Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 48: Xiao Bai Dies for Love? No, It’s Really a Dog!
Si Lanyi smiled. "Water can capsize a boat, but it can also carry it. My Primordial Dao Xuan Technique, Sea Moon Tide Birth, isn’t only for killing."
Ning Xuan nodded and collected Yuan Shang’s and Xiao Yun’s Storage Rings. He had to admit that Xiao Yun was very strong. If he hadn’t used his Divine Vein Power, a purely physical confrontation would have taken some real effort.
"My strength is still too weak," Ning Xuan sighed.
In the distance, many of the young cultivators were deeply shaken. The last young man to attack was at least at the Tenth Heavens of the Profound Realm. He gravely injured him with a single punch and still claims he’s weak?! If that’s weak, then what are we?!
Ning Xuan paid them no mind and left directly with Si Lanyi.
Upon entering the small building, Ning Xuan immediately began to cultivate. Si Lanyi wasn’t idle, either. Her hands formed a seal, and a blaze rapidly materialized in the void before her. If Shentu Yan were still alive, she would have been utterly shocked, because this was none other than her own Primordial Dao Xuan Technique, the Scorching Sun Storm!
In Si Lanyi’s hands, the same Dao Xuan Technique was countless times more terrifying. The Scorching Sun Storm, under her precise control, blazed fiercely, causing the void around it to collapse. This was the terror of a Heavenly Dao Xuan Master. They bore the mandate of the heavens; their bodies were one with the Dao, allowing them to easily discern the Primordial Source of another’s Dao Xuan Technique.
After confirming her mastery over the Scorching Sun Storm, Si Lanyi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She immediately formed another seal, and a deep blue halo radiated from her, swiftly enveloping the entire building.
Ning Xuan, who was absorbing Element Crystals to cultivate, immediately sensed something was different. Seal Power now surrounded them. Having experienced it firsthand, he knew Si Lanyi was responsible. He stopped holding back and fully activated the Chaos Ancestral Dragon Scripture, devouring the energy of the Element Crystals. Pure energy swarmed into his body at a violent pace and was refined by his twelve Divine Veins. In his dantian, a golden brilliance flared to life.
After stepping into the Profound Realm, his god-transcending, saintly Bloodline began evolving in an even more terrifying direction.
BOOM!
The golden brilliance exploded, surging toward the twelve Divine Veins. Ning Xuan’s Martial Arts Cultivation soared. Profound Realm Second Layer Heavens, Profound Realm Third Layer Heavens...
"Hmm?" Si Lanyi’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise. She had discovered that energy was leaking from the Storage Rings they had acquired. Clearly, this was a result of Ning Xuan’s absorption. She had no intention of stopping him. Instead, she took out all the Storage Rings. One after another, they floated in the air, their Element Crystal energy continuously being devoured by Ning Xuan.
"What a powerful Cultivation Technique!" Even Si Lanyi couldn’t help but feel astonished. To be safe, she used her Dao Xuan Technique once more to prevent the outside world from discovering the anomaly.
Ning Xuan cultivated for a full day. As the sky grew dim, the floating Storage Rings all clattered to the ground. He had absorbed all the energy contained within them, and not just from the Element Crystals. His Cultivation Realm had reached the Fifth Layer Heavens of the Profound Realm!
"Your Cultivation advanced so rapidly. Won’t your foundation be unstable?" Si Lanyi immediately knocked and entered, her face etched with concern.
Ning Xuan smiled. "It won’t be." His voice was filled with confidence.
Seeing Si Lanyi still hesitate, Ning Xuan revealed a bit more. "To be honest, I had the same worry at first, but I later realized it was unnecessary."
Only then did Si Lanyi nod, breathing a sigh of relief.
Ning Xuan’s eyes glinted. "You’ve been holding back this whole time, haven’t you? How about we test each other’s strength?"
"Alright."
"Then let’s go to the ferry on the Canglan River," Ning Xuan suggested, and the two departed at once.
At the ferry, however, they were stopped by the boatman. "Are you planning to go out on the river? It’s too dangerous. Go back."
They glanced ahead into the pervasive darkness. A spine-chilling aura enveloped the river’s surface.
A look of realization dawned on Si Lanyi’s face. "The Netherworld Nine Flames are as black as abyssal fire and are most active at night. Although they’ve now returned to the Netherworld, unknown dangers still lurk."
Ning Xuan’s eyes flickered. The Vermilion Bird Divine Vein, one of my twelve Divine Veins, possesses the Innate True Fire, the South Ming Li Fire. Forget the Netherworld Nine Flames being dormant; even if they truly erupted, I’d probably be fine. Of course, he didn’t voice these thoughts aloud. He simply nodded, agreeing to go back with Si Lanyi.
WOOF! WOOF!
Xiao Bai appeared from nowhere, wagging its tail at Ning Xuan.
A thought struck Ning Xuan. After a quick glance at the ferryman, he used the power of his Vermilion Bird Divine Vein to cleanse Xiao Bai’s Physical Body and meridians. The process was excruciating. Xiao Bai’s limbs trembled and its muscles tensed, but it never let out a single whimper or took a step back. Ning Xuan only stopped when he determined that Xiao Bai had reached its limit.
"Go on." He patted Xiao Bai’s head, and the little dog instantly dashed away.
The ferryman, who had been staring out at the Canglan River, suddenly asked, "Young master, where will you be headed once you reach The Capital?"
Ning Xuan shook his head. "I don’t know. I’ll take it one step at a time." Once I’m in The Capital, my first stop will naturally be the Ning Residence! But there’s no need to tell an outsider that.
"You will likely set off early tomorrow morning," the ferryman said, tossing something over his shoulder. "If you have time when you get to The Capital, remember to visit the Stele Forest."
Ning Xuan caught a Token. It was only palm-sized and carved from stone, yet it was surprisingly heavy, weighing at least several dozen pounds by a conservative estimate. Ning Xuan knew this was no ordinary item. He put it away solemnly and gave his word.
After the two had left, the ferryman muttered, "Who would have thought a Primordial Source lay within the Departed Heavenly Stele! And to think... he actually obtained it. Could it be... No, that possibility is too slim. It’s better not to harbor such unrealistic fantasies."
With that, the ferryman glanced casually toward a certain spot before his figure vanished.
"How terrifying! Fortunately, he had no killing intent, or we would already be corpses!" an old crone exclaimed as she appeared, drenched in a cold sweat. She immediately turned to the person beside her and asked, "Young Master, are you truly going to retrieve the Strange Fire tomorrow?"
Mo Li appeared beside her. He didn’t speak, only nodded.
"But—"
Mo Li raised a hand, his eyes burning with determination. "I know what you’re worried about. Perhaps he’d be delighted if I succeeded in taking the Strange Fire!"
The old crone was puzzled, but Mo Li offered no further explanation.
「The next day.」
Just as the sky began to brighten, the ferryman was already hurrying people along. "Everyone, the ice on the Canglan River is about to melt! If you don’t leave now, are you planning on staying to give this old man your Element Crystals?"
At his words, people began to cross the river one by one, Ning Xuan and Si Lanyi among them.
Back at the ferry crossing, the hole in the ice was gone, but Ning Xuan had a premonition that the boy was about to make his move. He turned his head and saw the boy standing not far away, smiling at him. Ning Xuan nodded back and stepped onto the ice without hesitation. Xiao Bai, however, kept looking back every few steps.
Once everyone had reached the other side, someone shouted, "Look! What is that guy doing?!"
They all turned back just in time to see the boy smash through the ice and dive headfirst into the frigid water.
"Damn, does he have a death wish?!"
As everyone watched, dumbfounded, a sharp WOOF! rang out. Xiao Bai suddenly spun around and, with a few powerful leaps, followed the boy into the water.
"Isn’t that... his dog? Why would it follow him to its death?" someone asked, glancing at Ning Xuan with a puzzled expression.
Ning Xuan was also dumbfounded. Xiao Bai wasn’t committing suicide for love, of course. That guy was going to commit robbery! He really is a dog!
