Desolate Era (Book 6 - Book 10)

“Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, why did you decide to come here to my place?” Northson laughed. “Normally, it’s quite rare to see you come out.”


“I was just approved by master to go out adventuring in the outside world.” Ning revealed a smile.

“Really? Wonderful!” Northson instantly began to celebrate. “I’ve waited for this day for over a year now. Two years after I joined, my master gave me permission to go out adventuring. You are so strong, senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, but you spent three years in training. Immortal Diancai really is extremely exacting towards you.”

Ning laughed. After receiving the nod from his master, Daoist Jadefine, Northson had immediately come to find Ning. But Ning hadn’t been able to leave…and so Northson had tamped down his impatience. He didn’t want to go out wandering all by his lonely self; he wanted a companion. If two brothers went out adventuring together, at least they wouldn’t be too lonely.

And so, he had waited…all the way until today.

“Oh, oh, I need to go to my master and bid her farewell,” Northson said hurriedly. “Go, go,” Ning said. “Your master dotes on you so much, you really should have a good chat with her before leaving.”

The master of Northson, Daoist Jadefine, did indeed dote on him. First of all, the entire Black-White College had very, very few people who focused on the Dao of Constructs; it was rare for her to find such a wonderful disciple. And secondly, Daoist Jadefine had been stuck at the Primal Daoist level for many years. The assaults of the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations had grown increasingly difficult for her to withstand, and she was close to her limit. A person close to the end of her years, upon suddenly taking on such a talented disciple who was so young…Daoist Jadefine naturally doted fiercely on this disciple of hers.

After he had entered her tutelage, Daoist Jadefine had given Northson five hundred kilograms of liquefied elemental essence. Thus, Northson had, at one go, trained all the way to the middle Wanxiang stage. Even in the Black-White College, this was incredibly rare!

The unspoken rule of the Black-White College was that masters would not give their disciples too many treasures; instead, they would provide guidance to them. The College would place those special Ki Refining techniques and divine abilities in the vault, and as the disciples rose in power, for example reaching the ‘Dao Domain’ level, they would then be able to go acquire those techniques.

Even though a mountain of gold or a silver was right there in front of them, the disciples were to go dig for them themselves. Only then would they acquire them. Divine abilities, secret arts; they were all there. However, had to train in earnest and make improvements before acquiring them.

If one didn’t have to work hard and didn’t make any improvements, and yet still received everything one wanted? This would result in a useless, hedonistic son of rich parents. Thus, the unspoken rule.

A master could help, could guide, could lead by the hand. But the disciple had to go out and struggle for himself! It was extremely rare for someone like Daoist Jadefine to give five hundred kilograms of liquefied elemental essence to a disciple. However, that was also the limit of Daoist Jadefine’s doting on Northson; in other aspects, such as in handing out black-white pellets, she didn’t wantonly give him things.

“Right.” Northson nodded. “Senior apprentice-brother, go back to your own place for now. I’ll go visit Master, then make some preparations…tomorrow, I’ll come seek you out, senior apprentice-brother. We’ll head out tomorrow morning and leave the Black-White College.”

“Alright.” Ning nodded. Northson immediately produced the Azure Dragon construct out of nowhere. Boarding it, he rapidly soared into the skies and disappeared.

“Junior apprentice-brother Northson has gone to visit his master.” Ning boarded his own flying boat, soaring into the skies. As he did so, he turned to glance towards Immortal Diancai’s residence.

“Master. Your disciple definitely will not let you down.”





* * *





Book 8, Chapter 8 - Entering the Raindragon Guard


The next morning, at dawn. Darknorth Peak.

“Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, I want to go alongside with you. I can pour tea for you and service you.” Cloudjade looked expectantly at Ning.

“We are going out in the world to adventure and to test ourselves. There will be countless dangers. This isn’t tourism! You had best just stay here calmly at the Black-White College.” Ning looked towards his retainers; Meng Roch, Cloudjade, Cloudship, Forgard, Weifang, and Nethersun. “After I leave the Black-White College, all matters here at Darknorth Peak, great and small, will be managed by Meng Roch.”

Cloudship and the others, upon hearing this, were all rather amazed. Roch? The weakest amongst them was most likely Roch. The others had all improved in strength, but because Roch’s ki foundation had been damaged, he had been forced to divide his attention and also train as a Fiendgod. For now, at least, he was the weakest of them.

“Yes, senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning.” Cloudjade and the others all acknowledged the order.

“Rocky. I entrust Darknorth Peak to you.” Ning looked towards Roch. The tall, swarthy Roch nodded solemnly. “Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, don’t worry at all.”

Ning suddenly raised his head. From afar, a streak of light was flying over. It was Mu Northson, riding on his Azure Dragon construct. Northson called out towards him from afar, “Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning!”

“Let’s go, Uncle White.” The flying boat appeared next to Ning, and the Whitewater Hound ambled into the boat. The two of them, a man and a large, snowy white hound, immediately soared into the air, moving to join with the distant Northson, aboard his flying dragon. Soon, they all disappeared into the distant mountain peaks.

………..

Ning, Northson, and the Whitewater Hound walked out from the main gates of the Black-White College. “The next time we return,” Northson said, “We will be even more powerful.” Northson turned to look at the gates of the school, his eyes filled with anticipation and desire. He said softly, “And I’m going to bring back a pile of techniques and arts which the College doesn’t have…I’ve grown sick of not having enough black-white pellets, and of the pain of not having enough of them to trade for all sorts of golem-related arts.”

The Black-White College had a sea of techniques and arts; where did they all come from? Naturally, they had been accumulated over the years by its disciples, who had brought them back after adventuring in the outside world. When the disciples offered new techniques and arts, they would receive corresponding rewards in black-white pellets and liquefied elemental essence!

Ning actually had two extremely powerful techniques which he could offer to the College; the first was his divine ability, the [Windwing Evasion], while the second was the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation]. The entire school only had five divine abilities; from this, one could see how rare they were. This divine ability, however, had been passed down from generation to generation by the Yuchi clan, and even his mother had told him that it was not to be given to outsiders. How could he so casually give it up?

As for the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], that was something he could make his own decision on, but he had already left the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] to the Ji clan; in the future, the Ji clan would rely on it to rise to prominence. His father had given his entire life for the Ji clan, and Ning had grown up within the clan ever since he was young. He felt a powerful sense of loyalty to the clan. For now, Ning still needed to seriously consider as to whether or not he was to give such a powerful, consummate technique to the College.