Chapter 20: The Minor Teleportation Dao Talisman

"Nong Zidao vanished?" Ji Ning frowned.

The other five Zifu cultivators were terrified and uneasy; Ji Ning, empowered by the grand formation, had the strength of a Wanxiang Adept, while the five of them couldn't even combine their formations.

"Ji Ning, please spare our lives."

"I will offer all my treasures, and my tribe will also offer treasures to ransom my life."

"Ji Ning..."

...

The five all begged for mercy, utterly devoid of morale.

Ji Ning swept his gaze over them.

"Ji Ning." A voice suddenly sounded in his ear. "We've killed these two groups of Zifu cultivators, but there are still about two days until the arrival of the Grand Xia's envoy. In these two days, more Snowdragon Mountain disciples might come. We have no mind to guard these people; kill them all. As for those two Zifu dire beasts, if we can subdue them, do so; if not, kill them!"

Ji Ning nodded.

The chieftain spoke sense.

"Prepare to die." Ji Ning looked at the five and said calmly.

A strand of sword-light coalesced before him, instantly transforming into a streak of rain flying toward them, followed by another strand.

It was merely the eighth layer of the Lesser Thousand Swords Formation!

"Ji Ning, Snowdragon Mountain will avenge us."

"Ji Ning, you will die a miserable death."

The five instantly went mad, each trying to fight desperately, but they couldn't combine formations. Even powerful talismans exploded upon touching the water wall, unable to reach Ji Ning.

In a few breaths, all five were dead.

"Are you two spirit-beasts willing to submit?" Ji Ning's gaze fell on the surviving Earth Dragon and Immortal Crane.

The Earth Dragon and Immortal Crane exchanged glances, then the Earth Dragon transformed into a green-armored giant, and the Immortal Crane into a white-clad maiden. Both knelt prostrate: "We are willing to submit!"

Though Zifu dire beasts were extremely proud and hard to subdue,

when faced with only two choices—death or submission—and with the opponent's overwhelming strength, they generally submitted.

"Follow me." Ji Ning swept his gaze; the rain vanished, followed by blazing flames that burned the five Zifu cultivators' corpses to ash, leaving only treasures. Ji Ning easily collected them all.

"Yes." The Earth Dragon and Immortal Crane followed Ji Ning.

Soon, passing through layers of black mist, they saw Ji Jiuhuo.

"Oh?" Ji Ning was surprised; besides the chieftain and his father, Ji Liuzhen, Granny Shadow, and the old servant A Xing had also arrived.

"I called them," Ji Jiuhuo said with a smile. "Both groups of Zifu cultivators are dead, and we have no opponents for now, so I had them come."

"Ji Ning, impressive!" Ji Liuzhen's eyes lit up.

"Impressive, impressive." The old servant A Xing was also beaming with joy.

Granny Shadow nodded with a smile.

Everyone was delighted.

In just two or three days, Snowdragon Mountain could only invite some Zifu cultivators from the surrounding area; their main sect was too far away to arrive in time. Having already killed eighteen Zifu cultivators and subdued two Zifu spirit-beasts, the remaining threat should be much smaller.

"It's a pity Nong Zidao escaped." Chieftain Ji Jiuhuo shook his head.

"Chieftain, how did he escape? How did he suddenly vanish?" Ji Ning asked quickly. Granny Shadow and the others also looked at the chieftain; they had just gathered and hadn't had time to ask for details.

Ji Jiuhuo shook his head: "I don't know. He simply disappeared; there was no trace of him in the entire formation. But if we ask his spirit-beast, we'll probably find out."

Ji Ning and the others' eyes lit up—right, ask the spirit-beast.

"Immortal Crane." Ji Jiuhuo looked at the white-clad maiden. "How did Nong Zidao escape?"

The white-clad maiden said respectfully, "My former master was skilled in formations and valued by his master, who bestowed upon him a 'Minor Teleportation Dao Talisman.' Once activated, this talisman can instantly teleport to any place within ten thousand li."

"Minor Teleportation Dao Talisman?" Ji Ning and the others exchanged glances.

Ji Ning silently noted the name; it seemed the Minor Teleportation Dao Talisman was the same as his Ten-Thousand-Mile Trace-Eliminating Talisman. That talisman had been obtained by a forebear of the Ji clan of the West Prefecture by chance; after using two, only one remained. Since it could teleport within ten thousand li, it was named the Ten-Thousand-Mile Trace-Eliminating Talisman.

"Chieftain, how should we handle these two spirit-beasts?" Ji Ning looked at Ji Jiuhuo. Ji Jiuhuo and the other five exchanged glances.

"Ji Ning, are you willing to take them?" Ji Jiuhuo asked in return.

Ji Ning looked at the Earth Dragon and Immortal Crane. Zifu spirit-beasts were precious; even most Zifu cultivators couldn't obtain them. But frankly, Ji Ning didn't care about these two Zifu spirit-beasts. After this battle's insights, he could break through to the seventh stage of Divine Demon Body Refining in as little as a moment or as long as a few days.

In just a few years, he would reach the ninth stage. Zifu spirit-beasts were truly useless to him and would only hold him back.

"I don't need them." Ji Ning shook his head.

"In that case," Ji Jiuhuo nodded, "I'll take them for now. After this tribulation is over, we'll decide their allocation."

"Good."

"Agreed."

Ji Liuzhen, Granny Shadow, Ji Yichuan, and the others nodded without objection. It was too early to discuss the spirit-beasts' ownership; no one knew if they would survive this tribulation.

"These are the treasures left by Tong Yu and the others." Ji Ning waved his hand, and a large number of treasures appeared on the ground. "Everyone, see what's useful. If you find flying swords, please refine them for me. I need to find a place to cultivate; I gained some insights from the battle just now."

"Good, leave it to us." Ji Jiuhuo and the others didn't refuse.

"Mm." Ji Ning immediately flickered and swiftly flew away.

The Earth Dragon and Immortal Crane, transformed into the green-armored giant and white-clad maiden, were somewhat disappointed. They had actually wanted to become Ji Ning's spirit-beasts. First, they didn't hate Ji Ning. The Earth Dragon had been forcibly taken by Tong Yu back then; as for the Immortal Crane, though she had feelings for Nong Zidao, since he abandoned her to flee, their bond was severed. Second, Ji Ning was only sixteen and already so monstrous; his future was boundless. Following such a master would give them a brighter future.

Unfortunately, Ji Ning didn't want them.

...

In a forest shrouded in nether mist, Ji Ning sat cross-legged.

"Yin and Yang transform into each other, generating endlessly." Ji Ning murmured, then closed his eyes to ponder. Earlier, while studying the Lesser Thousand Swords Formation, he had comprehended this principle. All great Daos under heaven were interconnected—whether formations, sword arts, spells, or divine abilities—all contained the 'Dao.'

The Dao is the same; only the paths differ.

Having understood this truth, breaking through from the sixth stage of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens to the seventh became much easier.

"Yin-Yang mutual transformation!" Ji Ning closed his eyes in meditation, channeling the divine power within his body.

...

About a thousand li from Snowdragon City, spatial ripples appeared in midair, and a figure materialized—Nong Zidao, still clad in animal skins.

Sorrow filled Nong Zidao's eyes.

"Never enter a formation lightly, never enter lightly." Nong Zidao sighed softly. "This simplest principle, so many Snowdragon Mountain disciples forgot."

Never enter a formation lightly—all cultivators knew this.

Because formations were mysterious; no one knew what lay within. Once inside, escape was impossible. Wanxiang Adept Mu Xiao, knowing that Bo Zishan was hiding there, chose to wait outside rather than enter the formation Bo Zishan had set up.

But this time, the Snowdragon Mountain disciples had been too arrogant.

Though they knew the principle, they had dismissed the Ji clan as a mere native tribe whose strength they knew. They never imagined the Ji clan could set up a fearsome formation. Moreover, with Senior Apprentice-Brother Tong Yu and formation expert Senior Apprentice-Brother Nong Zidao present, along with nearly twenty fellow disciples...

Their strength was overwhelming.

Overconfident and contemptuous, they fell into the formation and couldn't escape.

Even Tong Yu, though Ji Ning with the Black Dragon Locking Heaven Formation was only his equal, died only after exhausting his divine power and being unable to use divine abilities. Outside the formation, he could have fled at the first sign of trouble. But inside, there was nowhere to run!

"Never enter a formation lightly—but if we don't enter, do we let the Ji clan stall for time and watch the Grand Xia's envoy arrive?" Nong Zidao shook his head with a sigh.

"Formations... Ji Ning..."

"The Black Dragon Locking Heaven Formation, a sixteen-year-old prodigy who comprehended the Dao Domain—encountering such in a small native tribe... losing is not unjust, not unjust!" Nong Zidao then produced a boat beneath his feet, which tore through the air, speeding toward Snowdragon City.

"Regardless, other fellow disciples might still be on their way. I need to warn them." Nong Zidao thought.

Of the earlier group of Zifu cultivators, only he, Nong Zidao, survived.

If he didn't warn those who came later, the sect would hold him accountable.

...

After a moment.

A city in the distance came into view.

"Oh?" Nong Zidao on the boat saw someone high in the sky above the distant city.

That person rode a streak of light, flying swiftly.

"Dong Fanyu?" Nong Zidao recognized the old man.

"Senior Apprentice-Brother Zidao." Dong Fanyu, seeing Nong Zidao, asked anxiously, "I heard you and Senior Apprentice-Brother Tong Yu went to Oxhorn Mountain. Why are you here? And many of the fellow disciples who went to Oxhorn Mountain have had their life-tablets shatter, including my clan leader Dong Ziqian. What happened at Oxhorn Mountain?"

Nong Zidao shook his head: "I'm ashamed. Of the many fellow disciples who went to Oxhorn Mountain this time, all but me are dead."

"What? All dead?" Dong Fanyu was shocked. "So many fellow disciples, all..."

"All but me are dead." Nong Zidao sighed. "I came to tell you that Oxhorn Mountain is extremely dangerous. Do not enter lightly, lest later fellow disciples suffer the same fate."

Dong Fanyu was frantic: "Not enter lightly? Just now, Wanxiang Adept Xu Li personally led a group of Zifu cultivators to Oxhorn Mountain!"

...