the Earthly Venerable Realm in their lifetime.

Tianchenzi, Qiu Xinghui, Murong Hua—each of them had been a dazzling prodigy in their youth, yet they had all been trapped at the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm, striving for decades without ever breaking through to the Earthly Venerable Realm.

This alone demonstrated just how difficult it was to reach the Earthly Venerable Realm. It required not only talent but also opportunity.

In truth, the number of Martial Artists at the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm was dozens of times greater than those at the Martial Venerable level. Many brilliant Martial Artists were forever stuck at this bottleneck.

But with a single Great Earth Solemnity Pill, the chances of breaking through to the Earthly Venerable Realm could be greatly increased—a dream pill for countless Martial Artists at the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm.

Meng Ying gently stroked her slender jade fingers along her chin and said, "Deal. But if I ever encounter that Saintess again, I certainly won’t let her off. And... heh, I won’t let you off either."

With those words, her body dissolved into six wisps of black smoke, flying out of the Violet Qi Hall and vanishing into the air.

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head with a bitter smile, then immediately thought of another woman. He stood up and vanished from the spot.

The next moment, he appeared in the courtyard where Tianchenzi had once resided.

Though Tianchenzi was already dead, this place was still not one that just anyone dared to enter, so the courtyard was empty.

Ning Xiaochuan lifted the severely injured Situ Fengwu from the ground, checking her pulse and heartbeat.

"Still alive."

He pressed his palm against her back, channeling strands of Profound Qi into her body to help repair her meridians.

Situ Fengwu was struck by Tianchenzi's palm, her meridians nearly severed, and even her internal organs were damaged. Had Ning Xiaochuan arrived a moment later, she would have perished.

After a while, Situ Fengwu slowly opened her eyes, fixed her gaze on Ning Xiaochuan, and weakly parted her lips. "Thank you... Manor Lord... for saving my life... cough..."

Blood trickled from her mouth again, her face deathly pale, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Ning Xiaochuan withdrew his Profound Qi and placed a Broken Meridians Healing Pill into her mouth. "Don’t move. I’ll help you refine the pill’s effects."

Situ Fengwu nodded. When Ning Xiaochuan’s palm pressed against her back, she could feel a surge of warmth flowing into her body.

Deep down, she understood that Ning Xiaochuan had gone to such lengths to save her because he wanted her help in establishing the forging sanctuary, the Divine Sword Palace. Yet, for some reason, her heart still felt inexplicably warm.

When she lay grievously wounded and alone on the ground, no one knew the depth of despair in her heart—how she had believed she would die silently, forgotten. But when she opened her eyes again, she found herself cradled in Ning Xiaochuan’s arms, and an odd sense of safety flickered within her.