Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 100: Kill me if you like, but you’ll have to pay extra!
「Dong Cang, Royal Palace.」
"Your Majesty, disaster has struck! Ning Xuan has broken through the encirclement and is heading this way!" a general knelt before the King of Dong Cang, his expression tense.
Outside, the sounds of troops being deployed and orders being issued filled the air. The palace was guarded by armored soldiers, three layers deep inside and out. Every soldier was highly focused, their bodies tense. The battle swords in their hands gleamed coldly, exuding a bloodthirsty aura. These were the Imperial Guards, the men the King of Dong Cang trusted and relied upon.
"Well done, Ning Xuan. Bring me my sword!" The King of Dong Cang’s eyes narrowed as a murderous aura erupted like a tide.
The Majestic Pressure was so terrifying that the kneeling commander of the Imperial Guards felt as if his body would burst. He couldn’t help but shudder. The King handled affairs of state every day. Because of this, the commander had assumed his Martial Arts Cultivation had declined. Who would have thought that it would be even more formidable than before!
"Have your men stand down. I will meet him myself!" From his throne, the King of Dong Cang received the treasured sword presented by his personal eunuch. With a CLANG, every candle in the palace was sliced in two.
"Yes!" The commander of the Imperial Guards accepted the order and withdrew. Soon after, all the Imperial Guards outside had retreated.
When only the two of them remained in the palace, the personal eunuch softly suggested, "Master, your life is invaluable. Perhaps it would be better to let the three great protectors handle this?"
"Cheng Lu, do you also believe I can no longer wield a sword and kill?"
The personal eunuch quickly knelt. "This servant wouldn’t dare! He’s just a lowborn. How could he possibly be worthy of Your Majesty acting personally!"
"Cheng Lu, oh, Cheng Lu. You were a martial arts prodigy. But do you know why, even now, your Cultivation is no match for mine?" The King of Dong Cang looked disappointed.
The personal eunuch’s expression was fearful. "This servant is dull-witted. How could I ever compare to Your Majesty!"
"It is your Mental State. Where has your pure heart gone? Where is that invincible spirit you once possessed? To break through the blockade, Ning Xuan must have slain all the generals! And remember, none of the men protecting Mingzhu were weak, yet what was the result..."
"Ning Xuan is strong. Extremely strong. I heard he was in seclusion for six years. To have come this far in such a short time... such talent is unparalleled! Not even Ning Yang can compare!"
"What a pity. Had I valued him sooner, I would never have given the title of Human Emperor to Ning Yang! Mingzhu might not have died... one wrong step leads to another, alas!"
"When you make a mistake, you must own it. How could I have the audacity to ask the three great protectors to act? Cheng Lu, you should leave as well." As the King of Dong Cang spoke, he tossed an imperial edict to the eunuch, seeming to age ten years in an instant.
"Master, what are you... This is impossible?!" The personal eunuch’s eyes flew open in disbelief. He had followed the King of Dong Cang for over thirty years; he understood the meaning behind his lord’s words immediately. He’s arranging his own affairs! In my heart, the King of Dong Cang is an invincible existence! Even if Ning Yang were to ascend to the Emperor Realm and dare to come to the palace, he would never leave here alive after facing my master! Ning Xuan is merely in the Earth Realm. How could he possibly possess such power?!
This time, the King of Dong Cang did not answer. Instead, he called out into the void, "Ning Xuan, show yourself. I know you’re already here."
The eunuch reacted at once. His robes billowed as he gathered his Element Force, forming a protective shield as he moved to stand before the King. He, too, was a powerful King Realm expert. Ning Xuan arrived long ago, and I didn’t even notice him. This realization made him extremely tense, and he mobilized his entire Element Force in an instant.
Hidden in the void, Ning Xuan hesitated for a moment before choosing to reveal himself. The King of Dong Cang is even more fearsome than I imagined. I was one hundred percent certain that I hadn’t leaked the slightest trace of my presence, yet he still detected me. He is a true master!
When the eunuch saw that Ning Xuan was truly inside the palace, his pupils shrank. Behind him, the King of Dong Cang’s eyes shone with a keen light.
Ning Xuan caught their shifting expressions and couldn’t help but give a wry smile. "So, you hadn’t actually detected me at all."
"You truly are clever! A true hero emerges from the youth. What a shame I couldn’t meet you sooner." The King of Dong Cang stood up, making no effort to hide his admiration for Ning Xuan.
Ning Xuan didn’t reply, instead turning to the personal eunuch. "You’re also in the King Realm?"
"That’s right! Ning Xuan, stop now! This is the Royal Palace. You are alone, and even if..."
Ning Xuan cut him off directly. "I’ll give you a chance to make the first move."
"What did you say?" The eunuch was stunned. He hadn’t expected Ning Xuan to be so arrogant as to offer a King Realm expert the first strike.
"You don’t mind if he uses a sword, do you?" King Dong Cang suddenly stepped forward and asked Ning Xuan.
To this, Ning Xuan only replied, "Whatever."
King Dong Cang thanked him and personally handed the sword to Cheng Lu. He even added a reminder, "Be careful! Sometimes one’s Realm does not represent their true strength!"
"Understood!" Cheng Lu acknowledged.
WHIZ!
With a flash of cold light, an unparalleled gleam arrived in an instant. All Cheng Lu saw was Ning Xuan’s smile. Then, his vision blurred, and Ning Xuan was gone.
He spun around, but it was too late. A sword pierced through the nape of his neck, slitting his throat in an instant kill.
CLANG!
The eunuch and his sword fell to the ground together.
Ning Xuan and King Dong Cang locked eyes. A flash of sorrow crossed the king’s features, quickly replaced by a smile. After giving Ning Xuan a long, deep look, he actually closed his eyes, as if waiting for death.
Ning Xuan took a deep breath, hesitating for a rare moment.
"Your mind is in turmoil. For a Swordsman, that is a great taboo," King Dong Cang’s voice rang out.
Ning Xuan sighed. "You’re not quite what I imagined."
With that, he turned and walked away.
"When the state rises, the people suffer. When the state falls, the people suffer. If you make me regret my decision today, the consequences will be severe!" Ning Xuan’s words struck like a warning bell, and King Dong Cang’s eyes narrowed.
Watching Ning Xuan about to disappear from view, he took a deep breath and called out loudly, "You should think this through! The moment you walk out that door, I will send men to kill you! Even the three great protectors might make a move!"
Ning Xuan stopped abruptly and slapped his forehead. "I forgot about that! You can have me killed, but you’ll have to pay extra!"
King Dong Cang’s mouth twitched. He wanted to slap himself. Serves you right for running your mouth!
"But don’t worry, I’m not greedy at all. Just prepare ten billion Element Crystals for me, and about a hundred portions of each of these medicinal ingredients. That will be enough." As he spoke, Ning Xuan quickly scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it over. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
"No problem!" King Dong Cang breathed a sigh of relief, agreeing readily.
With Ning Xuan’s abilities, asking for a million Element Crystals wouldn’t have been excessive. As for the medicinal ingredients... He had conducted a detailed investigation into Ning Xuan. The young man was born in the remote Wuling City and had spent six whole years in a place called Qingyang Town before coming to The Capital. In such an environment, the medicinal ingredients Ning Xuan could have encountered were extremely limited. The most likely scenario was that he had obtained a Spirit Pill Master’s Pill Recipe when he destroyed the Fiery Sun Sect. The Spirit Pill Master from the Fiery Sun Sect couldn’t possibly have possessed any powerful Pill Recipes. Otherwise, even the worst Spirit Pill Master would have joined The Capital’s Star Moon Pavilion. He’s from a small place, after all. So simple and pure. I’ll prepare a little extra for him later. King Dong Cang decided.
But when he took the paper from Ning Xuan, he was completely dumbstruck.
