Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 509: Chapter 505: Heaven-Devouring Sect

Gu Huaying was very efficient. In less than an hour, she returned with a Treasure Chest.

Opening the box revealed a strange, black-and-white stone.

”It really is the Heaven and Earth Stone. With this, I have what I need for the Heaven-Devouring Sect,” Ning Jiang said as he accepted the Treasure Chest. ”I’ll remember this favor I owe you.”

”Your word is enough, Young Master Ning.” Gu Huaying chuckled. ”After the Celestial Treasure Auction is over, I’ll find you, and we can explore the Ancient Ruins together.”

”Alright.”

Ning Jiang nodded, then bid Gu Huaying farewell and left.

After he left, the middle-aged man at her side asked, ”Miss, a single Heaven and Earth Stone is worth at least tens of millions of Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Is it really wise to just give it to him?”

”He is worth far more than tens of millions of Upper Grade Spirit Stones. The very fact that he is on the Hidden Dragon List is proof of his potential, to say nothing of the Dragon God Celestial Palace backing him.”

Gu Huaying said calmly, ”Years ago, my father used one Celestial Spirit Artifact after another to befriend numerous Kings. It might not have seemed profitable, but trading inanimate objects for the goodwill of Kings—that was the stroke of genius. If Father were here, he would approve of my decision. In the long run, how can the value of one Heaven and Earth Stone ever compare to someone with limitless potential?”

”Besides, those Ancient Ruins are fraught with danger. With him as my ally, our chances of success will be much greater.”

”You are truly far-sighted, Miss. You see things on a much grander scale,” the middle-aged man said admiringly.

”My father often told me, ’You have to give to get.’” Gu Huaying smiled. ”Do your best not to leak any information about Ning Jiang. He’s on the Other Shore’s Bounty List right now, and countless people are secretly trying to kill him. If too many people learn of his presence, it will likely cause trouble.”

”Understood.”

”Alright, you’re dismissed. The Celestial Treasure Auction starts in three days, and the major powers are all starting to arrive in Celestial Treasure City. We can’t afford any mishaps right now,” Gu Huaying said with a wave of her hand.

”Yes.”

The middle-aged man withdrew respectfully.

...

As he left the Treasure Appraisal Hall, Ning Jiang glanced around and spotted Zhou Rong.

At that moment, Zhou Rong’s expression was grim. A few haughty figures stood before her.

”Zhou Rong, it’s time to pay back the one million Upper Grade Spirit Stones you owe!”

The speaker was a seductive woman with thin lips that gave her a caustic look.

”Huang Ling, you’ve gone too far! This business about one million Upper Grade Spirit Stones is completely fabricated!” Zhou Rong said angrily.

”Fabricated? A while ago, your brother was poisoned. It was our bottle of Antitoxic Pills that saved him, have you forgotten?”

”That bottle of Elixirs cost one hundred thousand Upper Grade Spirit Stones, and I paid in full on the spot.”

”One hundred thousand Upper Grade Spirit Stones? You seem to be mistaken. One hundred thousand only buys you a single pill. That bottle contained twelve pills in total, which comes to one million two hundred thousand Upper Grade Spirit Stones. I’m only asking you for one million this time!”

The woman named Huang Ling wagged her index finger.

”This is extortion!” Zhou Rong was livid.

”And what if I am? Zhou Rong, don’t say I’m not giving you a way out. You’re reasonably attractive. If you serve the young prodigy of the Three-headed Snake Clan for a few days, I’ll forgive the one million,” Huang Ling said.

”In your dreams,” Zhou Rong retorted without hesitation.

”Hmph. You don’t have a choice.” Huang Ling’s gaze turned cold. Behind her, the aura of an Earth Martial Realm expert instantly bore down on Zhou Rong.

Zhou Rong’s own cultivation was only at the Second Realm of the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm—the Divine Travel Realm. Faced with this pressure, her face instantly paled. She felt as if a mountain was crushing her, the force was immense.

But the very next moment, the pressure vanished without a trace. Ning Jiang had arrived at her side. ”Zhou Rong, what’s wrong?”

Zhou Rong glanced at Ning Jiang and hesitated. She didn’t ask for his help. They were practically strangers, and she didn’t want to drag him into her troubles.

”It’s nothing, Young Master Ning. You should go,” Zhou Rong said, stubbornly shaking her head without further explanation.

”Hey, kid, did you hear her? Get lost. This has nothing to do with you,” Huang Ling snapped. Ning Jiang didn’t look like anyone important, and since he knew Zhou Rong, he was most likely a nobody as well.

”Hm? Who the hell do you think you are, daring to speak to me like that?”

Ning Jiang’s eyes shot toward Huang Ling. His gaze was like a sword, carrying immense pressure. Under his stare, Huang Ling felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. Her face paled, and with a muffled grunt, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

”You insolent brat!”

The Earth Martial Realm expert behind Huang Ling opened his eyes wide and was about to attack.

”Begone.”

Ning Jiang uttered a single word. The others felt nothing, but to the Earth Martial Realm expert, it was as if a million thunderbolts had detonated in his ears. That one word reverberated violently in his mind.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and stumbled back violently.

A single glance and a single word were enough to injure them both. Such power left the group completely stunned!

”Quick, let’s go.”

Huang Ling and her group didn’t dare to linger, fleeing in a panic.

Zhou Rong stared at Ning Jiang as if seeing him for the first time. She had never imagined that a random person she’d met while working as a guide would possess such terrifying strength.

To injure an Earth Martial Realm expert with a single word... How many of the younger generation could boast such power?

”Young Master Ning, thank you,” Zhou Rong said gratefully.

”Now, can you tell me what happened?” Ning Jiang asked calmly.

Hearing this, Zhou Rong no longer held back and told him the whole story.

After listening to her story, Ning Jiang understood everything. Suddenly, the image of a beautiful figure in purple floated into his mind.

The figure in purple gradually came into focus, revealing a beautiful face, as gentle as still water. It was Ning Yu’an.

In Zhou Rong, he suddenly saw a reflection of Ning Yu’an.

When he had been afflicted with the Black Jade Fire Poison Curse, Ning Yu’an had stayed by his side, never abandoning him, only to be threatened by Wu Wen and Zhao Feng. And now, Zhou Rong was being blackmailed by Huang Ling over the cure for her brother’s poison.

”Young Master Ning, why are you looking at me like that?”

Seeing Ning Jiang staring at her absentmindedly, Zhou Rong couldn’t help but blush.

Her words snapped him out of it. He gave a wry smile. ”You remind me of someone.”

As he spoke, he looked up at the sky, a tide of longing washing over him.

’I was forced to leave the Six Eastern Provinces, and I left Yu’an behind in the Profound Celestial Ancient Land. Knowing her, she must have been worried sick about my safety this whole time, hasn’t she?’

’Sister An, wait for me. I will be back...’

Zhou Rong, of course, had no idea what Ning Jiang was thinking. She said worriedly, ”Young Master Ning, I’m truly grateful for your help, but the Huang Family has ties to the Three-headed Snake Clan. Knowing Huang Ling’s personality, I’m afraid she won’t let this go.”

”When the Three-headed Snake Clan sees me, they can’t get away fast enough. They’re nothing to worry about,” Ning Jiang said dismissively.

Of course, Zhou Rong found his words hard to believe. The Three-headed Snake Clan was a Top Level power in the Chaotic Sea Region. ’How could one man like Ning Jiang possibly stand against such a massive force?’

”I need to go into seclusion. Take me to a place to stay.”

”Alright.”

Under Zhou Rong’s guidance, in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ning Jiang was settled into a luxurious inn.

In the spacious and quiet room, Ning Jiang took out the Heaven and Earth Stone, a flicker of excitement in his pitch-black eyes. ’The Heaven-Devouring Sect... I can finally begin its cultivation!’

P.S. Two Chapters have been updated at once. That’s all for tonight, so everyone get some rest.