The First Marquis of Daxuan

"His identity?"

Qi Lingyun looked at Ning Hongchen.

Although it wasn't the first time she had met Ning Hongchen, she really didn't know who Ning Hongchen was.

Among this group of people, Ning Hongchen was the most inconspicuous.

In terms of cultivation level, he was merely at the Heavenly Fate Realm.

In terms of strength, he is probably only slightly stronger than Qi Lingyun at present.

Especially in front of the radiant Su Mu, Qi Lingyun almost completely ignored Ning Hongchen's presence.

Hearing Mao Jiu say this, Qi Lingyun finally realized that someone who could hang out with Su Mu, Mao Jiu, and others must be no ordinary person.

"He is Ning Hongchen, you can't not know that, can you?"

"By the way, who exactly are you? I don't recall any celestial being falling recently."

Mao Jiu glanced at Qi Lingyun and spoke.

"Ning Hongchen? The Seventy-Two Thieves?"

A look of surprise flashed across Qi Lingyun's face. "I didn't expect that any of the Seventy-Two Thieves would still be alive."

"I never imagined that, besides me, there would be others like you who slipped through the net."

Ning Hongchen said calmly.

Cat Nine burst into laughter.

Qi Lingyun was indeed one of those who slipped through the net.

To use the phrase "a fish that slipped through the net" to describe a former Celestial Venerable is quite a sharp tongue of Ning Hongchen's.

Qi Lingyun's face darkened. "If being quick-witted can solve the immediate problem, what harm is there in saying more?"
But no matter how much you mock me, it won't solve the problem at hand.

Ning Hongchen's expression towards Mao Jiu instantly turned serious.

Before they could speak, a sudden roar erupted.

They looked in the direction of the sound and saw several figures descending from the sky, landing with a thud outside the Thunder Bamboo Forest.

The worst thing still happened.

The commotion caused by Su Mu forging weapons still attracted the attention of those who were interested.

The three of them looked at each other.

"We can deal with future troubles later; we can't let them disturb Su Mu now."

Ning Hongchen said in a deep voice.

Of the four, he is the only one who can make a move right now.

He was the only one who could stop those people outside.

"Don't force it. If it can't be done, let them in."

Seeing Ning Hongchen walk out, Mao Jiu shouted.

It knew very well that Ning Hongchen's avatar was no longer there; he was now merely a slightly stronger Heavenly Fate Realm cultivator. If he were to encounter a Heavenly Venerable, he would be no match for him.

Ning Hongchen waved his hand with his back to Mao Jiu, his steps seemingly slow but actually fast, and in the blink of an eye he had already arrived outside the Thunder Bamboo Forest.

Mao Jiu glared fiercely at Qi Lingyun.

"If anything really happens to my brother, I will never let you get away with this!"

"Cat Nine said fiercely."

If it weren't for saving Qi Lingyun's life, would it have ended up in this situation?
If it had killed Qi Lingyun right away, it could now act at will.

That being said, if they had killed Qi Lingyun right away, there would have been no need for it and Ning Hongchen to stay here; they would have hidden themselves long ago.

Qi Lingyun shrugged, looking indifferent.

…………

Outside the Tianlei Bamboo Forest.

Ning Hongchen looked at the martial artists who had descended from the sky.

"Fu Canglan".

He slowly uttered a name.

He had wondered who the person attracted by the noise would be, but he never expected that the person who came would be Fu Canglan, the sect master of the Cangqiong Sect.

Lei Tianzun left this place to borrow the Xuanhuang Mother Qi from the Cangqiong Sect.

Logically speaking, Fu Canglan, the sect leader of the Cangqiong Sect, should be receiving Lei Tianzun within the sect right now.

Why would he abandon Lei Tianzun and come to Wugong Mountain on his own?

Ning Hongchen.

Fu Canglan, the sect leader of the Cangqiong Sect, also spoke up.

"It really was you. I knew it. Lei Tianzun's sudden visit to our Cangqiong Sect to ask for the Xuanhuang Mother Qi must have been due to someone's manipulation. It really was you."

If I'm not mistaken, Su Mu is here too.

"Fu Canglan, since you know this is Lei Tianzun's territory, why do you still dare to come?"

Ning Hongchen snorted coldly.

"Haha."

Fu Canglan laughed heartily, “Ning Hongchen, the name of Thunder Celestial Venerable may frighten others, but it cannot frighten my Cangqiong Sect.”

Don't expect Lei Tianzun to come to your rescue; he won't be back anytime soon.

Ning Hongchen's gaze swept over Fu Canglan and the others.

Fu Canglan made no attempt to conceal the malice in his words; they were clearly up to no good.

Besides Fu Canglan, there were seven other experts at the peak of the Heavenly Fate Realm.

There were eight people in total, and each of them was no less capable than himself.

Ning Hongchen secretly calculated that if his avatar were still alive, he would dare to fight even if he faced eight peak Heavenly Fate Realm experts.

But now, all his avatars have died at the hands of Li Tianzun, and he can only rely on his original body.

If it were a one-on-one fight with Fu Canglan, Ning Hongchen would have at least a 70-80% chance of winning.

Even in a one-on-two situation, Ning Hongchen was confident he could stall for time.

But with eight peak Heavenly Fate Realm experts, Ning Hongchen truly lacked confidence.

He glanced back at the depths of the Thunder Bamboo Forest.

It's unknown how long it will take Su Mu to complete the forging of the Chaos Divine Weapon.

Let's delay as long as we can.

Ning Hongchen thought to himself, and with a light step, a powerful aura soared into the sky.

"Fu Canglan, when I was in power, you were just a greenhorn. Now you dare to come and spout nonsense in front of me?"

Ning Hongchen shouted, "Today, I, Ning, will show you just how big the gap is between you and me!"

Fu Canglan was cunning and scheming; Ning Hongchen's glance back at the Heavenly Thunder Bamboo Forest had already alerted him.

He sneered in his heart.

It was obvious that Ning Hongchen did not want him to enter the Thunder Bamboo Forest.

The more the enemy discourages him from doing something, the more he is forced to do it.

"You guys hold him off!"

Fu Canglan said in a deep voice.

He came prepared this time, with seven peak Heavenly Fate Realm experts by his side, all elders of the Azure Sky Sect. The seven of them could form the Big Dipper Formation, enough to keep the Heavenly Venerable occupied for a while.

It's too late, but it's soon.

Seven peak-level experts of the Heavenly Fate Realm instantly formed the Big Dipper Formation, directly surrounding Ning Hongchen in the middle.

If an ordinary martial artist were surrounded by seven peak Heavenly Fate Realm experts, they would likely be defeated and killed very quickly.

But Ning Hongchen is no ordinary person.

As one of the Seventy-Two Sages of that time, Ning Hongchen was also among the most outstanding among the Heavenly Fate Realm experts.

Even without his millions of avatars, his strength is still not to be underestimated.

Especially considering he has lived for so many years, his experience and adaptability are far beyond those of ordinary martial artists.

Before the seven peak Heavenly Fate Realm experts could complete their formation, Ning Hongchen had already taken the lead.

He moved with lightning speed, passing through the seven people in the blink of an eye, and instantly appeared in front of Fu Canglan.

Catch the thief first to catch the king.

He would absolutely not give Fu Canglan the chance to break into the Thunder Bamboo Forest.

boom!
Fu Canglan crossed his arms to block, and a force as powerful as a tsunami surged forth, sending him flying backward close to the ground.

Fu Canglan's arms went numb, and a look of horror appeared on his face.

As expected of one of the Seventy-Two Thieves, Ning Hongchen's strength is indeed this great.

Among the martial artists of the same level that Fu Canglan had encountered in his life, there were only a handful whose strength could reach this level, such as the Martial Ancestor and Su Mu.

If he had come alone, he might not have been so confident of winning.

However, he was not alone.

Fu Canglan let out a long roar, his hands forming hand seals, and a surge of power erupted forth.

boom!
Their forces collided, and they both took a step back.

In the short time it took to delay them, the seven peak Heavenly Fate Realm experts from the Azure Sky Sect caught up.

With the help of Fu Canglan, the seven of them finally surrounded Ning Hongchen.

Rumble.

Everyone went all out, and the battle reached a fever pitch as soon as it began.

Crackling.

The violent power spread out in all directions, crashing into the Thunder Bamboo, stimulating the Thunder Bamboo to erupt with lightning and produce bursts of sound.

The lightning bolts seemed to possess sentience, transforming into electric snakes that lunged at the crowd.

Thunder God's Heavenly Thunder Bamboo Forest is certainly not just for show.

The Heavenly Thunder Bamboo Forest also has its own defensive mechanisms, and the current battle has brought these mechanisms to the forefront.

Ning Hongchen caught a glimpse of this scene and felt greatly relieved.

Since the Heavenly Thunder Bamboo Forest wasn't so easy to break into, he could fight with all his might.

"I've disliked your Sky Dome Sect since back then."

Ning Hongchen laughed loudly, "I wonder if your Cangqiong Sect will decline from this day forward if you die here today."

"Just you?"

Fu Canglan snorted coldly, "Since you've managed to survive, you should have hidden yourself instead of running around causing trouble."

Today, I, the sect leader, will reunite you with your brothers!

The two fought while arguing, and the battle grew increasingly fierce.

A moment later, Fu Canglan risked injury to exchange a move with Ning Hongchen.

Ning Hongchen was also completely at a disadvantage, relentlessly attacked by the Big Dipper Formation, and within a short time, several wounds had appeared on his body.

He stood expressionless, blocking the way in front of the Thunder Bamboo Forest, refusing to budge an inch.

The more desperate Ning Hongchen was, the more convinced Fu Canglan became that there was a secret in the Thunder Bamboo Forest.

He moved his feet, trying to bypass Ning Hongchen and sneak into the Thunder Bamboo Forest.

But Ning Hongchen kept a close eye on him. The moment Fu Canglan made a move, Ning Hongchen moved the Big Dipper Formation, effectively preventing Fu Canglan from entering the bamboo forest.

Rumble.

The commotion in the Thunder Bamboo Forest grew louder and louder.

The sky itself began to darken.

The lightning above the entire Thunder Bamboo Forest grew denser and denser, as if the end of the world was about to arrive.

An invisible pressure descended from the sky.

Even with the cultivation levels of Ning Hongchen, Fu Canglan, and the others, they felt somewhat short of breath.

"Ning Hongchen, what on earth are you guys up to?!"

Fu Canglan couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Nothing to do with you."

Ning Hongchen said calmly. With a loud bang, he was struck again, his feet sinking into the bluestone up to his knees, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and staining his clothes red.

"Even if you don't tell us, we can still find out."

Fu Canglan shouted, "Elders, there's no need to hold back! Let's finish this quickly and kill him!"

Fu Canglan's aura continued to rise. With a flick of his wrist, a three-foot-long sword appeared in his hand. A sharp aura soared into the sky, and even the dark sky was cleaved open by the sword light.

Swish!
Fu Canglan held the sword with both hands and swung it forward forcefully.

A massive sword aura shot straight towards Ning Hongchen.

A sense of foreboding arose in Ning Hongchen's heart, and he suddenly shifted his body to the side.

But the speed of the sword energy was simply too fast.

Ning Hongchen only managed to dodge the vital points, but his right arm was still touched by the sword energy.

With a soft sound, Ning Hongchen's entire right arm vaporized and disappeared into the air.

He groaned and staggered a few steps.

Turning his head to look at his shoulder, he saw that his right arm was severed at the shoulder, and his right shoulder was charred black, as if it had been burned by high temperature.

It's too late, but it's soon.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, Fu Canglan raised his longsword once again.

Meanwhile, the seven Heavenly Fate Realm peak elders of the Azure Sky Sect also launched their strongest attack.

They stood on the Seven Stars, and a large star faintly appeared above their heads. Seven beams of light led directly to the star and eventually converged into a circular beam of light.

The beam of light, carrying a world-destroying force, descended upon Ning Hongchen.

The Big Dipper formation, sword energy.

Two attacks came at the same time.

Ning Hongchen remained expressionless, as if the one with the missing arm was not him.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and with a low shout, a cloud of blood mist shot out from every pore of his body.

In an instant, the aura emanating from him had become terrifyingly powerful.

boom!
Ning Hongchen threw a punch with his left arm, his powerful blood energy colliding with the attacks of Fu Canglan and the others.

A blinding burst of light exploded out, engulfing an area of ​​several hundred feet in radius.

The blinding light engulfed Ning Hongchen, Fu Canglan, and the others, making it impossible for outsiders to see what was happening.

This process lasted for several breaths.

As the light gradually faded, a deep crater appeared on the ground, and the area within hundreds of feet was a mess, with countless Thunder Bamboo trees fallen.

Fu Canglan and the others were slightly out of breath as they looked ahead.

Ning Hongchen's figure had disappeared.

The fallen Thunder Bamboo revealed a path to Fu Canglan and the others.

Following the path, they could vaguely see several figures in the distance.

"Su Mu!"

Fu Canglan recognized one of them.

Before he could finish speaking, Su Mu, who was in the distance, suddenly raised his head and shot two sharp gazes at him, which met Fu Canglan's gaze.

Fu Canglan could see clearly that Su Mu moved his lips slightly, and judging from the shape of his lips, he said four words.

"You, come here."

Fu Canglan was furious. He swayed and rushed into the depths of the Thunder Bamboo Forest, followed closely by the seven peak Heavenly Fate Realm elders of the Azure Sky Sect.

…………

In the center of Tianlei Bamboo Forest.

Fu Canglan saw Ning Hongchen again.

Ning Hongchen was covered in blood and looked miserable as he leaned against a Thunder Bamboo.

Beside Ning Hongchen, a large, fat cat was enveloped by a curtain of light.

Not far away, another curtain of light enveloped a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old, with delicate and beautiful features.

As for Su Mu, he was sitting cross-legged in an empty space, with a three-legged cauldron floating in front of him, and one of his hands was gently resting on the cauldron.

Fu Canglan immediately realized that Su Mu was forging weapons, and that it was at a crucial moment.

"This is divine intervention!"

Fu Canglan thought to himself.

Su Mu's weapon forging has reached a critical moment. If you interrupt him at this time, not only will you cause him to fail in forging the weapon, but you will also cause him to suffer a backlash, which could result in serious injury or even death.

This is a golden opportunity!

Under normal circumstances, he might not have been able to kill Su Mu.

Su Mu, Su Mu, as the saying goes, you reap what you sow.

Fu Canglan did not rush to make a move, but instead turned his head to look at the fat cat.

"Cat Nine".

The name of the new Heavenly Venerable Cat Nine has spread far and wide; anyone with a certain status knows of its existence.

Fu Canglan naturally recognized it as well.

The moment Fu Canglan saw Mao Jiu, he already had the idea of ​​retreating.

The Celestial Venerables he contacted haven't arrived yet, and with his current strength, he can't deal with Celestial Venerable Cat Nine.

However, he soon discovered the problem.

Cat Nine is, after all, a Celestial Venerable. Although his strength cannot compare with those long-established Celestial Venerables, dealing with a few of them is still no problem.

Since Mao Jiu is here, why did you send Ning Hongchen to fight them to the death before?
This situation can only mean that there is a problem with Cat Nine.

Cat Nine cannot make a move now!

As for Qi Lingyun, she was completely ignored by Fu Canglan.

Fu Canglan glanced at Su Mu, then at Mao Jiu, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

Today, the biggest winner will be Fu Canglan.

"Cat Nine, when you stole my Heavenly Venerable position, did you ever think you'd end up like this?"

Fu Canglan said coldly, "And you, Su Mu, do you think the Guixu Guide of my Cangqiong Sect is so easy to steal?"

"Fu Canglan, you still talk so much nonsense."

Su Mu spoke slowly, his hand always pressed against the Yin-Yang Cauldron.

Who severed Ning Hongchen's arm?

Su Mu suddenly asked an unrelated question.

"It is this sect master."

Fu Canglan sneered, "You want to avenge him?"

"Now that you know, then cut off your own arm. Maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll let you leave alive."

Su Mu said calmly.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Fu Canglan laughed loudly, "Su Mu, is it because Mao Jiu is here that you can talk to this sect master like this?"
If Cat Nine could actually do it, you probably wouldn't be wasting so much breath.

I don't think Cat Nine has any way to make a move right now!
You're the same!
"Who gives you the right to talk to me like that?"

"Fu Canglan, do you believe I'll slap you to death right now?"

"Cat Nine said."

"I really don't believe it."

Fu Canglan said, "If you tell me what you're up to, I'll give you a quick death."

I'm not afraid to tell you that several Celestial Venerables are on their way. If they arrive, I can't guarantee what will happen to you.

"By the way, don't expect Lei Tianzun to come to your rescue; he probably won't be here anytime soon."

Fu Canglan looked confident of victory.

If he hadn't wanted to know what Su Mu and Lei Tianzun were up to, he would have already killed them.

As long as he kills Cat Nine, he can reclaim the Heavenly Venerable position that belongs to him!
Now, he still has a modicum of patience left, wanting to give these former rivals a final bit of respect.

"Fu Canglan, are you sure you want to know?"

Su Mu said calmly.

"Su Mu, you must seize the opportunity when it comes, otherwise you will regret it when I change my mind."

Fu Canglan said.

"Okay, then I'll tell you."

Su Mudao.

His words surprised Fu Canglan. When did Su Mu become so obedient?

Based on his previous experience dealing with Su Mu, Su Mu was not the kind of person who would cooperate so easily.

"You guessed right. I am currently forging a weapon for Lei Tianzun. This weapon requires the Xuanhuang Mother Qi. Didn't Lei Tianzun already go to the Cangqiong Sect?"
"If he finds out that you brought people to sabotage his weapons, what do you think Lei Tianzun will do?"

Su Mu said calmly, "You also injured Ning Hongchen."

"If you cut off your own arm now, I might still speak on your behalf to Thunder Celestial Venerable. Otherwise, I can guarantee that even your Azure Sky Sect might not be able to withstand Thunder Celestial Venerable's wrath."

“Su Mu, Lei Tianzun can intimidate others, but he can’t intimidate me.”

Fu Canglan sneered, "I'd like to see what kind of weapon someone like Lei Tianzun wants!"

Before he finished speaking, Fu Canglan had already taken a step forward and reached out to grab the Yin-Yang Cauldron.

boom!
A giant hand appeared out of thin air above the Yin-Yang Cauldron, already gripping its lid.

Just as Fu Canglan had lifted the lid of the Yin-Yang Cauldron, a scream suddenly rang out.

"Fu Canglan, if you dare to touch this cauldron, I guarantee I will make your Cangqiong Sect suffer!"

Qi Lingyun shouted loudly.

Fu Canglan merely glanced at Qi Lingyun.

"You? You little brat haven't even grown your hair yet, and you dare to threaten this sect master?"

Fu Canglan sneered, "I'll just wait and see how you make my Cangqiong Sect suffer!"

Cat Nine raised its paw and gave Fu Canglan a thumbs up.

You're awesome.

How dare they speak to Qi Lingyun like that?

Fu Canglan glanced at Qi Lingyun with disdain, then grabbed with his right hand.

With a loud bang, the lid of the Yin-Yang Cauldron was lifted off.

A wave of heat spread outwards, and white mist billowed in the air.

A beam of light shot out from the Yin-Yang Cauldron and flew towards Qi Lingyun.

Fu Canglan's eyes lit up, and with a loud shout, he grabbed at the beam of light.

The seven Heavenly Fate Realm peak elders of the Azure Sky Sect were not idle either; they also took action, trying to catch that ray of light.

Just kidding, the weapon that Lei Tianzun wants is absolutely the most precious treasure in the world.

Who wouldn't want something like this?
The clearing in the center of the Thunder Bamboo Forest was only a few feet in circumference. With the strength of Fu Canglan and his companions, not even a fly could escape it.

But just as Fu Canglan's hand grasped that ray of light, it instantly vanished into nothingness, then reappeared behind Fu Canglan, and condensed back into a ray of light.

In the blink of an eye, the light had already landed in Qi Lingyun's hand.

Fu Canglan and the seven peak Heavenly Fate Realm elders of the Azure Sky Sect all missed their target.

"Little girl, hand over the item, or I, the sect master, will make you wish you were dead!"

Fu Canglan stared at Qi Lingyun and shouted loudly.

Qi Lingyun clenched her small hands tightly, and light shone through her fingers.

She ignored Fu Canglan and looked at her palm with some surprise.

"Qi Lingyun, what are you waiting for?"

Just then, Su Mu suddenly spoke up, "Let's settle scores and avenge our grievances."

Anyway, if anyone insults me, I definitely won't let them get away with it. (End of Chapter)