The Desolate Era (Web Novel)

“Excellent!” Back in the private room, Northmont Baiwei’s face was red from excitement. By his side was Hun Wuji, and his eyes were also filled with shock and delight. “I truly didn’t expect that Brother Ji Ning would be able to execute that rhinoceros monster with such ease,” Wuji said. “Those movements…that swordplay…he is truly inconceivable.”

Baiwei nodded hurriedly. “Formidable.” Baiwei was grinning so widely that his face threatened to split apart. He immediately shouted loudly, “Northmont Fox, I told you earlier that you were spouting crap. Now, you’ll have to swallow your crap back down!”

…….

Northmont Fox’s face was ashen. Both the actions of the seemingly ordinary youth below him as well as the words of Baiwei caused his heart to clench. He felt extremely miserable!

…….

“How formidable. What formidable swordplay!” Young master Qu stared downwards.

……..

“He was able to effortless execute that rhinoceros monster? Was that a divine ability? Or pure swordplay?” A black-robed youth frowned as he stared down towards the hall.

…….

The Boy of Universal Fire, that child who appeared six or seven years old and who had a golden necklace around his neck, had a look of deep contemplation on his face. He stared downwards at Ning, in the hall beneath him. “That sword technique…such power. It shouldn’t be a divine ability! Given how miraculous his swordcraft is…can it be that he has already reached the Dao Domain realm? That seems unlikely; he’s merely a Zifu Disciple. It’s rather unlikely that he could’ve reached such a high level of comprehension. But that sword…? Can it be that I was seeing things?”

…….

Although there were quite a few formidable figures present, Ning had executed his sword technique too quickly. Only the Boy of Universal Fire had been able to just get a vague sense that perhaps Ning had reached the ‘Dao Domain’ level in swordplay…but even he didn’t dare to feel confident about it.

The grand sealing formation vanished.

“The Immortal practitioner which Northmont Baiwei sent out…was victorious!” Miss Ziyi called out in a clear voice, and then she looked towards Baiwei. “Are you willing to continue accepting further betting duels?”

“Yes.” Ning, standing near her, spoke out instead of Baiwei. Baiwei, within his private room up above, was startled. He hurriedly sent to Ning, “Brother Ji Ning, you wish to continue?” Ning sent back, “As long as Northmont Fox is willing to send someone out, then we’ll keep betting against him. Don’t worry. It’s already quite incredible that he was able to send out a rhinoceros monster. I imagine it will be quite hard for him to send out anything more powerful. And, even if he does…I am confident in being able to kill it. As for the stakes…you can add the 900 taels of liquefied elemental essence I won on top of the stakes as well.”

Ning’s mentally transmitted voice was filled with absolute confidence. He himself had already actively told Fox to prepare a second person; how could he choose to retreat now? “Fine.” Baiwei’s eyes lit up.

“Northmont Fox, my good brother, Ji Ning, is down there awaiting your challenge. Weren’t you bragging quite fiercely earlier? As for the stakes…I’m willing to accept 900 taels, or even 1800 taels! I’m just afraid that you aren’t!” Baiwei snickered as he spoke, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt. The words Baiwei had said, as well as the manner in which he had said them, when matched with that look in his eyes…these things instantly caused the distant Fox to be utterly enraged. His face turned red and swollen.

……

Northmont Fox’s face looked ghastly. He glanced at several of his nearby friends, then said in a low growl, “I’ve suffered such humiliation…I am definitely going to slaughter that one named Ji Ning.” Zhou Li shook his head and said, “To kill Ji Ning…that will be hard. This person’s agility techniques are shocking, and his swordplay is exceedingly formidable. Even the rhinoceros monster who had used a divine ability was executed…”

“He isn’t completely flawless.” Another person nearby, a blue-robed, middle-aged man spoke out. “His divine ability is merely at the late Zifu stage, and his elemental ki is only at the early Zifu stage. His abilities as a Ki Refiner are so weak as to be negligible; he’s only able to bring out his close-quarters-combat techniques in a fight. Thus, as long as you prevent him from drawing nearby, you’ll have won half the battle.”

Northmont Fox’s eyes lit up. Right. This Ji Ning was only skilled in close combat. As long as one didn’t let him draw near, then his defeat would be nigh. “Attend me,” Northmont Fox immediately commanded. “Have the Whitewitch come.”

Fox said to his nearby friends said, “This Whitewitch was offered to me by the White Warlock Sect. I had planned on enjoying her slowly, but after suffering such humiliation…I can’t be bothered with personal enjoyment. Although this Whitewitch is somewhat weaker than the rhinoceros monster, she perfectly counters this Ji Ning.”

“The White Warlock Sect?” Everyone nearby, Zhou Li included, was stunned. The White Warlock Sect…this wasn’t a sect that was located within Stillwater Commandery. It currently desired to be permitted into Stillwatery Commandery, and it had offered a witch to Northmont Fox as a tactic. Zhou Li and the others naturally didn’t dare to say too much about this matter.

Soon, a barefoot woman walked in. She was dressed in a white robe that was hemmed with flowery patterns, and had long black hair that fell to her buttocks. She had a pair of dazzling, bewitching eyes, and she exuded an indescribable magnetism. Her gaze was fixed upon Northmont Fox’s figure, and Fox felt a fire build in his loins as well.

“What an exceptional specimen.” Fox ground his teeth, then said, “Whitewitch, your White Warlock Sect gave you to me. Your life, your everything…it all belongs to me.”

“Your slave understands. Your slave belongs entirely to you, Lord.” The Whitewitch responded in a soft voice, so gentle it seemed to be caressing his heart.

Fox nodded. “That kid named Ji Ning, standing there in the hall below us, killed that rhinoceros monster under my command. Now, I have a feeling of rage that I must give vent to. I order you…to go kill this Ji Ning.”

“Your slave is to go kill Ji Ning?” The Whitewitch, who had been calm this entire time, was instantly stunned. Previously, she had been with the other servants in the other private room. Through the window, they had watched everything happen below them. She knew exactly how formidable this Ji Ning was! She knew that in terms of power, she was quite a bit weaker than even the Monoceros. As for Ji Ning…she had no confidence in being able to defeat him at all.

When the White Warlock Sect had sent her here, they had done so in order for her to entice and mesmerize Northmont Fox!

“Hrm?” Fox frowned. “Are you not going to go? Then what’s the point of keeping you!” “No.” In her heart, the Whitewitch secretly cursed this man, who was of the primary lineage of the Northmont clan, for his viciousness. She hurriedly said, “Young master, it isn’t that your slave isn’t willing. It is that your slave doesn’t feel there is any chance of killing this Ji Ning. Your slave personally witnessed him killing the rhinoceros monster.”

Fox shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about this. This Ji Ning is extremely weak as a Ki Refiner; his only strength lies in his close combat abilities! So long as you can make him unable to draw near you, you will definitely win. As I recall, you have a secret binding skill that is extremely formidable.”

The Whitewitch gritted her teeth. That was a technique that was meant for pleasure on the bed. When she and Northmont Fox had been making love, she had once made it so that her hair had rapidly lengthened, then tied herself up with it. At that time, while they were lovemaking, Northmont Fox had even asked her about her technique, and she had naturally bragged about it. Who would have imagined that the end result was this?

“You are skilled in constricting your foes. In addition, your White Warlock Sect is most famous for your venomous bugs. Amongst them, your technique of ‘Body-Birthing Bugs’ are particularly famous,” Northmont Fox said.

The Whitewitch’s face turned ashen. The Body-Birthing Bugs? This was indeed a technique of the White Warlock Sect that made others terrified upon hearing of it, but if she were to execute it…if she was lucky, she would only suffer severe damage to her elemental ki, but if she was slightly less lucky, she would die.

The Whiteweitch stared at Northmont Fox…she understood that this Northmont Fox fully intended to have her fight to her death, if that was what was needed to kill Ji Ning.

“You can choose to go. Or, you can choose death.” Northmont Fox’s voice was cold. The Whitewitch gritted her teeth. “Your slave shall go.” “Good.” Fox nodded. “The skills of your White Warlock Sect perfectly counter him. You still have a chance at surviving. Go to the hall and kill Ji Ning.”

“Alright.” The Whitewitch immediately turned and left, her body swaying. As Northmont Fox watched her depart, a lecherous light flashed through his eyes. He let out a low sigh. “What a waste of a beauty. Still, there are plenty of beauties in the world. This Ji Ning, however, must die. I have to give vent to my rage.” He turned to stare through the window towards Ning, his eyes filled with savagery now.

“Northmont Baiwei. You just won 900 taels, but now you are going to give them back to me? Fine. I’ll bet against you again and have you send me those 900 taels back to me.”

……

Within the hall. Ning stood there by himself, a hint of a faint smile on his face. He was calm and unflappable. Since he had already decided to reveal his fierceness…how could a single battle be enough?

“Eh?” Ning looked forward. From a staircase up ahead, a barefoot, white-robed woman came striding down, her long black hair falling to her buttocks. Her swaying motion as she walked was filled with allure. “She has come to fight me?” Ning frowned, puzzled. “This woman seems to be more suited for seduction.”

The Whitewitch walked to the jewels in the corner, filling them with her elemental ki. Miss Ziyi called out in a high voice, “The Immortal practitioner which young master Fox has sent out is a peak Zifu-level Ki Refiner.”

“Just a Ki Refiner? A Ki Refiner is at a disadvantage to begin with when facing a Fiendgod Body Refiner. She actually dares to come?” Ning pondered for a moment. “She must have a special technique.” Although he was merely at the seventh stage of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] as a Ki Refiner, the jewels served as a test for the purity and density of the divine power within his body, then determined his level.

Since ancient times to the present day, the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] had always been the number one Fiendgod Body Refining technique. Although Ning was only at the seventh stage, the purity of his divine power truly was comparable to a late Fiendgod Refiner.

“Boom!” The grand sealing formation once more lit up. Within the enormous barrier of light, only Ning and the Whitewitch remained.

A lady of a sect of warlocks, filled with allure. A handsome, delicate-looking fur-clad youth.

“I was forced to come. Please show mercy.” The Whitewitch bowed slightly.

Ning just smiled. He didn’t say anything.

Whoosh! Suddenly, every single strand of the Whitewitch’s long black hair, previously waist-long, emanated with a devilish red light. Instantly, that long hair began to grow rapidly…and an instant later, it filled the air. Countless strands of black hair swept all-encompassingly towards Ning.

“Not good.” Baiwei, in the private room above, was shocked. “If Ji Ning is caught and bound, he will be in trouble.” Wuji was nervous as well. “Ji Ning is skilled in close combat. His elemental ki is only at the early Zifu stage; the power with which he can control magic treasures is simply too weak.”

Ning stared at the all-encompassing strands of hair, but just revealed a smile. He knew what his opponent’s ability was, now. “So she wants to bind me.”

Rustle rustle rustle…

In the area around them, rainwater appeared out of nowhere. The rain was very light. When landing on someone, it felt cool, refreshing, and comfortable. The countless drops of rainwater instantly filled the entire grand sealing formation.

“Layered Water Walls.” Ning’s gaze was focused on the black hair sweeping towards him. Instantly, one layer after another of incomparably sturdy curtains of water began to condense. In the past half year, Ning had developed the [Rainwater Sutra], and he had indeed risen quite a bit in terms of comprehension and insight. The power of the ‘rainwater’ of his Rainwater Sword Domain had risen the most, and Ning had furthermore spent a great deal of time focusing on these curtains of water.

In fact, he had focused on developing this ‘Layered Watered Walls’ technique, and in terms of intricacy, it was nearly comparable to the ‘Rain Line’ technique, except it was meant to pressure and bind his foes.

“Slash slash slash…” The countless strands of black hair strove to draw close to Ning, but the layers of watery curtains were incomparably durable and entangling. This technique of the Whitewitch’s was meant to be used for pleasure on the bed; while it was exceptionally strong in terms of binding power, in terms of the innate penetrating power of those strands of hair, it was very weak. There was no way it could pass through the Layered Water Walls.

Those countless strands of hair flailed in midair, effortlessly blocked by the Layered Water Walls.

…..

“Rainwater Sword Domain!” The Boy of Universal Fire rose to his feet as well. He tossed that bone to the side of the table, staring down at Ji Ning.

……

“Dao Domain. Rainwater. Rainwater Sword Domain…a Zifu Disciple who has a Dao Domain?” All of the formidable figures who had been calmly watching this battle were now shocked. For someone who was merely at the Zifu Disciple level to have reached the Dao Domain level, this…this was something out of the legends! None of them had been this powerful at the Zifu Disciple level.

“A Zifu Disciple capable of comprehending a Dao Domain? Oh no…oh no! So many people are watching here today. When word of this spreads…if the sect learns that a monstrous genius such as him was refused entrance because of me…I will be in trouble.” Zhou Li, next to Northmont Fox, had an ugly look on his face.

……

The emergence of the Rainwater Sword Domain had shocked everyone. As for Ning, he stood in the hall, as calm as ever.

“Admit defeat. I’ll give you a path to survival.” Ning stood there, surrounded by rainwater. He glanced at the distant Whitewitch.