Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 57: Infiltrate the Capital, From Bi Luo to Huang Quan!
RUMBLE...
About a dozen riders appeared on the horizon, moving at an incredible pace. The earth trembled violently, as if an army of thousands was surging forward.
On the main road, a young man on an Element Beast headed for The Capital was startled and hastily made way.
"Whoa..."
The riders halted in unison, their attention fixed on the young man. One of them, whose gaze was as sharp as lightning, stared him down. "Are you from Wangdong City? State your name!"
"Yes... No, no... I’m not. My... my name is Song Heng. I’m... I’m from Fuguang County, on my way to The Capital." The young man was pale with fright, his words trembling and stammering.
"Where did you get that Element Beast?!"
"Spare me, sirs! There’s a madman on a killing spree back in the city! So many people and their animals have been killed. I lost my own Element Beast in the chaos, and since this one had no owner, I... I just took it." The young man was so terrified he tumbled right off the beast’s back. His voice grew even more unsteady.
"Captain, his heart is racing and his energy is depleted. His cultivation is at the Third Layer Heavens of the Profound Realm, at most," said the man who had been staring intently at the boy.
This, however, caused the young man to bristle, his face and neck flushing red as he argued, "What’s wrong with the Third Layer Heavens of the Profound Realm?! I’ll have you know, I recently earned a spot on the Heavenly Stele’s power rankings at the Heavenly Stele Battlefield over at the Ferry of the Departed! Once I get to The Capital, I’m sure I’ll be able to join..." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
Before he could finish, the group erupted in laughter and swept past him.
"Hey, come back! I haven’t finished!" the young man shouted persistently after them, but of course, no one listened.
The young man did not get back on the Element Beast. Instead, he lay prone on the back of a large white dog—only half the height of an Element Beast—which then dashed madly toward The Capital.
This young man was, of course, Ning Xuan. He had currently recovered less than thirty percent of his Element Force. Each of the riders he had just encountered possessed an aura no weaker than the three Human Realm experts he had eliminated in Wangdong City. If he didn’t reach The Capital soon, the consequences of them catching up would be unimaginable.
After the dozen or so riders parted ways with Ning Xuan, they continued to speed toward Wangdong City.
Before long, another Element Beast came charging toward them at an incredible speed.
"Have you seen a young man?!" the elderly rider shouted.
The group of riders was somewhat taken aback.
"He is Ning Xuan!"
At those words, a terrifying, overwhelming presence erupted. The dozen or so riders spun around at top speed and gave chase.
When they returned to the spot where they had met the boy, they stared intently but found no trace of him.
"That brat Ning Xuan! He’s gone too far!"
"The audacity!"
They were all seething with rage.
"Back to The Capital! He must have gone to The Capital!"
"Go! Our Element Beasts are a higher grade. We can cut him off before he reaches the gates!"
"I’m going to flay that little mongrel and rip out his tendons!"
Their murderous threats lingered in the air as they charged back.
RUMBLE...
The earth shook fiercely as the riders raced back even faster than they had come. However, by the time they reached the towering city gates of The Capital, they still saw no sign of Ning Xuan.
"Have you seen a young man? He..." one of them immediately asked a guard, describing Ning Xuan’s appearance and attire in detail.
"The Capital is a nexus for the nine provinces, with a constant flow of pedestrians. We don’t pay special attention to any single young man."
"He should have arrived on an Element Beast, and he must have looked very hurried. Please, sir, try to remember," the rider insisted, slipping the guard a pouch of Element Crystals.
The guard accepted the pouch, discreetly pocketing it. He pretended to think for a moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, I don’t recall seeing any young man like that."
"You—!"
"That’s enough," the captain said. "I believe them."
"Could he have gone somewhere other than The Capital?" one of them wondered aloud.
Of course, Ning Xuan had already entered The Capital. They simply had no idea how fast Little White truly was.
While they were lost in thought, Ning Xuan was already asking for directions to Bi Luo Palace. This was the place Old Wang had told him about when they parted ways in Destiny City.
"Damn, this is the ’small place’ Old Wang was talking about?!"
Standing before Bi Luo Palace, Ning Xuan was stupefied. A towering, majestic, and magnificent castle loomed before him. High above it, suspended in the void, was a giant sphere that looked like a sun fallen from the sky, radiating a brilliant halo. The light cascaded down, enveloping the entire castle and making it shimmer resplendently.
Ning Xuan quickly recovered his senses, ascended the long flight of stairs, and entered the grand hall of Bi Luo Palace.
At the entrance, a young woman wearing a professional smile saw Ning Xuan and momentarily lost her composure. Realizing her gaffe, she blushed slightly and walked over to him, offering a sincere smile. "Esteemed guest, how may I assist you?"
"Excuse me, miss. Do you recognize this?" Ning Xuan asked, nervously presenting the token Old Wang had given him. The bright, spacious, and utterly grand hall seemed a world away from Old Wang’s scruffy image.
The woman took it with both hands, which trembled so much she almost dropped it. Forcing herself to remain calm, she said in a wavering voice, "Please wait a moment!"
Then, she scurried a few steps over to a crane made of some unknown material and climbed aboard. Before Ning Xuan could even blink, he was shocked to see the crane actually fly deeper into the palace. The dazzling light pouring from the dome overhead blocked his vision.
Old Wang really has some connections! Ning Xuan quickly regained his composure, his apprehension replaced by curiosity.
Before long, the woman emerged from the halo of light, having returned from her errand. An old man was with her. Ning Xuan blinked, realizing the man was standing on what looked like a cloud.
"Mast... My apologies for the wait, esteemed guest. Please, come inside!" the old man said with extreme enthusiasm, his tone even hinting at a desire to curry favor.
A bemused Ning Xuan was helped onto the cloud by the old man and found himself whisked away through the air.
Below, the young woman stared at the spot where Ning Xuan had vanished, her beautiful eyes filled with curiosity. The token the young man had presented was from their organization’s other branch, the Huang Quan Post. Only core disciples were permitted to possess one. The Huang Quan Post had very few disciples, but every single one was immensely powerful. That young man looked no older than seventeen or eighteen; how strong could he possibly be?
Besides, he’s incredibly handsome! Her eyes practically sparkled.
「Top Floor, Bi Luo Palace」
As soon as they entered the room, the old man performed a grand bow to Ning Xuan. "Your disciple, Mo Ji, pays his respects, Master Uncle."
"Senior, what is the meaning of this...?" Ning Xuan asked, perplexed as he helped the man up.
"The token you gave me contained a letter from my Uncle Master. He explained everything. Since you are the sworn brother he acknowledges, it is only natural that I address you as Master Uncle," Mo Ji explained.
"Wait, you’re Old Wang’s martial-nephew? What exactly is this organization?" Ning Xuan was floored. He never expected Old Wang to have such a significant background.
"Our organization is known as Bi Luo Huang Quan. It’s divided into two branches: Bi Luo Palace and the Huang Quan Post."
"Bi Luo Palace is proficient in Mechanical Techniques, and we also collect and auction all manner of rare treasures."
"The Huang Quan Post, on the other hand, focuses on Martial Arts cultivation, and its numbers are few. Including my Uncle Master, the current generation has only two disciples left."
Ning Xuan blinked and ventured, "So, if you call me Master Uncle, would Old Wang’s master approve?"
Hearing this, Mo Ji’s expression turned peculiar.
