Chapter 72: Immense Wealth

Chapter 72: Immense Wealth

The nest of the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion was built atop a trunk covered in deadly poisonous thorns, woven from strands of Poisonous Grass and Poisonous Trees, emitting flickering flames and measuring a full 12 meters in diameter.

At this moment, the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion lay sprawled in its nest, its nostrils inhaling the toxic fumes from the Poisonous Grass and Poisonous Trees, refining them into venom within its body. Meanwhile, the two triangular golden iron scales on its back absorbed the power of the Earth Fire from Fire Demon Mountain, converting it into its own vital energy.

Ning Xiaochuan stood beneath the nest, his body completely enveloped in the poisonous mist. His clothes were riddled with holes from the corrosive toxins, yet he dared not use Profound Qi to resist the poison. The moment his Profound Qi manifested, it would undoubtedly awaken the slumbering Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion.

Carefully, Ning Xiaochuan climbed up the trunk, reaching the edge of the Poisonous Grass nest. Up close, he saw the massive creature lying dormant in the nest, its carapace gleaming as if forged from pure gold, dazzlingly radiant.

Its snoring was thunderous, and golden Poison Mist billowed from its nostrils.

"Black Firewood Pearls!"

Ning Xiaochuan was overjoyed. Within the enormous nest, he spotted Black Firewood Pearls—and not just one.

The black orbs were as large as longan fruits, their surfaces shimmering with faint traces of flame.

One.

Two.

Three...

There was no telling how many Black Firewood Pearls there were, but all of them were pinned beneath the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion's body.

Apart from the Black Firewood Pearls, Ning Xiaochuan also spotted quite a few gold and silver treasures within the nest. Among them, the largest piece of silver was as big as a washbasin, emitting a blinding radiance that made it hard for the eyes to stay open.

This Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion had amassed quite a collection of treasures. If he could loot the entire nest, he would strike it rich. However, Ning Xiaochuan didn’t dare make a move now. The slightest attempt to take anything from the nest could awaken the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion.

Just as Ning Xiaochuan was racking his brain for a solution, the trunk suddenly shook violently. In the distance, the earth trembled, and the roars of countless mystic beasts echoed through the air.

"Damn it!"

Ning Xiaochuan immediately curled up and hid beneath the nest, peering into the distance. A slender figure was sprinting toward him at full speed.

That figure was none other than Qi Chan'er. At the moment, she was covered in wounds, looking utterly disheveled.

Despite narrowly escaping death several times, she had failed to shake off the mystic beasts chasing her. In the end, she had no choice but to turn back, hoping to follow Ning Xiaochuan’s path in search of a chance to survive—and thus, she barged into this Dangerous Area.

Ning Xiaochuan was speechless. He had initially urged her to flee with him, but she had refused. Now, what was she doing here?

Was she deliberately trying to wake the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion?

Ning Xiaochuan was right beside the poisonous nest. If the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion woke up and spotted him, he wouldn’t even have a chance to escape.

"Boom!"

The Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion was indeed awakened.

Fury consumed it. Its eyes turned blood-red as it stood atop the 20-meter-high trunk, glaring down at Qi Chan'er and the pack of mystic beasts below. It let out a deafening roar.

Yes—a roar from a scorpion’s mouth!

The mystic beasts on the ground were instantly cowed by the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion’s domineering aura, trembling uncontrollably before turning tail and fleeing.

Qi Chan'er was also thoroughly frightened. She circulated the Martial Arts Profound Qi within her body and fled swiftly in another direction.

Fortunately, the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion did not pursue her, deeming a "small fry" like Qi Chan'er unworthy of its effort.

The Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion leaped from its nest onto the ground and chased after the fleeing mystic beasts, spewing Golden Poison Mist from its mouth.

A perfect opportunity!

Seeing the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion chase far away, Ning Xiaochuan directly stuffed its enormous nest into the Heaven and Earth Bag, then jumped down from the tree trunk and fled at full speed in the opposite direction.

By taking the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion's nest, Ning Xiaochuan was certain to provoke its utter fury, so now he had to escape as far as possible.

Suddenly, a slender figure appeared ahead, blocking Ning Xiaochuan's path.

She was like a gentle breeze, her body soft and boneless, her curves flawless. Staring at the Heaven and Earth Bag at Ning Xiaochuan's waist, she said, "I saw you take the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion's nest."

Ning Xiaochuan glared at Qi Chan'er blocking his way, then anxiously glanced behind him. "You’re not thinking of double-crossing me, are you?"

"I’m not that greedy, but at the very least, I deserve a share since I witnessed it."

Qi Chan'er also knew the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion's wealth must be astonishing and naturally wanted a piece of it. After a pause, she added, "You’re severely injured right now. With your strength alone, you can’t possibly protect such a massive fortune. I can protect you until your injuries heal."

Qi Chan'er assumed Ning Xiaochuan was still heavily wounded, but she didn’t know that after absorbing the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion's poison mist, his injuries had already recovered by thirty to forty percent. Though it would still take a few days of rest to return to his peak, he was more than capable of holding his own against a First Level of Divine Body Realm martial artist.

The reason Qi Chan'er didn’t attack Ning Xiaochuan to seize the Heaven and Earth Bag was that earlier, he had told her to "turn left."

And as it turned out, turning left was the path to survival, allowing her to escape death.

It was precisely because of this that she developed a slight fondness for Ning Xiaochuan, believing he wasn’t the same kind of scheming, despicable villain as Xiao Li.

Ning Xiaochuan glanced behind him again, then nodded fiercely. "Fine! A finder’s share it is. Let’s get out of here first."

With that, the two continued fleeing forward.

Not long after, an enraged roar echoed from the dense forest they had just left.

The Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion spewed Golden Poison Mist, filling the entire mountain forest, corroding the massive trees until they were stripped bare. One by one, the towering trees were toppled.

"Boom!"

It advanced deep into the Fire Demon Mountain Range, knocking down trees in its path. Everywhere it went, mystic beasts scattered in terror, thoroughly frightened.

Ning Xiaochuan and Qi Chan'er hid on a secluded cliff, their bodies pressed together in a small cave, watching as the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion charged deeper into the Fire Demon Mountain Range.

A horrifying trail of destruction was left in its wake.

Along the way, several examinees were slaughtered in its fury, dying without even understanding who they had offended.

From the depths of the Fire Demon Mountain Range came the shrill cry of a bird.

Standing on the cliff, one could see a massive black shadow within the clouds, extending a giant cyan claw to seize the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion as if plucking a golden insect, then feeding it into its mouth. Despite the vast distance, Ning Xiaochuan could still sense the terrifying aura emanating from the colossal shadow, oppressive enough to make breathing difficult.

"What kind of creature is that, capable of capturing the Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion in a single claw and making it its meal?" Only after the shadow in the clouds vanished did Qi Chan'er finally exhale in relief, though her shock only deepened.

Ning Xiaochuan gently nudged Qi Chan'er aside before climbing out of the cave and sitting at the edge of the cliff, exhaling deeply. His clothes, previously corroded by the Poison Mist, were now tattered, hanging off him like ragged scraps. In the urgency of the moment, the two had squeezed into the narrow cave, their bodies nearly pressed together.

Ning Xiaochuan knew well that for a noblewoman like Qi Chan'er, reputation was paramount. Fearing she might demand responsibility for such minor physical contact—a hassle he wanted to avoid—he had proactively pushed her away and climbed out first.

But in the end, Ning Xiaochuan had misread her thoughts.

At this moment, Qi Chan'er was thoroughly annoyed. He had pushed her away—and worse, he’d acted as if he found her repulsive.

Good heavens! By any measure, she was a peerless beauty, pursued by no fewer than eight hundred young talents, if not a thousand. Even if someone were to suffer a loss, it should be her! Yet now, it seemed as if he was the one who’d been wronged.

Qi Chan'er climbed out of the narrow cave and sat beside Ning Xiaochuan, deliberately inching closer. The fierce winds on the cliff whipped her long dress and hair, swaying like willow catkins, as she said, "Qi Chan'er of Marquis Qi Tian's Manor. And you?"

Ning Xiaochuan silently replenished the severely depleted Heaven and Earth Profound Qi within him and replied, "Ning Xiaochuan of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House."

Upon hearing this name, Qi Chan'er's bright eyes widened as she scrutinized him from head to toe. "So you're the 'Greatest Love-Obsessed Fool in the World,' Ning Xiaochuan?"

A look of sudden understanding flashed in her eyes. No wonder he had pushed a peerless beauty away earlier—he was the same man who dared defy imperial authority for a brothel woman!

Qi Chan'er's wariness toward Ning Xiaochuan vanished entirely, replaced by keen interest. "I heard you risked your life to steal 800 million Small Coins from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House's treasury to redeem Yu Ningsheng?"

Ning Xiaochuan ignored her, silently circulating the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to heal his injuries. In the perilous Fire Demon Mountain Range, he needed to recover his peak condition as quickly as possible.

Qi Chan'er continued, "I heard you dared to insult the Emperor in front of the Cloud Marquis just to help Yu Ningsheng gain her freedom?"

"I heard you rejected Princess Qianqian and even the Emperor's arranged marriage—all for Yu Ningsheng?"

Ning Xiaochuan remained silent, focused on his cultivation.

Qi Chan'er pressed on, "I heard your martial talent is extraordinary, that you once fought Xiao Li to a standstill?"

Ning Xiaochuan impatiently opened his eyes and finally spoke, "The person I killed earlier was Xiao Li."

"What?"

Qi Chan'er was instantly stunned.

She knew Xiao Li had been taken in as a disciple by a high-ranking figure from the Emperor's Martial Palace, the only genius to be exceptionally admitted into the institution. However, she had never actually met Xiao Li in person.

Earlier, when Xiao Li deliberately approached her, he hadn’t revealed his real name. So it was only now that she learned the genius, whose talent was said to rival the Cloud Marquis, had already been killed by Ning Xiaochuan.

"No wonder! No wonder!" Qi Chan'er had previously witnessed the two of them in battle and found their cultivation levels to be unbelievably strong.

Upon learning that these two were Xiao Li and Ning Xiaochuan, she immediately felt it made sense. If just any two young warriors were that powerful, she would have been deeply disheartened.

In her heart, she silently acknowledged that today she had truly witnessed the character and cultivation of the 'Greatest Love-Obsessed Fool in the World.' Indeed, he lived up to being an outstanding individual of the younger generation—truly admirable!