“The night is already deep. A lone man and two women sharing a room will inevitably invite gossip. I don’t mind, but it wouldn’t be good for the reputations of the two young ladies.”
“Come again tomorrow.”
Xu Ning spoke as if he were thinking entirely for their sake.
However, beneath the seemingly calm situation lay hidden danger.
Long Lingtian had most likely already reached the Great Zhou Empire and was probably attempting to break the restrictions of the Demon Lord’s Heavenly Tomb. The time left for Xu Ning was running out.
Once Long Lingtian inherited the Demon Lord’s legacy, it would become a serious problem.
Moreover, there was still another child of destiny whose identity remained unknown. Since that person was connected to the Yuwen Family, and Xu Ning, as the Mystic Saint Empress’s enforcer, had already confiscated the Yuwen Family, that person would undoubtedly become his mortal enemy.
Right now, the most important thing was to grow stronger during this brief calm before the storm and prepare countermeasures against the children of destiny.
As for women… they could wait.
After all, wouldn’t it be better to deal with the female leads once the children of destiny were driven into a corner?
Hearing his words, the two women doubted their own ears.
“His Highness truly is benevolent and magnanimous…” Yuwen Rou’s lips curved into a gentle smile as she looked at him with gratitude.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Shuang crossed her arms and snorted coldly, turning her head away. In her eyes, Xu Ning’s actions must have some hidden motive she couldn’t yet see.
Xu Ning’s words seemed to carry a strange kind of power, and even Yao Ling’er couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Yuwen Wuji showed a trace of disappointment, though he wasn’t in a hurry. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
“Then this subordinate shall take his leave!” he said, bowing deeply before leading the two women out of the main hall.
After watching them leave, Xu Ning finally turned to Yao Ling’er. “Ling’er, go rest first. I still have matters to attend to.”
Yao Ling’er pressed her lips together slightly. For some reason, a faint sense of disappointment rose in her heart, but she didn’t cling to him. With a soft “Mm,” she turned and left.
Once the hall fell silent, Elder Xuan’s figure emerged from the void once more.
“Young Master, as per your instructions, the Yuwen Family’s treasury has been opened!”
After taking control of the Northern King’s Residence, Xu Ning had immediately ordered a search for the Yuwen Family’s treasury.
He nodded in satisfaction. “Good. You performed well today. Once we enter the treasury, you will be greatly rewarded.”
Earlier, during the process of winning people over, Elder Xuan had played the role of the “villain” exactly as Xu Ning had arranged. Otherwise, how could Xu Ning display his own righteous image?
Hearing this, Elder Xuan chuckled, his gaze filled with admiration. “Young Master’s methods are brilliant, far surpassing those of the Patriarch. This old man is deeply impressed!”
As they spoke, they arrived at an inconspicuous room.
Elder Xuan placed his hand on the wall. Ripples spread across its surface, revealing a hidden passage. He stepped aside respectfully, and Xu Ning walked into the treasury.
The moment he entered, a dense wave of spiritual energy rushed toward him, refreshing his entire being.
Before him stretched a vast and magnificent hall, filled with countless rare treasures. Divine light shimmered everywhere, and the aura of the Great Dao flowed through the air.
He walked forward, examining each treasure one by one.
As the former number one family of the Mystic Saint Heavenly Domain, the Yuwen Family’s foundation was far beyond that of the Xu Family. Dao artifacts, divine weapons, rare pills, secret techniques—everything was present.
After a thorough search, Xu Ning stored the most valuable items into his Storage Ring. Then he made his way to the center of the hall, where a pool of blood lay.
The moment he approached, an overwhelming surge of blood energy mixed with immense spiritual energy rushed toward him. Just taking a single breath made him feel as though his cultivation was about to break through.
“This is… the seventeenth-ranked treasure on the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures List—Taixu Dragon Blood! It’s said to be extremely gentle. Yuwen Wushuang must have been saving it to break through to the Immortal Realm!”
Even Xu Ning couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.
Even the Mystic Saint Empress would covet such a treasure. He wondered where Yuwen Wushuang had obtained it. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Elder Xuan, guard me!” With that, Xu Ning removed his clothes and leapt straight into the blood pool.
Boom!
A power unlike anything he had ever felt surged through his body.
The vast spiritual energy flooded his meridians, his dantian boiling as it spun wildly.
His skin trembled as thick, black impurities poured out from his pores, cleansing his marrow and reshaping his body.
His physique grew stronger by the second, and his cultivation rose rapidly. In no time, he advanced from the Eighth Transformation of the Creation Realm to the Ninth Transformation, then to peak, then to half-step Heavenly Venerable… and still, it showed no signs of stopping as it surged toward the Heavenly Venerable Realm.
After all, Taixu Dragon Blood was meant to help Yuwen Wushuang break into the Immortal Realm. For someone at the Creation Realm like Xu Ning, its effects were overwhelming.
Time passed unknowingly.
When Xu Ning opened his eyes again, the blood pool had completely dried up. His aura had merged seamlessly with the surrounding heaven and earth, becoming vast and profound.
[Host: Xu Ning]
[Identity: Direct descendant of the Xu Family]
[Cultivation: 1st stage Heavenly Venerable Realm]
[Physique: Completely refined, peak mortal condition]
[Technique: Xu Family Primordial Essence Art]
[Fortune Points: 800]
[Storage: Dao Heart Divine Seal, Great Dao Slave Canon]
“Not bad. Not only did I break through to the Heavenly Venerable Realm, but my physique has also undergone a qualitative leap.”
He paused, then frowned slightly. “But why did my fortune points increase by 200? Could it be from Yao Ling’er?”
Clicking his tongue, he suddenly threw a punch forward.
In an instant, violent energy erupted outward. The surrounding space trembled violently, as if it might tear apart.
“This feeling… like I could tear the heavens apart with a single thought… no wonder cultivators in novels are so obsessed with power.”
Murmuring to himself, he took out the Dao Heart Divine Seal and the Great Dao Slave Canon from his storage.
The Dao Heart Divine Seal was a small, glass-like mark, about the size of a finger, radiating brilliant divine light.
The Great Dao Slave Canon was an ancient scroll emanating a primordial aura. Simply holding it made his heart tremble.
He refined the Dao Heart Divine Seal, merging it into his divine sea. Instantly, his mind felt refreshed, as though some invisible shackle had been broken.
Then he opened the Great Dao Slave Canon and studied it carefully.
The text within wasn’t written in any common language but in ancient pictographic script, incredibly profound. Fortunately, the Destiny Plunder System translated it for him.
The more he read, the more shocked he became.
Once mastered, the Great Dao Slave Canon could forcibly imprint a slave mark onto another’s soul.
Not only that, it could also place marks on pills and weapons, leaving a slave imprint on anyone who used them.
Those marked would retain their consciousness and memories, yet obey him absolutely.
The mark was undetectable by others. Unless activated, even the marked person would remain unaware of it.
“This Great Dao Slave Canon is truly terrifying.”
Taking a deep breath, he began cultivating according to its method.
By the time midnight had passed, he had barely managed to comprehend it.
It was now the pre-dawn hours, with the sky still dark. There was still some time before sunrise.
Smacking his lips, he decided to test the power of the slave mark.
She wore a thin, light dress that faintly revealed her graceful figure beneath.
Though still in her youth, her curves were already striking—her slender waist, her full hips pressed softly against the bed, her delicate skin glowing faintly, captivating and pure.
Even in his previous life, Xu Ning had seen many beautiful women, but someone like Yao Ling’er—a pure, classical beauty—was a first.
Especially when he thought of her untouched innocence, a faint excitement stirred within him.
This woman belonged to him.
Every inch of her body belonged to him.
Even the most intimate part of her existence would one day bear only his mark.
A possessive desire rose within him.
“Ling’er, why have you come?” Yao Ling’er asked, her cheeks flushing slightly. Though they were husband and wife in name, they had yet to consummate their marriage, and she still felt shy around him.
“Ling’er, since you are now mine, I will pass on a secret technique of the Xu Family to you.” Xu Ning smiled gently. “Come, open your soul to me.”
Her face flushed deeper. Though confused, she didn’t question him. With a soft “Mm,” she closed her eyes and opened her spiritual sense to him.
Maintaining his smile, Xu Ning condensed a Great Dao slave mark in his palm and pressed it onto her forehead, branding it onto her soul.
Her body trembled slightly. In that instant, an invisible connection seemed to form between them.
Xu Ning quickly realized that the slave mark was even more domineering than he had imagined.
Not only could he sense Yao Ling’er’s location, he could even perceive her thoughts—and decide her life or death with a single thought.
“Ling’er, come. Lie down. Your husband will cherish you well,” he said, pointing at the bed.
Her face flushed crimson, the color spreading all the way to her ears. A mist filled her eyes as she hesitated shyly.
To her surprise, she felt no resistance toward his “unreasonable” request. Instead, a strange sweetness filled her heart, bringing her an inexplicable sense of happiness.
“Mm,” she replied softly, climbing onto the bed. She lifted her skirt slightly, revealing a stretch of fair, delicate skin.
Xu Ning wasted no time.
Before long, soft, sweet sounds filled the room.
…
In a separate courtyard of the Northern King’s Residence, Yuwen Wuji sat at the center, surrounded by the upper ranks of the Yuwen Family.
“I have already sent spies to investigate the situation in the Royal Capital. It was Xu Ning who leaked information to the Mystic Saint Empress, leading to Ancestor Wushuang’s death at her hands!”
“And now he puts on a different face, trying to win us over. Do you think we can accept that?”
“Absolutely not!” everyone shouted in unison.
“This Xu Ning has gone too far—killing our ancestor and seizing our residence!”
“His so-called pardon is just a delay tactic. He wants to divide and weaken us!”
“If we don’t eliminate him, justice itself cannot stand!”
Yuwen Wuji took a deep breath, his hands clasped behind his back, his voice firm and resolute.
“The Yuwen Family is not without a chance. If we can capture Xu Ning, we can escape to the Northern Underworld Divine Domain. Once we reach there, the Northern Underworld Divine Emperor will surely protect us!”
Then his gaze fell on the two young women beside him.
“Shuang’er, Rou’er… the future of the Yuwen Family depends on whether you succeed this time!”