The Gathering of the Ji Clan

As Ji Ning stared at the grand formation designed to protect a tribe or sect, his heart screamed with excitement, but he forced himself to suppress his joy and continue reading.

‘Maybe there’s something even better!’

He flipped through the golden book, and one after another, fantastic treasures and rare artifacts appeared, making his heart clench with each turn! It was… truly tempting! But it was all a tease; he could only look, not touch. This time, he could only choose one item.

“The ‘Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation’!” Ji Ning’s eyes lit up, and he quickly read the description. “This formation is even more complex than the ‘Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation’, and its power is even greater, but it requires at least nine Zifu Disciples to operate.”

Ji Ning shook his head.

…

“Whew.” Ji Ning closed the golden book. Of all the treasures in the book, the most suitable for the current Ji Clan were formations! There were a few formations that could match the ‘Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation’, and even two that were slightly better. However, considering their current reality, the best choice was still the ‘Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation’!

The Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation was composed of five sub-formations. A single Zifu Disciple could control it, but if all five Zifu Disciples worked together… the formation’s power would reach its peak!

Counting his father, the Ji Clan only had six Zifu Disciples! And his father could only unleash his full strength by using a forbidden art; strictly speaking, the Ji Clan only had five Zifu Disciples. Given this premise… the Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation was naturally the optimal choice.

“Have you chosen?” The yellow-furred bear asked.

“I have,” Ji Ning nodded. “The ‘Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation’!”

The yellow-furred bear stared at him in surprise. “The Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation? Are you sure you haven’t made a mistake? This is a formation meant to guard a tribe. Once it’s set up, it can’t be moved. Even if you want to fight, you have to set up the formation in advance! In the future, you’re destined to travel and explore. When you suddenly encounter danger in a fight, there’s no time to set up a formation. What’s more, if only one person controls this formation, its power is only average. You need five people working together to reach its maximum potential! I advise you to think carefully. The chance to choose a treasure from the Treasure Hall is very rare. Once you choose, you can’t go back!”

“This one,” Ji Ning said without hesitation.

“Fine.” The yellow-furred bear didn’t argue.

“Come.”

The bear pointed a paw into the sky. From the dense mass of countless treasures floating in the high darkness, a single streak of light flew down from a corner so remote it was invisible to the naked eye. Like a shooting star, it pierced through the obstacles and landed directly on the ground.

Ji Ning hurriedly looked. He saw four black scales surrounding a central black pearl.

“This is the Dragon Pearl,” the yellow-furred bear said. With a wave of his hand, the black pearl floated over. The pearl was covered in complex runes, and within it, the faint shadow of a dragon could be seen swimming. The intricate patterns on it possessed a kind of ultimate beauty, nothing like the crude, simplistic runes of ordinary Mortal-ranked treasures.

“The Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation is divided into five parts: the core Dragon Pearl, and the four formation plates representing the Dragon Head, Dragon Body, Dragon Claws, and Dragon Tail!” The bear waved again, and the four scales flew over. “These scales are the foundation. From them, these four formation plates were created. One Dragon Pearl and four formation plates make up the five parts of the entire Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation. As for the profound mysteries within, you’ll understand them through careful study after you refine them.”

Ji Ning nodded.

He waved his hand, storing away the Dragon Pearl and the four formation plates.

“You’ve been to the War God Hall, the Treasure Hall, and the Stellar Hall. Only the Divine Ability Hall remains,” the yellow-furred bear said. “You need to work hard to break through as soon as possible. You must do so before you turn ten. Then, you can come and attempt the Divine Ability Hall.”

“Understood,” Ji Ning nodded.

“Do you want to leave now?” The yellow-furred bear looked at him.

“Let me out,” Ji Ning said without hesitation.

The yellow-furred bear nodded slightly. Whoosh! His head rapidly expanded and became ethereal, then he opened his mouth and swallowed Ji Ning in one gulp. Ji Ning vanished.

... On Brightheart Island at Serpentwing Lake, there was a pavilion. A lantern hung beside it, casting a faint light in the surrounding area, for it was the dead of night.

“Why isn’t the young master coming out?” Qiuye, holding a jug of wine, stood behind Ji Yichuan. Ji Yichuan sat beneath the pavilion, and behind him lay a massive, snow-white hound, the divine beast Whitewater Hound. Qiuye’s eyes held a trace of anxiety, because Ji Yichuan had been waiting here for a very long time. “The young master said no one was to disturb him, and he locked himself in the meditation room.”

Qiuye had no choice. She knew Ji Ning’s temperament. If he said no one was to disturb him, then absolutely no one dared to bother him.

All they could do was wait.

“Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time,” Ji Yichuan said calmly, sipping his fruit wine. He was very calm, for the coming battle would be the last, most glorious moment of his life.

“Rumble…” A faint tremor came from the ground in the distance. Qiuye’s face lit up with joy. “The young master must have come out of the meditation room.”

Then, with a creak, the door to a distant building swung open, and a youth dressed in furs stepped out.

“Ha!” Ji Yichuan stood up. He frowned slightly as he looked at Ji Ning. Having watched his son grow up, he could detect the subtlest of changes. He could see that Ji Ning… seemed a bit less sharp, and had gained a serene, water-like tranquility.

“Did you just train?” Ji Yichuan asked.

Ji Ning nodded gently. “I made a breakthrough.”

Ji Yichuan couldn’t hide the joy and satisfaction in his eyes. This would be his final battle, and he held the conviction of death. To see his son’s strength increase once more before he died filled him with immense happiness. His son was such a monster, he could already foresee his name spreading across the endless lands.

“Good,” Ji Yichuan said, just one word.

“Uncle White is coming too?” Ji Ning looked at the Whitewater Hound beside him.

The Whitewater Hound nodded at Ji Ning.

Ji Yichuan looked at the hound at his side. “Your Uncle White and I are sworn brothers, bound by life and death. I go into this battle with the conviction of death. Even if, by some miracle, I survive, I’ll only be a cripple. Earlier, I granted your Uncle White and Uncle Black their freedom. Uncle Black has already returned to the mountains and forests. But your Uncle White insists on following me. Even in death, he wants to die with me. I can’t drive him away… I simply can’t drive him away. To have a sworn brother like him in this life is enough to make me proud, even in death.”

Ji Ning’s heart was shaken. He could see the glimmer of tears in his father’s eyes, and the unwavering, resolute look in Uncle White’s gaze.

“Alright, let’s go together.” Ji Ning walked over and hugged the Whitewater Hound, just like when he was a child, going out to practice archery and always hugging him. “Uncle White, we’ll go together.” The Whitewater Hound looked at Ji Ning, his eyes filled with deep affection. He had watched Ji Ning grow from a baby. He was the son of his blood-brother, Ji Yichuan. He naturally treated Ji Ning as family, a junior.

Whoosh.

A boat appeared out of thin air. It hovered in the air and rapidly grew to over ten zhang in length. Ji Ning, Ji Yichuan, and the Whitewater Hound all boarded.

“Let’s go.” With a thought from Ji Ning, the boat immediately soared into the sky, hurtling northward through the endless night.

…..

In that same stretch of desolate wilderness and forest.

Ji Jiuhuo, Ji Ying (Granny Shadow), the old servant A Xing, and Ji Liuzhen had all arrived. They had even set up a minor illusion formation around the area. Ji Ning had been delayed by his comprehension session in the Stellar Hall. The others had finished handling their personal affairs, and with the speed of Zifu Disciples, they had naturally arranged everything.

“Why did you bring your spirit beast?” Granny Shadow’s voice was hoarse.

Ji Liuzhen stroked a black eagle beside him. “I didn’t want it to come, but it insisted. It’s been with me since it was a fledgling. All these years, it’s never left my side. This time, it refused to leave even in death. Enough… we’ve known each other for a lifetime. It is closer and more familiar to me than my own wife and children.”

Ji Jiuhuo and the others looked at them and nodded gently. It was a rare thing, to have a spirit beast willing to accompany its master on such a dangerous adventure.

“When will Yichuan and the others get here?” Ji Liuzhen asked, stroking the eagle as he looked up. The illusion formation wasn’t active, so it didn’t affect their vision. Even in the darkness, the faint moonlight was enough for a Zifu Disciple to see very far.

“Don’t worry,” Ji Jiuhuo said. “We still have plenty of time.”

“I just wish that boy, Ji Ning, wouldn’t come,” Granny Shadow sighed hoarsely. “He insists on coming. He’s the true hope of our Ji Clan! With his talent and potential, becoming a Wanxiang Adept wouldn’t even be difficult. But his temper is just too stubborn.”

Ji Jiuhuo smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. He has a Ten-Thousand-Mile Trace-Away Talisman. When things get truly dangerous, if he doesn’t leave, we’ll force him to.”

“Right, we’ll force him to go,” Granny Shadow nodded. “If he refuses to leave at the critical moment, I’ll kill myself right in front of him.”

“Alright, he knows what’s important.” Ji Jiuhuo’s eyes suddenly lit up. “They’re here.”

Everyone looked up.

A streak of light flew down from the sky. As it dove, it slowed down, and they could see it was a boat. The small boat rapidly descended from the sky, and when it was about ten zhang from the ground, it vanished into thin air. Ji Ning, Ji Yichuan, and the Whitewater Hound all landed directly on the ground.

“You brought your Whitewater Hound too?” Ji Liuzhen laughed.

Ji Yichuan looked at him in surprise. “Your Thunderhawk came too?”

The two of them looked at each other and smiled, understanding perfectly.

“Alright, everyone’s here,” Ji Jiuhuo announced. “It’s time to arrange our response to Snowdragon Mountain.”

“Mm.” Everyone’s expression turned serious.

Ji Jiuhuo continued, “Just earlier, I made a special trip to Yanshan City to see General Dong, the garrison commander.”

“What happened?” They all asked expectantly.

A flash of anger appeared in Ji Jiuhuo’s eyes. “As everyone knows, this General Dong is a member of a large, distant tribe, the ‘Dong Clan’! That’s how he managed to become the garrison general of the Grand Xia Dynasty in Yanshan City.”

Ji Ning and the others nodded. They already knew this intelligence. Being a garrison general in the Grand Xia Dynasty’s army… was not something a small tribe like the Ji Clan could even dream of. It was definitely a good position. Cloaked in the authority of the Grand Xia Dynasty, who would dare to offend him?

“I didn’t want to offend this General Dong,” Ji Jiuhuo said. “But when I tried to submit my report, the general claimed to be in seclusion and refused to see any guests. When I asked to see the vice-general, I was told he had left Yanshan City and was currently away.”

“What?!”

Everyone panicked.

“He’s definitely stalling for time.”

“Snowdragon Mountain must have interfered somehow.” Ji Ning was also anxious. They had set up the formation to buy time, hoping for an emissary from the Grand Xia Dynasty to arrive. But if they couldn’t even submit the report… how could the Grand Xia Dynasty’s emissary ever come?

Ji Jiuhuo said, “I had no choice. The life and death of my Ji Clan was at stake, so I didn’t care about offending General Dong. I raised my voice and shouted throughout Yanshan City, declaring that the Ji Clan was willing to dedicate a massive vein of Primordial Stones to the Grand Xia Dynasty! My voice naturally reached the entire city. Every citizen, including the garrison, heard me. Only then did General Dong dare not delay any longer. He came out to see me with a black face and angrily drove me away.”