Chapter 25: The Identity of Old Master Ning

Chapter 25: 25. Lord Ning's Identity

With the Celestial Master present, surrounded by arriving occultists and the continuous stream of practitioners following close behind, Ning Xuan naturally would not summon the [Fragrance-Stealing Mouse] at this time to let himself exude a demonic aura.

However, he still gained some extra rewards.

Specifically, the use of "Jin" (Internal Force).

Since realizing the Swallow-鸣 (Yánmíng) Jin, he actually hadn't had the chance to exercise it with full abandon.

But this time, while facing the ten-foot Bodhisattva body stolen by the Fragrance-Stealing Mouse, he had applied this force in almost every strike, utilizing it at the very edge of life and death. Especially in the later stages when he was shredding the Bodhisattva's body, he had acted like a possessed demon.

Nightmares were both a method of refining talismans and a method of martial training.

Who else could continuously temper themselves between life and death like him?

This deepened his understanding of "Jin."

The bright moon hung in the sky, casting long, jagged shadows of the mountains, while the distant howls of wild beasts echoed from the deep woods.

The dancing bonfire stretched the shadows of the trees and his own silhouette, making them long, incredibly long.

He closed his eyes to organize these insights.

After about half an hour, he suddenly stood up, and the Beast-Slaying Saber instantly left its sheath.

*Weng~~*

The blade sliced through the air.

Ning Xuan shook his head in dissatisfaction.

What he had realized was simple.

It was the fusion of "Technique" and "Jin."

"Technique" is used through body posture, movement, and surface strength, whereas "Jin" is driven by the deep, rhythmic contraction of flesh and blood.

When he struck the Bodhisattva earlier, he first unleashed a strike of "Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountains," and then his bones and tendons resonated, applying the "Yánmíng Jin" strike while the blade itself remained stationary.

This was equivalent to him clearly only performing one strike, but once it landed, the subsequent force would surge toward the enemy like waves of a raging sea.

This was the continuity of "Technique" and "Jin."

But if one removed the "continuity" and allowed "Technique" and "Jin" to reach their target at the exact same moment, that would be "fusion."

At that point, the two forces would erupt simultaneously without precedence, promoting one another.

At that moment, he would not be performing two consecutive strikes, but rather striking with a single blow powered by the strength of two versions of himself.

"Yánmíng Jin" would propel "Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountains," and "Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountains" would enhance "Yánmíng Jin."

Ning Xuan adjusted continuously. After another half hour of trying, a sudden moment of enlightenment struck him, and he unleashed a strike.

A sudden, extremely rapid and piercing hum rang out in the air.

Ning Xuan saw the muscles in his right arm bulge with a "pop."

The strike he had unleashed froze in mid-air.

In an instant, many figures in the surroundings cast their gazes toward him. Those figures watched Ning Xuan's movement in astonishment, only then realizing that the sound just now was merely the result of him slicing the air.

But such a rapid, piercing hum—what level of mastery was required to produce it?

Ning Xuan glanced at his arm, feeling a slight soreness in his muscles.

He sheathed the blade and then made a grasping motion with his fingers to relax.

He roughly understood the level of this strike.

This strike should be the limit of what a "Physique Level 3" could endure, yet the force it unleashed far exceeded "Physique Level 3."

If he had been able to realize this strike while fighting the Bodhisattva, even if he wasn't a match for it, he wouldn't have allowed the opponent to retreat unscathed after such a desperate struggle.

This strike could, at the very least, leave a deep wound on that Bodhisattva.

'I'll call this move "Swallow Union."'

Ning Xuan gave the technique a name to mark a specific milestone in his martial training, then plunged the Beast-Slaying Saber beside the bonfire.

This was the previous return point of the "Nightmare."

Now, it was merely a simple bonfire.

Ning Xuan felt a sense of relief. He stretched his body and lay down in a comfortable position.

***

Inside the tent...

Chou Nu's sleep had not been good.

Upon hearing the sound of Ning Xuan's blade, his sleepiness vanished completely.

It wasn't because the blade sound was too loud and had woken him; although the Celestial Master's physique was not yet better than an ordinary person's and sleep was a vital part of recovery, he usually placed great importance on rest and would not let a minor accident disturb his mind to the point of insomnia.

He wasn't shocked by the intensity of the blade's wind either...

No, to be precise, rather than the intense wind, he began to worry about the meaning behind it.

Because the moment he heard that blade wind, he knew Ning Xuan had definitely passed the trial.

His younger brother was truly a martial prodigy.

If he had been tainted by the demon plague, it would be one thing, but he possessed not even a trace of demonic aura.

This was extremely rare.

At the very least, he had never seen it before.

Whether Ning Xuan passed or not would fundamentally change Ning Taiyi's subsequent arrangements and would also change his actions at Mount Manfeng this time.

Originally, he intended to wait and see.

But now, that single sound of the blade wind had shown him the truth.

Chou Nu decided not to sleep at all. He sat up directly, a hint of determination gradually flashing in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, put on his robes, and walked outside. Seeing Ning Xuan lying comfortably, he said, "Qingfeng, head up the mountain now."

*Dong, dong, dong...*

*Dong, dong, dong...*

Before dawn.

The gates of the Ning Estate in Xinghe County were about to be broken down.

The manservant rubbed his bleary eyes, cursing inwardly as he approached the door. Before he could even ask, he saw flickering firelight through the crack of the door.

The light illuminated a menacing, lacquer-black armor. Beneath the helmet, a pair of bloodshot eyes stared at him.

The manservant felt his heart tighten; terrified, he fell back onto his buttocks, retreating repeatedly.

"Open the door."

The voice from outside was cold-blooded.

The manservant's heart jolted, his head ringing, his face turning pale.

Another voice came from outside.

"Open the door immediately."

The manservant was dazed.

However, a sharp-eyed guard behind him saw and heard everything, hurriedly running toward the inner rooms to fetch the Master.

The manservant composed himself slightly before stepping forward to hurriedly open the door.

Outside, a dark mass of dozens of men in uniform, pitch-black heavy armor, blocked the entrance. Their terrifying aura pressed down so hard that the manservant couldn't even squeeze the words "Who are you?" out of his throat.

Fortunately, Lord Ning arrived in time.

Lord Ning arrived in a hurry. He glanced at the dozens of menacing black-armored soldiers, then turned his gaze toward a carriage behind them, and gave a slight nod.

The black-armored soldiers stopped speaking and immediately parted to create a path.

With a tacit understanding, Lord Ning walked through and boarded the carriage.

Inside the carriage...

A young man resembling a scholar sat to the side, his gaze deep.

In the main seat was a man in fine silk with a round face. There were smile lines on his face, but he appeared indifferent at this moment, suggesting that Lord Ning was not worth a smile, or perhaps Lord Ning had done something to displease him.

Ning Taiyi bowed and smiled, saying, "Manager Zhao, what wind has blown you here?"

As he spoke, he turned his head toward the young man and smiled as he revealed his identity: "The Top Scholar."

The man in fine silk called Manager Zhao was indeed the manager of General Qin's manor. He glanced at Ning Taiyi and said word by word, "He is no longer just the Top Scholar; he will be taking your position next month."

Ning Taiyi smiled. "That isn't until next month. It is only the beginning of the month."

Manager Zhao said, "I know you have operated here for nearly thirty years and are unwilling to let the family decline, but hasn't everything been decided? Why do you still insist on touching Mount Manfeng? It is better to live a mediocre life than to die a violent death. The younger generation can still have a share of wealth; what more is there to be dissatisfied with?"

Ning Taiyi replied, "There are anomalies at Mount Manfeng. I sent people to investigate."

Manager Zhao ignored his excuse, his voice growing stern. "What is there to see? Mount Manfeng is a manifestation of your incompetence, and the Dragon Qi of Mount Manfeng is reserved for your successor. Once the number of missing persons is fully exposed, the common people will inevitably become restless. This is your successor's opportunity to win back their hearts. And now you want to snatch it?! What use is there in snatching it?"

As he spoke, his eyes darted around. "Or do you think you've found some opportunity to cause trouble?"

Ning Taiyi smiled. "The Manager misunderstands."

Manager Zhao said, "Whether I misunderstand or not, withdraw the Celestial Master under your command."

Ning Taiyi said repeatedly, "Fine, I will call Chou Nu."

Manager Zhao's expression softened slightly.

Ning Taiyi sat upright, and golden light suddenly drifted around him, making him appear incredibly majestic.

He commanded with authority, "Chou Nu, come to see me."

The five words sank into the ground, vanishing instantly.

Manager Zhao watched intently. Seeing that he wasn't playing tricks, his expression relaxed further.

However...

The time for one stick of incense passed.

Half an hour passed.

The Chou Nu, who was capable of earth-遁 (earth-遁/subterranean movement), never appeared.

Ning Taiyi roared in fury, "Chou Nu, come to see me!"

The five words sank into the ground again.

An hour passed...

Chou Nu still had not appeared.

Ning Taiyi flew into a rage, shouting, "This is rebellion! Rebellion!!"

Manager Zhao said, "Stop acting. He has already entered the demon zone. Only by entering that zone can the Dragon Qi be blocked. Ning Taiyi, what on earth are you up to?"

Ning Taiyi said, "I truly am just performing a brief inspection."

Manager Zhao said, "I hope so."

Ning Taiyi glanced at the scholar beside him and said, "Why is the Top Scholar so impatient? At the slightest stir, he went to the Grand General's Manor and brought such a massive force here."

The scholar did not answer, merely saying indifferently, "Since Chou Nu has not arrived, I suppose we must wait. Prefect Ning, let us play a game of chess."

Any commoner knew that the Prefect of Wangyue Prefecture did not bear the surname Ning.

Yet the scholar called him Prefect Ning.

And Ning Taiyi did not deny it.

He merely smiled and said, "I shall accompany you."