The Desolate Era

“Win. Win. Win.” Mu Northson stood outside the grand sealing formation, staring towards Ji Ning, who was seated on that distant stone pillar. His eyes were blazing with hope. “You have to win.” Prior to this, he had lost two rounds in a row. In his heart, he viewed himself and Ning as standing on the same side; they were both new disciples.

As for those old disciples, they were simply teaching the new disciples a lesson in accordance with that ‘tradition’. He lost; naturally, he now hoped that Ning would win a round and gain a bit of face for them, the two new students. In addition, this Bloodrinker Bladask had gone too far in making the wagers so large.

“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning is in for it now.”

“Senior apprentice-brother Bladask really did set a high wager. He showed no mercy at all.”

The old disciples were all chatting amongst themselves. But as for Ninelotus, she stood there, staring carefully at Ning, who was within the grand sealing formation. She said softly, “My fellow disciples, it’s too early to say such things. It’s hard to say who will win; junior apprentice-brother Bladask or junior apprentice-brother Darknorth.”

“Junior apprentice-brother Bladask entered the school many years ago. Can it be that he is inferior to Ji Ning?”

“Senior apprentice-sister Ninelotus, it isn’t very likely that Ji Ning will be able to win.”

All of the disciples present, Northson included, felt surprised at the words of Ninelotus. After all, Ninelotus, logically speaking, should be on the side of the old disciples.

“Just watch.” Ninelotus still had that calm smile on her face.

..........

Bladask sat there atop his stone pillar in the lotus position. He noticed that Ninelotus, standing outside the sealing formation, was paying more attention to Ning. This caused his gaze to grow ever-colder.

“Once the protective surface armor of the golems you two are controlling has been broken, that means that you have lost.” The white-haired elder watched from afar while speaking out. Ning nodded lightly.

The golems were representations of themselves. Breaking through the golem’s armor, in a real battle, was something comparable to truly killing the enemy! Naturally, that represented defeat.

“Since you know the rules, then...begin!” The white-haired elder called out. Within the vast, empty space inside the sealing formation, the two golems simultaneously began to move. Ning controlled the Thousandsword Golem, while Bladask controlled the Polaris Golem.

“Swish!” “Swish!” The two golems retreated at the same time, pulling away from each other. Neither of them wished for their golems to be too close, because once their protective armor was breached, that would mean they had lost.

“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning! Watch out for this!” Bladask, seated on that distant stone pillar, let out a loud shout. Immediately afterwards, he began to control his Polaris Golem, which had seven flying swords on its back. A savage, baleful aura filled one of the flying swords which instantly shot out, filling the entire area nearby with a dense, bloody light.

“Ursae Majoris Warbreaker!”

“As soon as junior apprentice-brother Bladask attacked, he immediately used the Ursae Majoris Warbreaker. He really is filled with a killing intent right now.” The spectating disciples in the distance were all stunned.

The flying sword slashed through the skies, and as they did so, it was like an iron-blooded army was marching forth. A series of bloody lights flashed, and even the vague sounds of slaughter and warcries could be heard. They struck directly towards Ning’s Thousandswords Golem.

“He really does have quite a bit of a killing intent.” Ning sat there in the lotus position on his stone pillar. Seeing this, he just let out a soft laugh. “Let me extinguish that killing intent of his. Go.”

Clang!

One of the countless tiny swords on the back of the Thousandswords Golem instantly flew out. When it flew out, it was only the size of a sewing needle, but soon it expanded to the size of a palm. The flashing sword flew out...and as it did, the entire area became filled with flowing water, with the flashing sword light submerged within the water.

“Break!” Bladask’s face sank. That flying sword of his, filled with a boundless killing intent, didn’t give way in the slightest. It struck directly towards the flowing water. This Ursae Majoris sword...what it needed was its imposing manner! It couldn’t lose that!

The flying sword struck directly towards the flood of water. Splash! The flowing water was blasted apart, but the water then swirled and reformed around the flying sword, once more entrapping it. As the saying goes, one can swing a blade at water, but the water will still flow; even a blade that had been tempered a hundred times, when faced with this sword light that flowed with endless water, would become as weak as a finger.

The first blow was filled with energy. The second was weaker. By the third, there was nothing left. “Not good.” Bladask’s face changed slightly. He knew that Ning had blocked him with but a single flying sword.

“Formidable.”

“He used just a single flying sword to block junior apprentice-brother Bladask’s Ursae Majoris Warbreaker sword attack. I imagine that junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning isn’t much weaker than junior apprentice-brother Bladask.”

The azure-robed man, Bu Ying, said with a frown, “This is the ‘Flowing Water Sword’ of the [Lesser Five Elements Sword].”

“[Lesser Five Elements Sword]? Are you sure about that, senior apprentice-brother Ying?” The others all looked towards Bu Ying, puzzlement on their faces. They had all heard of the famous [Lesser Five Elements Sword], but they didn’t focus on swordplay...naturally, they didn’t understand the sword stances of the [Lesser Five Elements Sword] very well.

Bu Ying nodded. “I’m sure. I’ve meditated on the [Lesser Five Elements Sword] before. This technique is the ‘Flowing Water Sword’ technique within it. I didn’t expect that although junior apprentice-brother Darknorth has just entered our school, he has already begin to gain insights into the [Lesser Five Elements Sword].”

Ninelotus just listened, smiling gently as she watched the battle.

..........

Bladask couldn’t hear the conversation going on outside, but he could guess at it. Both sides had used just a single flying sword, but Ning had actually blocked him. How could he not feel humiliated? After all, he had joined the school many years ago.

“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, receive my Polaris Direwolf Skyripper!” Bladask let out an angry roar. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The other six flying swords on the back of the Polaris Golem all flew out at the same time. The first flying sword flew back as well, and the seven flying swords instantly formed into a Polaris Sword Formation. Rumble...in midair, one enormous star after another began to appear. The seven giant stars formed into the shape of the Big Dipper, and then a flashing sword light began to expand rapidly.

“Howwwwwwwwwl!” At the core of this sword light, an enormous black wolf phantom actually appeared out of nowhere. The Direwolf raised its head, letting out an angry howl. And then, still howling, it charged straight towards Ning. It looked as though the Direwolf was bounding towards Ning, but in reality, those seven flying swords were launching a simultaneous attack.

“Go!” Ning’s cold voice rang out. Eight more flying swords flew out from the back of the Thousandswords Golem. Along with the first flying sword, they instantly joined together into a simple ‘Nine Palaces Sword Formation’. Ning had acquired the ‘Nine Yang Sword Formation’ in the underwater estate, and this formation contained quite a few profound mysteries as well. Although it wasn’t as complicated as the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], it was still extraordinary.

Ning had quite a bit of ability with regards to formations, and this ‘Nine Palaces Sword Formation’ was quite an excellent one as well.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Nine rays of sword light howled through the air, leaping forward to greet the giant, advancing Direwolf. As they flew over, the light of the nine swords suddenly flashed, then transformed into more than a hundred densely clustered sword shadows. These hundred-plus sword shadows then quickly transformed into drops of rain, and it was as though a hundred-plus meteors of rain were pummeling into the Direwolf.

Smash! Smash! Smash! Smash! Smash! Smash! The hundred-plus meteors of rain smashed downwards, every single drop containing awe-inspiring power.

“Not good.” Outside the formation, the azure-robed Bu Ying leapt to his feet, his eyes filled with astonishment. “How could he have...”

Every single drop of rainwater contained awesome power. Rumble...the unceasingly destructive strikes actually completely smashed apart that baleful, heaven-menacing Direwolf, and it also blasted apart those seven flying swords.

“How can this be?” Bladask, who was seated on the stone pillar, controlling everything, had a completely different look on his face now.

“Swish!” Immediately after disintegrating the Direwolf phantom, several flying swords continued to charge forward, not weakening in the slightest. Howling through the air, they instantly struck against the body of that Polaris Golem. BANG! They slashed straight through it, and the black, rocky exterior of the Polaris Golem was instantly split open, revealing the fiery red body of the golem within.

“Ji Ning wins!” The distant, white-robe elder immediately called out in a high voice.

As for Bladask, his face instantly turned completely ashen.