Desolate Era (Book 22 - Book 24)

“Nuwa saw the truth long ago. The Three Realms was too small a place to contain her, and so she left to enter the vaster world outside of it.”


“I want to journey through that vast world as well.” Old Man Yuan’s eyes were filled with desire. “But I’m not strong enough yet. Those alien Outsiders, the Lord of All Things…I learned that even someone as formidable as the Lord of All Things was nothing more than a minor figure in the primordial chaos. There are many who are far more powerful than him. As for Rahu, he was an even more irrelevant figure.”

“I have to become more powerful.”

“A war for the Three Realms? A struggle between the Nuwa Alliance and the Seamless Gate? I’ve never cared about such things. Your visions are far too narrow…your gazes are focused on the Three Realms, but my gaze is focused on the endless primordial chaos.” Old Man Yuan shook his head. “I’ve never even considered risking my life in some squabble here in the Three Realms.”

“I want to leave this place. I want to become even more powerful.”

“Because I was born into the Three Realms, I wasn’t able to acquire any good techniques. I had no opportunities. Once I leave, I might be able to become a World God or a Chaos Immortal,” Old Man Yuan said eagerly. “That’s what I truly want. That’s what I truly desire!”

Subhuti continued to stare at him coldly. “Selfish! True, compared to the vast primordial chaos, the Three Realms is a very small place, and we are indeed nothing more than local bumpkins…but this is our home! The Three Realms is our home. All of us were born here, and we were all like brothers. They are now in mortal danger, but you are just going to stand by and watch? For the sake of becoming a so-called World God or Chaos Immortal, you are just going to watch as your old friends go off to fight? Go off to die?”

“I never thought that my old friend Yuan would end up like this.” Subhuti shook his head.

“Ahahaha…” Old Man Yuan actually began to laugh, laugh so hard that his beard shook. He then looked towards Subhuti with a dagger-sharp gaze. “Yes, I am selfish. The path of cultivation is a selfish path to begin with. If I’m going to walk this path, of course I need to treasure my own life. Of course I have to seize every opportunity I can find to become more powerful. Am I supposed to foolishly stand alongside the rest of you and risk everything?”

“You don’t possess any transcendental qualities. Neither we nor the Seamless Gate will permit you to remain unaligned.” Although Subhuti felt sorrow in his heart, he still tried to dissuade Old Man Yuan.

“I’ll do everything I can to get as much as I can from the Seamless Gate,” Old Man Yuan said calmly. “Don’t worry. Before the Endwar begins, I’ll leave the Three Realms and enter the endless primordial chaos. I’ll take my old friends with me, and together we shall adventure through it. As for what happens to you and the Seamless Gate? I won’t get involved.”

“Leave?” Subhuti was surprised.

“Right.” Old Man Yuan laughed coldly. “What, did you actually think that I would really fight on behalf of the Seamless Gate? No; neither your side nor the Seamless Gate is worth me risking my life for.”

“Good. Very good indeed.” Subhuti laughed hard, as though he had heard an incredibly funny joke. “During my [Dream of the Three Realms], I can see countless mortals change…but now, I see that the hearts of Fiendgods can change as well. You’ve changed. You’ve changed far, far too much compared to the Yuan who was born alongside me from within the primordial chaos.”

“Back then, I was just a newborn. I was born with mastery over a Grand Dao, but aside from that I knew nothing at all. Back then, we were too simple and na?ve.” Old Man Yuan shook his head. “As far as I’m concerned, my brothers and friends are of secondary importance. My path of cultivation is of paramount importance.”

Subhuti gave Old Man Yuan a long, deep look, then disappeared into thin air.

As for Old Man Yuan, he just continued to sit there quietly. He lifted up one of the wine cups and took a small sip from it. “Once I become a World God and look back, all of this will be nothing more than a memory.”





* * *





Book 22, Chapter 18 - Nineteen Years


Within that castle located deep inside the Primordial Ruinworld.

Godfiend Witherspike’s eyes were flashing with dangerous light. The entire hall was completely silent, and none of his six subordinates dared to make a sound. Not even the powerful one-armed man dared to say a thing. Although Godfiend Witherspike rather respected him because they were on the same general level of power, the one-armed man knew just how what a terrifyingly demonic figure the Godfiend actually was.

“I was overconfident!” Godfiend Witherspike growled gutterally to himself. “I didn’t expect this Ji Ning would actually be able to solve the riddle of Earthmoan Mountain. That place is a Wokejade Realm! Not even Ancestral Immortals or Elder Gods should be able to escape it so quickly. How did a bumpkin like him solve it? He’s trained for less than a thousand years!”

“If I knew this would happen, I would’ve gone to Earthmoan Mountain in person and waited for them there.”

Godfiend Witherspike was feeling rather frustrated right now. He had very nearly wiped out the entire squad of Fiendgods! If he had personally gone to Earthmoan Mountain and set up an ambush there, he probably would’ve been able to wipe out Kuafu’s entire squad. However, his arrogance and pride was bred deep. Those figures were mere True Gods and third-tier Ancestral Immortals, while he was an exalted Elder God! He had also roamed the primordial chaos for many years and experienced many things. He held no respect for these locals whatsoever. Personally set up an ambush for them? He felt it was beneath him!

In all the Three Realms, there were only two things he was leery of. The first was whatever Mother Nuwa left behind to her successors before departing. The second was the Lord of All Fiends.

Mother Nuwa was a World God, after all. The ancestral homeland of a World God was never an easy place to invade, even if that World God had departed.

As for the Lord of All Fiends, he was an even more freakish figure who had actually been able to escape from a World God!

Aside from these two concerns, Godfiend Witherspike really wasn’t worried about anything or anyone else. He had felt that Kuafu’s squad would definitely die. He had not imagined that Ji Ning was this formidable.

Still, he couldn’t be blamed for this oversight. Logically speaking, there was no way someone like Ji Ning should’ve been able to escape Earthmoan Mountain in such a short period of time. Alas, Ji Ning had the legacy of World God Northrest. The techniques he had were all far superior to the ones which Godfiend Witherspike knew!

“Very well, then. Your squads wish to ruin my territory, but it won’t be that easy…”

“This was just the first trap. You were lucky enough to escape…but next time, I won’t be so careless.”

Godfiend Witherspike gently tightened the grip of his slender fingers around his right armrest. Crack! The armrest instantly disintegrated, but moments later its fragments automatically reformed.

Everyone was completely silent. Not even Celestial Immortal Blackheaven dared to say a thing. When Blackheaven had served the Lord of All Things, he had met Godfiend Witherspike quite a few times. Witherspike was definitely a figure who was just as terrifying as the Lord of All Things had been.

……

The Thousand Mountains world.

Ji Ning’s group was travelling alongside Lord Tathagata’s group.

“Darknorth.” Lord Tathagata the Buddha smiled as he looked at Ning. “Which of the four squads do you plan to accompany? You are a human. Technically, you should follow the squad which the human race sent.”

“But he joined us a long time ago!” Kuafu immediately protested.