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Murong Wushuang gritted his teeth in hatred before saying, "That despicable man Yue Wuyang, and to think I thought of him as my idol before this. I must've been truly blind."

Ning Xiaochuan glanced at Three-finger Lin's hands and said, "Then Mr. Lin, why have you lost seven fingers?"

Three-finger Lin was deep in thought for a moment before he lifted his hands and sadly said, "There were a total of seven hundred thousand troops! I watched them all die one by one before my very eyes and could do nothing. I was at fault, I was guilty, so I cut off seven of my fingers to make up for my crime."

Ning Xiaochuan slammed a fist onto the table; this entire thing was outrageous, three people of peerless talent from the olden days were either dead, wounded, or disabled, yet the shameless villain had been crowned a Marquis and enjoyed ten years of glory, splendor, wealth, and rank while being worshipped as an idol by countless geniuses.

Was there anything more ridiculous than this?

Three-finger Lin warned solemnly, "Before the pair of you are fully grown up, you must not mention this to anyone. Otherwise, you'll be digging your own grave."

Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang nodded their heads.

It ended up being a sleepless night!

The next day, Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang dressed up as two beggars before they returned to the alley that Murong Wushuang used to live in. From a distance, they could see soldiers fencing off the entire alley as the residents living there were questioned one by one.

"Yue Wuyang didn't come here personally, so it seems he isn't taking this matter to heart," said Ning Xiaochuan.

Murong Wushuang replied, "Who would think that the people they thought they killed ten years ago were actually still alive? Besides, the Lin Xiao that Yue Wuyang knew had complete hands but the Lin Xiao Ji Hanxing saw was a cripple with three fingers. Even if Ji Hanxing had described Lin Xiao's appearance to Yue Wuyang, he would never be able to associate him with the Divine Dragon Warrior from ten years ago."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded his head and returned to Begonia Manor with Murong Wushuang.

However, what Ning Xiaochuan found weird was that not only did Yue Wuyang not send people to Begonia Manor, nobody had arrived to question him either.

This was beyond Ning Xiaochuan's expectations, so the preparations Ning Xiaochuan had made to deal with the situation went unused.

There were only three days left until the Heavenly Emperor Academy began their student recruitment so Ning Xiaochuan felt that he could begin auctioning his Blood-toad Pills.

On the same day, Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang rode the Green Deerhorse carriage towards the Imperial City.

Inside the carriage, Murong Wushuang held a single Blood-toad Pill in his hands, his mouth continuously watering as he said, "Brother Chuan, is this really the legendary mid-grade Pill? You're giving it to me?"

Ning Xiaochuan lay sideways on the carriage's seat and said with a smile, "The Blood-toad Pill is more potent than ordinary mid-grade Pills. You're at Stage Nine Qi now so once you eat that Blood-toad Pill, you just might be able to reach the Divine Body Realm before the Heavenly Emperor Academy begins their student recruitment."

The Blood-toad Pill enabled martial artists below Stage Seven of the Divine Body Realm to achieve the next Stage in a short period, hence it was deemed the best mid-grade Pill.

Of course, it only worked for martial artists with a Diamond Divine Body and Ning Xiaochuan had cultivated an Astronomical Divine Body instead, otherwise he would have long eaten one Blood-toad Pill to help him break into Stage Two of the Divine Body Realm.

In the end, Murong Wushuang could not bring himself to eat the pill. He placed the Blood-toad Pill into the frost jade box and hid it underneath his armpit as if he was afraid someone would snatch it away.

Ning Xiaochuan did not head for Jinpeng Auction House straight and instead went over to Great King Jinpeng's Residence first.

Great King Jinpeng's Residence was impressive and magnificent.

Two hundred-meter high dragon sculptures stood on both sides of the residence's gate; their teeth bared and their claws brandished in an overbearing manner. Most people would be deterred by the pair of dragon sculptures and would never dare to approach the residence's gate.

"Who is visiting?" The guard at Great King Jinpeng's Residence's gate was a martial art expert and his voice rumbled like thunder.

Ning Xiaochuan's Cultivation was already at Stage One of the Divine Body Realm so he was also a martial art expert himself. He circulated the Qi in his body and formed a transparent ring of Fortified Qi around himself so that the soundwaves from the guard were reflected off to the side.

The guard saw that the young man before him had tremendous Cultivation and thought that he must be an outstanding descendant of some influential power. Therefore, he did not immediately drive away Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan replied. "I ask for you to report that the humble servant Ning Xiaochuan is requesting to see Princess Qianqian. As for the reason, Princess Qianqian should already know."

"Then please do wait a moment, Master Ning," replied the guard before he turned around and walked into Great King Jinpeng's Residence.

Ning Xiaochuan thought to himself, 'Just as I expected, showing off my true power was the deciding factor. If I hadn't blocked off his soundwaves just now, he not only might've looked down on me, he probably wouldn't have helped me pass on my message too.'

Once Consort Xi Mu heard the guard's report, she furrowed her eyebrows slightly and replied coldly, "Go and tell that young man that Princess Qianqian isn't meeting any guests right now and send him on his way!"

"Understood!" The guard stood up and turned to leave.

"Wait."

The guard stopped in his tracks.

Consort Xi Mu pondered for a moment before she asked, "How old did you say the young man seemed to be?"

"About sixteen or seventeen!"

Consort Xi Mu said, "Did you ask his name? Whose descendant is he?"

The guard replied, "He said he's called Ning Xiaochuan!"

"Oh! Ning Xiaochuan."

Consort Xi Mu's face flashed with a joyous expression before she quickly ordered the palace maid standing by her, "Cui Ping, quickly go tell Qianqian that Master Ning is here to see her."

The guard was speechless; what was going on with Consort Xi Mu? Why did she change so much once she heard Ning Xiaochuan's name?

Consort Xi Mu was very curious about Ning Xiaochuan so she wanted to assess him to see if he was truly as outstanding as Skilled Master Guo and the sixth Attendant said!

She had already made a decision!

Ning Xiaochuan waited outside Great King Jinpeng's Residence for the time it took for him to finish a cup of tea. However, Yu Qianqian did not appear and the guard that had passed on his message reappeared instead.

The guard gave a strange look at Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan was just about to step up to ask when the guard drew his sword from his waist, the weapon was followed by a stretch of bright-red Qi that radiated brightly. The guard dug his heel into the ground before he slashed towards Ning Xiaochuan.

The guard gripped his sword with both hands and leaped more than ten meters into the air as a formidable force exploded from him.

"What are you doing?"

Ning Xiaochuan could not understand what was going on as he circulated Qi into his legs.

His legs turned into streaks of electricity, his speed increasing drastically as he quickly withdrew about a hundred meters back.

However, the guard's Cultivation was extremely high. He was at Stage Two of the Divine Body Realm so his speed was not inferior to Ning Xiaochuan as he chased after Ning Xiaochuan like a shadow following its body.

The flashes of the sword followed the flashes of electricity and the entire scene was like waves continuously crashing against a shore, completely impenetrable.

Atop Great King Jinpeng's Residence's tall rampart.

Consort Xi Mu sat up high, two servant girls waiting on her as she watched the intense battle unfold below.

One of the servant girls with a beautiful face and a cinnabar mole between her eyebrows said, "Empress, not only has Guard Cheng Lin cultivated the Fire Peng1 Technique to Stage Four, he's also a seasoned general that's made it out alive out of countless battles. If Master Ning were to be injured by him, I'm afraid the Princess will throw a tantrum."

"I've already told Cheng Lin that if he hurts Xiaochuan, he'll have to lose an arm himself, so I'm sure he knows how to control himself." Consort Xi Mu had ordered Cheng Lin to assess Ning Xiaochuan's skills. She wanted to see just how many attacks Ning Xiaochuan could block.

Consort Xi Mu stared at the streaks of electricity running along Ning Xiaochuan's legs. With a smile, she said, "An Astronomical Divine Body, not bad, goes well with the Seven-orifices Devil Heart."

Although Consort Xi Mu had ordered her subordinate not to hurt Ning Xiaochuan, Cheng Lin did not dare battle against him half-heartedly. His attacks were quite ruthless, which injured Ning Xiaochuan accidentally.

Murong Wushuang said, "Hey! Does the Great King Jinpeng's Residence not need to follow the law? We're only here to visit the Princess, it's not like we want to kidnap her so why are all of you so eager to kill us?"

Murong Wushuang rolled up his sleeves and continued, "I can't watch this go on anymore. If you don't stop, you best believe I'll cut you."

Murong Wushuang then said, "If this can be tolerated what else cannot be? I'm going to fight with your Great King Jinpeng's Residence today."

"You're spouting too much nonsense!"

"Bang!"

Cheng Lin sent a Fortified Sword Qi flying across the air. The Fortified Sword Qi changed into a Qi Greatsword and it sent Murong Wushuang flying over a distance of more than twenty meters before he landed on the ground coughing blood.

Although Cheng Lin did not dare to hurt Ning Xiaochuan, he had no qualms about hurting other people.

Ning Xiaochuan saw Murong Wushuang being sent crashing into the ground, which caused Murong Wushuang to vomit blood. Rage boiled deep in Ning Xiaochuan. "Qi Sword Nine Continuous Cleaves!"

Ning Xiaochuan's entire body was enveloped in Mystical Fortification and he formed a Qi Sword in his hands before launching a counterattack against Cheng Lin. The Sword Qi rushed out for about thirty feet, turning the surrounding ten feet into its attack range.

Ning Xiaochuan sent nine cleaves out continuously, the next one even more ferocious than the previous one.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"

On the ninth slash, the Sword Qi was ten feet long, resembling a greatsword that could split the world in half. It sent the sword in Cheng Lin's hands flying.

"Fire Cloud Fist."

Cheng Lin was truly on fire as well. He knew Consort Xi Mu was watching from high up in her seat so if he were to be defeated at the hands of a martial artist with Stage One of the Divine Body Realm, he would be entirely disgraced. If that were to happen, would he still have a foothold in Great King Jinpeng's Residence?

Therefore, Cheng Lin had summoned his Divine Technique.

With a single punch, a large fire cloud emerged from his fist, the burning sounds crackling loudly through the air. The temperature in the air rose sharply and the slates on the ground melted as a result.

"Lightning Divine Beast!"

Roar!

A loud roar came out of Ning Xiaochuan's mouth as he spread his arms out. More than twenty bolts of lightning appeared in mid-air, writhing about like snakes of electricity before they gathered into a giant ball of electricity!

A beast's claw emerged from within the ball of electricity.

The claw shredded the fire cloud immediately before it slammed Cheng Lin's chest, shattering his protective Mystical Fortification entirely. Cheng Lin flew through the air from the impact, spitting blood from his mouth as he did so.

"Bang!"

Cheng Lin crashed into the ground, his expression one of utter disbelief. 'What a powerful Divine Technique. It actually managed to destroy my Fire Cloud Fist and defeat me.'

Cheng Lin pushed himself off the ground before continuing his battle with Ning Xiaochuan.

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"Cheng Lin, what are you doing?" Yu Qianqian walked out of the residence and immediately berated Cheng Lin, causing him to stiffen in his spot, not daring to act out against Ning Xiaochuan anymore.

Cheng Lin's gaze shifted towards Consort Xi Mu, who shook her head at him, which allowed him to retreat safely.

Consort Xi Mu was shocked as well because this result was completely beyond her expectations.

'Although Cheng Lin did not use his full strength just now, that was still half his Cultivation, which is more than enough to sweep away martial artists with Stage One of the Divine Body Realm. Ning Xiaochuan actually managed to defeat him, which means he has the ability to achieve victory beyond his rank. The Seven-orifices Devil Heart is truly amazing.'

Consort Xi Mu glanced at Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian below, a small smile tugging at her lips before she left.

Yu Qianqian was dressed in a moon-white robe with rings. Her long eyelashes fluttered elegantly and her lips were like red crystals. Her eyes were bright and pure, and her body was as slim as a new moon.

She smiled at Ning Xiaochuan apologetically. "I'm so sorry. I'll definitely let all my subordinates know that Ning Xiaochuan is my friend. They'll never dare to lay their hands on you in the future."

"Hey! Are all the guards of Great King Jinpeng's Residence crazy? Attacking people without any warning, how arrogant, how very arrogant. Next time, remember to let them know that Murong Wushuang is also your friend so they better treat me with some respect." Murong Wushuang rubbed the dried blood at the edge of his lips, complaining as he bared his teeth at Cheng Lin in the distance.

"You're Xiaochuan's friend so, naturally, that makes you my friend. I'll definitely let them know not to ever lay a hand on you too!" said Yu Qianqian with a kind smile.

Her smile was enough to collapse a city and she was as beautiful as a goddess.

As soon as he saw her smile, Murong Wushuang immediately started bleeding from his nose, even his mouth was full of blood!

Yu Qianqian had already spread the news that there would be Blood-toad Pills on auction at Jinpeng Auction House. Many young martial artists had heard about this specific mid-grade Pill, and they were looking forward to it like crazy.

There were people waiting outside the auction house almost every day out of fear of missing out on the auction of the Blood-toad Pills.

Yu Qianqian knew that Ning Xiaochuan was going to sell the Blood-toad Pills tonight so she immediately ordered thirty-two servants to send out invitations unrelentingly.

With her bright eyes and bright teeth, which gave her absolutely moving beauty, Yu Qianqian said with a smile, "The demand for Blood-toad Pills is higher than you think. A few days ago, right after I announced the news, many Elders from different Nobles' mansions requested that I notify them promptly about the auction. There was Marquis Qitian's Residence, Marquis Tianxiang's Residence, the Six Mystics Martial Art Sect, the Sword's Fire Martial Art Sect…etc. In order to ensure their younger geniuses will be able to enter the Heavenly Emperor Academy, these powerful old men just might lay down their hard-earned money. Oh right, how many Blood-toad Pills have you produced?"

"I've produced forty-eight pills but I'm only going to be selling forty of them. Out of the remaining eight pills, I'll be giving one to Gousheng and keeping the rest for myself," replied Ning Xiaochuan.

Blood-toad Pills were the most useful for Diamond Divine Body warriors since it allowed them to break through into the next smaller realm.

However, Blood-toad Pills could also rapidly recover Blood Qi. For example, if Ning Xiaochuan were injured, he could use Blood-toad Pills to fully recover his Blood Qi. Therefore, keeping seven pills for himself was a smart decision.

Yu Qianqian clenched her first tightly. 'How detestable, he produced forty-eight mid-grade Pills over the span of only ten days. This fellow really is a Pill mass-production machine, he'll definitely infuriate the other Heart-nourishing Masters to death.'

Many martial artists were gathered outside Jinpeng Auction House, making the place ten times more busy than Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall.

After all, Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall could only be regarded as a sacred place of gathering for Heart-nourishing Masters so there were not many who visited the place to buy Mystical Medicine.

Jinpeng Auction House, on the other hand, was a true hypermarket.

It was not just a simple auction house and more closely resembled a large manor; it had one large auction hall, four medium auction halls, and seventeen small auction halls.

All seventeen small auction halls were open-air venues, each with their own small plaza. Every single hall was filled to the brim with people; from martial artists carrying greatswords and powerhouses dressed in full armor, to beautiful and elegant women from influential families, they were all in the auction house naming their best offers.

Stalls were set up along all three main streets outside Jinpeng Auction House; some sold Mystical Medicine, some sold weapons, some sold Mystical Beasts, and there was even one stall that was selling stark naked slave girls locked in cages.

Murong Wushuang and Ning Xiaochuan were seeing this grand scene for the very first time.

"My god, how much money does such a big auction house earn in a day? Your Highness, your family truly is too rich." Murong Wushuang was like a bumpkin entering the city for the first time. He was in awe at everything, especially the stall selling slave girls, which prompted him to squat by the cages to observe the slave girls.

The slave girl that he was observing was completely naked; her skin was as pale as snow and she was quite a beauty as well.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "What are you looking at?"

Murong Wushuang stared intently at the timid slave girl, nodding his head continuously. Suddenly, he leaped up, grabbed Ning Xiaochuan's shoulders and shook him vigorously as he exclaimed joyously, "Brother Chuan, I've discovered a grand phenomenon. She's different from us! It looks like two big gourds are growing from her chest. That's awesome, so awesome, do all women look like that?"

Ning Xiaochuan was instantly stunned.

Yu Qianqian sat in her beautiful antique carriage and as soon as she heard Murong Wushuang's statement, two black lines emerged on her face1.

Murong Wushuang was as excited as someone that had found a new land as he continued, "How has no one discovered this problem before? Oh right, Her Highness the Princess is also a female, so does she also have two big gourds… hmph hmph…growing…"

Ning Xiaochuan had covered Murong Wushuang's mouth out of fear that what he was going to say would be heard by Yu Qianqian. If he were to anger Princess Qianqian, his head would definitely fall to the ground with a single command.

Yu Qianqian, who was still in the beautiful antique carriage, had already heard Murong Wushuang's words and was beside herself in anger. She blushed in embarrassment and continuously tugged at the corner of her robe.

If it was not for the fact that Murong Wushuang was Ning Xiaochuan's friend, she just might have beheaded him already.

Murong Wushuang said, "Hehe! I always thought that girls had bulging chests. At first, I thought they were merely hiding their money there so I once tried to touch them. However, after only a light touch, I was scolded like crazy."

"Then did you touch the chest that bulged the most?" asked Ning Xiaochuan.

"Of course. Stealing money from the richest person is my principle." Murong Wushuang continued, "Back then, I wondered why these girls called me a hoodlum because, whenever I was caught stealing money, I would be called a thief. Today, I've finally understood the reason."

Ning Xiaochuan sighed and replied, "Since you understand it now, don't go around grabbing people next time."

Murong Wushuang nodded his head solemnly and said, "Of course! I expect if I simply grab girls, it'll definitely hurt them a lot. People are always learning so I've clarified some doubts about life again today."

Many Martial Monks had gathered at Jinpeng Auction House today. Most of them were younger generation martial artists, so there was also no shortage of young powerhouses.

Most of them had gathered in the Imperial City because of the Heavenly Emperor Academy and each of them was Heaven's Favored Child, so they wanted to create a name for themselves in the Imperial City.

"Huh!" As soon as Ning Xiaochuan laid eyes on a group of people up front, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Murong Wushuang followed Ning Xiaochuan's gaze and saw about a dozen men and women in embroidered gowns. They all seemed to be between fourteen to twenty years old and some of the young men looked handsome and smart. On the other hand, some of the young women were beautiful beyond compare, they all carried themselves with a bit of unique spirituality.

One of the young women was especially graceful. She carried a cyan ancient sword and her beauty was moving and enchanting.

"Who are they? Do you know them?" asked Murong Wushuang.

Ning Xiaochuan nodded his head and replied, "Of course I do. They're the Heaven's Favored Sons and Heaven's Favored Daughters of Marquis Jiange's Residence."

Genius descendants of Marquis Jiange's Residence would return to the Imperial City after spending three months training in barren hills along the border. A dozen of these descendants were now in Jinpeng Auction House to buy the Blood-toad Pills for their final sprint.

Among them was Ning Hengqing, who had been cursed out by Ning Xiaochuan. His Cultivation was already at Stage Nine Qi and when he walked among the crowd, he looked like an arrogant crane in a flock of chickens.

The second Heaven's Favored Daughter of Marquis Jiange's Residence, Ning Meier, was only second to Ning Xiner. She was already at Stage Nine Qi before the training, so her Cultivation was now inches away from breaking through to the Divine Body Realm.

Her body exuded arrogance since she was evidently the strongest among the group of youths. Everybody was busy trying to get on her good side, which made her feel quite superior.

When Ning Xiaochuan saw them, someone had also seen Ning Xiaochuan.

"Hehe. Everyone, look, that's Sicken Ning. Who would've thought we would meet him here," said one of the Stage Eight Qi geniuses from Marquis Jiange's Residence with a snide laugh.

"Wasn't he dismissed to guard Begonia Manor, why is he running around in the Imperial City?"

Ning Meier glanced at Ning Xiaochuan before she said, "He's nothing more than an invalid that can't cultivate Qi while we're all geniuses with a high chance of becoming students of the Heavenly Emperor Academy. The difference between our statuses is destined to be as different as heaven and earth. Saying even one word to people like him is a waste of time."

Ning Meier had always looked down on people like Ning Xiaochuan, who she saw as useless. She was in Jinpeng Auction House today to buy Blood-toad Pills so that she could finally break through to the Divine Body Realm. Once that was achieved, she would no longer lose to Ning Xiner and would become the most famous Heaven's Favored Daughter in Marquis Jiange's Residence.

Ning Hengqing had been cursed out by Ning Xiaochuan before, so he harbored a deep resentment for Ning Xiaochuan. He strode up to Ning Xiaochaun and smiled at him mockingly. "Sicken Ning, it really is you. We always inevitably end up clashing!"

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Ning Hengqing had been cursed out by Ning Xiaochuan after he had insulted Ning Xiaochuan.

In reality, the two held no grudges against the other person, so it was nothing more than a quarrel. Ning Xiaochuan saw the incident as a trivial matter and had never taken it to heart, so he exclaimed benevolently, "Ning Hengqing, I've already forgiven you! It's better to squash enmity than to keep it alive so why don't we both shake hands in agreement of writing off all our previous grudges!"

"You've forgiven me?" Ning Hengqing was furious and his fists cracked menacingly. With a cold laugh, he said, "Do you think a lowly person like you deserves to shake hands with me?"

Ning Xiaochuan had already stretched his hand out, intending to make peace with Ning Hengqing but as soon as he heard these words, he retracted his hand.

Ning Hengqing mockingly said, "After this time's training, I'm already a martial art powerhouse with Stage Nine Qi. I've become a key nurturing target for the Marquis' Residence. I'm going to enter the Heavenly Emperor Academy and become a respected powerhouse with countless admirers. You, on the other hand… Hehe, you're worse than a slave to me."

"Little brat, who do you think you are? Why don't you try scolding me again? Do you think that I won't cut you down?" Murong Wushuang could not bear to watch anymore. He rolled up his sleeves and prepared to rush forward to beat up Ning Hengqing.

Ning Xiaochuan held Murong Wushuang back and said, "Let me handle it."

Upon seeing this, Ning Hengqing scoffed and grew more arrogant before he said, "That's right! Sicken Ning, you should control your dog properly."

"You scumbag, don't you dare assume that I won't knock every tooth out of your mouth!" Murong Wushuang furiously spat.

Anger stirred inside Ning Hengqing too as he condensed the Qi on his palms. "Where did this pariah come from? How dare you speak to me that way? I'm going to cut off your tongue and sell you off as a slave today."

Whoosh…

The Qi condensed into a Qi Sword before, landing on Ning Hengqing's hand.

"Ning Hengqing actually managed to cultivate a Qi Sword. Since he has already achieved Stage Nine Qi, his cultivation would be considered superb. There's a seventy percent chance that he could enter the Heavenly Emperor Academy." Numerous martial artists around him had looks of admiration on their faces and awestruck gazes now.

It was an incredible feat to be able to reach Stage Nine Qi cultivation and even cultivate the Qi Sword at this age.

Naturally, Ning Hengqing was secretly proud as well. At the same time, he lowered his gaze before summoning a long Qi Sword and violently swinging it at Murong Wushuang.

The Qi Sword resembled a large white wave!

Ning Xiaochuan's expression darkened because Ning Hengqing was being too vicious. If Murong Wushuang had been a normal person who lacked Martial Art Cultivation, Ning Hengqing's sword would have cut him to bits.

An afterimage remained when Ning Xiaochuan gently stepped away, and ten bolts of lightning were condensed on his palm. He used his hand to break the Qi Sword into smaller pieces before leaving a handprint on Ning Hengqing's chest.

Bang!

Ning Xiaochuan hit Ning Hengqing and sent him flying. The victim crashed against the wall and rolled down like a dead dog. His body had turned black from being burned by the lightning and his chest was completely bloodied. Ning Hengqing collapsed on the ground and gasped for breath.

Everything became quiet.

It was terrifyingly quiet!

The geniuses from Marquis Jiange's Residence were so shocked that they could not even breathe!

Was this… Was this really Sicken Ning?

Everyone had treated him like an invalid for more than a decade. Although Ning Hengqing had achieved Stage Nine Qi, he resembled a dead dog after Ning Xiaochuan attacked him with nothing but the palm of his hand. Ning Xiaochuan's Martial Arts Cultivation was truly terrifying! He was definitely a peerless expert among the younger generation.

Ning Meier was also staring at Ning Xiaochuan in shock as she could not believe what her eyes had seen. His… His cultivation was higher than hers because he had actually managed to reach the Divine Body Realm!

The girl had belittled Ning Xiaochuan in the past because she assumed that she was better than him. However, she had now discovered that her previous assumptions were utterly ridiculous.

Ning Xiaochuan closed his palms to allow the electricity to return to his body.

Murong Wushuang happily chuckled and walked over before he bent down and looked at Ning Hengqing, who was burned to a crisp. He held a brick in one hand, reached out with his other hand and said, "Can we shake hands and call it even?"

Ning Hengqing raised his head with much difficulty before he stared in shock at that familiar yet strange youth in the distance. Next, he bitterly laughed when he noticed that Murong Wushuang was holding a brick in one of his hands. Ning Hengqing looked extremely uncomfortable when he grimaced, as though his father had died. "Of course, let's shake hands and call it even."

He proceeded to reach his hand out.

Boom!

Murong Wushuang immediately dropped the brick and hurt Ning Hengqing so badly that the latter thought he was going to die. However, he simply passed out on the ground. "That guy was absolutely shameless. It serves him right for getting beat up."

The geniuses from Marquis Jiange's Residence were cautiously staring at Ning Xiaochuan, but none of them dared to pick Ning Hengqing up now.

Click-clack.

An exquisite carriage stopped far away.

Xiao Li sat in the carriage, and a scorching flame instantly appeared in his eyes when he saw that, in the distance, Ning Xiaochuan was standing amongst the crowd. "Ning Xiaochuan, I want you dead."

Two months ago, Xiao Li had nearly died because of Ning Xiaochuan. A powerful burst of Qi surged throughout Xiao Li's body as his hatred burned for Ning Xiaochuan.

The experts from the Dragon Elephant Divine Camp took Xiao Li to the Heavenly Emperor Academy to heal his wounds. Not only did Xiao Li survive this crisis, he had also managed to advance his cultivation to the next stage. One of the important individuals from the Heavenly Emperor Academy favored Xiao Li and took him in as a disciple. That person even broke a rule and allowed Xiao Li to enter the Heavenly Emperor Academy and cultivate there.

Furthermore, the dean of the Diamond Martial Art Institution in the Heavenly Emperor Academy even referred to Xiao Li as a rare genius that only appeared once every hundred years. Apparently, Xiao Li's innate talents were on par with the previous Cloud Marquis, Yue Wuyang.

Two months after this news had spread from the Heavenly Emperor Academy, Xiao Li's reputation resounded throughout the Imperial City. Many people had heard of the famous individual who was the only genius that the Heavenly Emperor Academy had broken a rule to accept. Numerous influential parties wanted to take Xiao Li in now.

Xiao Li's status naturally improved at an incredible speed as he became a well-known person in the imperial court.

Ning Xiaochuan ignored Ning Hengqing who was unconscious on the ground after being struck by Murong Wushuang. He was planning to leave when he suddenly heard a familiar voice that said, "Ning Xiaochuan, I want you dead!"

Whoosh!

It came from the faraway carriage.

Xiao Li aggressively stomped his foot before his body quickly shot upward before a loud beast-like roar erupted from his body. More than ten young geniuses who were standing in front of him were sent flying before Xiao Li's fist came crashing down on Ning Xiaochuan.

The two guards who were accompanying Yu Qianqian rushed forward and yelled, "You there, retreat quickly. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to escape death."

Those two guards had achieved Stage One of the Divine Body Realm cultivation and were considered martial arts practitioners. Both of them also possessed rather influential statuses in Great King Jinpeng's Residence.

Xiao Li completely ignored the two guards because his gaze was focused solely on Ning Xiaochuan. "Get lost! Taotie's Claw!"

Roar!

Xiao Li harshly slapped his palms together before he attacked with a sixteen-foot long giant lion's claw that violently sent the two Stage One of the Divine Body Realm guards flying.

"Who is he? He's so powerful despite being so young. He managed to effortlessly defeat those two guards who had already achieved the Divine Body Realm. That young man's cultivation is probably enough for him to rank as one of the top ten disciples in the Heavenly Emperor Academy!"

"He… Don't you know who he is? He's Xiao Li. It's rumored that he's a disciple of one of the most prominent figures in the Heavenly Emperor Academy. His innate talents are terrifyingly powerful. I'm afraid that there are only a few geniuses who can stand on an equal footing with him now."

…

Xiao Li violently attacked and condensed a gigantic Qi Sword. He exerted a powerful force and made his weapon come crashing down on Ning Xiaochuan.

Swish!

The Sword Qi resembled a wave!

"You're not dead yet?"

Ning Xiaochuan lowered his gaze and slapped both of his hands together before a Qi Sword was condensed between his palms. Electric currents ran through the sharp end of the blade before he swung his sword upward.

Bang!

Fluctuating sword shockwaves were produced when the two swords clashed.

Meanwhile, the slabs of stone on the ground cracked like spider webs.

Both sides were evenly matched!

When Xiao Li landed on the ground, his eyes were filled with shock before he said, "I never imagined that you would break through to the Divine Body Realm too. Unfortunately for you, I've already reached the peak of Stage One of the Divine Body Realm and I've cultivated the first type of innate talent Divine Technique to a Greater Achievement. I'm going to break through to Stage Two of the Divine Body Realm soon. You, on the other hand, are going to die today!"

Bang!

Xiao Li crushed the Qi Sword that he was holding into pieces and turned it into eighteen sharp sword shards. The crushed pieces of his weapon turned into eighteen bursts of Sword Qi that resembled twinkling rays of light as they frighteningly shot toward Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan spread out both of his hands before numerous lightning bolts exploded inside his body and formed an electric shroud of Qi that enveloped his body. The sword shards crashed into the electric shroud of Qi and instantly turned into shrouds of green smoke.

"I still have one more sword!"

Nine Qi Swords were condensed around Xiao Li's body. The swords flew around his body in circles before combining into a single weapon that broke through the lightning shroud of Qi. Next, the sword attempted to stab Ning Xiaochuan's heart.

However, an incredibly strong sword cognizance exploded out of Ning Xiaochuan's heart before an oppressive force escaped from the inside of his body. This force broke the Qi Sword into tiny pieces and violently pushed Xiao Li backward.

The swords that the surrounding martial artists held were also quivering now. It seemed like their weapons were about to fly out of their sheathes, and the martial artists were so afraid that they hurriedly held on to their hilts and quickly retreated.

"Lightning Divine Beast!"

Roar!

Numerous lightning bolts crashed around Ning Xiaochuan's body within a radius of 100 feet. Next, the lightning bolts converged into a gigantic ball of electricity with a diameter of 3 feet.

A beast's claw that was formed from the converged lightning bolts extended out from the ball!

"Taotie's Claw!"

Xiao Li was unwilling to show his weaknesses as well. He circulated all the Combat Qi throughout his entire body and condensed it into a gigantic claw that was 23 feet long before he attacked his opponent.

Bang!

The Lightning Divine Beast's claw and the Taotie's Claw violently clashed before a tearing force erupted.

Both parties retreated at the same time.

Princess Qianqian was upset. She stepped out of her carriage and sternly said, "Have you decided to resign from your position as Jinpeng Auction House's Commander of the Guard? The auction house has turned into a wrestling ring."

Xue Zhentian, the Commander of the Guard at Jinpeng Auction House, was so afraid that his complexion had drastically changed. He frantically led Jinpeng Auction House's martial arts experts over and surrounded Ning Xiaochuan and Xiao Li.

"Your Highness, should I drag those two young men off and cut their heads off?" Xue Zhentian politely asked.

Yu Qianqian replied, "Would you like to find out if I'll cut yours off first?"

Xue Zhentian knelt on the ground with one knee while sweat dripped down his body like rain.

Yu Qianqian had obviously heard of Xiao Li and knew that he was the disciple of an influential figure in the Heavenly Emperor's Academy. Although she also had a prestigious status, she knew that it was a bad idea to offend one of the Heavenly Emperor Academy's prominent figures. Naturally, she could not drag Xiao Li off and behead him.

The actual reason why Yu Qianqian was avoiding that was because the Heavenly Emperor Academy was separate from the court. As such, all the genius disciples were willing to risk life and limb to join the Heavenly Emperor Academy.

Nonetheless, Xiao Li was not brave enough to defy Great King Jinpeng's Residence. Otherwise, he would be courting death. He looked for a flight of stairs and walked down before he respectfully bowed to Yan Qianqian and said, "Your Highness, apparently you're here. Your humble servant, Xiao Li, has unintentionally offended you. My heart is utterly filled with fear. Your Highness, please pardon me."

Yu Qianqian coldly huffed before she said, "Jinpeng Auction House is not a place for you to fool around as you please. Get lost! I don't want to argue with you today."

"Yes!"

Xiao Li turned around and icily glared at Ning Xiaochuan before he sneered and said, "Come to the Heavenly Emperor Academy if you think that you have what it takes to compete against me again."

"I'd be glad to accompany you at any time!" Ning Xiaochuan said indifferently.

"I will definitely break through to Stage Two of the Divine Body Realm in three days. If you're brave enough to come to the Heavenly Emperor Academy, I won't hesitate to kill you." Xiao Li sneered.

Xiao Li's carriage left after that.

Boom!

Jinpeng Auction House instantly erupted in a great clamour and was filled with noise! Many people stared at Ning Xiaochuan while they started discussing and guessing his identity.

"This young man has a bright future ahead of him because he actually managed to be evenly matched with Xiao Li during their fight. His innate talents are probably so rare that someone like him would only exist once every hundred years."

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The geniuses from Marquis Jiange's Residence were completely dumbfounded now!

During Ning Xiaochuan and Xiao Li's fight earlier, they had clearly seen that both parties were equally matched throughout the battle. Indeed, both of them were practitioners despite being so young. Unfortunately, the geniuses realized that there was a world of difference between themselves and Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Meier leisurely walked over and gracefully ran her pale fingers through her hair. She gently glanced at Ning Xiaochuan and bowed before a hopeful gaze appeared in her eyes as she said, "Xiaochuan, your Martial Arts Cultivation is so advanced. Can I come over and practice sword fighting with you in the future?"

Her movements were graceful and she was using her femininity and beauty to the fullest. Ning Meier assumed that she could definitely control this young genius with her charm!

"Xiaochuan, let's go to the auction house! I've already reserved a medium-sized auction house that we can specially use to auction the Blood-toad Pills."

Yu Qianqian came down from the carriage before she dragged Ning Xiaochuan by his wrists and walked toward the auction house.

She was secretly unhappy when she noticed that Ning Meier was purposely trying to get closer to Ning Xiaochuan. Yu Qianqian decided to move her body closer to Ning Xiaochuan and put on a show for Ning Meier to make it seem like they were very intimate.

Jinpeng Auction House consisted of one large auction house and four medium-sized auction houses.

Aside from when the auction summits were held once a year, the large auction house was usually closed to the public. Thus, it was a big deal to be able to open only one medium-sized auction house to auction the Blood-toad Pills. Yu Qianqian, because of her elevated status, was the only person who was influential enough to do this.

The auction house was much livelier than what Ning Xiaochuan had imagined. Numerous noble families, individuals from Marquis' Residences and mansions, martial arts' sects, and even geniuses and remarkable people from other sects came here to purchase Blood-toad Pills in order to break through to the next realm and participate in the examinations that the Heavenly Emperor Academy would hold in three days.

Since nobody knew the exact number of Blood-toad Pills at the auction, the price of the first Blood-toad Pill had skyrocketed to an exorbitant cost of 36 million copper coins. In the end, it was bought by the young king of King Qilin's Residence.

"36 million copper coins still greatly exceeds my expectations." Ning Xiaochuan was rather pleased with this price.

Although the Blood-toad Pill was considered a high quality mid-grade Pill, it was not a rare item. It would usually cost around 10 million to 15 million copper coins. Nonetheless, the price of the Blood-toad Pill had skyrocketed because of this particular timing.

Yu Qianqian happily said, "Yu Tiandi is known as an otherworldly genius from King Qilin's Residence because his cultivation has reached the peak of Stage Two of the Divine Body Realm despite him only being eighteen years old. I'm certain that he bought the Blood-toad Pill because he wanted to quickly advance to Stage Three of the Divine Body Realm and obtain the Chieftain rank among his batch in the Heavenly Emperor Academy this time."

"Oh, do you get a prize for being the Chieftain?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

Yu Qianqian nodded and replied, "Anyone who ranks among the top ten in the Heavenly Emperor Academy will receive a valuable prize from the academy. The Chieftain for each round will receive an even more shocking prize. They might even be rewarded with a treasure that would make even a Martial Supreme emotional."

The young king from King Qilin's Residence consumed the Blood-toad Pill before a powerful burst of Blood Qi instantly erupted inside his body.

Boom!

Moments later, the Blood Qi inside the young king's body frenziedly increased. When his strength had increased by twofold, he loudly chuckled and said, "The Blood-toad Pill didn't disappoint me at all. I managed to break through to Stage Three of the Divine Body Realm so quickly. I can feel that my body hasn't fully digested the Pill Qi yet, so my cultivation will probably improve before the Heavenly Emperor Academy starts recruiting new students."

"Congratulations! The young king's cultivation has reached Stage Three of the Divine Body Realm. He will definitely become the Chieftain this time."

The young king led his servants away and left Jinpeng Auction House. He was getting ready to return and undergo isolated cultivation to digest his Pill Qi fully and improve his Martial Arts Cultivation to make it stronger.

Ning Xiaochuan could feel the powerful aura from the young king of King Qilin's Residence's body while he was sitting inside the carriage. The young king was at least ten times stronger than Cheng Lin from Great King Jinpeng's Residence.

Yu Qianqian said, "He's deliberately showing off his strength as a warning to everyone else. The young king purposely broke through to Stage Three of the Divine Body Realm in front of the crowd to terrorize all the genius disciples who were threats to him."

"It's true that he managed to terrorize many people. This is certainly the definition of ultimate strength. I'm afraid that it would be rare for anyone among the younger generation to be stronger than him," Ning Xiaochuan said.

The young king immediately broke through to the next realm when he consumed the Blood-toad Pill. This incident greatly affected the people who had yet to buy a Blood-toad Pill and caused them to become even more frantic. The geniuses whose cultivation was previously on par with the young king were particularly anxious now because they felt even more pressured. They swore on their lives that they would purchase a Blood-toad Pill to break through to the next realm.

"Hurry up and auction off the second Blood-toad Pill!"

"That Blood-toad Pill will definitely be mine!"

…

The second Blood-toad Pill was quickly auctioned off after that, despite being more expensive than the first pill. It was sold for a price of 40 million copper coins to a genius from the Qingmu Clan.

Soon after that, the third Blood-toad Pill was auctioned off as well. The asking price had surpassed 30 million copper coins before it was finally sold for 32 million copper coins.

The fourth Blood-toad Pill was sold for the price of 26 million copper coins.

…

…

When the tenth Blood-toad Pill was being auctioned, the pill's price did not surpass 20 million copper coins, but the price point remained above 15 million copper coins.

As most of the genius disciples were scrambling to obtain the Blood-toad Pill, the Heart-nourishing Masters who came to participate in the auction were stunned. The person who brought out so many Blood-toad Pills at one time was simply going against the norm. This incident had turned the mid-grade Pill market into a complete mess.

Meanwhile, the other two Great Heart-nourishing Halls— Empire Heart-nourishing Hall and Divine Path Heart-nourishing Hall had both sent their important figures to investigate the actual situation. They wanted to discover what kind of pill-refining divine object Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall had obtained.

The Yulan Empire's Three Great Heart-nourishing Halls were constantly competing with each other. Since Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall managed to refine so many mid-grade Pills at one time, they would definitely be able to obtain other pills in the future. If Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall had truly grasped a way to refine a large batch of pills, the other two Great Heart-nourishing Halls would definitely suffer a great blow because of it.

Madam Yinchi was sitting inside a fancy carriage that was right next to the one that Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian were inside.

Her skin was snow-white and smooth while her eyelashes were long and curled, and it seemed as though her long hair was soaked in milk. Madam Yinchi looked like an enchanting and extraordinarily beautiful woman. She stared at the lively auction house below and said, "Did you manage to find out who refined those Blood-toad Pills? Do you know how they managed to refine them?"

Madam Yinchi had bought a Blood-toad Pill from the auction, and it was currently floating above her palm. Once she had examined the Blood-toad Pill, she discovered that it was actually an extremely rare item.

However, 32 of these Blood-toad Pills of the same quality had already been auctioned off.

An old woman kneeled down behind Madam Yinchi and said, "Everyone first heard of the Blood-toad Pill through Princess Qianqian. As for the identity of the Heart-nourishing Master who refined the Blood-toad Pill, nobody knows the answer because Princess Qianqian has never revealed that."

"Yu Qianqian may have incredible innate talents, but she couldn't have refined so many Blood-toad Pills in such a short amount of time." Madam Yinchi's lips faintly curled upward as she exposed an alluring arc.

"Could it be that Skilled Master Guo managed to discover a certain method to refine a large batch of mid-grade Pills?" the old woman asked.

"We need to investigate this matter properly because we must find the person who refined these Blood-toad Pills. A person like that will definitely destroy the balance between the Three Great Pill-nourishing Halls. If we can convince him to join us, then we shall do that. However, if we fail to win him over, we must… Kill him." Madam Yinchi gingerly played with the Blood-toad Pill in her hand and spun it around. A blood-red colored Pill Light shrouded her smooth pale fingers like a twinkling Spirit Bead.

When Madam Yinchi was illuminated by the crimson Pill Light, she resembled a fox spirit that was licking blood!

All 40 Blood-toad Pills were auctioned off for a total sum of 870 million copper coins.

Once he had deducted 3% of his earnings to pay Jinpeng Heart-nourishing Hall as a fee to hold the auction, Ning Xiaochuan was eventually left with about 850 million copper coins.

Yu Qianqian passed a little green-colored cloth bag to Ning Xiaochuan. The cloth bag was illuminated by a flickering Qi Halo layer that made it resemble a treasure that was burning brightly.

When Ning Xiaochuan took the cloth bag from her, he sounded surprised as he said, "Is this a Heaven and Earth Pouch?"

Yu Qianqian gently nodded before she raised her snow-white chin and said, "I've placed 8500 silver plates inside it for you, but you should count it for yourself." She paused before she continued, "You can open the pouch by filling it with your Qi."

Ning Xiaochuan did not count the coins. Instead, he smiled and said, "This Heaven and Earth Pouch is definitely expensive! I'll borrow it for now, but I'll surely return it to you later."

"I was planning to give this Heaven and Earth Pouch to you," Yu Qianqian softly replied.

This generous gift would definitely cost more than one hundred million copper coins.

Ning Xiaochuan did not decline her gift because he was not a quarrelsome person. However, he reminded himself that he definitely needed to repay her kind gesture in the future. Yu Qianqian had greatly assisted him in auctioning the Blood-toad Pills.

When Ning Xiaochuan carefully observed the Heaven and Earth Pouch and noticed the patterns there, his eyes widened before he said, "Why are there two ducks embroidered here?"

"Is that so? I didn't know. I wonder who had so much free time to embroider ducks on a Heaven and Earth Pouch. That's terrible!" Yu Qianqian gently turned around before she lifted her gaze and stared at the moon in the sky.

The moon was seemingly hanging off the tip of a branch while the sky grew darker.

Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian went their separate ways before the former left in a carriage with Murong Wushuang.

"This isn't the way back to Begonia Manor," Murong Wushuang said.

Ning Xiaochuan nodded before he smiled and replied, "This road is taking us to Guanyu Tower!"

…

…

While the Blood-toad Pills were being sold at Jinpeng Auction House, a shocking incident was happening in the Imperial Palace. Numerous influential and high ranking officials felt the winds of change blowing and realized that their lives were on the line now.

The root of this earth-shattering news was Ning Qiancheng. He had recently made great contributions to his country—the Yulan Empire.

When Ning Qiancheng had returned to the Imperial City, the civil and military officials went to greet him. After that, all of them went back to the Imperial Palace together.

"Ning Qiancheng from Marquis Jiange's Residence led two million troops and defeated the Grade Four Tianji Dynasty. He has made a heroic contribution to the Yulan Empire. Today, I will reward Ning Qiancheng by giving him the title of the Tianji Dynasty's National Divine Protector. He shall rule over the Tianji Dynasty with Queen Tianjie. Meanwhile, the troops will move back and set up their camp at the mountain range. From now on, they will be bestowed the title of the Emperor's army," the eunuch read out the imperial decree while he was standing at the top of the palace.

Boom!

The entire imperial court was shaken.

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The last sentence of the decree declared that the troops would be "bestowed the title of the Emperor's army". On the surface, it seemed like the army was receiving the highest honor when they were bestowed with this title. In reality, the Great Emperor Yulan was actually claiming the two million troops from Marquis Jiange's Residence as his own army.

Those two million troops were the private army of Marquis Jiange's Residence, but they were now sealed off as the Emperor's army instead.

The Great Emperor Yulan was beginning to snatch the Nobles' military power!

This was a dangerous sign. An ominous feeling stirred inside the Nobles' hearts while they were in the palace while their gazes shifted toward the Old Marquis one after another.

Marquis Jiange always seemed calm. He gently opened his eyes and looked at the Great Emperor Yulan, who was sitting upstairs, before he respectfully bowed and said, "Your Highness, please think about this carefully. Qiancheng is still a child! Although he has no problems leading soldiers into battle, he's still too young and his personality is terribly rash. Furthermore, many citizens from the Tianji Dynasty died because of his army right after he breached that area. I'm afraid that the Tianji Dynasty will rebel against him because of this. If you bestow him the title of the Tianji Dynasty's National Divine Protector… I'm worried that he will outsmart himself and fail. If that happens, he will end up ruining the empire. Your servant thinks that it would be more suitable to let Qiancheng lead the soldiers in the military camp. Your Highness, your servant hopes that you can understand that these painstaking measures were taken for a good cause."

Yue Wuyang stepped forward and arrogantly said, "Old Marquis, you're worrying too much. Ning Qiancheng managed to breach the Tianji Dynasty and force Queen Tianjie to swear her allegiance to him. This means that he's able to intimidate others with his military forces. He's the only person who is suited to keep watch over the Tianji Dynasty to suppress those uncivilized barbarians and prevent them from causing destruction across the borders of the Yulan Empire."

The Great Emperor Yulan smiled and said, "The Cloud Marquis has a good point. Master Ning, you don't have to worry so much. That child, Qiancheng, has always been naturally talented in martial arts. Clearly, all of us view him highly because he has reached great heights. I'm certain that he can help the empire suppress our enemies to ensure that the empire's other territories will be safe and harmonious."

Without waiting for Marquis Jiange to continue speaking, the Great Emperor Yulan fixed his gaze on Great King Jinpeng, who was standing at the side of the palace. He asked, "Younger brother, what do you think about this?"

Everyone's gaze shifted toward Great King Jinpeng.

This was not a simple matter. Marquis Jiange's Residence's military power was on the line because two million of their soldiers were being taken away. Hence, this affected the interests of all the Nobles in the Yulan Empire.

Today, Marquis Jiange's Residence's military power was stripped away. The next day, however, it could be Marquis Tianxiang's Residence or Great King Jinpeng's Residence turn…

The only person in the court who could defy the Great Emperor Yulan was Great King Jinpeng.

Numerous people were hoping to see how he would counter this move.

Great King Jinpeng respectfully made a fist salute and said, "Your Highness, you're absolutely right. Ning Qiancheng has achieved spectacular military feats while guarding the nation. Indeed, he deserves to be rewarded. The troops who triumphantly returned should also be rewarded. Your Highness, you are certainly wise!"

A knowing smile appeared on the Great Emperor Yulan's face. Since Great King Jinpeng had come to terms with everything, the following 'Vassal Elimination Plan' would be carried out without a hitch. He wanted to see who else was brave enough to put their military power on the line.

The Nobles in the palace had disappointed looks on their faces. They had never imagined that Great King Jinpeng would choose to compromise.

However, Great King Jinpeng said, "Your Highness, would you graciously permit me to make a request of you?"

The Great Emperor Yulan smiled and asked, "Younger brother, could it be that you have some good news?"

"Indeed, there is good news," Great King Jinpeng replied. "Qianqian is sixteen years old this year. She has reached the age of marriage, and she has already set her heart on someone. May I be so bold as to ask Your Highness to witness their marriage?"

"It's been a long time since that girl, Qianqian, came to play in the palace. Apparently, she has a special person now. Younger brother, since you personally came to make this request of me, I have no choice but to witness their marriage. It seems like we're doubly blessed today." The Great Emperor Yulan immediately agreed because he was secretly rather pleased.

Great King Jinpeng said, "The young man whom Qianqian adores is a fourth-generation descendant of Marquis Jiange's Residence, Ning Xiaochuan. He's also Master Ning's biological grandson, and Ning Qiancheng's biological nephew. Now that Qiancheng is back, he should only leave after Ning Xiaochuan and Qianqian's wedding!"

The entire palace instantly turned completely silent!

Furthermore, the smile on the Great Emperor Yulan's face had also stiffened.

Marquis Jiange and Ning Qiancheng had rather confused looks on their faces now. Clearly, neither of them had imagined that the situation would reach this point. More importantly… Why did that person have to be Ning Xiaochuan?

Why did Great King Jinpeng choose a descendant with an inborn fetal disease when there were so many genius descendants in Marquis Jiange's Residence?

Something was definitely wrong.

This time, Great King Jinpeng had purposely decided to shock everyone by using the marriage between Great King Jinpeng's Residence and Marquis Jiange's Residence to intimidate the Great Emperor Yulan.

At the same time, the two million soldiers outside the city were used as a trump card that forced the Great Emperor Yulan in a corner and rendered him helpless.

Meanwhile, the other Nobles in the palace clearly looked excited now because they were intelligent people. One after another, they boldly started saying, "Congratulations, congratulations. Master Ning's grandson and Master Wang's daughter are getting married. What's more, His Highness is even going to witness their wedding. This is definitely the happiest occasion in the Yulan Empire."

"I would suggest that we get a general pardon so the entire nation can celebrate this event together."

…

Naturally, the 'Vassal Elimination Plan' had reached a deadlock now. As for Ning Qiancheng's fate, they would have to discuss again whether he would return to the army once more, or go to the Tianji Dynasty to become its National Divine Protector.

Since the Great Emperor Yulan was a wise person, he naturally understood that the marriage between Great King Jinpeng's Residence and Marquis Jiange's Residence basically aimed to block his 'Vassal Elimination Plan'. If he returned the military power to Ning Qiancheng, the Great Emperor Yulan was worried that the Imperial City's troops would change hands on Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian's wedding day.

In the end, the Great Emperor Yulan decided to compromise because of the alliance between Great King Jinpeng's Residence and Marquis Jiange's Residence, as well as the two million soldiers who were fiercely staring at him outside the Imperial City.

Frankly, he had no choice but to compromise.

An earth-shattering incident that violently shaken the court for a brief moment. However, the news of Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian's marriage had temporarily overshadowed that shocking event.

The Old Marquis hurriedly returned to Marquis Jiange's Residence with Ning Qiancheng before he immediately sent someone to Begonia Manor to summon Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Meier, Ning Hengqing, and the other geniuses from Marquis Jiange's Residence reported everything they had seen to the Old Marquis when they returned from Jinpeng Auction House.

The Old Marquis was both surprised and happy while his entire body shivered with emotion. He nearly jumped up and started dancing as he said, "Can Xiaochuan really cultivate his Combat Qi now?"

"Xiaochuan's Martial Art Cultivation is extremely high and he has reached the Divine Body Realm. He was on equal footing with Xiao Li when they were fighting at Jinpeng Auction House. The way I see it, Xiaochuan's cultivation is about to surpass Xiner's cultivation soon," Ning Meier said.

A pleased look also appeared on Ning Qiancheng's face as he said, "No wonder I noticed that he was different than before when I saw him previously. Xiaochuan didn't seem afraid at all when he was standing before Yue Wuyang. Most people could never be so bold. Apparently, his fetal disease was already fully healed at that time. Haha! It looks like we won't be using the highly-skilled Heart-nourishing Master that I invited from the Tianji Dynasty. The heavens have truly smiled upon him. Third brother's son can finally begin his cultivation. As for his body's Seven-orifices…"

"Cough, cough!" The Old Marquis coughed dryly before he sternly glared at Ning Qiancheng for a while. He stared at Ning Qiancheng and forced the younger male to swallow his words before he said, "Where is Xiaochuan right now?"

"I don't know! He left once the auction was over."

"The housekeeper at Begonia Manor reported back to the Marquis and said that the master left in the afternoon. However, he has yet to return until now."

Ning Qiancheng's expression suddenly changed before he said, "Xiaochuan and Princess Qianqian's marriage will affect and change the entire imperial court. Could it be that someone has already done something to him beforehand…"

"Nonsense. Nobody would even dare to lay a finger on my grandson!" the Old Marquis strained his neck and loudly roared.

The Old Marquis knew that Ning Xiaochuan possessed the Seven-orifices Devil Heart. Now that his inborn fetal disease was completely healed, Ning Xiaochuan resembled a hidden dragon that leaped out of the sea, or a male eagle that was spreading its wings. There were no limits to Ning Xiaochuan's future achievements now. Anyone who still dared to harm him would be putting their own lives on the line.

"I'm ordering you to go and find him. Send everyone out. You must find him, even if it means having to turn the whole empire upside down," the Old Marquis commanded.

Great King Jinpeng's Residence, Cloud Marquis' Residence, the Imperial Palace, and many other major forces discovered that Ning Xiaochuan was missing at the same time. When those major forces started looking for Ning Xiaochuan, other people obviously tried to kill him as well.

…

Ning Xiaochuan⁠ was the key figure who had caused a commotion throughout the entire Imperial City. However, he was currently taking his first step into Guanyu Tower!

Guanyu Tower was the best brothel in the Imperial City.

The visitors did not come here to view jade, but came to this place to stare at women who were as exquisite as jade.

Anyone could enjoy physical pleasures here as long as they had money.

There was an abundance of beautiful women here who were all dressed provocatively and exposing large sections of their pale skin. They were sexy, bewitching, captivating, and tantalizing!

Two red "rivers" flowed out of Murong Wushuang's nostrils when he froze and stared at all the gorgeous ladies. He said, "Brother Chuan, this place… This is a great place because it's filled with so many beautiful women!"

"Beautiful women?" Ning Xiaochuan shook his head and said, "The women that you see could never be considered as true beauties. Rather, they're simply a bunch of low-class wh*res who've painted themselves with makeup! But if you're still interested, you can go over and mingle with them."

Ning Xiaochuan took ten silver plates out of the Heaven and Earth Pouch before he passed the money to Murong Wushuang and allowed him to spend it as he pleased.

A bright white light shot out in all four directions before the room was seemingly shining white. Numerous young women within Guanyu Tower were staring at him now.

"Oh my goodness, a rich customer has arrived!" A gorgeous young woman who was sixteen or seventeen years old fixed her gaze on the ten silver plates in Ning Xiaochuan's hand. Her eyes did not move away after that.

Murong Wushuang held those ten silver plates with both hands because he had never seen so much money before. He said, "Brother Chuan, this place… How does it work here? Am I supposed to make a big bet, or a small one?"

"You can definitely bet that they're big, Master. Look, aren't mine big?" The beautiful young woman walked right up to Murong Wushuang before she gently lifted the front of her gown and revealed two round and pale "balls" on her chest that were already half-exposed.

Murong Wushuang's mouth gaped open in shock before he said, "Big… Really big…"

"Are you sure that Yu Ji's are even considered big? Master, have a look at mine. Now these are what you'd call big, right?" Another young woman walked over and placed her sleeve against Murong Wushuang's face before she untied her belt and removed her clothes to show him everything.

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The streams of blood that were trickled out of Murong Wushuang's nostrils became more intense. He fervently nodded his head and resembled a little chick that was pecking at something when he said, "H… Huge… So huge…"

A group of women surrounded Murong Wushuang and compared the sizes of their "assets" right in front of him. When Murong Wushuang was eventually dragged away by the women, he said, "Brother Chuan, I'm going to… I'm going to mingle with them first…"

"Go on! Go on!" Ning Xiaochuan shook his head and laughed.

The brothel owner of Guanyu Tower was a woman with an incredibly sharp gaze. Earlier, she had clearly seen that those ten silver plates were retrieved from the Heaven and Earth Pouch.

Anyone who possessed a Heaven and Earth Pouch was definitely a rich person.

The brothel owner was not an old woman. On the contrary, she was only thirty years old, more or less. She had a curvy figure and smooth, snow-white skin. Her body swayed like a willow tree in the wind when she walked over while a faint fragrance wafted all around her. She smiled and said, "Young Master, are you sure that none of the young women here interest you?"

Ning Xiaochuan's heart nearly jumped out of his chest. He thought, 'This madam isn't a regular person. She actually managed to walk right behind me without making a single sound. It's highly likely that her Martial Art Cultivation is higher than mine."