The Flower Blooms and the Siege Tightens

“What is that?” The seven Zifu Disciples of Snowdragon Mountain stared in astonishment at the tip of a flower emerging from the distant black mist. Just from the tip alone, they could imagine how massive the flower must be.

“What is the Ji Clan doing?”

“Martial Uncle Xu Li, the Ji Clan…” The group of Zifu Disciples looked towards Xu Li Zhenren. He frowned and said, “It should be a gargantuan flower. The petals appear to be water-blue and fire-red. It must be formed from water and fire.” With just the tip of the flower visible through the black mist, they couldn’t deduce much.

“Let me try,” Xu Li Zhenren said. He pointed into the distance. “Descend!”

The enormous moonlight hand extending from the bright moon in the dark sky seized the hundred-zhang-long seal and smashed it directly toward the flower. A section of the black dragon’s body immediately rose from the black mist and intercepted the seal. With a thunderous boom, the black dragon’s body shuddered but held firm.

“Hmph. Hiding within the formation. If I were closer, a single strike from my seal would shatter that dragon,” Xu Li Zhenren said, shaking his head.

… … …

Inside the formation.

Ji Jiuhuo was fraught with tension. “Ji Ning’s cultivation is at its most critical juncture,” he transmitted frantically. “That Wanxiang Adept is attacking with his Dharma Idol. No matter what, we must hold him off!”

Ji Liuzhen, Granny Shadow, and the others all understood. Ji Ning was the hope of the Ji Clan. How could they allow the enemy to disrupt his cultivation?

“It formed a water-fire flower. What is Ji Ning doing?” Ji Jiuhuo could sense the flower, but he was puzzled. Ji Ning already had the Water-Fire Lotus as a defensive technique. Was he comprehending the Dao? Or was he cultivating?

… … …

The hundred-zhang-tall water-fire flower was completely closed, with Ji Ning within it.

Drawing from the Taiyin True Water and the Sunstar True Fire, a vast amount of lunar and solar power was drawn in, pouring into Ji Ning’s body. Guided by the divine runes, his Fiendgod body began a natural transformation. Every tendon, every strand of muscle, even every cell of his internal organs, began to frantically devour the energy.

Normally, minor realm breakthroughs in the Crimsonbright Diagram were achieved through slow, gradual accumulation, like going from the fourth to the fifth, or the fifth to the sixth. It was a process of steady, long-term cultivation.

But the leap from the sixth to the seventh layer was a major realm breakthrough!

The Fiendgod body underwent a fundamental qualitative transformation. The energy required was astonishing, far exceeding the total cultivation of the previous five years from the fourth to the sixth layer. This was the most difficult Fiendgod technique. Ji Ning had already comprehended the ‘Rainwater Sword Domain,’ yet it was only today that he broke through to the seventh layer!

The most difficult technique!

The most profound technique!

But once a major realm breakthrough occurred, one would receive the assistance of the two sovereign stars, the Taiyin Star and the Sunstar. They would send Taiyin True Water and Sunstar True Fire, gathering vast amounts of energy to rapidly restructure and elevate the Fiendgod body.

“Whoosh!”

The immense water-fire flower became translucent and thin, then slowly bloomed open, revealing a youthful boy with a body so crystalline and lustrous it seemed to glow. It was Ji Ning! A layer of beast hide quickly formed on his bare skin, transformed by his Dharma treasure armor.

A smile appeared on Ji Ning’s face. He had finally broken through to the seventh layer of the Crimsonbright Diagram. He could sense the surging divine power within his body and the infinite vitality contained within. A single drop of blood would be enough to be reborn.

“Now I can truly use my divine abilities,” Ji Ning said with joy.

The Fiendgod Body Refining had to reach the Zifu level before one could unleash divine abilities.

The Windwing Evasion was more of a skill; it could be performed with Yuan power. But divine abilities were different. Using ‘Divine Power’ to execute a divine ability allowed one to unleash its true might. Previously, while his Fiendgod body was only at the Xiantian perfection stage, his Yuan power had already surpassed perfection. The gap had been so vast that he had been forced to use Yuan power to execute the Windwing Evasion.

But now, having just broken through to the seventh layer, Ji Ning was already comparable to a Fiendgod Body Refining cultivator at the late Zifu stage, thanks to this number one Fiendgod technique.

“Compared to Tongyu,” Ji Ning mused, “my Fiendgod Body Refining is now only a hair’s breadth weaker.”

“He has his Heavenly Transformation divine ability; I have my Windwing Evasion.”

“I also have my Rainwater Sword Domain and the Northsea Swords… If we fought again, I could kill him in a frontal assault.” Ji Ning was confident. Windwing Evasion and Heavenly Transformation were different types of abilities, each with their own strengths. Heavenly Transformation boosted strength and speed across the board, but its flexibility was lacking.

Windwing Evasion specialized in speed and agility!

“Ji Ning.” A voice came to him.

“Patriarch?” Ji Ning’s smile widened.

“Come quickly,” Ji Jiuhuo transmitted. A path opened through the black mist before Ji Ning. He tapped his foot and shot forward.

… … …

Patriarch Ji Jiuhuo, Ji Yichuan, and the white-robed maiden who had transformed from the crane were together.

“Patriarch.” Ji Ning arrived through the black mist path. The moment he saw them, he knew something was wrong. There was no joy on their faces, only extreme gravity.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Ning asked.

Ji Jiuhuo said in a low voice, “We thought that after you killed so many Zifu Disciples, including Tongyu, this disaster was over. But we didn’t expect… that Snowdragon Mountain sent another batch of Zifu Disciples. And among them is a Wanxiang Adept!”

“A Wanxiang Adept?” Ji Ning was stunned. “How could there be a Wanxiang Adept? The Yan Mountain branch of Snowdragon Mountain couldn’t have invited one so quickly. Isn’t this place far from their main sect?”

“I don’t know,” Ji Jiuhuo shook his head.

Ji Yichuan added grimly, “Regardless, the Wanxiang Adept is here, and he is terrifyingly strong. Earlier, he used his Dharma Idol to control a great seal. Our side barely managed to block it with the Netherflame Dragon formation.”

Ji Ning’s expression became serious.

A Dharma Idol-powered attack? The Netherflame Dragon formed by the grand formation barely held?

“That Wanxiang Adept is probably named Xu Li,” the white-robed maiden suddenly spoke.

“Oh?” Ji Ning, Ji Jiuhuo, and the others looked at her.

The crane maiden said, “I accompanied Nong Zidao for many years and saw Xu Li once. He is a formidable figure of Snowdragon Mountain, not someone like Tongyu. Tongyu’s status in Snowdragon Mountain was quite ordinary. Even with his divine ability active, he was at best a match for a newly-minted Wanxiang Adept.”

“Xu Li has been a Wanxiang Adept for over sixty years,” the maiden continued. “He practices the top-tier Ki Refining techniques of Snowdragon Mountain. His cultivation is slower, but his Yuan power is extremely pure. After more than sixty years, he is at least at the mid Wanxiang stage.”

“Moreover, as a Wanxiang Adept of Snowdragon Mountain, he definitely possesses Earth-ranked treasures!” she said. “The difference between Human-ranked and Earth-ranked Dharma treasures is a world apart. Their power is vastly different. In terms of Dao comprehension, he is also far above Tongyu. Although Tongyu had a divine ability, he couldn’t even use an Earth-ranked treasure. That is the fundamental difference between him and Xu Li. Xu Li could kill Tongyu with ease.”

After saying this, the white-robed maiden fell silent.

Ji Jiuhuo and Ji Yichuan exchanged a glance… During their panic, this crane maiden had remained silent. But the moment Ji Ning appeared, she laid out all the intelligence on Xu Li. It was clear that in her heart, she respected Ji Ning more, while she still harbored some defiance towards the other Ji Clan members.

“Mid-Wanxiang at least? Earth-ranked treasures? Profound Dao comprehension?” Ji Ning fell into thought. He wasn’t an ignorant child. Having seen so many treasures in the aquatic palace, he knew that the difference in power between different grades of treasures was immense.

An Earth-ranked treasure and a Human-ranked treasure were fundamentally different in nature.

Hadn’t the maiden just said that Xu Li could kill Tongyu with ease?

“Ji Ning,” Ji Jiuhuo said, his face red with urgency, “we have never fought a Wanxiang Adept before, only heard legends. But a Wanxiang Adept is far beyond a Zifu Disciple. For a Wanxiang Adept to kill Zifu Disciples is as easy as a Zifu Disciple killing Xiantian lifeforms! Earth-ranked treasures… we have only heard of them. No one has ever witnessed their power. You must not be careless. You carry the vassal token of our Ten Thousand Swords City and the Ten-Thousand-Mile Trace-Away Talisman. Remember, if the situation turns bad, flee immediately!”

Ji Ning was taken aback.

Flee?

“As long as you escape, the Ji Clan will rise again,” Ji Jiuhuo exhorted, “and it will become even stronger.”

Ji Ning felt a wave of unease. A vague sense of danger loomed in his heart. His soul was powerful, granting him premonitions of impending peril.

“A Wanxiang Adept?” Ji Ning had no experience with this either.

“Remember, do not take risks,” Ji Jiuhuo said, looking at him. Ji Yichuan also watched his son with worry.

“I understand.” Ji Ning nodded slightly. “I will be very careful with this Wanxiang Adept. If things go wrong, I will escape.”

“Good.” Ji Jiuhuo nodded.

… … …

Outside the formation.

The cultivators of Snowdragon Mountain on the wilderness watched the mist-shrouded Oxhorn Mountain from afar. The tip of the flower that had been visible earlier was gone.

“Martial Uncle Xu Li, what do we do now?”

“Do we just watch?” One Zifu Disciple after another looked toward Xu Li Zhenren, waiting for his orders.

Xu Li Zhenren gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with cold light. He said in a cold voice, “Wait!”

Tongyu and Nong Zidao had both entered and failed. Although he was much stronger, he remained cautious. Knowing the strangeness of this great formation, he wasn’t about to charge in recklessly, even with his power. At worst… he would sacrifice the elemental ore vein.

“Uncle-Master Xu Li! Uncle-Master Xu Li!” A streak of light flew in from the distance.

Xu Li looked up.

A fur-clad man flew down from the streak of light.

“Junior apprentice-brother Zidao.” Xu Li’s face lit up with joy as he hurried over to greet him. Nong Zidao was the person he valued most among those who had entered the formation. He was a formation expert with firsthand experience inside the formation—exactly what Xu Li needed right now.

“Martial Uncle Xu Li,” Nong Zidao said hurriedly, “I was afraid you had already entered the formation. I am glad you haven’t.”

“Oh?” Xu Li frowned at Nong Zidao. “Is this formation so terrifying?”