Desolate Era (Book 28 - Book 30)

A few days later, Ning held a Three Realms Banquet at Brightheart Island of Swallow Mountain. All of the top-level Immortals and Fiendgods of the Three Realms came to take part.

Of course, many of Ning’s old friends came as well, such as the other members of Mount Innerheart, including Crazy Ji, Sun Wukong, and Redsnow. Even the likes of Northmont Baiwei and the Sloppy Daoist, who had been their eldest apprentice-brother at the Black-White College, had arrived. This was Ning’s first time hosting such a sumptuous banquet, and at the end he even expounded upon the Dao, bringing great enlightenment to many of the Immortals and Fiendgods of the Three Realms.

……

On the other side of the primordial chaos. Vastheaven Territory. Vastheaven Palace.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month passed after Ning’s arrival at Vastheaven Palace. This was the day of Ning’s formal welcoming banquet.

“Ji Ning! JI NING!” Daolord Solesky was hollering towards him from far away.

“Big brother?” Ning emerged from his estate, Su Youji and Pillsaint by his side. Ning smiled. “I could hear you screaming at me from far away.”

“I wanted to see you a few days ago, but Pillsaint told me that you were in secluded meditation,” Daolord Solesky said with a laugh.

“My big brother wished to see me?” Ning turned to glance at Pillsaint. Pillsaint hurriedly explained, “Daolord Solesky said that it was nothing important and told me not to disturb you.”

Daolord Solesky nodded as well. “There is no rush, but… Ji Ning, you really did me wrong this time. You captured Daolord Blesswing, a Daolord of the Third Step of Clearwind Temple! A Daolord of the Third Step! And you captured him! How could you hide such an incredible feat from me and not tell me? If it hadn’t been for brother Eastherd giving us a detailed narration a while ago, I would have had no idea whatsoever.”

Ning was startled. He immediately said, “Alright, that was definitely my fault.”

To be honest, Ning truly hadn’t considered the capture to be a big deal. In his eyes, Clearwind Temple wasn’t a threat at all. Even if Patriarch Clearwind himself came, he wouldn’t be able to do anything to Vastheaven Palace itself. If things really did go south, Ning could simply use one of the deceased Hegemon’s Dao-seals to just kill the man.

Ning’s complete lack of concern regarding this matter was why he hadn’t considered it to be relevant. With his mind completely occupied with reviving his parents, he truly had forgotten to tell Vastheaven Palace about this matter.

“It won’t be much of a problem. With my avatar here, we won’t need to fear Clearwind at all.” Daolord Solesky was rather excited. “But for you to have captured a Daolord of the Third Step… hah! I feel giddy just imagining the look on Clearwind’s face.”

“I’ve already subdued the Daolord. Big brother Solesky, you are free to deal with him as you see fit,” Ning said.

“You were the one to capture him. How can I be the one to decide?” Daolord Solesky immediately said.

“Don’t be so courteous, big brother. If you want to use this situation to squeeze and extort Clearwind Temple, feel entirely free to do so.”

Daolord Solesky shook his head. “You don’t understand what type of a man Patriarch Clearwind is. He won’t be easy to blackmail. Ah, forget it. There’s no way Clearwind will just ignore something like this. We’ll wait and see.”

Ning nodded. “Right. Big brother, there’s something I need to ask you to help me out with.”

“What is it?” Daolord Solesky asked.

“I want to collect some techniques, secret arts, and divine abilities,” Ning said. “I need all types of techniques.”

Daolord Solesky looked at Ning. “Are you planning to set up your own school?”

Ning shook his head. “No, it’s for the sake of my homeland. My homeland doesn’t have any good techniques. I want to procure some good ones for them,” Ning said.

“Vastheaven Palace has some basic techniques which can be transmitted to others without any issues,” Daolord Solesky said, “But the more powerful ones… we have our own rules about their disposition.”

Ning said, “We’ll do everything in accordance with the rules! I need all types of divine abilities, techniques, and secret arts below the Daolord level, and I’ll pay as much chaos nectar as the rules require.” Even the Dao Alliance was willing to sell its many secret arts and divine abilities, to say nothing of Vastheaven Palace. Even Daolord Allgod’s [Novessence Water] and other such techniques had ended up being sold to the Brightshore Kingdom.

Ning only needed techniques that were below the Daolord level; more profound techniques were not necessary for now. Vastheaven Palace didn’t really have that many powerful legacies either.

“Oh, below the Daolord level? That’ll be easy.” Daolord Solesky nodded. “However… over the course of countless years, Vastheaven Palace has accumulated quite a few techniques. If we were to give you everything we have, it’d cost you three million cubes of chaos nectar! I don’t want to take advantage of you; the rules are the rules. These techniques were accumulated by countless brothers over the course of countless years.”

“Alright.” Ning nodded. “Three million it is.”

Vastheaven Palace was an ancient school which dominated the nearby territories and had been around for countless chaos cycles. As a result, it had an ample supply of techniques which were below the Daolord level. This was why this place was considered a holy land for cultivation to many. Now that Ning had purchased all of its techniques, the Three Realms’ foundation had been established. Most of the cultivators in the Three Realms were merely at the Elder God or Ancestral Immortal level, after all. To reach the World level and then become a Daolord was far too difficult.

In truth, if he couldn’t buy what he needed from Vastheaven Palace, he would’ve done so from the Dao Alliance. Only, that would be more troublesome and likely more expensive as well.

As for legacies which Daolords could use? Even Vastheaven Palace only had a very few such legacies, and they had either been left behind by its Daolords or had been acquired by them due to luck; they wouldn’t be casually taught to others. They were not casually taught to others. What Ning was planning to do was to create a few legacies of his own and leave them to the Three Realms! For example, his [Brightmoon] sword-art was definitely one of the most supreme of legacies! But of course, not just anyone would be permitted to study it. The interested parties would have to go through many layers of trials before they could learn the Sword Dao which Ning had so painstakingly created.

“Using Vastheaven Palace’s repository, built up over the course of countless years, to serve as the foundation of the Three Realms shall be enough.” Ning felt a surge of joy in his heart.





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Book 29, Chapter 13 - Omega Sword Dao


“Hah! You were able to agree to three million cubes with such ease.” Daolord Solesky laughed. “As expected for someone capable of capturing a Daolord of the Third Step. Your resources truly are extraordinary, eh?”

“I just had better luck than most,” Ji Ning said.

“Big brother Solesky, all of our brothers have arrived and are waiting. Are you done chatting?” The Daolord Brightfish’s laughter could be heard from afar.

“Patience, my brother Brightfish! We’ll be there shortly.” Daolord Solesky looked at Ning. “Come, come! Let us make haste. The welcoming banquet is about to commence.”

The formal welcoming ceremony took place. After the ceremony ended, Ning was now considered a formal member of Vastheaven Palace. This caused Daolord Solesky, Daolord Battlemaster, and Daolord Brightfish to all feel slightly relieved. They could tell that Ning was guaranteed to be an extraordinary Daolord. Although he had a talisman of welcome, it was entirely permissible for him to change his mind prior to actually joining Vastheaven Palace.

Now that he had joined, he truly would be a lifelong friend and brother.

……