Dusk was falling, and some could no longer hold back, sneaking into the Ning Residence to scout things out.
Ning Xuan had yet to reach the front courtyard when a shadow, melting into the night, emerged like a ghost. A cold light pierced the air, aiming straight for Ning Xuan's head. Its speed was like lightning, the Sword Qi sweeping through like a raging river! Countless fluttering leaves were split in two. A fine line appeared on the top of the rockery, and then the entire capstone slid off.
The man in black, holding a long sword, landed before Ning Xuan.
Seeing the soft sword in Ning Xuan's hand, he scoffed, "Kid, that's not how you play with a sword—"
The smile in his eyes instantly twisted into horror. He reached for his neck. With that simple movement, his head rolled right off his shoulders.
"What... what kind of swordsmanship is this?"
The headless body stood erect, disbelief filling the eyes of the severed head on the ground.
"The Impermanence Swordsmanship."
With his Dark Realm Cultivation, combined with the Impermanence Swordsmanship that not even dogs would bother to practice, a single move had claimed the man's life. His eyes bulged, and he died with them wide in disbelief.
Ning Xuan's sword was unstained. He sheathed it and continued leisurely toward the front courtyard. No one could connect the gentle, refined man of this moment with the terrifying swordsman who, just a moment ago, had struck second but landed first to decapitate his foe.
In the front courtyard, the Eighteen Death Warriors were being held up by several masked men.
"Young Master, be careful! Their leader is nearby!" Number One hastily warned.
He was a terrifying expert whose swordsmanship had reached Profound Mystery. If they hadn't mastered a new Formation, his previous attack would have killed several of them with a single strike.
"The one with the sword?" Ning Xuan asked, uncertain.
"Yes!"
"Then there's nothing to worry about. He's already dead."
Everyone was shocked.
"Heh, what a shameless boast!" an elderly voice called out from the opposing side.
"You all continue. When you're done, let's see how many sets of bones you can harvest."
Since their leader couldn't even withstand a single strike, Ning Xuan naturally had no interest in fighting these underlings himself. He would leave them for his subordinates to test the Formation. His confidence was infectious, though it had different effects on each side.
"Yes, Young Master!"
The Death Warriors' morale surged, while a chill ran down the spines of their opponents. Before long, all the intruders had been slain.
The Death Warriors stepped forward and removed their masks.
"Zhao Qian of the Zhao Family, Zhou Yong of the Zhou Family, Wang Meng of the Wang Family..." Number One rattled off their names as if counting family heirlooms.
A Death Warrior brought forward the headless corpse Ning Xuan had slain, his voice trembling as he reported, "Young Master, the one you killed was Zhao Jian, the Third Elder of the Zhao Family!"
Zhao Jian, a man obsessed with the sword, had already stepped into the First Realm of the sword path: the Sword Qi Realm! And yet, he had been decapitated by the Young Master with a single strike.
"All from the three major families. Interesting. Harvest their bones and stand guard outside the Ancestral Hall. You can ignore anyone else who shows up," Ning Xuan instructed before heading to the back courtyard.
The Death Warriors didn't question his orders and hurried to comply.
Following a familiar path past the giant tree, Ning Xuan left Wuling City with ease. Over half an hour later, he arrived at the brightly lit mining area. The giant tree in the city was so tall that by climbing it, Ning Xuan had been able to spot the lights of this place from afar.
"Who goes there? Who dares trespass in the Wuling Element Mine!"
This Fifth Grade Element Mine, jointly owned by the Zhao, Zhou, and Wang families, had been named Wuling by them.
"The one who is here to kill you!" Ning Xuan, clad in his spotless white robes, looked otherworldly, yet his voice seemed to issue from the Nine Nether.
"It's Ning Xuan! That's Ning Xuan!" someone cried out in alarm.
"A mere Dark Realm cultivator dares to barge into the Dragon's Pool alone? He's simply courting death!"
"Brothers, our day of glory has come!"
Seeing Ning Xuan all by himself, the mine guards grew excited. The weakest among them was at the First Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm; they could crush Ning Xuan with ease!
"Do you still think you're the heaven's favored son you once were? Your era is over! Young Master Ning Yang is the true dragon!"
"Brothers, I call dibs on his arms!"
"I'll carve a souvenir from your bones to present to Young Master Ning Yang!"
Dozens of men jeered as they all began to close in on Ning Xuan. They were like a pack of wild beasts, exuding a terrifying aura. Ning Xuan remained expressionless, his steps never faltering.
Just as they were about to engage in close combat, Ning Xuan slapped his belt.
A cold light flashed!
He mowed them down like grass.
In just a few dozen breaths, only Ning Xuan remained standing amidst a river of blood and a field of headless corpses. He remained unstained by blood, his bearing as ethereal as an immortal's. With his soft sword sheathed, Ning Xuan's entire aura changed dramatically.
A gentleman like jade, a young master without peer in this world.
Gazing at the surrounding terraced mining area, Ning Xuan's eyes swept over three mine entrances, but he entered none of them. Instead, he sat cross-legged on a massive boulder in the center and activated the *Chaos Ancestral Dragon Scripture*. His body seemed to take root in the earth as his twelve Divine Veins extended invisibly, connecting with the meridians of the land itself.
Instantly, the Fifth Grade Element Vein, which stretched for dozens of miles, became Ning Xuan's nourishment. The ruby-red Element Stones began to dim, no matter how far away they were or how deep they were buried.
The twelve Divine Veins frantically devoured the boundless essence. A True Dragon roared, a Vermilion Bird cried out sharply, a Kunpeng soared to the heavens…
Within Ning Xuan's Dantian, the ball of True Blood grew from the size of an egg to the size of a fist. It was a brilliant gold, radiating an indescribable and supremely sacred aura.
Deep inside the three mine tunnels, the miners suddenly found that the Element Stones, which had once required all their strength to excavate, now crumbled at a touch, their light rapidly fading. They all stared at each other in utter bewilderment.
"What's going on?"
"What is happening?"
An old miner reacted, looking as if he had seen a ghost. "Heavens, what's happened?! The energy in the Element Stones is vanishing at an incredible rate!"
A commotion erupted in all three tunnels. Some miners tried to head outside to see what was happening.
Suddenly, the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger shook the wilderness.
A terrifying pressure that could crush the nine heavens and ten earths descended from all directions—ubiquitous, unstoppable, and irresistible. Everyone was crushed to the ground, shivering uncontrollably as their bodies and souls trembled in fear. This tremor that wracked their very souls gave them the terrifying illusion that even seeking the release of death was now an impossible luxury.
The vast, boundless, mysterious aura was simply too terrifying.
It felt as if an entire age had passed before they returned to their senses. Forgetting all about the Element Stones, the miners propped themselves up against the walls and stumbled out, desperate to flee. Some of them noticed the mountain of corpses, but after the absolute terror they had just experienced, their hearts remained utterly unstirred.
「Late into the night.」
The relief shifts from the three major families arrived.
「An hour later.」
The slumbering Wuling City was violently shaken awake. The compounds of the three major families were ablaze with light as the thunder of countless iron-shod hooves shook the city. One terrifying aura after another erupted and swept through the streets. Among them were powerful experts at the Fifth Layer of the Profound Realm.
The Clan Head Level figures had been alarmed.
「Ning Residence.」
When the Eighteen Death Warriors realized that the forces of the three major families were not heading their way, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Loosening their grip on their blades, they found their palms were slick with sweat. As they stood guard outside Ning Xuan's room, their admiration for their Young Master grew even deeper. Despite such a huge commotion, the Young Master's breathing hasn't even quickened!
This admiration soon turned to astonishment when they saw their Young Master strolling back from outside, his expression more relaxed than they had ever seen it.
Ning Xuan looked at them in surprise. "It's the middle of the night. What are you all doing gathered outside my room instead of sleeping?"
"Young… Young Master, the three major families are in an uproar, and we were worried for your safety."
Ning Xuan waved a hand dismissively. "Go and get some sleep. They'll definitely have their hands full tonight."
He walked straight into his room, leaving the stunned Death Warriors to stare at one another in confusion.
Once they had left, Ning Xuan eagerly focused his consciousness inward. He had left the mining area in such a hurry that he hadn't had a chance to inspect the changes to his Cultivation Realm.
The next moment, Ning Xuan was ecstatic.