Chapter 285: Heavenly Divine Eye

Chapter 285: Heavenly Divine Eye

The disciples of Emperor's Martial Palace were still in an uproar over "Han Fu's death," while Ning Xiaochuan had already stepped through the Heavenly Gate and arrived at the Imperial City.

Accompanying Ning Xiaochuan out of Emperor's Martial Palace were two others: Yue Mingsong and a black-robed individual.

The small red dragon perched on Ning Xiaochuan's shoulder kept scratching its claws excitedly, looking left and right while occasionally letting out little "ao ao ao" cries.

"Hey, have you found the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex yet?" Yue Mingsong had already asked this question eight times—this was the ninth.

"We'll talk when we arrive," Ning Xiaochuan replied.

To guard against the Millennium Ancient Demon, Ning Xiaochuan immediately concealed himself after leaving the Heavenly Gate. He circled the Imperial City three times, shaking off any pursuers, then donned a golden mask and assumed the identity of Young Master Chuan.

If the Millennium Ancient Demon was still in the Imperial City, it would inevitably seek Ning Xiaochuan out. Against such a formidable fiend, Ning Xiaochuan had no choice but to hide his true identity.

As for Han Fu, Ning Xiaochuan still needed to test him for a while. Thus, he planted a strand of Annihilation Qi within Han Fu's body and dispatched a branch leader to personally escort him to Ghost Manor.

Meanwhile, Ning Xiaochuan and Yue Mingsong rode in the Green Deer Horse Carriage, entering Jade Viewing Tower through a secret passage.

Jade Viewing Tower was an establishment under the Demon Sect, managed by Yu Ningsheng's trusted aides. Naturally, Ning Xiaochuan was familiar with both the tower's madam and the steward, allowing him free access.

Seated in the Elegant Pavilion on the third floor, Ning Xiaochuan and Yue Mingsong ordered a lavish spread of food and wine, accompanied by a beautiful musical courtesan playing the zither.

Yue Mingsong asked for the tenth time, "So… about that Mystic Gate Artifact Codex… eh?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "Found it."

"Really?!" Yue Mingsong's eyes lit up. He sprang to his feet, hands outstretched, staring eagerly at Ning Xiaochuan. "Quick, take it out! Let me see!"

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head with a smile. "Such a profound forging scripture can't just be handed over so casually."

Yue Mingsong sat back down, his expression instantly turning calm. "Are you afraid I'll run off with it? Do I look like that kind of person?"

"Kinda," Ning Xiaochuan said.

Yue Mingsong raised three fingers. "I swear—I swear! If you lend me the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex for just three days, I promise that within three years, I'll help you establish the most elite forging sanctuary in the entire Yulan Empire. Trust me, I have the skills. My identity… well, you know."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "The Mystic Gate Artifact Codex consists of nine thousand nine hundred chapters. For now, I can give you a portion. Once you’ve established the Divine Sword Palace, I’ll hand over the rest."

The text inscribed on the stone book was vast and profoundly intricate, with nearly ten thousand chapters dedicated to forging. Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t lying.

"Too stingy!" Yue Mingsong rubbed his fists together, tempted to snatch the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex from Ning Xiaochuan by force.

This is a supreme treasure in the Artifact Forging world. Legend has it that it records things capable of defying the heavens and reshaping creation. Anyone would undoubtedly desire to obtain it.

"What are you trying to do? Planning to snatch it?" Ning Xiaochuan shot him a sidelong glance, a wisp of Electric Current flickering at his fingertips, ready to strike at any moment.

Yue Mingsong said, "No way! I’m a law-abiding man."

"I clearly saw your eyes glance at my Heaven and Earth Bag just now, and you still dare to deny it? Let me remind you—the Stone Book of the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex has already been hidden by me, and the contents of the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex are all stored in my head," Ning Xiaochuan said.

"Brother, I truly have no intention of stealing. Besides, even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t stand a chance against you!" Yue Mingsong replied with a pitiful expression.

Ning Xiaochuan chuckled and shook his head before casually taking out a piece of jade the size of a fingernail. Channeling his Mental Power, he swiftly began engraving characters onto the jade, transcribing the Artifact Forging section from the Mystic Gate Arts onto it.

Ordinary people could only write on paper scrolls.

A sheet of paper the size of a palm could hold at most a few hundred characters.

However, Martial Artists with profound cultivation could use their Mental Power to engrave words onto stone, iron, bone, or jade. A piece of jade as small as a fingernail could record hundreds of thousands, even millions, of characters.

These were known as "Stone Books" or "Jade Books."

Ning Xiaochuan handed the jade to Yue Mingsong and said, "This contains the first nine hundred chapters of the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex. See for yourself if it’s the real deal."

Yue Mingsong was so excited that he immediately took the jade, channeling Profound Qi into his eyes as he scrutinized the minuscule characters on its surface. The light in his pupils grew brighter and brighter, his hands unconsciously clenching together as the blood in his body surged with excitement.

"Whoosh..."

Yue Mingsong’s eyes became as sharp as twin swords, gleaming with an intense, flickering radiance.

Ning Xiaochuan sat nearby, observing Yue Mingsong the entire time. "Well? Is this Mystic Gate Artifact Codex genuine?"

Yue Mingsong nodded repeatedly, his gaze still fixed on the jade as he studied its contents, nearly entering a state of Self-Forgetfulness.

Ning Xiaochuan’s tone suddenly shifted, his expression darkening. "Just who are you, really?"

Over a hundred streaks of Lightning shot from Ning Xiaochuan’s palm, coalescing into a spear of lightning that pointed directly at Yue Mingsong’s forehead.

In the distance, the woman playing the zither paled in fright, her fingers trembling so violently that she could no longer continue.

Feeling the killing intent radiating from Ning Xiaochuan, Yue Mingsong shuddered and hastily stowed the jade away, tucking it close to his body. With an awkward laugh, he said, "I’m Yue Mingsong from the Three Masters Martial Academy, a second-term disciple of the Emperor’s Martial Palace. Little Brother Ning, have you suddenly lost your memory?"

Ning Xiaochuan sneered. "What a fine second-term disciple of the Emperor’s Martial Palace you are! If you were truly just that, would you even be able to read the characters on that jade?"

Ning Xiaochuan had long suspected Yue Mingsong was hiding something. That’s why, when engraving the Jade Book earlier, he had deliberately used his strongest Mental Power to inscribe the tiniest possible characters onto the jade.

In other words, if one's Martial Path cultivation was lower than Ning Xiaochuan's, they would definitely be unable to read the words on the jade. Conversely, if someone could read the words on the Jade Book, it meant their Martial Path cultivation surpassed Ning Xiaochuan's.

Yue Mingsong desperately wanted to obtain the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex and naturally didn’t realize Ning Xiaochuan was testing him, thus exposing his true intentions.

Yue Mingsong immediately caught on and chuckled, "Little Brother Ning, you’re too sensitive. To be honest, I’ve had exceptional eyesight since childhood. When I was three, I could see through a dirt wall to watch Widow Li bathing next door. By ten, I could distinguish the gender of two ants on the ground. At fourteen, I discovered tiny tadpoles swimming in bodily fluids.

"Ah, what melancholy! Everyone says I have a Heavenly Divine Eye, that I’m the reincarnation of a celestial deity. Countless young maidens and women have thrown themselves at me, but I rejected them all. Because with a single glance, I could tell—they didn’t love me, but my Heavenly Divine Eye. Such shallow women, what use are they? Melancholy! Loneliness!"

As he spoke, Yue Mingsong shed tears of sorrow and downed a bitter gulp of wine.

Ning Xiaochuan’s Lightning Spear remained pointed at Yue Mingsong’s neck, crackling with electricity. "Cut the nonsense. Speak truthfully—what’s your purpose in going to the Emperor's Martial Palace?"

Yue Mingsong said, "Isn’t my purpose obvious enough?"

Ning Xiaochuan narrowed his eyes. "You deliberately infiltrated the Emperor's Martial Palace to search for the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex left behind by the Heavenly Emperor? Tch. I knew it. You’re already old, yet you still pretended to be a second-term disciple of the Emperor's Martial Palace."

"Who’s old?! Who’s old?! I just look mature for my age. I’m only twenty!" Yue Mingsong was extremely sensitive about his age and nearly slammed the table in anger.

"I don’t care if you’re truly young or just pretending. I want to know—who are you, really?" Ning Xiaochuan demanded.

Yue Mingsong sighed deeply. "I’ve already told you—I’m the neighbor of the disciple of the world’s greatest forging master. Why won’t you believe me? Why are you so stubborn? Should I swear to the heavens? Fine, I swear now. If Yue Mingsong has spoken a single lie, may I be struck by five bolts of heavenly thunder—"

BOOM!

A deafening thunderclap erupted, followed by a loud CRACK!

A figure crashed through the wall, flying backward into the room before slamming onto the ground. Their hair stood on end, their body charred black, their skin still flickering with residual electricity. Blood gushed from their mouth.

"Mother of—who is that?!" Yue Mingsong yelped, leaping onto his chair with surprising agility, wine cup still in hand.

Ning Xiaochuan retracted his Lightning Spear and stared at the severely injured young man. Despite his wounds, Ning Xiaochuan recognized him—Ning Heng, a fourth-generation disciple of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

He had seen Ning Heng once before in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, though they weren’t familiar.

Even if Ning Heng was just a spoiled noble, who in the Imperial City would dare harm someone from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House?

From the next room, a mocking voice rang out, "Daring to compete with me for a woman? Know your place! The Jian Pavilion Marquis House? Hah! The Jian Pavilion Marquis House is nothing but a joke in my eyes! Zhang Zhuo, Li Guang, strip this brat naked, break his legs, and throw him out of the Jade Viewing Tower. Did they really think the Jian Pavilion Marquis House could intimidate me? Ridiculous!"

Two armored martial artists kicked through the wall, each wielding a thousand-kilogram heavy military iron rod, swaggering into the Elegant Pavilion where Ning Xiaochuan was. They pinned the severely injured Ning Heng to the ground.

One of the burly martial artists let out a sinister laugh, his palm enveloped in Profound Qi, and with a single strike, shattered Ning Heng's clothes into rags. His brutality didn’t stop there—he ruthlessly shattered several of Ning Heng’s bones.