"Hehu said with a smug expression, 'Of course, if you take the initiative to kneel and apologize to Young Master Ouyang Shang, I might consider knocking you out first before doing anything. That way, you won't have to suffer so much...'"
Ouyang Shang chimed in from the side, "Hehu is right. As long as you kneel and apologize to me, I can—"
"Ouyang Shang!"
Ning Wuque suddenly spoke, cutting him off. Under Ouyang Shang's puzzled gaze, the corners of Ning Wuque's lips curved upward into a faint smile. "Do you know? Having your eyes gouged out alive is extremely painful!"
"I naturally know, but that is the price you pay for offending me!" Ouyang Shang sneered.
Hehu said, "Kid, I advise you to just kneel to Young Master Ouyang Shang!"
As if he hadn't heard the two of them, Ning Wuque stared right at them and said in a low voice, "The pain of having one's eyes gouged out... I have experienced it before!"
"Huh?"
The two of them froze in surprise.
Ning Wuque slowly stood up. "I once swore that I would never experience that kind of pain again in this lifetime. Anyone who tries to harm me, I will return it to them in the exact same way, dou—ble—for—fold!"
He pronounced the last four words one by one, with deliberate force.
Almost at the exact moment the final word fell, Ning Wuque's hands shot forward like a white tiger snatching a corpse, clamping onto Ouyang Shang's shoulders. Two crisp "crack" sounds rang out, and Ouyang Shang's shoulders were crushed on the spot.
Ning Wuque's hands moved with lightning speed. Starting from the shoulders, he slammed his grip downward along both arms.
The sound of shattering bones echoed endlessly wherever his hands passed.
In just a fraction of a second, the bones in both of Ouyang Shang's arms were completely pulverized, hanging limply at his sides.
Only then did Ouyang Shang's body register the agony. His facial features twisted entirely, and he let out a soul-shattering shriek, "Ah... My hands, my hands..."
"Bastard!"
Hehu roared, his eyes splitting with rage as he finally snapped back to reality.
When he saw Ouyang Shang's arms twisted like braided dough, sweat drenched his entire body.
The Ouyang Family was the mastermind behind their Yulong Gang!
If Ouyang Shang's hands were crippled right under his nose, wouldn't he be dead meat once the Ouyang Family demanded accountability?
"Let go of Young Master Ouyang Shang right now!"
Roaring in fury, Hehu unleashed a fist with the force of a thunderbolt, smashing fiercely toward Ning Wuque's head.
"Get lost!"
Ning Wuque glanced at him with cold indifference. He hooked his foot backward and whipped it upward, sending the grand armchair behind him flying. With a loud *boom*, it crashed squarely into Hehu's forehead, splitting his skin, drawing blood, and sending him stumbling back several steps.
Taking advantage of this opening, Ning Wuque unleashed a flurry of kicks directly into Ouyang Shang's kneecaps, shattering them instantly.
Ouyang Shang collapsed to his knees with a heavy thud.
Ning Wuque stomped the ground, kicking up two broken armrests from the shattered armchair, and thrust them straight toward Ouyang Shang's eyes.
*Splat!*
*Splat!*
Amidst the sound of two spurting fountains of blood, the wooden armrests plunged directly into Ouyang Shang's eye sockets.
Blood streamed down his cheeks.
"Ah... My eyes! I can't see! My eyes..."
Paralyzed by agony, Ouyang Shang shrieked frantically as he thrashed and rolled on the ground.
Only then did Ning Wuque release Ouyang Shang.
He spun around fiercely and charged at Hehu, who was coming at him for another attack.
"Bastard! If I don't kill you, I am no longer human!" Hehu roared repeatedly, truly resembling a fierce tiger descending a mountain.
He knew he was finished.
If he failed to kill Ning Wuque today, the Ouyang Family would never spare him.
With that thought in mind, Hehu held back nothing, his fists wreathed in whistling gales of brute force. "Die!"
Expressionless, Ning Wuque threw a punch of his own.
The two fists collided in mid-air with a dull *thud*.
Immediately afterward...
Hehu's expression twisted in horror. His right hand—from the fist to the forearm, and all the way up to the upper arm—buckled violently. The bones shattered, and jagged shards of broken bone pierced through skin and muscle, protruding from his shoulder. The explosive force lifted Hehu off his feet, sending him crashing backward.
However, Ning Wuque gave him no chance to fly away. He grabbed both of Hehu's ankles, spun around sharply, and swung his arms high overhead.
*Swish!*
Hehu's entire body cracked like a long whip. With a shoulder-throw posture, Ning Wuque hurled him backward, smashing him violently into the ground with a dull, heavy thud.
Before Hehu could get up, Ning Wuque flipped over and straddled his waist, grabbing an ankle in each hand and twisting them in opposite directions.
*Crack-crack-crack!*
Amidst a scalp-tingling chorus of snapping bones, Hehu's legs tangled together, twisting into a grotesque knot of braided flesh.
Blood and shattered bones.
A truly horrifying sight!
"Who's next?"
Ning Wuque released Hehu and swept a cold, piercing gaze across the six men who had tried to block him earlier.
"..."
"M-My Lord, spare us! We were only following orders!"
The complexions of the six men shifted dramatically as they spoke in sheer terror.
"Spineless cowards!"
Ning Wuque spat on the ground. With a blank expression, he looked at Ouyang Shang—who was wailing on the ground—and Hehu, who had passed out. He said to the remaining six, "Go back and tell the people behind you: today's incident was Ouyang Shang's fault. If they want revenge, let them try. But if they make a move, it will be a fight to the death!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you!"
With that, Ning Wuque strode away amidst the awestruck gazes of the crowd...
***
Chapter 21: Ouyang Jingcheng
The side door of Qizhen Pavilion.
Sha Wei leaned against the carriage, deep in bored thought. "Why hasn't Master Uncle come out yet? And I wonder how that matter with Ouyang Shang was handled. But since he didn't send anyone to call for me, it must have been settled properly!"
"Sha Wei!"
Ning Wuque's voice interrupted his train of thought.
"Master Uncle, you're back!"
Sha Wei hurried forward, a beaming smile on his face. "Master Uncle, how did it go?"
"Not bad!"
Ning Wuque smiled and waved his hand. His gaze swept over *Elementary Alchemy Principles* in Sha Wei's hand, and he nodded slightly. "Good. There are thousands of prodigies in this world, but only a handful ever achieve true greatness. Talent is certainly important, but diligence is the only shortcut to success. I believe it won't be long before you step into the ranks of Rank 2 Pharmacists!"
Alchemists were divided into five ranks.
Rank 1 Medicine Apprentice was the stage for laying a solid foundation.
Rank 2 Pharmacist was when one truly crossed the threshold into the path of alchemy.
Though it was only a single-rank difference, their status and standing were worlds apart.
Once Sha Wei became a Rank 2 Alchemist, every major family and faction would treat him as an honored guest!
Excitement flared in Sha Wei's eyes as he smiled and replied, "It's all thanks to the *Elementary Alchemy Principles* bestowed upon me by Master Uncle! Otherwise, little Wei might have taken another three to five years just to ascend to the ranks of a pharmacist!"
"Alright, no need for excessive modesty. Just keep working hard. When you become a Rank 2 Pharmacist, I will give you a gift!"
Ning Wuque waved his hand and said, "Let's head back first!"
"Coming right up!"
Sha Wei immediately brought over the mounting block. Once Ning Wuque boarded the carriage, Sha Wei drove off into the distance.
As for the matter with Ouyang Shang, Ning Wuque didn't take it to heart.
If the Ouyang Family dared to retaliate, he naturally had the means to deal with them.
Furthermore...
Ning Wuque was certain that once Wanzhuan learned about his conflict with Ouyang Shang, he would definitely take action—not to mention having Luan Hongyi, the number one alchemist of the Southern Frontier, as his trump card. Even if the Ouyang Family was furious, they wouldn't dare offend Luan Hongyi and Wanzhuan just for Ouyang Shang's sake.
Just as Ning Wuque anticipated.
Inside Qizhen Pavilion.
Upon learning that Ouyang Shang had gathered a group of Yulong Gang members to retaliate against Ning Wuque, Wanzhuan had flown into a towering rage.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
Wanzhuan slammed his fist heavily against the desk, his expression turning icy to the extreme. "What a bold Ouyang Shang! Does he really think my Qizhen Pavilion belongs to his Ouyang Family? How dare he retaliate against a consultant of my Qizhen Pavilion?"
"Pavilion Master, Ouyang Shang has been practically crippled this time. Even if he recovers, he'll be bedridden for the rest of his life. I'm afraid the Ouyang Family won't let this go. They will likely seek revenge against Consultant Ning. Our top priority right now should be figuring out how to handle the aftermath..." asked a middle-aged man in black.
This man possessed robust vital energy, having already reached the Xiantian realm.
"He dares?"
Wanzhuan leaned back heavily in his chair, narrowing his eyes as he gently tapped his fingers on the desk. He said in a deep voice, "Heilong, take some men and send Ouyang Shang back. Tell the people of the Ouyang Family that Consultant Ning is under the protection of Qizhen Pavilion. I believe the Ouyang Family knows what to do!"
Qizhen Pavilion possessed vast power and spread across the entire Southern Continent.
Even the formidable imperial family of the Dayan Dynasty wouldn't dare move against them lightly.
How could they possibly take the Ouyang Family seriously?
Heilong nodded. "This subordinate understands!"
With that, he withdrew.
Wanzhuan leaned back in his chair, pulled a piece of intelligence from the drawer, and looked at it with shifting, unpredictable expressions. He muttered softly, "Ning Wuque? That peerless genius from Prince Shenwu's Estate? And that old eccentric Luan Hongyi's master also happens to be surnamed Ning... Is this a coincidence? Or..."
After a moment of contemplation, Wanzhuan snapped his fingers, and the intelligence in his hand instantly burst into flames.
Watching the report gradually turn to ash in the orange-yellow fire, the corners of Wanzhuan's lips curled upward into a meaningful smile. "Whatever your identity may be, I only know you are the consultant of Qizhen Pavilion in Nanjiang City. But with this turn of events, I'll need to rethink the gift for Luan Hongyi's master-welcoming banquet in a couple of days! Ning Wuque, I hope you won't disappoint me..."
***
The Ouyang Family.
The magnificent estate spanned a hundred acres, its decorations unimaginably luxurious.
"My son... How did you become like this? Who? Who in the world hurt my son like this? I don't care what his identity is, I want him dead! I'll tear him to pieces and wipe out his entire clan..." A miserable wail shattered the tranquility of the estate.
Inside the grand hall.
A group of powerful figures from the Ouyang Family wore dark, grim expressions as the oppressive atmosphere reached its absolute limit.
Everyone's gazes converged on the center of the hall: Ouyang Shang, lying on a stretcher, breathing out more than he breathed in, hanging onto life by a single thread.
Beside him...
A glamorous, heavily painted middle-aged matron was wailing bitterly, her eyes brimming with hatred as she looked at a young man in the crowd whose features bore a striking resemblance to Ouyang Shang. "Jingcheng, your father is away at the front lines fighting alongside the Prince. As the older brother, you must seek justice for your younger brother!"
"Mother, get up first!"
Ouyang Jingcheng furrowed his brow slightly and said in a deep voice.
He was the number one genius of the younger generation of the Ouyang Family. At only twenty-eight years old, he was already a peak expert of the Spirit Gathering Realm.
Since childhood, he had been groomed as the successor to the head of the Ouyang Family.
He was also deeply valued by the Prince of Zhennan.
Had it not been for his ambition to participate in the Martial Arts Imperial Examination and contend for the title of Top Martial Scholar (Wu Zhuanguan), he would already be holding a critical post within the Prince of Zhennan's army.
Because of this, Ouyang Jingcheng held considerable weight within the Ouyang Family!
Even though Lady Chen was Ouyang Jingcheng's mother, hearing his words forced her to obediently stand up. However, deep-seated malice still lingered on her face as she gritted her teeth. "Jingcheng, you can't just watch your younger brother get bullied like this..."
"I have my own plans!"
Ouyang Jingcheng nodded, his gaze falling upon Heilong standing nearby. Although a smile lingered on his youthful face, it still gave Heilong a sense of superior pressure. "Heilong, the Ouyang Family and Qizhen Pavilion have always minded their own business. I hope you can honestly tell me: why did my younger brother end up like this?"
Heilong said impassively, "Ouyang Shang was in the wrong on this matter..."
Heilong then proceeded to recount the entire sequence of events.
Especially when mentioning how Ouyang Shang subsequently gathered experts from the Yulong Gang to hunt down Ning Wuque for revenge, and Wanzhuan's attitude toward the matter, Heilong's voice dropped a fraction lower. "Young Master Ouyang, out of regard for our past friendship, let me say one more thing: our Pavilion Master holds Consultant Ning in extremely high regard. It would be best for this matter to end here. Otherwise..."
Heilong didn't continue, merely gazing quietly at Ouyang Jingcheng.
Ouyang Jingcheng's eyes flashed, and he smiled as he nodded. "Thank you for the reminder. I understand!"
"Good!"
Heilong nodded and promptly took his leave.
Lady Chen looked anxiously at Ouyang Jingcheng. "Jingcheng, are you really planning to just let that guy surnamed Ning go like this? This is your own biological brother! Look at how badly he's been hurt, you—"
"When has anyone from the Ouyang Family ever allowed themselves to be bullied at will? Especially since he is my, Ouyang Jingcheng's, brother—he is not someone just anyone can push around. However,"
Ouyang Jingcheng interrupted Lady Chen's endless nagging with a calm remark. He narrowed his hawk-like eyes into slits and said coldly, "If I'm not mistaken, that so-called Consultant Ning is Ning Wuque. He has Mu Yunshang backing him, and now he's even become a consultant for Qizhen Pavilion. To deal with him, we cannot act rashly; we must strike a fatal blow."
"Jingcheng, have you thought of a way?" Lady Chen asked immediately.
Dangerous brilliance flickered in Ouyang Jingcheng's eyes as he spoke coldly, "I already have a plan in mind, so you can rest easy! Whoever dares to harm my Ouyang Jingcheng's brother—let alone the fact that he has already been expelled from Prince Shenwu's Estate, even if he were still the heir apparent of Prince Shenwu's Estate, I would make him wish for death and beg for life..."
***
Chapter 22: Gods and Demons Contemplation Method
Inside the secret chamber.
Ning Wuque sat quietly in meditation, a crystal emitting unique energy fluctuations resting before him.
It was precisely the soul crystal he had purchased from Qizhen Pavilion.
"A soul crystal is condensed from the soul power essence of an Yin-Yang Realm expert, containing incomparable and profound soul power. Refining it will substantially increase the strength of one's spiritual power. Before the master-welcoming banquet, I should be able to step into the Spirit Refining Realm..." Ning Wuque's eyes flashed with brilliance as he stared intently at the soul crystal in his hand.
The four Postnatal realms:
Body Tempering, Qi Condensation, Spirit Refining, and Mortal Shedding.
These were the stages of refining one's physical body, vital energy, and spirit to the absolute limit, pushing the human body's endurance to its peak, thereby merging essence, qi, and spirit to draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to temper the body—the process of transforming a postnatal body back into a Xiantian physique.
Ning Wuque had already experienced this phase.
However...
Back then, he had not rushed to conquer the extreme realm of any stage. Upon reaching the ninth tier, he had impatiently broken through to the next realm.
Though such unimpeded cultivation speed earned Ning Wuque the moniker of the Dayan Dynasty's number one genius, it had in reality created certain hidden flaws.
His foundation differed very little from ordinary martial artists, relying solely on the advantages of the Chaos Physique to surpass geniuses of the same age group.
Yet, if he encountered a peerless genius who also possessed a special physique, Ning Wuque's advantage would vanish into thin air.
Now, however, things were different.
Having fused with the sword soul of the Chaos Divine Sword, his Chaos Physique had already undergone a sublimation, transforming into the even more powerful Chaos Sword Body.
He had directly acquired the strength of the Body Tempering Extreme Realm.
And now, he had also completed the Qi Refining Extreme Realm.
His foundation had grown increasingly solid.
This was the reason why, despite only being at the Qi Condensation Realm, he possessed strength that rendered him invincible against anyone below the Mortal Shedding Realm.
"I'll break through to the Spirit Refining Realm first, and after the master-welcoming banquet, strive to step into the Spirit Refining Extreme Realm within a month. I must enter the Mortal Shedding Realm before August so I can pass the city examination and earn the qualification to take the provincial examination..." Accustomed to planning before acting, Ning Wuque had long since mapped out his subsequent cultivation plans.
The Martial Arts Imperial Examination consisted of the city examination, the provincial examination, the regional examination, and the palace examination.
The requirement for the city examination was cultivation at the Mortal Shedding Realm or above, for those under fifty years of age.
This was the first step in participating in the Martial Arts Imperial Examination.
If one couldn't even clear this hurdle, how could they talk about contending for the title of Top Martial Scholar?
"Yunshang treats me with absolute sincerity; I must never let her down!"
Ning Wuque took a deep breath and immediately activated the *Chaos Infinite Sword Dao*, driving the inner Qi within his body to envelop the soul crystal.
Establishing a connection between the soul crystal and himself.
Ning Wuque emptied his mind, banishing all distracting thoughts, allowing his body and mind to enter a state of ethereal emptiness.
At the same time, the *Gods and Demons Contemplation Method* emerged within his mind.
This was a unique contemplation method created by the Sword Ancestor during his eighth reincarnation, far surpassing the *Starry Sky Contemplation Method* he had handed over to Luan Hongyi.
"..."
There was no sound around him.
Ning Wuque felt as though he had been cast into a dark space—a place filled solely with endless darkness, devoid of anything else.
Even the sounds of his heartbeat and breathing gradually faded away.
*Drip!*
*Drip-drop!*
The faint sound of dripping water echoed from within the darkness.
Amidst the dim chaos, a pool of black water suddenly appeared. As the sound of dripping water grew more urgent, ripples spread across the surface of the lake in concentric circles.
Layer upon layer.
They expanded outward grandly in all directions.
The ripples gradually transformed into a vortex.
The first things to enter Ning Wuque's field of vision were two spiral curved horns.
"Such a terrifying demon god! Just a single pair of horns fills my heart with dread. I truly cannot imagine how terrifying the true form of such an ancient demon god must be..."
Shock surged inexplicably within Ning Wuque's heart.
The *Gods and Demons Contemplation Method* was a secret technique created by the Sword Ancestor through contemplating ancient demons and gods. As Ning Wuque's spiritual power increased, this demon god would gradually emerge from beneath the surface.
When the true form of the demon god completely broke the surface, it would signify that Ning Wuque had stepped into the Spirit Refining Extreme Realm.
As Ning Wuque deepened his practice of the *Gods and Demons Contemplation Method*, the soul crystal in his hand was continuously refined, surging soul power pouring into his body.
This caused the demon god to rise gradually.
After an unknown passage of time...
The soul crystal in his hand had shrunk by a circle. Within Ning Wuque's contemplation space, the head of that demon god had finally broken the surface of the water.
It was shockingly a massive, peerlessly giant bovine head.
This bovine head possessed an extraordinary, divine aura, with a vertical third eye positioned right between its brows.
All three eyes were tightly closed.
Yet, even though only a head had surfaced before him, it struck a terrifying sense of awe directly into his soul.
And the effects of the contemplation were equally terrifying.
At this moment, Ning Wuque had broken through the Qi Refining Extreme Realm and officially stepped into the Spirit Refining Realm!
He had reached the first tier of the Spirit Refining Realm!
*Hoo!*
Ning Wuque let out a long breath of stale air, withdrawing his consciousness from the contemplation space before finally opening his eyes.
Although he had immersed himself in cultivation day and night for half a month without sleep, Ning Wuque still appeared radiant and spirited. Within his pitch-black eyes, a light far clearer and brighter than before his breakthrough was flickering.
"I've finally broken through to the Spirit Refining Realm..."