Desolate Era

by RWX

  Only the master of the Immortal estate and the heir to Immortal estate were able to truly control the formation. Without a controller, the icy shards were unable to differentiate between friend or foe. However, since the Qiongqi golems had treasure-like bodies, they didn’t care about the attacks from the icy shards.

  “Not good.” Ning’s face suddenly changed.

  “This is trouble.” Adept Vastriver was shocked as well.

  All of them had been keeping an eye on the overall flow of battle. Those eight Qiongqi golems that previously had been surrounding and attacking young master Youngflame, due to being constantly blocked by the Godbeast, ‘Redscale Salamander’, actually gave up attacking him and instead immediately threw themselves towards the ten Wanxiang Deathsworn.

  Comparatively speaking, the ten Wanxiang Deathsworn were a bit weaker. However, their wills were joined, and after having entered the grand formation, they were capable of tying down three of the Qiongqi Manticore golems.

  However, when eight more of the golems suddenly charged towards them, this meant that the number of golems they were facing instantly reached eleven.

  If the eleven golems were attacking Ning’s group of five, the five of them would’ve been able to hold on, but they were attacking the ten Wanxiang Deathsworn instead…

  ……

  “HALT!” Youngflame Nong was enraged. Up till now, he had not personally intervened, but at this moment, an enormous black whip suddenly appeared out of nowhere into his hands. The black whip was covered with a flowing layer of black firelight. He snapped the whip out powerfully, and it lashed through the air, striking towards the Qiongqi golems in the distance.

  BOOM!

  The long whip struck one of the Qiongqi golems, and immediately knocked it backwards, sending flying all the way out of the formation, causing it to disappear from Ning’s field of vision.

  BOOM! BOOM! Young master Youngflame lashed his whip out repeatedly, each strike carrying inconceivable power and sending each stricken Qiongqi Manticore golem flying backwards.

  “Formidable.”

  “Terrifying.”

  “Powerful.”

  Ning and the others were all shocked. None of them had imagined that this young master Youngflame was so powerful. In fact, at a single glance, Ning was able to tell for certain that the fire covering the whip which young master Youngflame was using was actually ‘earthfire’. And, unless he was mistaken, it was earthfire that should have reached the first grade, which was why it was comparable to ordinary skyfire in might!

  “His flames are formed from first-grade earthfire. That whip is strange as well. In addition, young master Youngflame’s aura suddenly exploded with might; it must be some secret technique.” Ning sighed mentally at what he had seen. This ancient, massive Youngflame clan clearly had made multifaceted preparations for the upbringing of their next clan leader. His combat power, at the very least, was amazing. The man was definitely at the same level as Ning himself and Yu Wei, and his treasures were even more powerful!

  “No!” A look of utmost anger appeared on Youngflame Nong’s face.

  Although his whip had sent three Qiongqi golems flying in sequence, Youngflame Nong was, after all, just a single person… and there were eleven golems attacking. Thus, the other eight Qiongqi golems, accompanied by a large number of icy shards, continued to tear into and through the formation of the ten Wanxiang Deathsworn, ripping one of them into tiny pieces.

  The death of one caused the strength of the other nine to immediately fall dramatically. And, at this moment, those three Qiongqi Manticore golems that had been sent flying out of the formation now came flying back inside. They were completely undamaged, and they once more threw themselves towards the nine Wanxiang Deathsworn.”

  “Kill.”

  “Master, we are leaving now.”

  BOOM.

  BANG.

  RIP.

  These Wanxiang Adepts did not fear death, but they were still torn apart, one by one, by the Qiongqi golems. Some were torn apart, while others were flattened to death by blows from the Qiongqi golems’ wings. In virtually just a single breath’s worth of time, the ten Wanxiang Deathsworn had all died.

  Young master Youngflame was utterly enraged, but he didn’t dare to allow the Redscale Salamander by his side to leave, because he himself was not a Fiendgod Body Refiner. In close combat, he was at a huge disadvantage, and so the Redscale Salamander had to stay next to him to protect him.

  “Kill those five.”

  “Kill them.”

  The eleven Qiongqi Manticore golems didn’t even look at Youngflame Nong; they threw themselves directly towards the five disciples of the Black-White College.

  When Ning’s group had seen how the Qiongqi golems had surrounded and killed those ten Wanxiang Deathsworn, they knew that things had taken a turn for the worse. However, they were being tied down by these other seven golems… after all, of the five, the three most powerful were Ji Ning, Yu Wei, and Adept Vastriver, with Ninelotus and Mu Northson being comparatively weaker.

  “Ji Ning, Rainbowflame Fairy, Adept Vastriver,” Young master Youngflame sent frantically, “Be careful of those Qiongqi golems. You have to be able to hold.”

  “Damn these detestable Qiongqi golems. Damn them! First, they killed my ten Deathsworn, and now they are going to kill Ji Ning’s group.” Young master Youngflame knew exactly what was going on. Ning’s group was helping him tie down quite a few of the Qiongqi golems; if they were to die, then all eighteen golems would encircle and attack him. Although he had many magic treasures, his only choice would be to use the greater teleportation seal and flee. But upon fleeing, he would have failed this trial, and in the future, his chances of becoming the next Godplume Duke would be lessened. He absolutely would not permit this to happen.

  “Ji Ning, let me in. Xue Hongyi, get the f*ck over here as well.”

  Young master Youngflame and his Redscale Salamander, as well as the terrified Xue Hongyi, flew directly into the five-person formation which Ning’s group had set up. Ning’s group naturally did not prevent them from doing so.

  “Attack.” Young master Youngflame, a sinister look on his face, gave the order, then immediately began to brandish his long black whip, blazing with black fire. As for the Redscale Salamander, it stretched half of its body outside, sending its claws towards the Qiongqi golems in raking attacks. Xue Hongyi also used all of his magic treasures, wanting to make up for his earlier transgression of fleeing.

  “Young master Youngflame,” Ning sent suddenly.

  “What is it?” Young master Youngflame was in an extremely foul mood right now, but to one of his main sources of support, Ji Ning, he still maintained an air of courtesy.

  “The spirit-beast under my control, the Whitewater Hound, is exceedingly well-versed in the Dao of Formations, and he has studied it for a long time. He’s already discovered a flaw in the formation, and is confident in being able to break it,” Ning sent.

  Young master Youngflame had been in an utterly furious mood, but upon hearing Ning’s words, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of eagerness and disbelief. “Did you just say that the spirit-beast you control, that Whitewater Hound, is able to break this formation? This is a formation which Immortal Witchriver set down. He is actually able to break a formation set down by a Celestial Immortal? Are you sure he can do it?”

  It wasn’t that he was belittling the Whitewater Hound; rather, he didn’t believe the Whitewater Hound could possibly be that gifted in formations.

  “Young master Youngflame, although this is a formation left behind by Immortal Witchriver, he himself wasn’t necessarily skilled in formations. In addition, although this formation is formidable, there isn’t anyone currently controlling it. A formation which no one is controlling… is extremely clumsy and not at all agile,” Ning sent hurriedly. “My Whitewater Hound spirit-beast, by using the Fuxi Staff Formation, is absolutely capable of breaking this formation.”

  “Fuxi Staff Format
ion? Fine, I’ll trust you. I have a set of top-grade Fuxi Staff Formation treasures; use them, and the power of his formation will definitely increase.” At a time like this, young master Youngflame wouldn’t be stingy at all; he immediately took out a set of top-grade Fuxi Staff Formation artifacts, then tossed them over.

  Behind Ning was the Whitewater Hound, who had yet to fight and had spent this entire period of time focusing on analyzing the formation. He sent a surge of elemental ki out from his body, wrapping it around the completely ownerless Fuxi Staff Formation artifacts and easily binding them.

  “Uncle White, you truly feel confident?” Ning sent.

  “Don’t worry, Ning, my son. I’ve spent a long time analyzing this formation, and am absolutely certain that I’ll be able to break it. This formation, despite being incomparably powerful, has no one at the helm. You should know that the more powerful a formation is, the more complicated it is as well. The formation is only able to unleash such power because it is drawing in the natural energy of the world, then transforming it through repeated cycles; as long as we are able ‘choke’ a single part of the cycle, then the entire formation will become useless.”

  “If this formation had someone controlling it, then he naturally would be constantly changing things. It would be extremely hard to break the formation. But without a controller, it is hundreds and thousands of times easier to break this formation,” the Whitewater Hound said. “And with these unexpected top-grade Fuxi Staff Formation artifacts… well, young master Youngflame really is quite generous.”

  * * *

  Book 10, Chapter 10 - This is the Vault of Treasures

  “That’s because you, Uncle White, are capable of breaking the formation,” Ji Ning sent mentally. “Uncle White, we have no time to waste. Hurry up and break it. If there’s anything you need, just speak out; young master Youngflame will definitely provide it.

  “Keep these Qiongqi golems a bit farther away; make it so that within thirty meters, I won’t be disturbed in the slightest.”

  “Alright.”

  Ji Ning immediately sent mentally, “Young master Youngflame, everyone, we are going to expand the scope of this five elements formation.”

  “Expand it? The larger we make the formation, the more ice shards will strike us,” Adept Vastriver said frantically.

  “My Whitewater Hound spirit-beast is able to break this formation, but he needs thirty meters of space to do so,” Ning sent.

  “Break the formation?”

  “Truly?”

  All of them were both delighted and shocked. Youngflame Nong urged frantically, “Everyone, hurry up and do your best to hold on for a period of time.” After finishing his words, he gave Xue Hongyi a hard look, and Xue Hongyi hurriedly tried to make it appear as though he truly was going all out and risking his life to hold on.

  Rumble…

  The formation expanded. Youngflame Nong and his Redscale Salamander displayed their might as well; the two of them, man and spirit-beast, were able to simultaneously tie down eight of those Qiongqi Manticore golems, while Xue Hongyi managed to block one as well. As for Ji Ning and the rest of the five, they were able to block the other nine Qiongqi golems. For a period of time, the group was actually able to overpower the golems and deliver blows to them.

  However, while they were overpowering the golems, they still had to divert part of their attention and efforts to blocking the icy shards. Each of them were using up astonishing amounts of elemental ki; they were all operating at maximum power, a state which they couldn’t maintain for too long.

  “Arise.”

  A large, snowy white hound was in the very center of the entire formation. Around him were ancient, simple-looking wooden staffs that were covered with magic runes. The staffs suddenly flew out in every direction, quickly landing in various areas. As each staff landed down, the space around them seemed to have been ‘nailed down’. All sixty-four Fuxi Staffs descended on their respective locations.

  Every single staff suddenly began to glow with an eye-catching, watery glow. In addition, lines of watery light began to connect between the staffs, forming an incomparably massive seal-formation.

  Rumble…

  The seal-formation actually began to merge with the giant formation around them.

  It was like a drop of black water, falling onto a spotless white cloth, or an iron spike that was thrust into the spokes of a wheel; in short, the grand formation which had previously been incomparably harmonious and perfect was suddenly, instantly, ‘stuck’. In turn, the incomparably powerful surges of elemental energy from the natural world ceased to flow, and the attacking ice shards suddenly began to weaken in power. In but a single breath’s worth of time, they all vanished into nowhere.

  And then, the entire grand formation itself completely vanished.

  The ancient hall that they had been in previously once more appeared within Ning’s field of vision. They were still within the hall; they had never actually left it.

  “The formation is broken?”

  Youngflame Nong was stunned for a moment, but then he was wildly overjoyed. When he had been trapped within the formation, he had been consumed with the agony of despair and bitterness. Now that he had been released from it… it was hard for him to express the joy in his heart through words.

  “Formidable, formidable.” Mu Northson blinked his eyes as he looked at the large, snowy white dog in their midst.

  “What a formidable Whitewater Hound.” Adept Vastriver looked at the snowy white dog as well.

  “Uncle White, you really are formidable,” Ninelotus sent mentally as well.

  All of them were absolutely overjoyed.

  Although Xue Hongyi was surprised and delighted at their escape, in his heart, he still felt extremely displeased. “Even his spirit-beast is as formidable as this in formations… why the hell don’t I have such a powerful spirit-beast? Damnable, absolutely damnable… this time, Ji Ning once again became the one to accumulate great merits in front of young master Youngflame.”

  ……

  No longer having to worry about the constant attacks from the overwhelming number of icy arrows, Ning and the others instantly exploded with power. By relying on the five-elements pentagonal formation, Ning, Adept Vastriver, and Yu Wei were each able to lock down four of the Qiongi golems, while Ninelotus, Northson, and Xue Hongyi were each able to lock down one. The Redscale Salamander, by itself, was able to block all of the other golems.

  It was now extremely easy. Young master Youngflame didn’t even need to personally intervene; all eighteen of the golems were now locked down.

  “Uncle Fang, the formation has been broken. You can come in now.” Youngflame Nong sent a spiritual message to Xiangliu Fang, who was still outside.

  The two had set up a soul-bind long ago. Xiangliu Fang, this Fiendgod, was Youngflame Nong’s most loyal servant; otherwise, how could the Youngflame clan be comfortable with sending a Fiendgod to accompany their young master?

  ……

  Xiangliu Fang had successfully fled to the outside perimeter of this palace long ago, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to enter. Thus, he could only continue to run about and flee outside of it. The entire Immortal estate was only a few tens of thousands of kilometers in size; it truly was too small. Xiangliu Fang had already completely circumnavigated this world once.

  “Stop chasing.”

  “That Fiendgod is too crafty.”

  “And he won’t die.”

  The two mightiest monstrous powers in the Immortal estate world had both given up their chase. Although their attacks on Xiangliu Fang had caused him repeated injuries, as a Fiendgod, Xiangliu Fang’s recuperative abilities were simply too astonishing. In addition, he had been using evasive techniques, causing his speed to vastly outstrip the combined Dao-soldier armies. After repeated engagements, the two forces had given up.

  “This Fiendgod isn’t easy to deal with, but those humans that came in with him are far weaker. This Fiendgod is a prote
ctor for one of them; once they come out, we’ll kill the humans, then seize the key to the Immortal estate.” These monstrous powers were also waiting outside the Vault of Treasures, one of the five palaces of the Immortal estate.

  As soon as Ning’s group came out, they would surround them and kill them!

  This was their one and only chance at seizing the key to the Immortal estate. Leaving this Immortal estate world was something which the various monstrous races here had hoped and dreamed about for countless ages. Their ancestors had all passed down legends of how incomparably vast the outside world was, and how even Immortals could fly for days and nights without reaching the ends of the world.

  Days and nights?

  The monsters of the Immortal estate world couldn’t even imagine such a thing, because in the Immortal estate world, a Loose Immortal could completely circumnavigate the world in as much time as was needed to boil a kettle of tea.

  “I truly want to leave.”

  “I truly want to see that vast, endless world.” All the monsters shared this feeling.

  At this moment, the distant Xiangliu Fang was still awaiting Youngflame Nong’s spirit-message; both of them had extremely powerful souls, and thus they could naturally communicate spiritually at a fairly long distance.

  “The young master is trapped within a formation in that palace… what should I do?” Xiangliu Fang was worried as well. “I can’t go in. If no one can break the formation and the young master remains trapped in it… in the end, I’m afraid he’ll give up and leave, but if he does, that means he will have failed this trial.”

  Xiangliu Fang was worried, but he had no way of entering.

  “Uncle Fang, the formation is broken. You can come in now,” Youngflame Nong sent spiritually.

  “The formation is broken?” Xiangliu Fang was amazed and delighted. He immediately transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the palace.