Chapter 96: Killing for Vengeance

Chapter 96: Killing for Vengeance

"Golden Armor and Iron Horses!"

Zhuo Yichan raised a golden cloud between his hands, condensing it into dozens of blades, swords, spears, and halberds, all of which shot toward Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan summoned a hundred Sword Qi Shadows to meet the attack.

"Boom! Boom!"

The dozens of weapons Zhuo Yichan had conjured were shattered into pieces by the Sword Qi Shadows.

"Pfft!"

One of the Sword Qi Shadows pierced straight through Zhuo Yichan’s abdomen, leaving a gaping bloody hole.

Zhuo Yichan hastily swallowed a mouthful of Blood Nourishing Liquid, sealing the wound with his Profound Qi before summoning a long spear in his hand and charging forward.

Hua Ruyue threw her ancient zither off the cliff and instead condensed a battle sword with her Profound Qi Sword, swiftly slashing toward Ning Xiaochuan. The blade narrowly missed his neck.

Ning Xiaochuan had already cultivated "Ten Thousand Swords Transforming into Rain" to Great Perfection, summoning a hundred Sword Qi Shadows that enveloped his body, forming a massive sphere of sword energy.

"Boom! Boom!"

The three of them clashed in a chaotic melee, their movements so fast that only blurred afterimages remained.

Martial artists who had not reached the Divine Body Realm could barely even discern their figures.

"These three all have the strength to compete for a spot in this year’s top ten. Ning Xiaochuan’s cultivation should firmly secure him a place among them."

"Ning Xiaochuan is currently consumed by killing intent, like a frenzied beast. It’s hard to say whether Hua Ruyue and Zhuo Yichan can hold him off. If they fail, the Cloud Marquis’s estate, the Lingxi Sect, and the Tianyin Sect might suffer heavy casualties today."

"If Ning Xiaochuan uses that same sword wave he used to kill Yao Jindao, Hua Ruyue and Zhuo Yichan probably won’t be able to withstand it."

"That sword wave must consume an enormous amount of Profound Qi. Ning Xiaochuan likely can’t use it freely, otherwise he would have already unleashed it against Hua Ruyue and Zhuo Yichan."

Among the young martial artists present, there were naturally no shortage of experts. Several of them were strong enough to compete for the top ten this year, their cultivation not far behind Ning Xiaochuan’s.

"Boom!"

Hua Ruyue was the first to be sent flying, her body covered in six deep claw marks, blood streaming from her wounds, a pitiful sight.

Two beautiful young women from the Tianyin Sect rushed to support her, attempting to retreat to their faction’s ranks.

"Hua Ruyue, where do you think you’re escaping to?"

Ning Xiaochuan struck Zhuo Yichan with a palm, sending him coughing blood and nearly crashing into the gates of the Demon Palace. Covered in blood, a large chunk of his scalp had been torn off by Ning Xiaochuan.

Unconcerned about Zhuo Yichan fleeing into the Demon Palace, Ning Xiaochuan instead pursued Hua Ruyue.

"Zap! Zap!"

Two bolts of Lightning struck the two beautiful young women supporting Hua Ruyue, their bodies charred black as they collapsed to the ground, convulsing before falling still.

Ning Xiaochuan strode toward Hua Ruyue, his voice icy. "I had no grudge against you. Why did you kill Xin’er? Did she have any enmity with you?"

"Martial cultivation is inherently about slaughter. Conflicts between factions, struggles for profit, battles over treasures—killing happens at every moment. The weak die; the strong survive. That is the most natural logic of all." Hua Ruyue showed no fear, though she continued retreating toward the Tianyin Sect’s martial artists.

"Spoken well. Then go die!"

Ning Xiaochuan condensed a massive lightning ball between his hands and hurled it at Hua Ruyue, tearing her body apart until only snow-white bones remained on the ground, polished like jade. No matter how beautiful a woman might be, in death, she is nothing but bones.

His eyes burning with fury, Ning Xiaochuan pointed a finger, conjuring a hundred Sword Qi Shadows that rained down like a storm of blades.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The sword rain struck the five Tianyin Sect maidens who had rushed to Hua Ruyue's aid, piercing their bodies and leaving them lifeless in pools of blood—five alluring corpses.

The Tianyin Sect's talented female disciples, who had initially intended to attack Ning Xiaochuan, were utterly stunned by his merciless slaughter. Not a single one dared to make a move.

Zhuo Yichan witnessed it all. Ning Xiaochuan's ruthlessness was terrifying—even a beauty like Hua Ruyue had been slain without hesitation.

Zhuo Yichan desperately wanted to flee, but Ning Xiaochuan blocked his path ahead, the Demon Palace loomed behind, and steep cliffs flanked him on either side. There was nowhere to run.

"Senior Brother, we'll assist you!" Four martial experts from the Lingxi Sect charged forward—three at the Ninth Level of Profound Qi and one who had just broken through to the First Level of the Divine Body Realm. They were the strongest beneath Zhuo Yichan, renowned young talents within the Lingxi Sect.

From the Cloud Marquis's estate, three more martial experts at the Ninth Level of Profound Qi joined the fray.

However, the six Divine Body Realm experts from the imperial court did not intervene, as they were Princess Lanfei's guardians. Since the princess had no intention of acting against Ning Xiaochuan, they dared not move.

Seven young prodigies in total, each wielding a Profound Qi Sword, combined their strength to unleash an overwhelming surge of sword energy, forming a Sword Qi Net that descended upon Ning Xiaochuan.

Zhuo Yichan saw hope—perhaps with the combined might of these seven, they could turn the tide.

But Ning Xiaochuan ignored them entirely, striding straight toward Zhuo Yichan.

"Boom!"

With a single strike, Ning Xiaochuan summoned the claw of the Lightning Divine Beast, shattering Zhuo Yichan's Protective Profound Qi Armor. He seized Zhuo Yichan by the collar and hurled him off the bottomless cliff.

"Ah—!"

Zhuo Yichan's screams echoed through the mist, growing fainter until they vanished completely.

An eye for an eye.

Since he had pushed Xin'er off the cliff, Ning Xiaochuan would ensure he too met his end in the abyss—shattered bones to accompany her in death.

Falling from the Demon Palace's peak, even a Martial Venerable would likely suffer grave injuries, let alone Zhuo Yichan.

Ning Xiaochuan clenched his fists, staring into the abyss where Zhuo Yichan had disappeared. At last, he had personally slain all three culprits responsible for Xin'er's death.

But what did it matter?

To Ning Xiaochuan, none of their lives—not even Yue Wuyang, the Cloud Marquis—were worth as much as Ning Xin'er's.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Behind him, the sound of seven sword energies cutting through the air rang out.

Ning Xiaochuan's eyes darkened as he abruptly turned and unleashed a thunderous roar. The shockwave shook the ground, sending all seven young martial artists flying backward.

The Profound Qi Swords in their hands shattered as they clutched their ears, wailing incessantly. Blood streamed from both ears.

Ning Xiaochuan searched the seven young martial artists and retrieved nineteen Black Firewood Pearls, placing them on the ground before tossing the seven into the Demon Palace.

The Undead Servants and Yin Soldiers inside the Demon Palace immediately pounced upon them, drawn by the scent of blood.

The agonized screams of the seven echoed from the Demon Palace, sending chills down the spines of the martial artists outside. Soon, the screams ceased entirely.

Ning Xiaochuan’s gaze swept over the remaining disciples of the Cloud Marquis’s Manor, the Lingxi Sect, and the Tianyin Sect. They stared at him as if he were a demon, scrambling down the mountain in panic. Several were pushed off the Abyss of Thirty Thousand Meters due to the treacherous path.

Though the martial artists from the Cloud Marquis’s Manor, the Lingxi Sect, and the Tianyin Sect had been repelled, many still lingered outside the Demon Palace, eyeing Ning Xiaochuan with predatory intent.

Though they bore no personal grudge against him, they coveted the Black Firewood Pearls and the Ancient Cauldron he possessed.

While Ning Xiaochuan’s display of strength had intimidated many, it could not quell their greed.

Having fought three formidable opponents, Ning Xiaochuan was already heavily injured—a fact noted by several young experts who now eagerly prepared to strike.

Ning Xiaochuan observed this coldly before turning to Yu Tiadi. "Brother Yu, a few days ago, I borrowed twenty Black Firewood Pearls from you, promising to repay you double. The pearls on Hua Ruyue and the fallen martial artists here are now yours—consider it repayment for your generosity."

His words caused the eager young experts to hesitate, their gazes shifting to Yu Tiadi.

Had Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Tiadi formed an alliance? Why else would Yu Tiadi lend him twenty Black Firewood Pearls?

Ning Xiaochuan alone was fearsome enough, but with Yu Tiadi and Princess Lanfei potentially backing him, many hesitated to act rashly.

Yu Tiadi knew Ning Xiaochuan was dragging him into the fray, using him to deter the restless martial artists.

Though Yao Jindao and Zhuo Yichan had been thrown off the cliff in Ning Xiaochuan’s fury, Hua Ruyue’s body held thirty-one Black Firewood Pearls, now scattered on the ground.

Combined with the nineteen pearls Ning Xiaochuan had taken from the seven young martial artists, that made fifty.

Tian Ling’s corpse, hanging from a pillar in the Demon Palace, likely held no fewer than ten pearls.

Adding those from other fallen warriors, the total would exceed seventy.

Seventy Black Firewood Pearls.

An irresistible temptation for Yu Tiadi. With them, he might even become the Champion of this year’s examinees.

A faint smile curled Yu Tiadi’s lips. "Yu Cheng, Yu Xue, gather all the Black Firewood Pearls on the ground. And don’t forget Tian Ling’s—search thoroughly. Not a single one must be missed."

A man and a woman emerged from the Kirin Prince’s Manor to collect the pearls.

Many martial artists cursed Yu Tiadi in their hearts, "How dare you take so many Black Firewood Pearls? Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"

Though many were resentful, none dared to confront Yu Tiadi.

In their eyes, Yu Tiadi was even more terrifying than Ning Xiaochuan, his cultivation unfathomable. Before entering the Fire Demon Mountain Range, he had already reached the Third Level of the Divine Body Realm, and now he might have surpassed it entirely.

Yu Tiadi fixed his gaze on Ning Xiaochuan and said, "Brother Ning, you truly are a man of your word. If you ever need to borrow anything again, feel free to come to me. May I ask—what is your relationship with Princess Lanfei now?"

This was a question many had been eager to ask.

All eyes turned to Ning Xiaochuan.