Chapter 93: Dire News

Chapter 93: Dire News

After entering the small door, the Yin Soldiers and Undead Servants ceased their pursuit, remaining outside to howl in frustration. Clearly, they feared the door and dared not cross its threshold.

Princess Lanfei retreated inside as well, her voice urgent. "What do we do now? The entire Demon Palace’s Yin Soldiers and Undead Servants have been alerted. If we go back out, we’re dead for sure."

"Do you think this place is any better?"

Ning Xiaochuan turned to peer deeper into the passage beyond the door, sensing an eerie sound emanating from within. He had a feeling the world inside would be far more terrifying than the one outside.

"Why aren’t they attacking you?" Ning Xiaochuan mused. "Do they only target those who take treasures from the Demon Palace?"

He retrieved the crimson Ancient Cauldron and placed it on the ground. Immediately, the Yin Soldiers and Undead Servants grew calm, their eyes turning vacant as if Ning Xiaochuan had vanished from their sight. They dispersed, retreating into the shadows.

Just as he thought.

But before Ning Xiaochuan could relax, a massive, blood-drenched claw suddenly shot out from the depths of the doorway, seized the Ancient Cauldron, and dragged it inside.

"What the—?!"

Ning Xiaochuan gave chase, his body wreathed in Lightning as he accelerated, pursuing the bloody claw and the cauldron for over a hundred meters before skidding to a halt—face-to-face with a horrifying sight.

A vast, dark space stretched before him, thick with the pungent stench of Blood Qi. At its center floated an enormous heart, easily ten thousand times larger than a human’s—a grotesque, crimson mountain suspended in the void.

Thump… Thump… Thump…

The heart pulsed at regular intervals, emitting eerie noises that sounded like countless ghosts wailing from within, sending chills down the spine.

The bloody claw that had stolen the Ancient Cauldron was formed from condensed blood, dragging the artifact straight into the heart itself.

Boom!

When the cauldron was spat back out, it crashed to the ground—now completely empty.

Every pill refined within it over thousands of years had been devoured.

Whose heart was this? How could it be so massive?

Could it be… the heart of the Demon Palace itself?

For a fleeting moment, Ning Xiaochuan wondered if the Demon Palace was actually a colossal living entity—but he quickly dismissed the thought.

Storing the Ancient Cauldron back into the Heaven and Earth Bag, he steeled himself and called out, "Who—or what—are you?"

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The heart beat faster after consuming the pills, but it offered no reply.

Boom!

Suddenly, a hundred tendrils of Blood Qi erupted from the heart, coalescing into a hundred bloody claws that lunged at Ning Xiaochuan, intent on tearing him apart.

Whoosh— At the critical moment, the Demonic Sword within Ning Xiaochuan’s body unleashed a world-destroying radiance.

It shot out from his body, enveloping him in Sword Qi Shadows, then erupted with an even more terrifying devouring force—reversing the assault and absorbing all hundred strands of Blood Qi instead.

The enormous heart was also frightened by the aura emanating from the Demonic Sword, actually ceasing its beating, showing clear apprehension toward the sword.

After absorbing a hundred streams of massive Blood Qi, the Demonic Sword became more condensed, its power significantly enhanced.

"Boom!"

A vast and overwhelming force surged out from the Demonic Sword, completely pouring into Ning Xiaochuan's body.

This force was even more terrifying than absorbing ten drops of Martial Venerable's Blood—like pouring an entire ocean into a lake, threatening to burst it apart.

Ning Xiaochuan's body swelled like a balloon, doubling in size, his skin on the verge of tearing apart. Blood droplets seeped from his pores, the pain nearly causing him to faint.

Hold on. Must hold on.

If he lost consciousness now, death would be certain.

His eyes bulged as if about to pop out. He immediately activated the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi technique, beginning to digest and refine this force, converting it into his own power.

Though the eightfold absorption speed seemed like a drop in the bucket, it slightly alleviated his agony.

Just as Ning Xiaochuan was about to collapse, the Mystic Beast Egg inside the Heaven and Earth Bag seemed to sense something. It flew out on its own, gently landing in his arms, pressing against his skin and absorbing the overwhelming Blood Qi threatening to burst him apart.

Time passed.

He couldn’t tell how long it had been before Ning Xiaochuan finally felt his body was his own again. A fourth Divine Source had formed within him.

He had reached the peak of the Third Level of the Divine Body Realm.

But the Divine Source had yet to fully manifest—the fourth divine ability had not yet awakened within him.

When Ning Xiaochuan opened his eyes, he saw the Mystic Beast Egg lying in his arms. Another crack had appeared on its surface, and the strange fragrance it emitted had grown even stronger.

A peculiar feeling arose in his heart—it seemed as though a tiny life had already been born inside the egg, forming a subtle connection with him.

"You're awake?"

Princess Lanfei was curled up in a corner, her eyes occasionally darting toward the enormous heart in the distance. Over the past few days, she had endured immense terror.

It was as if a devil resided within that heart, constantly calling to her. Several times, she had nearly lost herself, almost leaping into the blood pool beneath the heart.

"How many days have passed?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

"Th-Three days." Princess Lanfei's face was pale, but seeing Ning Xiaochuan awake was like suddenly finding a pillar of support—her fear lessened slightly.

Ning Xiaochuan stored the Mystic Beast Egg away and beckoned to her. "That heart must have a terrifying origin—perhaps the very evil thing this entire Demon Palace was built to suppress, or maybe even a part of the palace itself. The Demonic Sword can suppress it for now, but once it grows stronger, it won’t be enough. We must leave immediately. You carry the Ancient Cauldron—I’ll clear the way."

Since Princess Lanfei was a Half-Corpse Slave, having her carry the Ancient Cauldron would likely prevent attacks from the Yin Soldiers and Undead Servants within the Demon Palace.

The Ugly Old Crone had sent her to accompany Ning Xiaochuan in retrieving the Ancient Cauldron, undoubtedly with a special intention—perhaps to exploit her unique Half-Corpse Slave body.

Ning Xiaochuan’s guess was correct. The Undead Servants and Yin Soldiers inside the Demon Palace no longer attacked them, as if they were completely invisible.

They walked out of the Demon Palace smoothly.

Though they had only circled the outskirts of the Demon Palace, they had already developed a deep, instinctive awe for it. They dared not venture further into this forbidden land of death, only wishing to leave as quickly as possible to avoid further mishaps.

However, outside the Demon Palace, hundreds of young elites had gathered, all of them formidable experts, divided into five major factions. The moment they saw someone emerge from the Demon Palace, their eyes locked onto Ning Xiaochuan and Princess Lanfei.

Ning Xiaochuan was slightly stunned, not expecting so many young experts to have assembled outside the Demon Palace.

"It’s Ning Xiaochuan and Princess Lanfei! They actually survived and walked out of the Demon Palace!"

"Look at what Princess Lanfei is holding in her hands!"

"That’s… that’s a cauldron! It must be a rare treasure from the Demon Palace. How did they manage to bring it out?"

Greed flashed in the eyes of many warriors, their fists clenching eagerly as they prepared to snatch the Ancient Cauldron.

Ning Xiaochuan’s gaze turned sharp and intimidating. "There’s more than just this cauldron inside the Demon Palace. If you have the ability, go in and take it yourselves. But if you think you can seize it from me, you’d better weigh whether you have the strength to do so!"

Streaks of lightning crackled from Ning Xiaochuan’s pores, thunder rumbling around him as he strode out of the Demon Palace’s gates with overwhelming momentum.

Many still feared Ning Xiaochuan, knowing his formidable strength.

But no matter how strong he was, he was still just one man. Against so many warriors, he seemed outnumbered and vulnerable.

A severely injured warrior stumbled out from the crowd, collapsing before Ning Xiaochuan, his face covered in blood. He sobbed, "Xin’er… Xin’er was killed by them… Xin’er is dead… Many from our Jian Pavilion Marquis House died at their hands… Xiaochuan, you must avenge them!"

Ning Xiaochuan recognized the youth on the ground—Ning Mu, a young genius of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, with cultivation at the Ninth Level of Profound Qi.

Ning Xiaochuan’s pupils contracted as he asked in a low voice, "What did you say? What happened to Xin’er?"

"The people from the Cloud Marquis House, the royal family, and the leaders of several major sects led a siege against us. Xin’er… Xin’er was trying to cover our escape when the three leaders of the Cloud Marquis House, the Lingxi Sect, and the Tianyin Sect struck her down together. She fell from the waterfall… into the Abyss of Thirty Thousand Meters."

The devastating news struck Ning Xiaochuan like a thunderbolt, leaving him frozen.

Ning Mu bore multiple blade wounds, the most severe having shattered two of his ribs. If not for sealing the wound with Profound Qi, he would have bled to death by now.

Ning Xiaochuan knew how high that waterfall was. Falling from its peak, even a rock would be shattered to pieces—let alone a person.

Ning Xiaochuan was enraged.

If there was one person in this world he cared about most, it was Ning Xin’er.

Ning Xiaochuan had regarded her as his own younger sister, yet she had been killed by a joint effort. The people from the Cloud Marquis House must have vented their anger on the entire Jian Pavilion Marquis House because of him, leading them to join forces with several major sects to mercilessly slaughter the Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

"How many people from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House escaped?" Ning Xiaochuan asked calmly.

Ning Mu shook his head. "I don’t know. We were all scattered. The situation was dire, surrounded by enemies on all sides. Probably only a handful managed to escape."

In the distance, Yao Jindao emerged from one of the martial factions. His thick eyebrows, prominent nose, and powerfully built arms gave him a formidable presence. He sneered coldly, "So there really were survivors. But they’re just scattered remnants—nothing to fear."

"It’s them!" Ning Mu’s eyes filled with terror as he saw Yao Jindao step forward, recalling the horrors of that night two days ago when nearly all the warriors of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House had been slaughtered.