Chapter 338: Seven Apertures to the Profound

Chapter 338: Seven Apertures to the Profound

The sky churned with shifting clouds and roaring lightning.

"Boom!"

A purple lightning bolt as thick as a barrel descended from the heavens, striking the peak of a stone mountain.

At the same time, thousands of lightning bolts cascaded down, connecting the sky and the earth like a waterfall of electricity. The sight was breathtakingly spectacular, enough to shake the hearts of any who witnessed it. An ordinary person might have mistaken it for the wrath of the gods.

"Rumble—!"

The white stone mountain was engulfed in rolling dust and smoke as massive stones tumbled down. The earth trembled, and all vegetation turned to ash in an instant.

After a quarter-hour of relentless lightning strikes, the towering 1 km-high mountain was reduced to flat ground. The scorched earth was left barren, devoid of even a single blade of grass.

It was a scene of unimaginable terror, something no human could possibly achieve—only a divine being could wield such overwhelming power.

"Ning Xiaochuan, you’ve finally shown yourself again! Cackle! I’ll grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes!"

Mu Honglai, shielded by his Protective Qi, emerged unscathed from the underground world. He spat out a black chain from his mouth, at the end of which was forged a Green Sickle. The blade shimmered with eerie patterns—a powerful Mystic Artifact he had concealed within his body.

Though he had lost both hands, he could still wield the Mystic Artifact to launch attacks.

Ning Xiaochuan glanced at Mu Honglai’s chest, where the wound inflicted by the Demonic Sword remained unhealed. The injury had turned black, oozing dark blood incessantly.

The Demonic Sword’s wound carried a potent demonic nature. Even with Mu Honglai’s cultivation, he couldn’t expel the Demonic Qi and could only watch helplessly as the injury worsened.

The Green Sickle swept past Ning Xiaochuan’s neck, leaving a trail of green flames that distorted the air.

Ning Xiaochuan’s gaze sharpened. Strands of lightning flickered between his five fingers, enveloping his palm as he struck the Green Sickle, sending it flying back.

The force of the palm strike sent Mu Honglai stumbling backward.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Ning Xiaochuan delivered three consecutive palm strikes, each one forcing Mu Honglai back several steps.

By the third strike, Mu Honglai was sent flying, crashing to the ground as he coughed up blood.

His legs ached as if his bones had shattered, his eyes filled with disbelief. He couldn’t fathom being defeated in just three strikes by someone so much younger. Moreover, the power Ning Xiaochuan had unleashed made him feel utterly powerless to resist.

"You’ve only just entered the Earthly Venerable Realm! Your combat strength shouldn’t be this formidable! It’s impossible!" Mu Honglai had been in the Earthly Venerable Realm for thirty years, his cultivation profound. He knew well that each minor realm within the Earthly Venerable Realm held vast differences—it was unthinkable to defeat an opponent across realms.

Ning Xiaochuan remained composed, flicking dust off his sleeve as he stepped forward. "The disparity between martial artists isn’t just about cultivation realms—it’s also about innate physique. Your talent level is merely 'One-in-a-Hundred-Million,' nothing more than an ordinary genius. Mine, however, is 'Once-in-Ten-Millennia.' If you compare a sword forged from Black Iron to one made of common iron, which do you think would unleash greater power? Even if you still had your arms and were at your peak, I’d still have absolute confidence in crushing you."

After reaching the Earthly Venerable Realm, Ning Xiaochuan's cultivation was no longer comparable to his past self—it wasn't just a simple advancement in realm. Even at the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm, he could clash head-on with a Martial Venerable. Now, he was naturally even stronger.

"Roar!"

Mu Honglai refused to accept defeat. His body transformed into a massive vortex, whipping up sand and stones from the ground like a meteor crashing into the earth. With a stomp, he sought to crush Ning Xiaochuan beneath his foot. This was a strike condensed from his full power, unleashed in a single explosive burst.

Ning Xiaochuan kept one hand behind his back while extending the other. In his palm, the phantom images of countless stars appeared, with a bright moon suspended above them—a scene of "Stars and Moon Sharing the Sky," as if a vast universe had manifested in his grasp. The sight was breathtakingly magnificent.

"Boom!"

Ning Xiaochuan's hand firmly caught Mu Honglai's foot, effortlessly dispersing all the force behind his attack. With a twist of his arm, he flung Mu Honglai away.

To casually toss a Martial Venerable like this—if anyone witnessed it, their jaws would surely drop in shock.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Mu Honglai was sent flying, crashing through a row of trees before half his body was embedded in the dirt, covered in dust and utterly disheveled.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Who told you I was in Muteng Forest?"

After arriving in Muteng Forest, Ning Xiaochuan had gone straight to the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace. If someone hadn't leaked his whereabouts, Mu Honglai would never have been able to track him here.

Gritting through the pain, Mu Honglai stood up and laughed loudly. "Ning Xiaochuan, do you really think I'd tell you?"

"No matter. I have my own ways of learning what I want to know."

In an instant, Ning Xiaochuan appeared behind Mu Honglai. His palm, wreathed in Lightning, pressed down on Mu Honglai's head, forcing him to his knees.

Within his body, the Seven Orifices opened.

Mu Honglai's thoughts and memories automatically flowed into Ning Xiaochuan's consciousness.

This was an ability Ning Xiaochuan had gained after awakening the Seven Orifices Demon Heart—the power to know what others were thinking, to see through their thoughts, and to uncover the secrets hidden within them. In other words, any thought that crossed their minds would be instantly detected by Ning Xiaochuan.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering how you managed to escape the Heavenly Annihilation Dao Leader's grasp. Turns out the Cloud Marquis saved you. No matter how you spin it, you were once the Chief Altar Master of the Heavenly Annihilation Dao. And now, you've been reduced to the Cloud Marquis's lackey. Seems like not only is your body crippled, but your Martial Path heart is ruined as well."

Now knowing who was targeting him, Ning Xiaochuan released his grip.

Mu Honglai's shock grew even more intense. Ning Xiaochuan had forcibly pried open his memories, seeing through his very thoughts—this... this kind of ability was terrifying! Almost demonic.

"You... you..."

Mu Honglai no longer had the will to oppose Ning Xiaochuan and immediately tried to flee.

Ning Xiaochuan fixed him with a gaze and activated the power of the Seven Orifices Demon Heart. "Come back."

Mu Honglai's body moved against his will, retreating until he knelt before Ning Xiaochuan once more.

Ning Xiaochuan could already control his mind—naturally, he could control his every action. Even if Ning Xiaochuan ordered him to commit suicide now, he would immediately draw his blade and end his own life.

"The Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace is indeed formidable after awakening. I wonder if it can control the Spiritual Void Venerable's Chaos Heart Palace?" Ning Xiaochuan felt a surge of intense fighting spirit.

The Spiritual Void Venerable's Chaos Heart Palace could manipulate the powers of "Time" and "Space," making it utterly unfathomable—capable of reversing time and space, securing victory from thousands of miles away. Unless her laws of time and space were broken, no one could defeat her.

Meanwhile, the Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace could see through the thoughts of all martial artists and control their Mental Energy.

If Ning Xiaochuan could use the "Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart" to dominate the "Chaos Heart's" Mental Energy, it would prove he could defeat the Spiritual Void Venerable.

However, since the "Chaos Heart" existed beyond time and space, transcending the five elements, could the "Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart" truly control it?

Indeed, the Chaos Heart and the Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart each had their own strengths—both capable of defeating the other, yet also vulnerable to defeat. Both were among the most supreme Martial Path hearts in the world, their power nearly indistinguishable.

Mu Honglai had his Mental Energy suppressed by Ning Xiaochuan, becoming his mind-controlled servant.

"A Martial Venerable at the third level of the Earthly Venerable Realm—though his arms are crippled, his combat prowess remains formidable. Double-headed Stone Beast, take me back to the Imperial City."

The Double-headed Stone Beast emerged from the Mystic Beast Manual, its body towering at 72 meters, with stone-stitched Dual Wings spanning over 100 meters. Its massive form resembled a small mountain of stone, its aura so overwhelming that the Mystic Beasts in the surrounding mountains trembled in fear.

Ning Xiaochuan, the Small Red Dragon, and Mu Honglai flew onto the back of the Double-headed Stone Beast.

With a single flap of its enormous wings, the beast soared into the sky like a monstrous titan piercing through the clouds.

For the next two days, Ning Xiaochuan focused on cultivation, consolidating his realm.

Having been away from the Imperial City for over a year, he wondered about the current state of affairs there. How far had the Ghost Manor and the Divine Sword Palace developed?

As night fell, Ning Xiaochuan returned to the Ghost Manor.

The manor was adorned with vibrant begonia flowers, blooming in eternal spring, their fragrance filling the air. Under the glow of lanterns, the blossoms appeared especially radiant.

Who would have guessed that the Ghost Manor, a place that struck fear into the hearts of martial artists across the land, could be such a picturesque haven?

To the west of the manor, adjacent to a cliff, lay a vast Training Ground.

Eight bronze pillars, each 33 meters tall, stood at the four corners of the Training Ground, burning with roaring tung oil flames that cast ever-shifting shadows across the ground.

On the Training Ground stood rows of young women clad in black martial attire, the youngest only fourteen and the oldest no more than twenty. Each possessed striking beauty, with some even being peerless beauties.

They were all practicing swordplay!

Leading them was the Ghost Envoy, a top expert under the Ghost Manor Manor Lord.

The Ghost Envoy was also a woman, with an exquisite figure—voluptuous curves, a slender jade-like waist—dressed in a gold-trimmed black robe and a black cape, her face hidden behind a Golden Mask. Her swordplay was so swift it was nearly impossible to follow.

Her Sword Qi danced, forming a dense web of sword shadows within a 10-meter radius, creating a Sword Qi domain.

The Ghost Envoy sheathed her sword and came to a stop, the surrounding Sword Qi dissipating around her. Her beautiful eyes fixed on the Black-clothed Young Woman in the Training Ground as she spoke coldly, "All of you are Heaven's Proud Daughters selected from prominent families and sects. If you wish to elevate the status of your families and sects, you must cultivate diligently. Becoming a Sword Attendant by the Manor Lord's side would be the greatest honor for you."

Among them, a slender, fair-skinned young woman with waist-length hair spoke up, "What level of cultivation is required to qualify as a Sword Attendant for the Manor Lord?" Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, having just expended considerable energy practicing the Sword Art.

The Ghost Envoy replied, "The Manor Lord requires at least four Sword Attendants who can be summoned at any time. Not only must their Martial Path cultivation be strong enough to assist the Manor Lord in his affairs, but they must also possess striking beauty and know how to serve him properly."