Desolate Era (Book 1 - Book 5)

“Bzzzzzz….” The countless, tightly clustered venomous bugs spread out towards Ning, wildly boring down towards the surface of the Waterflame Lotuses, easily piercing through the first layer.

The three Waterflame Lotuses that were formed into six layers were constantly swiveling, and as the many venomous bugs sought to burrow through them, one after another were killed by grinding, swiveling power of the layers of the Waterflame Lotuses. However, they quickly reformed and burrowed through the gaps between each of the layers of the Waterflame Lotuses, continuing to burrow downwards. They quickly passed through the second layer, the third layer, the fourth layer…but many of the venomous bugs were dying as they did.

“A protective technique that contains the True Meaning of the Dao! Where did this Ji Ning learn this from?!” Watching so many of his venomous bugs die from afar, Bei Zishan not only ached for his lost, he also was astonished. This was because although a supreme sword technique was precious, this sort of protective technique was even more precious. Even in his own sect, such a technique would rarely be learned.

How could he have imagined…that this was a technique which Ning had developed on his own.

“They broke through the sixth level!” Ning, wielding his Darknorth swords, was wildly blocking the venomous bugs who had broken through the sixth level. However, the carapaces of these golden wasps were tough and very hard to destroy. After blocking just a few, another wasp appeared, biting Ning’s body, breaking through the protective armor, and chomping down onto the flesh.

“Die.” Ning’s Darknorth swords stabbed out wildly against the venomous bugs, while the injuries to his body were automatically healing.

“I can’t continue like this. Although I have the body of a Fiendgod and will automatically heal, as the numbers of these venomous bugs increase…I’ll still be devoured alive by them in the end.” Ning was frantic. “These venomous bugs are all under Bei Zishan’s control. All I need to do is kill Bei Zishan.”

Ning ignored the venomous bugs, preparing for a final, all-out assault.

“He has the body of a Fiendgod.” Watching from afar atop his flying boat, Zishan couldn’t wait any longer as well. His face was filled with rage. “His regenerative abilities are so astonishing, and he also has that protective technique! If this continues, even if my wasps are able to devour him, the vast majority of my precious wasps will all die. Although this magic treasure of mine hasn’t been completed yet, and using it will cause great harm to the dread wraiths within…I can’t wait any longer!”

Bei Zishan extended his hand, and instantly, a bloody banner appeared. The banner circulated with a layer of black light – solidified sin!

When the banner appeared, the surrounding world seemed to grow dark.

“Ji Ning, prepare to die!” Bei Zishan brandished the banner in his hand.

“Bei Zishan, prepare to die!” Ning, surrounded by the many venomous bugs who had broken through his three Waterflame Lotuses and were wildly attacking him, let out a bellow as well. Around him, 486 sword-type magic treasures appeared. In this critical moment, Ning was wildly testing his own limits as well, because if the fifth level couldn’t kill the enemy, then if he was going to use this technique, he had to use the sixth level!

The bloody banner flapped in the air!

486 sword-type magic treasures also hovered there, as a blurry sword light appeared in front of them!





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Book 5, Chapter 4 - Bei Zishan!


Ji Ning had never before used the sixth level of the Lesser Thousand Swords Formation before. Originally, back at the Aquatic Manor, using the fifth level alone had taken him to his limit. However, after he had spent time training in accordance with the [Nine Scrolls on Formations], Ning had learned how to better guide the swords in the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation through certain patterns. When he had used the fifth level, it had been fairly effortless for him, and so he now felt that although it might be difficult for him to use the sixth level, he should still be able to succeed.

“I have to succeed. If I fail, I die!” Ning put his full power on display, and 486 sword-type magic treasures hovered around him. Ning used his divine will to carefully control the critical ‘juncture’ swords of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation, then slowly allowed the other swords to follow those junctures, causing those 486 swords to constantly fluctuate, like the waves in a sea.

Although it was difficult for Ning to control them, the 486 swords still began to glow with that blurry white light.

“Success!” Although Ning still had to defend against those wasps and even be bit by them, while at the same time dodge against the attacking black-furred zombie, Ning was incomparably excited! By relying on his successes in developing formations, he had been able to manifest this sixth level of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation.

“Kill!” Ning stared savagely at the distant Bei Zishan, standing on his flying boat.

In front of his body, that incomparably sharp sword light coalesced, compressing to the utmost limit possible, and then, following Ning’s will, shot out like a meteor, slicing through the air and attacking towards Bei Zishan with an utterly indomitable, unstoppable aura.

“Die!” Standing atop the boat, Zishan also brandished the bloody banner in his hand.

The banner stirred.

The world around them turned dark, and one dread wraith after another, all visible to the naked eye, moaned as they flew out from the banner. These dread wraiths were the most powerful survivors of the battles between the dread wraiths. Nourished by the banner, they had become even more powerful! And this was with the treasure only being half completed; if it had been completely forged, it would be truly formidable.

Despite that, however, this half-finished magic treasure was enough to allow Bei Zishan to stare down arrogantly at the vast majority of Zifu Disciples.

“Roaaaaar!”

“Kill!”

“Devour you!”

The countless wraiths were incomparably savage, emitting ear-piercing shrieks. After having been nourished by the banner, these dread wraiths were capable of making sounds now! They all charged forward in a flood towards Ning at an impossibly fast speed. But of course, compared to Ning’s Lesser Thousand Sword Formation’s sword light, the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation’s sword light was still a bit faster.

“Hiss…” Zishan brandished the horsetail whisk in his hand, and it transformed into three thousand white strands, frantically attempting to block. However, this sword light was far more powerful than the previous one, and it chopped straight through the multiple layers. Bei Zishan frantically lifted up the handle of the bloody banner which he was holding, using it to block that sword light.

But the sword light was just too fast. Zishan just barely managed to touch it in time.

“Crackle…” The sword light struck the handle of the banner, and the entire bloody banner trembled slightly. The sword light instantly grew even weaker, and then it finally slammed into the armor-type magic treasure which Bei Zishan was wearing, that black robe. It just barely managed to leave behind a black smudge on the black robe, and then it disappeared.

“Fortunately, I blocked it. It nearly broke through my body and claimed my life.” Zishan was shocked as well. A battle against a Zifu Disciple was a battle where death was always just a breath away. If one wasn’t careful and was hit by an enemy’s attack, one would lose one’s life. “Hmph. With those dread wraiths gnawing at him, he won’t be able to concentrate enough to launch another one of these sword lights. Those dread wraiths will gnaw him to death, no question about it.”

Zishan was extremely confident. Even if he himself was bitten by those dread wraiths, he would die.