The Prince’s Gambit

The twelve great demons who had formed the massive Firewing Centipede through their Dao-soldier formation were all terrified.

They were composed of one Primal Daoist and eleven Wanxiang Adepts… Through the Dao-soldier formation, their combined might was extremely powerful. Unless the enemy possessed the strength of a Loose Immortal or Earth Immortal, they would be helpless against them. They had not taken the leather-clad youth on the deck seriously, but now, this youth, standing there without even moving, had unleashed a pressure from the Dao itself that rendered them completely immobile!

“Where did this expert come from?!”

“How… how is he this terrifying? Just how high is his comprehension of the Dao?”

These妖怪 were completely dumbfounded.

Earlier, they hadn’t even bothered to consider this leather-clad youth a threat, intending to kill him as a casual afterthought. Who would have thought they had run into an unprecedented wall of solid steel?

Plop! Plop! Plop!… Streams of light appeared out of nowhere, instantly piercing through the massive Firewing Centipede, piercing through all twelve great demons. Whether it was the Primal Daoist or the Wanxiang Adepts, they were all killed in an instant.

…

Ji Ning stood on the deck, watching the twelve dead great demons, and he shook his head with a laugh.

Killing these twelve great demons was merely done as a convenient act. Since these demons had attacked him without a second thought, there was naturally no need for him to show any mercy.

The reason Ji Ning was laughing now…

Was because he had thought back to when he had encountered that ancient Fiendgod within Mount Yujue’s Wasteland. “Back then, when I encountered that ancient Fiendgod, he used his ‘Domain of the Dao’ to halt everything, rendering me completely immobile… And now, here I am, using the exact same technique to kill an even more powerful Primal Daoist squad.”

A Domain of the Dao refers to using one’s comprehension of the Dao to draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth, forming a personal domain!

Things like the Dao Domain, the Dao Realm, the Grand Dao Domain… although their might differs, in essence, they all count as ‘Dao Domains,’ operating on the same fundamental principle.

Back then, when Ji Ning had comprehended his ‘Rainwater Sword Domain,’ that was a Dao Domain.

The next higher level would be mastering a complete Dao. At that point, one’s control over the power of Heaven and Earth becomes even stronger, and it is called a ‘Dao Realm.’

Of course, this was for ordinary Daos!

There was also the ‘Grand Dao Domain.’ A ‘Grand Dao Domain,’ being a Grand Dao after all, was actually even stronger than a ‘Dao Realm.’

The next level above that was the ‘Grand Dao Realm!’ This referred to mastering a complete Grand Dao. At that point, one could control a vastly greater amount of the power of Heaven and Earth than Ji Ning could now. Under such power of Heaven and Earth, even Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals would likely be rendered immobile.

…

A Dao Domain is related to one’s insights.

The deeper one’s insights, the more power of Heaven and Earth one could draw upon.

As one’s insights into a Grand Dao Domain increased, its power would continuously grow, until it reached the level of the ‘Grand Dao Realm.’

Currently, Ji Ning’s insights into the Dao of the Sword were already at the level of a向北行 Immortal! He was even stronger than that ancient Fiendgod in Mount Yujue’s Wasteland. Thus, merely by drawing upon his ‘Dao Domain,’ he was able to suppress the twelve great demons, who had formed a Dao-soldier formation, to the point where they had no power to resist.

Everything returned to normal. The waters of the Evil Dragon River surged violently forward once more as the large ship continued its journey.

The princes and princesses of the Qi Kingdom on the deck, however, stared at Ji Ning in terror and uncertainty.

“Survivors of the Qi Kingdom?” Ji Ning sat down leisurely, speaking slowly. “At this point, do you still need to hide that? Or are you still claiming your name is Shi Feng?”

The prince, Qi Rufeng, and the two princesses exchanged glances. The servants and guards behind them also looked at Ji Ning with panic and fear in their eyes. Qi Xiaoyu, in particular, had a very complex expression. This ‘Daochu Northernbright’ before her had been so intent on taking her as a disciple, and the power he had just displayed was utterly inconceivable.

“Big brother, what do we do? When those Firewing Guards attacked, they revealed our identities. This Northernbright now knows we are of the Qi Kingdom’s royal clan.” The black-robed girl transmitted anxiously.

“Our Qi Kingdom has fallen. The news has already spread far and wide. This Northernbright definitely knows now that we are the surviving royal clan of the Qi Kingdom. Maybe he’ll make a move against us to seize our treasures.” The purple-robed girl transmitted urgently. “We should strike first and use our treasures to kill him.”

“Foolish! Although I hold the remnants of our Qi Kingdom’s royal treasures, I have absolutely no confidence in dealing with this Northernbright.” The prince, Qi Rufeng, transmitted back in anger. “By merely using his Dao Domain to draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth, he could immobilize an entire Firewing Guard squad. His comprehension of the Dao surpasses even that of most top-tier Earth Immortals or Loose Immortals. Although his aura suggests he is still at the peak Primal Daoist stage, his true strength is definitely at the Earth Immortal or Loose Immortal level. Adding on the fact that he casually brought out a hundred Heaven-ranked high-grade flying swords earlier, he must also possess powerful treasures. He likely has the combat power of a top-tier Earth Immortal or Loose Immortal.”

A prince of a kingdom that had ruled over a million li of territory did indeed have quite a few powerful treasures in his possession.

“Then what do we do?” The purple-robed girl panicked.

“I only have two Greater Teleportation Dao Talismans left. At most, two of us can escape.” The prince said, “This Daochu Northernbright hasn’t shown killing intent yet, so we can still negotiate with him.”

“Right, negotiate with him.” The purple-robed girl quickly agreed.

“There’s no other choice.” The black-robed girl also transmitted.

…

Under Ji Ning’s scrutinizing gaze, the prince and princesses were clearly communicating with each other. When they had first boarded the ship, they had still held a psychological advantage over Ji Ning, believing that although he was a Primal Daoist, they could use their royal treasures to deal with him. But now, they had no thoughts of resisting.

“Senior.” The prince, Qi Rufeng, said respectfully, “I believe you heard what those Firewing Guards said. Yes, we are indeed the royal clan of the Qi Kingdom.”

The destruction of the Qi Kingdom was a widely known tale.

Any moderately powerful cultivator within a million li radius would generally be aware of it. Although Ji Ning had been in the Star Continent for nearly half a month, he was actually unaware of this matter.

Ji Ning, however, remained calm, holding a wine cup and drinking.

Qi Rufeng continued in fear, “Ever since our Qi Kingdom was overthrown by that Firewing Demon King, our royal clan has been on the run. The Firewing Guards have never given up pursuing us… That is why I had to be cautious and use a false name, ‘Shi Feng.’ My real name is Qi Rufeng! A prince of the Qi Kingdom!”

“Prince?” Ji Ning muttered the word, then continued to look at Qi Rufeng.

Qi Rufeng quickly continued, “These are my sisters. This is Qi Ruyu, and this is our little sister, Qi Ruhui.”

Ji Ning glanced at them. The black-robed girl was named Qi Ruyu, and the purple-robed girl was named Qi Ruhui.

“You are wise not to continue lying.” Ji Ning sat down, speaking leisurely. “If you had lied to me again, I probably wouldn’t have the patience to talk with you any further. I would have just slain you and taken the treasures of your Qi Kingdom’s royal clan.”

The prince and princesses’ hearts trembled.

“I wish to take Qi Xiaoyu as my disciple. All I need is your nod, correct?” Ji Ning said calmly. “Don’t lie to me. If you lie, I will know.”

With the vast gap in their strength, and Ji Ning being exceptionally strong in soul power, he had this confidence. If it were a cultivator with an even stronger soul, Ji Ning might not be able to make this judgment.

“Yes. With my approval, I can indeed let Qi Xiaoyu go with you, Senior.” The prince said respectfully.

“Then hurry up, won’t you?” Ji Ning said softly.

The prince, Qi Rufeng, shook his head instead.

“You want a hundred Heaven-ranked high-grade flying swords?” Ji Ning looked at him. “I can give them to you. But don’t push your luck. Taking your lives would be a simple matter for me.”

“I don’t want the flying swords.” The prince, Qi Rufeng, looked at Ji Ning. “I want you, Senior, to protect our royal clan for a hundred years! Agree to that, and I will immediately let Qi Xiaoyu become your disciple. Furthermore… after a hundred years, I will not obstruct you in the slightest. You can go wherever you wish!”

Ji Ning’s face darkened, and a cold gleam appeared in his eyes. “You’re courting death!”

“Hahaha…”

Qi Rufeng, however, laughed wildly, his laughter tinged with madness. “Courting death? Yes! I am courting death! Senior, you have no idea how pitiable my two sisters and I are. Ever since the Qi Kingdom fell, for the past decades, we have been hunted. We live in constant fear and anxiety, unable to find peace. One clansman after another has died, one elder after another has died, one brother and sister after another has died. There were many of us who escaped from the royal clan in the beginning. Now, only the three of us are left. I am even the last remaining man of our royal clan.”

“Hahaha, enough. It’s truly enough. Even my little sister couldn’t bear the oppression anymore and wanted to die together with those Firewing Guards. And Ruyu, although she never said anything, I know she’s tired too.”

“In fact, I’m even more tired!”

Qi Rufeng looked at Ji Ning, tears shimmering in his eyes. “I am the only man left. Now, only the three of us remain of the royal clan, and I am the strongest, but I am merely a Wanxiang Adept. All the burdens, all the weight, must be borne by me alone. I don’t know which path to take. Reclaiming our kingdom, taking revenge… all of it is a crushing weight on my shoulders alone. I’ve long had enough. Enough. Whether you call it courting death or madness, my condition is this: give us shelter for a hundred years, and I will gift this servant, Qi Xiaoyu, to you as your disciple.”

“Qi Xiaoyu is blessed with immense karmic merit, a golden light of merit three hundred zhang wide. When the elders of our clan discovered this, they were overjoyed, believing that Qi Xiaoyu could stabilize our royal clan’s fortune.”

“I will not give up Qi Xiaoyu easily…”

“Either we die by your hand, Senior, allowing us three siblings to rejoin our father, mother, and our many clansmen. Or, you shelter us for a hundred years.”

Qi Rufeng’s eyes flickered with tears, but his voice was incredibly firm.

He was gambling.

He had staked his life on it. He was tired and no longer wished to flee so desperately. Having seen Ji Ning’s strength, having Ji Ning as a guardian deity would greatly increase their chances of survival.

“Big brother.” The black-robed girl was also in tears.

“Big brother, don’t beg him. It’s fine if we just die!” The purple-robed girl gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with madness.

Ji Ning frowned.

This was troublesome.

He hadn’t expected the remnants of the Qi Kingdom’s royal clan to be pushed to such a desperate, hopeless state. He had thought a bit of pressure would be enough. Now, the prince was staking everything!

A hundred years?

How was that possible? He had only spent a little over thirty years at Mount Innerheart, and he had a promise with Yu Wei. He wanted to return to the Grand Xia world as soon as possible. How could he delay here for over a hundred years?