Desolate Era

by RWX

  World God Northrest was a World God. The amount of energy used up by the cauldron was utterly negligible for him.

  “Time to go.”

  Ning left behind one clone to refine the treasures into essence for repairing Violetjewel. As for the other seventeen clones, he had all of them leave the prisonworld. The ninety-eight stone steles and jade shrine which World God Northrest had left behind had all been placed into the prisonworld as well. Ning had brought them back, as the pocket dimension Ning had been in collapsed as soon as he left it.

  The core of that pocket dimension was the sword Violetjewel. Once Ning took it away, the pocket dimension would naturally crumble, leaving behind no traces of its passing.

  A white-robed youth appeared once more on the surface of that frozen star. His other sixteen bodies were located within the estate-treasure he carried alongside him, with fifteen of them focusing on training in the [Icefire Jindan Smelting] technique.

  As Ning saw it, of his eighteen clones of his main body, he would have seventeen upgrade their Jindans. The reason he was going to leave one behind was because he was going to leave it in the prisonworld and let it focus on operating the cauldron. That one would remain un-upgraded, in case that Ning’s other bodies were all destroyed in the war in the Three Realms.

  Once they were destroyed, the remaining body could use chaos nectar to quickly rebuild the other seventeen! Ning would then be able to simply use more Ninefire Lava and Iceheart Pith to re-upgrade their Jindans.

  But if he was to upgrade his Jindan to the second-tier, allowing him to become a half-step Daofather, then the cost of remaking seventeen clones would become considerably higher, perhaps requiring ten times the amount of chaos nectar. Ning had very little chaos nectar left; there was simply no way he could afford that.

  “160,000 kilograms of Ninefire Lava, 160,000 kilograms of Iceheart Pith. That’ll be enough for fifteen clones of my true body and seventeen clones of my Primaltwin.” Ning nodded. As for the remaining amount, he left it all behind within the prisonworld.

  Ning was going to leave behind a ‘seed’ of both his true body and his Primaltwin, just to be safe. No one could predict what was going to happen within this tribulation. Even though he was now much more powerful, Ning was still going to be cautious.

  “Time to meet the Godking.”

  Whoosh.

  Ning flew out from the frozen star.

  Right now, the war for the Deerchaser world was a pivotal moment in the war for karmic luck!

  Many of his friends and brothers had died in battle, causing Ning to wish to participate as well. And indeed, he now had the power to make a difference. The so-called ‘Envoy of All Things’? Ning was confident in being able to deal with it! But before doing so, he had to first rescue Yu Wei. Otherwise, once he revealed his full power on the Deerchaser world, the Godking would most likely have second thoughts and once more use Yu Wei to blackmail him.

  Thus…

  He had to first rescue his wife.

  Only then could he return to the Deerchaser world!

  ……

  Whoosh.

  A white-robed youth appeared out of nowhere within the northern seas of the Grand Xia.

  Although the Seamless Gate had been defeated in the war for the Grand Xia, they had still launched repeated, minor incursions against the world. True Immortal Dongyan had died in one such clash.

  “Eh?” Ning spread out his heartforce, quickly discovering one of the Seamless Gate’s bases in the northern seas.

  “I am Darknorth. I wish to speak to the Godking of your Seamless Gate. Make the report right away,” Ning sent mentally.

  The base was only staffed by a Celestial Immortal. Upon hearing Ning’s mental message, he was badly frightened. He was of the Grand Xia; naturally, he knew of the legendary power of Ji Ning, Empyrean God Darknorth. Darknorth was someone who had roamed the Three Realms and slaughtered many members of the Seamless Gate.

  The Celestial Immortal put everything else aside and immediately made a report to his master.

  ……

  The Deerchaser major world.

  The black-robed Godking and Daomother Devilhand were both standing atop the castle walls, staring at the vast wilderness in front of them. The great army of the Seamless Gate filled the wilderness, and they were calling for the enemies to come engage them in battle.

  “They remain behind their fortifications, not daring to come out and fight.” The black-robed Godking laughed.

  “Yesterday, quite a few True Gods and Daofathers of the Nuwa Alliance descended upon the castle. It seems they are discussing what to do about this war.” Daomother Devilhand laughed coldly, “Hmph. What sort of ideas can these major powers possibly come up with? The Envoys of All Things were devised by the Lord of All Things. What, does the Nuwa Alliance think that they can also create a golem of this level?”

  “How could they? The Lord of All Things was someone capable of bringing disaster to two chaosworlds and nearly destroying them both.” The black-robed Godking laughed. “Not even the protective formations which Mother Nuwa left behind are able to withstand the Envoys. They are definitely going to lose-…eh?”

  Daomother Devilhand looked towards the Godking, puzzled.

  The black-robed Godking laughed. “It’s fine. A young fellow wishes to meet with me.”

  “A young fellow?” Daomother Devilhand was puzzled. “Who?”

  “That Ji Ning kid, who once forced me to bow my head before him…” The black-robed Godking laughed softly.

  “Ji Ning?” Daomother Devilhand nodded. “A mere Empyrean God/True Immortal. Hurry up and deal with this minor matter. This war before us is the critical pivot on which our chances of winning the war for karmic luck shall turn. This is what truly matters.”

  “Yes, aunt-master,” the black-robed Godking assented.

  * * *

  Book 21, Chapter 12 - Wishful Thinking

  The world of the Grand Xia. An island atop the great Darknorth Sea.

  Ji Ning was viewing the scenery before him. Although it was winter, the innate heat within this island kept it in perpetual spring. The island blossomed with flowers and was quite beautiful to behold.

  “Senior apprentice-sister.”

  “We’re going to meet again soon. Our family will be reunited.” Ning still remembered how she looked, all those years ago, when she stroked her belly as she watched him train in the sword. That warm, loving environment…ever since the destruction of Shennong’s medicine and the shattering her soul, it had completely disappeared. For the sake of getting it back, Ning had risked his life and had done everything he could possibly do. Thankfully, he had been lucky enough to acquire the [Ninehorn Lightning Serpent] evasion technique, had been lucky enough to possess powerful heartforce, and had been lucky enough that senior Fuxi had created the Rahu Formation for him. This was the reason why he had been able to force the Seamless Gate to bow its head.

  Finally…he and his daughter was going to be reunited with his wife. The three of them would be reunited once more, as a family.

  Rumble…

  A ripple of power descended. Startled, Ning turned his head to look.

  A black-robed man was standing at the end of an upraised path in the distance. The black-robed man sauntered towards him, a smile on his face. “This island isn’t bad. It’s quite beautiful. Your Primaltwin remains on the Deerchaser world, but your true body has appeared. It seems you have emerged from Undermoon Lake.”

  “Yes.” Ning nodded.

  “Formidable, formidable.” The black-robed Godking nodded, letting out a sigh of praise. “To tell you the truth, Ji Ning…although the two of us are on enemy sides, I admit I’m quite shocked and impressed that you were able to emerge from Undermoon Lake in just six hundred short years. Jueming entered during the Primordial Era and was only able to escape during the Three Realms era.”

  Ning said, “I’ve emerged. Isn’t it time for you to hold to your promise?”

  “Did
you bring the treasures I asked for?” The black-robed Godking laughed, “Per what I originally said, I would only release Yu Wei’s soul to you once you gave the treasures to me.”

  “I brought them.” Ning’s heartrate began to speed up uncontrollably, but he was able to remain calm.

  “I trust that you have the other two treasures…but what of the Iceheart Leaf?” The black-robed Godking laughed.

  Ning waved his hand. A semi-transparent, crystalline Iceheart Leaf suddenly appeared, levitating above his hands.

  “It really is an Iceheart Leaf.” The black-robed Godking inspected it carefully, a slightly intoxicated look in his eyes. “It really is quite beautiful, just as the legends said it to be. This is my first time to see an Iceheart Leaf in person. Mmm…alright. You can destroy it now.”

  “Destroy it?” Ning’s heart sank. What was the meaning of this? Why was he being told to bring, then destroy the Iceheart Leaf?

  “Now that I’ve seen it, it’s of no further use to me.” The black-robed Godking looked at Ning. “I just wanted the chance to look at it, that’s all.”

  “I brought you the treasures that you asked for. Please give my senior apprentice-sister’s soul back to me,” Ning immediately said.

  “Ahaha….” The black-robed Godking let out an ear-piercing laugh, an uproarious laugh, a crazy laugh. He laughed so hard, tears nearly came out of his eyes. His entire body trembled from laughter as he pointed a quavering hand at Ning. “Oh, Ji Ning, Ji Ning…and to think that you are a ‘peerless genius of this age’. Haven’t you understood yet? When I told you to get me Iceheart Leaf, I simply wanted to force you into Undermoon Lake. The leaf, the other treasures…although they are of some use to me as a Daofather, they are meaningless to the Seamless Gate as a whole. Did you really think I would care about those three treasures?”

  “All I wanted was for you to enter Undermoon Lake!”

  “Although you managed to emerge after six hundred years…it was enough. It was enough. Our ‘Three Realms infiltration phase’ is complete. Our Seamless Gate is battling against your Nuwa Alliance on the Deerchaser world, and soon the entire war for karmic luck will be at an end. The infiltration phase is over. It no longer matters.” The black-robed Godking roared with laughter. “If you came out after just one or two centuries, I’d probably have to come up with something else, but six hundred years? You are no longer a threat.”

  “No threat at all.”

  “Nowadays, our Seamless Gate’s forces are sent out in massive armies. You, a mere True Immortal with that feeble Rahu-something formation…what can you possibly do?” The black-robed Godking continued to roar with ear-piercing laughter like a madman.

  Years ago, the Godking had been forced by Ning to bow his head. The Godking had been enraged to the point of wanting to kill Ning, but it wasn’t appropriate for him to personally act. However, the chance to see Ning enraged, see Ning feel despair…that would be even more delightful than simply killing him.

  As the black-robed Godking laughed with abandon, he kept a careful watch over Ning, noting every single change in expression. He wanted to see Ning’s face become filled with panic and despair. Only then would the demon in his heart be satisfied! Other Immortal cultivators might be afraid of their dark side, but the Godking was a cultivator of Lord Demonheart’s arts. He himself was the veritable incarnation of a mental devil, while his master was the Lord of the Demonheart.

  But…he was disappointed.

  Ning just stood there. Stood there, not reacting at all.

  Crack. Something suddenly seemed to shatter.

  That woman who had quietly, blissfully watched with a smile on her face as Ning had trained in the sword…she was never coming back.

  Pain!

  Ning felt agonizing pain in his heart. Pain that made him feel nauseous. Pain that was about to drive him insane. He wanted to laugh…he wanted to roar…but he couldn’t make any sound at all. For many years now, the karmic sinflames had been constantly burning against his body, but Ning had never cared about the pain they brought. In this moment, however…the pain he felt was ten thousand times greater than the pain from the karmic sinflames.

  “Ha…haha…”

  Suddenly, a dry laugh rattled out from Ning’s mouth.

  He sounded almost like a toddler who had just learned how to speak.

  “Aha…ahaha…ahahaha….” Ning began to laugh wildly. He finally began to laugh, and his tears finally began to fall as well.

  Upon seeing this, the black-robed Godking finally let out a satisfied smile. This was more like it. This was the reaction he had expected. For a brief moment, just now, the man hadn’t been reacting at all.

  “Ahahaha…I knew all along that you weren’t worthy of my trust…” Ning’s eyes were completely bloodshot now. He laughed wildly, “I knew it all along. You, ‘Godking’, you toy with the hearts of men, causing chaos throughout the Three Realms. How could your promises be worth believing? But I still chose to believe, and I even entered Undermoon Lake, doing everything I could to return as soon as possible.”

  “I even impatiently ran over here to hand those three treasures over to you. I knew that your promises were as worthless as dogshit…but I still came. I held onto hope. A tiny shred of hope…hope…hope that she would be able to come back.”

  “I hoped that she would be able to come back.”

  “Brightmoon and I…we miss her. I want our family to be together again. That’s all I want. My family to be together.”

  “But you…finally…you have finally destroyed my last bit of hope. You destroyed it.” Ning laughed so madly, he was shaking. “Ahaha…it was all just wishful thinking…I was just dreaming. I was lying to myself this entire time. Lying to myself. Telling myself that we could still be together. What a joke. I am such a joke. A joke!”

  The black-robed Godking could sense how the heart of the youth before him had shattered. Could sense his agony. His despair. The destruction of that last shred of hope.

  The Godking…was satisfied.

  Was pleased.

  This was more like it. This was true agony. This was true heartbreak.

  The Godking looked at Ning. “It is time for you to wake up. You need to understand that at this current stage of the war, a single Empyrean God like you cannot have any impact at all. By now, only a large number of Empyrean Gods and True Immortals joined together will have any effect. Still…I’m a man who appreciates talent.”

  “I’ll once more invite you to join the Seamless Gate. So long as you are willing to join us, you’ll immediately be able to reunite with your wife. Don’t you wish to be with her? Don’t you wish for your daughter to reunite with her mother? If you join the Seamless Gate, it will all happen. As a member of the Seamless Gate, you’ll be one of us…and I’ll naturally stop plotting against you. In fact, I’ll be quite good to you. You are a true expert amongst Empyrean Gods and True Immortals, after all. Although you won’t be able to change the course of the entire war for karmic luck, you’ll still be of some use.”

  “If you join the Seamless Gate now, you’ll be able to reunite with your wife. But if you refuse…well. She’ll be of no further use to me. I’ll kill her. I’ll shatter her soul. Ahahaha…”

  “You have no other choices.” The black-robed Godking looked at Ning.

  Ning…was still bent over with laughter. “Joke. I’m a joke.”

  “Thank you.” Ning straightened his back, raising his head to stare unblinkingly at the black-robed Godking.

  The black-robed Godking’s heart skipped a beat.

  What sort of a look was that? Such powerful heartforce…such a terrible gaze. If this was the gaze of an ordinary mortal, the Godking wouldn’t care at all, but this was Ji Ning, who had reached the fourth stage of heartforce. The black-robed Godking could sense that behind that gaze, there was an endless, blazing, burning hatred that not all the waters of the Three Realms would suffice to quench.

  A desire to kill that had seeped into his
spirit…his very truesoul itself.

  “Thank you for destroying my hopes. Thank you for bringing my wishful thoughts to an end. Thank you…for freeing me from all my doubts.”

  “Let’s take it slow, you and I. The day is still young. Soon…I will make sure to properly thank you for all you have done.”

  After speaking, Ning turned and left, transforming into a streak of light.

  “If you refuse, your wife will be useless to me. I will kill her,” the black-robed Godking immediately howled after him.

  “My wife is already dead. I killed her!” Ning’s voice echoed in the air, but he himself had already departed from the Grand Xia.

  * * *

  Book 21, Chapter 13 - A Month From Now

  The black-robed Godking stood there at the island, staring into the skies. Ji Ning had already departed from this place.

  “Hmph.” The black-robed Godking laughed coldly. “He cares deeply about love, and yet is able to sever it. Quite an impressive figure. During ordinary times, I might need to be concerned about you…but now? The war is in full swing. Soon, even the major powers shall begin to die in large swathes. A single Empyrean God…nothing more than a minor character.”

  Whoosh. The black-robed Godking left behind as well. The only thing left behind was that beautiful island, where countless flowers continued to bloom.

  ……

  The Deerchaser world.

  Atop the walls of the Seamless Citadel. Daomother Devilhand and the black-robed Godking continued to stare at their army, spread throughout the vast wilderness. Their army was calling out for battle, but the Nuwa Alliance refused to come out and fight.