The Inescapable Account

The Icebreaker Daoist kneeling there felt as if ice-cold water from the Abyss had been poured over him. His entire body went cold, his face turning pale. Kill him? Flay him? Torment his soul? The Icebreaker Daoist immediately began to kowtow frantically, his forehead smashing against the ground with a heavy thud thud. He ignored the blood that began to flow from the wound, crying out in a raspy voice, "Ancestor! Ancestor! And you two seniors, spare me, spare me, please! I have absolutely never offended this Senior Ji Ning. Someone must be framing me, it must be a frame-up!"

Ji Ning stood there, watching the pitiful, desperate display of the kneeling Icebreaker Daoist. He felt nothing but calm.

The King Yan beside him spoke up, his voice carrying the finality of a death sentence. "If we say you deserve to die, then you deserve to die!"

The Icebreaker Daoist's heart trembled.

Yes.

Even the Celestial Immortal Huashan Ancestor had to be this polite. For an existence like this to kill him, did they even need a reason?

The yellow-robed man kneeling nearby loved his son dearly, but did not dare to utter a single word. He knew all too well the terror of the situation they were facing.

"Even if I am to die, I beg the senior to let me know why," the Icebreaker Daoist said, a fierce will to survive still burning within him. He suppressed his fear and looked up at Ji Ning. He had to find out the reason. Only by knowing the cause could he argue and explain, otherwise, there was no way to defend himself.

"In the years you've lived, have you harmed few mortals?" Ji Ning's voice was flat, his gaze calm.

The Icebreaker Daoist shuddered, then collapsed limply to the ground, despair in his eyes.

Mortals?

Countless women had fallen into his clutches, tormented and even killed by him. Not just mortals, but even female cultivators had been ruined by him. He had always been very careful to cover his tracks.

"Who could it be? Which mortal is connected to this youth, whom even the Ancestor must treat with caution? Could it be Sparrow? Nuan'er? Or Dongyou?" Images of his most memorable, tragic victims flashed through the Icebreaker Daoist's mind.

"Too many to even remember," Ji Ning said softly. "Then take your time thinking about it in the Inferno."

A strange, rippling wave of power fell upon the Icebreaker Daoist. His body trembled, a look of terror still lingering in his eyes, and then he became completely still. In the next instant, a soul flew out from his body; Ji Ning had forcibly drawn the Icebreaker Daoist's soul out from his Primal. A black bottle appeared in Ji Ning's hand, and the Icebreaker Daoist's soul was immediately sucked into it. A faint green flame could be seen burning within the bottle.

The yellow-robed man kneeling on the ground saw the flame in the bottle and his heart clenched. "Son... I failed to discipline you properly." He was well aware of his son's depravity. He had advised him before, and the Icebreaker Daoist would act obediently in front of him, only to turn around and continue his evil deeds, albeit more discreetly.

Seeing his son like this, and thinking that mortals probably didn't matter, he hadn't strictly enforced discipline.

"The pot calling the kettle black... if you stay by the river long enough, you're bound to get your feet wet. If you do too many evil deeds, you might escape for a time, but you can't escape forever," the yellow-robed man finally understood this. The great way of heaven is clear; karma and reincarnation are real. There is always punishment.

"Daoist Ji Ning, this Icebreaker Daoist has committed countless evils. It was my negligence in managing my disciples that allowed such a villain to live to this day. His father, Fishsun, is also here. Without his father's protection, would this villain have dared to be so arrogant? You need not concern yourself with me in deciding his punishment." The Huashan Ancestor spoke.

A Returning Void Earth Immortal was indeed nothing in the eyes of a Celestial Immortal.

Ji Ning glanced at the yellow-robed man.

King Yan had gathered intelligence on both the Icebreaker Daoist and his father, and Ji Ning had read it. The Icebreaker Daoist was a hypocrite, committing all sorts of evil behind the scenes and harming many. However, his father was still considered a righteous man. He had no evil deeds to his name and was quite well-respected, a man of high talent which is why he had become a Returning Void Earth Immortal. His only weakness was that he doted on his son.

"Let's go." Ji Ning spoke to King Yan, then turned to the Huashan Ancestor. "Brother Huashan, we have troubled you this time. We'll be returning to the Grand Xia now."

"Yes, yes," the Huashan Ancestor said with a smile. "If you ever have the time, feel free to visit my Sovereign Qiong World anytime."

King Yan also expressed his thanks.

Then, Ji Ning and King Yan soared into the sky on a cloud of mist, flying out of the Huashan Sect's grand protective formation before tearing through the void and disappearing.

The Huashan Ancestor's face immediately darkened as he looked at the yellow-robed man. "Fishsun, raising a child without teaching is the father's fault. Your son has brought such a great calamity upon our sect, and you, by shielding him, are also guilty of a crime. End yourself and enter the cycle of reincarnation."

The yellow-robed man trembled but did not dare to resist. He immediately kowtowed, and then his body simply collapsed. Even his Golden Lotus Primal dissipated completely. A passing wind blew, and he vanished without a trace. His soul was then sent by the Heavenly Dao directly to the minor underworld.

"Ancestor," the Huashan Sect Leader finally spoke up. "Why did you have Fishsun die? That Senior Ji Ning did not kill Fishsun, did he?"

"Daoist Ji Ning did not act, for the grievance has its debtor and the debt has its owner. He simply chose not to," the Huashan Ancestor said with a shake of his head. "However, if Fishsun harbored hatred in his heart, overestimating his own abilities, and sought revenge against Senior Ji Ning... that would invite a great disaster upon our Huashan Immortal Sect. Besides, Daoist Ji Ning may appear to have just walked away without a fuss, but who knows if he harbors any resentment towards this Fishsun? If I did not kill him, Daoist Ji Ning might bear a grudge. It is better to kill him. This way, Daoist Ji Ning will have no hard feelings."

The Huashan Sect Leader felt the Ancestor's extreme caution and asked, "Ancestor, who exactly is this Ji Ning, to make you so wary? I carefully sensed his aura just now, but I couldn't detect any Immortal spiritual energy. He cannot be a Celestial Immortal."

The Huashan Ancestor glanced at him. "No, he is not a Celestial Immortal. He is just a Returning Void Fiendgod, yet he was able to single-handedly resist the nine Celestial Immortals of the Shaoyin Clan of the Grand Xia World and even killed two of them. Moreover, after being afflicted with Karmic Hellfire, he did not die! Even as a Returning Void Fiendgod, destroying our entire Huashan Immortal Sect would be no problem for him. And on top of all that, he is a disciple of a Daofather."

"A Daofather's disciple?" The Sect Leader, who was still reeling from the shock of Ji Ning's strength, was now completely stunned.

"Now you understand," the Huashan Ancestor said calmly. "Regardless of his combat power, potential, or background, he deserves my utmost caution."

Tearing through the void, they returned to the Grand Xia World.

Above the Black-White College in Anchan Commandery, Ji Ning and King Yan appeared in the sky before flying down to Yu Wei's cave. It was now dusk.

"Junior brother."

"Brother."

Yu Wei and Yuchi Xiyue were already waiting for him in the courtyard.

Ji Ning nodded slightly. He felt no joy in killing the Icebreaker Daoist. What filled his heart was pain and an endless hatred for the Seamless Gate!

"Sister, have some food prepared. We'll eat a little something and then rest," Ji Ning said. "The Seamless Gate has issued an ultimatum. They could attack at any moment. It's better we make more preparations."

"Alright." Sensing Ji Ning's low spirits, Yu Wei went along with his request.

During the evening meal, Yuchi Xiyue did her best to talk about interesting things, trying to lift Ji Ning's spirits. Yu Wei also chimed in. Ji Ning forced a smile, but that smile... it only made Yuchi Xiyue and Yu Wei sigh inwardly. Only time can heal all wounds.

That night.

Ji Ning finally spoke some words from his heart to Yu Wei.

"There are all kinds of injustices in this world. I am powerless to change them. Billions of mortals and billions of cultivators are equally powerless. The only ones who can change things... are those standing at the very top, like my master and the other mighty ones," Ji Ning said. "I cannot change anything now, but once I become a True God or Daofather, I will have the hope to do so."

"I want to stand at the peak. I want to change everything. I want to protect you. I want to protect our future children. I want to protect the people I love." Ji Ning sat on the steps while Yu Wei leaned against his chest. "I will stand at the peak!"

"I will change all of this!"

"First... I must obtain the power to change all of this."

Ji Ning looked up at the crescent moon in the sky.

Yu Wei looked at him. She could feel the terrifying determination within this young man.

"As great as your heart is, so great will be your achievement." This was a saying from a dark space, an existence that ruled over countless prostrating worshippers. Yu Wei had been one of them.

At this very moment, Yu Wei could keenly feel the true meaning of that terrifying being's words as she witnessed it in Ji Ning.

A powerful heart...

Possesses the power to influence fate itself.

"Perhaps my junior brother truly can become a True God or Daofather," Yu Wei silently mused. "When that time comes... will I still be by his side, accompanying him?"

In the following days, Celestial Immortal Tonghe, Diancai Immortal, Yu Wei, and Ji Ning in Anchan City all made their preparations. They familiarized themselves with the formations and restrictions. Meanwhile, Ji Ning's Primaltwin was in full comprehension mode, working tirelessly on applying Heartforce to his Immortal-ranked flying swords. Previously, in the Realm of Annihilation, he had used Heartforce on his sword-fingers.

There were still differences between a sword-finger and an Immortal-ranked flying sword. However, it was still swordsmanship. Ji Ning had grasped the threshold from the very beginning. It would just take time to reach a state of perfection.

Ji Ning yearned for it.

The moment his Primaltwin achieved perfection in using Heartforce with his flying swords... that would be the moment he would undergo his tribulation!

In the Fifth World, within that fortress-like city filled with towering buildings, only True Gods and True Immortals were permitted to reside in the most majestic structures.

Inside a grand hall.

Blazing flames burned in the center of the hall. Three grand thrones sat at the edges. A pale-skinned woman in a blue robe sat on the central throne. A man in a fiery red Daoist robe sat on the left throne, while a wizened, monkey-like old man sat on the right throne.

"The Monument Mountain World can be considered conquered," the blue-robed woman's voice possessed a soul-penetrating allure. "Only a few scattered pockets of resistance remain. We can now shift our forces and truly begin our assault on the Grand Xia World."

"The power of the Grand Xia World is not something the Monument Mountain World can compare with," the wizened old man said in a low voice. "Our Bloodcloud Tower has infiltrated the Grand Xia, and I have personally investigated it many times. The power of the Grand Xia Dynasty is frankly frightening to me. Do not forget, behind it stands Daofather Crimsonbright, Daofather Yinglong, and the Ancient Imperial Clan!"

"The Human Imperial Clan... would they do battle to the death with our Seamless Gate for the sake of a mere branch?" The blue-robed woman shook her head. "No, they will not."

"But the Ancient Imperial Clan will still send reinforcements," the wizened old man insisted. "Even though we have shifted our forces from the Monument Mountain World and other locations here, I still feel... it is dangerous... very dangerous. The Grand Xia World is likely the most powerful major world under Daofather Crimsonbright's command."

The blue-robed woman looked at the man in the fiery red Daoist robe.

The man laughed. "Don't look at me. My Myriad Demon Cavern is only responsible for refining puppets. How to attack the Grand Xia World is your responsibility as the Sect Master of the Seamless Gate."

"Do you think I don't know how troublesome the Grand Xia World is?" The blue-robed woman shot a glance at the wizened old man. "This time... our attack on over half the commandery cities of the Grand Xia is just a probe, a test of strength before the true war begins. Once we have probed the depths of their defenses, we will know the bottom line. Only then will the final war commence."

"Hmph. When do you plan to act?" the wizened old man asked.

"Ten days from now! Two thousand troops, all acting simultaneously!" A cold light flashed in the blue-robed woman's eyes.

The Lord of Bloodcloud Tower and the Lord of Myriad Demon Caverns both put on grave expressions, feeling the pressure.

Finally...

It was finally time to strike at the Grand Xia World, the hardest nut to crack.