Enemies Arrive to Compete, Fierce Flames Ignite, Each Has Their Own Trump Card, Danger Arises

One incense stick's time had passed since the discussion with Master Hu ended.

Xu Ning had already arrived near the agreed location ahead of time to scout out the terrain and familiarize himself with it, ensuring that things wouldn't go wrong later. He also planned to do what if things did go wrong.

He considered himself no fool and was quite confident, believing he had Master Hu under his control.

Besides, he still has the Zhu Family's influence; even the paper Master Hu wouldn't dare to mess with him.

But he was also aware of Chen Dengming's capabilities.

This person, who could be described as "brave but lacking in ambition," is no ordinary individual.

Those who prioritize courage will unleash terrifying power when they are driven to the brink of despair.

Therefore, Xu Ning was also prepared to go all out.

He never intended to cooperate with Master Hu. The benefits he gave Master Hu were only part of the deal; the other conditions offered by Master Hu were just empty promises.

Once Chen Dengming is captured and he is forced to reveal what he wants, he will quickly leave this Ten Thousand Mile Frontier.

To hell with the Zhu Family and the Master Hu!

However, he didn't know that.

At this moment, on the city wall of the north gate of Brocade Workshop, a pair of indifferent eyes had been observing him for a long time.

"Thankfully, he really came alone. He didn't bring any subordinates, so he seems very confident in his abilities."

Chen Dengming had already made arrangements with the guards on the city wall in advance. Standing in this advantageous position, he observed the prey as it entered the hunting grounds he had designed.

This prey is clever; it's even familiarizing itself with the terrain, treating it as its own hunting ground.

After observing for a while, Chen Dengming knew it was time to keep the appointment and prepare to make his move.

Several days ago, he had asked himself several times whether he should risk dealing with Xu Ning, a cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Level.

If Xu Ning isn't dealt with, what's the alternative? What if I wait until he leaves before returning to Brocade Workshop and continuing my business at my own pace?

Finally, he had a clear answer in his heart.

Xu Ning must resolve this.

If this problem isn't resolved, even if he becomes stronger next time, he won't have such a good opportunity again. Master Hu, being a shrewd and calculating man, won't cooperate. There are too many variables.

No matter how cautious you are on ordinary days, you're not a coward.

Avoiding things too much will make you cowardly and spineless; you'll be a coward, and what confidence or courage will you have to compete on the path to immortality?

He leaped away from the city wall, and his pre-battle mood gradually returned to calm, reaching a state of serene tranquility.

At the city gate, Master Hu and Jiang Qiang were already waiting, casting inquiring glances at Chen Dengming.

After Chen Dengming gave him an approving look, Jiang Qiang immediately followed him and headed towards Xu Ning's location.

"Hey! Fellow Daoist Chen, I hope your throat is big enough to swallow this fish."

Master Hu sighed, climbed to the top of the city wall, and watched Chen Dengming and Jiang Qiang leave from afar.

A dozen or so breaths later.

"It's finally here."

Xu Ning suddenly shuddered and turned to look at the two people approaching from a distance.

He remained handsome and dashing, with a clear and distinct facial structure. His eyes seemed to be open and closed, occasionally flashing with sharp light. He wore a high-ranking blue robe, and it was clear at a glance that he was a formidable figure.

His gaze first fell on Chen Dengming, who was wearing a gray-black robe.

Sensing the faint spiritual power emanating from him, Xu Ning's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he narrowed his eyes, becoming even more certain of his judgment.

"You've already Qi Cultivation Fourth Level so quickly?"

He then looked at Jiang Qiang, who was standing several dozen feet away, and after examining him carefully for a moment, he felt relieved. He raised his hand, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Dengming, and smiled.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, it's been a long time. You left in a hurry several months ago, and I've been looking for you for quite a while. How have you been?"

Chen Dengming smiled slightly and responded with a light fist salute, "Thank you for your concern, Master Xu. I must have been quite troubled that I didn't die at the hands of the Iron Forest Hall cultivators a few months ago, Master Xu, right?"

Xu Ning's eyes flashed, and he smiled, "It seems Fellow Daoist Chen has quite a misunderstanding about me."

Chen Dengming calmly said, "We're all smart people, let's speak frankly. What do you want from me? And why do you insist on meeting me in the wilderness? Is it for practicing Gu techniques?"

"Good."

Xu Ning smiled calmly, then suddenly transmitted his voice to Chen Dengming, his eyes full of meaning, "Moreover, it doesn't stop there. I am also very curious about your amazing cultivation speed, Fellow Daoist Chen."

As far as Xu knows, Fellow Daoist Chen, you should only have Low-grade Spiritual Root. How could you have progressed from a Xiantian cultivator to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level in less than a year?

I wonder if you received any benefits from the Luo Family? Or what your background is?

Chen Dengming's body trembled, his eyes narrowed, and he finally understood why Xu Ning was so persistent.

He had been somewhat puzzled at first, wondering why Xu Ning was so relentless in pursuing him, even after he had fled to Brocade Workshop, just because it was a Gu-refining technique.

Now he understands.

The problem lies in the speed of cultivation.

The other party probably suspects that he possesses some special Cultivation Practice Method or treasure, which is why they covet it.

It's likely that not only Xu Ning had suspicions, but Master Hu also definitely did; the only difference was that the former had the greed and audacity to act on it, while the latter...

"It seems..."

Xu Ning gazed intently into Chen Dengming's eyes, then smiled knowingly, "You do indeed have it."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Dengming suddenly roared and launched an attack.

With a slash forward, the palm-sized Ice Spirit Blade, tucked away in his hand, instantly released a chilling blade aura, suddenly manifesting as a spiritual energy blade beam several meters long, which slashed out fiercely.

"How dare you!"

Xu Ning sneered, showing no sign of panic. Suddenly, the Spiritual Qi in his robe fluctuated, transforming into a swirling blizzard that quickly froze into ice, causing the surrounding air to cool drastically.

"Clang!--"

Chen Dengming felt as if the sword energy had slashed into a seemingly still tornado that actually contained astonishing power, and it collapsed instantly.

However, he was prepared and suddenly let go Blade Control.

Whoosh!

The Ice Spirit Blade flashed with cold light, flew out of his hand, and burst forth with wave after wave of icy blade light, rippling like waves, each containing a sharp killing intent, attacking Xu Ning from various tricky angles.

In that instant, Chen Dengming swiftly dodged.

Call out!--

Several dark figures flashed past, piercing through his afterimage.

"Very fast! You definitely have some skill! Let's see just how fast you are!"

Xu Ning's eyes flashed with sharpness. With a wave of his hand, two claw-shaped Law Artifact suddenly flew out, flashing with spiritual light. The claws were like unsheathed blades, arrows released from a bow, agile and fierce.

Chen Dengming suddenly changed his Movement Method speed, from ghostly speed to agile and unpredictable speed, like a butterfly fluttering and dancing, nimbly weaving between the two flying claws, and narrowly escaping between them.

Almost simultaneously, the Ice Spirit Blade also emitted a startling whistle, finally breaking through the icy shield of Xu Ning's high-level magic robe.

But in that instant, Xu Ning also retreated at an extremely fast speed.

With a flick of his finger, a strangely shaped magical Law Artifact suddenly flew out and instantly clashed with the Ice Spirit Blade.

A deafening "ding" rang out, and a fierce burst of energy kicked up dust!

At that moment, Chen Dengming suddenly flashed to Xu Ning's side, pointed his fingertip, condensed golden light, released it in an instant, and his spiritual power also exploded completely.

"Instantaneous Gold Touch Technique!? Qi Cultivation Fifth Level!!"

Xu Ning was startled, feeling an unprecedented and immense threat. He was filled with fear, but his reaction was extremely quick as he flicked his sleeve.

In an instant, a dazzling light emerged from his sleeve, accurately blocking the Golden Light that was being shot out by the Golden Light Technique, and suddenly reflecting a ray of Golden Light back at high speed.

Chen Dengming was startled and spun around in mid-air, barely managing to dodge the attack like a hawk doing a somersault.

A flash of Golden Light grazed his abdomen.

Suddenly, his abdomen stiffened.

Before he even landed, two sharp whooshing sounds came from behind, and two claws flashing with spiritual light stabbed towards his back, instantly bringing him to the brink of extreme danger.

At this very moment.

A blinding Golden Light flew out of Chen Dengming's Storage Bag, instantly taking shape and condensing into a thick golden gong.

Geng Jin Luo!!

A deafening metallic clang suddenly rang out, filling the air with Spiritual Qi energy, the powerful sound waves causing the air to distort and tremble.

Xu Ning's eardrums vibrated, and the sound waves made him dizzy, causing him to have difficulty breathing and stagger backward.

"Whoosh!--"

In that instant, a dark shadow flashed past, heading straight for Xu Ning's throat.

Blood Centipede Gu

"Poisonous Gu!"

Xu Ning's previously dazed eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying light, and he opened his mouth and spat out a dazzling crimson needle.

With a "whoosh" sound!

The Blood Centipede Gu was instantly struck, its body pierced through, and it flew out, embedding itself heavily in a tree opposite.

Chen Dengming, who was under the protection of the Golden Gong, suddenly felt a pain in his chest. Due to the connection between his energy and that of the Blood Centipede Gu, he almost coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"I knew you had some powerful poisons! Did you think you were the only one who was clever enough to hide your abilities?"

Xu Ning laughed loudly, looking extremely fierce and arrogant. His robes fluttered wildly, and his spiritual aura suddenly surged, propelling him into the advanced stage of the Qi Cultivation Seventh Level.

"Qi Cultivation Seventh Level!?" Chen Dengming's heart trembled violently.

"Kill!!"

Xu Ning exuded an imposing aura. Suddenly, he formed hand seals, and his Spiritual Qi claws traced two graceful curves as they fiercely attacked Chen Dengming.

At the same time, another strangely shaped magical Law Artifact, resembling a knife or a battle-axe, was also unleashed.

"Clang clang clang--"

A series of deafening roars erupted.

The Geng Jin Luo outside Chen Dengming's body flickered violently. Even though Chen Dengming was protected by the Geng Jin Luo, he was still swaying from side to side. The fierce sound waves rebounded and spread, and the force of the energy made Xu Ning's long hair disheveled and his face fierce.

"Brother Chen! Hey-- Brother Chen!"

Not far away, Jiang Qiang was anxiously stamping his feet, but he had been following orders and dared not make a move at this moment.

He believed Chen Dengming had other tricks up his sleeve, but the situation was critical, making it impossible not to act quickly.

"Let's see how long you can keep this up."

Xu Ning laughed heartily, his thick back slightly hunched, his robes billowing, and his eyes suddenly shone brightly as Qi Cultivation Seventh Level Spiritual Qi to its peak.

The two Law Artifact attacked Chen Dengming from all directions.

"Clang--Clang--Bang--Clang--"

Amidst a series of intense and violent crashes, the Geng Jin Luo collapsed rapidly and violently from multiple directions, as if it were being fiercely trampled by seven or eight elephants, forcing the surrounding soil apart.

But in that instant, Xu Ning's eyes suddenly froze, and he felt his internal energy dissipate, and his Spiritual Qi became somewhat uncontrollable and scattered.

A faint pain emanated from his body, accompanied by a pungent smell of alcohol, making him almost unable to resist burping in this tense moment.

"What!?"

He was terrified, sensing something was wrong. His mind flashed back to the glass of wine that Master Hu had personally poured with a smile.

Whoosh--

Almost simultaneously, a golden thread shot out from the layer of decaying leaves on the ground, faster than lightning.

(Bonus chapter, nearly 12,000 words in total, please vote with monthly tickets!)