by RWX
Ning was surprised: “A few hundred times? Not bad! You live up to your reputation, Realmslord Windgrace. I didn’t realize you had that much treasure.”
“I probably don’t have as much as you, Daolord Darknorth,” Realmslord Windgrace said with a laugh. “The Lonely King plundered his way through the Chaosverse. He had many foes, but he also had many more treasures than I do.”
Ning admitted to it. The Lonely King had an entire army pillaging on his behalf, and had killed three Otherverse Lords. He had also acquired a complete Sithe armory… and now, all of it belonged to Ning.
“In other words, even if you used up all your treasures on the Blacksun, it’d only save me less than a hundred million years of flight time via realmship.” Ning shook his head. “This trip to the Blazesun Domain will take billions of years. Saving a bit of time won’t be of much use.”
His lifespan was limited, but it was still calculated in chaos cycles. ‘Short’ was relative to the lifespans of Eternal Emperors and Daolords!
“Thank you, Daolord Darknorth,” Realmslord Windgrace said gratefully. He couldn’t help but feel rather nervous before Ning, who was capable of killing him with ease. He previously had designs on Ning’s Flamewing God, after all!
……
The next day, Ning led Flamewing, Hegemon Azurefiend, Protector Whitethaw, and Su Youji in boarding his realmship and departing from the Flamedragon Realmverse. They were heading off to the distant Blazesun Domain.
Within the endless Great Dark. Hegemon Azurefiend was helping to steer the realmship. There were two ways to ensure that a realmship could continue to proceed at incredible speeds. The first was to use chaos jewels to replenish it’s power; the second was to have a Hegemonic figure use his Immortal energy to keep it activated! This journey would last billions of years, and they’d be travelling every day. It would be quite hard to come up with enough chaos jewels to meet the consumption need.
Hegemons, however, could constantly replenish their Immortal ki and were completely capable of restoring it at a rate which surpassed what the realmship used up.
“Thank goodness we have Azurefiend.” Ning stood there, staring into the endless Great Dark.
“Haha.” Azurefiend squeezed an exaggerated smile onto his withered, gnarly old face. “It is my honor and my blessing to be able to serve the almighty Daolord Darknorth. Other Hegemons would beg for this opportunity on their knees, to no avail. O, almighty Daolord Darknorth, if you were willing to give me just a few pointers, I would benefit endlessly from your wisdom.”
“Knock it off,” Ning said with a light groan.
“Heh heh heh,” Azurefiend snickered.
“Your smile looks ugly as all hell,” Flamewing said, casting a sidelong glance at Azurefiend while eating.
Azurefiend’s old face tightened as he pointed at Flamewing: “You glutton, it’s none of your business if I wish to flatter my master!”
“What’s that?” Flamewing glared at him. “Azurefiend, you wanna go outside the ship and have a little sparring competition?”
“I’m just kidding with you!” Azurefiend immediately shifted tacts and smiled ingratiatingly at Flamewing. By now, everyone had known each other for quite some time. At the beginning, Azurefiend would never have dared to jest with Flamewing like this. By now, they were just teasing each other. Everyone understood everyone else.
Su Youji smiled as she watched from nearby. As for Whitethaw, he stood by Ning’s side with that honest look on his face as always.
“Enough. I’ll give you some guidance on our way over. Focus on controlling the realmship,” Ning said. His mastery over the Eternal Omega Sword Dao had allowed him to reach a brand new level. All other Daos instantly seemed so much simpler to Ning! Ning’s insights into the other Daos were continually increasing. He didn’t have to train like crazy; all he had to do was spend the occasional period of time in meditation, and he would begin to skyrocket in his understanding of those Daos.
It must be remembered that Autarch Bolin, as a Hegemon, had to spend an extremely long period of time before managing to upgrade all those other Daos to the Hegemonic level. Ning was now far more powerful than Autarch Bolin had been as a Hegemon, and it could be said that there was now only a small difference in insight between himself and the Autarchs.
The Autarchs were born off the principle of ‘One Dao Births Many Daos’. Ning, in contrast, was a pure ruler of the Dao of the Sword. In terms of the Sword Dao, he was the absolute number one expert in all the Chaosverse. Given enough time, it wouldn’t be too hard for him to reach Hegemony in the Dao of Water, the Dao of Lightning, the Dao of Formations, and his other Daos. Alas, there was a limit to how long he would be alive for and thus there was no way he could study the other Daos as he pleased.
“Don’t worry, Master,” Azurefiend chortled. By now, he also addressed Ning as ‘Master’, and even he didn’t notice the change. Ning was simply so powerful that Azurefiend no longer felt the slightest bit of pride when facing Ning. All he felt was a sense of submission. By now, there were probably many Hegemons who would be willing to serve him. A casual bit of tutelage from Ning would represent an enormous karmic blessing for those Hegemons.
……
Time flowed on. More than 3.9 billion years went past in the blink of an eye. Ning had acquired a detailed star map from the treasures he had taken from the deceased Lonely King, and he had also gotten another star map from Realmslord Windgrace. Although it was impossible for anyone to fully map out the entire Chaosverse, he now had fairly complete records on most of the places cultivators had visited.
On this journey, Ning had continuously used the Dao of Numerancy to divine the most appropriate paths forward, as well as the safest route through some places with distorted spacetime. This allowed them to easily pass through even the most dangerous of environments.
“Master! Master!” Azurefiend said hurriedly, “The Squaremix Realmverse is up ahead. That’s the place Hegemon Goodsong asked to meet with us. He should be in the ‘Grand Void Canyon’ of the Squaremix Realmverse.”
“Hegemon Goodsong?” Ning nodded slowly. “He informed me of Nuwa’s location. I owe him a debt and should go repay it.”
“Hmph. I’m sure he wouldn’t dare to ask for too much,” Azurefiend said with a cold snort.
“If he does, I’ll eat him!” Flamewing called out, his mouth covered with grease.
“Enough, you two. Pipe down,” Ning said. “Let’s go meet Hegemon Goodsong.”
Swoosh. Just a short while later, the realmship arrived in the ‘Grand Void Canyon’ of the Squaremix Realmverse. This was a very unique place with distorted spacetime that came together in layers, forming an enormous spatial canyon that could be seen with the naked eye. The depths of the canyon led to another mysterious realm that was filled with tremendous danger. This was a place that had been created during the Dawn War, and the depths of the canyon were filled with many relics. However, by now Ning didn’t care about such relics or legacies.
“Here they come.” A bald, red-robed man was standing directly above the Grand Void Canyon, scanning the area anxiously. Moments later, a spacetime rift appeared and a realmship came sailing out of it. The red-robed man was overjoyed and immediately flew over to welcome them.
Several figures came flying out of the realmship. The leader was a white-robed youth who had a black sheath on his back. Others could dimly sense that his truesoul was slowly but surely fragmenting apart, generating unique ripples as the fragments disappeared into the void. Next to him was the furry Sithe Protector Whitethaw, as well as a peerlessly beautiful woman. There was also a skinny, shriveled old man and a fatty who was holding onto a haunch of meat.
The fatty was Flamewing. It was a born glutton who was capable of devouring entire realmverses with ease. It truly did have a terrifying appetite… and it suddenly glanced sideways at the bald, red-robed man.
“Eek!” The red-robed man instantly quivered as his subconscious screamed to him that he was in
terrible danger. He knew that the fat man was the legendary Chaos Primordial which Daolord Darknorth had tamed, a creature which could kill Hegemons like him with ease.
However, Hegemon Goodsong also knew that the most terrifying member of this team wasn’t the Chaos Primordial. Rather, it was the harmless-looking white-robed youth standing in front of him.
“Goodsong greets you, Daolord Darknorth.” Hegemon Goodsong bowed respectfully, not daring to show the slightest bit of disrespect.
“I have to thank you, Hegemon Goodsong. Thanks to you, I finally know where Nuwa is. If I didn’t find her, I would probably harbor regrets until the day of my death.” Ning smiled. “I promised long ago that I would owe a favor to the first person to help me locate her. What do you wish of me, Hegemon Goodsong? I’ll do anything I’m capable of doing.”
* * *
Book 39, Chapter 10 - Request
Hegemon Goodsong instantly began to grow nervous. The moment of truth had come! He had spared no expense and even hired a realmship, all for the sake of this favor! If Daolord Darknorth hadn’t been willing to offer anything at all, it wouldn’t matter how strong he was; no one would’ve been willing to work so hard for him!
However, Hegemon Goodsong couldn’t help but feel nervous. He was worried that his request would be too excessive and anger Daolord Darknorth.
In the end, a favor was just that; a favor. If Hegemon Goodsong asked Ji Ning to do something that would result in Ning’s truesoul crumbling even faster, Ning would probably refuse immediately. Thus, there was a limit to what he could ask for. Hegemon Goodsong himself was rather nervous, but he had long ago decided on what he needed. He felt certain that Daolord Darknorth wouldn’t attack him.
“Daolord Darknorth,” Hegemon Goodsong said respectfully, “I reached the level of Hegemony long ago, longer than even I can remember. I have many friends, and a good number have become Otherverse Lords! But I remain a mere Hegemon, unable to improve in power.”
Ning continued to listen.
“Daolord, as you know, we are quite close to the Eight Domains. Although Hegemons are quite powerful, there are also many people here who are stronger than Hegemons,” Hegemon Goodsong said sadly.
Ning had to agree. This was a place that was completely unlike the Sixteen Realmverses Alliance he resided in. The Eight Domains… they were closer to the prime essences of the realmverse than any other place. Aside from the prime essences themselves, which were almost impossible to find, the Eight Domains represented the most central region of the entire Chaosverse! It was filled with countless treasures and experts, which was why the major powers of neighboring realmverses would often go exploring and adventuring within them. Many major powers had died in the Eight Domains, but some would successfully acquire the treasures they sought.
Every so often, an otherverse would appear within the Eight Domains, as would Sithe weapons and other things. Even Nuwa, who had merely been at the World level, had somehow reached the Blazesun Domain from the Three Realms, then stumbled across a Sithe weapon there. The Blazesun Domain was one of the Eight Domains, and it truly was a special place.
In comparison, the Flamedragon Realmverse was extremely far away from the prime essences. It could be viewed as something of a peripheral backwater, a place where very few Otherverse Lords resided. It was simply too far away from the core!
“So what are you asking for exactly?” Ning said.
Hegemon Goodsong gritted his teeth. “Daolord, I wish to increase my power to the Otherverse Lord level!”
“Hah! You actually dared to make a request like this?” The nearby Hegemon Azurefiend let out a cold snicker. “Generally speaking, there are three ways in which one can reach the Otherverse Lord level of power via external methods. The first is to take control of an otherverse! However, the appearance of every single otherverse will result in a frenzied struggle and competition that is far more cruel than you can imagine. The second is to obtain a ‘Golden Emperor form’ and to use it via the Ritual Sacrificium to become a Golden Emperor… but do you know how rare and valuable those things are? Even the Lonely King chose to transform himself into a Golden Emperor. Who the hell are you and why do you think you deserve one?”
“The final method is to acquire extremely powerful Sithe weapons that can let you unleash the power of an Otherverse Lord. Some Sithe weapons are strong, some are weak. A Sithe weapon that will increase your power to the Otherverse Lord level is probably going to be just as valuable as a Golden Emperor form!”
Ning frowned as well. Could he accomplish this? He could! The Lonely King had a total of six extremely powerful Sithe weapons, but he himself normally only used three of them. The most valuable of the six was the silver throne, which could create illusory dopplegangers and allow one to flee by warping through spacetime. It could also build up power to unleash an attack that was so terrifying it could destroy an entire otherverse.
The other Sithe weapons were a bit weaker, but they were still enough to raise a Hegemon to the Otherverse Lord level of power… but Ning was planning to give them to Nuwa and the Three Realms.
“I’m a cultivator. My only goal is to increase my personal power as much as I can. Aside from this, there truly is nothing else that I need.” Hegemon Goodsong looked at Ning.
Ning was silent for a long moment, then said: “Otherverses are blessings that can only be hoped for, not counted on. I can’t just find one for you! Sithe weapons… although I have some, I already have plans for them. As for Golden Emperor forms, I don’t have any.” The Lonely King had long ago used up all of the Golden Emperor forms he had acquired.
“Daolord Darknorth, you might not have one… but someone nearby known as Divine Sovereign Goldsun does,” Hegemon Goodsong suddenly said.
“Divine Sovereign Goldsun?” Ning frowned.
“Are you asking my master to go and get it from him?” Azurefiend stared.
“If Daolord Darknorth went to ask for a Golden Emperor form, I imagine Divine Sovereign Goldsun wouldn’t dare to decline,” Hegemon Goodsong said.
Ning began to ponder on this. Although the star map which Realmslord Windgrace had provided Ning was fairly incomplete, it did record information about the supreme powers of various regions.
The Sixteen Realmverses Alliance was something of a backwater, but the area around the Eight Domains could be considered part of the core of the Chaosverse. Experts were incredibly common here, and the people who were able to become local rulers were all extraordinary. Divine Sovereign Goldsun was someone who was unquestionably as powerful as the Lonely King. If the Lonely King could be described as a madman, then Divine Sovereign Goldsun was like an emperor who had unified this entire region under his rule.
Divine Sovereign Goldsun controlled a total of eight nearby realmverses. He himself was an Otherverse Lord, and he also had acquired Sithe armories in the past! He had once bestowed two Golden Emperor forms to his subordinate Hegemons, and had promised that anyone who had rendered great merits would be given one as well.
“You are quite daring,” Ning said. “But aren’t you afraid that Divine Sovereign Goldsun would come for you later?”
“No.” A frenzied look appeared in Hegemon Goodsong’s eyes. “Once I become a Golden Emperor, it’ll be very hard for anyone to kill me. I have no kith or kin who can be used against me, and I’ll be far more powerful than I was in the past. What do I have to fear?”
“Very well.” Ning nodded. “I owe you a favor. I’ll go pay Divine Sovereign Goldsun a visit.” As Ning saw it, visiting the Divine Sovereign might end up being a good thing.
“Let me lead the way!” Hegemon Goodsong was delighted. It was incredibly difficult for a Hegemon to increase another level in power. For the sake of becoming more powerful, many Hegemons would be willing to risk their lives. Alas, very few would have a chance like this. Hegemon Goodsong had successfully grasped his!
……
It took them more than five million years to fly from the Squaremix Realmverse to th
e Goldsun Realmverse, the central region of Divine Sovereign Goldsun’s rule.
Whoosh. Before them was an enormous flaming star that was emanating endless amounts of heat and light. The surface of this fiery star was actually covered with many beautiful palaces. This was the Goldsun Palace of Divine Sovereign Goldsun, and there were more than ten Hegemons who resided here! There were also two Golden Emperors and sixteen Black Emperors.
“This flaming star is actually a marvelous Sithe weapon as well,” the white-robed Ning evaluated as he stared at the star. They had used the realmship to warp through spacetime and come to this place. “The formations covering this entire cluster of palaces is quite abstruse and profound. It won’t be easy to attack this place.”
“But it would be nothing for you, Daolord Darknorth,” Hegemon Goodsong flattered.
“Come, let us go meet with Divine Sovereign Goldsun. I’m quite curious about him.” Ning had a rather favorable impression of Divine Sovereign Goldsun, as the man was truly committed to the Dao. He clearly had access to Golden Emperor forms, but he didn’t undergo the Ritual Sacrificium; from this, one could see that he was still committed to attempting to become an Autarch.
Whoosh. Ning immediately flew out towards the surface of the fiery star with Su Youji, Whitethaw, and the others by his side. Right as they landed…
“Halt!” A loud shout rang out, followed by an onyx humanoid flying over in a fierce manner. When he saw Ning’s group, he barked, “This place is the Goldsun Palace. Trespass is not permitted!” As a guard of the Goldsun Palace, he had long ago grown accustomed to behaving arrogantly in carrying out his duties.
“Hmph.” Flamewing let out a cold snort. Its aura flared malevolently, causing the guard to instantly feel a terrifying sense of danger.
“Send word to Divine Sovereign Goldsun. Tell him that Daolord Darknorth has come to visit him.” Ning smiled.
“Daolord Darknorth has come to visit him?” The guard stared blankly for a moment. In the next moment, his face turned completely ashen. When he thought of the many rumors swirling around this man, his voice began to quiver as he said respectfully, “Please wait a moment, Daolord Darknorth. I’ll go send word right now.”
