Rival of Heaven

“Bring Xiaoyun back!” An ancient ancestor of the Dongyan clan who had been secluded for endless years personally gave the order.

“Yes, Ancestor.”

The Loose Immortal, ‘Beiqiu Immortal’, respectfully acknowledged the order, and that very day, he led a vast host of cultivators as they grandly departed from the ‘Dongyan Mountains’ of the Shangshui Commandery.

Spring had arrived, flowers blooming in a city of beauty.

A small boat drifted across Serpentwing Lake. Aboard the boat were only Ji Ning and Nine Lotos. In the past, the window of feelings between them had not yet been pushed open, but now that both of them had recognized the other as their Dao-companion, affirming that on the long, long path of cultivation ahead, the other would always be there… naturally, their hearts drew ever closer.

They sat cross-legged across from each other. On the low table before them were bottles of premium Immortal wine. Naturally, this wine had been prepared by Nine Lotos; her background was extraordinary, and the utensils and fine liquors she carried with her were things Ji Ning did not possess.

“What kind of wine is this?” Ji Ning lifted the exquisite jade cup, taking a gentle sip. Instantly, a wave of comfort spread from deep within him to his very extremities, and it felt as if even his heart trembled.

“This is called ‘Dongxian Wine’,” Nine Lotos said, also raising her cup. “This wine has a story behind it. In another major world, as vast and magnificent as the major world governed by our Grand Xia Dynasty, a Celestial Fairy descended from the Heavenly Realm. She happened to encounter an ordinary mortal cultivator of that world, named ‘Dong You’. The two developed an illicit affair and wished to be together for life. However, this fairy was of noble status in the Heavenly Realm, and the elders behind her would absolutely not permit her, a dignified Celestial Fairy, to become Dao-companions with an ordinary mortal cultivator. Thus, they forcibly separated them.”

Ji Ning sighed with emotion.

A Celestial Fairy of the Heavenly Realm? A mortal cultivator of the mortal world?

“Later, this Dong You swore an oath that he would ascend to the Heavenly Realm and take back his Dao-companion,” Nine Lotos said softly. “For a mere mortal cultivator to dare to proclaim he would go to the Heavenly Realm to retrieve his Dao-companion… how utterly unbelievable. Yet this Dong You actually endured countless tribulations and hardships, passed the Heavenly Tribulation, becoming a carefree Celestial Immortal, and even came to lead that major world. He led the many Immortals of that major world in a direct assault upon the Heavenly Realm itself. In the end… the powers behind that Celestial Fairy bowed their heads. He took back his fairy. This legend spread throughout the entire Three Realms.”

Ji Ning was astounded.

Becoming a Celestial Immortal, leading the Immortals of an entire major world in an attack on the Heavenly Realm?

“This Dong You is also known as ‘Dongyou the Immortal’, and he is a supremely powerful figure renowned throughout the Three Realms. Even when I was a child, I heard his story,” Nine Lotos said with a sigh. “And this wine was created by Immortal Dong You himself. It is beloved by many Immortals throughout the major worlds. Our Dongyan clan obtained some, and I brought three bottles with me, never having used them.” Nine Lotos looked at Ji Ning as she spoke.

There was one thing she left unsaid. The reason she had never used them was that she had been saving them to share with her own Dao-companion, because Dongxian Wine was also a symbol of steadfast love. The noble ladies of top-tier clans like the Grand Xia royal family and the Dongyan clan generally loved to stockpile this wine to enjoy with their Dao-companions.

Ji Ning could also feel Nine Lotos’s intentions. He took another small sip of the Immortal wine.

That feeling of a trembling heart… it was truly like seeing the woman he cherished.

“Hmm?” Ji Ning suddenly frowned, looking up.

Nine Lotos also looked up.

They saw that in the clear, cloudless sky, a massive, pitch-black war vessel had appeared. The vessel was enormous, its battle flags fluttering in the wind, bearing the words ‘Dongyan’. Furthermore, the entire war vessel emanated an aura that made heaven and earth tremble. Beside the railing stood row after row of cultivators clad in standard Dao-soldier armor. Their gazes were icy and domineering. Every single one of these cultivators was a Wanxiang Adept, and they were all highly trained.

The entire war vessel pressed forward, parting the air as it headed straight for Serpentwing Lake. The invisible air pressure caused waves to rise in the distant waters of Serpentwing Lake. The small boat carrying Ji Ning and Nine Lotos was tossed about by them.

“Retrieve.” Ji Ning immediately put away the boat.

He and Nine Lotos now stood directly on the surface of Serpentwing Lake. The waters around them instantly calmed. Although the lake around them was churning with monstrous waves, where they stood, the water was placid and still.

“What is this?” Ji Ning sent a mental message to Nine Lotos beside him. “Senior apprentice-sister, this is your Dongyan clan’s war vessel, but it seems to have come with ill intent.”

“It must be that the clan has learned of my affairs with you. But very few people knew of our relationship. Luo Qing knew nearly a year ago. If she had passed it on to the clan, they would have come long ago… To have arrived only today, it was most likely Chen Jin who told them,” Nine Lotos said, a trace of worry on her face. “This is the day I have feared most, but it has come nonetheless.”

Ji Ning looked at Nine Lotos.

“Senior apprentice-sister,” Ji Ning said softly.

“I am the next leader of the Dongyan clan. I refuse to believe that I do not even have the right to decide on my own Dao-companion,” Nine Lotos said, looking at Ji Ning. “Don’t worry.”

But Ji Ning could feel the intangible pressure weighing down on him.

At this moment, Ji Ning suddenly understood why Nine Lotos had prepared the Dongxian Wine. “Senior apprentice-sister wants me to be resolute as well, doesn’t she.”

The massive war vessel slowly descended, landing on Serpentwing Lake, stopping directly in front of Ji Ning and Nine Lotos. Before this enormous vessel, over a thousand zhang in length, the two of them appeared very small.

“Whoosh!”

The bow of the war vessel split apart, automatically lowering a wide passage that extended directly down to the surface of the lake.

A man in a golden Daoist robe led the way, followed by nine Primal Daoists whose auras were overwhelming. Behind them came a group of Wanxiang Adepts clad in armor. As this group of cultivators advanced… it seemed to make heaven and earth itself tremble. Such military force would be enough to easily destroy a sect like Snowdragon Mountain.

“The leader is the Beiqiu Immortal of our Dongyan clan. Behind him are his nine Primal Daoist disciples. Behind them are our Dongyan clan’s Xuanming Guards, all of whom are at the Wanxiang Adept level,” Nine Lotos sent mentally. At the same time, she noticed that Ji Ning’s face had turned somewhat pale. “Ji Ning, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Ji Ning said in a low voice.

A series of terrifying divine senses were pressing down upon him.

The Beiqiu Immortal and the nine Primal Daoists behind him were simultaneously unleashing waves of divine sense assault. Even Ji Ning found it incredibly taxing. Within his sea of consciousness, he silently visualized the ‘Nuwa Painting’. A statue of the goddess Nuwa appeared within his soul, radiating billions of rays of light, causing Ji Ning’s soul to be utterly stable as he forcibly withstood the repeated assaults.

“Oh?” The golden-robed Beiqiu Immortal’s brow furrowed slightly. He had brought his force here to intimidate this young man from a tribal clan, and the divine sense assault was meant to leave a deep impression on him. Yet this young man named Ji Ning, barely over twenty years old, had actually managed to withstand the combined divine sense assault of himself and his nine disciples.

“Master, this Ji Ning has a rather powerful soul. Could he be a reincarnated Immortal?”

“Even if he is a reincarnated Immortal, what use is he to our Dongyan clan?” The Beiqiu Immortal sent a mental message, his voice calm.

Even the Black-White College had quite a few reincarnated Immortals.

What exactly was a reincarnated Immortal? They were all Earth Immortals or Loose Immortals who saw no future for themselves and thus chose reincarnation! Although after reincarnation, they could somewhat easily cultivate back to the Earth Immortal stage, they had failed in their previous life; did that mean they would succeed in this life in passing the tribulation and becoming a Celestial Immortal?

Ji Ning withstood the divine sense assault. When the enemy’s divine sense withdrew, Ji Ning understood that these visitors had come with hostile intent.

“Xiaoyun.” The Beiqiu Immortal did not even look at Ji Ning, instead fixing his gaze on Nine Lotos. “It is time to return.”

“I was supposed to return only after I became a Primal Daoist,” Nine Lotos said with a frown. “Why am I being called back so early? And who summoned me back?”

Her status within the clan was extremely high; even an Immortal could not casually command her.

“The Ancestor himself has given the order for me to bring you back,” the Beiqiu Immortal said solemnly.

“The Ancestor?” Nine Lotos was stunned.

In some clans, there were occasionally supremely powerful beings whose status surpassed even that of the clan leader or chieftain. Ji Ning’s position within the Ji clan was like this! He was not the Patriarch or the leader, but he was the true spiritual pillar.

And in the Dongyan clan…

Dongyan Ancestor was the true spiritual leader of the Dongyan clan: an ancient being who had lived for so long that no one knew how old he was. The time he had existed was measured in units of ‘hundreds of millions of years’. Being able to live for such a long time meant he naturally could not be a Loose Immortal. The high-level members of the Dongyan clan all believed him to be a Celestial Immortal, but the Ancestor himself had never admitted nor publicly confirmed it.

His true power had always been a mystery, but in his rare displays of strength, so-called Loose Immortals did not even have the right to resist before him.

No one dared to go against his words. He lived in seclusion for long periods, rarely interfering in clan affairs, but once he spoke, everyone obeyed. Deposing a clan leader was merely a single sentence from the Dongyan Ancestor. This should give a clear picture of his status!

“The Ancestor? I, I…” Nine Lotos gritted her teeth. She had been chosen as the next leader partly because of the Ancestor’s influence; he was very fond of her and doted on her.

“I will return with you,” Nine Lotos said in reply.

The Beiqiu Immortal nodded slightly. He had never doubted that Nine Lotos would dare to resist. Within the Dongyan clan, no one dared to resist the Ancestor! Unless they were truly prepared to betray the clan.

Nine Lotos looked at Ji Ning beside her and sent a mental message. “Wait for me.”

“Mm.” Ji Ning nodded gently.

“Let’s go,” the Beiqiu Immortal urged.

Nine Lotos walked towards the Beiqiu Immortal. The nine Primal Daoists and the group of Dongyan clan Xuanming Guards all clustered around Nine Lotos, escorting her towards the war vessel.

The Beiqiu Immortal turned his head to glance at Ji Ning, sending a direct mental message. “Your name is Ji Ning, I take it? I think you should wake up and see clearly… Xiaoyun is not an ordinary member of a tribe. If she were merely an ordinary woman of my Dongyan clan, becoming Dao-companions would be fine. But she is destined to be my Dongyan clan’s next leader… and you are not worthy of her.”

With that, he cast another cold glance at Ji Ning, then, surrounded by the group, he escorted Nine Lotos aboard the war vessel.

From the war vessel, Nine Lotos looked down.

On the surface of the lake, Ji Ning looked up.

Their gazes intertwined.

“Boom~” The surrounding space began to ripple with waves of light, and the entire massive war vessel vanished into thin air.

Ji Ning watched Nine Lotos disappear with the war vessel. For a moment, his heart felt empty.

“Not worthy?” Ji Ning murmured to himself, but his gaze grew only more resolute.

“Young master.”

“Ning, child.”

A leaf-type magic treasure flew over, carrying Qiuye, the Whitewater Hound, and Qingqing. They had all seen what had just happened. Although they were too far away to hear the conversation, they had clearly seen Nine Lotos being taken away.

“Young master, are you alright?” Qiuye asked, extremely worried.

“It’s nothing. The elders of Senior apprentice-sister’s clan were missing her and wished to see her. That is all,” Ji Ning said.