Chapter 279: For Friends, Guns Between Legs

Chapter 279: For Friends, Guns Between Legs

Unless one encounters an incredibly heaven-defying opportunity, a Martial Artist’s talent cannot surpass the "Once-in-Five-Millennia" level.

"If I can find that drop of divine blood left by the Heavenly Emperor, I should be able to break through this limit." Ning Xiaochuan clenched his fists tightly, swearing inwardly that he must find that drop of divine blood—it was his only chance now.

Ning Xiaochuan did not continue to challenge the Fourteenth Level of the Heavenly Bridge. Instead, he turned and walked out of the bridge, once again meeting the astonished gazes of the crowd.

Many stared at him as if he were a monster.

At the age of eighteen, he had cleared the Thirteenth Level of the Heavenly Bridge.

This was simply unimaginable. There was no other way to describe him except as a monster.

Many had already spread the news beyond the Emperor's Martial Palace. By now, countless nobles in the Imperial City must have learned that Ning Xiaochuan had cleared the Thirteenth Level of the Heavenly Bridge. This was not just about clearing the bridge—it signified the rise of a peerless genius.

One could imagine that in ten years, Ning Xiaochuan might very well become the foremost figure in the Yulan Empire, unrivaled under the heavens. What kind of influence would he wield then?

Princess Lanfei stood beside her carriage, dressed in a luxurious peacock green gown draped with a jade white fox fur. Her black hair was elegantly coiled atop her head, adorned with hairpins of vermilion jade, green gold, and mystic stones. Her jade-like skin exuded an aura of nobility. Among the many princesses of the Yulan Empire, none could rival her beauty and grace.

"Ning Xiaochuan, do you remember our bet? Heh… You didn’t disappoint me. Now, I’ll return to the Imperial Palace and ask Father to decree our marriage." Though Princess Lanfei wore a smile, her tone was deadly serious. She boarded her carriage, turned it around, and indeed headed straight for the Heavenly Gate.

Yu Qianqian clenched her fists tightly, furious. "Yu Lanfei, do you really think that by recruiting Ning Xiaochuan as your consort, you can control him? You’re dreaming!"

Princess Lanfei lifted the carriage curtain with her jade hands, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face. She smiled and said, "Qianqian, my dear, I’ve never once thought of controlling Xiaochuan. I truly love him and only wish to be his woman—nothing more."

Seeing Yu Qianqian’s anger brought Princess Lanfei immense joy, as if she had just won a great victory.

Of course, Yu Qianqian was furious. If Princess Lanfei truly convinced the Jade Emperor to decree their marriage, Ning Xiaochuan would have no choice but to obey and take her as his wife. This… this wasn’t just infuriating—it was downright heartbreaking!

Under the escort of a group of high-level Martial Artists, Princess Lanfei’s carriage departed leisurely for the Heavenly Gate.

Princess Lanfei’s talent was on par with Yu Qianqian’s. She had already reached the Ninth Layer of the Divine Body Realm and cleared the Seventh Level of the Heavenly Bridge, earning her the right to enter and leave the Emperor's Martial Palace.

"Xiaochuan, Princess Lanfei doesn’t truly love you. She just wants to use you," Yu Qianqian said urgently, fearing that Ning Xiaochuan might be deceived by her.

Setting everything else aside, Princess Lanfei was indeed outstanding—not only was her martial talent extraordinary, but her beauty was renowned, her hands were skilled, and she was a royal princess.

A woman as outstanding and beautiful as Princess Lanfei, taking the initiative to express her affection—few men in the world could refuse her.

Yu Qianqian, naturally worried that Princess Lanfei might snatch Ning Xiaochuan away, hurriedly said, "The imperial court is already divided into two major factions. By deliberately having the Jade Emperor arrange the marriage, Princess Lanfei aims to pull you and the entire Jian Pavilion Marquis House into the Jade Emperor's camp. There’s another thing—Princess Lanfei values your martial talent above all. If one day your martial talent fades, she will undoubtedly cast you aside without mercy."

Ning Xiaochuan calmly stared at Yu Qianqian, listening to her anxious words. Only after she finished did he nod slightly and say, "I already know all this."

"You already know? Then you definitely won’t agree to her, right?" Yu Qianqian fixed her gaze on Ning Xiaochuan’s eyes, her heart tense.

Ning Xiaochuan smiled. "If the Jade Emperor truly issues a marriage decree, it would represent imperial authority. Do you think I have a choice?"

Yu Qianqian’s expression dimmed, her teeth lightly biting her lower lip. "But you have the Imperial Authority Token. Surely you can defy the Royal Decree."

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head. "If merely possessing the Imperial Authority Token allowed one to disobey a Royal Decree, where would the emperor’s prestige lie? The token can only correct the emperor’s erroneous decisions, not influence them."

"Then what should we do?" Yu Qianqian asked.

Yue Mingsong chuckled. "Marrying a princess isn’t like jumping into a pit of fire, Your Highness. There’s no need to worry for him. Besides, Princess Lanfei is a peerless beauty—it’s hardly a loss for us."

"Get lost!"

Yu Qianqian’s temper flared as she glared fiercely at Yue Mingsong, forcing him to retreat several steps.

From a distance, Yue Mingsong called out, "Little Brother Ning, a real man should stand firm and not let Her Highness dictate his choices. As a fellow man, I understand exactly what’s going through your mind. If a stunning princess threw herself at me, even if I knew it was a pit of fire, I’d leap in without hesitation."

"If you dare say another word, I’ll cut out your tongue—believe me?" Yu Qianqian gnashed her teeth.

Yue Mingsong immediately fell silent, though he continued to encourage Ning Xiaochuan with his eyes.

Ning Xiaochuan harbored deep enmity toward the Jade Emperor—his parents had been driven to their deaths by him. Thus, he would never marry Princess Lanfei.

Even if Ning Xiaochuan felt no familial attachment to "Ning Qianyi" and "Duanmu Ning," they were still Ning Xin'er’s parents. Since he regarded Ning Xin'er as his own sister, he naturally considered her enemies his own.

"I will absolutely not marry Princess Lanfei," Ning Xiaochuan declared.

Hearing his firm answer, Yu Qianqian felt indescribable joy, but her concern for Ning Xiaochuan quickly resurfaced. "But if the Jade Emperor truly issues a decree, will you defy it? That’s a crime punishable by the extermination of the nine clans!"

"There will always be a way," Ning Xiaochuan said.

Yue Mingsong interjected, "If you won’t marry her, why not let me take your place? I’m not afraid of marrying a princess—I’m bold! I’d gladly help a friend, stabbed in both ribs, guns between legs—I’d do anything!"

Ning Xin'er frowned slightly. "I’ve only heard of being stabbed in both ribs for a friend. Never heard of guns between legs for a friend?"

Yue Mingsong coughed twice and said with an air of importance, "'Stabbed in both ribs' refers to an allusion, while 'guns between legs' refers to an action. It's perfectly normal for you not to know about it."

Yue Mingsong already looked older than his years. Despite being in his twenties, his weathered appearance, complete with a beard, made him resemble a middle-aged man in his forties. When he became serious, he carried himself like a profoundly learned scholar, making it easy for others to believe his words.

Ning Xiaochuan coughed and shot Yue Mingsong a sharp glare, feeling the urge to cut out his tongue at that moment.

"Brother, what kind of action is 'guns between legs'? Is it some kind of Martial Path cultivation method? Can you teach me?" Ning Xin'er asked curiously.

Ning Xiaochuan rubbed his temples and said, "Xin'er, don’t listen to his nonsense. There’s no such cultivation method in the world."

To divert the topic, Ning Xiaochuan quickly added, "I’m about to enter the Heavenly Palace for cultivation. It’s expected to take eight days, and by the time I come out, I hope my cultivation will have reached another level. You all should focus on your training as well."

Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t just entering the Heavenly Palace to cultivate—he was also searching for clues about the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex and the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace.

The Heavenly Palace was a cultivation dojo established by the Heavenly Emperor, its true name being the White Cloud Cave Heaven.

A year spent cultivating inside the White Cloud Cave Heaven equated to just a single day in the outside world.

Such a cultivation holy land existed only within the Emperor's Martial Palace.

Of course, entering the Emperor's Martial Palace for cultivation was no easy feat. At most, it could only accommodate nine people at a time. Thus, even a single day of cultivation within the White Cloud Cave Heaven was an extremely precious opportunity.

When Ning Xiaochuan became the Champion of the new disciples, the Emperor's Martial Palace rewarded him with seven days of cultivation in the Heavenly Palace. At the time, he had only used five days. Now, after passing the Thirteenth Level of the Heavenly Bridge, he had accumulated a total of eight days to cultivate inside the Heavenly Palace—equivalent to eight years of cultivation in the outside world.

Ning Xiaochuan once again ascended the celestial steps and stood beneath the statue of the Master of the Martial Palace. He focused his mind and communicated with the statue, saying, "Palace Master, I have uncovered the truth about what happened twelve years ago. I can now return the Imperial Authority Token to you."

The true body of the Master of the Martial Palace was nowhere to be found—this statue contained only a single Martial Soul Avatar of his.

The Martial Soul Avatar of the Master of the Martial Palace manifested, its voice aged and solemn. "There’s no need to return the Imperial Authority Token to me. Soon, I will be leaving the Yulan Empire."

Ning Xiaochuan was slightly taken aback. "Palace Master, why are you leaving?"

"My Martial Path cultivation reached a bottleneck a hundred years ago, hitting its limit. Back then, I should have already left the Yulan Empire to seek higher mysteries of the Martial Path. However, due to a promise I made to the late emperor, I stayed to protect the Yulan Empire for another hundred years. Now, my lifespan is dwindling. If I don’t break through my current realm, I will exhaust my vitality and die within thirty years."

"In the time I have left, I wish to see what lies beyond the Yulan Empire—to venture into the depths of the continent in search of an opportunity to break through. Your talent is extraordinary, and staying in the Yulan Empire will only limit your growth. Would you be willing to leave with me?"

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head and said, "The Yulan Empire still has my family and enemies. I cannot leave. If my Martial Path encounters a bottleneck in the future, perhaps I will explore the outside world."

The Master of the Martial Palace said, "You are a hidden dragon, and your future achievements will surely surpass mine. The Yulan Empire will definitely not be your permanent dwelling. Perhaps we will meet again."

Ning Xiaochuan suddenly thought of something and quickly added, "A Millennium Ancient Demon has emerged in the Yulan Empire, bringing calamity to the land. Before you leave, Palace Master, it would be best to eliminate this great demon, or it may very well destabilize the foundation of the Yulan Empire's fate."

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