Desolate Era

by RWX

  Ning frowned. He could sense that this youth truly seemed to have gone crazy.

  “If you tell me, not only will I spare you, I can give you what you want,” Ning said.

  “What I want? I want to go back to the Pangaea chaos-kingdom. I want to leave this place. I want to see the princess. I want to see Master. Can you do these things? Can you accomplish even one of them?” The youth stared at Ning, madness apparent in his eyes. “Someone as weak as you couldn’t possibly accomplish any of them. You can’t do it!”

  Ning was stunned. He didn’t even know where the Pangaea chaos-kingdom was. As for letting the man leave? He didn’t have the ability to do so!

  “It’s true that I can’t do it,” Ning said. “However, I can make it so that your life is a bit more comfortable. I can let things be more pleasant for you.”

  “Ahahaha…comfortable…ahahahaha! It’s over…over…all over. Master…Princess…I’ve waited bitterly for three full chaos cycles…but this is the result? This is my destiny? Ahahaha…” The insane youth couldn’t stop laughing. “Master…Princess…Goodhill is on his way now…”

  BOOM!

  The youth in Ning’s giant palm suddenly blew apart, his soul completely shattering.

  “Suicide?” Ning shook his head.

  The man had stewed here for three full chaos cycles by himself. It would indeed be hard to persuade such a person with just a few simple words.

  ……

  Ning stood there, staring at a large pile of items. These were the relics which the young prisoner had left behind.

  “I hope I can find something that will tell me about the Pangaea chaos-kingdom, something that can explain why the youth was so powerful.” Ning carefully looked through the items. The first things he noticed were those jade-green flying swords. He saw a total of 360 of them, each of them emanating an invisible aura of sword-intent.

  “B-but…” Ning was instantly stunned as he inspected them more carefully. “Top-grade Pure Yang flying swords? All of them are top-grade…and there are 360 of them.” Ning knew very well that the youth had controlled these 360 Pure Yang flying swords to form that jade-green sword-light to fight earlier. “How could he, a Celestial Immortal, possibly be able to simultaneously control so many top-grade Pure Yang swords?”

  It was extremely hard to control such powerful treasures. Even most True Immortals would be unable to control so many top-grade Pure Yang swords.

  “And inside this…” Ning instantly began to bind some of the storage treasures and investigate their contents. He began to discover one item after another.

  The deceased ‘Goodhill’ could be considered a core member of the Pangaea chaos-kingdom. Otherwise, as a Celestial Immortal, there was no way he would even be qualified to be imprisoned here; he would’ve simply been executed, rather than locked in here for countless years. Clearly, the King of Pangaea had certain concerns of his own; most likely, he didn’t want to so directly offend the school behind Goodhill.

  And so, Goodhill naturally had quite a few treasures.

  “He actually has a second set of 360…” Ning was shocked and delighted. Aside from the first set of 360 jade-green Immortal swords, there was also a second set of 360 fiery-red Immortal swords.

  Both sets were of top-grade Pure Yang swords!

  These two sets, combined, were better than any of the Pure Yang treasure sets which Daoist Threelives had left behind. But of course, they were still far from being a match for the 3600 goldstar beads, which were supreme Protocosmic spirit-treasures. Every single bead was more valuable than a top-grade Pure Yang sword, and there were 3600 of them. That set was something which Daoist Three Purities had acquired!

  “For a Celestial Immortal to have so many treasures…his wealth is far more staggering than that of the vast majority of the True Immortals of our Three Realms. Most likely, only supreme Empyrean Gods and True Immortals like me or Patriarch Lu would be able to compare to him,” Ning mused to himself.

  He continued to carefully inspect the other items.

  Most of the treasures being carried by the youth were Pure Yang treasures. All the items were on the Pure Yang level. It was as though to this youth, Pure Yang treasures were just common items. However, the strange thing was, the youth didn’t have so much as a single Protocosmic spirit-treasure on him. It must be understood that even people like the Xia Emperor had multiple Protocosmic spirit-treasures.

  “He destroyed all his spirit-pills and Immortal herbs?” Ning looked at some shattered bits and pieces of items, then shook his head. Before dying, the youth had destroyed everything he could. However, he had been unable to destroy the Pure Yang artifacts, and so Ning had acquired them.

  “He really didn’t want to leave anything nice for me at all. Still, in the end these Immortal swords became mine. Two sets of flying swords, 360 in each set.” Ning sighed to himself.

  What Ning didn’t know was that one of the two sets was the set which Goodhill normally used, while the other set was a backup set.

  Aside from the weapons, the other treasures were quite ordinary. For example, the treasures meant for fleeing were all merely at the Pure Yang level; they were far from being a match for the likes of the Voidboat.

  ……

  After going through Goodhill’s possessions, Ning was unable to find a single cultivation technique or any records of the Pangaea chaos-kingdom.

  “It makes sense. Generally speaking, techniques are directly transmitted into the mind. Secret manuals are rarely carried around.” Ning nodded. After he had learned techniques from the Black-White College and the Tristar Crescent Abode of Mount Innerheart, he had either put the secret manuals back where they belonged or destroyed them. There was no way he would just carry them around with him.

  This was why it was virtually impossible to acquire techniques like the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art], the full [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens], or [Houyi’s Archery] through killing enemies. Ning, for example, simply wouldn’t be carrying those techniques on him. He had memorized them all within his mind.

  “Ah, right. All that aside, Celestial Immortals and even Empyrean Gods probably have low status within the Pangaea chaos-kingdom. There’s no way they would be allowed to carry complete techniques around. And generally, when a master teaches an art, various soul-oaths will be employed as well,” Ning mused to himself. The more important a technique was, the more a school would work to ensure it wouldn’t be leaked out. In fact, even soulscouring usually wouldn’t be effective in acquiring a complete technique.

  “Still, things might be different for someone with high status.”

  “High status individuals might have the ability to acquire some special techniques, including ones that can be taught to those who are of a different school,” Ning mused to himself.

  In the Three Realms, True Gods and Daofathers could choose to teach some techniques to outsiders, if they so desired. In the Pangaea chaos-kingdom, the Elder Gods and Daofathers could probably do the same.

  “Earlier, when I used my heartforce to scan the region, I found an Elder God and a Daofather.” Ning nodded slowly. “The Elder God should be more powerful, and he looks like a wild dog. Perhaps it’ll be easier to persuade him.”

  Right now, Ning desperately wanted to know why a Celestial Immortal could be so powerful.

  ……

  After Ning left Goodhill’s prison ‘cell’, he sat back into his Voidboat and fly towards the Elder God that looked like a wild dog.

  In truth, Pure Yang treasures were now of limited benefit to Ning, and they were also useless to Daofathers and True Gods. Daofathers and True Gods generally used Protocosmic spirit-treasures or Chaos treasures! Ning’s most powerful treasure set right now was the Stargold Beads of the Heavens, but these two top-grade Pure Yang swords could be used in setting up the [Greater Thousand Swords Formation]. If he gave it to his Primaltwin, his Primaltwin would also have a powerful treasure to use.

  The Voidboat carefully flew forward, avo
iding the many ‘prison cells’ in the region.

  Divine runes continued to flow densely through the dark skies of the world. Their power and aura made it so that Ning’s flying speed was much slower here than it was in the Three Realms.

  After flying for more than three days, he finally arrived at the location where the wild dog Elder God was located.

  “Senior.” Ning stood outside the formation, but sent a strand of his divine power inside of it in the form of a clone. The clone carried a wooden platter with it, covered with two flagons of wine and fine delicacies. A fragrance of saliva-inducing meat wafted out from the plate.

  “Senior,” Ning’s clone called out, carrying the platter forward into the formation towards the direction of the wild dog Elder God.

  * * *

  Book 19, Chapter 29 - Meeting the Elder God

  Even though they were hundreds of kilometers apart, Ji Ning’s clone could still see the distant form of the utterly emaciated wild dog lying on the ground. He immediately grew even more courteous and respectful. His heartforce had shown him how formidable this seemingly-unremarkable wild dog was. It had been able to devour even the invisible, formless power of heartforce; how could Ning possibly be a match for it?

  “Senior, this junior is the newly-arrived Overseer. There’s something I would ask of you, senior,” Ning’s clone said.

  Sniff. Sniff. The wild dog’s nostrils flared a few times, and then its eyes opened, revealing a pair of ancient-looking dark-yellow pupils. It opened its mouth.

  Rumble…

  Everything within a thousand kilometers began to change.

  The platter which Ning’s clone was holding actually flew into the air and towards that mouth. The fine wine and delicacies on the platter flew with especial speed!

  “Eh?” Ning’s clone was completely unable to resist this power. “What a formidable divine ability.”

  As the wine and food reached the wild dog’s mouth, they began to shrink in size, then flew straight into it. Even Ning’s clone was about to be sucked in!

  “Senior! Senior!” Ning’s clone called out repeatedly, but the wild dog completely ignored him.

  Whoosh.

  Ning’s clone could sense that he was shrinking in size, while the wild dog before him was growing larger and larger, seemingly as large as the heavens themselves. It flew helplessly into the mouth of the wild dog, then dispersed.

  Outside the formation.

  “Thank goodness I only sent a clone; all I lost was a bit of my divine power.” Ning stood outside the formation, calling out, “Senior, there’s something I need to ask of you.”

  But the wild dog, a few hundred kilometers away, just continued to lie there as though he was asleep.

  “And of course, if there is anything you need, senior, I’ll do my best to satisfy you,” Ning said.

  “Lucky kid, are you able to release me? Let me out of here?” Finally, an ancient voice rang out by Ning’s ears. The eyelids of the distant wild dog lifted upwards as he glanced at Ning.

  “Uh…” Ning immediately asked, “Might I ask, what do I need to do to release you?”

  “There are two methods,” the ancient voice said. “The first method is to have an Elder God or an Ancestral Immortal with a talisman of command from the King of Pangaea come here, then activate the talisman to unlock the prison chains. At that point, you as the Overseer can bring me out of this prisonworld, and I will regain my freedom. The second method is to have a mighty individual who has reached the World-level to forcibly shatter these shackles.”

  “World-level?” Ning was stunned. “What’s the ‘World-level’?”

  The wild dog glanced at Ning, a hint of disappointment in its eyes. Still, it answered Ning’s question. “They are the ones who have ascended beyond the Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals. You look as though you live in a chaosworld. You should have heard rumors that your chaosworld was originally formed from the primordial chaos by a mighty Fiendgod, yes?”

  “Yes.” Ning nodded.

  “Those who are capable of creating a chaosworld are at the World-level of power. However, those Fiendgods who are born from the primordial chaos at the World-level will all perish upon creating their chaosworld. They were born for the sole purpose of establishing a world, and there is no way for them to continue living afterwards. As for other Gods or Immortals who manage to train to the World-level after countless years and experiences, they are even more powerful than those Fiendgods who were born at the World-level. Those individuals are capable of destroying these shackles outright. In fact, given enough time, they are even capable of destroying this entire prisonworld.”

  Ning now understood.

  Pangu!

  The World-level was Pangu’s level! Mother Nuwa had reached Pangu’s level as well. No wonder Mother Nuwa had been able to effortlessly dominate the Lord of All Things as soon as she broke through to Pangu’s level! The Lord of All Things had been powerful, and the Seamless Chaosworld had been quite formidable, but Mother Nuwa had immediately slaughtered the Lord of All Things, then frightened the Lord of the Demonheart into merging himself into the Heavenly Daos. As for the Lord of All Fiends, his escaping abilities were quite impressive; he had been able to escape while bringing along many of the shattered remnants of the Seamless Gate’s forces. They had hidden themselves in the primordial chaos, not daring to return until Mother Nuwa left the Three Realms.

  Once anyone reached her level, they would be able to effortlessly dominate all comers. The difference in power was like the difference between Heaven and Earth.

  “So above the Elder God and Ancestral Immortals are the World-class experts? Then what level has the King of Pangaea reached?” Ning asked.

  “He’s also a World-class expert.” The wild dog looked towards Ning. “However, he’s an extremely powerful World-class expert. The Pangaea chaos-kingdom has a total of three World-class experts, which is why it is so powerful. You must understand that it is very, very rare for a chaosworld to give birth to even a single World-class expert.”

  Ning nodded.

  The Seamless Chaosworld, for instance, hadn’t produced a single one. As for the Pangu Chaosworld, only Mother Nuwa had reached that level. Apparently, this was a level of tremendous power, even within the endless primordial chaos.

  “Your master, your elders…are any of the experts you know at the World-class?” The wild dog looked at Ning. “They can be World Gods of the Fiendgod path or Chaos Immortals of the Immortal cultivation path; so long as they have reached the World-class, they can forcibly break apart these shackles.”

  “I know of one.” Ning nodded.

  “Truly?” The wild dog’s eyes lit up with eagerness. Given his incredible level of power, he was completely capable of telling if Ning was telling the truth or not.

  “However, I haven’t personally met this person yet.” Ning looked back at the wild dog.

  “I can sense that you aren’t lying to me.” The wild dog’s attitude instantly became noticeably better. Previously, he had been rather indifferent towards Ning, because his experience was that it was incredibly rare for a World-class expert to appear within the primordial chaos. However…now that he knew that Ning’s side had a World-class expert behind it, and given that he himself knew that Ning’s side wasn’t an enemy…suddenly, he saw the light of hope.

  Freedom.

  He desperately craved it.

  The many prisoners jailed here all craved their freedom.

  “Senior, tell me more about these ‘World-class’ experts. My master has met that mighty individual before, but I have not. I know nothing about them. Please tell me a bit more, senior,” Ning said. And indeed, Subhuti had met Nuwa before. Ning was telling the truth.

  “Your master met this person?” The wild dog’s attitude became even better. “Mm. The paths of cultivation are divided into three. The first path is the Fiendgod path. The primordial chaos will give birth to some living creatures that will title themselves ‘Gods’, and the
y will subconsciously choose to call their enemies ‘Fiends’. The Fiendgod cultivation path is generally created by these Fiendgods who were born from the primordial chaos, which is why it is named that.”

  “The second path is the Ki Refining path, which allows ordinary commoners born from the mortal dust to constantly improve themselves and break through to higher levels.”

  “Finally, there is the invisible, formless path of the heart.”

  “These three paths are the three major paths of cultivation.”

  “The Fiendgod path can be divided in the ‘mortal’, ‘Empyrean God’, ‘True God’, ‘Elder God’, and ‘World God’ levels. Supposedly, there are even higher levels of power in the primordial chaos, as well as figures who are even more powerful than the King of Pangaea. However, in my sixteen chaos cycles of life, I’ve never encountered such a powerful figure.”

  “The Ki Refining path can be divided into the ‘mortal’, ‘Celestial Immortal’, ‘True Immortal’, ‘Ancestral Immortal’, and ‘Chaos Immortal’ levels.”

  “As for the path of the heart…even I do not understand it.”

  The wild dog continued, “The core of any Ki Refiner lies in the Jindan golden pellet within the body. This is their heart, which contains all of their ineffable might. At the World-class, however, the cultivator shall completely destroy the Jindan region, letting it return to the primordial chaos it sprang from. When that happens, a chaosworld will emerge within the Jindan.”

  Ning was surprised. The region within the Jindan was extremely vast; all of Ning’s magic treasures were placed within it, as was his sea of Immortal energy. To destroy it all and let it return to the primordial chaos, then give birth to a chaosworld…?”

  “When that happens, the Chaos Immortal shall have a chaosworld located inside his very body. Naturally, his power will be utterly indomitable,” the wild god said. “As for the ‘Daos’ which young fellows like you inside the chaosworld train in, these ‘Daos’ are nothing more than the rules by which the chaosworld operates. The ‘natural energy of Heaven and Earth’ which you cultivate is the energy of the chaosworld itself. All you are doing is temporarily borrowing it for your own use.”