Desolate Era (Book 1 - Book 5)

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The days continued to grow colder.

Ning’s mentality was changing as well.

Spring Grass’ departure, her father’s experiences, Serpentwing’s attack, his father’s departure to kill the Diremonster, his inability to find an opponent to train his swordplay with within the Ji clan…all of these events caused Ning’s mentality to change.

He had the feeling that perhaps the West Prefecture City was too small of a place.

He wanted to go outside, wanted to see the wider world! He wanted to see how the tribes like the Blacktooth Tribe lived, and what their lives were like! He wanted to be like his father and go fight one Diremonster after another…he wanted to go adventure in this area of the world…

“Ning, your father is back.” On this snowy day, Snow called out to her son.

Only now did Ning see that in the skies above, his father was returning, half-kneeling on the back of that Azure Firebird.





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Book 2, Chapter 6 - Ji Ning and Serpentwing


The hall was very silent, with the thick candles flickering and casting their light everywhere.

Ji Ning’s head was lowered as he devoured the food in front of him, quickly gulping down all of the meat and wine on the table. Today, they were celebrating his father’s return, so he actually had the rare chance to drink some wine.

“Father.” Ning spoke out.

“Mm.” Ji Yichuan frowned as he looked at his son.

Ning could sense that his father wasn’t in a very good mood, because this attempt to kill Serpentwing had resulted in failure. To kill a late-stage water-type Xiantian level Diremonster which was hiding in the depths of a lake was simply too difficult. If the Ji clan of the West Prefecture truly wanted to directly slaughter Serpentwing, they could if they paid a large price for it, but clearly, the Ji clan of the West Prefecture wasn’t willing to pay that price. For the sake of their pride and honor, the Ji clan of the West Prefecture had already wiped out the other creatures in Serpentwing Lake, then stationed soldiers all around Serpentwing Lake, as well as numerous Xiantian lifeforms, forcing Serpentwing to be afraid to leave Serpentwing Lake. This would be a long battle. Once Serpentwing became the slightest bit incautious, the Ji clan of the West Prefecture’s Xiantian lifeforms would immediately slaughter him.

“I want to go out and adventure.” Ning spoke.

“Adventure?” Yichuan frowned.

Yuchi Snow said hurriedly, “Ning, you were just ambushed by Serpentwing. You should know how terrifying Diremonsters are. Outside the Western Prefecture…there are many Diremonsters lying in wait in the high mountains and the deep lakes. To go adventuring outside…you are still too young. Wait a few more years.”

“In the West Prefecture, I no longer have anyone whom I can train myself against.” Ning shook his head.

Yichuan snapped coldly, “How old are you? Wait until you are at least sixteen before going out and adventuring.”

“But Father!” Ning said urgently, “I’ve been in the Western Prefecture since I was a child. I’ve always stayed in this small little area of the Western Prefecture. I want to see the countless tribes in the greater world. I want to be like Father, to go out and adventure, to experience danger, to go fight with those Diremonsters and kill them.”

“Diremonsters? Just based on your little bit of power…” Yichuan shook his head.

“What’s the problem with my strength?” Ning said hurriedly. “Even under Serpentwing’s full strength attacks, I was still able to survive. What’s the problem with my strength?”

Yichuan was startled, and seemed to have suddenly thought of something. “Right. I haven’t had the chance to ask you. How did you survive Serpentwing’s attack?”

The nearby Snow laughed. “Yichuan, you’ve been dealing with Serpentwing this entire time and hadn’t had the chance to come back, so we haven’t had the chance to tell you. Our son, in that moment of life-and-death when being attacked by Serpentwing, has reached the ‘one with the world’ level of footwork. Relying on his ‘one with the world’ level of footwork, he was able to escape Serpentwing’s attacks.

“One with the world?” Yichuan stared at Ning in astonishment.

At merely ten years old, he had reached the level of ‘one with the world’ in footwork?

“Receive three sword blows from me.” With a sudden flip of his hands, Yichuan made three hazy sword-shadows suddenly appear and surround Ning, attacking as fast as lightning.

Ning had been kneeling down at the dinner table. Now, he suddenly dodged aside gracefully, moving past those three hazy sword-shadows as gracefully as the wind.

“What do you think?” Ning said proudly.

“You really have reached it.” Yichuan stared at his son in amazement. “One with the world. Your footwork has reached the ‘one with the world’ level. Then your swordplay…isn’t too off from reaching the ‘one with the world’ level as well.”

Yichuan looked as his son, his heart swelling with excitement as he quickly pondered. His son, Ning, had such a high level of talent. In the area around Swallow Mountain, he was definitely an extremely rare, monster of a talent. Such incredible talent couldn’t be treated as a normal person was! Given Ning’s rapid rate of improvement, there truly was nothing left in West Prefecture City which would prove useful for him in training.

“If you want to go out and adventure, that isn’t completely out of the question.” Yichuan looked at his son. “But you need to accomplish a requirement of mine.”

“Yichuan!” Snow was a bit frantic, but Yichuan stretched his hand out, stopping her.

“Father, speak.” Ning was full of excitement.

Yichuan nodded. “The Ceremony of the Golden Sword is hosted once every four years. It is a ceremony which all youths under the age of sixteen will participate in. I want you to seize the golden sword during this year’s Ceremony of the Golden Sword! As long as you are able to seize the golden sword, I will permit you to go out adventuring.”

“Golden sword?” Ning’s eyes lit up.

He had known long ago about the agreement that if he could seize the golden sword, he would become the next Prefecture Lord. And during these recent years of training…his father had also spoken to him about this matter of ‘seizing the golden sword to become the Prefecture Lord’.

“Seizing the golden sword is very easy.” Ning looked at Yichuan suspiciously. “Father, I only need to use perhaps a tenth of my full strength to seize the golden sword. This isn’t much of a test for me. Can it be that Father, you truly care so much about the Prefecture Lord position?”

His father’s heart was totally set on the Immortal Path.

Ning naturally also had the same desire to step on the Immortal Path.

“Prefecture Lord position?” Yichuan shook his head. “You are the son of Ji Yichuan, my greatest pride. I trust that you will be able to go even farther than me…the position of Prefecture Lord of the Ji clan of the West Prefecture will only be a constraint on you. You will definitely spread your wings and fly higher.”

Ning was confused. “Then Father, why do you wish me to go seize the golden sword?”

“First, to let Ji Lee know that he can stop dreaming.” Yichuan said. “The second reason, you will discover after you seize the golden sword. So long as you can seize the golden sword, I will permit you to go out and adventure. But if you are unable to seize it, then be a good child and stay in the Western Prefecture City.”

“Alright.” Ning grinned widely.

The nearby Snow, on the other hand, was frantic.

“Enough, you can go back and get some rest now.” Yichuan said.

Ning immediately jumped up and returned to his room, overjoyed. In the main hall, Yichuan began to explain the reason for his actions to his wife, Snow.

…..