Chapter 7: Asking the Master for Help

"Alright!" The yellow-furred bear excitedly twisted his rump and immediately traversed the void back to the Water Mansion.

Inside the Water Mansion.

Ji Ning, the yellow-furred bear, and the seven Celestial Immortals—Red Snow, Yuan Guang, Snow Scorpion, and the others—all appeared in the great hall.

"You all wait here," the yellow-furred bear said, turning to Red Snow and the others. "The treasure vault is a space that only the new master can enter."

"Fine," Red Snow nodded.

"We have patience, unlike you, that bear, who's been so anxious," Yuan Guang shook his head with a sneer.

The bear glared: "How can you compare to me? I've guarded that space day after day for endless ages. Before, it was fine, but now that I know Ji Ning has broken through and become the new master, of course I'm unbearably curious. Can you blame me?"

"Alright, Big Bear, take me there," Ji Ning said.

"Follow me." The bear led the way.

Ji Ning followed.

…

A bear and a man walked through the Water Mansion. The Water Mansion was actually quite vast, after all, it had once been the place where Daoist Three Lives gathered gods and demons.

"Ji Ning, now that you've become a Celestial Immortal, you can completely refine the entire Zhaixing Mansion," the bear said beside him.

"Mm, I'll refine it later," Ji Ning nodded.

Ji Ning was in no hurry.

The Water Mansion was a cave-dwelling type treasure that contained the Zhaixing Great World. Now that he had become a Celestial Immortal, once he obtained the immortal pills that Patriarch Crimson Bright had promised, he would soon cultivate the Eight-Nine Arcane Art to the ninth turn. Then his body would be comparable to a top-grade Pure Yang treasure, and even if he encountered danger, there would be no need to hide in the Water Mansion.

Even if he needed to hide, Ji Ning had also collected innate spiritual treasures during the border wars. The Water Mansion's importance had indeed diminished greatly. But the Water Mansion held special significance for him; when he was still very weak, the Water Mansion had helped him immensely.

"Whoosh~~~"

They passed through a curtain of water.

They arrived at a hazy void passage. Ji Ning and the yellow-furred bear walked forward. This was a place Ji Ning had never sensed before.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning looked ahead. At the end of the void passage, a faint glow of restrictive light swirled.

"This is the formation restriction left by the master," the yellow-furred bear pointed out. "The master told me back then that only the new master could break it."

"Oh?"

Ji Ning stepped forward and began to probe with his divine sense.

Although not an expert, Ji Ning had some knowledge of formations, at least understanding the basics.

"Open." After studying for a moment, Ji Ning suddenly struck out with a palm. The Zhaixing divine pattern appeared on his palm and directly slammed into the restriction. The restriction glowed with light, faintly revealing patterns very similar to the Zhaixing divine pattern.

"Buzz~~~"

Ji Ning's palm turned a hundred zhang in size and struck the restriction. Then his whole body was jolted, forcing him back three steps.

"Didn't break?" The yellow-furred bear was puzzled.

"Can't break it now," Ji Ning looked at the glowing restriction and shook his head. "Let's go. We'll head back first."

"How can it not break? The master said the new master could break it," the yellow-furred bear said urgently.

Ji Ning smiled: "I just discovered that this formation restriction and the 'Zhaixing divine pattern' are practically from the same source. It must be broken with the Zhaixing Hand. But after trying… I found that my Zhaixing divine pattern is still not perfect enough, and its power is insufficient. I should need to reach the fifth turn to break it. Of course, there's another way: use overwhelming force to break it directly! Although Master Three Lives was powerful, he has been gone for who knows how long. If I force my way through, I could probably break it after ten or eight tries. But if I force it… Master might have left some mechanisms to teleport his legacy treasures away."

"We must not force it," the yellow-furred bear quickly nodded.

No kidding.

If he dared to force it, there might be internal restrictions that would teleport the treasures into the endless void. In the vast void, finding treasures would be extremely difficult? Or they might be sent to some deadly place.

There might even be counterattack formation restrictions.

"Let's go." Ji Ning turned and left. "I'll come back after cultivating the Zhaixing Hand to the fifth turn."

…

Ji Ning first went to the Water Mansion's great hall and met Red Snow and the other seven. Red Snow, Yuan Guang, and the others were eagerly hoping to know what legacy Three Lives had left, but who would have thought it couldn't be broken for now? The seven of them temporarily returned to the Zhaixing Great World.

Inside the Water Mansion's Treasure Hall.

"All the treasures in the Treasure Hall are here," the bear said, pointing upward and handing Ji Ning a book. "This book records the Immortal-grade and Pure Yang treasures."

Ji Ning nodded and took it.

"There are actually twenty-eight sets of Pure Yang treasures," Ji Ning couldn't help but exclaim. "I already took the One Breath Nine Yuan Pearl and the Anan Universal Sword. The Pure Yang treasures Master left are all fine treasures."

Among the bottom-of-the-barrel Pure Yang treasures, a few had extremely formidable power.

They were all sets.

In particular, the strongest few sets each had their own strengths, making it hard to rank them.

For example, the 'Eight Fire Universe Realm' was refined by the ancestral god Zhurong, who had fallen in the ancient war of destruction. It consumed countless precious materials and took the form of an eight-petal lotus. When the eight petals fully bloomed, they could release the eight great true fires! It should be known that there were only nine types of true fire in the entire Three Realms, yet the Eight Fire Universe Realm contained eight of them.

Moreover, after the Fire God Zhurong refined it with profound restrictions, the eight true fires combined with each other, possessing the power to destroy heaven and earth.

At the very least, Pure Yang True Immortals would only flee and dodge when encountering it. Only Celestial Immortals with formidable divine bodies dared to withstand it head-on. Most importantly, it was a large-scale attack, forming its own world. Within its range, it swept everything! Although this 'Eight Fire Universe Realm' was merely a top-grade Pure Yang treasure, its value was equivalent to a hundred ordinary top-grade Pure Yang treasures!

There was also the 'All-Heavens Blood Shadow Grand Formation', composed of ninety-nine top-grade Pure Yang treasure bodies, capable of forming ninety-nine blood shadow avatars, equally formidable.

"Pity, there's no sword formation I need," Ji Ning shook his head. Although there were flying sword treasures, Ji Ning needed over seven hundred Pure Yang flying swords. The collection of Daoist Three Lives was not that extravagant.

The best few sets of top-grade Pure Yang treasures in Daoist Three Lives' collection were first-rate even in the Three Realms, allowing a Celestial Immortal to greatly increase their strength instantly. But… Ji Ning was no ordinary Celestial Immortal. He had reached the fourth level of heartforce. Once he also cultivated the Zhaixing Hand to the fifth turn and the Eight-Nine Arcane Art to the ninth turn, he would already be a top figure among Celestial Immortals. Many treasures would be of little help to him.

Being too strong, he had little desire for external power.

Or rather…

He desired higher external power.

If there were a Chaos treasure, Ji Ning would naturally strive desperately for it. But Chaos treasures were too precious. Even most True God Patriarchs didn't have them! The reason Daoist Three Lives was so formidable back then was that after his Zhaixing Hand reached the sixth turn, his palms could rival a Chaos treasure!

Chaos treasures… could only be nurtured in Chaos, with power that shook heaven and earth.

…

Ji Ning left the Water Mansion to go see his master, Subhuti.

Inside the Daoist temple.

"Master." Ji Ning said respectfully.

"What is it?" Subhuti looked at Ji Ning.

"Disciple wishes to train in the fifth cycle of the Star-Picking Hand, which requires some rare materials. These materials are very hard to gather, and I would like to exchange treasures with you for them, Master." Ji Ning said respectfully. The materials for the fourth cycle of the Star-Picking Hand had been gathered by the Xia Emperor only after much effort. As for the materials for the fifth cycle... even ordinary True Gods and Dao Ancestors might not necessarily possess them; one would have to seek help from friends to gather them.

Of course, Ji Ning had more than enough to exchange for these materials.

During the Realmwar alone, Ji Ning had obtained many Pure Yang treasures and even two Protocosmic spirit-treasures. However, those Pure Yang treasures were scattered, rarely as exquisite as the top-grade sets collected by Lord San Shou. But their cumulative quantity was enough to fund the fifth cycle of the Star-Picking Hand.

Even one of the 'Eight Fires Universe-Sealing Realm' or 'All-Universes Bloodshadow Formation' would be sufficient to exchange for them.

"I have not yet bestowed any treasures upon you since your breakthrough to the Heavenly God realm." Subhuti shook his head. "Consider the materials needed for the fifth cycle of the Star-Picking Hand as a gift from me. However, I can give you the fifth cycle, but the sixth cycle... I will not be able to do that."

"Disciple understands." Ji Ning nodded.

To refine one's palms into Chaos treasures required materials that were almost exclusively born from Chaos itself, and they were extremely rare.

Lord San Shou had, by a stroke of luck, obtained a strange star-metal from Chaos at birth. He had meditated on that star-metal for endless ages, and based on it... he had used a vast amount of Chaos materials to successfully train in the sixth cycle of the Star-Picking Hand. Such star-metals were incredibly rare. According to what Lord San Shou had said, Lord Sanqing had once obtained one and later used it to refine the 'Immortal-Slaying Sword Diagram'.

"Tell me the materials you need." Subhuti said.

"Yes."

Ji Ning immediately listed them one by one.

Subhuti raised an eyebrow and smiled: "It's quite difficult. I'll have to ask some old friends for some. Wait a moment." Subhuti closed his eyes and sat there. After a moment, a spatial distortion appeared beside him, forming a vortex. Another Daoist-robed elder appeared, handed Subhuti a brocade pouch, and then vanished.

Ji Ning understood that this was his master's incarnation.

"All gathered." Subhuti produced a brocade pouch and a gourd. "The pouch contains the materials you need. The gourd holds the Grand Empyrean Immortal Pills sent by Redmoon, enough for you to train in the ninth cycle of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art."

With a wave of his hand, the pouch and gourd floated before Ji Ning.

Ji Ning accepted them: "Thank you, Master."

Joy filled Ji Ning's heart.

Once he trained in the fifth cycle of the Star-Picking Hand, he could also obtain the legacy treasures left by Lord San Shou. Importantly, his palms would reach the ultimate power of Protocosmic spirit-treasures! The ultimate Protocosmic level... was second only to Chaos treasures. Moreover, with his Three Heads, Six Arms technique, it would be as if he possessed six treasures with the power of ultimate Protocosmic spirit-treasures.

Protocosmic spirit-treasures were not too rare; Ji Ning had obtained several, and the Xia Emperor also had many. But ultimate Protocosmic spirit-treasures... Ji Ning had never obtained even one!

"What do you plan to do next?" Subhuti looked at Ji Ning.

"Reporting to Master." Ji Ning said respectfully, "Disciple wishes to travel the Three Realms, tempering my heartforce in the mortal world and comprehending sword techniques."

If his heartforce could break through to the fifth level—though only Houyi had achieved it so far, and the hope was slim—if he truly succeeded, heartforce at the fifth level would place him among the top-tier True Gods and Dao Ancestors. Ji Ning felt that to comprehend the fifth level of heartforce, he must seek it through tempering in the mortal world.

This was also why other cultivators at the fourth level of heartforce, like Dongzhe, often traveled through the Three Realms.

Heartforce could not be forced, so ordinarily Ji Ning focused on studying sword techniques.

"Also, I ask for Master's help." Ji Ning said respectfully.

"Help?" Subhuti looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning nodded: "Now that the Calamity has descended, the Outlander Gate and our side are locked in endless slaughter. I would like to ask Master to help me find opportunities, and then I will directly attack and destroy some of the Outlander Gate's strongholds and lairs."

"Directly attack?" Subhuti was startled. "That will drive the Outlander Gate mad."

The Outlander Gate and the Nuwa Camp were like two armies facing off.

The Outlander Gate also had its own major worlds.

The Nuwa Camp also had its own major worlds.

Both sides attacked each other.

You attack, I defend.

You defend, I attack.

There were also some extremely powerful Heavenly Gods and True Immortals in the Three Realms who would only act during Realmwars; they dared not directly attack the Outlander Gate's lairs outside of Realmwars.

"If you directly attack the Outlander Gate's lairs, although I cannot detect the danger beforehand, once you go and kill, the Outlander Gate might immediately mobilize forces to deal with you." Subhuti said worriedly. "This is very dangerous. Without the support of an army, direct sneak attacks... are very risky. Even if you succeed once or twice, it will likely enrage the Outlander Gate immensely. They will try every means to set traps. If you launch frenzied sneak attacks, they might even send people to assassinate you directly."

Ji Ning nodded: "I understand. What I want is for them to be enraged and frenzied. The crazier they become, the more I will attack, the more I will kill."

"You insist on doing this?" Subhuti looked at Ji Ning.

He did not understand.

In the war between camps, the stronger one was, the more one knew to stay safe.

Sneak attacks... indeed had a high chance of success, but without an army's help, failure would mean being trapped and losing one's life. Even if successful, one would become a thorn in the Outlander Gate's side.

"I insist." Ji Ning nodded.

"Your current strength is formidable, and you can command the Heaven Punishment. The Outlander Gate would have to pay a huge price to deal with you. So, like with Lü Dongbin and others, they will not specifically target you now. After all, you have already established your power. They kept trying to kill you before because you were still weak and had not yet grown." Subhuti said.

Before one grows up, eliminate them quickly. Once grown, the Outlander Gate would be unwilling to pay the huge price to deal with Ji Ning.

"I ask for Master's help." Ji Ning said respectfully. In finding the Outlander Gate's strongholds and lairs, determining which could be attacked and which could not, Subhuti's choice would be a thousand times better than his own.

"Can you tell me the reason?" Subhuti looked at Ji Ning.

"I want to save Yu Wei." Ji Ning said.

"Save? She's not dead?" Subhuti was shocked. "She's not dead? How do you know?"

Ji Ning nodded: "She's not dead. Her soul is now suffering endless torment in the God King's Endless Hell. I know this because the God King is forcing me to defect to his side. If I don't, he will make my senior apprentice-sister suffer endless torment in hell."

Subhuti immediately understood.

At the same time, he couldn't help but carefully look at his disciple...

He could fully imagine the painful choice his disciple had faced. In that desperate situation, his disciple had actually broken through in strength and turned the tide of that Realmwar.

"I want to save senior apprentice-sister. This is the only way." Ji Ning said. "I will kill, kill, kill, until they are mad with rage. They will come after me. Then I will continue killing. If one comes, I kill one. If ten come, I kill a group. I will kill until they are terrified, until they regret. I will kill until they finally come to sue for peace with me! They must release senior apprentice-sister before I stop the slaughter."

"I must kill until they truly feel the pain before they will release senior apprentice-sister." Ji Ning looked at his master. "This is the only way for me to save senior apprentice-sister. Please help me, Master."

...