The Forbidden Ground

Two Primal Daoists walked side by side. Suddenly, a stream of light flashed before them, and a youth dressed in animal furs appeared out of thin air.

“Who are you?” The two Primal Daoists’ expressions changed as they both shouted.

BOOM!

An incredibly terrifying pressure erupted from Ji Ning’s body, causing the surrounding area of a thousand zhang to fall into absolute silence.

The wind stopped. The bending blades of grass remained bent. A leaping grasshopper hung motionless in midair. The flowing stream water solidified. Splashing droplets of water froze in place. The two Primal Daoists’ faces were filled with anxiety and terror, but they could not move a single muscle. The terrifying Dao Domain that descended left them utterly helpless.

Back in the Tristar Crescent Major World, Ji Ning had easily rendered a squad of Blazingwing Guards powerless through the release of his Dao Domain alone. These two Primal Daoists were actually slightly weaker than that squad.

“Gather.” Ji Ning waved his hand, directly collecting the two helpless figures into his随身 Immortal estate.

Ji Ning swept his gaze across his surroundings. He had been extremely cautious when making his move; he had only affected a range of a thousand zhang, not disturbing a single thing further away.

…

Inside the随身 Immortal estate.

The two Primal Daoists looked around in terror.

“Where is this?”

“Where have we been brought? This, this, this… could this be a随身 Immortal estate?” The two Primal Daoists stared at the beautiful courtyard, and the only thought that came to mind was a随身 Immortal estate.

“Dongqiu, just who the hell is that youth? Releasing a Dao Domain was enough to leave us completely powerless. Is he a Celestial Immortal?”

“He must be at that level, at least.”

Both Primal Daoists were filled with intense anxiety and fear. The strength of the other party was simply too great; they had been completely powerless to resist. Even some of the powerful Loose Immortals of their Eastwood Sect couldn’t render them unable to struggle simply through the use of a ‘Dao Domain’. Clearly, this youth’s ‘Dao Realm’ had already surpassed anyone in the entire Eastwood Sect.

“Gentlemen.” The black-robed Ji Ning appeared.

“Senior, why have you captured us?” The tall, thin Primal Daoist hurriedly asked.

“Senior, whatever you need us to do, just give the order,” the other Primal Daoist, who had triangular eyes, quickly added.

The black-robed Ji Ning smiled. “It’s simple. I wish to conduct a soul-search on the two of you.”

“A soul-search?” The two of them instantly revealed looks of terror.

A soul-search… if lucky, one could retain normal mental faculties, losing only a small amount of memory. If unlucky, one could even turn into an idiot!

“The two of you should understand that killing you would take no effort at all for me,” the black-robed Ji Ning said. “I could completely force a soul-search upon you. But you also understand that a forced soul-search would cause you great harm, potentially even turning you into an idiot. Thus, I hope the two of you will cooperate willingly and offer no resistance. That way, with your souls as Primal Daoists, you should be able to retain your normal mental faculties.”

The two Primal Daoists exchanged glances.

Helpless.

How could they be so unlucky?

They also understood that if they resisted and were subjected to a forced soul-search, they would end up in a very bad state.

“We are willing to cooperate, Senior. We beg you to spare our lives,” both said.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you,” the black-robed Ji Ning said. Truth be told, based on the information he had obtained from the Heavenly Treasures Mountain, these two had committed no small number of wrongdoings. In his usual temper, Ji Ning would have simply killed them. But if they died, their life tablets within the Eastwood Sect would shatter, and the Eastwood Sect would know these two were dead. That would ruin his plans.

The two Primal Daoists closed their eyes.

The black-robed Ji Ning extended his hand and placed it on the tall, thin Primal Daoist’s head. He immediately began to execute the ‘Thousand Star Soul-Search’. This soul-search secret art was one he had obtained back in the Tristar Crescent Major World after killing that evil old ancestor.

A moment later, Ji Ning withdrew his hand.

The tall, thin Primal Daoist opened his eyes, revealing a look of joy. “I’m fine, I’m fine!”

“As I said, if you offer no resistance at all, you will maintain your mental faculties, and even the memories lost will be very few.” The black-robed Ji Ning turned to look at the other man. The triangular-eyed Primal Daoist glanced at him, then resignedly closed his eyes. When Ji Ning walked over and placed his hand on his head as well.

…

At the foot of the Eastwood Mountains.

“So these two are spineless sycophants,” Ji Ning mused to himself. He produced a bag, which contained the items he had just purchased.

Some thirty years ago, the Eastwood Sect had encountered a disaster. Many of its upright and unyielding members had died. Some of the remaining upright ones continued to live on in hiding, patiently awaiting the day of ‘freedom’. However, the Eastwood Sect also had its share of spineless types, individuals who even helped the secret勢力 oppress their own fellow disciples.

‘Eastwood Daoist Dongqiu’ and ‘Eastwood Daoist Dongsun’ were precisely such spineless sycophants! They trampled on their former fellow disciples, currying favor with those mysterious individuals like dogs!

As such, they naturally received a bit more attention and were even allowed to go out shopping.

However…

Though they tried their utmost to ingratiate themselves, the mysterious势力 still only treated them like dogs. The most important ‘Forbidden Ground’ was absolutely prohibited to them, and not just them; even the Eastwood Sect Leader was forbidden from entering that Forbidden Ground.

“A mysterious势力?”

“The leader is a general? Apparently an existence at the Celestial Immortal level?”

“A Forbidden Ground?”

After the soul-search, Ji Ning immediately latched onto the concept of the ‘Forbidden Ground’.

The Forbidden Ground was extremely mysterious.

That mysterious勢力 had occupied the Eastwood Mountains and had set aside a region as a Forbidden Ground, where a large number of their personnel were stationed. Even that general entered it frequently.

“Transform!” Ji Ning immediately changed his form, becoming that tall, thin Primal Daoist, ‘Eastwood Daoist Dongqiu’.

Then, Ji Ning headed straight for the Eastwood Sect’s mountain gate.

“Daoist Dongqiu has returned? And Daoist Dongsun?” the two gate guards asked.

“Daoist Dongsun hasn’t been back to his clan in a long time, so he took the opportunity to pay a visit. I came back first,” Ji Ning said with a smile. From the soul-search, Ji Ning also knew that these ‘spineless sycophants’ were trusted to a certain extent and would frequently return to their clans, at least ensuring that the spies of the ‘Grand Xia Imperial Clan’ wouldn’t discover anything unusual about the Eastwood Sect.

Otherwise, if not a single cultivator from the Eastwood Sect ever came out, not even returning to their clans during such turbulent times in the Three Realms, the Grand Xia Imperial Clan would naturally come to investigate.

Ji Ning chatted and laughed as he continued walking, passing through one formation after another with great familiarity. He knew exactly how to traverse these formations, thanks to what he had learned from the soul-search.

…

After returning to the Eastwood Sect, he handed over the purchased items, made some small talk with a few other Eastwood Sect cultivators, and then returned to ‘Eastwood Daoist Dongqiu’s’ residence.

“Transform!”

A mosquito flew out of Eastwood Daoist Dongqiu’s residence.

Mosquitoes were far too common. Even if you killed them all, countless more would likely appear by the next night. Moreover, since the Eastwood Sect was located in the mountains, there were even more mosquitoes. Ji Ning transformed into a mosquito and flew, flying closer to the ‘Forbidden Ground’.

The Forbidden Ground was surrounded by even more powerful formations.

The mosquito ‘Ji Ning’ could only fly up to the boundary of the formation before stopping and landing on the ground.

“Stay close.”

“Hurry up, hurry up. Don’t get separated. We’re about to enter the formation. Eighteen great formations! If you get lost and trapped inside, I don’t want to have to ask those old bastards to come save you.” A group of black-robed figures was walking towards the great formation. The one at the back was urging them on.

Slap.

As they walked, a speck of ‘dust’ stuck to the sole of one of the black-robed men’s shoes. This speck of dust was actually Ji Ning in disguise!

Even for cultivators, it was far too troublesome to shake the dust off their shoes with every step. Wouldn’t that be exhausting, doing it once per step? This group of black-robed men walked within the formation, carefully passing through a chain of eighteen great formations. The speck of ‘dust’ stuck to one man’s shoe followed them through all eighteen formations.

After passing the great formations, they arrived at the heavily guarded Forbidden Ground, where numerous巡逻 guards could be seen.

Huuuum…

Inside the Forbidden Ground, the mosquito ‘Ji Ning’ flew about.

“The security here is truly tight. What are they doing here?” The mosquito Ji Ning flew within a deep ravine, where there were other small insects. Ji Ning had to maintain the speed appropriate for a ‘mosquito’. “The deeper this ravine goes, the tighter the security becomes.”

Deep within the ravine stood an ancient castle.

The surface of the ancient castle was covered by a shimmering罩. Even a mosquito couldn’t get in. The number of black-robed figures patrolling the surrounding area was astonishingly high. Each one emanated a powerful aura, all at the ‘Loose Immortal / Earth Immortal’ level.

“Some of these black-robed men are only at the Wanxiang or Primal level. But the guards around this ancient castle number over a hundred, and all of them are Loose Immortals?” Ji Ning was secretly shocked. The ones standing guard outside numbered over a hundred Loose Immortals. The true defensive force was likely even greater.

“This ancient castle?”

The mosquito Ji Ning descended, watching the distant castle.

…

As dusk arrived, a batch of gray-robed figures emerged from the ancient castle. “Finally, someone is coming out of the castle. These people’s auras are all quite strong. They all seem to be at the Earth Immortal / Loose Immortal level. Wait, what’s wrong with them…?” Ji Ning suddenly noticed with shock that every single one of these gray-robed figures looked utterly exhausted. Even the exhaustion itself was palpable to Ji Ning, who was watching from afar.

“These are all Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals! How can they be so exhausted?” Ji Ning found it hard to believe. The mental fortitude of Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals was incredibly strong; such a state of fatigue would only occur if their mental energy had been drained to an extreme degree.

Mental energy depletion wasn’t a big deal for Immortals.

But if depleted to the point of utter exhaustion, it could be terrifying. It wasn’t uncommon in the Three Realms to hear of Immortals who, obsessed with forging a powerful magic treasure, exhausted themselves mentally, neglecting sleep and rest, and eventually died from the strain. Cultivators who were too fatigued generally took some time to rest and relax.

“It’s not just one or two; it’s a whole group that’s this exhausted?” Ji Ning was puzzled.

Suddenly—

Ji Ning froze!

At the back of the group of gray-robed figures was a short, thin one. He was walking with the same numb, mechanical gait.

“Senior… Junior Apprentice-Brother?” Ji Ning stared in disbelief. This gray-robed man was a brother he knew intimately, a good brother who had been missing for over twenty years. It was Mu Northson!

Mu Northson!

Years ago, Mu Northson had found a Dao-companion and lived a happy life.

But soon after, his Dao-companion died, and Mu Northson disappeared.

The Black-White College had searched for him but couldn’t find him.

Ji Ning had never imagined… that he would run into his junior apprentice-brother here in the Eastwood Mountains! He had never imagined that his junior apprentice-brother would be in such a state!

At this moment, his junior brother, hidden beneath that gray robe, looked even thinner and smaller. He was clearly exuding the aura of an Earth Immortal / Loose Immortal, but Ji Ning couldn’t feel any sense of his brother’s former strength. Instead, he felt as if his junior brother were a guttering candle, a flame about to be extinguished. His lifeforce was terribly dim, and a thick, heavy sense of exhaustion washed over Ji Ning.

The exhaustion was a minor matter. What was important was that Ji Ning couldn’t feel any of his junior brother’s former ‘vigor’. That vibrant, spirited youth seemed to have vanished. The person before him now seemed like an old man on the verge of death.

His complexion was pale. His hair was disheveled and messy, with even a few streaks of grey.

“Junior Apprentice-Brother…” Ji Ning found those few streaks of grey hair incredibly jarring.

For someone who had reached the Earth Immortal / Loose Immortal level, hair turning grey could only happen for one reason, aside from‘transformation techniques’—extreme mental exhaustion! If one’s mental energy was depleted too severely, it was possible to turn grey overnight. Depleting one’s mental energy to the limit could even result in death.

“What the hell happened?” Ji Ning was truly stunned.

He still clearly remembered…

“My name is Mu Northson!” That young, naive-looking white-robed youth, full of vigor.

“My name is Ji Ning. I’m sixteen this year. How old are you?”

“Fourteen.”

The scene of their first meeting, that shy, naive young man, felt like it was only yesterday.

“Senior Apprentice-Brother, I’ll go with you. I’ll go with you. Journeying together while fleeing will be an adventure.” Back when they had killed Shaoyan Nong, his junior apprentice-brother hadn’t hesitated for a moment. Even facing the prospect of being on the run, his junior brother had still been full of fighting spirit.

“What the hell happened? What could have made my junior brother become like this?”

Ji Ning watched the distant gray-robed figure of Mu Northson, watching this weary, aged version of him.

…

The group of gray-robed figures walked. Mosquitoes flew in the ravine. One mosquito followed them as they flew.

“You have one hour to rest,” a black-robed man shouted.

The group of gray-robed figures began to disperse, each heading to their own residence. The gray-robed Mu Northson also headed to his residence, one of the many courtyards there. He pushed open the door, went inside, and closed it again.

Inside one of the rooms in the courtyard.

Mu Northson sat at a wooden table, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured himself a cup of water. He lifted it and silently drank.

It was quiet. Eerily quiet.

The only sound in the room was the faint noise of him drinking water. Then, Mu Northson silently put down the teacup and just sat there, sitting silently, not uttering a word, just staring blankly ahead.

Whoosh. Mu Northson suddenly waved his hand, and a sealing formation appeared in the room.

Only then did he produce a wooden carving. It was a carving of a woman, exquisitely lifelike. Mu Northson stared at the carving, then gently placed it on the table. Next, he took out a piece of wood and a small carving knife. He began to carve slowly, wood shavings flying, as the wood gradually took the shape of a woman.

Finally, the carving was complete.

He placed the wooden carving on the table and stared at it, just staring blankly.

“Junior Apprentice-Brother!” A voice suddenly rang out.

A youth dressed in animal furs appeared in the room.

That familiar voice seemed to awaken the memories buried deep within Mu Northson’s heart. He looked up, then froze. He stood there, completely still, just staring at the animal-fur-clad youth standing there.

The familiar animal furs…

The familiar face…

The familiar voice…

That look in his eyes, that expression on his face…

“S-Senior Apprentice-Brother?” Mu Northson’s voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken in a very long time.

“Junior Apprentice-Brother! Junior Apprentice-Brother!” Ji Ning looked at his junior brother, his own eyes growing moist. “What the hell happened?”

Mu Northson looked at Ji Ning, stared at Ji Ning. Then, tears flowed down his face. He opened his mouth, wanting to cry, but no sound came out. He just trembled, tears streaming down his face.

Ji Ning quickly stepped forward and hugged Mu Northson tightly.

“Cry. Go ahead and cry. Don’t keep it all bottled up inside. Let it all out,” Ji Ning said softly, his own eyes red. He could feel the endless pain buried deep within his junior brother’s heart. He couldn’t imagine it. He didn’t even know what his junior brother had experienced all these years. What could have turned his Dao-heart-staunch junior brother into this?

Holding his junior brother, Ji Ning could feel his body trembling.

Ji Ning felt his own heart trembling along with him.

What had happened?

What in the hell had happened?

How could things have come to this?

“Let it out. Let it all out. Don’t hold it inside anymore. Your senior apprentice-brother is here. Your senior apprentice-brother is here. This is all over now. It’s all over.” Ji Ning spoke, holding his junior brother’s trembling body. His junior brother’s tears soaked his clothes, even wetting his neck.

Ji Ning felt his junior brother’s tears.

“AAAHHH!!!” A bitter, anguished cry suddenly filled the room.

“AHHHHHHHH!!!” Mu Northson’s cries were hoarse and piercing, a mad, agonized wail as he wept bitterly.

Ji Ning held his brother tightly, listening to his cries. He could feel the endless, deeply buried pain, grievance, grief, and despair, all erupting through these sobs. Ji Ning held his brother tightly. At this moment, Ji Ning’s heart trembled. His heart felt as though a knife were stabbing it.

Pain.

It hurt so badly it felt like it was tearing apart.

What had happened? What could have turned that young, naive, white-robed youth, that junior apprentice-brother who had even been willing to face death itself and venture out into the world with him, into this?

“I swear!!!”

“No matter who it is! No matter which people! Every single one of them… every single one… will die! All of them will die!!!” Ji Ning held his weeping junior brother, tears streaming down his own face as he made this vow in his heart.

(The End of This Volume)

(The author, Tomato, was even crying while writing this… Hoo, hoo. Let me compose myself, clear my head. One last push for monthly votes~~~ I hope everyone will vote in support.)