Chapter 144: Unexpected Turns

In the mysterious grand hall of the ancient kingdom of Loulan, the situation had fallen into a temporary stalemate. Desperate to avoid becoming the target of a collective assault, no one dared to make a rash move.

The tall tree catches the wind; at this moment, whoever stepped forward first was simply courting death. Without absolute, invincible strength, one had to bide their time. While the various top-tier experts were all pondering how to seize the prize, Ning Xiu slowly withdrew his gaze from the murals on either side of the hall, glanced at the blooming Twin-Life Flowers in the distance, and strode toward the altar.

The crowd of martial artists froze, momentarily caught off guard.

Their immediate thoughts were likely that this was some reckless greenhorn whose brain was wired wrong.

"Brat! Do you think we don't even exist?!"

Finally, someone could no longer hold back. He stepped out to block Ning Xiu's path and shouted harshly.

"It's the Chang brothers!" someone murmured in the crowd.

There were nearly a hundred people in the grand hall at the moment, but most of them were lone wolves. Even those with companions had only two or three. The Chang brothers were an exception; their group numbered eight.

Precisely because of this, even though their individual strength was not extraordinary, they had managed to secure a firm footing among the contenders for the Twin-Life Flowers.

While they were not among the top-tier powerhouses, very few people were willing to provoke them.

Step by step, Ning Xiu walked forward. Looking at the figure blocking his way, he raised his head slightly, his eyes indifferent.

"Scram."

"Haha, this brat actually told us to scram?"

"I know your lightness skill is quite good, but so what? Here..."

The third Chang brother was speaking while reaching out to slap Ning Xiu across the face. Right at that moment, a hand suddenly appeared, pressed down directly on the top of his head, and smashed him fiercely into the ground.

Boom!

Rock shards flew in all directions. The third Chang brother's head shattered like a dropped watermelon.

Crimson blood blossomed like a flower.

Dressed entirely in red, Wang Danfeng looked at those indifferent eyes amidst the spray of blood and involuntarily pressed a hand to her chest, her heart skipping a beat. What terrifying killing intent.

"Third Brother!"

Seeing his brother killed before his eyes, the eldest Chang brother felt his eyes split from rage. With a loud roar, he raised the steel saber in his hand and slashed viciously at Ning Xiu.

Facing the incoming saber that split the wind, Ning Xiu's expression remained unchanged; he didn't even blink an eyelid.

Before the saber could even fall, the eldest Chang brother was kicked flying by Ning Xiu, crashing backward into the crowd, man and blade together.

The second Chang brother bore the brunt of the impact. While the third brother's death could be explained as a sneak attack by Ning Xiu, he had never imagined in his wildest dreams that his eldest brother would be defeated so quickly and so utterly.

He raised his head, staring in horror as the eldest Chang brother hurtled toward him like a cannonball. Regardless of everything else, he was a long-established figure in the martial world, and his reaction was not slow. He immediately extended his hands, channeling his inner energy to its absolute limit, attempting to catch his eldest brother.

Crack!

Under that terrifying force, the second Chang brother's arms snapped instantly. Immediately afterward, his entire chest caved in from the impact. A sweetness rose in his throat, and he spewed a large mouthful of fresh blood.

The momentum had not yet exhausted itself, continuing to carry the second brother backward into the rest of the Chang family.

The fierce wind wailed, and the faces of the remaining Chang brothers turned ashen.

Thanks to the second Chang brother acting as a human shield, the other five managed to narrowly escape with their lives, but they were nonetheless severely injured, collapsing onto the ground and emitting miserable wails.

The surrounding martial artists, who had previously been waiting to watch a good show, were now utterly dumbfounded. They had witnessed Ning Xiu's lightness skills and knew he was not to be messed with, but exceptional lightness skills did not necessarily equate to overwhelming combat strength.

One had to know that the eldest and second Chang brothers possessed strength close to the Grandmaster Realm, and the remaining seven were all at the peak of the First-Class Realm. Who could have imagined that in a single exchange, some were dead and others wounded, resulting in the total annihilation of the entire group?

Everything happened too fast; many people hadn't even had time to react.

Scarface Li, Wang Danfeng, and other experts looked toward Ning Xiu with solemn expressions, all of them wondering whether they could have survived that kick had they been in that position.

Many shook their heads inwardly.

Could they have evaded it?

Some knitted their brows even tighter, only to arrive at the same negative conclusion.

They realized with despair that had they been the ones facing Ning Xiu, their end likely wouldn't have been any better than the Chang brothers.

Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Ning Xiu continued his stride toward the black altar.

...

The Dead Desert.

A caravan marched across the boundless Gobi. Although they followed a winding path, a careful observer would notice that they were slowly drawing closer to the ruins of Loulan.

"Miss, at this pace, we should arrive before the entrance opens again," an old man in the procession said.

The woman walking at the very front of the team nodded slightly. Obscured by a cloak, her facial features were hidden from view.

She fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "I hope Danfeng can keep the situation under control."

"Rest assured, Miss. They are merely a bunch of pugilistic rabble; Miss Danfeng will certainly handle it," the elder comforted.

"I hope so..."

Beneath her wide robes, the woman clenched her fists, her gaze resolute. A gentle breeze blew past, lifting the edge of her cloak to reveal half of an exquisitely stunning face.

It was none of other than Jiuniang of the Dragon-Soaring Inn in Springwater City.

...

Whether it was Jiuniang or the faction hidden in the shadows, both had unwittingly chosen to layout their schemes in secret. They were simultaneously the planners and the breakers of the game. Yet, never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that into this small pond, a giant fish named Ning Xiu would suddenly emerge.

Upon the intricate chessboard of intersecting schemes, a presence had appeared capable of overturning the entire table.

The Loulan ruins.

Inside the grand hall, everyone was shaken.

For a moment, no one dared to step forward to block his path.

The so-called top experts on both sides were all quietly gathering their strength, each plotting for someone else to act as cannon fodder so they could reap the benefits afterward.

Every single person present harbored this thought, which kept them all watching one another warily, yet prevented any of them from stepping forward to stop him.

Seeing that Ning Xiu was about to reach the black altar:

"If none of you make a move, the Twin-Life Flowers really will fall into someone else's hands!"

"Though I hate to admit it, this fellow is stronger than anyone present. Our only chance is to join forces and kill him first, then decide the ownership of the Twin-Life Flowers."

"Well said! Let's all attack together!"

...

Someone shouted within the crowd.

No one held back any longer. Countless hidden weapons pierced the air, shooting fiercely toward Ning Xiu.

Ning Xiu tapped his toes lightly, wind rising beneath his feet as his body dissolved into blurred afterimages, darting rapidly toward the black altar.

Those incoming hidden weapons couldn't even touch a trace of his shadow, all missing completely.

"Charge together!"

The crowd exchanged glances.

In an instant, dozens of people drew their weapons and rushed toward Ning Xiu.

Right at that moment, a breathtaking flash of sword light suddenly illuminated their eyes...