Chapter 23

This terrifying youngster actually swallowed the Fire Qilin in one gulp!

Nie Feng, Duan Lang, and Bu Jingyun outside the cave were struck speechless, shocked into silence.

This scene was simply too shocking.

A human body could actually swallow the Fire Qilin; as this person opened his mouth, the Fire Qilin gradually shrank and rushed into his mouth, and by the time it reached before him it had shrunk to only the size of a walnut, and was swallowed in one gulp.

The three's worldview collapsed.

Is this still the world they knew?

"The Fire Qilin was killed just like that……"

And it was killed in this manner; for hundreds of years, countless martial arts masters attempted to eliminate this evil beast for the people's sake, yet all returned empty-handed.

And now.

This man-eating ferocious beast.

The Fire Qilin.

Was swallowed by the person before them.

The three felt a sense of unreality.

To speak the truth, this Fire Qilin's strength ought not be weaker than a Divine Bridge Realm cultivator; the two worlds' paths differ and cannot be made to correspond realm by realm, but judging purely by combat power, the Fire Qilin even surpasses those like Elder Han whom he slew.

But that is all.

It merely possesses a bloodline, lacks wisdom, and cannot develop its potential to the fullest extent.

Naturally it had no power to resist under his hands.

Hu!

Sensing the Fire Qilin being gradually refined inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, Jiang Xuan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid Qi.

"Still dare to cause trouble!"

Suddenly Jiang Xuan let out a cold heng, and sat cross-legged.

The Fire Qilin's residual violent killing intent surged in wave after wave inside his body.

It was no match for him while alive; could it still turn the world upside down after death?

Mere killing intent and bestial nature in a ferocious beast's blood — what is there to fear?

Jiang Xuan knew full well the terror of the mad bestial nature in the Fire Qilin's blood, yet still dared to directly swallow it; this was by no means arrogant conceit, but because he himself had the confidence to do so.

It is merely the residual violent will left in the beast blood; the Eight Trigrams Furnace refines all things — what can a residual will do!

There is nothing under heaven that Jiang Xuan cannot eat.

The bestial residual obsession will only become nourishment for his advancement!

After a short while, Jiang Xuan finished refining.

The Fire Qilin contained truly too much essence; Jiang Xuan had only refined one-tenth, yet this essence had already raised him to the peak of the peak of the Divine Bridge Realm.

The remaining portion, Jiang Xuan saved for future breakthrough refinement.

The Fire Qilin truly is a treasure through and through; its very body is also a Great Medicine!

At this moment, the three outside the cave entered.

"Senior, the Fire Qilin……"

Nie Feng, Duan Lang, and Bu Jingyun stammered, unable to speak.

Today's events simply shattered their concepts; they needed time to digest.

"These scales are of no use to me; you may take them yourselves."

Jiang Xuan's indifferent voice rang out.

"I have only one requirement: while I am in this world, you follow me."

He wanted to see if this Fengyun World truly has a "Heaven"?

Is the Fengyun World's fatalism truly unbreakable?

Can the Ancient Demon King Xiong Ba, who made even Di Shi Tian wary and resort to poison, truly only be solved by Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun joining forces?

The Fengyun World is merely a high martial world; the existence of "Heaven" greatly interests Jiang Xuan.

You must know that even a god-and-demon xuanhuan world like the Zhe Tian Jie has no Heavenly Lord, yet this wuxia world actually has a Heavenly Lord, with the fate of the world and all living beings revolving within the Heavenly Lord's operation.

Jiang Xuan could not help but marvel at the mystery of creation.

At this moment, Duan Lang heard this and was overjoyed; he knelt and bowed his head to the ground.

"Many thanks for Senior's favor; Duan Lang will surely go through fire and water, and will not refuse."

"Duan Lang, you……"

Nie Feng felt incomprehension at Duan Lang's behavior; for over ten years they had been friends, ever since they nearly got swallowed by the Fire Qilin over ten years ago, the two had formed a deep friendship.

Now the three belonged to the Tianxia Association, and ought to be loyal to Xiong Ba, yet Duan Lang's behavior pained Nie Feng.

"Nie Feng, I've waited for this day for ten years; do you know how I've spent these ten years? I trained bitterly day and night, just to revive the Duan family's prestige; Xiong Ba suppresses, Wen Chou Chou threatens — as long as I can make something of myself, I can disregard it all."

"In the entire Tianxia Association I have only you as a friend; if you still treat me as a friend then don't try to dissuade me further. I can feel that if I miss this opportunity, I will regret it for life."

Nie Feng fell silent; ten years of friendship, how could he not know what Duan Lang sought, yet a friend betraying his master he still found hard to accept.

Duan Lang turned again and knelt before Jiang Xuan.

"I beg Lord to take me in."

"Duan Lang, you will not regret today's decision."

Jiang Xuan stood with hands behind his back, turned his head to look at Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun.

"Then, what about you two?"

Bu Jingyun struggled in thought; Nie Feng flatly refused.

"Senior, we studied under the Tianxia Association; our master has the grace of raising and teaching us — we absolutely cannot switch allegiance to Senior's sect; please forgive us."

Nie Feng clasped his fists apologetically.

"The grace of raising and teaching me?"

Jiang Xuan laughed:

"Then do you know why Xiong Ba raised you?"

"Do you know why your father Nie Renwang was killed by the Fire Qilin?"

Without waiting for Nie Feng to answer, Jiang Xuan said slowly:

"Xiong Ba once took San Jue Laoren as his master, mastering the three supreme arts of fist, palm, and leg—Tianshuang Fist, Cloud Dispersing Palm, and Wind God Leg. After endless jianghu battles, Xiong Ba founded the Tianxia Association and began to dominate the martial world."

"Later he heard that the famous jianghu master Nie Renwang of old had swordsmanship at its peak and wielded the peerless divine weapon Snow Drinking Blade. Unable to restrain himself, Xiong Ba intended to test himself against him."

"Who would have thought Nie Renwang had long lost his will to fight, only wanting to live the life of an ordinary mortal? Just as Xiong Ba thought his trip was in vain, an opportunity quietly arrived—he saw your mother was beautiful and began an affair with her."

"One day, Xiong Ba came to find Nie Renwang again and exchanged glances with Yan Ying. Nie Renwang was furious, and the two fought with bamboo as swords in the bamboo grove. As a result, Nie Renwang lost, and Xiong Ba deliberately took Yan Ying away, just to make him furious and return to the jianghu."

"After his wife was taken away, Nie Renwang burned with anger, determined to defeat Xiong Ba and rescue Yan Ying. He took up the Snow Drinking Blade again, and after leaving you, he fought Xiong Ba to the death on the Lingshan Buddha."

"Unfortunately he was still defeated by Xiong Ba, then captured by the Fire Qilin and died in its cave."

"Nie Renwang was not killed by Xiong Ba's own hand, but he died because of Xiong Ba. Yan Ying felt guilty toward Nie Renwang and leapt from the top of the Buddha's head. Is this the grace of raising and teaching you that you speak of?"

"As for you, Bu Jingyun, have you forgotten how the Huo Family Manor was destroyed?"

Having spoken, Jiang Xuan said no more, waiting silently.

Regarding Jiang Xuan's words, the two of Wind and Cloud had no suspicion—such an expert could not deceive them in this regard, and besides, the Huo Family Manor massacre was personally experienced by Bu Jingyun.

Nie Feng was lost in spirit.

So this was how his parents died.

He had actually regarded Xiong Ba, with whom he had an irreconcilable blood feud, as an existence like a sovereign father.

Truly laughable.

And Bu Jingyun beside him was filled with bone-deep hatred, as if endless flames burned in his chest.

"Greetings, Lord."

"Greetings, Lord."

The two of Wind and Cloud knelt down; at this moment they had none of their previous struggling and firm refusal, only bone-deep hatred.

(Chapter End)