Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

Chapter 537: Just Luck!

He Zhi always felt the decision for his two uncles to strike together was overly cautious, even absurd. But he didn’t try to dissuade them, as he knew a decision made by his two uncles was something he couldn’t change. So, he agreed with them right away.

"There’s nothing on him that proves his identity!" He Zhi stood up and said to Ning Xuan. When he had asked, "Are you alright?" just moments before, he had already crouched down, pretending to check the body. Otherwise, he would have given the game away. Now that they had reached an agreement, his job was to hasten Ning Xuan’s journey down the road to Huang Quan.

"Forget it. Let’s not bother with him," Ning Xuan said with complete indifference.

He Zhi tentatively asked, "Shall we continue forward, then?" At that moment, he was terrified Ning Xuan would once again say he wanted to go back and rest.

"No need. This guy was much easier to deal with than the last one."

When Ning Xuan said this, He Zhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. However, there was one thing he was certain of. If his Third Uncle knew about this from beyond the grave, he’d be angry enough to rise from the dead! Damn it! That was just too insulting!

"Okay, okay. This way," He Zhi said, glancing at his third uncle’s corpse and unconsciously quickening his pace, as if the man might spring back to life if he delayed another second.

The group continued forward. After walking a considerable distance, He Zhi suddenly stopped to point the way for Ning Xuan. "After passing through that corridor and turning left, you’ll find the Secret Vault... Watch ou—PFFT!"

He was abruptly attacked. This time, by more than one person. Two assailants struck simultaneously.

The attacks landed squarely on He Zhi, sending him flying backward like a cannonball.

CRASH!

His body shattered a rockery, burying him instantly under the rubble. However, just as he was about to be engulfed, he smiled.

Because I saw Ning Xuan’s body explode! We finally succeeded! It was all worth it!

Unfortunately, He Zhi didn’t get to see what happened next. If he had, he would have gone mad.

Just as Ning Xuan’s body exploded and the two assailants were about to retreat, the void behind each of their heads cracked open at almost the same time. A blade of light shot out from each crack. It happened too fast. The attack was also incredibly sinister. They had no idea that while they were the mantis stalking the cicada, an oriole was waiting behind them. By the time they reacted, it was too late.

PFFT! PFFT!

As the piercing sounds rang out, a sword tip protruded from the center of each man’s forehead.

THUD! THUD!

The sound of bodies hitting the ground followed. As fate would have it, they both landed right in front of the rubble pile that buried He Zhi. Their first instinct upon sensing the danger had been to escape. They had pushed their speed to the absolute limit, but it had been useless.

At that moment, where Ning Xuan’s body had exploded, a person stumbled out of the void.

PFFT!

The moment he landed, he too spat out a mouthful of blood.

The six people from the Domain Lord’s Mansion looked at him, then at the two corpses on the ground, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened. All they had seen was He Zhi being sent flying and Ning Xuan’s body exploding. Then, the two assailants fell to the ground, while Ning Xuan, who should have been blown to bits, had just fallen out of the void.

"What on earth is going on?"

"What happened?"

"I don’t know either. Wasn’t he blown up? How is he alive again?"

The six of them murmured, feeling as if their brains couldn’t keep up.

BOOM!

Realizing something was amiss, He Zhi burst forth from the shattered rockery. Then, upon seeing the two corpses, his knees gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

Looking toward Ning Xuan, he spat out two words, "Dao Body!"

A moment later, with a retch, he sprayed a large mouthful of blood. He was already severely injured, and this sight had damaged even his Divine Soul. He could never have imagined that his foolproof plan would go so awry at the very end. The four peerless experts of his He Family had set out together, yet not only had they failed to kill Ning Xuan and retrieve the deed, but they had also paid with their lives. And he, after subjecting himself to a painful ruse and suffering one grievous injury after another, found it had all been for nothing.

At this moment, He Zhi felt utterly despondent. He was completely unaware that this was the perfect opportunity to kill Ning Xuan. Although Ning Xuan’s trap using his Dao Body had succeeded, it had cost him an enormous amount of energy. The current Ning Xuan was an arrow at the end of its flight. A single attack from anyone could take his life.

Time ticked by. He Zhi suddenly sensed something abnormal. The surrounding Element Qi was converging at a terrifying speed, sweeping past him. After a moment of shock, he saw Ning Xuan sitting cross-legged.

He Zhi instantly understood and vanished from the spot. He was going to call for backup. As for the six people who had come with Ning Xuan, he couldn’t be bothered with them anymore. As long as he was present when Ning Xuan was killed later, that was all that mattered. After all, he was injured too; if Ning Xuan were to face danger again, it would be perfectly plausible for him to be willing but unable to help.

However, what he didn’t expect was that the moment he left, Ning Xuan, who should have been recovering, suddenly stood up and headed toward the location He Zhi had indicated earlier.

By the time Ning Xuan had covered a good distance, the six men finally snapped out of their stupor and immediately gave chase.

"Young Master Ning, are you alright?"

"Young Master Ning, that Dao Body of yours was so realistic! Even He Zhi couldn’t tell!"

"Dali is vast, but finding someone else with your abilities at such a young age is absolutely impossible!"

The six of them spoke all at once, not even trying to hide their admiration for Ning Xuan. In both intellect and strength, Ning Xuan was undeniably a prodigy of his generation. If he continued on this path, his future would be unimaginable. They wanted to form a good bond with him.

"You all flatter me; it was just luck," Ning Xuan said, remaining modest.

"Oh, right, where’s He Zhi?" someone suddenly asked.

The other five also came to their senses and turned to look back.

"Over there!"

"He—"

"Forget about him."

The five of them immediately rushed to catch up with Ning Xuan.

"Patriarch, should I chase or—" someone secretly transmitted to He Zhi. However, before he could finish, the man bolted. He had seen the two corpses and was terrified out of his wits.

He Zhi didn’t tell him to come back. Instead, he took off after Ning Xuan himself. His trusted followers, the ones he had sent to empty the Secret Vault, hadn’t returned yet. They had to still be inside. He had to stop Ning Xuan! With the Sealing Pin collapsed, the treasures in the Secret Vault were his only hope. He would absolutely not allow Ning Xuan to lay a finger on them.

He Zhi moved quickly, but he soon slowed down. After rushing through the corridor and making a left turn, he saw Ning Xuan and the six men stopped far in front of the Secret Vault.

Thank goodness. That little bastard Ning Xuan doesn’t know the entrance to the Secret Vault!

Slowing his pace even more, He Zhi heaved a sigh of relief.

But the closer he got, the more he felt something was wrong. When he finally drew near and took a look...