The Last Embrace of Brothers

Within the gray, misty void, Lishis continuously condensed. They were ferocious, savage, and utterly fearless, wielding massive hammers, longspears, battle-axes, and other weapons, their mouths roaring the ancient Fiendgod character for "Kill!"

A curtain of rain fell.

Layer upon layer of watery walls bound these Lishis. The rainwater of the Rainwater Sword Domain could no longer kill them; it could only influence their speed.

Shiiing! Whoosh! Ptoo! Nine streaks of sword-light danced through the air.

Some Lishis died from a pierced skull, others were sliced in two, still others had their heads severed…

"Die."

Ji Ning wielded his twin swords, his divine ability 'Windwing Evasion' activated. Wings formed from Crimsonbright divine power had materialized on his back. This was the true face of the Windwing Evasion! The Yuchi clan had once ordered clan disciples to use the winged magic treasures to disguise their possession of this divine ability.

A true divine ability had no need for external treasures.

Swoosh! Ji Ning was as swift as a ghost, tracing a curved arc. Wherever his form passed, the twin swords in his hands transformed into two arcs of sword-light.

Shiiing!

Two rows of Lishis were sliced cleanly in half, each one dying before dissolving into mist.

"Kill." Ji Ning moved forward, his twin blades felling Lishi after Lishi.

"It's getting harder, even harder." Ji Ning's face showed a hint of anxiety. "The Rainwater Sword Domain and the Water-Fire Lotus can't kill them anymore. Using my Divine Sense to control the nine flying swords, each one can only kill a single Lishi."

At the start, his Divine Sense had controlled all nine swords, sweeping down entire rows.

Now, each sword focused on individual kills.

Only his true body could still cut down enemies by the dozen.

...

Lishis died continuously, but even more powerful ones were born from the gray void. The newly born Lishis radiated stronger auras and greater savagery.

Screeee! Shiiing! The nine soaring swords left wounds on the roaring Lishis, but the creatures continued to charge at Ji Ning.

"It's finally here."

"This moment has finally come. These newborn Lishis can no longer be killed by Divine Sense-controlled swords." Ji Ning gritted his teeth. He transformed into a streak of light again and again, his twin swords hewing down waves of Lishis. Only the swords in his hands could still kill them now.

After all, the force of his Divine Sense-controlled swords was only comparable to the early Zifu stage.

The power of Ji Ning's Fiendgod Body Refining, however, was that of a late-stage Zifu Fiendgod cultivator, two minor sub-realms higher. The two swords in his true hand were naturally sharper and more powerful.

"Kill."

Ji Ning fought with everything he had.

The yellow-furred bear outside the Divine Abilities Hall knew exactly what was happening inside.

"The final struggle," the yellow-furred bear sighed. "Ji Ning is about to lose."

"He's going to lose?" the black ox asked urgently. "Can he get the third divine ability?"

The yellow-furred bear shook his head. "Not yet. His Rainwater Sword Domain, Divine Sense-controlled weapons, and all other methods are useless now. He can only rely on the two swords in his hands. His sword technique is superb, especially with the mutual support of his twin swords, so he can hold out a bit longer. But whether he can obtain the third divine ability… it's dangerous. Hard to say."

"Alas." The black ox felt helpless.

"Soon. He'll be ejected soon." The yellow-furred bear shook his head. "It's a pity. He had great hope of obtaining the master's techniques."

...

At the mountainside of Oxhorn Mountain.

Ji Jiuhuo sensed everything within the grand formation. Two matters consumed his attention: Ji Yichuan's sneak attack on the Snowdragon Mountain group, and the Whitewater Hound's breakthrough.

"Yichuan is truly clever." Ji Jiuhuo's eyes held a hint of satisfaction, but with it a faint trace of sorrow. "His natural talent is far superior to Liuzhen's. Back in the North Sea, he was already at the mid-Zifu stage. If not for that calamity he encountered midway, he would probably be nearing Zifu perfection by now."

Without a monster like Ji Ning, Ji Yichuan was indeed a rare genius of the Ji Clan.

"This battle will be the final, most brilliant moment of Yichuan's life." Ji Jiuhuo watched, bearing witness to his son's most brilliant hour.

Suddenly—

A powerful, profound aura appeared not far from him, but it quickly faded.

"The Whitewater Hound!" Ji Jiuhuo's face lit up with joy. "He broke through! He broke through!"

The Whitewater Hound was a Godbeast, renowned for its intelligence. Ji Yichuan had once told Ji Jiuhuo that his sworn brother, the Whitewater Hound, was incredibly clever and had a high level of insight. He had long since met the mental requirements for a breakthrough to the Zifu stage, but as a Godbeast, he needed to accumulate more energy to actually make the leap.

That was why Ji Jiuhuo had gambled and given the jade vial to the Whitewater Hound. He hadn't expected it to actually succeed.

"He's here." Ji Jiuhuo turned to look.

A man dressed in white robes walked towards him. He had long, snow-white hair that reached his waist, and his face was a striking likeness to 'Ji Yichuan's.' His gaze was gentle… If Ji Yichuan was a ten-thousand-year glacier, radiating coldness, then this man was like a spring breeze, making people feel an instant warmth.

"Whitewater Hound?" Ji Yichuan looked at the white-robed, white-haired man in surprise.

He of course knew that this was the Godbeast Whitewater Hound in human form, but he was shocked by the creature's appearance. In the Xianxia world, 'the face is born from the heart.' When a great monster takes human form, its appearance is not something it can simply choose. Their features are determined by the heart.

Some monsters emerge with cold faces, some with domineering ones, some ugly, some seductive… All comes from the heart.

"To look so much like Yichuan… anyone who didn't know would think he was Yichuan's brother. That shows Yichuan's place in his heart." Ji Jiuhuo thought to himself. "And there is no trace of a monster's usual malevolence or evil aura on his brow. He seems very peaceful… being in his presence is like a warm spring breeze. This Whitewater Hound's Dao-heart is extraordinary."

The Godbeast Whitewater Hound was famous for its intelligence and love of learning. According to legend, it possessed a trace of the bloodline of the ancient Fiendgod, 'Bai Ze.'

As a Godbeast, it generally had a special innate ability. The Skygreen Serpent, for example, could shuttle through the void. But the Godbeast Whitewater Hound had no innate combat ability. If one had to name its talent, it would be 'intelligence and a love of learning.'

"Patriarch." The Whitewater Hound looked at Ji Jiuhuo.

"Whitewater Hound," Ji Jiuhuo said. "They say the Whitewater Hound is supremely intelligent. Our Ji Clan is now facing a hopeless situation. Do you have any ideas?"

The Godbeast Whitewater Hound was relatively common, but one that had reached the Zifu level was extremely rare. This was Ji Jiuhuo's first time seeing one.

"Trapped within a sealing formation, what can be done?" The Whitewater Hound shook his head gently. "We can only fight."

"What are you skilled in?" Ji Jiuhuo asked.

"I enjoy studying formations." The Whitewater Hound said softly. "Big Brother Yichuan helped me gather some formation manuals in the past, and Sister Snow also gave me a few. I have spent my time studying formations and have gained some insights."

Ji Jiuhuo was somewhat disappointed.

Formations?

Now that the Ji Clan had deployed the Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation, what use was the Whitewater Hound's knowledge of formations?

"I also have some ungraded formation flags I used for my own formation deductions." The Whitewater Hound said, "By placing these flags around the Snowdragon Mountain group, I can make the earth's energy meridians more complex, increasing Nong Zidao's difficulty in deducing the formation."

"What!" Ji Jiuhuo was astounded.

"You… you can…" Ji Jiuhuo was completely shocked. An outsider might not understand the significance of what the Whitewater Hound had just said, but Ji Jiuhuo was an expert in formations himself. Different formations affected the flow of Heaven and Earth's energy in distinct ways. They were as distinct as oil and water. Just as the Black Mist Illusion Formation and the Blackflame Dragon Prison Formation coexisted without interference, the Hellgourd Mist Formation was completely unaffected by the former when Nong Zidao was deducing it.

The two formations guided the energy of Heaven and Earth in completely different ways.

To cause interference…

One would have to guide Heaven and Earth's energy in a way that was very similar to, even capable of blending with, the Hellgourd Mist Formation.

Achieving this was no less difficult than breaking the Hellgourd Mist Formation itself!

"You?" Ji Jiuhuo stared at the Whitewater Hound in shock, then said with growing excitement, "If you can do this, it will make the Hellgourd Mist Formation even harder to crack. We might be able to buy ourselves two more days."

The Whitewater Hound's gaze was distant. "Given the speed at which Nong Zidao was breaking the Dragon Claw node's mist, even with my interference… whether we can get two more days will depend on luck."

"I have some formation flags here. Do you need them?" Ji Jiuhuo asked quickly.

"It's just a matter of disrupting the earth's energy meridians, not combat. Ungraded flags will do," the Whitewater Hound said. "Besides, I've studied these ungraded flags for longer. I'm more familiar with them."

"Excellent. Go at once." Ji Jiuhuo was elated.

The white-robed, white-haired man walked along the path opened by the parted mist, then his body shifted, turning back into the Godbeast Whitewater Hound. For monsters, it was more natural to use their original form.

"Incredible, incredible." Ji Jiuhuo's eyes shone with hope. "They say the Whitewater Hound is a godbeast known for its intelligence. I never thought its achievements in formations would be so profound."

...

"Little Bai!" Ji Yichuan, holding a Dao talisman, was startled to see a large snow-white hound appear beside him. The hound quickly transformed into a white-robed, white-haired man.

"You broke through?" Ji Yichuan was both surprised and overjoyed. Looking at the man before him, whose face so resembled his own yet held a gentler temperament, Ji Yichuan felt a profound familiarity… This was his brother, his brother in life and death.

The Whitewater Hound looked at Ji Yichuan, tears glistening in his eyes. "This may be the last battle of our lives, Big Brother. In this war, we fight side by side."

"Alright." Ji Yichuan embraced the Whitewater Hound, unable to hold back his own tears. "Side by side."

The Whitewater Hound smiled.

To fight and die alongside Big Brother… that was enough.

Within the Divine Abilities Hall of the aquatic palace, in the gray void.

Splat!

Blood splattered. Here, only Ji Ning could bleed. The Lishis simply dissolved into mist when they were killed.

"Ah." Ji Ning wielded his twin swords, fighting with all his might. One of his swords blocked a Lishi's heavy hammer, then thrust forward, piercing the head of the fat Lishi wearing a war-skirt. Only then did it dissolve into mist.

"Kill!"

"Kill!" Flames blazed in Ji Ning's eyes, flames of pure determination.

But the surrounding Lishis were densely packed, each one no weaker than Dongzi Qi. Ji Ning could now only kill one at a time, while the Lishis pressed forward in endless waves, already threatening to drown him.