Desolate Era

by RWX

  The local citizens were shocked and uneasy. However, over the course of countless years, the imperial capital had always been safe. In addition, there had been several marquis-led revolutions in the past, none of which had reached the imperial capital. Thus, the local dwellers were still filled with confident towards the Xia Emperor.

  ……

  “Campaign against the Grand Xia?”

  “An army of a million Immortals?”

  “Good heavens…”

  ……

  “This voice seems to be ringing out everywhere at the same time.”

  “True Immortal Whitepole? What’s a True Immortal? Can it be that there is actually something more powerful than a Celestial Immortal? A million Immortals…our entire sect has only a single Immortal!”

  “No wonder our Flamedoor Commandery has been in such a state of chaos. It seems the world is about to change…”

  ……

  Every place in the vast land of the Grand Xia, including the four seas that surrounded it…every human, beast, Diremonster, cultivator…they all heard these words, and they all had their own thoughts. The reference to an ‘army of a million Immortals’ caused particular astonishment and terror. Given that the entire Grand Xia was in a state of chaos to begin with, many mortals with limited experience thought to themselves, “The Grand Xia is probably finished! More than a million legendary Immortals…good heavens!”

  Even the more experienced individuals were terror-stricken. “Does the entire Grand Xia even have a million Immortals in it? Hard to say. It is going to be hard for the Grand Xia to win this battle. We might lose.”

  Everyone felt restless and uneasy. These simple words had already thrown everyone into a state of confusion and chaos.

  The imperial capital of the Grand Xia. A side hall in the Skylight Palace.

  Upon hearing these words, the Xia Emperor’s face changed, as did the faces of the others with him.

  “It’s finally begun,” Ning murmured silently to himself.

  “Eh?” The Xia Emperor raised his head, frowning. As the master of the Grand Xia and a man of tremendous power, he could vaguely sense that karma and luck were changing.

  “When the hearts of the citizens are with us, luck shall gather here. When their hearts are quaking, luck shall disperse,” the Xia Emperor said softly. The hearts of the citizens could, to a certain extent, have an impact on karmic luck. But of course, this wasn’t absolute; there were many factors which could impact karmic luck; for example, if the Grand Xia suddenly gave birth to ten Empyrean Gods or True Immortals, its karmic luck would immediately increase by an explosive amount.

  In the end…what really mattered the most was personal strength.

  As for the hearts of the citizens? That was secondary.

  In an ordinary world of mortals, it might be important, but this was a world of Immortals and Fiends; power was what truly mattered. But of course, the hearts of the citizens couldn’t be completely neglected; the more karmic luck one had, the better. Karmic luck was simply far too important! It impacted the amount of natural energy one could use and the chances one had of acquiring precious treasures. For example, acquiring Protocosmic spirit-treasures, or perhaps even the legendary Chaos treasures that were born from the primordial chaos itself, required tremendous amounts of luck!

  But of course, if your power was on the level of Nuwa, things would be different.

  Nuwa was the most powerful figure of the entire Three Realms, and her luck was indisputably the best as well. She was so powerful that she could destroy Heaven and Earth; even if others found treasures, she could take them away by force. Simply put, she was far too powerful…and power made up an enormous component of ‘karmic luck’. When there wasn’t such an enormous different in power, however, other aspects would be more important.

  At present, it was clear that neither the Seamless Gate nor the Nuwa Alliance had enough power to wipe their enemies out, and so they naturally would fight over karmic luck.

  “I’ll make a short trip,” the Xia Emperor said softly.

  Whoosh.

  A white-robed Xia Emperor appeared out of nowhere, then immediately left the side hall.

  Moments later.

  A similarly sonorous, booming voice rang out, seeming to have descended from the very heights of the Nine Heavens, filling every inch of the Grand Xia.

  “Whitepole, child, years ago you were nothing more than a hound for a defeated clan; you supinely knelt before me, quivering in abject terror. Now that you have joined with a few other contemptible figures, you dare speak of ‘a million Immortals’ and dare rebel against me? These are my heavens, and this is MY world. No one should even think about taking it away. Whitepole, little boy, can it be that you have forgotten what happened to all of the other marquises who rebelled against me? Every single one who rebelled had their souls shattered. There have never been any exceptions, and there never will.” The Xia Emperor’s dominating voice was filled with a natural, exalted aura that radiated power.

  First True Immortal Whitepole’s voice, then the Xia Emperor’s voice; they came one after the other, both shaking the world.

  True Immortal Whitepole’s voice was more callous and grim, while the Xia Emperor’s voice carried a natural aura of command that came from his countless years of domination over the Grand Xia, making it even more persuasive.

  “That’s the voice of the Xia Emperor?”

  “The voice of the master of our Grand Xia?”

  “I heard that ever since the Fiendgod Era, there’s only been a single Emperor of the Grand Xia…him, the Xia Emperor.”

  The countless citizens of the Grand Xia went wild.

  The Xia Emperor was a legend! Even tribes of ordinary humans knew that their land was the land of the Grand Xia Dynasty. Now, upon hearing someone say that ‘these are my heavens, and this is MY world’, they all understood that it had to be the master of the Grand Xia Dynasty who was saying these words.

  “So there had been marquises who rebelled in the past?”

  “It makes sense. Even our clan has had traitors and rebellions in our history; it’s normal for the Grand Xia to have had rebellions as well.”

  The countless mortals of the ordinary tribes all took this to mean that this was nothing more than yet another ‘ordinary’ rebellion.

  Their tribes were fairly new, after all; they didn’t really understand what the difference was between this rebellion and past ones. The Xia Emperor had intentionally muddied the waters, and there was no way for True Immortal Whitepole to explain the difference at all. The Xia Emperor’s influence within the Grand Xia was simply too great; he had ruled it for countless ages, and the subjugation his subjects felt towards him was bone-deep.

  ……

  The Xia Emperor could sense the karmic luck of the world once more gathering and stabilizing. This was how swaying the hearts of the citizens worked; you relied on power, and you relied on your mouth. A single mouth could cause the hearts of the citizens to either gather behind you or to leave you behind.

  “Let’s go.” The black-robed Xia Emperor gave the order. “It is time for us to battle against the Seamless Gate.”

  Whoosh.

  The five True Immortals/Empyrean Gods, Ji Ning, and the other eight commanders all followed the Xia Emperor in leaving the side hall, flying out into the air.

  The imperial plaza. The eleven thousand Celestial Immortals and million Loose Immortals had already been divided into ten brigades. Ning and the other eight commanders would lead nine of them,, while the Xia Emperor would control the remaining one.

  “The Seamless Gate has already declared war.” The black-robed Xia Emperor looked downwards, his voice booming forth. Trying to deceive these Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals was pointless, and so he said straightforwardly, “Only one side can win in this battle. What we need to do…is head out and completely crush them.”

  “Fight!”

  Instantly, people began to call out from below
him.

  “Fight.”

  “Fight.”

  “Fight!”

  A million Immortals all called out the word ‘fight’ in unison, each of them filled with powerful will and determination. Their voices rang out together as they called for battle, and it seemed as though the heavens themselves were about to collapse. It was a joint howl that seemed to carry the power to break apart the world, filling each of the Immortals with ardor and eagerness. Who said that Immortals were always calm and had no emotions? In truth, it was that things would rarely excite them to this degree!

  “This is a Protocosmic spirit-treasure, the Eight Dragons Cloudcity.” The black-robed Xia Emperor waved his hand, and a palm-sized citadel appeared within his palm. It flew into the skies, then quickly began to expand in size.

  This was a completely golden citadel, and it was surrounded by an enormous base of clouds. Eight azure dragons were swimming around it, filled with awe-inspiring power.

  “Eight dragons swimming around a city in the clouds?” Ning and the others stared at the eight azure dragons, feeling rather stunned.

  “Nine generals!” The black-robed Xia Emperor called out.

  “Present!” Ning and the other eight responded.

  “Command your Immortals and enter the Eight Dragons Cloudcity,” the black-robed Xia Emperor said.

  “Yes!”

  Ning and the other eight immediately flew forward, and behind them flew an awe-inspiring horde of Immortals. A thousand Celestial Immortals and a hundred thousand Loose Immortals were behind each of them!

  “All the other Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals, follow me. I will be our field marshal in our campaign against the Seamless Gate!” The black-robed Xia Emperor was filled with an awe-inspiring aura of power as he led the five True Immortals/Empyrean Gods and the many remaining Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals into the city.

  Now, the Eight Dragons Cloudcity had become a true military headquarters for an Immortal army.

  * * *

  Book 18, Chapter 9 - Magic Treasure: Splitter

  The eight azure dragons swam around the golden city within the clouds. Space undulated around the city as a spatial tear formed, and the golden city flew straight into the tear, disappearing.

  Within the city.

  A million Immortals were present. The skies above them were filled with endless clouds; they were completely unable to see the outside world at all. Clearly, they were in a separate space.

  “Each of you shall return to your own camps. You are not to act without permission. Any who violate orders shall be executed!” The black-robed Xia Emperor’s voice rang out, echoing throughout the Eight Dragons Cloudcity.

  “Yes,” the million Immortals assented in unison.

  Instantly, the nine armies and the army commanded by the Xia Emperor all entered their respective camps in an ordinary fashion, none of them daring to leave their camps without permission. Everyone understood that in a time of war, military discipline would be extremely tight. If the Immortals were permitted to act and wander about as they pleased, there would be no way an army could be quickly mobilized.

  “It’s quite large.” After entering the Darknorth army camp, the hundred thousand Immortals saw a vast region with countless private rooms, more than enough for all of them to reside in.

  “Find your own places and go rest for now. You are not to leave the Darknorth army camp,” Ji Ning ordered.

  “Yes, General.” The hundred thousand Immortals answered in an awe-inspiring chorus, their voices shaking the skies.

  Sounds from the other army camps could be heard from far away.

  “Nine generals, come to the main hall for a meeting,” the Xia Emperor’s voice suddenly rang out.

  “Senior apprentice-sister, take a rest first. I’ll be back soon,” Ning said.

  “Alright.” Yu Wei nodded. Although she had joined this army, there was no need for her to enter the battle.

  Soon, Ning and the rest of the nine generals arrived within the central main hall of the Eight Dragons Cloudcity. As for the Xia Emperor and the other five Empyrean Gods/True Immortals, they had arrived long ago.

  “In this campaign, I shall serve as the field marshal. I, and I alone, shall be responsible for our movements and our plans,” the Xia Emperor said from his throne on high. “It isn’t that I don’t trust you; rather, the Seamless Gate’s intelligence mechanisms are simply unfathomably great. If I tell you, they will probably find out, and so I am keeping it to myself for now.”

  Ning and the rest of the nine nodded.

  “Don’t worry, your Imperial Majesty. This is a time of war; we know what is at stake.”

  “Since you are our field marshal, then it is natural that you shall be in charge of everything, your Imperial Majesty.”

  The Celestial Immortal generals all hurriedly assented.

  Ning had been informed by Subhuti as to how powerful the Seamless Gate was. He understood the Xia Emperor’s predicament. As for the others, they might or might not understand, but they accepted the Xia Emperor’s explanation.

  “Mm.” The black-robed Xia Emperor nodded lightly, then waved his hand.

  Whoosh!

  Instantly, eighteen black globes of fur-covered flesh appeared in the air. The black-furred globes also emanated heart-quaking golden light. These eighteen globes all had tremendously powerful auras, causing Ning to feel startled; he felt as though these were on the same level as the Ananda World-Swords.

  “These are top-grade Pure Yang treasures,” the black-robed Xia Emperor said. “There are nine pairs in total. They are known as the ‘Splitters’, and each of you shall have a pair.”

  “Top-grade Pure Yang treasures?” Everyone present, Ning included, was surprised.

  These were incredibly valuable items, even for Empyrean Gods and True Immortals. In fact, for many Empyrean Gods and True Immortals, all their treasures combined were not worth as much as a pair of ‘Splitters’.

  “Why haven’t you accepted them yet?” The black-robed Xia Emperor frowned.

  “Yes.” Ning and the others didn’t dare to be slow; they immediately accepted the treasures, filling them with their Immortal energy and easily binding them. Upon doing so, Ning immediately understood how these Pure Yang treasures were meant to be used.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  The pair of Pure Yang ‘Splitters’ merged into Ning’s hands, causing them to instantly transform into bestial paws. Thick black fur grew out from the palm and the back of Ning’s hands, and his fingernails became inch-long and knife-sharp. These were the claws of a vicious beast!

  “Transform.” Ning willed it, and one of his fingernails instantly began to lengthen at high speed, transforming into a longsword. As for the other dagger-like fingernails, they grew shorter until they disappeared.

  “Transform.” The longsword vanished, but a sharp blade appeared at the edge of his palm, making it seem like the edge of a greataxe.

  Axe, spear, sword, staff…

  All of these could be manifested.

  The nine Celestial Immortals couldn’t help but feel delighted with the results of their experiments.

  The black-robed Xia Emperor glanced downwards towards them, then smiled. “Enough.”

  Ning and the others immediately came to a halt.

  “The Heaven Punishers that your formations create possess tremendous power and are skilled in close combat, and so in the war you shall be fighting in melee. These treasures, the ‘Splitters’, shall serve as the weapons for your Heaven Punishers,” the black-robed Xia emperor said. “It doesn’t matter if you are skilled in swords, sabers, or other weapons; the ‘Splitters’ will transform to be of use to you.”

  Ning and the others now understood. So these were meant for the Heaven Punisher Formations!

  “However, let me warn you,” the black-robed Xia Emperor said, “That although the Heaven Punishers possess enormous strength, they are not very fast or nimble. Your battle tactics have to be adjusted
accordingly. Return to your camps and ponder on what is the best way for you to use your Heaven Punishers in battle, so as to allow them to unleash their maximum power.”

  “Yes.” Ning and the others immediately withdrew.

  ……

  Within the Darknorth army camp.

  Within the largest, centermost private room. This was the commander’s residence, and Yu Wei was present here, along with Ji Ning.

  “How should I battle?” Ning was frowning, pondering this question pensively.

  He thought back to the feeling he had when he had first taken control over the Heaven Punisher, that feeling of tremendous power. Ning nodded slightly. “Right. The Heaven Punisher is most suited for using greataxes or warhammers; in short, heavy weapons. They should be used to fight in a straightforward, head-on manner, rather than in a nimble, graceful manner.”

  In a battle, one had to make use of one’s advantages. If one was clearly weak in terms of agility, and yet still insisted on using flashy, agile sword-arts, one would be courting death.

  Fortunately, Ning’s true body was that of a Fiendgod, and so he had many insights with regards to close combat. He also knew multiple sword-arts, and so he was quickly able to come up with a battle method that suited him the most.

  “What’s going on? You’ve already come back to rest, but are still here mumbling to yourself,” Yu Wei said with a laugh.

  “I’m fine. I’m just thinking about my battle tactics for when I fight against the Seamless Gate,” Ning said with a laugh. “Using the Heaven Punisher is different from using my own Fiendgod body, after all.”

  “Mm. Then go ahead and spend some time thinking about it.” Smiling, Yu Wei sat down next to him.

  Ning nodded, then immediately began to train.

  ……

  The Eight Dragons Cloudcity was now merely three hundred meters long, and it was hidden within the clouds.

  Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

  Three black-armored figures appeared out of nowhere. Moments later, the black-robed Xia Emperor appeared as well, and he stood next to the city, gazing at the three figures.

  “Master,” the three figures called out respectfully.