Chapter Sixteen: Three Years

On the walls of Wujian City.

The White Extremity True Immortal and the black-robed, black-haired old man with red pupils stood side by side, gazing into the distance at a great battle ten thousand miles away, where nine Punishment Celestials were locked in combat with four White-Faced Dragons and nine Celestial Puppets.

“Daoist Chibing,” the White Extremity True Immortal said with a faint smile. “That Daoist Wuxiao invited you to kill Ji Ning. I wonder when you will make your move.”

In terms of direct combat, the White Extremity True Immortal was confident that even his Green Fox junior sister was no match for him. But when it came to killing, he dared not compare himself to the Chibing True Immortal. Combat and killing were different concepts, and Chibing True Immortal was exceptionally skilled at killing, with many means at his disposal. Within the camp of the Undying Sect, Chibing True Immortal held a transcendent status; the hundred Undying Sects under the God King could not command him, as he was directly under the God King’s authority.

Even the White Extremity True Immortal could not invite this Chibing True Immortal. He could not understand how a mere Celestial Immortal like Wuxiao had managed to do so. This Wuxiao Celestial Immortal always struck him as mysterious.

“No rush. The time is not yet right,” Chibing True Immortal said calmly.

“By the way, Daoist Chibing, this invitation from Daoist Wuxiao must have come at no small cost,” said the White Extremity True Immortal.

Chibing True Immortal glanced at him, bared his teeth in a grin, and said, “You wouldn’t guess.”

“Then I’ll have to take a guess,” the White Extremity True Immortal said, his mind stirring as he smiled.

“I won’t tell you,” Chibing True Immortal shook his head. “But rest assured, since I have accepted Daoist Wuxiao’s commission, I will do my utmost, sparing no expense, to slay this Ji Ning.”

The White Extremity True Immortal nodded slightly. It was unrealistic to try to recruit such a formidable figure under his command, so he said, “You say the time is not right now. When will it be?”

“Wait patiently,” Chibing True Immortal said, gazing into the distance at the most powerful of the nine Punishment Celestials, Ji Ning.

“Wait?” The White Extremity True Immortal frowned.

Chibing True Immortal glanced at him and then said, “The more careless the opponent, the greater my chance of success in killing. But now that the war has just begun, Ji Ning and the others, including the Xia Emperor, are all extremely cautious.”

“But they will remain cautious,” said the White Extremity True Immortal.

“It’s different.”

Chibing True Immortal shook his head. “Their current caution is caution toward everything. But as battles go on and the war drags on, they will gradually become familiar with war. Once familiar, their vigilance toward certain familiar situations will naturally decrease. Though they remain cautious in their hearts, they will instinctively relax their guard on things they are accustomed to.”

The White Extremity True Immortal nodded thoughtfully.

“In simple terms, after prolonged fighting, even in dangerous environments, people become numb to the danger over time,” said Chibing True Immortal. “I need to wait until he becomes numb.”

“Then I look forward to seeing your methods, Daoist Chibing. Our Undying Sect has expended considerable effort to kill Ji Ning, but without success,” the White Extremity True Immortal said with a smile.

Chibing True Immortal shook his head. “The Undying Sect has many formidable figures. Just the sect under Commander Green Fox alone can deploy many. If the God King truly wanted to kill Ji Ning, and was willing to go to war with the Dao Ancestor behind him at any cost, Ji Ning would have died long ago.”

Chibing True Immortal’s gaze fell on the distant Punishment Celestial Ji Ning, and he murmured in admiration, “Truly a peerless prodigy. What a pity…”

…

Chibing True Immortal’s patience was truly remarkable.

He waited for three years.

On the morning of the third year, mist filled the air.

On an endless wilderness pockmarked with craters, seven-thousand-foot-tall Punishment Celestials and five Celestial Puppets were locked in battle with three White-Faced Dragons and eight Celestial Puppets on the other side.

The earth shook and mountains toppled, turning into rubble and ruins.

“Clang, clang, clang.”

The Punishment Celestial Ji Ning would sometimes wield two divine swords, then they would vanish; sword light flashed, followed by heavy punches and sinister claws. He was locked in combat with the Duque White-Faced Dragon, with the Tonghe Celestial Immortal occasionally lending a hand. Together, they were able to hold off this Duque White-Faced Dragon.

“Retreat,” the Duque White-Faced Dragon ordered.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—immediately, the thousand-foot-tall figures quickly regrouped and withdrew.

Ji Ning and the others watched from afar.

“Retreat,” Ji Ning transmitted his order.

Immediately, the seven Celestials and five Celestial Puppets vanished, returning to the Eight Dragons Cloud City.

Inside the Eight Dragons Cloud City.

The seven legions disbanded completely, and the many Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals flew toward their respective camps, while the seven commanders turned and flew toward the city wall.

Whoosh!

On the city wall, the seven sat along the edge.

“Come, try my fine wine today. This is immortal wine I obtained from the Peach Banquet in ancient times. There’s only this much left, but today we have wine, so let’s drink today.” The Madman Celestial Immortal laughed heartily, but deep in his eyes there was a trace of sorrow.

“The Madman’s wine is indeed good,” Ji Ning said, taking a gourd.

The others also took theirs, laughing.

Each held a wine gourd and drank.

Not long after the war between Great Xia and the Undying Sect began, when there were still nine commanders, they had established a rule: after each battle, the nine would gather to reflect on the fight and absorb lessons. But as battles increased, Ji Ning and the others found it hard to glean new insights; their cooperation was already perfect. So the post-battle gatherings often turned into drinking sessions. Over three years of life-and-death struggles, they had become like brothers and sisters, and they had grown accustomed to these gatherings after battle.

“Xishui.”

“Qianzhen.” Ji Ning murmured inwardly.

His feelings for Xishui Celestial Immortal were somewhat lighter, as Xishui had died half a year into the war. Though they had developed brotherly bonds, it had not yet reached the point of being inseparable.

But for Qianzhen Fairy…

Including Ji Ning, Tonghe, Fuchen, and the others, all felt deep pain, and the one who hurt most was the Madman Celestial Immortal.

Prolonged war meant immortals would die. Ji Ning and the others had long prepared for it. Of their original nine, four had had their Punishment Celestials crippled. Xishui Celestial Immortal had been severely wounded in the early battles, and Tonghe Celestial Immortal had his crippled in the second month of the war, but he survived and was replenished with new immortals.

Half a year into the war, when Xishui Celestial Immortal was severely wounded again, he did not have the same luck; he was slain outright, and many of the Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals under his command also died.

After the replenishment of Tonghe’s legion, the reserve of Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals was not large. So this time, no replenishment was made, and the nine legions officially became eight.

Later, the Wan Beast Celestial Immortal’s legion was also severely crippled once, but Wan Beast himself survived by luck.

The fourth to be crippled was Qianzhen Fairy.

“Qianzhen.” Ji Ning sighed silently. Qianzhen had died just over a month ago. That somewhat cold Qianzhen Fairy, after three years of fighting side by side, they had grown very close to her. It was only after spending much time together that they learned… the Madman Celestial Immortal had been pursuing Qianzhen Fairy for endless ages, but never succeeded.

During these three years of life-and-death battles, the Madman and Qianzhen had grown closer, and Ji Ning and the others often teased them.

Who would have thought…

That battle!

In that battle, the Green Fox True Immortal, the Sanyang Celestial, and the Abandoned Beast Celestial appeared simultaneously. In the war, Celestial Immortals and True Immortals often appeared, but it was the first time the Green Fox True Immortal made a move. As a Celestial, a divine beast, and with a high level of Dao insight, her debut exceeded Ji Ning’s side’s expectations. The Xia Emperor even intervened personally.

But the battlefield changed too fast!

The Punishment Celestial Qianzhen was crippled, and Qianzhen Fairy died on the spot.

At that time, the Madman went berserk, and Ji Ning and the others, eyes red with rage, fought desperately. But there was nothing they could do… after destroying one Punishment Celestial, the enemy immediately withdrew.

It hurt!

That cold woman who had shared life and death with them, who occasionally smiled at the Madman’s flippant antics, a smile that was stunning, was gone just like that.

“Beiming, you’re the youngest, definitely the eighth. Come, call me Second Sister.” Qianzhen Fairy had once teased Ji Ning. Ji Ning still called her Qianzhen. This was a year into the war. After Xishui’s death, as time passed, their bond deepened. A year into the war, naturally, they swore brotherhood.

Ji Ning was naturally the youngest, ranked eighth.

Swearing brotherhood was rare, but when the bond between them reached a certain depth, it happened naturally.

“Qianzhen.” Ji Ning glanced at the Madman.

The Madman Celestial Immortal and Qianzhen had already become Dao companions. Qianzhen’s death hit the Madman hard. He was no longer mad and wild.

“If Yu Wei died, could I bear it?” Ji Ning asked himself, but he found he could not imagine it, because it was something he could not endure.

“Time to go back.” Ji Ning tilted his head and drained the last drops of immortal wine from the gourd.

“Yes, let’s go.”

“Get a good sleep. We’ll have to fight again soon.”

Three years of grueling war had changed them greatly. They had come to love sleep, as it washed away the weariness in their hearts. They had lost their former ethereal, carefree air and had become coarser, more casual, and more at ease.

…

After parting with his seven brothers and sisters, Ji Ning walked back to the barracks.

“General.”

“General.” The Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals along the way showed Ji Ning genuine respect. For three years, their Beiming Legion had never been severely crippled, all thanks to this extraordinary figure who had become a Celestial Immortal in less than a hundred years of cultivation.

Ji Ning returned to his quarters.

Yu Wei had already prepared a meal and was waiting.

“You reek of wine,” Yu Wei said with a smile.

Ji Ning’s eyes fell on Yu Wei’s belly, which was now clearly large and protruding. He smiled and said, “Our child, the child of a Celestial Immortal and a Fiendgod, still refuses to come out of his mother’s womb.”

“Children of immortals can take anywhere from a year or two to decades,” Yu Wei said with a laugh. “Some born from the essence of heaven and earth, gestated for millions of years, are normal.”

“Ours won’t take that long.” Ji Ning leaned close, pressing his ear against Yu Wei’s belly. He could already hear the heartbeat inside.

…