Chapter Thirty One: Flee

But Ding Ning did not stop right now.

From a certain point of view, he was the master of the Ba Mountain Sword Field right now, the symbol of the entire Ba Mountain Sword Field. Especially when Emperor Yuanwu guessed that he was Wang Jingmeng reborn and not his heir. So right now, Ding Ning, in the eyes of these people, was likely no different from Wang Jingmeng back then.

Back then, countless grandmasters in the world had gathered in Changling to kill Wang Jingmeng. But if Wang Jingmeng wanted to speak and say something, all of the grandmasters would listen. This was having enough weight.

Even more so when Ding Ning had the Nine Death Silkworm and the secret of how he could possess such a perfect sword essence. So no one attacked. Everyone listened to his words.

“Even the tiger will not eat his child. Yuanwu, today, you want Fu Su to die with us together, just because you do not want to miss a chance to kill us. Using a son to trade for such a chance. This is why you are different from the people of the Ba Mountain Sword Field back then. You will do what others will not, you will benefit because you will do anything. But can you conquer the world just by cultivation?”

Ding Ning looked at Yuanwu, and his scorn grew. “How dangerous the war between the Qin and Chu is, even you have come in person. But you had Fu Su come here with Sima Cuo. Perhaps you have contemplated long ago about using this chance to kill this son of yours as well?”

Everyone present suppressed their emotions, suppressing their breathing. But when they heard Ding Ning’s words, even though they all controlled themselves, many gasps were clear and loud.

Not long ago, there had been an old palace attendant in the Qin imperial palace. She had been a powerful grandmaster of the Ba Mountain Sword Field and also Demon Consort Zhao’s teacher. That incident had provoked all of the Qin people to guess whose son Fu Su was.

“Fu Su is naturally this Lonely One’s flesh and blood.”

Yuanwu seemed to hear everyone’s sound. His voice calmly sounded with suffocating authority and energy. “Sending him to the front lines to gain experience was not this Lonely One’s idea, what is the use in you saying such things?”

Ding Ning’s breathing was laboured, but he still laughed and said, “If you are not truly worried, why are you responding to me right now, especially when you did not want to speak before this, but now, you are speaking? You must also be clear that while Zheng Xiu had been the one to send him, she did not send him here for you to kill him.”

After a pause, he looked provocatively at Yuanwu. “Maybe she purposefully sent him here to see your intentions, and if you do suspect if he is your son.”

“This Lonely One is not an average person, why think averagely?”

Yuanwu looked calmly and coldly at Ding Ning, slowly saying, “This is for the country, for an unprecedented Qin Dynasty. Even if today, it is this Lonely One being sacrificed, this Lonely One will make the same choice.”

“This is the great virtue you speak of?” Ding Ning smiled. “But I am saying these things to argue with you. I do not want to speak of how you have no virtue or honor, but discuss honor. I want you to say such things, not because I want to listen, but so that other people can hear.”

“Do you remember what I told you to do when there is no other way?” When Ding Ning said this, he was speaking to Zhangsun Qianxue next to him.

When the words were said, he was not looking at Yuanwu, but at Zhangsun Qianxue. When he said this, Yuanwu suddenly had a feeling. This feeling was very strange. He just inexplicably felt that the other had a chance to escape. He could not help but give a low growl from his throat. Then, many lines of light appeared on the surface of his body.

What was shining were the meridians in his body. At this moment, the power in his body became bright rays of light that realm sevens could not understand which pierced through his body. His body did not seem to be made of flesh, but was a seal weapon.

Roars sounded from high up, like there were countless gods and demons roaring in response. The sky covered by the wind and snow was torn to pieces. Countless enormous pillars of light fell down like a punishment from the heavens.

The sunlight at noon on a summer day was the hottest. When the light was this bright, it would blind people. At this time, the light here was so bright that everyone grew transparent. Other than the white light, there were no other shadows. There was no sense of sword essence. There was even not any killing intent in this height.

But not being able to sense anything was the greatest danger. In the last breath, Zhangsun Qianxue tightly gripped the Nine Hell King Sword in her hand.

Before Ding Ning found the Great Punishment Sword, the Nine Hell King Sword had been recognized as the most violent sword in the world. This was the symbol of the Gongsun Family, the erstwhile top family of Changling. Yet the Gongsun Family had sealed up this sword for many years and did not dare to touch it because it was too strong and no one could tame it.

Zhangsun Qianxue had hid inside Changling, doing everything to cultivate this sword into her lifebond sword. To her, the sword had been her only chance to get revenge.

Back in the nights of Falling Parasol, Ding Ning had discussed the plans for revenge many times with her.

Getting revenge. The key was that you should be still breathing before killing your enemies.

So Ding Ning kept on reiterating one thing, if he and Zhangsun Qianxue were exposed, if they could not flee out of Changling based on the paths painted on the walls, if they were surrounded when in Changling… that was when there was no other way.

Now was the time that Ding Ning had repeatedly mentioned.

Zhangsun Qianxue gripped her sword tight. She did not move, just pressed all her vital energy into this sword.

The deep color faded from the sword. The Nine Hell King Sword contained many years of coldness that Zhangsun Qianxue forced out in one instant. It grew clear in her hands, like a pure crystal sword.

With a boom, hell appeared. Great light fell from the sky while hell rose from the ground. A patch of darkness filled with destructive coldness.

The collision between the light and darkness lasted but a moment. Then the place of contact exploded.

At the start, there was no sound, only the flying white flames and shattered coldness freezing the moisture in the air into ice. The light that could pass through this part of the world refracted and shone on the train of carriages.

There were ice statues all over the train of carriages. Almost all of the cultivators below realm six were not just frozen, but completely frozen, dead, their flesh and blood turning gray black.

Under the attacks of the white fire and the flying ice, the remains of these cultivators cracked like glass, shattering to the ground, and creating blooms of crystal.

Ye Xiao stood on a ground covered in pieces of ice. On his side, the two enormous sword essences, shaped like a pair of wings, slowly faded. The collision of coldness and realm eight power did not threaten him at all, but blocked his senses.

At this time, Ding Ning and the others were not in his sight and senses. But he knew that this would not end like this. So he just turned slightly to look at Yuanwu.

Yuanwu nodded at him and said coldly, “They cannot escape.”

The Donghu monk’s palm’s were pressed together, energy surged out of the two ends of the staff and wrapped around Ding Ning, Zhangsun Qianxue, and Fu Su. He seemed to be using this staff to carry three people as he quickly walked.

In the previous battle, there had not been any obvious wounds on his body. But right now, there were many bright wounds on his back and legs. To use that moment of time to escape Yuanwu’s control was something that even a body like his could not endure. His flesh, stronger than iron, had many cracks.

“I have a day and night that I cannot fight.” Ding Ning struggled to swallow as he said to the Donghu monk.

The Donghu monk nodded to express understanding. He only could not see through the Nine Death Silkworm. As for Zhangsun Qianxue, she had used up even her lifebond energy. For a long time after this, she would be no different from a normal person.

“We must keep on walking,” Ding Ning continued to speak. “His last attack was not to kill, but to stop us from fleeing. We have the energy presence that he imprinted on us.”

The Donghu monk’s situation was not good, but he still nodded and followed the direction that Ding Ning indicated. He said, “I understand.”