Desolate Era (Book 6 - Book 10)

“Your name will be known throughout Stillwater Commandery. All of the major powers will known of you and will spread your fame.” Truekeep was excited as well.

The Ji clan was merely a minor power, located in Swallow Mountain. And yet, it had produced someone like Ji Ning. Someone capable of forcing a Primal Daoist like Daoist Snowplume to voluntarily retreat…this battle could be described as the battle which truly established Ji Ning’s reputation. His fame would be spread throughout the region; after all, he hadn’t battled a mere middle-stage Primal Daoist, or an ordinary, unaffiliated practitioner. Daoist Snowplume was a truly formidable figure!

“It wasn’t bad. I didn’t achieve victory, after all,” Ning said. “That Daoist Snowplume is truly formidable as well; if I were to truly battle him, it’s hard to say who would win.”

This was the truth.

It was true that Daoist Snowplume hadn’t really gone all out. Upon realizing that even his supreme technique, the ‘Binary Commingling’ was unable to do anything to Ning, he had immediately retreated. If this had been a true life-or-death battle, however, Daoist Snowplume wouldn’t have been so stingy in his usage of the skywater in his body; he would have wildly filled the skies with it as he attacked Ning, while also controlling flying swords to attack. Ning, in turn, wouldn’t have tried to avoid injuries and would have wildly fought back.

As a Fiendgod practitioner, for Ning, injuries were a minor thing. Thus, in a true life-or-death battle, Ning would’ve had a higher chance of victory! But that was just hypothetical; after all, no one knew what sort of treasures Daoist Snowplume carried with him.

“Master, don’t be so humble. You beat him into running away! You are a Fiendgod Body Refiner…I refuse to believe that he would dare fight with you to the death. When two combatants who are on par with each other fight, and when one is a Fiendgod Refiner while the other is a Ki Refiner, it will generally be the Ki Refiner who dies.” Little Qing was incomparably excited.

Aboard the distant warship, soaring through the skies.

Daoist Snowplume could still feel his heart trembling. When a Fiendgod practitioner whose power was on par with his had charged straight towards him…that was like death sweeping directly for him. He had been so terrified, he had immediately used an evasive technique.

The nearby Adept Xu Ke and the gray-robed man didn’t even dare to make a sound.

“Disciple,” Daoist Snowplume said, looking at Adept Xu Ke, “Go and have your Xu clan immediately evacuate from Swallow Mountain. Ideally, avoid any and all trouble with the Ji clan in the future. Although Snowdragon Mountain doesn’t fear them, they don’t need to fear Snowdragon Mountain either.”

“Yes,” Adept Xu Ke immediately said.

“Soon, the news of this battle will be spread throughout the entire Stillwater Commandery.” Daoist Snowplume shook his head. “I truly didn’t expect…that I, Snowplume, would end up becoming a stepping stone for another’s rise to fame.”





* * *





Book 9, Chapter 36 - Famous Throughout Stillwater


Daoist Snowplume, as someone capable of reaching the Primal Daoist level, was no fool. He knew very well…that given Ji Ning’s monstrous rate of improvement, this was someone that he absolutely could not be enemies with. Ning had only been alive for thirty short years, but he was already comparable to Daoist Snowplume, who had trained for a thousand years!

“All of you, listen clearly.” Daoist Snowplume swept the crowd with his gaze. “You are absolutely not permitted to antagonize Ji Ning! If you do, even my Snowdragon Mountain will find it difficult to protect you!”

All of them assented. Nobody who had witnessed the earlier battle had the courage to go antagonize Ji Ning.

News of this battle spread with astonishing speed. Daoist Snowplume didn’t issue an order of silence to his subordinates, because he knew that even if Snowdragon Mountain didn’t spread the news, the Ji clan would. Given the situation, it was best for them to pretend to ignore it all and allow the news to spread.

“Given this Ji Ning’s rate of improvement, I imagine that very soon, he will become even more illustrious and famous. For me to be the stepping-stone to fame for someone like him…it’s not that embarrassing…” This was how Daoist Snowplume tried to console himself.

The news quickly spread to the center of the entire Stillwater Commandery; Stillwater City. Amongst Ning’s friends, the first to receive word was, naturally, Northmont Baiwei.

“Hahaha, good, good, good!” Baiwei excitedly slapped his desk, causing the fruit platters and wine bottles atop it to rattle, then tumble to the floor. The nearby musicians were badly startled by this sudden act.

“Piao An.” Baiwei looked at the messenger servant, who was kneeling before him. He immediately beamed and said, “You have rendered a great merit by delivering this report. I shall award you ten taels of liquefied elemental essence.” He immediately tossed a jade bottle over.

The servant before him, who had just reached the Zifu Disciple level, accepted it with great excitement. This was an intelligence report that came from the spy network of Northmont Blacktiger’s estate; he was nothing more than a messenger boy. And yet, just like that, he had acquired ten taels of liquefied elemental essence; clearly, young master Baiwei was exceedingly delighted.

“My brother, Ji Ning, truly is formidable. Formidable. Formidable!” Baiwei excitedly stalked back and forth within his hall. “How long has it been? Just ten years since he entered the Black-White College? He’s only a peak Wanxiang Adept, and yet he’s already capable of forcing Daoist Snowplume into a retreat and to relocate his local Snowdragon Mountain branch. Clearly, Daoist Snowplume has lowered his head!”

“Amongst the third generation disciples of the Black-White College, I imagine that only the likes of the Sloppy Daoist and Holyfire are capable of matching my brother Ji Ning.”

“But the Sloppy Daoist and Holyfire have all trained for at least two centuries, while Ji Ning has only trained for thirty years.” Baiwei was delighted for his friend…and he felt all the more convinced that he had truly hit the jackpot when he had decided to become friends with Ji Ning.

The excited Baiwei suddenly saw, out of the corner of his eye, the pole-axed, stupefied group of musicians. Only now did he remember that he was actually listening to a private concert.

“Out, out, all of you.” Baiwei waved his hand. The musicians, including his maidservant, all bowed and departed.

Baiwei’s eyes were filled with anticipation. “I hope that Brother Ji Ning isn’t going to trip and fall on his Immortal path…given his rate of improvement, which is vastly superior to that of the Sloppy Daoist and Holyfire, and even vastly superior to most reincarnated Immortals…as long as he doesn’t die, when he becomes an Immortal, he will definitely become a top-tier Immortal. By then…I’ll truly have a powerful supporter by my side.”

The news also quickly made its way to the Black-White College. Daoist Flowcloud, also known as Chen Jin, had just returned from a relaxing trip to the Carefree Caverns. He was feeling quite rested and relaxed, and had just flown back into and landed within his own mountain estate.

“Senior apprentice-brother, senior apprentice-brother.”

“Senior apprentice-brother Flowcloud.”

Two of his ten retainers, both female, immediately came to greet him.