「One day later.」
Deep underground within the Fengwu Mountain Range, two golden suns suddenly illuminated the darkness. Ning Xuan rose to his feet as the thunderous roars of tigers and leopards resounded. As the surrounding gravel rattled, the very ground caved in.
Another elemental vein absorbed. The disturbance is even greater this time, but this harvest…
Looking up at the sky and seeing the light again, Ning Xuan was not satisfied.
After entering the mountain range yesterday, he had found four fractured Third Grade elemental veins around the great fissure from before. If a family like the Wan Family obtained these four elemental veins and completely absorbed their essence, they could have produced hundreds of Dark Realm martial artists. Of course, the process would take decades, or even a century.
Ning Xuan had only needed one day, yet his Cultivation Realm had only advanced to the Third Layer Heavens. Naturally, he was not satisfied.
The strength of a Fifth Layer Heavens Dark Realm martial artist was enough to sweep through all of Qingyang Town, but Ning Xuan's enemies were in Wuling City. In that city, the major families all had experts of the Spiritual Realm. That was six years ago. Who knew how many more martial artists had advanced since then?
These four elemental veins lead deeper into the heart of the mountains, and they're all fractured. There must be higher-grade elemental veins even deeper inside! I don't know if the experts from the Fiery Sun Sect are still around. Although the mountain range is vast and the commotion I just made wasn't huge, I must remain on guard!
Ning Xuan immediately pressed deeper into the range.
After walking cautiously for about half an hour, Ning Xuan suddenly stopped. A hair-raising sensation appeared and vanished in an instant. If not for his astonishing Six Senses, he would have dismissed it as an illusion.
This feeling definitely isn't from an Element Beast. There are experts nearby!
Without a second thought, Ning Xuan prepared to bolt. Then, he gave a wry smile. He was surrounded!
At the Fifth Layer Heavens of the Dark Realm, I could kill Mo Feng with a single punch if I faced him again! With my Divine Vein and Sacred Body, as long as my opponent is not beyond the Sixth Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm, I have a fighting chance! Come on, let me test the strength of these Sect martial artists!
As the thought arose, Ning Xuan adjusted his Mental State, his heart swelling with heroic spirit.
Three martial artists appeared, clad in black cloaks with their faces hidden by black masks that revealed only their eyes. Each had a broadsword at his waist and took up a position around him, a hand resting on his sword's hilt.
The man directly in front of him stared at Ning Xuan and asked excitedly, his voice trembling, "Ning... Ning Xuan?"
"It's me! Cut the—"
Before he could finish the word, the three had already dropped to one knee, clasping their fists in unison. "Greetings, Young Master!"
Ning Xuan was dumbfounded.
"Young Master, we are the Death Warriors secretly trained for you by the Old Master," the same man spoke again, to clear Ning Xuan's confusion.
Ning Xuan said nothing.
"You were extraordinary from birth. The Old Master, ever one to plan ahead, selected us for secret training shortly after you were born…"
The man detailed secrets that even Ning Xuan had never known. Although he had only awakened his Bloodline at the age of twelve, his grandfather, Ning Baizhan, had a discerning eye and was a thorough planner. He had already handpicked eighteen Death Warriors for him long ago. The eighteen had no names and were known only by their numbers. The one who had just spoken was Number Nine.
"Six years ago, on the day of the incident, the Old Master was instructing us. It was all because of our foolish incompetence that Ning Yang, that bastard, found an opportunity and succeeded! Young Master, we deserve ten thousand deaths!" Number Nine looked up at Ning Xuan, his eyes filled with self-reproach.
"My grandfather… he…" Ning Xuan asked, his voice trembling. Although he had already heard the news from Wan Zhongshan, he still harbored a sliver of hope.
"The Old Master ordered us not to make futile sacrifices, but only to ensure your safety. Young Master, we are sorry."
With his last hope shattered, a baleful aura erupted from Ning Xuan as his gaze swept over the three men. "Heh, responsible for my safety?"
The three felt a terrifying pressure, as if they were being targeted by an ancient divine beast and submerged in a boundless sea of blood. Their hearts trembled, and they immediately dropped to both knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground. Number Nine spoke again, "The Old Master instructed us to protect you in secret, Young Master. For the first few years, we watched the Wan Family's every move, day and night. When we saw that they seemed to be treating you as one of their own, we shifted our focus to searching for Spiritual Medicine and Strange Herbs. But what the Wan Family did to you…"
An astonishing killing intent erupted from the three of them.
Ning Xuan suddenly understood. For the past six years, it hadn't been the Wan Family helping him, but his grandfather's arrangements guiding him forward! Any lingering feelings he had for the Wan Family vanished, and the baleful aura in his heart dissipated.
Considering that even his grandfather—whose Cultivation was on the verge of the Profound Realm—had perished, he understood there was truly nothing the Eighteen Death Warriors could have done.
"We'll discuss the Wan Family later. What are your current strengths? Who has the highest Cultivation?" Ning Xuan asked. "And where are the others?"
Number Nine answered promptly, "We are all in the Spiritual Realm. Number One has the highest Cultivation, at the Tenth Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm. The rest of us are in teams of three, all searching for you, Young Master."
"Enough! Get up and summon them immediately. I have urgent business!" Ning Xuan's eyes blazed, flames seeming to burn within them.
He had originally planned to continue raising his Cultivation Realm, but with eighteen new helpers, he refused to wait another moment! For six years, he had failed in his duty as a grandson! At this very moment, Ning Xuan wanted only one thing: to slaughter his way back to Wuling City!
To make rivers of blood flow!
To overturn the very heavens and earth!
A long howl pierced the air.
Ning Xuan finally understood: it was them who had come to the square yesterday! He couldn't help but feel a flash of frustration. Because of their interference, he hadn't been able to kill Wan Qianhe with his own hands. And as for Wan Yue'er…
So be it. One had his meridians destroyed, while the other fared even worse—not only were her meridians shattered, but he had also crushed her Dantian. Let them be.
From all over the mountain range, responding howls echoed. Before long, the Eighteen Death Warriors were assembled.
Number One pulled back his hood and removed his mask, revealing a gleaming bald head. The other Death Warriors followed suit. They were all bald, and none of them looked very old; the eldest was barely over twenty.
"Young Master, your Divine Body has regenerated?!" Number One asked, his voice filled with excitement. The faces of the others were filled with hope.
Five days ago, martial artists from the Wan Family had delved deep into the mountains. One of them had met the eyes of a Death Warrior, mistaking him for a terrifying Element Beast and fleeing in fright. Back then, they hadn't thought much of it, assuming the Wan Family was simply looking for Spiritual Medicine for Ning Xuan. It was only after they returned from a risky venture into unexplored territory that they sensed something had changed. This was what led to all the Death Warriors revealing themselves yesterday, descending upon Qingyang Town like a beast tide!
"It hasn't," Ning Xuan said, shaking his head. "But thank you for your care all these years. Without it, I certainly would not be standing here today."
Since they didn't know he was now stronger than ever, there was no need to tell them. After two betrayals, even if he was now a hundred percent certain that these were his grandfather's Death Warriors, he would not trust them completely.
The light in the eyes of the eighteen men dimmed instantly, replaced by expressions of self-reproach.
Ning Xuan raised a hand, cutting them off. "Enough," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Tell me the fastest way back to Wuling City!"
"The fastest route is a diagonal path through the Fengwu Mountain Range. It will take one day at most. However…"
"Lead the way!"
Ning Xuan's Element Force lay dormant within him like a slumbering dragon, so the Eighteen Death Warriors couldn't sense any fluctuations. Yet, when they met his deep, abyss-like eyes, a subconscious tremor ran through them, and they couldn't muster a single thought of defiance.
Immediately, the Eighteen Death Warriors formed a protective circle around Ning Xuan and set off in one direction.
Along the way, they encountered several Element Beasts. However, with the eighteen attacking in concert, they overcame each obstacle with little real danger.
Late into the night, their journey was halted.
"Young Master, there's great danger ahead!" Number One stared grimly at the canyon ahead, which resembled a colossal beast's gaping, blood-red maw. "Our combined attack formation isn't perfected yet. If something goes wrong, you must leave with Number Nine. He's the fastest."
Ning Xuan's brow twitched. Throughout the journey, he had gained a clear understanding of their strength. Their combined attacks could easily slay an ordinary Profound Realm expert, yet they were this tense. It seemed…
RUMBLE—
As he was thinking, the earth began to tremble. From the darkness ahead, an enormous creature slowly approached. An immense Majestic Pressure, accompanied by the thick stench of blood, swept over them like a violent storm.
The Eighteen Death Warriors' breathing hitched. Unable to withstand the pressure, their knees began to buckle!
Within Ning Xuan's body, his True Blood trembled—the slumbering dragon was startled from its sleep! Activating the power in his eyes, a golden light flashed within their depths.
The terrifyingly powerful Element Beast let out a whimper of fear and fled like a stray dog, vanishing without a trace.
The Eighteen Death Warriors stared at one another in utter bewilderment.
"Perhaps we weren't worth its notice. Let's go," Ning Xuan said nonchalantly.
The group set off once more. After that, they encountered no further dangers.
「As the sun rose in the east,」
A white-robed Ning Xuan stood upon a mountain peak, looking like a banished immortal. Behind him, the Eighteen Death Warriors stood clad in black, exuding a grim, murderous air.
They all gazed into the distance.
There, a great city sprawled across the landscape.
The city's name—Wuling