The Desolate Era

“You executed Serpentwing?” Ji Yichuan looked at his son, and by his side, Yuchi Snow stared in disbelief as well. The two of them knew that their son wasn’t the type of person to tell lies, but this was simply too...when the experts of the Five Prefectures of the Ji clan had battled Serpentwing numerous times, they hadn’t been able to execute Serpentwing.

Ji Ning said hurriedly, “Father, please look.” With a wave of his hand, out of nowhere, an enormous thing covered in wounds appeared in the pool next to them. Those enormous scaled wings, that viscous green blood...they all testified to this creature’s identity.

“Serpentwing?”

“Serpentwing?”

Yichuan and Snow looked at the enormous corpse. They couldn’t help but exchange a glance.

“It seems my son’s strength...his strength is quite extraordinary.” Yichuan said. “Not only did he kill Serpentwing, he also was able to store Serpentwing’s corpse within storage-type magic treasures.”

“Father. Mother.” Ning didn’t hide anything. “When I was adventuring at Eastmount Marsh, I encountered the Ironwood clan’s Ironwood Zhan.”

Yichuan and Snow were both startled.

Ironwood Zhan?

That was a dangerous foe.

“He probably was there to deal with the Azure Skysnake to try and force it to become his slave.” Ning said. At this point, he began to sigh a bit as he thought back to how he and the Azure Skysnake had battled repeatedly with each other, with the two being unable to harm each other, and how slowly, they began to build respect for each other as opponents. In the end, as he did not find the Azure Skysnake’s corpse within Ironwood Zhan’s storage treasures, nor did he see the Azure Skysnake become a tamed slave, Ning understood that the Azure Skysnake, at that critical juncture, had probably developed its natural ability, ‘Void Blink’.

An Azure Skysnake who had developed the Void Blink technique was like a carp who had transformed into a dragon! It had definitely left the Swallow Mountain area to roam the world in search of natural treasures...

It was hard to say if they would ever meet again.

Ning quickly returned to his senses. “When Ironwood Zhan battled the Azure Skysnake, I took the chance to flee, and I fled over a thousand kilometers out of the mountain forests...and by the side of a pool, as I rested, I was lucky enough to suddenly gain an understanding of the Dao.”

“An understanding of the Dao?” Yichuan and his wife exchanged glances. They held their breaths.

“I spent an entire night comprehending the Dao, but I didn’t expect that in the end, I was disrupted by the pursuing Ironwood Zhan.” Ning shook his head. “However, in my fury, I immediately utilized the Yin and Yang power, fusing it into the Crimsonbright divine power. Heavenly water and fire descended upon me, transforming me into a Xiantian Fiendgod’s body as I became a Xiantian lifeform. At that time, my power dramatically increased, and I then first killed Ironwood Zhan’s spirit-beast, that Bi’An Tiger, and then Ironwood Zhan himself!”

Yichuan said in surprise, “You killed Ironwood Zhan?”

“Right.” Ning waved his hand, and within it appeared a black rattan whip. “This is Ironwood Zhan’s personal weapon.”

Upon seeing the Blackwood Vinewhip, Yichuan nodded and sighed in approval. “This is indeed his Blackwood Vinewhip. As soon as you reached the Xiantian level, you defeated and slayed Ironwood Zhan. It seems as though that night you spent comprehending the Dao helped you improve quite substantially.”

Ning nodded. “That night, as I comprehended the Dao, I gained insight into a hint of the True Meaning of the Dao.”

“The True Meaning of the Dao?” Even Snow called out in shock.

“Was it truly the True Meaning of the Dao?” Yichuan didn’t dare to believe it either.

In raising one’s level of enlightenment, the higher one went, the harder it became.

Above the level of ‘one with the world’ was the ‘True Meaning of the Dao’! Even most Zifu Disciples hadn’t reached the ‘True Meaning of the Dao’ level! Yichuan, in the past, had only managed to reach this level thanks to special circumstances, and in addition, this was something which the Ji clan had held as a secret and never made public. Others only believed Yichuan to be at the ‘one with the world’ level.

“My son is only eleven.” Snow’s eyes were shining. “But he’s actually reached the level of the ‘True Meaning of the Dao’, and is training in what is acknowledged as the number one Fiendgod Body Refining technique, the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]. With this sort of talent, it would be exceptionally easy for him to be accepted for tutelage by some of the major powers.”

“No rush, no rush.” Yichuan looked at his son. “Are you able to actually utilize the True Meaning of the Dao that you comprehended?”

Comprehension was one thing, but being able to utilize it was another thing altogether.

At the ancient aquatic estate, Ning had been in a near-lethal situation when he finally managed to execute the ‘True Meaning of the Raindrop’.

“Father, please watch.” The Darknorth swords appeared in Ning’s hands, and he shot a sword into the air. Hua! The tip of the sword seemed like a drop of rain, causing the air around it to ripple violently.

“True Meaning of the Raindrop!” Yichuan nodded repeatedly. “This is the True Meaning of the Raindrop. That night you spent comprehending the Dao allowed you to be able to put the True Meaning of the Dao on display through your swordplay? This is...this is...” Yichuan didn’t even know what to say. Swallow Mountain, at least, had never seen such a monstrous talent.

Most likely, only in those distant, super-massive tribes would an equivalent talent exist.

“I was only able to comprehend the True Meaning of the Raindrop in a hidden area.” Ning said. “I imagine, Father and Mother, that you both knew that I was trapped within a hidden area.”

The couple hurriedly nodded.

“Your son suddenly disappeared, and caused you such worry, Father, Mother...” Ning, after seeing his parents, quickly understood this. His father had no doubt been unable to sense the jade sword, and thus had frantically rushed over. After all, the aquatic palace was in a completely different dimension. How could his father sense the jade sword there? At that time, most likely his father was worried that he was dead. Ning could completely guess at how his father and mother had felt, having been worried for so long. He couldn’t help but feel rather ashamed.

“This isn’t your fault.” Yichuan sighed. “When I was adventuring back in the day, I saw multiple relic sites, but never entered them. Although relic sites offer great opportunities, perhaps not even one out of a hundred will come out of a site alive. Your mother and I are very happy that you came out of it alive.”

Snow gently rubbed her son’s hair as well.

Over this past month, she truly had been very worried.

“But I imagine in that hidden area, your gains were quite substantial. You were actually able to execute Serpentwing in one encounter.” Yichuan said. He didn’t believe that his son would be able to kill Serpentwing solely after having comprehended the True Meaning of the Raindrop. After all, Yichuan himself had long ago gained insight into the True Meaning of the Raindrop. In addition, Yichuan had merged every single one of the nine sword techniques of the [Raindrop Sutra] with the True Meaning of the Raindrop, and yet was still unable to kill Serpentwing.

“Right. I received the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation].” With a wave of his hand, Ning retrieved those multiple pieces of fur parchment, offering them to his parents.

Although the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] was a secret, there was no need for Ning to hide anything from his parents.

“[Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]?” Yichuan and his wife both took a look, but as soon as they did, their faces changed.

“This, this...” Yichuan and his wife were completely stunned. They were quite experienced, especially Snow, whose lineage was extraordinary. They were quickly able to tell how special this [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] was.

Yichuan couldn’t refrain from saying, “This [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] is even more powerful than any of the ‘ultimate techniques’ of our Ji clan. Snow, this [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] is most likely comparable to your tribe’s [Windwing Evasion] technique.”

Off to one side, Ning couldn’t help but sigh.

That which Fiendgod Body Refiners needed most was divine abilities! But every single divine ability, even in the Fiendgod era, was not permitted to be taught to outsiders. Not even the old black bull in that ancient aquatic estate had known any. It was only because the Yuchi clan had helped that Celestial Immortal and saved his life that they had gained a ‘divine ability’. The value of a divine ability was perhaps even greater than that of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]! Fortunately, his mother had given this ‘divine ability’ to him, as otherwise, who knows how long it would have taken before he would have had a chance to learn his first divine ability?

“This [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] possesses extraordinary power. It is a peerless formation technique that can allow a person to battle at a higher level of power.” Yuchi Snow said. “Only, the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] has very high requirements for magic treasures as well as the soul. This is its weakness.”

“Right. Several hundred magic treasures. Who can acquire so many?” Yichuan nodded as well.

But Ning said, “Father, Mother, in the hidden area, I acquired many unranked magic treasures. Simply too many.” As he spoke, he brought out the storage armguard and gave it to his parents, while at the same time, Ning withdrew all of his personal ki from within the magic treasures, so as to allow others to more easily bind them.”

“Too many?” Yichuan accepted the armguard, puzzled. He quickly bound the armguard, and as soon as he investigated it, he couldn’t help but reveal a look of shock.

“What is it?” Snow immediately asked.

“The number of magic treasures...is most likely in the thousands.” Yichuan sighed.

“So many!” Snow was shocked as well. Although they didn’t care about unranked magic treasures, there were ‘thousands’ of them within. Even the Five Prefectures of the Ji clan would be envious of such a fortune.

Ning added, “Those magic treasures are useless to me. I’ll hand them to Father and Mother for you to dispose.” He had dozens of storage treasures and over a thousand sword-type magic treasures, as well as various other scattered magic treasures, such as wing-type magic treasures...which was very suited for him to train in the [Windwing Evasion] technique. The scattered treasures also included some Dao-seals, formations, and others items.

As for the thousands of storage treasures, blades, whips, staffs, spears, and axes, he might as well give all of those to his father.

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Ning had first acquired the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], then shown off so many magic treasures. His parents had yet to fully recover, before Ning spoke once more. “This time, in the hidden area, I acquired a treasure. This will be of true benefit to our Ji clan.”

“What is it?” Yichuan and Snow immediately looked over.

With a wave of Ning’s hand, a beast fur scroll appeared. Atop the beast fur scroll, a sun and a moon hung high in the sky, sparkling with boundless light down upon a Buddha.

“A visualization technique!” Yichuan and Snow simultaneously spoke out.

Ning said with surprise, “Father, Mother, you know already?”

“How could we not know?” Snow stared at the painting of the Buddha. “In the past, my Yuchi clan also had a Visualization painting, but afterwards, the Visualization painting was lost in a struggle with another tribe. But Ning, this visualization technique is a technique which can allow one to strengthen the soul. The soul is a person’s foundation. While normally it is hard to see the benefits of a strong soul, the benefits are invisible and tremendous. You should leave this with you and use it at all times.”

Ning hurriedly said, “In the hidden area, I was fortunate enough to have a Visualization painting imprinted directly into my memory! It is even clearer than this!”

Snow, understanding the situation, said joyfully, “My son’s karmic luck is extraordinary. According to legends, the ancestor of my Yuchi clan met a Celestial Immortal, who with but a single finger point imprinted the Visualization painting directly into his soul. It was even clearer than the painting, and it could be visualized at all times. I didn’t expect that in this hidden area, my son would also have such a stroke of fortune.”

Ning thought back to how, while he was being reincarnated, he had run into the Lord of Cui Palace in the Netherworld Kingdom, and how the Lord of Cui Palace had also used a single finger to imprint the [Nuwa Painting] into his soul’s memory.

“Father, Mother, the name of this visualization technique is the [Inner Visualization of the Sun-Moon Buddha].” Ning added.

“Ji Ning.”

Yichuan’s heart was pounding as he looked at his son. “This [Inner Visualization of the Sun-Moon Buddha] will have a long-lasting impact on the Ji clan. I will immediately take it back. However, this [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] should not be publicized for now. It is too hard to train in, and aside from you, no one in the Ji clan is capable of bringing forth the power of this [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]. After your own strength improves in the future, you yourself can decide whether or not you want to publicize it. As for those unranked magic treasures, I will help you dispose of them.”

“Let it all be as you decide, Father.” Ning replied.

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