Desolate Era

by RWX

  Three Calamities, Nine Tribulations?

  Three centuries a calamity, nine centuries a tribulation. Calamities are easy to avoid, but tribulations are hard to escape?

  Ning truly was shocked by this. Unless one became a Celestial Immortal, everyone who trained in the path of Immortals would have to deal with a test every three centuries.

  ……

  Ji Yichuan and Yuchi Snow looked at their son. Right now, there was a look of shock and disbelief on their son’s face. Seeing the stunned look, Yichuan nodded slightly. He had finally managed to shock the little rascal.

  “Our son is still very young. Why did you tell him all those things?” Snow said unhappily.

  “Mother.” Ji Ning lifted his head up, a smile on his lips. “It is fine.”

  Ji Yichuan looked at him in surprise.

  “Father.” Ji Ning laughed. “From mortal to Xiantian, from Xiantian to Zifu. These two obstacles alone… are extremely difficult. The ‘Three Calamities, Nine Tribulations’ are very distant and very far off. I don’t need to worry about them at all for now.”

  “Mm.” Yichuan nodded. “Your attitude isn’t bad. You are correct. Right now, there truly is no need for you to think about becoming a Zifu Disciple. That’s too far away for you. At the vast area around Mount Swallow, the strongest people in the countless tribes and in the Ji clan are only at the Zifu Disciple level. The path of the Immortals is a hard one. Even our massive Grand Xia Dynasty would perhaps produce only a single Celestial Immortal in the space of a million years.”

  Ning nodded gently.

  In the Netherworld Kingdom, the Ruler of Cui Palace had told him that the ‘Nuwa Painting’ would only give him a chance at becoming a Celestial Immortal, and that there were still many obstacles to overcome. And that was assuming that he was going to be a Deva and also a soldier in the armies of Heaven. From this, one could imagine how hard it was for one to become a Celestial Immortal. To escape the confines of the Three Realms and no longer be subject to the Five Elements wasn’t so easily done.

  “Do you still desire to train to become an Immortal?” Yichuan looked at Ning.

  “Yes.” Ning nodded.

  Yichuan nodded slightly. If the boy had been terrified just by hearing about this, Yichuan would have been disappointed. What he didn’t know was… how could Ning possibly be scared as easily as this? There was nothing without risk. Even walking on the street, one might be killed by a rock falling down from the skies. Even when eating, one might choke to death. Training to become an Immortal naturally would be extremely risky. It would be bizarre if it wasn’t.

  “However…” Yichuan frowned. “You are too young, and training techniques are very complicated. If I was to transmit a high-class Immortal training technique to you and you trained in a wrong direction, it would harm your body. But ordinary Immortal techniques aren’t worth learning…”

  “Father,” Ning said. “I wish to learn the Fiendgod Body Refining Technique.”

  “Oh? You know about Body Refining?” Yichuan was extremely surprised, and Snow began to laugh. “It seems our son has read quite a few books. He even knows that there are two main paths of Immortal training.”

  There were two primary paths of training to become an Immortal.

  The first was in Ki Refining, refining ki energy! 99% of those who trained to become an Immortal chose this path. This path allowed one to use many mysterious Immortal treasures, create complicated golems, control large amounts of deadly magical beasts, develop powerful magical formations, and also use some extremely vile techniques… in a word, this was an extremely glorious and profound path.

  The other path was in Body Refining.

  Supposedly, the three Realms had each given birth to many Fiendgods. All of them were born from nature itself and were powerful from their birth! As for the creator of the universe, Pangu, he himself was the mightiest of them, the Fiendgod of Primordial Chaos. He also possessed the most powerful body… and thus, a number of elders managed to develop this ‘Fiendgod Body Refining’ technique, which would allow the practitioners to possess bodies on par with Fiendgods. Indestructible bodies, possession of boundless strength, having three heads and six arms, regenerating from a single drop of blood, immortal and undying…these all belonged to the Fiendgod Body Refining method.

  Reputedly, at the same level of development, a Fiendgod Body Refiner would be able to totally suppress his opponents!

  “Body Refining is a hundred times more difficult than Ki Refining,” Yichuan said seriously. “The Fiendgod Body Refining method allows one to possess the power of a Fiendgod. How powerful is that? Hard, very hard…”

  “Father, first I’ll train the body. Afterwards, I will develop Ki,” Ning said. “These two training methods can be simultaneously progressed in. By then, I’ll take whatever path I am most skilled in, which will be my primary path. In addition, weren’t you afraid that I am too young and that training in ki will damage my veins? The Fiendgod Body Refining technique doesn’t have this risk.”

  Yichuan and Snow glanced at each other.

  It seemed their son had thought things through. Indeed, the Fiendgod Body Refining technique primarily exercised the entire body’s muscles and internal organs. As for the blood vessels? It didn’t have much to do with that at all. It must be known that Innate Fiendgods came in all types, and their veins were totally different from the veins of human beings. The benevolence of those ancestors had developed the Fiendgod Body Refining technique from the bodies of the Fiendgods. Naturally, they ignored the veins.

  “Alright!” Yichuan nodded. “The Fiendgod Body Refining method is incomparably precious. Our Ji clan in total has nineteen books on Fiendgod Body Refining scattered through our five prefectures. I will let you choose the one you wish to train in!”

  “Yes.” Ning was extremely excited.

  “Brother Black.” Yichuan shouted towards the outside.

  A black-haired middle-aged man appeared from outside. His eyes faintly glowed with red light, and his eyes were rather long. It was the human form of that massive black python.

  “Uncle Black,” Ning hurriedly called out. Two years ago, when he was born, he had learned that this black-haired man was a Diremonster who had already trained to reach the ‘Xiantian lifeform’ stage. Generally speaking, animals who had reached a certain level of intelligence would be called ‘monsters’. After beginning to absorb the energy of nature, since they didn’t possess special training techniques, it was even harder for them to train than it was for humans. Only when they broke through to become Xiantian lifeforms would they possess the ability to transform themselves!

  The black-haired man smiled and nodded. “Yichuan, what do you need?”

  “I’d like to trouble you to make a journey to the library,” Yichuan said. “Bring the abridged versions of those nineteen training methods of the Fiendgod Body Refining techniques here. Ning wants to use them.”

  “Ning wants to use them?” The black-haired man looked at Ning with a laugh. “Someone who trains in Fiendgod Body Refining would have the power of a Fiendgod. It seems Ning is quite ambitious.”

  Hua!

  The black-haired man disappeared into thin air.

  Ning took a deep breath as he waited. Uncle Black spoke the truth. He was indeed ambitious. The first reason was because he knew that due to his youth, his father probably wouldn’t allow him to train in Ki Refining. Self-study? Ning didn’t have the confidence. The second was that the Fiendgod Body Refining method had some very powerful benefits. To kill a Fiendgod practitioner was more than a thousand times more difficult than to kill a ki practitioner! Fiendgod Body Refining experts, at the same level, could totally dominate a Ki Refining expert!

  They had both strong self-preservation abilities and strong power. Just based on these two alone, Ning took a liking to the Fiendgod Body Refining method.

  Hu!

  A gentle wind appeared out of nowhere, and the black-haired man appeared in the middle of the hall
, a smile on his face. “Nineteen copies of abridged versions of Fiendgod Body Refining techniques.”

  “Ning.” Yichuan looked at his son. “The abridged versions only have the first parts of each Immortal training technique, combined with a summary and description of the technique. Take a close look and see which one you want.”

  The black-haired man placed the nineteen tomes in front of Ning.

  Every single tome was very thin. After all, these were abridged versions. Even if they were stolen, they wouldn’t pose a loss for the Ji clan. They couldn’t possibly place precious Immortal training copies in their entirety in the library, after all. However, even these abridged versions of the Fiendgod Body Refining weren’t freely available for others to see. This was why Yichuan had sent the black-haired man to make the trip.

  “Nineteen tomes.”

  Ning began to read in earnest.

  * * *

  Book 1, Chapter 7 - Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens

  One thin abridged book after another was placed on the table, and Ning instantly began to scan the names of each of these books.

  [Calamity Fiend] [Indestructible Blood Fiend] [Song of the Inferno] [Vajra Buddhist Sutras] [Freeform Soul] [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] [Eternal Mysteries of the Yellow Earth] [Spirit Fox Sutra] [Sutra of the Future Buddha] …

  Every single book was covered with ancient, strange-looking characters. Fortunately, Ning had learned these words after Ning had been born into this world.

  Ning took a deep breath. This was a critical choice! One which would determine his destiny!

  He picked up a book and began to read.

  [Calamity Fiend]. To train it, one needed to cover one’s body with magic tattoos and use hellfire to temper one’s body. It was extremely painful. After covering the body with nine different types of magic tattoos and after having been tempered by hellfire 81 times, the body would totally transform and become that of a Xiantian lifeform, instantly acquiring boundless strength, the ability to belch hellfire, and immediately regrow a severed arm. This was an extremely hard yet extremely fast way of training. Theoretically, one only needed 81 days in order to reach the Xiantian level.

  [Indestructible Blood Fiend]. The pain this caused was even greater than that of the [Calamity Fiend] training method. It required three years of magic tattoos, three years of a hellish, tormented existence.

  [Song of the Inferno]. This required one to train next to a blazing inferno, then to be engulfed by a blazing inferno, and then finally to enter the lava of a volcano without being harmed at all. It required a person to become one with fire. Once a person could control the limitless power of fire, then one would be considered to have reached the Xiantian level…

  Reading these three, Ning began to frown.

  Why was it that these Fiendgod training methods were all so painful? It was worse than torture!

  “You foolish child.” Snow couldn’t help but speak out. “Only a few Fiendgod Body Refining methods are truly painful. Only five of these nineteen books are excruciating painful. The others aren’t nearly as bad. I didn’t expect that the first three you picked up…”

  “Oh!” Ning let out a sigh of relief.

  Yichuan, seated nearby, said coldly, “Fiendgod Body Refining is far more difficult than Ki Refining. For a mortal to become a Xiantian lifeform is against the natural law of the world. To reach that level through the most difficult method, the Fiendgod Body Refining method… of course it is hard! In addition, these methods which require miserable agony and difficulties, although they are quick, can be considered heterodox methods which cannot be considered to have a good foundation.”

  Ning nodded as he continued to read.

  [Vajra Buddhist Sutras]. This was a type of Buddhist Vajra training method.

  [Freeform Soul]. It required an extremely long period of time to train, but after reaching the Xiantian level, it allowed one to freely transform one’s body and filled one with life. Even if one was chopped into many tiny pieces, one would quickly reform. This was one of the topmost life-preserving types of Fiendgod Body Training.

  [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]. Without question, the number one type of Fiendgod Body Training method!

  “What?!”

  Ning’s eyes turned hungry, and he immediately stared at the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] and began to read carefully.

  The [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] had nine parts.

  The first three levels were for the Houtian stage.

  The middle three levels were for Xiantian lifeforms.

  The later three levels were for the Zifu stage.

  “It really is different. Those other training methods, at their peak, only allowed the trainees to become peak Xiantian lifeforms. But this [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] allows a person to reach the peak Zifu level.” Ning continued to read carefully despite his excitement.

  Upon reaching the Xiantian level, one would be able to control water and fire, and also possess astonishing physical strength. One’s body would be light and agile, and all six of the senses would be sharpened. Severed limbs would regrow.

  Upon reaching the Zifu level, one would be able to regenerate from a single drop of blood. Upon reaching the Wanxiang stage, one would have amazing powers, such as growing three heads and six arms, the Kuafu Sunchaser ability, or Shining Dragon Eyes ability. But of course, the prerequisite was that one would need to be trained in these magical powers.

  Fiendgod Body Refining adepts were able to easily suppress Ki Refining adepts of the same level.

  But the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] was able to suppress all other types of Fiendgod Body Refining techniques!

  This was publicly knowledged!

  There was no dispute!

  But training in it was extremely hard, the hardest of all. This, too, was undisputed!

  “That will be my choice!” After flipping through the remaining Fiendgod Body Refining books, without hesitating at all, Ning made his choice. “[Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]!”

  “You’ve chosen?” Yichuan looked at his son.

  “Yes.” Ning nodded.

  Yichuan said slowly, “Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens’. This is publicly acknowledged by everyone in the world as the most powerful Fiendgod Body Refining method. It is far more profound than the likes of the ‘Song of the Inferno’, the ‘Vajra Buddhist Sutra’, or the ‘Calamity Fiend’ techniques. And that’s just at the Zifu level. The later stages of it are even more profound. If you are able to become a Zifu Disciple, it would be very easy for you to advance to higher levels as well.”

  “This is the most widely spread and most easily obtainable type of Fiendgod Body Refining technique.” Yichuan looked at his son. “But it is also the hardest!”

  Ning laughed.

  He had spent two years here in this world reading many books. He knew that refining techniques were extremely important! The more profound the training technique, the harder it was to train in. For the higher level books regarding the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] to be easily obtainable meant that it was all the more important for him to choose this one.

  “It has the greatest power! The undisputed best!”

  “It is the most widespread one!”

  “It is the most easily obtainable method!”

  Yichuan looked at his son. “It has countless merits, and just one flaw; it is extremely difficult! There hasn’t been a single member of the Ji clan of any of our five Prefectures who managed to reach the fourth part and become a Xiantian lifeform.”

  “What? Not a single member of the Ji clan in all five Prefectures has been able to use it to become a Xiantian lifeform?” Ning was shocked.

  It was fine if they didn’t reach the Zifu stage.

  But not even one had reached the Xiantian lifeform stage?

  “Right.” Yichuan said. “Not a single one. Because it is simply too hard, far hard
er than you can imagine. But I must admit that it is the most mysterious and most powerful Fiendgod Body Refining method. Even in the legends of the Fiendgods, this technique is the most powerful one!”

  “Then this will be my choice!” Ning didn’t hesitate at all.

  He was born into the world with the likes of the [Nuwa Painting], one of the highest class visualization techniques which would allow him to stand out even amongst the armies of Heaven. With such a firm foundation, how could he not at least give it a shot? Even if he failed, that wouldn’t be a big deal. He could then choose to train in another technique.

  “Fine!” Yichuan revealed a rare smile on his face. He was very happy with his son’s resoluteness. “Then I will go get the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] for you.”

  “Thank you, father.” Ning was filled with anticipation.

  ……

  Dark night.

  The door to the room was closed, and inside the room, the arm-thick candles were flickering. There were only three people in the room. Yichuan, Snow, and their son, Ning.

  Ning was holding an extremely thick book with scarlet red letters and reading through it. This was the legendary, most powerful of techniques: [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens].

  “It really is hard.” Ning was frowning as he read it.

  The [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] had several major obstacles.

  The first was the introduction. In order to begin training in it, one had to be able to sense the ‘Great Yang’ (the Sun) and the ‘Great Yin’ (the Moon) in the skies. Many other Fiendgod training methods required the absorption of elemental energy, such as fire, water, or electricity in order to build up power. But the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] required its practitioners to immediately begin sensing those two greatest of celestial bodies, and to absorb the energy of the Sun and the Moon.

  Many trainees simply couldn’t sense the Sun and the Moon at all. And this was just the first step!