Martial Lord

After a quarter of an hour, Ning Chen had reached his limit. His back was soaking wet. He had no choice but to try and circulate the true qi in his Dantian Qihai, gathering it little by little into his left leg. It was very faint, but the burning pain and emptiness in his left leg lessened considerably.

Seeing Ning Chen stand steady again, Qing Ling nodded imperceptibly. The application of true qi was something one had to experience for themselves; no matter how much others said, it was still their experience, not his.

She didn't want to teach him techniques, mainly because she didn't want him to embark on the path of martial arts. Once someone entered the martial world, they were no longer their own master, and there was no turning back.

The movement technique she intended to teach him was the easiest to learn. Unlike light-body techniques, this one focused on small-scale movement and evasion—in simpler terms, it was for self-preservation.

Ning Chen somewhat guessed Qing Ling's intentions, so he didn't complain about the pain or hardship, just diligently persevered.

Half an hour later, the true qi in his Dantian Qihai was almost depleted. Ning Chen felt that biting pain in his left leg again, only this time it was even more intense.

Beside him, Qing Ling remained silent. Even knowing Ning Chen had reached his limit, she didn't utter a single word.

However, Ning Chen ultimately persevered. Human potential was boundless, especially when life was at stake, because he knew that every drop of sweat he shed today would increase his chances of survival in the future.

He was afraid of death, so he had no choice but to not be afraid of hardship.

At the same time, in the Heavenly Edict Hall, the Xia Emperor sat on his dragon throne, deep in thought. The next moment, a figure appeared before him, silently, as if emerging from thin air.

The Xia Emperor wasn't surprised. He simply asked, "How's it going?"

"No progress," the Dark Dragon Guard respectfully replied.

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 types of medicinal stones are combined, they cannot produce the explosive effect from that day," the Dark Dragon Guard stated in a deep voice.

The situation that day had shocked the entire court. The entire Zhengqi Palace had been blown through, creating a passage that one could see straight through.

If Great Xia could master this heaven-bestowed item, there would be no equal in the world.

The Xia Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully weighed the pros and cons.

Originally, he had intended to use this opportunity to get rid of this little eunuch as soon as possible.

Talent was not a fault, but possessing talent one shouldn't have meant one shouldn't exist in this world.

There were too many eyes in the palace, and with the Empress protecting him, it was inconvenient to act, whether overtly or covertly. It just so happened that Xin Yu had come to request an imperial decree, and he had taken the opportunity to send this little eunuch out of the palace.

However, what he hadn't expected was how difficult it was to test this heaven-bestowed item.

After a moment's thought, the Xia Emperor made up his mind and calmly said, "Have the Heavenly Works Department and the Ministry of Works Workshop continue to try. On the other hand, during this marriage alliance journey, you will follow him secretly. Do not let anything happen to Ning Chen."

"Yes."

The Dark Dragon Guard bowed and was about to leave when he paused and asked, "Your Majesty, what if there's a change?"

A flicker of killing intent flashed in the Xia Emperor's eyes as he coldly uttered a single word: "Kill!"

Great Xia might not be able to obtain such a divine item, but it absolutely could not let others have it. If forced, this heaven-bestowed item should completely disappear, so no one could obtain it.

The Dark Dragon Guard understood and silently departed.

In the distant west, space shimmered like a mirage. A desolate temple flickered, appearing and disappearing. Suddenly, an overwhelmingly powerful aura descended, spreading out from within the temple. The terrifying pressure almost solidified, and the earth continuously cracked, fissures extending for hundreds of feet.

"Welcome, Martial Lord!"

"Welcome, Martial Lord!"

Amidst earth-shattering cheers, the temple crashed down onto the earth, and space stilled. The heavy, ancient temple gates slowly opened. Looking inside, two rows of soldiers knelt neatly on the ground, their heads bowed low. The next moment, a majestic figure, like a god or demon, stepped onto the throne. The instant he turned and sat down, the heavens and earth changed color.

"Long live the Martial Lord!"

"Long live the Martial Lord!"

With the Martial Lord's emergence from seclusion and the return of his generals, the First Divine Temple was officially opened, its awe-inspiring power, reigning supreme over the world, reappearing among mankind after a thousand years.

"Heavenly Desolation."

From the throne, the Night Martial Lord spoke. Immediately, in the void, a battle halberd, exuding sky-high bloodlust and menacing power, appeared. With a clang, it plunged into the earth.

The divine halberd, Heavenly Desolation, had returned to the world.

At the same time, the four directions sensed it. In an ordinary house in Tiancang Academy, the Dean's body stiffened, and he stopped writing. His aged eyes looked to the west, a hint of sorrow showing.

To the north, in the Northern Mongol Royal Court's palace, the Imperial Advisor awoke from his meditation and calmly said, "Inform the Military Advisor, the Night Martial Lord has emerged from seclusion!"

"Yes."

To the south, in Du'e Temple, a withered old monk chanting sutras paused his prayer beads slightly. But after only an instant, he resumed counting them.

To the east, in a desolate city not far from Great Xia, a sword subtly vibrated, then fell silent.

Soon after, a graceful figure approached and quietly took the sword from the city. Her devastating beauty added color to the desolate city.

"This sword, Chengying, is yours from now on," a calm voice echoed as the wind stirred in the desolate city.

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

The changes in the world began with both shocking force and serene calm. Only the few Xiantian Realm experts at the very top of the world perceived this moment's arrival. The Eternal Night's judgment, the first signs of sin, had appeared.

The First Temple of the Eternal Night Divine Cult had emerged. The supreme Martial Lord, with an attitude of disdain for the Divine Land and unparalleled might, had returned to the world. The legendary strongman, the immortal demon body, would once again ignite the flames of war among mankind.

Great Xia, occupying most of the Divine Land's territory, bore the brunt of it, inevitably facing the greatest challenge. The First Divine Temple to the west, the Northern Mongol Royal Court to the north—wolves and tigers devoured simultaneously. Even a power as strong as Great Xia would struggle to withstand it.

However, Ning Chen, who was in Weiyang Palace, knew nothing of this, nor did he need to. Whether it was the Martial Lord or the Eternal Night Divine Cult, they were both far beyond his capabilities and comprehension at this point. He wasn't important enough, so if the sky were to fall, it wouldn't be his turn to hold it up.

Qing Ling's movement technique 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 wasn't a genius.

Qing Ling was very patient. Although she could be fierce and violent at times, overall, she was quite patient.

Ten-odd days were indeed very short. After fifteen days, Ning Chen predictably hadn't undergone a complete transformation. He was still a Martial Arts First Rank rookie, and his movement technique was practiced clumsily. However, everything is difficult at the beginning. As a little rookie who had just started practicing martial arts, one couldn't ask for too much.

Great Xia's escorting party was ready, with a mighty imperial guard of five hundred cavalry, majestic and awe-inspiring.

Ning Chen knelt at the entrance of the Empress's bedchamber, silently kowtowing three times before standing up and leaving.

He had been appointed by the Xia Emperor as Princess Miaoyu's attendant and had to report half a day in advance.

"Your Majesty, he's gone," Qing Ling sighed lightly from inside the bedchamber.

Only after getting to know Ning Chen during these days did she truly understand what it meant to be unruly and audacious. In this imperial palace, Ning Chen was the only one who had never knelt before the Xia Emperor. He hadn't even knelt when he first met the Empress.

The Empress quietly watched the palace door, not uttering a word. After a long silence, she calmly rose and said, "Let's go. Come with me to see Miaoyu off."

"Yes," Qing Ling nodded, following behind her.

At Heavenly Edict Hall, before the Xia Emperor's grand hall, at the foot of the white marble steps, the Xia Emperor overlooked the grand escorting party below. His eyes were deep and calm, and the oppressive aura around him made it hard to believe that this was the most mediocre emperor in Great Xia's thousand-year history.

On either side behind the Xia Emperor, the Empress and Consort Wan sat beneath the imperial canopy. One was incomparably noble, the other strikingly beautiful, causing all the officials below to not dare look up directly.

With Great Xia's three most esteemed individuals seeing them off, the five hundred imperial guards below the steps knelt in unison, their armor clanking, forming a dense, dark mass.

"Long live His Majesty, long live, long live, long long live!"

"Long live His Majesty, long live, long live, long long live!"

The deafening shouts shattered the sky. The Xia Emperor raised his hand, and the shouts immediately ceased. The entire Heavenly Edict Hall fell into a terrifying silence.

The Xia Emperor spoke, calmly saying, "Depart."

"Depart!"

At the front of the escorting party, a general clad entirely in black armor shouted. Immediately, warhorses neighed, and the five hundred imperial guards, escorting the party, surged forward.

Within the procession, next to an exquisitely ornate carriage, Ning Chen looked back at the Empress and Qing Ling in front of Heavenly Edict Hall. A hint of sadness flashed through his heart. This time, it might truly be a farewell forever.

He was fortunate; he had met the Empress after entering the palace. Unfortunately, he had to leave.

The escorting party traveled eastward. Behind the five hundred imperial guards were palace maids and eunuchs, large and small carriages. The entire procession stretched for at least five li from beginning to end, making it impossible to see the end with a single glance.

Ning Chen's position was at the very center of the procession, with Princess Miaoyu's carriage beside him. The world was unfamiliar with this woman. The current Xia Emperor was rather lenient towards his blood relatives, provided, of course, that the various princes had enough self-awareness.

Prince Hua had relinquished all his official duties when the current Xia Emperor ascended the throne, content to be a leisurely prince, rarely appearing in public. Therefore, the world knew very little about Prince Hua having such a daughter.

Ning Chen didn't care about any of this. All he cared about was how to secretly escape. As for the escort mission, so many people were already seeing them off; he wouldn't be missed.

However, upon seeing a faint, elderly figure in the black carriage behind him, he had to temporarily suppress his thoughts of escape.

The figure in the carriage was very quiet, having never uttered a word throughout the journey. Through the curtains stirred by the wind, Ning Chen saw an old man, dressed in green, sitting cross-legged in the carriage with a sword resting across his lap. The sword was unsheathed and looked unremarkable.

Ning Chen sighed inwardly, Anyone who can put on such an act is either a swordsman or a scoundrel. Clearly, this one belonged to the former.

It seemed the Xia Emperor was quite serious about this marriage alliance. Not only did he send five hundred imperial guards, but he also specifically arranged such a powerful expert beside the princess.

Escaping wouldn't be possible for a while. Ning Chen's thoughts churned, and he decided to first infiltrate the enemy's ranks, then look for an opportune moment.

"Senior, are you thirsty?"

"Senior, are you hungry?"

"Senior, have some fruit."

"Senior..."

Over the next three days, Ning Chen shamelessly offered his courtesies to the old man every now and then.

The old man initially remained silent, then continued to be silent, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, he directly unleashed an aura that shook Ning Chen out of the carriage.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated Ning Chen's patience. He hadn't imagined that someone's audacity could truly reach such a brazen and outrageous level.

So, five days later, the old man compromised, allowing Ning Chen to ramble on endlessly with nonsense in the carriage.

Ning Chen didn't care that the old man ignored him. It was good enough to have a carriage to ride in; it was better than walking below.

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

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

Tired from talking, Ning Chen's gaze fell upon the sword in front of the old man. Out of curiosity, and seeing no objection from the old man, he reached out, wanting to take a look.

Swish!

At this moment, a flash of sword light instantly illuminated the entire carriage...

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