Desolate Era (Book 19 - Book 21)

“Those Empyrean Gods in Undermoon Lake often spoke of it.” The tenth guardian looked at Ning.

“Yes, it’s the [Five Treasures].” Ning nodded.

The tenth guardian had a very complicated look on his face. Sighing, he said, “I guard the Path of Blades and am a master of many sword-arts, spear-arts, saber-arts, and other combat arts. But not one of them has surpassed the limits of the Heavenly Daos. To lose to you…I willingly acknowledge my defeat.”

“You are the guardian for all of the weapons?” Ning was surprised.

“Of course. The other nine guardians you encountered were actually all me as well.” The tenth guardian laughed. “However, each time I’ll only use a single type of sword-art. Enough…you’ve won. You can now go to the fifth island. Once you go there, you’ll be allowed to leave Undermoon Lake.”

“Go.” The tenth guardian smiled, then disappeared without a trace.

The surrounding darkness vanished as well, allowing the bright moon to once more appear in the skies.

As for Ning, he transformed into a streak of light and advanced forward.

After flying for roughly an hour, he was vaguely able to make out an enormous, beautiful island up ahead. This island was studded with miniature lakes that were dazzling to behold. Some of the lakes seemed to be formed from flames, some were filled with golden light, some were filled with red light, and some were jade-green.

All sorts of lights sparkled and flashed, making it truly look like an Immortal realm.

At the end of the wooden bridge stood a gray-robed, silver-haired man who was smiling at Ning.

“Eh?” Upon seeing the distant silver-haired man, Ning was quite puzzled. “He…doesn’t seem to be a living creature.”

“This is the final lake in Undermoon Lake, ‘Moonfall’.” The silver-haired man smiled as he looked at Ning. “Empyrean God Darknorth, you are the second Empyrean God to overcome the Path of Blades and reach this location…and your power is even greater than Jueming’s was. But enough of that…come, follow me. I’ll take you to the treasures. This will be the last place where you can choose a treasure.”

Ning nodded. He was allowed to choose three items from each of the final three islands.

Just a short while later, he finished making his choice.

Ning had already searched the memories of the prisoners of Pangaea, and he knew the value of the treasures before him. He knew which treasures the major powers of the Three Realms would drool over. Ning had no need of them, but he would be able to give them to allied major powers.

“Hand over the treasures of Empyrean Gods Sin and Sealthroat,” the silver-haired man said.

“Here, take.” Ning had already prepared them. He handed them over, then said in a puzzled manner, “Is there no need to hand over the treasures of Empyrean Gods Greatdream and Ninedawn?”

Greatdream had killed Ninedawn, while Ning himself had killed Greatdream. All the treasures were thus in his hands.

“The treasures of those you killed belong to you, of course.” The silver-haired man continued, “Follow me to a place. Afterwards, you’ll be able to leave Undermoon Lake.”





* * *





Book 20, Chapter 32 - Lifeblood Oath


Ji Ning secretly sighed to himself. So the items of those he killed belonged to him? Clearly, Undermoon Lake didn’t forbid internecine warfare. Perhaps this sort of internal struggle was an even more grueling and cruel form of tempering for the survivors. In truth, the sea yaksha alone had slain thousands of Empyrean Gods. From this, one could tell that Undermoon Lake’s process of selection was innately brutal to begin with.

Ning followed the silver-haired man forward through the fifth island, Moonfall Island.

Moonfall Island emanated an aura of shockingly great age.

The other four islands were all quite ordinary, but Ning had the sense that this island was different. It seemed as though this island contained an inconceivable type of power within it that was easily capable of obliterating him.

“The major power who created Undermoon Lake…he went through tremendous effort to select and train Empyrean Gods. Why?” Ning mused to himself, “Does he merely want to temper us, then release us? Not very likely. There has to be an important reason behind it all. Mmm…let me go to the final area first. I’ll be able to leave afterwards, which means that this final area will make everything clear.”

Moments later, Ning and the silver-haired man winded their way through a mountain path, arriving at the mountain peak. At the very top of this peak was a palace that was built from seemingly ordinary-looking rocks.

“This is Moonfall Shrine.” The silver-haired man pointed towards the shrine before them. It looked ordinary; in fact, it looked rather old, ragged, and in bad shape. However, despite it’s seemingly poor condition, it was actually the heart of the entire Moonfall Island.

In front of the shrine, there was a stone tablet that shone with golden light.

“Move all of the Empyrean Gods you brought with you to this place,” the silver-haired man instructed.

“Alright.” Ning nodded, then willed it. Instantly, a large group of figures appeared around him. It was the two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods. Sin, Sealthroat, the Seven Dragon Gods, and the rest all stared curiously around them. Quite a few of them revealed looks of surprise and joy.

“This isn’t Kilostar Island.”

“This is a new island.”

“This has to be the fifth island. We are going to leave! We’ll be able to leave!”

The Empyrean Gods instantly grew excited. They also noticed Darknorth and the silver-haired man.

“Darknorth, this is the fifth island, right?” One of the Empyrean Gods called out to him, and the others all looked towards him as well.

Ning smiled and nodded. “This is the fifth island, Moonfall Island.”

“Hahaha!”

“Darknorth, in the future, if there’s anything you need, just say the word. Even if it costs me my life, I won’t shy back!”

“Darknorth, some thanks cannot be expressed with words.”

The Empyrean Gods were all quite excited. Some of them were actually crying. To them, it was as though Ning had given them a second life. All of them were Empyrean Gods…they would naturally remember the debts they owed others. If Ning asked them to help in the future and they refused, it would negatively impact their Dao-hearts. Only a small number of truly demonic, fiendish figures were capable of ignoring the debts they owed others without having their Dao-hearts being affected at all.

“Enough,” the silver-haired man said calmly.

Rumble…

A surge of invisible power swept out from the shrine. It was like an invisible palm that slapped down upon the bodies of the Empyrean Gods. All of them were flattened into the ground, with only Ning being unaffected.

Ning stared at this scene, stupefied. The Empyrean Gods were completely scared senseless as well. This was two terrifying! There were more than two hundred of them, but they had been smacked into the ground without being able to resist at all…and this was not simply a forceful strike of raw power.

If it was a forceful strike of raw power, the Empyrean Gods would have been drilled into the ground like nails, leaving behind deep holes. But instead, all of them were knocked prone, face-down into the ground. Clearly, in that moment, they were as weak as mortals against this sort of power.

“The major power who created Undermoon Lake truly was formidable. His abilities are beyond what I can imagine,” Ning mused to himself.

“The only reason you are able to leave is because you followed Darknorth,” the silver-haired man said calmly. “Now…each of you shall go one-by-one and place your palms atop the golden stone tablet.”

“Yes.” “Yes.” “Yes…”