Chapter 193: The Shameless One

Chapter 193: The Shameless One

The Taoist temple was littered with fallen leaves, rustling underfoot. Ning Xiaochuan lay stiffly on the ground, his cultivation suppressed by the Ruthless Ghost Envoy.

"Little brother, how about letting this sister help you... relieve some tension?"

The Ruthless Ghost Envoy’s delicate fingers toyed with the object between Ning Xiaochuan’s legs, kneading it up and down. Her bewitching eyes shimmered with a hazy allure, brimming with seduction.

Humiliation. Absolute humiliation.

Ning Xiaochuan clenched his eyes shut, silently summoning the Demonic Sword, preparing to call it forth and slay the Ruthless Ghost Envoy.

A piercing shriek tore through the sky.

BOOM!

The roof of the Taoist temple was shattered as a Dragon Elephant Halberd Spear, thick as a pillar, came crashing down.

With overwhelming force, the spear impaled the Ruthless Ghost Envoy’s naked body, pinning her lifeless to the ground.

Fortunately, Ning Xiaochuan’s mental transmission allowed him to sense the danger in advance. He rolled aside just in time—otherwise, he would have been skewered alongside her.

"Huff... Ji Hanxing! Could you at least aim when you strike? Were you trying to kill two birds with one spear?!" Ning Xiaochuan, still shaken and drenched in cold sweat, roared toward the temple entrance.

RUMBLE— The Dragon Elephant Halberd Spear struck the ground with such force that half the temple collapsed, and even the entire mountain trembled slightly. The sheer power of that strike was terrifying.

No wonder even a formidable figure like the Ruthless Ghost Envoy had been instantly slain.

Tap. Tap.

Ji Hanxing strode into the temple, hands clasped behind her back. Her gaze drifted lazily over Ning Xiaochuan, who lay disheveled on the ground, and she sneered, "A desolate mountain, a ruined temple, a lone man and woman, burning with passion... Young Master Ning’s tastes are truly refined. No wonder you were once the Champion of the Emperor’s Martial Palace."

"Ji Hanxing, spare me your sarcasm. Things aren’t as disgraceful as you think," Ning Xiaochuan retorted, tugging at his robes to cover his exposed backside.

Seeing Ning Xiaochuan in such a sorry state was a rare delight for Ji Hanxing. Mimicking the Ruthless Ghost Envoy’s tone, she teased, "Little brother, how about letting this sister help you... relieve some tension?"

"By all means, Lady Ji, please."

Ning Xiaochuan, already furious at being toyed with by a woman earlier, decided to retaliate. With a defiant smirk, he flung open his robes, revealing his toned, masculine physique.

If she wanted to tease him, he’d give her something to really look at.

Ji Hanxing hadn’t expected Ning Xiaochuan to resort to such shamelessness. Despite her usual icy demeanor, she was still an untouched maiden.

Her pupils dilated as she took in his bare form. Her fists clenched, her teeth gritted audibly, and she spat out a single word— "Shameless!"

She turned and fled the temple, leaving even the Dragon Elephant Halberd Spear embedded in the ground behind her. Clearly, she had been thoroughly rattled.

For the first time in their confrontations, Ning Xiaochuan had gained the upper hand. A faint smirk curled his lips.

"So it turns out... being shameless has its advantages."

Ning Xiaochuan glanced once more at the Ruthless Ghost Envoy pinned lifelessly on the ground and remarked, "Men can be shameless, but when women are shameless, it never seems to end well."

After straightening his robes and fastening his belt, Ning Xiaochuan stepped out of the Taoist temple and saw Ji Hanxing still standing on the stone steps, her back turned to him.

She asked, "Where is Yu Ningsheng?"

Ning Xiaochuan exhaled deeply, shedding his earlier frivolity, and replied solemnly, "There was a misunderstanding between us. She left first."

"Did you do something beastly to her as well?" Ji Hanxing pressed.

Ning Xiaochuan sighed in exasperation. "You’ve got the wrong idea."

Ji Hanxing’s tone turned stern. "Let me warn you—Yu Ningsheng is a fugitive wanted by the imperial court. You were the one who took her out of the Imperial City. If she truly escapes, you’ll bear full responsibility."

"Don’t worry, I’ll definitely find her," Ning Xiaochuan assured, eyeing Ji Hanxian. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."

No sooner had he stepped into the courtyard than he halted abruptly, his expression turning grave.

Yellow leaves on the ground suddenly swirled upward, swept into the temple by an unseen force.

Killing intent.

A thick, murderous aura surged in from outside. In the next moment, a disheveled man stood before Ning Xiaochuan. His face was scarred, marred by severe burns that had never healed, leaving barely an inch of unblemished skin on his body.

"Are you Ning Xiaochuan?" Tie Minggong glared at him.

Black scales sprouted along his arms as his flesh swelled, thickening threefold in an instant, transforming into monstrous claws that radiated a savage aura.

Uncertain of the man’s identity, Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Tie Minggong, Branch Leader of the Qingyang Branch of the Heavenly Annihilation Dao. By order of the Chief Branch Leader, I’ve come to invite Young Master Ning for a discussion in White Dragon City."

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "I don’t know your Chief Branch Leader."

"This is the Saintess’s will," Tie Minggong said coldly.

Ning Xiaochuan narrowed his eyes. "So, is it the Chief Branch Leader inviting me, or the Saintess?"

"Why ask so many questions? The Saintess wishes to see you, and the Chief Branch Leader issued the command. Right now, the entire demonic path of the Soul Domain is searching for you. Even if you refuse me, others will come for you." Tie Minggong grew impatient. "Are you coming or not?"

Ning Xiaochuan answered firmly, "I must decline."

"Then I won’t hold back."

Tie Minggong seemed to have anticipated this outcome. With a roar, he unleashed chaotic sound waves that shook the earth.

His arm, now resembling the claws of a mystic beast, lashed toward Ning Xiaochuan’s throat.

Whoosh!

The air itself seemed to tear, flames erupting where his claws sliced through the void.

This was the power of the Transcendent Realm—a force capable of sweeping through armies. It wasn’t just an attempt to capture Ning Xiaochuan; it was a lethal strike aimed at his life.

Ning Xiaochuan felt the overwhelming pressure, his Blood Qi disrupted, his Meridians aching as if about to split, his heart nearly crushed to a standstill. He hastily retreated.

Boom!

Tie Minggong’s scaled claws, gleaming with razor-sharp edges as hard as iron, missed Ning Xiaochuan’s neck but struck a large tree behind him, shattering it into splinters.

The large tree snapped with a creak and collapsed, crashing onto the Taoist temple's wall.

Ning Xiaochuan activated the Rainbow Movement Technique, swiftly circling behind Tie Minggong and landing on the tree trunk. His Dual Wings unfurled as he prepared to take flight and escape.

"Branch Leader Luo Kai of the Southern Mountain branch, Branch Leader Ye Baiyin of the Heavenly Purple branch."

From the woods outside the Taoist temple, two more Martial Artists soared into the air, their bodies enveloped in Profound Qi. Each unleashed a Mystic Artifact—a Nine-Ringed War Blade and an Abyssal Fireball—simultaneously striking toward Ning Xiaochuan, forcing him to retreat back into the temple.

Luo Kai and Ye Baiyin landed inside the temple, sealing off Ning Xiaochuan's escape routes.

The Nine-Ringed War Blade plunged into the ground in Luo Kai's hands, forming a Blade Formation. Countless sword lights erupted, weaving into a Blade Net that trapped Ning Xiaochuan within the Sword Qi.

The Abyssal Fireball hovered above Ye Baiyin's palm, spinning continuously and radiating scorching heat.

The three Branch Leaders attacked Ning Xiaochuan together, intent on capturing him.

Outside the temple, chaotic footsteps echoed—clearly, more Demon Sect Martial Artists had surrounded the area, forming layers upon layers of encirclement.

Ning Xiaochuan spread his Wings of Rage and soared into the sky. But just as he reached an altitude of 100 meters, two deafening roars erupted from the clouds as two Fourth-Grade Mystic Beasts emerged.

On the backs of these beasts stood two more Demon Sect Branch Leaders, their eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Branch Leader Meng Xinhun of the Earthly Records branch, Branch Leader Lin Gang of the Blue Stone branch."

The Demon Sect truly had no shortage of experts—two more Branch Leaders had joined the fray.

To capture just one Ning Xiaochuan, five Branch Leaders had been mobilized. It seemed the Heavenly Annihilation Dao's chief leader had gone to great lengths to curry favor with the Demon Sect Saintess.

"Ning Xiaochuan, you won't escape today even if you grow wings!"

Meng Xinhun swooped down from above, slashing with his blade and unleashing a torrent of lightning aimed at severing Ning Xiaochuan's Dual Wings.

Ning Xiaochuan twisted his body and swung his arm, summoning a Lightning Divine Beast. Countless arcs of electricity crackled around the towering beast, filling the air with a sizzling roar.

The Lightning Divine Beast snarled and lunged skyward.

Meng Xinhun, worthy of his status as a Branch Leader, possessed profound cultivation. With just three strikes, he shattered the Lightning Divine Beast.

Propelling himself from his Mystic Beast's back, he gripped his blade with both hands and brought it crashing down toward Ning Xiaochuan's head.

The Sword Qi stretched over 13 meters, gleaming like a massive crescent moon—bright and razor-sharp.

Boom!

Ning Xiaochuan drew his Heavy Sword, barely blocking the strike. But the force behind the blade was overwhelming—his arm was slashed open, blood gushing as he plummeted like a collapsing mountain.

Meng Xinhun sneered. "Just stay down!"

Ning Xiaochuan circulated Misty Profound Qi within his body, his feet glowing with violet radiance as he abruptly shifted sideways, narrowly evading Meng Xinhun's attack.

Branch Leader Lin Gang of the Blue Stone branch rode his Mystic Beast, charging from another direction with a mocking laugh. "You imperial dogs are always scheming against each other. Look—that beauty standing in the temple doesn’t care whether you live or die. Why not just come quietly with us to White Dragon City and join our Demon Sect?"

Ji Hanxing stood on the steps of the Taoist temple, calmly observing the battle in the sky without any intention of intervening. Ning Xiaochuan laughed loudly and said, "That's because she knows you lot are no match for me. Northern Abyss Divine Art!" Upon hearing the words "Northern Abyss Divine Art," Lin Gang was startled and quickly retreated, afraid of getting too close to Ning Xiaochuan. They all knew Ning Xiaochuan cultivated a technique comparable to the "Blood Devouring Demon Art," which made them too fearful to approach him.