Chapter 323: The Burden

Chapter 323: The Burden

"Let's go take a look."

Ning Xiaochiao grabbed the Small Red Dragon by its tail, lifted it up, and activated Rainbow Teleportation, vanishing from the spot in an instant with extreme speed.

The next moment, he arrived at the source of the earlier noise.

Nie Lanzhi stumbled toward him in a panic, disheveled and covered in mud, looking like a little beggar. She had several claw marks from a Mystic Beast on her body, her injuries severe. Colliding into Ning Xiaochiao, she staggered dizzily, her forehead throbbing in pain. When she looked up and saw him, her face lit up with relief. "Minor Marquis, save me—"

"Why is it you again?" Ning Xiaochiao frowned slightly.

A beautiful girl with a delicate and soft physique was indeed more prone to danger. That was an undeniable truth.

"Haha, little human girl, you can't escape now!"

"Her skin is so tender—she must taste delicious..."

The Dragon Eagle Heir and the Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir chased after her, but their smug grins quickly froze when they spotted Ning Xiaochiao. They took two cautious steps back.

The Dragon Eagle Heir had suffered at Ning Xiaochiao’s hands before and knew how formidable he was. It cursed inwardly—why did they have to run into this meddlesome human Martial Artist again?

The Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir, however, had never fought Ning Xiaochiao and held no reservations. Its eyes gleamed with cold malice. "Well, well! Another living treasure has appeared. Today’s luck is truly great. Since it’s rare to encounter other human Martial Artists here, Dragon Eagle, let’s team up and kill him. We’ll devour his flesh and blood."

The Dragon Eagle Heir’s expression was grave. "This guy isn’t easy to deal with. Let’s just leave."

"Since when did you become so cowardly? As high-tier Mystic Beasts, are we supposed to fear humans? If you won’t act, then I will!"

The Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir spat out a cloud of Poison Mist, a billowing black smoke that surged toward Ning Xiaochiao.

"Whoosh!"

Ning Xiaochiao summoned a 10-meter-wide Profound Qi Shield, blocking the Poison Mist outside.

His sharp eyes caught sight of a white Halo around the Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir, and he detected the faint, unique fragrance of Life Grass.

It had Life Grass on it.

Ning Xiaochiao’s gaze darkened—killing intent stirred.

They were right. Since outsiders rarely came here, even if he killed them and took the Life Grass, no one would know.

For Life Grass, it was worth shedding blood.

Ning Xiaochiao drew the Dragon Slaying Blade and charged forward.

His speed was unparalleled, his body streaking like beams of Rainbow Light as he darted around the Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir, slashing out waves of blade energy.

The Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir was forced into a desperate struggle, six gashes torn into its body. If not for its formidable physique, it would have already been cleaved apart by the Dragon Slaying Blade.

With a furious roar, it prepared to revert to its true form to fight.

But Ning Xiaochiao gave it no chance. One hand raised a blazing sun, the other cradled a bright moon, forming a Yin-Yang Sun-Moon Diagram that crashed down upon the Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir, slamming it into the ground.

This was Ning Xiaochiao’s ninth Divine Ability—"Sun and Moon Sharing the Sky"—a technique of immense power.

If Ning Xiaochiao’s cultivation grew strong enough, he could use this Divine Ability to hold up an entire world.

The Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir struggled to lift its body, but as if the sun and moon were pressing down upon it, it was forced back to the ground. "My father is the mystic beast king of the Thorny Sea! How dare you suppress me? I will exterminate your entire clan!"

"Is that so? Pity, even if someone backs you, it’s useless."

Ning Xiaochiao plucked the Life Grass from the Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir’s body and unleashed a burst of Yin-Yang Bright Flame, reducing it to ashes.

Though the beast’s hide and gallbladder were valuable treasures, Ning Xiaochiao chose to burn it completely, leaving no trace behind. Many had fallen to greed, failing to act thoroughly and thus inviting calamity.

The Dragon Eagle Heir, witnessing Ning Xiaochiao’s ruthlessness, paled in terror. It immediately transformed into a massive Dragon Eagle, spreading its black wings to flee into the sky.

But the moment it took flight, a dark demonic cloud gathered above it, and the Annihilation Divine Monument descended, crushing it into dust.

"Rustle..."

The Dragon Eagle Heir’s ashes scattered across the ground.

In mere moments, Ning Xiaochiao had annihilated two seventh-grade mystic beast heirs, his methods decisive and merciless.

Nie Lanzhi was also terrified, her delicate face turning pale as she shrank back, staring at Ning Xiaochiao as he approached step by step. She retreated frantically, pleading, "No... don’t kill me! I swear I won’t tell anyone..."

Fearing he would silence her, her heart pounded with dread.

Ning Xiaochiao sheathed the Dragon Slaying Blade and seized her wrist, channeling Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi into her body.

Her skin glowed with a snowy radiance, dragon and tiger phantoms flickering across her flesh as spiritual energy surged through her. A misty haze enveloped her pure, delicate face.

Though her injuries appeared severe, they were merely superficial. Under the influence of Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi, she healed completely, her skin flawless without a single scar.

Ning Xiaochiao withdrew his hand and released her, turning away indifferently. "Change your clothes."

Her robes had been torn to shreds during their escape, exposing large swathes of fair, alluring skin at her chest, back, and waist. Though her figure was still undeveloped, the sight was undeniably enticing, her modesty barely preserved.

Her oval face flushed crimson, her heart racing as she recalled the embarrassing incident in Muteng Forest, her shame overwhelming.

After much hesitation, she finally changed into a light-blue dress, tiptoeing behind Ning Xiaochiao with her face lowered. Softly, she asked, "Minor Marquis... why didn’t you kill me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll talk?"

Ning Xiaochiao glanced at her. "No reason."

He then summoned the Small Red Dragon to call forth the Double-headed Stone Beast, preparing to leave immediately.

Nie Lanzhi followed closely behind, her courage slightly bolstered. Her round eyes blinked curiously. "There must be a reason, right? Not only did you spare me, but you also healed me. I don’t believe you’re truly the kind of person who does good without expecting anything in return."

Ning Xiaochiao fixed her with a stern gaze, making her tremble and quickly lower her head again.

Her heart pounded incessantly, her lips pressed together, and her fingers lightly tugged at her hair.

"Will you go on your own, or come with me?" Ning Xiaochiao's gaze eventually softened.

"With you." Nie Lanzhi answered without hesitation, a small thrill of excitement and joy bubbling in her heart.

The thoughts of a young girl were sometimes truly hard to understand—how could she trust a stranger she had only met a few times so easily?

Ning Xiaochiao also felt a bit conflicted. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Fine. Your cultivation is still low, and traveling alone is indeed too dangerous. Stay with me for now. If we run into your sister… I’ll hand you over to her."

Ning Xiaochiao had no choice but to take this little burden along.

Nie Lanzhi soon realized that this Minor Marquis was actually quite approachable, not as cold as he appeared.

Seated atop the massive Double-headed Stone Beast, they advanced in the direction guided by Small Red Dragon.

Small Red Dragon possessed extraordinary spiritual perception. Even if it couldn’t sense the direction of the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace, it could still detect the aura of the Three-Leaved Life Grass.

Ning Xiaochiao took out the Three-Leaved Life Grass he had seized from the Four-Winged Victory Snake Heir, intending to refine it into a Life Pill.

This was a 400-year-old Three-Leaved Life Grass. The Life Pearl at the center of its leaves was relatively dim, and its medicinal potency was weaker than the two Three-Leaved Life Grasses Ning Xiaochiao had previously consumed.

Still, as a Semi-Miraculous Medicine, it could barely be refined into a single Life Pill.

"Whoosh!"

The Heart Nurturing True Cauldron flew out from Ning Xiaochiao’s body, no larger than a fist, exquisitely small and delicate, enveloped in Yin-Yang energies, radiant and dazzling.

Ning Xiaochiao infused the Heart Nurturing Grass and the Nine-Colored Profound Water into the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron and began refining.

The glow within the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron intensified, a cluster of Yin-Yang Bright Flame suspended and burning inside.

Nie Lanzhi sat behind Ning Xiaochiao, her figure slender and graceful, her delicate and pure face filled with curiosity and excitement as she watched him refine the medicine.

She was a Primary Heart Nurturer, and Ning Xiaochiao’s godly alchemy techniques filled her with admiration and reverence.

Witnessing an Advanced Heart Nurturer refining pills firsthand was an immense benefit to her—an opportunity other Primary Heart Nurturers could only dream of.

Ning Xiaochiao infused the Life Pearl into the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron, refining it with the Yin-Yang Bright Flame. He turned his head and glanced at her. "You’re a Heart Nurturer too?"

"N-no… I’m not…" Nie Lanzhi was startled, quickly shrinking back and shaking her head vigorously.

Spying on an Advanced Heart Nurturer refining pills was a major taboo. Naturally, she feared Ning Xiaochiao discovering she was a Primary Heart Nurturer.

Ning Xiaochiao could clearly see the Heart Nurturing Cauldron within her Martial Arts Heart Palace, but he chose not to expose her and continued refining the Life Pill.

After half a day, Ning Xiaochiao successfully refined the Life Pill and swallowed it directly.

This Life Pill still didn’t push the Blood Qi in his body to the "one drop of blood transforms into six tigers" realm—it fell just short. If he could consume one more Life Pill, Ning Xiaochiao believed he would reach that level.

The intensity of Blood Qi was closely linked to a Martial Artist’s physique. If he achieved the "one drop of blood transforms into six tigers" realm, Ning Xiaochiao was confident his talent would reach the "once-in-five-millennia" level.

Only by consuming the Life Pearl, a Semi-Miraculous Medicine, could Ning Xiaochiao's physique improve so rapidly.

In the Yulan Empire, even if one cultivated for a lifetime, it would likely be impossible to reach the talent level of a "once-in-five-millennia" genius.