"Old Ancestor, how are you? Are you injured?"
Xuan Ming appeared with his son and granddaughter outside the cave leading to the sacred land at the fastest speed.
Chen Nan was kneeling there, his face contorted in a grimace.
Shocking wounds covered his body.
A sweet, bloody scent permeated the surroundings.
This was almost unbelievable to everyone.
Because whether it was humans.
Or demons.
Blood always had a腥甜 (xīng tián - fishy and sweet) smell.
But Chen Nan exuded a sweet aroma.
It was utterly preposterous.
"The injuries to my body can no longer affect me."
"But..."
"I can't understand, it was only ten meters away, why couldn't I take that final step?"
"Why did it give me hope."
"Only to plunge me into despair at the most crucial moment?"
Chen Nan's face was filled with rage, and the wounds on his body were rapidly healing at a visible speed.
He thought he could pull out the cold saber and obtain the fragmented painting of the Heavenly Ascent Path below.
But reality had cruelly poured a bucket of cold water on him.
So close, yet unable to cross the threshold.
The Nine-Headed Flame Lion walked over from a distance, its gait annoyingly jaunty, its nine heads bobbing up and down like waves on a vast ocean, exceptionally flamboyant.
It spoke human words, "Little friend, the most important thing right now isn't to ponder why you couldn't go further, the crucial thing is that there's a maiden next to you, and you need to put on clothes."
"Didn't you notice she's staring at you?"
"When you're out in the world, young men should at least protect their privacy."
"Ah!" Xuan Qingniao roared in fury, a long saber appearing in her hand, "I'll kill you, you pervert!"
The Nine-Headed Flame Lion also got angry, "I'm clearly a perverted lion, why are you calling me a pervert? Do wolves possess my abilities? If I weren't living under someone else's roof, I'd definitely teach you a lesson, you little brat. You really have no respect for lions!"
"Pfft!"
Xuan Qingniao's anger overwhelmed her, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The saber in her hand also fell to the ground uncontrollably.
She had already suffered a backlash and was severely injured.
At this moment, if she were to mobilize her divine power.
Or if her emotions fluctuated greatly, it would trigger her old injury.
"I'm in a very bad mood right now, don't provoke me!" Chen Nan's eyes were bloodshot, but he still took out a clean set of clothes and put them on.
The Nine-Headed Flame Lion looked down at Chen Nan, a playful smile in its eyes, "Not only do I know you're in a bad mood, I even know you're seriously injured."
"So, at this time, you need to be a little more respectful towards me."
"After all,"
"Right now, I can crush you with ease!"
"Yes!"
"It's not that we're arrogant."
"It's not that we're looking down on others."
"It's simply because we have the strength!"
"Don't glare at me, I'm afraid... I might lose control and kill you!"
As these words were spoken.
An ominous premonition arose in everyone's hearts.
A Divine Venerate realm expert was an supreme being even in the Second Heaven.
If Chen Nan were not injured, it would have been fine.
He could have completely suppressed this great demon.
But now.
He was severely injured.
If this Nine-Headed Flame Lion were to lose control.
It would be a devastating disaster for the entire Cold Saber Tribe.
"You've got guts, haven't you!" Chen Nan laughed in extreme anger.
The Nine-Headed Flame Lion spiritedly shook its body, and it looked up at the sky, "Ridiculous, which bone in my body is properly aligned?"
It was arrogant.
It didn't take Chen Nan and the others seriously at all.
Whoosh!
Suddenly!
A rustling sound came from the distant bamboo forest.
Immediately after, a powerful saber intent surged into the sky above the bamboo forest.
That saber intent was like a mountain flood breaking its banks.
It made everyone feel as insignificant as ants.
Even the Nine-Headed Flame Lion's eyes widened.
The next second.
A verdant green bamboo leaf tore through the sky.
Under the horrified gaze of the Nine-Headed Flame Lion, it sliced through its main head.
Even though the Nine-Headed Flame Lion had stepped into the Divine Venerate realm.
It was unable to escape.
Nor could it dodge.
"Bang!"
Accompanied by a dull thud, a lion's head the size of a millstone fell to the ground.
"Boss has been beheaded!"
"If I remember correctly, this should be the first time Boss has ever been beheaded."
"Although I don't know what happened, I'm greatly shocked."
"I know this is very impolite, but I really want to laugh."
"Boss said, if you can't hold it in, don't hold it in, laugh your heart out!"
Several of the lion's heads gloated and burst into laughter.
But one lion's head was full of suspicion, "Boss did say that if you can't hold it in, don't hold it in, but he wasn't talking about holding back laughter!"
Seeing the bamboo leaf that had severed the Nine-Headed Flame Lion's head fall into Chen Nan's hand, Xuan Ming screamed out, "Old Ancestor, you've actually reached the third realm of the Dao of the Saber?"
Xuan Ji and Xuan Qingniao, father and daughter, also widened their eyes.
A stormy sea surged within their hearts.
They had cultivated here since childhood, and had only managed to condense saber qi.
However.
Who could have imagined.
Chen Nan had only entered the sacred land for half a morning.
He had already condensed saber intent.
Reaching a state where even a flower or a blade of grass could inflict harm.
Even witnessing it firsthand, they found it hard to believe that such a monstrous genius existed in the world.
"Master, why are you~~~" The lion's head on the ground was filled with bitterness. "I was just playing a small joke with you, why are you cutting off my head?"
"I saw you were in a bad mood and wanted to liven things up!"
The Nine-Headed Flame Lion was on the verge of tears.
It had only intended to show off earlier and had no intention of harming Chen Nan.
Who would have thought this show-off had comprehended saber intent.
Chen Nan laughed in extreme anger, "Are you truly thinking of me?"
The lion's head said pitifully, "I want to nod my head to answer you right now, but I can't."
Chen Nan then said, "Since you're thinking of me, and I'm very weak right now, is it too much to cut off one of your heads to replenish my body?"
The lion's head was filled with astonishment.
Cutting off my head just to replenish your body.
And you say it's not too much?
You're so outrageous your grandma will scold you!
Just as it didn't know how to respond.
It saw the eight gloating heads beside it and immediately said, "Master, your request is certainly not too much. Let alone one lion's head, my life is yours."
"It's just that I see you're not lightly injured."
"Is one of my heads enough to replenish your body?"
"Do you want to cut off more?"
As these words were spoken.
Terror appeared in the eyes of the other eight heads, seemingly surprised that their boss was such a betrayer.
Cutting off one isn't enough?
Why do you have to drag us down?
The lion's head spoke with increasing excitement, "Master, my race has a divine ability. Unless all nine heads are severed simultaneously, even if you cut off eight, it won't endanger my life."
"In my opinion, it's enough to leave only one head on this physical body, so many are useless."
"The other eight, you can choose to braise them, steam them, or roast them."
"Even if you can't eat them all, you can share the good things with the members of the Cold Saber Tribe!"
"Isn't this proposal exciting?"
"Do you want to consider it?"