Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Three Great Secret Manuals

"No need." Ji Ning shook his head.

"Tell me whatever you need, whatever you lack," said Bodhi. "This is also how Sanqing, Tathagata, and the others feel they owe you."

Ji Ning shook his head.

He had obtained many inheritances from the Northrest World God, and he could also get his hands on the treasures of the many prisoners in the World Prison. There was truly no need to ask anything from the major powers on his side.

"Little junior apprentice-brother." Houyi looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning also looked at the plain man before him. This legendary 'Houyi' still seemed as ordinary as a mortal, yet Ji Ning deeply admired him. Because back in the day, Houyi had dominated the Three Realms with his archery! And now, he could even injure Demonhand Patriarch with an axe. How powerful would he be if he used his bow? Truly unfathomable. Houyi's earlier strike had shocked everyone, not just because of his identity, but mainly because the Three Realms' number one Archery God 'Houyi' was terrifying even with an axe.

"The struggle for fortune ultimately only influences the final decisive battle," Houyi said. "In that final battle, what matters most are the major powers! The stronger the major powers, the greater their impact. Having one or two extra beings at the leader level would have a huge effect on the overall situation. If we had one more at the Pangu-God level, we could sweep everything. Fortune would be completely useless."

Ji Ning nodded.

"So focus on your cultivation," Houyi said, looking at Ji Ning. "Cultivate well. Since you're not participating in the struggle for fortune, there's no need to join. Focus on cultivation. What's most important... is still that final battle."

"Mm." Ji Ning agreed.

He didn't mind not participating in the struggle for fortune.

What he truly sought in his heart was to destroy the Undying Sect, and his greatest desire was to personally slay the God King!

...

The Myriad Demon Realm.

"Fengmo, it's truly regrettable to make the Myriad Things Emissary give up the struggle for fortune." Demonhand Patriarch's pretty face was icy cold, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

"It's fine that the Myriad Things Emissary doesn't participate," said Huanmu Master beside her. "Although Ji Ning's true body was destroyed, he still has a second true body. With that second true body controlling the Luohu Formation... if he captured another Myriad Things Emissary, he could unleash power close to the leader level. Then he alone could match a group of Myriad Things Emissaries."

"Let him capture one once, but can he capture a second time?" Demonhand Patriarch sneered.

"Ji Ning is not alone; he has the army of the Nuwa Camp as support. In war, nothing is certain," Huanmu Master shook his head. "Besides, we were in the wrong this time. If we don't suffer a little loss, the furious Nuwa Camp might really start a decisive battle. You saw Houyi's strength."

"I was careless. I didn't expect him to be Houyi. If I had known it was Houyi, would I have used only one hand?" Demonhand Patriarch shook her head. "If I had gone all out, who knows who would have won."

The silent Myriad Demon Lord beside them said calmly, "But Houyi used an axe. What if he had used his Houyi Divine Bow?"

Demonhand Patriarch was startled.

"Houyi's strength is clearly much greater than in the ancient times. I can even sense a threat from him," Myriad Demon Lord shook his head. "The true use of the Myriad Things Emissary is for Dao Ancestors to control, to deal with leader-level beings. The struggle for fortune... not participating is fine. If it keeps Ji Ning out too, it's barely worth it."

"By the way, did you destroy that Myriad Things Emissary?" Myriad Demon Lord asked.

"Destroyed." Demonhand Patriarch nodded.

The original plan had multiple layers.

Destroying the 'Myriad Things Emissary' was one of them, breaking a key part. If brought back, Wuxiao Master could easily repair it. But the Nuwa Camp lacked some core formation diagrams and couldn't fix it at all.

"Good." Myriad Demon Lord nodded. "Ji Ning can't participate in the struggle for fortune; he can only join the final battle. And without the Myriad Things Emissary, his threat is much weaker."

"In the final battle, Ji Ning won't matter at all," Demonhand Patriarch said calmly.

"His true body was destroyed, and his second true body is a qi refiner," Huanmu Master said. "Relying solely on qi refining, he can't reach the leader level."

Indeed.

Throughout the Three Realms, whether in the Nuwa Camp or the Undying Sect, those truly at the very top...

Figures like Sanqing, Tathagata, and Fuxi were all true gods conceived in chaos, who later reincarnated, yet they still walked the path of dual cultivation of divine and demonic arts! Shennong and Suiren likewise possessed formidable divine bodies. Even Bodhi and Old Man Yuan were originally true gods of chaos! As for the Side of No Return, Demon Hand Patriarch, Lord of Ten Thousand Demons, and Wooden Master were all close-combat fighters, cultivating both divine and demonic arts and qi!

In theory.

The qi-stream approach could also reach the leader level, for instance, if one's enlightenment of the Dao was extremely high.

But for one thing, in the Three Realms, no one who practiced pure qi-stream had ever become a leader.

For another, wanting to become a leader through enlightenment of the Dao? That required time. Ji Ning had not even fully comprehended a single 'Heavenly Dao' yet; he was far from becoming a leader.

Thus, it was quite normal for the Side of No Return to believe that after Ji Ning's true body was destroyed, his threat would be greatly reduced.

"With only a second avatar, his threat is much smaller, and his cultivation time is short. His disadvantages are too obvious." Wooden Master shook his head. "This Ji Ning is indeed a monstrous talent. If given a hundred thousand years, he might become a major threat. But he doesn't have enough time to cultivate..."

"Mm."

"I still think giving up the Myriad Things Envoy to participate in the struggle for fortune has too great an impact." Demon Hand Patriarch frowned.

"There's no need to discuss this further," said Lord of Ten Thousand Demons. "By the way, Wooden, how did your talk with Old Man Yuan go?"

"He wants the three secret tomes of our Side of No Return," Wooden Master sighed. "Not one less. Only if we give him all three secret tomes will he be willing to join our side."

"Three secret tomes? And all of them?" Demon Hand Patriarch sneered. "This Old Man Yuan is indeed ambitious. I myself have only studied two of the secret tomes."

A long, long time ago.

Back then, the No-Return Chaos World was still intact. The Heart Demon Lord once roamed the chaos and, by chance, obtained three profoundly mysterious secret tomes: the Seven Hearts, the Whirling River, and the Shadowless. These three secret tomes were the Heart Demon Lord's most important supreme arts. They had contributed greatly to his swift unification of the entire No-Return Chaos World.

To win over his subordinates, the Heart Demon Lord also bestowed the secret tomes upon them.

The Heart Demon Lord was willing to teach the Whirling River and the Shadowless, but the Seven Hearts was originally known only to him. Later, after the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons saved the entire Side of No Return, the Heart Demon Lord, though already merged with the Heavenly Dao, still taught the Seven Hearts to the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons.

In other words, within the entire Side of No Return, only the Heart Demon Lord and the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons had fully read all three secret tomes.

"Seven Hearts is a mental cultivation method," said Lord of Ten Thousand Demons. "In fact, many great beings cannot use it. One must reach the fifth level of mental power to comprehend this method. Actually, it's not impossible to teach all three secret tomes to Old Man Yuan. After all, his faction has quite a few great beings and is very powerful."

"Mm." Wooden Master and Demon Hand Patriarch nodded.

The strongest in Old Man Yuan's faction were the Four Ancestors of the Yuan River! They also had great beings under them. Even the strength Old Man Yuan had displayed was close to the leader level; who knew if he had hidden strength.

Thus, this was a very powerful faction, and both camps were trying to win them over.

"I worry that if we give him the three secret tomes, he might instead defect to the Nuwa camp," said Lord of Ten Thousand Demons. "I've heard that among the chaos alien races, there is something called a 'life-bound oath,' but we have no idea how to make someone swear such an oath."

"I'll negotiate with him again," Wooden Master frowned. "We must win Old Man Yuan over to our side. If they come to us, the Nuwa camp loses that portion of strength. One side gains, the other loses... the impact is huge. We must win them over. Also, Wind Demon, leave the other aspects to you."

"Mm, leave the chaos to me," nodded Lord of Ten Thousand Demons. "Since the ancient cataclysm war, most of a chaos cycle has passed. Although we have hidden many tricks, the Nuwa camp is not to be underestimated. Don't forget, Nuwa has reached the World God level. The foundation of the Nuwa camp is unpredictable."

...

Both sides were cautious.

The struggle for fortune was only one factor affecting the strength of both sides. Yet both sides desperately strove for every advantage they could gain. Because when the final battle erupted, it would be a fight to the death.

...

In the endless chaos.

Within a frozen star, a star with no fame or even a proper name, it was the star where Ji Ning had placed the World Prison.

And now, Ji Ning, whom the Side of No Return had forgotten and no longer considered a threat, quietly appeared there.

"World Prison." Black-robed Ji Ning stood deep in the canyon, gazing at the endless ice before him. "In the days to come, until something truly significant happens, I will stay in the World Prison and find ways to improve my strength."