【Noble Qi: 1550】
【Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, Layer 2 (0/300)】
【Divine Phoenix Bloodline, Layer 5 (0/5000)】
【Red Lotus Divine Pupils, Drifting Sea of Illusions (Layer 2) (0/1000)】
【All Manifestations: Mountains and Rivers, Dragon-Slaying Golden-Armored Army (Layer 3) (0/1500)】
【Poem and Wine Sword Art, Sword Shakes the Nine Heavens (Layer 3) (0/2000)】
【Devouring Mountains and Rivers, Layer 2 (0/3000)】
【Spring of Undying, Layer 2 (0/2000)】
With his current 1,550 points of Noble Qi, the only Divine Abilities he could upgrade were Red Lotus Divine Pupils and All Manifestations: Mountains and Rivers.
Just as Chen Ning was hesitating over whether to save his Noble Qi or select a Divine Ability to upgrade...
“Sister Xiangqin!”
The female demon who had nearly been auctioned off earlier broke free from her chains, running toward Xiangqin with tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.
“Don't be afraid. Young Master Chen is here protecting us, so we're safe now.”
Xiangqin gently caressed the wound on her wing with heartache, softly sheltering the female demon within her own wings.
Red wings enveloped blue-green wings, creating a scene that was strangely beautiful.
At the same time, the other demon beasts imprisoned by the auction house had also escaped.
Instead of fleeing immediately, they gathered around Qing Yan to express their gratitude.
Some rubbed affectionately against Qing Yan, while a few small birds even landed on her shoulders and head, chirping happily while fluttering their wings.
Chen Ning couldn't help but smile.
This girl Qing Yan really did attract all kinds of small animals to approach her naturally wherever she went.
Just then, Qing Yan suddenly noticed Chen Ning's gaze, a faint blush immediately flushing across her snow-white skin.
“Thank you, Young Master... for saving them.”
Qing Yan lowered her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Shouldn't you show your thanks with some practical action at a time like this?”
Chen Ning tapped his own cheek with his finger.
“No way!”
Although she said that, after dodging his gaze for a good while, Qing Yan finally stepped forward with graceful, light steps and suddenly wrapped her arms softly around Chen Ning.
“Young Master, thank you.”
Tiptoeing, Qing Yan leaned in close to Chen Ning's ear and whispered softly.
As a gentle breeze blew past, her silky hair fluttered softly in the wind, brushing against Chen Ning's face.
Her hair carried a faint fragrance, and its touch gave a pleasantly ticklish warmth.
Watching this scene from the side, Xiangqin felt as though she had been forcefully stuffed with a huge bite of public affection.
She hurriedly turned her blushing face away, terrified of playing third wheel.
...
“Bastard, how dare you!”
Just then, a blue-faced lion-tiger beast came sprinting toward the auction house.
Riding atop the lion-tiger beast was a bald man in his fifties.
This old man was a whole nine chi tall, and even the blue short-sleeved tunic he wore could not hide the bulging, corded muscles beneath his clothes.
The old man's aura was extremely steady and formidable; he was likely at least at the Fourth-Rank Martial Dao Golden Core Realm.
Upon seeing him, Xiangqin's face instantly paled, and she hurriedly ran to Chen Ning's side to warn him:
“This man seems to be Jiang Feiwen's grandfather, Commandant Jiang Hongshan.
It's likely thanks to his backing that the auction house was able to operate without a hitch.”
“Just as I thought.”
Chen Ning had long guessed that a useless trash like Jiang Feiwen couldn't possibly cover the sky with one hand and secretly operate such a massive demon flesh and blood auction house in the Imperial Capital.
This old man was clearly the backing behind him.
The only weird thing was that Chen Ning was completely unable to see any demonic mutation on Jiang Hongshan, and even activating his Red Lotus Divine Pupils revealed nothing unusual.
By now, Jiang Hongshan had reached the underground entrance and taken in the state of the auction house.
His eyes widened in instant, furious rage.
“To dare come seek death on my turf—devour them!”
“Roar!”
The blue-faced lion-tiger beast let out a ferocious roar and charged straight underground.
This type of lion-tiger beast was a demon hybrid, possessing terrifying speed and explosive power.
Usually, only important officials of the court were qualified to use them as mounts.
The blue-faced lion-tiger beast was lightning-fast. Its sharp claws tore through the air, pouncing right before Chen Ning in the blink of an eye.
“A mere beast dares to be so arrogant?”
Golden light swirling around his fist, Chen Ning struck directly outward.
Bang!
The blue-faced lion-tiger beast's facial bones shattered completely in an instant, and its massive body flew backward.
Lying on the ground, it let out a series of miserable wails, already on the verge of death.
Right beside the lion-tiger beast, Jiang Hongshan suddenly discovered his grandson's corpse.
“He's dead...
What nerve! Today, I will tear these people into pieces to bury with you!”
Jiang Hongshan was consumed by wild rage, bloodshot eyes glaring dead at Chen Ning.
Although his grandson had been a useless trash, it seemed the grandfather and grandson had still shared some affection.
Chen Ning said coldly:
“Since you are a Commandant, you should know what crime it is to secretly traffic demon flesh and blood in an auction house and assimilate buyers into demons.”
“Of course I know.”
Killing intent suddenly billowed from Jiang Hongshan.
“But as long as I kill you, won't nobody ever know?”
Although a massive commotion had broken out inside the auction house, because it was located underground, very few people outside had noticed it.
“As expected.”
Hearing this, Chen Ning actually smiled.
Like father, like son.
Sure enough, this grandfather and grandson were two birds of a feather.
“Now that you understand, go die!”
Jiang Hongshan suddenly pushed off with his feet.
His speed was terrifyingly fast, reducing him to almost a blur that flashed past in an instant.
Boom!
In the next instant, the ground where Chen Ning had been standing collapsed violently under Jiang Hongshan's fist.
It was clear proof of how horrifying the power contained within this single punch was.
“What formidable strength.”
Even Chen Ning felt slightly surprised.
Even an ordinary Fourth-Rank Martial Dao Golden Core likely wouldn't possess such terrifying force.
More importantly, although Jiang Hongshan's physical body had undergone Hardened Physique, Chen Ning felt that the aura on him was somewhat different from that of a martial cultivator.
“Decent speed, but do you really think you can dodge a second time just because you dodged once?”
At the same time, Jiang Hongshan sneered as his speed spiked again.
However, just as he closed to within a few meters of Chen Ning's body, he found that Chen Ning didn't dodge or evade. In his hand, a Black Sword had appeared at some point.
“Not all Confucian scholars are afraid of close-quarters combat, you old geezer.”
The Noble Scholar's Sword hummed with sharp intent.
“Sword Shakes the Nine Heavens!”
This sword strike was so fast it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
Clang!
Yet in the next moment, a crisp sound of metallic clashing echoed outward.
The skin over Jiang Hongshan's entire body had turned into hard metal. Given the power of the Noble Scholar's Sword, it had actually only left a shallow sword mark on him!
“Indestructible Vajra Body?”
Only now did Chen Ning finally understand.
No wonder he had felt something was so off all along.
It turned out Jiang Hongshan was neither a Fourth-Rank Martial Dao Golden Core nor a Third-Rank Martial Dao Nascent Soul.
This old geezer was a Buddhist Cultivator, and what's more, he had actually reached the Third-Rank Vajra Realm of Buddhism, possessing an indestructible golden body!
Rate on N.U.
