Desolate Era (Book 22 - Book 24)

This allowed them to both attack or retreat in relatively safety. Who wouldn’t want such an army?

However, a formation that could use a thousand Elder Gods or a thousand Ancestral Immortals wasn’t easily acquired. Even if Ning did manage to acquire one, he would need a number of commanders who had reached very high levels of comprehension in the Dao.

“A Ki Refiner?” Ning looked at Su Youji. “Attack me using your most powerful techniques. If I find you acceptable, you may be my retainer.”

“Alright.” Su Youji’s eyes lit up. “Be careful.”

“Go!” Su Youji raised her milky-white hand, pointing towards Ning with a finger as red light flashed in her eyes.

BOOM!!! Nine streaks of fiery red light simultaneously shot out around her. If one carefully inspected them, one would see that every single stream of fiery red light was actually formed from an enormous number of fiery blades. These nine streams of fiery red light joined together into a perfect whole, coming to form a beautiful, nine-tailed bird. The bird’s entire body blazed with flames as it charged straight towards Ning.

It had an aura of tremendous power and incomparable dominance.

“She’s merely an Ancestral Immortal, yet she has such tremendous power. And I have the feeling…that this technique hasn’t revealed its full power yet.” Ning instantly understood that the Flamefairy had been telling the truth. She did indeed possess a high level of insight; in this regard, she was probably comparable to transcendent Elder Gods in power. However, because she was a Ki Refiner and didn’t have access to any powerful divine abilities, in battle she was merely comparable to a supreme Elder God.

Ning stretched out with his right hand. It increased dramatically in length, transforming to become dozens of meters in size as his palm became as crystalline as jade.

BOOM!

The nine-tailed firebird slammed directly against Ning’s palm. Countless sparks of fiery light appeared on the surface of Ning’s palm, but in the end the firebird was completely destroyed while Ning’s palm was completely undamaged.

“I wasn’t even able to shake him.” Su Youji was secretly shocked by what she saw. “So he’s this powerful, even in terms of just raw strength?”

When Ning had killed Elder God Skysouth, he had focused on speed and sword-arts. This time, he revealed his terrifying raw strength.

“Mm.” Ning looked at Su Youji and nodded. “Very well. I’ll accept you as my retainer. Here’s an oathstone. Take a look for yourself.”

There were two types of retainer relationships.

The first type of relationship was like the one between Saber and Godfiend Witherspike. His status had been nearly identical to that of his master’s. In this type of relationship, both the master and the retainer would swear lifeblood oaths; only then would the two trust each other. But of course, the master’s lifeblood oath would be much looser.

The second type of retainer involved a relationship like the one between Daolord Windsource and some of his World Gods. Those World Gods had chosen to serve him in the hopes that he would provide them with guidance and tutelage. They naturally had a much lower status than him. All of them had to swear lifeblood oaths to Daolord Windsource, but the Daolord naturally would never swear one to them. Whenever he was in the mood, he would occasionally impart them with a bit of guidance. That would be enough to make those World Gods delirious with joy.

The relationship between Ning and Su Youji belonged to the first type.

Su Youji feared just one thing…that Ji Ning would force himself upon her. Her [Libertine Dream] technique was one which required her to be a virgin until the day she became a World God. Given how strong Ning was, if he wanted to force himself upon her there was no way she’d be able to fight back.

When Ning heard Su Youji’s request, he felt absolutely speechless. Still, in the end he just chuckled and swore the oath.

“Youji greets you, Master.” After the two swore their lifeblood oaths, the relationship between them had changed permanently. Su Youji beamed at Ning as she bowed, her smile filled with endless charm.

Ning nodded and smiled as well. “You are the very first retainer I’ve ever accepted.”

“You’ll definitely accept more and more in the future, Master.” Su Youji’s eyes were shining with light. “But I’ll always be your first.”

“Let’s go. We’re going to leave the Ruins,” Ning said. “Oh, right. My true Daoist name is ‘Darknorth’. ‘Sunrise’ is just a Daoist name I’m temporarily using.”

“As you wish, Master.” Su Youji followed by Ning’s side, but in her heart she was mumbling to herself, “Darknorth? Darknorth?”

The two travelled more than ten thousand kilometers through the mountain range before finally reaching a region where the skies were filled with mist.

“Let’s go.”

Swoosh. Swoosh.

The two immediately soared into the skies, flying into the mist. They then disappeared into thin air.

The Windsource Ruins were perpetually shrouded in clouds and mist. Whenever you found a place in the dangerous areas or in the swamps where you could see the mist, all you had to do was fly into the mist and you would be able to leave! This was something everyone knew about the Windsource Ruins.

The Eastcalm Mountains. The Sunrise Courtyard.

Two streaks of light descended upon the courtyard.

“This is my residence,” Ning said.

“You live here on the Windsource Chaosworld, Master?” Su Youji was surprised.

“Right. I’m a Sentinel of Fogstone,” Ning said. He couldn’t help but let out a sigh. He had spent quite a few years wandering the Ruins, but Elder God Mountain Eater and the other soldiers stationed here had never sought him out. Ning had ordered that they were to immediately contact him if the forces of God Emperor Blacklotus invaded. Once they shattered the message talisman which Ning had given them, Ning would immediately know what had happened and would return from the Ruins.

Still, it made sense. He had spent a hundred years in training without any attacks occurring. This most recent adventure had only lasted a few years.

“Choose a place for yourself to live in,” Ning instructed.

“Yes, Master.” Su Youji turned her head to glance at a nearby room, then pointed towards it and said, “Then I’ll live right over here.”

Ning nodded, then retired to his own private rooms. He began to carefully inspect the treasures he had acquired during this journey through the Ruins. He had acquired quite a few treasures, as well as several storage-type treasures which he hadn’t even had the chance to inspect carefully yet.





* * *





Book 24, Chapter 29 - Reaping the Rewards


Half a day later.

Ji Ning was seated by himself at the highest point on the mountain where the Sunrise Courtyard was located. He was staring at the vast skies, the chains of mountains, and the distant plains.

“I really made a killing this time!” Ning let out a blissful sigh.

Ning had already bound all of the treasures he had acquired in the Ruins, including the storage treasures. He had also completely finished sorting through the items in the storage treasures as well. There had indeed been a number of unexpected surprises for Ning, such as a Chaos-level estate-treasure which Ning suspected was originally owned by a World-level expert!