Chapter 33: Profound Qi Sword Triple Slash

Chapter 33: Profound Qi Sword Triple Slash

By the time Ning Xiaochuan returned to Haitang Manor, it was already the afternoon of the following day.

Ning Xiaochuan placed the severely injured old man he had carried back onto an ice bed at the center of a small lake. This ice bed was carved from a single block of glacial stone. For martial artists, meditating on an ice bed could calm the mind, steady the spirit, and protect the blood, making it a treasure for cultivation. Only the descendants of great families or noble houses could afford such a luxury.

Tianchenzi’s injuries were extremely severe, and he had now fallen into a state of suspended animation, his senses completely shut off, rendering him unable to heal himself. External assistance was necessary.

Ning Xiaochuan used lock nails to reattach Tianchenzi’s spine and silk thread to suture his wounds. Layer after layer of white cloth wrapped Tianchenzi’s entire body, sealing him tightly like a mummy.

Yu Yan stood nearby, continuously passing Ning Xiaochuan various tools as she watched him cut open Tianchenzi’s flesh with a blade, nail bones with lock nails, and stitch flesh with needle and thread—even a piece of skull was sewn back into place. Ning Xiaochuan’s hands were soon drenched in blood, the scene so gruesome that Yu Yan vomited several times and nearly fainted.

"Y-Young Master… is it over?" Yu Yan’s face was pale, her forehead glistening with fine beads of sweat.

Ning Xiaochuan washed his hands with clean water and said, "Hand me the Blood Nourishing Liquid and Bone Mending Liquid."

Yu Yan passed him two small jade vials.

Ning Xiaochuan poured out two drops of the mystic medicine from the vials onto his palm, which was enveloped in Martial Arts Profound Qi. The two drops dispersed, merging with the Profound Qi before being channeled into Tianchenzi’s body.

The glow of Martial Arts Profound Qi flickered twice over Tianchenzi’s body before being absorbed by his wounded form.

Yu Yan’s lips trembled as she asked, "Young Master, can he still survive?"

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head. "An ordinary person would undoubtedly be dead. But this man is a martial arts expert, his body many times stronger than a normal person’s. If his will is firm enough, there’s still a chance he might pull through. I’ve done all I can—now it’s up to him."

Ning Xiaochuan gave Yu Yan 30,000 Small Coins and instructed her to purchase Heart Nurturing Grass and Bone Mending Grass. Then, he walked over to the Blood Toad Wood tree to continue his cultivation and replenish the expended Profound Qi in his body.

Ning Xiaochuan took out a short blade and cut off a piece of Blood Toad Wood weighing half a kilogram. The blood-red wood was translucent, like a crimson gemstone, cool to the touch and exuding a woody fragrance.

Boom!

Using Martial Arts Profound Qi, Ning Xiaochuan shattered the piece of Blood Toad Wood into fine powder, absorbing it into his bloodstream and directing it to his heart, where he began refining it.

It took an entire day and night for Ning Xiaochuan to fully refine the half-kilogram of Blood Toad Wood into Blood Toad Liquid.

Dozens of drops of Blood Toad Liquid were condensed into a single mass the size of a pigeon’s egg, its color even more vivid than fresh blood.

If these drops could be extracted from his body, they would fetch at least 800,000 Small Coins.

But before Ning Xiaochuan could expel the Blood Toad Liquid from his body, it was absorbed by the demonic sword within his Demon Ventricle.

The Demon Ventricle and Heart Ventricle once again began to chase each other, transforming into a Taiji pattern that spun wildly like a vortex, stimulating the conversion of Earth Martial Essence into Martial Arts Profound Qi within his body.

The demonic sword absorbed this mass of Blood Toad Liquid, causing Ning Xiaochuan's cultivation to surge violently once more.

Ning Xiaochuan sat cross-legged beneath the Blood Toad Wood, surrounded by countless strands of Martial Arts Profound Qi. The Profound Qi formed wisps of smoke-like currents that enveloped his body. Any living being that came within three meter of him would be attacked by the Profound Qi.

"Whoosh—"

The speed of blood flow within Ning Xiaochuan's body increased once more, growing faster and faster.

He spent three full days absorbing three jin of Blood Toad Wood.

His blood flow speed reached six cycles per minute, and his body became unimaginably strong. Now, even if he picked up a rock and smashed it against his own head, it would be the rock that shattered, not his skull.

At this point, condensing the "Profound Qi Sword" had become effortless for him—he could summon it with a mere thought.

"Profound Qi Sword!"

Ning Xiaochuan pressed his palms together, and a longsword condensed from Profound Qi appeared in his hands. With a swing, he slashed at the surface of the small lake, the sword energy briefly parting the waters.

"Profound Qi Sword!"

In an instant, Ning Xiaochuan condensed a second Profound Qi Sword and slashed it into the lake.

"Profound Qi Sword!"

As the second sword vanished, he immediately condensed a third and struck the lake once more.

Profound Qi Sword—Triple Slash.

The lake waters churned violently, crashing against the shore and startling the fish, which leaped to the surface in panic.

Back when he was at the Seventh Level of Profound Qi, Ning Xiaochuan needed half an hour to recover his Profound Qi after using the Profound Qi Sword once.

Now, he could unleash three consecutive Profound Qi Swords in an extremely short time, one after another, with each strike's power stacking upon the last—each sword stronger than the one before.

This was the strongest killing move he could currently execute, and he named it the "Profound Qi Sword Triple Slash."

Of course, this was the limit of his current cultivation. Once his strength improved further, he might even achieve a "Quadruple Slash," "Quintuple Slash"... As long as his Profound Qi was strong enough, even reaching a "Nonuple Slash" was within the realm of possibility.

"Right now, I can circulate my blood six cycles per minute. To reach the Ninth Level of Profound Qi, I must reach seven cycles per minute."

On the surface, it seemed like just a difference of one cycle, but in reality, the gap was enormous.

It was like one person running 100 meters in seven seconds, while another could do it in six. Though it only seemed like a second's difference, breaking through that barrier required one's physical constitution to ascend to an entirely new level.

"Though I'm only at the Eighth Level of Profound Qi now, if I use the Profound Qi Sword Triple Slash, I can rival a Ninth Level Profound Qi martial artist. And with the Blood Toad Wood, I should be able to break through to the Ninth Level soon." Ning Xiaochuan's gaze sharpened, his resolve on the path of strength growing firmer by the moment.

Though he hadn't joined the Jian Pavilion Marquis's elite disciples on their expedition to the Five Desolate Ridges, he would surpass those so-called geniuses. He would become stronger than them all.

...

The walls of Haitang Manor stood a towering 21 meters high, comparable to the ramparts of a small city.

Upon the wall, inside a watchtower, an elderly man and a middle-aged man clad in heavy armor sat drinking together. The surrounding guards had all been dismissed, leaving only the two of them in the tower.

The elderly man was none other than Steward Qiu of Haitang Manor. Though advanced in years, he showed no signs of frailty, instead exuding the bearing of a martial expert. His cultivation had reached the peak of the Eighth Level of Profound Qi, and he managed all affairs within Haitang Manor.

The middle-aged man in heavy armor was Ye Chenglong, the guard commander of Haitang Manor. Under his command were 500 guards, and his own cultivation had reached the Ninth Level of Profound Qi, granting him immense prestige within the manor. Before Ning Xiaochuan arrived, he had effectively been the master of Haitang Manor, with every matter decided by his word.

Steward Qiu slid a black wooden box across the table and smiled faintly. "This is something Fourth Master asked me to deliver to Commander Ye. He said that those who serve him will never lack rewards."

Ye Chenglong lifted the lid slightly, and a green light spilled out—inside was a box filled with Green Gold, no less than 100 taels.

His heart pounded fiercely. A hundred taels of Green Gold was equivalent to a million Small Coins—a staggering sum that stirred his greed. "It would be my honor to serve Fourth Master," he said eagerly. "Does he have any instructions?"

Steward Qiu lowered his voice. "Fourth Master suspects that an expert is aiding Ning the Sickly from the shadows. He hopes we can cooperate in uncovering this person."

Ye Chenglong's eyes narrowed, and he stiffened slightly. "Does Fourth Master believe this expert is hiding within Haitang Manor?"

Steward Qiu's gaze turned sharp as a hawk's. "Recently, Ning the Sickly has forbidden anyone from entering the Purple Qi Garden where he resides. There must be some secret hidden there. We must find a way to investigate."

Ye Chenglong smirked and nodded. "He hasn't stepped outside for days. Slipping in unnoticed won't be easy."

Steward Qiu said, "Then we must find a way to lure him out of the Purple Qi Garden. Only then can we uncover its secrets."

"What method should we use?" Ye Chenglong pondered.

As Steward Qiu and Ye Chenglong plotted, a youth of fifteen or sixteen slowly approached the walls of Haitang Manor below.

This youth was none other than Murong Wushuang.

Today, he had deliberately changed into slightly cleaner clothes, though they were still patched in several places and had clearly been washed countless times. In his hand, he carried a large hen, its legs bound with straw as he held it upside down.

The hen clucked incessantly.

Murong Wushuang had been practicing the Turtle Breath Immobility Art these past few days and had achieved minor success, breaking through to the Eighth Level of Profound Qi. Today, he had come specifically to visit Ning Xiaochuan.

He thought it would be too embarrassing to arrive empty-handed—he had to bring a gift.

So, he stole the large hen from his neighbor Lin Sanzhi's coop. Early in the morning, he arrived outside Haitang Manor with the hen in hand, ready to pay his respects to Ning Xiaochuan.

Murong Wushuang stood beneath the towering walls, gazing at the vermilion gate before him, and remarked, "Damn, this is truly the house of the wealthy. This estate must employ at least several hundred servants alone!" He then called up to the guards on the wall, "Hey! Don't tell me such a massive manor doesn't even have a single gatekeeper?"