Chapter 308: Stirring Emotions

Chapter 308: Stirring Emotions

The Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man wielded the Dragon Slaying Blade, his body erupting with blood-red Profound Qi that dyed the sharp blade crimson, resembling a sinister blood moon.

With chilling Freezing Energy, he advanced toward Ning Xiaochuan, his killing intent growing denser by the second. The explosive sounds of his muscles tightening echoed like thunder.

"Boom! Boom!"

Each step he took made the ground tremble, his body as if forged from bronze, weighing a staggering 5,000 kg. The stones beneath his feet crumbled effortlessly into dust.

Nie Lanzhi's face was as clear and delicate as egg white, her skin glowing like jade. Her golden eyes brimmed with terror as she staggered backward.

She never imagined the Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man would dare defy even the imperial court's Minor Marquis. If he killed this Minor Marquis, she knew she’d never escape his clutches—her fate would be unspeakably grim.

In her eyes, Ning Xiaochuan, as a Minor Marquis, was surely just another profligate son, no match for this monstrous brute.

Her thoughts drifted to the peerless Ye Nan Tian. If only Senior Brother Ye were here! With his unparalleled cultivation and sword techniques, he’d surely save her. But he was likely besieged by countless experts now, unable to come to her aid. Today seemed destined to be her last.

Just as despair gripped her and she mustered the courage to sever her own meridians, an unbelievable scene unfolded before her.

"Swish!"

The Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man swung the Dragon Slaying Blade, carving a crescent-shaped arc of light.

Yet his body suddenly froze mid-motion. His arm, thick as a barrel, was clamped in the grip of the Minor Marquis, rendering him utterly immobile.

The Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man let out a bestial roar, the sheer force of his voice shaking leaves from the surrounding trees.

But it was futile. There was no breaking free from Ning Xiaochuan’s grasp.

"Clang!"

The Demonic Sword within Ning Xiaochuan sang with delight, voraciously devouring the Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man’s Blood Qi. In moments, the once-mighty warrior was reduced to a withered corpse.

"Thud."

Ning Xiaochuan withdrew his hand, and the desiccated corpse collapsed to the ground, crumbling into bone dust.

Ning Xiaochuan closed his eyes, refining the absorbed Blood Qi to break through to the Eighth Level of the Transcendent Realm.

Lately, he had consumed vast quantities of Nine-Colored Profound Water, accelerating his cultivation at an astonishing rate. The only thing lacking was Blood Qi. With enough of it, he could ascend to the Eighth Level.

Each breakthrough brought monumental progress, multiplying his combat prowess exponentially. Reaching the Eighth Level would place him nearly on par with a Martial Venerable, if not outright rivaling one.

Nie Lanzhi’s beautiful eyes widened, her lips parting in shock.

She had witnessed it clearly—this Minor Marquis had merely raised his hand and effortlessly subdued the Half-Beast Half-Man Burly Man. Moments later, the formidable warrior was reduced to bone dust.

With casual ease, a supreme expert had been annihilated in the most bizarre manner.

This… this level of power was terrifying!

This Minor Marquis’s cultivation was staggeringly high, perhaps even rivaling the unbeatable myth in her heart—Senior Brother Ye.

She couldn't help but wonder what kind of scene would unfold if this Minor Marquis were to clash with Senior Brother Ye. Could Senior Brother Ye's Purple Cloud Flying Sword break through the bizarre technique he had just displayed?

Ning Xiaochuan fully refined the Blood Qi within his body, causing the Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi inside him to surge even more violently, as if countless dragons and tigers were rampaging through his veins.

When he opened his eyes again, a trace of disappointment flickered in his pupils. He sighed, "Still haven't broken through to the Eighth Level of the Transcendent Realm. The Blood Qi is always just a bit short."

The forest was eerily quiet, covered in fallen leaves. Not far away, several Mystic Beasts lurked in hiding. If not for the overwhelming aura radiating from Ning Xiaochuan, they would have already charged forward to attack.

Nie Lanzhi crouched on the ground, her slender and delicate body leaning against a tree. Her face was deathly pale, her fingers clutching tightly at the hem of her clothes. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead and neck.

Her head was bowed, her large eyes narrowed into slits. Her delicate frame trembled uncontrollably, and strange whimpers escaped her lips.

Ning Xiaochuan was slightly taken aback. He glanced at her and said, "You actually haven't run away yet? Don’t tell me you naively believe I won’t kill you?"

Nie Lanzhi weakly lifted her snow-white neck, her pitifully large eyes meeting Ning Xiaochuan’s gaze for a moment before her face twisted in pain again. Beneath her tattered skirt, her pale thighs were exposed, trembling uncontrollably. Between her legs, a glimpse of light-green undergarments could be seen.

She seemed to be in agony, completely unaware that she was inadvertently revealing herself.

Ning Xiaochuan sensed something was wrong and looked closer, only to discover a bloody claw mark on her back, still oozing blood. Even with her Martial Arts Profound Qi, she couldn’t heal the wound.

The reason she remained crouched there wasn’t because she didn’t want to escape—it was because her injuries were too severe.

If Ning Xiaochuan were to leave her now, given her current state, she would either die at the hands of the pursuing Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp Martial Artists or be torn apart by the ever-present Mystic Beasts.

"Can... can you save me?" Her eyes were like two black gemstones, moist and clear, with long, delicate lashes. Her gaze was filled with pain and pleading.

Her arms wrapped around her slender, jade-like legs as she endured the pain, looking as pitiful as a helpless little girl.

"Why do you think I would save you?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

No one wants to die. Out of a thousand people, perhaps not even one would have the courage to take their own life.

Nie Lanzhi naturally didn’t want to die either. Pressing her thin lips together, she said in a pitiful voice, "I... I apologize... I just really liked... that Small Red Dragon... I didn’t know... it was a Divine Dragon’s offspring... I never meant to steal it..."

Ning Xiaochuan, having once been a doctor, still held a sense of medical ethics. A pang of sympathy stirred in him. He stepped forward, pressed his fingers against her shoulder, and lifted the blood-soaked, tattered fabric from her back, revealing a large expanse of smooth, snow-white skin.

Her robes had been torn in multiple places, soaked in blood. As Ning Xiaochuan pushed aside the bloodied garment, her beautiful, curvaceous figure was exposed. Her body was toned, her skin as fair and translucent as that of a bewitching serpent spirit.

A faint blush spread across Nie Lanzhi’s originally pale face. Her body felt unbearably hot, and her heart was overwhelmed with shyness.

This was the first time a man had lifted her clothes, making her feel shy and strange, her heart aching with an unbearable itch.

"It's the Beast Poison. The Martial Artists of the Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp have their blood replaced with beast blood from childhood. Every year, they absorb Mystic Beast Essence Blood to prolong their lives. Over time, Beast Poison develops in their bodies. It doesn’t affect them, but if they scratch or bite someone, the toxin spreads immediately." Ning Xiaochuan withdrew his hand, noticing Nie Lanzhi's unusual state.

Nie Lanzhi felt her lips and tongue dry, her face burning red. Her jade-like legs rubbed together incessantly, the fabric between them already damp. She buried her head in shame, her voice as faint as a fly’s buzz. "But... but... I feel..."

Her breathing grew increasingly rapid, her body hotter and hotter. She clung to Ning Xiaochuan’s legs, trembling all over, her lower abdomen grinding against his shoes. She was already losing coherence.

Ning Xiaochuan knew exactly what was happening. Those afflicted by Beast Poison would take on beastly traits—some became bloodthirsty, biting wildly; others turned violent, thrashing about until they collapsed from exhaustion. And some, like Nie Lanzhi, became intoxicated with desire, as if under the influence of a potent aphrodisiac.

The last scenario was the most common—after all, it was the primal instinct of all creatures.

Her snow-white thighs and soft waist rubbed against Ning Xiaochuan’s legs and shoes, yet she had no idea how to relieve the burning need inside her. She sobbed, her moans escaping between whimpers.

Ning Xiaochuan, too, felt stirred by her movements, heat pooling in his abdomen. But in the end, he suppressed his darker impulses. With a palm strike to Nie Lanzhi’s head, he summoned the Demonic Sword and absorbed the Beast Poison from her body into his own.

Then, he channeled Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi into her meridians, helping her wounds heal.

Once the Beast Poison was drained, Nie Lanzhi quickly regained clarity. She immediately released Ning Xiaochuan’s legs, mortified by what had just happened. Heavens, what did I just do? How shameful!

Though Ning Xiaochuan’s body was immune to most toxins, Beast Poison was no ordinary venom. He couldn’t purify it with his natural resistance—only dilute it in his blood, planning to slowly refine it using Annihilation Qi.

"Your injuries aren’t severe. You’ve just lost some blood, but you’re still capable of moving. Why are you squatting there? Get up." He glanced at her, only to find her still crouched, gripping her skirt tightly, her face as red as a ripe apple.

Beneath her skirt, dampness clung to her legs like mud, soaking through the fabric. If she stood now, Ning Xiaochuan would surely notice.

So she remained silent, not daring to move.

Ning Xiaochuan seemed to understand. He turned his back. "Change into a clean dress."

Nie Lanzhi’s heart burned with even greater shame—he knew everything.

She hurriedly changed into a fresh light green lotus-leaf skirt, her nerves on edge, terrified that this Minor Marquis might take advantage of her while she dressed.

However, the truth proved that this Minor Marquis seemed to be a true gentleman, never turning his head from start to finish.

"I... I've finished changing," Nie Lanzhi said timidly as she walked behind Ning Xiaochuan, her fingers lightly twisting a strand of her hair, her fair cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

Ning Xiaochuan turned to look at her. Standing at 1.65 meters tall, she had a slender figure, long jet-black hair, and skin as if bathed in rouge—translucent and flawless. Dressed in a light green lotus-leaf skirt, she exuded purity and elegance, so delicate it seemed she might drip water with the slightest pinch.

Truly worthy of being the younger sister of the Tianyin Sect's top beauty. Though still young, she already carried an ethereal charm. In a couple more years, she would undoubtedly blossom into a stunning beauty capable of toppling cities and nations.

Ning Xiaochuan felt the Beast Poison stirring in his blood, but his formidable cultivation quickly suppressed it, restoring calm. He asked, "Why were you being hunted by the Mystic Beast Slaughter God Camp? You couldn’t have entered the Muteng Forest alone, could you? Where are the others?"