Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 27 If There is a Fairy in the Way of the Sword, It Must Be Ning Xuan!

Chapter 27: Chapter 27 If There is a Fairy in the Way of the Sword, It Must Be Ning Xuan!

"It’s you!"

Ning Xuan was greatly surprised. The man before him was the owner of the tea stall outside Destiny City! Previously, Ning Xuan had always regarded him as an ordinary old man because he hadn’t sensed any Element Force fluctuations from him at all.

Behind him, the Eighteen Death Warriors were on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy. An existence whose power they couldn’t detect had to be absolutely terrifying.

Ning Xuan shook his head. "All of you, stand down. This senior harbors no ill will." Against such a being, the Eighteen Death Warriors would be no match, even if they employed their great formation. There was no point in a futile effort.

The senior reached out, and a dry twig from the ground flew into his hand.

"Come, let me see your sword."

His old eyes were muddled, as if he were on the brink of death, but Ning Xuan didn’t dare to show the slightest carelessness.

"Senior, forgive my offense!"

With that apology, Ning Xuan’s fighting intent flared. His opponent was certainly powerful, but on the path of cultivation, one could only progress by dueling with the strong.

The senior stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face.

WHIZ!

A cold light flashed. Ning Xuan moved like an illusion, fast as lightning. At least none of the Eighteen Death Warriors could clearly see the sword’s trajectory. They all shuddered; if the Young Master were to attack them, not a single one could withstand that strike.

Ning Xuan was no less alarmed. The moment he struck, he clearly saw a peerless sharpness burst forth from the senior’s muddled old eyes.

That was a Sword Beam!

If the senior wished it, the aura he exuded alone would be enough to annihilate him ten times over, perhaps even a hundred.

However, Ning Xuan felt no fear. He pushed his White Tiger Divine Vein to its limit, and his Spiritual Platform became serenely empty as the myriad things in heaven and earth ceased to exist.

There was only the sword! A sword capable of slaying gods and demons—dominant, unrivaled, and unstoppable!

CLANG!

The dry twig tapped the fluttering sword tip, producing a metallic ring. The senior’s seemingly casual thrust had defused Ning Xuan’s earth-shattering strike.

Ning Xuan retreated three steps, his expression silent.

The senior’s eyes revealed his shock. "Restrained Sword Intent, an impermanent Sword Technique! Your swordsmanship talent is undoubtedly the greatest I have ever seen! Young friend, how long have you been learning the sword?"

Ning Xuan didn’t answer; he hadn’t even heard the senior’s words. His mind was continuously replaying and analyzing the senior’s move. He was utterly captivated.

Number One stepped forward and answered for him. "No more than ten days!"

"What? Impossible! To master the Second Realm of swordsmanship to such a degree in a mere ten days... not even a reincarnated Sword Immortal could achieve that!" The senior’s Mental State, as calm as an ancient well for decades, was violently shaken at this moment.

Number One’s face was filled with pride. "Others cannot do it, but our Young Master can!"

"New talent rises in every generation! I have been shortsighted!" After a moment of stunned silence, the senior nodded.

The Eighteen Death Warriors exchanged glances, sharing a sense of disbelief. The senior seemed even stronger than before. He was standing right in front of them, yet just a moment ago, they had completely lost their perception of him.

The Eighteen Death Warriors all shuddered inwardly. What kind of monster is this, able to elevate his Realm with just a single sentence?

However, when they looked back at Ning Xuan, their minds immediately calmed. The senior was already old; it was normal for him to advance his Realm. The Young Master’s life, however, had just begun.

*He is the sword! The sword is him! The unity of man and sword... the Sword Self Realm! No, that’s not right. To casually pick up a blade of grass and use it as a sword... this is the Sword Heart Realm! To have no sword in hand, but a sword in the heart!* Ning Xuan’s murmur suddenly rose.

The senior stared at him, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

Suddenly, Ning Xuan’s eyes flew open, two dazzling lights flashing within them before fading away. "Thank you, Senior." He gave a cupped-fist salute and then announced loudly, "Senior, please receive another of my sword strikes!"

"Young friend, please!" The senior suppressed the shock in his heart, his expression growing solemn.

Ning Xuan drew his sword. The motion seemed no different from before, but only the senior saw clearly that the moment Ning Xuan’s sword moved, it was already before his eyes. It surpassed the limits of speed, almost tearing space itself! What was even more terrifying was that the youth’s sword and his entire body seemed to merge into one, touching the very edge of the Third Realm of swordsmanship—the Sword Self Realm!

It was only now that the senior realized the claim of studying the sword for ten days was absolutely no lie.

CLANG!

Ning Xuan’s strike dazzled heaven and earth, but it was still blocked by the dry twig in the senior’s hand.

The difference was that this time, upon contact with the sword tip, the dry twig shattered.

PFFT!

A small hole appeared in the senior’s wide robe.

After a moment of stunned silence, the senior threw away the remains of the twig and laughed heartily. "If there truly are immortals on the path of the sword, it must be you in the future, young friend! My path is not a lonely one! I am not alone!"

Ning Xuan hurriedly cupped his fists. "You flatter me, Senior. Thank you for your guidance."

"Guidance? No! I’m simply not worthy! Not only am I not worthy, but even that old geezer, the Sword God, isn’t worthy either! He probably doesn’t even deserve the title of Sword God! He started learning the sword at twelve, comprehended Sword Intent at fifteen, and only deepened his comprehension at twenty-five. After that, it took him another ten years to finally grasp the Sword Self Realm! Compared to you, at his age, he has truly lived his life in vain!"

Seeing his demeanor, Ning Xuan couldn’t help but scratch his head. He had initially thought this old man was the Sword God, Xie Daoyi, but now it seemed he was mistaken. After all, who curses themselves like that?

Ning Xuan asked, "May I know your esteemed name, Senior?"

The senior hurriedly waved his hand. "Senior? What senior? Young friend, if you don’t mind, why don’t we address each other as brothers?"

"This..."

"You’re not one to dither!"

Ning Xuan nodded. "Alright then. This junior, Ye Xuan, greets you, Big Brother."

The senior shook his head again. "Wrong, all wrong! You are my Big Brother! Your talent for the sword path far surpasses mine. The accomplished one is the master! For me to call you ’Big Brother’ is me reaching above my station! Say no more! It’s settled! By the way, my surname is Wang. I’ve long since forgotten my given name. From now on, Big Brother, just call me Little Wang."

The old man’s mouth moved like a machine gun, and Ning Xuan couldn’t get a single word in edgewise.

"Big Brother, today is a joyous occasion! Come, this little brother will take you somewhere fun!" Old Wang said, slinging an arm over Ning Xuan’s shoulder.

Ning Xuan was passively pulled along.

Behind them, the Eighteen Death Warriors exchanged glances. This was all too dramatic. They hadn’t even processed what was happening, and their Young Master had already gained a new little brother—and an exceptionally formidable one at that.

「Half an hour later.」

At the entrance of a branch of the Joyful Gambling House, Ning Xuan was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. "Old Wang, you really are something else..." Despite the location, he felt no fear.

With their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, the two entered the gambling house. Ning Xuan had already sent the Eighteen Death Warriors to gather intelligence on the Si Family and Meng Luo. As for the big white dog, it had quietly slipped away at Ning Xuan’s signal back in the alley when he first made his move.

The moment they entered, a man at the door recognized Ning Xuan and quickly departed.

"What? That kid came to the gambling house?"

"Damn it! Where did this brat come from? He clearly doesn’t know his place!"

"And an old man? The owner of the tea stall outside the city? Do they think our gambling house is a charity, expecting us to ’respect the old and cherish the young’?"

A guard reported this upwards. Upon hearing the report, the One-eyed Lone Wolf, one of the Four Protectors overseeing this Branch Pavilion, grabbed his wolf-toothed club and stormed off, cursing.

In the bustling gambling house, Old Wang paid no mind to anyone, betting wildly. Before long, he had already lost a hundred of Ning Xuan’s Element Crystals. If Ning Xuan hadn’t just witnessed his skill, he would have definitely dismissed him as a common swindler.

Meanwhile, the One-eyed Lone Wolf was descending the stairs when he heard a new report. He was suddenly in no hurry to make a move.