Chapter 17: Coercion

The twelve great demons forming the massive Firewing Beetle through the Soldier-Formation were all terrified.

They consisted of one Primordial Demon and eleven Wanxiang Demons... Through the Soldier-Formation, their combined power was immense; unless the enemy possessed the strength of a Loose Immortal or Earth Immortal, they could not be harmed. They had not taken the boy in animal skins on the ship's railing seriously, but now, even though the animal-skin-clad youth merely stood there without moving, the pressure of the Dao he invoked rendered them all unable to move!

"Where did this expert come from!"

"H-how can he be so terrifying? How high is his attainment in the Dao?"

These demons were all stunned.

Earlier, they had dismissed the animal-skin-clad youth, intending to kill him casually, but who would have thought they would hit an unprecedented iron wall.

Puff! Puff! Puff!... Streams of light appeared out of thin air, instantly piercing the massive Firewing Beetle and the twelve great demons. Whether Primordial Demon or Wanxiang Demon, all were killed instantly.

...

Ji Ning stood on the ship's railing, watching the twelve dead great demons, and shook his head with a smile.

Killing these twelve great demons was merely a casual act; since they attacked him without a word, he naturally had no need to show mercy.

Ji Ning smiled now...

He recalled encountering that ancient god-demon in Yushan Great Wasteland: "When I met that ancient god-demon back then, he used his 'Dao Domain' to freeze everything, rendering me unable to move... And now, I have used the same technique to kill an even more formidable Primordial Demon squad."

A Dao Domain refers to using one's comprehension of the Dao to harness the power of heaven and earth, forming a domain of one's own!

Whether it's the Dao Domain, Dao World, or Grand Dao Domain... though their power varies, they are all essentially 'Dao Domains,' with the same principle at their core.

When Ji Ning had comprehended the 'Rainwater Sword Domain,' that was a Dao Domain.

The next level is mastering a complete Dao; at that point, control over the power of heaven and earth is even stronger, known as 'Dao World.'

Of course, this is a minor Dao!

There is also the 'Grand Dao Domain,' which, being a Grand Dao, is actually even stronger than the 'Dao World.'

The next level is the 'Grand Dao World,' which refers to mastering a complete Grand Dao. At that point, one can control an even vaster amount of heavenly power than Ji Ning currently does. Under such heavenly power, even Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals would be unable to move.

...

The Dao Domain is related to one's insights.

The higher one's insights, the more heavenly power one can invoke.

As insights into the Grand Dao Domain increase, its power continuously grows until it reaches the level of the 'Grand Dao World.'

Now, Ji Ning's insights into the Sword Dao had reached the level of the Northwalker Immortal! Even stronger than that ancient god-demon in Yushan Great Wasteland. Thus, merely invoking his 'Dao Domain' suppressed the twelve great demons' Soldier-Formation, leaving them powerless to resist.

...

Everything returned to normal. The waters of the Evil Dragon River surged forward violently, and the great ship continued onward.

On the deck of the great ship, the princes and princesses of the Qi Kingdom stared at Ji Ning in terror.

"Remnants of the Qi Kingdom?" Ji Ning sat down leisurely and said slowly, "At this point, do you still need to hide? Or do you still call yourself Shi Feng?"

Prince Qi Rufeng and the two princesses exchanged glances. Their servants and guards looked at Ji Ning with fear and unease. Qi Xiaoyu's expression was especially complicated. This 'Northmont Daoist' was determined to take her as his disciple, and the strength he had just displayed was utterly inconceivable.

"Big brother, what do we do? When those Firewing Guards attacked, they revealed our identity. This Northmont also knows we are the Qi Kingdom's royal family." The black-clad girl transmitted urgently.

"Our Qi Kingdom has fallen; news has already spread. This Northmont must now know that we are the surviving royal family. He might attack us and seize our treasures." The purple-clad girl transmitted anxiously. "We should strike first, use the treasures, and kill him."

"Foolish! Although I hold the remaining treasures of our Qi Kingdom's royal family, I have no confidence whatsoever in dealing with this Northmont." Prince Qi Rufeng transmitted angrily. "By merely using his Dao Domain to invoke heavenly power, he rendered an entire Firewing Guard squad immobile. His comprehension of the Dao surpasses even ordinary top-tier Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals. Although his aura suggests he is still at the Primordial level, his strength is definitely at the Earth Immortal or Loose Immortal level. And since he casually produced a hundred top-grade Heaven-ranked flying swords, he must possess powerful treasures, likely giving him the strength of a top-tier Earth Immortal or Loose Immortal."

A kingdom ruling over a million li, this last surviving prince indeed had many formidable treasures.

"Then what do we do?" The purple-clad girl panicked.

"I only have two Greater Teleportation Dao Talismans, enough for at most two people to escape." The prince said. "Now that this Northmont Daoist hasn't shown killing intent, we can still negotiate with him."

"Right, negotiate with him." The purple-clad girl quickly said.

"There's no other choice." The black-clad girl also transmitted.

...

Under Ji Ning's scrutinizing gaze, the three princes and princesses were clearly discussing among themselves. When they first boarded the ship, they had felt a psychological advantage over Ji Ning, believing that although he was a Primordial Daoist, they could still deal with him using the royal treasures. But now, they had no thought of resistance.

"Senior." Prince Qi Rufeng said respectfully, "I believe Senior has already learned from what those Firewing Guards said. Yes, we are indeed the royal family of the Qi Kingdom."

The destruction of the Qi Kingdom was widely known.

Generally, any cultivator of note within a million li radius would have heard of it. Although Ji Ning had been in Xingzhou for nearly half a month, he actually didn't know about this matter.

Ji Ning, however, sat there calmly, holding a wine cup and drinking.

Qi Rufeng continued in fear: "Ever since our Qi Kingdom was destroyed by the Firewing Demon King, our royal family has been on the run. The Firewing Guards have never stopped hunting us... So I had to be cautious and use the false name 'Shi Feng.' My real name is Qi Rufeng, a prince of the Qi Kingdom!"

"Prince?" Ji Ning murmured, then continued to look at Qi Rufeng.

Qi Rufeng quickly added: "This is my sister Qi Ruyu, and this is my younger sister Qi Ruhui."

Ji Ning glanced at them. The black-clad girl was Qi Ruyu, and the purple-clad girl was Qi Ruhui.

"You are wise not to continue lying." Ji Ning sat there. "If you had lied again, I would not have had the leisure to talk with you. I would have killed you directly and taken the treasures of your Qi Kingdom's royal family."

The prince and the two princesses trembled inwardly.

Ji Ning said calmly: "I wish to take Qi Xiaoyu as my disciple. You should be able to agree to that, right? Do not lie to me; if you lie, I will know."

The gap in strength between them was too great, and Ji Ning was also very strong in terms of soul power, so he was confident. If the other party had a stronger soul, Ji Ning might not be able to tell.

"Yes, if I agree, I can indeed give Qi Xiaoyu to Senior." The prince said respectfully.

"Then hurry up?" Ji Ning said softly.

Prince Qi Rufeng shook his head.

"You want a hundred top-grade Heaven-ranked flying swords?" Ji Ning looked at him and said calmly, "I can give them to you. But don't go too far; taking your lives is as easy as turning my hand."

"I don't want flying swords." Prince Qi Rufeng looked at Ji Ning. "I want Senior to protect our royal family for a hundred years! If Senior agrees to protect us for a hundred years, I will immediately let Qi Xiaoyu become Senior's disciple, and... after a hundred years, I will not hinder Senior in the slightest. Senior can leave whenever you wish!"

Ji Ning's face darkened, and there was a cold light in his eyes: "You're asking for death!"

"Hahaha..."

Qi Rufeng laughed wildly, laughing hysterically. "Asking for death? Yes, I am asking for death. Senior, you have no idea how pitiful my two sisters and I are. Ever since the Qi Kingdom fell, for decades we have been hunted. We live in constant fear, unable to find peace. One clansman after another died, one elder after another died, one brother and sister after another died. There were many royal family members who escaped at first, but now only the three of us remain. I am even the only surviving man of our royal family."

"Hahaha, enough, truly enough. Even my little sister couldn't bear the oppression and wanted to die together with those Firewing Guards. As for Ruyu, though she never said it, I know she is also tired."

"In fact, I am even more tired!"

Qi Rufeng looked at Ji Ning, tears in his eyes. "I am the only male. The royal family now consists only of the three of us, and I am the strongest among us, a mere Wanxiang Adept. All the burdens fall on me alone. How should we proceed in the future? Restoring the kingdom and seeking revenge—all these burdens weigh on me alone. I have long had enough, enough. Call it seeking death or madness, but my condition is this: if you protect us for a hundred years, I will give this servant Qi Xiaoyu to Senior as a disciple."

"Qi Xiaoyu possesses great merit, with a golden light of merit spanning three hundred zhang. When the elders of our clan discovered this, they were overjoyed, believing that Qi Xiaoyu could stabilize our royal family's fortune."

"I will not easily give up Qi Xiaoyu..."

"Either die at Senior's hands, allowing the three of us to reunite with our father, mother, and many clansmen, or Senior protects us for a hundred years."

Tears glistened in Qi Rufeng's eyes, but his voice was resolute.

He was gambling.

He had staked his life. He was tired and didn't want to flee in panic anymore. He saw Ji Ning's strength; with Ji Ning as a protector, their chances of survival would be much greater.

"Big brother." The black-clad girl was also in tears.

"Big brother, don't beg him. It's better to just die." The purple-clad girl gritted her teeth, madness in her eyes.

Ji Ning frowned.

This was troublesome.

He hadn't expected the remnants of the Qi Kingdom's royal family to be at such a desperate end. He had thought a little pressure would suffice, but now they were gambling!

A hundred years?

How could that be? He had only been at Mount Fangcun for a little over thirty years, and he had an agreement with Yu Wei. He wanted to return to the Grand Xia world soon. How could he delay here for a hundred years?

...