Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 20: The Azure Dragon Divine Meridian, Nourishing All Things!

Chapter 20: Chapter 20: The Azure Dragon Divine Meridian, Nourishing All Things!

Looking at Yi Ming, who had fallen nearby with blood flowing from all seven orifices, Yuan Qing’s expression turned grim.

Yi Ming, a cultivator at the Ninth Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm, had lost! And he had lost so utterly!

This kid’s strength is at least at the Tenth Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm! Or perhaps even stronger!

Damn it, how can someone like this exist in the middle of nowhere!

Cursing internally, Yuan Qing glanced at the dying Yi Ming, his mind racing.

"Young Master, it’s all a misunderstanding. I’m just a simple herb gatherer."

"You heard me earlier. It was because of my mediocre talent that I gave up martial arts for medicine."

"It was their fault for trying to take your herbs. Now that you’ve killed them, please let me go."

"Oh, and the two packages and all the herbs in my medicine basket... they’re all yours."

Yuan Qing bowed and scraped, a humble smile plastered on his face. As he backed away, trying to curry favor with Ning Xuan, he slid the medicine basket from his back and held it out.

Just as Ning Xuan reached out to take it, BOOM!

The smile on Yuan Qing’s face twisted into a vicious snarl. His hands formed into claws as he lunged at Ning Xuan, swift and ruthless!

Ning Xuan extended a hand, sucked in his stomach, and retreated—all in one fluid motion.

When they separated, the medicine basket was in Ning Xuan’s hands. Yuan Qing’s face turned ashen, his attack having missed its mark.

"Much appreciated," Ning Xuan said, raising the medicine basket and adding insult to injury.

Yuan Qing growled and attacked again.

They exchanged a punch in an instant, and both were forced back three steps.

"So I underestimated you! You’re at the Eleventh Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm!" Yuan Qing said gravely.

Before Ning Xuan could speak, he continued, "Do you know why I abandoned martial arts for medicine? A bottleneck. I was stuck at the Peak of the Twelfth Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm, unable to achieve a Breakthrough. That’s why I switched to the Alchemy Dao!"

Yuan Qing’s true, sharp nature was on full display, all previous servility gone. Now, believing he had seen through Ning Xuan’s true strength, he cast aside all caution.

"Eleventh Layer Heavens? No. I’m only at the Fourth Layer Heavens."

Ning Xuan chuckled. He had not intended to show off, but since Yuan Qing—a dead man in his eyes—was so arrogant, there was no need to be polite.

"What?! Impossible! That’s absolutely impossible!" The smile on Yuan Qing’s face froze, and he lost all composure.

To possess such immense Element Force at the Fourth Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm... not even Ning Yang, whose name was famous throughout Yuanling, could have done that back then! Let alone some country bumpkin!

"Trying to break my Mental State? You deserve to die!"

Yuan Qing’s ability to adapt was astonishing. He recovered instantly, his killing intent flaring.

Without another word, Yuan Qing raised his fist and lunged forward.

The Element Force of a Peak Spiritual Realm cultivator surged forth, vast and mighty like a great yellow dragon. The veins on his hands bulged like miniature azure dragons, pulsing with immense power.

"A good try!" Fearless, Ning Xuan threw a punch to meet the attack.

A thunderous roar erupted from within his body. His Element Force, though only at the Fourth Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm, was even more immense than Yuan Qing’s at the Twelfth Layer Heavens.

BOOM!

Their iron fists collided again, twisting the very air. Thrown back by the impact, both men lunged forward again, engaging in a brutal exchange of fists.

For Ning Xuan, this was a perfect sparring partner, so he refrained from using his Divine Vein Power. He met Yuan Qing’s blows relying solely on his Physical Body. The Element Force within him surged wildly, circulating on its own.

Countless punches were exchanged.

Suddenly—PFFT! Yuan Qing was sent flying by a punch, coughing up blood and severely injured.

"Wait! I’m a disciple of the Alchemist Adept..."

Before he could finish, Ning Xuan killed him with a single punch.

Despite the fierce battle, Ning Xuan showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised to find his Realm had advanced by an entire layer.

He immediately began to collect his spoils. He unwrapped the bundles and emptied the medicine basket. Moments later, a wide smile bloomed across his face.

These guys must have spent a long time in the mountains. Everything they gathered is top-quality!

A quick sort revealed that he not only had enough materials to perform Refining for more Instant Element Pills, but also a complete set of ingredients for the Yuanling Jade Marrow! Even more thrilling, he found the two essential ingredients needed for the third Pill Recipe he possessed.

As the old saying goes, "Murder and arson get you a golden belt." Perhaps I should change my approach. Having tasted success, Ning Xuan stroked his chin, a glint in his eye.

Searching the bodies further, he found a swordsmanship manual and an archery manual. After a brief glance, he kept only the bow and arrows, carelessly tossing the manuals aside. Too useless.

On Yuan Qing’s body, however, was a pleasant surprise. He carried a booklet containing several Pill Recipes. Though the pills they produced were low-grade, they were still somewhat useful. Ning Xuan tossed it into his Storage Ring.

Then, right where he stood, he began the Refining process for the Instant Element Pills and Yuanling Jade Marrow.

The night was deep and tranquil. When Ning Xuan reappeared atop the giant tree, his eyes gleamed with a cold light. From his high vantage point, nearly all of Wuling City was laid out before him.

Shadowy figures were moving silently toward the Ning Family estate.

Ning Xuan glanced toward the Zhou and Zhao family compounds, then vanished.

「About fifteen minutes later.」

Two arrows streaked through the sky, one landing in the Zhou compound, the other in the Zhao compound. Both struck lanterns, which fell and burst into flames.

Immediately, both families were thrown into chaos. The heads of both families scrambled onto their roofs but found nothing.

Ning Xuan, already on the ground, leisurely made his way home.

When he returned to the Ning Family estate, all Eighteen Death Warriors breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Seeing the blood dripping from their blades and noting that several were badly injured, Ning Xuan handed out Instant Element Pills. "How many waves of attackers came?" he asked.

"Young Master," Number One replied with a fist-and-palm salute, "after you left, we trapped and killed Wang Mingfeng before retreating to the family estate. Three more waves of attackers have come since then, each stronger than the last." He added with concern, "Young Master, the Zhou and Zhao Families are likely to make a move!"

"They won’t, not for now," Ning Xuan said, his voice filled with unshakable confidence. "All of you get some rest and heal your wounds."

After Ning Xuan’s heroic actions during the day, the Eighteen Death Warriors no longer doubted his words for a second. They promptly nodded and did as he said.

After all, even if some petty thugs show up, as long as they aren’t at the Clan Head Level, they won’t be able to withstand a single one of the Young Master’s sword strikes!

Ning Xuan stood guard over the Eighteen Death Warriors, but his brow soon furrowed. Number One was trying to force a Breakthrough and was at risk of cultivation deviation.

When they first arrived in Wuling City, Number One’s Cultivation had been at the Tenth Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm. He advanced one layer during the battle with Chen Tai. The subsequent battles, combined with three Instant Element Pills, had pushed his Cultivation to the Twelfth Layer Heavens. However, trying to break into the Profound Realm now was far too reckless.

Ning Xuan walked over and placed a palm on Number One’s back, immediately sensing the rampaging Element Force inside him.

This left Ning Xuan at a loss. He had intended to assist with his own Element Force, but with the Twelve Divine Veins and the Chaos Ancestral Dragon Scripture, his own path was one of overwhelming dominance. If he rashly used his Element Force to help, Number One risked exploding.

Azure Dragon Divine Meridian, activate!

With the situation so critical, Ning Xuan silently called upon and activated his Azure Dragon Divine Meridian.

Of the Twelve Divine Veins, the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Xuan Wu were the four spiritual beasts. The Azure Dragon, residing in the east, was associated with the wood element and signified unending life. What Ning Xuan needed to do was use the Azure Dragon Divine Meridian to generate a life-giving Earth Element Force—one that could embrace all things, endlessly nourishing and sustaining them!

A few moments later, Ning Xuan smiled. I bet on the right horse!

As the Azure Dragon Divine Meridian activated, the tyrannical Element Force within him gathered into a frenzy. Yet, the moment it flowed from his palm, it became gentle and soothing. As this pure Element Force entered his body, the violent energy rampaging within Number One immediately calmed.

A short while later, Number One’s eyes snapped open, filled with excitement. Without a word, he immediately dropped to his knees.