Desolate Era (Book 11 - Book 15)

Although the Primaltwin was currently more powerful than Ning’s true body, without question, the true body had more potential and a much more solid foundation.

“It’s time to pay a visit Patriarch Arcanum.” In truth, the Godplume Duke felt some resentment as well. This was all because Patriarch Arcanum had doted on Youngflame Nong too much; otherwise, how could all of this nonsense have occurred?

“Once news of this battle spreads, the various major powers of the imperial capital will most likely all learn about Ji Ning. My Youngflame clan will have truly lost face.” The Godplume Duke shook his head. Then, by himself, he boarded his Immortal carriage and departed from the imperial capital to go pay his respects to Patriarch Arcanum.

After the Imperial Guards under the command of Xiamang Hong returned to their headquarters, the news that Ning’s Primaltwin had killed a Loose Immortal quickly spread throughout the entire headquarters. The Imperial Guard was the most important military which guarded the imperial capital; all of the various major clans had disciples within it, and so this news quickly spread to all of the major clans as well.

Now they all understood that it wasn’t that Ji Ning didn’t know his own limits; rather, it was that he did indeed have enough ability to back up his actions.

……

Stillwater Commander. The Black-White College.

Amongst the powers that paid the most attention to Ning, the one which cared the most was the Black-White College. Within the Headmaster’s Hall of the Black-White College.

“Apprentice-nephew headmaster, why have you asked us to all gather here?”

“Senior apprentice-brother, for what reason have you asked us to hurry here so late at night?”

The first generation Immortals and the second generation Primal Daoists who were gathered within the hall all spoke out to ask questions.

“Don’t be impatient. Listen to me read this intelligence report.”

Daoist Jadesea, the Headmaster, was holding a copy of an intelligence report sent from the Heavenly Treasures Mountain. He read aloud, “Tonight, in the Kindwater clan’s Cloudwater Manor located in the imperial capital of the Grand Xia, Kindwater Xiaolou hosted a banquet for Ji Ning. Ji Ning attended with a troop of Golden Imperials. Halfway through the banquet, Immortal Floatcloud suddenly appeared. He first used a Whitebone Immortal Slaying Needle to ambush Ji Ning, who was heavily injured but managed to stay alive. Immortal Floatcloud then utilized the Bloodcoil Heavenlock Formation to seal off the surrounding area, then engaged in a one-on-one fight with Ji Ning. Ji Ning’s Primaltwin suddenly emerged. His Primaltwin had already reached the peak Primal level. By using a sword formation technique involving hundreds of Heaven-ranked flying swords, he executed Immortal Floatcloud.”

The hall was completely silent.

Everyone was speechless for a moment… and then, a storm of commotion.

“Apprentice-nephew headmaster, are you sure about what you read?”

“Do you speak the truth?”

“Ji Ning’s Primaltwin killed Immortal Floatcloud?”

None of them could believe it. Many of them had actually been present when Ning had joined the school. That little fellow who had only been a Zifu Disciple… after just ten or so years, he had killed a Loose Immortal? Was this a joke?

“This is a report from the Heavenly Treasures Mountain. How could they lie about something like this?” Daoist Jadesea looked at his fellow disciples.

“Wonderful, wonderful.” Immortal Fivecraze called out, “This is absolutely wonderful. Spread the news. Let all of the disciples of our Black-White College learn of this matter!”

Some would celebrate, some would mourn. News of Ning’s battle spread throughout the entire imperial capital, and it also spread to the ears of certain people located in many other commandery cities. Some celebrated, some sighed in amazement, some felt jealousy, and some felt disdain.

Highwater Commander. The Dongyan Mountains.

Late night. Within a mountain peak inside the Dongyan Mountains.

Ninelotus was seated by herself at the edges of a cliff. The cold night wind felt as sharp as knives of ice, but Ninelotus allowed the wind to blow against her as she continued to sit there silently. Ever since she and Ning had parted ways at the Witchriver Immortal Estate, Ninelotus had begun to enjoy sitting by herself in this quiet place at night, a time of absolute stillness. She would just watch quietly until the sun rose.

“Little Yun.” Suddenly, a voice rang out. Ninelotus turned to look. A very beautiful woman walked over; it was her mother.

Ninelotus’ mother looked at her daughter, feeling quite pained for her. Ninelotus and her were extremely close. When Ninelotus had returned from the Witchriver Immortal Estate, she had truly been heartbroken, but had no one to talk to about it. Her mother had consoled her, and eventually, Ninelotus had told her mother about the pain in her heart. Only then did her mother realize that her daughter had very nearly chosen to completely walk the same path with Ji Ning.

“Little Yun, are you still not over it?” The mother sat down as well, looking at her daughter.

“I’ve been over it for quite some time,” Ninelotus said, gently shaking her head. “I just continue to feel ashamed.”

“If you feel ashamed, how can you say you are over it?” Her mother shook her head. “No need to be ashamed. This Ji Ning, he isn’t worth you feeling ashamed over. He just came from a backwater clan; how good could his upbringing have possibly been? The two of you belong in completely separate worlds. There’s no way the two of you could’ve been together. No way at all.”

“Enough,” Ninelotus said softly.

“You are going to command the entire Dongyan clan, and the Forefather of the Dongyan clan has full faith in you. You need to stir yourself up. You might not be able to forget about him now, but in a few centuries or millennia, you’ll realize that he was actually just a very ordinary passerby in your life. Nothing more than a bumpkin. Forget about him,” Ninelotus’ mother said.

Before Ninelotus was born, her mother and her father had decent lives in the Dongyan clan, but were quite ordinary figures. However, after Ninelotus was born, she was loved and doted upon by the Dongyan clan’s Forefather, who trained her and assigned her to be the next clan leader. Thus, Ninelotus’ father and mother saw their statuses skyrocket, and they now had a very great deal of power within the Dongyan clan.

“He isn’t a bumpkin.” Ninelotus stared at her mother. “He is my former Dao-companion, and a true genius!”

“And what good is a genius? He might just end up being killed by the Youngflame clan,” her mother said angrily.

“Enough!” Ninelotus was growing angry as well.

Her mother forced down her anger. Ninelotus was the next clan leader, after all, and so normally she and her husband would listen to Ninelotus. But with regards to Ji Ning… the mother had always nursed a belly full of anger. How exalted a status did her daughter have? How could she possibly be together with someone who came from a backwater tribe? That was an absolute travesty.

“Mistress, mistress!” Suddenly, a female servant flew in on a flying sword, landing on the mountain peak.

“Mm?” Ninelotus looked at her servant.

“The Heavenly Treasures Mountain sent an intelligence report. It has to do with young master Ji Ning,” the female servant said.

Ninelotus waved her hand, and the intelligence report scroll immediately flew towards her. By her side, her mother said unhappily, “You said you are over it, but you continue to pay attention to his intelligence reports?”

“Does being over it mean that I can no longer pay attention to news regarding him?” Ninelotus gave her mother a glance, then unfurled the scroll to read it. A look of shock and amazement appeared on her face.