"Hmph."
Seeing the lecherous hand reaching out to take advantage of her, Li Shiyuâs pretty face turned cold.
She was the prodigy of the Li Family, ranked third on the Famous Family List. Proud and arrogant, how could she let such a personâs filthy hand touch her?
BANGâ
Before Nie Taoâs palm could even get close to Li Shiyu, he felt a powerful aura erupt from the stunning beauty. It slammed into him, forcing him back three steps until he lost his balance and fell right on his ass.
âSheâs an expert!â
The nearby guards were stunned. Although Nie Tao wasnât among the top of the younger generation, he still had an Innate Middle Stage cultivation. Yet, he had been sent flying before he could even touch the hem of Li Shiyuâs clothes.
âSuch power... She must be at least at the Innate Peak.â
"Damn it."
Nie Tao flew into a rage and leaped up from the ground. "How dare you attack me in the Pill King Hall!"
As the son of the Pill King Hallâs Master, he had been used to being high and mighty his whole life. Besides, this place was connected to Pill King Valley, and his father was highly valued by the Pill King. With his status, he could stand on equal footing even with those from Noble Families.
"Who are you? Which family are you from?"
Nie Tao wasnât completely blinded by rage. He could tell Li Shiyu was strong and likely had some kind of background.
Only by knowing his enemy and himself could he decide on the right countermeasure.
"Li Shiyu of the Li Family."
"Li Shiyu? The one whoâs third on the Famous Family List? I see."
A sharp glint flashed in Nie Taoâs eyes as he said forcefully, "Even if youâre from a First-Class Noble House, youâll have to answer for attacking me in the Pill King Hall."
If Li Shiyu had the backing of a true Noble Family, he might have been a bit wary.
But a First-Class Noble House wasnât enough to make him back down.
After being so humiliated, how could he be satisfied if he didnât get his dignity back?
"Oh? And what kind of answer do you want?"
"Simple. Serve me tea and apologize!"
Hearing this, Li Shiyu let out a cold laugh. "I already spared your life by not killing you, and now you want me to apologize? You should take a good look at yourself."
She was deeply respectful toward Ning Jiang because his strength was enough to dominate all of Cyan Cloud. But a nobody like Nie Tao, who wasnât even on the Famous Family List and was nothing more than a lecherâwhy should she be polite to him?
Her sharp-tongued words instantly made Nie Taoâs face turn the color of pig liver from rage.
"What did you say?!" Nie Taoâs eyes went wide, and he began to laugh from extreme anger. "Good, very good. Not only did you attack me, but you also dared to insult me. Iâll make you pay the price."
"Men!"
Nie Tao roared, his voice echoing in all directions. Within a few breaths, more than a dozen experts appeared around them.
Four at the Innate Peak, and the rest were all at the Innate Late Stage.
As a power under Pill King Valley, Pill King Hall was naturally teeming with experts.
Seeing so many experts arrive, Nie Taoâs arrogance swelled. "Li Shiyu, you think you can run wild in Pill King Hall just because youâre from a First-Class Noble House? âA strong dragon canât crush a local snake.â Iâm telling you, I am the master of Pill King Hall! Iâll give you one last chance. Serve me tea and apologize!"
"It seems I should have listened to Mr. Ning from the start. We should have just fought our way in. Why bother with courtesy first and force later?"
At this moment, Li Shiyu sighed. Her decision to use ten thousand Primordial Stones to bribe the guards was the wrong move from the beginning.
"What âfight your way inâ? Are you here to cause trouble at Pill King Hall?"
Nie Tao looked at the two of them with amusement. Since the establishment of Pill King Hall, no one had ever dared to cause trouble here. Two mere youngsters, daring to cause a scene?
"Enough."
Just then, Ning Jiang stepped forward, his patience gone. "Have Liang Xiyue come out and see me."
"Insolence! Who do you think you are? Do you think you can see Miss Liang just because you want to?"
Nie Tao frowned and berated him. He saw Ning Jiang as nothing more than an ignorant brat and paid him no mind.
"Hm?"
Ning Jiangâs eyes narrowed, his gaze shooting out like a sword.
Nie Tao let out a muffled grunt. His body felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Young Master!"
Seeing this, the expressions of the many Pill King Hall experts changed, and they all attacked Ning Jiang.
"Like ants."
Ning Jiang stood his ground and waved his wide sleeve. A terrifying torrent of Innate Gang Qi erupted from him, sweeping out in all directions like an avalanche.
BANG! BANG! BANG!â
All the experts from Pill King Hall were sent flying backward, spitting blood.
...
Meanwhile, in a large hall, three people were present.
"Grandmaster Tan, you said thereâs a junior in Cyan Cloud Country whose talent for alchemy is not only more outstanding than my Senior Brotherâs, but even comparable to my Masterâs. You must be joking with me, Xiyue, right?"
The speaker was a woman with delicate features who looked to be around twenty-five. While not a peerless beauty, she had a poetic and picturesque aura, full of a tranquil, meditative quality.
This was Liang Xiyue, a Direct Disciple of the Pill King, a person of esteemed status.
At this moment, her beautiful eyes were filled with doubt as she looked at the old man before her in disbelief.
Just a short while ago, she had heard from Tan Jinglin that there was a junior in Cyan Cloud Country who not only far surpassed her Senior Brother but could even be compared to the great Pill King Lu Changsheng.
How could she not be astonished by such news?
Who was Pill King Lu Changsheng?
His fame shook Cyan Cloud; he was a figure of faith in the hearts of countless Alchemists. How could any junior possibly compare to such a paramount figure?
If the old man opposite her werenât an Alchemy Grandmaster, she would have dismissed him as a charlatan and paid him no heed.
"I know you donât believe me. In the future, if fate allows, you will understand once you meet him."
Tan Jinglin didnât want to explain further. He could understand Liang Xiyueâs feelings; if it were him, he wouldnât have believed it either without seeing it with his own eyes.
"Hm? It sounds like something is happening outside."
Just then, a middle-aged, burly man accompanying the two frowned. He was the Master of this Pill King Hall, Nie Zhou.
Hearing the sounds of fighting from outside, his expression immediately darkened. âSomeone dares to cause trouble at Pill King Hall?â
"Grandmaster Tan, please excuse us. Uncle Nie and I will go take a look. Please wait here for a moment," Liang Xiyue said.
"Itâs no trouble. I will just have some tea here."
Tan Jinglin nodded, unconcerned.
After the two left, Tan Jinglin suddenly sighed and said with regret, "What a pity. If Ziling hadnât died, he wouldnât have been any worse than this Liang Xiyue. But Ziling offended the Pill King, so he only had himself to blame. Alas."
ăThe Front Courtyard.ă
"Youâre at the Innate Limit! Who in the world are you?"
Nie Tao felt like his hair was about to stand on end. So many Innate Realm experts had been repelled by a single wave of Ning Jiangâs sleeve. Only someone at the Innate Limit could possess such strength.
An Innate Limit expert this young... It was terrifying!
"Whatâs going on?"
Just as Nie Tao was still reeling from the shock, a voice rang out.
When Liang Xiyue and Nie Zhou arrived and saw the Pill King Hall experts strewn across the ground, their expressions immediately darkened.
"Father, itâs these two! They came to Pill King Hall to cause trouble!" Nie Tao said quickly.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his father arrive. Although his father wasnât ranked on the Innate List, he was quite close to it. His strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Innate Limit expert.
Even if Ning Jiangâs strength was tyrannical, he believed his father should be able to control the situation.
"You must be Liang Xiyue, right?"
Ning Jiangâs gaze immediately focused on the woman with the poetic and picturesque aura, guessing her identity.
"I am. Who are you? Why have you come to Pill King Hall to cause trouble?" Liang Xiyueâs fine, elegant brows knitted together.
"You donât need to know who I am. You just need to understand that Iâm here to cause trouble for Pill King Valley! Now, take me to Pill King Valley!"
At this moment, Ning Jiang was utterly domineering, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Wei Tianchen of Pill King Valley had taken Wei Yanran. He had to be held accountable for this matter.
"Cause trouble for Pill King Valley? Youâve got some nerve."
Nie Zhouâs eyes turned cold and sharp as knives. "Xiyue, donât waste your breath on him. I say we capture him first and then interrogate him properly."
"Then Iâll have to trouble Uncle Nie."
Liang Xiyue nodded, also feeling displeased with Ning Jiang.
Pill King Valley was a Top Level power in Cyan Cloud Country. Even great Noble Families were nothing before it. Yet some mere junior dared to say he was here to cause trouble for Pill King Valley.
What did he take Pill King Valley for? A soft persimmon he could squeeze whenever he wanted?
The majesty of Pill King Valley could not be provoked!
As a member of Pill King Valley, Liang Xiyue had deep feelings for it and naturally couldnât tolerate Ning Jiangâs words.
"You little bastard, get on your knees!"
Nie Zhou moved, lunging toward Ning Jiang like a calamitous dragon. With a great swipe of his hand, a palm formed from Gang Qi came crashing down on Ning Jiangâs head.
Liang Xiyue nodded to herself. âWith the power of this strike, Ning Jiang will be severely injured, at the very least.â
"Get lost!"
Ning Jiangâs gaze went cold as he threw a punch.
Before Liang Xiyueâs disbelieving eyes, Nie Zhou, who had come in fast, went out even faster. His body flew backward, crashing through several walls before finally coming to a stop.
"How is this possible?"
Seeing Nie Zhou lying on the ground, struggling to even move a finger, Liang Xiyue clapped a hand over her mouth, dumbfounded.
This expert who guarded Pill King Hall and was renowned in Dan City couldnât even take a single punch from Ning Jiang?
"Who on earth are you? When did our Pill King Valley ever provoke you?!" Liang Xiyueâs eyes were filled with shock.
"Whether Pill King Valley has provoked me or not is something youâll find out when we get there."
Ning Jiangâs voice was devoid of emotion. "If you donât want to die, take me to Pill King Valley now."
"I donât know what grievances you have with Pill King Valley, but I advise you not to be so arrogant. Donât think you can push me around just because you have a bit of strength. I wonât fall for it."
Liang Xiyue snorted coldly, her tone unyielding. "You are indeed very powerful. The strength of that last strike could probably rank you in the top twenty of the Innate List. However, the power of our Pill King Valley is not something you can challenge. I advise you to recognize this and not bring about your own ruin."
Just as Liang Xiyue, full of confidence, thought Ning Jiang would back down after hearing her words, a surprised and delighted voice suddenly rang out.
"Mr. Ning!"
The next moment, before Liang Xiyueâs wide, staring eyes, the great Grandmaster Tan Jinglin quickly walked up to Ning Jiang and bowed respectfully. "This junior greets you, sir."