Martial Lord

After two quarter-hours, Ning Chen had reached his limit. His back was drenched through, and with no other choice, he began trying to circulate the true qi within his dantian qihai, gathering it bit by bit in his left leg. It was scant, but the searing pain and hollow weakness in his left leg both eased considerably.

Seeing Ning Chen stand steadily again, Qing Ling nodded imperceptibly. The use of true qi had to be understood through personal experience; no matter how much others said, it was still only their understanding.

She was unwilling to teach him techniques mainly because she did not want him to set foot on the path of martial arts. In the jianghu, one could not control one's own fate. Once one stepped onto this road, there was no chance of turning back.

The movement technique she wanted to teach him was one of the easiest to learn. Unlike qinggong, it emphasized short-range repositioning and evasion. Put plainly, it was for saving one's life.

Ning Chen more or less guessed Qing Ling's intentions, so he did not complain about the hardship or pain and simply persisted with all his strength.

Half an hour later, the true qi in his qi sea had been almost entirely exhausted. Ning Chen once again felt that bone-piercing pain in his left leg, and it only grew more intense.

At the side, Qing Ling remained silent throughout. Even knowing Ning Chen had reached his limit, she did not say a single word.

Yet Ning Chen ultimately held on. Human potential was boundless, especially when life was involved, because he knew that every drop of sweat he shed today would give him a greater chance of surviving in the future.

He feared death, so he could only refuse to fear hardship.

At the same time, within the Heavenly Edict Hall, the Xia Emperor sat upon the dragon throne in silent thought. The next moment, a figure appeared below the hall, soundless, as though stepping out of the void.

The Xia Emperor was not surprised and merely asked, "How is it?"

"No progress at all," the Dark Dragon Guard below the hall replied respectfully.

The Xia Emperor frowned. How could this be?

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Heavenly Works Department and the Ministry of Works Workshop have repeatedly confirmed that no matter how those seventeen medicinal stones are combined, they cannot produce the explosive effect of that day," the Dark Dragon Guard said gravely.

The events of that day had shocked both court and commonfolk. The interior of Zhengqi Palace had been blasted clean through, forcibly opening a passage straight from east to west that could be seen through at a glance.

If Great Xia could grasp this heaven-bestowed object, there would be no enemy in this age capable of withstanding a single exchange.

The Xia Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and carefully weighed the gains and losses.

Originally, he had intended to use this opportunity to remove that little eunuch as quickly as possible.

Being talented was not a mistake, but possessing talent one should not possess meant one should not exist in this world.

There were too many eyes in the palace, and with the Empress protecting him, it was inconvenient to act openly or secretly. Xin Yu had happened to come request an imperial decree, so he had gone with the flow and sent the little eunuch beyond the palace.

Yet he had not expected this heaven-bestowed object to be so difficult to reproduce.

After pondering for a moment, the Xia Emperor made up his mind and said calmly, "Have the Heavenly Works Department and the Ministry of Works Workshop continue their attempts. On the other hand, follow this marriage alliance party in secret. Do not let anything happen to Ning Chen."

"Yes."

The Dark Dragon Guard bowed and was about to leave, but then paused and asked, "Your Majesty, if circumstances change, what should be done?"

A flash of killing intent passed through the Xia Emperor's eyes. He coldly spat out one word: "Kill!"

Great Xia could fail to obtain such a divine object, but it absolutely could not allow anyone else to obtain it. If forced into a corner, this heaven-bestowed object would simply have to disappear completely. No one needed to have it.

The Dark Dragon Guard understood at once and silently departed.

In the distant west, space rippled like a mirage. A desolate divine hall flickered in and out of existence, appearing one moment and vanishing the next. Suddenly, an incomparably tyrannical aura descended, spreading out from the divine hall. The terrifying pressure nearly solidified into substance, and the earth split open without cease, crack after crack stretching hundreds of zhang away.

"Welcome, Martial Lord!"

"Welcome, Martial Lord!"

Amid the earth-shaking cries of welcome, the divine hall crashed down onto the ground. The void froze. The heavy, ancient gates of the divine hall slowly opened, revealing two rows of soldiers kneeling neatly upon the ground, their heads deeply lowered. The next moment, a mighty figure like a god or devil ascended the throne step by step. At the instant he turned and sat down, heaven and earth changed color.

"Long live the Martial Lord!"

"Long live the Martial Lord!"

The Martial Lord emerged from seclusion, and the generals returned to their places. The First Divine Hall officially opened. Its majesty of gazing down upon the world reappeared among men once more after a thousand years.

"Tianhuang."

Upon the throne, Night Martial Lord spoke. At once, a battle halberd overflowing with blood qi and exuding savage might appeared in the void. With a resonant clang, it plunged into the earth.

The divine halberd Tianhuang had returned to the human world.

At the same time, the four directions sensed it. In an ordinary room at Tiancang Academy, the Headmaster's body stiffened. He stopped his brush and looked westward with his aged eyes, a trace of sorrow appearing within them.

In the north, within the palace of the Northern Mongol Royal Court, the State Preceptor awoke from meditation and calmly said, "Notify the Military Advisor. Night Martial Lord has emerged from seclusion!"

"Yes."

In the south, at Du'e Temple, the prayer beads in the hand of a withered old monk reciting sutras paused slightly. Yet after only an instant, they continued moving once more.

In the east, in a desolate city not far from Great Xia, a sword stirred lightly, and there was nothing further.

Not long after, a graceful figure arrived and quietly took the sword from the city. Her beauty, capable of toppling cities, seemed to lend color to the desolate city.

"This sword, Chengying, belongs to you from this day forward," a calm voice carried on the wind through the desolate city.

"Thank you, Uncle," Mu Chengxue said respectfully.

The changes in the world rose with earth-shaking force, yet in silence. Only a few innate masters standing at the very pinnacle of the world sensed the arrival of this moment. Eternal Night's prophecy revealed the first omen of calamity.

The First Hall of the Eternal Night Divine Cult had emerged. The strongest Martial Lord returned to the world with the posture of one who gazed down upon the Divine Continent, invincible beneath heaven. The legendary powerhouse, the undying demonic body, would once again kindle the flames of war in the human world.

Great Xia, which occupied more than half the territory of the Divine Continent, bore the brunt of it. It would inevitably face its greatest challenge: the First Divine Hall in the west and the Northern Mongol Royal Court in the north, tigers and wolves devouring together. Even Great Xia would find it difficult to endure.

However, Ning Chen in Weiyang Palace knew nothing of this, nor did he need to know. Whether the Martial Lord or the Eternal Night Divine Cult, both stood far beyond his capabilities and understanding. He was not high enough, so even if the sky collapsed, it would not be his turn to hold it up.

The movement technique Qing Ling taught was actually not simple at all, because he had to learn it within fifteen days. What he had to accept even more was that he truly was not a genius.

Qing Ling was very patient. Though she could be fierce and violent at times, she was patient in the end.

A dozen or so days truly passed quickly. After fifteen days, Ning Chen had indeed not undergone a complete transformation. He was still a rookie at Martial Arts First Rank, and his movement technique was still clumsy and halting. Still, all things were difficult at the beginning. As a little rookie who had only just entered martial arts, he could not demand too much.

Great Xia's marriage alliance procession was ready to depart. The five hundred mounted Imperial Guards formed a mighty force, heroic and imposing.

Ning Chen knelt at the entrance to Changsun's sleeping hall and silently kowtowed three times. He then rose and left.

The Xia Emperor had appointed him Princess Miaoyu's personal attendant, so he had to report half a day in advance.

"Empress Dowager, he has left," Qing Ling sighed softly within the sleeping hall.

Only after knowing Ning Chen for these days had she understood what it meant to be unyielding and unruly, daring enough to defy heaven. Within this imperial palace, Ning Chen was the only one who had never knelt before the Xia Emperor. Even when he had first met the Empress Dowager, he had not knelt.

Changsun quietly looked toward the hall doors without saying a word. After a long silence, she calmly rose and said, "Come. Accompany me to see Miaoyu off."

"Yes." Qing Ling nodded and followed after her.

Before the White Jade-paved steps of the Heavenly Edict Hall, the Xia Emperor stood before the grand hall and looked down upon the vast marriage alliance procession below. His eyes were deep and calm, and the oppressive aura surrounding him made it difficult to believe he was the most mediocre emperor Great Xia had seen in a thousand years.

Behind the Xia Emperor, Changsun and Consort Wan sat beneath ornate canopies on either side. One was peerlessly noble, the other ravishingly beautiful, and none of the ministers below dared raise their heads to look at them directly.

The three most exalted people in Great Xia had come to see them off. Below the steps, five hundred Imperial Guards knelt in unison, their armor clanging as they formed a dense black expanse.

"Long live Our Emperor! Long live Our Emperor! Long live Our Emperor for ten thousand years!"

"Long live Our Emperor! Long live Our Emperor! Long live Our Emperor for ten thousand years!"

The deafening cries shattered the heavens. The Xia Emperor raised a hand, and the shouts ceased at once. A terrifying silence descended below the entire Heavenly Edict Hall.

The Xia Emperor spoke calmly. "Set out."

"Set out!"

At the front of the marriage alliance procession, a general encased in black battle armor shouted. Horses neighed, and the five hundred Imperial Guards escorted the procession forward in a vast, rolling column.

Within the procession, beside an exquisitely lavish carriage, Ning Chen turned back for one last look at Changsun and Qing Ling before the Heavenly Edict Hall. A trace of sorrow passed through his heart. This time, it might truly be a final farewell.

He had been fortunate. After entering the palace, he had met Changsun. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to leave.

The marriage alliance procession traveled eastward. Behind the five hundred Imperial Guards came palace maids, eunuchs, large carts, and small carriages. From beginning to end, the entire procession stretched no less than five li, too long to see its end at a glance.

Ning Chen's position was at the very center of the procession, with Princess Miaoyu's carriage beside him. To the people of the world, this woman was a stranger. The current Xia Emperor was fairly generous toward his blood brothers, of course, provided the princes possessed enough self-awareness.

When the current Xia Emperor ascended the throne, Prince Hua had cast off all official duties, large and small, and peacefully become an idle prince. He rarely appeared before others, so few people knew that Prince Hua had such a daughter.

Ning Chen did not care about any of that. What he cared about was how to run away without anyone noticing. As for escorting the marriage alliance, so many people were already doing it; they hardly needed one more person.

Yet when he saw the faint, indistinct elderly figure within the black carriage behind him, he had no choice but to temporarily suppress his thoughts of fleeing.

The figure in the carriage was very quiet and had not spoken a single word along the way. Through the curtain lifted by the wind, Ning Chen saw an old man well advanced in years, dressed in green robes and sitting cross-legged in the carriage. A sword lay across his knees. It remained sheathed and looked nothing out of the ordinary.

Ning Chen sighed inwardly. Anyone this good at putting on airs was either a swordsman or a bastard. Clearly, this one belonged to the former.

It seemed the Xia Emperor placed great importance on this marriage alliance. Not only had he sent five hundred Imperial Guards as escort, but he had also specifically arranged such a peerless master at the princess's side.

Running away was impossible for the moment. Ning Chen's thoughts turned again and again, and he decided to first infiltrate the enemy's ranks before seeking an opportunity to exploit.

"Senior, are you thirsty?"

"Senior, are you hungry?"

"Senior, have some fruit."

"Senior..."

Over the next three days, Ning Chen shamelessly went to fawn over the old man every so often.

At first, the old man remained silent. Then he continued to remain silent. Finally, unable to endure it any longer, he directly sent out a pulse of aura that blasted Ning Chen from the carriage.

Unfortunately, he had still underestimated Ning Chen's patience. He had never imagined that a person's skin could truly be so thick, so utterly unrestrained and outrageously shameless.

Thus, five days later, the old man compromised and allowed Ning Chen to chatter endlessly in the carriage, spewing nonsense without end.

Ning Chen did not care that the old man ignored him. Having a carriage to sit in was already good enough; it was far better than walking below.

As for the princess, he had never been summoned by her at all.

"Senior, that sword of yours is quite nice. Can I borrow it for a look?"

Tired of talking, Ning Chen turned his gaze to the sword before the old man. Curious, and seeing that the old man did not object, he reached out to take a look.

Whoosh!

At that instant, a flash of sword light swept past, illuminating the entire carriage in an instant...