Chapter 42: The Blue Flame Sovereign (End of This Volume)

The gray-robed elder received the order and left.

“Giving away a Dao Alliance Immortal Palace token so readily—has he taken a liking to this little fellow?” asked the blue-haired elder.

“He’s only a Second Step Dao Lord now. If he becomes a Fourth Step Dao Lord, he’ll be of some use to me, truly worth recruiting.” Heavenly Wood Sovereign looked at the blue-haired elder and sighed. “Old friend Blue Flame, you are my true helper. We’ve faced life and death together many times. I advise you again: do not venture deeper into the Yuxing Sea. The regions already explored are terrifying enough. Those unknown lands could claim even our lives at any moment.”

“No.”

The blue-haired elder sighed. “We special lives are different from your Dao Alliance. Your Dao Alliance has an incomparably deep foundation—the other five sides combined cannot match it. So you can take it easy. But my special life clan must seek hope of survival. A Dominator is the pillar of our clan and cannot take risks. The Dao Lords are ultimately weaker. So it’s best for me to lead a team of Dao Lords to explore. Besides, I’ve grown tired of this endless lifespan. Maybe I’ll get lucky and greatly increase my strength deep in the Yuxing Sea. Haha, then you, Heavenly Wood, won’t be my match anymore.”

Heavenly Wood Sovereign felt a complex mix of emotions.

Dao Lords’ lifespans were far too short compared to theirs. Generation after generation of Dao Lords shone briefly but eventually died. Too few became Sovereigns, and even fewer became close friends of equal strength.

He and Blue Flame Sovereign, though belonging to different factions, were true kindred spirits.

“Blue Flame, your survival skills are formidable,” Heavenly Wood Sovereign said softly. “But don’t be too reckless. If things look bad, flee immediately! As for the Dao Lords under your command, if they die, they die. Don’t worry too much. After all, even if they don’t die in adventures, after a hundred thousand chaos cycles, almost all of these Dao Lords will be dead.”

“Haha, I came to say goodbye to you, old friend. Since everything has been said, I’ll take my leave. When I return from the Yuxing Sea, I’ll come find you for a drink.” Seeing Heavenly Wood Sovereign’s expression, Blue Flame Sovereign couldn’t help but laugh. “Haha, don’t worry. I’m not so easy to kill.”

Amid laughter,

Blue Flame Sovereign transformed into a blue flame and vanished without a trace.

Heavenly Wood Sovereign remained silent in midair for a long time.

“I want to help, but the Dao Alliance is not mine to command.” Heavenly Wood Sovereign shook his head and flew toward his cave.

…

Within Heavenly Wood City, one of the over a hundred thousand cave dwellings.

Those eternally old fellows had many thoughts, but for Dao Lords, they lived for the moment, indulging freely without restraint.

“A Second Step Dao Lord killed Kong Sa—even I couldn’t do that. Beiming, in my opinion, when you become a Fourth Step Dao Lord, you might be no less than me. Come, let’s drink.” Heavenly Axe Dao Lord bared his chest, covered in hair, holding a large black wine cup.

Ji Ning also held his cup: “I rely only on treasures. Brother Heavenly Axe, you rank in the top five of the endless territories. Catching up to you won’t be easy.”

“Top five? Fifth, you mean.” Heavenly Axe laughed heartily.

The Dao Lords chatted casually.

Mostly Ji Ning responded, while Fu Yi and Heavenly Axe talked. Fu Yi and Heavenly Axe had far more experiences, having been to many places. Ji Ning listened, greatly broadening his horizons. He marveled that some forbidden lands in the endless territories seemed even more mysterious than the ancient region of the other universe he had visited.

“The more you experience, the more you understand,” Fu Yi sighed. “But though adventure is good, it can also cost your life. This time, the three of us went in, but old friend Dongqi lost his life. Alas.”

“Dongqi Dao Lord is dead?” Ji Ning was shocked.

“Yes, he died over a thousand years ago.” Fu Yi nodded.

“We couldn’t do anything. We were all fleeing for our lives, unable to help ourselves.” Heavenly Axe shook his head lightly. “Dongqi was a bit slow, got surrounded, and died inside.”

Then Heavenly Axe laughed. “Death is nothing. Even if Dao Lords don’t die in adventures, almost all fail in Dao integration and perish. We venture into ancient lands seeking opportunities to comprehend a more perfect Dao, increasing our chances of success. And the thrill of adventure is truly stirring—recalling it brings joy.”

“We’ve been dealing with some treasures we obtained this time,” Fu Yi Dao Lord said to Ji Ning. “After we finish, we plan to visit Dongqi’s homeland to help settle things. I didn’t expect to encounter your matter, Junior Brother Beiming, before we set out. If you had been later, Heavenly Axe and I might have already left.”

“This is fate between us and Brother Beiming.” Heavenly Axe laughed.

“Senior Brother Fu Yi,” Ji Ning said quickly, “you’re going to Dongqi Dao Lord’s homeland?”

“Yes,” Fu Yi Dao Lord nodded. “When we were trapped in a desperate situation, we each spoke some last wishes. Whoever survived would help the dead fulfill them. Before Dongqi died, his only concern was his homeland.”

Ji Ning nodded and said, “Senior Brother Fu Yi, I’m currently wandering outside with no specific adventure in mind. Let me handle the trip to Dongqi Dao Lord’s homeland. I’ll take care of everything.”

Fu Yi and the others had come to help him. Though they couldn’t break the sealing formation and save him, their arrival was still a debt of gratitude.

Ji Ning naturally wanted to help in return.

Ji Ning knew of Dongqi Dao Lord’s homeland, the Dongqi Domain.

“You go?” Fu Yi Dao Lord and Heavenly Axe Dao Lord exchanged glances.

“If it were an ordinary Dao Lord, I might not be at ease,” Fu Yi Dao Lord said with a smile. “After all, some of the treasures we obtained from this adventure are meant for his homeland. But since you killed Kong Sa and took almost all his treasures, I doubt you’ll be tempted by these.”

Ji Ning smiled helplessly.

“Since you’ve offered, Junior Brother Beiming, I won’t refuse. Please do this favor.” Fu Yi Dao Lord said.

“Rest assured.” Ji Ning smiled.

“I’ll trouble you with these. Decide how to give them to Dongqi’s homeland.” Fu Yi Dao Lord handed over a storage bracelet.

Ji Ning took it. “Don’t worry.”

After a short while,

“A messenger from Heavenly Wood Sect has arrived.” Fu Yi Dao Lord turned to look down the corridor, where a gray-robed elder walked in.

The gray-robed elder looked at Ji Ning and said, “By order of the Sect Master, this Dao Alliance Immortal Palace token is given to Beiming Dao Lord.”

A token flew toward Ji Ning.

“This is?” Ji Ning reached out and caught it. The token was pitch black and ice-cold, covered in complex divine runes, with only one character—‘Soldier’.

The gray-robed elder turned and left.

Ji Ning was stunned. That was too abrupt.

“Congratulations, Junior Brother Beiming. This is a Dao Alliance Immortal Palace token, the lowest ‘Soldier’ token.” Fu Yi Dao Lord smiled. “When you become a Fourth Step Dao Lord and obtain a ‘General’ token, you can visit the Dao Alliance Immortal Palace and perhaps gain some benefits.”

“Oh? A ‘General’ token?” Ji Ning was curious.

“The Dao Alliance Immortal Palace is quite special. By status, the lowest are those with ‘Soldier’ tokens, but they are almost all formidable Fourth Step Dao Lords. The most extraordinary Dao Lords have a chance to obtain ‘General’ tokens.” Fu Yi Dao Lord said. “The Dao Alliance Immortal Palace is very mysterious. But for now, you’re just a small soldier. Visiting it would be pointless. With a ‘General’ token, it’s worth a trip.”

“Mm.” Ji Ning nodded.

It was the same everywhere.

The higher your status, the more you received.

“Normally, tokens are issued by the Dao Alliance Immortal Palace. This time, it was sent by Heavenly Wood Sect’s Sect Master, Heavenly Wood Sovereign. He’s one of the highest echelons of the Dao Alliance Immortal Palace and has the authority to do so. It seems Heavenly Wood Sovereign has taken notice of you. This could be a good thing or a bad thing.” Fu Yi Dao Lord smiled. “When your strength is weak, it’s best to stay away from internal strife in the Dao Alliance.”

“I understand.” Ji Ning nodded.

…

Ji Ning had come to Heavenly Wood City for the Nine Great Secret Arts. The incident with Kong Sa Dao Lord had delayed him by over two years. Now that matters were settled, after staying two days at Fu Yi Dao Lord’s place, Ji Ning took his leave, departed Heavenly Wood City, and set out for the Dongqi Domain.

(End of This Volume)