Chapter 36: Ruthless Suppression—Chen Ningshuang in Peril

"Fellow cultivator, save me, and after that, you can do whatever you wish with me..."

"Really, anything?"

Ling Tian raised his gaze to the dense forest, his expression tinged with mockery as he looked at the woman.

"How annoying, must you make me spell it out so clearly?"

A trace of barely perceptible disgust flashed in the woman's eyes. The youth before her, so handsome and refined in appearance, turned out to be just another lecher. He stared fixedly at her chest, unable to look away.

But so be it. Perhaps this would teach him how treacherous the human heart could be.

With a coy complaint, the woman straightened her posture, exposing even more of her bare skin, adopting a seductive pose. At this moment, it seemed she would agree to anything Ling Tian might do.

"What a pity, truly a pity," Ling Tian crouched slightly, his eyes lingering on her voluptuous figure, his expression full of regret.

"Why would you say that?" The woman was puzzled, but her palm behind her back had already gathered spiritual energy, ready to strike Ling Tian dead as soon as he drew close.

"You should never—ever—have set your sights on me!"

Ling Tian's gaze sharpened abruptly, and he seized her throat. A crisp crack sounded as her neck snapped.

Her eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend Ling Tian's sudden attack. Even in her final moments, she could not understand how he had awoken so quickly. Was he not entranced by her beauty? How could it be...

Her thoughts dissolved into chaos, and all vitality faded.

With a dull thud, Ling Tian released his grip, and her body collapsed to the ground.

"My friends, after all that, are you still going to hide? Must I invite you out myself?"

A faint smile played at Ling Tian's lips as he gazed toward the forest ahead.

"You’ve got guts, boy!"

Soon, a group emerged from the woods—about a dozen people in all.

Ling Tian eyed their mismatched attire and knew at once: they were rogue cultivators.

It was hardly surprising. Those belonging to sects formed natural alliances, whereas the rogues banded together to enhance their strength against organized groups. Over time, such tactics became common.

That woman had been sent to test Ling Tian, to gauge his cultivation or see if he had companions nearby. If not, she would kill him. If he did, she would seek opportunity by his side.

Unexpectedly, Ling Tian acted decisively.

"Guts? Ha. She tried to kill me, so I killed her. You lot will fare no better!"

Ling Tian’s cold smile was laced with contempt as he faced the group—mostly at the Void Melding stage, a few at the Divine Manifestation stage.

"Attack!"

The leader, at the eighth stage of Divine Manifestation, could not tolerate Ling Tian’s words. He signaled his men to attack.

In this place, no one had heard of Ling Tian. They assumed he was just a sect disciple bluffing, hoping for rescue. A ruse? Clever indeed!

Ling Tian watched their advance, eager to test the power of Azure Frost. He had never used the sacred weapon since acquiring it and wished to avoid exposing his mastery of swordsmanship.

He summoned Azure Frost from his spiritual sea—but was stunned to find only the sword hilt remained!

His face darkened. Had it devoured itself in hunger?

"Haha, thought this kid was tough, but he's just a fool! Are you planning to kill us with a sword hilt?"

"What a joke. Let's finish him—he’s not right in the head!"

"He’s scared senseless before the fight even starts. What a coward!"

Seeing Ling Tian wield only a sword hilt, the group mocked him relentlessly, convinced he could not kill with it.

"Oh? Is that so? Today, I’ll show you—a sword hilt can kill just as well!"

Ling Tian’s eyes narrowed, and a fierce aura erupted from him, blinding the group.

"Run! Run now!"

The leader realized Ling Tian’s extraordinary power and fled, hoping that any survivor would be a victory.

"Is it too late?"

Ling Tian’s voice was ghostly. With deadly speed, he felled one after another, until only the leader remained.

With a thud, the leader fell to his knees.

"Please, sir, master, we were blind to your greatness. We should never have provoked you. Spare us, please..."

His plea was cut short as Ling Tian pierced his skull with a single finger.

"If you know your mistake, then die."

Ling Tian finished clearing the battlefield and retrieved all the sacred weapons from his spiritual sea. Except for Azure Frost, now just a hilt, the others were undamaged.

As he pondered, a black broken sword flew out and devoured the Azure Frost hilt before his very eyes.

"You—you..."

For the first time, someone brazenly seized Ling Tian’s possessions in front of him. He was so furious, he could only sputter, unable to utter another word.

He had chosen the broken sword over the Imperial Sword at the sword tomb—a choice he now regretted.

Yet, thinking differently, if the broken sword could devour Azure Frost, did it mean its grade surpassed that sacred weapon? Could it perhaps devour the Imperial Sword?

A strange notion sprouted in Ling Tian’s mind.

Were anyone else to hear, they would call him mad—feeding the Imperial Sword to a broken blade!

The other sacred weapons remained untouched. Apparently, it only devoured swords. A true sword!

Ling Tian concluded as much and stowed the sacred weapons away.

He failed to notice that, as he collected the black broken sword, it glowed with a faint red light.

Ling Tian flicked his sleeve and left behind the corpses.

Such was the way of cultivation.

Had Ling Tian been slain, the victors would simply plunder his belongings, and his corpse—well...

...

"Sume, what is the meaning of this?"

Chen Ningshuang gazed coldly at the effeminate man before her, her icy expression growing colder still.

"What do I mean? In the last secret realm, you ruined me with a single sword—now you ask what I mean?"

Sume of the Joyous Union Sect spoke with rage, his demeanor frenzied, as if he wished to tear Chen Ningshuang limb from limb.

The Joyous Union Sect, as its name suggested, was a dual cultivation sect. Though they had many methods, the fastest and safest was the union of yin and yang.

Chen Ningshuang had crippled his younger brother with a single strike—a devastating blow for one who relied on such methods.

It severed his path of cultivation; between them, there could be no reconciliation.

Moreover, Sume had become accustomed to dual cultivation. Now, he could only use his hands; the real thing was forever beyond him. For Sume, it was the heaviest blow.

He constantly thirsted for Chen Ningshuang’s death, and now, at last, he had his chance.

"Kill me? Ha! You are not qualified!"

Chen Ningshuang drew her Frostblade, which shimmered with icy aura in the sunlight—a sword true to its name.

She was right. She now stood at the seventh tier of Kinghood, while Sume was only at the fifth. Two realms apart, and she specialized in offensive techniques. Sume was no match.

With her words, she struck.

"Kui Shan, are you trying to get me killed?"

Sume paled as Chen Ningshuang attacked. He called out for help, knowing he could not defeat her.

As his words faded, a figure stepped before Sume. Chen Ningshuang withdrew, her gaze wary, and retreated.

The man who shielded Sume wore the same attire as Chen Ningshuang—a disciple of the Divine Fire Sect!

A closer look revealed a dull expression, transparent threads at his head and arms, like a puppet.

"Don't forget, when this is over, you owe me ten female Joyous Union disciples at the Void Melding stage!"

A robust figure appeared, surrounded by a dozen shadows—mostly Joyous Union female disciples, the rest from Divine Fire Sect.

"Of course."

Sume nodded with a false smile. To secure Kuishan’s help from the Puppet Sect, he had paid dearly—the female disciples, turned into puppets, were gifts to Kuishan. As promised, after this, he would owe ten more.

But if he could kill Chen Ningshuang, it was worth it.

"Let me warn you: their souls are sealed within them. If you kill them, it counts as harming your own sect!"

Kuishan spoke little to Sume, directing his gaze greedily at Chen Ningshuang. He yearned to forge her into a puppet—for her cultivation and her beauty, she was a prize.

"Despicable!"

Chen Ningshuang’s voice was cold.

She was no fool. Knowing the situation was unfavorable, she sought to escape, unwilling to become entangled.

Unable to win, she risked losing everything.

Better to rejoin Wu Dawei and the others, then reconsider.

With this in mind, Chen Ningshuang retreated, ready to flee.

"If you dare run, I’ll kill them all, and every one I see thereafter! Besides, isn't it too late now?"

Kuishan waved his hand, transparent threads appeared around her, trapping Chen Ningshuang. In this place, flight was forbidden for natives of the Flame Domain.

With that, Kuishan and Sume exchanged glances and attacked.

"Damn!"

Chen Ningshuang cursed, forced to fight.

Kuishan, at the eighth tier of Kinghood, pressed her hard with Sume’s aid. Forced back step by step.

"Ugh..."

Chen Ningshuang was struck, sent flying, and spat blood.

Seizing the moment, Sume scattered a powder at her. Unable to dodge, she inhaled it. Sume’s manic laughter rang out:

"Haha, Chen Ningshuang! I wonder, when this jade maiden is ravaged by beasts, what will that scene look like!"