Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 262 Are you paying tribute to your ancestors?

The air was thick with the scent of blood. Ning Xuan stood proudly.

Around him, more than a dozen King Realm experts knelt on the ground like pathetic whelps, not even daring to lift their heads.

It was a breathtaking scene. You Ruo was utterly dumbfounded.

"How... How did you... do that?" Coming to her senses, You Ruo looked at Ning Xuan, her voice stuttering.

Ning Xuan shrugged, feigning puzzlement. "You should ask them. I'm wondering about it myself. They're all dignified King Realm experts, so why did they kneel to me without a sound?"

You Ruo was speechless.

This guy is just too cruel! This wasn't just killing them; it was crushing their spirits!

She glanced again at those on the ground, those King Realm experts... bah, King Realm cowards.

Ning Xuan had said such things about them, yet they didn't react in the slightest! Are they even men at all?

"By the way, can you hold on to this for me for now?" Ning Xuan juggled the alms bowl in his hand.

Instantly, all the kneeling King Realm experts—no, cowards—looked up. But the moment they met Ning Xuan's gaze, they were so frightened they hurriedly lowered their heads again.

"Are you sure?" You Ruo was quite surprised. The item in Ning Xuan's hands was a priceless treasure! She herself had coveted it for a very long time.

Wait! Could it be he still doesn't know how terrifying this thing is?!

She immediately and excitedly agreed. She had considered charging Ning Xuan a protection fee, but on second thought, she decided against it.

This guy is too clever! If he realizes what I'm up to, it won't be worth it!

"You can use it while I'm gone, but I have to charge you upfront," Ning Xuan's words stunned You Ruo.

"You're asking me to keep it safe for you, you're not paying me, and now you want to charge me?"

Ning Xuan had a look of sudden realization. "Oh, that's right. I think I know why they knelt. It was because of this."

You Ruo was utterly dismayed.

So this guy knew everything all along!

"Take it!" she snapped, giving up all resistance. She handed all the Heavenly Crystals she had just retrieved to Ning Xuan.

She finally understood. Ning Xuan had been after her Heavenly Crystals from the start, using every trick in the book to scam them out of her! Better to just give them all to him and make him get lost! Besides, there were still so many fat sheep kneeling on the ground.

"As for the Heavenly Crystals on them…"

The moment Ning Xuan spoke, You Ruo nearly exploded. Before he could finish, she gritted her teeth and spat, "Ning Xuan, don't you push it too far!"

This guy is absolutely infuriating! He'd already figured out what I was thinking.

Ning Xuan looked deeply wronged. "Uh, I was just reminding you that they definitely have Heavenly Crystals on them, so you should remember to ask. And for that, you say I'm going too far?"

You Ruo had completely lost her will to fight back. "I was wrong, I'm sorry. If you're still not satisfied, how about I kneel for you? Or if that's not enough, should I kowtow?"

"There's no need for that. Just remember my kindness. I'm leaving." Seeing her state, Ning Xuan finally waved his hand and departed.

You Ruo breathed a sigh of relief. "Take care, big boss," she said, watching Ning Xuan descend step by step until he was swallowed by the clouds and mist.

"Phew… that plague is finally gone!" You Ruo felt as if the entire world had opened up.

Then, her eyes began to burn with a predatory gleam as she stared at the group still kneeling on the ground.

「Yuan Ling Continent, Cloud Floating Mountain.」

Today was the day the Wu Family, a lineage of sword-forgers, would open their Sword Furnace. At the mountain's peak, gathered beneath the Spiritual Spring, a crowd buzzed with anticipation.

"This Cloud Floating Sword is the culmination of the Wu Family's efforts over countless generations! It only needs one final step to be completed. We are so fortunate to be able to witness this miracle!"

"The Cloud Floating Sword is named for the mountain itself, absorbing the essence of the sun, moon, and landscape. Once it's born, swords like the Heavenly Dawn Sword and the Spirit Surpassing Sword will be nothing but trash in comparison!"

"How dare you even compare them to the Cloud Floating Sword? That's an insult to the Cloud Floating Sword!"

"True, but speaking of those two swords reminds me of *that guy*!"

"Shh! Lower your voice! Ning Xuan's name is taboo! If you're overheard, you're finished!"

Atop the high platform, the upper echelons of the Wu Family were also discussing Ning Xuan.

"I heard Ning Xuan went to the Upper Realm. What a pity."

"Indeed. Today the Cloud Floating Sword will emerge, and it's a great regret that we're missing him for the sword sacrifice!"

"He's probably long dead by now! The Hour is upon us. Open the Spiritual Spring!"

As soon as these words were spoken, someone took action. With a series of clanking sounds, a stone door set into the mountainside began to open, and everyone looked up in unison.

The cave mouth was tall enough for a person to stand in, but it was pitch-black. After it opened, let alone a spring, not a single drop of water emerged.

"What's going on?" someone whispered from below.

"You must be ignorant. The Cloud Floating Spiritual Spring embodies a celestial phenomenon. It doesn't simply flow out after opening; we must wait for the phenomenon to manifest."

"A phenomenon?"

"There! It's starting!" As the man spoke and looked up, the person next to him stared with wide eyes.

They saw the clouds in the sky churn and roll, then begin to converge on the summit of Cloud Floating Mountain.

"The Spiritual Spring is formed from gathering clouds? Heavens, is this even a Spiritual Spring anymore? This must be a Divine Spring!" a recent initiate stammered, completely stunned.

It wasn't just the newcomers who were stunned. Even the Wu Family's high council was puzzled.

"This isn't right. Why is the phenomenon so vast this time?"

"It must be that the Spiritual Spring itself is sentient! The Cloud Floating Sword is destined to be peerless, and even the Spring has sensed it and is lending its power!"

"Yes, yes! That must be it!"

"Haha, our time has come! When the Cloud Floating Sword is complete, the name of the Wu Family will shake the entire Yuan Ling Continent!"

The Wu Family's upper echelons were ecstatic. Everyone stared unblinkingly at the opening of the Spiritual Spring, ready to witness a miracle.

But soon, they were all dumbfounded. The Spiritual Spring they had waited for never appeared. Instead, a woman walked out.

"Is… is that the spirit of the Spiritual Spring?"

"So beautiful…"

"Gods, there's another one!"

When another breathtakingly beautiful woman appeared, nearly everyone was transfixed.

"Wait, she… I feel like I've seen her somewhere."

"I think I've seen her too!"

"I remember! I saw her with Ning Xuan! She's the one with the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart!"

Just as he said this, Ning Xuan himself appeared in everyone's line of sight.

"What's going on here? Are you all holding a funeral? You can disperse, we're not dead yet," Ning Xuan blurted out, seeing the dark sea of people below and the large cauldron on the highest platform.

The crowd below snapped back to their senses, their faces flushing with rage.

"Insolence! Who do you think you are—"

SPLAT!

Before he could finish his sentence, the man was annihilated. The one who had struck was not Ning Xuan, but Yun Wangshu. For some reason, sensing the familiar worldly aura had made her irritable. For someone to dare cross her at this moment was simply courting death.

"How can you just kill someone without reason—" a man of some standing began to reprimand her. Before he could finish his sentence, he too was struck down.

SWOOSH!

A beam of sword light shot toward the sky. Someone had drawn their sword, intending to destroy the beautiful flower.

She may be beautiful, but her heart is too vicious. Better to kill her now! And then, while she's still warm…

SPLAT!

An even more brilliant beam of sword light shot out from the mouth of the Spiritual Spring. Though the attacker struck second, this attack landed first. The Swordsman, along with his blade, was cleaved in two.

This time, Ning Xuan had made the move.

"I've only been gone for a little while. How have the people here regressed so much?"