Chapter 22: Negotiation

"But Ji Ning, what you did was too risky," said the Goddess Yuezhi. "Nowadays, our side and the Abyss Gate are only having minor clashes. Both sides are very restrained, unwilling to escalate the war. We're all looking for the other's weaknesses to win this struggle for fortune. We not only want to win, but also want to let as many Celestial Immortals and True Immortals survive as possible. The Abyss Gate side shares the same mindset."

"Even if we ultimately win, if almost all Celestial Immortals and True Immortals die, and seventy to eighty percent of the True Gods and Daofathers perish, then what meaning does such a victory hold?" said the Goddess Yuezhi, looking at Ji Ning. "Neither side is willing to engage in a frenzied, major collision until the very last moment. And such a major collision is essentially a slaughter of both sides."

"There is an invisible line that neither side is willing to cross."

"And now, you have crossed that line." Yuezhi looked at Ji Ning. "Of course, this is your personal affair, so the Abyss Gate will only target you personally. Since you dared to cross it, they will find a way to eliminate you."

Ji Ning nodded.

"But rest assured, if they mobilize a large army of Celestial Immortals and True Immortals, our side will immediately stop them, because nearly three hundred Celestial Immortals and True Immortals... that already counts as war." Yuezhi looked at Ji Ning. "However, if they send some of their most顶尖 Celestial Immortals and True Immortals to hunt you down individually, we cannot send an army to stop them."

"You are formidable now, but the Abyss Gate also has some extremely astonishing Celestial Immortals and True Immortals." Yuezhi looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning said, "Fellow Daoist Yuezhi, I understand all this. Since I have done this, I am naturally prepared."

Yuezhi did not persuade further, after all, the other party was also a formidable figure among Celestial Immortals and True Immortals, not a fool.

Then Yuezhi and the others took their leave.

Ji Ning piloted the Void Boat back to the Sword Immortal World.

...

Within the Sword Immortal World, Mount Wu Bao towered into the clouds, as serene as ever.

Ji Ning and the seven Celestial Immortals descended.

"Ji Ning, what Yuezhi said must not be taken lightly," said Red Snow Celestial Immortal, also worried. "Although you are formidable, on our Nuwa camp's side alone, there are several who can match you. For example, a few divine archers, if they also use the 'Chaos Dao Fruit,' their strength might even surpass your strongest Heaven Punishment formation. The Abyss Gate also has several formidable figures, each not to be trifled with."

"If I encounter a large army, I cannot withstand it. But if it's individuals, I still have a chance to fight." Ji Ning said.

"You must be on guard. With the Chaos Dao Fruit or Chaos treasures, the other side might be even stronger than us," said Red Snow. The other six, Yuan Guang and the others, also looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning understood.

Both sides had a subconscious understanding.

If you send an individual, I send an individual, and they fight. Whoever dies can only blame their inferior skill.

If a madman appears on your side, frantically ambushing and slaughtering my subordinates, that's too much, so I send an army. If the madman stops the slaughter, naturally there's no reason to send an army. If this side sends an army, then that side has a reason to send an army.

Neither side stated this explicitly, but they all operated along these rules.

This was order!

If order were lost, then it would be very easy for the situation to continuously escalate into a final decisive battle... obviously, neither side wanted to see that.

...

Inside the thatched hut.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged, silently waiting.

Why did he take such a desperate risk this time? It was to provoke the Abyss Gate.

"Humm~~~" A wave of energy descended upon Ji Ning.

"Ji Ning." A cold voice sounded.

"Finally here." Ji Ning immediately followed the guidance and began to enter that dream world. What he wanted was to negotiate with the Abyss Gate.

...

The dark dream world.

A ten-thousand-foot throne floated at the center of the world. The black-robed God King on the throne looked down at the figure that appeared on the great earth below.

"Ji Ning." The God King was furious, shouting, "Relying on your strength, you frantically ambushed some of our Abyss Gate's strongholds. You are the first in your Nuwa camp to dare do this."

In fact, there were several Celestial Immortals and True Immortals with deep grudges against the Abyss Gate who wanted to do this, but only Ji Ning was willing to risk everything and had the strength to ambush. After all, the formations and restrictions in those lairs could hold off ten or twenty Celestial Immortals and True Immortals for quite a while.

"What do you want from me?" Ji Ning looked up.

The God King paused, then said in a low voice, "Fifteen Celestial Immortals and True Immortals have died by your hand. If you stop now, I can let bygones be bygones."

The God King ultimately chose to swallow this bitter pill. After all, he had to consider the overall layout of the Three Realms. He couldn't constantly guard against Ji Ning's ambushes, or else he would have to change the entire layout of the Three Realms. For example, withdraw all Celestial Immortals and True Immortals from some strongholds, but without some Celestial Immortals and True Immortals stationed there, some major worlds couldn't be infiltrated at all.

"Let bygones be bygones?" Ji Ning looked at the God King. "I can stop too, but I have one request."

The God King was furious inside. How dare he make a request? But the God King still forced himself to endure: "Speak!"

"Return Senior Apprentice Sister Yu Wei to me." Ji Ning spoke.

"Yu Wei?"

The God King was stunned, then laughed loudly, the angry laughter echoing through the dark world. "So your madness was all for Yu Wei. It seems this woman is truly important to you, enough to make you risk your life."

"Yes." Ji Ning nodded. "I can risk my life for Senior Apprentice Sister. If you return her, I will stop immediately. If you don't, I will continue killing."

"So you did this to threaten, to force the Abyss Gate?" The God King's voice carried a chill. "Ji Ning, you overestimate yourself. I merely didn't want minor troubles, so I gave you a chance for reconciliation. But you dare to threaten my Abyss Gate... truly arrogant. Do you think you can succeed in ambushing once, twice, three times? Do you truly believe my Abyss Gate can't do anything to a little fellow like you?"

The God King, what status did he hold? He was the nominal leader of the entire Abyss Gate camp.

Even the Three Human Sovereigns, the leaders of the Daoist and Buddhist sects, spoke with him as equals.

Earlier, the God King had a condescending attitude: if you stop, I'll spare you. If you dare make a request, speak up. If it's not excessive, I'll agree. But you dare to threaten my Abyss Gate, force my Abyss Gate to make concessions? You're asking for death!

"I only hope the God King will return Senior Apprentice Sister to me." Ji Ning looked at the God King.

"Impossible." The God King looked at Ji Ning. "Now you have only two choices. One is to stop, and my Abyss Gate will spare you. The other is to continue being an enemy. As for Yu Wei, don't even think about it."

Ji Ning looked at the God King.

The God King also looked down at Ji Ning.

"Whoosh." Ji Ning directly dissipated and left.

"Truly seeking death." The God King grew even more furious. "A Celestial Immortal or True Immortal, and he thinks he can threaten my Abyss Gate? Ridiculous, ridiculous!"

The predecessor of the Abyss Gate was the Abyss Chaos World, on the same level as the Pangu Chaos World.

How could such a force be easily threatened?

...

Ji Ning sat in the thatched hut, sitting alone in silence for a long time.

"Senior Apprentice Sister."

"Though there is only a glimmer of hope."

"But I will kill, kill until the Abyss Gate truly can't bear it." Ji Ning's eyes held only an unshakable determination. This path was very dangerous, but this was precisely a life-or-death gamble.

Then Ji Ning stopped thinking and immersed his mind in the Water Mansion.

In the main hall of the Water Mansion, there was a pile of treasures, all obtained from this ambush. Ji Ning quickly began to refine them. These treasures might not be of much help to him, but they could help other Celestial Immortals and True Immortals, increasing our side's strength by a fraction, making victory a bit more likely in the future.

"Pure Yang magic treasures."

"Pure Yang."

"And a先天 spiritual treasure, but only low-grade先天, average in power, though quite interesting."

"And quite a few Pure Yang Immortal Pills and Great Luo Immortal Pills. These are poison?" Ji Ning quickly fully accounted for the treasures of the slain Celestial Immortals and True Immortals.

Then Ji Ning began to rapidly refine the items of those Celestial Immortals, Loose Immortals, and other minions. These were refined very quickly. Those Celestial Immortals, Loose Immortals, and other minions were swept away when he killed the Celestial Immortals and True Immortals. Their items were not valuable, generally immortal-grade treasures, occasionally a Pure Yang magic treasure if lucky.

"These are the treasures left by Shao Yan Chou."

"Where is his Realm-Boundary Tower?"

"Pity... the Realm-Boundary Tower was not on these sixteen clones." Ji Ning still remembered that it was that Realm-Boundary Tower that sent him to the Silent Abyss. But after searching, he didn't find the Realm-Boundary Tower, though he did find some cultivated insect beasts and monsters.

Ji Ning hadn't paid much attention to Shao Yan Chou's other items, but one item still caught his eye.

"This is?" Ji Ning was startled.

A huge, completely black stone tablet floated there, emitting a faint pressure. Although faint, it was lofty and superior, even stronger than the pressure brought by his master, Patriarch Bodhi.

Whoosh.

Although Ji Ning's true body sat in the thatched hut, he immediately condensed a portion of his divine power into a clone that descended into the Water Mansion, personally examining the floating black stone tablet closely.