Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

Chapter 531: I’m in the Top Ten, Can’t that Prove My Abilities?

Even at the moment of his death, he couldn’t understand how Ning Xuan had managed to succeed with a single sword strike. It was because he hadn’t detected anything unusual at all.

BOOM!

Ning Xuan’s body flashed, and he vanished from his spot just as it exploded. Zang Peng’s claw appeared in his wake.

Zang Peng had been prepared for his strike to miss. He knew Ning Xuan would appear and that he would succeed. However, he had never expected Ning Xuan to appear from the front and kill Ding Heyan in a single blow. He was momentarily stunned. By the time he regained his senses, Zang Peng knew he had lost the perfect opportunity to attack.

But not attacking wasn’t his style. That strike was merely a probe; his follow-up move was revealed immediately after.

BOOM! BOOM!

Ning Xuan had just steadied himself when a sharp claw descended from above his head. From a distance, it didn’t look like an attack targeting him; rather, it seemed as if the technique had already existed in that spot before Ning Xuan moved. He was seemingly throwing himself into the line of fire.

This strike was absolutely fatal. Avoiding it seemed impossible.

However, Ning Xuan dropped into a split, his body suddenly much lower. His speed was incredible. He slapped his hands on the ground and his entire body shot sideways.

CRUNCH!

The claw slammed into the bluestone pavement. The stone, which had endured ages of wind and rain, shattered like tofu.

Ning Xuan seized the opportunity, rising to his feet and swinging his sword in a single, fluid motion. In an instant, he had turned the tables, shifting from defense to offense. The speed of his sword was simply unparalleled. It was too fast!

SHINK!

Zang Peng’s manifested claw was pierced instantly. At the moment of impact, the hard, sharp sword suddenly transformed, becoming a long rope.

Ning Xuan knew Zang Peng wasn’t human. Ordinary methods were useless against him, so he naturally couldn’t use the same technique he’d used on Ding Heyan.

The rope was incredibly flexible, appearing before Zang Peng’s physical body in an instant. This caused Zang Peng’s pupils to contract sharply. His attack had been a secret technique, and the claw was merely a manifestation of that Secret Technique, not a part of his physical body! Yet, Ning Xuan had used it to traverse space and locate his real body. This was truly astonishing.

Zang Peng reacted just as quickly. An impossibly sharp blade materialized in the void, slashing directly at Ning Xuan’s transformed rope. Just as he thought he would succeed, Zang Peng caught a glimpse of amusement in Ning Xuan’s eyes.

Damn it, I’ve been tricked!

Zang Peng immediately tried to alter his attack, but that moment of hesitation was all it took.

THWIP!

The rope, like a vine-snake, coiled around the sharp blade and constricted.

The next moment, Zang Peng’s body suddenly stiffened. He was bound!

Damn it, I fell for his trick! Zang Peng was distraught. His last slash could have succeeded. But that bastard Ning Xuan was too treacherous; he had used a feint to make him miss the perfect opportunity.

However, a loss was a loss. Making excuses would only make him seem more incompetent. Therefore, Zang Peng conceded, completely convinced. "Your growth is astonishing. Congratulations, you’ve won."

Then, he was stunned.

Ning Xuan didn’t kill him; instead, he released the bonds. This left Zang Peng utterly puzzled.

"You only wanted to capture me," Ning Xuan said with a smile. "Letting you go poses no threat to my life."

Zang Peng watched him wave goodbye and start to leave, then couldn’t help but shout, "But if I catch you and send you to the Chaos Boundary Sea, you’ll be finished!"

"Then you’ll have to try harder," Ning Xuan called back without turning.

Hearing Ning Xuan’s reply, Zang Peng stood frozen for a long time. After what felt like an eternity, he let out a curse and chased after Ning Xuan. He understood the meaning behind Ning Xuan’s words.

That damned bastard doesn’t even see me as a rival anymore! He thinks because he caught me once, he can do it a second time, a third time... I’ve gone from hunter to prey!

That confidence infuriated Zang Peng.

I refuse to accept this!

A moment later, Zang Peng returned to the viewing platform above the duel arena. Ning Xuan had already been back for some time.

"Alright, since the top ten have all arrived, the ranking battle for the top ten shall now begin!" the Realm Lord of the Dali Realm’s voice rang out.

Zang Peng was the first to move. He hadn’t planned to participate; if Ning Xuan wasn’t fighting, the ranking matches were meaningless to him. But now, he had changed his mind. Ning Xuan’s combat awareness was far superior to his own. He needed to sharpen himself, to improve through one duel after another. Otherwise, the gap between them would only grow wider, and a day would come when he would be truly powerless to catch up.

Zang Peng’s decision to join the fray surprised everyone. In an instant, the other top-ten Law Enforcement Officers also made their moves, until only Ning Xuan and Lin Yun remained on the platform.

"Ning Xuan, He Ang was victorious!" Lin Yun said. "He crushed all the losers in an incredibly short amount of time!"

"So?"

Ning Xuan’s single-word retort left Lin Yun flustered. He had intended to prod Ning Xuan into fighting He Ang, and this was the response he got?

Lin Yun recovered quickly. "So you have to go down there and prove your strength!"

Ning Xuan looked at him like he was an idiot. "Isn’t making it into the top ten proof enough of my strength?"

Lin Yun was at a complete loss for words, feeling incredibly awkward.

Fortunately, at that moment, He Ang called out to him from the duel arena.

"Ning Xuan, get down here and die!"

As he shouted, the very air before him trembled and rippled. The ripples tore through the void, surging straight for Ning Xuan. It was a terrifying technique.

Ning Xuan raised an eyebrow, a flicker of regret crossing his mind. Not regret for failing to kill this guy earlier, but regret for not paying a visit to the He Family sooner. He Ang’s power has clearly increased significantly in a very short time. His family must have given him some treasure to consume. If I had visited them earlier, wouldn’t that treasure be mine now?

At this moment, the experts around Ning Xuan all looked surprised. They could keenly sense that he was distracted.

This is absurd. He Ang’s technique was so terrifying that they would all have to face it with utmost caution. Yet this man was spacing out at such a critical moment.

"You’re courting death!" He Ang growled from the duel arena. He had built a tidal wave of Majestic Pressure with overwhelming force. While it wasn’t intended to kill Ning Xuan, he believed no one would dare ignore the power it contained. Yet Ning Xuan did just that.

Does he really think this technique of mine can’t kill?! he fumed. With a low shout, he plunged an Energy Sword into the tidal wave of Majestic Pressure, sending it surging forward with lethal intent. If Ning Xuan wants to act tough, I’ll make sure he can never act tough again!

Unexpectedly, just as the attack was about to reach Ning Xuan, he simply waved his hand.

BOOM!

The murderous Energy Sword and the tidal wave of Majestic Pressure burst apart.

He Ang’s eyes bulged. He never expected Ning Xuan to dismantle his technique so casually.