Desolate Era (Book 11 - Book 15)

These were mysteries!

“The Tristar Crescent Abode is an estate of one of the major powers of the Three Realms, and the most mysterious one at that. Although I’ve always remained within the Tristar Crescent Abode, I don’t actually know where it is. I have to have Master guide me into it in order to return.” The white-robed Lord Jiang said with a sigh, “Let’s go. Pick up your Immortal estate.”

“Right.” Ning willed it. Instantly, the Immortal estate was collected. Ning stood there on the grass next to the river, Little Qing around his arm and the Whitewater Hound by his side. The white-robed Lord Jiang said, “This journey will last decades or even longer. Is there anything you need to do?”

Ning shook his head gently. There was nothing.

The reason he had left Stillwater Commandery was because of the Youngflame clan’s pursuit. He had told Autumn Leaf and the leaders of the Ji clan that he would be leaving for a very long period of time! Yu Wei had already been taken away by Lu Dongbin to train in the Dao, while he had already told his cousin, Yuchi Xiyue, of his departure. He had also bade farewell to his fellow disciples of the Black-White College.”

“Then let us go.” The white-robed Lord Jiang willed a cloud to appear beneath their feet. The cloud floated upwards, carrying Lord Jiang, Ji Ning, and the Whitewater Hound to quickly soar into the skies, completely bypassing the restrictive spells as they flew deep into the void.

Soon, they reached the very highest parts of the sky.

Riiiip. Lord Jiang waved his hands. The dim, twisting void above them was instantly torn apart, and a corridor emerged. Within the corridor, one could vaguely see twisted, distorted rainbow light.

“Let’s go.” The white-robed lord Jiang gave the little azure sword a toss, and it fell down many tens of thousands of kilometers towards the ground. He then led Ji Ning, Little Qing, and the Whitewater Hound into the spatial tunnel.

Whoosh.

The spatial tunnel quickly closed. Everything was back to normal.

Within the world of the Grand Xia…there was no longer a Ji Ning to be found.

Twelve days passed after the conclusion of the Conclave of Immortal Destiny.

The Xia Emperor was within a side hall of the Skylight Palace, seated in the lotus position with eyes closed.

“Eh?” The Xia Emperor suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a confused look. “Why has junior apprentice-brother Evergreen come?”

Soon, a young man walked into the side hall. The servants and guards present didn’t seem to see him at all.

“Senior apprentice-brother,” Sword Immortal Evergreen said.

“Junior apprentice-brother, why have you come to my place?” The Xia Emperor asked, puzzled.

“This is the twelfth day. The talisman I gave you has long since dissipated.” Sword Immortal Evergreen shook his head. “Normally, I couldn’t be bothered to come; after all, Ji Ning didn’t crush the talisman, and so I couldn’t be bothered to take him as my disciple. But since this was Master’s instruction…I came to make a trip to this world of the Grand Xia. If Ji Ning is willing, I’ll give him another chance to be my disciple.”

“What did you say?!” The Xia Emperor was shocked. “Ji Ning didn’t crush the talisman?”

“Right. He didn’t crush it.” Sword Immortal Evergreen shook his head.

“But Ji Ning left King Yan’s estate long ago. I thought that you had taken him away. I thought that because of how arrogant and aloof you are, you simply didn’t inform me.” The Xia Emperor was flabbergasted. “I even did an investigation; he’s no longer in the imperial capital of the Grand Xia. Lu Dongbin, Mahasthamaprapta…they wouldn’t go so far as to offend the Daofather for the sake of this little fellow, right? Can it be that Ji Ning is just too young? He became the champion of the Conclave, but wasn’t able to become the Daofather’s apprentice, and so in his anger he decided not to accept a Pure Yang True Immortal as his master and instead left by himself?”

Sword Immortal Evergreen snorted coldly. “Oh? You say he left the imperial capital long ago? If that’s the case, then senior apprentice-brother, I’ve already done all I can. This matter no longer has anything to do with me.”

After speaking, Sword Immortal Evergreen turned and departed, quickly leaving this major world.

He really didn’t care about Ji Ning at all. He had only made a trip here because of his master’s instructions.





* * *





Book 13, Chapter 1 - The Senior Apprentice of the Daofather


Whooooosh.

Distorted rainbow light could be seen coming from within the torn-open void corridor. The white-robed Lord Jiang led Ji Ning, the Whitewater Hound, and Little Qing in moving through this void corridor.

“Eh?” Ning suddenly revealed a look of surprise, and the nearby Whitewater Hound and Little Qing stared in shock as well. This was because this void corridor’s colors were fluctuating from fiery red that made it look like a tunnel of fire to a watery blue that made it seem as though they were moving through a tunnel of water…and despite flying through this corridor for enough time to boil a kettle of tea, they were still flying.

“Brother Jiang,” Ning immediately asked, “Why have we been flying through this void corridor for so long? Can it be that it normally takes this long to fly through a torn open void tunnel?”

“No.” The white-robed Lord Jiang shook his head. “Normally, to leave a major world, after you rip open the fabric of space you can easily leave the world and enter the infinite void, then use a Greater Teleport and easily arrive at your destination. But the place we are headed to is Master’s Tristar Crescent Abode, the most mysterious place in the entire Three Realms. Ordinary techniques are completely useless in going to Master’s place.”

“Oh.” Ning nodded slightly.

“I’m not the person controlling this void tunnel right now; it is Master who is guiding us in,” the white-robed Lord Jiang said. “Through this void tunnel, we can directly access the Tristar Crescent Abode.”

“How much longer?” Ning look at the void tunnel surrounding him; it had just turned into a completely pitch-black color. The pitch-black tunnel was twisted and distorted as it spiraled forward, causing Ning to feel a vague sense of fear.

He felt as though if he were to be wrapped up into the distorted space, he would be ground to death.

“Soon, soon,” Lord Jiang said with a laugh. Just as his words came out…

Whoosh! A misty world suddenly appeared in front of the void tunnel. The white-robed Lord Jiang, Ji Ning, and the others flew out into the world.

“Here we are!” Lord Jiang stood there in midair, a look of delight on his face. He smiled as he swept the misty world with his gaze.

“This…this is the Tristar Crescent Abode?” Ji Ning stared downwards. What he saw was an infinitely vast world with many cities. He could tell just by looking downwards how vast this world was.

Lord Jiang said, “This is the world which Master established. In terms of size, it’s comparable to the world of the Grand Xia.”

“Comparable to the Grand Xia?” Ning, the Whitewater Hound, and Little Qing all nodded to themselves.

Ning asked, “So the Patriarch personally established this world? According to the legends, formidable figures of the Three Realms are able to establish some smaller worlds of a few tens of thousands of kilometers…but it’s actually possible to establish a world comparable to the world of the Grand Xia in size as well?”