Chapter 307: The Imperial Hound

Chapter 307: The Imperial Hound

Duanmu Linger stood beneath a nearby tree, watching as Ning Xiaochuan refined his Blood Qi. She could sense his cultivation rapidly growing stronger at an astonishing rate.

Above Ning Xiaochuan’s head hovered a massive divine stele, bound by chains and inscribed with ancient, mysterious characters that carried the weight of time, as if it had survived from an era long past.

After an unknown length of time, Ning Xiaochuan finally finished refining the White Demon Spider’s Blood Qi, retracting the phantom of the divine stele back into his body as streams of Profound Qi flowed into his Martial Arts Heart Palace.

"Did you break through again?" Duanmu Linger asked.

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head. "At my current cultivation level, each breakthrough is incredibly difficult. The resources required are ten times more than what a Martial Artist of the same cultivation realm would need. It’s not as simple as you think."

Duanmu Linger said, "The martial world is abuzz with rumors that your 'Northern Abyss Divine Art' is the supreme cultivation method, surpassing even the Demon Sect’s 'Blood Devouring Demon Art.' Was that what you just used?"

Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t sure how to explain it to her. "You could say that."

"Then let’s test it out—see whether the 'Northern Abyss Divine Art' is stronger or the 'Blood Devouring Demon Art' is more formidable!" Duanmu Linger suddenly became serious. Above her head, a crimson Blood Devouring Demon Cloud condensed, dazzling and sinister.

Every inch of her skin turned a deep red, radiating a demonic glow, while strands of blood coursed through her hair.

As the granddaughter of the Demon Emperor, it was no surprise that she had mastered the 'Blood Devouring Demon Art.' However, her current state was abnormal—her eyes had turned blood-red, her pupils like droplets of blood, and the ferocity around her grew heavier, as if she were transforming into a Blood Devouring Demon.

This was the side effect of the 'Blood Devouring Demon Art.' Once activated, the Demon Blood in her body would boil, weakening her will and driving her into a frenzy, unleashing her bloodthirsty nature.

"You’re my cousin. I don’t want to fight you," Ning Xiaochuan said, unwilling to engage, especially since the 'Northern Abyss Divine Art' didn’t even exist.

"You have no choice!"

Duanmu Linger’s fingernails sharpened, and her long hair cascaded like a waterfall of blood as she lunged at Ning Xiaochuan. Her slender arms, wreathed in corrosive Demonic Qi, tore through his clothes, shredding them to pieces.

Ning Xiaochuan was forced back.

With the 'Blood Devouring Demon Art' in motion, her latent potential was fully unleashed. If Ning Xiaochuan didn’t fight seriously, he would be injured.

"You’re really going all out?" Ning Xiaochuan activated his Rainbow Teleportation technique, his body transforming into a streak of Rainbow Light as he dodged her attacks.

Duanmu Linger moved like a crimson specter, weaving through the forest with increasing speed, showing no intention of letting him escape.

"Boom!"

The Blood Devouring Demon Cloud above her descended, enveloping Ning Xiaochuan within its grasp.

He felt the Demonic Qi invade his body, draining his Blood Qi, pulling him uncontrollably toward Duanmu Linger.

Ning Xiaochuan quickly summoned the power of the Demonic Sword, forming a vortex within himself that reversed the absorption, drawing the Blood Devouring Demon Cloud into his body and refining it with the sword’s power.

"Quickly withdraw your demonic technique!" Ning Xiaochuan's arm locked onto Duanmu Linger's shoulder as he channeled a surge of Profound Qi into her body, attempting to temporarily seal her Blood Qi.

She had already been completely consumed by the bloodthirsty impulses, her rationality utterly obscured. This was the only way to snap her out of it.

"Boom!"

Duanmu Linger shattered Ning Xiaochuan's Profound Qi Seal, her body transforming into a streak of bloody light as she fled into the dense forest.

"The Blood Devouring Demon Art is truly formidable. She actually broke free from my grasp. However, it seems something went wrong with her cultivation of this technique." Ning Xiaochuan chased after her, fearing she might come to harm.

"Roar!"

A howl echoed through the night sky as a Golden-Furred Three-Eyed Bear leaped out from the trees, swiping its massive paw and snapping a thick tree trunk in half. Baring its sharp fangs, it lunged at Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan's body shot upward as he condensed a Profound Qi Battle Sword in his hand. With a single slash, he cleaved the bear's head open, spilling crimson Mystic Beast Essence Blood onto the ground.

"Swish!"

Ning Xiaochuan dashed into the forest again, but Duanmu Linger had already vanished without a trace.

He could only follow the faint traces of Demonic Qi left on the ground to continue searching for her. In her current state, recklessly wandering the Muteng Forest would be extremely dangerous.

The lingering Demonic Qi grew fainter, nearly imperceptible, until it disappeared entirely.

Ning Xiaochuan halted abruptly, his brow furrowing. How was he supposed to find her now? What a troublesome cousin.

"Rustle, rustle..."

A rapid set of footsteps approached from within the forest, heading straight in his direction.

Ning Xiaochuan's heart lifted with relief—it seemed Duanmu Linger had suppressed the Demonic Qi within her and was returning on her own.

But soon, he sensed something amiss. A deafening rumble echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground beneath him.

The footsteps drew closer, and a disheveled young noblewoman staggered out of the thicket, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

She was severely injured, a bloody claw mark slashed across her back, staining her robes crimson.

Pale from blood loss, she looked utterly wretched, her hair tangled with dead leaves and twigs—clearly, she had fled a great distance.

Spotting Ning Xiaochuan beneath the tree, she froze momentarily before despair flashed in her eyes.

Ning Xiaochuan was equally stunned. This wasn’t Duanmu Linger—it was Nie Lanzhi, the younger of the Nie Sisters.

What was she doing in the Muteng Forest?

And with such grave injuries—had Yu Qing and Shi Jinyu truly ambushed them?

"Hahaha! Little beauty, you can't escape now. Lie down nicely and lift your skirt. If you serve me well, maybe I won’t hand you over to my brothers." A towering Burly Man emerged from the trees, his legs thick with hair, his body weighing a staggering 5,000 kg. Every step he took made the earth tremble.

Clad in heavy armor layered with leather, he carried nine different weapons—bows, crossbows, a Short Sword, spears—all military-grade forbidden artifacts of immense power.

His arm was as thick as a bucket, covered in crimson beast fur. To be precise, it wasn’t a human hand at all but the claw of a red-scaled tiger, its edges razor-sharp.

Nie Lanzhi was only sixteen or seventeen, petite in stature with delicate features. Terrified by the Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man before her, her face paled with fear as she instinctively shuffled closer to Ning Xiaochuan.

To her, Ning Xiaochuan was also a lackey of the imperial court—no good man. But at least he wasn’t ugly. Falling into his hands was still better than ending up with this monstrous brute.

The Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man noticed Ning Xiaochuan standing beneath the tree and assumed he was a Martial Artist here to rescue Nie Lanzhi. His lecherous grin vanished, replaced by a stern expression. "Kid, this isn’t your place. Scram!"

Under normal circumstances, Ning Xiaochuan wouldn’t bother meddling. Nie Lanzhi had allowed Mo Chaolong and Zhang Linxi to target him just because she fancied the Small Red Dragon, attempting to forcibly take it from him.

If it hadn’t been Ning Xiaochuan that day but another Martial Artist, they might have already died at the hands of Mo Chaolong and his group.

Thus, Ning Xiaochuan held not an ounce of goodwill toward Nie Lanzhi. Even if she were violated to death, it wouldn’t concern him in the slightest.

But he despised the Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man even more. With a cold snort, he said, "A member of the Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp?"

Ning Xiaochuan recognized the burly man at a glance—he belonged to the Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp, one of the Yulan Empire’s three elite military forces, on par with the Dragon Warriors Battalion and the Dragon Elephant Divine Martial Battalion. However, they were far more ruthless, feared not only by major sects but even the Marquis of the imperial court.

The reason Ning Xiaochuan could identify him so easily was that he had once been hunted by the Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp, nearly losing his life at the Yellow Springs.

Naturally, he harbored deep hatred for their soldiers.

The Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man had chased Nie Lanzhi into the dense forest, intending to pin down this delicate Young Noblewoman and have his way with her. It should have been a sure thing. The mere thought of ravishing such a beauty made the beast blood in his veins boil.

But he never expected to encounter another Martial Artist in the depths of Muteng Forest, and his displeasure was evident.

The burly man growled coldly, "Since you know I’m from the Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp, why aren’t you running?"

Shing!

He drew the Dragon Slaying Blade from his waist.

The blade gleamed blindingly bright, emitting a dragon’s roar.

Nie Lanzhi stood between the two, her heart gripped by terror. Her slender legs trembled beneath her skirt, yet her innocent, beautiful face bore a look of confusion. She couldn’t understand why two men serving the same imperial court were now at odds.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "The Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp answers only to the Jade Emperor. Did His Majesty send you here?"

"Who are you? The Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp doesn’t owe explanations to anyone," the burly man snapped.

Nie Lanzhi sensed something—both men were imperial enforcers, yet they seemed genuinely at odds.

She was afraid Ning Xiaochuan might not be a match for the Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man, so she timidly said, "He... he is a Minor Marquis of the imperial court. If you offend him, you won’t end well."

She thought that using the title "Minor Marquis" might be enough to scare the Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man away.

"Minor Marquis." The burly man's expression indeed grew more solemn. After all, the heir of a Marquis held a high status in the imperial court—even the Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp wouldn’t dare provoke him lightly.

However, his tiger-like eyes fell upon Nie Lanzhi’s full, perky jade-like curves. Such a tempting little beauty stood before him, likely still untouched. If he let her escape, he might never encounter a maiden of this caliber again.

He knew all too well the ways of those Marquis descendants—each a master of pleasure dens, eager to drag any pretty woman to bed. They boasted about the number of beauties they collected and took pride in how many maidenhoods they had claimed.

If he didn’t take her now, would he just let this Minor Marquis have her?

Killing intent flashed in the Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man’s eyes. After all, this was the desolate Muteng Forest—no one would ever know if he killed this Minor Marquis here.