Chapter 29: The Bloody Incident Triggered by the Blood Toad Wood

Chapter 29: The Bloody Incident Triggered by the Blood Toad Wood

To send a Sixth Level of Profound Qi expert flying with a single palm strike—this was no ordinary feat.

"Seventh Level of Profound Qi!"

Cui Buping was shocked. For Ning Xiaochuan to reach the Seventh Level of Profound Qi at such a young age, he must be a genius disciple from a prominent family. This was no small matter—today might very well spell disaster!

Cui Buping knew better than to provoke a genius from a major clan, but he was already in too deep. Giving up the Blood Toad Wood, which was practically within his grasp, was absolutely out of the question.

Things had just gotten complicated. This young man had actually reached the Seventh Level of Profound Qi—he wouldn’t be easy to deal with!

Though Cui Buping was at the Eighth Level of Profound Qi, he was well aware that disciples from prominent families were trained in sword techniques and martial arts from childhood. Even if his opponent was only at the Seventh Level, his combat prowess couldn’t be underestimated. If Ning Xiaochuan tried to flee, Cui Buping wasn’t confident he could kill him.

"Everyone, listen up! Surround this place—don’t let either of them escape. I’ll deal with this brat myself!" Cui Buping drew the Black Magnet Ancient Sword from his waist. With a swing of his arm, Profound Qi enveloped the ancient blade, unleashing an eight-foot-long dark radiance that showcased his formidable Profound Qi fluctuations.

"Eighth Level of Profound Qi."

Ning Xiaochuan had never fought a warrior at the Eighth Level before, so he immediately grew cautious.

A single realm difference meant a vast disparity in strength.

If not for the trump card of the "Profound Qi Sword," Ning Xiaochuan wouldn’t have been confident in defeating an Eighth Level warrior. Now, he had to fight for his life.

"Boom!"

Cui Buping stomped the ground with such force that the stone pavement caved in. With a flick of his wrist, his sword slashed out, sending nine sword shadows piercing toward Ning Xiaochuan’s nine vital points.

Ning Xiaochuan naturally didn’t dare to clash head-on. After all, he could only use the Profound Qi Sword once. If he failed to kill his enemy in one strike, he would undoubtedly be the one to die.

Caution. He had to be cautious.

He needed to wait for the perfect opportunity.

"Swish!"

A sharp surge of Profound Qi grazed Ning Xiaochuan’s neck, severing a lock of his hair and nearly taking his head off.

Cui Buping naturally wouldn’t let this chance slip. He accelerated the circulation of his Profound Qi, aiming to end the fight swiftly and capture Ning Xiaochuan in one decisive move.

Just as Cui Buping’s Profound Qi reached its peak, Ning Xiaochuan suddenly halted, a glint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Now.

When Profound Qi peaked, Cui Buping would inevitably pause for a split second to catch his breath.

That brief moment was all Ning Xiaochuan needed to condense the Profound Qi Sword.

That split second would decide life or death.

"Profound Qi Sword!"

Profound Qi gathered in both of Ning Xiaochuan’s hands, merging into a crimson blade. With a horizontal slash, a sweeping wave of red sword energy erupted.

Horror filled Cui Buping’s eyes. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that a Seventh Level warrior could condense the Profound Qi Sword.

"Bang!"

The Black Magnet Ancient Sword in Cui Buping’s hand was cleaved in two by the Profound Qi Sword—such an Ordinary Item stood no chance against it.

"Thud!"

The Profound Qi Sword cleanly severed both of Cui Buping’s thighs. His upper body collapsed into a pool of blood, his agonized wails echoing as despair flooded his eyes.

Even his legs had been severed, sealing his fate for today.

"I refuse to accept this, I refuse..." Cui Buping muttered incessantly.

While Ning Xiaochuan and Cui Buping were engaged in their fight, Murong Wushuang had already gone to kill the dozen or so martial artists from the Mystic Leaf Pavilion, tossing their corpses off the cliff.

In this world where the strong prey on the weak, those who hesitate are doomed to weakness for life.

Both Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang knew that the people of the Mystic Leaf Pavilion had to die—every last one of them. If even a single one escaped, news of the Blood Toad Wood would spread.

Once martial experts rushed to South Moon Mountain, their strength would be no match, and they would inevitably lose the Blood Toad Wood. In the end, both of them would die because of it.

Thus, everyone who knew about the Blood Toad Wood had to die—there was no other possibility.

Cui Buping stared at Murong Wushuang, his face pale, and said, "So you're also a martial expert, at the Seventh Level of Profound Qi! Had I known you were both this strong, I would have brought more experts."

Murong Wushuang lifted his chopping knife and replied, "Too bad regret isn't something you can buy."

"Wait! I'm not the only one who lied to you."

Cui Buping pointed at Ning Xiaochuan and sneered, "He's also after the Blood Toad Wood. If you kill me, he’ll definitely kill you too. He’s already mastered the Profound Qi Sword—you’re no match for him."

Murong Wushuang paused, glancing at Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan remained calm. "I’m not like you. He begged me to buy it, so I took that leaf."

Murong Wushuang thought for a moment, then flushed with embarrassment.

Ning Xiaochuan continued, "Besides, offering 50,000 Small Coins for information about the Blood Toad Wood is already a fair price."

Knowing he had no chance of survival, Cui Buping sought to drag someone down with him, deliberately stirring conflict between Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang. He mocked, "50,000 Small Coins for a Blood Toad Wood tree? That’s a fair price? A single Blood Toad Wood tree is worth at least 100 million Small Coins!"

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head. "I can only offer 50,000 Small Coins—no more. For an ordinary person, too much money isn’t necessarily a good thing. It might even bring them disaster."

Cui Buping said darkly, "But he’s no ordinary person."

Ning Xiaochuan replied frankly, "Before entering South Moon Mountain, I didn’t know he had cultivated Profound Qi."

Cui Buping fell silent. Indeed, before entering South Moon Mountain, even he—a seasoned veteran at the Eighth Level of Profound Qi—hadn’t detected that Murong Wushuang had cultivated Profound Qi. This meant Murong Wushuang must possess some method or Mystic Artifact to conceal his cultivation.

Ning Xiaochuan had treated him as an ordinary person, offering 50,000 Small Coins for information about the Blood Toad Wood—truly a considerate gesture.

That sum wasn’t small—enough to sustain an ordinary family for three years. Yet it wasn’t excessive enough to invite danger.

This was what made Ning Xiaochuan truly remarkable—he neither sought to take advantage nor neglected the other’s safety.

Cui Buping's heart was filled with resentment, unable to believe there could be someone in this world without greed. He spat, "Lies! All lies... Hrk—"

"Thud!"

Murong Wushuang swung his arm, cleaving Cui Buping's head off with a single slash before tossing the corpse down the cliff. "This guy talked too much nonsense. Brother Chuan, you’re a good man."

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "How can you tell I’m a good person?"

Murong Wushuang replied, "I, Murong Wushuang, grew up as a street rat—stealing, cheating, and swindling. Though I’m not as clever as you, Brother Chuan, I can still tell good from bad. I’ve decided you’re a friend worth keeping. Of course, if you look down on a poor kid like me, just pretend I never said it."

Ning Xiaochuan clapped a hand on Murong Wushuang’s shoulder and laughed. "To be honest, compared to the Blood Toad Wood, 50,000 Small Coins are nothing. The Blood Toad Wood is crucial for me—it’ll help me rapidly advance my cultivation. I must obtain it and reach the Divine Body Realm within three months. Here’s my offer: I have a piece of Golden-Threaded Purple Wood infused with Earth Martial Essence stored by a Martial Venerable. Its value isn’t far from the Blood Toad Wood. I’ll trade it with you—how about that?"

Murong Wushuang shook his head. "I already said I want to be your friend. Consider the Blood Toad Wood a gift. As for the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood, keep it. A poor kid like me? If word got out I had such a treasure, I’d be dead in the streets by dawn."

"Fair enough. Then let me teach you a cultivation manual instead," Ning Xiaochuan said.

Murong Wushuang’s eyes instantly lit up. He grabbed Ning Xiaochuan’s shoulders, shaking him excitedly. "Brother Chuan, don’t mess with me! Major families guard their cultivation manuals like lifeblood—they’re their foundation. If your clan’s elders find out you shared one with an outsider, they’ll hunt us both down!"

Ning Xiaochuan waved it off. "My family is massive—unimaginably so. We have countless manuals. Aside from the supreme divine art, the rest aren’t so restricted."

The Jian Pavilion Marquis House was vast in wealth and power. Over centuries, it had conquered sects, annihilated sects, even slain a vicious Dragon, amassing numerous cultivation manuals. Ning Xiaochuan had browsed several decent ones in the Book Repository. His memory was sharp—he could still recall 80-90% of their contents.

Now that they’d reached the Blood Toad Wood’s location, Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t in a hurry to retrieve it. Instead, he found a stone slab and swiftly began inscribing a manual from memory.

"Swish! Swish!"

Using his finger as a brush, he carved at blinding speed, stone dust scattering to the ground. In less than an hour, an entire martial cultivation manual was etched onto the slab.

"Turtle Breath Immobility Art," Murong Wushuang murmured, staring at the slab, rubbing his hands in exhilaration. He couldn’t believe Ning Xiaochuan had truly gifted him a cultivation manual.

An actual cultivation manual!

Many prominent families possess only one cultivation manual, which serves as their foundation and treasured heritage, never to be shared. If leaked, all involved are eliminated.

Take the Ye family, the largest in the South Mountain Gathering—they own only the "Green Leaf Divine Art." Only direct descendants of the Ye family or those bound to them can learn this technique.

Yet Ning Xiaochuan casually writes out a cultivation manual without hesitation. Judging by the methods recorded within, this is no ordinary manual—it undoubtedly surpasses the "Green Leaf Divine Art."