The Skygreen Serpent Reunion

“How is it?” Mu Northson asked, standing at Ji Ning’s side.

Ji Ning’s divine sense swept downward, clearly investigating the struggling azure serpent in the wilderness below. The fury and desperate resolve in that serpent’s eyes confirmed it in his heart. “It’s her.”

Every serpent looked slightly different from another—scales, skin color, eyes, even the expression in the eyes. Just as all humans had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, yet tiny differences made each person unique and distinct.

“But those formation flags…” Ji Ning’s divine sense scanned to find a series of banner flags planted across a hundred-li radius. He had a fair understanding of formations. “Sealing formation flags. They probably have space-locking abilities as well.”

These Wanxiang great demons are being thorough. Even if the Skygreen Serpent breaks through their encirclement, the flags can still create a massive sealing formation, trapping it inside and preventing escape.

The thoughts flashed through Ji Ning’s mind like lightning.

“Junior apprentice-brother,” Ji Ning sent mentally.

“Senior apprentice-brother.” Mu Northson looked at him.

“The Skygreen Serpent below is the one I’m looking for. I’m going to rescue it. Are you coming?” Ji Ning asked.

“Do you even need to ask?” Mu Northson grinned.

“Then let’s go down right now and charge into the sealing formation. If the formation fully activates, the space-lock will prevent even a Minor Teleportation Dao-talisman from entering,” Ji Ning said.

Mu Northson nodded.

Whoosh!

The dragon-headed warship rapidly shrank, its surface color shifting to blend in with the sky.

It then transformed into a streak of light, shooting straight down toward the battlefield in the wilderness.

Boom!

A golden iron staff smashed into the Skygreen Serpent’s body. The serpent rolled and twisted, barely dodging further away, but spat out a mouthful of emerald-green blood.

I’m really going to die here.

I wish I could go back to the Yan Mountains one more time…

The thought flickered through the azure serpent’s mind. Then it transformed into a streak of light once more, pouncing toward the white-furred fox, its dense cold miasma enveloping its target.

“Get out!”

A thunderous roar sounded.

The Dragon Whale great demon, who had been standing by watching without participating, glared into the distance. With a thought, the formation flags planted all around began to glow. A massive light barrier, shimmering like ripples, instantly took shape, sealing off the hundred-li radius.

But the small dragon-headed warship had already charged inside the sealing formation’s range.

Hm? The azure serpent glanced over, seeing the approaching warship and the newly risen formation barrier. Who broke in? That Dragon Whale great demon is thorough, trying to capture me alive. These flags even have sealing ability. Even if I shook off the blockade of these great demons, I couldn’t escape.

“Human cultivators.”

“Humans.”

One Wanxiang great demon after another noticed the charging warship. The ship vanished, and two young human youths flew out.

Though they looked like youths, the great demons did not dare take them lightly. The younger a cultivator appeared, the more caution they warranted.

“Qushan, stop them,” the Dragon Whale great demon ordered directly, assigning the Wanxiang great demon with the strongest defensive techniques under his command.

“Fine.”

A bent, ugly male with a massive shell on his back took a step forward, making the ground tremble, and charged straight at Ji Ning and Mu Northson.

As Ji Ning flew forward, he willed it, and seven hundred and twenty-nine flying swords materialized around him. At the core of this array were the nine Earth-ranked flying swords of the ‘Northriver Sword Formation.’ Simultaneously, the countless stars, bright moon, and blazing sun within his Violet Palace space resonated with the outside world, projecting their images into reality.

Rumble…

The sky around them suddenly filled with brilliant stars, a Golden Crow, and a luminous moon.

It was the Wanxiang manifestation!

A sword-light, like a jade sword, condensed in front of Ji Ning’s chest. Back when he faced Beihe Zhou and his five companions, using the ninth layer of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation had allowed him to contend with two Wanxiang experts simultaneously. Now that his ki had reached the early Wanxiang stage, the core of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation, the ‘Nine Yang Sword Formation,’ had evolved into the ‘Northriver Sword Formation.’

With this sword formation now, Ji Ning alone could match Beihe Zhou’s entire group of six!

“Flee now, and I’ll spare your lives,” Ji Ning called out loudly, flying like a streak of lightning.

“Human brat, your tongue sure runs wild,” the ugly male with the hoarse voice retorted, gripping two golden iron staffs as he shot toward Ji Ning like a blur.

Ji Ning shook his head. “Courting death.”

“Go!”

Ji Ning willed it.

The wisp of jade sword-light condensed before his chest transformed into a massive grinding wheel of water and fire, moving like a gust of wind as it shot toward the ugly male. Bolstered by the Wanxiang manifestation, this sword strike became even more ethereal and elusive.

“I’ll block it!” The ugly male jumped in shock. That human brat’s flying sword was terrifyingly fast.

“I’ll block it again!”

The ugly male swung both staffs wildly, desperately trying to defend, but in terms of pure technique, how could a great demon match Ji Ning, who had already entered the gates of the Sword Immortal path? Even Beihe Zhou could have suppressed this ugly great demon one-on-one, let alone Ji Ning. This great demon was only good at surviving.

Shiiing!

The sword-light slipped between the two golden staffs, cutting straight across the ugly male’s body. With a tearing sound, his body split into two halves.

The two severed halves immediately turned into mist, then reformed into a massive black-shelled tortoise, which frantically fled into the distance. The other Wanxiang great demons were all shocked. Even the Dragon Whale great demon, who had been standing by, frowned at the two human youths.

The Dragon Whale great demon waved his hand. “Stop!”

One by one, the other Wanxiang great demons halted their attacks and withdrew.

“Big brother, those two human youths seem pretty strong. That slightly taller one actually cut Second Brother Qushan in half with a single sword strike,” one of them said.

“Cut in half? That’s because he was in human form. That’s the only reason he could cut him so easily. If I’d taken my true form, he couldn’t have cut me at all!” The massive black-shelled tortoise flew over, furious.

“Couldn’t even block a single strike. Useless,” a tall, thin great demon sneered.

“You try it!” The black-shelled tortoise was enraged.

“All of you, shut up.” The Dragon Whale great demon swept his gaze over them, and the ten-plus Wanxiang great demons fell silent. They all looked toward Ji Ning and Mu Northson, who were flying closer.

The Dragon Whale great demon spoke loudly. “Humans, you’d better not meddle in our affairs. Leave now, and I’ll open the sealing formation to let you go. If you don’t…” The Dragon Whale great demon’s emerald-green eyes turned icy cold.

Ji Ning and Mu Northson glanced at the great demons, then turned their attention to the bedraggled azure serpent.

The azure serpent’s skin was split open in many places, though it was rapidly healing.

She, too, looked at the two humans who had momentarily saved her from death. When she saw them, she froze.

A beast-hide-clad youth?

That face… the exact same as that Ji Clan youth who had shouted challenges at her and repeatedly dueled her in the Eastmarsh Swamp all those years ago.

“Little Snakey Snake!” Ji Ning called from a distance, looking at the dazed azure serpent, and laughed heartily. “Don’t you recognize me?”

Little Snakey Snake?

The azure serpent was stunned.

That form of address… it was so familiar. That arrogant Ji Clan youth used to call her that, too.

“It really is you!” The azure serpent cried out in surprise. “That arrogant Ji Clan brat?”

“Listen carefully. My name is Ji Ning!” Ji Ning said with a grin.

The azure serpent flickered and shot over to Ji Ning’s side, then transformed into human form—a cyan-robed girl. Her pale face stared intently at Ji Ning, as if she wanted to examine every pore on his face. “Are you really that Ji Clan brat? Didn’t Tie Muzhan kill you?”

“Tie Muzhan is dead by my hand,” Ji Ning said teasingly. “I didn’t expect that when you took human form, you’d be a girl.”

“I was female to begin with,” the cyan-robed girl shot back, glaring.

Though many years had passed…

Back then, one had only been at the Houtian stage, the other a mere Xiantian monster.

They had sparred many times back then, but now, meeting again, they felt an unexpected closeness and familiarity. Perhaps meeting an old acquaintance in a strange, distant land was what made it all the more precious.

“You two!” The Dragon Whale great demon in the distance frowned. He could tell that this human youth and the Skygreen Serpent were old acquaintances. He barked, “Stop your lovey-dovey chatter. This is my territory, and you are currently inside a grand formation I control.”

The cyan-robed girl’s earlier joy vanished instantly. She sent a mental message to Ji Ning. “Ji Clan brat, you look powerful now, sure. But don’t think that just because you cut a Wanxiang great demon’s human form in half, you can handle this group of great demons. There are sixteen Wanxiang great demons here! Once they take their true forms, their strength skyrockets. And that Dragon Whale great demon in particular… he alone is stronger than all the others combined. He’s a dragon-whale by birth, with incredible natural talent and monstrous strength. On top of that, he practices Fiendgod Body Refining and has mastered a divine ability. His power is terrifying.”

Ji Ning was startled.

Fiendgod Body Refining? Mastered a divine ability?

“This Dragon Whale great demon is the leader of the Yaolian Mountain region,” the cyan-robed girl sent mentally. “He commands several dozen Wanxiang great demons under him. He only brought fifteen of them to besiege me this time. His Fiendgod Body Refining has already reached the Wanxiang perfection stage. With his divine ability and his natural gifts… he’s not someone you can fight. Hurry up and run. Don’t worry about me.”

The distant Dragon Whale great demon spoke coldly, “I’ll give you two choices. One: leave now, and you both live. Two: the two of you die here, too.”

Mu Northson stood by with an easy smile.

Ji Ning was equally relaxed.

“Ji Clan brat, don’t be a fool. Get out of here now. If you have the heart, avenge me someday.” The cyan-robed girl sent mentally. “Meeting you again before I, Qingqing, die… the heavens haven’t been too unkind to me.”

Ji Ning looked at the distant Dragon Whale great demon and the fifteen ferocious, demon-qi-shrouded great demons beside him, and spoke clearly. “Dragon Whale, I’ll give you two choices as well. One: I take Little Snakey Snake away, and you live. Two: I kill every last one of you, and then take Little Snakey Snake away.”