"With my current perfected Dao cultivation level, and the protection of two magical treasures, the Heavenly Silkworm Robe and the Azure Nether Sword, I am confident that I can fight even a martial artist in the early stages of the Mortal Transformation Realm. If the opponent does not have strong magical treasures protecting them, I can even kill them!"
Wang Xuan sensed the immense power within his body and a faint smile appeared on his face.
One or two months have passed since he left the world of Liaozhai. According to the information transmitted by the Xuan Yin incarnation, the world of Liaozhai has now entered a crucial plot point. Ning Caichen has joined forces with Yan Chixia, Zhuge Wolong, and others, and is about to face off against the centipede demon national teacher Cihang Pudu!
If Ning Caichen is a man blessed by the destiny of humanity and can be called a hidden dragon of humanity, then the Black Mountain Demon is a hidden dragon of the ghost realm, who has the potential to unify the underworld and sit on the throne of the Ghost Emperor of the Underworld.
Cihang Pudu also possesses great fortune; he is imbued with the fortune of the demon race and has the potential to ascend to the position of Demon Emperor!
"I certainly can't miss the clash between Ning Caichen, this hidden dragon of humanity, and Cihang Pudu, that hidden dragon of evil." Wang Xuan activated the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth, and the surrounding space shifted, his true form returning to the world of Liaozhai.
The place he returned to this time was the same place he left last time, an ancient temple on the outskirts of the capital of the Great Qian Kingdom.
“There are powerful energy fluctuations coming from the direction of the capital. Could it be that Ning Caichen and the others have already clashed with Cihang Pudu?” Wang Xuan looked up into the distance, a look of surprise on his face.
Without a second thought, Wang Xuan summoned the Azure Nether Sword and flew away, transforming into a streak of azure light and heading towards the capital.
After flying for a while, he saw a huge golden Buddha appear in the air from afar. The Buddha was majestic and powerful, with brilliant Buddhist light flowing all over his body. Ordinary people would feel an urge to convert to Buddhism just by looking at him.
Beneath the giant Buddha, several figures were fleeing rapidly. One of them was Yan Chixia, who was wielding the Xuanyuan Sword, fighting and retreating, specifically responsible for covering the rear.
In front of Yan Chixia was a young Taoist priest. His cultivation level was not high, equivalent to the middle stage of the Daoist realm, but he was extremely fast at escaping.
At this moment, the young Taoist priest was carrying a young scholar in his hand. The scholar was startled but not flustered. Who else could he be but Ning Caichen?
In just one or two months, Ning Caichen had undergone a tremendous change. His former gentle scholarly demeanor had vanished, replaced by a faint air of authority that commanded respect.
"Indeed, Ning Caichen's fortunes have suddenly surged, and he has truly undergone a complete transformation." Wang Xuan sighed, then urged his sword light forward and asked, "Yan Chixia, do you need any help?"
Yan Chixia turned around and saw Wang Xuan standing in front of them. He hurriedly said, "Brother Wang, you'd better escape with us quickly! This centipede demon has transformed into the current imperial advisor and is absorbing dragon energy to refine its demonic body. It now has a thousand years of cultivation. We can't defeat it!"
Yan Chixia and Wang Xuan had a brief encounter before. At that time, Wang Xuan did not use his trump cards such as the Xuan Yin Avatar, which led Yan Chixia to underestimate Wang Xuan's strength. He thought that even if there was an additional Wang Xuan, they would not be able to defeat Cihang Pudu together.
"Whether we fight or not, we'll have to try first." Wang Xuan raised his hand and unleashed a Divine Firmament Five Thunder Orthodox Technique.
"boom!"
A bolt of purple lightning, as thick as an arm, flew out from Wang Xuan's palm and arrived in front of the golden Buddha in the next moment.
The Buddha raised his hand and slapped it down, extinguishing the lightning bolt. However, his movements were momentarily halted, and he stood still in place.
"May the Buddha have mercy and deliver all sentient beings!" After chanting a Buddhist prayer, the Buddha addressed Wang Xuan, saying, "Esteemed benefactor, if you obstruct my efforts to subdue demons, are you not afraid of falling into the boundless hell and never being reborn?"
Wang Xuan felt somewhat dazed. The words spoken by Cihang Pudu were clearly hidden, as they were able to interfere with the enemy's mind.
However, Wang Xuan had already condensed his primordial spirit, so the Zen chant of Cihang Pudu could only cause him a momentary mental daze.
"Die!" Wang Xuan made a sword incantation with his hands and slashed the Azure Nether Sword at Cihang Pudu several times.
Amidst the azure sky, the mortal world, and the misty rain, the three deadly moves of the Burial Sword Technique were unleashed simultaneously, colliding with the Buddha's palm of Compassionate Salvation.
The golden Buddha statue trembled for a moment, then collapsed with a crash, falling directly to the ground.
"What?" Yan Chixia was surprised again, and laughed loudly, "Brother Wang, it's only been a short time since we last met, and your strength has improved a lot again."
He praised Wang Xuan, but his hands did not stop. He turned around and summoned the Xuanyuan Sword, slashing it down towards the spot where Cihang Pudu had fallen.
After a violent explosion, a giant centipede suddenly emerged from the ground.
This centipede demon was a hundred meters long, and its pair of huge mouthparts were incredibly hard. It actually collided with Yan Chixia's Xuanyuan Sword, but it didn't even leave a scratch.
"Hiss!" The centipede demon was the true form of Cihang Pudu. He ignored Wang Xuan and Yan Chixia and instead charged towards the young Taoist priest and Ning Caichen.
Chapter 133 Exorcising Demons
Seeing the centipede, which was a hundred meters long, flying over, Ning Caichen was horrified and cried out in alarm, "Master Yan, Young Master Wang, help me!"
Yan Chixia immediately disregarded his own safety, drew his Xuanyuan Sword and rushed forward, once again standing in front of Ning Caichen, and engaged in a fierce battle with the centipede demon Cihang Pudu.
The sword light of the Xuanyuan Sword was fierce, but Yan Chixia's cultivation was only equivalent to the perfected realm of the Dao, while Cihang Pudu's strength was equivalent to the mid-stage of the Transcendent Realm. Even if Yan Chixia wielded the Xuanyuan Sword, he could not defeat his opponent.
After exchanging only a dozen or so blows, Yan Chixia was sent flying by the hundred-meter-long centipede demon, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Wang Xuan rode the Azure Nether Sword forward to block them, but he deliberately slowed down, wanting to watch Cihang Pudu and Ning Caichen fight to the death.
After Cihang Pudu knocked Yan Chixia away, it charged towards Ning Caichen again. Seeing the impending danger, the purple innate luck above Ning Caichen's head ignited fiercely. Then, the young Taoist priest protecting Ning Caichen's retreat suddenly trembled, his speed increased significantly, and he narrowly avoided danger.
"Truly worthy of being the chosen one, a hidden dragon in the human realm!" Wang Xuan had already spread his spiritual senses and locked onto all directions. He clearly felt that the young Taoist's aura had increased significantly, and he had actually broken through in cultivation under the crisis, from being comparable to the mid-stage of the Daoist realm to the late-stage of the Daoist realm.
It seems that Ning Caichen, the hidden dragon of humanity, has much better luck than Cihang Pudu, the hidden dragon of demonic cultivation. It is impossible to expect them to suffer mutual destruction.
Wang Xuan immediately stopped holding back. He flew behind Cihang Pudu on his sword and unleashed a streak of light with his Azure Nether Sword.
"Bang!"
His sword strike was like a dull knife hitting wood; it didn't break through Cihang Pudu's scales, but it did cause a small piece of scales to dent slightly.
Cihang Pudu cried out in pain and lashed out at Wang Xuan with its tail.
Wang Xuan was flung away by the tail. The Heavenly Silkworm Armor emitted a faint light, directly blocking 90% of the damage. Although the remaining force made his blood rush, he was ultimately not injured.
At this moment, Yan Chixia also caught up, holding the Xuanyuan Sword high in his hand. It subtly connected with the River of Humanity, borrowing the power of humanity to enhance its strength.
With his sword strike, he finally managed to cut a crack in the outer shell of Cihang Pudu, from which gushing demonic blood spurted out.
"A good opportunity!" A glint flashed in Wang Xuan's eyes. He quickly rushed forward using the Lingxu Step, becoming one with the Azure Nether Sword, and pierced into Cihang Pudu's body through the wound.
"This centipede demon has absorbed the dragon energy of humanity. Every inch of its flesh and blood is a treasure, and it may even condense a dragon pearl. We can't let Ning Caichen and Yan Chixia benefit from this!" Wang Xuan swung his sword wildly inside Cihang Pudu's body, collecting all the demon blood and flesh into his spatial ring.
Even with a thousand years of cultivation, Cihang Pudu could not easily endure such excruciating pain, comparable to being slowly sliced to death. His hundred-meter-long body twisted wildly in the sky, his muscles contracted violently, and demonic power surged within him, trying to force Wang Xuan out.
But how could Yan Chixia give him a chance? The Xuanyuan Sword transformed into streaks of sword light, relentlessly stabbing at him, forcing Cihang Pudu to divert his attention to deal with it, thus reducing the pressure on Wang Xuan.
With the Heavenly Silkworm Armor protecting him, Wang Xuan's weakened oppressive force from Cihang Pudu was no match for his power. He slashed a path with his Azure Nether Sword, only to be met with a nauseating stench, realizing he had reached Cihang Pudu's internal organs.
"What is this? Could it be the Dragon Ball formed by Cihang Pudu? But it's too big, isn't it?" Wang Xuan released his divine sense and scanned Cihang Pudu's abdomen, discovering a dark green sphere the size of a human head.
He reached out and touched the dark green sphere with some curiosity, only to feel a black aura spreading from his fingertips to his arm, making half of his body feel numb.
"Not good! This isn't a dragon ball, it's a poison sac!" The poison sac of a thousand-year-old centipede demon is enough to kill an ordinary mortal-level martial artist. Fortunately, he didn't break the poison sac, and his Heavenly Silkworm Armor blocked most of the poison from the outside, so after washing it off several times with his true energy, he cleared the poison from his body.
With a wave of his hand, Wang Xuan stored the poison sac in his spatial ring, then swung his sword toward Cihang Pudu's head.
A moment later, Cihang Pudu's over 100-meter-long demonic body came to a standstill and fell from mid-air, utterly dead.
With Cihang Pudu dead, his outer shell was no longer infused with demonic power, instantly weakening his defenses by more than half. Wang Xuan cleaved a gap in the shell with his sword and emerged from Cihang Pudu's head.
Yan Chixia, Ning Caichen, and the others gathered around and examined the centipede's corpse for a while before they all felt relieved.
"Brother Wang, it's only been a few months, but your strength has improved a lot." Having slain the treacherous centipede demon, Yan Chixia was clearly in a good mood and greeted Wang Xuan first.
Wang Xuan smiled and said, "Master Yan, you're not bad either. I'm afraid you only need one more period of seclusion to break through to the next realm, right?"
This wasn't just Wang Xuan making things up; he sensed that Yan Chixia was on the verge of a breakthrough. During this time, he had fought against the Tree Demon Granny, the Black Mountain Demon, and Cihang Pudu, and had also been by Ning Caichen's side, where he was influenced by the Human Dragon Qi, causing his fortune to surge. Breaking through to the Transcendent Realm was a natural progression.
Of course, this realm is not called "transformation into the mortal world" in the Liaozhai world. According to Yan Chixia and his friends, the realm of entering the Dao corresponds to the Taoist True Man and the Buddhist Arhat, while the realm of transforming into the mortal corresponds to the Taoist Immortal and the Buddhist Vajra.
Yan Chixia laughed heartily and said, "Your eyesight is really good, kid. I am indeed about to break through to the Loose Immortal realm. After I break through, I will find a famous mountain and blessed land to establish a sect and pass on my skills."
"Senior Yan, if you wish to establish your own sect, our Kunlun Sect will certainly lend you a hand!" At this moment, the young Taoist priest who had been leading Ning Caichen on his escape also came over.
Before Wang Xuan could even ask, Ning Caichen stepped forward and introduced, "This is Zhi Qiu Yi Ye, a highly accomplished disciple of the Kunlun Sect."
"So it's Zhi Qiu Yi Ye. This Zhi Qiu Yi Ye is quite respectful to Ning Caichen. I wonder if he still mistakes Ning Caichen for Zhuge Wolong, or if he has been completely subdued by Ning Caichen?" Wang Xuan smiled and exchanged compliments with Zhi Qiu Yi Ye for a while, but his mind was racing.
Without a doubt, Ning Caichen has once again established a connection with the Kunlun Sect, and his latent dragon fortune has been fully unleashed.
Chapter 134 Hidden Dragon Team
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they turned their attention back to the centipede demon's body, which seemed to be a symbol of compassion and salvation.
Yan Chixia reached out and patted the hard shell of the centipede's corpse, unable to help but exclaim, "Although this demon is wicked to the core, its shell is still a valuable item. If used for refining treasures, it could probably be used to forge hundreds of sets of precious armor!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Caichen's eyes lit up, and he pleaded with the crowd, "Gentlemen, the world is in chaos and demons are rampant. I am willing to join the army, train an elite force to wipe out the demons and restore peace to the world!"
He didn't continue, but everyone present was shrewd enough to understand his unspoken meaning.
Ning Caichen clearly had his eye on the outward appearance of Cihang Pudu and wanted to acquire it all.
Although Cihang Pudu's death removed the demonic power from his armor, instantly reducing its defensive capabilities by more than half, even after being broken down into hundreds of sets of armor, the defensive capabilities would decrease further. However, it would still be possible to forge hundreds of low-grade magical artifacts from them.
If Ning Caichen were to actually train a Dao army, forming an array like in the main world, with everyone wearing a set of low-grade magic weapon-level armor, its power would be absolutely terrifying!
"I never expected that a scholar like you would have such ambitions. Well then, I won't say anything more. I just need to bring the materials for a few sets of armor. You can handle the rest yourselves." Yan Chixia seemed to have only truly understood Ning Caichen today. His expression turned solemn and serene. With a wave of his hand, he handed over most of the benefits.
Zhi Qiu Yi Ye had no objections. The centipede demon was mainly killed by Yan Chixia and Wang Xuan, and he had no intention of dividing the spoils.
Ning Caichen finally turned to look at Wang Xuan, his eyes filled with expectation and pleading. Even the purple aura above his head gathered into a line, spreading towards Wang Xuan in an attempt to influence his judgment.
Wang Xuan's lips twitched, and the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth trembled slightly, shielding Ning Caichen from the influence of his protagonist's luck.
The thousand-year-old centipede demon was killed by Wang Xuan and Yan Chixia, so logically Ning Caichen shouldn't have been involved. However, since Yan Chixia tacitly approved, if Wang Xuan refused, his standing in Ning Caichen's eyes would immediately plummet, and even Yan Chixia would become somewhat dissatisfied with him.
Rather than refusing outright and appearing greedy and petty, it would be better to go with the flow and give Ning Caichen the entire carapace of the thousand-year-old centipede spirit.
No, that's not all. Ning Caichen is just a scholar. It would take a lot of effort for him to forge these shells into armor. Why don't Wang Xuan do it for him?
“Since Daoist Yan doesn’t care about these things anymore, it wouldn’t be a problem to give them all to you, but…” Wang Xuan paused deliberately for a moment.
"But what?" Ning Caichen's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but ask.
Wang Xuan chuckled and said, "It's just that you're not a cultivator and can't deal with the shells left behind by these ancient demons. How about I forge them into armor and give them to you later?"
Ning Caichen had no doubts. He thought about it carefully. Although he had gradually developed ambitions and wanted to achieve great things, he only knew a few cultivators, and that was the best he could do. Since Wang Xuan was willing to help him forge armor, that was the best thing ever.
"Thank you, Brother Wang! If I achieve something in the future, I will definitely repay you handsomely!" Ning Caichen bowed deeply to Wang Xuan, somewhat like the Duke of Zhou spitting out his food to welcome guests, which was very effective in winning people's hearts.
Just as they were speaking, a large force arrived from afar. These were veteran soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty, numbering in the thousands!
As the people approached, they saw the hundred-meter-long centipede corpse on the ground from afar, and a commotion ensued.
"My dear son-in-law, it's wonderful to see you safe and sound!" A man dressed in court attire, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, strode over and exchanged pleasantries with Ning Caicheng.
Yan Chixia noticed Wang Xuan's puzzled look, and a strange smile appeared on his face. He transmitted his voice to Wang Xuan and said, "This man is named Fu Tianchou, and he is the current Minister of the Imperial Court. He has a daughter who looks exactly like that female ghost Nie Xiaoqian, and she has also been seduced by that brat Ning Caichen."
"In that case, Ning Caichen has become the son-in-law of the current Minister." Now, Ning Caichen has a master like Yan Chixia by his side, as well as a strategist like Zhuge Wolong. He also has a Minister father-in-law in the court to plan for him. He can be said to have a promising future and has already formed a basic team to support him.
All of this has gradually deviated from the original plot, and is happening much faster than the normal evolution.
Although Wang Xuan's actions had a butterfly effect, the changes he made to Ning Caichen could never have been so significant.