Chapter 24: Slaying Ji Ning

In the distant Ten Thousand Demon Realm.

"Everything is going according to plan." The Lord of All Demons stood alone on a mountain peak, gazing into the endless void. His voice, however, transmitted through the void into the minds of the mighty figures in other worlds. "This time, killing Ji Ning and reclaiming the All-Things Emissary should be relatively easy if we act quickly. But there is a certain possibility that the final battle may erupt directly afterward. Are you all prepared?"

"Yes, Demon Lord."

"Rest assured, Wind Demon."

"We are all ready."

Every one of the more than ten most supreme mighty figures of the entire Undermoon Sect understood that this night... was arguably the most important night in countless eons, for this night would see battle among the mighty figures of both sides, and could even trigger the full eruption of the final war. The last final war had shattered two Chaosworlds, showing the terrifying might of battling mighty figures.

...

"Time to fight?" A woman in purple robes sat cross-legged on a jade bed. Her hands were crystalline and fair, and her eyes held a faint hint of excitement.

She was the most battle-hungry among the top few of the Undermoon Sect.

...

"This battle must not fail." A man also in purple robes, carrying a wooden ruler on his back, was inside an ordinary wooden hut. With a wave of his hand, the wooden ruler came into his grasp. Gazing at the ruler in his hand, Lord Huanmu gently stroked it and murmured to himself, "Old friend, we go to war together again. The last time we fought was during the destruction of the ancient era."

"Humm~~~" The wooden ruler vibrated softly.

Lord Huanmu's expression then turned solemn, his eyes filled with coldness. Though he disliked conflict, when the critical moment arrived, he would show no mercy.

...

"The Demon Lord is too cautious, even preparing three layers of plans. With a sudden ambush, that Ji Ning won't have time to deploy the Rahu Formation. Killing him is as easy as killing a chick. The first plan is enough; I don't even need Shadowless's help. I alone am sufficient." A gaunt old man with an ugly scar like a centipede on his face sneered coldly.

He was the Darklight Swordmaster.

His sword force had reached the fifth level, and he was arguably the most adept assassin among the mighty figures of the Undermoon Sect. Because of his assassination skills, his sword was also called the 'Darklight Sword,' meaning enemies could not see his blade.

...

The first wave of the Undermoon Sect's operation involved only a few mighty figures, extremely secretive and silent, unnoticed by anyone in the Nuwa Alliance.

In the Zhuolu Grand World, within the imperial palace.

Ji Ning, dressed in white, sat opposite the Silvermoon Celestial, gazing at the star-filled sky.

"Peaceful days are truly wonderful," Silvermoon Celestial said softly, looking at the stars. "But I wonder how long this peace can last."

"Once the calamity passes, everything will be fine," Ji Ning said, also looking at the stars. "The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease. Though we wish for peaceful days, this calamity has its reasons... Only by cutting off the hidden hand behind it and destroying those mighty figures who seek to stir chaos in the Three Realms can we restore peace."

"Haha."

Silvermoon Celestial laughed. "Fortunately, we have you on our side. I wonder what you experienced in the Moonfall Abyss, that as a mere Celestial Immortal and True Immortal, you can display such strength."

Ji Ning smiled but said nothing.

All those who had come out of the Moonfall Abyss, including the two hundred-plus Celestial Immortals, refused to speak of it. So Silvermoon Celestial and others understood that it wasn't that Ji Ning wouldn't tell them, but that he couldn't. Thus, no one pressed the matter.

"Ah, the wine is gone." Silvermoon Celestial picked up the jug, shook it, and stood up with a smile. "Well, the wine is finished, and I should be going. No need to see me off."

With that, Silvermoon Celestial stepped down, then staggered off into the distance, calling out, "Kill more of those Undermoon Sect bastards for me."

"Alright," Ji Ning replied.

Because of the severe loss of power last time, with most of his soul lost, the senior apprentice-brother was now too weak to participate in battle. In fact, Ji Ning could fully restore him with just a tiny bit of chaos nectar. But Ji Ning knew that once his senior apprentice-brother recovered his strength, he would insist on joining the fight again.

Better to let him stay safely in the rear.

"This Ninefold Chaos Seal is truly inscrutably profound." Ji Ning took out a Zhutian Stargold Pearl and contemplated the Ninefold Chaos Seal contained within it. The more he studied it, the more profound he found it. Contemplating it made it easier for him to understand the sword techniques left by World God Northrest, and even easier to comprehend the Dao.

Ji Ning had originally thought this was just an ordinary chaos seal from the endless chaos, but after learning many techniques passed down by 'World God Northrest' and comparing them, he felt that the Ninefold Chaos Seal was quite extraordinary.

"Perhaps when I go to the endless chaos to find the Skylight Palace, I will learn the origin of this Ninefold Chaos Seal."

Holding the Zhutian Stargold Pearl, he contemplated.

After contemplating for over an hour, the night had grown deep.

"Hmm?"

Ji Ning suddenly shuddered, his heart inexplicably pounding. He could even sense, through fate, an incredibly terrifying threat descending. This threat was vast and endless, filling him with a sense of despair.

"Not good." Ji Ning was alarmed.

Ever since he had comprehended the second level of the Zhutian Stargold Pearl and could transform into the 'Zhutian Divine Mirror,' his sensitivity to fate had become much stronger than before. But this time, there had been no warning; when the threat erupted, it was so swift and terrifying. Clearly, the opponent's mastery of 'fate' surpassed his own, even concealing the threads of fate until the moment of eruption, when he finally sensed it.

By then, it was already too late.

"Flee." Under this threat, Ji Ning had only one thought: escape.

Suddenly—

"Humm~~~~~~"

A fan-shaped black light, like a peacock spreading its tail, swept past Ji Ning.

Silent, yet incredibly fast.

By the time Ji Ning noticed the fan-shaped black light, it was already before his eyes. All he could do was try to block it with his Star-Picking Hand.

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh~~~" In an instant, the fan-shaped black light completely pierced Ji Ning's body. Although his true body was protected by the Ninth Cycle of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, it could not withstand the terrible black light and completely disintegrated. Even his divine body could not resist; naturally, his golden core and soul were even less able to withstand it and were instantly annihilated.

In an instant, the white-robed youth who had been sitting there vanished into nothingness.

"Hmph, no matter how formidable, what use are the Ninehorned Lightning Serpent or the Ninth Cycle of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art?" The gaunt old man appeared above the palace—it was the Darklight Swordmaster of the Undermoon Sect. This strike was too important; because Ji Ning had the Ninehorned Lightning Serpent escape technique, if given time, he would flee.

Thus, they had specially invited the 'Darklight Swordmaster,' the most adept assassin, to act. His sword was hidden enough and terrifying enough to kill Ji Ning in an instant.

If the Darklight Swordmaster failed and Ji Ning managed to escape using the Ninehorned Lightning Serpent, then the one to act would be the 'Lord of All Demons,' the most terrifying existence in the Three Realms in terms of escape. The Lord of All Demons' escape ability far surpassed Ji Ning's; even the reborn Golden Crow Demon King could not compare.

But...

Ji Ning had been too complacent in the Yellow Emperor's palace. He trusted Patriarch Subhuti too much, he trusted the Yellow Emperor, and he was too confident in himself. Thus, he was killed instantly, without even time to use the Ninehorned Lightning Serpent to flee. So the Lord of All Demons had no need to act.

...

Two auras within the palace surged violently.

"Darklight!"

An angry roar shook heaven and earth. The white-haired, white-bearded old man in Daoist robes, who was usually calm and smiling, now exuded murderous intent. He had sensed it very quickly, but by the time he did, Ji Ning's true body had already been annihilated without any chance to resist.

"Subhuti, don't be hasty."

A calm voice echoed through the palace.

Above the palace appeared a man in purple robes, holding a wooden ruler. Pointing from afar at Patriarch Subhuti, a hazy purple light instantly enveloped Patriarch Subhuti. The Yellow Emperor, also furious, was likewise trapped in the hazy purple light. Once caught in it, both Patriarch Subhuti and the Yellow Emperor found it difficult to break free.

"Shatter." Patriarch Subhuti pointed from afar.

"Crack~~~" The surrounding space-time began to fracture.

"Useless." The purple-robed man stood calmly in the void. Though space-time shattered layer by layer, the endless purple light forcibly solidified everything. In terms of pure defense and containment, Lord Huanmu was the most terrifying of the Undermoon Sect. Even if the Three Sovereigns came together, he could hold them off alone, let alone just Subhuti and the Yellow Emperor.