Questioning the Guilty

This had been deliberate.

But Xie Mingli seemed completely unaware of it and merely said calmly, "Steward Qin, the side courtyard has been vacant for a long time. Have it cleaned tonight."

Qin Henian paused slightly, then lowered his head and answered respectfully, "Yes, Miss."

"The formal Azure Cloud Arena matches begin in ten days," Xie Mingli said indifferently, as if merely bringing it up in passing. "It's quiet here, making it suitable for cultivation. However—" She paused, her gaze settling on him. "Don't forget to register during these ten days, or you'll lose your eligibility to compete."

"Thank you for the reminder." Chu Ning turned his eyes slightly, his gaze skimming Xie Mingli's cool, distant face. The smile at the corner of his lips was neither deep nor shallow, as though he were trying to gauge the hidden meaning behind her words.

"If you encounter any difficulties, you can ask Steward Qin." Xie Mingli's voice remained steady, revealing no emotion.

Chu Ning raised an eyebrow and looked toward Qin Henian. The latter still wore that same respectful, restrained expression, with only a trace of complicated emotion hidden in his eyes—gone in an instant.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Xie. I appreciate it." Chu Ning cupped his hands with a half-smile. "But registering is such a minor matter. It shouldn't be necessary to trouble Steward Qin."

Xie Mingli neither agreed nor disagreed. Her gaze was like a mirror, reflecting her unhurried composure. After a moment, she gave a slight nod. As her sleeves fluttered, she turned and left.

In the side courtyard of Marquis Wu's Estate, the seventy-two wind lanterns hanging from the roof eaves suddenly dimmed.

Candlelight swayed, casting the scene inside the room in a hazy, tranquil glow.

Chu Ning sat cross-legged on the bed. The instant he turned his palms upward, the true qi within his body coursed through his meridians, rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing, like thunder hidden within the clouds, ready to erupt at any moment.

He was only one opportunity away from becoming a Ninth Rank martial artist.

If he could kill a Ninth Rank martial artist and repay the price of the Sky-Rending Shadow Flight Technique, he would not only be able to break through smoothly, but also advance the cultivation of another technique ahead of time.

But easier said than done.

Even with the few techniques empowered beyond their limits by the Chaos Divine Order, merely fighting a Ninth Rank powerhouse to a draw was already his limit. To kill one was simply as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

At this thought, a faint flicker passed through Chu Ning's eyes, and the burning desire for a breakthrough in his heart slightly receded. He slowly took out the jade box from his robes and gently opened it.

At once, a hot and potent medicinal force surged out. The Nine Revolutions Profound Sun Fruit lay quietly inside, its surface flowing with a faint crimson-gold radiance, like a dazzling glass jewel that had condensed the essence of the blazing sun.

If he could refine it, breaking through to Ninth Rank would only be the beginning. Even stepping into Eighth Rank would not be impossible.

But the problem was that he still had not found a way to refine it.

Chu Ning stared at the fruit, his brows drawing together slightly. Then he slowly closed the jade box and placed the Nine Revolutions Profound Sun Fruit back against his chest.

The medicinal force of this object was so overbearing that even a Spiritual Beast like the Azure-Eyed Snow Fox could not easily withstand it.

He lowered his head and took the Little White Fox, curled into a ball, from inside his robes.

Ever since it had eaten the second Mysterious Sun Fruit, it had remained asleep. Its snow-white fur glowed with a lustrous sheen beneath the candlelight, while its breathing was long and deep.

It seemed to be at a critical stage of refining the medicinal force. Even with a Spiritual Beast's physique far superior to a human's, completely refining the Nine Revolutions Profound Sun Fruit still required undergoing a transformation between life and death.

At this thought, Chu Ning withdrew his gaze, put away the jade box, and then gently stroked the Little White Fox's fur.

The soft, delicate sensation made him pause slightly. An instant later, that strange illusion surfaced in his mind.

That enchanting woman, her sleeves blazing like fire, her vermilion lips slightly parted and her eyes rippling like water, seemed ready to hook his very soul away.

Chu Ning's expression froze for a moment before he abruptly returned to his senses and withdrew his hand, as though that single touch had been some dangerous temptation.

However, at that very moment—

"Clang—!"

A fierce sword cry suddenly tore through the air, shattering the silence of the night.

Chu Ning's gaze sharpened, and he instantly looked up.

In the neighboring courtyard, true qi surged and frost churned. Sword Qi raged in every direction, even piercing through three courtyard walls before carving three sharp frost marks into the sandalwood screen before him.

Ice Soul True Qi seeped into it. The patterns on the screen froze and cracked, turning into fine shards of ice that pattered to the floor.

Chu Ning raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised.

"Xie Mingli is actually cultivating this desperately?"

In this world, even those of the upper class cultivated so desperately for strength, while he possessed a heaven-defying divine artifact like the Chaos Divine Order, which could draw upon the future in exchange for power beyond his current limits... But what was the price?

He unconsciously touched the two strands of white hair above his brow.

In that instant, memories of the past surged up like a tide—the lifespans he had drawn upon.

The price he paid had never been a light one.

"Every living being must cross their own tribulation."

Those words from Xie Mingli were not merely a reflection of her own life. How were they not a reflection of everyone's?

Just then, a streak of fire suddenly descended slowly from the edge of the sky, dragging a blazing tail like a meteor and dyeing the night sky blood-red.

Boom—!

The fire crashed down with a thunderous roar. The entire side courtyard shook, violent waves of air surged outward, and dust filled the sky.

"Which little bastard dares cling to a lofty branch and move into Marquis Wu's Estate?"

An arrogant, sinister shout rolled over like thunder. It carried the pressure of one in a position of power, as though a single word from him could decide whether someone lived or died.

Chu Ning quickly walked out of the room and looked up, his brows drawing together slightly.

The newcomer wore a long robe embroidered with crimson flames. Intense fiery aura enveloped his body, while the bluestone tiles beneath his feet cracked inch by inch under his pressure. Flames wound around his long hair, making him resemble a demon god who had stepped out of a sea of fire.

Feng Li of Li Fire Palace, a Ninth Rank Middle Grade martial artist.

The moment he received the news that Xie Mingli had not only returned to Marquis Wu's Estate but had also brought an unfamiliar man back with her, fury had surged straight to his head, and he had come charging over.

Feng Li's eyes blazed as he swept them coldly over Chu Ning, filled with contempt and killing intent.

"You? You think you're worthy?"

The killing intent in those words was completely undisguised.

Chu Ning's expression did not change. His gaze remained calm as he spoke indifferently:

"Who are you?"

His voice was unhurried, carrying neither fear nor deference. There was even a trace of impatience in it.

Feng Li's brows furrowed, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes.

"Little bastard, how dare you shout at me?"

Crimson flames surged upward. The tiles beneath his feet scorched and cracked inch by inch, while a violent fire-type true qi spread in an instant. The scorching heat distorted the air, as though he would strike in the next moment.

However, just as the atmosphere became charged for battle, a cool voice came from outside the courtyard gate, like a basin of icy spring water poured over flames, instantly suppressing that violent aura.

"Feng Li, is Marquis Wu's Estate somewhere you can barge into whenever you please?"

Following the voice, Xie Mingli strode in with the wind at her heels.

She was still dressed in a light-purple gown. Her broad sleeves drifted gently, and the hem of her skirt brushed across the bluestone ground. Though she emitted not the slightest trace of sharpness, she naturally possessed an inviolable majesty.

Her gaze narrowed slightly as it fell on Feng Li, and her tone remained cold:

"Even the Palace Master of Li Fire Palace is not as unreasonable as you."

When Feng Li saw her appear, the flames of anger in his eyes immediately subsided somewhat. His expression eased, and he restrained part of his pressure, yet he still remained faintly aggressive.

He stared at Xie Mingli. His tone carried a hint of "concern," but could not conceal the probing and pressure within his words:

"Mingli, I heard you were ambushed on the way back and returned to the estate in the same carriage as this brat. You even let him stay at Marquis Wu's Estate."

His tone shifted as his contemptuous gaze swept over Chu Ning, his voice low and tinged with displeasure.

"I was worried you'd been deceived."

Chu Ning's brows lifted slightly, and he was just about to speak when Xie Mingli had already spoken coldly.

"Please show some restraint."

She frowned slightly, her tone impatient and her words sharp as a sword, cutting Feng Li off directly.

"It seems we don't have any special relationship. Don't call me so familiarly."