Chapter 209: Chapter 209

Even in his final moments, Sikong Jing's eyes remained wide open, bloodshot pupils filled with utter disbelief. It seemed he simply couldn't comprehend how he - the favored son of heaven, the ever-successful young master of the Sikong family - could truly die at the hands of this woman he had long considered his prey.

The ice-blue sword in An Ning's hand still glistened with fresh blood, the deck completely stained crimson. Yet without hesitation, she summoned alchemical flames the moment her opponent collapsed. Thanks to years of pill refinement, An Ning had mastered elemental control, especially fire. Within moments, the corpse before her rapidly turned to ashes...

Not even a trace of body or soul remained!

This ruthless scene terrified Shangguan Ling so thoroughly that she collapsed onto the deck. When An Ning's gaze turned toward her, the woman shook her head frantically:

"P-please... don't kill me..."

"I... I was forced! It was him, Sikong Jing forced me! He made me come... Wait! Grandmaster, aren't you an alchemist? You can check me, check if he poisoned me!"

"He... no, Sikong Jing said... said if I didn't help capture you, I'd never get the antidote... that my spiritual energy would slowly dissipate until I withered away and died..."

"I... I never meant to oppose you..."

As the woman struggled violently, An Ning flicked a dark red pill into her mouth. Only after confirming she swallowed it did An Ning nod to the approaching attendants. Soon, the limp Shangguan Ling was carried away.

The vast deck now held only An Ning and Xiao Tan. Ignoring the two very dead corpses nearby, An Ning stepped forward and grasped the man's wrist...

Warmth spread through her fingertips.

Xiao Tan remained completely still, willingly letting her check his pulse. After a moment, An Ning withdrew her hand in surprise.

Contrary to expectations, his pulse remained stable, unchanged from usual. She stared at him incredulously:

Huh... seriously? An Ning thought. His breathing rhythm didn't even change.

They were both Nascent Soul cultivators of similar levels. Were those two really that weak?

She remembered Xiao Tan mentioning earlier how two Nascent Soul cultivators had once fallen from their realm just from fighting too intensely.

As if reading her thoughts, Xiao Tan glanced at her and explained:

"The one I fought was indeed Nascent Soul. But the other barely reached Golden Core perfection. He'd been hiding in the shadows the entire time..."

When mentioning "Golden Core perfection," a rare darkness flashed through Xiao Tan's usually calm eyes, especially when looking at the woman beside him:

A Golden Core perfection cultivator risking his life here... As one of the first two people who knew about An Ning's special physique, Xiao Tan understood the motive better than anyone.

To willingly abandon a high-grade Nascent Soul Pill meant only one thing - something more valuable than the pill stood before them...

Meanwhile, An Ning examined the two unfamiliar faces and couldn't help clicking her tongue.

Aside from the obvious accomplice Sikong Jing recruited, this was undoubtedly another "prophet!"

Ordering her system to record their appearances, An Ning unceremoniously reduced both corpses to ashes with her flames. After completing this, she finally turned to Xiao Tan and blinked with a smile:

"By the way, didn't I hear someone say a Nascent Soul cultivator's nascent soul can leave their body?"

Her gaze lingered on his smiling expression as he gave an almost imperceptible nod: "Don't worry..."

An Ning promptly stopped questioning further.

Having bid farewell to Xiao Tan, An Ning had barely entered her room when her system burst out excitedly: "Host! Host! I've identified those two! One was an Elder Supreme from the Xuqing Sect, an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who had ties with the former Sikong City Lord years ago.

Tch, this guy was nearing the end of his lifespan, his cultivation regressing in recent years. Probably promised something by that Sikong bastard to take such a risk."

"The other was a recently famous rogue cultivator named Jin Changyue. Triple Spirit Root talent, remained obscure for years before somehow gaining multiple fortuitous encounters. After breaking through to Golden Core, he was invited to join the Haotian Sect as an elder - quite the legendary figure."

Regardless, based on his history, he should have never interacted with An Ning's current body.

Confirmed - this world was full of holes.

Chen Ping, that corpse earlier, this body's cousin sister, and now the mysterious Shangguan Ling...

After mentally complaining countless times, An Ning headed toward Shangguan Ling's cell. She had a feeling most of her earlier questions would be answered here:

As dazzling spiritual light filled the dim room, Shangguan Ling had already lost her senses, bouncing around the cramped space in a disheveled white dress, yet wearing an expression of complete satisfaction.

On the table, a familiar purple-gold incense burner emitted swirling aromatic smoke. Witnessing this, the attendants hastily retreated, leaving only the two women.

From her qiankun bag, An Ning produced a medium-sized silver bell:

With a crisp chime, amidst swirling mist, Shangguan Ling seemed to hear someone gently asking questions from across a shore. The sound of clear flowing water mixed with springs cascading over boulders, creating a melodic tinkling...

From across the shore, the voice spoke:

"What's your name? Or rather, what was your name before you 'became' Shangguan Ling..."

"Jiang... Jiang Ling..."

"My... my name is Jiang Ling..."

In her dazed state, Jiang Ling answered instinctively...