Chapter 169: Rebirth from the Ashes

Chapter 169: Rebirth from the Ashes

The Chaos Witch King restrained his emotions, clenching his fists tightly as he sneered, "Boy, do you think controlling the Yin-Yang Furnace grants you the power to oppose an Earthly Venerable Realm warrior? You’re too naive. Today, not only will you die, but every disciple of the Emperor's Martial Palace will perish!"

With a violent stomp of his foot, the Chaos Witch King shattered the ground, creating a fissure thousands of meters long that continued to expand and stretch into the distance. Such power could truly topple mountains and sever rivers.

"Ah! The earth is splitting—"

"Save me!"

One after another, disciples of the Emperor's Martial Palace fell into the chasm, their screams echoing before they were swallowed by the earth.

Ning Xiaochuan summoned the Heart Nurturing Cauldron and handed an Intermediate Elixir for neutralizing Corpse Poison to Ji Hanxing. "The three of you must retreat now. I’ll draw the Chaos Witch King away."

"No, I want to stay with you—" Yu Qianqian refused to leave.

But Ji Hanxing acted decisively, gripping both Yu Qianqian and Yue Mingsong before leaping from the Blood Fiend Dragon’s claws.

Ning Xiaochuan activated Rainbow Teleportation, shifting positions seven times in succession before landing atop the Blood Fiend Dragon’s head. Standing there, as if atop a towering mountain peak, he gazed down upon the vast expanse of the Emperor's Tomb.

"Roar!"

Finally free to fight unrestrained, the Blood Fiend Dragon slashed with its dozens-of-meters-long claws, tearing through the air amidst a surge of bloody mist and crimson clouds.

The Chaos Witch King showed no fear. His armor gleamed with golden light as he threw a punch toward the dragon, a torrent of golden radiance erupting from his fist.

"Boom—!"

The clash collapsed the entire valley, toppling the mountains on either side and sending earth flying. Waves of Blood Qi surged through the air, mingling with the overwhelming tides of Profound Qi.

The five elite warriors of the Emperor's Martial Palace had already led the remaining disciples out of the valley, rushing toward the tomb’s exit. Now that Ning Xiaochuan had taken control of the Blood Fiend Generals, the exit was no longer a death trap. Perhaps, with coordinated efforts from inside and out, they could force it open.

"Boom—!"

The valley had become a battlefield of chaos, with Profound Qi surging and baleful energy churning, transforming it into a scene of ancient warfare.

The Chaos Witch King sought to annihilate all the Emperor's Martial Palace disciples here. With a sweep of his arm, he unleashed a Sky-Overturning Palm Strike, spanning thousands of meters to crush the fleeing students.

This was a world-shaking palm strike, channeling Earth Martial Essence to commune with the heavens and condensing Heaven and Earth Profound Qi into its lines.

"Roar!"

The Blood Fiend Dragon exhaled a Dragon's Breath, transforming it into a crimson river of Profound Qi that collided with the palm strike, slicing it apart.

The collision of the Profound Qi river and the palm imprint painted a dazzling spectacle across the sky, visible for dozens of kilometers.

"Boom—!"

Streaks of Profound Qi rained down, stirring a hurricane.

"This is the level of a Martial Venerable’s battle… the destructive force is terrifying." The disciples of the Emperor's Martial Palace struggled to remain calm, feeling an immense pressure weighing on them, making it hard to breathe.

Several weaker disciples fainted outright, unable to withstand the oppressive aura of the Martial Venerable.

"Ning Xiaochuan actually possesses the strength to battle a Martial Venerable... This is simply unbelievable. Such talent can no longer be described as defying the heavens." Many beautiful female students present gazed at him with admiration, their eyes shimmering with radiant light.

The leader of the Cloud Alliance, Xiao Cheng, clenched his fists, his expression cold and sharp. "It's merely borrowed power—strength obtained through external means. It cannot last."

Xiao Cheng grew even more convinced of the might of the Northern Abyss Divine Art, believing that Ning Xiaochuan had achieved his current prowess by relying on it.

The Chaos Witch King, now thoroughly enraged, resolved to eliminate Ning Xiaochuan as swiftly as possible.

Six black rings of Profound Qi manifested, swirling around his body. Propelled by their power, he soared into the air and landed atop the Blood Fiend Dragon, launching an assault toward Ning Xiaochuan.

This was the imposing might of a Martial Venerable—an overwhelming pressure.

Ning Xiaochuan immediately retreated into the Yin-Yang Furnace, darting into the Blood Fiend Dragon’s maw.

The Chaos Witch King was just a step too late, allowing Ning Xiaochuan to escape, while the Blood Fiend Dragon’s claws came crashing down upon him once more.

Boom!

The Chaos Witch King’s body was sent flying, but he landed atop the Blood Fiend Dragon’s head and delivered a devastating punch to its skull cap.

Crack!

The Blood Fiend Dragon’s skull cap shattered under the impact, fissures spreading rapidly as its massive frame seemed on the verge of collapse.

Hidden within the dragon’s body, Ning Xiaochuan urgently channeled the power of the Yin-Yang Furnace, gathering the Blood Qi within the dragon’s form to repair the damage.

The Blood Fiend Dragon forcefully flung the Chaos Witch King away, its crimson tail striking him mid-air and sending him flying once more.

Amidst the battle between the Blood Fiend Dragon and the Chaos Witch King, an eerie transformation was unfolding inside the Yin-Yang Furnace.

The Female Corpse absorbed a portion of the Bright Flame into her body, causing her to glow brilliantly, her skin enveloped in flames as if she were an immortal maiden undergoing rebirth in fire.

Within her, Vital Qi surged, her blood revived, her soul awakened, and her bones radiated a divine jade-like luminescence.

To be precise, she was never a corpse—she had never died, merely entered a dormant state, sealing her senses while contending with the Short Sword.

When a warrior seals their senses, they become indistinguishable from a living corpse, which was why Ning Xiaochuan and Yue Mingsong had mistaken her for a dead body.

Now, on the verge of defeating the Short Sword, she was awakening from her slumber, undergoing a nirvana-like rebirth, emerging with even greater vitality than before.

She was a living being, not a corpse.

Yet Ning Xiaochuan suspected she might be a mystic beast, for she could be subdued by the Mystic Beast Manual.

Boom!

The Short Sword shot out from her body, trailing a dazzling light like a meteor streaking across the sky, before plunging into the Mystic Beast Manual.

Faintly, Ning Xiaochuan heard a venomous, hoarse voice emanating from the blade—"Damn you... I’ll kill you!"

The voice faded as the Short Sword entered the manual, hovering within the Third Mystic Beast Palace, suppressed by the artifact’s power.

Ning Xiaochuan felt his connection with the Mystic Beast Manual vanish, and just as he was puzzled, the Short Sword's voice echoed from within the manual, "Kid, stop staring. She has severed her master-servant bond with the Mystic Beast Manual using her own power and even made me her substitute to continue enduring the manual's suppression."

The Short Sword's tone was furious, interspersed with constant sighs. "I told you long ago to help me overthrow her Martial Arts Heart Palace. Had you listened, I would've already subdued her, turning her into your slave. You could've played with her however you wanted—on the bed, the ground, or even in the grass. Now it's too late. She's cut ties with the Mystic Beast Manual, and you can't regret it anymore."

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "If I had truly helped you defeat her, I'd already be a dead man under your blade. Since you're suppressed within the Mystic Beast Palace, you'd better stay put quietly. If you dare scheme again, I’ll toss you into the Melting Weapon Pool."

"Tch, go ahead and try!" the Short Sword retorted arrogantly.

Ning Xiaochuan channeled his Martial Arts Profound Qi into the Mystic Beast Manual, attempting to summon the Short Sword from the Third Mystic Beast Palace. But the blade remained rooted like an ancient pine, unmoving.

He couldn’t summon it at all.

It was like a warrior obtaining a divine sword from antiquity, becoming its master, yet the sword remained embedded in the ground, weighing millions of kilograms—far beyond the warrior’s strength to lift.

Ning Xiaochuan now faced the same dilemma. This Short Sword was the Heavenly Emperor's blade from his youth, possessing supreme power. Though the Mystic Beast Manual suppressed it, as the manual’s master, Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t wield it freely.

"You really think I can’t deal with you? You’re in my grasp now. Once my cultivation grows stronger, I’ll have ten thousand ways to melt you down," Ning Xiaochuan said.

"Don’t be like that! I’m the Heavenly Emperor’s Blade. If you’re willing to become my blade servant, I can grant you unparalleled combat power, the greatest authority in the world, and the most beautiful women to sleep with!" The Short Sword began tempting Ning Xiaochuan again.

Without another word, Ning Xiaochuan sealed the Mystic Beast Manual, cutting off communication with the blade.

Inside the Yin-Yang Furnace, the gaping wound in the chest of the stunningly beautiful young woman healed at a visible rate.

Finally, the injury closed completely, leaving not even a scar—her skin as delicate as a newborn’s.

A hazy white radiance flowed around her, wisps of spiritual mist swirling about her form. Ethereal and pristine, dreamlike and illusory, she gave the impression of an immortal about to ascend to the heavens.

It felt as though she had merged with the world itself, becoming one with heaven and earth.

"Is she a human? Or a mystic beast?" Ning Xiaochuan was deeply shocked. This sense of unity with the world was awe-inspiring.

If she were human, her cultivation was terrifyingly high—so lofty that all warriors in the world could only look up in reverence.

If she were a mystic beast, she was too beautiful—transcending the mundane with an otherworldly grace.

"Swish!"

Her exquisite eyes opened, revealing crystal-clear pupils—dark as ink against pure whites. With just one glance at Ning Xiaochuan, it felt as though the entire world was pressing down on him.

"Whoosh!"

She transformed directly into a beam of light, flew out of the Yin-Yang Furnace, shattered through the Blood Fiend Dragon's body, and hovered in mid-air.

Her figure was graceful and slender, draped in a Cloud Veil, with a mass of white mist forming beneath her feet. Every inch of her skin seemed carved from immortal jade, scattering particles of Light Rain.

The Chaos Witch King immediately halted his attack, his Thunderous Eyes fixed on the woman suspended in the void, his heart skipping a beat. "Who are you?"

Her gaze locked onto the Chaos Witch King below. Without uttering a single word, her jade-white finger pointed downward, releasing a Sword Wave.

"Whoosh!"

A seemingly simple Sword Wave, yet to the Chaos Witch King, it felt as if an overwhelming ocean was crashing down upon him. His heart trembled in terror—never since reaching the Earthly Venerable Realm had he experienced such a sensation.