The Wooden Stake

“You wouldn’t dare lie to me.” Tong Yu nodded slightly.

Mu Si quickly continued, “Although we discovered this massive vein of prime ore, it is located within the territory of the Ji Clan. A tiny clan like the Ji is nothing to fear; our Yan Mountain branch could easily wipe them out. However…” Mu Si recounted the full story.

Tong Yu listened, frowning. “A maze formation?”

“Mm. The Ji Clan’s patriarch, Ji Jiuhuo, is highly skilled in formations and poisons,” Mu Si said. “This time we’ve invited fellow disciples to deal with the Ji. The clan itself isn’t a threat—it’s the formations…”

“Setting up a grand formation,” Tong Yu mused. “We aren’t good with formations; it would be easy for them to stall us. If they delay long enough, the Grand Xia’s imperial envoy will arrive! There’s one formation expert nearby in the Yan Mountain region—Junior Apprentice-Brother Nong Zidao. If we invite him, a small tribe’s formation will be child’s play for him.”

Mu Si nodded. “Senior Apprentice-Brother Nong Zidao is already on our invitation list. With you backing the request, he’ll surely come.”

“Go invite him immediately,” Tong Yu ordered. “I’ll head to Yan Mountain now.”

“Thank you, Senior Apprentice-Brother.” Mu Si was overjoyed.

“Go.” Tong Yu waved.

Mu Si stepped onto a leaf-shaped magic treasure and shot away in a streak of light, disappearing into the distant sky.

Tong Yu watched for a long moment, lost in thought.

“Earth Dragon.” Tong Yu turned and called.

“Master.” A scaled, horned azure dragon crawled out. It had four claws and an imposing, powerful frame. Its body rapidly shrank to just over ten zhang in length.

“Come. We’re going to Yan Mountain.” Tong Yu’s voice was soft. “If we render great merit this time, I may be able to request the sect’s help to break through.”

Tong Yu had originally been a rogue cultivator. He had reached the Zifu Disciple level in Ki Refining early on, but the technique he practiced was shallow. Breaking through to the Wanxiang Adept stage in Ki Refining was nearly impossible. Later, his slow Fiendgod Body Refining path reached the Zifu level—a rare achievement that earned him entry into Snowdragon Mountain. Unfortunately, his Ki Refining had already reached the late Zifu stage, leaving no room to turn back. Changing techniques was too late. Fortunately, his ruthless, decisive temperament, honed during his rogue years, allowed him to render great merit and receive the sect’s favor. He was even taught the divine ability ‘Heavenly Transformation’, which catapulted his status.

Now…

He had been in secluded meditation here for a long time, hoping to break through to the Wanxiang level in Fiendgod Body Refining. But crossing a major realm was far too difficult. The sect did have methods to increase the odds, but the cost was too high—why would they spare it for him?

“Master will surely succeed.” The Earth Dragon crawled over.

Tong Yu sat directly on its back.

Whoosh!

The Earth Dragon stepped onto clouds and flew into the distant sky, disappearing into the night. Its draconic bloodline gave it innate control over water. Though only at the Zifu level, it could still fly on clouds…

Inside the ancient aquatic palace.

Ji Ning and the black ox walked side by side out of the Star Hall.

“Cultivating in the Star Hall truly accelerates insight into the Dao,” Ji Ning praised.

“The Star Hall amplifies progress, but the foundation is your daily accumulation,” the black ox said. “Only through experience and insight do you build your understanding. Scattered, fragmented realizations over time may seem insignificant, but when you enter the Star Hall, the progress is substantial. Without daily accumulation, even staying in the Star Hall every day would be useless.”

Ji Ning nodded.

Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles—experience and insight were the true foundation.

“The War God Hall is ahead.” The black ox stood before the War God Hall. Its bronze doors were carved with battleaxes and spears, and the aura of slaughter pressed down on them. A hazy red light covered the doors, thick with the blood and killing.

Ji Ning held his breath.

“Senior,” Ji Ning asked, “what did Celestial Immortal Juhua encounter when he challenged the first level of the War God Hall?”

“Asking is useless,” the black ox shook his head. “The dangers of each level can be changed at any moment. I’ve already spoken with the artifact spirit of the palace.”

“Oh.” Ji Ning was helpless.

The black ox quickly added, “Be careful. Although the trials of the War God Hall are meant to temper you, not kill you, and as a Fiendgod Body Refiner your chances of dying are low, there are still dangers. Don’t throw your life away.”

“Don’t worry.” Ji Ning reached out and pushed open the bronze doors.

The moment his hand touched the doors—

Whoosh!

The hazy red light on the surface swallowed Ji Ning instantly. He vanished before the doors. His eyes went wide with shock.

“Ah. I forgot to tell him that entering the War God Hall means being teleported inside.” The black ox blinked his big eyes, then chuckled warmly…

In an instant.

Ji Ning arrived on an endless, vast plain. The soil looked as if it had been stained red with blood. Before him stood a towering pagoda, its door shimmering with a faint white light.

“Mm?” Ji Ning noticed the yellow great bear standing nearby.

“Senior.” Ji Ning quickly bowed.

The yellow great bear nodded slightly. His usual cold expression seemed to soften a little, and his attitude was friendlier. “Reaching the Dao Domain at age five—rare even among Fiendgods. Tell me, which level of the War God Hall do you want to challenge?”

“I can choose?” Ji Ning was stunned.

“Of course. The master of this palace roamed the world and returned at the Primal Daoist stage. He only had two attempts, so naturally he wouldn’t choose the first level,” the yellow great bear said. “You could choose the tenth level right now. But even though the trials of the War God Hall are not meant to kill, the residual power from the tenth level would reduce you to ash instantly, soul and all.”

Ji Ning blinked.

Right.

The tenth level? Even Celestial Immortal Juhua, after becoming a Loose Immortal, had only managed the seventh level. The power of the tenth was unimaginable. Ji Ning could only marvel at the ancient Fiendgod who created this palace.

“I choose the first level,” Ji Ning said honestly. Based on what the black ox had said—that before comprehending the Rainwater Sword Domain, his chance of clearing the first level was less than one in ten—this level would be no joke.

“Mm.” The yellow great bear nodded. “Wise choice. This is your first attempt, so it will be the easiest trial you ever face.”

“The easiest?” Ji Ning froze.

The yellow great bear’s furry paw grabbed Ji Ning’s arm. In a flash, they were at the pagoda’s entrance. They stepped through the faintly glowing white door.

Inside was a vast white space, a thousand zhang high and thousands of zhang wide. Only a floating door marked the exit behind them.

“This is the first level of the War God Hall,” the yellow great bear said. Ji Ning looked around cautiously. Where was the danger?

“Look.” The yellow great bear pointed ahead.

Ji Ning followed his gaze. In the distance, a black wooden stake appeared. It was about as thick as Ji Ning’s thigh and stood about a zhang high.

“A wooden stake?” Ji Ning was puzzled.

“The trial I give you is much easier than what I gave Juhua or Lei Zhan,” the yellow great bear said. “The first level’s trial is simple—before this incense stick burns out, cut through that wooden stake.” In his paw appeared an incense stick about a foot tall.

“Cut through that stake before the incense burns out?” Ji Ning stared at the stake.

No wonder the palace spirit said this was the easiest trial. Cutting a stake really had no danger. The stake stood there dumbly, never fighting back.

“It begins.” The yellow great bear set the incense stick on the ground; it was already lit.

“One stick of incense…”

Ji Ning wasted no time.

He shot over to the stake. Rushing blindly would be stupid. He spent a moment studying it—where would it be easier to break? Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll have hope. The stake was pitch black with ringed grain patterns.

“Should I cut along the grain?” Ji Ning wondered.

“Hah!”

Ji Ning’s Northsea Sword appeared in his hand. He fully exploded with divine power and Zifu ki. Around him, fine drizzle began to fall, threads of rain swirling in a cool, refreshing mist. The traces of the Dao around him grew far stronger.

“Silk Rain Forms Threads!” Ji Ning struck with his strongest move.

Whoosh!

His sword-light vanished, merging into the drifting rain like a strand of silk. The blade became part of the rain, sharp and lethal, cutting into the stake.

Thud!

Only a faint white mark appeared on the stake. The rain washed it away instantly.

Ji Ning’s tiger’s mouth split from the recoil; he staggered back three steps, but the wound healed immediately.

“Just a white mark. This stake is incredibly tough. Cutting it in one incense stick will be hard.” Ji Ning lunged in with another strike.

The same silk-thread sword, merging with the rain.

Thud!

This time he struck precisely along the grain. Though thrown back by the impact, he noticed a tiny wound on the stake—barely visible, but a wound.

“Even with my Rainwater Sword Domain, this strike rivals the ninth layer of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation. Yet it only did this much.” Ji Ning was shocked. “Without my domain, I’d have no chance.”

He knew that in his domain, his sword power had multiplied several times over…

(End of Chapter)