Chapter 109: Chapter 106: Dragons Don’t Dwell with Snakes, Sword King Body
The sun rose in the east.
Morning arrived.
The two of them had been sitting on the prow all night.
"Even the grandest banquet must end. It’s time for you to go."
Ning Jiang’s gaze was distant. Partings were always sad, but he didn’t dwell on it.
He believed they would meet again in the future.
"Ning Jiang, in heaven and on earth, for a thousand years, for ten thousand years, even for all eternity, I am your woman. I will wait for you to come find me."
Ye Chenyu’s eyes were as mysterious and distant as the starry night, but at this moment, they seemed to have been set ablaze by a meteor, erupting with boundless, fiery passion.
Her world-toppling face flushed red. Shy and timid, she lifted her pretty face and slowly pressed her lips against Ning Jiang’s.
It was her first time, and she was shy and clumsy.
After a long moment, their lips parted.
"My promise will not change. I will come find you within five years."
Ning Jiang silently savored the kiss. It was his first since being reincarnated.
"You have to stay alive."
Ye Chenyu spoke each word with firm resolve, "If you die, even if I have to turn the world upside down and reverse the flow of Time, I will bring you back."
In her heart, Ning Jiang was someone so important that she would protect him with her very life.
"It’s been ten years since we first met. Time really flies."
Ye Chenyu’s voice was as heavenly as the music of the spheres. She took out a ring and placed it in Ning Jiang’s hand. "This is a memento for you. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you these past few years."
"Ning Yu’an is a good person. I don’t dislike her. If she’s here to accompany you, I can rest a little easier."
She spoke gently, like a devoted wife giving instructions to her husband before a long journey.
The lake’s surface shimmered, and occasionally, a fish would leap from the water, creating a splash.
The time for parting had finally come.
Ye Chenyu gazed deeply at Ning Jiang as if to etch his face into her very heart. She tucked away the reluctance in her eyes, her dress fluttering as she stepped onto the water and walked away, her figure slowly vanishing.
"Moon God Palace."
Ning Jiang repeated the name under his breath.
In the Six Eastern Provinces, the most well-known powers were the Seventy-Two Sects.
But the Seventy-Two Sects were merely famous; they were not the overlords of the Six Provinces.
The true rulers of the Six Eastern Provinces, who governed the countless countries within, were the Seven Great Super Sects. The Moon God Palace was one of them!
A Super Sect like the Moon God Palace could topple a country and shake an entire province with a single word.
Not long after Ye Chenyu left, a radiant glow filled the air not far away, and a beautiful woman appeared.
She appeared to be in her thirties or forties, but her skin was smooth and tender. She wore a simple Daoist robe, which nonetheless faintly outlined a wondrous, mature, and alluring figure. Her entire being exuded a seductive charm.
She stood there quietly, emanating no aura at all. She looked at Ning Jiang with a gaze full of indifference and contempt—the disdain of the strong for an ant.
"Chenyu said she wanted to come back to sever some worldly ties. I agreed, but it seems she hasn’t cut the threads of affection for you."
The beautiful woman’s voice was pleasant but chilly. She gave Ning Jiang a passing glance and then looked away. "You should understand that you and Chenyu are not of the same world. I advise you to abandon any delusions. Chenyu is destined to soar high above the Nine Heavens, far beyond your reach. You will never be on her level!"
"One day, the great roc will rise with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles into the sky."
Ning Jiang said calmly, unfazed by the woman’s words.
His meaning was simple: one day, the great roc would rise with the wind and ascend beyond the clouds of the Nine Heavens.
"You compare yourself to a great roc? In my eyes, you are nothing but a common sparrow, utterly clueless of your own limitations," the beautiful woman sneered.
"The Great Dao begins from the smallest of things."
Ning Jiang’s expression remained unchanged, his every word a gem. "Without single steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles. Without small streams, one cannot form rivers and seas. Everything starts small. A journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet. Even a dragon begins as a snake, then becomes a Flood Dragon, and finally sheds its skin to become a true dragon. Who gave you the audacity to call me clueless?"
As a Venerable in his past life, Ning Jiang himself had risen from humble beginnings.
He never looked down on those who started from nothing.
A tender sapling, with enough tenacity, will eventually grow into a towering tree.
A trickling brook, with enough persistence, will one day embrace the sea.
A weak eaglet, with high-reaching aspirations, will one day soar through the blue sky.
He had seen far too many experts rise from obscurity.
"You’re ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. Survive the crisis before you, then we’ll talk." The beautiful woman’s gaze shifted into the distance.
A small boat drifted on the water, a young man standing upon it.
He wore a Dragon Robe and stood at the prow with his hands behind his back. His long hair was unbound, and on his head, he wore a Purple Gold Crown. Embroidered on his robe were nine Flood Dragons.
He stood there casually, yet in the blowing wind, his clothes seemed to be cast from iron, remaining perfectly still.
The aura he emitted was completely at odds with the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.
"Elder Yue."
The young man nodded at the beautiful woman, a simple greeting.
"Ling Tianxu."
The woman known as Elder Yue didn’t mind. Ordinary people had to bow respectfully upon seeing her, but Ling Tianxu, as a prodigy of the Celestial Sword Sect with an Innate Sword King Body, was qualified to be so casual.
The Celestial Sword Sect, like the Moon God Palace, was one of the Seven Great Super Sects that ruled over the Six Eastern Provinces.
"Do you see him? He has the Sword King Body. He is a favored son of heaven, nurtured with the full resources of the Celestial Sword Sect. If you, like him, possessed a King’s Body, then you might be worthy of being with Chenyu."
Elder Yue said coldly.
’Sword King Body?’
Ning Jiang’s interest was piqued. As a world-shaking Venerable in his past life, he was of course extremely knowledgeable about special physiques.
A physique like the Sword King Body, along with the Heavy Pupils, were both known as the marks of a Natural King.
In the Great Thousand Realms, there were some lucky individuals blessed by the heavens from birth. They were born with extraordinary talents and various uncommon traits, such as a Spirit Body, a King’s Body, a Sacred Body, or a Dao Body.
There were others who had extraordinary eyes, bore a Celestial Map on their back, or possessed unparalleled comprehension...
Clearly, Ling Tianxu was one such person.
The Sword King Body, as its name implied, was related to the sword. Those who possessed it had a natural affinity for swords and were prodigies of the Sword Dao.
However, King’s Bodies were also ranked in tiers. The Sword King Body was not among the best and was still inferior to the Heavy Pupils.
Ning Jiang didn’t think much of it. ’So what if he has a Sword King Body?’
In his previous life, he had killed countless people with King’s Bodies. Great Sect’s Holy Sons, Natural Kings, peerless geniuses, Reincarnated Spirit Children—all of them had become corpses beneath his feet.
He had even slain many with Sacred Bodies, which were stronger than King’s Bodies.
Only the Dao Body, which appeared but once in ten thousand years, was worthy of his attention.
Someone like Ling Tianxu might be a favored son of heaven in the Six Eastern Provinces, but across the entire Great Thousand Realms, he was merely average.
Just as Ning Jiang was observing Ling Tianxu, Ling Tianxu’s gaze shifted, sharp as two Divine Swords shooting toward him.
"Ye Chenyu possesses the Innate Heavy Pupils. She is destined to become a King in the future, standing at the peak and looking down on all living things. It’s a good thing to be ambitious—all Martial Artists should strive to improve. But if you’re dreaming of being with Ye Chenyu, then you’re overestimating yourself. A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh."
Ling Tianxu looked to be around twenty years old. He was young, with handsome features and jet-black pupils.
He had originally come to the Moon God Palace for a martial exchange with their younger generation, but he ended up meeting Ye Chenyu there.
He had always been devoted to the sword and had never been moved by any woman, but the moment he saw Ye Chenyu, he fell in love at first sight.
Later, he learned from the Moon God Palace that Ye Chenyu was returning to her birthplace to sever worldly ties, so he secretly followed her.
And then, he saw Ye Chenyu and Ning Jiang.
He saw the affection they had for each other!
As if his personal treasure had been defiled by another, the prodigy of the Celestial Sword Sect’s gaze turned icy cold. Beneath that iciness was the arrogance of one who dwelled in the Nine Heavens looking down upon the mortal world.
"How can one measure Mount Tai with a ruler, or the ocean with a bucket!" Ning Jiang shook his head. "Whether I’m overestimating myself is not for you to decide."
As a Legendary Venerable who had once stood at the pinnacle and truly looked down upon all creation, how could he be swayed by a few words from Ling Tianxu?
He had yet to build his momentum, yet to emerge from his chrysalis as a butterfly, which was why people looked down on him.
For him, it was all just a matter of time.
"I won’t get involved in the affairs of you young people."
At this, Elder Yue shook her head and gave Ning Jiang one last look. "I have one last thing to say to you before I leave: a dragon does not dwell with a snake. The gap between you and Chenyu will only grow wider. You should extinguish your foolish hopes as soon as possible!"
"A dragon does not dwell with a snake?" Ning Jiang remained unfazed, replying calmly, "Whether I am the snake or the dragon, you will find out when I stand before the gates of the Moon God Palace!"
Elder Yue couldn’t help but sneer. Ning Jiang was shamelessly arrogant. A mere citizen of Cyan Cloud Country, a frog at the bottom of a well, actually dreamed of going to the Moon God Palace? Did he really think he was a dragon that could one day command the Nine Heavens, summoning wind and rain at will?
"In all my life, I have never met anyone as arrogant as you. If you truly have the ability, the Seven Great Super Sects hold a grand tournament once every ten years. You can try to participate then," Elder Yue said coldly.
This was a massive event that swept across the entire Six Eastern Provinces. Every time the tournament began, geniuses from all Six Provinces would gather to participate.
As long as one performed outstandingly, they would have a chance to become a disciple of one of the Seven Great Super Sects.
Even the Seventy-Two Sects encouraged their own disciples to join the Seven Great Super Sects.
Because once they entered a Super Sect, the Super Sect would bestow numerous Treasures upon them.
"A tournament?" A disdainful smile touched the corners of Ning Jiang’s mouth.
He recalled how in the past, when some Venerables accepted disciples, they would casually hold a convention that could shake the entire Great Thousand Realms, with countless prodigies desperate just to attend.
"Forget it. What’s the point of telling you all this? You probably won’t even qualify to attend the tournament." Elder Yue shook her head and turned to leave.
"I can see that you are a very confident person. Your will is as firm as a rock, indestructible."
Ling Tianxu began to smile, but his gaze grew colder with it. "For a person like you, simply killing you would be boring. It would be far more amusing to shatter your confidence, plunge you into despair, and make you admit that you are overreaching."
As his voice fell, a torrential aura erupted from his body, threatening to overwhelm everything.
He was a Spirit Realm Martial Artist!
