Desolate Era (Book 19 - Book 21)

“Hmph.”


Suhbuti said coldly, “They are a pack of fools! Both of our sides have shared the Three Realms for countless years now, and many of the major powers on both sides have become very close friends with each other. There are countless ‘Fiendgods’ amongst the many races. In truth, both sides all but merged together long ago…and so Old Man Yuan and his ilk still wish for both sides to peacefully coexist. They view the Seamless as being brothers and are unwilling to become enemies to them.”

“But the whispers of fate definitely can’t be wrong.”

“I am absolutely certain that we can only survive if we wipe out the Seamless Gate. In turn, the Seamless Gate is also absolutely certain that they can only survive if they wipe us out. Although there are many things we do not understand with regards to this great tribulation…fate always points and guides us towards the correct path.”

Subhuti looked at the two men before him. “Ji Ning. Redsnow. The two of you are still weak; you need to continue training for now. After all…even if we manage to survive this storm, it’s very possible than yet another Outsider like the Lord of All Things will appear, causing yet another tribulation to descend.”

“Understood.” Both Ning and Redsnow were very solemn.

Outsiders from the primordial chaos?

Other chaosworlds?

Why had Mother Nuwa entered the primordial chaos, never to return?

These questions caused Ning and Redsnow to understand that in the past, they had been like frogs within a well, unable to see the greater world outside. In truth…the heavens were far vaster than they had imagined them to be!

Having concluded his tale of the secret history of the Three Realms, Subhuti let out a smile. “Right. Ji Ning, I understand you have a daughter with you. Show her to me.”

“Yes, Master.” When Ning thought of his daughter, his heart instantly turned warm. He immediately willed for his daughter Brightmoon to emerge from the world of the Violetdawn Pearl.

“Eh?!”

The barefoot Brightmoon nibbled on her fingers as she curiously stared at her surroundings.

“Father.” Brightmoon instantly wrapped her arms around Ning’s thigh.

“Brightmoon, come here. Kowtow and show your respects to the Old Patriarch,” Ning instructed.

Brightmoon’s eyes instantly turned huge. She stared carefully at the ruddy-faced, white-bearded old man, then obediently fell to her knees and kowtowed. “Brightmoon greets you, Old Patriarch.”

“Hahaha…” Subhuti was greatly pleased by what he saw. Laughing, he said, “Your father is my disciple, and so you can be considered a member of Mount Innerheart as well. Thus, I shall transmit Fiendgod Body Refining techniques and Ki Refining techniques to you.”

He pointed towards her. Swish! Instantly, a streak of light flew straight into Brightmoon’s forehead.

“Thank you, Master!” Ning was overjoyed. At present, there were very few things capable of making Ning happy, and the person he cared most about was this precious daughter of his. Mount Innerheart’s rules were very strict, so Ning didn’t dare to casually teach her any of the techniques he had learned here, but the other techniques he had weren’t particularly elite.

“If your daughter can overcome her tribulation and become a Celestial Immortal or Empyrean God, I’ll give her another give. Alright, you can leave now.” Subhuti waved his arm. “Redsnow, you stay for now.”

“Yes.” Both Ning and Redsnow assented.

Ning immediately picked up his daughter, who had fallen into a dazed, sleep-like state. Subhuti had transmitted a veritable ocean of techniques to her, and there was a limit to how much she could process.

In the following days, they remained at Mount Innerheart. Ning lived a peaceful life here, along with his daughter. Only when he was with his daughter would the pain in his heart be slightly alleviated. Slowly, Ning’s heart grew calmer and calmer. He was quietly preparing, because he could sense that the day of his tribulation was drawing closer and closer.

“Father.” Brightmoon came running towards him.

“Brightmoon.” Ning smiled at her.

“Father, I heard you are about to undergo your Empyrean Tribulation?” Brightmoon raised her head to look at the nearby Uncle White. “Grandpa White, my father is going to undergo his Empyrean Tribulation?”

“Who told you?!” Ning asked.

“Everyone in Mount Innerheart knows about it,” Brightmoon immediately said.

“My fellow disciples really are blabbermouths.” Ning shook his head helplessly, then looked at Brightmoon and nodded. “Yes. Tomorrow, I shall undergo the Empyrean Tribulation.”





* * *





Book 19, Chapter 4 - Empyrean God Tribulation


“I heard that the Empyrean Tribulation is very dangerous.” Brightmoon was very worried. Her two hands were clenched tightly in front of her chest.

Ji Ning bent downwards, gently taking his daughter into his arms. He looked at her face, then smiled. “Brightmoon, don’t worry. The Empyrean Tribulation might be dangerous to others, but to me, your father…it’s really nothing.”

“Really?” Brightmoon hesitated.

“Really. You have to trust Father,” Ning said.

“Alright.” Brightmoon reached out with her little hands to hug Ning’s head. “Father, Mother’s gone. I don’t want you to leave me too.”

Ning felt his heart ache.

Brightmoon was still very young. Yu Wei’s death had an enormous impact on her.

“Father will never, ever leave you, Brightmoon.” Ning held his daughter in his arms, then whispered to her, “Father will always protect you.”

This was Ning’s promise to his daughter!

That night, Brightmoon slept by Ning’s side. She was afraid that Ning was going to leave her and go take on the Empyrean Tribulation by himself, and she insisted on personally watching him undergo it. Only then would she feel at ease.

“Time to get up.” Ning tweaked his slumbering daughter’s little nose.

“Ungh…” Brightmoon struggled to opeher eyes, then gazed blankly at her surroundings for a moment. Clearly, she hadn’t fully woken up yet, but upon seeing Ning she couldn’t help but reach out to hug him.

“Time to get up. It’s already bright outside.” Ning gave his daughter a little kiss on the face.

“Oh.” Brightmoon rubbed her eyes, then sat up and looked towards the outside. It was early dawn right now, and the skies were slowly brightening. “Ah?! Father, you are going to undergo your Empyrean Tribulation today.”

“Right…so hurry up and get up.”

Outside the room.

The Whitewater Hound and Little Qing had been waiting here for some time now. Upon hearing the playful voices coming from within the room, they couldn’t help but reveal smiles.

“These days, Master only ever laughs when he’s with little Brightmoon,” Little Qing said.

“He’s redirected all the love he felt towards Yu Wei and his parents to that little girl.” The Whitewater Hound let out a sigh. “Fortunately, Yu Wei gave birth before it all happened. Otherwise…I really can’t imagine what my son Ning would be like right now, after suffering such heavy blows.”

Creaaaak.

The door to the room swung open.

A handsome, slender white-robed youth walked out, leading an adorable little girl by the hand. The handsome youth looked young, but his calm, sea-deep eyes seemed to hold infinity within them. Everyone understood that he was no longer young. His heart, in particularly…would no longer be young again.

“Let’s go,” Ning said.

“Right.” Uncle White and Little Qing followed behind Ning. Right after they emerged from the courtyard, they saw Bluecliff Xiaoyu waiting outside.

“Master,” Xiaoyu called out respectfully.

Holding his daughter Brightmoon’s hand, Ning led Uncle White, Little Qing, and Xiaoyu out of Mount Innerheart. He then used a spatial teleportation to arrive at a vast, desolate area within the Crescent world.