Chapter 110: Blazing Sun Scorches the Sky

Chapter 110: Blazing Sun Scorches the Sky

Ning Xiaochuan was absorbing the Wolf King's Blood Qi when the Silver Snake unexpectedly appeared before he could fully assimilate it. The battle between him and the Wolf King must have drawn its attention.

The Silver Snake's face was ferocious, its head enormous, with countless streaks of lightning coursing over its body. Its silver scales were stained with blood, many of them torn off, leaving behind deep crimson claw marks. Clearly, these injuries were remnants of its earlier fight with the Wolf King. Though not fatal, they had significantly weakened its combat prowess.

After absorbing the Wolf King's Blood Qi, Ning Xiaochuan's Physical Strength surged once more, reaching nine times that of a Fourth Level Divine Body Realm warrior.

"Whoosh!"

As the Silver Snake spewed a cloud of Poison Mist, a bolt of lightning descended from within the fog, striking Ning Xiaochuan squarely. His entire body was engulfed in electricity, his flesh split open by the force, his hair standing on end as wisps of smoke rose from the singed strands.

Yet, in truth, he hadn't sustained severe injuries. Instead, part of the lightning energy seeped into his body, strengthening his first divine ability even further.

"Lightning Divine Beast!"

A pair of wings unfurled from Ning Xiaochuan's back as he soared into the air. Between his hands, dozens of lightning bolts coalesced, forming a massive Lightning Divine Beast.

The beast stood eight meters tall, its form more solid than before—its head, eyes, claws, and scales all vividly defined, woven from countless currents of electricity. The clearer the beast's form, the harder it was to shatter, the more stable it became, and the greater its power.

When the "Lightning Divine Beast" was cultivated to its peak, one could even summon a true "Thunder God Battle Beast," capable of slaying deities and annihilating ghosts, tearing even gods apart.

"Boom!"

The Lightning Divine Beast's claws ripped five scales from the Silver Snake's body, leaving behind a gruesome wound. However, the enraged Silver Snake shattered the beast in retaliation, reducing it back to scattered currents of lightning.

"Crash!"

The Silver Snake relentlessly spewed lightning, bombarding Ning Xiaochuan's body. Though he could absorb some of the electricity, the strikes still left deep wounds across his flesh.

His body was charred black by the lightning, blood seeping from his pores before drying into a crust of blackened mud. The injuries were severe.

The Silver Snake didn’t fare much better. Repeatedly wounded by Ning Xiaochuan's divine abilities, half its scales had been torn off by the Lightning Divine Beast, blood gushing as it howled in agony.

The battle had become a test of endurance—who would outlast the other?

Ning Xiaochuan was in worse shape than the Silver Snake, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. Had his Physical Strength not increased ninefold after entering the Jian Pavilion, he would have long been struck dead by the Silver Snake's lightning.

The Wings of Rage on his back flickered unsteadily, as if on the verge of dissipating, threatening to send him plummeting from the sky.

"Boom!"

Just as he felt he could endure no longer, on the brink of death beneath the Silver Snake's lightning, a deafening roar erupted from within his body.

The Fifth Divine Source had shattered!

Ning Xiaochuan's cultivation had reached the Fifth Level of the Divine Body Realm.

When the gate leading to the second floor of the Jian Pavilion was shattered, it transformed into specks of light that flew into Ning Xiaochuan's body, allowing his fourth divine ability to reach Great Perfection and giving birth to his Fifth Divine Source.

After being struck by the Silver Snake's lightning hundreds of times, Ning Xiaochuan's latent potential was fully unleashed, instantly opening his Divine Source and giving rise to his fifth divine ability.

Streams of Profound Qi surged into Ning Xiaochuan's body, converging toward the center of his brow and forming a bright point of light. The light grew increasingly radiant, its contained power growing ever more formidable.

The fifth divine ability took shape—Blazing Sun Scorches the Sky.

Lightning, Thunder, Torrential Rain, Raging Wind, and Blazing Sun.

After the storm, the clouds parted, and the blazing sun emerged.

The scorching sun at Ning Xiaochuan's brow grew intensely hot, forming a golden speck of light. A golden beam shot forth from it, striking the Silver Snake and instantly blasting one of its eyes.

The golden radiance was blinding and searing, carrying an overwhelming destructive force, as if it could annihilate everything in existence.

"Boom!"

The Silver Snake's eye exploded into a mist of blood, and it let out a mournful howl.

Though Ning Xiaochuan had broken through in cultivation, his injuries were severe, and his energy was nearly depleted. Seeing the Silver Snake's eye destroyed, crimson energy seeped from his five fingers, coalescing into the Demonic Sword.

This was the true form of the Demonic Sword, not merely its sword intent.

Summoning every ounce of his remaining strength, Ning Xiaochuan barely managed to lift the Demonic Sword. A tyrannical and ferocious aura erupted from it, unsettling all mystic beasts within a hundred kilometers.

"Swoosh!"

With a single slash toward the Silver Snake, a devastating Sword Qi erupted, instantly tearing the beast's body to shreds.

The ground was left with a sword trench hundreds of meters long, its deepest point reaching seven meters. Entire structures were reduced to rubble by the sheer force of the Sword Qi.

This was a terrifying strike—the mere sight of the trench would be enough to intimidate countless martial artists.

This was Ning Xiaochuan's first true battle using the Demonic Sword, and he had never imagined its power to be so horrifying. With his current cultivation, he couldn't control its might at all—nearly being overwhelmed by it instead.

After delivering the strike, the Demonic Sword automatically dissolved into five strands of Sword Qi, flying back into Ning Xiaochuan's heart and re-suspending within his Demon Ventricle.

Exhausted, Ning Xiaochuan felt half of his Blood Qi drained away. Unable to hold on any longer, his vision darkened, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Had Ning Xiaochuan still been at the Fourth Level of the Divine Body Realm and not strengthened his Physical Strength in the Jian Pavilion, a single swing of the Demonic Sword might have drained him of all his Blood Qi.

The slain Silver Snake dissolved into a cloud of Blood Qi, enveloping Ning Xiaochuan and slowly merging into his body.

The Blood Qi of a fifth-grade mystic beast was eight to nine times greater than that of a fourth-grade one.

This was an immense, nearly unfathomable power. Who could predict what astonishing changes it would bring once fully absorbed?

When Ning Xiaochuan awoke again, he was no longer in the Jian Pavilion but back in his own room.

"Finished cultivating?"

Ning Xiaochuan slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the Old Marquis standing under the dim lamplight.

The Old Marquis stood tall, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out the window, seemingly lost in thought. Noticing that Ning Xiaochuan had awakened, he slowly turned around and fixed him with a deep look, saying, "It's already been two days since it ended."

"If I hadn't been severely injured in the battle with the silver snake, I definitely could have broken through to the third floor," Ning Xiaochuan said with confidence.

The Old Marquis replied, "Given your current realm, being able to kill a fifth-grade mystic beast is already more impressive than breaking into the third floor of the Jian Pavilion. The combat power of a fifth-grade mystic beast is comparable to that of a Transcendent Realm martial artist."

"It was just luck," Ning Xiaochuan said modestly.

The Old Marquis said, "Luck is also a form of strength. Moreover, good luck requires effort to seize—otherwise, it might become someone else's good fortune."

Ning Xiaochuan agreed wholeheartedly with the Old Marquis's words. If he hadn't disguised himself as the Massive Black Wolf to steal the silver snake's egg, the silver snake wouldn't have clashed with the Wolf King, and neither would they have fought to mutual exhaustion, allowing Ning Xiaochuan to reap the benefits.

All of this could be attributed to good luck, but good luck still required effort to grasp—it wouldn't just appear out of thin air.

Ning Xiaochuan had no idea what had happened after he lost consciousness, but he noticed that his physical body had grown significantly stronger. In terms of pure physical strength alone, he could now rival a warrior at the Seventh Level of the Divine Body Realm.

Of course, in terms of overall combat power, he was still far inferior to a Seventh Level Divine Body Realm warrior, as the true strength of such warriors lay in their divine abilities and Profound Qi.

It was like comparing a "boat" to an "oar."

The body was the "boat," while Profound Qi and divine abilities were the "oars."

Ning Xiaochuan's "boat" was now as sturdy as that of a Seventh Level Divine Body Realm warrior, but his "oars" were far weaker in comparison.

If he were to truly compete with a Seventh Level Divine Body Realm warrior, he would undoubtedly be utterly defeated.

This was a gap in cultivation realm—something that simply couldn't be bridged.

However, in just five short days, Ning Xiaochuan had gained immensely. His combat power had increased at least fivefold, and he had even comprehended the martial technique "Star Shifting." Even if he encountered warriors with higher cultivation than himself, he might still have a fighting chance.

The only regret, perhaps, was that he hadn't managed to break into the third floor of the Jian Pavilion Pagoda.

But after hearing the Old Marquis's explanation about the Jian Pavilion Pagoda, Ning Xiaochuan's regret faded.

It turned out that to shatter the gate leading to the third floor of the Jian Pavilion Pagoda, one had to master "Star Shifting" to the point of reflecting three times the force—something Ning Xiaochuan couldn't yet achieve.

At present, he could only reflect 2.3 times the force. Even if he reached the gate to the third floor, he wouldn't be able to open it.

The higher one progressed in "Star Shifting," the more difficult it became to cultivate. Reaching the level of reflecting three times the force would require months of arduous training—it wasn't something that could be accomplished easily.

The Old Marquis said, "The power possessed by the silver snake was far too immense. If it had been fully absorbed by your body, it could have elevated your physical strength to the level of the Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm. With such tremendous physical power, a single punch could severely injure a Seventh Level Divine Body Realm warrior."

"However, such overwhelming combat power wouldn't benefit your cultivation. Instead, it would make you overly reliant on physical strength, causing you to neglect your martial path. Once you neglect your martial path, your progress in cultivation will inevitably slow down."

"Therefore, I have sealed the remaining power within your Martial Arts Heart Palace. Your current physical body is now equivalent to that of a Seventh Level Divine Body Realm warrior. Once your cultivation reaches the Sixth Level of the Divine Body Realm, the seal will naturally break open."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "So, once my cultivation reaches the Sixth Level of the Divine Body Realm, I’ll immediately possess the physical strength of a Ninth Level Divine Body Realm warrior? Enough to severely injure a Seventh Level Divine Body Realm fighter with a single punch?"

"Focus on reaching the Sixth Level of the Divine Body Realm first. The path of martial arts grows slower the higher your realm becomes. Do not slack off."

"By the way, tomorrow you will report to the Emperor's Martial Palace. The competition there is far more brutal. Once the Heavenly Gate closes, it won’t reopen for five years. That means you’ll have to spend the next five years entirely within the Emperor's Martial Palace. The Marquis’s estate can no longer serve as your backing—no aid, no shelter. Everything will depend solely on yourself."

After saying this, the Old Marquis walked out but paused at the door without turning back. "When you emerge from the Emperor's Martial Palace, I will have some important matters to discuss with you."

With those final words, he vanished completely into the night.