Chapter 26: Killing Shaoyan Nong

The black ring was ordinary, yet when Xiangliu Fang's hand, like a dark cloud, with fingers turning into great serpents, struck over, the black ring passed straight through. There was no wound on the divine demon's massive hand, as if the black ring were a different kind of force, like nothingness, passing through without contact.

"What is this?" Xiangliu Fang was stunned.

"Kill him." At this moment, Shaoyan Nong's eyes were full of killing intent, but he too stared in astonishment at the black ring that had appeared above.

The seemingly ordinary black ring made Shaoyan Nong and Xiangliu Fang wary, for they had no idea what treasure it was.

One was an ancient divine demon with vast experience.

The other was almost the next Yügong of Shaoyan, equally knowledgeable, having seen countless treasures. Yet neither could recognize this treasure, nor even discern its nature.

"How did the black ring easily pass through Xiangliu Fang's divine demon hand without leaving any wound?" Mu Zishuo was also astonished.

It was like a mortal colliding with a ghost; the ghost would pass through.

The collision between Xiangliu Fang and the ring was similar; the ring passed through.

But the divine power of the divine demon Xiangliu Fang was immense; if it were a ghost, it would have been destroyed instantly.

"What kind of strange object is this?" Jiulian was stunned. She came from Dongyan, but had never heard of such a treasure.

"Hmm?" Cangjiang Zhenren, who had already awakened some memory fragments, also felt puzzled.

Yu Wei was first puzzled, then showed shock: "Could this be... How is it possible..."

...

When the black ring flew to the space above Shaoyan Nong and Xiangliu Fang, a hazy light suddenly appeared, making the ring seem dreamlike.

"Break!" Xiangliu Fang roared, and a long shuttle appeared in his hand, filled with endless baleful aura, stabbing fiercely at the black ring in the air.

"Guard."

Shaoyan Nong also found the black ring strange. He crushed the leaf-like talisman he had been holding when the black-armored puppet and other assassins attacked. Instantly, a hazy golden light enveloped him, protecting him tightly: "Even a full-force attack from a loose immortal can be withstood for a moment."

Whoosh.

Xiangliu Fang's fierce stab hit nothing, as if the black ring did not exist, or existed in another space.

The black ring emitted a hazy light, and an invisible suction force arose.

"This is..."

Shaoyan Nong and Xiangliu Fang suddenly changed expression.

Both felt an invisible suction, specifically targeting their divine souls.

"Ah, no—" Shaoyan Nong's face twisted in terror, letting out a shrill cry. Then his divine soul was pulled directly from his body, twisted, and with a whoosh, sucked into the black ring. As a Wanxiang Perfection Zhenren who had practiced high-level visualization since childhood, his soul was nearly comparable to a Yuanshen Daoist's, naturally substantial. Ji Ning and the others could all see the twisted soul howling as it was drawn into the black ring.

"What treasure is this, how can it suck my soul? How, how? How could I end like this? How could I die at the hands of this Ji Ning? Am I to be utterly destroyed? Ji Ning, Ji Ning, spare me, spare me." Shaoyan Nong's soul let out a silent shriek but was twisted and absorbed.

At the same time, a divine soul in the form of a red-scaled flood dragon twisted and was also swallowed.

"I, I..." Xiangliu Fang struggled madly.

But a powerful divine soul was still forcibly pulled from his divine demon body. As a Yuanshen-level divine demon, he could even split off a clone. Clearly, his soul had long been completely fused with his divine demon body, body and soul united. Yet now it was forcibly torn apart.

The massive divine soul let out howls that echoed throughout the hall, and was also drawn into the black ring.

And so...

Shaoyan Nong and Xiangliu Fang, despite their powerful divine bodies and protective treasures, had their souls forcibly sucked away by this terrifying, strange treasure.

"Crack." The black ring made a crisp sound, like ice, then shattered and dissolved in midair, leaving nothing. The souls of Shaoyan Nong and Xiangliu Fang also vanished completely.

Bang.

Shaoyan Nong's body still stood there, eyes vacant, then collapsed softly. The mighty Xiangliu Fang also stood there, then fell to the ground, no longer breathing. This ancient divine demon, alive since the age of gods and demons and later enslaved by the Shaoyan clan, finally perished today.

"Shaoyan Nong and Xiangliu Fang... just... just died like that?" Mu Zishuo's eyes widened, he swallowed hard, utterly stunned.

"Dead, this, this..." Cangjiang Zhenren was also dumbfounded.

Jiulian and Yu Wei also stared at the master and servant lying on the ground, lifeless, feeling as if it were a dream.

How powerful was Xiangliu Fang! An ancient divine demon!

How strong were Shaoyan Nong's background and status! When dealing with the demon soldiers earlier, the scroll with the word 'Ding' and the 'Move Stars and Shift Constellations' disk had shown them that the next Yügong of this ancient tribe was indeed extraordinary, with many life-saving treasures. But in the end, both of them died.

Ji Ning, who had been sent flying and spitting blood, also showed a stunned expression.

He hadn't expected the black ring to be so powerful.

When he first got the black ring, the yellow-furred bear had said: "Ji Ning, I originally didn't want to give you this treasure. But when you become stronger, it will be of little use. Once you reach Yuanshen, you can directly carry the Water Mansion. The Wanxiang Zhenren stage is the most dangerous period for you. This treasure was personally refined by my master. Though casually made, it's enough for self-defense. It can save your life once, but only once."

"Personally refined by San Dao Daoren, even if casually made, capturing a Yuanshen-level divine demon and a Wanxiang-level noble scion is still easy," Ji Ning marveled inwardly.

He had only known that the black ring was specifically for capturing and destroying souls, but he had never used it and wasn't sure of its power. He just trusted that the yellow-furred bear dared to say it could save his life, so it must be extraordinary.

...

Ji Ning was stunned only for a moment, then realized he had set foot on a path of no return.

In fact, when Shaoyan Nong identified him as a descendant of Weichi and wanted to kill him, he was already on that path. Either he was killed by Shaoyan Nong, or he killed Shaoyan Nong. Those were the only two options! And killing Shaoyan Nong, who was almost certainly the next Yügong, would undoubtedly provoke a formidable background.

Just as he himself had been almost designated as the city lord of Ji's Western Mansion, because he had the support of the mansion lord and his father, the strongest in the Western Mansion.

Shaoyan Nong was almost designated as the next Yügong of the Shaoyan clan, and behind him there must be very powerful beings supporting him!

If Shaoyan Nong died, out of emotion, those powerful beings would seek revenge! To uphold the Shaoyan clan's face, they would certainly avenge Shaoyan Nong!

"Hahaha..." Ji Ning laughed instead, waved his hand, and a burst of earthfire flew out, burning Xue Hongyi to ashes. Then he collected all the treasures Xue Hongyi had left behind. Xue Hongyi had immortal-grade treasures. Since he was about to flee, the more treasures the better.

Whoosh.

Ji Ning stepped over to Shaoyan Nong and the divine demon Xiangliu Fang. A burst of earthfire burned, turning Shaoyan Nong and the red-scaled flood dragon to ashes, but the divine demon Xiangliu Fang's body remained unscathed in the earthfire. Ji Ning frowned.

"Collect." He simply stored the divine demon body and many treasures.

Ji Ning turned his hand and produced the key to the Immortal Mansion.

Ji Ning quickly began to refine it. The key was just a token, so refining it was much easier.

Mu Zishuo, Jiulian, Yu Wei, and Cangjiang Zhenren watched Ji Ning burn Xue Hongyi's and Shaoyan Nong's bodies and sweep away all the treasures, still in deep shock.

"Senior apprentice-brother, you, you killed Shaoyan Nong?" Mu Zishuo opened his mouth, still dazed.

Around them, more than ten Zifu cultivators were still alive, staring fixedly at Ji Ning, especially the two Zifu maids who had been following Shaoyan Nong.

"Swish!"

Ji Ning swept his gaze, and suddenly a sky full of sword energy appeared, howling.

These death warriors all died instantly.

"If death warriors live, they will expose everything." Ji Ning knew that these death warriors were one hundred percent loyal to Shaoyan Nong. They had witnessed everything. Once the Shaoyan clan found them, everything would be exposed.

"Ji Ning." Jiulian's face was full of anxiety, even tears: "How could you kill Shaoyan Nong? This, this, now... The Shaoyan clan will definitely hunt you down. There's no way, no way to stop them. He was one of the Four Young Masters of the Xia capital, famous far and wide. The Shaoyan clan will spare no effort to hunt you down, even for their own reputation."

Ji Ning looked at Jiulian: "I had no choice. I was given only two paths: one was Shaoyan Nong killing me, the other was me killing him. It was either him or me. What would you have me do?"

Jiulian was also crying in distress.

She hadn't wanted Ji Ning to make an enemy of Shaoyan Nong, but the outcome was even worse than she feared. The almost certain next Yügong of the Shaoyan clan, 'Shaoyan Nong', had died here.

"Don't panic." Ji Ning said coldly, "I killed Shaoyan Nong, but I believe none of you will voluntarily report me. So the Shaoyan clan won't know who killed Shaoyan Nong for a short time. They need time to investigate. I'll let you leave the Immortal Mansion immediately. Then you can each return to Dongyan, to the Black-White College in Anchang City. This has nothing to do with you. The murderer is me. The Shaoyan clan won't target you. By the time they investigate everything, I will have already arranged my escape and be long gone."

"Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, you're wrong." Yu Wei was also anxious and uneasy, quickly saying, "Legend has it that some super beings, like Celestial Immortals, can reverse time and replay everything that happened, thereby directly discovering that you are the murderer."

Ji Ning's heart tightened.