Desolate Era (Book 6 - Book 10)

“Compared to you, young master, I’m still quite inferior,” Ji Mo said respectfully.

“If you are willing,” Ning suddenly said, “You can come here and stay here whenever you please.” Ji Mo was stunned. Instantly, he revealed a look of joy on his face. In the past, he had knelt down to beg Ji Ning to accept him as disciple, but at that time, Ning was focused on his own pursuit of the Dao, and didn’t have any time to spare. Now that Ning had chosen to permanently stay here at Serpentwing Lake…he was naturally willing to occasionally make the time to provide some guidance to the most talented younger members of the Ji clan. This could be considered a way in which he would help the Ji clan train future experts.

Suddenly…

“Is junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning present?” A very familiar voice rang out, echoing throughout the entire Serpentwing Lake.

“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning?”

“Someone who addresses our young master as ‘junior apprentice-brother’?” Autumn Leaf revealed a look of amazement.

“Someone who is addressing the island master as junior apprentice-brother?” The many maids and servants who lived on Brightheart Island all revealed looks of amazement. The ‘island master’ was, of course, the master of Brightheart Island, Ji Ning.

“Junior apprentice-brother?”

Instantly, everyone in the Serpentwing Lake area was puzzled and curious. Only a very few of them knew that Ning had joined the Black-White College, and they were able to guess at the truth: “Most likely, a member of the Black-White College has come.”

Upon hearing this voice, Ning also lifted his head in surprise, staring towards the source of the voice. A masted ship soared towards them from the distance, with two beautiful, indistinct figures atop it.

“Ning, son, it seems to be two of your senior apprentice-sisters,” the Whitewater Hound sent. “You really are formidable. As soon as you came back, you managed to get two of your senior apprentice-sisters to chase after you all the way here.”

Ning stared at Uncle White. “They are just passing through and paying their respects.” Uncle White just snickered.

Ning lifted his head, staring towards the distant ship. He said softly, “But it really is a coincidence. As soon as I left my seclusion, they arrived.”

Swoosh. Ning immediately flew into the skies to go greet them. “Senior apprentice-sister Ninelotus, senior apprentice-sister Qingqing.” In the skies above Serpentwing Lake were the blue-robed Ninelotus and the silver-robed Qingqing. They, too, flew over.

“We learned from junior apprentice-brother Twinwood that you, junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, were living here,” Ninelotus laughed. “We are out adventuring and just so happened to go past Swallow Mountain, so we decided to come and pay a visit. Junior apprentice-brother, you really have quite the eye; you actually chose such a beautiful place! This vast Serpentwing Lake, and that island in the center of the lake; they are all quite lovely.”

Ning turned to look. Indeed; light rippled off the waves, which appeared as beautiful as jade, and the countless flowers and grassy areas on the central island, along with the various pavilions, made it look like a true utopia, a peach garden beyond the mortal world.

“Senior apprentice-sister, you don’t know this, but this used to be the territory of a monster,” Ning said with a laugh. “Afterwards, I eradicated that monster, and our Ji clan arranged for quite a few people to spend a long period of time renovating the place. Only then was the previously monster-infested island changed to its current appearance. My two senior apprentice-sisters, let’s not chat in the air. Come, let me show you around my island and show you some hospitality.”

“Let’s go.”

Ninelotus and Qingqing, along with Ji Ning, immediately flew down. The mortal maids of Brightheart Island all murmured to themselves, “Wow…as Immortal fairies!”

“They are flying.”

“They are so beautiful.”

“Goddesses!”

All of the mortals were extremely excited.

Ning’s group of three quickly descended. The Azure Skysnake and the Whitewater Hound came over at this time as well. “These two Diremonsters are the ones which junior apprentice-brother Twinwood spoke of, right? The Azure Skysnake, ‘Qingqing’, and the Whitewater Hound, ‘Uncle White’?” Ninelotus laughed.

“What?! Qingqing!?” The nearby, silver-robed maiden instantly stared.

“Right, Qingqing, she’s also named Qingqing.” Ninelotus choked back a laugh. She had been waiting, a long, long time to say these words; she had been eagerly anticipating the meeting between these two Qingqings.





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Book 9, Chapter 21 - Life With Ninelotus


“My name is Luo Qing.” The silver-robed maiden stared at the Azure Skysnake.

The Azure Skysnake replied, “My name is Ji Qingqing.”

And then, they began to laugh and chat amongst themselves. These two ‘Qingqings’ grew quite close to each other. From this day forward, Ninelotus and Luo Qing began to temporarily live at Brightheart Island.

Only at nightfall did the snowfall come to a halt. In the sword-training terrace of Brightheart Island.

“Young master.” Ji Mo was incomparably respectful, and his eyes were filled with anticipation and eagerness. “Please provide me with some guidance.”

Ning stood with hands clasped behind his back, not too far away. With but a thought, he instantly created multiple waterflame swords out of nowhere through his elemental ki. These waterflame swords were incomparably fierce, and they began to swirl around Ji Mo. Ji Mo’s face changed…although Ning had merely activated the power of the natural world, it was still enough to cause a Xiantian lifeform to be in tremendous danger.

“Condense.” Ning’s eyes flashed as he looked at the manifestations of sword-ki. The many waterflame swords in midair quickly condensed into a single, massive lotus of sword-ki that was many tens of meters in diameter. The sword-ki had formed into a blooming lotus which had completely surrounded Ji Mo.

“Ji Mo,” Ning said. “This lotus of sword-ki contains some elementary tricks and knacks of the sword. There are a total of ninety one lotus petals that are revolving around you, each of which has a different type of sword-ki…what you need to do is destroy all of the lotus petals. Only after you destroy all of the lotus petals can you be said to have truly gained a basic level of expertise in the sword.”

“Can it be that I can’t be said to have reached even a basic level of expertise? But I reached the ‘one with the world’ level long ago,” Ji Mo couldn’t refrain from saying.

“You haven’t even gained a hint of the True Meaning of the Dao; how can you be considered to have reached a basic level of expertise?” Ning shook his head, then sat down nearby, leisurely pouring himself a cup of wine. While drinking some of this wine that Autumn Leaf had specially prepared, he pondered on the fourth stance of the [Three-Foot Sword].

Right at this moment…

“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning.” From afar, a woman walked over; it was Ninelotus and Luo Qing. In terms of appearance, they were absolutely the most beautiful women here at Brightheart Lake, and in terms of aura? They were disciples of the Black-White College! Luo Qing’s aura was quite unique, while Ninelotus was an incomparably dazzling figure even within the Black-White College who had drawn quite a few suitors.

Ning turned to glance at them, then hurriedly rose to his feet. “Senior apprentice-sisters Ninelotus and Luo Qing.”

“You are training your clan members?” Ninelotus glanced with interest towards the enormous lotus of sword-ki, as well as Ji Mo, who was striving to attack the lotus petals from the center of the lotus.