In Qingyang Town, a massive square was filled with long tables. At a glance, there were over a hundred, all of them fully occupied. The tables were laden with an array of mouth-watering delicacies.
Atop the high platform, a ruddy-faced Wan Zhongshan was in the middle of a lengthy speech before he abruptly changed the subject. "Fellow villagers and elders, my granddaughter Yue'er has awakened the Nine Nether Divine Body and will soon head to Su Yue Zhuai to cultivate. Today, I have prepared some modest refreshments..."
"If they're modest, don't embarrass yourself by serving them."
An unexpected voice cut Wan Zhongshan's speech short, and the smile on his face froze. All eyes turned toward the source of the sound.
Atop the platform, Wan Yue'er—who had been sitting impassively in the seat of honor, dressed in a resplendent gown—shot to her feet, her gaze locked onto a single direction. There, a youth in white robes approached step by step under the glaring sun. Bathed in the sunlight, he was wreathed in a divine halo, appearing like a deity!
"Who is he? How dare he?!"
"That kid must have a death wish!"
"I was floored just now. If I heard correctly, the Wan Family Head said Su Yue Zhuai, right?!"
"That's right, Su Yue Zhuai, one of the three great sects on the Yuan Ling Continent!"
"She's only sixteen! A sixteen-year-old with the Nine Nether Divine Body... She's another Ning Yang!"
In an instant, the sound of sharp intakes of breath filled the air. All eyes were drawn to the brilliant young woman on the high platform, their gazes a mixture of admiration, envy, jealousy, and fear. As for Ning Xuan, he was completely ignored. Under the girl's dazzling radiance, anyone else would pale in comparison.
Ning Xuan's pace never faltered. His tone unchanged, he spoke again, "Nine Nether Divine Body? Are they even worthy?"
"Brother Ning Xuan, where have you been these past five days? We searched for you for five whole days! Thank goodness you've returned safely. Father, quickly, invite Brother Ning Xuan to come up and sit with us," Wan Yue'er said, stepping forward with a look of excitement as she gestured for the stupefied Wan Qianhe beside her to act.
Wan Qianhe snapped back to his senses and immediately understood. With a wave of his hand, several Martial Artists from the Wan Family surged from various directions, closing in on Ning Xuan.
"Uninvolved parties, leave at once."
Ning Xuan's warning had barely left his lips before he was surrounded. Two men moved in unison, attempting to seize him.
CRACK!
With the crisp sound of breaking bone, Ning Xuan twisted their arms as if they were dry twigs. A flash of surprise and killing intent glinted in Wan Yue'er's eyes. Without a word from her, the remaining Martial Artists attacked as one.
Ning Xuan moved through them effortlessly, felling one with each punch. In a mere moment, the ground was littered with fallen men. Tables laden with fine wine and sumptuous meals were overturned, their contents scattered across the ground—a feast for the ravenous stray dogs.
"He... he's recovered?"
"It's only been five days, how is this possible?!" the Wan father and son murmured, their faces etched with shock.
Wan Yue'er, who had sat back down, clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white, yet she forced herself to remain calm. Beside her sat a spirited young man named Mo Feng. Although he wasn't from Su Yue Zhuai—one of the Yuan Ling Continent's top three sects—his Fiery Sun Sect was affiliated with the Star Moon Pavilion. The Pavilion, in turn, was under Su Yue Zhuai's authority. Su Yue Zhuai was a distant power. To even be noticed by them, let alone travel there safely, Wan Yue'er had to rely on the Fiery Sun Sect.
"Little Sister Yue'er, who is this guy? He's holding such a grudge! Don't tell me you led him on and then abandoned him?" Mo Feng asked, his face a mask of excitement and ridicule.
A flicker of murderous intent crossed Wan Yue'er's eyes, but when she looked at Mo Feng, she was all smiles. "Brother Mo Feng, you jest. Since it has come to this, I won't hide it from you. His name is Ning Xuan, and he's from the same family as that famous figure of the Yuan Ling Continent."
"Ning Yang's family?!" Mo Feng stopped smiling and sat bolt upright.
Contempt and a fiery ambition flashed in Wan Yue'er's eyes as she nodded. "Indeed. But he's a good-for-nothing. The Ning Family was ashamed of him, so they left him in our care. For six whole years, our family provided him with the best food and drink, only for him to go mad with jealousy when he saw me awaken my Divine Body."
"Despicable! And here I thought..." Mo Feng slumped back in his seat, his interest in Ning Xuan gone.
In contrast, Wan Yue'er was extremely tense. Mo Feng didn't know Ning Xuan's situation, but she knew it better than anyone. That day, she had personally stripped Ning Xuan of his True Blood, and her father had shattered his twelve meridians. Normally, Ning Xuan would find it difficult to even stand, let alone fight. It had only been five days, yet he dared to show up at their door alone. What in the world had happened?!
Wanting to end the farce quickly, Wan Yue'er spoke up. "Father, guests are present. It's time to end this."
"Ning Xuan, stop this childish fit. Once Yue'er enters Su Yue Zhuai, you will be well-rewarded," Wan Qianhe said as he stepped down from the platform. Though a man of few words, he was never stingy at critical moments.
"Hahaha! Wan Qianhe, you coward! Where's the ruthlessness and decisiveness you had five days ago when you shattered my twelve meridians?!" Ning Xuan strode forward boldly, unleashing his pent-up fury.
After their initial shock, the crowd grew excited. It looked like there was a good show to watch after all.
"Nonsense! Once meridians are shattered, they can't be repaired!" Wan Yue'er exclaimed sharply.
"Bitch, shut up! Your turn is next!" Ning Xuan retorted, simultaneously attacking the approaching Wan Qianhe.
Seeing this, Wan Qianhe sneered. He was already reaching for Ning Xuan's collarbone with his hand shaped like a claw. His cultivation was at the seventh level of the Dark Realm. This kid was simply courting death.
But in the next moment, a ferocious power erupted from Ning Xuan's arm, as if a demon god were throwing a punch!
BANG!
Wan Qianhe's fingers exploded. The terrifying power continued on, turning the lower half of his right arm into a mist of blood!
"Five days ago, you shattered my twelve meridians. Today, I'm returning the favor in full!"
Amid his furious roar, a terrifying power swept through with devastating force. By the time the crowd reacted, Wan Qianhe was already a cripple. Ning Xuan tossed his unconscious body back onto the high platform like a dead dog.
"Th-This... Am I seeing things?!"
"Heavens! Wan Qianhe is an expert at the seventh level of the Dark Realm, yet he was no match for Ning Xuan in a single exchange?!"
"Vicious! So damn vicious!" some martial arts experts murmured to themselves, utterly shocked.
"Interesting." Glancing at the bloody man on the ground, Mo Feng's lips curled into a sinister smile.
"You... you crippled my father?!!!" Wan Yue'er's killing intent soared as her fury raged.
"Aaaargh! You little beast, you deserve to die!!!" Wan Qianhe had been groomed as the next family head. Seeing him crippled by Ning Xuan, Wan Zhongshan was driven mad with hatred.
BOOM!
He slammed his palm down in a rage, but Ning Xuan sidestepped the attack. The bluestone slabs on the ground shattered and flew, leaving a deep pit.
"Old fool, shut your mouth! You're the one who deserves to die! You used my family's money to raise me for six years, only to steal my Divine Body True Blood! When I rightfully protested, you called me heartless. My grandfather saved your life once. Today, you'll repay that debt with your own!"
Ning Xuan's words thundered across the square, deafening everyone.
"What? Wan Yue'er's awakened Nine Nether Divine Body was the result of stealing Ning Xuan's True Blood?!"
"How ruthless! Not only did they steal his True Blood, but they also crippled his twelve meridians!"
"Truly malicious! This was to ensure he could never recover, to make him suffer endless torment and agony!"
"Wait a moment... Ning Xuan, Ning Yang, they both have the surname Ning. Could he be from the Ning Family of Wuling City?!"
"I seem to recall that Ning Yang also possesses the Nine Nether Divine Body..."
The person who said this immediately fell silent. That man was a true favored son of heaven, now a figure in the Martial God Temple—not someone they could afford to discuss.