Desolate Era, page 605
However, World-level experts stood a very good chance of surviving the Fog Sea.
“Let’s go,” World God Dragonbinder said.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
The two flew through the air towards the nearest mountain.
Based on what past cultivators had discovered, there were two fairly safe paths that could be followed through the Ten Thousand Mountains.
After the two landed atop the mountain, they began to advance through its forests. Watery waves spread out in constant ripples around them as they kept a close eye on their surroundings.
They travelled through one mountain after another.
They travelled cautiously and didn’t move too quickly. More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and they saw a number of Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals on their journey. However, all of them were so frightened upon seeing Ning and Dragonbinder that they immediately fled. Naturally, the two of them paid these minor figures no heed.
“Ji Ning, did you know? Every single mountain here holds the grave of a World-level expert,” World God Dragonbinder said.
“I’ve heard.” Ning nodded. “According to the stories, after Daolord Allgod failed his Daomerge he began to wander through the Endless Territories as he searched for cultivators who had committed many grave sins. More than ten thousand World-level experts died by his hand! Every single mountain is the rest spot for at least one of those evil cultivators.
“My guess is that Daolord Allgod wanted to kill as many sinners as he could to accumulate more karmic virtue, hoping that he might be able to find a way to survive.” World God Dragonbinder sighed. “But once you fail your Daomerge, your death becomes an inevitability. Many powerful experts have tried using various methods to stay alive…but alas, all of those efforts came to naught.”
The two continued to walk while chatting.
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
Ning and World God Dragonbinder both came to a halt. They raised their head to stare off into the distance. The forest here was blocking their vision, but they were able to see a half-opened door that was covered with some divine runes and inscriptions.
“Is that the treasury?” Ning and Dragonbinder exchanged a curious glance.
Every single mountain of the Ten Thousand Mountains held the corpse of a sinful cultivator as well as a treasury! This meant that there were ten thousand treasuries here…but the treasuries were tightly guarded and not easily accessed. This mountain, however, had a great gateway carved into it, and the runes covering the gateway were even more profound than the ones used to forge Dao weapons. Clearly, this had to be a treasury!
“Let’s go in and take a look,” Dragonbinder sent mentally. “We’ve found the treasury, but we won’t necessarily be able to take it with us. Plus, the ‘real’ treasury might be inside there.”
“Alright. Let’s go.” Ning carefully scrutinized the great door as well.”
* * *
Book 25, Chapter 22 - Treasury
The great door was sixty meters tall and completely black. It was covered with complex silver runes that emanated ripples of might.
Ji Ning and World God Dragonbinder moved to stand directly in front of the great door.
“This is my first trip to the Allgod Estate.” World God Dragonbinder let out a sigh. “Just by looking at this door, I can tell that the legends of Daolord Allgod were probably all true! How could a mere door be this complex and profound? This is just one of ten thousand treasures located within these mountains, and yet its restrictive spells are incredibly complex.”
“Let’s go in,” Ning said with a laugh.
“Right.” World God Dragonbinder nodded.
The two advanced together into the deep, dark hallway past the door.
Rumble…
Ning glanced backwards. As expected, the great door had already closed behind them.
Based on the information Ning had previously purchased, there were ten thousand mountains here and every single mountain had a treasury within it. If anyone passed through a treasury door, the door would temporarily swing shut behind them so as to bar any other cultivators from entering! If Ning and World God Dragonbinder failed in acquiring the treasures located in the treasury, the door would swing open and release the two of them.
If they successfully acquired the treasures, then the entire treasury region would crumble apart and reveal a different hallway that would grant them safe departure.
“There is light up ahead.” Ning sped up just slightly.
“There shouldn’t be any traps.” World God Dragonbinder was quite excited as well.
The two quickly reached the end of this first hallway. Before them was a spacious region that was roughly thirty kilometers in size and filled with a layer of blurry light.
“This is the treasury region.” World God Dragonbinder revealed a look of excitement. “This treasury region is still intact. That means it still holds its treasures.”
“The treasures are hard to win. Less than one in ten thousand cultivators will succeed in their attempts.” Ning couldn’t help but sigh. Although the trials were quite difficult, so long as the door remained open and a steady stream of cultivators continued to enter this place, sooner or later there would be a successful trial-taker.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Ning and World God Dragonbinder entered the treasury region of blurry light. Both of them grew more cautious as they did so, because this place had restrictive spells which had been emplaced by Daolord Allgod. Once those spells were triggered, even Daolords might perish!
“A corpse.”
Ning stared at the very center of the treasury region. A stone coffin was located there, and a corpse could be made out inside of it. Above the stone coffin hovered a globe of light.
Thanks to their intelligence reports, both Ning and Dragonbinder knew that the light globes were where the treasures were stored! The ten thousand treasures in the mountains were all different. Some had a single powerful treasure, such as an Eternal weapon, while others had eight or nine different Dao weapons. Some even had extremely formidable techniques, forbidden arts, divine abilities, or special legacies…
In short, everything was possible.
“You try first, senior apprentice-brother Dragonbinder,” Ning said.
“Alright, I’ll try first.” Dragonbinder nodded as he strode forward. When he reached a distance of three hundred meters from the stone coffin, the globe of light expanded in size to instantly become more than three hundred meters large!
Everything within that region transformed into a blur. Ning could no longer see World God Dragonbinder at all.
“I wonder which treasury this is.” Ning waited quietly to one side. The reason he let World God Dragonbinder make the first attempt was because Dragonbinder was quite powerful! Even if Ning unleashed all of his power, he still would probably be forced to flee in the face of Dragonbinder’s power. Dragonbinder was a true master-class World God, after all, and he had some special treasures of his own. He was definitely a match for the Starlord of Fogstone and arguably even a bit more powerful.
A period of time passed, enough to boil a kettle of tea.
“Whew.” World God Dragonbinder emerged from that region of blurred space. The blurred space quickly shrank in size as the light was retracted back into the globe of light.
“Ugh.” World God Dragonbinder shook his head. “That was ridiculously hard. Way too hard! Even if I spent another chaos cycle training for it, I still wouldn’t have any chance of taking over this treasury.”
“What was the trial?”
Every single treasury had its own trials as set down by Daolord Allgod. You would only gain the contents of the treasury if you succeeded in passing the trial. Everyone had to follow the rules of the game which Daolord Allgod had set down! Perhaps some ancient powers who had become Eternal Emperors might be able to forcibly plunder a few treasures, but those figures generally disdained from acting in such a manner.
In addition, Daolord Allgod’s fame was so great that even many of those Eternal powers were afraid of him.
“It pertained to the mysteries of the Dao of Fire.” World God Dragonbinder explained, “Although I’m quite talented in Fire and in Water, I’m not even close to being able to solve this trial.”
“Fire?” Ning just stared.
Although he had some insights into Fire, he was still quite weak in this regard. He hadn’t even mastered the Heavenly Dao of Fire! To pass Daolord Allgod’s trial was quite unlikely.
Although Daolord Allgod gave trials to Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals which were easier than the trials he gave to World-level experts, Ning clearly wouldn’t be able to succeed in this particular trial. If it was a trial over the Dao of the Sword, Ning would’ve given it a shot, but Fire?
“I’m very weak in the Dao of Fire.” Ning shook his head. “I’ll let one of my retainers give it a shot.”
“Oh, Youji?” World God Dragonbinder grinned. It had been Flamefairy Su Youji who had informed the others that Ji Ning was heading to the Allgod Estate.
“Yes.” Ning nodded, then willed her to emerge. Whoosh. An incomparably beautiful woman dressed in fiery robes appeared by his side. It was Su Youji, the Flamefairy.
“Master.” Su Youji revealed a smile, then glanced at World God Dragonbinder. She said in a rather unhappy manner, “Senior Dragonbinder, you accompanied my master to this place but refused to let come out as well.”
“That’s because we wanted to wait until we could give you something nice, such as right now.” World God Dragonbinder grinned at her.
“Something nice?” Su Youji was puzzled.
“Youji.” Ning pointed at the distant light globe which hovered above that stone coffin. “We are in one of the treasury regions of the Ten Thousand Mountains of the Allgod Estate.”
“A treasury? I heard that Daolord Allgod left behind ten thousand treasuries.” Su Youji looked at the globe of light, a heated look in her eyes. She then glanced at Ning. “Master, you let me out because…?”
“Senior apprentice-brother Dragonbinder gave it a shot but failed. The trials of this treasury pertain to the Dao of Fire,” Ning explained. “You are quite skilled in the Dao of Fire. You can be considered one of the most elite Elder Gods or Ancestral Immortals in this regard, and you are very close to becoming a World-level expert yourself. You might have a chance at passing this trial.”
Su Youji began to grow rather excited.
She had heard others speak of this place before…
Every single trial in the Allgod Estate was incredibly difficult for World-level experts, but they were generally a bit easier for Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals. However, the trials were all different in nature. A Trial of Fire would test everyone in the Dao of Fire, whereas a Trial of Lightning would test everyone in the Dao of Lightning.
“Should I give it a try?” Su Youji looked at Ning.
“Go.” Ning nodded.
Su Youji eagerly and nervously walked forward towards the stone coffin. Once she reached three hundred meters of it, the globe of light once more expanded to completely encompass her within it.
“Ji Ning, do you think Youji will be able to acquire the treasures?” World God Dragonbinder asked.
“She should have at least a 20% to 30% chance,” Ning posited. After Daolord Solesky had given Su Youji some guidance, she had improved quite dramatically. She was just a hair away from becoming a World-level expert and could break through at any moment. Given how talented she was in the Dao of Fire, it was likely that she stood a very good chance.
Time continued to pass, one minute at a time.
“She’s been inside for longer than me,” World God Dragonbinder said expectantly.
“Yes.” Ning nodded. He was rather excited as well. It would be wonderful if the treasury’s contents ended up in one of their hands. If the treasures Su Youji acquired were of limited use to her but of tremendous use to World God Dragonbinder, she could trade them to him.
Whoosh. The Flamefairy suddenly emerged from that blurry region. The field of light quickly retracted and returned to the globe.
“I failed.” Su Youji looked at Ning, a hint of disappointment and helplessness in her eyes. “I was so close! Just a bit more and I would’ve succeeded. If I had just slightly deeper insights into the Dao of Fire, I would’ve succeeded. Unfortunately, when that happens I’ll probably reach the World level.”
“The Daolord’s trials must include a different component as well,” World God Dragonbinder said.
“Mm. Perhaps. Based on the records I read, less than one in ten thousand cultivators will succeed in passing one of these trials. Most likely, you have to have certain special insights into the Dao of Fire in order to succeed.” Su Youji nodded.
Ning nodded as well. “Now you two have gotten me interested. I want to give it a shot as well.”
“You, Master? But your Dao of Fire…?” Su Youji looked at Ning. She had followed Ning for some time now and knew him to be very weak in the Dao of Fire.
“I can at least give it a try, right?” Ning also knew that he was quite weak in the Dao of Fire, but he had never tried one of these trials before. He wanted to at least experience it for himself. It was quite safe; no one had ever lost their lives in the treasuries before.
Whoosh.
Ning stepped into the range of the stone coffin as well. That globe of light emitted a large wave of light and quickly encompassed a region of three hundred meters with it.
* * *
Book 25, Chapter 23 - The Treasurys Trial
Ji Ning was transported into the blurry region of light.
“Eh?” Ning stared in surprise. In front of him were a series of walls of light that protected the light globe above the coffin. There were nine walls of light in total, and each of them were covered with flowing, fiery-red runes.
“Pass through all nine restrictive spells and you shall acquire the treasure.” A booming voice rang out by Ning’s ears.
Ning was puzzled.
Where did that voice come from? Was it the voice of Daolord Allgod, or was it the voice of a treasure spirit?
“Who cares.” It didn’t really matter. All Ning needed to know was that he had to be on his best behavior in a place which had been established by a Daolord of such incredible power.
“Pass through all nine restrictive spells? How?”
Ning stared at the first light barrier and the fiery red runes flowing atop it.
“Doesn’t seem that hard.” Ning quickly came to understand how the barrier worked. He pressed his palm onto the light barrier, filling it with his Immortal energy. Because Ning had already comprehended its mysteries, he was easily able to master it and take control over it.
“Disperse.” Ning willed the light barrier to disperse. Whoosh. The first light barrier completely vanished, leaving eight more behind.
Ning once more advanced forward. The second barrier was also one covered by divine runes pertaining to the Dao of Fire, but they were clearly much more complicated. Ning just stood there, blinking several times as he stared at those runes.
“I had no idea the difference between me and Su Youji was this huge,” Ning mumbled to himself. He was both an Elder God and an Ancestral Immortal, and so he was given the exact same trial as the one Su Youji had been given. She had said that she was ‘very close’ to succeeding, which meant that she had probably made it to the final light barrier and was very close to solving it.”
“I…can’t even understand the runes on this eighth barrier.” Ning shook his head. “I really am weak in the Dao of Fire.”
Despite this setback, Ning wasn’t too disappointed.
Cultivation was a path filled with choices! If you chose to focus your efforts in areas you were skilled in, you would be able to advance much more quickly and even find it easier to break through certain bottlenecks. Ning was best suited to the Dao of the Sword. Even Lu Dongbin and Patriarch Subhuti had seen this in him all those years ago. Although Ning had made fairly quick breakthroughs in heartforce as well, heartforce remained a matter of the heart. Even after experiencing the great war that had shaken the Three Realms, Ning’s heartforce was merely at the fourth stage. His Dao of the Sword, however, had advanced quite rapidly. He was now just one step away from sixth-stage swordforce, the ‘Sword World’ level. He had even invented a first stance for his [Quintessence Sword-Intent], the ‘Blackmist’ stance, and this stance was nearly as powerful as the third stance of the [Nameless] sword-art, the ‘Great Firmament’ stance.
The power of this technique was so great that it was superior to some weaker Sword Worlds!
All Sword Immortals trained in the Dao of the Sword, but no two Sword Worlds were the same. Some were dominating, others were insidious. Even two cultivators who trained in the exact same technique would end up with their own different insights into it. As for the ‘Great Firmament’ stance, it would result in one of the most powerful types of Sword World.
“The Dao of the Sword is my true Dao. Fire?” Ning shook his head and laughed.
“Uh…” Ning’s face suddenly went blank.
“That voice said that I had to ‘pass through all nine restrictive spells’.” Ning glanced at the eight light barriers remaining. “It just said ‘pass through’. It didn’t say how I had to pass through.”
“When I bind and take control over the restrictive spells, I can disperse them and pass through them.” A strange light flickered in Ning’s eyes. “But…if I forcibly break through them, I would also be able to pass through.”
There were two ways of dealing with any formation.
The first method was to understand the formation and then break it down on a technical level. This was what Ning had done with the initial light barrier, and it was the most common solution.
The second method was just to overpower it with raw force!
