Chapter 33, Scene 10

"Female Chaos Immortals are rare to begin with, and those who possess insect beasts and puppets are even rarer... The one skilled in the path of fire is indeed the only one." Lord Liuyan looked at Ji Ning. "Is she your Dao companion?"

"A friend." Ji Ning said.

"Being your friend is quite something." Lord Liuyan said. "Are you planning to deliberately lose to her after you gather a complete set of inheritances?"

"Mm." Ji Ning nodded.

Once you obtained a complete inheritance, you could leave directly.

Lord Liuyan said, "I must tell you in advance."

"Hm?" Ji Ning looked at Lord Liuyan. Tell him what in advance? Was his approach not allowed? But from what he understood, he could completely deliberately lose a battle.

"Star Island is both a calamity and an opportunity. If your friend is exceptionally strong, you can let her stay here a while longer. Of course, if she is relatively weak, it's better for her to leave early." Lord Liuyan said. "What I remind you is... even if she leaves Star Island alive, it will be very difficult for her to join our Twelve Palaces."

"Difficult to join?" Ji Ning was startled.

"Yes."

Lord Liuyan nodded. "The Twelve Palaces are the top twelve most powerful forces in the entire Mangya Kingdom, gathering many Dao Lords and some truly monstrous World-level cultivators worthy of cultivation. It is very difficult for the countless people of Mangya Kingdom to join."

"Just like those willing to be slaves—they are also citizens of Mangya Kingdom, but at the very bottom. And those who go mining, if they return alive after a thousand chaos cycles, they are still citizens of Mangya Kingdom. Do they have the qualifications to join the Twelve Palaces?" Lord Liuyan laughed. "Becoming a citizen of Mangya Kingdom and joining the Twelve Palaces are two different things."

Ji Ning understood.

"Like you, possessing the strength to break into the fifth level, that's why I came to invite you." Lord Liuyan said. "Even some weaker World-level cultivators, even if they gather a complete inheritance, may not necessarily enter our Twelve Palaces."

"The threshold of the Twelve Palaces is very high."

"Citizens of Mangya Kingdom who want to join must pass numerous tests. Of course, you who are directly invited by us need no tests." Lord Liuyan said.

Ji Ning nodded.

He understood, but he still had to help Su Youji as soon as possible. Ji Ning knew Su Youji's strength well. She had just become a World-level cultivator, and in terms of insight, she was not as high as him. Nor was she a good fighter among World Gods. For now, she could only hold on for a while with her insect beasts and puppets. Over time... if she encountered a true expert, it would be very easy for her to lose her life.

"Please, senior, tell me which Star Island she corresponds to." Ji Ning asked.

The golden booklet contained detailed records of all Star Islands, including brief information about the island's master and how many inheritance treasures they possessed. These Star Islands naturally had numbers.

Normally, only through actual combat could one know which Star Island corresponded to which World-level cultivator.

But now, with the help of a Life Death Dao Lord from the 'Thunder Palace' of the Twelve Palaces, it was naturally different.

"The number of her Star Island is 'Wu 399, Gan 236'." Lord Liuyan said.

"This one." Ji Ning immediately found it.

This Star Island was still on the first level.

"Brother Beiming, I won't disturb you further. If you are willing to join my Thunder Palace, just crush my token, and I will come to pick you up." Lord Liuyan stood up.

"Thank you, senior, this time." Ji Ning was quite grateful. Without Lord Liuyan's help, when would he have been able to find out which Star Island Su Youji was on?

"A small matter." Lord Liuyan smiled and said, then turned and walked away, stepping through the void and leaving.

Watching the Dao Lord leave, Ji Ning fell into silent contemplation.

"I must rush to the fifth level as soon as possible, then first gather a simpler sword technique inheritance and lose to Youji." Ji Ning thought secretly. Among the two sword technique inheritances and one movement technique inheritance, the movement technique inheritance was what Ji Ning wanted most. Unfortunately, the movement technique inheritance was ranked very high, and gathering it was very difficult. Even most of the inheritance treasures for the 'movement technique inheritance' were on a fifth-level cultivator.

...

In the following days, Ji Ning began challenging opponents on the same level again.

Fourth level, seventh battle.

Ji Ning encountered an expert skilled in the path of spacetime, which was also the hardest battle Ji Ning had fought so far, because the opponent was extremely fast at escaping—retreating when he wanted, fighting when he wanted.

Although Ji Ning clearly had an advantage in strength, he could hardly do anything. Even using the 'Nine Source Divine Thunder' to bind, the opponent's speed remained elusive. Pressed, Ji Ning directly split his divine body into two, turning into two avatars to fight simultaneously. Although both avatars were weaker, they could still suppress the opponent. The two avatars joined forces to encircle and suppress, and with Ji Ning's own speed being fast and the Nine Source Divine Thunder, he finally forced the opponent to admit defeat.

Fourth level, eighth battle.

This battle was against a special lifeform. The difference between special lifeforms and cultivators was that cultivators were all born from 'World Hearts'.

Even innate gods like Nüwa and Pangu, said to be born in chaos, were actually born when a World Heart evolved into a chaos world. They were born in control of the Heavenly Dao of that chaos world, and their birth relied on the wonder of the World Heart.

True Gods, Heavenly Gods, and even mortals all belonged to the evolution and birth of World Hearts.

Special lifeforms, however, were truly born in some special environments of the endless chaos, fundamentally different in nature. Some were weak, some strong; some were incredibly powerful beyond imagination.

The opponent Ji Ning encountered was a creature resembling an ape. Before fighting Ji Ning, it was munching on some strange metal. Its body was comparable to a Dao divine weapon, immensely strong, and with very high intelligence. Its 'Dao' realm was even higher than Ji Ning's.

But it still lost.

Because Ji Ning's strength was equal to it, and his speed was faster. Most importantly, Ji Ning had six Eternal Divine Weapons, while the ape could only rely on its hands... But killing it was also difficult, because Ji Ning could not break its body, nor could he easily bind it, only forcing it to admit defeat.

Fourth level, ninth battle.

This battle was very easy, a frontal crush, easily won.

...

"I've already won nine in a row, only one more left. Win one more, and I can break into the fifth level. That will be much easier." Ji Ning still had some confidence. So far, no one had forced him to use the 'Yuanyi Water-Fire Gourd', which was his trump card. He was unwilling to take it out unless it was a life-or-death moment.

"Challenge."

Ji Ning sent a challenge to another opponent on the fourth level.

...

"Counting it up, he's already won nine in a row."

On one of the twelve Star Islands of the fifth level.

A lean, dark-skinned child with a strange silver cloak and three eyes was currently checking the golden booklet: "These newcomers, I heard they were captured by the great ruler himself. There really are quite a few with high potential. This one who won nine in a row may not be the strongest, but at least he's the fastest."

The golden booklet only briefly recorded the information of World-level cultivators on each Star Island, not how many battles they fought or wins and losses. But it was still relatively easy to infer.

For example, inferring Ji Ning's situation.

Since Ji Ning entered the fourth level, every time he won, his inheritance treasures increased. Meanwhile, the inheritance treasures of the defeated opponent on the same level were completely cleared.

By observing the changes in inheritance treasures, one could infer. Clearly, Ji Ning's inheritance treasures had increased nine times since entering the fourth level, and nine World-level cultivators on the fourth level had lost their inheritance treasures. Obviously, he had won nine in a row.

"Among these newcomers, twenty-one broke into the fourth level, and eight fell back to the third level due to defeat. Some then broke into the fourth level again from the third."

"Five have maintained a winning streak."

"The fastest is nine wins in a row, the next is six wins in a row." The lean, dark-skinned child observed. Speed didn't mean much; those slightly slower might be more cautious and stronger.

"Rare to have a strong opponent."

"Mm, after he wins the tenth match and breaks into the fifth level, I'll challenge him." The lean, dark-skinned child revealed a strange smile. "Consider it a lesson, to let him know there is always a sky above the sky, and strength beyond strength."

...

"Oh? He's already won nine?" A powerful figure shrouded in a black robe on the fourth level was also checking the golden booklet. Although he was on the fourth level,

he hadn't been challenged for a long time, because he had once broken into the fifth level and received protection! Being able to break into the fifth level represented strength. Most of his past opponents knew his strength and were unwilling to fight easily. None of these newcomers, including Ji Ning, had blindly challenged those under protection.

"Heh heh, want to break into the fifth level and get protection?"

"Not so easy."

"Protection is not something everyone can get."

"Just one step away, but I will destroy your hope."

"Let you die in despair at the last step. Just thinking about it excites me. Watching such a monstrous talent die in despair—what a wonderful taste." The black-robed figure let out a cold laugh and sent a challenge to Ji Ning.

...