Chapter 13: Audience with the God King

"This Ji Ning killed Zicao, and I want him dead too." The green-robed woman seated above said calmly. "If you wish to act, I will arrange an opportunity for you. With your mastery over the universe, you will surely be able to kill Ji Ning."

"Do you think I am as foolish as you imagine?" The Floating Splendor True Immortal cast a cold glance at the green-robed woman. "The Xia Emperor went out of his way to protect that brat this time, even ignoring my threats, clearly determined to shield him. This time, you sent multiple groups to attack various commanderies across the Grand Xia world. Although the Xia Emperor has True Immortals and Celestial Immortals under his command, he must attend to all fronts. He cannot mobilize too much force against me this time. But if I act again, his forces, no longer needing to guard the commanderies, will likely join forces to trap and kill me!"

The Esprit Gate had long known that the Xia Emperor had divine beings and True Immortals by his side.

The ancient imperial clan alone had always dispatched three divine beings and True Immortals to accompany the Xia Emperor. This was the reason the Xia Emperor's word was law throughout the Grand Xia world. Even the Zhuanshui clan, which had a divine being within its tribe and was a branch of an ancient great clan with a True God Patriarch behind it, dared not contend with the Xia Emperor for this reason.

Even the Shaoyan clan... also had an ancient great clan behind it, but their founder, 'Shaoyan Chou,' had fled the clan and refused to acknowledge any connection with the ancient great clan.

The top great clans of the Grand Xia world were not to be trifled with. When countless tribes united, even the Xia Emperor dared not suppress them by force; he had to grant sufficient benefits and share the realm with them.

As for the Xia Emperor's Xiamang clan, it was precisely the most powerful clan in the entire Grand Xia world! Destroying a Floating Splendor True Immortal was still within their means.

"If you want revenge, how can you avoid risk?" said the green-robed woman. "Do you not want to avenge Zicao?"

A cold gleam flickered in Floating Splendor True Immortal's eyes. Of course he wanted to kill Ji Ning.

But those who could become Pure Yang True Immortals... were all extraordinary, not fools.

"Zicao was always following you, and you control the entire power of the Esprit Gate. Killing Ji Ning would be far easier for you than for me," said Floating Splendor True Immortal coldly. "If a truly good opportunity arises, I wouldn't mind making a move. But I will absolutely not trade my life for that brat's."

With that, Floating Splendor True Immortal turned and left.

Only the green-robed woman and the other two leaders remained in the majestic hall, continuing to watch the battle scenes from various places.

"The Xia Emperor has indeed sent out his forces," said the green-robed woman with a smile.

"Of course he wouldn't just watch you kill his people," said the gaunt old man.

As time passed.

The probing skirmishes of two thousand groups began swiftly that night and ended just as swiftly.

The next day, the Golden Crow rose again, as if nothing had happened.

But in reality, that night, the Esprit Gate side lost sixty-nine Celestial Immortals and several hundred Sanxians. The Grand Xia world side lost seventy-three Celestial Immortals and several dozen Sanxians.

On the surface, the losses were roughly equal.

In truth, such probing skirmishes always involved killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of one's own!

But in reality, the biggest mistake of the Esprit Gate in this engagement... was at Ji Ning's location! They miscalculated his strength, costing them eighteen top-tier Celestial Immortals. The loss at this single location actually exceeded the total losses from all other locations combined. After all, the difference between an ordinary Celestial Immortal and a top-tier Celestial Immortal was enormous.

Of course...

Neither the Xia Emperor nor the Esprit Gate cared much about these losses.

After all, this was merely a probing skirmish; both sides had only lost some skin, not yet suffered a serious injury. Their truly powerful forces had not been deployed at all! Only when the real war began would they engage in repeated battles, which could truly be called a meat grinder for Celestial Immortals. Even a True Immortal or divine being might fall if careless. After all, this was the most powerful major world under the command of Patriarch Crimsonbright!

...

Still the same majestic hall.

The three leaders of the Esprit Gate, Ten Thousand Demon Cave, and Blood Cloud Tower gathered again. After arranging matters for their subordinates, they convened this time for 'Ji Ning.'

"I think Ji Ning must be killed," said the man in the fiery red robe, his voice deep and resonant. "He is already a menace now. Once he overcomes his tribulation and becomes a divine being... he will be more than just a menace; our conquest of the Grand Xia world might fail."

The gaunt old man also sighed: "This man is truly too monstrous—so monstrous that I feel a bit of fear."

"I also think he should be killed," said the green-robed woman. "Ji Ning has the Eighty-Nine Arcane Art protecting him, so killing him is not easy. We can only suppress him first and then find a way to kill him. But when we suppress him... I worry that his Dao Ancestor master might intervene."

"Dao Ancestor?"

The other two leaders also changed expression.

A True God or Dao Ancestor... a true hegemon of the Three Realms, and one who could teach the Eighty-Nine Arcane Art was among the most顶尖. The mere thought sent chills down the spine.

"If we send a divine being or True Immortal to act, only to have them killed by the Dao Ancestor and Ji Ning rescued, we would lose both the bait and the fish," said the green-robed woman with a sigh. "At this critical moment in the campaign for the Grand Xia world, it is not appropriate for us to make major moves."

"Greenfox, what do you suggest?"

The other two looked at her.

In terms of status, the three were equal. But generally, the one in charge of the Esprit Gate had higher wisdom, so in campaigns for various major worlds, the Esprit Gate leader took the lead, while the other two supported. If conflicts arose, they would report upward!

"I think we should report this to the God King!" said the green-robed woman solemnly.

"The God King?" The other two hesitated.

The man in the fiery red robe hesitated: "For this matter, disturb the God King? Ask the God King for help?"

"Although we could kill Ji Ning at any cost, the losses would be great and would affect the overall campaign for Grand Xia," said the green-robed woman. "Only by reporting to the God King can we proceed."

"Mm."

"Alright."

The other two did not object. In fact, Greenfox could have reported on her own; informing them was a sign of respect. This way, the three sides could coordinate better, as the forces of the Ten Thousand Demon Cave and Blood Cloud Tower were also immensely powerful.

...

In a quiet chamber.

The green-robed woman lit a stick of incense, and the fragrance filled the entire room. She slowly closed her eyes, entering a dream state.

In the dream.

This was a vast, dark space. In the center of this realm floated a throne ten thousand zhang in size. On the ground appeared a woman, Greenfox.

"God King." Greenfox called out respectfully.

Suddenly, on the throne in midair, a towering figure appeared. He was shrouded in a black robe, his eyes merely mist, yet those misty eyes seemed to connect with the soul. When he looked down at Greenfox, she could not help but tremble inwardly.

"What is it?" The figure seated on the ten-thousand-zhang throne tapped lightly on the armrest, his voice rumbling through the dark space.

"God King, your subordinate is about to launch an attack on the Grand Xia world, but a variable has emerged there..." Greenfox said respectfully. "This variable has a great impact. If I mobilize the forces of the Esprit Gate, I fear it will affect the subsequent task of conquering Grand Xia. Therefore, I ask the God King to decide."

"A variable?" The towering figure tapped lightly on the armrest.

"It is Ji Ning." Greenfox said respectfully.

"Him?" The towering figure paused slightly. "He just killed eighteen of your Celestial Immortals. Mm... from the battle scenes, this Ji Ning is indeed monstrous. A Return to Void cultivator being this strong cannot be achieved by divine abilities alone. His sword fingers haven't even reached 'Great Mastery of the Sword.' He must have mastered some kind of top-tier power—the power of the sword? From the battle scenes, his sword power has only reached the first level. So it must be some other invisible power... heartforce? Taiji force? Wuji force? Spacetime force?"

The towering figure pondered: "Your reminder is very timely. I hadn't noticed such a monster appearing in the Grand Xia world. It seems the likelihood of him overcoming his tribulation and becoming a divine being is at least fifty percent! Once he becomes a divine being, he will become a top-tier divine being, and given time, he could reach the level of Lü Dongbin. Indeed, a menace."

The top powerhouses of the Three Realms had a consensus: if you don't make a move, I won't either.

This was an unspoken understanding.

Both sides were preparing... preparing for the critical moment to uproot the other side completely! Until then, at most divine beings and True Immortals would act; True Gods and Dao Ancestors would not act lightly. Thus, a top-tier divine being had great influence. Moreover, a top-tier divine being had a very good chance of taking another step forward and becoming a True God or Dao Ancestor!

"But Ji Ning's master is that old fellow Bodhi, not easy to mess with," said the towering figure.

"Patriarch Bodhi?" Greenfox exclaimed.

Heavens.

Patriarch Bodhi?

She had long guessed that the Dao Ancestor behind Ji Ning was formidable—anyone who could teach the Eighty-Nine Arcane Art had to be—but she never imagined it would be that old monster Bodhi.

"I can't even fathom the power of this old fellow... In the battle when the ancient Pangu world shattered, although he saved people, he didn't truly participate. But he is definitely one of the top Dao Ancestors in the Three Realms, and among his disciples, there are several Dao Ancestors!" The towering figure tapped lightly on the armrest, the 'dong dong dong' sound echoing slowly through the dark space.

Greenfox held her breath.

Several Dao Ancestors?

She knew some secrets, that among Patriarch Bodhi's disciples there was a mysterious senior apprentice brother who was definitely at the True God or Dao Ancestor level. As for the rest, she didn't know. Now hearing the God King say that Patriarch Bodhi had more than one Dao Ancestor among his disciples! But even knowing this, she dared not leak a word. She was absolutely loyal to the God King, and the God King knew everything... If she dared to betray in the slightest, the God King would know immediately! For instance, in Ji Ning's battle, the God King could, with a single thought, know the scene of the engagement.

"But this old fellow is on Nüwa's side!" The misty eyes of the towering figure were as deep as the endless void. "Then let's take this opportunity to kill one of his little disciples and see his reaction."

Greenfox listened carefully.

"Deploy the chess piece Yu Wei." said the towering figure. "Have Yu Wei lead Ji Ning directly to the Fifth World via great teleportation. The Fifth World is one of our main bases, and I will be there in person. In the Fifth World... even if Bodhi comes in person, he can do nothing."

"Yu Wei?" Greenfox was startled.

There were several chess pieces in the Grand Xia world. Yu Wei was not originally important, but after becoming a disciple of Patriarch Lü and becoming a Celestial Immortal, she became the most important piece. Logically, she could exert great power in the future, but now she was to be used on Ji Ning. Clearly, the God King believed that exchanging one Yu Wei for Ji Ning's life was worth it!

"Yes." Greenfox responded respectfully, then vanished into thin air.

In the dark world, only the towering figure on the void throne remained. His left hand still tapped lightly on the armrest: "Bodhi... we haven't crossed paths yet... truly looking forward to it..."