Chapter 197: Return to White Dragon City

Chapter 197: Return to White Dragon City

Ku Gu’s pupils dilated as he let out a hoarse laugh, "The whole world has been fooled by you... fooled by you... fooled by you..."

"Thud!"

With a single swing of his sword, Ning Xiaochuan severed Ku Gu’s head.

He took out a box, placed Ku Gu’s head inside, and stored it in the Heaven and Earth Bag.

After killing Ku Gu, Ning Xiaochuan exhaled in relief and immediately sheathed the Demonic Sword. The bloodlust in his eyes gradually faded, but his mind remained filled with destructive urges. Every living thing he saw, he wanted to annihilate—to eradicate everything in this world.

He even harbored thoughts of ending the world itself.

"It must be the influence of the Demonic Sword, forcibly warping my will."

Every time he used the Demonic Sword, the negative emotions in Ning Xiaochuan’s mind grew stronger. If he wasn’t careful, the sword could take control of him, turning him into its slave—a sword puppet.

This was one of the reasons he dared not wield the Demonic Sword lightly.

Suppressing the dark impulses within him, Ning Xiaochuan lifted Ji Hanxing from the ground.

Ji Hanxing had been bitten by the Black Serpent, her entire face now a sickly shade of purple.

Ning Xiaochuan channeled Misty Profound Qi into her Meridians, reviving her.

She was extremely weak. Her lips trembled as she looked at him and whispered, "You... you’re actually... still alive..."

"If I’m alive, then naturally, the one who died is Ku Gu. He’s truly nothing but bones now," Ning Xiaochuan replied.

Ji Hanxing closed her eyes. "My... Meridians... are shattered... and I’ve been poisoned... by the Black Serpent’s venom... I... I won’t last much longer."

Ning Xiaochuan chuckled. "Ji Hanxing, do you remember the first time we met? You lifted me with one hand—so domineering, so arrogant. Where has all that strength gone now?"

Ji Hanxing’s hand slowly rose, as if she truly intended to lift him again, but in the end, it fell limply back down.

Ning Xiaochuan picked her up and summoned the Tai Sui Beast, leaping onto its back.

Ji Hanxing’s body had grown cold. "You... just... bury me..."

"Don’t be ridiculous. Standing before you is a Quasi-Advanced Heart Nurturer. If I let you die right in front of me, it’d ruin my reputation!" Ning Xiaochuan used Misty Profound Qi to protect her heart. "But to save you, I’ll need several mystic medicines—only White Dragon City might have them. For now, we’ll have to return to that den of demons."

Mounting the Tai Sui Beast, Ning Xiaochuan plunged into the earth.

When the beast emerged again, they had already arrived in White Dragon City, entering a long-abandoned garden.

Ning Xiaochuan carried Ji Hanxing into a dusty room and laid her on the equally dusty bed, not bothering with the filth.

"Wait for me."

Leaving the Double-headed Stone Beast to guard Ji Hanxing, he stepped out.

Ji Hanxing, lying on the bed, squinted her eyes at Ning Xiaochuan's retreating figure, her gaze growing increasingly hazy before she finally lost consciousness.

Ning Xiaochuan found a tattered straw hat in the courtyard, placed it on his head, and changed into a long-unwashed cloth robe before stepping out onto the street.

"White Dragon City should also have a branch of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, enough to purchase the mystic medicines I need."

After asking for directions to the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, Ning Xiaochuan immediately headed there.

The Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall in White Dragon City was located in the bustling center of the city. Though not as grand as the one in the Imperial City, the number of martial artists coming and going far surpassed it.

This was largely due to the recent gathering of Demon Sect experts in White Dragon City, where constant battles had increased the demand for healing mystic medicines.

To conceal his identity, Ning Xiaochuan dressed shabbily, resembling a down-and-out martial artist.

"Get lost, get lost! What kind of beggar dares to come here? The Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall is no place for the likes of you!"

An elderly man with a mustache shot Ning Xiaochuan a disdainful glance, shoving him aside with his elbow before bowing obsequiously in another direction. With a fawning smile, he said, "Young Master Wood, this way, please!"

From a resplendent ancient carriage parked by the roadside emerged a handsome man in his twenties, an Ice Soul Sword hanging at his waist, his bearing exuding an air of lofty superiority.

A beautiful girl of sixteen or seventeen also stepped down from the carriage. Petite and delicate, with a small fox perched on her shoulder, she walked gracefully to the Wooden Young Master's side and said with a soft laugh, "Tomorrow night is the Branch Leader's eightieth birthday celebration. Even the Saintess will be attending."

The Wooden Young Master replied, "Precisely why I had no choice but to come and select a gift for Father. Zhui'er, what do you think would be a suitable present?"

The girl cradled the fox in her arms, flashing a charming smile. "You already have something in mind, don't you? Why ask me?"

"You are the future daughter-in-law of the Wood family. Of course, your opinion matters. But indeed, I have my eye on a gift—an advanced pill called the Heavenly Pivot Pill. Presenting this pill to Father will surely help him advance his cultivation further." The Wooden Young Master laughed heartily before striding into the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall.

Zi Zhui'er gazed at his retreating figure with a seductive gleam in her eyes, though a trace of disdain flickered briefly before being masked by a sweet smile.

Once the Wooden Young Master and Zi Zhui'er had entered the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, the mustached old servant straightened his back again, shooting Ning Xiaochuan a frosty glare before spitting at his feet. Then, like a sycophantic lapdog, he hurried inside after them.

Ning Xiaochuan found the whole affair amusing and paid it no mind. However, the Wooden Young Master had piqued his interest.

"The Chief Altar Master of Heavenly Annihilation Dao bears the surname 'Wood,' and so does he. Could he be Mu Honglai's son? Heh, what a small world."

Pulling the straw hat lower over his face, Ning Xiaochuan approached the entrance of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall. He retrieved an Intermediate Heart Nurturer token from his robes and handed it to a young maidservant.

The maidservant was startled upon seeing the token in Ning Xiaochuan's hand and immediately knelt to the ground.

"No need for formalities. Take me to purchase mystic medicines." Ning Xiaochuan lowered his voice, making it sound hoarse to disguise himself as an elderly man.

The maidservant had seen many important figures who disliked revealing their identities and would use tools to conceal themselves. Clearly, this Intermediate Heart Nurturer before her had the same eccentric habit.

Walking ahead to guide him, she cautiously asked, "What grade of mystic medicines does the Heart Nurturer wish to purchase?"

"Sixth-grade Duanxu Wood, fourth-grade Cizhu Grass, fifth-grade Songxiang Spirit-Calming Water..." Ning Xiaochuan listed twelve types of mystic medicines in one breath, all of them above the fourth grade.

The Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall's stock of mystic medicines was quite comprehensive, with every variety available.

These twelve mystic medicines were soon presented before Ning Xiaochuan.

He purchased two portions of each, spending a total of 93 million Small Coins.

It was a massive expense, making Ning Xiaochuan's heart ache. "If I cure Ji Hanxing, I must make her pay me back. A Heart Nurturer can't afford to take losses."

After storing away the purchased medicines, Ning Xiaochuan unexpectedly spotted another item, and his heart stirred with slight joy. Pointing at the counter, he said, "Hand me that bottle of Jade Marrow Essence."

"This bottle contains eight drops of Jade Marrow Essence, each worth 10 million Small Coins. Intermediate Heart Nurturer, are you certain you wish to purchase all of it?" the maidservant asked.

Jade Marrow Essence wasn't exactly a mystic medicine—it was more of a beauty-enhancing substance, expensive but with limited medicinal value.

Usually, only beauty-conscious women would purchase small amounts for skincare, and even then, they would buy no more than one drop at a time.

For others, Jade Marrow Essence was merely a cosmetic product. But for Ning Xiaochuan, it was different—it was a rare ingredient he had been searching for. Once obtained, he could refine a Mystic Pill that would make every woman in the world scream in excitement.

A year ago, during the opening of the Emperor's Martial Palace, he had received a seventh-grade Jade Fungus as a reward from the Three Masters Martial Academy.

This was an extremely rare mystic medicine, something women dreamed of obtaining.

However, the medicinal value of the seventh-grade Jade Fungus was limited. If refined alone into Jade Fungus Liquid, it could only delay a martial artist's aging by twenty years.

That would be a waste of the Jade Fungus's potency.

Ning Xiaochuan had long planned to use the "seventh-grade Jade Fungus" to refine a batch of Mystic Pills that could grant women eternal youth. He had already found the other two supplementary ingredients—Flame Lotus and Ice Muscle Grass—but the "Jade Marrow Essence" had always eluded him.

Finding eight drops of it in the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall naturally filled Ning Xiaochuan with delight.

Though this pill wouldn't aid his cultivation much, once refined, it would undoubtedly be sought after by powerful female cultivators and could fetch an astronomical price.

Perhaps even a single Intermediate Elixir of this kind could surpass the value of an advanced pill.

There was no helping it—no matter how high a woman's cultivation or how great her authority, what she desired most was eternal youth. With such a market in mind, Ning Xiaochuan felt compelled to refine this pill. Once completed, it would surely spark a frenzy of demand.

Now, those martial artists are all eager to seize the Northern Abyss Divine Art from Ning Xiaochuan. By then, many female martial artists will surely appear, specifically targeting the mystic medicines on Ning Xiaochuan.

"I'll take all eight drops of Jade Marrow Essence." Ning Xiaochuan took out 800 Large Silver Cakes and placed them on the counter, a dazzling pile gleaming with silver light.

On the counter, they formed a small mountain of silver.

Taking out such a vast sum of money at once to purchase a mystic medicine, Ning Xiaochuan could only smile bitterly, thinking to himself: This is all an initial investment. Once the elixir is refined, the returns will be tenfold or even a hundredfold.

"Clink, clatter!"

Immediately, a team of armored guards stepped forward to transport away the 800 Large Silver Cakes.

Ning Xiaochuan also received the bottle containing the Jade Marrow Essence.