Chapter 170: A Great Opportunity

Chapter 170: A Great Opportunity

The Chaos Witch King felt like a small boat adrift in a vast ocean, utterly incapable of escaping the boundless waters, and at any moment, he could be shattered by the crashing waves.

"Pfft—"

Despite fleeing at the first possible moment, darting over 10 kilometers away at an extreme speed, the Chaos Witch King was still pierced through by that single Sword Wave.

At the final moment, he unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar, attempting to use it as a substitute to escape death.

But that Sword Wave was far more terrifying than he had imagined—not only did it shatter his Martial Soul Avatar, but it also annihilated his true body.

A single Sword Wave had effortlessly slain a Martial Venerable.

Ning Xiaochuan flew out of the Yin-Yang Furnace just in time to witness this scene. His heart pounded violently, his teeth clenched. This is absolutely monstrous!

Can a Martial Venerable really be erased so casually?

The mysterious woman rode the clouds westward, flying 150 kilometers until she arrived at the battlefield where Black Lai High Priest and Spiritual Void Venerable were locked in combat.

Black Lai High Priest and Spiritual Void Venerable had already clashed across hundreds of kilometers, yet neither had gained the upper hand. Their fierce battle now raged across an open wilderness.

"Who goes there?"

Black Lai High Priest sensed the overwhelming aura emanating from the suddenly appearing woman and immediately grew cautious. He swiftly withdrew, retreating to a distance.

Spiritual Void Venerable activated the "Void Crossing of Time and Space" movement technique, landing gracefully atop a small hill like an immortal descending from the heavens.

The mysterious woman remained silent. With a single palm strike, she channeled the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, condensing it into a massive palm imprint.

Black Lai High Priest's expression drastically changed as a sudden realization struck him. "Could you be... that person from two hundred years ago?"

Black Lai High Priest had lived for over 160 years, his long lifespan granting him knowledge of many secrets within the Emperor's Ruins. He had once seen a portrait of this very woman in an ancient painting.

The moment he guessed her identity, all thoughts of fighting vanished. He retrieved a seventh-grade Mystic Artifact—the Divine Shuttle—and pierced through the earth, burrowing deep into the Underground World.

"Boom—!"

The palm imprint descended, leaving a massive handprint over 30 meters long on the ground. It bore no resemblance to a human hand—instead, it looked like the Hand of the Heavens itself.

Ning Xiaochuan, flapping his Wings of Rage, flew over and stared in shock at the enormous palm print. "Was Black Lai High Priest also crushed to death?"

Standing atop the distant hill, Spiritual Void Venerable's figure seemed to blur into the fabric of time and space as he calmly replied, "Black Lai High Priest used the Divine Shuttle to burrow underground, forcibly tearing open the Blood Realm to escape inside. By the time he fled into the Blood Realm, he was undoubtedly already severely injured. As for whether he can escape the Blood Realm... that remains unknown."

The woman landed on the ground, wisps of flame swirling around her. For the first time, she spoke. "Are you both disciples of the Emperor's Martial Palace?"

Ning Xiaochuan and Spiritual Void Venerable nodded.

"You—come with me."

The woman pointed a finger at Ning Xiaochuan, leaving no room for refusal.

With a flick of her sleeve, Ning Xiaochuan was lifted into the air, flying alongside her as they vanished beyond the horizon.

Not long after, the entrance to the Emperor's Tomb was forcibly opened by the elders of the Emperor's Martial Palace. A large number of powerful figures from the institution poured in, including several at the level of Deputy Headmasters.

"Where are the Chaos Witch King and Black Lai High Priest?" Deputy Headmaster Yan of the Diamond Martial Academy roared with fury.

Spiritual Void Venerable showed no intention of bowing upon seeing the deputy headmaster and replied, "The Chaos Witch King has been slain, and the Black Lai High Priest was severely injured before fleeing into the Blood Realm."

"What? Who killed the Chaos Witch King?" The elders of the Emperor's Martial Palace were stunned, finding it unbelievable.

Spiritual Void Venerable then activated the "Temporal Mirror," replaying the scenes before everyone's eyes.

Though the woman's face was obscured by mist, her silhouette could still be faintly discerned.

An elderly man at the deputy headmaster level gasped, "It's her! She's actually still alive... How is this possible?"

The Deputy Headmaster of the Three Masters Martial Academy asked, "Who is she? Is she also from the Martial Palace? Why have we never seen her before?"

"Li Lata, of course you wouldn’t have seen her. In fact, none of us here have met her in person. I only saw her portrait while cleaning the Heavenly Palace. She’s been missing for two hundred years—everyone thought she was dead," another deputy headmaster said.

"T-Two hundred years... Even a Martial Venerable might not live that long. What is her background?"

The deputy headmaster was equally shocked. "I must return at once to report this to the headmaster—no, to the Master of the Martial Palace!"

The woman’s identity left the deputy headmasters deeply unsettled.

The Deputy Headmaster of the Three Masters Martial Academy inquired, "Spiritual Void Venerable, did you see Ning Xiaochuan?"

"He was taken away by that mysterious woman," Spiritual Void Venerable replied.

Though the Deputy Headmaster of the Three Masters Martial Academy was concerned for Ning Xiaochuan’s safety, since the mysterious woman was a senior of the Martial Palace, she likely meant him no harm. This might even be a great opportunity for him.

The immediate priority, however, was capturing the escaped Black Lai High Priest.

"All of you, listen! Tightly guard the Emperor's Tomb Forest. Any Native Warrior attempting to escape is to be executed on sight!" ordered a deputy headmaster-level figure.

Ning Xiaochuan followed behind the mysterious woman, feeling as light as a grain of sand. The aura radiating from her effortlessly carried him along.

By now, the mysterious woman had left the Emperor's Tomb Forest and entered the vast Ghost Dream Wilderness.

With each step, she seemed to traverse mountains and rivers, crossing treacherous terrain effortlessly.

Ning Xiaochuan trailed behind her, carried along like a speck of dust clinging to her.

"Senior, where are you taking me?" Ning Xiaochuan remained composed.

The mysterious woman did not answer, merely walking through the woods, occasionally pausing as if lost in thought, searching for a path from two hundred years ago.

Having slept for two centuries, the world had changed beyond recognition. Old roads were buried under forests, and the landscape had transformed entirely.

"Ooooh!" The Small Red Dragon perched on Ning Xiaochuan’s shoulder let out a howl, startling two magpies into flight.

Exiting the Emperor's Tomb Forest, the surroundings brightened, the oppressive gloom replaced by sunlight and the earthy scent of fresh air.

The crisis of death had passed—it was like returning from hell to the world of the living.

"Rumble..."

The mysterious woman frowned slightly, ceasing her contemplation. With a wave of her arm, she crushed a large swath of trees, forcibly carving out a path. Following a small stream, she continued forward.

Eventually, she arrived at a secluded mountain valley.

Inside the valley, a stream flowed gently, leading to a shimmering Mystic Spring. Above the Mystic Spring, a massive golden silk nest hovered in the air, gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight, casting golden reflections upon the water below.

"This is the place," the mysterious woman said, standing by the Mystic Spring. Her slender figure and flowing long hair cast a breathtaking reflection in the water.

Ning Xiaochuan remarked, "The Heaven and Earth Profound Qi in this valley is three times denser than the outside world. Moreover, there are protective formations in place, and hidden within the shadows are incredibly powerful mystic beasts. It seems this place has long been inhabited."

Ning Xiaochuan possessed keen spiritual senses, allowing him to detect the presence of hidden mystic beasts—not ordinary ones, but kings among their kind. It was only due to the arrival of the mysterious woman that these beasts had concealed themselves, as if they could sense the overwhelming aura she exuded.

"Two hundred years ago, this was my territory," the mysterious woman murmured, gazing at the Mystic Spring with a distant look, as if lost in memories.

Ning Xiaochuan noticed keenly that she had said "territory" rather than "cultivation abode." Could she truly be a mystic beast herself?

The mysterious woman continued, "You helped me escape my confinement. I promised you a great opportunity, and I never go back on my word." She paused before adding, "You are a Heart Nurturer, aren’t you?"

Ning Xiaochuan nodded. "Yes."

"At your age, reaching the level of an Intermediate Heart Nurturer is considered extraordinary talent. In the eyes of ordinary martial artists, you are already remarkable. But to those truly powerful figures, you are still insignificant. Unless you become an Advanced Heart Nurturer, you will never gain the right to stand as their equal."

Ning Xiaochuan sighed. "Becoming an Advanced Heart Nurturer is no easy feat. Even the Deputy Headmaster of the Three Masters Martial Academy is only an Advanced Heart Nurturer. The number of Advanced Heart Nurturers in the entire Yulan Empire can likely be counted on one hand."

The Yulan Empire had only five Great Heart Nurturers—figures like the Hall Master of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall and Great Heart Nurturer Fu Yao of the Emperor's Martial Palace. Their status was transcendent; even Martial Venerables had to treat them with utmost respect.

These five Great Heart Nurturers had long since stopped refining ordinary Mystic Pills, instead dedicating themselves to researching the pharmacology of resurrection.

Thus, within the Heart Nurturer community, the most sought-after were still Intermediate and Advanced Heart Nurturers.

Among them, Advanced Heart Nurturers held an especially exalted status, and their numbers were exceedingly rare. Even Martial Venerables would seek their assistance.

For an Advanced Heart Nurturer to serve as the chief Heart Nurturer of a noble household would be considered a waste of talent. Even the current royal family’s chief Heart Nurturer was merely an Advanced Heart Nurturer.

In Ning Xiaochuan’s plans, if he could become an Advanced Heart Nurturer before the age of thirty, he would already be renowned across the world, a legend in the Heart Nurturer community.

The mysterious woman said, "I can help you refine the True Cauldron within a year, enabling you to become a Quasi-Advanced Heart Nurturer. As for becoming a true Advanced Heart Nurturer, that depends on when you can break through to the Transcendent Realm."

"Refining the True Cauldron is the hallmark of becoming an Advanced Heart Nurturer."

"However, to truly achieve the status of an Advanced Heart Nurturer, one's cultivation must reach the Transcendent Realm. Only the cultivation of the Transcendent Realm can support a Heart Nurturer in refining advanced pills."