Ning Song suddenly stood up, without any hesitation. His origin power burst forth, and the leaves inside and outside the study instantly fluttered like a rainstorm. The domain of Nan Gong Zhen that suppressed origin power seemed to have little effect on him. Moreover, when the two domains collided, there was no violent clash of origin power typically seen in such confrontations.
Nan Gong Zhen, still in doubt, suddenly realized that Ning Song’s origin power, as flexible as a vine, had entwined around his own. In an instant, it was as if a gust of wind fanned the flames, causing his origin power to surge uncontrollably!
The iron curtain in the sky began to spin rapidly, and the immense, indescribable will of the Celestial Demon hovered beyond the heavens, ready to cast its gaze upon Hei Liu City at any moment.
Nan Gong Zhen was terrified, “Are you mad?”
Ning Song enunciated each word, “If you don’t stop, we’ll both die! And you’ll be the first to go!”
Nan Gong Zhen’s face changed several times before he finally retracted his origin power, realizing only then that he had broken out in a cold sweat.
He had just arrived in the Eternal Night and had not yet experienced the might of the Celestial Demon. Although he had received much information from Nan Gong Yuan Wang and others, and had heard about the unfortunate deaths of several powerful individuals, Nan Gong Zhen, confident in his martial prowess, believed these rumors to be exaggerated. However, now, sensing the terrifying presence of the Celestial Demon, he knew better.
Even with his deep resolve, Nan Gong Zhen could not help but be shaken by the brief sense of the Celestial Demon’s aura. Under such overwhelming pressure, the Celestial Demon did not even need to release a doppelganger; simply focusing its gaze on Nan Gong Zhen would cause him to explode into a thousand pieces.
As Nan Gong Zhen retracted his origin power, the spinning of the iron curtain slowed and stopped, and the Celestial Demon’s aura, which had spread over a hundred miles, gradually receded, returning Hei Liu City to normal.
In the quiet chamber, Qian Ye was continuously practicing the Bing Fa Jue, repeatedly attempting to break through the invisible barrier of the firmament.
The invisible barrier of the firmament was extremely sturdy, and even with the tidal force of over forty-nine waves, it remained unscathed. But Qian Ye did not lose heart. He could feel that under the relentless, repeated attacks, the once flawless barrier was beginning to waver.
This bolstered Qian Ye’s confidence. He discarded all distractions, cyclically pushing the Bing Fa Jue and attentively observing every subtle change. Based on the degree of the barrier’s instability, he estimated that after three more periods of seclusion, each lasting seven days, he might be able to break through the barrier and elevate the Bing Fa Jue to a new level.
However, at this critical moment, Qian Ye suddenly felt his entire world shake violently. From a distant, otherworldly place, an overwhelmingly massive aura descended from the heavens, reaching him instantly, permeating everywhere.
Qian Ye’s blood core and heart, stimulated by this, began to pulsate wildly, striving to preserve his will in the face of this crushing, terrifying aura.
Fortunately, that terrifying aura passed quickly, vanishing in an instant as it swept toward the other end of the world.
Qian Ye felt a familiar sensation from this aura—it was the Celestial Demon? Before he could ponder the source of this perilous event, he noticed that the previously unyielding barrier of the firmament, now impacted by the Celestial Demon’s aura, had begun to crack.
This was an unexpected boon! However, Qian Ye soon realized that as the Celestial Demon’s aura faded, the cracks in the barrier began to heal slowly.
Qian Ye, startled, seized the opportunity. He immediately unleashed the Bing Fa Jue to its fullest, sending wave after wave of tidal forces crashing against the barrier. The barrier, already on the brink of collapse, finally yielded with a sharp crack after several assaults.
To Qian Ye, that tiny sound was like heavenly music.
A small fragment detached from the barrier and vanished into the void. To the vast, boundless barrier, this damage was insignificant, but it marked the beginning of the Bing Fa Jue’s rebirth.
But at this very moment, the Celestial Demon’s aura rose again from an immeasurable distance, sweeping everything in its path like a mighty river, cold and indifferent.
Qian Ye’s will, in this river, was like a tiny fish. Even a single wave could toss him into the sky, let alone opposing the entire current.
Nan Gong Zhen’s assessment was correct. In the presence of the Celestial Demon’s aura, even a Divine General would struggle to cope if caught off guard, let alone someone who was healing and had not yet reached the rank of War General. Such a person’s will would be instantly shattered.
At this critical juncture, the dark gold blood qi surged from Qian Ye’s blood core. A pair of tiny primal wings fluttered rapidly, forming a golden barrier that blocked most of the Celestial Demon’s aura. The Book of Black also appeared, emitting a faint black glow, resisting the remaining aura.
The primal wings and the Book of Black, true to their heritage, managed to stand against the Celestial Demon’s aura. Although this aura was only a small part of the Celestial Demon’s will, and it was two against one, it was still astounding.
With the protection of the primal wings and the Book of Black, Qian Ye gritted his teeth and seized the moment as the Celestial Demon’s aura cracked the barrier again. He drove the Bing Fa Jue tides upward with all his might. Beneath the firmament, fragments fell like rain, and the once rock-solid barrier became riddled with holes, on the verge of collapse.
Through the breaches in the firmament, a corner of the world beyond was revealed—a bottomless void.
After the Celestial Demon’s aura disappeared again, Qian Ye’s world did not return to calm. The cracks in the firmament seemed to have lost their ability to self-repair, and suffocating auras began to descend from the void onto the sea of origin power below.
These auras were immensely large, cold, and indifferent, similar to the Celestial Demon’s aura but far more ancient and profound, as if they had existed since the universe’s birth.
Their vast, timeless nature nearly halted Qian Ye’s heart. His will, in this suddenly expansive world, was as insignificant as dust, yet it was also incredibly resolute and distinct.
The light from the primal wings and the Book of Black flickered, blending together, while the Bing Fa Jue tides that Qian Ye had used to assault the firmament slowly receded. Below, a massive vortex churned on the surface of the sea of origin power, with countless runes flashing along its inner walls. If one observed closely, they would see that the runes were evolving according to the Xuan and Yao chapters of the ancient Song scroll.
Stunned, Qian Ye gazed at the scene before him, a thought suddenly arising: Could this be the aura of the Great Way?
At the same time, Nan Gong Zhen and Ning Song sensed something and turned their gaze toward Qian Ye’s direction.
Nan Gong Zhen’s expression changed, his heart filled with uncertainty. The Celestial Demon’s will had clearly retreated, but Nan Gong Zhen felt another, heart-stopping aura from that direction, as if a fierce beast was awakening in the depths of Hei Liu City.
Ning Song was the first to look away, turning to Nan Gong Zhen and saying coldly, “Lord Nan Gong, have you come to Hei Liu City alone to show your power? Do you really think you can leave this city alive?”
Nan Gong Zhen was momentarily speechless, responding only with a heavy humph. Ning Song’s strength far exceeded expectations. Had Nan Gong Zhen known he could withstand the domain suppressing origin power to such an extent, he would never have been so presumptuous as to enter Hei Liu City alone.
Before this, Nan Gong Zhen had always thought the Song Clan’s secret techniques were nothing special. Ning Song, being young and having just entered the rank of War General, couldn’t possibly be that strong. At his level, a battle of strength was not something that could be decided by sheer numbers. Even if surrounded, he was confident he could escape unscathed.
But now, with Ning Song’s extremely peculiar secret technique, it was impossible for Nan Gong Zhen to escape Hei Liu City without alerting the Celestial Demon.
Nan Gong Zhen sighed inwardly, remembering the purpose of his visit, and forced a smile. “It was just a little joke. There’s no need to take it to heart. I’ve come here to bring good news to Young Master Seventh. Now, we can discuss this matter properly.”
“Good news? Lord Nan Gong, your negotiation style is quite unique. Very well, tell me what you have in mind.” Ning Song’s expression was unreadable as he raised a hand to stop the Darkfire officers rushing in from the door, only allowing Hao Duan to enter. Song Hu and the others were left outside, along with Nan Gong Zhen’s aide.
Nan Gong Zhen ignored the sarcasm in Ning Song’s words and continued, “Our conflict has caused significant losses on both sides. If this continues, we will be laughed at by other noble families. Moreover, when the conflict began, we did not know that Young Master Seventh had interests in Hei Liu City.”
Pausing, Nan Gong Zhen elaborated, “To be precise, we did not expect Ning Song to react so strongly, nor did we anticipate how difficult he would be to deal with.”
Ning Song kept his eyes lowered, remaining silent.
Nan Gong Zhen continued, “In fact, within our Nan Gong family, not everyone agrees with Nan Gong Yuan Bo’s actions. Starting a conflict over a woman was unwise, and perhaps his position as head of the family will be challenged soon.”
Ning Song finally reacted, nodding. This made sense, though he suspected that Xiao Nan Gong held some secret. Otherwise, why would Nan Gong Yuan Bo, who was not lacking in women, risk offending the Red Scorpion and Zhao clans?
Nan Gong Zhen continued, “Therefore, I, on behalf of the Nan Gong family’s council, am here to negotiate with Young Master Seventh to end this conflict and to cease the pursuit of Qian Ye.”
Hearing this, Ning Song’s eyes flashed with a cold light. “Lord Nan Gong, your earlier actions do not seem to show much sincerity!”
Nan Gong Zhen, unperturbed, replied, “Young Master Seventh knows that Qian Ye has taken the lives of many of our Nan Gong family’s core heirs. Yet, I am not asking for his life in exchange. It was just a little joke, and now, fate has decided. If you were in my shoes, what would you do differently?”
Ning Song fell silent again, but his right hand, hidden behind his back, relaxed and then clenched into a fist.
“Additionally, as a sign of goodwill, we will give you a name. This is an important figure in your Song Clan. He paid a large sum for us to make sure you stay in Hei Liu City permanently. He also provided us with a lot of information about you. Such a person, I believe, would interest Young Master Seventh.”
Ning Song said coolly, “This person must be very important to you. Are you just giving him to me?”
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