Atop the City Walls
Boom
Jiang Ning shouted inwardly, and his spiritual power erupted instantly.
In a split second
The illusion before his eyes shattered like a fragile bubble, and the beautiful hot spring scene he had just seen disappeared completely.
His mind instantly regained clarity.
His eyes refocused, and he immediately noticed the black-skirted woman, her figure as light as a feather, leaping from the eaves. She swiftly traversed the air, heading toward the steep city wall below.
The next moment
He saw the woman holding a black jade hairpin in her hand. She stabbed it into the city wall, and the hard stone was instantly pierced, forming a hole. Using it as leverage, she swiftly ascended.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning immediately understood.
He now had a rough estimate of the woman's martial arts level.
Not yet at the Fifth Rank, unable to harness internal energy.
"If she's not at the Fifth Rank, then what's there to fear?"
Jiang Ning's heart instantly settled.
Then, he let his pupils dilate again, feigning a dazed expression.
The black-skirted woman's earlier technique was an attack on the spiritual level, instantly trapping him in an illusion similar to the mental bewitchment he had experienced when first opening the golden box.
It had also ensnared the soldiers on the city wall in hallucinations.
This mystical ability made Jiang Ning take the woman more seriously.
However, when he saw her method of climbing the city wall, he realized he had been overthinking.
Though her techniques were mysterious, her martial cultivation was mediocre, not even at the Fifth Rank.
Without reaching the Fifth Rank Inner Strength Realm, she posed no real threat to him.
And so, he quietly began accumulating his fist momentum.
In mere moments
The black-skirted woman completed her ascent, her airborne figure appearing right before Jiang Ning.
At that moment
Roar
To the woman's eyes, Jiang Ning suddenly transformed into a ferocious tiger bathed in blazing flames.
As the tiger lunged, the flames illuminated the entire sky.
"Impossible!!!"
Her eyes widened in absolute horror.
This was the fist intent!
A single thought flashed through her mind.
In the next instant
The blazing fire-wreathed tiger reflected in her pupils expanded, flames consuming her entire vision.
Her heart and spirit were completely crushed by the terrifying pressure of Jiang Ning's fist momentum.
She was still mid-air, with no foothold.
She had just exhausted her previous strength, and her new strength had yet to arise.
At the same time, her mind was shaken by Jiang Ning's overwhelming fist intent.
Before she could react
She felt a powerful hand suddenly clamp around her throat.
Crack
Her delicate neck bones creaked under the immense grip, and a deep fear surged through her heart.
The next moment
Jiang Ning wasted no time.
Grabbing the black-skirted woman, he smashed her against the city wall with tremendous force.
Boom
A deep, thunderous impact echoed across the entire city wall.
With this strike, the woman's illusionary technique shattered, and everyone trapped in hallucinations instantly snapped back to reality.
Some were left in a daze.
Some were reluctant to wake.
Some were filled with lingering fear.
And some, quietly shielding their lower halves, hidden in the shadows beyond the torchlight.
At this moment, Jiang Ning did not stop.
Still holding the woman like a ragdoll, he smashed her down again.
Boom
The heavy thud rang out once more.
After two full-force slams, Jiang Ning felt the woman's breath grow faint. Only then did he momentarily pause.
Cough, cough, cough
As soon as Jiang Ning stopped, the black-skirted woman finally managed to cough violently.
Her chest heaved, specks of bloody foam escaping from her lips.
Yet, despite her battered state, her eyes remained locked on Jiang Ning.
Right now
She felt as if her bones had completely fallen apart, with excruciating pain coursing through her body.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you!" Jiang Ning retorted. "You must be from the Black Lotus Sect, right?"
"I am the Saintess of the Black Lotus Sect," the black-skirted woman declared. "The chosen vessel for the descent of the Black Lotus Matriarch."
"Saintess?" Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow in surprise. "The Saintess of the Black Lotus Sect is this weak?"
Hearing this, the black-skirted woman's expression immediately darkened with humiliation.
At Her Age and Strength, She Could Hardly Be Considered Weak Anywhere
Yet, feeling the overwhelming power of the man before her, the confidence in her heart instantly deflated.
Someone so young, not only surpassing her in strength but also comprehending fist intent?
"I am not the official Saintess I am only a candidate!"
"I see," Jiang Ning nodded.
At that moment, he finally understood why he had sensed the aura of a divine scion and the presence of divinity in this black-skirted woman.
Her identity was unique.
As a Saintess of the Black Lotus Sect even if only a candidate she was still part of the sect's sacred lineage.
From her own words, "the vessel for the descent of the Black Lotus Matriarch," it was now clear why she carried the scent of divinity.
Jiang Ning's eyes flickered with thought.
Then
He turned to look at the people behind him, his gaze locking on Ge Zhengyuan.
"Commander Ge, there are twelve Black Mountain Riders left. Their leader has already been slain by my arrow. The remaining twelve, along with the Black Mountain Army entering the city, are now in your hands."
Hearing this, Ge Zhengyuan immediately straightened his posture and responded firmly:
"Understood!"
"I will take this woman back for interrogation." Jiang Ning added.
Ge Zhengyuan glanced at the stunning beauty of the black-skirted woman, then suddenly smirked knowingly.
"I understand! I understand!!"
The next moment
Jiang Ning lifted the now powerless woman and leaped off the city wall. In just a few strides, his figure disappeared into the night.
On the City Walls
The tension among the soldiers eased considerably.
Just as Jiang Ning had said the Black Mountain Rider leader had been slain, leaving only twelve riders.
With the so-called Saintess of the Black Lotus Sect taken away by Jiang Ning, the remaining Black Mountain forces were no longer a threat to Luoshui County's defenses.
"That woman was truly breathtaking," someone sighed.
"Of course! Didn't you hear her identity? She's the Saintess of the Black Lotus Sect! Even if an ordinary village girl became their Saintess, she would be transformed into a celestial beauty, unmatched by mortal standards."
"Indeed," another person added, seemingly lost in thought.
"Remember this you are all imperial officials. Do not let yourselves be ensnared by the sorcery of that Black Lotus witch!"
Ge Zhengyuan's stern voice echoed across the city wall.
His words immediately sent shivers down the spines of many soldiers.
Some only now realized how deeply entranced they had been cold sweat instantly forming on their backs.
By the Frozen Shores of Luoshui
Jiang Ning carried the black-skirted woman like a helpless chick, leaping across the rooftops.
Before long
He arrived at a secluded spot by the frozen Luoshui Lake.
Under the moonlight, the landscape was covered in a blanket of snow and ice. The two of them, both dressed in black, stood out starkly against the white scenery.
"My lord~~"
Seeing Jiang Ning finally stop, the black-skirted woman's eyes turned soft and seductive, shimmering like autumn waves.
She let her shoulder-length sleeve slide down, revealing a slender, snow-white shoulder as delicate as polished jade.
The next moment
ROAR
A deafening tiger's roar exploded in her ears.
Her vision blurred as she saw Jiang Ning transform into a flame-wreathed tiger, its blazing front paws clamping tightly around her throat, as if ready to devour her whole.
At that instant
Her face turned deathly pale, drained of all color.
The charm technique she had quietly activated was instantly shattered.
Jiang Ning watched her with deep contemplation.
The moment he first laid eyes on this woman, his instincts told him she carried divinity which meant he could extract divine points from her.
Having already experimented with two authority powers, Jiang Ning was now deeply interested in divine points.
Whether it was enhancing "Flesh and Blood Regeneration" or saving them for future divine enhancements, both were valuable upgrades for him.
Especially Flesh and Blood Regeneration it could greatly enhance his body's ability to heal.
He speculated that if Flesh and Blood Regeneration continued to evolve, he might eventually achieve limb regeneration or even head regeneration.
Such an ability would be an incomparable asset to his survival.
Staying alive was the foundation of everything.
As for the enhancement of divine scions, that was equally important.
No matter how powerful a person became, they were still just one person.
Even if one were invincible, it was impossible to handle everything alone.
At times, one needed trusted subordinates to handle affairs on their behalf.
Meanwhile
Seeing Jiang Ning's thoughtful gaze, the black-skirted woman felt a surge of pride.
She was well aware of her beauty.
Her allure was not mere mortal physical charm it was a soul-stirring kind of beauty.
This was precisely why Saintess and candidate Saintess of the Black Lotus Sect always veiled their faces.
It was not merely to cultivate mystery, but rather
So that when they finally unveiled themselves, their stunning appearance would shake hearts to their core.
That brief moment of distraction would create a gap in one's mind, making the effects of their Black Lotus Mystical Arts even stronger.
At this moment, Jiang Ning looked at the woman in the black dress before him, and some thoughts formed in his mind.
In the next instant
His five fingers tightened.
Crack, crack
The woman's slender swan-like neck instantly began to twist and deform, her cervical bones fracturing inch by inch.
In a flash
Pain twisted her beautiful face, and her eyes showed a pleading look, like a desperate mother beast begging for survival.
However, in less than two breaths, her pupils began to dilate.
Already gravely injured both inside and out, her bones continued to fracture, crushing her blood vessels and nerves. Her life force rapidly drained away, and her pupils lost focus at an alarming speed.
Suddenly
The woman's unfocused pupils swiftly condensed.
Her irises instantly shrank into pitch-black dots, and the areas outside them turned crystal-clear, devoid of any impurities.
This transformation instantly made her appear incomparably noble and mysterious.
"What manner of wild god dares to destroy this divine vessel?" The woman's voice suddenly rang out.
Her ethereal and otherworldly tone was nothing like that of a mortal it was as if it descended from the highest heavens.
Jiang Ning's expression turned serious upon witnessing this sudden change.
"Black Lotus Matriarch?" Jiang Ning spoke, still gripping the woman's swan-like neck tightly.
"Since you know this deity's divine title, how dare you, a newly revived little wild god, destroy my divine vessel?" the woman said.
At this moment, her voice and demeanor were completely different from before it was as if an entirely different soul had taken over her body.
Jiang Ning immediately realized that the woman before him was now being possessed by the consciousness of the deity worshiped by the Black Lotus Sect Black Lotus Matriarch.
This made him even more wary.
Such an otherworldly technique, descending upon a so-called "divine vessel" with only a fragment of consciousness, was already an extraordinary feat.
It also made him suspect that the Black Lotus Matriarch was far superior to the Flesh God worshiped by the Worshipers Sect.
"Are there so many so-called gods?" His gaze flickered with thought.
Then, he activated his Heavenly Eye at his brow, unleashing its power as he focused his gaze on the woman before him.
At that moment
The consciousness within the woman's body suddenly felt a chill run down its spine.
A deep fear crept over her as if she were utterly exposed before the man's gaze, all her secrets laid bare.
She also saw a dazzling light erupt from Jiang Ning's brow.
That light was so brilliant, so transcendent, that it exuded a celestial majesty she dared not look at directly.
Her heart trembled.
"Could it be... that one?"
The thought surfaced instantly in the Black Lotus Matriarch's mind.
In the next moment
"I was unaware of Your Eminence's revival! Forgive my transgression!" The woman immediately shed her haughty demeanor, her tone turning reverent and deferential.
Jiang Ning was momentarily taken aback.
Then, he spoke in a calm and steady voice.
"You revived earlier than I did."
"This lowly god had the fortune of being worshiped by believers and had even initiated a war to harvest the lifeforce of the living. That is why I have awakened a step ahead of Your Eminence! However, now that Your Eminence has a mortal incarnation walking among men, I am far beneath you!"
She then added, "Your Eminence, this divine vessel of mine is a rare, naturally gifted soul and is of great importance to me. Would you be willing to show mercy?"
"She offended me," Jiang Ning replied, his tone unwavering.
"Then it is my sin. Once the world's lifeforce recovers to a certain level and I can descend to the mortal realm, I shall personally visit Your Eminence to seek forgiveness. As for this vessel, I leave it to Your Eminence's discretion."
With those words, the woman's pupils shifted again, once more becoming unfocused.
The next moment
Her eyes were filled with nothing but terror and desperate pleading.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning did not hesitate any longer.
His fingers tightened and with a series of crackling bone-shattering sounds.
The woman in black lost all signs of life.
At the same time
A notification appeared before his eyes.
[Detected two points of divinity and a fragment of the Divine Scion Authority. Absorb?]
Jiang Ning willed it so.
In the next moment
The lingering divine aura on the woman's body completely vanished.
[Divinity]: 2
[Authority]: Flesh and Blood Regeneration (Incomplete, 13.12%) / Divine Scion (Fragment, incomplete)
[Divine Scion]: Flesh Blessing can enhance the physical development of scions, allowing control over divine offspring. (Note: This authority is still incomplete and has a weak effect; additional fragments must be collected from other divine vessels.)
Jiang Ning glanced at his status panel.
It was clear that, as a vessel of the Black Lotus Matriarch, the woman also carried fragments of the Divine Scion Authority.
However, even after harvesting them, it was not enough to bring about a qualitative transformation.
The authority was still too incomplete to allow him to allocate divinity points to it.
The panel's explanation instantly dampened the surge of joy he had just felt.
Closing his status panel, he exhaled softly.
Two points of divinity alone were far from enough to bring about any fundamental changes in his power there was no immediate need to allocate them yet.
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