In the courtyard where the wind and snow had never ceased
"That... is... Jiang... Ning?"
Hearing the fragmented words carried by the wind, Jiang Ning's mind instantly tensed.
In the next moment
With a slight shift in his thoughts, he pushed his five senses to their utmost limits.
Immediately, he could hear the conversation between the two figures in the distance, their voices mixing with the howling wind.
Divine Embryo?
Hearing these words, Jiang Ning was inwardly surprised.
Could it be...?
He immediately thought of the golden box and the statue inside it the one with three heads, six arms, and four legs.
"Could that statue be the Divine Embryo?"
He pondered deeply.
At this moment, he had no mind to focus on observing the changes in his body after completing his bone-tempering process.
The sudden development before him made him instantly heighten his vigilance.
Just then
His mind tensed once more.
Though his eyes remained closed, and all he could "see" was endless darkness, he could still sense the presence of that blackened, divine-finger-like object more than a kilometer away.
That finger stood out like a beacon in his mind's eye, glowing with an eerie black-red radiance against the backdrop of his internal darkness.
Even though he was facing away from it and separated by a great distance, the object appeared vividly distinct in his perception.
"Such powerful divine energy!"
"Such an intense pull!"
Jiang Ning marveled inwardly.
The mysterious attraction he felt left no doubt
That finger was undoubtedly connected to the God of Flesh and Blood.
And since he wielded a portion of the God of Flesh and Blood's authority, it was natural that he would feel this inexplicable pull.
"If that's true, then one day, I will have to face the God of Flesh and Blood of the Worshiping God Cult in a battle for divine authority."
"There can only be one deity wielding the same authority."
This realization struck him with absolute clarity.
At this moment
He fully understood who had set their sights on him.
It had to be members of the Worshiping God Cult.
As for the Divine Embryo, he quickly connected the dots
It had to be the statue inside the golden box.
That very statue still lay inside his Spatial Ring at this moment.
Previously, it had gradually lost its vitality after being deprived of its nourishment from the Bai Ling Blood.
When he touched it and absorbed its residual divine essence and authority, the statue had completely transformed into a lifeless object.
No longer displaying any of its previous mystical properties.
The timing of these changes perfectly aligned with the claims of the two figures, who spoke of the Divine Embryo being destroyed.
As these thoughts settled in his mind
Jiang Ning's expression remained calm as he slowly opened his eyes.
Then, he turned to face Luoshui, sweeping his gaze toward the direction from which the voices had come.
His pupils slightly contracted, shifting to resemble the keen eyes of an eagle
.His vision instantly multiplied in sharpness.
With his extraordinary five senses, which had evolved alongside his martial prowess, his perception had grown sharper than ever.
With just a glance
Thanks to his Photographic Memory, he captured every single detail of his surroundings, like an ultra-high-definition recording.
Reconstructing the scene in his mind, Jiang Ning quickly pinpointed the two figures' location based on their voices, estimated distance, and direction.
They were positioned on a high building, about a kilometer away from him.
Like chameleons, they blended seamlessly into the snowy landscape beneath them, making them incredibly difficult to detect.
Had it not been for his heightened five senses, perfect memory, and prior awareness of their general location, even he would have struggled to locate them so quickly.
Fixing his gaze on Luoshui, Jiang Ning's thoughts flickered.
Then, with a sudden leap, he soared into the air like a great roc riding the wind and snow.
Gliding over the high courtyard walls and heading toward the rocky shores beyond.
Meanwhile
Jiang Ning's movements did not go unnoticed by the two figures.
Seeing this, the Wind Divine Envoy narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured in amazement.
"What an extraordinary movement technique!"
Beside him, the Star Guardian spoke
"Wind Divine Envoy, should we follow him?"
The Wind Divine Envoy replied slowly.
"I originally planned to wait until the New Year's festival, when most of the city's powerful individuals would return home, leaving this place unguarded before making a move..."
"But since he's voluntarily heading toward a desolate area, we might as well follow him and see if an opportunity arises."
"Understood!" the Star Guardian responded immediately.
As soon as the words fell, the Wind Divine Envoy's figure flickered
Drifting down from the high building like a feather carried by the wind.
"Star Guardian, be mindful of your steps and keep a safe distance!"
"Yes!" the Star Guardian answered softly from behind.
On the Rocky Shores
Jiang Ning stood atop a smooth reef rock,
Quickly sensing that the two figures had silently begun to trail behind him.
"As expected, they followed."
Jiang Ning thought to himself.
His heart also settled considerably.
From the two men's conversation, he already knew they were here to cause him trouble.
In this situation, the arrow was already on the bowstring it had to be released.
Escape was no longer an option.
The only thing he could do now was decide where the battlefield would be.
If he fought at his residence, not only would it endanger his elder brother, sister-in-law, and their children, but it was also too close to civilians, making it difficult for him to fully unleash his abilities.
After all, some of his techniques were not meant to be seen by others.
The various divine abilities he had mastered meant that his true strength far exceeded the mere appearance of a sixth-rank martial artist.
This was why he had never feared revealing his cultivation level.
But those techniques were not to be easily exposed to the world.
They were his true trump cards.
By keeping them hidden, he could make his enemies underestimate him, judging his strength solely based on his apparent cultivation level.
This would cause them to miscalculate, leading to their downfall due to their carelessness.
Thus, he chose to leave his courtyard and lure the two men toward the surface of Lake Luoshui.
By selecting a secluded battlefield, he would be free of concerns and could fully display his techniques.
Moreover, now that things had reached this point, he was eager to test himself against a worthy opponent.
He wanted to know, once he unleashed his full strength without restraint, just how powerful he truly was.
These two individuals from the Worship God Sect were perfect opponents, given what he knew about them.
From their conversation, he had already determined their status within the sect.
One was a Guardian, while the other was a Divine Envoy, a title of even greater respect.
When the Inspectorate had assigned the task of eliminating the Worship God Sect, he had received intelligence reports detailing their internal hierarchy.
At the top of the sect were the Chief and Deputy Chief, the two highest-ranking leaders.
According to the reports, these two were estimated to be at the peak of the fifth rank, comparable to Lu Qingshan, the Master of Medicine King Valley.
At that level, their internal energy had condensed into true force, capable of slaying a thousand soldiers with a single breath.
The report also hinted that the Chief might have already surpassed the fifth rank, stepping into the fourth rank of martial arts.
Below these two were the Four Guardian Deities Wind, Fire, Mountain, and Forest.
While there was limited information on the Chief and Deputy Chief, the intelligence on these Guardian Deities was far more detailed.
Among them, the strongest was the Fire Guardian Deity, also known within the sect as the Fire Divine Envoy.
However, even he had only reached the peak of the fifth rank, with his internal energy described as vast as the sea.
The other three Guardian Deities were slightly weaker but still at the fifth-rank level, with internal energy likened to great rivers.
Currently, Jiang Ning's internal energy has also reached the "river-like" level.
Beneath the Guardian Deities were the standard Guardians.
In terms of martial rank, the difference between a regular Guardian and a Guardian Deity was minimal.
Both were primarily fifth-rank warriors, making them the sect's main fighting force.
The biggest distinction was how they transformed into "Divine Scion" forms.
The Guardian Deities had undergone the divine blood baptism of the Worship God Sect, absorbing power from their revered deity.
In their transformed state, they took on forms with four legs and six arms.
From the earlier conversation, Jiang Ning had roughly determined the identities and strengths of the two men pursuing him.
One was a Guardian Deity the Wind Divine Envoy.
The other was a regular Guardian Star Guardian.
This meant both of them were in the fifth-rank "Internal Strength" realm.
Jiang Ning, on the other hand, was only in the sixth-rank "Mystic Bone" realm.
But he practiced both internal and external martial arts, and his internal energy had already reached a level as vast as the sea.
Against the Wind Divine Envoy, he was in no way at a disadvantage.
The only shortcoming was in physical toughness.
The first four ranks of martial arts focused on refining the skin, flesh, muscles, and bones.
His bones had only just reached the "Mystic Bone" stage and had yet to become "Jade Bone."
Meanwhile, any fifth-rank expert whether the Wind Divine Envoy or the Star Guardian had already refined their bones into jade-like quality.
Thus, in terms of physical endurance, they held a slight advantage over him.
But Jiang Ning remained unshaken.
After all, his true strength could no longer be measured by mere martial ranks.
After grinding countless martial techniques and breaking through multiple limits, his foundation had grown incredibly deep.
The next moment, sensing the two men stealthily following behind him, Jiang Ning raised his hand and released a burst of internal energy.
With a sharp snap, a section of bamboo behind him was cleanly severed and fell to the ground.
A kilometer away, the two pursuers silently trailing him saw this, and the Wind Divine Envoy's pupils contracted again.
"Internal-external dual cultivation, condensing internal energy into a tangible force!"
Compared to the astonishment of the Wind Divine Envoy, the Star Protector's expression remained unchanged.
That day, when Jiang Ning wiped out the God-Worship Cult's stronghold, he had already witnessed Jiang Ning's ability to cultivate both internally and externally.
That was also the reason he had chosen to retreat then.
A martial artist at the sixth rank, proficient in both internal and external cultivation if they were to engage in battle, while Jiang Ning might not surpass him, it would still not be a fight he could win quickly.
If he were delayed too long and the elite commanders of the Inspection Bureau arrived, he would struggle to escape even with all his skills.
And if Hong Minghu were to arrive, his chances of making it out alive would become slim.
After weighing the risks and benefits, he had chosen to retreat that day and abandoned that stronghold.
Now, on the vast and boundless Luoshui Lake
Jiang Ning stepped onto a long bamboo pole, gliding rapidly across the snow-covered surface.
At this moment, he was like a boat riding the wind and waves, heading straight for a desolate island in the middle of the lake.
The two figures trailing behind him were like ghosts, gliding soundlessly over the icy surface.
Their powerful internal energy allowed their movement techniques to reach a level akin to "walking on snow without leaving a trace."
After some time
Jiang Ning finally saw the snow-covered island in his field of vision.
The island was blanketed entirely in white, with only bare trees standing tall, devoid of any greenery.
Upon seeing the familiar island, Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile.
"They sure are patient."
The two pursuers had been keeping a steady distance of about a kilometer behind him the entire time.
At this moment, they blended so well with the snowy landscape that, had it not been for his exceptional eyesight, he would not have been able to detect their presence.
Their patience was beyond his expectations.
By now, he had traveled a considerable distance from the shores of Luoshui.
No matter how much noise a battle might cause here, the people in Luoshui County would never notice a thing.
Earlier, he had expected the two to lose patience and make a move against him long before reaching this point.
But he hadn't anticipated that their patience would surpass even his own!
"If you two have patience, I do not!"
Jiang Ning's gaze locked onto the towering and smooth cliffs ahead.
This was the battlefield he had chosen.
Ever since he had sensed the divine power contained within that severed finger and the way it called to him
He had already made up his mind.
He had to obtain that finger.
He needed to test whether it would bring him great benefits.
This was of utmost importance.
Because if his assumptions were correct
Then one day, he would inevitably have to face off against the Flesh and Blood God.
A war over divine authority.
There could only be one rightful god.
If that was the case, then he and the Flesh and Blood God were destined to be mortal enemies!
With this thought in mind, Jiang Ning turned to glance behind him.
Despite their efforts to blend into the environment, his sharp vision still locked onto their figures.
The two were still maintaining a distance of a kilometer.
Even as they stepped across the snowy ground, they left only the faintest of footprints barely noticeable unless examined closely.
After giving them a brief look, Jiang Ning withdrew his gaze.
Behind him
"Did he notice us?" The Wind Divine Envoy's eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured.
Though there was still a full kilometer between him and Jiang Ning, he could feel Jiang Ning's gaze falling upon him without the slightest hesitation.
At his level, he had long learned to trust his instincts.
"Noticed us? No way," the Star Protector said, surprised.
"Nine times out of ten, he has," the Wind Divine Envoy replied while keeping his eyes fixed on Jiang Ning's back.
The next moment
He saw Jiang Ning step off the bamboo pole and leap into the air.
Like a great roc spreading its wings, he soared gracefully toward the smooth cliffside ahead.
"What an elegant movement technique!" the Wind Divine Envoy couldn't help but exclaim.
He had taken the name "Wind" precisely because of his mastery of movement techniques.
Among his peers of the same rank, his agility was unmatched.
Yet every time he saw Jiang Ning's movement techniques, he couldn't help but be amazed.
That kind of soaring movement, like a roc ascending into the sky
Even for him, it would be difficult to do better.
And what was his strength?
A fifth-rank master at the peak of his level, with internal energy as vast as the sea.
He had also undergone divine baptism, becoming a revered divine Scion.
In the future, as their deity continued to gather divine essence, consolidate authority, and reclaim divinity he, too, would rise to the level of a grandmaster.
Yet Jiang Ning, a mere junior in his eyes, already possessed a movement technique comparable to his own!
That was precisely why he hadn't rushed to strike.
Such an extraordinary movement technique
Coupled with his profound foundation in both internal and external cultivation
If he were to attack and Jiang Ning was determined to flee, even he could not guarantee that he could take him down quickly.
This was why he had been patient.
The further they moved into the heart of the lake and away from Luoshui County.
The more space they would have to hunt him down.
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