Desolate Era

by RWX

  The Myriad Hibernating Venoms was an extremely deadly, poisonous art; it required one to fuse a large amount of strange poisons into one’s own body. Xiamang Qi, as a genius of the imperial clan, naturally was able to easily procure many hard-to-find poisons. Thus, his Myriad Hibernating Venoms was exceptionally vicious. Anything he touched would be instantly poisoned.

  A Fiendgod Body Refiner might not fear him too much, but Yu Wei was a Ki Refiner; her body’s defensive and recuperative power was insufficient, and she had to rely on pills. But pills that could suppress the dire venom of the Myriad Hibernating Venoms… Yu Wei had none of those precious pills at all.

  “Die!” The distant Xiamang Qi howled with laughter, but as he did, a golden sword-light suddenly flew towards him; it was the light of the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation].

  “Although the power of this sword-light is significant, it’s not enough to do anything to me.” Xiamang Qi had already withstood it several times; this time, he once more swung his arms out as he chopped out with his warblade towards it.

  Swish!

  The sword-light was as fine as silk, but it carried an incomparably powerful force. Xiamang Qi was caught completely off-guard, and his warblade was instantly knocked flying away. The skin between his thumb and forefinger was split apart, and he himself was knocked backwards. However, Ning suddenly charged towards him at an utterly astonishing speed, and so Xiamang Qi hurriedly produced yet another warblade in his hands.

  “Die.” The three-headed, six-armed Ning appeared incomparably savage. Six rays of sword-light struck out like a giant windmill of light. Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!!!! Six consecutive rays of sword-light came howling down.

  Xiamang Qi stared, eyes bulging. He was instantly chopped apart into small chunks of meat.

  A Waterflame Lotus suddenly bloomed, surrounding the chunks of meat and grinding down at them.

  “No…” Xiamang Qi’s soul was howling. Bu unfortunately… he was ground to death, until nothing remained.

  “What?!” Adept Danzhu, Adept Snowfly, and Kindwater Qi were all shocked. Xiamang Qi had been killed in a single exchange!? This level of power was too great! How could Ji Ning’s power have increased so explosively in just an instant?!

  “All of you should die.” Ning immediately turned and threw himself at Adept Snowfly, who was the closest to him.

  “Quick, flee!” Adept Danzhu, Adept Snowfly, and Kindwater Qi, upon seeing how savage and ferocious Ning was, didn’t dare to take him on at all. They immediately fled at high speed.

  “Open.” The bald, black-skinned Adept Blackstone, who had been controlling the grand sealing formation this entire time, quickly withdrew the formation.

  Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

  Adept Danzhu, Adept Snowfly, and Kindwater Qi all immediately charged out of the formation. As soon as they did, Adept Blackstone, with a single thought, once more activated the formation. The barrier of light arose once more.

  “Open up!” Ning howled. His sword-light was like silk, and six streams of silken light chopped towards the grand sealing formation.

  BOOM!

  The grand formation was immediately torn apart, and the three-headed, six-armed Ji Ning charged out from within it.

  “What?!” Adept Snowfly, who had just let out a sigh of relief after leaving the formation, was completely shocked. She immediately turned to flee… but how could her speed comparable to that of Ning, a Fiendgod Body Refiner? Although she hurriedly brandished her flywhisk to defend, transforming it into tens of thousands of tightly clustered strings that formed into a strange white fox to defender her, she also threw out a large number of talismans. She frantically sent to Ning, “Take my talismans, spare my life!”

  Whoosh whoosh whoosh… six more streams of sword-light came. They chopped straight through the white fox, chopping Adept Snowfly to death.

  It was too fast.

  The three-headed, six-armed Ning’s sword-light was so fast that there wasn’t even enough time for Adept Snowfly to be teleported away after throwing out her talismans. She was immediately killed by Ning.

  Kindwater Qi and Adept Danzhu were both terrified by Ning’s savagery. Adept Danzhu was formidable, but she was a Ki Refiner… how could she possibly summon the courage to fight Ning to the death?

  Swish! Swish!

  Kindwater Qi and Adept Danzhu both flew far away, fleeing into the distance.

  As for the bald, black-skinned Adept Blackstone, he collected his grand sealing formation. The dirty-looking maiden, Adept Ninedeaths, was standing by his side. She was now wearing a pair of silver gloves on her hands.

  “Let’s go. This isn’t the time for us to be fighting with him to the death,” Adept Blackstone sent mentally.

  Adept Nindeaths gritted her teeth, giving Ning a glare.

  “Let’s go.”

  The two were quite decisive in their actions; they realized that Ning’s power had already reached a level where it posed a threat to them. They were not confident in actually beating him in a fight to the death, and they already had enough talismans; it wasn’t worth it for them to risk it.

  Swoosh! Swoosh! The two quickly departed.

  ……

  The enraged Ning had slaughtered Xiamang Qi and Adept Snowfly, then scared off Kindwater Qi and Adept Danzhu as well as caused Adept Ninedeaths and Adept Blackstone to choose to temporarily retreat as well.

  “Hmph.” Ning, still filled with a boundless killing intent, swept the area with his gaze. He collected the treasures which Adept Snowfly had left behind, then quickly ran towards his senior apprentice-sister. Upon reaching her side, he immediately returned to his normal form.

  “Senior apprentice-sister.” Ning saw that Yu Wei’s face was so dark, it was almost black. She had been very badly poisoned. He couldn’t help but begin to grow frantic. As for Yu Wei, she forced herself to sit up, then smiled as she looked at Ning.

  Ning had seen everything; it had been Xiamang Qi who had used the divine ability, ‘Myriad Hibernating Venoms’. This divine ability was one which the giant yellow bear of the underwater estate had forbidden him from training in; although it was quite formidable when the practitioner was weak, once the practitioner grew strong, he’d probably actually have to spend some effort in purging the poisons from his body.

  But… it had to be said that this was an extremely terrifying divine ability at this level. Anyone who was touched would immediately be poisoned and see their power drastically lowered!

  “I have antivenoms here. They might be able to suppress…” Ning was extremely frantic.

  “It’s fine. I’m fine.” Yu Wei sat there, looking at Ning. She smiled, then shook her head gently. When she saw how crazed Ning had become, she actually felt a blissful feeling in her heart.

  Ning, seeing the shape his senior apprentice-sister was in, couldn’t help but feel pained for her as well as feel frightened.

  Forgetting everything else, he immediately took her into her arms.

  Yu Wei allowed Ning to hold her. She rested her head against his neck. She could sense the warmth surging from Ning’s body, an almost boiling heat that actually startled her.

  “I don’t want to hesitate any longer.” Ning gently murmured into her ears, “I don’t want to feel any regrets. No regrets. I was truly afraid… afraid that you were dead. If you were dead… would I keep hesitating?”

  Yu Wei reached out as well, tightly clinging to Ning as she revealed a smile on her face. Her tears began to fall down.

  ……

  The main hall of the Skylight Palace.

  Lu Dongbin suddenly slapped his table, the force of the blow causing the Immortal wine in front of him to be knocked flying. He jumped to his feet, then pointed towards the portion of the enormous Brightmoon Diagram of the Mountains and Rivers where Ning was holding Yu Wei. He roared with laughter, “That’s how it should be! That’s exactly how it should be! What’s the point of being so squeamish and indecisive? If they missed this opportunity, t
hey would never have a chance to be together again for the rest of their lives. They had to seize this opportunity! If you have the right feelings, then you should act on them! You’ve been fighting in so many life-and-death battles together; how could you not have understood your own hearts? How could you have even hesitated for so long? Bahahaha, but now it’s all better. In the final month, they are finally embracing.”

  * * *

  Book 12, Chapter 17 - I Will Never Hurt You

  The Xia Emperor, Sovereign Hao, and the others all stared as Lu Dongbin slapped his table so hard, he sent the Immortal wine flying everywhere. They couldn’t help but feel speechless.

  Lu Dongbin, you are one of the most awe-inspiringly famous figures of the Three Realms. Countless schools located throughout the three thousand major worlds and the trillion minor worlds all venerate you as ‘Patriarch Lu’. Is it really appropriate for you to get so excited over a bit of romance between a pair of young Wanxiang-level fellows? This is at most a spot of entertainment; why must you be so excited?

  Still… they all understood that this was precisely Lu Dongbin’s temperament. He loved to wander the mortal realms, and absolutely delighted in paying attention to the love stories of minor figures as well as playing the role of the Moon Elder as a matchmaker.

  ……

  The imperial citadel plaza. The disciples of the Black-White College were staring at the massive Diagram in midair, feeling incomparably nervous.

  “Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, quick, QUICK! YES! Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!” Mu Northson was incomparably agitated as he stared at the explosively savage Ji Ning within the Diagram.

  “Quick, quick!” Immortal Fivecraze watched anxiously as well… and in the end, he finally let out a sigh of relief. “Fortunately, Xiamang Qi was only a Wanxiang Adept as well; although his Myriad Hibernating Venoms was powerful, by relying on some pills, its effects can be suppressed for a short while, at least.”

  “Whaaaaat?!”

  Northson, Little Qing, the Whitewater Hound, Immortal Fivecraze, Adept Vastriver, Northmont Baiwei, and the others all suddenly stared with bulging eyes.

  Because…

  Ji Ning and Yu Wei were actually embracing!

  “But but but…” Northson actually began to stammer.

  “Master… and Miss Yu Wei…” Little Qing was completely flabbergasted as well.

  Northmont Baiwei was the first to recover. Roaring with laughter, he slapped his thigh. “My brother Ji Ning truly is formidable. In the Conclave of Immortal Destiny’s trial within the Brightmoon Diagram of the Mountains and Rivers… he actually is going to be returning with a beauty in his arms.”

  “Right!” Immortal Fivecraze shook his head a few times, feeling extremely delighted. “The Black-White College is going to be the talk of the world for some time now!”

  ……

  Ninelotus watched this silently. She felt as though the entire world had turned still.

  “He ended up with senior apprentice-sister after all.”

  “It’s for the best.”

  “I am myself. He is himself! Only… should I hope that the two will forever be together and forever be blissful… or should I hope that they will separate as well?” Ninelotus wanted to offer them her prayers, but while searching in her own heart… she found that deep inside her heart, for some reason she couldn’t explain, she still felt a strange sort of hope. Hope that Ning and Yu Wei would separate as well.

  Ninelotus was an Immortal cultivator who understood her own heart; she immediately analyzed and realized what she was feeling. She quietly said to herself, “It is said that the trial of emotions is the most difficult trial to overcome… although I have already comprehended my own heart, whenever I see Ji Ning, waves always once more appear upon the lake of my heart. If I wish to be able to walk further on the path of Immortal cultivation, then I should never meet him again.”

  “It will be better for him. It will be better for me as well.” Ninelotus made up her mind. After this Conclave of Immortal Destiny concluded, she would return to the Dongyan clan. Unless there was an absolutely pressing need, she would absolutely never meet Ning again.

  The nearby Dongyan Forefather glanced sideways at Ninelotus, seated by his side. He saw the look in her eyes.

  A look of determination!

  The Dongyan Forefather shook his head gently. He had not desired for things between Ning and Ninelotus to end up like this. However… this was Ninelotus’ decision, born from her heart. He would not interfere.

  Within the Diagram.

  Yu Wei was tightly embracing Ning. She could feel the warmth from his body, and she could feel a sense of bliss that came with it. It had been a long, long time since she had felt this sort of bliss. Far too long. Even in her past life, as a child, she had known this bliss for just a brief period of time. Now, she once more felt this sense of bliss and contentment. This caused uncontrollable tears to streak down her face.

  She moved slightly, clutching Ning even more tightly to her. In her mind, she couldn’t help but think back to that terrifying figure from her memories of her past life, that figure which caused her heart to remble with fear. Yu Wei bit her lips, bit them so hard that blood appeared. In her heart, she quietly said to herself, “I swear that even if it means that I, Yu Wei, will have my soul be shattered… I will never hurt you. Never!”

  After making up her decision, Yu Wei actually relaxed. Now that she was mentally prepared for her soul to be destroyed, the knot in her heart had been resolved.

  “My man.” Yu Wei revealed a smile on her face.

  Ning held Yu Wei in his arms, smelling the fragrance that came from her body. The feathery down on her clothings around her neck rubbed against his face. Ning felt calmer than he ever had before. It had been a long time since he had felt so calm. He could feel that the heart of this woman before him was extremely close to his own. It was as though the two of them were one.

  “From today onwards,” Ning whispered words gently into Yu Wei’s ears, words that sounded like a sort of promise, “Yu Wei, you shall be my woman.”

  “And you’ll be mine as well,” Yu Wei replied softly.

  The two could both sense each other’s hearts.

  You are willing to die for me.

  I am willing to die for you.

  In the future, we shall walk the Immortal path together, never leaving or separating.

  “Yu Wei.” Ning released Yu Wei, looking at the deathly dark pallor to her face. He said with concern, “You’ve been badly poisoned?”

  “The poisons of the Myriad Hibernating Venoms are very unique.” Yu Wei gently shook her head. “The pills I have on me only suffice to temporarily suppress them for two to four hours. To actually cure the poison, I would either need an incomparably precious Immortal pill that could resolve countless poisons, or a spirit-pill that was specially designed to dissolve the poisons of this divine ability. There’s no way I can do this from within the world of the Diagram. I have to leave.”

  Ning gritted his teeth. He and Yu Wei had been on the verge of passing the trial, but she now had to depart. If the poison wasn’t cured, then once it was no longer suppressed, she would die.

  “Enough. Don’t be unhappy.” Yu Wei smiled as she looked at Ning, contentment in her eyes. “To ‘win’ you here is better than winning any other award in the Conclave.”

  “Right.” Although Ning wanted to continue to be together with Yu Wei, he immediately said, “Hurry up and cure your poison. It won’t be so easily cured, so don’t dawdle.”

  “This is the imperial capital of the Grand Xia, and there are countless experts gathered outside. It won’t be too hard.” Yu Wei nodded. “Take my talismans.”

  Whoosh. Instantly, a large number of talismans appeared on the ground.

  Yu Wei looked at Ning.

  Rumble…

  An invisible ripple of power descended, teleporting Yu Wei away.

  Ning collected the talismans. Actually, the number of talisma
ns he had acquired after killing Xiamang Qi and Adept Snowfly was more than enough to allow himself and Yu Wei to pass the trial. But she had been poisoned by the Myriad Hibernating Venoms… she had to leave and have it cured.

  Swoosh!

  Ning took a single step forward, then disappeared as a streak of light.

  Within the main hall of the Skylight Palace.

  The nine Pure Yang True Immortals were all staring at the Diagram.

  “This Yu Wei girl is coming out. Xiamang, have her be teleported over here,” Lu Dongbin immediately said.

  The Xia Emperor, seated on his imperial throne, simply smiled.

  Whoosh!

  A black-robed woman whose skin was as lustrous as white jade and who was roughly 1.7 meters tall by Earth measurements suddenly appeared within the main hall of the Skylight Palace, right next to the nine Pure Yang True Immortals.

  “Eh?!” Yu Wei stared at her surroundings, immediately poleaxed.

  The Xia Emperor was seated on high atop his throne. The other Pure Yang True Immortals who were seated with him hadn’t suppressed their auras, and so naturally their auras rippled out… causing absolute terror in Yu Wei. She had seen Celestial Immortals in her past life, and not just one; these figures before her gave her the sense of tremendous power. They absolutely were not Celestial Immortals.

  Yu Wei looked backwards and saw nearly a thousand Celestial Immortals. Their auras were similarly shocking.

  “Yu Wei, disciple of the Black-White College, prostrates before you, your Imperial Majesty.” Yu Wei immediately fell to her knees with tremendous respect.

  “Quite clever.” The Xia Emperor laughed and praised her. “Arise.”

  Lu Dongbin was staring at Yu Wei with interest. Actually, the other eight Pure Yang True Immortals present rather looked down on Yu Wei; she was nothing more than a reincarnated female Immortal. The only one intrigued by her was Lu Dongbin.