Chapter 352: The Gold and Silver Asuras

Chapter 352: The Gold and Silver Asuras

The Jian Pavilion Marquis House was protected by numerous formations, each controlled by a guardian. Unless a Martial Venerable from the Demon Sect intervened, it would be impossible to breach these formations.

An attack at the Martial Venerable level was not something ordinary formations could withstand. Only someone of equal strength presiding over the formation could unleash its full power.

A large section of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House's defensive formation had been shattered, and Demon Sect experts poured into the estate endlessly.

"Ironclad Death God, guard the breach in the formation. Slaughter every Demon Sect Martial Artist who dares to enter!"

After Ning Xiaochuan issued the command, the Ironclad Death God stationed himself at the gap in the wall, gripping a broken blade with murderous intent. Though he couldn’t completely halt the Demon Sect’s invasion, he slaughtered many of their experts.

He harvested heads relentlessly—each swing of his blade sent another skull tumbling to the ground. Soon, dozens of bloody heads littered the floor.

Ning Xiaochuan entered the estate.

A Transcendent Realm elder of the Demon Sect, laden with stolen treasures and drenched in blood—clearly having just slaughtered many—emerged from a burning hall only to find Ning Xiaochuan blocking his path.

Mistaking Ning Xiaochuan for an ordinary disciple of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, the elder sneered and struck at his head with a palm.

Ning Xiaochuan transformed his own palm into a blade, and the elder’s head flew into the air. Even in death, the man’s face remained twisted in a vicious grin, never expecting to fall at the hands of a youth.

Countless Demon Sect experts stormed the estate, looting treasures, slaughtering disciples, and setting buildings ablaze.

"The Demon Sect’s assault on the Jian Pavilion Marquis House isn’t just about revenge. The true prize is the wealth accumulated over a millennium."

What was the greatest treasure of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House?

Naturally, it was the cultivation manuals in the Book Repository, the Mystic Artifacts in the Seven Stars Treasure Cave, and the gold, silver, and Mystic Stones in the estate’s vaults.

These treasures were coveted by all under heaven. If the Demon Sect could plunder them, the Lifeless Dao and Asura Dao would gain immense cultivation resources.

The resources hoarded by the Jian Pavilion Marquis House far surpassed those of the two great demonic factions combined.

However, cultivation resources and the number of Martial Artists were entirely different matters. Some marquis estates controlled vast mines and fertile lands, their wealth rivaling nations, with inexhaustible resources—yet they rarely produced a single Martial Venerable.

In contrast, the Demon Sect, despite lacking comparable resources, recruited disciples and followers across the land. Constant strife and ruthless competition bred endless experts, allowing them to dominate the world.

In short, the world had been at peace for too long. The descendants of the great marquises had grown complacent, indulging in luxury and pleasure. It was no surprise they paled in comparison to the Demon Sect’s might.

Ning Xiaochuan rushed to the Book Repository, where he found dozens of Demon Sect experts—all at least at the Transcendent Realm, with some even at the Martial Venerable level.

Ning Xin’er and a group of the estate’s elders were encircled, desperately holding the line to prevent the Demon Sect experts from entering the Book Repository.

The Book Repository is the foundation of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House's legacy, collecting various books, secret manuals, and cultivation texts from major martial academies and sects. It also conceals numerous confidential imperial scrolls documenting the secrets of various Marquis Houses. If the texts within the Book Repository were lost, it would be nothing short of a disaster for the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, potentially leading to its irreversible decline.

A Demon Sect Martial Venerable stepped forward, clad in golden mystic robes, his tall and slender figure exuding a cold, ruthless aura. Merely the pressure of his Martial Venerable presence forced the experts of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House to retreat repeatedly. He was the "Golden-Clad Asura" of the Asura Demon Dao, ranked beyond the top 300 on the Weapon Ranking List. Though not among the strongest Martial Venerables, he could effortlessly sweep aside any Martial Artists beneath his level.

Boom!

His gaze was terrifying. With a single movement, he struck down an elder of the Marquis House with a palm strike, unstoppable as he strode toward the Book Repository. However, before he could reach its entrance, Ning Xin'er blocked his path, sword held horizontally, her eyes devoid of fear as she declared coldly, "This is a restricted area of the Marquis House. Any Demon Sect fiend who dares trespass will be slain."

"Hah! What a delicate little girl. Come with me to the Demon Sect!" The Golden-Clad Asura extended a finger, attempting to hook Ning Xin'er's snow-white chin.

Boom!

A small black tiger swatted him with a single paw, sending him flying backward.

Roar!

The Black Little Tiger's eyes gleamed green, its fur bristling as it bared its fangs—each tooth crackling with lightning.

"A seventh-grade mystic beast—the Roaring Sky Tiger!" The Golden-Clad Asura was stunned, immediately retreating. He never dreamed the Jian Pavilion Marquis House would raise such a creature. A guardian beast? This was combat power comparable to a Martial Venerable!

Ning Xin'er and the elders of the Marquis House had been guarding the Book Repository, despairing as they faced the Demon Sect Martial Venerable, certain they would die at his hands. Yet none had expected the little tiger that always trailed Ning Xin'er, lazing about and eating, to be a fully grown seventh-grade mystic beast. The elders' faces lit up with joy.

"Little Black!" Ning Xin'er was equally shocked, finding it utterly unbelievable.

Little Black's body rapidly expanded, growing to over 100 meters tall—like a small black mountain. With a single stomp, the ground trembled, and its thunderous roar forced dozens of Demon Sect experts to retreat.

Ning Xiaochuan burst onto the scene, unleashing the Martial Arts Divine Ability Ten Thousand Swords Transforming into Rain, injuring over a dozen high-ranking Demon Sect elders.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Their bodies were pierced by Sword Qi, leaving wine-cup-sized holes as they fled in panic.

"Ning Xiaochuan has returned!"

"Run, quickly!"

...

The Demon Sect experts, well aware of Ning Xiaochuan's strength, dared not confront him directly, scattering in all directions across the Marquis House. Even the Golden-Clad Asura fled immediately, unwilling to challenge him.

Though powerful, Ning Xiaochuan was only one man, incapable of handling the numerous Demon Sect experts alone. After slaying three Transcendent Realm Demon Sect elders, he retreated to the Book Repository, his concerned gaze fixed on Ning Xin'er. "Xin'er, are you alright?"

Ning Xiaochuan noticed the bloody sword wound on Ning Xin'er's shoulder and wanted to tend to her injuries first. In his eyes, nothing was more important than her at that moment.

Ning Xin'er shook her head vigorously. "Brother, Little Black is protecting me. I’ll be fine. Hurry to the Seven Stars Treasure Cave—many Demon Sect experts have gone there."

"Little Black, take good care of Xin'er. If anything happens to her, I’ll boil you into tiger bone soup," Ning Xiaochuan said.

Upon hearing this, Little Black widened his tiger-like eyes and spat out a burst of flames, incinerating over a dozen Demon Sect Martial Artists and setting large sections of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House ablaze.

Flames engulfed many parts of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, and the sounds of battle echoed endlessly.

Assured that Ning Xin'er’s injury wasn’t serious, Ning Xiaochuan immediately rushed to the Seven Stars Treasure Cave. Upon arriving outside, he sensed the aura of Martial Venerable-level experts.

The two elders guarding the Seven Stars Treasure Cave had been killed by Demon Sect Martial Venerables, their aged bodies torn to pieces, leaving the ground littered with flesh and bones.

Nearly a thousand young disciples of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House were trapped at the cave’s entrance—talented Marquis House Young Masters, beautiful Marquis House Young Ladies, many of whom were Ning Xiaochuan’s peers. Some had once arrogantly proclaimed themselves geniuses and mocked Ning Xiaochuan for his Congenital Ailment.

But now, they were paralyzed with fear, many even forced to their knees by the overwhelming aura of the Demon Sect Martial Venerables. The pressure of a Martial Venerable’s Aura was simply beyond their ability to withstand.

"The Seven Stars Treasure Cave holds the Mystic Artifact Weapons collected by generations of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House’s ancestors. If our Asura Demon Dao and Lifeless Demon Dao can obtain these weapons, our combat strength will rise by an entire level."

"Kill them all—leave none alive!"

In the darkness, shadowy figures moved chaotically as Demon Sect experts gathered, shrouded in thick demonic mist.

"Whoosh!"

A streak of Rainbow Radiance descended from the sky, coalescing into Ning Xiaochuan’s figure as he landed between the Marquis House disciples and the Demon Sect experts.

Though Ning Xiaochuan had already slain many, not a single drop of blood stained his pristine robes. His handsome features, noble bearing, and flowing black hair made him seem like an immortal descending to the mortal world.

"It’s… the Minor Marquis! The Minor Marquis has returned!"

"Now that the Minor Marquis is back, those Demon Sect fiends are doomed!"

Many Heaven’s Proud Daughters gazed at him with sparkling eyes, their hearts filled with admiration. They believed Ning Xiaochuan’s power could hold up the heavens and repel the Demon Sect’s forces.

His male cousins took pride in him, often mentioning his name while drinking with the princes of the Imperial City, earning the reverence of even the most profligate sons.

As for his more distant female cousins, they regarded him as their dream lover. Every time Ning Xiaochuan returned to the Marquis House, some unfamiliar aunts and great-aunts would eagerly introduce him to one cousin or another.

Ning Xiaochuan’s current achievements were truly astonishing, solidifying his position as the spiritual leader of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House’s younger generation.

Because Ning Xiaochuan's sudden appearance had indeed caught the Demon Sect's experts off guard. None dared to strike first, as no one was confident they could defeat him.

"Jian Pavilion Marquis House is already within the Demon Sect's grasp, Ning Xiaochuan. With just your strength alone, you can't possibly withstand the many powerful figures of the Demon Sect," the Golden-Clad Asura stood within the Demonic Cloud, his body enveloped in Martial Path Origin Qi, his voice booming like thunder.

The Silver-Clad Asura said, "Ning Xiaochuan, if you lead the disciples of Jian Pavilion Marquis House to surrender and join our Asura Dao, we can spare your lives."

"It was you who killed Ji Bo?"

Ning Xiaochuan sensed the same aura from the Silver-Clad Asura as he had from Ji Bo's body. He could confirm without a doubt that Ji Bo's death was directly linked to the Silver-Clad Asura.

Both the Golden-Clad Asura and the Silver-Clad Asura were titans of the Asura Dao, junior brothers to the Asura Dao Leader.

The names of the "Gold and Silver Asuras" were infamous throughout the Martial Path world, striking fear into the hearts of disciples from all major sects. They had once slaughtered an entire city of Martial Artists, turning it into a lifeless wasteland, cementing their terrifying reputation as Asuras.

On the Evil Ranking List, the two stood side by side at the eighteenth rank.