The Desolate Era

Although Ji Mo had sincerely asked to be allowed to take Ji Ning as his master, how could Ning accept? After all, for a sword technique to have a ‘soul’, what was required was an understanding of the Dao. This wasn’t something that could simply be taught! Ning next provided guidance to the others, one by one. The attitudes of these youths had immediately become incomparably humble. All of them raised issues which had normally puzzled them, and Ning naturally was able to very easily resolve them. Just in terms of sword technique alone, there was no one within the Ji clan who could compare to him.

He spent four full hours providing guidance to them, and afterwards, Ning sent them off.

“Go back and spend some time pondering these things. I won’t keep you here any further.” After providing guidance, Ning himself left.

The six youths just watched longingly as Ning left. How they wished that Ning could spend some more time giving them guidance!

...........

Night.

Ning was seated in the lotus position on his bed mattress, training. Elemental energy was constantly surging towards him, entering his body and liquefying into Ki. After a long time, when he sensed that his dantian had become somewhat swollen, Ning came to a halt.

“Most likely, within a few more months, I will be able to establish my ‘Violet Palace’ as a Ki Refiner.” Ning said to himself. “However, to reach the Zifu Disciple level as a practitioner of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] will require me to reach the seventh level of that art. I wonder how long it will be before I reach it.”

By now, he had already reached the peak of power as a Xiantian lifeform as both a Ki Refiner and as a Fiendgod Body Refiner.

The technique he was using to train as a Ki Refiner was an ordinary technique of the Ji clan, known as the [Water Element Art]. The quality of the ki provided by those who trained in this technique was fairly poor, but it was easy to breakthrough to become a Zifu Disciple! Given Ning’s current level of understanding regarding the Dao, once the accumulated ki in his body reached a certain level, he could rely on it to immediately establish his Zifu ‘Violet Palace’!

“This [Water Element Art] is a very ordinary technique.” Ning said to himself. “It can only allow a person to train to the Zifu Disciple level. After establishing the ‘Violet Palace’, I’ll have to acquire a new Ki Refining technique.”

The further a Ki Refining technique allowed one to progress, the more valuable it was.

“When the time comes, I must find a more formidable Ki Refining technique.” Ning pondered to himself. “The [Water Element Art] is, in the end, a very superficial technique. If I continue to use this sort of superficial technique in the future...most likely, my development in Ki Refining will come to a halt at the Wanxiang level.”

This was the difference between a high class technique and a low class technique!

A high class, hard-to-learn technique was hard to start training in, but it allowed one to begin slowly walking in the right direction, constantly advancing on firm footing.

As for low class techniques, they made it easy for one to establish the ‘Violet Palace’, and if one went all out, one had the chance to reach the Wanxiang Adept level. But...to become a Primal Daoist? There was no hope of it whatsoever.

The Ji clan, after all, was a fairly low level clan. It didn’t have any high class Fiendgod Body Refining techniques or Ki Refining techniques. It did have the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] technique, which was unique in that it was widely spread throughout the lands. The other Ki Refining techniques the clan possessed were all very poor; this was why the likes of Ji Ninefire and Granny Shadow had been training for nearly four centuries, but were still at the Zifu Disciple stage.

“I have to go out adventuring.” Ning was rather eager. “I’ll wait to establish my Violet Palace first. By then, I will be better equipped to protect myself. The little power I have right now is still rather insufficient.”

Ning knew his own power quite well.

As a Ki Refiner, he was at the peak Xiantian level; however, half a year ago, he had already become capable of executing the ninth level of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], and his attack power should have reached the peak Zifu Disciple level! His weakness was that his ki was used up too quickly, and that he wasn’t able to fight for as long as most Zifu Disciples.

As a Body Refiner, he had reached the peak Xiantian level in the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]. He was already comparable to early, ordinary Zifu Disciple level Fiendgod Body Refiners! Given his current lifeforce, even if his skull was pierced through, he still wouldn’t die! Although his attack power was somewhat weaker than that of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], once battle truly began, his body was still the more powerful aspect of the two.

“Although the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] is incomparably sharp...” Ning said to himself. “If I were to encounter a Zifu Disciple who is an Fiendgod Body Refiner and whose body is incomparably durable, even if I can chop through his body with a ray of sword light, his body would quickly heal.”

“Against Zifu level Ki Refiners, I can give them a good fight, even if they are peak Zifu Disciples.”

“But against Fiendgod Body Refiners...I can deal with early stage ones, but anything stronger than that will be hard.” Ning knew this very well. “I wonder what I need to do to breakthrough in the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]. Transform Yin and Yang...Blood-Drop Rebirth...what must I do to achieve this?”

Not dying when one’s head was cut through wasn’t much.

But if he could reach the seventh stage of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens], he would possess the ability to regenerate himself from a single drop of blood! Life energy as powerful as this made it extremely hard for other Zifu Ki Refiners to deal with him. To kill an Fiendgod Body Refiner expert...how hard it was! The only way was to slowly exhaust the expert of all his divine power.

“Blood-Drop Rebirth.” Ning was filled with eagerness.

Actually, the current Ning was already an absolute monster. For attack, he had the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]! He had also become a peak Xiantian in the number one Fiendgod Body Refining technique, and even Zifu Disciples would find it hard to kill him! It was hard for others to kill him, but by relying on the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], he could kill others from far away.

“Not enough, not enough. If Bei Zishan’s insect swarms were ten times greater in number, they would still be able to kill me through exhausting my power..” Ning didn’t dare to be the slightest bit incautious.

He still remembered what the old black bull had told him...

That he was not to underestimate any Immortal practitioner! You are formidable, but aren’t others also in possession of formidable techniques?

“Whew.”

Ning shut his eyes, beginning to visualize the [Nuwa Painting]. The visualization of the Nuwa Painting was something he continuously did. The reason he was now able to execute the ninth level of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] was primarily thanks to the power of his divine will.

.............

The sky slowly brightened.

Ning, seated quietly in the lotus position on his bed, suddenly opened his eyes, frowning as he carefully reached out with his senses.

“Was it just me?” Ning murmured to himself.

“Rumble...” A surge of incomparably powerful elemental energy rippled outwards, washing through Serpentwing Lake in an instant like a huge, roaring wave. This enormously powerful elemental ripple caused Ning’s face to change. Swish! He flew straight out from the window, flying to the crown of a large tree and staring outwards.

“Northward.”

Ning stood there atop the tree’s crown, staring into the distant north. The incomparably savage elemental ripple had come from the north.

It was like the ripple caused by a stone being thrown into a pool of water. In a distant point to the north, incomparably powerful natural, elemental ripples were being cast out in every direction....one ripple after another surged outwards, sweeping out for thousands of kilometers, constantly broadcasting outwards.

“What a terrifying elemental energy ripple.” Ning was amazed and stunned. “To be able to arouse such a powerful elemental aura...the rate at which I absorb elemental energy when training, compared to this ripple, is like the light of a firefly compared to the glorious splendor of the sun and the moon. What is going on? What has caused such a powerful ripple?”

Swoosh!

From another place within the island, a figure flew out, leaping across the tops of some trees and buildings, advancing at high speed. Soon, the figure reached Ning’s side. It was Ji Yichuan, clad in a white beast fur jacket.

“Father.” Ning looked at his father.

“You felt it as well.” Yichuan looked solemnly towards the north.

“Right. The north.” Ning nodded, then said with incomparable solemnity, “A terrifying elemental energy ripple. It was inconceivably strong. Given what I sensed, if I’m not mistaken, this elemental energy ripple should have originated from thousands of kilometers to the north.”

Yichuan nodded as well. “I didn’t sense it as clearly as you did, but the impression I received was essentially the same.”

“Father, what on earth happened to cause such a powerful elemental energy ripple?” Ning hurriedly asked.

“There are many possibilities.” Yichuan said. “It is possible that a duel between Immortals has caused these elemental ripples. It is also possible that an ancient relic site has suddenly emerged! It’s also possible that an Immortal magic treasure has revealed itself!”

Ning’s face changed. “Then our Ji clan...”

The land thousands of kilometers to the north remained the territory of the Ji clan. The West Prefecture City of the Ji clan was to the southwest of the Central Prefecture City. The region thousands of kilometers to the north was one of the centermost areas of the entire Ji clan!

“No matter which of the possibilities it is, it isn’t good for our Ji clan.” Yichuan said in a low voice.

Ning’s face became ugly.

A battle between Immortals? An emergence of a relic site? An Immortal magic treasure revealing itself? Other unknown possibilities? How could the Ji clan, whose most powerful experts were only on the Zifu level, possibly withstand these things?

“Come, let’s take a look.” Yichuan said.

“Fine.” Ning was incomparably worried as well. At the same time, he immediately used his ki to send his voice to Autumn Leaf, who was staying in a room not too far from his own. “Autumn Leaf, I’m heading out. You are in charge of Brightheart Island.”

Swoosh!

The two flew into the air at high speed, then running across the waves, quickly transformed into blurred rays of light which advanced to the north at high speed. At their level, when they put all their energy into their footwork techniques, they were actually rather faster than even the Azure Firebird, and many times faster than ordinary mounts.

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