Chapter 22 Earthly Treasure

"What is that?" The seven Zifu cultivators of the Snow Dragon Mountain side stared in shock at the tip of a flower emerging from the black mist in the distance. Just from the tip, they could imagine how enormous that flower was.

"What is the Ji clan doing?"

"True Person Xu, that Ji clan..." The group of Zifu cultivators looked at True Person Xu Li. Xu Li frowned and said, "It should be a giant flower, with water-blue and fire-red petals. It should be formed from water and fire."

Seeing only the tip of the flower in the distant black mist, they could not deduce what was happening.

"Let me try." True Person Xu Li pointed into the distance. "Fall!"

The moonlight giant hand extending from the bright moon in the dark sky grabbed the hundred-zhang-wide seal and smashed it directly toward the flower. Immediately, a section of a dragon's body rose from the black mist and blocked the seal. With a thunderous boom, the black dragon body trembled but held firm.

"Hmph, hiding inside the formation. If I were close, one strike of my seal would scatter this dragon body." True Person Xu Li shook his head.

...

Inside the formation.

Ji Jiuhuo was extremely tense, transmitting his voice: "Ji Ning is now at the most critical moment of his cultivation. That Wanxiang cultivator is casting spells through his dharma. No matter what, we must hold him off!"

Ji Liuzhen, Granny Ying, and the others all understood that Ji Ning was the hope of their Ji clan. How could they allow the enemy to disrupt Ji Ning's cultivation?

"A water-fire flower has formed. What is Ji Ning doing?" Although Ji Jiuhuo could sense the flower, he was puzzled. Ji Ning had the protective technique of the Water-Fire Lotus. Was he now comprehending the Dao? Or cultivating?

...

The giant water-fire flower, a hundred zhang tall, was completely closed, with Ji Ning inside.

Using the Grand Yin True Water and Grand Sun True Fire as sources, vast amounts of Grand Yin power and Grand Sun power surged into Ji Ning's body. Guided by the divine runes, his divine body began a natural transformation. Every joint, every muscle, even every cell of his internal organs frantically absorbed the energy.

Generally, minor realm breakthroughs in the "Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens" relied on gradual accumulation, such as from the fourth to the fifth level, or from the fifth to the sixth. They were all slow, steady cultivation.

But from the sixth to the seventh level was a major realm breakthrough!

The divine body underwent a fundamental leap, requiring an astonishing amount of energy—even more than the nearly five years of cultivation from the fourth to the sixth level. This divine demon technique was the most difficult. Ji Ning had already comprehended the 'Rainwater Sword Domain,' yet only today did he break through to the seventh level!

The most difficult technique!

The most profound technique!

But once a major realm breakthrough was achieved, one received the assistance of the two supreme stars, the Grand Yin Star and the Grand Sun Star, which sent down Grand Yin True Water and Grand Sun True Fire to gather vast energy, rapidly reorganizing and elevating the divine body.

"Whoosh!"

The giant water-fire flower became thin and transparent, gradually blooming to reveal a naked youth with an extremely lustrous, crystalline body. It was Ji Ning! A layer of beast hide quickly appeared on his naked body, transformed from his protective magic robe.

A smile appeared on Ji Ning's face. He had finally entered the seventh level of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens. He could feel the surging divine power within him, the boundless vitality contained in his body. A drop of blood could regenerate him.

"Now I can truly use divine abilities." Ji Ning showed joy.

Divine demon body cultivation must reach the Zifu level to use divine abilities.

The Windwing Evasion technique was more of a skill; it could be performed with elemental energy alone. But divine abilities were divine abilities—only when performed with 'divine power' were they true divine abilities, unleashing their real might. Previously, he was at the perfect Xiantian level, but his elemental energy surpassed the perfect Zifu level. The gap was too large... so he used elemental energy to perform the Windwing Evasion.

Now, although he had just entered the seventh level, as the foremost divine demon body cultivation technique, Ji Ning was already comparable to a divine demon body cultivator at the late Zifu stage.

"Compared to Tong Yu," Ji Ning thought, "my divine demon body cultivation is now only slightly inferior to his."

"He has the divine ability of Heaven Earth Transformation; I have the divine ability of Windwing Evasion."

"I also have the Rainwater Sword Domain and the Northmoon Sword... If we fought again, I could kill him in a head-on battle." Ji Ning was confident. Windwing Evasion and Heaven Earth Transformation were different types of divine abilities, each with its own advantages. Heaven Earth Transformation enhanced strength, speed, and other aspects, but was less flexible.

Windwing Evasion specialized in speed and agility!

"Ji Ning." A voice came to his ear.

"Patriarch?" Ji Ning smiled.

"Come quickly." Ji Jiuhuo transmitted. The black mist before Ji Ning parted to form a passage. Ji Ning tapped his foot and shot off like a streak of light.

...

Patriarch Ji Jiuhuo, Ji Yichuan, and the white-clad girl who had transformed from the crane were together.

"Patriarch." Ji Ning arrived through the black mist passage. As soon as he saw the patriarch and the others, he sensed something wrong. There was no joy on their faces, only solemnity.

"What's wrong?" Ji Ning asked.

Ji Jiuhuo said in a low voice, "We thought that after you killed a group of Zifu cultivators and Tong Yu, this calamity would pass. But unexpectedly, the Snow Dragon Mountain side sent another group of Zifu cultivators, and among them is a Wanxiang cultivator."

"A Wanxiang cultivator?" Ji Ning was stunned. "How could there be a Wanxiang cultivator? How could the Snow Dragon Mountain Yanshan branch invite a Wanxiang cultivator in such a short time? Isn't this place far from the Snow Dragon Mountain sect?"

"I don't know." Ji Jiuhuo shook his head.

Ji Yichuan said gravely, "Regardless, the Wanxiang cultivator has arrived. He is extremely powerful. Earlier, he cast a spell through his dharma to control a great seal, and we barely managed to block it with the Black Dragon formed by our formation."

Ji Ning's expression turned serious.

Casting through dharma? The Black Dragon formed by the formation barely blocked it?

"That Wanxiang cultivator should be called Xu Li." The white-clad girl suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning, Ji Jiuhuo, and the others looked at the crane girl.

The white-clad girl said, "I followed Nong Zidao for many years and once saw this Xu Li. True Person Xu Li is a formidable figure within Snow Dragon Mountain, not comparable to that Tong Yu. Tong Yu's status in Snow Dragon Mountain was very ordinary. Even with his divine ability, he was only comparable to a newly advanced Wanxiang cultivator."

"Xu Li has been a Wanxiang cultivator for over sixty years," the white-clad girl continued. "He practices a Qi cultivation technique, definitely one of the top techniques in Snow Dragon Mountain. Although cultivation is slow, his elemental energy is pure. After over sixty years, he is at least at the mid Wanxiang stage."

"Moreover, as a Wanxiang cultivator of Snow Dragon Mountain, he definitely possesses an earthly treasure! Human treasures and earthly treasures are fundamentally different... their power is vastly different. In terms of Dao comprehension, he far surpasses Tong Yu. Although Tong Yu had a divine ability, he could not wield an earthly treasure at all. That is the fundamental difference between him and True Person Xu Li. True Person Xu Li could kill Tong Yu with ease."

After speaking, the white-clad girl fell silent.

Ji Jiuhuo and Ji Yichuan exchanged glances... Earlier, when they were panicked, the white-clad girl had remained silent. But as soon as Ji Ning appeared, she revealed information about True Person Xu Li. Clearly, in her heart, she respected Ji Ning more and was somewhat unconvinced by the others in the Ji clan.

"At least mid Wanxiang? Earthly treasure? Dao comprehension?" Ji Ning pondered. He was not an ignorant fool. Having seen so many treasures in the Water Mansion, he knew well that different treasures had vastly different power.

Earthly treasures and human treasures were fundamentally different.

Hadn't the girl said that True Person Xu Li could kill Tong Yu with ease?

"Ji Ning." Ji Jiuhuo's face reddened as he urged, "We have never fought a Wanxiang cultivator, only heard legends. But a Wanxiang cultivator is far superior to Zifu cultivators. Killing Zifu cultivators is as easy for them as killing Xiantian creatures. Earthly treasures... we have only heard of them; no one has tested their power. You must not be careless. You carry the minister's token of our Ji clan's Wanjian City and the Ten-Thousand-Mile Escape Talisman. Remember, if things look bad, flee immediately!"

Ji Ning was taken aback.

Flee?

"As long as you escape, the Ji clan will surely rise again, and even stronger." Ji Jiuhuo exhorted.

As Ji Ning listened to the patriarch, he suddenly felt uneasy. A faint sense of danger loomed in his mind. His divine soul was strong, and he usually sensed warnings when danger approached. This made Ji Ning's heart tighten.

"Remember, do not take risks." Ji Jiuhuo continued, and Ji Yichuan also looked at his son.

"I understand." Ji Ning nodded gently. "I will be very careful with this Wanxiang cultivator. If things go wrong, I will escape."

"Mm." Ji Jiuhuo nodded.

...

Outside the formation.

The cultivators of the Snow Dragon Mountain side on the wilderness gazed from afar at Niujiao Mountain shrouded in black mist. The tip of the flower that had been visible earlier had disappeared.

"True Person Xu Li, what should we do now?"

"Are we just going to watch?" The Zifu cultivators looked at True Person Xu Li, waiting for his orders.

True Person Xu Li gazed into the distance, his eyes full of coldness. He said coldly, "Wait!"

Tong Yu and Nong Zidao had both failed after entering. Although he was much stronger, he was still cautious. Knowing the strangeness of this formation, even with his great power, he would not rashly charge in. At worst, he would sacrifice this elemental ore vein.

"Uncle-Master Xu Li, Uncle-Master Xu Li." A streak of light flew over from afar.

Xu Li looked up.

A man in beast hide descended from the streak of light.

"Nephew Zidao." Xu Li's face lit up with joy, and he hurried forward to greet him. Nong Zidao was the one he valued most among those who had entered the formation earlier. As a formation expert with experience inside, he was exactly what Xu Li needed now.

"Uncle-Master Xu Li." Nong Zidao quickly said, "I was afraid you might have entered this formation. Fortunately, you didn't."

"What?" Xu Li frowned at Nong Zidao. "Is this formation so terrifying?"

...