Desolate Era (Book 6 - Book 10)

In the distant Highwater Commandery. The Dongyan Mountains. Within a quiet, secluded cave.

A snowy white-robed Ninelotus was seated in the lotus position atop a boulder. She had been trapped within this Myriad Lotuses Cave for nearly nine years now. Almost every day, she came to try and break through the formation, but the formation set down by the Forefather of the Dongyan clan was a reflection of one’s Dao-heart; to break the formation, one had to thoroughly comprehend one’s own Dao-heart and to thoroughly understand one’s self!

Ninelotus had never been successful.

“Mistress, mistress.” A voice rang out from outside.

Ninelotus opened her eyes. “What is it?” Although she couldn’t leave, her servants could still bring her news from the outside world through the most simplest of methods; by standing outside the cave and shouting towards her.

“Mistress, we just received word that the Ji clan of Swallow Mountain has forced the local branch of Snowdragon Mountain to leave. This caused one of the three Patriarchs of Snowdragon Mountain, Daoist Snowplume, to be angered and personally make a trip to Serpentwing Lake. However, that Ji Ning wasn’t willing to lower his head at all, and so he and Daoist Snowplume got into a battle,” the servant said.

Ninelotus was instantly furious, frantic, and concerned. “That idiot! How could he be so forceful about it? That’s a peak Primal Daoist!”

“Daost Snowplume used his supreme techniques with the Binary Diffraction Swords to battle against Ji Ning, but Ji Ning used his divine ability to transform into a thirty meter tall giant. He unleashed an incomparably astonishing sword technique…and was actually able to force Daoist Snowplume to voluntarily retreat, and even lower his head and have the Swallow Mountain branch leave,” the servant said.

“What?!” Ninelotus was astonished.





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Book 9, Chapter 37 - Leaving the Myriad Lotuses Cave


Ninelotus was truly surprised. Although she felt great admiration for Ji Ning, the young, handsome, fragile-looking Ning made her think of her own younger brothers. Ninelotus felt an almost maternally protective instinct towards Ning, and the fact that he loved to lie in his boat and drift above the waters of Serpentwing Lake further stirred the soft feelings inside her.

She knew that Ning was extremely talented, but she hadn’t expected him to be this talented. His level of monstrousness had already surpassed what even she had imagined.

“The Black-White College has three reincarnated Immortals at the Wanxiang Level. Senior apprentice-sister Yu Wei has spent the least amout of time training, while the other two reincarnated Immortals have trained for more than ninety years. Ji Ning has only trained for thirty, but he’s already comparable to the two of them, and perhaps even stronger.” Ninelotus suddenly began to feel a bit of panic in her heart.

It was as though her Ji Ning had surpassed the limits of what she could comprehend and control.

“What’s going on with me?”

“Why am I panicking? Why am I so uneasy?”

Ninelotus immediately realized that her emotions were off. “For Ji Ning to be powerful is a good thing. Why am I so nervous and restless?”

She asked herself this question, over and over. She questioned herself repeatedly.

During the past nine years of her ‘imprisonment’ within the Myriad Lotuses Cave, she had continuously attempted to challenge the Dao-heart illumination formation which the Forefather of the Dongyan clan had left behind. Actually, she was already quite close to ‘comprehending her own heart’. Upon feeling uncontrollable nervousness and restlessness when learning that Ji Ning had forced a peak Primal Daoist to lower his head…she finally broke through the final barrier.

“This…is me?” Ninelotus suddenly calmed down. Her eyes no longer appeared lost; the only thing left was the calmness of the vast, endless sea. “So this is who I am.”

“I’m used to being in control.”

“I like to control everything.”

“I want to be in control of everything I am surrounded by. I am going to command the Dongyan clan and lead it to greater heights, to spread my name throughout the entire Grand Xia Dynasty.” Ninelotus murmured softly to herself. Ever since she was young, she had been ambitious, but she had never truly understood her own nature as clearly as she did now. In the past, she merely acted in accordance with her subconscious.

She had gone to be a disciple of the Black-White College because she wanted to prove herself, and prove to herself, that even without the assistance of the Forefather of the Dongyan clan, she was still capable of entering the likes of the Black-White College, where only supreme geniuses were admitted.

The reason why she had never been moved by Chen Jin was because there was no way she could control the ‘Chen clan’ which stood behind him. And thus, she subconsciously rejected his advances.

The reason she was moved by Ji Ning…was precisely because Ji Ning’s clan, the Ji clan, was very weak; thus, she was completely capable of controlling and guiding it. Ning himself was extremely talented, but his talent was still within the realm of what she, as the next leader of the Dongyan clan, was capable of controlling. So long as Ning did not become a Celestial Immortal, he would not be out of her sphere of control.

Most importantly of all…Ning’s parentage and history had truly moved her inner heart. She wanted to protect him.

“He’s even more powerful than I had predicted.” Understanding her own nature, Ninelotus now calmed down. “However, even if he truly does become a Celestial Immortal in the future…that’ll be something that happens many, many years from now. After so many years together, the affection between the two of us will become incomparably deep and stable.”

In her heart, Ninelotus didn’t truly believe in ‘love at first sight’.

She believed more in…love built up over time.

“The Forefather said that becoming Dao-companions means being willing to die for each other,” Ninelotus murmured to herself. “Perhaps I’m not yet able to do that for him, but in a thousand years, I believe that I will truly, whole-heartedly, be willing to die for him. He’ll be willing to die for me too.”

Ninelotus no longer hesitated; she immediately walked towards the grand formation. The grand formation of the Dao-heart had impeded Ninelotus for nearly nine years…but this time, it no longer did.

Ninelotus walked out of the Myriad Lotuses Cave.

“Mistress.” The female servant outside, upon seeing Ninelotus walk out, immediately knelt down in surprise and delight. “Congratulations and felicitations, mistress.”

Ninelotus smiled slightly.

That very day.

Ninelotus left the Highwater Commandery and the Dongyan Mountains, heading towards Swallow Mountain of Stillwater Commandery.

The sun was brilliant this day. The Forefather of the Dongyan clan, still leisurely fishing within the gorge, revealed a look of surprise on his face. He murmured softly to himself, “Ruyin, although she physically appears very similar to you, and on the surface has a temperament similar to yours…her true nature is completely opposite to yours. Ninelotus’ heart is far stronger and harder than yours. She truly was born to lead. It seems that when I chose her to be the next leader of the Dongyan clan…it was a choice that will lead the Dongyan clan to great glory.”

Serpentwing Lake. Brightheart Island.

Northmont Baiwei and Ji Ning were seated facing each other, toasting each other and laughing and chatting loudly and happily.

“Right! There’s one thing that you never found out about,” Baiwei suddenly said.