Shy Dugu Yan, Isn't This Inappropriate?

This Heaven-Scorching Sword Formation was a powerful soul skill that combined trapping enemies, weakening them, and attacking them.

Once trapped inside, one would not only endure immense gravitational pressure and a drastic reduction in speed, but also suffer continuous attacks from the omnipresent flaming sword energy.

For a soul beast like the Shadow Ghost Leopard, which relied on speed, this soul skill was practically its nemesis.

Within the sword formation, the Shadow Ghost Leopard fell into complete despair.

Its prized speed had been rendered useless, and its powerful attacks could not break through the sword formation's barrier. It could only passively endure the cutting attacks of the flaming sword energy.

Before long, its sleek, glossy black fur was covered in wounds and drenched in blood.

"It's time to end this."

Ning Chen had lost interest in watching any longer. He slowly raised his right hand and aimed it toward the sky above the sword formation.

"Condense!"

As his words fell, all the flame energy in the sky above the sword formation began to gather frantically.

A gigantic Evil Emperor Sword, similar to the earlier Scorching Heaven Sword Ward, slowly began to take shape.

Dark crimson flames burned across the blade, and its terrifying pressure made the very earth tremble!

In the distance, Dugu Yan raised her head and stared blankly at the enormous flaming sword in the sky, like a sword of divine punishment. Her heart began pounding uncontrollably.

"Th-this... is this really a soul skill that a Soul Ancestor can unleash?"

She felt that her understanding had been overturned once again.

The power of this move was likely no weaker than the full-force strike of some Soul King-level experts!

The Shadow Ghost Leopard within the sword formation also sensed the threat of death above its head. It instinctively let out a mournful howl, then desperately rammed against the sword formation, trying to escape this place of death.

But it was all futile.

"Fall!"

Ning Chen's right hand suddenly swung downward.

The enormous flaming Evil Emperor Sword in the sky stabbed fiercely toward the Shadow Ghost Leopard at the center of the sword formation!

"Roar!!" The Shadow Ghost Leopard let out desperate roars.

The next second, the giant sword fell.

"BOOM!!!"

A deafening explosion resounded throughout the area.

Then, a violent shockwave of flames swept outward from the sword formation in all directions.

The ground shook violently, and countless towering ancient trees were uprooted and reduced to charcoal.

The intense light from the explosion made Dugu Yan instinctively close her eyes and raise an arm before her face.

Several seconds later, when the light faded and the trembling stopped, she slowly lowered her arm.

The sight before her made her heart jolt.

A massive crater over fifty meters in diameter had appeared in the clearing. Its bottom was charred black, with wisps of smoke still rising from it.

The sword formation made of five swords, along with that arrogant eight-thousand-year-old Shadow Ghost Leopard, had long vanished without a trace. Not even a single hair remained.

"Hmph, it really couldn't take a hit," Ning Chen said blandly.

With a casual wave of his hand, the Scorching Heaven Evil Emperor Armor on his body and the Emperor-Slaying Sword in his hand turned into sparks of fire and vanished into the air.

The dark crimson shield surrounding Dugu Yan also dissipated.

Ning Chen turned around, revealing that devastatingly handsome face. He stepped forward, walking toward Dugu Yan, who was still sitting on the ground.

Dugu Yan looked at Ning Chen as he approached her, her feelings a tangled mess.

This man was not only so handsome, but his strength was also absurdly overwhelming.

He was simply... simply the embodiment of perfection.

As she watched Ning Chen draw closer and closer, her heart pounded wildly, and her cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Ning Chen stopped before her, looking down at her as he asked.

His clear voice rang beside her ear, snapping Dugu Yan out of her lovestruck daze.

She suddenly came back to herself and realized that she had just been staring blankly at a man she had only just met. Embarrassment immediately washed over her, and her cheeks turned even redder.

She hurriedly looked away, not daring to meet Ning Chen's eyes. Lowering her head, she replied softly:

"I... I'm fine. I just hurt my leg a little."

As she spoke, Ning Chen's gaze fell upon her calf.

There was a claw wound on her fair leg, and it looked rather frightening.

"You've lost quite a bit of blood. The wound needs to be treated, or it could easily get infected." Ning Chen frowned slightly.

As he spoke, he naturally crouched down in front of Dugu Yan.

Then he lightly brushed a jade pendant at his waist. A flash of light appeared, and a roll of clean white bandages and a bottle of wound medicine appeared in his hands.

"Stretch out your leg. I'll bandage it for you."

Ning Chen unscrewed the medicine bottle as he spoke in an unquestionable tone.

"Ah? Th-this..." Dugu Yan froze.

Have him... have a strange man bandage her wound? That was far too... too intimate!

"That wouldn't be appropriate..." Dugu Yan hesitated, her heart fluttering wildly.

However, Ning Chen gave her no chance to refuse.

Seeing Dugu Yan dawdling, he simply reached out, gently grasped her slender ankle, and pulled her injured leg over, carefully placing it on his knee.

"Don't move."

Ning Chen spoke quietly before focusing entirely on treating her wound.

His movements were gentle. He first used clean water to wash away the dirt around the wound, then evenly sprinkled the wound medicine powder over it.

The instant the powder touched the wound, a cool sensation spread through it, greatly easing the original burning pain.

Dugu Yan's body stiffened slightly. Feeling the warmth from his hand around her ankle and the masculine scent coming from Ning Chen, her heart beat even faster.

She could not help secretly raising her eyes to study Ning Chen at such close range.

At that moment, he had his head lowered, his expression focused, the contours of his side profile exceptionally handsome.

The longer Dugu Yan looked, the more entranced she became.

Since growing up, this was the first time she had ever been so close to a man.

And this man was so handsome, so powerful...

"Thank you... for saving me just now." Dugu Yan's voice was as faint as a whisper, carrying a young girl's shyness.

"Um... my name is Dugu Yan. Y-you... what's your name?"

"Ning Chen."

Ning Chen answered without raising his head. His hands did not pause in the slightest as he skillfully wrapped the bandages around her wound, layer by layer.

"Ning Chen..." Dugu Yan silently repeated the name in her heart, thinking it sounded so nice.

Soon, the bandage was tied into a neat knot.

Ning Chen clapped his hands and stood up. Looking at his handiwork, he nodded in satisfaction.

"All right. It's nothing serious for now, but it's best not to let the wound touch water for the next few days."

"Oh... all right, I understand." Dugu Yan blushed as she carefully drew her leg back.

She moved it slightly and found that the bandage had been wrapped perfectly—not too loose, not too tight—and the pain had greatly subsided.

Only after treating her wound did Ning Chen leisurely fold his arms and look down at her.

"Now, I have a question."

"W-what question?" Dugu Yan felt somewhat embarrassed under his gaze.