Chapter 36: Facing Battle

Within the protective range of the formations of the Flying Feather Tower in Tianmu City, a figure in a magnificent black robe with fiery red hair and eyes—‘Daoist Kongsa’—sat cross-legged to one side, eyes closed, waiting silently. He had been guarding the entrance for over two years, ready to sense Ji Ning the moment he dared to come out.

“Daoist Kongsa is waiting right here?”

“What can be done? That white-robed Daoist keeps hiding inside the Flying Feather Tower and won’t come out. No matter how powerful Daoist Kongsa is, he wouldn’t dare provoke the Dao Alliance.”

Some of the attendants inside the tower chatted among themselves.

“Is that white-robed Daoist going to hide in the Flying Feather Tower for a chaos cycle, and Daoist Kongsa will wait here for a chaos cycle?”

“Hard to say! But that white-robed Daoist seems to be only a Second Step Daoist, right at a critical point in his cultivation. He can’t hide that long, can he?”

“Even if it affects his cultivation, hiding at least lets him live! If he comes out, he’ll lose his life.”

They muttered.

These attendants were only at the World level, yet they were very interested in the clash between top-tier Daoists. Such a clash would surely spread far and wide. Just as when Daoist Wanshen had once pursued Emperor Melobo, the tale was passed down for endless ages, so too would the matter between Ji Ning and Daoist Kongsa—though perhaps not for quite so long—still become a topic of conversation for a short time.

After all, one side was the heaven-defying ‘Daoist Kongsa,’ while the other, though merely a Second Step Daoist, was a prodigy who could easily slay Third Step Daoists, with true strength likely at the Fourth Step Daoist level.

Both sides were powerful enough to make for good gossip.

“Eh?”

“That is—”

“Am I seeing things?”

Some attendants inside the Flying Feather Tower stared in shock at a figure in white robes, carrying a black divine sword on his back, walking out from the inner corridor. The appearance? The clothing? And the aura? It was the other party in this incident—the mysterious white-robed Daoist.

“He actually came out? He dares to come out?”

“Doesn’t he want to live?”

“It’s impossible to come out knowing he’ll die; he must have some backing.” These attendants and some guests watched curiously. Most of the guests were Daoists, and a few were even Fourth Step Daoists, but none dared to interfere in this matter. After all, Daoist Kongsa had waited outside for over two years, showing how heavy his killing intent was.

…

Ji Ning glanced at the attendants and Daoists, smiled, and walked toward the entrance of the Flying Feather Tower.

Stepping out, he saw Daoist Kongsa in his black magnificent robe, still sitting cross-legged at the entrance.

“Daoist Kongsa, you really have patience,” Ji Ning said.

Daoist Kongsa opened his eyes. The sharpness in his fiery red eyes would make any ordinary Daoist feel oppressed. He grinned with a sinister, cold smile: “Kid, I thought you’d hide inside for a few chaos cycles. I didn’t expect you to come out so soon.”

“If I hid inside for a few chaos cycles, would you wait for me outside for a few chaos cycles?” Ji Ning asked in surprise.

“I have plenty of patience,” Daoist Kongsa said calmly. “Time means little to me. When my limit comes, that will be the time for my Dao-Heading.”

“You really have too much free time,” Ji Ning shook his head.

A few chaos cycles?

He himself had only been cultivating for a short time. Daoist Kongsa might have the patience to wait, but Ji Ning did not have the patience to hide.

…

The attendants and guests inside the Flying Feather Tower watched curiously as the two outside conversed. One wore a magnificent black robe, the other white robes. One had a more domineering and evil aura, while the other was restrained and ordinary. Yet everyone understood that such a prodigious Daoist could not possibly be ordinary; all sharpness was merely concealed.

“That white-robed Daoist shows no fear at all.”

“Their words are quite confrontational.”

The attendants and guests listened, and couldn’t help but admire the white-robed Daoist, who seemed to be at a disadvantage.

…

“Too much free time? You don’t understand. This waiting is also a tempering of the mind, a kind of cultivation.” Daoist Kongsa showed no anger, his gaze still icy. “So, are you going to stay within the protective formation?” Both he and Ji Ning were within the protective formation of the Flying Feather Tower, where fighting was strictly forbidden.

“I’m not as bored as you; I wouldn’t come out just to toy with you,” Ji Ning shook his head. “I’m going out now. If you have the skill, come.”

Swoosh.

Ji Ning transformed into a streak of light and instantly flew out of the formation’s range.

“Hmph.” Daoist Kongsa’s aura suddenly surged, and he vanished, turning into black mist that also spread beyond the formation, rolling toward Ji Ning in the distance.

Ji Ning glanced back from midair.

The black mist billowed, spreading toward him. Just seeing it gave Ji Ning a strong sense of threat.

“Now is not the time to fight you,” Ji Ning thought to himself. With a wave of his hand, a black flying boat appeared beside him, shaped like a sword tip, exuding a startling sharpness.

Whoosh.

Ji Ning entered the flying boat.

“Go.” Piloting the boat, its speed suddenly surged, soaring to a hundred times the speed of light.

“What?” A human face immediately appeared in the rolling black mist behind, gazing at the black flying boat. “He has a flying boat treasure that can reach the hundredfold speed limit of the Dao?”

A hundred times the Dao limit.

What did that speed represent?

The Dao Divine Thunder moved at that speed! It was a nearly insurmountable limit for life-and-death Daoists. Many prodigious Daoists on the verge of Dao-Heading were far from reaching such speed. Kongsa himself could only manage thirty-six times the speed of light. Even Palace Lord Li Xing, with his incredible achievements in the Dao of the Saber, relying solely on his own Dao realm, could only reach fifty times the speed of light.

Even for Daoists who specialized in the ‘Dao of Lightning,’ ‘Dao of Wind,’ or ‘Dao of Light’ in terms of speed, and were quite heaven-defying, reaching a hundred times the speed of light was already remarkable.

Surpassing a hundred times the speed of light? That would represent an almost inconceivable achievement purely in speed.

Consider that for flying treasures, the flying boat Ji Ning had purchased already represented the limit of treasures! The maximum speed a treasure could fly was a hundred times the speed of light. To go faster would require the cultivator’s own power. Even most Eternal Emperors could not reach a hundred times the speed of light.

“A hundredfold Dao limit speed?” Daoist Kongsa was truly shocked, then his killing intent surged. “Good, it seems this kid has quite a few treasures, even more than most Fourth Step Daoists.”

According to public records, sixteen Fourth Step Daoists had died at Daoist Kongsa’s hands.

He quite enjoyed killing enemies and taking their treasures.

“With such a flying boat, no wonder he dared to come out. But in the end, he lacks experience,” Daoist Kongsa sneered. “Rise!”

…

Ji Ning piloted the flying boat at top speed, almost instantly rushing out of Tianmu City. But suddenly—

“Rise.” An icy voice sounded across a range of billions of miles.

“Rumble~~~”

From distant directions, formation plates that had been hidden in the void suddenly appeared. Each plate emitted blazing light, and immense power quickly connected, forming a completely sealed barrier world spanning billions of miles.

“What?” Ji Ning’s expression changed.

“Hahaha…” The black mist condensed back into Daoist Kongsa in his magnificent black robe. He sneered, “Kid, you think you can fight me? I knew that when you came out, you would have some preparations. You have preparations? Don’t I? Around Tianmu City, I set up four grand formations. No matter which direction you fled, you would eventually fall into my formation. Now the formation is sealed, space is frozen. No matter how fast you are, you can’t escape! You… only have death ahead!”

Ji Ning, inside the flying boat, looked at Daoist Kongsa in the distance and sneered, “Daoist Kongsa, I didn’t expect that while watching me, you would secretly set up four sealing formations without my notice.”

“I thought you would have the Flying Feather Tower attendants watch me, so I kept guard outside,” Daoist Kongsa shook his head. “At the same time, I ordered my senior disciple to quietly set up the formations. Now it seems I overestimated you.”

“You really went to great lengths,” Ji Ning shook his head.

“And still so calm at this point?” Daoist Kongsa sneered. “Accept death.”

Boom~~~~

He flew at high speed toward Ji Ning, black mist spreading around his robe, moving very fast.

But no matter how fast, he was not as fast as Ji Ning.

“Swoosh.” The black flying boat easily left the opponent far behind. Ji Ning’s voice rang out, “Daoist Kongsa, even though we’re inside the sealing formation, if you just chase me like this, you’ll never catch me, no matter how long you chase.”

“Is that so?” Daoist Kongsa shouted, “Disciple, come out.”

Whoosh.

From another part of the sealing formation, a figure suddenly appeared, passing through the barrier. It was a green-robed alien woman, surrounded by green mist that made the space hiss and crackle.

“Disciple, you block from the other end, and I’ll intercept from this side. We’ll trap and kill him,” Daoist Kongsa said directly, not caring if Ji Ning heard.

“Yes, Master,” the green-robed alien woman replied.

…