The Treachery of the Evergreen Sword Immortal

The main hall of the Eight Dragons Cloudcity.

Daofather Crimsonbright sat high above, while below him sat a host of Empyrean Gods and True Immortals, as well as Ji Ning and the other Celestial Immortal commanders.

“I have been observing the Immortal-Demon armies of the enemy alongside Daofather Ink Bamboo,” Daofather Crimsonbright said, looking down at them. “We are both trying to see through the other side’s strengths and weaknesses, to find the crack that will allow us to launch a final general offensive! The Seamless Gate relies on their intelligence advantage to see through us more easily. Based on the several Realm Wars that have occurred within the Three Realms, the Seamless Gate tends to launch their general offensives quite early. Thus, I remind you again: with each battle we fight, the likelihood of the Seamless Gate launching their general offensive increases. You must be cautious and vigilant at all times.”

“Master.”

The Xia Emperor said worriedly, “Being constantly on guard is not a sustainable strategy. When will we launch our general offensive?”

Daofather Crimsonbright nodded. “I understand what you are saying. However, I have a faint feeling that the Seamless Gate still has another force lying in wait. I must keep some cards in reserve to deal with it. If we were to launch a general offensive rashly… we might instead be outmaneuvered by the Seamless Gate and suffer a great defeat.”

Ji Ning and the others below nodded as well.

There was no choice.

Given their disadvantage in intelligence, allowing the enemy to strike first might cause them some losses, but it would also allow them to respond based on the enemy’s methods. If they were to throw all their cards on the table in a general offensive… their survival would be purely a matter of luck.

“One thing is certain,” Daofather Crimsonbright said, looking towards Ji Ning. “Ji Ning.”

“Daofather,” Ji Ning said respectfully.

Daofather Crimsonbright looked at him. “You are skilled at commanding the Xingtian formation, and once you break through to become a Pure Yang True Immortal, the power of your Xingtian will skyrocket. Thus, the Seamless Gate will do everything in their power to kill you! The intelligence we have gathered confirms this; the Seamless Gate has been constantly scheming to eliminate you.”

“In these three battles, the three great Yaos of Mount Tunlong have been staying close to you,” Daofather Crimsonbright said. “This has caused a massive concentration of power from both sides around you, roughly thirty percent of the entire battlefield’s combat strength. The rest of the battlefield is divided into smaller skirmishes. Only here, at your position, is where the greatest concentration of power from both sides is gathered. Once the final general offensive begins, this will be the most dangerous place, and you, Ji Ning, will be the primary target to eliminate.”

“Xiamang.”

Daofather Crimsonbright looked at the Xia Emperor. “When you are assisting from the side, you must protect Ji Ning well. Be wary of changes on the battlefield.”

“Yes, Master.” The Xia Emperor said respectfully.

“The rest of you, pay attention as well. Losses in other small skirmishes are only minor losses. But if a loss occurs at the position of Ji Ning and Xiamang, it will be a major loss—one capable of changing the course of the war. Always be aware of the situation here, ready to respond at any moment,” Daofather Crimsonbright instructed.

“Yes, Daofather (Master).” They all replied respectfully.

Daofather Crimsonbright nodded. “Alright, go back and rest.”

Immediately, Ji Ning and the several hundred other Immortals and demons filed out of the main hall. Outside the hall, they began to chat in small groups.

“Ji Ning. The fact that you can hold the attention of the three great Yaos of Mount Tunlong is already a great merit,” the Xia Emperor said, standing with Ji Ning. “Don’t be in a rush to kill the enemy. Always be vigilant towards those three great Yaos.”

“Indeed, Beiming. If you were to be defeated, we would lose a major fighting force. For now, avoiding failure is your greatest contribution!” A bald, wide-robed old man holding a feather fan said with a smile.

“You are the main force in opposing the three great Yaos of Mount Tunlong,” another said.

A group of Empyrean Gods and True Immortals spoke in turn. They were the ones responsible for containing the three great Yaos, and had thus been fighting alongside Ji Ning in the three battles of this Realm War. Those three great Yaos were strange… they always hung around Ji Ning. The reason was that the Godking placed immense importance on Ji Ning, believing that once he broke through to become a Pure Yang True Immortal, the power of his Xingtian formation would instantly soar to rival the combined strength of the three great Yaos.

“Actually, having Ji Ning here makes things easier for us. Ji Ning’s Xingtian is immensely powerful; the three great Yaos cannot suppress him.”

“When it comes to commanding the Xingtian, Ji Ning is truly remarkable. If he becomes a Pure Yang True Immortal, how formidable will he be?”

As a few Empyrean Gods and True Immortals chatted with Ji Ning, a figure walked out from the side. It was the Evergreen Sword Immortal. He glanced over, gave a cold snort, and said, “You’re all quite pleased with yourselves. Don’t forget, if Ji Ning is defeated and killed, the situation will instantly turn for the worse. I think… you’d better think more about how you’ll respond if Ji Ning is defeated and dies.”

After speaking, the Evergreen Sword Immortal walked away.

Ji Ning’s brow furrowed.

It seemed the Evergreen Sword Immortal’s words were meant as a reminder, but the way he kept saying “Ji Ning dying” over and over made it hard for anyone to be happy about it.

“Ji Ning, don’t mind him,” the Xia Emperor said, glancing at the Evergreen Sword Immortal with a slight frown before forcing a smile. “Evergreen Junior Brother is just like that. But he is reminding us to be careful, without any ill intent.”

“I understand,” Ji Ning nodded.

“Daoist Beiming.” A petite, white-robed fairy who had followed the Evergreen Sword Immortal out heard his words and walked over to Ji Ning, saying quickly, “Senior Brother Evergreen often acts this way. I hope you will forgive him.”

Ji Ning smiled. “Fellow Daoist Snowdance, it’s a small matter.”

The Snowdance Fairy smiled at Ji Ning, then hurriedly followed the Evergreen Sword Immortal.

Ji Ning asked the Xia Emperor beside him, “What exactly is the relationship between the Snowdance Fairy and Evergreen? I often see them together. On the battlefield, they are inseparable.”

“Junior Sister Snowdance has feelings for Evergreen Junior Brother,” a wild-haired, unkempt man sighed. “But Evergreen Junior Brother is too solitary and refuses to accept her. Still, Junior Sister Snowdance silently cares for him… Although Evergreen hasn’t taken her as his Dao-companion, among all his fellow disciples, he is closest to Snowdance. But really, Evergreen is always so cold and sour-faced. It’s such a waste of Junior Sister Snowdance’s affection.”

“Evergreen is too sharp. His heart is like a sword, and he treats both people and matters the same way. He’s kept Junior Sister Snowdance waiting for so long… Alas.”

The Empyrean Gods and True Immortals chatted for a while before dispersing.

…

Several days passed.

The Xia Emperor sent a sound transmission, ordering the army to assemble.

“Be careful. You said it yourself, the Seamless Gate wants you dead. Our child is about to be born. I don’t want my child to be born without a father,” Yu Wei reminded him.

“Don’t worry, Senior Apprentice-Sister. The Seamless Gate is far from being able to kill me,” Ji Ning said with a smile.

Ever since the Realm War broke out, Yu Wei would caution him time and again before every campaign.

“I’m off.” Ji Ning smiled, then transformed into a streak of light and flew out.

Watching Ji Ning’s departing figure, Yu Wei stroked her belly. She could feel that the child would be born within the next ten or twenty days. But why did she feel an increasing sense of unease?

The mighty army assembled, then flew out of the Eight Dragons Cloudcity. On the pockmarked, cratered wasteland, the two armies clashed once more, just as before.

Soldiers fought soldiers; generals fought generals.

Both sides had experience now. The losses in the first engagement had been the greatest; the losses in subsequent battles were relatively smaller. The three great Yaos of Mount Tunlong once again locked onto Ji Ning.

“If an opportunity arises, you must kill Ji Ning. Your most important task in this Realm War is to kill Ji Ning.”

Daofather Ink Bamboo had instructed them.

The Godking had also instructed them.

…

The battlefield was locked in a stalemate.

“Junior Sister. Those six Xingtian are in danger. Let’s go help.” On the battlefield, the Evergreen Sword Immortal and the Snowdance Fairy flew side-by-side through the high sky. The Evergreen Sword Immortal swept his gaze across the field and immediately sent a sound transmission.

The Snowdance Fairy looked over.

In the distant battlefield between Ji Ning and the three great Yaos of Mount Tunlong, six Xingtian were under attack from three White-Faced Flood Dragons and two Bi’an. One of the Bi’an was clearly being commanded by an Empyrean God or True Immortal, and was overwhelming the six Xingtian. However, although the six Xingtian were at a disadvantage, they could still hold their ground by working together.

The Snowdance Fairy did not refuse. “Alright, Senior Brother.”

Swoosh! Swoosh!

They immediately flew towards the large-scale battlefield where Ji Ning and the three great Yaos of Mount Tunlong were fighting, then began casting spells and using magic treasures to assist the six Xingtian. With their help… the six Xingtian instantly found the pressure relieved and even gained the upper hand.

“Senior Brother, be careful. This is the most dangerous place on the entire battlefield,” the Snowdance Fairy transmitted. “On both sides, there are over twenty Empyrean Gods and True Immortals here. We have over fifty Xingtian here, along with Yinglong formations, Pangu battle formations, and so on…”

“Don’t worry,” the Evergreen Sword Immortal said confidently. “We just need to be a little careful.”

“Mm.” The Snowdance Fairy was just reminding him. After all, up to this point in the Realm War, not a single Empyrean God or True Immortal had died on the battlefield. Unless something unexpected happened, it was unlikely for an Empyrean God or True Immortal to fall.

The Evergreen Sword Immortal assisted the Xingtian below while observing the battlefield carefully.

Meanwhile, the Xia Emperor, one of the six Empyrean Gods and True Immortals on the ‘Boat of Fleeting Light,’ noticed the Evergreen Sword Immortal and the Snowdance Fairy. As the controller of the grand formation, the Xia Emperor was naturally aware of all the movements on the battlefield and would often redeploy forces as needed. He immediately sent a sound transmission: “Junior Brother Evergreen, Junior Sister Snowdance, quickly go help the five Xingtian to your lower left. They are in danger.”

“Alright.” The Evergreen Sword Immortal and the Snowdance Fairy immediately noticed that those five Xingtian were indeed under siege, while the other Empyrean Gods and True Immortals could not reinforce them in time. The two of them were close by.

Swoosh! Swoosh~~~

The two flew over, casting spells as they went.

“Go!” The Snowdance Fairy pointed into the distance. A white, silken ribbon shot across the sky.

Swish!

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, and blood sprayed through the air. The blood splattered onto the white ribbon in the sky, but the moment it touched the ribbon, it turned to ash.

The Snowdance Fairy looked down at her chest in disbelief. An immortal sword had pierced straight through it, and as it did, it had cleanly shattered her Pure Yang Golden Core. She looked up at the Evergreen Sword Immortal in shock. “Senior, Senior Brother…” In her heart, there was a single thing she wanted to say. “If you wanted to defect to the Seamless Gate, I would have followed you.”

The Snowdance Fairy revealed a faint smile—a smile of release.

“Pfft.” The Evergreen Sword Immortal instantly pulled his sword back. Sword-qi erupted. Whooosh! The Snowdance Fairy was instantly blasted into ash. The treasures she had left behind were swept up and put away by the Evergreen Sword Immortal.

In the depths of his heart, the Evergreen Sword Immortal felt a faint pang of pain. “Even a dog you’ve raised for a long time, when it dies, you feel a little sorry for it.” He instantly suppressed that flicker of emotion in his heart, then looked down. His immortal sword flew downwards, attacking those five Xingtian. The five Xingtian, who had been expecting reinforcements but were instead met with an attack, were greatly shocked.

“EVERGREEN!” The Xia Emperor, who had been monitoring everything from afar, saw the Snowdance Fairy’s chest pierced and her death. His eyes nearly split with rage as he let out a deafening, earth-shaking roar!