On the Yuan Ling Continent, the path of Martial Arts is divided into twelve realms: Bright, Dark, Spirit, Profound, Earth, Human, Heaven, King, Emperor, Honor, Holy, and Divine.
Such a violent influx of Element Qi would cause an uncultivated person to instantly explode and die. Even a Profound Realm Martial Artist would be unable to bear it. However, Ning Xuan possessed the Twelve Divine Veins. His reborn bloodline had seemingly advanced even further, so how could he be measured by the standards of a mere mortal?
Impurities surged from his body in a frenzy, like slurry from a mud ball.
Within his dantian, the golden True Blood churned and expanded. It carried pure Element Qi as it violently surged through the Twelve Divine Veins, releasing a terrifying aura from his body—one that seemed capable of dominating all of history!
His Martial Arts cultivation soared at breakneck speed! Bright Realm First Layer, Bright Realm Second Layer... Bright Realm Tenth Layer, Bright Realm Eleventh Layer... Eventually, he reached the Twelfth Layer, the absolute pinnacle! From nothing, Ning Xuan had skyrocketed through twelve layers of the realm! He had almost single-handedly drained all the ambient Element Qi from the heavens and the earth.
The perfect fusion of the Twelve Divine Veins, their tyrannical nature, and the Supreme Technique was simply unparalleled!
Sensing his progress slowing, Ning Xuan stopped cultivating and stood up. Instantly, his bones and sinews chimed in unison, the sound faintly reminiscent of a dragon's cry. An explosive force surged through his body, demanding release. Ning Xuan looked around, found a nearby boulder weighing ten thousand pounds, and effortlessly lifted it over his head! With a low shout, he bent and straightened, heaving the boulder. It shot through the air like a meteor from the heavens, plummeting into the depths of a fissure. A tremendous crash echoed as the earth trembled and waves battered the shore.
"The sky's gone dark. I wonder how many days I've been cultivating? Oh well, who cares. There's water down there, so I'll wash up first," Ning Xuan muttered, feeling uncomfortably sticky. He then launched himself into the fissure like a cannonball.
In the middle of the fissure was a narrow river, with the giant boulder now lying across it. Exceptionally skilled and daring, Ning Xuan paid no mind to potential dangers and dove straight in. The blood and filth from his body dispersed in the water. Initially, Ning Xuan remained on guard, as the scent of blood was most likely to attract Element Beasts. Soon, however, he relaxed, figuring there were probably no powerful Element Beasts here. Stripping down to his undergarments, Ning Xuan found something to clean with and meticulously washed his clothes. After laying them out to dry on the boulder, he re-entered the water.
Relaxing, Ning Xuan began to inspect his body from within. The first thing he "saw" were twelve massive meridians that seemed forged from Divine Metal, each one radiating a mysterious and unfathomable aura. Next, he observed his True Blood. It was like a miniature golden sun, glittering brilliantly and suffused with a magnificent, heavenly might!
The True Blood of a Divine Body is purple, but mine has turned gold. Is this a sign that I've transcended the divine to become a saint, advancing into the Nine Nether Saint Body? And this Chaos Ancestral Dragon Scripture is incredibly tyrannical! My body was already tempered once in the Dragon Transformation Pond, yet this process has tempered it again! Still, this is all for the best! I'll rest for a night, then head deeper into the mountain range tomorrow to cultivate again. After that, I should be strong enough to go back and claim my justice!
Ning Xuan finalized his plan, feeling somewhat impatient. Suddenly, a sense of extreme danger washed over him. A huge black shadow shot out from the depths like a cannonball, churning the river water into a vortex. Like a swimming dragon, Ning Xuan broke the surface, grabbing his clothes and using the momentum to launch himself into the air in a single, fluid motion.
BOOM!
The giant boulder lying across the river exploded into fragments. A gigantic crocodile burst forth, its eyes like blood-red lanterns, radiating a terrifying aura.
The creature was extremely intelligent and far too patient. Such cunning meant it was at least strong enough to fight a Martial Artist at the Third Layer Heavens of the Dark Realm. This was no small matter. The Bright Realm tempers the body and gathers Qi, while the Dark Realm refines Qi into power. Upon stepping into the Dark Realm, one's strength increases tenfold. With each layer gained after that, its power increases by increments of ten thousand to several tens of thousands. Fortunately, Ning Xuan's reflexes were first-rate. Otherwise, that last attack would have surely been fatal.
"Let's see how you handle my fists!"
With a thunderous roar, the now-dressed Ning Xuan took the offensive. He launched himself from the ground, instantly appearing above the giant crocodile's head, his fist descending like a mountain. As someone at the peak of the Bright Realm, the force of Ning Xuan's punch was far greater than a mere ten thousand pounds!
With a deafening crash, the crocodile's enormous head was slammed violently against the shoreline rocks. The rocks shattered and the ground trembled. Fissures even began to spiderweb out from the river's edge! The giant crocodile, in pain, whipped its tail backward, revealing spines that glittered with a cold light. Like Peerless Divine Weapons, the spines hissed as they sliced through the air as if it were paper.
Ning Xuan didn't have eyes in the back of his head, but he heard the whistling wind and threw a punch without a second thought.
CLANG!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out, as if a Divine Weapon had been struck. Ning Xuan's fist was completely unharmed, but the spines shattered inch by inch, turning to dust! Pressing his advantage, he smashed another fist into the giant crocodile's head. Its scales, sharp beyond compare, rose up in defense, but they were no match for Ning Xuan's iron fist. They shattered on impact, and blood sprayed everywhere.
In agony and sensing a mortal threat, the giant crocodile tried to flee. But with another punch from Ning Xuan, it met a bitter end.
Ning Xuan jumped down and brushed his hands together in satisfaction. Just then, he saw an object emitting a faint glow roll from the corner of the creature's mouth. It fell into the water, and as the blood washed away, Ning Xuan saw that it was an Element Stone!
Element Stones: crystals formed from the essence of heaven and earth, saturated with pure Element Qi.
Could it be that it didn't attack me earlier because it was busy swallowing an Element Stone?
At the thought, Ning Xuan wasted no time and dove back into the water. He explored the deep water, swimming upstream against the current until he found the river's source. There, he indeed discovered an Element Stone vein.
Like Martial Arts Cultivation, Element Veins are also classified into twelve grades. After the first through ninth grades, there are Heavenly Grade, Divine Grade, and Holy Grade. This was a Third Grade Element Vein. Though fractured, it would still be more than enough to help Ning Xuan reach the Third Grade of the Dark Realm without any issue.
Ning Xuan immediately settled in and began cultivating using the vein. Drawing the pure energy with both hands, he began his training in the most simple, direct, and brutal way possible. Time flew by as he cultivated, the days and nights blurring together.
The meditating Ning Xuan suddenly opened his eyes. In the darkness, they shone like two golden suns, illuminating his surroundings. As far as he could see, there was nothing but the gray ash of Element Stones, all their essence drained. A single gust of wind would scatter them to nothing. This vein, which could have supported a minor family's cultivation for decades, or even a century, was now completely gone.
"The Second Layer Heavens of the Dark Realm... A little lower than I expected, but I can't wait a moment longer!"
Muttering to himself, Ning Xuan lifted a hand, sensing the newfound power in his body. Then, he stomped his foot. The ground exploded beneath him, and he shot into the sky, reappearing in the world of men!
The sun blazed high in the sky.
"A beautiful day like this is perfect for killing."
His words lingered in the air as he vanished.
「A little over an hour later.」
Ning Xuan kicked open the tightly shut main gate of the Wan Family.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The heavy gates smashed through an unknown number of walls before finally crashing to a halt deep within the Wan Family compound.
"Wan Zhongshan, Wan Yue'er, where are you? Ning Xuan is here to visit!"
His voice echoed throughout the entire Wan Family estate. After a long while, an old servant appeared, trembling as he stammered, "S-Spare me... The y-young lady has awakened the Nine Nether Divine Body, and... and today, important guests have arrived. The... the master and the others are at the plaza waiting to receive them."
Hearing this, Ning Xuan turned and left without another word.
Today, it didn't matter who came or who tried to stop him. He would kill them all.