First Blood in Anchan City

“Brother Ji Ning, you’re risking your life for me, I really don’t know how to…” Beishan Baiwei looked at Ji Ning, then hesitated. “Forget it. That Beishan Hu may have gone too far, but I can swallow this insult for now. I’ll find a chance to get back at him later.” Thinking of the ferocious rhinoceros great demon below, Beishan Baiwei worried for Ji Ning.

“Say no more. The Primordial Liquid we win goes to me, doesn’t it? That’s enough.” Ji Ning smiled.

Beishan Baiwei opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words.

“Relax. I’m fully confident.” Ji Ning grinned.

“Well said.” Hun Wuqi looked at Ji Ning. “Brother Ji Ning, we’ll wait for you here and have another round of drinks.”

Ji Ning nodded, a flicker of light shining in his eyes.

This time… this will be my first display of skill in Anchan City. Since I’ve come to Anchan City, I might as well wrap myself in a true halo of ‘monstrous genius’.

He had already decided which sect to join. After seeing so many elites from various schools here, he made his choice: no more lying low. He had cultivated in seclusion in the Yan Mountains for over a decade—that was enough hiding. In Anchan City, what he needed was to flaunt his talent openly, to make the sects treasure him as a true gem!

To make the great powers place immense importance on him! Then he would soar straight up.

If he was to walk this path, he would walk it as a genius—a monstrous, unparalleled genius!

A rhinoceros great demon? Ji Ning glanced out the window at the terrifyingly fierce beast below. It’s just a stepping stone.

“Bring someone here.”

Beishan Baiwei summoned a servant maid and handed over nine hundred taels of Primordial Liquid. He instructed her to take Ji Ning to the arena to fight the rhinoceros great demon.

The maid stared in shock at Ji Ning. She had seen the rhinoceros great demon’s terrible might from the outdoor corridor. This handsome youth was going to fight that thing?

“Yes, young master.” The maid dared not question. She immediately led Ji Ning out.

“Brother Ji Ning, we’ll await your triumphant return here.” Beishan Baiwei and Hun Wuqi both rose, watching him leave.

“Be careful.” The Whitewater Hound, who had been lying down, also stood and looked at Ji Ning. But the Whitewater Hound knew well… Ji Ning had slain the Wanxiang Adept Xu Li in a single blow. Killing the rhinoceros great demon below was a certainty.

Ji Ning turned back, nodded, and then walked out.

Following the floating corridor, Ji Ning walked behind the maid. There were other servants on the corridor, and they all looked at him with curiosity, sorrow, pity, and sympathy. To them, this handsome youth was probably a retainer sent to his death.

“Has Beishan Baiwei curled up like a turtle?” the heavy voice continued taunting.

“Beishan Hu, tell your great demon to prepare for death.” Another clear, cold voice rang out from the main hall. “And Beishan Hu, let me give you some advice: if you happen to get a capable retainer, be more humble. The more arrogant you are, the worse you’ll lose!”

“Bullshit!” Beishan Hu grew furious.

“Later you’ll have to swallow that bullshit yourself.” Beishan Baiwei snorted.

The voices of the two Beishan young masters echoed.

Meanwhile, Ji Ning had already followed the suspended corridor into the main hall.

“Oh? Beishan Baiwei actually has someone left? Does he really think he can match that rhinoceros fiend?” A young woman in colorful clothes looked down through the window.

“Who would dare fight the rhinoceros fiend?” A white-robed young man also looked down.

“Mm.” The Firewood Boy, gnawing on a bone, also looked downward. Even earlier he had been studying formations, but gambling matches were the liveliest events and short in duration—of course he would watch.

“Who is it? I refuse to believe he has anyone who can kill my rhinoceros fiend.” Beishan Hu fixed his gaze on the passage down. Soon, under the maid’s guidance, a youth dressed in animal skins stepped into the hall. The youth wore a smile as if on an outing.

“He’s Ji Ning.” Zhou Li, standing beside Beishan Hu, said. “He’s Beishan Baiwei’s friend.”

“Friend?” Beishan Hu immediately laughed loudly, his voice echoing through the hall. “Beishan Baiwei, you really have no one. You’re sending your own friend to the ring?”

“I recall your friend is trying to join the Riftcleave Sword Sect, isn’t he? A little fellow about to enter a sect, actually coming out to fight my rhinoceros great demon, which has already learned divine abilities? You’re just sending him to his death! Ah, it looks like those nine hundred taels of Primordial Liquid are going back into my pocket.”

“You laugh so loud now; we’ll see if you’re still laughing later.” Beishan Baiwei retorted coldly from across the hall.

Many important figures in the private rooms above stared down at Ji Ning. When they heard he was Beishan Baiwei’s friend, they thought he must be extraordinary. Though he looked young, the younger the appearance, the more cautious one should be.

“Please.” The girl Ziyi looked at Ji Ning. “This crystal tests divine power, and this one tests ki power. Before a gambling battle, we must verify the basic strength. It is absolutely forbidden for a Wanxiang Adept to fight a Zifu Disciple. If that happens, the Wuyou Caverns will execute the cheater directly.”

Ji Ning nodded.

He poured his Crimsonbright divine power and ki into the two crystals respectively. Both crystals emitted light—the one for divine power was relatively dim compared to an ordinary Wanxiang Adept, and the one for ki power was even fainter.

“Eh?” Ziyi glanced at Ji Ning in surprise, then announced loudly, “The cultivator sent by Beishan Baiwei practices both Fiendgod Body Refining and Ki Refining. Fiendgod Body Refining: Zifu Disciple (late stage). Ki Refining: Zifu Disciple (early stage).”

A gasp of shock rippled through the hall.

“Ki is only at the early Zifu stage?”

“His Fiendgod Body Refining is only late Zifu?”

“He’s not even at Zifu Perfection! Is he looking for death? This is insane!”

“No wonder he wants to join a sect—only early Zifu in Ki Refining. Perfect for becoming a sect disciple.” The various powerful figures above shook their heads and sighed. They had held out some hope, but now they felt the youth below was simply arrogantly seeking death.

“Activate the seal!” Ziyi ordered.

A massive light barrier rose around them. Ji Ning glanced at the distant barrier and then at Beishan Hu above.

“Kid, you’re dead meat! Even your strongest side, Fiendgod Body Refining, is only late Zifu. You dare to compare with my rhinoceros fiend? You’re courting death! When the time comes, you won’t even have a chance to beg for mercy.” Beishan Hu was overbearingly arrogant.

“Prepare your second subordinate,” Ji Ning said directly with a smile.

Beishan Hu choked, then roared angrily, “How arrogant! Rhinoceros fiend, kill this brat!”

The atmosphere instantly froze.

In the private rooms above, some worried for Ji Ning—Hun Wuqi and Beishan Baiwei; some wanted him dead—Beishan Hu; and others watched with curiosity.

But in their hearts, the chance of Ji Ning surviving was minuscule.

“Boom!”

The blue-skinned, single-horned man, originally about two zhang tall, transformed directly into a massive rhinoceros. The rhinoceros then radiated a hazy light and grew to over twenty zhang in height. He had fully used the divine ability Heavenly Transformation. His power and speed were now absolutely terrifying.

“Prepare to die!” The rhinoceros great demon charged forward, his enormous hooves making the hall tremble.

Ji Ning produced two Northsea swords in his hands.

Boom!

The rhinoceros great demon charged past Ji Ning, its huge hooves stomping down repeatedly but missing him every time.

“Swoosh!” Ji Ning’s Northsea sword transformed into a thread of silk rain and swept across one of the rhinoceros great demon’s massive hooves. Blood spurted like rain. One of the demon’s rear hooves was completely severed. The high-speed running beast stumbled and crashed to the ground, rolling forward with its momentum and slamming into the sealing formation at the edge.

Boom, rumble, rumble… the earth shook. The sealing formation rippled slightly, blocking the now-three-legged rhinoceros demon. The maid and Ziyi, standing outside the formation, were startled despite knowing the beast couldn’t reach them, and took a few steps back.

The severed rear hoof quickly flew back and reattached.

“Roar!” The rhinoceros great demon immediately stood up and stared at Ji Ning, its eyes filled with caution and a hint of fear.

Silence!

Every private room above fell silent. Beishan Hu’s eyes went wide as he stared down.

Everyone could see the difference.

The rhinoceros great demon was enormous, its hooves huge and its speed high—but Ji Ning dodged with contemptuous ease. Clearly, Ji Ning’s agility and speed far surpassed the demon’s. Moreover, Ji Ning’s swordplay was extremely formidable.

The demon wore a layer of magic armor, but even so, its actual body after using Heavenly Transformation was incredibly tough. And yet Ji Ning had cut through it in a single stroke? The power of that sword…

None of them knew that Ji Ning was channeling his divine sense into the Northsea swords. His divine sense’s force was now even stronger than a Zifu Perfection Fiendgod Body Refiner’s raw power. When this was combined with a sword technique that had reached the ‘Dao Domain’ level, and with the Northsea swords being superior to ordinary Mortal-ranked treasures, the resulting power was astonishing.

“Still not surrendering?” Ji Ning looked at the towering rhinoceros great demon in the distance. They were vastly different in size, but now everyone could feel the demon’s aura had shrunk.

“Surrender? Fiendgod Body Refining isn’t so easy to kill. Cut me a hundred times and I still won’t die,” the rhinoceros great demon roared, as if mad.

“Kill him! Kill him!” Beishan Hu’s voice came sharply from above.

The rhinoceros great demon looked up and saw his master. “As you wish, master.” He stared at Ji Ning, eyes blazing.

“Since that’s the case, I’ll send you on your way.” Ji Ning held his Northsea swords and strolled forward leisurely.

“Roar!” The rhinoceros great demon bellowed and charged at Ji Ning again, its might shaking heaven and earth. If he was trampled, struck, or even grazed, Ji Ning’s body would explode.

Unfortunately, the gap in level was too large.

“Die.” Ji Ning’s entire body turned into a streak of rainwater. He leaped up—swoosh, swoosh—the rhinoceros great demon’s thick neck was cut through. Ji Ning flew up, blood spraying wildly, as the demon’s head and body were completely severed.

“Water-Fire Lotus.” Ji Ning thought.

Boom!

After his Fiendgod Body Refining reached a new level, the water and fire Ji Ning could summon had grown tremendously. If his Fiendgod Body Refining reached the Empyrean God level, even without any techniques, he could casually slaughter Primal Daoists and the like with his control over water and fire.

Water-Fire Lotuses appeared all around him, blooming into existence.

Each Water-Fire Lotus was ten zhang in diameter, and a total of twelve bloomed!

The rhinoceros great demon’s severed head was now wrapped by two of those lotuses. The lotus leaves rotated and strangled, grinding the powerless head into fragments. Even after it was crushed, the strangle continued.

The other ten lotuses enveloped nearly the entire rhinoceros fiend’s body. Only a few scraps remained outside, but those scraps couldn’t re-form.

“Crush!” Ji Ning stood in the hall.

Within the vast hall, twelve enormous Water-Fire Lotuses bloomed, their leaves spinning as they ground the rhinoceros fiend’s body into pulp. The demon, unable to re-form during the grinding, couldn’t even actively surrender.

This bloody yet beautiful scene rendered the entire hall silent.

Ji Ning stood there, looking up at Beishan Hu.

“I told you to prepare your second subordinate,” Ji Ning said with a calm smile, as casually and naturally as when he had first entered the hall.