Chapter 29 The Tenth Form of the Three-Foot Sword

"I, Ji Ning, merely pulled up the bronze pillar as a convenient act," Ji Ning said.

Ji Ning understood clearly that this was no longer the age of gods and demons; it was now the era of the Great Xia Dynasty's unification! Conflicts among humans were trivial, but any god or demon that did not submit to humanity would be hunted by all. Those free gods and demons could only flee pitifully, like the ancient god-demon of Yushan Dahuangze, who, despite being far stronger than the scattered immortals and able to crush one with ease, dared not fight back and fled in disgrace.

As for submission?

These nine hundred-plus gods and demons had been imprisoned and tortured for endless ages without submitting to the Shaoyin clan. It was unlikely they would submit to any other human clan.

"We gods and demons repay kindness with kindness and enmity with enmity," the nine-headed god-demon leader transmitted. Then he looked at the nine celestial immortals of Shaoyin and roared with sky-shaking fury: "Shaoyin! You imprisoned and tortured us for endless ages. Today is the day of revenge! Before the Xia Emperor's Demon-Slaying Guard arrives, kill them all!"

"Kill!"

"Kill them!"

The killing cries surged with overwhelming hatred.

The nine hundred-plus gods and demons formed a battle formation, their divine power surging as if they were one. In the sky, the phantom of an ancient god-demon wreathed in flames appeared. Its aura was so strong that even Ji Ning was shaken: "So this is a god-demon battle formation?" He had only heard of such formations before; this was his first time seeing one.

Gods and demons were beings born for battle.

They fought heaven and earth and would rather die than submit.

The Daoist San Shou was a typical example. After an enemy tore off his arm, he kept it missing forever. Many humans thought this foolish, but San Shou did it anyway—that was his pride. When faced with catastrophe, he could have retreated and hidden; at his level, preserving his life was possible. But he didn't. Knowing the danger, he charged ahead without regret, even unto death!

Ji Ning looked up. In the high sky, a vast host of gods and demons surged forward with weapons, charging at the nine celestial immortals.

On one side was the god-demon battle formation; on the other, the immortals' Eight Immortals Sea-Suppressing Formation.

"Boom!"

The violent collision sounded like heaven and earth splitting apart.

Around the eight celestial immortals—Chixin, Jinzhong, Kumu, and others—waves surged, completely deflecting the impact. The Eight Immortals Sea-Suppressing Formation was one of the top defensive formations in the Three Realms, prioritizing safety over offense. They knew it was nearly impossible to kill this group of gods and demons now.

"Haha, is that all you've got?" the Shaoyin ancestor sneered. "I advise you to leave quickly. I've already informed the Xia Emperor; he will soon send the Demon-Slaying Guard. If you don't leave now, none of you will escape!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

The gods and demons ignored him and charged again.

"Boom!"

The massive phantom of the flame god-demon from the battle formation slammed into the Eight Immortals Sea-Suppressing Formation once more. The faces of Chixin, Xuanji, and the others turned pale.

"Ancestor, what do we do?" Xuanji transmitted urgently. "We can't hold out much longer. Their battle formation's impact is too strong."

"What can we do?" The single-horned, gold-robed man glanced coldly at Xuanji. "There are over nine hundred gods and demons here, more than six hundred of them at the Return to Void stage. Together, they shake heaven and earth; you can't even use Greater Teleportation talismans. As for hiding in a portable immortal mansion and then using a talisman? These nine hundred-plus gods and demons could shatter the mansion in an instant. There's no escape now. There's only one way: hold out, drag it out as long as possible. Once the Xia Emperor's Demon-Slaying Guard arrives, we'll be saved!"

Using a Greater Teleportation talisman required time and could not be interrupted.

"Will the Demon-Slaying Guard arrive in time?" Jinzhong pressed.

"I've already informed the Xia Emperor," the single-horned man said.

"What if the Demon-Slaying Guard deliberately delays?" Chixin worried.

The single-horned man's pupils contracted. He said in a low voice, "No, the old Xia Emperor knows I have a treasure that can protect and take you all away. But using it once would shatter it. I won't use it lightly unless it's the last resort."

A treasure capable of blocking the assault of nine hundred gods and demons was like an extra life for a celestial immortal. The Shaoyin ancestor was reluctant to waste it.

...

"You gods and demons are wasting time. The more you waste, the more of you will die when the time comes," the single-horned man transmitted, his voice booming across heaven and earth. "Once the Demon-Slaying Guard arrives, you know their strength. You're doomed."

"Even if we die, we'll destroy the Shaoyin clan!" a scale-covered god-demon roared.

"What is life or death? Shaoyin, all your celestial immortals will die today!"

"Shaoyin Chou, I know you have many avatars, but these eight celestial immortals under you will all die today!"

The gods and demons roared.

They joined forces again, assaulting the Eight Immortals Sea-Suppressing Formation.

"Such boldness, throwing away your lives. What a pity. You endured endless ages of imprisonment and torture without bowing, all for this day of freedom. Now that you're free, you want revenge and will be killed by the Demon-Slaying Guard. What a waste. If I were you, I'd scatter and flee, even leave the Great Xia world," the single-horned man laughed.

Indeed, some of the nine hundred-plus gods and demons hesitated.

Yes.

Freedom!

Without imprisonment and torture, it was hard to appreciate how precious freedom was. They had waited so long for this day. Would they give up freedom for revenge?

"If we don't kill the Shaoyin clan, even if we live, we'll live in frustration. Today, we kill these Shaoyin celestial immortals, then flee freely and joyfully," the nine-headed god-demon roared.

"What we want is a good, satisfying fight!"

"Haha, Nine-Heads, I feel like I'm back in the days of war with humanity. Yes, what we want is satisfaction. What is death?"

"Satisfying, satisfying!"

They howled.

The stronger the god-demon, the more fearless they were of death. Their innate battle-fury drove them to madness.

...

Ji Ning below was stunned.

"Gods and demons?" he murmured.

Though he practiced the god-demon body refinement, he did not have a true god-demon heart; he was still human.

If he had been imprisoned for endless ages, tortured endlessly, and then escaped, seeing such great danger, he would probably flee first and take revenge slowly later. But gods and demons were different. They wouldn't even wait; in their rage, they sought revenge immediately, unafraid of death. This innate battle-fury completely shook Ji Ning.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Boom!" The sky thundered continuously. The eight celestial immortals occasionally swallowed elixirs to replenish their mana, struggling to hold on. Under this assault, even their celestial immortal golden cores were damaged. They barely held on, while the gods and demons grew ever more frenzied.

Time ticked by.

But not a single god-demon left; they all attacked wildly.

"Satisfying!"

"Battle-fury overwhelming!"

"Kill them all cleanly!"

Ji Ning murmured, and around him, sword-qi naturally appeared. Surrounded by countless sword-qi, Ji Ning seemed like a sword god.

He closed his eyes.

Inspirations gathered...

Ever since Ji Ning decided to truly fight the Shaoyin clan, his heart had become clearer, and his battle-fury had grown stronger.

Seeing the imprisoned and tortured gods and demons abandon freedom for a satisfying kill further stirred Ji Ning's battle-fury.

His battle-fury grew stronger.

His heart grew clearer.

All past insights surfaced in his mind.

...

In the high sky, nine hundred-plus gods and demons furiously besieged the nine celestial immortals, who struggled to delay. The Shaoyin ancestor gritted his teeth, reluctant to use his life-saving treasure. In his heart, that treasure was far more valuable than one or two celestial immortals' lives. But if all eight of his subordinates died, he would be truly alone, and he didn't want that.

"Hold on a little longer, hold on," the Shaoyin ancestor urged anxiously.

The eight celestial immortals strained to hold on, not letting their spirit break.

"Boom!" Suddenly, a fluctuation appeared.

It was the fluctuation of Greater Teleportation.

"Hm?" The nine Shaoyin celestial immortals looked up at once.

The nine hundred-plus gods and demons also looked up.

In the high sky appeared an ancient ship formed from blood waves. On the ship stood guards in blood-red armor, each with an overwhelmingly powerful aura.

"The Demon-Slaying Guard!" The nine Shaoyin celestial immortals rejoiced.

"Quick, flee!"

"Escape!"

"Scatter!"

The nine hundred-plus gods and demons panicked. With a boom, they tore through space and fled along spatial tears.

"Pursue," a tall commander on the blood-wave ship ordered coldly, glancing at the nine Shaoyin celestial immortals.

Instantly, streaks of blood light chased along the spatial tears.

The world fell silent.

The gods and demons were gone.

The Demon-Slaying Guard was gone.

"Whew." The nine celestial immortals breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good thing I didn't use the treasure hastily; that would have been a waste," the single-horned man thought.

"That Ji Ning didn't flee!" Xuanji pointed down, sneering. "Though we are wounded, with the three venomous insect beasts, we can suppress him."

The other celestial immortals, including the Shaoyin ancestor, looked down.

In the ruins below stood Ji Ning, eyes closed, a faint smile on his face—the joy of enlightenment.

"Where the Dao lies..." Ji Ning opened his eyes and said softly, "Though thousands oppose, I go!"

Hum!

Around Ji Ning, the countless rubble, broken grass, and water droplets in the ruins all floated, faintly gathering sword-light. Everything seemed to become a sword. Even the many flying swords and the Northmoon sword floating in his Violet Mansion space let out a sword hum.

"Though my talent is high and my Dao insights surpass those of Senior Beixing, in terms of sword-heart, only today can I barely compare to him."

Ji Ning felt a sword-intent within him, eager to burst forth—powerful, grand.

"Where the Dao lies..."

"Where the Dao lies..."

Ji Ning murmured to himself, "This new sword-art I've realized, I'll call it 'I Go.'"

The Tenth Form of the Three-Foot Sword—I Go!

Ji Ning looked up at the sky. The gods and demons were gone; only the nine celestial immortals and the three strange beasts remained.

...