Chapter 334: Return

Chapter 334: Return

The other Demon Sect Martial Artists were unaware of the relationship between the Saintess and Ning Xiaochuan, completely ignorant that the Demon Sect Saintess held another identity as the Imperial City's top beauty—Yu Ningsheng.

Ning Xiaochuan had indeed aided the Demon Sect before, so it was only natural for the Saintess to assist him in return.

The hidden intricacies of this matter were known only to Duanmu Linger.

She fixed a deep gaze upon the Demon Sect Saintess, bowed respectfully, and said, "Take care, Your Highness."

Duanmu Linger led the other Demon Sect experts away, stepping through the Portal Formation one by one.

The glow of the Formation gradually dimmed, and the Blood Qi in the lake grew increasingly faint.

Once the Blood Qi within the Portal Formation was completely exhausted, the Formation would close. If they did not leave now, they would be trapped forever within the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace.

"Freeze!"

The Demon Sect Saintess stood beside the Portal Formation, her palms pressed together. A wave of Freezing Energy radiated outward from her, coalescing into a pale blue icy palm strike that blasted toward the White Fox Heir.

At the same time, Yu Qing hurled eight Mystic Artifacts forward, transforming them into eight brilliant Halos.

Ning Xiaochuan summoned the Seventh-Grade Mystic Artifact, the "Blood City Iron Seal," and launched it as well.

Combining their strength, the three of them finally managed to repel the White Fox Heir.

Ning Xiaochuan shouted, "The Portal Formation can only transport one person at a time! Little Prince, you go first!"

Yu Qing glanced at the Formation and indeed saw its light fading rapidly. Without hesitation, he retreated.

As he brushed past the Demon Sect Saintess, he paused slightly and smirked, "Your Highness may only be the Demon Sect's second-in-command, but your magnanimity far surpasses others in your sect. For aiding us today, I shall spare you the next time we meet. Heh."

Unaware of the Saintess's true identity, Yu Qing finished speaking and stepped into the Portal Formation, returning to the Yulan Empire.

Soon after, the Demon Sect Saintess and Ning Xiaochuan also passed through the Formation and departed.

When Ning Xiaochuan emerged from the other side of the Portal Formation, the Martial Artists in Dragon Valley had already scattered, leaving only Yu Qing waiting outside.

Nearly every Martial Artist who exited the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace carried immense treasures, fearing robbery, and thus fled immediately.

Yu Qing stared at the valley's exit, his eyes filled with admiration and a trace of bewilderment. "Still as delicate as a flower reflected in water, moving as gracefully as a willow swaying in the breeze. Her form—light as a startled swan, supple as a swimming dragon... Truly a peerless beauty. But tell me, why didn’t she spare me a single glance?"

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"The Demon Sect Saintess!"

Yu Qing wore a lovestruck expression. "You didn’t see it, but when she stepped out of the Portal Formation just now—though veiled—her eyes were brimming with tenderness, so captivating that I can’t forget her."

Ning Xiaochuan chuckled. "Were her eyes really that tender?"

"Of course! I have every reason to believe she fell for me at first sight." Yu Qing gazed into the distance. "It was the gentleness of that glance—shy as a breeze, fleeting as a cloud. She looked at me lightly, taking nothing with her... except my heart."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Perhaps the tenderness in her eyes was meant for someone else in her thoughts. Perhaps that glance was waiting for another."

"Cut it out, you're just jealous. Besides me, who else is an outsider here?" Yu Qing said.

Ning Xiaochuan laughed. "Isn't there still me?"

"You already have the Nie Sisters, so don’t meddle in this. The Demon Sect Saintess is destined to be mine. I’ll make her shed tears of sorrow for me, love me to the point of heartbreak, ache with unbearable pain, and drown in the entanglement of love and hate. This is absolutely my ultimate challenge." Yu Qing declared with conviction.

"Can I meddle in this too?" A familiar voice rang out.

Shi Jinyu stumbled out of Dragon Valley, his massive belly wobbling as his layers of fat jiggled. Yet his steps were steady, neither hurried nor slow, like a big-headed goose.

This "big-headed goose" looked utterly carefree, as if he had been sightseeing in Dragon Valley.

"You didn’t go to the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace? Instead, you wandered into Dragon Valley—what for?"

Both Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qing were baffled.

Shi Jinyu wore an expression of bitter regret, gnashing his teeth as he said, "Damn it! I originally wanted to go to the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace to search for treasures, but when I stepped into the Portal Formation, its energy was already depleted—not enough to teleport me there. Since I couldn’t go, I had no choice but to wait in Dragon Valley. And this wait lasted a full year. But during that time, I discovered something shocking."

"What?" Yu Qing asked.

"The dragon race has migrated en masse, leaving the Yulan Empire," Shi Jinyu said.

Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qing exchanged glances, their expressions turning grave.

For the imperial court, this was anything but good news.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Even the dragons who joined the Dragon Warriors Battalion have left the Yulan Empire?"

Shi Jinyu stroked his chin and nodded. "I asked the Dragon Princess about it. All the dragons in the Yulan Empire were recalled before departing together—this was a true mass migration. They might have moved deep into the Tianxu Continent or perhaps to the distant abyssal seas."

The expressions on Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qing’s faces turned extremely grim as they spoke simultaneously, "The imperial court’s most powerful military force, the Dragon Warriors Battalion, has vanished. The world is likely on the brink of chaos."

"We’ve been in the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace for a full year. Perhaps the age of turmoil has already begun," Ning Xiaochuan said.

The imperial court’s two greatest deterrents—the Master of the Martial Palace and the Dragon Warriors Battalion—were now gone. The court’s power would inevitably suffer a devastating blow. Those who once dared not oppose the imperial court would surely rise up now.

Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qing decided to return to the Imperial City immediately.

Shi Jinyu, like a persistent shadow, followed closely behind Ning Xiaochuan, claiming he wanted to see the grand sights of the Imperial City. However, his eyes kept darting toward the Small Red Dragon.

"This little one is also a dragon, right? Probably the only dragon left in the Yulan Empire. So adorable, though a bit chubby."

"Little Red, come greet Uncle Shi! Uncle will give you the Dragon Temptation Fruit—dragons love it the most!"

Shi Jinyu was extremely interested in the Small Red Dragon, constantly trying to cozy up to it like a creepy uncle luring a little girl.

"Boom!"

The three stood in the distance, gazing toward Dragon Valley, where a stone beast giant over 100 meters tall charged out, toppling mountains and crushing a fifth-rank mystic beast underfoot. Raising its stone axe, it roared at the sky, "Ning Xiaochuan, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I will grind your bones to dust!"

Then, the stone beast giant transformed into a massive Black City, soaring into the clouds and vanishing beyond the horizon.

"The White Fox Heir really got the short end of the stick because of you. It was a ninth-grade mystic beast, after all, and now it’s just a pile of rocks. Even if it sees a beautiful mystic beast maiden, it can only sigh in despair," Yu Qing said with a laugh.

But Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t bring himself to smile. "Everyone obtained treasures from the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace—any one of them could shake the world. There will inevitably be those who covet them and lie in ambush. We’d better stay on guard."

Ning Xiaochuan’s suspicions proved correct. Before they could even leave Muteng Forest, they stumbled upon a bloody corpse in the woods.

"This is Luo Chong, a prodigy from Tianji Marquis's estate and a fourth-layer Transcendent Realm expert. He also entered the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace. Who could have killed him?" Yu Qing examined the body with a grave expression.

Luo Chong had been stripped of all his belongings, clearly ambushed and robbed of his treasures before losing his life.

At that moment, the hairs on Ning Xiaochuan’s back stood on end as he sensed imminent danger.

The Martial Arts Profound Qi within him surged automatically, circulating through his body. Activating Rainbow Teleportation, he knocked Yu Qing and Shi Jinyu aside just in time.

BOOM!

A colossal footprint descended from above, crushing the ground where the three had stood moments earlier. The impact split the earth with fissures, leaving a massive footprint over 50 meters long and more than 5 meters deep.

The footprint, formed from condensed Martial Path Origin Qi, flattened entire swaths of trees and pulverized 500-kilogram boulders into dust.

"What the hell? Who dares ambush us? They’ve got some nerve!" Yu Qing’s eyes burned with fury as he slapped the ground, propelling himself into the air.

Yu Qing had always been fearless, and after reaching the Earthly Venerable Realm, his confidence had only grown—now, not even the heavens could intimidate him.

"Ning Xiaochuan, you’ve caused me endless suffering. Today, I’ll make you repay every last bit of it!"

A disheveled, bearded man descended from above, kicking up a storm of dust and swirling leaves. His eyes bulged with murderous intent as he glared at Ning Xiaochuan.

Most strikingly, the man had no arms—just a pillar-like torso standing grotesquely on the ground.

"Another one coming for you? Just how many people have you screwed over?" Yu Qing remarked.

Ning Xiaochuan studied the man for a long moment before recognizing him. "Mu Honglai… You’re still alive?"

This wild-haired man was none other than Mu Honglai, the former Chief Altar Master of the Heavenly Annihilation Dao.

It was no surprise that Mu Honglai saw Ning Xiaochuan as an enemy—after all, he had lost both arms because of him, severed by the Heavenly Annihilation Dao’s leader.

But why had he appeared in Muteng Forest?

Ning Xiaochuan felt there must be some underlying reason and said with a smile, "Chief Altar Master Mu, long time no see. I wonder who sent you to kill me?"

"Enough nonsense. Hand over the 'Northern Abyss Divine Art' and the Divine Dragon cub, and I might leave your corpse intact," Mu Honglai said sharply.

"With your arms crippled and unable to take care of yourself, you still dare to speak so arrogantly. Do you believe this prince can make you vanish from this world at any moment?" Yu Qing retorted.

Mu Honglai gave Yu Qing a cold stare, and two beams of profound light shot from his pupils, condensing into two ferocious beasts that sent Yu Qing flying.

Yu Qing climbed up from the ground, his arms covered in blood, and spat out a mouthful of blood. "This... this is the third level of the Earthly Venerable Realm!"