Desolate Era

by RWX

  “Yes, Daofather.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Daofather Crimsonbright nodded. “Alright. You can go back and rest now.”

  Ning and the hundreds of Immortals and Fiendgods present all walked out of the main palace. Only after exiting did they start to discuss matters in small groups.

  “Ji Ning, if you can just keep those three from Mount Dragoneater tied down, you’ll have rendered a major contribution,” the Xia Emperor said, walking alongside Ning. “Don’t be in a rush to try and kill enemies; keep an eye out for those three at all times.”

  “Right. Darknorth, if you are defeated, we’ll have lost a powerful military unit. For you right now, not screwing up is already a contribution.” A bald old man in loose robes next to them chuckled while fanning himself with a fan.

  “Right now, you are our main defense against those three Diremonster Gods of Mount Dragoneater.”

  Multiple Empyrean Gods and True Immortals spoke out. They were all responsible for tying down those three Diremonster Gods, and so during the three clashes of this Realmwar, they had been by Ji Ning’s side. To be honest, it was rather strange; those three Diremonster Gods were always close to Ning. The main reason for this was that the Godking viewed Ning as an extremely important target, believing that if Ning suddenly broke through to the Pure Yang True Immortal level, his Heaven Punisher would instantly rise to a level of power where it would be no weaker than the combined power of those three Diremonster Gods.

  “To be honest, with Ji Ning around, it makes things easier for us. His Heaven Punisher is so strong, not even those three Diremonster Gods can suppress him.”

  “Ji Ning is indeed formidable as a Heaven Punisher commander. If he becomes a Pure Yang True Immortal…how powerful would he become?”

  The Empyrean Gods and True Immortals continued to chat with Ning and amongst themselves.

  Suddenly, someone walked past them. It was Sword Immortal Evergreen, who gave them a sideways glance and a cold snort. “All of you are quite smug, aren’t you? Don’t forget…if Ji Ning dies in battle, the entire situation will become quite ugly for us. As I see it…you need to focus on what you will do in the event that Ji Ning dies.”

  After finishing his words, Sword Immortal Evergreen walked out.

  Ning frowned upon hearing these words. On the surface, Sword Immortal Evergreen was reminding them to be careful…but he kept on saying ‘Ji Ning dies’, ‘Ji Ning dies’…anyone would feel displeased upon hearing someone say such things.

  “Ji Ning, don’t mind him.” The Xia Emperor glanced at Sword Immortal Evergreen, frowning at him before turning to smile at Ning. “That’s just how junior apprentice-brother Evergreen is. Still…he’s not wrong to remind us that we need to be careful.”

  “Understood.” Ning nodded.

  “Fellow Daoist Darknorth.” After Sword Immortal Evergreen walked away, a delicate, white-robed female Immortal who had heard his words walked towards Ning and hurriedly said, “Senior apprentice-brother Evergreen is always like that. Please don’t mind him.”

  Ning smiled. “A minor matter, fellow Daoist Snowdance.”

  Fairy Snowdance smiled towards Ning, then followed Sword Immortal Evergreen in leaving.

  Ning asked the nearby Xia Emperor, “What is the exact relationship between Fairy Snowdance and Sword Immortal Evergreen? I often see them together, and even on the field of battle, they are an inseparable duo.”

  “Junior apprentice-sister Snowdance is devoted to junior apprentice-brother Evergreen, but he is excessively solitary and aloof; he’s completely unreceptive to her advances. She, however, continues to quietly watch over him. Although the two haven’t joined together to become Dao-companions, Evergreen is indeed closer to Snowdance than to any of our other fellow disciples. Still…in the end, he always treats her in an icy manner. Junior apprentice-sister Snowdance really is blinded,” a barbaric-looking man said with a sigh.

  “Evergreen’s simply too sharp. His heart is like a sword, and he acts like a sword in dealing with both people and business. He’s let her wait for him for so long…alas…”

  The various Empyrean Gods and True Immortals chatted amongst themselves for a bit, then all departed.

  ……

  A few days later, the Xia Emperor sent the mental order for his army to assemble.

  “Be careful. You said it yourself; the Seamless Gate is trying to kill you if at all possible. Our child is soon to be born; I don’t want our child to never have the chance to meet you,” Yu Wei warned.

  “Don’t worry, senior apprentice-sister; the Seamless Gate is far from being able to kill me,” Ning said with a laugh.

  Since the start of the Realmwar, before each clash Yu Wei would give Ning many warnings to be careful.

  “I’m off.” Ning smiled, then transformed into a streak of light and flew away.

  Yu Wei rubbed her stomach, watching as Ning flew away. She could sense that their child was most likely going to enter the world in around half a month…but why was it that she was feeling increasingly nervous?

  ……

  The vast, awe-inspiring army had assembled, then flown out from the Eight Dragons Cloudcity. The wilderness outside the city had long been transformed into a desolate, crater-ridden wasteland. The two opposing armies once more charged against each other, and everything was as it had been in the past.

  Soldiers against soldiers. Generals against generals.

  Both sides were now experienced with each other. The heaviest casualties had come in the first clash, while the following clashes had seen much fewer deaths. In this clash, the three Diremonster Gods of Mount Dragoneater once more had their sights set on Ji Ning.

  “Once the opportunity arises, you have to kill this Ji Ning. The most important mission you have in this Realmwar is to kill Ji Ning.”

  These were the instructions which both Daofather Ink Bamboo and the Godking had given them.

  …….

  Both sides were evenly matched.

  “Junior apprentice-sister, those six Heaven Punishers are in danger; let’s go help them.” Sword Immortal Evergreen and Fairy Snowdance were flying through the sky. Sword Immortal Evergreen scanned the field of battle, then sent a mental message to her.

  Fairy Snowdance glanced over as well.

  Far from from, within the region where Ning and the three Diremonster Gods of Mount Dragoneater were, six Heaven Punishers were being assaulted by three White-Faced Flood Dragons, with one of them apparently being commanded by an Empyrean God or True Immortal. They were clearly superior to the six Heaven Punishers in power, but the Heaven Punishers weren’t in any real danger yet; by joining forces, they were able to stave off defeat.

  Still…Fairy Snowdance didn’t refuse. “Fine, senior apprentice-brother.”

  Swoosh! Swoosh!

  They immediately flew down to the battlefield, beginning to cast spells and use their magic treasures to support those six Heaven Punishers. With their help, the six instantly found the battle much easier, and in fact they were even able to seize the advantage.

  “Senior apprentice-brother, be careful; this region is the most dangerous region in the entire battlefield,” Fairy Snowdance sent mentally. “Both sides have sent more than twenty Empyrean Gods and True Immortals to this place, and we have over fifty Heaven Punishers here, as well as Raindragons and Pangu War-Formations…”

  “Don’t worry,” Evergreen said confidently. “We just need to be careful.”

  “Right.” Fairy Snowdance was just giving him a reminder; thus far, not a single Empyrean God or True Immortal had died in this Realmwar. As long as there wasn’t a sudden change in events, it wasn’t likely that one of them would die.

  Sword Immortal Evergreen continued to cast spells to help the Heaven Punishers below while keeping a careful eye on the battlefield.

  The Xia Emperor, one of the six Empyrean Gods and True Immortals on his ship of light, noticed that Sword Immortal Evergreen and Fairy Snowdance had arrived a
s well. It must be understood that the Xia Emperor was controlling the local formation; he naturally saw everything that happened on the battlefield, and he generally would arrange for the disposition of their forces. He immediately sent mentally, “Junior apprentice-brother Evergreen, junior apprentice-sister Snowdance, go and help out those five Heaven Punishers to your left; they are in serious danger.”

  “Alright.” Sword Immortal Evergreen and Fairy Snowdance immediately noticed it as well. Those five were indeed suffering a group attack, and there were no other Empyrean Gods or True Immortals nearby, aside from the two of them.

  Swoosh! Swoosh!

  The two flew in that direction while casting their spells.

  “Go.” Fairy Snowdance pointed, and instantly a snowy-white lance pierced through the skies.

  Slash!

  Suddenly, a streak of sword-light flashed past her. Blood splattered everywhere, and as the blood splattered on the snowy white lance of light, it was instantly frozen.

  Fairy Snowdance stared at her chest uncomprehendingly. A sword had pierced straight through it, cutting quite cleanly through her Pure Yang Jindan. She raised her head to look towards Sword Immortal Evergreen in disbelief. “Senior, senior apprentice-brother…” In her heart, there was one thing she wanted to say: “If you want to join the Seamless Gate, I’m willing to join you…”

  Fairy Snowdance revealed a hint of a smile…the smile of release.

  Snick. Sword Immortal Evergreen pulled his sword out, and as his sword-ki trembled…her entire body was instantly turned into dust, her treasures left for Sword Immortal Evergreen to pick up.

  In his heart, Sword Immortal Evergreen felt a certain dull pain. “If you spend years raising a dog, you’ll feel pain when it dies.” Sword Immortal Evergreen immediately wiped away the tiny bit of pity he felt in his heart, then looked downwards. He charged straight downwards, charging towards those five Heaven Punishers. Not only did not he not support them, he launched an assault that caused those five to feel utterly shocked.

  “EVERGREEN!” The distant Xia Emperor saw this happen. Upon seeing Fairy Snowdance’s chest be pierced, his eyes widened so much they threatened to split apart. He let out an utterly enraged roar that caused the heavens themselves to tremble!

  * * *

  Book 18, Chapter 36 - The War Changes

  Sword Immortal Evergreen paid no attention to the Xia Emperor’s furious roar at all. His eyes flashed with red light; clearly, he had gone berserk. “I, Evergreen, have waited for so many years…and this day shall be my most glorious, most dazzling moment.” He fully released all of his hidden power, and the Immortal swords he controlled transformed into three streaks of azure-black sword-light that pierced through the skies.

  “No!”

  “Sword Immortal Evergreen…”

  “Spy!”

  “Traitor!”

  The five Heaven Punishers felt completely despair.

  They were already in a dangerous situation, having suffered a group assault by the forces of the Seamless Gate; that was the reason why the Xia Emperor had sent Sword Immortal Evergreen and Fairy Snowdance to reinforce them. If they hadn’t, the five Heaven Punishers wouldn’t have been able to hold on for much longer. Sword Immortal Evergreen had slain Fairy Snowdance, then unleashed an attack that wasn’t one whit inferior to the attacks of True Immortal Whitepole or the Xia Emperor. This terrifying attack was not meant to reinforce them…it was meant to kill them.

  How could the five Heaven Punishers possibly resist?

  Slash! Boom! Swish!

  Under repeated assaults from Sword Immortal Evergreen, Zhuyan Apes, White-Faced Flood Dragons, and Empyrean God golems…the five Heaven Punishers instantly were shattered into tiny pieces.

  The local battlefield, which held 30% of the forces of each side, had just changed dramatically!

  ……

  The walls of the Seamless City.

  Daofather Ink Bamboo was watching this entire battle from afar. The Godking had secretly told him long ago that the Seamless Gate had hidden an extremely important chess piece within the forces of the Crimsonbright Realm, a chess piece which, when employed at the right moment, could cause the entire course of the battle to change. As for who that chess piece was, Daofather Ink Bamboo didn’t know. Only the Godking himself knew. Clearly, this was an extremely important secret.

  “Eh?” Daofather Ink Bamboo’s eyes lit up. He couldn’t help but feel overjoyed when he saw Sword Immortal Evergreen suddenly kill Fairy Snowdance, then assault the five Heaven Punishers below.

  In the blink of an eye…all five Heaven Punishers were destroyed!

  The local battlefield had instantly changed. The Crimsonbright Realm had lost two Pure Yang True Immortals and five Heaven Punishers, whereas the Seamless Gate had not only gained the powerful Sword Immortal Evergreen, the forces that had been assaulting the five Heaven Punishers were freed up as well.

  “Launch an all-out attack!” Daofather Ink Bamboo knew how rare an opportunity like this was. He immediately sent out the order.

  “Launch an all-out attack!”

  The Daofather’s voice rang out in the minds of every single commander, Empyrean God, and True Immortal of the Seamless Gate.

  “Attack!” The Nine Cloudmist Fairies, who had previously been locked into a stalemate, suddenly exploded with power.

  “Attack!” The three Diremonster Gods of Mount Dragoneater, who had been battling separately in the region, all revealed looks of joy. Diremonster God Skyswallower roared loudly, “Assemble into formation!” Instantly, the three Diremonster Gods charged towards each other, joining together into formation. Divine power flowed across them like light, quickly transforming them into a towering, bald, three-eyed Fiendgod.

  The Three-Eyed Demon’s aura was utterly unearthly.

  “Attack!”

  The various White-Faced Flood Dragons and Zhuyan Apes actually began to crumble.

  But as they crumbled…they reformed into multiple Empyrean God golems. Each White-Faced Flood Dragon instantly transformed into ten Empyrean God golems!

  …..

  The entire battlefield had suddenly changed.

  “Evergreen!” Even as the Xia Emperor roared with rage, Ji Ning saw Evergreen make his move as well. He was watching the entire battlefield at all times. He couldn’t help but feel disbelief as he saw it happen. Although he didn’t have any positive feelings towards Sword Immortal Evergreen, he had never suspected that Evergreen was actually a spy for the Seamless Gate. Fairy Snowdance had followed him for so long…how could he have been hard-hearted enough to actually kill her?

  “Vile creature!” Ning ground his teeth, rage blazing within his heart.

  “Launch an all-out attack!” A heartbeat after Daofather Ink Bamboo gave the order, Daofather Crimsonbright’s voice rang out in the minds of his subordinates as well. “Launch an all-out attack!”

  “Time to go all out!”

  The Crimsonbright Realm and the Seamless Gate almost simultaneously began to launch their most powerful attacks.

  ……

  Within one of the minor worlds of the Three Realms.

  A dirty-looking middle-aged man was displaying his martial prowess, leading a group of beggars at high speed towards a large innhouse.

  “Kids, seal that door up!” The dirty-looking beggar called out.

  “Yes!”

  The group of beggars completely blocked up the doorway, terrifying the guests and customers who had been eating inside it and preventing any outsiders from entering.

  “Honorable sir, if there’s something you want, just tell us. Why have you brought so many people to seal off my innhouse?” The innkeeper hurriedly came out, bowing and scraping.

  “If the Beggar’s Clan wishes to block your door, we’ll block your door! I’ve never liked you. Today I’ve come to eat something,” the middle-aged beggar barked. “Got a problem?”

  “No problems, no problems at all.” The innkeeper felt misery in his hearts;
he knew exactly how powerful the Beggar’s Clan was within this city. Fortunately, these people were just here to eat. “If you want something to eat, just tell me.”

  “Simple. Gimme…” Halfway through his words, the look on the face of the middle-aged beggar changed.

  This was because, right at this moment, a voice rang out within his mind: “Eastbreak, come to the Grand Xia battlefield right away.”

  When the Realmwar had first started, he had been told that he would serve as a lethal weapon for the Crimsonbright Realm. To prevent the Seamless Gate from finding out, the only people who were aware of this were two Daofathers and the ‘beggar’ himself. Even the message-delivery system was an extremely secretive one. He had been extremely careful, and indeed, the Seamless Gate hadn’t discovered him.

  The beggar raised his head.

  A black light flashed.

  Boom!

  A large rift suddenly appeared in the skies above him. The middle-aged beggar took a single step, soaring into the rift in the skies…and then the massive rift vanished as well.

  The guests, beggars, and innkeeper were all completely dazed by what they had just seen.

  “Clan…clan leader…?” The beggars stared stupidly.

  “The person extorting me was…was actually…” The innkeeper was even more dazed.

  “A divinity. A divinity!”

  “He must have been an Immortal.”

  In fact, the countless mortals in the region all fell to their knees, kowtowing. They had seen this Immortal with their own eyes. The massive rift in the skies…the aura of power and majesty from it…it had filled the deepest parts of their hearts with utter terror and awe. They would never even think of resisting such power.

  ……

  The Grand Xia. The battlefield within Whitepole Commandery.

  Boom…

  A massive rift appeared, and the middle-aged beggar with tousled hair appeared out of nowhere. He had been roaming a minor mortal world that was located very close to the Grand Xia, and so as soon as the order had come, he had been able to immediately tear a rift through the Void to arrive here.