Desolate Era (Book 11 - Book 15)

One pill after another came pouring out, each comparable to a high-grade Immortal-ranked magic treasure in value.

Ning swallowed them all in one gulp. He then immediately began to activate the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art] technique. The purpose of the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art] was to train his body to the point of making it as indestructible as a magic treasure! This required an enormous amount of energy…and top-grade Immortal-ranked spirit-pills were purposefully designed for replenishing energy. As for ordinary liquefied elemental essence? Absorbing them took too much time; there was no way one could use them to activate the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art].

Rumble…

Ning’s entire body immediately began to transform. His bones, his marrow, his sinews, his flesh, his skin, his hair…every part of his body was now changing. If previously Ning’s flesh and bones could be described as tofu, then after using up the very first spirit-pill, they had reached the consistency of stone.

But of course, in reality, Ning’s divine body had already been extremely powerful. From this, one could imagine how huge the improvement brought by the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art] was!

“The First Cycle is complete!”

Ning could sense how powerful his divine body had become. A single top-grade Immortal-ranked spirit-pill had allowed him to complete the First Cycle and allowed his body to become incomparably mighty.

Clang! Ning formed his finger into a sword and slashed at his other arm. Sword-light flashed past, but the only thing it left behind was a white smudge.

“My body is already comparable to a Heaven-ranked magic artifact. I can just stand there without doing anything and Loose Immortals will be unable to damage me at all. And this is just the First Cycle!”

“This [Eight-Nine Arcane Art] is far more powerful than whatever divine ability Adept Ninedeaths used back during the Conclave of Immortal Destiny. Her body was like a magic treasure, but by comparison…her technique could not compare to the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art].” Ning didn’t spend too much time thinking about it; after all, only a Primal-level Fiendgod could even begin to train in the basics of the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art].

Adept Ninedeaths had only been a Wanxiang Adept; there was no way she could’ve trained in the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art], even if someone had given it to her.

“The second pill.” Showing no hesitating at all, Ning began to digest additional pills. The incomparably pure elemental ki of the top-grade Immortal-ranked spirit-pills flowed through Ning’s entire body, being drawn into every part of it. Ning’s body was like a sponge, ravenously drawing in the power of these pills…and then his body began to repeatedly transform, like a sword being reforged time and time again.

“The eleventh pill.” As Ning was digesting and refining the eleventh pill, the Second Cycle of the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art] was mastered.

……

One spirit-pill after another was rapidly consumed. Ning’s body was continuously rising in power as well, increasing in both endurance and resilience. Clang, clang clang! As Ning continued to train, rumbling and clanking sounds could be heard coming from within his body as his muscles and flesh clashed against each other. It sounded like two mighty mountains were colliding, and as Ning’s heart beat, it sounded like a sea was trembling.

Ning knew that this was a form of tempering! Magic treasures would be tempered through magic fire and other sources of power, while the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art] tempered the body. Every single organ, including even the skins and the hair, would be tempered nonstop by this technique. By now…a single strand of Ning’s hair was so tough that even if a Loose Immortal were to wildly hack at it with full power, he wouldn’t be able to damage it in the slightest.

Rumble…

Another booming sound could be heard from Ning’s body. His muscles rumbled, his bones rumbled, his organs rumbled…the rumbling almost seemed to form into a wondrous sort of music.

Ning’s skin was beginning to shine with a dark light. He seemed to have transformed into a terrifyingly powerful magic-treasure. Only when the dark light faded away did he seem like an ordinary person once more. His skin was very soft and white, seemingly quite tender; one could not tell just by looking at him as to how powerful he had become.

“Hahaha…I’ve finally completed the Third Cycle.” Ning was overjoyed. Waving his hand, he immediately produced the Thousandbull Sword. “Time to test my power.”

WHOOSH! The Thousandbull Sword transformed into a black dragon of sword-light, carrying unearthly power with it as it chopped down against Ning’s left arm…but it didn’t even leave a white smudge behind.

“[Starseizing Hand].” Ning used his full power, launching an even more powerful blow!

BANG!!!!

A thunderous banging sound could be heard within the Still Room…but Ning’s left arm still didn’t have even the slightest hint of a mark at all on it.

“I’ve mastered the Third Cycle. My body is comparable to an Immortal-ranked magic treasure now. When striking myself with full force, I can’t even leave behind a tiny white mark. I imagine that even Celestial Immortals would only be able to stare at me, stupefied, without knowing what to do. This truly is the number one divine ability in the Three Realms for those below the True God level. Primaltwin, Heavenraker Sword Formation – Attack!”

Ning was utterly delighted. In front of him suddenly appeared the black-robed Ning, who immediately controlled the power of the Heavenraker swords, transforming them into nine streaks of sword-light and sending them howling forth as they stabbed towards Ning’s bared upper chest!





* * *





Book 13, Chapter 31 - Returning to the Riverfang Mountains


Rumble…

Ji Ning’s bare chest was stabbed into repeatedly by the top-grade Immortal-ranked flying swords, but they were still unable to leave behind any mark at all. Although he was knocked backwards with each collision, he was still able to walk back to his original spot.

“Heavenraker – Blackwater Line!”

The black-robed Ning exploded with maximum power, unleashing the most devastatingly powerful stance of the [Heavenraker]. Whoosh whoosh whoosh! One sword-tear after another slashed through the air in wavy lines so thick that they each seemed to be like a river. The illusory rivers flooded into one location like all the rivers flowing into the sea as they merged into a single torrential black flow!

This torrential black flow represented all nine Heavenraker swords as they stabbed simultaneously towards Ning’s chest.

BANG!

This time, Ning’s true body wasn’t able to stay standing; he was knocked flying away as he slammed into the wall behind him with a banging sound. However, Ning used his palms to push off from the wall, stabilizing himself and landing on the ground.

Ning lowered his head. He still couldn’t see any hint of damage at all on his chest or his skin.

“What a divine ability. What a divine ability!” Ning felt utterly overjoyed. The whole point of leaving the Grand Xia for thirty years was to learn some formidable abilities before returning. And now…he had!

The [Eight-Nine Arcane Art] truly was the number one divine ability of the Three Realms for those below the True God level. The most powerful leaders of the Three Realms had joined forces in an attempt to develop a divine ability that would result in a body as mighty as that of Pangu’s. Although they hadn’t been able to develop the Twelfth Cycle…the first Nine Cycles were already incredible.

Ning was extremely weak right now, after all; he was still far from becoming an Empyrean God. As for becoming a True God? That was an even greater distance away. Even if this divine ability truly did have a tenth, eleventh, or twelfth cycle, there was no way he would be able to train in it for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve gained expertise in this divine ability. I can now go to the Riverfang Mountains again!” Ning immediately rose to his feet, the furs once more reappearing around him.