The Desolate Era

A sailboat was sailing through the endless horizons of the sky.

Adept Xu Li, Dong Fanyu, and Wu Qi were seated in the sailboat. Dong Fanyu suddenly pointed in surprise towards the distance. “That’s junior apprentice-brother Lu.” From afar, a ray of light was advancing at high speed, but clearly it was far slower than them.

“He seems to be headed towards Swallow Mountain as well?” Wu Qi was surprised.

“Apprentice-nephew Lu?” Adept Xu Li revealed a rare smile on his face. Instantly, that flying sailboat drew closer to the ray of light. A few breaths later, it had moved next to it.

The ray of light had a middle-aged man standing atop it.

The middle-aged man had a hint of urgency in his eyes. Upon seeing the sailboat block his way, he was forced to slow down. But upon seeing Adept Xu Li standing atop the sailboat, he immediately bowed with respect. “Lu Huang greets uncle-master Xu. I didn’t imagine I’d run into you here, Uncle-Master.”

Upon seeing Dong Fanyu by Adept Xu’s side, Lu Huang’s eyes instantly turned red, and he roared angrily, “You old bastard, Dong Fanyu!”

“What’s this about, apprentice-nephew Lu?” Adept Xu asked.

“Junior apprentice-brother Lu, previously, I went to visit you and we chatted happily. Why do you curse at me upon seeing me now? I came to deliver to the Lu clan a chance to obtain a great merit.” Dong Fanyu felt completely puzzled.

Lu Huang was enraged. Pointing at Dong Fanyu, he said furiously, “Uncle-Master Xu, this Dong Fanyu previously came to my place to tell me about the elemental ore mine. Thus, our Copperwater branch sent two Zifu Disciples, one from my Lu clan and one from the An clan. But just a short time ago, the life tablets of both the member of the Lu clan and the nearby An clan were both suddenly shattered. My own little sister died. Dong Fanyu claims that this is a chance to render great merits, and claims that the puny Ji clan isn’t worth worrying about. But in reality? Two of the Zifu Disciples of our Copperwater branch are dead! I’m heading straight for Snowdragon City to investigate this clearly and get some answers!”

“What, all dead?” Dong Fanyu was shocked.

“What’s going on?” Adept Xu frowned as well, and the nearby Wu Qi was growing angry as well.

If this matter grew nettlesome, it would no longer be a chance to render a merit; it would be a calamity.

Dong Fanyu said frantically, “I didn’t lie. It really is just the Ji clan. There are no other enemies. In addition, our Swallow Mountain branch invited quite a few Zifu Disciple comrades of our organization. How can...how can...”

“But it is a fact that the two Zifu Disciples which our Copperwater branch sent both died!” Lu Huang roared.

“I, Dong Fanyu, swear that if I lied to you, junior apprentice-brother Lu, then let my soul be shattered and never return to the cycle of reincarnation.” Dong Fanyu said frantically.

Only after hearing this oath did Lu Huang’s face become less ugly.

Immortal practitioners wouldn’t easily swear oaths.

“Hmph.” Lu Huang let out a cold snort.

“It seems Dong Fanyu didn’t lie.” Adept Xu said calmly. “That means something happened at Swallow Mountain. Apprentice-nephew Lu, follow me there.”

Adept Xu no longer seemed as casual as before; instead, he was a bit cautious.

Swish!

The sailboat immediately pierced through the skies, advancing towards Swallow Mountain at high speed.

......

Oxhorn Mountain. Within the Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation.

Ji Ning was seated in the lotus position.

Flying swords were hovering around him. When he had previously killed those eight Zifu Disciples, he had searched their storage magic treasures...and had found fifteen flying swords. The most pleasant surprise for Ning was that hawk-nosed cultivator; the hawk-nosed cultivator’s storage treasure actually held a total of nine flying swords...and it seemed as though those nine flying swords came from the same source. They all carried a frigid, icy aura.

Upon finding this, Ning was immediately overjoyed. “Good, good, good. They come from the same source. The formation base they can create will be much stronger. This hawk-nosed man...was the hardest to kill of the eight. I didn’t expect he would have so much treasure.”

Although Ning didn’t know the hawk-nosed cultivator’s name, he knew that when he had first launched the assassination attempt against them, the hawk-nosed man seemed to have sensed the oncoming danger and had suddenly used a giant umbrella to protect himself. Ning had planned to make him the first target, but was forced to instead switch to a different one. Afterwards, when they fought head on with their most powerful attacks, Ning had to release three sword lights to kill him.

“Prior to this, I had thirteen ranked flying swords. Now I acquired fifteen more ranked flying swords, and have a total of twenty eight...that’s enough to create three formation bases.”

Ning naturally immediately began to bind these flying swords, wasting no time.

Without question, his [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] would now have those nine frigid flying swords that came from the same origin as the core.

“Whew.” Ning opened his eyes. “Done.”

The fifteen new flying swords had all been bound.

“Let me test them.”

Ning willed it...

Whoosh...

Seven hundred-plus flying swords appeared in the air, with twenty seven of them being ranked that formed three formation bases! The nine frigid flying swords formed the core, controlling and guiding the entire [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation].

“Eh?” Ning’s face changed; his head hurt as though it were about to split apart.

To divide one’s mind sufficiently in order to control so many flying swords and to set up the ninth level of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] simply required too much out of the soul, especially with ranked flying swords involved...to control a single ranked flying sword was more difficult than controlling ten unranked flying swords!

“There’s no way I can activate the ninth level of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]?” Ning’s first attempt resulted in failure. He was unable to activate it fully. “I simply added eighteen more ranked flying swords, but I’m unable to use the ninth level of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]?”

“That’s not right.”

Ning continued to test it.

The flying swords around him began to move about, changing their locations.

“Yin and Yang transform, endlessly engendering each other!” Ning suddenly thought of the critical barrier needed to break through the seventh stage of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]. The book discussed ‘Yin and Yang transforming, endlessly engendering each other’. Now, while analyzing this formation...he suddenly began to understand this principal. If he were to focus on gaining insights at this moment, in perhaps just an hour or just a few days, he would break through to the seventh stage of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]!

But Ning didn’t choose to meditate, because even if he rose in strength as a Fiendgod Body Refiner, it wouldn’t increase his power much!

This was because he was borrowing the power of the Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation...his elemental energy was a good deal stronger than even a peak Zifu Adept’s. He also borrowed from his Sword Domain and the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], which was why he was capable of such power. Even if he rose in power as a Fiendgod Refiner, it wouldn’t help him much in battle. Moreover, he didn’t have the time at all to leisurely meditate on these matters right now.

“Yin and Yang transform, endlessly engendering each other.” Ning stared at those twenty seven flying swords.

The nine frigid flying swords served as the core.

The other flying swords in the formation bases swirled around these nine frigid flying swords. They slowly swirled about them, and even began to slowly intersect with them. The power of the formation began to activate, and two formation bases slowly merged into one.

“Right.”

“Yin and Yang mutually transform...” Ning’s eyes lit up. “One serves as the core. Two serve to supplement. The others serve as everything else.”

Rumble...

The seven hundred-plus flying swords hovered around Ji Ning. A faint, incomparably powerful ripple suddenly formed. In front of Ning, an incomparably fierce, sharp sword light had taken shape. This sword light was now completely in the shape of a flying sword; it was nothing more than a flying sword that flashed with light.

“Ahhhh!” Ning felt his head hurt, as though he were being stabbed. Still, his face had an excited smile appear on it. “Hahaha, success, success.”

Although he had gained insight into the mysteries of how Yin and Yang transform and endlessly engender each other, making it possible for him to use the now much stronger ninth level of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]...Ning was still at his absolute limit. Clearly, his soul felt tremendous pressure right now.

“Best to use the eighth level.” Ning quickly removed eighty one ordinary flying swords, but continued to maintain the hovering formation.

“Sword light.”

Ning once more formed a ray of sword light.

This was sword light formed from the eighth level of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]. The sword light still appeared like a flying sword, except the sword was not as clear as before.

“I feel as though the power is still a bit greater than it was when I used the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] to kill Dong Ziqi’s group.” Ning revealed a hint of joy on his face. When he had killed Dong Ziqi’s group, his [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] had nine ranked flying swords, but he now had twenty seven...back then, he was using the ninth level of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], but he was currently now using the eighth.

The current eighth level was even more powerful than the former ninth level.

Actually, the reason why the improvement was this noticeable was primarily because...the core was now those ranked frigid flying swords that came from the same location.

“Swoosh!” Ning collected the flying swords, then hurried at high speed towards the Patriarch.

He quickly arrived.

“Ji Ning.” Ji Ninefire and Ji Yichuan both looked at the suddenly arrived Ning.

“Patriarch, these are the magic treasures, Dao-seals, medicine pills, and other items that belonged to those Zifu Disciples I killed.” Ning said. “I’ve kept these things, but the others are useless to me. I’ll give them to you, Patriarch...some of these spirit pills are able to replenish elemental energy. They are very useful to us.”

Ninefire nodded. Not hesitating, he accepted the bracelet that Ning handed over.

“I’ll go deal with Jadechild now.” Ning said.

“Be careful.” The nearby Yichuan warned.

“Don’t worry, Father.” Ning cracked a smile, then turned and, under the guidance of Ninefire, moved through the parted black fog and hurried towards Jadechild.

.....

The Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation was filled with that abyssal aura.

“Why hasn’t he come yet?” Jadechild stood there like a Fiendgod, his aura rising to the heavens, his long azure hair unbound, and surges of divine power thrumming through him. He was currently in the formation of the enemy, after all; he had to keep his divine power flowing, so as to be able to release his most powerful combat abilities at any moment.

“Senior apprentice-brother Jadechild, Ji Ning is only sixteen years old. Prior to this, when he killed our other fellow apprentices, he must have used some tricks. But you, senior apprentice-brother, are a Fiendgod Refiner and have a divine ability. Those tricks will be useless against you. He’s probably afraid.”

“He is almost certainly afraid and hiding.”

Those Zifu Disciples all agreed.

Jadechild just stood there, his gaze sweeping into the darkness ahead of him. He couldn’t help but wonder as well...was Ning truly afraid? If he wasn’t, given that he knew that Nong Zidao was currently analyzing how to break the formation, why had so much time passed after Ji Ning killing Dong Ziqi’s group of Zifu Disciples? Why hadn’t he come?

He had no idea that Ning was currently binding flying swords.

“Hmph. The more we delay, the more confidence junior apprentice-brother Zidao will have. Once we break this Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation! Without the formation, you will all die.” Jadechild said with great confidence.

Suddenly...

Rustle...faint lines of drizzling rain suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The rain was icy cold, and it fell down like foggy mist, spreading outwards. It was, however, blocked by the six mation formation and rendered unable to advance at all.

“Rainwater!”

“It is rainwater!” The other Zifu Disciples revealed looks of shock on their faces. Prior to this, Dong Ziqi had told the others that this rainwater...signified danger and perhaps death.

“Rainwater!” A golden light flashed in Jadechild’s eyes. He let out an angry growl, and then his body emanated a dazzling golden as the entire body began to increase in size. Rumble...he transformed into a nearly two-story tall giant. The Zifu Disciples next to him were only as tall as his kneecap. His breaths created tempests that caused the surrounding space to crackle and explode. His footsteps caused the entire world to seem to tremble.

Divine ability – Heavenly Transformation!

The pupils of the eyes of this giant shot out golden light, and the giant roared loudly, “Ji Ning, come out and do battle!”

This deep voice caused his voice to echo, even within his own chest.