Chapter 23: The Might of a Pure Yang True Immortal

Rumble~~~~

The primordial force contained within the Pure Yang Immortal Pills was so pure that it formed endless waves of power within the golden core space. As the force of each pill was fully released, the entire 'golden core,' as if parched for an unknown length of time, directly devoured everything like a mad whale. It was like a dry riverbed, even cracked, that could easily absorb a downpour completely.

The speed at which the immortal pills released their force could not even match the devouring speed of this celestial immortal golden core.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Within Ji Ning's chest, five faint streams of air were condensing.

These five streams were formed from the insights into the Dao of the Five Elements that Ji Ning had comprehended; only thus could they condense and connect to the source of the heavens and earth.

After so many years of cultivation, aside from the Sword Dao, Ji Ning's highest achievement was in the 'Waterdrop Dao,' of which he had comprehended more than half. As for the ordinary Water Dao, he had long since comprehended sixteen variations. In fact, such ordinary Daos were of very little help to Ji Ning now. In the process of comprehending the Grand Dao, he would occasionally be inspired and comprehend some Dao.

Water and fire were both areas where Ji Ning excelled.

Metal, influenced by his sword arts, was also something he was quite skilled in.

Wood, which belonged to wind—the Way of the Gust—Ji Ning had long mastered.

Earth, though the slowest for him to cultivate, he had still comprehended an ordinary Dao of Earth. After all, when Ji Ning first began training at the Black-White College, he had been studying the Lesser Five Elements Sword Art.

"Refreshing." The five energies within his chest subtly stirred the fundamental 'Five Elements Origin' of heaven and earth, causing strands of power to be transmitted from this origin.

These strands of power were the power of the Five Elements Origin.

As soon as they entered Ji Ning's Celestial Immortal golden core...

Whoosh!

It was as if heavenly thunder had ignited earthly fire; a violent transformation instantly began. Ji Ning's Celestial Immortal golden core started to metamorphose without any hindrance. The very quality of the golden core was undergoing a change. Its internal 'golden core space' became vaster, the magic power composing the entire golden core became purer, rapidly transforming into 'pure yang magic power'. Although this consumed a great deal of energy, Ji Ning had an ample supply of immortal pills. The immortal pills he had obtained from the Xia Emperor in exchange for the Heaven-ranked golem, after completing the 'Sixth Cycle of the Eighty-Nine Divine Arts', still had a large surplus.

It sounds slow.

In reality, it was fast.

In merely the time of about two breaths, Ji Ning's Celestial Immortal golden core had already successfully evolved, transforming into a more condensed, profound, and somewhat dark golden color—a deeper, heavier gold. The magic power within this golden core far surpassed his previous Celestial Immortal magic power, causing Ji Ning's entire Celestial Immortal body to transform in the blink of an eye.

Now Ji Ning's golden core should be a Pure Yang Golden Core.

It was second only to the 'Grand Unity Golden Core' of the Grand Dao Ancestors. This Pure Yang Golden Core continued to absorb the residual Immortal Pill power in the golden core space, making the magic power within the Pure Yang Golden Core even more profound.

"Hmm?" Ning immediately cast the technique taught by his master, Patriarch Subhuti, to change his aura from that of a Pure Yang True Immortal to that of a Celestial Immortal.

This was a disguise.

In war, Ning needed this disguise.

"What a thrill! The feeling of being a Pure Yang True Immortal is truly powerful, truly exhilarating." Ning felt his own strength, the Pure Yang magic power surging within him. "Is this how Patriarch Lu and Emperor Xia feel?"

Patriarch Lu and Emperor Xia were both Pure Yang True Immortals.

Celestial Immortal magic power, Pure Yang magic power.

The mere transformation of magic power was a great leap. Ning even felt that if he charged out alone, without needing the assistance of a thousand Celestial Immortals and a hundred thousand loose immortals, he could still fight against a White-Faced Flood Dragon. In the past? His second true body, which had only Celestial Immortal strength, had to rely on the power of this army.

"Northmont army." Ning immediately stirred his Pure Yang magic power, beginning to frantically mobilize the power of the entire 'Xingtian God.'

The power was as deep as the sea.

The power of the entire Xingtian God underwent a shocking leap: two times, three times, four times... six times... eight times... ten times... twelve times... eighteen times... twenty-one times!

Finally, the power of the Xingtian God reached an apparent limit and stopped increasing.

"Eh? Why do I feel that the power of this Xingtian God is almost being drained dry by me?" With Pure Yang magic power as his foundation and using the heartforce-soul manipulation technique, Ning was now able to mobilize nearly eighty percent of the theoretical limit of the Xingtian God's power. This allowed him to faintly sense the Xingtian God's limits.

Previously, Ning had been completely unable to sense this.

It must be noted that even among Heavenly Gods and True Immortals, very few could control the power of a Xingtian God to such a degree!

Take Heavenly God Duque, for example, or other Heavenly Gods and True Immortals... Although many among the Heavenly Gods and True Immortals of the Three Realms had comprehended 'heartforce,' in terms of proportion, not even one in ten Heavenly Gods or True Immortals had entered the threshold of heartforce! Among the two sides currently at war, Grand Xia and the Undermoon School, aside from Ning, there were indeed two others who had also entered the threshold of heartforce.

One was Emperor Xia, whose heartforce was at the second level.

The other was the Green Fox Gate Lord, also at the second level of heartforce.

Importantly, even if one's heartforce was powerful, one still had to personally comprehend the heartforce-soul manipulation technique. Ning himself was quite talented; earlier, he had single-handedly created the Finger-Sword Heartforce Technique, and later comprehended the Immortal Sword Heartforce Technique. After receiving the 'Heart Sutra' from the Elder God Source, he gradually touched the threshold of the heartforce-soul manipulation technique.

...

A Pure Yang True Immortal, heartforce at the third level and perfected, and having just entered the threshold of the heartforce-soul manipulation technique.

Only then could he control eighty percent of the Xingtian God's power.

It could be said.

Among the Heavenly Gods and True Immortals of Grand Xia and the Undermoon School currently present, Ning was far, far superior to them in controlling the Xingtian God. During his Celestial Immortal period, Ning had been able to fight against 'Duque the White-Faced Flood Dragon' and was only slightly inferior.

"Bang bang bang." Ji Ning, in his Punishment Heaven form, wielded his Ananda World Sword and struck at the black chains.

The power remained the same as before his breakthrough.

But Ji Ning had a feeling.

If he erupted, these black chains would be utterly unable to stop him.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning swept his gaze outward, observing the situation. "The situation for Da Xia is now extremely dire. It seems that without other reinforcements, the only outcome is defeat and flight."

"Because my breakthrough occurred within the Punishment Heaven body, probably no one knows I've broken through."

"Then..."

Ji Ning noticed the distant Pure Yang True Immortal Chibing.

That Pure Yang True Immortal Chibing had been maintaining his spells, consuming an astonishing amount of immortal power, forcing him to replenish with immortal pills.

"It would be best if I could slay Pure Yang True Immortal Chibing in one blow." Ji Ning calculated secretly. "Even though my strength should be the greatest on the field, instantly killing a Pure Yang True Immortal is still very difficult."

The top-tier forces on the field now were at the level of the divine demon army, the Poison Que White-Faced Flood Dragon, and the Yinglong army. Of course, the Xia Emperor and Pure Yang True Immortal Baiji were also at this level.

The Xia Emperor and Pure Yang True Immortal Baiji were extremely formidable, each alone possessing such power.

Figures like Heavenly God Hanzheng, Heavenly God Zhuanshui, and Heavenly God Duque all had to rely on their armies to achieve such power.

Ji Ning, alone, naturally could not compare to the Xia Emperor or Pure Yang True Immortal Baiji.

But Ji Ning had the Beiming Army, and his heartforce and heartforce soul techniques made his Punishment Heaven form the strongest, far surpassing the Poison Que White-Faced Flood Dragon.

"So far, not a single Heavenly God or True Immortal has died on the field. Even when the Xia Emperor used the Da Xia World-Protecting Grand Formation earlier, he didn't kill a single Heavenly God or True Immortal." Ji Ning knew it was very difficult to kill a Heavenly God or True Immortal, but he still had to try.

...

On the field, the Xia Emperor and Pure Yang True Immortal Baiji were the commanders of the two sides.

"Can't hold on anymore?"

The Xia Emperor watched the situation on the field. Neither Daoist Yinglong, Daoist Chiming, nor the ancient imperial clan had sent anyone. Without reinforcements, the Xia Emperor felt helpless.

He also understood...

Perhaps his master, Daoist Chiming, and the others had their own considerations, but the Xia Emperor was unwilling to accept it.

"Retreat." The Xia Emperor's low, unwilling roar echoed in the ears of his own army.

"Rumble~~~"

At the same time, a massive Eight-Dragon Cloud City began to appear, pressing down from above.

"Quickly retreat into the Eight-Dragon Cloud City." The Xia Emperor ordered.

"Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty?"

One by one, they looked at the Xia Emperor.

But the Xia Emperor only shook his head slightly. Though unwilling to admit it, he could see that defeat was certain! There was no turning the tide! If they held on any longer, Da Xia's side would likely collapse.

"Forget it, forget it... defeat is defeat. In this world, there has never been an eternally prosperous dynasty. Even my ancient imperial clan's current status is not what it was in ancient times." The Xia Emperor sighed in his heart, completely giving up. He would no longer fight to the death; he prepared to flee. Fleeing, they could still live. Resisting stubbornly meant only death.

I, Xiamang, have done my utmost...

But alas, I am powerless!

He could not forget those years. When he first came to this land, this Da Xia world, he was filled with heroic spirit, swept through all obstacles, defeated all sides, and finally unified all of Da Xia. He had long developed feelings for this land. Unfortunately, now it was time to leave. This land would belong to the Seamless Gate.

"Hahaha... Don't let them escape into it easily. Kill, kill, kill!" Pure Yang True Immortal Baiji laughed heartily. He was extremely excited at this moment, sensing that the Xia Emperor had lost all will to fight, unwilling to fight to the death any longer, and was about to flee.

This land would be renamed the Baiji Great World.

He would be the master!

But wanting to escape so easily? That depends on whether I, Baiji, agree!

"Kill, kill, kill!" Pure Yang True Immortal Baiji's eyes blazed with murderous intent. The morale of the Seamless Gate side soared.

Suddenly—

"Bang!"

An unusual sound.

The sound came from a region on the battlefield that had been relatively quiet. There, the Punishment Heaven form Ji Ning had been trapped. Although the Xia Emperor's side wanted to rescue him, they could barely resist the Seamless Gate themselves, so how could they spare much strength to save him?

"Hmm?" The Xia Emperor, Pure Yang True Immortal Baiji, and the others all turned to look.

The black-robed, black-haired, red-pupiled old man stood there dumbfounded, surrounded by dancing snow-white lotuses.

He touched his chest.

The Pure Yang Golden Core inside his body had been shattered by Ji Ning's cold technique, the 'Assassination Sword,' in that instant.

The red-pupiled old man merely opened his mouth as if to say something, but before any sound emerged, he turned into flying ash and vanished!

Since the start of the Great War of Da Xia until now—

The first Heavenly God or True Immortal to die had appeared! Pure Yang True Immortal Chibing, dead! The killer: Punishment Heaven—Ji Ning!