Desolate Era (Book 16 - Book 18)

This was a day on the cusp between spring and summer. The early dawn was very cool and refreshing.

Within a solitary mountain peak in the Swallow Mountain region, Ning’s true body and his black-robed Primaltwin were seated together in the lotus position, a hint of dew on their bodies. They had sat here all night, their minds and hearts as calm as still water. Far away, on a distant mountain peak, stood Uncle White, Little Qing, Mu Northson, Immortal Diancai, Autumn Leaf, and the pregnant Yu Wei. They all watched nervously…because Ji Ning was about to undergo his Celestial Tribulation.





* * *





Book 17, Chapter 24 - The Tribulation


Uncle White, Autumn Leaf, Mu Northson, and the others watching from far away were all extremely nervous. Immortal Diancai immediately said consolingly to them, “I was able to successfully overcome my tribulation. This disciple of mine is more powerful than me, even as I am right now, and his Primaltwin is merely a Ki Refiner; I trust his Celestial Tribulation won’t be too powerful. He’ll definitely succeed in overcoming it.”

“Right.” They all nodded, including Yu Wei. However, Yu Wei still felt restlessness in her heart. This was because she had been an apprentice to Patriarch Lu; she knew very well that Patriarch Lu’s tribulation had been one with nine nine-sets of thunder tribulation; clearly, Ki Refiners could also encounter incredibly terrifying Celestial Tribulations.

Whoooosh.

Atop the distant, solitary mountain peak, Ning’s true body which had been seated in the lotus position suddenly vanished. He had entered the underwater estate, leaving behind only the black-robed Primaltwin Ning, who still continued to sit there.

The golden-lotus Primal within the black-robed Ning’s body began to undergo its final breakthrough. It surged to the peak of the Void-level and began to actively call out for the Celestial Tribulation to descend…

Whooooosh. Whoooosh. Whooooosh.

A wind arose.

“It’s begun.”

“The wind tribulation.”

“The Celestial Tribulation has started.” Immortal Diancai and the others all stared nervously.

Everything had been completely calm before this, but suddenly a gale erupted out of nowhere, forming into wind-blades that grew increasingly small in size. The wind-blades changed in color, growing increasingly powerful as they became tiny black knives, each of which was comparable to an Immortal-ranked magic treasure.

“The start to the wind tribulation is already this powerful…” The looks on the faces of Immortal Diancai and Yu Wei changed. They had both undergone tribulations and had past experience to rely on; it was obvious to them that the Primaltwin Ning’s Celestial Tribulation was starting off at an excessive level of power. It vastly surpassed theirs, at least!

The seated, black-robed Ning just watched calmly. In a soft voice, he called out, “Nineleaf, come out.”

Instantly, an enormous, snowy-white lotus treasure appeared beneath the seated Ning. If one looked at it carefully, one would see that it had a total of nine snowy-white lotus petals. This was the most powerful magic treasure which Celestial Immortal Blackheaven had prepared for the Seamless Gate’s assault against Brightheart Island…the Protocosmic spirit-treasure, ‘Nineleaf Snowlotus’.

The Nineleaf Snowlotus was incredibly powerful, and it was best-suited for trapping and binding foes! Even if it was ownerless, the Nineleaf Snowlotus could activate the cold elemental energy of the natural world to form tiny snowlotus petals to wildly assault and constrict its foes. And if it did have a master who filled it with elemental ki…its power would be even more astonishing.

Blackheaven had been planning to rely on this Protocosmic spirit-treasure to bind Ning! From this, one could tell how powerful it was.

When Old Man Yuan had wiped out all the forces of the Seamless Gate, he had given Ning all of the treasures the Seamless Gate had left behind. The Pure Yang treasures weren’t as important for now, and Ning was in no rush to parcel them out to Yu Wei or the others; after all, his tribulation was coming soon, and he had his master to protect him, meaning that this period of time would be very safe. The parceling out of the treasures could wait for after the tribulation.

As for the Nineleaf Snowlotus, Ning had bound it to himself.

This sort of treasure was tremendously helpful towards Ning, and binding it could also be quite difficult; it depended on whether or not the Protocosmic spirit-treasure was willing to accept the new master or not. The Nineleaf Snowlotus naturally had a spirit of its own, one which took the form of a white-robed girl. The white-robed girl was persuaded by the Rahu Bow and the giant bear of the underwater estate…and given that Ji Ning was indeed a monstrous talent, and that she had seen a Daofather strike out on behalf of Ning, she quickly accepted and acknowledged Ning as her master. As a result, Ning was able to easily bind this Protocosmic spirit-treasure.

If the Nineleaf Snowlotus had been unwilling, binding her would’ve been a true pain; most likely, only a Pure Yang True Immortal would’ve been able to bind her forcibly, after spending an enormous amount of time.

However, once she became willing, Ning was able to effortlessly bind her.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Ning was now enthroned on his Nineleaf Snowlotus. Countless snowflakes appeared around him, each of which had the form of a tiny little snowlotus leaf. In the thousands and tens of thousands, they completely surrounded Ning and protected the area around him. Although they were best-suited for wrapping around and binding a foe en masse, they could also be used to defend. If they had to protect a large space, their defensive power would drop a bit, but since the treasure was as a Protocosmic spirit-treasure, its power was still quite extraordinary.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!!!!

Countless Immortal swords appeared around Ning, hovering in the air around him and ensconcing him within. Although Ning had already activated a Protocosmic spirit-treasure…to be completely safe, he released all of his Immortal swords, preparing to defend if necessary.

Rumble…

First came the roaring gale.

Next came all sorts of terrifying skywinds with astonishing power.

Still…no matter how powerful the assaults were, the Nineleaf Snowlotus Protocosmic spirit-treasure was able to endure them all. Ning wasn’t even needed to use his sword-formations at all.

“The final assault of the wind tribulation has come, the Celestial Immortal Wind.” Immortal Diancai and the other distant spectators all felt their hearts clench.

The Celestial Immortal Wind was formless and invisible; no magic treasures or spells could block it.

Whoosh!

The Celestial Immortal Wind descended, effortlessly bypassing the defending Nineleaf Snowlotus. It passed through Ning’s skin, going straight into the Sole-Ki Pearl of Primalwater within Ning’s Primaltwin. Ordinary people usually had this wind entering through their head, but since Ning’s Primaltwin was created from this Sole-Ki Pearl of Primalwater. Still…in the face of the Celestial Immortal Wind, it seemed incredibly fragile.

Celestial Immortal Wind would only ever appear during the Celestial Tribulation. It was a manifestation of the Dao that flowed through the Three Realms, and no power or magic treasure could oppose it. If one’s Dao-heart was not strong enough, the Celestial Immortal Wind would incinerate one’s body and reduce it to ash.

Thus…one’s Dao-heart had to be firm.

Ning had managed to overcome the karmic sinflames tribulation; how could his Dao-heart be weak? He could sense the Zifu region within his Sole-Ki Pearl of Primalwater begin to tremble, then transform. The pearl itself was being transformed. Once he truly became a Celestial Immortal…the pearl would completely vanish, and the true core of his Primaltwin would become a golden pellet, his Jindan.

……