Chapter 13 Our World

As the purple-cloaked warrior charged out, the nearly hundred black-cloaked warriors who had been surrounding Ji Ning all stepped aside, each full of confidence in their commander.

Whoosh!

A silver-white long whip streaked across the sky, fully a hundred thousand zhang long, like a silver-white serpent displaying its winding, graceful form, and it descended upon Ji Ning. Ji Ning's fingers were like swords as he directly and forcefully blocked the whip. With a crisp crack, Ji Ning felt a strange impact force transmit through his body, even reaching the organs within. Fortunately, the Eight-Nine Arcane Art had tempered his entire body, leaving no weak points, but it still sent Ji Ning involuntarily flying backward like lightning for several li.

His speed far exceeds mine, and the power contained in his whip is even a notch stronger than my full-powered Star Picking Hand. His whip technique seems to be at a higher level than my sword art. Without a doubt, his strength has reached the pinnacle of Celestial Immortals, Ji Ning thought to himself.

Troublesome.

The black-cloaked warriors were only at the level of Golden Bell Celestial Immortal and Withered Tree Celestial Immortal. But this purple-cloaked warrior was far more powerful than even Infatuated Heart Celestial Immortal! Even my proudest Star Picking Hand is weaker than his, and my speed and sword art are clearly a grade lower. Fortunately, in this Domain of Extinction, only close combat is possible, so my Eight-Nine Arcane Art body can fully leverage its advantages. If this were in the Three Realms, a Celestial Immortal who had reached this level would be very close to a Pure Yang True Immortal... With just treasures and formations, he could make me despair. But here, only close combat is possible, so I still have a glimmer of hope.

Clang, clang, clang~~~ Ji Ning, with three heads and six arms, simultaneously used the Star Picking Hand, while the purple-cloaked warrior's four arms also gripped four silver whips, which lashed out like serpents, madly besieging Ji Ning.

Ji Ning's six arms struggled to block.

He even occasionally borrowed force to flee, constantly searching for an opportunity—a chance to counterattack.

Completely suppressed by him, I can't get close at all. What do I do? Ji Ning thought anxiously. The opponent's silver whips prevented him from getting within fifty thousand zhang, let alone harming him.

He's clearly using some kind of burst technique, the purple-cloaked warrior thought casually, fully in control of the situation. Only his palms burst with great power; the strength in his legs and feet is much weaker. I believe this burst technique comes at a cost; he can't sustain it for long.

Everything has a price.

A human less than a zhang tall transforming into a thousand-zhang demon god also requires a price. Three heads and six arms also require a price. The cost of the Star Picking Hand's burst is even higher.

Crack, crack, crack~~~ The four silver whips, like dancing dragons and serpents, crazily and swiftly struck at Ji Ning time and again, forcing him to block each one. If he failed to block... the whips would likely coil around him and completely bind him.

The whips were fast, so Ji Ning had to block fast.

His six arms blocked with all their might, time and again.

Blocking fast meant using the Star Picking Hand more often, which consumed divine power at an alarming rate.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~

Divine power drained away frantically. Even at the Sixteenth Cycle of the Crimson Bright Diagram, under the consumption of the fourth-turn Star Picking Hand, in just a short while, Ji Ning's divine power had sharply decreased by more than half. He had hardly consumed any during the previous prolonged battle.

Only a third left.

Only a sixth left.

Facing whips from all directions, Ji Ning seemed trapped in a cage of whips, with no way to dodge, only to block forcefully, and his divine power dwindled further.

The moment his divine power was exhausted would be the moment Ji Ning was completely captured.

...

Inside the Water Mansion, in a ethereal space.

The yellow-furred bear was there, along with seven figures. Among these seven were a child with a collar, a bald old man, a seductive woman... All seven emanated immensely powerful auras, including the red-haired demon god who had once fought Ji Ning.

Big Bear, the young master is facing a crisis now. Are we just going to watch? The seductive woman, clad in black leather armor, frowned. Her eyebrows were snow-white, and her gaze was like that of a scorpion.

I've watched Ji Ning grow from a little fellow step by step to where he is now. Do you think I care less about him than you do? The yellow-furred bear said angrily. Entrusted by my master to find a successor, Ji Ning is the best candidate. How could I dare to be careless?

But you've let him fall into a dead end now, the black-armored seductive woman said angrily.

Do you think you can protect him? The yellow-furred bear retorted angrily. Do you know who Ji Ning has offended now? It's the master of the Broken Horn World in the ancient ruins world. This is a ruins world! A remnant of the hostile forces from that great war long ago. Someone who can control a world is likely a survivor of that war. Even the weakest among those survivors is far from weak. They might even be at the level of Dao Ancestors or True Gods! Even if you want to save him, do you think you can withstand a Dao Ancestor or True God?

The black-armored seductive woman fell silent.

Snow Scorpion, the red-haired demon god spoke up. Big Bear is right. Even if we intervene, we can't be sure we can defeat this Broken Horn World.

Big Bear, you fool! Why didn't you notify us when Ji Ning faced the karmic fire tribulation? The black-armored seductive woman couldn't help cursing.

Should you intervene every time Ji Ning encounters a little danger? The yellow-furred bear said angrily. According to my master, if one hasn't become a god, they are not truly the master's disciple. Even if he faces various trials, it's a test for him. If he dies, it's only because he's not skilled enough or unlucky. Although we all think highly of him and his potential is great, with a high hope of becoming a god, at that time, how was I to know that the Shaoyin clan had means to send Ji Ning directly to the Domain of Extinction beside the ancient ruins world? I thought that even in danger, with our abilities, we could save Ji Ning, so I let him face danger to undergo trials... But in this world, not everything goes as planned. Alas!

"We'll take Ji Ning into the Water Mansion and hide him in our world. Even if the enemy refines the Water Mansion, it will only be a preliminary refinement; they probably won't be able to find our world." The seductive woman, Snow Scorpion, spoke again.

"They might not find it, or they might." The bald old man said hoarsely.

The Water Mansion indeed held secrets.

Back then, Immortal Juhua had always felt that secrets existed, and Ji Ning had also discovered parts of the Water Mansion that he hadn't fully mastered, but Ji Ning couldn't find them!

But Ji Ning couldn't find them...

Couldn't the master of the Broken Horn World find them?

Redhair said in a deep voice, "Regardless, if Ji Ning dies, the Plucking Star Mansion will still fall into the hands of the master of the Broken Horn World. If the master of the Broken Horn World has reached the level of a True God or Dao Ancestor, he will surely see through the Water Mansion and find our world. Then we'll have to fight him. If the master of the Broken Horn World hasn't reached that level, he won't be able to break our world's grand formation. Since we have to fight this master of the Broken Horn World no matter what, let's save Ji Ning and bring him into our world. Although the God King originally had his disciple become a Celestial Immortal before entering our world, we can't care about that now."

"Mm." The yellow-furred bear also nodded. "Since there's no escape, we can't afford to worry too much. You all must prepare as well. Once we bring Ji Ning into our world, be ready for the impact from the Broken Horn World. Let's hope their master is weak and can't find our world at all."

"Mm."

"Prepare."

The seven figures all wore solemn expressions.

The child who had remained silent finally spoke: "Father told us to leave back then, to avoid that great war. We've endured long enough. Let's have a good fight with this Broken Horn World."

"A good fight."

"A good fight."

Everyone present had flames of battle in their eyes.

...

In the void of the Silent Expanse, countless ships, each ten thousand miles long, were shooting forward like streaks of light, dense and endless. At the center of these ships was a golden vessel.

Inside the golden vessel.

They all stood solemnly. At the head was a horned warrior in a golden cape with black lining, behind him eight hundred warriors in purple capes. These were the ruling echelon of the First Army, the most valiant and skilled among the border forces that often waged war against other worlds.

They stood watching the image displayed on a giant mirror floating before them—the scene of the special action team of the Third Void Ring engaging Ji Ning.

"Benar personally made a move." The golden-caped horned warrior snorted angrily. "How despicable. He made a move, so hasn't our First Army's effort this time been in vain?"

"This alien has strong resilience; he might hold out until we arrive."

"This is the Mother Empress's order; it should be our First Army that captures this alien."

The mighty First Army held no regard for an action team from the Third Void Ring.

"Faster, faster."

The general couldn't help urging, "We must capture this alien alive." The Mother Empress rarely issued orders, so they had to strive to perform well.

...

In the void of the Water Mansion.

"Ji Ning's divine power is almost exhausted. Once it's depleted and he falls into enemy hands, Redhair, you personally act and annihilate them all. Then enter our world and prepare to face the master of the Broken Horn World." The yellow-furred bear said.

"Mm."

"Good."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

They knew well that battles in true desperate situations could greatly temper the Dao-heart. But they didn't yet know that Ji Ning's heartforce had already leaped from the second level, 'Ice Heart,' to the third level, 'Dominance.'

...

In the void of the Silent Expanse, the densely packed black-caped warriors were watching the nearby battle. Not far away, their commander, a purple-caped warrior, had completely suppressed the alien.

"No good, divine power is less than a tenth." Ji Ning was unwilling, truly unwilling. Faced with the long whip that surrounded him from all directions like a coiling dragon or snake, completely suppressing him, was there really no way out?