Cultivation Starting from Full Talent-Chapter 641 - 639: Nine Hells’ Emperor

"So, it turns out the Dark Dragon sealed all the treasures it had accumulated over the years within its skull. No wonder not a trace of Treasure Essence Qi leaked out. And now, after Young Friend Ning ignited the Inner Fire to burn away its decayed flesh, the skull cracked open. Under the rising heat of the flames, these treasures erupted upward into such a wondrous spectacle—it truly leaves one speechless!"

Ning Tianyi rested a hand behind his back and offered a scientific and rational explanation for the extraordinary scene before them.

"I see now."

True Monarch Du’e nodded. "The Dark Dragon’s collection must undoubtedly contain rare and exotic treasures."

"Absolutely!"

A cultivator from Sangyu Country spoke up. "City Lord Ning, we all joined forces to slay this Dark Dragon. Shouldn’t the treasures belong to everyone? I wonder what plans City Lord Ning has for allocating the treasures?"

"Why not follow the Jianghu rules?"

Ning Tianyi suggested, "Let us rank the contributions made by each participant in the battle against the Dark Dragon, and take turns choosing treasures accordingly. Each person may select only one treasure. What do you all think?"

"Agreed."

Two Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators nodded simultaneously.

True Monarch Du’e, True Monarch Liu Yun, Longque Wanderer, and other Mid-stage Nascent Souls also nodded in agreement.

The remaining Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators had no objections either—even if they did, there would be little weight to their opinions, as they likely wouldn’t have a chance to choose a treasure at all.

Ning Daoran remained focused, swiftly releasing his Nascent Soul Divine Sense to scan through the pile of treasures hovering in the air and quickly distinguishing their quality. The finest among them was undoubtedly a particular bead—a pearl imbued with Treasure Essence Qi of the Dark Attribute. Once infused with Mana, it could unleash Dark Attribute power, making it a Top-grade Spiritual Treasure!

Additionally, there were five Mid-grade Spiritual Treasures. As for Low-grade Spiritual Treasures, there were more than ten pieces. The rest were simple Ancient Treasures or Magical Treasures.

As for Magic Artifacts or Spiritual Artifacts, it appeared the Dark Dragon deemed them beneath its notice, as it hadn’t bothered to collect any.

"I wonder, who contributed the most?"

An elderly Golden Core Late-stage practitioner posed the question.

Indeed, everyone had released their Divine Sense to assess the treasures, and by now, they all knew which ones were the most precious and which were merely second-rate Magical Treasures.

"What do you all think?" Ning Tianyi asked with a smile.

"Ahem..."

One Early Nascent Soul cultivator from Sangyu Country spoke up. "City Lord Ning, you stood in direct combat against the Dark Dragon with your Divinity Transformation Dharma Image. Moreover, you were even injured while saving others. I personally believe City Lord Ning deserves the first rank. What does everyone else think?"

"Indeed, indeed..."

Several fellow cultivators from Sangyu Country nodded in unison, their eyes filled with flattery.

These people hoped to stay longer in Guiru City to hunt demons and gain opportunities, so pleasing the City Lord was their top priority.

"I beg to differ."

Ning Tianyi shook his head with a laugh. "Although I demonstrated Divinity Transformation power, I wasn’t the critical factor behind the Dark Dragon’s defeat. On the contrary, Young Friend Ning Daoran, with extraordinary courage and skill, used the Wood Escape Technique to infiltrate the Dark Dragon’s body and detonated its flesh with Fire Attribute Mana. This was the decisive moment that granted victory. I firmly believe Young Friend Ning deserves the first rank—this cannot be disputed."

"Yes, quite so!"

Ning Mingyu agreed promptly.

Had Ning Tianyi not been mindful of his standing as City Lord, he might have rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm.

"City Lord Ning is absolutely right."

True Monarch Du’e spoke up. "Fellow Daoist Ning displayed both skill and daring. Without his timely intervention, who knows how many fellow Daoists we might have lost in attempting to slay this beast?"

"Exactly!"

True Monarch Liu Yun and Longque Wanderer also nodded in succession.

Eventually, even the two Late-stage Nascent Soul elders had to acknowledge Ning Daoran’s first rank and contribution.

"Young Friend Ning, please proceed."

Ning Tianyi gestured toward the pile of treasures with a smile. "You may select any one of the prized treasures."

"Thank you very much!"

Ning Daoran stepped forward with effortless grace, cupping his hands in salute to the group. "Since everyone is generous enough to honor me, I shall humbly accept!"

He extended his hand and summoned a strand of Mana to draw the unobtrusive black pearl from the pile.

"Excellent."

Ning Tianyi praised with a nod. "This is the Dark Dragon Pearl—a rare treasure nurtured over countless years from the original Dragon Pearl left behind by the Dark Dragon. It contains exceedingly dense Dark Essence Qi and is an unparalleled treasure. Young Friend Ning truly has a discerning eye!"

Ning Daoran swiftly stored the Dark Dragon Pearl within his Storage Ring, expressing his thanks repeatedly to everyone present with humble and respectful gestures.

...

Many of the cultivators present were envious, but in the cultivation world, strength dictates the rules. Ning Daoran demonstrated performance and battle prowess during the fight against the Dark Dragon comparable to a Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and as the key to slaying the beast, few could dispute his claim to the Dark Dragon Pearl.

The next selection required little discussion—the second contributor was universally acknowledged to be Ning Tianyi.

He chose a sword from the treasure pile—a Dark Divine Sword, a Mid-grade Spiritual Treasure capable of unleashing Dark Attribute power, although its Treasure Essence Qi concentration was far inferior to that of the Dark Dragon Pearl.

Following this, the two Late-stage Nascent Soul elders each selected two Mid-grade Spiritual Treasures. Then, True Monarch Du’e claimed a Mid-grade Spiritual Treasure as his reward. Longque Wanderer and True Monarch Liu Yun each acquired a Low-grade Magical Treasure.

When it came to Ning Mingyu’s turn, she picked up one Top-grade Magical Treasure. For someone of her status, a Top-grade Magical Treasure hardly amounted to anything noteworthy, yet she couldn’t help but delight in it—this was, after all, the result of her blood-soaked battle.

And so, some rejoiced while others mourned. Some gained Spiritual Treasures, while others went home empty-handed.

By now, the Dark Dragon’s corpse had burned down to ashes, leaving only desolation behind—not a trace of Spiritual Energy remained.

...

"Everyone,"

Ning Tianyi addressed the crowd. "Once we pass through the Dark Dragon’s Nest, we will reach Nine Abyss City and the long-hidden Royal Tomb within. That will be our final battle. Once we’ve leveled the Royal Tomb, Nine Abyss City will forever be sealed in the history of the Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World, never to reopen. Please, do your best in this endeavor!"

"Rest assured, City Lord Ning. We came here fully committed and have no intention of holding back!"

Several people spoke in unison to demonstrate their loyalty.

Ning Tianyi responded with a warm smile.

And so, the group traversed the long shadowy Dark Dragon’s Nest to the far side of Black Mountain, only to encounter deep darkness ahead—nothing but the faint figure of a towering city, shrouded by spatial rules that constrained even their Nascent Soul Divine Sense.

Using only their physical senses, they could barely make out the silhouette of a magnificent city in the shadows.

"There’s nothing here?"

A Golden Core Mid-stage cultivator furrowed his brow.

"Is that so?"

A young Golden Core Mid-stage cultivator, brimming with youthful boldness, suddenly conjured a Fireball and sent it skyward.

"Whoosh—"

The Fireball bloomed in the air, illuminating a vast area. In that instant, the crowd collectively gasped in horror!

Within the city walls stood rows upon rows of seemingly elite soldiers. Every warrior donned heavy armor, clutching massive shields, some mounted on fierce warhorses, others wielding spears several meters long.

The army boasted a complete range of troop types—crossbowmen, charioteers, cavalry archers, and even operators of giant ballistas. The sheer number of troops within the city exceeded a million!

More terrifying yet, these soldiers were not among the living—they were an eerie, lifeless force, each exuding a sinister aura familiar to Ning Daoran.

Red Demons!

This army was akin to the Blood Demons and Red Demons from the Black Tide—a force immune to the Five Elements Techniques!

"Buzz~~~"

The iron doors of a grand hall within the city slowly creaked open. Amid rhythmic footsteps, the gold-clad Imperial Guard emerged, encircling a single figure—a man mounted atop a True Dragon bound with chains. The man was clad in black armor, wielding a blood-red longsword, his helmet revealing only two ominous blood-shining eyes.

The Nine Abyss Emperor had arrived!

"Gulp..."

True Monarch Du’e swallowed hard and murmured, "This is... overwhelming."

True Monarch Liu Yun bit down on her silver teeth in shock.

Ning Daoran frowned slightly. The surface-bound Black Tide originated from Nine Abyss City, so it wasn’t surprising for its pollution to affect the city. But the scope of this Black Tide army—a staggering million-plus soldiers—was beyond anyone’s expectations.

This army, with every soldier possessing power comparable to a Blood Demon, painted an ominously bleak picture for the human cultivators’ side.

Ning Tianyi’s rallying call to unite humanity to besiege Nine Abyss City was, at its core, an audacious gamble. A victory would bring peace to the human world for many years, while a loss would merely hasten the Eastern Wilderness Cultivation World’s decline. This army—this threat—was destined to emerge sooner or later.

...

"A group of ants dares to step into Nine Abyss City?"

From atop the True Dragon, the Nine Abyss Emperor sneered as he casually waved his blood-red sword. "Fleeing rabbits in a cage, struggling fish in a net—you are truly pathetic."

"Fellow Daoists, do not panic."

In mid-air, Ning Tianyi gripped the newly-refined Dark Divine Sword, his voice firm. "Release the Immortal Boats and set up the arrays—we prepare to defend!"

"Prepare for battle!" ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

The cultivators roared in unison.

Ning Tianyi’s strategy was wise—deploying Flying Boats and constructing arrays to shift their position from aggressors to defenders. Without such precautions, there was no chance of withstanding the onslaught from the million-strong opposing force.

In no time, layers upon layers of arrays began forming.

Ning Daoran gently patted his Storage Bag and released a Grand Void Formation to guard a large area.

"A Fourth-rank High-grade Array?"

A stunned Mid-stage Nascent Soul Array Master exclaimed, his face full of respect. "Who would have thought Fellow Daoist Ning Daoran has already become a Fourth-level High-grade Array Master... Truly an eye-opener!"

"It’s merely a stroke of luck."

Ning Daoran responded with a modest nod, then proceeded to overlay two Falling Star Arrays and two White Dragon Sea Splitting Arrays.

Above, several Immortal Boats lined the sky, their Spirit Light Cannons pointed squarely toward the Nine Abyss Emperor’s army.

...

"Attack! Kill every last one of them!"

The Nine Abyss Emperor swung his sword to give the command.

Instantly, the sounds of marching, clattering hooves, and rolling war chariots filled the air, mingled with the thrilling hum of massive ballista bolts. Within the city, one by one, spiritual lamps atop towering pillars illuminated. In the following moment, the skies darkened once more, signaling the archers’ first unified volley. On the outer walls of the human cultivators’ defensive arrays, the sound of countless projectiles striking erupted in rapid succession—thus, the battle begun in earnest!

Visit freewe𝑏nove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺 for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience