Desolate Era (Book 1 - Book 5)

But his ever-successful Waterflame Lotuses were completely unable to harm them.

“No use.” Ning was surprised. Last time, when fighting against Ironwood Zhan, Zhan had relied on his formation and his Diamond Seal to hold on for a long time, which let Ning understand that his Waterflame Lotuses couldn’t actually break through everything. “My Waterflame Lotuses were developed just recently, and were originally meant to protect me. Thus there are some deficiencies when using them to attack.

Wielding their stone staffs, the nine strange giants once more charged forward en masse.

“Lotus Protection.” In the area around Ning, three fire lotus petals and three water lotus petals appeared, surrounding him. When the nine strange giants charged over and collided with the swiveling Waterflame Lotus, they were all impacted and were no longer able to attack Ning together.

Ning, wielding his Darknorth swords, chose one of them to attack!

“Die.”

His sword flashed like fire, moving at astonishing speed as he displayed the killing technique of the [Thunderflame Sword], the ‘Thunderflash Flint’.

Hua! Hua! Hua!

Rays of sword light shot towards the giant, who howled with valiant fury as he brandished his stone staff. The stone staff was incomparably heavy. Last time, when Ning had struck it, his entire body had gone numb. No longer daring to take it head on at all, Ning completely relied upon his marvelous sword techniques to deal with the giant in front of him.

The battle armor was only capable of protecting part of the body. The head and some other areas were still exposed.

Ning’s sword blows were all aimed at this giant’s head!

Only, each blow was hampered by that dense black light. After just barely breaking through the obstruction, it was only capable of leaving some wounds on the giant’s face, which immediately would heal, leaving the giant unwounded.

“Kill, kill, kill.” Ning was going all out.

“I want to live! So I have to kill you all!” Ning used all his strength, even filling the Darknorth swords with his Xiantian ki as well. All he could do, however, was to leave some flesh wounds on these strange giants. The giants were capable of completely ignoring the negligible drop to their strength from these wounds.

They fought for the amount of time it would take to brew a pot of tea.

Because he had been controlling the Waterflame Lotus this entire time, and also fighting all out, his divine power was being used up at a fast rate.

“Their power isn’t dropping at all. I’m not even able to badly injure them.” Ning could sense that he had less than half his divine power remaining. He didn’t dare to keep fighting them head on like this. He hurriedly flashed through their encirclement.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Ning utilized the Windwing Evasion, scurrying first in this direction, then in that direction, dodging the pursuit and attacks of these strange giants.

“Human, don’t run.”

“You won’t be able to run.”

“Humans are only able to run.” These nine ugly giants roared angrily as they ran forward majestically, continuing their attacks. Ning didn’t take them head on at all, relying on his Windwing Evasion to throw them off time and time again.

In his heart, Ning was sighing.

He had trained in swordplay for so long, but in the end, it was still the Windwing Evasion technique which allowed him to stay alive!

––––––

Another long period of time passed.

“What should I do?” While fleeing, Ning was thinking frantically. Staring at the nine furiously roaring giants, who didn’t seem to grow tired at all, he thought, “They have been chasing me for half a day now, but they still aren’t getting tired. My divine power, however, is down to 20%.”

The Windwing Evasion technique required him to use his Crimsonbright divine power as well! Although it used it up at a rate that was far slower than the rate it was used up in battle, running around for half a day would consume a great amount as well.

“My full-strength sword attacks are only capable of giving them some light flesh wounds.” Ning said to himself. “But the nine of them are actually those nine transformed seeds, just like those eighty one golden armored soldiers I fought earlier. When I shattered their army, they immediately reformed.”

Ning understood very well…

Even if he were to pierce through their heads, they still probably wouldn’t die.

More importantly, his full strength attacks were only capable of leaving behind some flesh wounds.

“What should I do?”

“What exactly should I do?” Ning constantly pondered.

He had no options.

Despair!

“In the long-ago distant past, those Fiendgod Body Refiners of the Xiantian level who were transported probably watched, just like me, in despair as their divine power was used up, and then were killed.” Ning now understood his weakness. His weakness was that his [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] was only at the fourth stage.

This corridor was meant for Fiendgod Body Refiners of the Xiantian level to go through.

When Immortal Juhua had accepted disciples, most likely the majority of those who had attempted these trials were at the peak Xiantian level as Fiendgod Body Refiners! But Ji Ning? Only when reaching the sixth stage of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] would he be a peak Xiantian. He was currently only at the fourth stage! In terms of the purity or the depth of his divine power, he was still at an incomparable distance from the limits of the Xiantian level.

It was only natural that he wouldn’t be able to complete these three trials.

“Compared to those Xiantian experts who wanted to become the disciple of Immortal Juhua and came here to attempt these trials, my divine power is very shallow.” Ning understood. “Fortunately, I gained a hint of understanding in the true meaning of the Dao, and then developed the ‘Waterflame Lotus’ technique, which is why I was lucky enough to complete the first trial! Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t even have been able to complete the first one.”

“But…there are three trials.”

“Forget about the third trial. This second trial…” Ning could sense that he already had dropped to less than 10% of his Crimsonbright divine power left. Deep in his heart, he felt both panic and despair.





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Book 3, Chapter 18 - Determining Life and Death


“I can’t keep running. If I keep running, the Crimsonbright divine power in my body will be completely used up. Once my divine power is used up, I will definitely die. I won’t even be able to struggle.” Ji Ning suddenly came to a halt, then turned to look towards the four ugly giants, already extremely angry due to the long chase. The ugly giants wielded those stone staffs, charging forward with large steps.

“He finally stopped running.”

“The human should be out of divine power by now.”

“Competing with us in running. We could run for several more days without fear.” The nine ugly giants wanted to devour this human in front of them.

Ning wielded a sword in each hand, standing there calmly.

Faced with life and death, Ning’s spirit was incomparably calm and empty. In this moment, he had thrown all other thoughts to the back of his mind, and in his heart, the only thing remaining was this battle.

“Hmph.” The nine ugly giants charged forward, and Ning immediately charged forward as well. Three fire lotus petals and three water lotus petals slowly swiveled around him, causing the giants to be unable to attack Ning simultaneously when they drew near him.

Ning’s sword struck out.

A sword like fire!

Wanton slaughter!

“Haha, his sword is too weak.”

“Too weak.” The ugly giants didn’t care at all. Ning’s sword pierced through the protection of that thick black light, but was only able to leave behind a hint of a wound.