The three day flight to the village went quick. Of course Tora didn’t fly three days straight. Even if he was Peak of the Houtian stage he still needed rest and food which was done. Of course Ning would never allow Tora to be used the entire trip and this was discussed before it even began.

Ran, Huo Su’s Winged tiger, and Talie, Rinrin’s harpy, were the trade off beasts for the remaining days each travelling one day each.

What is strange, to Ning, was how Dai Ran would only fly his strange staff, which he later learned was a magic staff with a magic ‘flying artifact’. Artifacts are the same as treasures formed by Qi practitioners. These artifacts are made with magic metals and ingredients and magic runes.

Ning always wondered why Spirit runes and blacksmithing was separate since it needs both to make the treasure but when he asked he found that there actually exists a profession specific for this purpose. They are called Spirit Smith’s but are more commonly known as Treasure Smiths. If it is a cauldron, armor or weapon these people make it.

The Geo royal sect doesn’t have that high a grade for this. Usually to make a very high grade treasure such as the Earth rank Medical Garden Ning once worked in they need the elders from the Enchantment Hall and pill refiners who will help prepare the unique materials as well as someone with knowledge of the Natural Law of Space and Time, before they can make such a big treasure.

It made Ning think of what his mother wanted him to train, he had done pill refining and now was learning about spirit runes. He had partially learned he Void Drawing Rune skill and could make some runes for enchanting but that is all. Attack or defense runes he did not know but it didn’t affect him.

But now that he thought of this, he was sure that if she had him learn blacksmithing then his mother was preparing him to become a Treasure Smith. It made him wonder what it was like to create a treasure instead of simply refine something someone else made.

During the trip, Ning and the others had asked a few times if Dai Ran wanted to rest while riding on the back of the Dao Beasts. They could see his forehead filled with a beads of sweat as he flew with a stone face but the answer was always the same, “I feel more comfortable away from beasts.”

They would usually rest every 6 hours and on the last day, while riding Ran they finally arrived at the village. From high above they could see the village size held no more than a few hundred but less than a thousand.

As they neared the village, Zero, Kala and Talie growled a bit drawing the attention of the two riders but they quieted down.

Ning passed his finger over the smooth icy scales. Ever since he first climbed on Ning, he has always kept those sharp edges withdrawn and made himself look like a lizard instead of a dragon. If one were to look without knowing, they would indeed look down on Zero as a simple white scaled lizard maybe even think he was an Ice Salamander instead of a Frost Drake.

In truth, was a sneaky tactic that Zero had adopted himself since he hides his death aura in this state as well hiding the fact that he is a Demon Beast with dragon blood. The sharp scales and horns indeed were intimidating but for the, currently, weak Zero, hiding his fangs to take a bigger bite at the right moment is the most important.

The moment the winged tiger touched down sounds of screaming could be heard and people were in fear of the beast’s attack but as it began to shrink the six disciples, someone looked back. “Are those people!? Their clothing! It is the disciples of the Royal sect!” someone shouted.

Upon hearing the shout some people stopped and looked back. Slowly everyone turned and started to look until they saw the seven people who had appeared at the front of the village.

Very quickly an old man came out and with other strong men and young girls behind him they quickly rank over. This was the city lord, Tian Wu and his son’s and grandchildren.

He quickly reached the gate and bowed deeply, “My apologies for now not meeting the esteemed guests to our humble town!” The man said.

“We have come because of the incident’s with the destruction of several villages and the disappearances from this one.” Dai Ran said.

“Oh the heaven’s have eyes! Please come, we will lead you to the my humble abode so that you esteemed guests can rest for a while and tomorrow you can begin.” He said.

Dai Ran nodded and waved his hand and the others started to follow.

They all walked into the village and when looking around they saw quite a number of people in hiding.

Hiss!

On Ning’s shoulder, the little drake was licking his lips and seemed to be narrowing his eyes towards the people all around. He let out low hisses. On his other shoulder Tora was looking around growling from wryness.

The other Dao Beasts let out small reactions that only their riders noticed and slowly they began to get more alert of their situation. When they had left the sect they had all left their weapons on their person at all times wry of attacks which did not happen yet now they were getting more and more tense.

As they reached the home of the Tian clan, they saw that the place was about the size of three inner sect disciple villa side by side. This meant it was tiny in the eye’s of these disciples though Ning and Shi had tasted the life of living in smaller so they could tell that the power of this clan was a bit higher than the Bo clan.

They had examined each and every one of the people they passed and found that the five men following Tian Wu were equal to Initial Xiantian or Peak Houtian. Tian Wu himself was showing an aura of Low Success Xiantian, which was quite good for someone of the secular world.

Ning’s own grandfather was a bit better but the overall power of the clan was lower.

Still, there was a strange feeling in the air, it felt familiar but foreign. Rinrin and Ning both had a slight frown as they looked around to figure out what that feeling as and soon they reached a separate building which was set aside for guests and they were helped into the rooms.

“This place is strange.” Rinrin said in a low voice after she and Ning entered the same room. As a ‘couple’ they would obviously sleep in the same room which they had done all the time while training pill refining and have already gotten used to it so they didn’t mind that fact.

“So it wasn’t just me.” Muttered Ning. “Zero was reacting to everyone.” He whispered.

After a moment he slowly spread his Spiritual Sense through the room and into the surroundings and slowly be examined the room and frowned before jumping quickly towards the closet and grabbing some incense burner and suddenly calling out his Qi flame and shooting at the burner and engulfing it and burning it. To his surprise only the stick and the oil inside were reduced to nothing while the little burniner remained unscathed. When he saw this he was shocked and pulled it over and began to see that it was actually a treasure.

“This isn’t something commonly found in a secular clan. If it was a sect I wouldn’t find it strange.” He whispered and saw as Rinrin walked over and the two examined it.

“The purpose is to make the oil contained within be masked and untraceable. Quite a strange effect.” She said.

“Not really, for a sleeping incense they would have a faint fragrance so this would help hide it further. Even poison would be hidden better. Let’s keep our guard up against them. Let’s not sleep and just meditate for a while. It isn’t safe to cultivate together.” Ning said and deposited the incense burner in his bag.

“I’ll be right back.” Ning said and went outside and slowly to the room of the others and warned them and very quickly they found similar burners and disposed of their content and filled it with common scented oil and began to burn it again to hide the fact they knew. This was on Dai Ran’s order to hide the fact they found it so easily.

Returning to his room he set up the meditation incense and put them to burn in the same place the one he found it in. He then sat down on the bed they had laid down and spread his Spiritual Sense alongside Rinrin’s who was in the room and began to meditate.

The six Dao Beasts laid down around them but not a single one was asleep. Not a single one wasn’t alert and but were all in a state of half sleep beaten into them by Bo Rei.

The first night went without problem and Ning emptied the burner to hid the fact that they had discovered it and exited. As for breakfast, they did not eat and instead they each ate their own food they brought. Bo Shi, Ning and Dai Ran each had their own medical garden with some servants keeping it clear of pests and within they had their own little orchids which grew splendidly and getting a bit wasn’t a hassle even if it looked disrespectful towards the Tian clan. They did not really care about them anyway, they were Royal Sect Inner disciples. The fact that they were wary already showed the distrust they had about everything around here.

As the sun appeared the group split into two groups.

Dai Ran, Bo Shi, Guo Tian and Zhoa Ru Lei were in one group and Ning, Rinrin and Huo Su were in another.

They each planned out a route to look which was to go to a few of the nearby smaller villages which were destroyed. These villages had populations less than 200 and were subservient farming villages of this city so they needed to check for traces while using this city as a base but they had to keep vigilance so they flew out early morning.

Ning and his group flew towards the west while Dai Ran and the others flew to the north east to the two closest cities.

It was only a 2 hour flight and when they arrived they found a city that looked to have been burned down. Ruin’s were all over the place and half destroyed homes.

“You guys, help us look, if you sniff out something important call out. Make sure not to distance yourself to far from us.” Ning told the Dao Beasts.

The biggest strength of Dao Beasts is the fact that they are useful for this kind of situations. They have better senses than humans.

KASHAA!

Suddenly Zero roared and his Infernal Energy vibrated in his body before being expelled into the surroundings and very quickly a foreign Infernal Energy began to appear. Zero’s energy contained a blue hue due to his water attribute energy but this energy was black red which was the natural color of Infernal Energy. If it was purer it would be closer to red but this was incredibly low quality to the point of not having red hue.

“There is Infernal Energy signatures here!” Rinrin shouted in shock.

“It seems demon cultivators may be around.” Ning said.

“Demon cultivators aren’t bloodthirsty. They aren’t like humans who do demon arts, the sects of demon cultivators are few and all powerful. They have Spirit formations which can open pockets of space and they make unique medical gardens especially for raising Demon Beasts where they can cultivate by killing and absorbing their Infernal Energy.” Rinrin said. “I have gone with father to one before due to my two Dao Beasts, it is impressive their structure.” She said.

“What did you go do there?” Ning asked.

She lifted her sword, “The sect is unable to create demon weapons, we went there to obtain a weapon compatible with me from a demon sect.” She said.

“Um… what are we going to do about this energy?” Huo Su asked.

“Good question.” Ning said and walked over to the cloud and put his hand in it. Slowly the energy was drawn into his hand and he frowned. “This was left on purpose with intent of corrupting the land. I already know the feeling of the energy, as long as I meet the person who gives off the same aura I can figure out who did it.” He said.

Rinrin walked up and did the same. “Alright that seems fine. Talie! Kala! Zero! You can eat up the energy.” Rinrin said.

The three were elated as they flew into the energy and it was rapidly sucked into their bodies and stored up for later when they can refine the energy. They cleared the entire surroundings and searched for traces but found nothing else besides the energies.

As they prepare to leave they hear footsteps.

They look towards the only entrance to the fenced in village behind the wooden barricades and see a band of grinning bandits. They had their weapons out and were laughing at them. “Oh looky, some small but rich prey.” the leading man said.

“Oi boss! Looky! Two small and tender girls!” One lewd fat man said while drooling. “Boss let's take them and make them our pets! The young ones feel the best when you deflower them and even better after they learn to shake their ass!” he said.

“That’s good, we can also ransom them and get a boat load of resources! Look at their clothing, they are surely some big sect’s prime disciples. We can just lie and take the things and run away!” A rat looking man said.

They were all laughing lewdly as if the two girls were already theirs.

Huo Su and Rinrin both blushed but they expressed it differently, Huo Su wasn’t as strong willed as Rinrin and actually took a few steps back until she beside Ning. Rinrin on the other hand, her hair was flowing from the upflow of her energy and her eyes were shining red from rage.

Even Ning was angry and the only indication was the his shining eye.

As they saw Ning the men sneered, “Damn look at that pretty boy! Just looking at a brat that looks like that makes me feel rage! How can he, who smells like his mother's milk, hold two flowers in both hands while I, your granddaddy, am left with some ugly and slutty bitch that are used goods!?” the fat man shouted.

When the men had arrived the Dao Beasts had long since hidden themselves. Within a range of over 100 meters with the new rider equipement, they could freely move quite far compared to before and were able to battle as they please.

As for how they, Ning and Rinrin, were expressing their strength, they used the Qi beasts meaning Rinrin felt like a High Success Qi refiner and Ning felt like a Low Success Houtian.

The leader was a Peak Houtian while in the back were several level 6-9 liquid mana magi.

The bandit group numbered around 20 with most being Qi cultivators with 3 magi.

Ning walked up in front of the two, “Who are you guys!? Are you the ones who did this?!” Ning shouted.

“This? Ahahaha! Do you think we have would try and rob some shitty farming village for what? Rations?!” one of the men laughed.

“Brat! We will give you one chance, bow down to I, your father, we may give you a quick death.” The leader said and the men behind began to laugh.

The three looked with solemn expressions but suddenly Rinrin smiled, “Pff! Ahahahahah! Oh I cannot believe this. This princess has seen many idiots who has disregarded and even more vulgar perverts who has designs for this princess but to think secular trash would dare say such things to this princess.” She said laughing before her voice turned grave.

At this moment the Ice Demon Sword appeared and her aura exploded from High Success Qi refiner to Peak success Demon Essence.

The change from Qi to Infernal Energy was a complete shock and before they could react Rinrin vanished like a blur and appeared in front of the fat man.

“Pay for this humiliation with your blood!” She said in an abyssal cold voice and her sword flashed.

As she took a step to the side she looked at the body that slowly began to split as blood began to gush out from the top of the head down to the fat man’s crotch. Another flash suddenly came and the two half’s suddenly fell apart becoming ground meat.

They looked at Rinrin like they had seen a ghost. “Kill them.” Her voice said coldly.

ROAR! CREAAHH!

Several roars followed as Tora, Tyrant, Kala and Tilie burst out from several runes and from behind trees becoming massive in size.

“ATTACK! KILL THEM ALL!” Roared the man who brandished his sword and swung at Rinrin but suddenly another blur appeared from his left and he diverted his sword.

Clank!

Two thin but very solid swords impacted into his own and his entire arm went numb from the impact.

In front of him was Ning who was glaring at him coldly.

“MAGI SUPPORT!” Roared the bandit leader.

“Men! Shoot!” The leading said and raised his staff as mana began to gush out but suddenly he felt a cold feeling from the pit of his stomach.

BANG!

A large white scaled tail crashed down on the three leaving them at death’s gates.

Zero casually lifted his tail up and hissed and growled before he pounced and began to grotesquely eat them. The appearance of the 7 meter long and 3 meter tall white lizard with almost perverse strength was quite intimidating. That was, however, only until they say his aura. “This thing is weak! KILL IT!” Roared one of the men but before they could a roar from the side was heard and when they looked they saw the massive mountain like Tyrant barrelling at them.

They turned green from fear and they all suddenly attacked but how could Tyrant be so weak. He was already at the Low success Houtian, also, a common wild Titan bull would not actually have access to the ‘Titan Bull Titan body’ like him. They would have the inherent memory but to execute the training for it was many times harder in the wild but him. He and Ning had already reached the 5th level mastery and were training the 6th level. He already had some basic understanding of the Natural Law of Earth and when spreading his Qi over his body he puts this concept within his Qi. The strength of his body would give even a peak houtian a headache and his strength couldn’t be underestimated. He was only Low success houtain but he was a strength type beast. How could he compare to other types let alone a secular peak houtain.

As for these men who were below that strength, what right do they have to face Tyrant.

The attacks impacted his body but there wasn’t even a reduction in speed and instead it angered him and suddenly Ning felt the flame over Tyrant’s seed flash and extended into Tyrant’s body and suddenly his legs and horns turned bright red burning with raging flames just as he reached the wall of bandits and suddenly the flames caused his speed to accelerate causing him to literally run over several while impaling two and burning them to ash.

“GYA!!! WHAT IS THIS THING!” Shouted one of them.

Everyone was startled by the fire but Ning’s eyes flashed and a grin as he turned to the stunned man and he activated his movement technique and vanished behind the man in his blind spot and with his swords aimed down he shocked both through his back and out the front.

The sudden attack caused him shock. “In your next life, learn to see your limits.” Ning said and his two blades suddenly burst into flames entering the man and turning him into a big ball of flame and leave only ash.

As he retrieved his swords he looked at the remaining people and grinned.

“Rinrin, you can vent on them, I will make sure none of them escape.” Ning said.

Rinrin grinned as she vanished from their view and suddenly someone was cut with a shallow wound.

Like this, for several minutes Rinrin played with them and after she got bored she began even worst torture. Break the knee, break an arm, cripple, and finally, towards those who had spoken the words to violent her, she slowly and carefully kicked his balls without breaking them. She kicked, stomped and grinded them in her rage before finally cutting them off and burning them before she left the man to bleed to death.

She then returned to Ning’s side sneering. “Let this be a warning to you. If you plan to find sluts to bed, be ready to take her as your woman because if not, that is what will happen to you.” She said before sneering, “Now I am contaminated by this vulgar creature. I need to bathe and change.” She sighed and entered the medical garden to find a pure clean river to bathe in peace from pure untainted water.

Ning had the beasts eat the men because, as disgusting as it may sound, humans are big walking pills for beasts no matter the energy.

Strong men would always be a turned into nutrition for beasts so he had them eat. He remembered Huo Su and found her a trembling. “Are you alright?” Ning asked.

Huo Su suddenly flinched as she was shocked out of her daze and looked around. “Um… you and miss Zhao are strong.” She said.

“Hm? I guess. But this was a fight with common cultivators. You can’t really compare them to us since we have many resources. Even you could beat them easily.” Ning said.

“I doubt it.” She sighed.

“Why is that?” Ning asked.

“Because I have been stuck at this stage for almost a year without progress. Without a Dao couple Riders will have trouble advancing.” She said.

“Oh.” Suddenly Ning remembered something, “If I remember correctly I heard your name somewhere… Ah that's right, your Huo Clan elder asked me to take you as a concubine once.” Ning said.

She nodded, “Although there are lots of people, my talent is average in the clan so they waited to give me to a new talented disciple. I don’t have talent to be a first wife which I understand.” She said.

“So your clan arranged for this mission so we could meet?” Ning asked and she nodded.

He knew something was up when he saw so many familiar names. Looking at her he didn’t feel any rejection. She was cute and much nicer then Rinrin and easier to talk to. She was many times shyer than Rinrin and gave the feeling of a quiet servant girl instead of a large clan’s main branch talent.

“It will be really hard to take you since I don’t have a fire beast.” Ning said.

“There isn’t a problem since I can still cultivate Ran with you.” She said but instantly noticed what she said and blushed brightly to the point that heat waves could be seen.

The little snake on her shoulder hissed almost as if laughing and she looked at her, “Stop laughing.” She poked its head.

“So what do you think about this? Being made to marry someone?” Ning asked.

“I… I don’t really have a say but they did allow me to meet you before that so that I can see how you are and get used to the idea.” She said solemnly.

“We can talk about it when we get back to the sect, how does that sound?” Ning asked.

She nodded.

By this time the beasts had finished eat the corpses and returned to them. Rinrin was still in the medical garden so after a bit of searching the surrounding forest but finding nothing, Ning headed to the next village with Huo Su while Rinrin was still taking her bathe.