Desolate Era (Book 19 - Book 21)

During the Realmwar alone, Ning had acquired multiple Pure Yang treasures and two Protocosmic spirit-treasures. However, those Pure Yang treasures were not part of a set. Daoist Threelives had collected multiple sets of top-grade treasures, which was exceedingly rare. The total number of treasures, however, was enough to trade for the necessary materials for him to reach the Fifth Cycle of the [Starseizing Hand].

As for the likes of the Eight Fires Qiankun World or the Grand Bloodshadow Formation of the Heavens? Any single one of those sets would be enough to trade for the necessary materials.

“As your master, I have yet to give you any gifts for your breakthrough into the Empyrean God level.” Subhuti shook his head. “You can consider the materials needed to reach the Fifth Cycle of the [Starseizing Hand] as a gift from me. However, although I’m able to give you the materials needed for the Fifth Cycle…I’m not able to give you the materials you will need for the Sixth Cycle.”

“Your disciple understands.” Ning nodded.

Almost all the items that could be used for him to cultivate his hands to the Chaos treasure level were only locatable within the primordial chaos, and extremely rare as well.

In the past, Daoist Threelives had been lucky enough to encounter a piece of golden starstone in the primordial chaos. After analyzing the starstone for countless years, he came up with a way to use the starstone, along with many other materials he had located within the primordial chaos, to develop the Sixth Cycle of the [Starseizing Hand]. Treasures like that golden starstone, however, were incredibly rare. Per what Daoist Threelives had said back then, Daoist Three Purities had also encountered a piece of golden starstone, and had eventually used it to create the Immortal Slaying Sword’s sword-diagram.

“Tell which materials you need,” Subhuti said.

“Yes.” Ning began to list them out one by one.

Subhuti raised an eyebrow. Smiling, he said, “This is actually rather difficult. I’ll need to go find some of my old friends to acquire them. Wait a bit.” Subhuti closed his eyes and sat there quietly for a few moments. A short while later, a spatial vortex appeared next to him and an old man dressed in Daoist robes appeared within it. The old man handed Subhuti a brocade sack, then disappeared.

Ning understood that the ‘old man’ was actually a created incarnation of his master.

“It’s all here.” A brocade sack and a gourd appeared within Subhuti’s hands. “This sack has the materials you need, while the gourd contains the Great Firmament Immortal pills from Daofather Crimsonbright. There are more than enough pills for you to train to the Ninth Cycle of the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art].”

As he spoke he waved his hand, causing the brocade sack and the gourd to float towards Ji Ning.

Ning accepted the items. “Thank you, Master.” His heart was filled with delight.

After training to reach the Fifth Cycle of the [Starseizing Hand], he would be able to acquire the relics left behind by Daoist Threelives. And, even more importantly, his hands would become comparable to top-grade Protocosmic spirit-treasures in might! Top-grade Protocosmic treasures…they were second only to Chaos treasures. In addition, once Ning used [Three Heads, Six Arms], he would essentially have access to the equivalent of six top-grade Protocosmic weapons.

Protocosmic spirit-treasures weren’t rare, as Ning had quite a few, as did the Xia Emperor. But top-grade Protocosmic spirit-treasures…Ning hadn’t even acquired a single one thus far!

“What are you planning to do next?” Subhuti said, looking at Ning.

Ning replied respectfully, “Your disciple intends to roam the Three Realms, tempering my Dao-heart in the mortal dust and meditating on my sword-arts.”

If his heartforce could make yet another breakthrough to the fifth stage…

Although thus far, Houyi had been the only one capable of it, making his own chances quite low…if he really did succeed, then he would become supremely powerful even amongst True Gods and Daofathers. Ning had a feeling that the fifth stage of heartforce could only be found within the red dust of the mortal world.

This was one of the reasons why Eastbreak and many of the others who had reached the fourth stage of heartforce often spent most of their time roaming the Three Realms.

Heartforce wasn’t something that could be forced. Thus, Ning would still spend most of his time tempering his sword-arts.

“Also, I’d like to ask you for some help, Master,” Ning said respectfully.

“Help?” Subhuti looked at Ning.

Ning nodded. “The storm is now upon us, and the wars between us and the Seamless Gate are unceasing. I want to ask you, Master, to help me seek out opportunities to fight them. Alternately, give me targets to attack. I’ll wipe some of the Seamless Gate’s headquarters and lairs.”

“Targets to attack?” Subhuti was surprised. “That’ll make the Seamless Gate go berserk.”

The Seamless Gate and the Nuwa Alliance were like two massive armies that were facing each other.

The Nuwa Alliance had its major worlds, while the Seamless Gate has major worlds of its own. Both sides would assault each other while defending against enemy assaults.

There were some extremely formidable Empyrean Gods and True Immortals in the Three Realms, but they would at most appear during a Realmwar. Outside of a Realmwar, they wouldn’t dare launch an assault against a headquarters of the Seamless Gate.

“If you launch a direct assault against one of their headquarters…although I can’t sense any danger at present, once you attack they might send their full force against you,” Subhuti said worriedly. “This is going to be extremely risky. To launch sneak attacks without an army supporting you…it will be very, very risky. Even if you succeed, you’ll only succeed once or twice. Those successes will enrage the Seamless Gate, and they will come up with ways to set traps for you. If you repeatedly attack them and ambush them, you’ll probably end up being trapped and ambushed by them instead.”

Ning nodded. “I understand. That’s exactly what I want, for them to be enraged, for them to go berserk. The more berserk they become, the more I will attack them and the more of them I will kill.”

“Do you have to do this?” Subhuti looked at Ning. He didn’t understand. The more powerful one was, the more one would understand how important it was to protect one’s self during a war.

Launching sneak attacks…yes, the chances of success would be very high, but without an army supporting you, if you failed, you would become easily entrapped and perhaps even lose your life. Even if you succeeded, you would become a top-priority target of the Seamless Gate!

“I have to.” Ning nodded.

“You are now quite formidable, and you are capable of commanding a Heaven Punisher. The Seamless Gate will have to pay an enormous price to deal with you. Thus, they’ll treat you exactly the way they do the likes of Lu Dongbin. They won’t actively act against you, as you have already reached a high level of power. The reason why they wanted to kill you earlier was because you were weak, because you hadn’t grown up yet,” Subhuti said.

You had to nip potential threats in the bud. Once they actually became serious threats, however…by then, the Seamless Gate wouldn’t really be willing to pay the enormous price necessary to get rid of them.

“Please help me, Master,” Ning said respectfully. Where were the headquarters of the Seamless Gate? Which ones were the best to assault? Which ones should be left untouched? Patriarch Subhuti would be thousands of times better than him in making these decisions.

“Can you tell me the reason?” Subhuti looked at Ning.

“I am going to rescue Yu Wei,” Ning said.

“Rescue? She’s not dead?” Subhuti was shocked. “She isn’t dead…how do you know this?”

Ning nodded. “She’s not dead. Her soul is currently suffering unspeakable torments at the hands of the Godking within his Infinity Hells. The reason I know this is because prior to this, the Godking tried to force me to join him. He told me that if I didn’t join him, he would have her suffer endless torment.”