Desolate Era

by RWX

  “This next battle will most likely be the final, decisive battle that will decide this Realmwar,” Yu Wei said with a sigh.

  “Yes. Thus, it’s very dangerous. Later on, we’ll work together in the Heaven Punisher Formation. You’ll be right by my side,” Ning said. “If anything unexpected happens, I’ll still be able to protect you.”

  Yu Wei looked towards Ning. She could see from Ning’s eyes how much he cared about her. This made her emotions only become even more complicated; she felt both warm and miserable.

  “Alright.” Yu Wei nodded gently.

  “Ji Ning, come to my place.” Daofather Crimsonbright’s voice rang out by Ning’s ears.

  Ning was startled.

  “I’m going to go meet with the Daofather.” Ning rose to his feet, then immediately flew outwards. As he left, Yu Wei quietly gazed at his departing figure, as though she didn’t want to miss any glimpse of him.

  Within the main palace.

  Upon entering, Ning realized to his amazement that the only figures within the entire main palace were Daofather Crimsonbright and True Immortal Cloudust.

  “Respectful greetings to you, Daofather. Respectful greetings to you, True Immortal,” Ning said.

  “Sit.” Daofather Crimsonbright smiled towards Ning, as did True Immortal Cloudust.

  Ning sat down.

  Daofather Crimsonbright said, “I’ve invited you here because I have an important mission to give you.”

  “Oh?” Ning immediately began to listen attentively.

  “This time, Cloudust has come on Human Sovereign Shennong’s orders to bring me two treasures.” Daofather Crimsonbright waved his hand, producing two jade bottles, one completely black and the other completely white. Both immediately caught Ning’s eye; could it be that the treasures within these two bottles were capable of deciding the fate of this Realmwar?

  It must be understood that their foes had a Daofather golem. Were these things even more powerful than Daofather golems?

  “Within the black jade bottle is a type of Immortal medicine which Shennong just finished creating, having spent enormous amounts of work on it.” Daofather Crimsonbright pointed towards the black bottle. “If you shatter this black bottle, then the medicine within it will quickly spread out and take effect within a field of ten thousand kilometers. All Immortals within the region, including Pure Yang True Immortals, will find their Immortal energy to be completely locked and unusable.” [1. Remember, as noted previously in footnotes, in Chinese mythology, Shennong the Divine Farmer is the demigod who taught agriculture and medicine to the Chinese people.]

  “What?!” Ning called out in shock, “Even True Immortals are affected by this? If they can’t use their Immortal energy, won’t they be like ordinary mortals?”

  “Yes.” Daofather Crimsonbright nodded. “This Immortal medicine is newly manufactured. Since the Seamless Gate has never even seen this sort of medicine, they naturally can’t manufacture an antidote for it. This concoction does, however, have a major flaw; it doesn’t differentiate between friends or foes! Within ten thousand kilometers, all Immortals, friendly or enemy, will be affected by it.”

  Ning nodded.

  This was normal and common for most poisons. Poison wasn’t sentient, after all; it couldn’t differentiate between friend or foe.

  “Thus, the white jade bottle has the antidote within it.” Daofather Crimsonbright pointed towards the white jade bottle.

  “When you go back, pour out the medicine into this wine gourd.” Daofather Crimsonbright next produced a calabash gourd. “Every single Loose Immortal only needs a single drop. Celestial Immortals need ten, while Pure Yang True Immortals need a hundred. The Darknorth army under your command has three thousand Celestial Immortals and three hundred thousand Loose Immortals. All of them need to drink the medicine.”

  “When battle begins, the Seamless Gate will definitely continue to try to kill you; they’ll send their armies to surround and assault you. When the time comes, just shatter the black jade tablet…and instantly, all Immortals within ten thousand meters will collapse. Since your army will have consumed the medicine in advance, you won’t be affected at all…and the only thing you’ll have to do is massacre them,” Daofather Crimsonbright said with a smile.

  Ning was overjoyed upon hearing this. How wonderful! The Seamless Gate currently had an absolute advantage in terms of Immortal power, as their many Empyrean God golems were all controlled by Celestial Immortals.

  “Is it useless against Empyrean Gods?” Ning asked.

  “The influence on the divine power of Empyrean Gods is negligible.” Daofather Crimsonbright nodded.

  “Given the Seamless Gate’s intelligence capabilities…I imagine that they will soon know that this thing is in my hands.”

  “This concoction of Shennong’s is incredibly valuable. The Sovereign of Mankind just recently finished manufacturing it at an extremely high cost. Although we only have a small amount, we have given it to another person as well, in addition to you.” Daofather Crimsonbright laughed, “When the time comes, both of your armies are to simultaneously use the medicine. Even though the Seamless Gate knows about it, there’s nothing they can do.”

  “You are very powerful, and the Seamless Gate has a deep urge to kill you. If they surround and assault you, you’ll use Shennong’s concoction. If they don’t surround and assault you, break them down and destroy them one-by-one,” Daofather Crimsonbright said. “This is an obvious ploy, but there’s nothing they can do about it.”

  Ning’s eyes lit up when he heard this.

  They were definitely going to win!

  “Don’t disappoint me.” Daofather Crimsonbright looked towards Ning.

  “Don’t worry at all, Daofather.” Ning was filled with confidence.

  * * *

  Book 18, Chapter 46 - No Regrets

  Ji Ning reverently accepted the black jade bottle, the white jade bottle, and the calabash gourd!

  “You can go now.” Daofather Crimsonbright smiled and nodded.

  Ning left the main hall, now in an absolutely wonderful mood. He returned to the Darknorth army camp, going back to his own residence.

  “Back so soon?” Yu Wei was there to welcome Ning back.

  “Haha…” Ning just couldn’t stop chortling. “Bring me some wine.”

  Yu Wei immediately produced a bottle of Immortal nectar. Even as she was just beginning to bring out the winecups and other drinking implements, Ning immediately grabbed the bottle, raised his head up high, then began to guzzle it down happily. He felt a smooth feeling fill his entire body, surging straight to his head. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “How wonderful!”

  “It seems you are in quite a good mood, junior apprentice-brother.” Yu Wei sat down next to him.

  “How can I not be?” Ning laughed. “I’ll have you by my side on the battlefield, senior apprentice-sister, and we now have a daughter. In addition, we are going to achieve a grand victory in this Realmwar. Everything will be just perfect. The heavens are truly kind to me.”

  Yu Wei smiled as well. She reached out with her left hand to take Ning’s hand as well.

  Ning laughed again.

  “Let me mix up the medicine first.” Ning waved his hand, producing the white jade bottle and a gourd. He pulled the stoppers out from the gourd and the jade bottle. The gourd was a magic treasure meant for the express purpose of holding wine. It wasn’t that precious, merely an Immortal-ranked magic treasure; Daofathers were capable of casually manufacturing such items. A suctioning power appeared within the mouth of the gourd, pulling all of the medicine within the jade bottle into it.

  “Mix up the medicine?” Yu Wei was puzzled.

  “Right. Later, we’ll give this antidote to our three thousand Celestial Immortals and three hundred thousand Loose Immortals to ingest,” Ning said with a laugh. “You need to ingest it as well.”

  “Ingest this antidote? Why?” Yu Wei asked.

  Ning said, “Can’t you gues
s? Senior apprentice-sister, Human Sovereign Shennong is a master of medicine. In terms of creating Immortal medicines, no one in the entire Three Realms can compare to him. Once this medicine is released, all Immortals within ten thousand kilometers will have their energy completely frozen and unusable. They’ll be like ordinary mortals. Tell me…if this is suddenly used on the battlefield, what will happen to the Seamless Gate?”

  “It’s that amazing?” Yu Wei nodded slowly in amazement. “If that happens, the Seamless Gate will lose disastrously. But junior apprentice-brother…the Seamless Gate supposedly has formidable intelligence networks at their fingers. Can it be that they don’t know and aren’t prepared?”

  “Given their intelligence networks, they probably already know.” Ning shook his head. “But this is an open scheme, not a hidden one. If they assault me en masse, I’ll release the Immortal medicine and wipe them all out. If they don’t…given the power of my Darknorth army, I can break then down one at a time.”

  Yu Wei nodded gently. “This truly is an open scheme. They know you have the Immortal poison, but without the antidote, there’s nothing the Seamless Gate can do.”

  “The Human Sovereign truly is incredible.” Ning let out a sigh. “He’s actually able to manufacturing such an incredible Immortal medicine as this.”

  Slosh, slosh.

  Ning picked up the wine-gourd and gave it a good shake, listening to the sound of the wine sloshing around within it.

  “The medicine’s been mixed in.” Ning smiled as he looked at Yu Wei. “Want to be the first one to use it?”

  “No rush.” Yu Wei said with curiosity, “What does this Immortal medicine look like?”

  Ning chuckled. “The antidote? It was in this white jade bottle, while the poison is in this black jade bottle.” Waving his hand, Ning produced the black jade bottle as well.

  “Oh?” Yu Wei reached out for it. “Let me take a look.”

  Ning was startled. For a brief moment, he wanted to refuse…but it was just a brief moment and a brief thought. He didn’t actually refuse or stop her.

  “Careful with it, senior apprentice-sister,” Ning instructed.

  “Of course.” Yu Wei held the black jade bottle in her hands.

  ……

  Within the world of the Violetdawn Pearl.

  Yu Wei’s incarnation was here, alongside Brightmoon.

  “Mother.” Her daughter, Brightmoon, continued to kneel there. She stared wide-eyed at Yu Wei. “I know I was wrong. Can you plead with Father on my behalf? Ask him not to be angry with me. I really know I was wrong.”

  Yu Wei’s incarnation walked over to her daughter’s side, kneeling down next to her and gently embracing her.

  Brightmoon was startled…and then she happily inhaled deeply, smelling of her mother’s scent. “Mother, you smell so nice. Brightmoon loves it!”

  “Brightmoon…”

  “Huh?”

  “You need to be a good girl. In the future, don’t make your father angry, understood?”

  “Oh. I really know that I made a mistake this time!”

  “Mm. I know you are a good girl, Brightmoon. The best girl.”

  Yu Wei’s incarnation held Brightmoon in her arms. Suddenly…her tears began to fall.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Yu Wei’s incarnation held Brightmoon in her arms, while the confused Brightmoon raised her head to look at her mother puzzledly. Yu Wei just looked back at her, as though wanting to firmly engrave the memory of her daughter into her heart.

  And then…

  She dissipated like a mist.

  “Mother?” Brightmoon hurriedly called out.

  ……

  The world of the Grand Xia. Whitepole Commandery. Within the Eight Dragons Cloudcity, hovering in midair. Ning’s residence.

  Yu Wei’s slender, pale fingers held the black jade bottle as she looked towards Ning.

  She still remembered the first time she had met this junior apprentice-brother of hers…it was back when Ning had first entered the Black-White College. During the Dao Debates at the Black-White College, Ning had repeatedly overcome all challengers in an absolutely dazzling fashion, causing Yu Wei to become intrigued. She thus personally challenged Ning to a duel. Perhaps…even as far as back then, she had subconsciously wanted to leave Ning with an impression of her.

  That trip to the Witchriver Immortal Estate…she had watched as Ning and Ninelotus had parted ways, watched as Ning had left all by himself…

  In the Brightmoon Diagram of the Mountains and Rivers…she had experienced life and death by his side. She had protected him, and he had protected her. Their hearts had grown closer, and when she suddenly was faced with life-threatening danger, he had finally charged forward and taken her into his arms. Faced with his embrace, she could no longer hold back. Even though she was a member of the Seamless Alliance, she swore an oath to herself to never, ever hurt him.

  Later on, she had returned from her tutelage under Patriarch Lu, and Ning had come back as well.

  Finally, they were together.

  Be it her past life or her present life…these days were the happiest days she had ever experienced. They had viewed flowers together, watched the moon together, and their two hearts were like one…

  She would stroke her belly, watching as her junior apprentice-brother practiced with the sword…

  She would prepare delicacies as she waited for her junior apprentice-brother to return…

  And finally…finally! Their daughter was safely born into the world. Although the Godking had issued the order soon afterwards, at least the two of them had been given some time together, and at least they now had a child together…

  It was enough. These happy days had been the most blissful, joyful days she had ever experienced, in this life or the previous one.

  Only…she truly felt sorry towards her junior apprentice-brother, towards their daughter…

  Thousands of thoughts, countless emotions…they all flashed through her mind.

  Right at this moment, within the Violetdawn Pearl’s world, Yu Wei’s incarnation was tightly holding her daughter in her arms as tears began to cascade from her eyes.

  CRACK!

  The slender, white, dainty fingers…shattered the black jade bottle.

  Ning had been in a superb mood. The sound of the shattering jade bottle was like an explosion that rang out against his very soul. He stared at the already-shattered black jade bottle in disbelief. How…how could…

  Whooooosh.

  Silently and soundlessly, Shennong’s medicine that had been contained within the black jade bottle began to immediately spread outwards in every direction.

  Ning and Yu Wei were the first to be affected by it. The Immortal energy within their bodies was instantly congealed, giving them no way to activate it at all.

  “What just happened?”

  “This…”

  “Heavens…”

  Almost instantly, all of the Loose Immortals and Celestial Immortals within the Darknorth army camp felt their bodies turn soft. Their Immortal energy became completely unusable, and the light, airy feeling of grace they usually felt was gone as well. They were like completely ordinary mortals.

  Shennong’s medicine quickly began to spread out in every direction.

  It spread out to cover an area of ten thousand kilometers…and in truth, the entire Eight Dragons Cloudcity was only ten thousand kilometers in size.

  “SHIT!!!”

  A furious roar rang out, echoing throughout the entire Eight Dragons Cloudcity.

  This was Daofather Crimsonbright’s voice.

  Instantly, a surge of powerful energy swept out and encompassed the city, immediately curtailing the spread of Shennong’s medicine and causing it to remain where it was. However…although Daofather Crimsonbright had reacted quite quickly, a terrifying number of Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals had been afflicted. The poison had spread far, far beyond the confines of the Darknorth army camp.

  Ning
just stared disbelievingly at his senior apprentice-sister.

  His soul was shaking.

  His heart was trembling.

  His Dao-heart was strong…but no matter how strong it was, Ning was still thrust into a state of terror and absolute disbelief.

  Not even the most terrifying of demonheart tribulations would have been capable of throwing Ning into a state of despair like he currently felt. When the black jade bottle had been shattered, Ning had instantly realized, but…his realization only caused him utter terror.

  Yu Wei looked at Ji Ning.

  Ji Ning looked at Yu Wei.

  Their gazes met in midair.

  This moment…

  It became a moment eternal, a memory eternal.

  Ning could sense the endless love and affection contained within his senior apprentice-sister’s eyes, could sense how absolutely unwilling she was to part from him. He could sense that her love for him in this moment was so deep, it was etched into her very bones, into her very soul. He could also sense something else in her gaze…

  Regret.

  “I’m sorry.” Yu Wei said these words softly. She just looked at Ning, as though she wanted to completely memorize his appearance and imprint it into the deepest parts of her soul.

  Whoosh…

  The wind blows…the sand flies…

  Yu Wei’s immediately body began to break apart and collapse, as though it was being transformed into tiny granules of sand. It was like a tiny flame being extinguished. In the instant that she had shattered the black jade bottle, she had unhesitatingly chosen to end her life as well. Her Celestial Immortal Jindan had already completely collapsed.

  It was like a wind blew past…and she was like smoke being blown away by the wind, completely vanishing from the world.

  Ning reached out with his hands, wanting to catch something…but there was nothing to catch.

  He stood there stupidly, arms stretched out.

  His inability to use his Immortal energy?

  The fact that the destruction of Shennong’s medicine would influence the entire Realmwar?