Chapter 23: Wind-Wing Evasion Technique

While Ji Ning was lost in thought, the others from the Black-White College began to console him.

“Junior apprentice-brother, bear with it for now,” Cangjiang the Real Person sent mentally to Ji Ning. “Once we leave the Wujiang Immortal Estate, we won’t have to put up with Shaoyan Nong’s attitude.”

“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning,” Yu Wei also sent mentally, worried. “We can’t contend with Shaoyan Nong now, but a truly powerful cultivator relies on himself. At best, Shaoyan Nong will become a Featherwing Duke. But even if he does, the true leaders of the Shaoyan clan are those old monsters who have lived for billions of years. Once you become a Celestial Immortal, the Shaoyan clan will have to treat you with respect and dare not slight you. What is a Featherwing Duke? Just a nominal leader.”

Ji Ning glanced at senior apprentice-sister Yu Wei.

He had seen Lord Cui, seen Meng Po, and even witnessed a powerful force attacking the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Moreover, his master, “Three-Life Daoist,” was a great power in the Three Realms… As senior apprentice-sister said, one’s own strength was fundamental. If he could become a great power in the Three Realms…

What would a clan like the Shaoyan, in one of the three thousand major worlds, the “Grand Xia Dynasty,” amount to?

Once he achieved Celestial Immortality, the Shaoyan clan would have to treat him with courtesy.

After all, among ten thousand Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals, it was rare for even one to become a Celestial Immortal. Celestial Immortals were carefree immortals who had already leaped out of the Three Realms.

“Elder apprentice-brother,” Mu Zishuo sent mentally. “If you’re unhappy with senior apprentice-sister Jiulian, I think you might as well break it off. Of course, I’m just saying; you must follow your heart. Ask yourself: do you truly desire Jiulian as your Dao-companion?”

Ji Ning glanced at Mu Zishuo. “Junior apprentice-brother, say no more.”

In his heart…

Ji Ning did like Jiulian. In both his past and present life, he had never experienced romantic love. He didn’t know exactly how he felt about Jiulian, but there was indeed a vague fondness. However, the recent conflicts had left him frustrated.

“Gurgle, gurgle.” Ji Ning held his wine cup, drinking continuously. Though he drank desperately, the wine was repeatedly burned away by the earthfire.

…

Jiulian sat cross-legged, glancing at Ji Ning, who kept drinking.

“It seems Ji Ning is really angry,” Jiulian thought, troubled. “Why is he like this? I’ve already lowered my head. This isn’t even a big deal—it’s too common. It’s just superficial politeness. Why must he be so angry? If he gets angry over this and that, when I become the leader of the Dongyan clan, will I have to go along with everything he wants?”

“Let him sober up first. He should understand.”

One had been pampered and held high since childhood, the designated heir of a major clan.

The other had a past life in a peaceful world and was a genius from a native tribe in this life.

They were attracted to each other, and things were fine in the idyllic Yishe Lake. But once they truly interacted and experienced things, conflicts began to intensify.

…

While Ji Ning and Jiulian both harbored grievances in their hearts—

Suddenly—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Figures charged in with terrifying momentum. The Zifu cultivator deathsworn standing at the outermost edge had their bodies shattered on impact. Blood flew everywhere. In an instant, the great hall turned into a Shura hell, the ground covered in blood and flesh.

“Puppets!” Shaoyan Nong, seated in the hall, was startled, then grew excited and expectant.

Puppet figures rushed in. Ji Ning and the others were sitting cross-legged at their own low tables, unable to form a formation in time.

“That damn Shaoyan Nong said these Zifu deathsworn could hold them off for a while, but they couldn’t stop them at all.” Ji Ning produced two Northmoon swords and blocked the Qiongqi puppet charging straight at him.

Bang!

With a single sword flash, Ji Ning sent the Qiongqi puppet flying back.

“Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, protect junior apprentice-brother Zishuo,” Cangjiang the Real Person sent mentally.

“Understood, rest assured,” Ji Ning replied quickly.

The hall was huge. Ji Ning and the others sat in two rows. Jiulian, Cangjiang, and Yu Wei sat opposite Ji Ning, quite far away. Ji Ning, Mu Zishuo, and Xue Hongyi were on the same side. Now, six Qiongqi puppets simultaneously charged at the six Wanxiang Adepts.

More puppets went straight for Shaoyan Nong!

Ji Ning handled one Qiongqi puppet easily, but Mu Zishuo was at a disadvantage. Mu Zishuo was better at controlling puppets and not skilled in close combat.

“Swoosh.” Black wings appeared on Ji Ning’s back. With a flap, he executed the Wind-Wing Evasion Technique, appearing beside Mu Zishuo in a flash. His sword light flashed, sending the soul-nourishing-level Qiongqi puppet flying back.

“Thank you, elder apprentice-brother.” Mu Zishuo, breaking out in cold sweat, quickly controlled a silver serpent puppet to engage the enemy.

"A small matter." Ji Ning smiled, holding twin swords as lotus blossoms bloomed around him, easily blocking the two qiongqi puppets.

...

Ji Ning and the others, including Xue Hongyi, each held off one qiongqi puppet. In truth, these six puppets were not meant to kill them but to tie them down. The other twelve puppets, along with their leader in black armor, charged at Shaoyan Nong with a roar.

"Hahaha..." Shaoyan Nong laughed. "Capture them."

Xiangliu Fang stretched out his hands, and a pair of enormous palms blotted out the sky, descending like a canopy. His fingers transformed into massive serpents, each coiling around a qiongqi puppet like ropes. Some serpents even wrapped around two puppets at once. In an instant, the twelve qiongqi puppets were caught in his giant hands, but the black-armored man drew a long sword from his thigh and slashed directly at Xiangliu Fang's palm.

Boom!

A thunderous blast erupted. Even holding back twelve qiongqi puppets with just his hands was exhausting, let alone withstanding the astonishing power of that sword strike. The giant hands recoiled, and the qiongqi puppets all broke free.

"Hmm?" Xiangliu Fang was startled. "Your sword..."

"Chop." The black-armored man turned into a streak of light and charged forward, continuing to strike at Xiangliu Fang.

Meanwhile, the other twelve qiongqi puppets flew toward Shaoyan Nong with a roar. Frowning, Shaoyan Nong manifested a massive red-scaled flood dragon around his body and produced a leaf-shaped talisman in his hand.

"Quite troublesome." Shaoyan Nong muttered softly, but he was confident. With Uncle Fang, the red-scaled flood dragon, and his protective treasures, victory was certain.

"Roar~~~"

The red-scaled flood dragon bellowed and fought fiercely against the qiongqi puppets. Suddenly, one puppet grabbed the bronze lamp beside it and turned to flee!

"The bronze lamp!" Shaoyan Nong was shocked.

He understood.

These puppets weren't here to kill him at all. Knowing their own limits, their true target was the bronze lamp. To refine a treasure, one must be near it, channeling yuan power slowly. If it was taken far away or fell into another's hands, his yuan power could no longer reach it, and refinement would be impossible.

Gaining control of the immortal mansion would be indefinitely delayed. With the puppets' knowledge of the Wujiang Hall, they could play hide-and-seek with him, dragging things out for millennia. But he couldn't afford such a delay.

"Quick, take back the bronze lamp!" Shaoyan Nong roared.

Xiangliu Fang let out a terrifying low growl. His right arm suddenly detached and flew off, the severed end radiating surging black divine power. The power churned, and the severed arm coalesced into another Xiangliu Fang. Meanwhile, the original Xiangliu Fang grew a new arm.

In the blink of an eye, two Xiangliu Fangs appeared in the hall. But during the time it took to split off this clone, the qiongqi puppet had already nearly rushed out of the hall—after all, a Nascent Soul-level puppet moved like lightning.

One Xiangliu Fang fought the black-armored man.

The other swiftly chased the puppet carrying the bronze lamp, darting into the corridor in pursuit.

"Two Xiangliu Fangs? A clone?" Ji Ning and the others were all secretly astonished.

"The bronze lamp, the bronze lamp! Damn it, damn it!" Shaoyan Nong roared in fury.

Just then, at the far end of the hall, Xiangliu Fang entered, holding a sack in one hand and the bronze lamp in the other.

"Haha." Shaoyan Nong immediately laughed.

The black-armored man's heart sank with disappointment. He knew the gap in strength between his side and these invading humans was too great. He had only hoped to snatch the bronze lamp by surprise, but unfortunately, this divine demon was too powerful. Even while fighting him, he had split off a clone, caught up to the qiongqi puppet, and retrieved the lamp.

"The situation is settled." Shaoyan Nong relaxed completely and began to leisurely survey the hall.

But as he looked, his expression suddenly changed.

He gazed at Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo in the distance. Ji Ning held two Northriver swords, with black wings on his back, easily fending off two qiongqi puppets.

"Wings?" Shaoyan Nong carefully observed Ji Ning's movements and sent a voice transmission to Xiangliu Fang beside him. "Uncle Fang, look at Ji Ning."

The two clones had merged back into one. Xiangliu Fang, having exerted full force, stuffed the black-armored man into his sack. Hearing Shaoyan Nong's transmission, he glanced over and his expression also changed.

"Uncle Fang, that's the Windwing Evasion, isn't it? I'm not mistaken?" Shaoyan Nong asked.

The Windwing Evasion.

Shaoyan Nong had never practiced it himself, but he had seen his clansmen train in it countless times. Because he often watched and had personally read the contents of the Windwing Evasion manual, he recognized traces of it in Ji Ning's movements.

"Yes, it's the Windwing Evasion. I've practiced it myself. Although Ji Ning uses wings to conceal it, this is definitely the Windwing Evasion," Xiangliu Fang transmitted. "The Yu Chi clan disciples of old also used wings to hide it, and Ji Ning is using the same old trick. Though clumsy, only those deeply versed in the Windwing Evasion could identify it."

Shaoyan Nong transmitted, "Uncle Fang, how does Ji Ning know the Windwing Evasion?"

"He must be a remnant of the Yu Chi clan!" Xiangliu Fang transmitted.