Chapter 21: Yu Ningsheng

Chapter 21: Yu Ningsheng

"Hmph! Is that all?"

One of the burly Black-armored Warriors charged at Ning Xiaochuan again, raising his blade high. A three-foot-long surge of black Profound Qi erupted from the weapon, sending Ning Xiaochuan staggering back—even the war blade in his hand was knocked away.

The Black-armored Warrior gripped his sword and dashed forward, intent on finishing Ning Xiaochuan off.

At that moment, Ning Xiaochuan slapped the ground with his palm, flipping back onto his feet before delivering two swift punches to the warrior’s chest.

"Whoosh—"

The demonic sword flashed, doubling the speed of Ning Xiaochuan’s blood flow as it voraciously sucked the blood from the Seventh Level of Profound Qi Black-armored Warrior into his own body.

The warrior’s blood energy was far too potent—Ning Xiaochuan’s body felt like it was about to explode, beads of blood seeping from his pores.

"This is unbearable!"

"This warrior’s blood energy is far stronger than mine. My body can’t handle this much—my veins are about to burst!"

Once the demonic sword began absorbing blood, even Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t stop it.

Finally, just as Ning Xiaochuan felt his skin was on the verge of splitting apart, the Black-armored Warrior was drained into a withered corpse, collapsing to the ground.

Gradually, the blood was fully absorbed into the demonic sword’s blade, and Ning Xiaochuan finally exhaled in relief. He had nearly been torn apart—it seemed even the demonic sword had its limits in absorbing blood energy. If the blood energy had been any more overwhelming, it wouldn’t have been able to convert it in time.

Had it been a warrior at the Eighth Level of Mystic Qi, Ning Xiaochuan’s body would have undoubtedly exploded.

"My cultivation… I’ve reached the Seventh Level of Profound Qi!" Ning Xiaochuan’s heart swelled with joy. With a flick of his palm, a surge of Profound Qi shot out, slicing through a branch as thick as a bowl ten meters away.

Condensing Qi into Blade—this was the hallmark of reaching the Seventh Level of Profound Qi!

Once one attained this realm, it signified that their Martial Arts Profound Qi had reached a minor mastery, enabling them to kill from a distance.

"He actually broke through to the Seventh Level of Profound Qi!" The remaining Black-armored Warrior raised his blade defensively. Black Four and Black Two had died too mysteriously—both perishing from a single punch to their armor. This proved Ning Xiaochuan possessed some hidden method, capable of killing without a trace.

Now that Ning Xiaochuan had advanced to the Seventh Level of Profound Qi, his power had surged dramatically. His vision, hearing, and Profound Qi reserves had all improved significantly—even surpassing that of an average Seventh Level warrior. Thus, he no longer feared this Black-armored Warrior.

Ning Xiaochuan gripped his war blade once more, his gaze hardening.

The two charged at each other simultaneously, their movements a blur.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

……

Ning Xiaochuan’s strikes were lightning-fast, his body enveloped in crimson Profound Qi as each slash aimed for the warrior’s neck.

His Martial Arts Profound Qi was exceptionally dense—fourteen consecutive slashes rained down like an unrelenting tide, leaving the Black-armored Warrior no room to counter.

"Thud!"

Finally, Ning Xiaochuan’s blade severed the warrior’s neck, sending the body crashing heavily to the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his broad-backed battle blade as he gasped heavily. Although he had slain the black-armored warrior, he had sustained severe injuries—seven wounds in total, with the largest one nearly severing his left arm.

After resting for only three breaths, Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth against the pain and sprinted back with his blade in hand.

Among the five black-armored warriors, the strongest one was still alive.

Though the masked woman's cultivation was formidable, she might not be a match for that warrior. Ning Xiaochuan was a man who repaid kindness—since she had saved him, he wouldn’t flee alone.

By the time he returned to the main road, the battle had already ended. Many trees around had been severed by sword and blade energies, and the ground was covered in frost, with broken logs encased in thick ice.

This was the power of a true Martial Arts expert, surpassing ordinary Martial Arts Profound Qi. The ability to transform Profound Qi into frost, flames, or lightning was known as "Martial Arts Divine Abilities."

Only those who had reached the Divine Body Realm could manifest such abilities within themselves.

At the center of the road stood a massive ice sculpture—Black Scale and his Iron Lion Profound Beast were frozen inside, their bodies stiffened like an exquisite work of art.

Ning Xiaochuan gently pressed his palm against the ice sculpture.

Boom!

The sculpture shattered into countless fragments, scattering across the ground, along with the remains of Black Scale and the Iron Lion Profound Beast.

"Incredible!" Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t help but marvel.

"They are death warriors trained by the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, known as 'Dark Warriors.' Though they deliberately altered their armor to conceal their identities, they couldn’t hide the Martial Arts Profound Qi they cultivated. Within the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, fewer than five people have the authority to command the Dark Warriors."

The masked woman stood not far away, still clad in pristine white robes, graceful and breathtakingly beautiful. Her voice was ethereal, and dense white mist swirled around her, making her appear hazy and indistinct—like an immortal maiden among the clouds.

"Many thanks for saving me, Miss Yu. I am eternally grateful," Ning Xiaochuan said.

The masked woman’s voice turned cold as she glared at Yu Yan. "You told him my identity?"

Yu Yan immediately knelt, trembling. "Thank you, my lady, for saving me a third time. I owe you a debt I can never repay. But I beg you to spare Young Master Ning. I swear he will never reveal your identity."

Ning Xiaochuan added, "Miss Yu has shown me immense kindness. I would never speak of this matter. On the contrary, I owe her an immeasurable debt."

The masked woman sighed softly and let the matter drop. "This time, I didn’t come specifically to save you. I merely happened to pass by."

Ning Xiaochuan noticed her aura was unstable, the Profound Qi around her fluctuating chaotically—something impossible for a Martial Arts expert under normal circumstances.

Curious, he asked, "Miss Yu, are you injured?"

Yu Ningsheng never expected Ning Xiaochuan's perception to be so sharp. This guy was truly an anomaly—in just a few short days, he had broken through from the Fourth Level of Profound Qi to the Seventh Level of Profound Qi. Such a cultivation speed was something even she had never heard of or seen before. It could only be described as monstrous!

Yu Ningsheng had indeed been injured in her battle with Black Scale. A shard of the "Evil Dragon Scale" struck her chest, leaving a 10 cm long wound laced with toxicity. Even her Martial Arts Profound Qi struggled to stop the bleeding.

She knew Ning Xiaochuan practiced the Blood Devouring Demon Art and was likely a member of the Demon Sect. Since Demon Sect members were known for their unpredictability, she naturally didn’t plan to reveal her injury.

"I'm not hurt. Don’t meddle in my affairs," Yu Ningsheng said, intending to return to the city first and find a way to treat her wound later.

But she had underestimated the toxicity of the Evil Dragon Scale. After taking just three steps, as her blood circulated, the poison rapidly spread through her body, even threatening to invade her Martial Arts Heart Palace.

She immediately halted, not daring to take another step.

Ning Xiaochuan noticed something amiss and approached her. Seeing the bloodstains on her chest and the dark red venom oozing from the wound, he watched as beads of sweat formed on her pale forehead. Her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed.

Ning Xiaochuan swiftly caught her and deftly loosened the clothing around her chest, revealing a moon-white undergarment embroidered with a blue orchid.

After a brief hesitation, he tore open the undergarment as well, exposing the horrifying wound beneath.

"Y-You… what are you doing?" Yu Ningsheng hastily gathered her Martial Arts Profound Qi, but as soon as it circulated through her meridians, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The Evil Dragon Scale’s poison had already infiltrated her bloodstream. Channeling Profound Qi would only accelerate the venom’s spread toward her heart.

Ning Xiaochuan had once been a top-tier cardiologist in his past life. It was routine for him to remove a patient’s clothing before performing surgery—regardless of gender.

This was completely normal!

Frankly, Ning Xiaochuan had seen countless women’s upper bodies—even their private areas—without a single impure thought. To him, the person lying before him was simply a patient in need of treatment.

Wrapping his fingers in Martial Arts Profound Qi, he gently pressed his index and middle fingers against her wound, revealing a small black shard embedded within.

"Ugh!"

Yu Ningsheng flushed with both embarrassment and anger, her cheeks burning beneath her veil.

But when her eyes met Ning Xiaochuan’s, she found his gaze utterly clear and serious—devoid of even a trace of lust.

That look…

She had never seen anything like it before!

How could a man remain so composed after seeing a woman’s body? Did she truly hold no allure or temptation in his eyes?

Was her body not beautiful enough?

Yu Ningsheng prided herself on her beauty—if not peerless, then at least capable of toppling cities. Countless young talents had spent fortunes just for a glimpse of her. Yet, the way this young man looked at her made her question whether she was truly that captivating.

It was an incredibly intimate scene—one that even Yu Yan, standing at a distance, was stunned by. "Young… Young Master Ning… actually tore open the young lady’s clothes…"

If the geniuses and heroes in the imperial city were to witness this scene, they would surely tear Ning Xiaochuan into pieces.

Ning Xiaochuan used his Profound Qi to extract the black, iron-like foreign object from the wound, then carefully closed Yu Ningsheng’s robes.

He no longer looked at Yu Ningsheng, instead turning his attention to the black "iron sheet" in his hand.

This "iron sheet" resembled the scale of some creature, exuding a dense, chilling aura. A drop of poisonous blood dripped from it, instantly corroding the soil beneath with a sizzling sound.

"This must be the Evil Dragon Scale," Ning Xiaochuan muttered, his expression darkening.

"What is the Evil Dragon Scale?" Yu Yan asked while bandaging Yu Ningsheng’s wound.

Ning Xiaochuan explained, "I’ve read records about the Evil Dragon in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House’s archives. It’s said that sixty years ago, the previous generation’s Jian Pavilion Marquis led twelve supreme experts from the Marquis House to slay an Evil Dragon together. They brought the dragon’s corpse back to the Marquis House, where it became a priceless treasure of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House."

"However, during the dragon-slaying battle, the previous Jian Pavilion Marquis was struck by the dragon’s poisonous flames, burning half his body. Despite trying every method to purge the Evil Dragon’s poison after returning, he could not remove it. In the end, he survived only ten more years before dying."

"The Evil Dragon Scale is a weapon forged from the dragon’s scales, carrying potent toxicity. Though not as deadly as the dragon’s poisonous flames, it’s still something ordinary martial artists cannot withstand."

Yu Yan and Yu Ningsheng’s expressions changed drastically. The previous Jian Pavilion Marquis was a figure who shook the world—an absolute Martial Venerable. Even a Martial Venerable couldn’t resist the Evil Dragon’s poison?