Desolate Era (Book 16 - Book 18)

Very early on, Ning had acquired the Starseizing Estate. By now, he had already reached the seventeenth stage of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens].

Yu Wei and Ninelotus were as close as real sisters, so close that they didn’t differentiate between ‘mine’ and ‘yours’. The two of them settled into a residence within Swallow Mountain, not too far from where Ning lived. The two of them felt certain that one day, their sincerity would move Ji Ning. Unlike in the real world, in this demonheart world, Ninelotus and Yu Wei were both completely devoted to Ji Ning. In fact, both of them threw away everything for his sake, and Ninelotus gave up her clan as well.

Now, in the demonheart world…the storm finally swept through the Three Realms!

Within the demonheart world, Ning allowed his Primaltwin to undergo its tribulation. The tribulation of the demonheart world was completely illusory, and so the demonheart tribulation lasted for but an instant before it ended, resulting in his Primaltwin becoming a Celestial Immortal.

With the entire Three Realms being shaken by this storm, Ning naturally allied with the Northmont clan of Stillwater. Although he didn’t truly enter into a relationship with Yu Wei and Ninelotus, the two of them continued to wholeheartedly pursue him. The Dongyan clan was on very close terms with Ning, and the Dongyan Forefather, Ji Ning, Patriarch Unity, and others all joined together into an alliance to weather this storm.

The war began!

One battle after another began to erupt within the world of the Grand Xia. To protect his tribe, Ning was forced to go into battle as well. As the war progressed, however, he found it harder and harder to gain victory in his battles…and finally, he decided to undergo his Empyrean Tribulation!

There was one major problem with the demonheart world; there was no way to gain insights into the Dao here!

This was an illusory world; every single tribulant knew that in their hearts. As a result, they couldn’t advance in the Dao in the slightest. Although Ning had already spent over a hundred years in the demonheart world, he hadn’t improved in the Dao in the slightest. The only improvement he had was in terms of his Dao-heart; he was tempering his Dao-heart.

He was also able to improve his heartforce within this illusory demonheart world, but alas, Ning remained at the third level, the ‘ruler’ level. Although he did improve slightly, to reach the fourth level of ‘mortal dust’ was far too difficult. Anyone who could reach that level would be considered one of the truly most powerful experts of the Three Realms. The terrifying divine archers of the Three Realms and Old Man Yuan were all at the fourth level.

Within the illusory world, Ning could sense that he was gradually becoming unable to defend his clan from the storm, and so he decided to undergo his Empyrean Tribulation.

The Empyrean Tribulation was simply far too powerful.

The wind tribulation, the fire tribulation…they nearly caused Ning’s death.

The thunder tribulation destroyed Ning’s true body by merely the sixty-second thunderbolt.

He had failed.

His true body had failed its tribulation, and so the Starseizing Estate left him, having gone to search for another successor.

……

Ning only had his Primaltwin left to him. Thus, like many other Celestial Immortals, he became embroiled into and pushed about by the waves of the storm. Yu Wei and Ninelotus both became Celestial Immortals over the course of the storm, but the two continued to follow by Ning’s side. Ning, however, continued to act guarded, not allowing the relationship between him and the two of them to deepen.

The deeper their relationship grew, the easier it would be for Ning to sink into this world.

One battle after another!

Yu Wei and Ninelotus followed Ning at all times, experiencing life-and-death experiences with him. Finally, after eighteen thousand years, the storm came to an end. Ninety percent of the Celestial Immortals of the world of the Grand Xia perished, and even the Xia Emperor had died. As for major powers, no one knew how many had perished. Ji Ning, Yu Wei, and Ninelotus, however, had not died. In fact, even the Ji clan of Swallow Mountain had survived.

With the tribulation having ended, Ning returned once more to Swallow Mountain.

Ninelotus and Yu Wei continued to follow him. They, too, took up residence at Swallow Mountain. As for Yuchi Snow and Ji Yichuan, they successfully overcome their tribulations and become Celestial Immortals towards the end of the storm. They, too, urged Ning to accept and wed Ninelotus and Yu Wei.

Eighteen thousand years!

They had experienced life and death together.

It must be understood that in the real world, Ning had only lived for a mere century. In this demonheart world, however, he had already lived for eighteen thousand years. If his Dao-heart had been slightly weaker, he would’ve long ago confused what was real and what was not. He would’ve willingly accepted that this demonheart world was the true world; after all, he had spent far more time in this world, which was a far more blissful one.

However…Ning, who had ruler-class heartforce, only felt an ever-greater amount of terror.

His father and his mother had actually both become Celestial Immortals? Yu Wei and Ninelotus had both survived the storm? Clearly, the demonheart world was doing everything it could to give him an incredibly blissful life. It had even ensured that Ning failed his Empyrean Tribulation, so as to clip his wings and lessen his ambitions.

Lessened ambitions…a blissful life…emotions…countless shared life-and-death experiences…eighteen thousand years…all of these things were having an impact on Ning.

“Ji Ning…how can you be so heartless? It’s been eighteen thousand years, but you still remain this cold-hearted. Alright…alright…alright. I will never bother you again. I’ll never irritate you again!” Ninelotus looked at Ning, her tears dripping downwards.

“Little sister Ninelotus and I will be leaving now. We’ll never bother you again, you callous, cold-hearted man.” Yu Wei’s eyes were filled with pain as well.

Immortal swords suddenly appeared in both their hands.

“No!”

Ning couldn’t help it; he instinctively knocked those two Immortal swords away.

“You won’t even let us die? Even if you prevent us from dying, we can go to a place where you can’t find us, then end our lives there.” Ninelotus said with agony, “My sister and I no longer have anything worth living for, anyways.”

“Let’s go, little sister.” Yu Wei took Ninelotus by the hand.

Ning just shut his eyes.

Was he supposed to just keep fleeing within this demonheart world? Keep hiding from everything? Was this right, or was this wrong? Why was it that by fleeing…these emotions were only causing him even greater agony?

“Don’t go,” Ning suddenly said.

Yu Wei and Ninelotus had already turned away, but now their bodies both shook. These two peerless beauties, one dressed in white and the other dressed in black, both turned to look at Ning. They had an eager look in their eyes, a look that bespoke of how they had waited for eighteen thousand years…a look that was about to melt Ning’s heart.

“Ji Ning, are you truly…” Ninelotus and Yu Wei both looked at Ning.

“Don’t go.” Ning walked to them. “I don’t want you two to go.” He reached out with his arms, taking Yu Wei and Ninelotus into his embrace.

Yu Wei and Ninelotus each clung to one of Ning’s elbows, gently leaning against him.

Ning, however…could sense that his Dao-heart was wavering and growing blurry.

He understood…

That he had taken yet another step towards sinking into this world.

When he took the finally step and completely sank into it…his soul would be extinguished, and he would die.