Desolate Era (Book 6 - Book 10)

“Rumble…” 355 kilograms. 360 kilograms. 365 kilograms.

“Why doesn’t my Zifu Lake feel as though it has reached its maximum capacity yet?” Ning was feeling rather puzzled, and he slowed down the rate at which he was refining liquefied elemental essence as well. Some of the weaker Ki Refining techniques made it so that the practitioner’s Zifu Lake would at best be able to withstand fifty kilograms of liquefied elemental essence. But Ning had already been able to withstand more than four hundred kilograms.

370 kilograms…390 kilograms…400 kilograms! Ning opened his eyes, halting his training.

“Last time, I used forty kilograms, and this time, I used four hundred. And yet, my Violet Palace is able to continue to accumulate more?” Ning frowned. Although the [Waterstream Source] hadn’t described an upper limit in detail, and there were small differences in each person’s capacity, generally speaking, four hundred kilograms should be quite close to the limit.

“I’ll halt for now. In two days, when I meet Master, I’ll ask him.” Ning halted his training.

As Ning was training. In a quite, secluded courtyard within East Stillwater City. Roch was seated in the lotus position on his bed, quietly nourishing his own Zifu Violet Palace. His Violet Palace had been damaged; naturally, he had to carefully cultivate it and heal it.

“Rocky, Rocky, come out, quick!” A frantic voice rang out. “Uncle Ming?” Roch came to an immediate halt, leaving the bed and walking out. “Uncle Ming, what is it?”

Roch pushed the door opened, then saw the bald, middle-aged man, his entire face covered with urgency. Roch felt extremely grateful towards Uncle Ming; at least Uncle Ming had let him stay here this entire time.

“Did you cause trouble or offend someone? A guard of Stillwater Commandery has come in search of you.” The bald-headed, middle-aged Uncle Ming was utterly frantic right now.

“Ah?!” Roch shook his head. “I haven’t.” Uncle Ming hurriedly said, “Enough talk. Hurry, go see him.” Although he had safely secured this quiet, secluded little residence for himself in Stillwater City, compared to the exalted Marquisate of Stillwater…he was like an ant in front of a divine dragon. No – he wasn’t even an ant. He was nothing more than a speck of sand.

Roch, his face covered with puzzlement and unease, quickly appeared before the gates of the estate. In front of the gates, there were two armored Zifu Disciple guards, and next to them was a white-robed youth. The two guards were standing behind this white-robed youth.

Upon seeing this, although he felt terror in his heart, Roch also felt a hint of bitterness. “To be able to have guards of the Marquis of Stillwater stand behind me…how long will it be before I can be at this level?” Roch felt sourness in his heart. “I’m not even able to join a school right now. Not a single school wants me. How long will it be before I am able to continue walking down my Immortal path!?”

The tall, skinny, white-robed man, upon seeing Roch, immediately revealed a smile. “Are you Brother Meng Roch?” “Brother…Meng Roch?” Roch stared. The bald Uncle Ming, by his side, was astonished as well. He hurriedly said, “Yes, he’s Meng Roch.”

The tall, skinny, white-robed man laughed. “My name is Cloudship. I have come on the orders of my master, Ji Ning, to invite you, Brother Meng Roch, to the Black-White College.”





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Book 8, Chapter 4 - A Sturdy Base


Meng Roch was completely stunned. Ji Ning? Of course he knew Ji Ning. This was the man who had saved his life. In the Carefree Caverns, he had watched as Ji Ning and another youth were welcomed with great splendor.

“Might I ask who your master, Ji Ning, is?” Roch was somewhat hesitant. Was this the same Ji Ning he knew?

“My master is a formal disciple of the Black-White College.” The tall, skinny, white-robed Cloudship laughed. “When he entered the Black-White College, he consecutively defeated multiple senior fellow disciples, and even several Wanxiang Adepts were defeated by him. Brother Meng Roch, my master has invited you to go; will you go?”

“Go? Of course he’ll go.” The bald Uncle Ming, standing nearby, immediately urged Roch to go. At the same time, he sent Roch mentally, “Rocky, your stroke of good fortune has arrived! That Ji Ning is a monstrous talent and has successfully entered the Black-White College as a formal disciple. The formal disciples of the Black-White College are permitted ten retainer positions, and by the look of things, this youth is one of them. If Ji Ning is inviting you to go…it’s very possible that you’ve received one of those ten positions.”

Roch, hearing this mental transmission, was shocked. One of the ten formal retainerships for a formal disciple? The Black-White College was an incomparably exalted place; it was the most powerful school of the entire Stillwater Commandery, and a place where peerless geniuses gathered! Even the retainers of the peerless geniuses, as long as they worked hard and rendered merits unto the school, would have the chance to learn some truly top-tier Ki Refining techniques. This was far better than being a formal disciple of the Thousand Rivers School.

It must be understood that those extremely large schools were divided into outer court disciples, inner court disciples, main disciples, and the most supreme, core disciples. There were multiple layers of status. In the Black-White College, however, there were only formal disciples and retainers; two layers. Thus, even retainerships were positions that were deeply coveted.

“I’ll have a chance to enter the Black-White College?” Roch’s heart was filled with all sorts of ideas. “Uh, Brother Meng Roch?” Cloudship said with a touch of urgency. “Ah?!” Roch frantically nodded. “Go, go, of course I’ll go.”

The Black-White College. Cloudship and Roch had both transformed into streaks of light and were flying in the air. “Look. That is Darknorth Peak, the place where my master, Ji Ning, resides.” Cloudship pointed towards a distant, elegant mountain peak.

Ever since he passed through the formal gates of the Black-White College, Roch’s mind was filled with all sorts of wild thoughts. He…he had actually entered the Black-White College? The nearby Cloudship really was one of the ten retainers?

Whoosh. The two charged down into the courtyard, quickly landing outside of its gates. The two young gate guards outside the gate all saluted respectfully.

“There is such a thick elemental aura here.” After stepping into the courtyard, Roch could sense an incomparably dense elemental aura presence. “The elemental aura in Stillwater City is already dense enough as it is, but this estate actually has a ki-gathering formation that is operating at all times.”

Roch was now growing rather nervous. Cloudship was leading him through a hallway, and they soon passed through a door, at which point they arrived at a wide, spacious estate. In the center of this estate, there was a fur-clad youth, who had a peerlessly bewitching beauty by his side, waiting on him.

It was already very late at night. The figure of the fur-clad youth seemed quite blurry and unclear.

“Brother Ji Ning!” Roch, upon seeing the fur-clad youth, couldn’t help but blurt these words out. “Rocky!” Ning rose to his feet and walked over.

Roch was rather reserved and nervous right now. This was no longer the same Ji Ning who had come to this city alongside him in search of a school. This was a formal disciple of the Black-White College, the number one school of the entire Stillwater Commandery. And, from what Cloudship said…it seemed as though even in the Black-White College, Ji Ning was quite the standout.