Chapter 15: Leave No One Behind

"Junior Brother Mu Si!" Dong Ziqi and the others watched as Mu Si's head flew up, their hearts turning cold. Earlier, when the eight of them had formed a combined formation, Ji Ning had still managed to kill two of them. Now, with only six of them in formation... after Ji Ning had broken through their layers of techniques, it was indeed easy for him to kill them.

"Kill."

"Fight him to the death."

The eagle-beaked man, the gray-robed elder, and the black-robed female cultivator all went mad. It wasn't that they didn't want to flee, but trapped in the great formation set by the Ji clan, where could they escape? Only by risking death might there be a glimmer of hope.

"Struggling is futile." Ji Ning strolled forward. The thick vines that had been wildly entangling him rapidly vanished into nothingness.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The rain fell like silk threads, and within the silken rain were strands of sword light from the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation, razor-sharp.

"Ah!" Though her body was shrouded in a hazy golden light, the black-robed female cultivator's eyes widened as a streak of sword light directly passed through her neck, sending her beautiful head flying.

Another one dead!

"Die!" The gray-robed elder's talisman transformed into a huge fire phoenix, which spread its wings and flew toward Ji Ning. But a wall of water formed by the rain around Ji Ning blocked the fire phoenix... Bang!!! The violent explosion shattered the water wall, causing Ji Ning's Waterfire Lotus to tremble.

Yet Ji Ning continued walking toward them step by step.

"Die." Ji Ning looked at the gray-robed elder. The elder's expression changed as he swung his large cloth banner behind him to block a strand of silken rain attacking from the rear.

Chi!

Another strand of silken rain passed through the gray-robed elder's brow, piercing his brain. Shock and fury in his eyes, he crashed to the ground.

"Two sword lights attacking you at once, and you still won't die?" Ji Ning willed it, and strands of sword light struck at the others.

"Junior Sister Lu, Senior Brother An, Junior Brother Mu."

"Junior Sister Lu!"

The remaining three—the eagle-beaked man, Dong Ziqi, and the lean man—turned pale. In an instant, three of their six were dead! The sword light transformed into silken rain was incredibly powerful, especially with the support of the great formation and the sword domain, reaching the level of a Wanxiang Adept's attack. They had no chance alone.

"Ji Ning! You will die!" Dong Ziqi stared at Ji Ning like a madman. "Killing disciples of Snowdragon Mountain, our sect will not let this go!"

"You will die."

"Our Snowdragon Mountain has more disciples; they will annihilate your Ji clan."

All three were completely insane.

Chi!

Chi!

The eagle-beaked man and Dong Ziqi were simultaneously struck by three strands of silken-rain sword light. A single strand they might have blocked, but three surrounding them—how could they withstand it? Both had their brows pierced, their eyes filled with fury and unwillingness.

"I, Dong Ziqi, the number one of Yanshan, to die at the hands of this Ji Ning? I am unwilling, unwilling, ahhh!"

"Regret, regret! Had I known, I would never have come."

Both were heroes of their time. In truth, without the support of the Netherdragon Lockheaven Formation, if Ji Ning fought with his Zifu Disciple-level elemental energy, either Dong Ziqi or the eagle-beaked man could have fought him for a long time.

But with the formation's support, they died in a single exchange.

"Pu." The last lean man's neck was cut open, but the muscles there grew back instantly, healing completely.

"Fiendgod Body Refining?" Ji Ning frowned.

"Ji Ning, can you spare my life?" The lean man stepped back, looking at Ji Ning. Though he was at the mid stage of Fiendgod Body Refining, he had lost all confidence. With the formation and the Rainwater Sword Domain, Ji Ning had the strength of a Wanxiang Adept, utterly overwhelming him.

Ji Ning smiled lightly: "At this point, do you think I would spare you?"

Boom!

The black wings behind Ji Ning fluttered, and he lunged at the lean man.

"Ji Ning!" The lean man roared, holding a black staff. "Ji Ning, Snowdragon Mountain will surely annihilate your Ji clan and kill you!"

Pu!

Pu!

Pu!

Three strands of sword light sliced through his body. Though his flesh was tough, it was still cut into four pieces by the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation's sword light. Ji Ning pounced, and the Waterfire Lotus spun, grinding the lean man's body into powder. Though the powder madly tried to coalesce, within the Waterfire Lotus, it dissipated completely after a few breaths.

Silence fell around them.

The rain fell like silk and mist, the Waterfire Lotus still spinning and blooming. Ji Ning, standing within the lotus, surveyed the area. Dong Ziqi and the others lay on the ground, all lifeless, all dead.

"Dead." Ji Ning murmured. "This batch of Zifu cultivators is completely wiped out. Only the other batch remains."

Snowdragon Mountain had sent two batches of Zifu cultivators into the formation.

The first batch of twelve Zifu cultivators—all dead!

It wasn't that they were weak; it was that Ji Ning was too strong!

In truth, even with the Netherdragon Lockheaven Formation, it would have been very difficult for the Ji clan to kill these twelve. Earlier, Ji Liuzhen and the old servant A Xing had tried to attack. But after the initial ambush killed four, Dong Ziqi and the other eight set up their formation, and the Ji clan could no longer prevail.

But Ji Ning, using the Netherdragon Lockheaven Formation to compensate for his weak elemental energy, and with the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation and Rainwater Sword Domain, reached the level of a Wanxiang Adept. Thus, he crushed them all.

...

On the mountainside.

Ji Jiuhuo, presiding over the Netherdragon Lockheaven Formation, showed surprise and excitement, trembling slightly.

"Patriarch?" Ji Yichuan looked at Ji Jiuhuo.

"Victory. Ji Ning has won." Ji Jiuhuo was ecstatic. "Dong Ziqi and the others were all killed by Ji Ning. The first batch of twelve Zifu cultivators from Snowdragon Mountain who entered the formation are all dead, not one left."

Ji Yichuan's heart trembled: "That batch is all dead?"

"Mm." Ji Jiuhuo nodded heavily.

Both were excited and somewhat incredulous. After all, they were only the Ji clan, a tribe in Yanshan. Facing a behemoth like Snowdragon Mountain, a large group of Zifu cultivators would have terrified any ordinary tribe. Ji Jiuhuo had only hoped to stall for time until the Xia Dynasty's envoy arrived.

Unexpectedly, they had killed twelve Zifu cultivators in a row without losing a single member of the Ji clan.

"Now only one batch remains." Ji Jiuhuo said. "That batch led by Tong Yu and Nong Zidao."

"Kill them, and we win." Ji Yichuan quickly added. "Especially Nong Zidao. If he dies, I doubt Snowdragon Mountain can find another formation expert in a short time."

"In the second batch are Tong Yu, Nong Zidao, and others. Once Nong Zidao dies, our Ji clan is almost certain to win." Ji Yichuan nodded.

Snowdragon Mountain might send more Zifu cultivators...

But formation experts were rare. Nong Zidao had come only because of Tong Yu's influence. Within a short distance from Yanshan, aside from Nong Zidao, there were no other formidable formation experts among Snowdragon Mountain's disciples.

...

Within the Netherdragon Lockheaven Formation, nether energy pervaded.

Nong Zidao frowned, calculating the formation's maze. Almost all his mental energy was immersed in the Netherdragon Lockheaven Formation.

The other Zifu cultivators surrounded him, on alert.

Tong Yu stood beside Nong Zidao, exuding an aura of invincibility.

Suddenly—

"Ji Ning!"

"It's Ji Ning!"

"Junior Brother Mu Si, stop him!" Shouts came from afar.

"Fight him to the death!"

"Junior Sister Lu, Senior Brother An, Junior Brother Mu!" A mournful cry rang out.

"Ji Ning, you will die!"

"Ji Ning, Snowdragon Mountain will surely annihilate your Ji clan and kill you!" Mad, desperate curses echoed.

Then, dead silence.

No sound at all.

Nong Zidao opened his eyes. Tong Yu's expression turned grave. The other Zifu cultivators looked grim.

"Junior Brother Ziqi." Tong Yu called out loudly, his voice echoing in the formation.

No reply.

Not a single reply!

"Dead." Nong Zidao said hoarsely. "They're all dead."

"We... Senior Brother Zidao, Senior Brother Tong Yu..." The red-haired cultivator spoke nervously. The others also looked at Tong Yu and Nong Zidao. Twelve Zifu cultivators had been killed. How could they not be worried and uneasy?

Tong Yu growled: "Listen to my orders. Junior Brother Zidao, continue studying how to break the formation. Xianhe and Dilong, guard Junior Brother Zidao. The six of us will set up the Six Harmonies Formation to protect him."

"Yes."

Immediately, the Six Harmonies Formation lit up.

"You all need only focus on defense." Tong Yu's eyes flashed with golden light as he scanned the surroundings. "If that Ji Ning comes, I'll deal with him."

"Leave it to Senior Brother Tong Yu." Nong Zidao spoke, planting eighteen formation flags within three zhang of himself. A black-light tower rose, heavily protecting him, with only Nong Zidao, Dilong, and Xianhe inside.

"Rest assured!" Tong Yu's expression was calm, his killing intent soaring to the sky.

As a Zifu Disciple at the peak, a Fiendgod Body Refiner who had cultivated divine abilities, he had the combat power of a Wanxiang Adept. Why would he fear Ji Ning?

...

The Golden Crow hung high in the sky.

In the manor of a great city's lord.

Dong Fanyu, one of the two Dong elders, sat there. A young man beside him smiled: "Senior Dong, please wait a moment. The clan leader will be here soon."

"No hurry, no hurry." Dong Fanyu smiled.

This time, the Yanshan branch of Snowdragon Mountain had sent four people to invite fellow disciples: the two Dong elders, Mu Si, and Ju Nianxiong. Mu Si, having invited Tong Yu and Nong Zidao, deemed it sufficient and returned early. According to the plan, each was to invite about ten Zifu cultivators.

The two Dong elders and Ju Nianxiong continued their invitations. Some Zifu cultivators had already gone to Yanshan, but they continued inviting until each had about ten. They had no idea what was happening in Yanshan.

"Senior Brother Fanyu." A deep voice sounded. A silver-robed middle-aged man strode out. "Last time I saw you was in Yanshan, a hundred years ago. Earlier, you told my steward you had something important to discuss. What is it?"

"Great news!" Dong Fanyu said, beaming.

...