Chapter 00086: Fear
# Fear
Chapter 86
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 86: Fear
"Yes, yes..."
Nian Jinqing scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, and hurried upstairs to fetch something.
Ding Huan's divine sense could now extend about seventeen meters.
He didn't follow Nian Jinqing upstairs, but his divine sense kept track of him.
Nian Jinqing probably knew he couldn't escape, so he straightforwardly brought down a long wooden box.
At a glance, Ding Huan could tell the box was recently made.
Opening it, he found a meter-long sword inside.
The blade emitted a dark, mysterious glow, and the edge had a hazy, indistinct shape.
Grabbing the sword, Ding Huan couldn't help but silently praise it.
This blade's quality was on par with some mid-tier weapons from the Changyi Continent.
Without even testing it, Ding Huan's divine sense swept over the blade, confirming it was indeed a formidable weapon.
This sword now belonged to him.
Ding Huan placed the sword back in the box and said, "Go and bring me all the spirit stones and that third-level beast core."
When Nian Jinqing had gone to fetch the sword earlier, Ding Huan had noticed that Nian Jinqing had at least a dozen spirit stones.
He hadn't used these before, and one of the main reasons he wanted to go to the Kunlun Mountains was for the spirit stones.
Since they were right here, why bother going far?
Nian Jinqing's hand trembled slightly.
It wasn't that he cared about the spirit stones—what were they worth compared to his life?
He was certain Ding Huan hadn't followed him upstairs, so how did he know about the spirit stones? If Ding Huan had suddenly remembered, why did he also recall the beast core?
"Yes," Nian Jinqing didn't dare delay and quickly went upstairs again, bringing down eleven spirit stones and the third-level beast core, handing them over to Ding Huan.
This was Ding Huan's first time handling spirit stones.
He casually picked one up.
A surge of rich, natural energy flowed into his palm, and Ding Huan felt a wave of joy.
These were indeed good stuff.
If he had a few dozen, he wouldn't be far from becoming a fifth-level gene cultivator.
Though he was eager to try them out, he knew now wasn't the time.
After storing the spirit stones and beast core in his backpack, Ding Huan asked, "Where did you get these spirit stones?"
"Chirp chirp!" Old Six, seeing Ding Huan stash the spirit stones, let out a few longing cries.
Ding Huan ignored Old Six.
This guy was just tagging along to the Kunlun Mountains for profit, not his pet.
He barely had enough spirit stones for himself—why would he share them with Old Six?
"From the Kunlun Mountains. I have a map here."
Nian Jinqing walked over to the map and pointed to a canyon.
"I found them here."
"Did you go alone?" Ding Huan asked skeptically.
In his opinion, Nian Jinqing's strength wasn't quite up to par for venturing into the Kunlun Mountains to find spirit stones.
Nian Jinqing quickly replied, "No, many people went, including experts from the Gene Alliance, the Martial Arts Alliance, and the top ten academies of Blue Star. I was one of the weaker ones, so I only got a few spirit stones."
Ding Huan knew Nian Jinqing was trying to lure him to the Gene Alliance, and he was actually considering it.
If Nian Jinqing had over a dozen spirit stones, how many more did the Gene Alliance have?
Last time he raided the Gene Alliance headquarters, he hadn't thought to ask about spirit stones—a mistake he wouldn't repeat today.
"Tell me about the origin of this Starry Sky Blade," Ding Huan continued.
What he really cared about wasn't the blade itself, but the alien spacecraft Fei Tongtong had mentioned.
For Ding Huan, leaving Earth was only a matter of time.
If he couldn't leave through the Gene Alliance, he'd need a reliable spacecraft.
Earth's spaceships were decent, but far from what Ding Huan required.
Nian Jinqing quickly explained, "Seven years ago, an alien spacecraft received a signal sent by the Gene Alliance and found Earth..."
"I know that. Where is the spacecraft now?" Ding Huan knew the Gene Alliance had been foolishly sending signals to attract alien civilizations.
Though he didn't know the details, he was certain the spacecraft had gone missing on Earth, and this was just the beginning.
"Yes, the spacecraft is now at the Federation headquarters on the Tuoluo Peninsula, jointly guarded by the Gene Alliance, the Martial Arts Alliance, and the Federal Republic."
"How did you get the Starry Sky Blade?"
"I traded a map and some spirit stones for it. I obtained a map of the martial arts ruins in the Kunlun Mountains. Back then, my team and I were hunting Tianxiang Deer in the Kunlun Mountains when we stumbled upon a ruined ancient temple. Beneath it, we found a Taoist shrine, and the map was hidden there. I marked the map on the wall."
Nian Jinqing was being completely transparent, knowing full well what he should and shouldn't do.
"What about the shrine?" Ding Huan pressed.
"The Gene Alliance took it. It was part of the trade for the Starry Sky Blade."
"President..."
Just as Nian Jinqing finished answering, a voice called from outside.
Nian Jinqing glanced at Ding Huan, who remained expressionless, and said, "Everyone, come in."
In a short time, twenty-three high-ranking members of the Beast King Society entered the grand hall.
When they saw the floor littered with corpses, they were all stunned.
Several quick-thinking individuals immediately drew their guns.
But no matter how fast their guns were, they were no match for Ding Huan's wind blades.
Ding Huan didn't hold back, unleashing a flurry of wind blades.
In moments, all twenty-plus people were dead.
Nian Jinqing felt a chill run down his spine.
He had always considered himself a ruthless killer, but today he truly understood what real slaughter was.
People called him a bloodthirsty demon, but Ding Huan's killing intent far surpassed his.
Ding Huan could have just killed him, but instead, he called everyone in and slaughtered them all.
If that wasn't a bloodthirsty demon, what was?
Nian Jinqing was genuinely afraid, worried that Ding Huan might decide to eliminate him as well.
And those invisible blade auras—he had initially thought they were from some ghostly weapon.
Now he realized they were true energy blades.
Only martial artists who had reached the Xiantian level or above could manifest true energy blades.
If Ding Huan could do this, wasn't he at least Xiantian?
He suddenly remembered the students of Ding Huan on the human corridor defense line, who were also said to wield invisible blade auras.
It seemed they had learned this from Ding Huan.
But were those students also Xiantian? That seemed unlikely.
He wondered if Ding Huan would go to the human corridor defense line to save his students.
If he did, that would be the best outcome.
On the human corridor defense line, even Ding Huan would likely meet his end.
Nian Jinqing sighed.
He was certain that someone like Ding Huan wouldn't risk his life for a few casually taken disciples.
After all, he was the same kind of person.
Even if he had the upper hand, he wouldn't risk his life for a few insignificant disciples.
That would be foolish.
After finishing off the group, Ding Huan waved his hand, and the map on the wall flew into his grasp.
He rolled up the map and stored it along with the sword in his bag, though the sword box was a bit too long and stuck out slightly.
Ding Huan didn't mind.
He looked at Nian Jinqing and said, "Do you know where we should go now?"
"Yes, yes, we should go to the Kunlun Mountains. There are no high-speed trains there, but I have a plane..."
Nian Jinqing hurriedly replied.
"Not bad. It seems keeping you alive has some value," Ding Huan praised, which was rare for him.
Nian Jinqing felt a mix of fear and relief.
He had been worried Ding Huan might just kill him with an invisible blade.
"We're not in a hurry to go to the Kunlun Mountains. First, take me to Haiyun Mutated Materials. I want to see if my two friends have returned," Ding Huan said calmly.
"Yes, yes..."
Nian Jinqing nodded quickly.
"Go ahead, lead the way."
Ding Huan wasn't about to be polite with this ruthless man.
Nian Jinqing breathed a sigh of relief and walked out to the courtyard, glancing at Ding Huan.
Seeing Ding Huan gesture for him to drive, he went over and brought his car around.
Before they reached Haiyun Mutated Materials, Ding Huan saw Fei Tongtong, her eyes red, supporting Zhao Quan inside the shop.
Mu Tingyun, though pale, seemed relatively healthy.
"Stop the car. Go tell Mu Tingyun and the others that I've left and they don't need to wait for me," Ding Huan said without moving, speaking to Nian Jinqing.
Ding Huan knew that Mu Tingyun and the others were waiting for him in the shop; otherwise, they wouldn't be there.
"Yes," Nian Jinqing quickly stopped the car and went into Haiyun Mutated Materials.
"Will Teacher Ding come?" Mu Tingyun asked uncertainly.
Fei Tongtong wasn't sure either.
If Old Six were here, Ding Huan would definitely come.
But Old Six wasn't here, so she didn't know if Ding Huan would still come to say goodbye.
"President Nian, you..."
Before Fei Tongtong could answer, Mu Tingyun saw Nian Jinqing approaching the door.
Nian Jinqing didn't dare enter, merely bowing at the entrance.
"I apologize for what happened earlier. It was wrong of the Beast King Group, and I offer my sincerest apologies. Teacher Ding has some urgent matters to attend to and asked me to inform you that you need not wait for him."
After saying this, Nian Jinqing bowed again and left.
"Tingyun, why is President Nian with Teacher Ding..."
Fei Tongtong was stunned.
If Ding Huan and Nian Jinqing were working together, were they doomed?
Mu Tingyun shook her head.
"It's fine. Nian Jinqing was probably forced by Ding Huan to come and apologize. Look at him—his energy is chaotic, and he's covered in blood. He must be seriously injured."
With that, Mu Tingyun bowed slightly toward the door, silently thanking Ding Huan for saving their lives.
"Teacher Ding, I've delivered the message," Nian Jinqing said respectfully after getting back in the car.
"Good. Now drive to the Dongxun Gene Center building," Ding Huan said, satisfied.
Nian Jinqing shivered.
He now realized that Ding Huan wasn't planning to go to the Kunlun Mountains immediately.
Instead, he was heading back to the Gene Alliance's headquarters to settle scores.
This man was truly not someone to be trifled with—his thirst for vengeance was terrifying.
(Third update, requesting monthly ticket support)
(End of Chapter)