Chapter 30: Death of a Loose Immortal

Immediately, a huge lotus appeared around Ji Ning in his black Daoist robe. Its stamen was fiery red, and surrounding the stamen were rings upon rings of lotus leaves, circle after circle, layer upon layer... At the moment of its appearance, there were already six layers of water-green lotus leaves.

The Water-Fire Lotus consisted of alternating water lotus leaves and fire lotus leaves, which then generated a grinding force.

But the 'Lotus Sword Domain' was completely different. Only the core petals were fiery red; the surrounding layers of lotus leaves were all water-green. It was primarily based on the 'Way of Rainwater' and the 'Way of the Sword', supplemented by the 'Way of Blazing Fire' and the 'Way of Space', combined with the mysteries of the lotus, ultimately forming the Lotus Sword Domain.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle..." Layer after layer of water-green lotus leaves continuously grew, expanding outward: six layers, seven layers, eight layers...

The water-green lotus leaves rapidly spread out, frantically occupying more space.

"What is this!" The Floating Cloud Immortal, who had just cast his mist, stared in shock at the frantically expanding 'Lotus Sword Domain', then sneered, "This Ji Ning wants to use this lotus technique to occupy more space. Where the lotus occupies, he can control, so he won't be blind."

"But just one technique—I don't believe it can block my flying swords."

"Break for me!"

While maintaining the mist, the Floating Cloud Immortal controlled his three flying swords. The three top-grade Heaven-class flying swords, surrounding the Cloud-Mist Diagram, directly charged into the overlapping layers of lotus leaves.

"Sizzle, sizzle..." As soon as the flying swords pierced into the lotus leaves, they felt as if they had fallen into a swamp, advancing with extreme difficulty and effort.

Each lotus leaf was condensed from countless sword beams. When the flying swords pierced in, these sword beams surged forward one after another to block them, making the swords' advance extremely difficult.

"How is this possible? He's just a kid at the perfected Nascent Soul stage—how can his technique be so strong?" The Floating Cloud Immortal was both anxious and unwilling to believe.

"Whoosh."

At that moment, the golden flying sword formed by the Small Thousand Sword Formation came whistling again. Where it passed, the lotus leaves swayed, letting it pass easily. Then the golden flying sword directly struck the huge diagram formed by the three flying swords. Boom! This time, the diagram shattered completely.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle..." The water-green lotus leaves continued to grow layer by layer.

"Withdraw." The Floating Cloud Immortal made up his mind.

The sky-covering mist that filled the Blood Coil Heaven-Sealing Formation dissipated completely. The Floating Cloud Immortal now understood that before these countless lotus leaves, his flying swords' speed was clearly affected. Perhaps given time, he could penetrate all the leaves. But the sword beams formed by Ji Ning's second true self's sword formation gave him no chance.

His three flying swords were slow, so Ji Ning's Small Thousand Sword Formation could easily block them.

If this continued, precious time would be wasted, and he, the Floating Cloud Immortal, would only end up dead. So he gave up on the mist.

...

"What's happening inside the formation?" Zhuan Shui Xiaolou, Tiannong Quge, Xiao Lang, and Boyan Fairy stared in astonishment at the interior of the formation.

Inside the formation.

Ji Ning stood there, a huge, beautiful lotus blooming. This lotus had already occupied about eighty percent of the space within the formation. The layers of water-green lotus leaves were crystal clear, faintly carrying traces of sword beams.

"A lotus secret art?" Zhuan Shui Xiaolou's pupils contracted.

"This Ji Ning actually knows the lotus method?" Tiannong Quge was also surprised.

Many of the mighty figures in the Three Realms used lotus methods to protect their physical bodies. Whether Buddhist or Daoist, countless great beings used 'lotus thrones' to protect their bodies—it was their most important secret art for body protection.

The lotus...

Was supremely sacred and contained endless mysteries.

In the world of the Grand Xia Dynasty, the more ancient the tribe, the deeper their research into the 'lotus'.

In fact, when Ji Ning was young, he had comprehended the lotus and realized the 'Water-Fire Lotus' method. He was naturally close to the lotus. Later, he often exchanged ideas with Jiu Lian, and the Dong Yan clan taught him some mysteries of the lotus. Then, from the vast Daoist canon of the Wujiang Immortal Estate and the Daoist canon left by Immortal Ju Hua, there were also some studies on the 'lotus'.

Moreover, the spirit of the estate, 'Yellow-Haired Big Bear', occasionally guided Ji Ning. Over more than a year, this led to the creation of the 'Lotus Sword Domain'.

If the Water-Fire Lotus, formed from 'Earth Fire and Cold Aether' and the water and fire of heaven and earth, was stronger in offense.

Then the 'Lotus Sword Domain', formed from the 'primordial force' of the second true self and the power of heaven and earth, was mainly for defense. Each lotus leaf contained countless primordial force sword beams, like countless teeth, frantically resisting the enemy's attacks and wearing down their power.

...

"Boom, rumble..." Under the twelfth attack of the 'black serpent' formed by the thirty-six loose immortals of the Zhuan Shu clan, the Blood Coil Heaven-Sealing Formation was already tottering. The golden heart's color even began to change, growing dim, with more cracks on its surface.

"Break, break, break."

The Floating Cloud Immortal was like a madman, his white hair flying.

His three flying swords desperately charged at Ji Ning's Lotus Sword Domain.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..." Layer after layer of lotus leaves continuously blocked, layer upon layer.

The golden light sword formed by the Small Thousand Sword Formation was as fast as lightning, while the Floating Cloud Immortal's flying swords were much slower and were again scattered by the attack.

"It's over."

The Floating Cloud Immortal suddenly gave up. His three flying swords did not attack again. He stared blankly at Ji Ning in his black Daoist robe within the 'Lotus Sword Domain'.

Faced with this Lotus Sword Domain, the Floating Cloud Immortal felt like he was facing a turtle shell—there was no way to break it! At least in a short time, he had no method, and he could sense that the 'Blood Coil Heaven-Sealing Formation' could not hold much longer. He despaired, gave up, and understood that this time he had lost.

The Floating Cloud Immortal looked at Ji Ning, his expression becoming extremely calm. He transmitted: "Ji Ning, tell me, what technique is this?"

Seeing that the other party had stopped attacking, Ji Ning in his black Daoist robe understood that he had given up. Ji Ning actually felt no hatred for this bald old man; instead, he pitied him... because Ji Ning guessed that he was a dead soldier!

"This is the Lotus Sword Domain."

"Each lotus leaf is condensed from my countless primordial force sword beams."

"Where the lotus leaves spread is my world."

"It contains the Way of the Sword, the Way of Rainwater, the Way of Space, and the Way of Blazing Fire. It is the strongest technique I have created." Ji Ning in his black Daoist robe transmitted. At this moment, Ji Ning also understood that the other party had chosen death.

The Floating Cloud Immortal looked at Ji Ning, envy in his eyes: "The Way of the Sword? The Way of Space? The Way of Rainwater? The Way of Blazing Fire? So many Ways, and two of them are Great Ways, yet you can perfectly blend them together and create a technique. In just thirty years, you can do this. I have never seen such a genius as you. I cannot imagine your future. I admit defeat wholeheartedly."

But Ji Ning knew well how much effort he had expended to create this technique.

He often meditated in the Star Hall.

He often pondered in the quiet room of the estate.

He tried again and again like a madman.

The spirit of the estate also occasionally guided him... inspired him, and only then did he create this protective technique, a technique entirely aimed at 'defense'.

"Kill me, let me die by your hand." The Floating Cloud Immortal's gaze was ethereal. At the moment of approaching death, he vaguely felt... that this peerless genius 'Ji Ning' would have a remarkable future, and even vaguely felt that a tremendous storm was about to come, and this peerless genius would become one of the many dazzling figures in that storm.

"As you wish." Ji Ning in his black Daoist robe nodded.

Swish!

A wisp of golden sword beam flew past.

The Floating Cloud Immortal did not resist at all. The beam directly pierced his body and stabbed into his golden lotus primordial spirit. The golden lotus was shot through and then began to collapse.

Although Ji Ning did not destroy the Floating Cloud Immortal's soul, because of the 'Heavenly Dao Oath', the Floating Cloud Immortal knew clearly that he would be annihilated, as he felt the Heavenly Dao fluctuations beginning to descend.

"Ancestor Xuanji."

"At this moment, I can dimly sense that a great storm is about to begin. Dazzling figures will rise, and this Ji Ning will be one of them. My Shaoyan clan will suffer great calamity because of this..."

"Ancestor Xuanji, you have killed me, but what great enemy have you brought upon my Shaoyan clan?"

"You will regret this in the future."

"You will regret it."

"You are the sinner of my Shaoyan clan, a sinner. But all this has nothing to do with me anymore. Annihilated, everything has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with me..." The Floating Cloud Immortal closed his eyes. His body first completely turned to nothing, revealing the already shattered and collapsing golden lotus primordial spirit. Under the descending Heavenly Dao fluctuations, the golden lotus primordial spirit quickly completely annihilated, turning into nothing.

The more powerful a cultivator, the more they believed in the vague sensations they dimly perceived.

At the moment of death, the Floating Cloud Immortal also sensed a terrible storm about to erupt in the future. Even the Shaoyan clan, which had existed since the earliest days of the Primordial Era and had been passed down to the present, would totter under such a storm...

"Boom!"

As the Small Thousand Sword Formation's sword beam pierced the golden lotus primordial spirit and the Floating Cloud Immortal began to turn into nothing, with a loud crash, the Blood Coil Heaven-Sealing Formation also shattered with a roar. A winding black serpent coiled in the air, looking down at Ji Ning surrounded by the huge lotus below.

One of the lotus leaves rolled up the flying swords, storage magic treasures, and other items left behind after the Floating Cloud Immortal's death. This lotus leaf floated directly to Ji Ning in his black Daoist robe.

Ji Ning in his black Daoist robe waved his hand and collected them all.

The entire building was silent.

Whether it was the trembling servants, the shocked Golden Armored Guards, Tiannong Quge, Zhuan Shui Xiaolou, Boyan Fairy, and Xiao Lang, or the thirty-six loose immortals who had scattered, all stared at Ji Ning in his black Daoist robe below, protected by layers of the huge Lotus Sword Domain.

They witnessed a scene...

The second true self of a Wanxiang Adept had slain a powerful loose immortal.

...