Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 287 I don’t have the habit of bullying the weak!

This was a clear signal for Ning Xuan to cleave the Martial God Temple in two with a single sword strike. Some astute individuals understood her intent after seeing the young girl's gesture. Their hearts pounded as they recalled the fates of the Martial God Temple's Sub-Hall and the Star Moon Pavilion outside The Capital. At this point, no one doubted Ning Xuan's audacity.

After a moment of thought, Ning Xuan shook his head. "Forget it. They're already like this. If I don't back down now, it'd be blatant bullying."

The ever-silent Si Lanyi suddenly spoke up. "Brother Xuan, you're not dealing with a person. You're dealing with an entire Sect."

In the crowd, some people were utterly floored. So she wants him to attack too! They really are cut from the same cloth.

Ning Xuan considered this for a long time, and the plaza was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even the rats that had fled earlier tentatively poked their heads out, ready to scurry about again. However, the moment Ning Xuan stirred, they all scattered in every direction, vanishing in an instant.

Ning Xuan shook his head again. "No. After all, I'm not in the habit of bullying the weak."

Damn it! one of Ning Yang's admirers cursed inwardly, seething. You goddamn Martial God Temple, can't you hear him? He's being so arrogant! Come out and put him in his place! He simply couldn't comprehend how a top-tier power with a legacy spanning hundreds of years could cower before someone like Ning Xuan. Even storybooks wouldn't dare to have a plot this ridiculous! It's too mindless, too absurd!

However, others were more reflective.

"I didn't understand why the Martial God Temple was backing down before, but I think I get it now!"

"What do you get?"

"Just think about all of Ning Xuan's incredible feats! Sealing their gates was absolutely the right decision for the Martial God Temple!"

Ning Xuan seemed arrogant, but his behavior was one of brazen confidence. He surely had enough trump cards up his sleeve; otherwise, he would never be so audacious. The Martial God Temple had many prodigies, but apart from Ning Yang, none of them were a match for Ning Xuan. What if the older generation intervened? If they won, fine. But what if they lost? The Martial God Temple's reputation would be utterly destroyed. But the situation now was different. The Martial God Temple had already given a reason for sealing its gates, leaving them plenty of room to maneuver in the future. As long as Ning Yang returned and defeated Ning Xuan, who would remember the events of today? Who would dare to? Knowing when to yield and when to stand firm is the most valuable quality of all. For a top-tier power like the Martial God Temple, exercising forbearance is far more difficult than taking action.

"Thank you, everyone!" In front of the Martial God Temple's main gate, Ning Xuan suddenly cupped his fists, smiled, and turned around. Then, leading the women, he descended the mountain without a single glance back.

「Martial God Temple, Council Hall.」

An elder let out a long sigh of relief. "Phew, that bastard is finally gone!"

"The mutt ran off quickly enough! If he'd dared to be any more reckless, I wouldn't have stood for it!"

"Sealing the mountain was absolutely the correct choice. Ning Xuan is even more terrifying than we imagined."

"His strength is indeed remarkable. Among the younger generation, no one is his match. However, if we had intervened, it's not certain we would have lost!"

"Third Brother, are you still not convinced? Do you know why he thanked us at the end?"

"Hmph! He was just paving the way to grovel in the future, leaving himself an escape route!"

"You... Ah, sigh... Let's just leave it at that. Continue trying to contact Ning Yang! Furthermore, today is a day of shame for our Martial God Temple! We must turn this shame into strength! Dismissed. Urge the disciples to cultivate diligently!"

「Meanwhile, on the Martial God Temple's back mountain.」

A group of young men gathered, all filled with righteous indignation. "We are the Martial God Temple! How can we be humiliated like this by some little bastard! My grandfather could tolerate it, my father could tolerate it, but I, Zhan Potian, cannot!" a youth in purple robes roared, his fury soaring to the heavens.

Finally, he turned to two others. "I'm going to go out there and personally execute that mongrel. What about you two?"

The others turned their gazes to these two men. One's surname was Xing, the other's Jing. Zhan, Xing, and Jing were the true Direct Lineages of the Martial God Temple, the authentic and orthodox core. Each possessed cultivation techniques and secret techniques that only they could practice.

"Since the elders have made their decision, they must have considered it carefully. I'm going to practice. You all can chat," the youth in white said before turning and leaving decisively. Two others went with him.

Zhan Potian raised an eyebrow but didn't stop them. He looked at the remaining youth. "Xing, don't tell me you've chickened out too?"

The black-robed youth smiled. "Of course not. But I've reached a critical juncture in cultivating the *Garuda Heavenly Scripture*. I'll seek him out in three days."

"Three days? The trail will be cold by then! Forget it! I'm going!"

With that, Zhan Potian pushed off his toes and shot into the air. Two others immediately followed him. Before leaving, one of them nodded at the youth in black. Soon, all three had vanished.

"Senior Brother Xing, should we report..."

Before the disciple could finish, the black-robed youth cut him off coldly. "You were never here. You never saw Zhan Potian. Understand?"

The two remaining disciples hastily agreed.

"Alright, go cultivate. There will definitely be an elimination tournament in a few days. If you can't make the top ten, you can get lost."

A shiver went down their spines, and they quickly retreated.

Once he was alone, the black-robed youth spread his hand. With a casual grasp, the very air seemed to twist, and a ball of blue light appeared in his palm. "I've already cultivated the *Garuda Heavenly Scripture* to the Supreme level! Ning Yang, oh Ning Yang... the Sect is in peril and you're nowhere to be found. What right do you have to be called the Divine Child, the Emperor of Mankind?! The man you can't handle... leave him to me, Xing Xiangli!"

As his voice faded, he too disappeared.

As it happened, Ning Xuan and the women were only halfway down the mountain when they were intercepted. There were only three ambushers, all of them masked. One hung back at a distance, and when Ning Xuan's gaze swept over him, his eyes crinkled in an obsequious smile. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Are you Ning Xuan?!" the leader demanded, his voice thick with killing intent.

Ning Xuan ignored the murderous aura and smiled. "Disciples from the Martial God Temple?"

"Haha! You think you're worthy of a disciple from the Martial God Temple taking action against you?!" the man scoffed in denial.

Ning Xuan's face fell with disappointment. "Not from the Martial God Temple? Then I'm not interested. You can fight my handmaid." With that, he began to step back.

The masked man hanging back in the distance immediately grew anxious. "Please don't, Ning... Young Master! Although my big brother isn't a disciple of the Martial God Temple, he's defeated countless of them! He definitely won't disappoint you!"

These three were, of course, Zhan Potian's group, but the one who had just spoken was one of Xing Xiangli's men. He was on a mission to record the fight between Zhan Potian and Ning Xuan, and he had several recording stones on him for this very purpose. If Ning Xuan refused to fight and he failed his mission, he certainly wouldn't live to see another sunrise.

Ning Xuan shot him a single glance. The man's neck shrank, and he didn't dare utter another word as cold sweat beaded on his forehead. How terrifying!

Across from them, Yuan Yurong stepped forward. She beckoned to the masked Zhan Potian. "Come on. Let me see the skills of someone who can defeat disciples from the Martial God Temple!"

"Damn you, you're courting death!" Zhan Potian roared and unleashed a ferocious attack.