On the dragon bed, Xu Ning stretched lazily and let out a long breath.
“Oh? Ji Fengyao has already returned? That’s fast.”
“It seems before meeting the Empress, I’ll have to deal with that guy first.”
Ji Fengyao had just arrived in the northern region and still had some time before reaching Northern City. Xu Ning activated a secret sound-transmission technique, sending word of this to Elder Xuan at the Prince of the North’s manor so he could prepare in advance.
He stepped down from the dragon bed and sent his divine sense into the Demon Lord’s storage ring. Although he was confident in his current strength, his opponent was still a Child of Destiny, so it was always safer to keep extra back-up plans.
Inside the Demon Lord’s storage ring were all kinds of treasures—ten-thousand-year-old heavenly materials and earthly treasures, third-grade Soul-Nurturing Pills, countless Law Artifacts, several Saint Artifacts, and even a demonic sword at the level of a half-immortal artifact!
In this world, magic treasures were divided into four levels: Treasure Artifacts, Law Artifacts, Saint Artifacts, and Half-Immortal Artifacts. Law Artifacts, as the name suggested, were the magic treasures of Saint Law Realm powerhouses. Saint Artifacts were the treasures of Saint Realm powerhouses. As for Half-Immortal Artifacts, even looking across the world, only the Demon Lord—once a Great Saint—possessed one.
Suddenly, Xu Ning’s eyes lit up. He had found a puppet! This puppet looked like a dignified maid, with a beautiful and charming appearance—probably one of the Demon Lord’s perverse hobbies in life. But what caught his attention most was the aura it released, which had reached the Profound Law stage of the Saint Law Realm! The Saint Law Realm was divided into Profound Law, Earth Law, and Heaven Law. Even the Xu family’s ancestor had only reached the peak of Profound Law!
“Good. With a Saint Law Realm protector, handling Ji Fengyao will be stable.”
The puppet was strong but needed a soul to control it. At the moment, Xu Ning just happened to have a remnant soul of a Saint Law Realm powerhouse. Combining it with this puppet would be perfect.
Without hesitation, he took out the puppet from the storage ring, then drew out Wei Qingyi’s remnant soul from the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul-Nurturing Wood and merged them together.
Buzz!
The puppet’s halo flashed. Its lifeless eyes gained a glimmer of spirit. Its terrifying aura revived instantly, transforming into an invisible wave spreading from the imperial city to the entire Great Zhou Empire.
“Master!” Wei Qingyi spoke stiffly, respectfully standing before him.
Feeling the peak Profound Law stage aura emanating from the puppet, Xu Ning nodded with satisfaction. “Very good!”
He rummaged further through the Demon Lord’s storage ring and found a palm-sized, crystal-clear jade slip shining with divine light. He sent his divine sense inside. The words “Devour Immortal Demonic Art” appeared before his eyes.
“Devour Immortal Demonic Art? What an overbearing name! As expected, the Demon Lord left a hidden trump card. If he knew everything he had done became my stepping stone, I wonder how he’d feel?”
He ordered Wei Qingyi to guard the surroundings, then sat cross-legged on the spot and began comprehending the Devour Immortal Demonic Art.
As its name suggested, this technique allowed one to devour other cultivators to rapidly increase one’s cultivation. It had five levels. Starting from the third level, it could even devour other cultivators’ bloodline divine abilities—utterly overbearing!
Before, Xu Ning had cultivated the Xu Family Origin Return Technique. It wasn’t powerful but could condense abundant spiritual power. With the Supreme Dragon Blood and pure demonic power nourishing him, his foundation was incomparably solid. Cultivating the Devour Immortal Demonic Art came naturally.
In the blink of an eye, dawn arrived. Morning light broke through the horizon.
He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of demonic aura flickering in them.
The Devour Immortal Demonic Art—mastered!
“System, how many Fate Points are needed to awaken my Heaven-Earth Dao Bone and to upgrade the Devour Immortal Demonic Art?” Find the original chapter at g.com.
[Awakening the Heaven-Earth Dao Bone requires 1,000 Fate Points. Upgrading one level requires 500 Fate Points. After that, each upgrade will require exponentially more Fate Points.]
[Upgrading one level of the Devour Immortal Demonic Art requires 800 Fate Points. After that, each upgrade will also require exponentially more Fate Points.]
“Awaken my Heaven-Earth Dao Bone. Raise my Devour Immortal Demonic Art to the second level.”
[Consumed 1,800 Fate Points. Heaven-Earth Dao Bone awakened. Devour Immortal Demonic Art raised to the second level.]
As the system’s words fell, a mysterious power surged through Xu Ning’s entire body.
“I’ve made all preparations. It’s time to meet the Child of Destiny!” he murmured.
…
Northern City.
Dark clouds pressed low over the city like a mountain about to collapse. Armor glinted in the sunlight like golden scales.
The city’s defensive formation was activated. Invisible spatial barriers guarded Northern City. The air was thick with a solemn, murderous atmosphere.
Elder Xuan stood atop the city wall. Around him, warriors were braced for battle, aiming crossbows and heavy cannons at the sky.
High above stood an extraordinary figure—it was Ji Fengyao! Behind him, led by Yuwen Wuji, were the unwilling Yuwen clansmen.
“Heh, so this is all the Xu family’s Heaven Venerable Realm can do? Hiding like a turtle when I arrive?” Ji Fengyao looked down with scorn. His face was full of mockery.
“Prince of the North, this is all you’ve got? You don’t even dare fart! Truly laughable!”
“The Prince of the North’s position belongs to my Yuwen family, belongs to me, Ji Fengyao! Tell that Xu Ning to crawl out here and die!”
His endless taunts made the soldiers on the wall grip their weapons tightly, their jaws clenching audibly.
Since Xu Ning took over as Prince of the North, he had broken the Yuwen family’s monopoly on the northern army’s upper ranks and established a banner of fairness, allowing every soldier to earn promotions and titles through battle merits.
To Xu Ning, this was nothing—merely applying his previous life’s military merit system.
But to the northern army’s soldiers, it was a great gift!
They would never allow anyone to insult Xu Ning!
City folk had also gathered to watch. Get faster updates on g.com.
“Who’s that man?”
“Looks like Ji Fengyao of the Yuwen family.”
“Wasn’t the Yuwen family expelled from the city? How dare he come back?”
“Hmph! Isn’t it obvious? He can’t stand His Highness holding power!”
“Alas, rumor has it he joined the Taixu Holy Land and his cultivation is terrifying. His Highness may be in trouble this time!”
Since Xu Ning governed Northern City, he had reduced taxes and exempted corvée labor. The people deeply loved him. Facing Ji Fengyao’s sudden attack, the city’s residents naturally had no goodwill toward him. But they were also too afraid to speak out. Even the Xu family’s Heaven Venerable Realm experts didn’t dare leave the city, let alone them.
“Xu Ning, you filthy rat! Get out here!”
“If you don’t open the city gates, I’ll slaughter Northern City!”
Hearing Ji Fengyao’s shrill curses, even the always-calm Elder Xuan’s forehead bulged with veins.
“Such a vile person insulting His Highness again and again. I request to go out and fight!”
“Elder Xuan, the young master is being insulted. How can we sit behind closed doors?”
“I…”
Finally, amid the crowd’s murmurs, Elder Xuan could no longer endure it. He took a deep breath, glared at Ji Fengyao above, and shouted angrily, “Petty cur, my young master is not someone you can slander!”
He turned into a streak of rainbow light and shot toward the sky. As he approached the city’s defensive barrier, ripples formed and opened a small passage just wide enough for him to pass.
Just as Elder Xuan was about to exit, sudden change struck!
A charming woman in a fluttering white dress appeared from the void as if she had been waiting. She suddenly swung out a dazzling sword beam! The terrifying aura of a quasi–Saint Law Realm burst forth!
“Oh no, it’s Taixu Holy Land’s Supreme Elder Xiao Mei!” a Xu family expert cried.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Elder Xuan’s chest was torn open by the sword energy. Terrifying power surged chaotically in his body as blood gushed from his mouth. He flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
In mid-air, Ji Fengyao folded his arms, a sinister smile of success spreading across his face.
“Massacre!” he coldly spat.
From Yuwen Wuji he had already learned that Xu Ning had bewitched Yuwen Rou. He was angry but could understand it. After all, a man as handsome, talented, and well-connected as Xu Ning would always attract women.
He had already thought of a counter-strategy: stage a massacre in Northern City, then use a secret technique to control the Xu family’s Heaven Venerable Realm experts and make them accuse Xu Ning of practicing evil arts—dumping a huge black pot on Xu Ning’s head!
A mere spoiled aristocrat. Even with some cunning, so what?
Going against me, the Slaughter Immortal Great Saint—you think you’re worthy?
With his command, Xiao Mei’s divine sword appeared. Like cutting tangled silk, she slashed out countless violent sword beams. Following the gap in the city’s protective formation, she forcibly split it open.
BOOM!
The city’s defensive barrier shattered!