Chapter 299: Borrowing a Knife to Kill

Chapter 299: Borrowing a Knife to Kill

Mu Honglai hesitated for a brief moment before giving chase to Ning Xiaochiao. Though Madam Silver Pool was an unparalleled beauty and utterly alluring, the hatred in his heart burned fiercer—he had to eliminate Ning Xiaochiao first, the greater threat.

Ning Xiaochiao activated Rainbow Teleportation, his leg bones radiating seven-colored divine light as his body became enveloped in Lightning. Darting across the cliffs, each step carried him several kilometers away.

If only I had mastered the eighth layer of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, Ning Xiaochiao thought. Then I could dare to harness the power of the Demonic Sword to devour Mu Honglai.

But now, it was impossible. Though the Transcendent Realm and the Earthly Venerable Realm were only one realm apart, the gap between them was like heaven and earth. Without the Demonic Sword’s power, Ning Xiaochiao wouldn’t last even a single move against Mu Honglai.

A Martial Artist who reached the Earthly Venerable Realm could be titled a Martial Venerable precisely because the Earthly Venerable Realm was not just slightly stronger than the Transcendent Realm—it was a major watershed in the Martial Path.

"Ning Xiaochiao, you can’t escape!" Mu Honglai pursued relentlessly. With a single step, he could leap hundreds of meters into the air and cross several kilometers in distance.

This wasn’t flight—just the sheer leaping power of a Martial Artist at his level.

Ning Xiaochiao swung his sword again, demonic energy surging within him. The slash tore through the air, splitting a small mountain hundreds of meters tall down the middle, leaving behind a canyon carved by Sword Qi. Demonic energy churned within the ravine, lingering for decades without fully dissipating.

Mu Honglai transformed into a crimson cloud of Blazing Flame, blocking the strike. At the same time, he unleashed a massive fiery palm imprint that blasted a charred crater tens of meters deep beneath Ning Xiaochiao’s feet.

A pair of seven-meter-long wings unfurled from Ning Xiaochiao’s back, propelling him into the sky as he soared toward White Dragon City. In the distance, the sprawling city resting on the plains was already visible.

Mu Honglai chased him all the way to the outskirts of White Dragon City before abruptly halting. Then, he swiftly retreated.

Inside White Dragon City was one of his mortal enemies. If he were to appear, that foe would undoubtedly notice him—and take his life.

Thus, White Dragon City was forbidden territory for Mu Honglai.

Ning Xiaochiao had deliberately fled here precisely because he knew Mu Honglai wouldn’t dare approach.

He had arranged to meet Madam Silver Pool in White Dragon City, but after arriving and waiting for half an hour, she still hadn’t appeared.

Given her cultivation, she should have reached the city before him. Could she have run into trouble along the way?

Ning Xiaochiao didn’t wait any longer and headed straight for the residence of the Heavenly Annihilation Dao’s Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder’s estate was grand and magnificent, with two stone-carved Dragon Elephants standing guard at its gates.

Two elite warriors of the Demon Sect stood beneath the statues, deterring any who dared trespass into the Grand Elder’s residence.

"Minor Marquis, you’ve finally come to White Dragon City. This old man was beginning to think you’d forgotten our agreement," said Qiu Xinghui, the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Annihilation Dao, with a beaming smile.

Ning Xiaochiao had no desire to waste words with him. Standing straight in the center of the hall, he retrieved a Mystic Wood Box and declared, "The Great Earth Solemnity Pill has been successfully refined. Though it’s two months later than promised, the pill I’ve crafted surpasses those made by other Advanced Heart Nurturers in potency. With this, you have at least a seventy percent chance to break through to the Earthly Venerable Realm."

Elder Qiu Xinghui had been stuck at the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm for decades, never daring to dream of reaching the Earthly Venerable Realm. Until now, he hadn’t held much hope that Ning Xiaochiao could actually refine the Great Earth Solemnity Pill.

"The Minor Marquis truly stands as a dragon among men. This humble Qiu is utterly awed."

Overjoyed and trembling with excitement, Qiu Xinghui reached out to take the Mystic Wood Box from Ning Xiaochiao’s hands.

But Ning Xiaochiao shook his head. "If Elder Qiu wishes to obtain the Great Earth Solemnity Pill, you must agree to one condition."

"Haha, Minor Marquis, speak your mind! In the Soul Domain, there’s nothing this Qiu cannot accomplish." To Qiu Xinghui, nothing now held greater importance than the Great Earth Solemnity Pill.

Ning Xiaochiao said, "To be frank, I was pursued to White Dragon City by Mu Honglai. He’s currently stationed outside the city. If he isn’t eliminated, I won’t have a moment’s peace."

"That traitor Mu Honglai dares return to White Dragon City?"

Qiu Xinghui’s fury erupted, his eyes bulging as an icy aura radiated from him. "Rest assured, Minor Marquis. Mu Honglai is not only your enemy but also a traitor marked for death by our Heavenly Annihilation Dao. If he shows his face, it will be his last. I’ll report this to the Dao Leader at once and request her personal intervention to crush him."

Ning Xiaochiao inwardly sneered. Mu Honglai had always been a thorn in the side for both Qiu Xinghui and the Ninth Lady. By revealing this information, he knew they’d be even more eager to eliminate Mu Honglai than he was. This wasn’t a plea for help—it was a favor he was granting them.

Handing the box containing the Great Earth Solemnity Pill to Qiu Xinghui, Ning Xiaochiao added, "The recently notorious ‘Jade Mist Water Palace’ in the Soul Domain was established by Mu Honglai. He seeks to oppose the Heavenly Annihilation Dao through it, with the ultimate goal of reclaiming everything he once held in White Dragon City."

"A mere water gang dares challenge the Heavenly Annihilation Dao? Mu Honglai has truly regressed. I guarantee that by tonight, the ‘Jade Mist Water Palace’ will be erased from the Soul Domain."

Qiu Xinghui cracked open the Mystic Wood Box slightly, and a radiant nine-colored light spilled out, accompanied by an intoxicating medicinal fragrance.

The wrinkles on his aged face seemed to soften, his heart pounding with exhilaration. He yearned to swallow the long-coveted pill immediately.

The Heavenly Annihilation Dao had endured for over a millennium, its influence spanning eight domains, including the Soul Domain, Cloud Bow Domain, and Large Coin Domain. Forty-nine major sects and eighty-one great families across these domains bowed to its authority—each of them no weaker than the Jade Mist Water Palace.

Ning Xiaochiao had no doubt that the Heavenly Annihilation Dao’s overwhelming dominance in the Soul Domain could effortlessly reduce the "Jade Mist Water Palace" to rubble, turning it into another ruin of the Emperor's Ruins.

"I will report to the Dao Master immediately and eliminate the traitor Mu Honglai as soon as possible. Minor Marquis, why not wait at the Grand Elder’s residence for a day? Mu Honglai might lose his head tonight, and when the Celebration Banquet is held, how could we proceed without the Minor Marquis?" Qiu Xinghui stowed away the Mystic Wood Box with a smile.

Though Ning Xiaochiao had a cooperative relationship with the Heavenly Annihilation Dao, he wasn’t foolish enough to fully trust its members. Collaborating with the Demon Sect was like making plans with a tiger—it was better to keep an extra layer of caution.

Ning Xiaochiao chuckled and said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t be joining the Celebration Banquet."

Not long after leaving the Grand Elder’s residence, Ning Xiaochiao witnessed a large group of elite martial artists from the Demon Sect riding Mystic Beasts out of the city, kicking up clouds of dust as they vanished beyond the horizon.

"Boom—"

In the mountainous region not far from White Dragon City, a battle at the Martial Venerable level erupted, shaking the earth and churning the skies.

Martial Artists in White Dragon City were startled, and some of the more powerful ones stealthily made their way to the site of the battle. To their shock, they found the once-mountainous terrain flattened, over a dozen peaks collapsed, and the air still thick with Martial Path Origin Qi.

"It was the Dao Master of the Heavenly Annihilation Dao fighting a one-armed man. The Dao Master unleashed an ancestral Mystic Artifact from the Annihilation Path, causing massive destruction."

"No wonder so many mountains collapsed—it turns out the Dao Master used an ancestral Mystic Artifact. Legend has it that this Ninth-grade Mystic Artifact has been passed down for over a thousand years and once reduced a great city to ruins with a single strike."

Ning Xiaochiao also arrived, surveying the devastated land—mountains crumbled, rivers diverted, and some ridges still burning with unquenchable flames.

The destructive power of a Martial Venerable was truly terrifying, transcending the ordinary and defying the standards of common martial artists.

"Was the one-armed man killed?" Ning Xiaochiao asked an elderly man with graying hair, hoping to confirm whether Mu Honglai had been defeated.

This elder was exceptionally powerful, his eyes shimmering with white light, and he wore a Purple Crystal Crown—clearly a high-ranking elder from a major sect in the Soul Domain. He was one of the first to arrive at the battlefield.

The elder shook his head. "By the time I arrived, the battle was nearing its end. I only saw the one-armed man’s remaining arm severed and falling into the abyss. Whether he was killed by the Dao Master of the Annihilation Path remains unknown."

"He must have escaped. If the Dao Master had killed the one-armed man, she would have returned to White Dragon City by now. But since she hasn’t, it means she’s still pursuing that Martial Venerable," said a middle-aged man in his thirties, emerging from the ruins with an imposing aura, clearly a formidable Martial Artist of notable origins.

The Yulan Empire was vast and boundless, teeming with sects, families, and martial artists as numerous as fish in a river—never lacking in powerful figures. The Imperial City was but a small corner of the empire, hardly representative of the entire Yulan Empire.

"Luo Jingfei of the Yanhua Sect has found the Martial Venerable’s severed arm!"

"That arm must contain Martial Venerable’s Blood Essence, comparable to dozens of Intermediate Elixirs."

The Elder with Purple-Gold Crown and the Middle-Aged Man in His Thirties immediately rushed over to seize the Martial Venerable's Severed Arm. If they could refine the Martial Venerable's Blood Essence, it would greatly aid their cultivation.

Many Martial Artists gathered in the distant canyon, erupting into fierce battles as they fought over the Martial Venerable's Severed Arm.

Ning Xiaochiao shook his head. These Martial Artists were truly terrifying. If they heard of the Martial Venerable's burial site, they would probably dig up the grave en masse.

"Big brother, are you called Ning Xiaochiao?" A barefoot little boy approached Ning Xiaochiao from behind, clutching a letter in his hand, his round eyes fixed on him.

Ning Xiaochiao was slightly surprised and smiled. "Little brother, how do you know my name is Ning Xiaochiao?"

The boy handed the letter to Ning Xiaochiao and said, "A beautiful elder sister asked me to deliver this letter to you. She said you would give me ten large silver coins as payment."

Elder sister?

Ning Xiaochiao retrieved ten large silver coins from his Heaven and Earth Bag and handed them to the boy, taking the letter in return.

The boy had never seen so much money before. Clutching the ten large coins, his face broke into a blissful smile. "The elder sister really didn’t lie to me. Delivering a letter really earns ten large silver coins. If there’s another letter to deliver, I hope she’ll come find me again."

For an ordinary family, ten large silver coins could cover a year’s expenses—naturally, this was a considerable fortune.