Chapter 18: The Yin-Yang Dual Qi Formation

"The great demon Winged Serpent?" Ji Ning frowned. "What happened? Our Ji clan's Western Mansion should have troops stationed at Winged Serpent Lake, along with several innate lifeforms. Did that great demon Winged Serpent escape the lake?" Wan Fang shook his head: "If it were just escaping the lake, that would be a minor matter! Alas, to tell the truth, our Ji clan's Western Mansion helped this great demon. The innate lifeforms we stationed there had been constantly seeking opportunities to slay it. The Winged Serpent lived in daily danger and fought several battles! But under this pressure... it actually reached Innate Perfection!"

"What? Innate Perfection!" Ji Ning was shocked.

A great demon at Innate Perfection was a true threat. In the Dongshan Swamp, only one old demon had reached that level—the Snow Toad!

"The innate lifeforms stationed there could only barely protect themselves with their treasures, watching helplessly as the great demon Winged Serpent fled freely!" Wan Fang sighed. "As soon as the news came, Master immediately gave chase!"

"Father is pursuing?" Ji Ning nodded.

Wan Fang nodded: "But the Winged Serpent can fly and swim, and it's much faster than before. Once it hides in deep water, even a Zifu cultivator would find it hard to kill. Master understands this—he likely won't be able to slay it, so he sent me to inform you. Be careful, since you killed its offspring."

"Understood." Ji Ning nodded solemnly. "I'll have to leave the Iron Rock Tribe. The Winged Serpent... hmph, I didn't expect it to live so long and still break through."

"That old demon has cultivated for a thousand years; its accumulation is deep. Breaking through isn't surprising." Wan Fang then said, "That's all. My task is done."

Ji Ning quickly added, "Brother Wan Fang, the people I killed earlier were from the Black Mountain Tribe nearby. Help me give them a good warning!"

"Leave such trivial matters to me." Wan Fang nodded.

...

That day, Ji Ning took Qiuye and Mowu and left the Iron Rock Tribe. Where they went... Ji Ning told no one, so the Winged Serpent would have a harder time finding him.

...

The calamity of the Winged Serpent lasted over a month before everything settled.

After breaking through to Innate Perfection, the great demon Winged Serpent burst out of Winged Serpent Lake, venting its fury wildly, ravaging nearby tribes, devouring many humans, and causing panic. It searched everywhere for Ji Ning. But Ji Ning's adventures were kept secret, known to few, and he was extremely cautious, so the Winged Serpent naturally couldn't find him!

Half a month later, the Winged Serpent encountered Ji Yichuan. Confident in its enhanced strength, it fought, but was severely wounded again. However, it could now fly much faster, and Ji Yichuan couldn't catch it. This battle made the Winged Serpent unwilling to face Ji Yichuan again; it would flee at the sight of him.

Another month later, the Poison Dove Ridge intervened!

The five mansions of the Ji clan negotiated with the Poison Dove Ridge, and the matter ended with 'the great demon Winged Serpent confined to Winged Serpent Lake for a hundred years'!

...

Time passed, and soon it was summer.

Within the Dongshan Great Swamp.

Two figures lurked in the water grass. One had braided hair, half red and half white, exuding an evil aura; the other was a burly man in black.

"Is the information you gathered reliable?" the evil man asked softly. "We've been waiting here for three days."

The black-clad man nodded: "Recently, a youth has been frequently fighting the Azure Serpent King. They battle every ten days or half a month, usually in this area. Rest assured, master, when the Azure Serpent comes up from the water and enters the formation, it won't escape!"

"Mm." The evil man said softly, "I've prepared for this day too long, spending a great price to obtain this Yin-Yang Dual Qi Formation. This time, I must capture the Azure Serpent alive and make it my spirit beast!"

"Once the Azure Serpent enters the formation, life or death will be entirely in your hands, master." said the black-clad man.

"Hahaha..." The evil man chuckled softly. "By the way, that youth often fights the Azure Serpent King. Do you know who he is?"

"I've never seen him." The black-clad man shook his head. "I know all the talented youths of my Tiemu clan; he's not among them. The sword technique he uses seems to be the Ji clan's Dripping Water Sutra."

"Ji clan?" The evil man's eyes flashed with malice. "To be able to fight the Azure Serpent King at such a young age, if he grows up, he might become another Ji Yichuan. In that case, I, Tiemu Zhan, will help the Ji clan by sending their genius to the Yellow Springs!"

Time passed.

Half a day later, as the sun set, a youth in animal skins came walking over the waves from afar.

"Master, he's here!" the black-clad man called out.

Tiemu Zhan looked and, seeing Ji Ning walking on water as if on solid ground, his pupils contracted: "Unity of man and nature!"

"He must die!" A murderous intent surged in Tiemu Zhan's heart. A youth so young achieving unity with nature—once he grew up, he would be far more formidable than Dripping Water Sword Ji Yichuan, and might even become the strongest in the five mansions of the Ji clan!

"Brother Han!" Tiemu Zhan quickly ordered, "Go deal with that youth. If you can't kill him, keep a close watch. Once I subdue the Azure Serpent King, I'll come immediately."

"Yes." The black-clad man replied respectfully.

Tiemu Zhan stared fixedly into the distance.

A youth achieving unity with nature... such monstrous talent far surpassed Tiemu Zhan's. Fortunately, he had cultivated for over a hundred years and could easily kill this brat with his age advantage.

...

Tiemu Zhan hid in the water grass, having set up a concealment formation around him. Their auras and sounds could not escape. Since no aura leaked, sensing was impossible. Ji Ning likewise failed to detect their presence.

"Little snake snake." Ji Ning stood on the water's surface, calling out. "Why don't you come out?"

His voice rolled directly down into the depths.

A moment later.

Boom!

A massive azure serpent burst out of the water with a spray of droplets, rapidly shrinking to a length of over ten meters. It raised its head, gazing at Ji Ning from afar, letting out a disdainful hiss. In truth, the Azure Serpent King had gained some insights from its several life-and-death battles with Ji Ning; it felt it was on the verge of entering the 'Unity of Heaven and Man' realm. Although its combat power was astonishing, relying on its innate gifts, its level of insight was inferior to Ji Ning's.

This kind of evenly matched, lethal combat—where every move aimed to kill, leaving no room for mercy—was the fastest path to progress!

"Once I also reach Unity of Heaven and Man, you're dead," the Azure Serpent King thought secretly.

"Haha, come on, little snake snake." Two swords materialized in Ji Ning's hands.

Whoosh!

The Azure Serpent King shot forward like a bolt of azure lightning, and Ji Ning bravely met it head-on.

...

Tiemu Zhan, hidden in the distant waterweed, watched with growing alarm: "Sword techniques at the Unity of Heaven and Man level! And dual-wielding swords, executed so flawlessly! He doesn't even seem to be a Xiantian lifeform, yet he can battle a Xiantian divine beast... Such talent is truly terrifying! He must be eliminated as soon as possible!"

"Why won't they go in?"

"Hurry up." Tiemu Zhan grew anxious.

His formation had been set up in advance. Although the formation itself covered a large area, the current battle between Ji Ning and the Azure Serpent King was still some distance away.

"Quick."

Tiemu Zhan burned with impatience but could only endure and wait. He knew that if he revealed himself... it would frighten the Azure Serpent King into immediately diving underwater, and then he would have no way to deal with it.

The fierce battle in the distance continued.

At times Ji Ning was sent flying; at times wounds appeared on the Azure Serpent King. The two fought, churning the water into waves. Ji Ning constantly stepped on the water surface, executing footwork—lunging forward, then dodging back. They were just a little short of entering the great formation, but never quite made it... Truly maddening.

"Bang."

One exchange of blows.

"They've entered!" Tiemuzhan's eyes were bloodshot. At this moment, Ji Ning and the Azure Serpent King had only barely entered the grand formation, still at its edge. But Tiemuzhan dared not wait any longer—perhaps Ji Ning and the Azure Serpent King might soon leave the formation's range.

"Rise!"

Tiemuzhan's face twisted savagely.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning, at the edge of the formation, suddenly felt a tremor in his soul. His soul was strong enough to sense a great crisis looming in the dark. An invisible fear instantly flooded his heart. He even had a feeling that if he didn't act, he might truly die!

"Retreat!" Ji Ning's speed soared to the extreme as he pulled back. This retreat took him just beyond the formation's boundary.

...

As soon as Ji Ning retreated beyond the formation's boundary, he saw the vast water surface before him turn into a blur of chaos. Huge streams of white and black qi, like countless swimming dragons, shrouded that realm. The terrifying power of the formation made Ji Ning's heart tremble.

This was the explosive might of a late-stage Xiantian lifeform in qi refining, amplified by a pre-set grand formation.

"The Azure Serpent King is inside the formation!" Ji Ning's heart tightened. After many battles as equals, seeing his opponent trapped in the formation, Ji Ning felt concern for him.

"Roar~~"

A black-clad figure suddenly leaped through the air, transforming mid-flight into a black beast over ten zhang long. The mane on its neck rose like a giant fan, and its emerald eyes were filled with ferocity as it lunged straight at Ji Ning.

"A beast?" Ji Ning instantly understood who had set up the formation. "A Xiantian beast as a spirit beast—only Tiemuzhan of the Tiemu clan! That old fellow, a late-stage Xiantian lifeform!"

"Get out of here!"

Ji Ning clearly understood the gap between them. Tiemuzhan was notorious for his cunning, and with his treasures, even the Azure Serpent King was far from his match.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, a black light shot toward Ji Ning.

Ji Ning parried it with his sword, producing a clang, and the black light flew back to the Xiantian beast. The beast roared, "Little brat of the Ji clan, today is your death day!"

"Ah!"

A sharp, piercing cry of agony came from the formation that blotted out the sky. Ji Ning's heart trembled. He knew it was the Azure Serpent King's anguished scream. In all their battles, the Azure Serpent King had never made such a miserable sound—he was clearly in true peril.

"Little azure serpent, I hope you survive this tribulation." Ji Ning could only silently wish him well, not daring to hesitate. While fending off the Xiantian beast's pursuit, he swiftly fled across the water waves.