POP! POP! POP!

Ning Xuan heard the sound of a fish blowing bubbles.

Then... BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sound of explosions echoed in Ning Xuan’s mind. It was the sound of the bubbles popping!

BOOM!

Ning Xuan felt as if his Divine Soul had been struck by lightning. At the same time, a cool stream of energy pierced through his entire body, and the circulation of his Element Force seemed to speed up considerably. Within his body, the compressed Catastrophic Earth bore the brunt of the impact. Instantly, the energy from the World Tree fruit was squeezed out once more. As for the shock to his soul, Ning Xuan countered it with his Divine Vein Power, and it vanished in an instant.

A moment later, Ning Xuan’s eyes opened, his face brimming with joy. In that short time, the Element Force in his body felt as if it had been baptized, undergoing an earth-shattering transformation.

"Goodness, this Golden Carp is truly extraordinary!" Ning Xuan immediately changed his mind, even regretting that he had squandered the Divine Crystals in the Secret Vault.

Right, I still have the Fire Lotus. I wonder if it...

As Ning Xuan was pondering, the large man who had left earlier reappeared.

"Young Master Ning, Senior Ding and Miss Lu will be arriving soon. Please come with me."

"Alright."

「At the entrance of the Zhang Family’s luxurious banquet hall.」

From afar, Ning Xuan saw the Zhang father and son standing on either side of the entrance.

"You’re being overly courteous," Ning Xuan said, nodding to the two of them as he approached. He inwardly considered how to compensate them for their loss. Divine Crystals were obviously out of the question, since the Zhang Family’s crystals had all ended up in the belly of the Golden Carp.

"Ahem, it’s only proper," Zhang Yi said, his expression somewhat awkward.

Just then, an announcer’s voice rang out.

"Ding Heyan, Senior Ding has arrived!"

"Lu Ying, Fairy Lu has arrived!"

At this announcement, Zhang Yi’s expression grew even more awkward. Ning Xuan, however, didn’t seem to mind and simply turned to stand in place. The Zhang father and son quickly stepped forward to greet their guests.

Soon, Ning Xuan saw an elderly man who, despite his age, was energetic and alert. He was dressed in simple martial attire and carried a pair of twin swords on his back. Beside him was a slender girl in a green dress, holding a Qin.

As the two approached, they frowned in unison.

"Little Zhang, your servants are becoming increasingly disrespectful! Doesn’t he even know how to make way?" Ding Heyan said, expressing his displeasure upon seeing Ning Xuan standing motionless. He directed his comment at Zhang Zhaoshen. In his eyes, Zhang Yi wasn’t even worthy of being addressed.

Before the father and son could explain, his voice rang out again. "But it’s just as well. He can hold my swords for me."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ning Xuan saw a dazzling flash of light as the blades moved with extreme speed, slicing past his face.

However, Ning Xuan didn’t even blink.

"Turns out he’s an idiot," Ding Heyan muttered to himself, no longer intending to hand the swords to Ning Xuan. His twin swords were forged from special materials and were frighteningly heavy. There’s no way this fool could hold them! He had only meant to teach the man a lesson, but since his target was just an idiot, his interest immediately waned.

Who would have guessed that just as he was retracting his hands, the "idiot" in his eyes would suddenly speak up.

"Give them to me."

Then, the twin swords were in the other man’s hands.

Ding Heyan stared blankly at his empty palms, utterly bewildered. This fool is incredibly fast!

Beside him, Lu Ying also wore a look of astonishment.

Zhang Yi’s face turned unsightly, but he still had to force a smile and explain, "Senior Ding, Fairy Lu, there’s been a misunderstanding. His name is Ning Xuan, and he’s a Law Enforcement Officer here to participate in the selection competition."

Both of their eyes narrowed instantly as their gazes locked onto Ning Xuan. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Ding Heyan then said, "Formidable. The younger generation is truly formidable."

Despite his words, he walked right past Ning Xuan. As for the twin swords in Ning Xuan’s hands, he didn’t spare them a single glance. The implication was clear. So what if you’re a Law Enforcement Officer? In my eyes, you’re no different from a servant of the Zhang Family!

"Young Master Ning, please bear with him," Zhang Zhaoshen sent telepathically to Ning Xuan before immediately hurrying after Ding Heyan.

As for Zhang Yi, he willingly played the part of a servant, moving to take the Qin from Lu Ying. He had just turned to the side, inviting her to enter, when—

CLANG!

A crisp sound rang out behind him.

Inside the hall, Ding Heyan spun around furiously, his face filled with murderous intent. Ning Xuan had just thrown his twin swords straight into the courtyard!

At the same time, Ning Xuan not only ignored him but continued to walk further inside. That wasn’t all. The man had the audacity to speak as he walked. "They say your swordsmanship is peerless, but there isn’t enough space here. You can demonstrate it in the courtyard."

As his words fell, Ning Xuan had already walked past everyone, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

The scene was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. Is this guy insane?! Doesn’t he know Ding Heyan’s status?! How dare he treat him like this!

Having never suffered such a great disgrace, Ding Heyan trembled with rage. He questioned Ning Xuan, "You little beast, what are you saying?!"

"Old bastard, can’t you understand plain speech?" Ning Xuan retorted without a moment’s hesitation.

BOOM!

His words exploded like thunder in everyone’s minds. Where the hell did this guy come from? He wants to poke a hole in the sky!

"Ning Xuan, hurry and apologize to Senior Ding!" Zhang Yi’s face had turned green, and his voice was trembling.

Zhang Zhaoshen, on the other hand, was full of regret. He and his son had originally intended to use these two to pressure Ning Xuan into coughing up the Divine Crystals.

But now, it’s a total disaster! Our Zhang Family absolutely cannot bear Ding Heyan’s wrath!

"You audacious little beast, you’ve gone too far!"

That was Zhang Zhaoshen’s voice. In the blink of an eye, he had made his choice. He had to stand with Ding Heyan now, or the trouble would be immense.

Ning Xuan raised an eyebrow and then smiled.

"Uncle Zhang, since they’re all here, let’s stop the act and lay our cards on the table."

As Ning Xuan spoke, everyone was stunned.

Zhang Zhaoshen stared in confusion, Ding Heyan was baffled, Zhang Yi looked lost, and Lu Ying was equally bewildered.

Zhang Zhaoshen was the first to react. "You little beast, what nonsense are you spouting?!" he roared, lunging directly at Ning Xuan.

He struck with a killing blow. Only by eliminating Ning Xuan could he end this mess.

Unfortunately for him, Ning Xuan was well-prepared.

WHOOSH!

He dodged the attack, and before Zhang Zhaoshen could even lock onto his figure, his voice echoed throughout the entire Zhang estate.

"Audacious thief, you dare to return! Your time has come! Lads, what are you waiting for? Close the gates!"

At Ning Xuan’s shout, the Zhang family members actually moved to act, truly believing that the thief who had stolen their Divine Crystals had returned.

PFFT!

Zhang Zhaoshen spat blood. It’s over!

Zhang Yi’s legs went weak, and he slumped to the ground.

"You cur, you’re courting death!" On the other side, Ding Heyan roared as he lunged directly at Zhang Zhaoshen.

"Listen to my explanation!" Zhang Zhaoshen yelled as he dodged. Seeing Ding Heyan charging towards the courtyard, his expression changed drastically.