Chapter 223: Establishing Authority Through Killing

Chapter 223: Establishing Authority Through Killing

The Dragon Slaying Blade could cleave through dragon scales and sever dragon tendons, renowned for its indestructible sharpness.

"Clang!"

Ning Xiaochuan's furious strike landed on Lin Zhirong's neck, sparks erupting as the blade clashed against metal. Lin Zhirong's neck, as if forged from divine iron, remained uncut even by the Dragon Slaying Blade. Only a white mark was left on his skin, without a single drop of blood.

This sight stunned many. Had Lin Zhirong truly cultivated an Indestructible Divine Body?

The Dragon Slaying Blade was a Forbidden Military Artifact, capable of slicing through all Divine Abilities. Even Black Iron would be as easy to cut as tofu. Yet, it couldn't pierce Lin Zhirong's skin?

Ning Xiaochuan's expression shifted slightly. Even if Lin Zhirong had reached the Transcendent Realm Fourth Layer, his physical body shouldn't be this formidable. No matter how strong, could he surpass a Divine Dragon?

With the blade still pressed against Lin Zhirong's neck, the latter sneered disdainfully, "You can't even break my Nine Lives Unbreakable Armor. Do you still have the right to fight me?"

Lin Zhirong's strength didn't come from a body surpassing a Divine Dragon, but from an unparalleled armor—the Nine Lives Unbreakable Armor. This armor was forged from the Mortal Skin of nine Transcendent Realm Martial Artists, refined into a single piece.

The Nine Lives Unbreakable Armor fused with the wearer's skin, becoming one with their body. This was why even the Dragon Slaying Blade couldn't breach Lin Zhirong's defenses. Unless a Martial Venerable intervened, ordinary attacks couldn't harm him.

"Roar!"

Golden light erupted from Lin Zhirong's palm as Profound Qi surged from his body, transforming into a Golden Dragon Claw that struck toward Ning Xiaochuan's chest.

This was a critical moment. If the Golden Dragon Claw landed, even if his body wasn't torn apart, he would suffer severe injuries.

"Sun and Moon Sharing the Sky!"

A moon and a blazing sun flew out from Ning Xiaochuan's heart, forming a Yin-Yang Sun-Moon Diagram. It spun rapidly, creating a massive vortex that sucked the Golden Dragon Claw into its depths.

Seizing this brief respite, Ning Xiaochuan finally regained the chance to counterattack.

"Boom!"

Gathering all his Lightning power, Ning Xiaochuan's palm transformed into a thunderous sphere, smashing into the center of the Golden Dragon Claw and shattering it.

Lin Zhirong's palm was struck, his entire arm numbed, bones aching as his Profound Qi churned violently. Though the Dragon Slaying Blade couldn't pierce the Nine Lives Unbreakable Armor, the sheer force of the attack still reverberated through the armor, striking his body.

He hastily retreated, stepping with the Seven Stars Step, landing 33 meters away in a defensive stance.

"The Nine Lives Unbreakable Armor isn't invincible. Absolute power can still crush you through that layer of skin!"

Ning Xiaochuan sheathed the Dragon Slaying Blade and advanced step by step, his hands manipulating the Yin-Yang Sun-Moon Diagram as he pressed toward Lin Zhirong.

This was the ninth Divine Ability born within Ning Xiaochuan, its power extraordinary. The sun's radiance was blinding, while the moon's glow was piercingly cold.

Two extreme forces collided together, like the sun and moon rotating in the dark universe, unleashing power capable of shaking heaven and earth.

Lin Zhirong naturally felt no fear. No matter how formidable Ning Xiaochuan's divine abilities were, his cultivation was only at the Transcendent Realm Second Layer.

A difference of two realms was like the gap between heaven and earth.

Lin Zhirong summoned the Manifestation Wheel once more, conjuring phantom images of a Dragon Elephant, a Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion, an Earth Lizard, and a Divine Dragon.

To cultivate this Martial Arts Divine Ability, he had once consumed the blood of these four creatures, allowing him to harness their power.

Boom! Boom!

The two mighty divine abilities clashed, completely obliterating the Ling Qi Pavilion. Every tower and pavilion collapsed.

"Who is this guy? He can actually go toe-to-toe with the Young Master?"

"He wields the Dragon Slaying Blade—he might be from the imperial court, possibly even the Slaughter God Camp."

"I heard earlier that Miss Duanmu called him Ning Xiaochuan. Why does that name sound so familiar? Like I’ve heard it somewhere before."

"I feel the same. It does ring a bell."

Ning Xiaochuan and Lin Zhirong moved with incredible speed, bursting out of the Ling Qi Pavilion and continuing their battle atop Xiaoyao Peak. Ancient giant trees were shattered, mountain streams were severed, and massive boulders tumbled down.

A golden pillar of light erupted from Lin Zhirong’s body, condensing into a dragon-shaped divine ability. The radiance collided against the cliff, shearing off a massive chunk of rock.

Ning Xiaochuan unleashed the "Sun and Moon Sharing the Sky" Martial Arts Divine Ability once more, a blazing sun and a full moon hovering above his head, shattering every divine ability Lin Zhirong unleashed.

The two shifted from divine ability clashes to physical combat, like two ferocious Mystic Beasts.

Their bodies contained boundless energy, seemingly inexhaustible.

"This is bad. Ning Xiaochuan’s injuries haven’t fully healed. If he keeps fighting Lin Zhirong head-on, he’ll suffer." Duanmu Linger grew worried.

Her gaze lifted, spotting a slender white figure standing atop a tree branch.

The woman wore a golden mask, her black hair cascading like a waterfall. Dragon-shaped Profound Qi swirled around her body, veiled by mist, making her appear ethereal and mysterious.

"Saintess, please stop them from fighting," Duanmu Linger pleaded.

At this moment, the only one capable of stopping Ning Xiaochuan and Lin Zhirong was the Demon Sect Saintess.

She had been silently observing their battle, only now deciding to intervene.

With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a white divine ribbon, transforming it into an ancient bridge connecting heaven and earth, attempting to separate the two.

Whoosh!

Just then, a sword light sliced through the darkness, severing the bridge.

A tall, gaunt Elderly Man with disheveled hair emerged from the forest, a serpentine Mystic Artifact sword hovering above his head.

His face was lined with wrinkles as he bowed slightly to the Demon Sect Saintess. "Our Young Master is avenging his wife. I hope the Saintess will understand his grief and allow him to slay his enemy."

The Demon Sect Saintess said coldly, "Camel Elder, you dare strike at me?"

This old man was called "Camel Elder," an eighty-nine-year-old elder of the Lifeless Dao and a highly respected figure within the Demon Sect.

"I wouldn't dare! How could this old man presume to cross blades with Your Highness the Saintess? I merely beg Your Highness not to interfere in this matter." A sharp glint flashed deep within Camel Elder's pupils, for in his heart, he held little respect for this young Saintess.

"Are you threatening me?" the Demon Sect Saintess said.

"I wouldn't dare! It's just... this is indeed an internal affair of the Lifeless Dao. If Your Highness insists on meddling, and the Dao Lord demands an explanation, none of us can bear the responsibility."

A cold sneer rose in Camel Elder's heart. A mere girl, with no prestige or achievements in the Demon Sect—do you really think you can intimidate anyone? What a joke.

The Demon Sect Saintess was far too shrewd not to recognize that Camel Elder was invoking the name of the Lifeless Dao Lord to pressure her, hoping to make her back down.

After all, she had spent most of her years in the Imperial City. Though she held the title of Demon Sect Saintess, she had yet to establish her own authority.

In the Demon Sect, without overwhelming strength, these old demons would never submit to her.

Her arrival at Nine Death Cliff had been precisely to find an opportunity to cement her standing within the sect. She had been searching for a suitable target—and now, Camel Elder had delivered himself to her doorstep.

When a man seeks death, nothing can stop him.

"Your Lifeless Dao is truly overbearing, daring to threaten this Saintess. This is insubordination—a crime punishable by death."

The aura around the Demon Sect Saintess turned icy, and the very air grew frigid, the temperature plummeting as if the world had become a vast ice cellar.

Moisture in the air condensed into ice crystals, merging into snowflakes.

Her arms were wreathed in white petals, gathering into a torrent of snow that slashed toward Camel Elder.

"If Your Highness wishes to exchange a few moves, then this old man shall humbly oblige."

Camel Elder, whose cultivation neared the Earthly Venerable Realm and whose combat prowess rivaled half a Martial Venerable, naturally looked down on this little girl. With a cold laugh, he swung his Serpentine Battle Sword.

The Sword Qi surged like a tidal wave, forming a massive serpent's head that radiated blinding brilliance.

The battle sword shattered the snowflakes, its razor-sharp momentum driving straight toward the Demon Sect Saintess's heart.

Swish!

A white figure streaked down, landing directly before Camel Elder. A pale, beautiful hand clamped onto the Serpentine Battle Sword in his grip.

To seize a Mystic Artifact battle sword barehanded—how terrifyingly fast!

Camel Elder's expression shifted slightly as he tried to retract his sword and retreat.

But the Demon Sect Saintess wrenched the Serpentine Battle Sword from his grasp with overwhelming force. In her hand, the blade flashed—and Camel Elder's arm was severed at the shoulder, blood gushing forth.

"Ah—!"

A low, agonized cry escaped Camel Elder's lips as he staggered back, his mind reeling in shock. How is this girl so strong?!

The Demon Sect Saintess landed lightly, gripping the Serpentine Battle Sword as she advanced step by step. She pressed the blade against Camel Elder's neck, drawing a crimson line of blood.

"Who do you think you are?" she said coldly. "When this Saintess acts, what right do you have to instruct me?"

"I wouldn't dare... I wouldn't dare..." Camel Elder's eyes were wide with terror. Suppressing the pain in his shoulder, he retreated unsteadily.

The battle sword remained at his throat, its Sword Qi flickering along the edge, ready to sever his head at any moment.

The Demon Sect Saintess said, "Kneel."

"You..."

Camel Elder felt humiliated, his teeth clenched tightly as he refused to kneel.

He was a prominent figure of the Demon Sect—even when facing the Dao Lord of the Lifeless Dao, he had never needed to bow or kneel.

"If you don’t kneel, you die."

The Demon Sect Saintess exuded overwhelming dominance, unleashing a terrifying wave of Freezing Energy that froze Camel Elder’s blood solid, leaving his body trembling uncontrollably.

Her war sword pierced his neck, sinking 3 centimeters deep as blood gushed out, pooling into a small Blood Pool at his feet.

Thud.

In the end, Camel Elder’s legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees.

Swish.

With a single swing of the Demon Sect Saintess’s sword, his head flew off, tumbling into the grass like a ball.

Even as his head soared through the air, Camel Elder’s eyes remained wide open—until death, he couldn’t understand why he had been killed despite kneeling.