The Desolate Era

“Fellow Daoist Mu Northson.” Adept Formless, on the other warship, clasped his hands, then said with a laugh, “Oh, fellow Daoist Ji Ning is here as well. For us to be able to meet here in the wild marshes is truly a karmic sign. After we return to the Raindragon Guard encampment, we must have a good reunion.”

“Naturally! Fellow Daoist Formless, fellow Daoist Eastdawn,” Ning said, clasping his hands, “Judging from how relaxed you see, I imagine that you must have already acquired enough Wanxiang monster corpses.”

“Relaxed?” The two Wanxiang Adepts on the warship opposite from them stared at each other. Daoist Eastdawn couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Fellow Daoist Ji Ning, what makes you feel we are relaxed? Just a short while ago, we nearly died. We are just taking a short rest, and then we’ll go hunting for Wanxiang monsters again. After all, the time limit is three months; we have a bit of time.”

“Oh, you haven’t collected enough either?” Ning was ‘surprised’. “Either?” Daoist Eastdawn was truly surprised. “Can it be that the two you have yet to collect enough either?”

Although Northson was puzzled by why Ning had said this, he nodded and said in support, “Right, not yet.” Ning sighed. “Actually, this time, we nearly killed an Azure Skysnake. Only, that Azure Skysnake was too slippery; she managed to escape.”

“Azure Skysnake? You also encountered an Azure Skysnake?” Daoist Eastdawn was shocked. Ning instantly looked towards him, ‘puzzled’.

Daoist Eastdawn said hurriedly, “We met her as well, a total of two times. This Azure Skysnake truly is sly and slippery; to kill her won’t be easy.”

“Where did you meet her?” Ning asked. Daoist Eastdawn didn’t try to hide anything. “The first time was in the north, roughly two hundred thousand kilometers from here. Three days ago, we met her again, roughly a hundred thousand kilometers northeast of here, at the ‘Mount Demonlotus’ region.

Ning shook his head and sighed. “We really are linked by karmic. We both encountered the Azure Skysnake. However, I don’t know if it was the same one. Well. We two brothers need to continue to search for Wanxiang monsters, so we won’t dally. Once we return to the encampment, we can meet again.”

“Alright.” Daoist Formless and Daoist Eastdawn clasped their hands in salute. Soon, the two warships separated.

.......

Daoist Formless, aboard his ship, laughed. “That was such a coincidence. They encountered the Azure Skysnake as well.”

“I was actually worried that there might be other Wanxiang Adepts hiding within that dragon-headed warship, preparing for an ambush,” Daoist Eastdawn said. “But now, it seems, disciples of the Black-White College really are different. They are quite proud, and they won’t stoop to doing such things.”

“Right. It’s the Black-White College, after all,” Daoist Formless agreed, nodding. They actually had been vigilant this entire time. However, chatting about the Azure Skysnake didn’t impact them at all; naturally, they didn’t mind discussing it.

.......

Aboard the dragon-headed warship. “We’re going to the Mount Demonlotus region?” Northson looked towards Ning, puzzled. “Senior apprentice-brother, why are we going to Mount Demonlotus?”

“In my homeland, I once battled numerous times against a Xiantian-level Azure Skysnake monster. After having fought so many times, we actually ended up with something of a friendship.” Ning sighed. “Only, afterwards, it most likely left the Swallow Mountain region, heading to unknown places. Now that I heard of an Azure Skysnake appearing here...I want to go and see if it’s the one I knew.”

“Oh.” Northson now understood. “Azure Skysnakes are Godbeasts, and very rare Godbeasts at that. Given how rare they are, it just might be the same one you met in your homeland.”

“It also might not be,” Ning said. “But since we have nothing to do, we might as well go there to take a look.” Northson nodded. “Alright.” He immediately controlled the dragon-headed warship to fly towards the north, then pursed his lips and said, “Come, senior apprentice-brother. Tell me the story about you and that Azure Skysnake.”

“Very well, I’ll tell you about it.” Ning began to slowly narrate that tale from many years ago.

.......

Mount Demonlotus. This was a mountain that took up tens of kilometers of the surrounding region, and was shaped like a blooming lotus flower. Supposedly, this peak was a very mysterious one...no one who entered was able to leave. The monsters of this region, at least, did not dare to enter Mount Demonlotus at all.

The Mount Demonlotus region took up an enormous amount of space. Because the natural elemental aura of this location was exceptionally dense and nourishing, it attracted quite a few monsters, who took up residence in the various mountain peaks of the region.

This was a place of many monsters, much elemental energy, and many treasures! Naturally, the Azure Skysnake had prepared to make this place her home as well.

In a desolate part of the Mount Demonlotus region, one enormous formation-flag after another began to appear in multiple places, covering a region of over a hundred kilometers.

“Not good!” A small azure snake hung there in midair, staring about. Its tail flashed, and it transformed into a streak of light, wanting to flee.

“Azure Skysnake! Even now, you want to try and flee?” This voice boomed like thunder. From far away, in front of one of the formation flags, a ten-meter tall, azure-skinned man had appeared. This muscular man’s eyes glowed with a dark green light, and he had a heaven-shaking aura around him.

“Azure Skysnake, surrender and allow yourself to be captured.”

“Stop struggling.”

“If you resist, you will die an even more miserable death.”

One voice after another rang out. In each of the formation flag locations, figures began to appear, all of them with monstrous auras that filled the heavens. There was an alluring, white-furred woman, a shockingly savage black monster, a tall, skinny, evil-looking man...more than ten Wanxiang monsters had appeared.

The little azure snake swept the surrounding area with her gaze, and then her body blurred before transforming into a ruby-lipped, ivory-toothed, azure-robed maiden. Worry on her face, she hurriedly said, “You should be King Dragonwhale.”

“I am indeed.” The ten-meter tall, azure-skinned man’s voice rumbled like thunder. This monster, Dragonwhale, was extremely famous in the Mount Demonlotus region. This was a monster who trained as a Fiendgod Body Refiner, and who even had a divine ability. There were dozens of Wanxiang monsters who served him. Not even human Immortal cultivators would be so foolish as to try and act against this Dragonwhale.

“I don’t know how a humble monster like myself offended you, your Majesty, for you to come deal with me in such an awe-inspiring manner,” the azure-robed maiden said, panicked.

“Just yesterday, you killed my lifelong friend.” The Dragonwhale monster’s eyes glowed with a shockingly powerful light. The azure-robed maiden was stunned.

“Right. That Zifu-level panther-headed monster was my lifelong friend.” The Dragonwhale monster’s eyes were filled with a savage, killing intent. “The two of us knew each other back when we were both ordinary little monsters. It has been countless years...I didn’t expect he’d fall to your hands.”

“I, I...” the azure-robed maiden said, panicked, “I didn’t...”

“Stop dissembling,” the Dragonwhale said coldly. “You killed my lifelong friend. I will definitely let you know what it means to be in such agony that you would wish to die. Everyone...capture her alive. I will use ki-sealing chains to bind her, then viciously torture her for ten or a hundred years. Only in this way can I give vent to my hatred.”

“Very well.”

“Big Brother, don’t worry at all.”

“Leave it to us.”

The ten-plus Wanxiang monsters began to surround her.

“You want to kill me? In your dreams!” That azure-robed maiden, a look of panic still on her face, suddenly roared in rage. With a swoosh, she transformed into a small azure snake once more, then immediately fled at high speed.

“Fleeing?” The Dragonwhale watched emotionlessly. The ten-plus Wanxiang monsters surrounded her, moving towards her in an enveloping manner.

“This Dragonwhale really is insidious. It actually set up a spacelock formation in this region, making me unable to Void Blink.” The little azure serpent cursed to itself. “It seems this time, I’m really in danger. The wild marshes of the Gaol Mountains truly are a dangerous place; my senior fellow disciples spoke the truth.”

Although she had apprenticed herself to a monster Immortal, that monster Immortal accepted many monsters; virtually no monsters would be refused. Although she, an Azure Skysnake, was viewed with comparative importance, if she were to be attacked or killed in the outside world while adventuring, no one would help make an appearance on her behalf. Amongst monsters...life was far more savage and ruthless than life was amongst humans.

“This Azure Skysnake really is slippery.”

“Although she cannot Void Blink, her speed is still astonishingly fast.”

“Dire-ice! She actually was nourishing dire-ice. Everyone, be careful.”

The small azure snake, while fleeing, would immediately belch forth a blast of dire-ice when any Wanxiang monsters moved to gang up on her! Dire-ice, for Wanxiang Daoists, was not at all inferior to divine abilities; they were extremely powerful supportive techniques. Against weaker opponents, this dire-ice was capable of freezing them to death.

Even against strong opponents, the incomparable cold of ‘dire-ice’ would cause them to be affected by the chilling cold. Their speed would be dramatically lessened, and their power would fall as well.

“It won’t be able to continue emitting dire-ice for much longer. Soon, there will be none left in her body.” The Dragonwhale watched from far away. As the saying goes, spectators view things with the greatest clarity. “All you need to do is continue to shrink the zone in which she can flee towards. That will guarantee that she will die.”

“What should I do. What should I do. What should I do!” The Azure Skysnake, suffering the combined attacks of so many, had to rely on the dire-ice to impact them and slow them down, as well as her own innate nimbleness and speed to escape them time and time again. However, clearly, under the combined attacks of more than ten monsters, the region in which she could flee about was rapidly shrinking. If this continued...she would definitely be captured alive.

“Bang!” The little azure snake’s tail flickered as fast as lightning, striking against the sharp claws of an enormous white fox. The two were both knocked backwards by the collision. The little azure snake’s tail flickered once again, sending her into a solitary arc and fleeing in another direction.

“Still running?” The giant white fox’s slanted eyes were filled with ridicule. “You won’t be able to escape.”

“Bang!” “Boom!” “Wham!”

The Azure Skysnake was forced to exchange multiple blows with these monsters. As a Godbeast, the Azure Skysnake had incredible tools at her disposal, and in a one-on-one fight, she would be able to withstand them. However, the enemies comprised more than ten Wanxiang monsters, several of which were stronger than her. And there was also that Dragonwhale monster who had yet to join in; he vastly outstripped her in strength.

“It seems as though this time, I really am going to die.” The Azure Skysnake had this sudden thought spring to her mind; today, perhaps, she really wouldn’t be able to escape. She looked at the distant Dragonwhale, who was still staring at her coldly. She gritted her teeth. “I’d rather die than allow myself to be taken alive. Even if I die, I’ll pull a few of them down with me to pad my grave.”

“Kill.”

The Azure Skysnake went berserk.

......

In the clouds above the Mount Demonlotus region. A dragon-headed warship was slowly advancing. Ning had already spent roughly half a month in this region, but he had yet to locate the Azure Skysnake.

“Given how large the Mount Demonlotus region is, it is simply too hard to find an Azure Skysnake. In addition, it might have left this region long ago,” Northson said. Ning nodded. “Perhaps it really has.”

“Eh?” Suddenly, Ning frowned and stared downwards. “A ripple.” Northson sensed it as well. When Wanxiang monsters battled against each other, the elemental ki ripples they created were extremely strong. Ning was able to vaguely sense it.

“Let’s go take a look,” Ning said. “Alright.” Northson immediately commanded the warship to quickly draw closer. As they moved closer, the ripples grew more and more intense.

“Right there.” Northson pointed downward, through the faint fog. Through it, they could see that a massive battle was going on in the wilderness, with the auras of that battle surging towards the skies.

Ning glanced downwards. “They should be Wanxiang-level monsters. I’ll take a look.”

With but a thought, Ning sent his divine sense to cover the region, sweeping towards the battle going on in that desolate wilderness.