Martial Suppression

Chu Ning shook his head, his expression unchanged. "No, I just haven't decided yet."

"The champion of the Azure Cloud Arena will receive more than the Nine Heavens Thunder Canon. They'll also qualify to enter the Town Martial Division." Xie Mingli lightly tapped the chessboard as black and white pieces fell in crisscrossing patterns. "In this game, only the victor can control the overall board."

Chu Ning's brows knitted slightly. "The Town Martial Division... what is it?"

"The blade edge of the northern frontier, a shadow in the frost." Xie Mingli lifted her eyes. "They control the dynasty's martial artists. Even the First Grade Pavilion has to fear them."

Xie Mingli continued, "The Town Martial Division is the Marquis Wu's Estate's core military institution in the northern frontier. It commands the Great Gan Dynasty's martial forces there, with countless experts under its banner. Those prodigies who came to participate in the Azure Cloud Arena have never been aiming for a mere Nine Heavens Thunder Canon. They want to use it to enter the Town Martial Division, gain a higher status, and secure stronger backing."

Chu Ning's brows drew together as he faintly sensed that Lei Wanjun's purpose in having him participate in the Azure Cloud Arena might go far beyond this.

Chu Ning slowly set down his teacup and pondered for a moment. "What benefits would entering the Town Martial Division bring me?"

Xie Mingli's tone grew solemn. "First, the government will protect your family, so you won't need to worry about their safety anymore. Second, you'll have the chance to take a Fourth Rank martial artist as your master. You might even gain access to cultivation resources of an even higher level... These are things that are far from easy to obtain through personal effort alone."

A faint flicker passed through Chu Ning's eyes. The Town Martial Division's protection meant that his elder sister's safety would be assured, and he would no longer need to fear the Wang family's suppression. This truly was an opportunity that could not be ignored...

Chu Ning gently rubbed his teacup. The tea dregs at its bottom reflected a trigram—Kan above, Li below, water and fire yet to meet.

When he looked up, Xie Mingli was flicking a black jade chess piece into the incense burner. The ashes inside suddenly billowed upward.

"I'll join." He spoke in a deep voice. Before his words had even faded, the Chaos Divine Order suddenly trembled, as if countless wronged souls were shrieking inside his mind.

Xie Mingli gave a slight nod, seemingly having anticipated his decision long ago.

"Then, do I need to help you win the championship?" Chu Ning asked.

Xie Mingli shook her head, her expression calm. "No. I've changed my mind. You can win the championship on your own. Just register under the Marquis Wu's Estate."

Chu Ning was taken aback, and his gaze shifted slightly. Since Xie Mingli could make such a decision, it meant that her plans for the Azure Cloud Arena had already changed. She might even have another scheme in mind.

Still, he did not ask further. He cupped his fists. "All right. I'll go register first."

Xie Mingli leaned against the doorframe, watching Chu Ning's back melt into the night. The jade bangle around her wrist suddenly cracked with a sharp snap, and a bead of blood seeped from her fingertip. When it dripped onto the bluestone pavement, it ignited into a ghostly blue flame.

"Chilong Backlash..." she murmured. A yellowed letter slipped from her sleeve. Its handwriting was sharp as a blade: "Chu Ning bears the power of frost and may be closely connected to a sacred beast."

When Chu Ning stepped out of the Marquis Wu's Estate, the Chaos Divine Order trembled again, shaking a stabbing pain across his forehead.

He frowned and pressed down on his collar, only to catch sight of a dark figure flashing through a shadowy alley at the street corner. The figure's sleeve was embroidered with the flame emblem of the Li Fire Palace, yet the Red Copper Bell hanging at his waist was unique to the Wang family.

"What a nest of snakes and rats." He let out a cold laugh. Frost lightning condensed into an ice spike in his palm, but the shadow had already dispersed like mist, leaving behind only a patch of scorch marks on the ground, shaped like a mocking grin.

At the registration site, martial artists had gathered in droves. Voices rose and fell, and every conversation concerned the prominent figures of the Azure Cloud Arena.

"Have you heard? Nie Qing of the Cold Mountain Sect is here too. He's a monster at the peak of the Tenth Rank Upper Grade!"

"The Heavenly Thunder Sect is even fiercer. They sent three direct disciples, and the strongest, Lu Canglei, is already Ninth Rank Lower Grade. He's mastered 'Thunder Prison Raging Waves'!"

"The Wang family isn't willing to be outdone either. The Wang family's Third Elder, the old Wang Chongshan, an Eighth Rank martial artist, personally led the team. Wang Chen and three disciples are competing too. I hear his 'Sky Burning Force' has reached great mastery. Ordinary Ninth Rank martial artists aren't his match at all!"

The hall was packed with people, the stench of sweat mingling with the iron-rust smell of sword sheaths.

The moment Chu Ning crossed the threshold, a shriek erupted from the northwest corner. A cloth-clad martial artist was kicked into a stone pillar, while the recommendation letter in his hand was swallowed by flames and reduced to ash.

"Does a lowborn ant think he's worthy of competing for the Nine Heavens Thunder Canon?" Thunder danced at the fingertips of the Heavenly Thunder Sect disciple Lu Canglei. The sole of his boot ground over the martial artist's severed finger. "The rules are written clearly. Those without a sect or faction... get lost!"

Chu Ning's gaze swept over the bloodstains in the corner. Seven fresh and old scratch marks had already accumulated there.

The gray-robed registrar lifted his eyelids. The ink-dipped tip of his brush hovered over the three characters for "Marquis Wu's Estate," and he sneered. "Miss Xie submitted the list the day before yesterday. Your name isn't among the ten listed."

He deliberately raised his voice, drawing the crowd's attention. "Impersonating the Marquis Wu's Estate? The last person who tried that is still hanging at the city gate!"

Laughter erupted all around them.

"Someone actually dares impersonate the Marquis Wu's Estate?"

"The Marquis Wu's Estate's recommendation letters need the Cold Jade Seal. I bet this brat hasn't even seen what Cold Jade looks like!"

Chu Ning said nothing. He lightly tapped the counter with his fingertips. A thread of Thunderous Force surged along the wood grain into the registrar's palm. The man jolted violently, and the pen shaft snapped in two with a crack.

"You're that little brat from the Chu family. A month has passed, and you still only know how to play these sneaky, chicken-stealing tricks."

A young man in Purple Gold Brocade Robes sauntered down from the second floor. The Red Copper Bell at his waist jingled, and every step sent spiderweb cracks shooting across the floor tiles.

Wang Chen's pupils glowed with a dark, lava-like red—the mark of having cultivated the Sky Burning Force to great mastery.

He raised a hand and pressed down through the air.

Boom!

The air around Chu Ning twisted abruptly, and scorching waves surged like an invisible cage, imprisoning him.

Frost lightning exploded into ice crystals beneath his skin, only to vaporize into white mist in an instant.

"A Tenth Rank Lower Grade against a Ninth Rank Middle Grade. Do you think killing Feng Li by crossing ranks means you can run rampant in the Azure Cloud Arena?"

Wang Chen tossed out a letter. The envelope was faintly yellowed, with traces of blood barely visible upon it.

"Open it and take a look."

Chu Ning slowly opened it, his fingertips trembling faintly. Inside was a strand of black hair scented with medicinal fragrance, along with several withered spirit herbs.

"Does your elder sister often use these herbs?" Wang Chen chuckled lightly, flame-light licking at his fingertips. "What a pity. Her hands were burned in the fire yesterday. She can't even hold these things steadily anymore."

"Would you like to see your elder sister?"

Wang Chen gave a soft laugh and moved his fingers. A mass of Sky Burning Force slowly rose, and within the flames, a blurred image appeared—a woman kneeling on the ground, clutching her head with both hands and letting out a pained moan.

"Ah... please... please..."

The image was blurry, and the hoarse voice sounded as if she were truly being scorched by searing heat.

Chu Ning's pupils shrank sharply. His fingertips pierced deeply into his palms, and blood seeped out.

"Don't worry. She isn't dead yet." Wang Chen chuckled. "But if you lose in the Azure Cloud Arena, she won't be so lucky."

The frost lightning within Chu Ning's body erupted out of control. The Rusty Saber, wrapped in thunder, shot toward Wang Chen.

Wang Chen raised a hand and swept it outward. Sky Burning Force gathered at his fingertip, and a blazing scarlet streak tore through the air. The air seemed to be sucked dry in an instant. Burning waves churned, and even the ground filled with charred cracks.

Chu Ning advanced instead of retreating. Frost lightning force condensed along the blade. Wherever the Rusty Saber passed, the air abruptly froze, and one could even hear the crackling sound of frost freezing solid.

Boom!

Two utterly opposing extreme forces collided. In an instant, heat waves and freezing air exploded in the void, while the currents spun into a terrifying vortex. The stone slabs on the ground burst apart inch by inch, and the surrounding onlookers retreated one after another, their faces pale.

The impact dragged Chu Ning's feet several yards across the ground, leaving long trails of frost, while flames shielded Wang Chen's body. The stone slabs behind him melted under the intense heat into a lava-like liquid.