Martial Soul Avatar

From inside the carriage, the Cloud Marquis's voice echoed, "A direct descendant of the Sword Pavilion Marquis? Are you a scion of Ning Qianwen or Ning Qianwu?"

Ning Xiaochuan responded with neither servility nor arrogance, "Ning Qianyi!"

"Oh?"

The Cloud Marquis voiced his surprise, "So, it's Ning Qianyi. I see, I see. That makes sense; you should be about that age."

Ji Hanxing was also somewhat astonished, staring at Ning Xiaochuan in a daze. He's actually Ning Qianyi's only son?

That unparalleled talent once defeated even the Marquis four times.

The Cloud Marquis said, "Since you are the son of an old acquaintance, this Marquis will not make things difficult for you today. Step aside! This Marquis is here to apprehend a major criminal of the court, and no one can stop my advance. To stand in my way is to court death."

"Whoosh—"

Luo Mufeng, leading the Cloud Marquis's personal troops, advanced menacingly towards Begonia Manor.

Now that the Cloud Marquis had spoken, anyone who dared to obstruct them would be seen as opposing the entire court, and even the direct descendant of the Sword Pavilion Marquis could be killed.

"Haha! The Cloud Marquis certainly has great prestige, not even putting our Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion in his eyes." A domineering and resonant voice came from beyond the sky, like a clap of thunder.

"Clatter, clatter!"

A group of soldiers riding Iron Hoof Blood Wolves galloped from afar, bringing with them a surging killing intent.

At the very front was a man riding an Azure Dragon.

The dragon's body was as tall as a mountain, and each step it took shook the ground. The dragon let out a long roar, causing panic among humans and animals for miles around.

The man leaped from the dragon's back, his entire body enveloped in Profound Qi, crossed more than ten miles, landed outside Begonia Manor, stood beside Ning Xiaochuan, and scanned the Cloud Marquis's personal troops, shouting, "Kneel before me!"

Under the man's immense pressure, the entire group of personal troops knelt on the ground.

The whole scene was shocked.

Who exactly is this person, daring to oppose the Cloud Marquis?

And with a single roar, he forced a group of the Cloud Marquis's experts to kneel on the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan and Ji Hanxing stood next to this man, able to clearly sense the powerful energy fluctuations emanating from him, as vast as an ocean, as if he could crush a city with a single stomp.

It was an incredibly awe-inspiring feeling! This man looked to be about thirty years old, but his true age was definitely over fifty. He was tall and straight, wearing battle armor, with a cloak billowing behind him. Especially his eyes, sharp and steely, filled with an intense arrogance, made it so few dared to meet his gaze directly.

The man inhaled, instantly creating a great wind.

In the distance, the group of soldiers riding Iron Hoof Blood Wolves and the Azure Dragon all turned into wisps of gas, which he sucked into his mouth, disappearing into the wilderness.

"Soul Shadow!" Ji Hanxing stared at the man with some awe, knowing that he was an unparalleled expert.

Ning Xiaochuan nudged Ji Hanxing with his elbow and asked, "What is a Soul Shadow?"

Ji Hanxing took two steps back, glared at Ning Xiaochuan, and said, "It's something that only top experts can cultivate. Ordinary people like us only have three souls and seven spirits, but some people who cultivate the Martial Dao to an extremely high level can integrate other things into their souls, forming a Soul Shadow, making their souls many times stronger than ordinary people."

"Like the group of soldiers riding Iron Hoof Blood Wolves and the Azure Dragon you just saw, they weren't actually real, but merely this man's Soul Shadow! It's strange; legend has it that Soul Shadows are hidden within the body, belonging to latent power. How could his Soul Shadow be manifested?"

Ning Xiaochuan stared at the man. Could he also be a descendant of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion? "Who dares to disturb the Cloud Marquis's carriage? Don't you know this is Border District in the Imperial City? No matter what kind of demons or monsters you are, you must retreat," someone rebuked.

The man merely stared at him coldly, saying, "Yue Wuyang, it's been ten years, and your prestige has only grown, even allowing the soldiers in your army to shout at this general."

"Pfft!"

The man merely glared at him, directly causing the armored soldier to cough up blood and fall into the crowd! A single glance, with the power to kill.

The Cloud Marquis's words revealed the man's identity, "Ning Qiancheng, you've actually returned!"

This man was the second son of the Sword Pavilion Marquis, Ning Qiancheng.

Also, Ning Xiaochuan's father's second brother.

Ning Qiancheng had left the Imperial City for ten years, leading troops in battle. Recently, news of his victory had returned, stating that he had led two million troops to conquer the Heavenly Mystery Dynasty and would soon return to the court.

This matter had already caused a great uproar in the Imperial City, and many people were speculating about what rewards Ning Qiancheng would receive upon his return. Some even said that he might be granted a marquisate.

Now, this influential figure had returned.

Ning Qiancheng scanned the soldiers and said, "Yue Wuyang, you used to be able to compete with my third brother, but now you can only compete with my third brother's son. It seems you've only regressed over the years!"

The Cloud Marquis said, "This Marquis is working for the court, sharing the burden of the Emperor, and thinking of the nation. Ning Qiancheng, do you want to oppose the court? Oppose the Emperor? Oppose the people of the world?"

Ning Qiancheng said, "Based on your mere status as a non-hereditary marquis, you dare to trespass into the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion's estate? Who gave you such audacity? Do you have an imperial decree from the Holy One?"

In the current dynasty, the Cloud Marquis's power is overwhelming. He is a favorite of the Jade Ripple Emperor. Even ordinary princes and marquises would not dare to say such words to him.

Only someone as unrestrained as Ning Qiancheng would dare to reprimand him in this way.

Ten years ago, Ning Qiancheng was a notorious troublemaker in the Imperial City. Back then, he dared to beat up the crown prince and smash the door of the national preceptor. He was simply a major tyrant in the Imperial City.

Ten years later, he returned with military merits, so he was naturally even more unbridled.

Ning Qiancheng's gaze swept over the soldiers, and he said, "Do you think our Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion is easy to bully? Or do you think the Cloud Marquis's Mansion's prestige is greater than our Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion's, that you actually dare to surround my Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion's estate? Believe it or not, this general will have your heads rolling in minutes?"

The soldiers looked at each other, everyone feeling apprehensive.

The Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion has been passed down for more than eight hundred years without decline. The Cloud Marquis was only ennobled in recent years. In terms of foundation and power, they were simply not on the same level.

"Let's go!" the Cloud Marquis said lightly.

The army that surrounded Begonia Manor retreated like a tide.

Ji Hanxing, riding a Dragon Elephant, followed beside the Cloud Marquis's carriage and said, "My Lord, why do we have to be afraid of Ning Qiancheng? Minister Tian must be hiding in Begonia Manor. Once we find Minister Tian, I'm afraid the entire Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion will be implicated."

"Hanxing, you are still too young. Ning Qiancheng has conquered a fourth-grade dynasty this time, making unparalleled contributions to the Yulan Imperial City. He is returning to the court with great momentum, his brilliance fully revealed. If we confront him head-on, even if we win, it will be a pyrrhic victory. That's the first point."

"Second, the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion has been passed down in the Yulan Imperial City for more than eight hundred years, deeply rooted and widely branched. Its power has already penetrated every corner of the empire. The court, the harem, the military camp, the common people—everywhere is their influence. Even the Holy One has to be wary of this kind of hereditary prince and marquis and cannot easily move against them. Even if we find Minister Tian in Begonia Manor, we cannot shake the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion at all."

"Third, we really don't have absolute evidence and cannot guarantee that Minister Tian is really in Begonia Manor."

Ji Hanxing said, "But the footprints do lead to Begonia Manor. Minister Tian must have been rescued by Ning Xiaochuan."

The Cloud Marquis said, "Are you sure this isn't a trap set by the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion and Minister Tian for us? Deliberately luring us to break into Begonia Manor. If we don't find Minister Tian in Begonia Manor, how will we clean up the mess? What methods will the enemy use to attack us?"

Ji Hanxing's eyes narrowed, and she said, "This disciple has been taught. I said that Ning Xiaochuan doesn't understand Martial Dao Profound Qi cultivation at all, yet he was able to rescue Minister Tian. There seems to be a conspiracy here. My Lord, do you think it could be the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion and the Dark Emperor City joining forces to deal with us?"

"Whether there is a conspiracy or not cannot be judged now, nor can we say it casually. Remember to be cautious in your words and actions in the future. Neither the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion nor the Dark Emperor City are existences you can provoke right now. Sometimes, a single sentence can lead to your death without a burial place," the Cloud Marquis said in a deep voice.

Ji Hanxing broke out in a cold sweat and said, "This disciple has one thing I don't understand. Isn't Ning Qiancheng supposed to return to the court two months later? Why did he come back so quickly?"

"What you saw just now was not his true body, but his Martial Soul Avatar!" the Cloud Marquis said.

Martial Soul Avatar!

No wonder, no wonder a soul shadow appeared when Ning Qiancheng returned. It turned out that this was just one of his Martial Soul Avatars.

The Martial Soul Avatar is so powerful, so how strong must his true body be?

Ji Hanxing suddenly stopped and said, "My Lord, I want to stay. I think Minister Tian must still be in Begonia Manor."

"Then you stay! Remember to be careful. If you really find Minister Tian, escape immediately, because when you find him, he will definitely find you. Escaping from his hands is not an easy task. This is also a challenge for you."

The Cloud Marquis's hand reached out from the carriage, and a white Xuan Pearl flew from his palm and landed in Ji Hanxing's hand.

"In times of danger, swallow this 'Dragon Wing Profound Pearl,' and it may save your life."

The Cloud Marquis's carriage slowly drove away.

Ji Hanxing jumped off the Dragon Elephant's back and secretly sneaked back into Begonia Manor.