Chapter 12: The Four Celestial Immortals

"Rise!" The gaunt Mystic Mechanism Ancestor let out a cold shout.

Immediately, for thousands of li around, clouds and mists rolled thickly, the heavens and earth turned dim, the five elements were in chaos, and space became unstable. No matter how fierce the fighting within the formation's coverage, the spatial fluctuations could not be transmitted outward!

"Seven Wheels Wind Thunder? Such a puppet treasure wasted on a mere Returning Void Earth Immortal!" Mystic Mechanism Ancestor sneered. Around him, starlight appeared, and three hundred sixty starry mountain stones rose into the sky simultaneously.

These three hundred sixty star stones were Mystic Mechanism Ancestor's true trump card. This time, to kill Ji Ning, he used them at once.

In the sky, faint phantom images of three hundred sixty revolving stars appeared. From endless ages past to the present, the revolution of stars had long been eternal. Once this great formation emerged... a dense layer of starlight appeared, completely blocking the boundless lightning and wind.

"Die, all die, die!" The Winged Immortal puppet went berserk, releasing Seven Wheels Wind Thunder again and again.

The Seven Wheels Wind Thunder was immensely powerful. Mystic Mechanism Ancestor, going all out, barely managed to withstand it: "Such pure Seven Wheels Wind Thunder! A Returning Void Earth Immortal using this puppet can hold me off. What a waste of such a puppet treasure on this Mu Zishuo. If it fell into my hands, my strength would greatly increase."

A puppet's power also depended on the user's strength.

The 'Seven Wheels Wind Thunder' unleashed by Returning Void elemental energy versus Celestial Immortal法力 naturally differed in power. With the Winged Immortal puppet, Mu Zishuo could reach the combat level of a Celestial Immortal, but in the hands of a true Celestial Immortal, its power would be at least one or two levels higher.

...

While Mystic Mechanism Ancestor acted, another ancestor also made his move—the withered, white-haired Withered Wood Ancestor.

Withered Wood Ancestor formed hand seals before his chest, and waves of powerful energy resonated with the earth and the surrounding vegetation.

This Withered Wood Ancestor was an anomaly among Celestial Immortals. Most Celestial Immortals needed magic treasures, but he, due to low aptitude in his youth, was looked down upon, given few resources by his tribe, and couldn't even obtain good treasures. Stubborn, he devoted himself entirely to spell research.

Unexpectedly, he carved out a unique path, surpassing his peers. While talented contemporaries died or failed one by one, he eventually overcame the tribulation and became a Celestial Immortal, an outlier among them. In the Shaoyin clan, the 'Golden Bell Ancestor,' who held the clan's treasured artifact, was only his equal in strength.

"Strike!" Withered Wood Ancestor uttered a single word.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The heavens and earth changed color. The lake surface churned, the wilderness trembled. Thick, wood-green ancient vines emerged from the lake and the wilderness—nine vines in total. Each vine bore layers of golden light and ancient runes.

The nine vines shot into the sky, each tens of thousands of zhang long, lashing directly at the Winged Immortal puppet and Ji Ning.

Though described slowly,

in reality, Mu Zishuo's violent unleashing of Seven Wheels Wind Thunder, Mystic Mechanism Ancestor's deployment of the Zhou Tian formation to block it, and Withered Wood Ancestor's summoning of nine vines to strike all happened simultaneously.

"Whoosh." The Winged Immortal puppet, while releasing Seven Wheels Wind Thunder, flew at high speed to dodge the lashing vines.

Each vine was like a celestial pillar, immensely thick and tall, and incredibly fast.

When the Winged Immortal puppet dodged at超高速, though it evaded, the huge vine suddenly sprouted many branches—more slender but far more numerous. The giant vine grew dense branches, like massive snakes, which almost instantly entangled the puppet.

"Get off, get off!" The Winged Immortal puppet struggled fiercely, releasing Seven Wheels Wind Thunder.

Starlight descended, blocking the wind thunder.

Even if some small branches were destroyed by the wind thunder, new ones quickly grew. The puppet was trapped in a vine cage... no matter how it struggled, it couldn't escape.

...

There were nine vines attacking. Just one entangled and bound the Winged Immortal puppet, while the others targeted Ji Ning.

Ji Ning's heart was filled with guilt and rage.

"Junior apprentice-brother." Ji Ning felt immense guilt. The moment he saw the four Celestial Immortals appear, he understood: they had been lying in wait until he showed up to strike. Given that they were from the Shaoyin clan, they were undoubtedly targeting him. His junior apprentice-brother was merely caught in the crossfire.

The soul of a Dao companion—how important that was to his junior apprentice-brother! Seeing his junior apprentice-brother shed tears of blood, Ji Ning's heart clenched.

Then came rage!

Unbridled rage!

"Shaoyin clan!!!" Seeing Mystic Mechanism Ancestor and Withered Wood Ancestor unleash their techniques, Ji Ning also made his move.

Whoosh!

A black-robed Ji Ning appeared beside him. The true body and the second元神 stood side by side in the sky, surrounded by over three hundred top-grade immortal flying swords. In his guilt and fury, Ji Ning immediately unleashed his current strongest killing move.

The fourth level of the Grand Thousand Sword Formation!

A mass of sword qi condensed in Ji Ning's chest into a golden flying sword.

"Kill!!!" The true body and the second元神 roared simultaneously.

"Roar~~~"

A black divine dragon raised its head and roared—the golden flying sword had transformed into a black divine dragon, carrying a terrifying sharp edge. The immensely thick vine, bearing the might of heaven and earth, lashed directly at it. Though the black dragon moved nimbly, trying to dodge and rescue Mu Zishuo, the vine was equally agile, sprouting many small branches that blocked the dragon.

"Swish, swish, swish~~~"

Countless small branches were torn apart by the sword light, and even the thick vine developed cracks before snapping with a "Bang!"

Ji Ning and his second元神凝聚 a second sword light, and a second black dragon flew out. Controlling two fourth-level Grand Thousand Sword Formation sword lights simultaneously was Ji Ning's current limit.

"Roar~~~"

The two black dragons, swift as lightning, charged through the mass of vines. The giant vines obstructed them, and one black dragon was consumed and shattered. The other black dragon reached the 'Winged Immortal puppet' in an instant, tearing apart the vines and rescuing the puppet.

"What!" The four Celestial Immortals of the Shaoyin clan narrowed their eyes. "Ji Ning's strength is this great? He's a decent hand even among Celestial Immortals."

"Fortunately, knowing that the Bloodcloud Hall assassination failed, we anticipated his strength and prepared."

Still, the four Celestial Immortals were not flustered.

"Forest!" Withered Wood Ancestor lifted his drooping eyelids, a golden light flickering in his eyes, and uttered another word.

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

From the lake and wilderness, countless vines emerged. These vines were much thinner than the previous nine—only about one percent as thick—but their numbers were vast, each a hundred li long. In an instant, the sky became a forest of vines.

Countless vines and the nine giant vines madly entangled and bound.

The two black dragons formed by Ji Ning's fourth-level Grand Thousand Sword Formation could only sweep and defend around him, barely holding their ground, unable to advance.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~" Mu Zishuo beside Ji Ning kept releasing Seven Wheels Wind Thunder, while Mystic Mechanism Ancestor's formation pressed down with starlight.

...

Just one Withered Wood Ancestor suppressed Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo. Such was the strength of a truly powerful Celestial Immortal! The general from Eastwood Mountain, for instance, was even stronger than Withered Wood Ancestor and could completely suppress and defeat Ji Ning. It was only because he couldn't bind Ji Ning that he had to compromise.

Though Withered Wood Ancestor was somewhat weaker, he could still suppress the two. With Mystic Mechanism Ancestor assisting, Ji Ning couldn't even use his Greater Teleportation talisman.

"Bang."

A communication talisman suddenly appeared before Ji Ning. A black dragon swept past, its dense sword light shattering the talisman.

...

In Anchan City.

Though it was afternoon, the sky was overcast.

"Not good!"

"It's Ji Ning."

Two figures appeared simultaneously above Anchan City: the hunchbacked old man with a wooden staff, Tuoshan Celestial Immortal, and the black-haired, black-robed Diancai Immortal. Both changed expression drastically. When Ji Ning, Diancai Immortal, and the Anchan Northmont clan formed their alliance, they naturally left mutual aid measures, keeping communication talismans. Once crushed, the others could sense it.

"Ji Ning's strength is formidable. What situation forced him to call for help?" Diancai Immortal was shocked.

"It's within Anchan Commandery, several hundred thousand li away." Tuoshan Celestial Immortal transmitted.

"Let's go quickly." Diancai Immortal's face was solemn.

"Mm."

Without hesitation, the two tore through space and headed there.

Though the strongest of the Anchan Northmont clan was their old ancestor, his existence was a secret, and he wouldn't act unless truly critical. If even Tuoshan Celestial Immortal and Diancai Immortal couldn't save Ji Ning, only then would the old ancestor step in.

...

In the Xia World, there was an island in the West Sea.

The island appeared desolate, but it was actually covered by a formation, making it hard for outsiders to probe.

Inside the island.

In a palace.

A young woman sat on a throne. In the hall hung a巨大 mirror—the pure Yang treasure 'Earth-Penetrating Divine Mirror.' On the mirror was displayed the great battle at the lake and wilderness.

"The Shaoyin clan has made its move," the woman said with a smile. "And even the Infatuated Heart Celestial Immortal has gone, along with that pure Yang top-grade treasure, the Divine Bell..."

Over ten golden-robed Celestial Immortals stood in the hall, also staring at the巨大 mirror, watching the battle.

...