Daring the Immortals

The Western Sea, an outpost of the Seamless Gate.

Within the main hall.

Celestial Immortal Blackcloud, his hair disheveled and his feet bare, sat in a high seat alongside Celestial Immortal Zicao. Many other Celestial Immortals were also present, all gazing at a massive mirror that hung before them. The mirror displayed the scene within the Chenyu Mountains of Dongfu Commandery.

“We’ve been looking for a chance to capture this Ji Ning, and now he’s charged right into the Shaoyin clan’s lair,” Blackcloud said, picking at his toes with a grin. “It seems this little Ji Ning won’t even require my intervention. The Shaoyin clan can handle him themselves.”

“Can the Shaoyin clan really manage it? They failed last time, even with a planned ambush,” Zicao said, frowning.

“The top ten tribes of the Grand Xia are all extremely powerful,” Blackcloud replied with a nod. “If the Shaoyin clan truly goes all out, using every last trump card as if their very survival depended on it… then even that lad, who hasn’t even reached the Celestial Immortal stage, will be suppressed. Even if he has mastered the Arcane Art.”

“Oh?” Zicao was surprised.

“Just wait and see,” Blackcloud said confidently.

…

Inside the ancient tower.

The five Celestial Immortals—Xuanji, Goldenbell, Witheredwood, Jingyu, and Chixin—were all gathered together.

“Something has happened in Dongfu Commandery. They’re begging for our help,” the five of them sensed simultaneously.

“Now is not the time for clans like the Zhuanshui Clan to be foolish enough to start a war with us. Moreover, the core of a clan lies with its Celestial Immortals. Killing our clan’s mortals and cultivators has no real impact on the Shaoyin clan. The only one who would erupt in vengeance is Ji Ning, whom we were just hunting.”

“It must be Ji Ning.”

“There’s no one else.”

Xuanji and the others had already guessed as much.

Since they had moved against Ji Ning, determined not to let him live, it was only natural that Ji Ning would bare his fangs in return.

“We’ve been waiting for him to make a move. By attacking our territory, he’s walking right into a trap.”

“Brother Huoba.”

Goldenbell and Chixin both spoke.

Their voices seemed to reach another dimension, and a black-mist door suddenly appeared beside them. A man flew out from it, his hair a fiery red and disheveled, with faint fish scales visible on his face.

“Brother Huoba,” Chixin said with a gentle smile. “For this formation against Ji Ning, we will need you to act as the lead. We’ll assist.”

“With the turmoil in the Three Realms, my master is preoccupied with his own great affairs,” Celestial Immortal Huoba said in a low voice. “This Ji Ning has brought shame to our Shaoyin clan with several failures. This time, we must succeed.”

“Yes.”

“Naturally.”

“We understand.”

Each of them assented.

Celestial Immortal Huoba nodded. “Good. Then we’ll follow the plan we discussed. Myself, Chixin, Witheredwood, Goldenbell, and Jingyu… the five of us will join forces to activate the ‘Lesser Yin Demon-Subduing Formation’ to bind Ji Ning. Then we will suppress him within that divine bell.”

“With you overseeing the formation, Brother Huoba, success is certain.”

“Let’s go.”

“Xuanji. You stay here and watch over things.”

In an instant, Celestial Immortal Huoba, Chixin, Witheredwood, Goldenbell, and Jingyu tore through the void and departed, heading straight for the Chenyu Mountains of Dongfu Commandery.

…

“I’m back.”

A rift in space opened in the void above the Eastern Sea. An old man with white hair and a white beard appeared.

“I never imagined my true body would be destroyed in a single exchange,” the old man mused as he recalled the scene. That terrifying palm had simply slapped him to death. “That cultivator disguised as Daoist Xuxiu must have deceived me. He must be that Ji Ning the Celestial Immortal ancestors warned us about.”

This man was none other than the second true body of the Vicious Old Fiend!

The Vicious Old Fiend was tremendously powerful. His true body had resided in the Chenyu Mountains in comfort and luxury, while this second body roamed and adventured across the Three Realms, which was also the foundation of his immense strength.

He had lived for over a million years and still hadn’t died.

Even the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations of a million years were not a great threat to the Vicious Old Fiend.

“Ji Ning, is it?” A fierce light flickered in the Vicious Old Fiend’s eyes. “You destroyed my true body. Do you think I’ll let you off easy?”

Whoosh.

The Vicious Old Fiend tore through space and reappeared in the Chenyu Mountains. He was intimately familiar with this place. He quickly passed through the formation restrictions and arrived at the gathering point of the many Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals.

“Brother Vicious.”

The gathered Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals greeted him politely.

The Vicious Old Fiend quickly said, “It’s a disgrace. That Ji Ning attacked without warning, and my true body was killed in a single exchange.”

“It’s not your fault, Brother Vicious. That Ji Ning’s strength is extraordinary,” said a green-haired Immortal. “The Celestial Immortal ancestors have strictly forbidden us from engaging. For someone of your caliber to be taken out in one blow… even if we Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals joined forces, we would only be seeking death. Who knows how that Ji Ning cultivates?”

“Let him have his moment of glory. When the Celestial Immortal ancestors arrive, it will be his death.”

“The ancestors are here!”

All the Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals sensed a fluctuation in space. They looked up and saw five figures appear in the distance.

“Five Celestial Immortal ancestors?”

“Our Shaoyin clan actually has five Celestial Immortal ancestors?” The Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals were ecstatic. The true number of Celestial Immortals in a clan was always a secret! Even the current clan leader, Yunshen Gong, only knew of three…

“With five Celestial Immortal ancestors personally taking action, this Ji Ning is doomed.”

Everyone was eagerly anticipating it.

Those Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals, who only dared to hide within the protection of formations and restrictions, were mere clowns in Ji Ning’s eyes. He paid them no attention as he continued to manipulate the Ten-Thousand-Mile Flow River, ruthlessly laying waste to the land. If he were to use a magic treasure, he would likely only be able to destroy a hundred li at a time, but with the Ten-Thousand-Mile Flow River, his efficiency was far greater.

“Thank goodness for the Thousandbull Sword. Otherwise, my plan wouldn’t have been feasible.” Ji Ning was destroying everything at top speed.

RUMBLE~~~

Massive mountains shattered, and the ground churned.

Even some small peaks that had been refined into formation cores did not break apart under the Flow River’s assault. Ji Ning discovered a large number of formation plates and cores being swept up by the river; he waved his hand and collected them all. A grand formation is crippled by the loss of even a single core, and Ji Ning had gathered an untold number, ensuring it would be difficult for any grand formation to exist within this hundred-thousand-li region.

“Collapse!” As a hundred-zhang-wide stone disc was swept up…

“Eh? This is…” Ji Ning’s expression changed.

Originally, according to his divine sense scan, the underground area was just rock and soil, perfectly normal.

But as soon as the stone disc was collected, the scene beneath him was completely transformed! Clearly, a formation had been maintaining a long-term illusion, deceiving even his divine sense and heartforce.

Ji Ning’s divine sense now clearly probed—

A fiery-red copper pillar, ninety-nine zhang thick and stretching for over a thousand li, was buried deep underground, plunging straight into the depths. The pillar was buried so deep that Ji Ning’s divine sense could only detect a portion of it, but that portion alone was over a thousand li long!

This fiery-red copper pillar was covered in complex runic patterns.

“What in the world is this?” Ji Ning sensed that it was no ordinary object. When his divine sense brushed against it, his heart involuntarily tightened.

“Hmm?” Ji Ning suddenly looked up.

Five figures appeared in the distant midair.

Ji Ning had no time to investigate the pillar. “That fiery-red copper pillar has been buried underground all this time, never collected. It probably can’t be taken… It’s been hidden for who knows how long. No need to rush. I’ll look into its mysteries after I kill these Shaoyin scoundrels.”

SWOOSH!

The moment those five Celestial Immortals appeared, Ji Ning immediately stopped his destructive work, tore through space, and instantly returned to the spot where the Vicious Old Fiend’s Spring Sun Hall once stood.

Mu Northson had also just returned. Most of the cultivators were already dead. As for the mortals? With Ji Ning’s intervention, Northson had finally stopped. Beside him stood the Whitewater Hound and Qingqing.

“Uncle White, how is it?” Ji Ning looked down at the Whitewater Hound, who had shrunk to the size of a large snow-white dog.

“Seventy-one layers of formations have been set up,” Uncle White communicated mentally. “Though we haven’t deployed them all, these seventy-one layers are more than enough.”

“Good,” Ji Ning transmitted. “Once the five Celestial Immortals enter the formation, activate it.”

By this time, Ji Ning had already returned to his original appearance.

The appearance of the Angelwing Puppet had revealed his identity. Since he had already achieved his goal—clearing a safe zone of over a hundred thousand li—there was no need to hide any longer.

…

In the midst of the ruined wreckage, Ji Ning stood alone. Beside him were the Angelwing Puppet, a snow-white dog, and an Azure Sky Serpent.

“You worthless Celestial Immortals of the Shaoyin clan!” Ji Ning threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Haven’t you been dying to kill me? First, you hired the Bloodcloud Hall to assassinate me, then you sent four Celestial Immortals to ambush me. What a pity… you’re all too incompetent!”

“What?”

“Four Celestial Immortals ambushed Ji Ning?”

The Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals hiding within their defensive formations were all shocked. In their minds, a Celestial Immortal was a lofty figure. Had four Celestial Immortals ambushed Ji Ning and still failed to kill him?

Within the crowd of Loose Immortals, the Vicious Old Fiend narrowed his eyes, silently watching.

“Since you want to kill me so badly, I’ll grant your wish. I’m here. I’ve come right into the Shaoyin clan’s territory!” Ji Ning’s voice, booming with infused Yuan power, spread in all directions, reaching countless mortals. “I, Ji Ning, am right here! You worthless Celestial Immortals of the Shaoyin clan, come and kill me if you have the guts! Hahaha… but be careful. If you try to kill me, I’ll kill you too. Watch out, or I might just kill all five of you! Hahaha…”

Ji Ning’s laughter echoed everywhere, even reaching the countless mortals in the nearby cities.

“The Shaoyin clan’s worthless Celestial Immortals?” Countless mortals were shaken.

“Who dares to speak of Celestial Immortals like that?”

To mortals, a Celestial Immortal was an incredibly lofty existence.

In the entire Grand Xia Dynasty, it was rare for a single Celestial Immortal to appear in a million years. Celestial Immortals were held in such high esteem! And yet, this person dared to spurn them, even boasting of a solo battle against five of them!

“Watch out, or I might just kill all five of you!” Those words were too domineering.

Countless mortals were shaken by the words.

They admired and worshipped him.

“When will I be able to say something like that to a Celestial Immortal?” More than a few young boys and girls were filled with envy.

…

Ji Ning stood on the ruins, freely cursing. He was waiting for them to make a move. Normal techniques could not strike from a distance of several thousand li. To kill him, Ji Ning, they had to get close. And once they were close enough to use their techniques, they would inevitably fall into the formations Uncle White had set up. The formations covered a area of ten thousand li. Once activated…

Within that ten-thousand-li area, it would become his domain!

Though this was the heart of the Shaoyin clan’s base, it would feel as secure as his own mountain gate.

“Come on, come on! Kill me! What’s the matter, you worthless Celestial Immortals, scared to die?” Ji Ning roared with laughter, his voice, carrying the power of a Fiendgod, truly deafeningly loud.