Chapter 51: Your Highness, Has Your Taste Changed?

Ling Jue Shangren spoke in a joking tone.

“In this old man’s opinion, that Xue Chen isn’t bad. His cultivation is approaching the Void Aperture realm, and his status isn’t low either.”

“Why don’t you help him seize Heavenly Phoenix and recruit him as a prince consort?”

“Sect Leader Ling, why have you suddenly become a matchmaker? It depends on whether An’an likes him or not.”

Ning Xuan looked lazy.

Through the profound mirror, he looked thoughtfully at Xue Chen and Ning Shengsheng, who were walking side by side, talking and laughing.

“That’s true.”

Ling Jue Shangren added, “That Ten Thousand Swords Box just now was interesting. The person who refined it has incredible skill.”

“It is a little interesting.”

The corners of Ning Xuan’s mouth curled up.

Few people knew he was a weapon refiner.

It felt quite good to have a magical artifact he created praised by someone who didn’t know the truth.

After all.

Even if he refined a piece of scrap iron, the people in the palace would loudly proclaim His Majesty’s mighty power.

Gu Xuancang also wanted to say a few words.

He glanced at the cold-as-ice Hua Qingxue beside him, endured it, and continued to play mute.

The Blood Vine Demons he had specially prepared for Ling Hegui hadn’t managed to take half the boy’s life.

He wondered if this martial nephew could survive the next level he had designed.

…

“One hundred and ninety-eight Blood Vine Demons died just now. We get sixty-six each. How about this distribution?”

The number of demonic creatures killed inside the secret realm counted towards the competition score.

Even though he knew Xue Chen and Ning Shengsheng were just in there to play, Ling Hegui didn’t want to steal credit from others.

Ning Shengsheng: “Of course. Thanks to Senior Brother Ling, we got such a good score before even leaving the starting point.”

Starting point?

This term was quite interesting.

“Even without me, perhaps the Princess’s score for hunting demonic creatures would have been excellent.”

He glanced at Xue Chen.

His realm was approaching the Void Aperture, and when fighting the Blood Vine Demons just now, he hadn’t lost to him at all.

He could not be underestimated.

At this moment.

The Qingling Sect leaderboard showed.

Ning Shengsheng, Xue Chen, and Ling Hegui were tied for first place.

When other Qingling Sect disciples saw this, they fought even harder.

This is a sect competition.

And two outsiders are ranked first.

Where would the face of their sect go?

Just like that, due to the participation of Ning Shengsheng and Xue Chen, this sect competition became even more intense.

Everyone was giving it their all to catch demonic creatures.

Ling Hegui asked, “I want to go directly to the abyss. Do the Princess and Xue Chen want to come along?”

The demonic creatures in the abyss were gathered in groups.

It seemed Ling Hegui wanted to end the sect competition as soon as possible.

Xue Chen nodded. “I can go, but when the time comes to catch demonic creatures, we rely on our own abilities.”

“Alright.” Ling Hegui agreed readily.

If the Blood Vine Demons were a gift from Gu Xuancang to him, then there were still killer moves waiting ahead.

With Xue Chen and the others present, it wasn’t certain if he could take the top spot, but at least he wouldn’t die tragically in the secret realm.

Both of them looked at Ning Shengsheng at the same time.

Ling Hegui: “Is the Princess going?”

Xue Chen: “Your Highness, do you want to go?”

“Go! Of course, I’m going! We’re teammates!”

She proudly raised the corners of her mouth, extended her arms, clenched her fists, and bumped them against their shoulders.

“Teammates!”

Ling Hegui was infected by the atmosphere.

It was rare for him to feel such a sense of camaraderie and loyalty. He also bumped shoulders with Ning Shengsheng.

Xue Chen glanced at him coldly and moved calmly to stand between the two of them, leaving his back to Ling Hegui while looking at Ning Shengsheng with soft eyes.

“Your Highness, I will protect you.”

“Hey, me too! We protect each other!”

Ning Shengsheng went around his body and made a reassuring gesture to Ling Hegui.

Xue Chen narrowed his eyes, his face full of danger.

Ling Hegui—

What an eyesore of a man.

Their destination was the deepest part of the Swallowing Sea Abyss.

The further one went into the secret realm, the higher the danger factor.

Currently, the three of them were still tied for first place.

However.

There were two people whose count of demonic creatures was about to reach sixty.

One was Gu Xuancang’s personal disciple, Mo Xun, and the other was Ling Hegui’s junior brother, Lu Youxin.

On the way to the abyss.

They didn’t meet anyone.

Everyone knew clearly how dangerous it was. Without finding reliable partners, they wouldn’t rashly move forward.

Ning Shengsheng thought the Ash Lands had a weird atmosphere.

She hadn’t expected.

The closer they got to the abyss, the more terrifying it became.

The endless darkness faded, and the sky turned a scarlet red. If one looked up for too long, it seemed as if blood was about to drip down.

The smell was very pungent.

Ning Shengsheng covered her nose and lifted her skirt in disgust. “So dirty, this dress is ruined.”

Her tone was very regretful.

She quite liked this goose-yellow dress.

Xue Chen looked ahead, but his peripheral vision was always on Ning Shengsheng. Hearing her say this, he naturally replied.

“When we return to Great Ning, I’ll have the Embroidery Pavilion make an identical one.”

“Oh…”

The three arrived outside the fog.

Just as Ling Hegui lit a fire in his palm, he heard the sound of an argument coming from the other side of the fog.

“Mo Xun, you are despicable!”

“You are stupid. Who made a rule that you can’t steal demonic creatures from fellow disciples? Before the competition, the Sect Leader personally said to rely on one’s own abilities. If you want to blame someone, blame your own lack of skill.”

“If you hadn’t used Shadow Demons, with my skills, how could I have been trapped in your formation!”

“So what?”

“You thought you could deceive everyone? Why do the Shadow Demons listen to you? What is your relationship with the demonic creatures?”

“Lu Youxin, you don’t naively think the sect elders will come to save you? The profound mirror doesn’t cover this place at all. I can kill you right now with a wave of my hand.”

“The Sect Leader won’t let you off!”

Ning Shengsheng whispered, “Is the person opposite your junior brother?”

Ling Hegui’s expression was solemn. “En.”

At this moment.

The leaderboard on the jade token changed.

Mo Xun’s number of demonic creatures became 121.

He directly surpassed Ning Shengsheng and the other two, becoming the leader.

And on the other side of the fog.

Mo Xun raised his long sword and stabbed at Lu Youxin, who was bound by the Shadow Demons. “Go to hell!”

Ling Hegui circulated his spiritual energy, and the Po Wang Sword attacked Mo Xun.

Clang—

Mo Xun’s long sword was knocked to the ground.

Ning Shengsheng earnestly gave Xue Chen a lesson. “See that? This is called ‘villains die from talking too much’.”

“He had all that time, he could have killed him long ago. He just had to give a victory speech. Now joy has turned to sorrow, right?”

“Indeed.”

Xue Chen pursed his lips. “I kill without speaking.”

Uh…

Ning Shengsheng slowly turned her head to look at him, then slowly turned back. Of course, she knew that!

It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him kill people.

That’s why he could become the villain who lasted until the finale; it was all because he didn’t waste words when killing.

“Eldest Senior Brother!”

The young man lying on the ground shouted at the top of his lungs.

“It’s a good thing you came in time, I almost died!”

Lu Youxin cried with snot and tears. “Mo Xun, this scumbag, he colluded with demonic creatures to harm fellow disciples.”

“En, I heard.”

Ling Hegui held his sword in his right hand, looking coldly at Mo Xun.

“Tsk, I like this coincidence. It saves me the effort of going to the abyss to find you.”

Mo Xun rotated his wrist, which had been numbed by the shock of the Po Wang Sword.

He stared at Ling Hegui with disdain.

“Dog thing, what are you pretending for? In which competition have you ever won against my Eldest Senior Brother?” Lu Youxin broke free from the Shadow Demon’s restraints.

He ran to Ling Hegui’s side.

Ning Shengsheng noticed the small gourd tied at Lu Youxin’s waist. Is he from the Hundred Herb Valley?

She stretched her neck to look at Lu Youxin’s face.

Such big puppy eyes!

Okay then!

So this is the guy who brought Yun Huaiyue back to the Qingling Sect.

Xue Chen took a half-step forward, blocking Ning Shengsheng’s line of sight. He glanced at Lu Youxin’s face, thinking he’s nothing special, then turned back with a shallow smile on his lips. “Your Highness, has your taste changed?”