The Zifu Foe and the Insect Swarm

Beisheng swept his gaze across the surroundings, taking in the patches of frozen and scorched ground, the large number of corpses. The sight of the Xiantian Dao-soldiers among the dead made his heart twitch with pain. These were all his subordinates! To refine the sin-birthed法宝 into a true weapon, he needed his men to torment countless victims, and he needed skilled soldiers to capture living Xiantian experts.

"All ruined." Beisheng stared at Ji Ning, his gaze filled with icy malevolence. "My disciples and servants have all been slaughtered by you. The massive horde of vengeful spirits I had painstakingly cultivated for so long, nearly at the point of success—you forced me to halt the ritual! I, Beisheng, have actually suffered such a loss at the hands of a mere child like you. Don't worry, I won't treat you poorly. I will properly show my 'gratitude' and let you taste what it means to have your soul tormented!"

"He's a Zifu Disciple." "He's a Zifu Disciple!"

Many of the thousands of Dao-soldiers were shouting in terror.

"You are a Zifu Disciple?" Beisheng stared at Ji Ning. His evil magic treasure was merely a half-finished product, and he had been forced to interrupt its refinement because of this boy. Even relying solely on that half-finished treasure, Beisheng was considered top-tier among Zifu Disciples. But from what his disciples had said, this Ji Ning was merely an eleven or twelve-year-old youth of the Ji Clan.

An eleven or twelve-year-old youth who was a Zifu Disciple?

If that were true, Beisheng would become cautious. To reach the Zifu stage at such a young age surely meant he had encountered some incredible fortune, and he might possess some terrifying trump cards.

"A Zifu Disciple? Even if I said I wasn't, would you believe me?" Ji Ning said coldly.

Swoosh!

A small boat had suddenly appeared beneath Beisheng's feet. Stepping onto the boat, he instantly flew far away, putting a great distance between himself and Ji Ning. Dressed in a black robe, Beisheng stared at Ji Ning with a cold gaze. He was now treating Ji Ning as an equal opponent, so he had immediately created distance.

Immortal cultivators were divided by their fighting styles. Fiendgod Body Refiners favored close combat, while those who controlled treasures, poisons, or dolls preferred to fight from a distance, using their techniques from afar. Getting too close was simply too dangerous. Beisheng himself specialized in poison and treasure control.

Bang! A black claw attacked Ji Ning from behind.

With a flap of his magic treasure wings, Ji Ning traced an arc in the air and easily dodged. The wind generated by the black claw was enough to tear the ground apart. A howling black-furred zombie chased after Ji Ning.

"Beisheng, die!" Ji Ning dodged the zombie's attacks while, at the same time, over four hundred flying swords appeared around him. Under his telekinetic control, a hazy white light began to emanate from each blade.

It truly doesn't require brute force. I just need to follow the natural momentum of the formation. Using the core swords to 'lead' the rest makes controlling the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation considerably easier. Ji Ning had previously been focused on comprehending the formation's mysteries without truly testing the power of the fifth layer. In the aquatic palace, he had attempted it, but it was far too exhausting.

Now, however, Ji Ning was noticeably more relaxed. As he continued to experiment, the four hundred and five flying swords grew increasingly agile, and his Divine Sense control over them became ever easier.

"Magic treasures!" Beisheng, standing on his boat in the distance, changed expression upon seeing this. "So he can indeed fly using a magic treasure. He truly is a Zifu Disciple! So many flying sword artifacts… most of them are probably ungraded treasures, but if united, their combined power will surely be formidable."

"Roooar!" The low-roaring black-furred zombie chased after Ji Ning, attacking relentlessly.

Using his Windwing Evasion, Ji Ning moved with extreme agility, dodging each time. In a life-or-death battle, he had to use his advantages to the fullest. This black-furred zombie was clearly extraordinarily strong with a virtually indestructible body. Fighting it head-on would be idiotic. Ji Ning understood that this zombie was likely raised by Beisheng. As long as he killed Beisheng, the black-furred zombie would no longer be a threat.

"The Lesser Thousand Sword Formation, Fifth Layer." Ji Ning continued to control the numerous magic swords hovering around him, rapidly familiarizing himself with the intricacies of the formation, making it easier to control.

"Go!" Ji Ning's eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce light as he stared into the distance.

A beam of condensed sword-light formed in front of him and shot out. It was as fast as lightning, leaving only a faint, blurry trail in the air as it stabbed directly at Beisheng, who stood on his boat far away.

A horsetail whisk had already appeared in Beisheng's hand. As he saw the attack coming, he waved his whisk, which transformed into three thousand white strands that lashed out to entangle the incoming sword-light. Both the boat and the whisk were graded treasures, so their power was far from ordinary.

"Ssssss..."

"Not good!" Beisheng's face changed. He hurriedly manipulated his whisk, using the three thousand white strands to redirect and slow the sword-light. The strands all began to glow, layer after layer wearing down the attack. By the time the beam of sword-light reached Beisheng's body, it had already been consumed.

Ji Ning's expression changed as well. The power of the fifth layer of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation was definitely not weak. The fourth layer alone was comparable to an early Zifu Fiendgod using a graded treasure. This fifth layer must be at least as strong as a formidable early-stage Zifu cultivator.

"He really is a Zifu Disciple." Beisheng stared at Ji Ning, a savage expression on his face. "At such a young age, you are already a monstrous talent like this. How can I possibly allow you to live?"

A black object that looked like a beehive appeared in Beisheng's hand. It rapidly expanded until it was over three meters tall, its surface riddled with countless holes. A loud buzzing sound emerged as golden insects, one after another, flew out from the countless holes. In the blink of an eye, an overwhelming, sky-darkening swarm of insects was rushing towards Ji Ning.

"Poisonous insects!" Ji Ning was alarmed. Another indestructible beam of sword-light condensed before him. "Kill!"

Swish!

A beam of sword-light shot through the air and slashed into the oncoming golden insect swarm. A harsh, grating sound was heard as the sword-light killed several hundred insects before it emerged from the other side. The beam was now only half its original size. It arced through the air and plunged back into the swarm, this time being completely consumed after destroying another several hundred insects.

This won't work. Ji Ning controlled his magic treasure wings to flee while quickly realizing that using the sword formation was not the answer.

The Lesser Thousand Sword Formation consumed an immense amount of true Ki. He had already unleashed the fifth layer twice and the fourth layer once. He had only sixty to seventy percent of his Xiantian True Yuan left. There were probably several hundred thousand of those poisonous insects. Each time he fired a beam, he only killed seven or eight hundred of them.

Even if his true Ki was inexhaustible, the insects would reach him after he fired only three or four beams.

"You're dead." Beisheng watched Ji Ning with satisfaction.

"Water-Fire Lotus!"

Ji Ning let out a low shout. Around him, water lotus leaves and fire lotus leaves appeared, rapidly closing together like a flower bud, protecting Ji Ning within.

"Three Water-Fire Lotuses!" Ji Ning pushed himself to his limits. Each Water-Fire Lotus was formed from three water leaves and three fire leaves. A larger lotus wrapped around a smaller one, creating three concentric layers of protection. At the very core, Ji Ning continued to use his Windwing Evasion to dodge.

The black-furred zombie was still relentlessly pursuing him, forcing Ji Ning to stay constantly on the move.

"Buzzzzz..." The swarm of poisonous insects finally enveloped Ji Ning, frantically drilling into his Water-Fire Lotus. They easily pierced the first layer.

The three lotuses formed six layers of leaves, all revolving continuously. As a massive number of insects burrowed in, the spinning, grinding force of the water and fire leaves gradually killed them off. But the insects quickly gathered together, focusing their attack on one single point of the lotus. They pushed deeper and deeper, soon passing the second, third, and fourth layers. Many insects died along the way.

"A protective technique infused with a True Meaning of the Dao! Where did this Ji Ning learn such a thing?" Beisheng, watching from a distance, felt a pang of pain as his precious insects were killed in droves, while also feeling a profound shock. While sword techniques and saber arts could be bought, protective techniques like this were far rarer and more precious. Even in his own sect, such techniques were nearly impossible to acquire.

Little did he know… Ji Ning had comprehended this technique entirely on his own.

"They've passed the sixth layer!" Ji Ning clutched his Northsea swords, desperately trying to block the insects breaking through the sixth layer. However, these golden insects had extremely tough carapaces, making them hard to kill. He managed to block a few, but one bit into his body, puncturing his protective armor and sinking its teeth into his flesh.

"Die!" Ji Ning's Northsea swords moved in a frenzy, stabbing the insects to death one by one. The wounds on his body healed automatically.

I can't keep this up. Though I have my Fiendgod body's recovery, the insects will just keep coming… in the end, I'll be eaten clean, Ji Ning thought frantically. These insects are all controlled by Beisheng. If I just kill him, it's over.

Ji Ning decided to ignore the insects and prepare for a lethal strike.

"He has a Fiendgod Body Refining method." Standing on his boat in the distance, Beisheng was growing impatient. His face was a mask of fury. "He has a terrifying recovery ability and that protective technique as well! If this continues, even if I devour him, my precious insects will be decimated. This treasure of mine still isn't fully refined, and using it now will cause great harm to the vengeful spirits, but there is no other choice!"

A blood-red cloth banner appeared in Beisheng's hand, wreathed in black light. It was karma sin incarnate!

The moment the banner appeared, the surrounding world seemed to grow dark.

"Ji Ning, die!" Beisheng shook the banner in his hand.

"Beisheng, die!" Ji Ning, protected by the three layers of Water-Fire Lotuses and besieged by countless insects, roared in response. Four hundred and eighty-six flying swords instantly appeared around him. In this moment of desperation, he went all out, trying to push past his limits. The fifth layer of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation was no match for his opponent. To win, he had to use the sixth layer!

The blood-red banner swayed!

Four hundred and eighty-six flying swords floated in the air, each one emanating a hazy white light.