The Forest of Vines

“Rise!” The gaunt Ancestor Xuanji let out a cold, thunderous shout.

Instantly, clouds and mist began to roil within a radius of several thousand li. The heavens and earth grew dim, the Five Elements became chaotic, and space itself became difficult to stabilize. No matter how fierce the fighting within the formation’s scope, the spatial fluctuations were unable to transmit outward!

“Seven Cyclones Thunder? What a waste of such a puppet treasure on a mere returning-to-vacuity Earth Immortal!” Ancestor Xuanji sneered. Starlight began to appear around him, followed by stars and mountain rocks. A full three hundred and sixty of these starry stones flew simultaneously into the sky.

These three hundred and sixty starstones were Ancestor Xuanji’s true ultimate trump card. He had used them immediately this time to kill Ji Ning.

The image of three hundred and sixty rotating stars appeared faintly in the sky. The cycle of the stars had been eternal since time immemorial, and the moment this grand formation emerged… a dense layer of starlight materialized, completely shielding against the wild, raging lightning.

“Die! All of you, die, die, DIE!” The Winged Immortal Puppet was utterly frantic, repeatedly unleashing Seven Cyclones Thunder.

The power of the Seven Cyclones Thunder was enormous. Ancestor Xuanji could only barely withstand it by going all out. “Such pure Seven Cyclones Thunder. A returning-to-vacuity Earth Immortal can actually hold me off with the help of this puppet. If such a puppet treasure were in the hands of this Mu Zishuo, it truly is a waste. If it fell into my hands, my strength would surely increase greatly.”

A puppet’s effectiveness was also related to the user’s power.

The power of the ‘Seven Cyclones Thunder’ unleashed by returning-to-vacuity ki was naturally different from that unleashed by Celestial Immortal magic power! With the Winged Immortal Puppet, Mu Zishuo could reach the combat level of a Celestial Immortal. But if it were in the hands of a true Celestial Immortal, its power would be at least one or two levels higher.

……

As Ancestor Xuanji made his move, another ancestor struck as well: the withered, white-haired Ancestor Bitterwood.

Ancestor Bitterwood formed hand-seals before his chest, and waves of powerful energy resonated with the earth, resonating with the surrounding grass and trees.

This Ancestor Bitterwood was actually an anomaly among Celestial Immortals. Most Celestial Immortals needed to use magic treasures. But Bitterwood, in his youth, had been looked down upon for his poor aptitude. The tribe gave him very few resources; he couldn’t even get a good magic treasure. He had a stubborn temper, however, and devoted himself single-mindedly to researching spells.

Who would have thought he would forge a completely different path, one that allowed him to surpass those who had started ahead of him! The geniuses of his era all died or failed, one by one. He, in the end, successfully transcended his tribulation to become a Celestial Immortal, becoming a true anomaly among them. Within the Shaoyin clan, the ‘Golden Bell Ancestor’, who possessed the clan’s protecting treasure, was only a match for him in power.

“Strike!” A single word emerged from Ancestor Bitterwood’s mouth.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The world twisted. The nearby lake surface churned, and the wilderness trembled. Then, thick, wood-green ancient vines began to rise from the lake and the wilderness: nine giant vines in total. Layers of golden light flowed across these nine vines, which were covered in ancient runic patterns.

The nine vines soared into the sky, each ten thousand zhang long, lashing directly toward the Winged Immortal Puppet and Ji Ning.

This description is slow.

In reality, Mu Zishuo’s frantic ‘Seven Cyclones Thunder’, Ancestor Xuanji’s ‘Grand Cycle Formation’ to block the thunder, and Ancestor Bitterwood’s nine lashing vines all happened simultaneously.

“Whoosh.” The Winged Immortal Puppet, while releasing the Seven Cyclones Thunder, was also flying at extreme speed to dodge these whipping vines.

Each vine was like a pillar of heaven, incredibly thick and massive, and it moved with terrifying speed.

Just as the Winged Immortal Puppet flashed past one vine at incredible speed, a huge number of branch vines suddenly sprouted from that giant vine. These branch vines were thinner, but there were more of them.

This single massive vine had grown a dense thicket of branch vines, which were like giant serpents. In an instant, they coiled around the Winged Immortal Puppet.

“Get off! Get off me!” The Winged Immortal Puppet struggled with all its might, releasing the Seven Cyclones Thunder.

Starlight descended to block the Cyclones Thunder.

Even though some small branch vines were destroyed by the Cyclones Thunder, new ones grew quickly. The Winged Immortal Puppet was trapped in a cage of vines… no matter how it struggled, it could not escape.

……

But there were nine vines attacking. A single one had already bound the Winged Immortal Puppet, while the others were going after Ji Ning.

Ji Ning felt his heart fill with guilt and rage!

“Junior apprentice-brother.” Ji Ning’s heart was filled with immense guilt. The moment he saw the four Celestial Immortals appear, he understood instantly: these four Celestial Immortals had been lying in ambush, waiting for him to show up. When combined with the fact that they were from the Shaoyin clan, there was no doubt that they were after him. His junior apprentice-brother had simply been caught in the crossfire.

How could Ji Ning not know the importance of a Dao-companion’s soul to his junior apprentice-brother? Seeing the blood tears streaming from his brother’s eyes made Ji Ning’s heart clench.

And then came rage!

Unadulterated rage!

“SHAOYIN CLAN!!!” Ji Ning saw Ancestor Xuanji and Ancestor Bitterwood make their moves simultaneously. Ji Ning began to act as well.

WHOOSH!

A black-robed Ji Ning appeared at his side. His true body and his Primaltwin stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the sky, while over three hundred supreme-grade Immortal-ranked flying swords surrounded them. In this moment of guilt and unparalleled fury, Ji Ning immediately unleashed his current ultimate killing technique.

The fourth stage of the Grand Qian Sword Formation!

A vast amount of sword-light converged at Ji Ning’s chest, condensing into a single golden flying sword.

“KILL!!!” The true body and the Primaltwin both roared.

“ROOOOAR!!!”

A black divine dragon raised its head and let out a furious roar. It was the golden flying sword transforming into a black dragon. The black dragon carried a terrifying, piercing, sharp aura… while that enormously thick vine swung down with the power of heaven and earth itself. Even though the black dragon was incredibly agile, trying to dodge to rescue Mu Northson, the vine was just as agile, growing many smaller branch vines that blocked the black dragon’s path.

“SHHRRR SHHRRR SHHRRR～”

Massive numbers of small branch vines were torn apart by the sword-light. Even that massive main vine was cracked before snapping with a resounding BANG! and breaking in two.

Ji Ning and his Primaltwin had already condensed a second sword-light, and a second black dragon flew out. Controlling two fourth-stage Grand Qian Sword Formation attacks simultaneously was the limit of what Ji Ning could manage.

“ROOOAR!”

“ROOOAR!”

Two black dragons shot through the mass of vines with lightning speed. The massive main vines hindered their advance. One of the black dragons was completely consumed and shattered.

The other black dragon arrived at the ‘Winged Immortal Puppet’ in the blink of an eye, directly tearing apart the vines and freeing the puppet.

“What!” The four Celestial Immortals of the Shaoyin clan narrowed their eyes. “This Ji Ning’s strength is actually this great. He’s a skilled fighter even among Celestial Immortals.”

“Good thing we knew he was very powerful after the Bloodcloud Hall assassination failed, and had prepared for it.”

Still, the four Celestial Immortals were not panicked.

“FOREST!” Ancestor Bitterwood lifted his withered eyelids slightly, a golden light flickering in his eyes as he spoke another single word.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Vines began to sprout from all over the lake and the wilderness. These vines were much thinner compared to the previous nine, only about one percent of their thickness. But their strength was in their numbers. Each one was a hundred li long. In an instant, the sky had become a forest of vines.

Countless thin vines, together with the nine giant vines, furiously coiled and entwined.

The two black dragons formed by Ji Ning’s fourth-stage Grand Qian Sword Formation could only sweep back and forth, resisting again and again. They were on the defensive, unable to advance.

“WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH…” Mu Northson at Ji Ning’s side was frantically unleashing the Seven Cyclones Thunder, while Ancestor Xuanji’s grand formation sent starlight pressing down on them again and again.

……

A single Ancestor Bitterwood was enough to suppress both Ji Ning and Mu Northson. This was the power of a truly formidable Celestial Immortal! The general from the Eastwood Mountains back then was even stronger than Ancestor Bitterwood, perfectly capable of suppressing and even defeating Ji Ning. He only chose to compromise because he couldn’t bind Ji Ning in place.

Although Ancestor Bitterwood was slightly weaker, he could still suppress the two of them. Ancestor Xuanji, supporting from the side, ensured Ji Ning didn’t even have a chance to use his Greater Teleportation Dao-seal.

“BANG.”

A messenger talisman suddenly appeared before Ji Ning. The black dragon howled past, and the dense sword-light instantly shredded the talisman.

Back in Anchan City.

Although it was afternoon, the sky was dark and overcast.

“Not good!”

“It’s Ji Ning.”

Two figures appeared in the sky above Anchan City: the hunchbacked old man leaning on a wooden staff, the Mount Bear Celestial Immortal, and another man with black hair and a black robe, the Diancai Immortal. Their expressions changed dramatically. Long ago, when the alliance was formed between Ji Ning, the Diancai Immortal, and the Anchan Northmont clan, they naturally left each other means of mutual aid. They all kept messenger talismans; the moment one was crushed, the others would sense it.

“Ji Ning’s strength is formidable. What situation could force him to call for help?” The Diancai Immortal’s heart was filled with shock.

“It’s within our Anchan Commandery, several hundred thousand kilometers away,” Mount Bear Celestial Immortal transmitted.

“We need to go, now!” The Diancai Immortal’s expression was stern.

“Agreed.”

The two of them did not hesitate. They immediately tore through the void and headed towards the location.

Although the most powerful being of the Anchan Northmont clan was that old ancestor, the ancestor’s existence was a secret. Unless it was a truly critical moment, he would not act. If not even Mount Bear and the Diancai Immortal could save Ji Ning, then perhaps that old ancestor would make his move.

……

Deep within the Grand Xia world, there was an island in the Western Sea.

The island looked uninhabited on the surface, but it was actually shrouded in formations, making it impossible for outsiders to probe its secrets.

Inside the island.

A palace hall.

A young girl sat upon a throne. In the hall was a massive mirror, a Pure Yang magic treasure known as the ‘Omniscient Earth Mirror’. The giant mirror was displaying the great battle taking place at the lake and wilderness.

“The Shaoyin clan has made its move,” the girl said with a smile. “And they’ve even sent the Zhixin Celestial Immortal, along with that supreme-grade Pure Yang magic treasure, the Divine Bell…”

Over a dozen golden-robed Celestial Immortals standing in the hall were also staring at the giant mirror, watching the battle unfold.