Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

Chapter 429 429: She Dares to Compare with Me!

Ning Xuan reacted in an instant. The mobile apartment remained steadily suspended in mid-air.

"There's someone there!" As Ning Xuan stood up, You Ruo pointed down below.

Ning Xuan's eyes narrowed. He saw a boundless sea, a solitary boat, and on it, a person wearing a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat. Yet, he hadn't sensed any trace of a living being.

Ning Xuan was very confident in his Spiritual Sense. At this distance, especially with the person in plain sight, it should have been impossible for him not to sense their aura. Unless... they were a dead man!

Just as the thought crossed Ning Xuan's mind, the person spoke.

"Forgive my failure to greet such distinguished guests from afar. My apologies, my apologies!"

You Ruo's body tensed. She hadn't sensed the person's aura either, and her thoughts mirrored Ning Xuan's. Yet, the figure had just spoken! A chill ran down her spine.

CLANG!

A metallic ring sounded right in front of You Ruo's face as sparks flew. An attack had torn through the void, aiming straight for her brow! If Ning Xuan hadn't intervened in time, it would have found its mark.

"Enough of your smoke and mirrors!" Ning Xuan snorted coldly and unleashed a peerless Sword Beam.

SCHLICK!

The straw-hatted elder on the boat was cleaved in two, yet the boat itself remained perfectly unharmed.

"Impressive skill!" the voice rang out again, but this time it echoed. The words "Impressive skill" reverberated from all directions, then swept toward the pair in an eerie wave of energy. It was chilling and evil, carrying with it endless malice and killing intent.

You Ruo instinctively moved closer to Ning Xuan.

He stood proud as a god, his gaze clear. "Have you noticed," he asked, "that these voices sound similar to the people you just killed?"

Startled, You Ruo listened carefully and realized he was right. "What's going on?" she immediately asked.

"If I'm not wrong, the Xuan Ge you're looking for is right below."

You Ruo was astonished, then overjoyed. But faced with the boundless sea, she could only turn her gaze back to Ning Xuan.

"I can't help you with this; my own enemies are here."

You Ruo followed Ning Xuan's gaze and saw three men and a woman.

"These are the people we killed after arriving here," Ning Xuan explained. "They have reappeared. Kill them once more, and we can enter the Xuan Ge Treasure Vault!"

His certainty came from two things: the reappearance of Zhou Yi and the others he had killed, and the disappearance of Cheng Dabao.

To end the fight quickly, Ning Xuan directly formed three Dao Bodies. However, aside from one Zhou Wei who was instantly obliterated, Zhou Fan and the other Zhou Wei actually withstood a blow from his Dao Body! Their resurrected bodies were even stronger than they had been in life.

"Why did you kill us?!" The bodies of Zhou Wei and Zhou Fan roared, their eyes suddenly turning blood-red as their furious cries shook the heavens. They both attacked at once, but they missed.

Ning Xuan's Dao Bodies vanished as his true self appeared.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

His fists landed like thunder. With three quick punches, it was all over. The bodies of Zhou Yi and the other two exploded on the spot.

Below, the straw-hatted elder whom Ning Xuan had cleaved in two had somehow reformed. He now spoke to Ning Xuan.

"Please, Young Master, board the boat!"

His skills gave him confidence, so Ning Xuan didn't hesitate for a moment.

The moment Ning Xuan landed on the solitary boat, the surface of the sea split open, revealing a passageway. The boat plummeted.

Above, You Ruo cried out sharply, dodged her opponent's attack, and plunged straight down.

"Go back!"

With a low shout from the straw-hatted elder, You Ruo slammed into an invisible barrier. She could only watch helplessly as the chasm in the sea sealed itself and Ning Xuan vanished from sight.

"Alright! I'll do my best!" You Ruo took a deep breath and murmured to herself before soaring up into the sky. She said this because she had read Ning Xuan's lips just as the sea sealed shut.

However, what You Ruo didn't expect was that Ning Xuan was muttering to himself as he descended, "You all better do your best... buy me and Dabao some more time."

"We have arrived."

A toneless voice snapped Ning Xuan back to his senses.

A vast limestone cave came into view, with several passageways leading off from it.

"Hey, don't leave! Tell me which path to take!" Ning Xuan shouted upwards, but naturally, no one responded. He had his own ways, however.

Ignoring the startling, blood-red word 'Kill' inscribed next to each tunnel, Ning Xuan went straight for the one on the far left. He proceeded for several miles, completely unimpeded, until another enormous cavern opened up before him.

Although several people were in the cavern, Ning Xuan's eyes were immediately drawn to a figure sitting cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by the others. It was Cheng Dabao.

Before Ning Xuan could even speak, the seated Cheng Dabao piped up, "You certainly took your sweet time!"

The people surrounding Cheng Dabao instantly tensed as if facing a great enemy. The girl's combat prowess was astonishing, and they didn't dare to be careless.

The one closest to Ning Xuan was a middle-aged man. He glanced at Ning Xuan, a glint flashing in his eyes, and vanished the next moment.

"Don't move!"

A weapon appeared at Ning Xuan's neck.

The others all looked regretful. Damn it! Why didn't we think of targeting the boy first?!

"Hahaha, girl, I order you to kill them all, or he will die!" the middle-aged man laughed uproariously.

"Shameless!" someone cursed. Another person acted more directly, attacking the middle-aged man without any regard for Ning Xuan's life.

BANG!

The middle-aged man knocked Ning Xuan aside with his elbow. Instantly, everyone else moved—all targeting Ning Xuan! If they could capture him, they could force the girl to surrender.

However, in the ensuing struggle, someone's hand slipped.

THUNK!

An attack pierced straight through Ning Xuan's body.

Then, everyone froze. The boy had shattered like porcelain.

"A Dao Body!"

Realizing their mistake, they all spun toward Cheng Dabao, but she was already gone.

"Fuck!"

"You tricky bastards!"

Their angry curses filled the air as they scrambled to chase after her deeper into the cave.

Just after they disappeared, Ning Xuan and Cheng Dabao emerged from a corner of the cavern.

"Are you okay?" Ning Xuan asked in a hushed voice.

"Ran into some trouble earlier, but I took care of it," Cheng Dabao stated nonchalantly, though Ning Xuan could still catch the pride in her eyes.

"Not bad, Cheng Dabao," Ning Xuan said. "You know, if I hadn't saved You Ruo, she might have turned into a homicidal maniac by now."

Cheng Dabao replied smugly, "Is she even worthy of being compared to me?"

Ning Xuan immediately asked, "Sister Bao'er, what's our next move?"

"Don't rush," she said. "Let them tear each other apart. We can just swoop in and pick up the spoils later!"

"Sounds good!" The two were in perfect agreement.

"By the way, how did you know I'd come this way?" Cheng Dabao asked, her gaze fixed on the cavern's depths.

"Because I put a mark on you," Ning Xuan replied. "I did promise Ye Zijin I'd look after you, after all."

Cheng Dabao still didn't turn around, simply letting out an "Oh." But a moment later, she whipped her head around, swinging her small fists furiously. "Are you looking for a death wish?! My Master's name is Ye Qingqing, not Ye Zijin!"