Chapter 27 Ji Ning's Departure

Ji Ning nodded gently. "I won't go."

"That's good." Ji Jiuhuo's gaze swept across. "Everyone return to your positions. Dilong, you will temporarily replace Ji Ning as the center of the Dragon Tail Formation. We will first control the Nether Dragon to attack!"

"Yes."

Dilong, Granny Shadow, Old Servant Axing, and Ji Liuzhen quickly departed to their respective positions.

...

Nether energy permeated the air.

A winding snow-white flood dragon coiled there, with Xu Li Zhenren and the others inside its body, appearing very cautious. Ji Ning's earlier strike had secretly alarmed Xu Li Zhenren, but the other Zifu cultivators were very relaxed.

"Although this Ji Ning is monstrous, he is after all only a Zifu cultivator, no match for a Zhenren."

"Compared to Master, Ji Ning is far inferior."

"The Ji clan is doomed."

The Zifu cultivators chatted among themselves, very relaxed.

Nong Zidao, with eyes closed, was immersed in formation deduction. Suddenly, from the dense nether energy in the distance, a thunderous roar erupted!

"Whoosh!" Black scales, a massive dragon tail swept directly across.

Bang!

It struck the coiled snow-white flood dragon's body, sending the entire dragon tumbling backward. Xu Li Zhenren, Nong Zidao, and the others naturally remained inside the snow-white flood dragon.

"A sneak attack."

"Another sneak attack."

"Ji Ning has already lost, and the Ji clan still dares to sneak attack?" Everyone was furious. Even the snow-white flood dragon was sent rolling. Nong Zidao, who had been immersed in cultivation, was naturally startled awake.

Xu Li Zhenren, inside the snow-white flood dragon's head, roared, "You seek death!"

Whoosh!

The large seal in his hand immediately flew through the air, rapidly expanding to a hundred zhang in size, directly smashing into the arrogant dragon tail.

"Boom~~~" A thunderous sound. The dragon scales shattered completely, and the dragon tail was smashed apart, the dissipated energy quickly vanishing into the nether energy.

"Uncle-Master." Nong Zidao frowned at the distant nether energy and spoke, "Even Ji Ning is far from Uncle-Master's match. The Ji clan has no more tricks. So now they are just trying to delay time and hinder my formation破解."

Xu Li Zhenren nodded. "Zidao, just focus on deducing and breaking the formation. I was caught off guard earlier, but now I am prepared. I will absolutely not let the Ji clan's sneak attacks affect you."

Whoosh.

Xu Li Zhenren waved his hand, and a black rope quickly extended to several hundred zhang, coiling around the snow-white flood dragon. The large seal remained before Xu Li Zhenren.

"As soon as that Nether Dragon dares to appear, I will smash it to pieces." Xu Li Zhenren said.

After only a moment.

Whoosh!

A phantom whistled over—it was the dragon tail attacking again.

"Bang~~" The black rope lashed out violently. The Wanxiang Zhenren personally driving an Earth-ranked magic treasure—this lash caused the dragon tail to dissipate directly.

Nong Zidao inside the snow-white flood dragon finally relaxed. He closed his eyes and continued to ponder and deduce the formation. The occasional rumbling outside had little effect on him.

...

Halfway up Oxhorn Mountain.

Ji Jiuhuo, Ji Ning, Ji Yichuan, along with the Immortal Crane and the Whitewater Marsh, were there.

"Relying solely on the Nether Dragon won't work." Ji Jiuhuo shook his head. "That Xu Li Zhenren alone can make the Nether Dragon dissipate, preventing it from affecting Nong Zidao. We still need everyone to risk their lives one by one."

After all, the Nether Dragon was merely an aggregation of energy, while demon beasts and humans were living beings who could use tricks, release talismans, and so on.

"Dilong!"

Ji Jiuhuo transmitted directly, "Your turn!"

...

Dilong, transformed into a blue-armored giant, watched as the nether energy before him automatically parted to form a passage. Bitterness filled his eyes.

"Pity, pity..."

Recalling his life, his heart was filled with sorrow.

Once subdued as a spirit beast, one could only hope for a good master; otherwise, it would be miserable. Like now, with Tong Yu dead, he was forced to submit again, and now driven to his death.

Even driven to death, he dared not resist, because dying now meant going to the underworld. As a Zifu great demon, his soul could become a ghost soldier without difficulty... but if he resisted, he would be annihilated, body and soul.

"Hatred!"

The blue-armored giant immediately transformed, turning into a massive Dilong with claws. The Dilong's huge body moved across the mountain, quickly walking along the passage that the nether energy had opened toward Xu Li Zhenren.

After a moment.

Dilong saw, at the end of the passage in the nether energy, the faint outline of the snow-white flood dragon and the figures inside it.

"Swoosh!"

Dilong suddenly dashed forward.

Whoosh!

In an instant, he charged over. Inside the snow-white flood dragon, Nong Zidao was immersed in formation deduction, while the other Zifu cultivators observed their surroundings. Xu Li Zhenren was controlling his magic treasure, ready to respond at any moment.

"It's Dilong."

"Dilong?"

The group of Zifu cultivators recognized him instantly.

"Roar~~" As Dilong charged over, before Xu Li Zhenren's magic treasure could strike, he raised his head and let out a mournful roar that shook the heavens.

Immediately, a terrifying fluctuation spread from within Dilong's body, causing Xu Li Zhenren's expression to change: "Watch out!"

Boom!!!

As a divine beast at the Zifu Perfection stage, its Zifu Lake was far vaster than that of a human Zifu cultivator, containing boundless and surging elemental energy. In terms of sheer elemental force, this divine beast's Zifu Lake was even comparable to that of a human Wanxiang early-stage Zhenren.

The elemental energy accumulated over long years was now detonated. The immensely powerful explosion instantly tore apart Dilong's own body, then violently blasted in all directions.

"Block!" Xu Li Zhenren hurriedly drove the large seal, which stood like a city wall, blocking the front.

Rumble~~~

The terrifying explosion spreading in all directions directly overturned the Earth-ranked magic treasure 'Earth Suppressing Seal', but in overturning the seal, the shockwave heading toward the snow-white flood dragon was already weakened by half. When it finally struck the snow-white flood dragon, the dragon merely tumbled a few times and emerged unscathed.

"What happened?" Nong Zidao opened his eyes.

"It was a self-detonation."

"It was a Dilong self-detonating." The Zifu cultivators all spoke.

Nong Zidao was surprised: "Dilong? That was Senior Brother Tong Yu's Dilong."

Xu Li Zhenren's pupils contracted as he stared at the deep trenches on the ground. He said in a low voice, "This Dilong was a divine beast among demons. The elemental energy in its Zifu Lake was extremely abundant. This self-detonation... its power was truly astonishing."

...

Ji Jiuhuo on the mountainside looked at the white-clad girl transformed from the Immortal Crane beside him: "Dilong is dead. Immortal Crane, it's your turn."

"Mm."

The white-clad girl did not hesitate. She quickly departed along the passage opened by the nether energy.

Only a few breaths after she left.

Boom!

An explosion erupted, and even the shockwaves could be faintly felt.

"So fast?" Ji Yichuan frowned.

"She didn't go to Xu Li Zhenren's side." Ji Jiuhuo said in a low voice. "This Immortal Crane... was previously Nong Zidao's mount. She probably had deep feelings for Nong Zidao. When I forced her to self-detonate, she detonated midway, not affecting Nong Zidao in the slightest."

Ji Ning shook his head gently.

Once a master-servant bond was formed...

The servant's heart was absolutely obedient to the master's commands. The Immortal Crane's actions showed that her bond with Nong Zidao was truly deep.

"Nong Zidao!" Ji Jiuhuo shouted directly, "Your former mount and spirit beast, the Immortal Crane, I ordered her to attack you, but she self-detonated midway, never reaching you. It seems this spirit beast of yours has deep feelings for you."

...

The sound traveled far.

Xu Li Zhenren and the others fell silent. They all looked at Nong Zidao, who opened his eyes and stared into the distance, pain in his eyes: "Crane, Crane..."

When he had fled earlier, he only had one Small Teleportation Talisman, so he couldn't bring the Immortal Crane.

He had dissolved the master-servant contract, hoping the Immortal Crane would continue to live... but now his Crane had self-detonated far away, just to avoid affecting him.

"Crane."

"Crane." Nong Zidao tried to forget, but scenes from the past flooded his mind, shaking his heart and making him unable to control himself.

"Nephew-Disciple Zidao." Xu Li Zhenren shouted, "This is the Ji clan's scheme. You must not be affected. Quickly deduce the formation and break it—that is most important."

Nong Zidao nodded: "Yes."

Although he understood this reasoning, how could he easily forget the centuries of bond with the Immortal Crane? How could his heart calm down? The impact of the Immortal Crane's self-detonation was far greater than Ji Ning's earlier attack.

...

Halfway up Oxhorn Mountain.

Ji Ning was extremely nervous and worried. He looked at his father beside him. According to the clan leader's plan, after Dilong and the Immortal Crane, it would be his father's turn!

"It's been the time it takes to drink a cup of tea." Ji Jiuhuo suddenly spoke. "The Immortal Crane's self-detonation should have had a considerable effect on Nong Zidao. Now that a cup of tea has passed, Nong Zidao is probably about to calm down. Yichuan... it's your turn."

Ji Yichuan nodded.

"You must do your best to hinder Nong Zidao's formation deduction." Ji Jiuhuo said. "Dilong and the Immortal Crane were only recently subdued and not completely loyal to our Ji clan. So they used the most intense and brief method—self-detonation. The time they bought is limited. The main burden falls on us Ji clan members."

"I know." Ji Yichuan nodded. "Leave it to me. But before that, Ji Ning!"

Ji Yichuan looked at his son.

Ji Ning looked up at his father.

"You can leave now." Ji Yichuan looked at his son and said directly, "You are useless here, and delaying may cause complications. Leave quickly."

"Leave now?" Ji Ning's eyes widened. His father was about to go fight to the death, and he was supposed to leave now?

"Go." Ji Yichuan shouted.

Ji Ning saw the expression on his father's face and instantly understood. His father had always been a proud man; even facing death, he did not want his son to witness it.

"Ji Ning." Ji Jiuhuo beside him also understood Ji Yichuan's thoughts and immediately spoke, "Go, you should go quickly."

The Whitewater Marsh beside him also came over, looking up at Ji Ning, its eyes filled with reluctance and affection.

"Uncle Bai." Ji Ning stepped forward and embraced Uncle Bai.

This time...

The others, including Uncle Bai, could not escape. Because there was a sealing formation outside! Only Ji Ning could escape!

"Father, Uncle Bai." Ji Ning held Uncle Bai, looking at his father, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Go!!!" Ji Yichuan shouted sternly.

Ji Ning was in pain.

He didn't want to go! He really didn't want to go!

He truly wanted to stay and fight to the death with them!

"Fighting to the death requires courage." Ji Jiuhuo looked at Ji Ning. "But choosing to leave alone requires even greater courage. Ji Ning... don't disappoint our expectations!"

The Whitewater Marsh gently nudged Ji Ning with its head, urging him to leave.

Ji Ning looked at his father, at the Whitewater Marsh, at the clan leader...

"I'll go." Ji Ning said hoarsely.

He turned and walked along the passage opened by the nether energy.

Inside, he was howling—he really didn't want to go, he wanted to stay and fight alongside his father and Uncle Bai.

But reason told Ji Ning he should go; otherwise, the clan leader and the others would not rest in peace.

...

The sealing light barrier covered the sky, like clear water ripples, sealing everything.

"Break."

"Break."

Ji Ning used the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation and the Northsea Sword, but neither could affect the sealing barrier in the slightest.

"Why, why." Ji Ning howled in pain. If he could break this sealing formation, he could lead his father, the clan leader, and the Whitewater Marsh to retreat! But the Nether Dragon Locking Heaven Formation was some distance away. Without its support, the power of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation dropped several levels, no longer enough to even match Tong Yu.

Although the Northsea Sword was slightly more powerful, it was still far from breaking the sealing formation.

"Xu Li! Nong Zidao! Snowdragon Mountain!" Ji Ning turned to look at the winding Nether Dragon coiled in the endless nether energy behind him. "I, Ji Ning, swear that in this life, I will eradicate you all! Eradicate you all!!!"

A Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Talisman appeared in Ji Ning's hand.

Whoosh.

Spatial ripples spread around him, and Ji Ning vanished into thin air, already far away.

...