Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 67: Entering the Stele Forest, Enchanting Maiden!
Ning Xuan feigned ignorance and headed toward the Stele Forest.
Behind him, the attendant who had first helped him stared at his receding figure, murmuring with a pained expression, "Poor Brother Xuan... His family was wiped out, and he couldn’t even afford a stele before."
When Ning Xuan had asked for directions to the Stele Forest, she had assumed he’d finally earned enough money to erect a monument for his family. Her heart had ached for him, so much so that she’d offered him the dowry money she had been saving for so long. But Ning Xuan had refused it.
Handsome, well-built, and so ambitious...
As she mumbled to herself, her thoughts drifted. A deep blush spread across her face, and she unconsciously pressed her legs together.
Ning Xuan had no idea that by simply asking for directions, he had left someone lovesick in his wake.
He had just turned a corner when a gigantic hand appeared out of nowhere.
BOOM! BOOM!
All around him, several innocent bystanders exploded into a mist of blood, utterly obliterated!
A murderous glint flashed in Ning Xuan’s eyes. He truly hadn’t expected his assailant to be so utterly depraved!
WHOOSH!
Activating both the Xuan Wu Divine Vein and the Kunpeng Divine Vein, Ning Xuan transformed into a streak of light and wrenched himself free from the giant hand’s suppression.
He tried to lead the attack toward more desolate areas. From behind, a gaze locked onto him, following him like a shadow.
All along the street, innocents continued to meet tragic ends, caught in the crossfire. In an instant, the air filled with cries of pain and screams of terror.
Rage surged through Ning Xuan, and his killing intent flared.
Then, he suddenly reversed course, charging back the way he came. His pursuer had slaughtered so many innocents that the path behind him had been "cleared" by default, leaving behind only pools of blood and the thick, coppery stench that hung heavy in the air.
WHOOSH!
A Sword Beam suddenly materialized in the void, cleaving the boundless world in two! Ning Xuan commanded his sword with Qi, unleashing a vast Sword Qi that swept between heaven and earth!
SPLAT!
One of his pursuers, completely blindsided by Ning Xuan’s sudden counterattack, was sliced cleanly in two by the Sword Qi!
The others were horrified. They knew Ning Xuan’s sword arts were terrifyingly powerful. They had kept their distance and were even wearing custom-made Battle Armor, yet it still wasn’t enough to block a single one of his strikes!
Without a word, the remaining assassins immediately scattered.
"One, two... six left. Today, you all die!" Ning Xuan’s gaze was like lightning, and none of them could escape his sight.
"The Blood Fiend Mercenary Group! They’re actually in The Capital!" someone exclaimed from the shadows.
"Dong Cang’s third-ranked mercenary group! There are only seven of them, but their combat strength is peerless, and they’ve never failed a mission! To think one of them would be slain right at the start!" someone else remarked, amazed at Ning Xuan’s power.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Gleams of cold light tore through the air, shooting at Ning Xuan from multiple directions.
Ning Xuan snorted. From a nearby stall, a pair of chopsticks suddenly leaped into the air, flying toward the projectiles with an otherworldly sharpness!
The Fourth Realm of the Path of the Sword: Sword Heart!
Whatever the mind wills, the sword becomes!
Although his mastery was incomplete, it all depended on the opponent. At that moment, Ning Xuan channeled his sword arts with his Cultivation at the Fourth Layer Heavens of the Earth Realm. Forget mere Hidden Weapons; not even a true sword master could have blocked that attack!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Amid the screech of metal on metal, the Hidden Weapons crumbled like rotten wood, turning to dust beneath the assault of the chopsticks!
The chopsticks, now a veritable Divine Sword, continued onward without slowing.
PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!
Muffled grunts were heard as three more assassins were slain on the spot!
In a single instant, only three members of the Blood Fiend Mercenary Group remained! The hidden observers all turned pale.
This guy’s strength is horrifying!
We absolutely cannot give him another chance to use his sword arts! one of them thought, making a mental note.
WHOOSH!
Ning Xuan vanished. The next moment, to the southeast, a head flew high into the air. Ning Xuan had slain another.
The last two were scared out of their wits. They fled as fast as they could, scattering in opposite directions.
They were fast, but they were no match for Ning Xuan’s Kunpeng Technique. One of them had just bolted, his body flying several dozen feet before his head detached and remained behind!
Immediately, right from where the first head had been severed, a beam of sword light shot out horizontally. In the opposite direction, the second assassin’s head flew high into the sky!
Instant kill.
And just like that, the Blood Fiend Mercenary Group, ranked third in all of Dong Cang, was wiped out.
In the shadows, some onlookers were terrified, while others fell silent. Many who had been planning to attack were now having second thoughts.
They had made what they thought were wildly exaggerated assessments of Ning Xuan’s strength before setting out. Now, they realized even those estimates had fallen short. The boy was an absolute monster!
Acting as if no one was watching, Ning Xuan calmly collected the Storage Rings from the corpses. He waited for the other hidden attackers to make their move, but he was disappointed. No one else stepped forward.
Confirming his direction, Ning Xuan continued on his way to the Stele Forest.
"Boss, should we make our move?"
"Chief, are we still going in?"
In the shadows, similar whispers echoed from all directions.
After a moment of silence, some groups chose to leave. The cautionary tale of the Blood Fiend Mercenary Group was enough to deter them. Others, however, chose to continue trailing him. The treasures Ning Xuan carried were valuable enough for many outlaws to gamble their lives.
However, no one dared to attack rashly. They wanted to find his destination first and plan their next move from there.
The pursuit lasted for nearly an Hour. They could only watch as Ning Xuan walked from the bustling heart of The Capital to a desolate, forgotten corner of the city where few people ever tread. Eventually, the streets were practically devoid of pedestrians, yet still, no one made a move.
Finally, everyone watched as Ning Xuan entered an estate. On the gate hung a sign with two crookedly written words: Stele Forest!
The surroundings were desolate, and the ground was blanketed in dry, withered leaves.
"The Stele Forest? What is this place?"
"I can’t believe a place like this still exists in The Capital."
"What’s he doing here?"
Many of the hidden followers couldn’t help but murmur amongst themselves.
One of them, after a moment of surprise, gave a sinister smirk. "Heh heh, this kid sure knows how to pick his spots! It’s full of stone steles, perfect for hiding and launching a fatal ambush!"
At his words, realization dawned on the others. A predatory light gleamed in their eyes.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Figure after figure slipped into the Stele Forest, each searching for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Ning Xuan continued deeper into the grounds. The sheer desolation and dilapidation of the Stele Forest were also somewhat beyond his expectations. However, the power that the Stone Command had displayed only made Ning Xuan more eager to see what lay ahead.
In the distance, deep within the forest of stone, Ning Xuan spotted a Stone Tower. For some inexplicable reason, he knew that was his destination.
He continued forward. As Ning Xuan passed through a gateway, a sound broke the silence.
DING! DING! DING!
The rhythmic sound of tapping echoed through the once-quiet grounds.
Following the sound, Ning Xuan soon froze in his tracks. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
A girl with a graceful figure and her hair tied up high sat before a stone stele, tapping away at it. She was perched at an angle, one leg crossed under her and the other stretched out perfectly straight—a posture that showed a complete lack of concern for propriety. The visible side of her face was dusted with white powder, and beneath her long lashes, her bright eyes gleamed with intense concentration.
Ning Xuan opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, not having the heart to disturb her.
The girl, however, had already noticed him. She spoke first, her voice surprisingly childlike. "What are you just standing there for? Get to work!"
Ning Xuan blinked, startled. He then noticed an uncarved stone stele nearby with a chisel and hammer lying next to it.
With a nod, Ning Xuan walked over, picked up the tools, found a comfortable position, and began to tap away himself.
In the shadows, the experts who had followed Ning Xuan inside were all utterly dumbfounded.
