The Silent Assassination

Rumble….

The pure energy contained within the Pure Yang Immortal pellets was exceptionally refined. Within the golden core space, endless waves of power surged as the energy from each pellet was fully released. The entire ‘golden core’, however, was like something that had been parched for an unknowable age—directly and madly devouring everything in sight. It was like a dry riverbed whose surface had cracked apart; even if a torrential rain fell, it would be easily and completely absorbed.

The rate at which the pellets released energy actually could not keep up with the speed at which this Celestial Immortal golden core was devouring.

“Whoosh.”

Within Ji Ning’s chest, five indistinct streams of air were condensing.

These five streams represented the insights he had gained into the Daos of the Five Elements; only by comprehending them could they condense in this manner, linking to Heaven and Earth.

Throughout his many years of cultivation, aside from the Dao of the Sword, his greatest achievement was in the Grand Dao of Rainwater, which he had already largely mastered. As for the ordinary Daos of the element of Water, he had long since comprehended sixteen of them. In truth, these ordinary Daos no longer provided him much benefit. While comprehending a Grand Dao, one would occasionally be inspired and gain insight into some ordinary Dao.

Water and Fire were areas where Ji Ning excelled.

Metal was also reasonably strong, thanks to the influence of his sword arts.

Earth was the slowest to improve, but he had still mastered an ordinary Dao of Earth. After all, when he first began training at the Black-White College, he had studied the Lesser Five Elements Sword-Art.

“Wonderful.” The five streams of energy within his chest faintly resonated with the ‘Source of the Five Elements’, the root of Heaven and Earth, causing that Source to transmit strands of power to him.

These strands were the power of the Five Elements Source.

The moment they entered Ji Ning’s Celestial Immortal golden core—

Boom!

It was as though heavenly fire had met earthly flame; a dramatic transformation instantly erupted. Ji Ning’s Celestial Immortal golden core began to undergo an unobstructed metamorphosis. The very quality of the golden core was changing. The ‘golden core space’ within it expanded vastly, and the magic power that formed the entire golden core became incomparably pure. It began to rapidly transform into ‘Pure Yang magic power’. Although this consumed a massive amount of energy, Ji Ning had no shortage of Immortal pellets—the ones he had obtained from the Xia Emperor in exchange for the Celestial God puppet, and which had been left over in great quantity after he finished training in the eighth cycle of the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art].

All this happened slowly in description, but in truth it took only two breaths.

Ji Ning’s Celestial Immortal golden core had already evolved successfully, transforming into a far more condensed and profound golden core—one that had a slightly dark gold hue! It was a deeper, weightier gold. The magic power within this core far surpassed his previous Celestial Immortal magic power, and his entire Celestial Immortal body instantly underwent a transformation.

The golden core within him was now a Pure Yang golden core.

It was second only to the ‘Daolord golden cores’ of Grand Daofathers. This Pure Yang golden core continued to absorb the remaining Immortal pellet energy within the core space, increasing the profundity of the magic power within his Pure Yang golden core.

“Eh?” Ji Ning immediately used the technique his master Subhuti had taught him, altering his Pure Yang True Immortal aura into that of a Celestial Immortal.

It was a disguise.

He needed this disguise in the war.

“What a wonderful feeling. The sensation of being a Pure Yang True Immortal is truly powerful. Truly exhilarating.” Ji Ning felt his own strength. The Pure Yang magic power surging within his body. “So this is what Patriarch Lu and the Xia Emperor feel?”

Patriarch Lu and the Xia Emperor were both Pure Yang True Immortals.

Celestial Immortal magic power. Pure Yang magic power.

Even a simple transformation in magic power represented a tremendous qualitative leap. Ji Ning even felt that if he charged out alone, without any assistance from a thousand Celestial Immortals or a hundred thousand Loose Immortals, he would still be able to fight a White-Faced Flood Dragon on equal terms. In the past? His second true body, which had merely been at the Celestial Immortal level, had been forced to rely on the power of the legion.

“Northmont Legion.” Ji Ning immediately began to mobilize the power of the entire ‘Xingtian Formation’ with his Pure Yang magic power.

His power sank deep like a sea.

The strength of the entire Xingtian Formation began to undergo a shocking leap: two times, three times, four times… six times… eight times… ten times… twelve times… eighteen times… twenty-one times!

Finally, the power of the Xingtian Formation seemed to reach an absolute limit and stopped growing.

“Eh? Why do I feel as though the power of this Xingtian Formation is almost being squeezed dry by me?” Ji Ning was now using his Pure Yang magic power as a foundation, combined with his Heartforce and soul-manipulation techniques. The amount of Xingtian Formation power he could mobilize had nearly reached eighty percent of its theoretical maximum! He could even faintly sense the limits of the Xingtian Formation.

In the past, he had been completely unable to sense this.

It must be understood that even among Empyrean Gods and True Immortals, very few could control the power of a Xingtian Formation to such a degree.

Take True God Duque, or the other Empyrean Gods and True Immortals… although many among the Three Realms’ Empyrean Gods and True Immortals had some understanding of Heartforce, proportionally speaking, perhaps not even one in ten had even entered the threshold of Heartforce! Among the two sides currently fighting, the Grand Xia and the Seamless Gate, in addition to Ji Ning there were indeed two others who had entered the threshold of Heartforce.

One was the Xia Emperor, who had reached the second level of Heartforce.

The other was the Green Fox Sect Leader, also at the second level of Heartforce.

But the crucial point was that even with powerful Heartforce, one still had to personally develop a Heartforce soul-manipulation technique. Ji Ning was quite talented in this area; he had earlier created the Sword-Finger Heartforce technique on his own, and later comprehended the Immortal Sword Heartforce technique. After receiving Old Man Yuan’s [Heart Sutra], he gradually sensed the threshold of a Heartforce soul-manipulation technique.

…

A Pure Yang True Immortal at the third and perfect level of Heartforce, who had also entered the threshold of Heartforce soul-manipulation techniques—this allowed him to control eighty percent of the Xingtian Formation’s power.

It could be said.

Among all the Empyrean Gods and True Immortals currently fighting on both sides of the Grand Xia and the Seamless Gate, Ji Ning was far superior to them all in controlling the Xingtian Formation. When he was still a Celestial Immortal, he had already been able to fight the ‘Duque White-Faced Flood Dragon’ and was only slightly inferior.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The Xingtian Formation, in the form of Ji Ning, wielded the Universal Salvation Sword of Ananda to slash at the black chains.

It maintained the same power as before his breakthrough.

But Ji Ning had a feeling.

If he unleashed his strength, these black chains would completely fail to stop him.

“Hmm.” Ji Ning scanned the battlefield with his gaze, paying attention to the outside world. “The situation for the Grand Xia is already extremely dire. It seems that without other reinforcements, the only outcome is defeat and flight.”

“Because my breakthrough happened inside the Xingtian Formation, probably no one knows that I have already broken through.”

“Then…”

Ji Ning’s attention fell on the distant True Immortal Baiji.

That True Immortal Baiji had been steadily maintaining his spells, consuming a tremendous amount of magic power, forcing him to replenish with Immortal pellets.

“I’d best try to kill True Immortal Baiji in one blow.” Ji Ning calculated silently. “Even though I should be the strongest individual on the field, instantly killing a Pure Yang True Immortal is still very difficult.”

Currently, the top combat power on the field was at the level of the Godbeast Legion, the Duque White-Faced Flood Dragon, and the Yinglong Legion. Of course, the Xia Emperor and True Immortal Baiji were also at this level.

The Xia Emperor and True Immortal Baiji were extremely powerful; each alone possessed such might.

True Gods like Hanzheng, Zhuanshui, and Duque had to rely on large armies to achieve such power.

As for Ji Ning alone, he naturally could not compare to the Xia Emperor or True Immortal Baiji.

But Ji Ning had the Northmont Legion, and his Heartforce and Heartforce soul-manipulation techniques made his Xingtian Formation the strongest of all, far surpassing the Duque White-Faced Flood Dragon.

“So far, not a single Empyrean God or True Immortal has died on the battlefield. Even earlier, when the Xia Emperor used the Grand Xia’s World-Sealing Grand Formation, he didn’t kill a single Empyrean God or True Immortal.” Ji Ning understood clearly that killing Empyrean Gods and True Immortals was extremely difficult, but he still had to try.

…

On the battlefield, the Xia Emperor and True Immortal Baiji were the commanders on each side.

“Can’t hold on?”

The Xia Emperor watched the situation. Neither Daofather Yinglong, Daofather Crimsonbright, nor the ancient imperial clan had sent anyone. No reinforcements. The Xia Emperor felt a sense of powerlessness.

He understood…

His masters, Daofather Crimsonbright and the others, probably had their own considerations. But the Xia Emperor couldn’t help feeling unwilling.

“Retreat.” The Xia Emperor’s low, unwilling roar echoed in the ears of his own army.

“Rumble~~~”

At the same time, a colossal Eight-Dragon Cloud City began to manifest, pressing down from above.

“Quickly retreat into the Eight-Dragon Cloud City,” the Xia Emperor ordered.

“Your Majesty?”

“Your Majesty?”

One after another, they looked at the Xia Emperor.

But the Xia Emperor merely shook his head gently. Though reluctant to admit it, he could see that defeat was certain. He was powerless to reverse the tide! If they continued to hold out, the Grand Xia side would probably collapse.

“Forget it, forget it… defeated, then defeated. There has never been a dynasty that flourished forever. Even my ancient imperial clan is not what it was in antiquity.” The Xia Emperor sighed inwardly, completely giving up. No more fighting. He would prepare to flee. Flee and live. Resist, and die.

I, Xiamang, have done my utmost…

But I am helpless.

He could not forget the day he had come to this land, the Grand Xia world, filled with heroic ambition. He had swept through all opposition and united the entire Grand Xia. He had long since grown attached to this land. Unfortunately, now it was time to leave. This land would belong to the Seamless Gate.

“Hahaha… Don’t let them escape easily. Kill, kill, kill!” True Immortal Baiji laughed heartily. He was extremely excited at this moment, sensing that the Xia Emperor had lost his fighting spirit and no longer wanted to fight to the death. He was probably about to flee.

This land would be renamed the Baiji Grand World.

He would be the master!

But did they think they could escape so easily? Let’s see if I, Baiji, agreed!

“Kill, kill, kill!” True Immortal Baiji’s eyes blazed with killing intent. The morale of the Seamless Gate side was soaring.

Suddenly—

“Bang!”

An abnormal sound rang out.

It came from a region on the battlefield that had been relatively quiet all this time. There, the Xingtian Formation Ji Ning had been trapped. The Grand Xia side wanted to rescue him, but they were already struggling to resist the Seamless Gate and could not spare much strength to save him.

“Mm?” The Xia Emperor, True Immortal Baiji, and the others all turned to look.

The black-robed, black-haired, red-eyed old man stood there dumbly, surrounded by dancing snow-white lotuses.

He touched his chest.

The Pure Yang golden core within his body had just been shattered by Ji Ning’s cold, hidden move—the ‘Assassination Sword’.

The red-eyed old man opened his mouth as if to say something, but before any sound could emerge, he had already... whoosh! Dissipated into ash and vanished into nothingness.

Throughout the great war of the Grand Xia—

The first Empyrean God or True Immortal to fall had appeared! True Immortal Baiji, slain! The killer: the Xingtian Formation—Ji Ning!

Tomato continues with the final chapter of the day.