The Prisoner's Bargain

Even from hundreds of li away, Ji Ning’s manifested form could make out the emaciated, wild-looking dog lying in the distance, its hide so thin it seemed to crack. He became even more respectful. The last time, his heartforce had experienced firsthand how terrifying this seemingly insignificant mutt was. It could devour even his formless heartforce. This was not an opponent he could contend with.

“Senior, I am a new keeper. I have a matter on which I request your guidance,” the manifested Ji Ning said.

“Sniff, sniff.” The dog lying there twitched its nose. Its drooping eyelids opened, revealing murky yellow eyes filled with ancient weariness. It opened its mouth.

BOOM.

For a thousand li in every direction, the sky and earth changed color. Ji Ning’s manifested form, still holding the wooden tray, suddenly flew upward, drawn toward that mouth. The fine wine and delicacies on the tray flew even faster.

“Oh?” Ji Ning’s manifestation could not resist at all. “What a powerful divine ability.”

As they neared the dog’s mouth, the wine and delicacies shrank and flew directly inside. Even Ji Ning’s manifested form was about to be sucked in.

“Senior, senior!” the manifestation called out.

The wild dog paid him no attention at all.

Whoosh.

Ji Ning clearly sensed himself growing smaller and smaller, while the dog before him expanded until it seemed as vast as the heavens and earth. He was flying straight into that mouth. With no other choice, he promptly dissolved this manifestation.

Outside the formation.

“Fortunately, I only sent a mere manifestation. I lost only a little divine power,” Ji Ning said, standing outside the formation. “Senior, I have a matter on which I request your guidance.”

The wild dog several hundred li away remained lying there, as if asleep.

“Of course, if Senior has any instructions, I will do my utmost to fulfill them,” Ji Ning added.

“Lucky little fellow. Can you release me? Let me out?” Finally, an aged voice rang out beside Ji Ning’s ear. The dog in the distance opened its drowsy eyelids slightly and cast a glance at him.

“This…” Ji Ning hurriedly asked, “I don’t know. What can I do to set you free?”

“There are two methods,” the aged voice said. “First, an Elder God or an Ancestral Immortal, bearing the command talisman of the Ninefang Domain Lord, activates the talisman to unlock the prison. Then you, as the keeper, lead me out of this World Prison, and I will be considered free. Second, a being who has reached the ‘World-level’ can forcibly shatter these chains.”

“World-level?” Ji Ning was startled. “What is the World-level?”

The wild dog looked at Ji Ning. A flicker of disappointment passed through its eyes, but it still spoke. “It is a level above Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals. Judging by you, you should also live in a Chaosworld. You should know… when your Chaosworld was first born, it was most likely created by an extremely powerful Godbeast born from the primordial chaos, splitting it open.”

“Yes,” Ji Ning nodded immediately.

“A being capable of splitting open a Chaosworld is at the World-level. However, such Godbeasts, born from the chaos and destined from birth to be World-level, die from exhaustion after splitting open the Chaosworld. They are born to create worlds and cannot live long. But if other immortals and gods, after undergoing countless trials, manage to reach the World-level, their strength will be incomparably greater—even more powerful than those born naturally. Such a being could directly destroy these chains. Given enough time, they could even forcibly shatter this entire World Prison.”

Ji Ning understood.

Pangu!

The World-level was ‘Pangu.’ Mother Nuwa had also reached the Pangu-God level. No wonder that chaos alien, ‘Lord of All Demons,’ had been so strong, and the Seamless Chaosworld had been so formidable. But once Mother Nuwa broke through to the Pangu-God realm, she had swept everything away, personally slaying Lord of All Demons and forcing Heartlord to merge with the Heavenly Dao in terror. As for ‘Lord of All Demons,’ he had only been skilled in escape. He had led the remnants of the Seamless Gate in a desperate flight into the Chaos, not daring to return until Mother Nuwa had left the Three Realms.

Once one reached that level, it was a complete and utter sweep.

The difference was that between heaven and earth.

“Above Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals lies the World-level? And what level is the Ninefang Domain Lord?” Ji Ning asked.

“Also World-level,” the wild dog said, looking at Ji Ning. “But an extremely powerful World-level. The Ninefang Chaosworld has three World-level existences, which is why it is so formidable. Understand that, within an ordinary Chaosworld… it is extremely rare for anyone to reach the World-level.”

Ji Ning nodded.

On the Seamless Chaosworld’s side, no one had achieved it.

On his own side, only Mother Nuwa had reached it. It seemed that this level was terrifyingly rare even in the endless Chaos.

“Among your teachers, elders, or the powerful you know, is there a World-level existence?” the wild dog looked at Ji Ning. “Whether it is a ‘World God’ on the Fiendgod path or a ‘Chaos Immortal’ on the immortal path, as long as they are at the World-level, they can forcibly break these chains.”

“There is,” Ji Ning nodded.

“Really?” A divine light burst forth from the dog’s eyes, filled with eager hope. Its power was such that it could perfectly judge whether Ji Ning was lying.

“But I cannot see him temporarily,” Ji Ning said, looking at him.

“I can sense you are not lying.” The dog’s attitude visibly improved. Previously, it had been indifferent, because, in its experience, it was extremely rare for a World-level existence to appear in the vast Chaos. But now that it knew there was a World-level being on Ji Ning’s side, and that Ji Ning was not his enemy, there was hope for him to get out.

Freedom.

How he craved it.

Many of the prisoners locked up here longed for freedom.

“Senior, what exactly is this World-level? That great being… my master has seen him, but I have not. I don’t understand. I beg Senior to explain,” Ji Ning said. Bodhi had indeed seen Nuwa, so Ji Ning was not lying.

“Your master has seen him?” The dog’s attitude became even better, and it began to speak. “Well then. According to the division of cultivation realms, there is the Fiendgod path. Beings born from the primordial chaos generally call themselves ‘Gods,’ while their enemies subconsciously call them ‘Fiends.’ This cultivation method was eventually created based on the bodies of these chaos-born Fiendgods, hence it is considered the Fiendgod path.”

“Then there is the Ki Refining path, which is the constant breakthrough of mortal lifeforms.”

“And the ethereal Heartforce path.”

“These three paths constitute the three major cultivation routes.”

“The Fiendgod path goes through Mortal, Empyrean God, True God, Elder God, and World-level. According to legend, in the endless Chaos, there are existences even more powerful than the Ninefang Domain Lord. However, in my sixteen Chaos Cycles of life, I have never seen such a great being.”

“The Ki Refining path goes through Mortal, Celestial Immortal, True Immortal, Ancestral Immortal, and World-level.”

“As for the Heartforce path, it is ethereal and mysterious. I do not understand it either,” the wild dog continued. “The core of Ki Refining is the Golden Core within the body. This is the center of boundless power. As for the World-level, it is the process of destroying and collapsing all the space within that Golden Core, returning it to chaos, and causing a Chaosworld to appear within the Golden Core.”

Ji Ning was shocked.

The space within the Golden Core was vast. His own magic treasures were stored there, along with his surging ki. ‘Destroying and collapsing, returning it to chaos’ to form a Chaosworld within it?

“At that point, with a Chaosworld inside your body, every move you make is naturally invincible,” the wild dog said. “You little fellows live within a Chaosworld, cultivating so-called Daos. Those Daos are merely the operating rules of that Chaosworld. The power of heaven and earth you gather is merely power within that Chaosworld, borrowing a fraction of it temporarily.”

“But when you reach the World-level, you have a Chaosworld within your own Golden Core. Although the Chaosworld within it is not as vast as the external one, you are its master. You have complete control, and your power is naturally immeasurable. Destroying an external Chaosworld would be easy.”

Ji Ning nodded.

Mother Nuwa had indeed been capable of destroying the Three Realms.

“Because their internal Golden Core opens into a Chaosworld, they are called ‘Chaos Immortals.’”

“As for the Fiendgod path, it is the continuous strengthening of the divine body. Each leap is a violent surge in power. A World-level ‘World God’ possesses boundless strength, possessing the power to create a Chaosworld, hence they are called World Gods.”

“The strength of these two paths is equivalent,” the wild dog said.

“Equivalent?” Ji Ning was suddenly stunned. “Senior, do you mean that Empyrean Gods and Celestial Immortals are equivalent? True Gods and True Immortals are equivalent? Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals are equivalent?”

“Of course. Although they are two different cultivation paths, their strength is indeed equivalent,” the wild dog nodded.

Ji Ning was stunned.

How could they be equivalent? A True God was clearly at the Daofather level! An Empyrean God was on the same tier as a True Immortal!

“The Ki Refining path has been explored through countless ages, allowing mortal lifeforms to cultivate and improve. Therefore, its methods are many,” the wild dog said, looking at Ji Ning from afar. “However, when you break through mortality and undergo the Heavenly Tribulation to become a Celestial Immortal, there are three different Ki Refining paths to choose from. The path you choose determines the quality of the Golden Core you form.”

“And you, you chose the worst one,” the wild dog shook its head. “Your Golden Core is pitifully weak. Even if you become a True Immortal, I suspect those Empyrean Gods, or even some powerful Celestial Immortals, could match you.”

“Yes, yes, yes. Junior has previously fought a Celestial Immortal, and our strength was indeed comparable,” Ji Ning quickly agreed.

The wild dog shook its head. “The Ki Refining methods in this region are too poor. If there was a Chaos Immortal of the Ki Refining path, things would not be like this… It seems this region’s breakthrough came via the Fiendgod path, a World God.”

Ji Ning did not deny it.

Nuwa was a Pangu God, indeed of the Fiendgod path.

“The Ki Refining path is divided into three types. Breaking through from mortality to become a Celestial Immortal is the most critical checkpoint. The quality of the Golden Core you condense at this moment determines your future strength,” the wild dog said. “The worst level is to painstakingly gather the power of heaven and earth yourself and condense a Golden Core.”

“The next level is to use a variety of rare treasures, and then use your own power as a guide, ultimately condensing a Golden Core that is far superior.”

“The highest level is to imitate the method of chaos-born Fiendgods. Chaos-born Fiendgods are nurtured by the power of chaos. To achieve the most supreme ‘Celestial Immortal Golden Core,’ you must use a vast world as your furnace. This world must be sufficiently vast—comparable, for example, to the World Prison. You gather the boundless might of an entire world, then use it to condense your own Golden Core. This is how you achieve the highest-grade Celestial Immortal Golden Core. The ki within such a core is vast and incomparably pure.”

“These three levels: the first uses a vast world as the furnace. The second seeks external treasures to enhance the process. The third uses only the cultivator’s own meager power.”

“Of course, there are gains and losses. The first method, using a boundless world as the furnace, requires the help of a Chaos Immortal. Furthermore, when undergoing the tribulation, the might of the Heavenly Tribulation is slightly stronger than even that faced by a Fiendgod seeking to become an Empyrean God,” the wild dog looked at Ji Ning. “In the Ninefang Chaosworld, only a very few core disciples can achieve the first-grade Celestial Immortal Golden Core.”

“As for you… it is too late. You have already become a True Immortal. Your path is set. It cannot be changed.” The wild dog shook its head.