Chapter 14: Success Achieved

In the fifth world, within a quiet chamber filled with fragrance, the woman in green robes opened her eyes and awoke.

"The God King actually deigned to deploy Yu Wei as a pawn." Qing Hu sighed inwardly, then frowned as she sensed something. "Hmm? Yu Wei hasn't fallen asleep?"

All these pawns had received orders: unless life or death was at stake, they must sleep once every three days.

Only in dreams could they contact the pawns silently and secretly. This 'contact' was the most covert, undetectable even by True Gods and Dao Ancestors. Other means of contact risked exposure, and once exposed, the pawns could no longer remain hidden.

"Not asleep..."

Qing Hu pondered. "No rush. She will surely fall into deep sleep within three days. Ha... With the scheming of a Dao companion, Ji Ning probably has no guard up. Directly teleported to the fifth world, he's doomed. Hmm?"

Qing Hu's eyes suddenly lit up!

"Ji Ning still has some use before he dies." Qing Hu smiled. "Perhaps I can make the Shaoyin clan fully submit to our Escapist Sect."

...

That night.

On the peak of a nameless mountain within the Shaoyin clan's fiefdom, the Celestial Immortal Xuanji met a messenger in golden robes.

"Greetings, envoy." Celestial Immortal Xuanji was very polite.

"Take this to your patriarch." The golden-robed messenger directly handed over a scroll.

"This is?" Celestial Immortal Xuanji was puzzled.

"It contains a water-seal technique. Your patriarch will understand upon seeing it." The golden-robed messenger smiled. "Our Escapist Sect is looking out for your Shaoyin clan. Don't let your clan be destroyed without even knowing the reason."

With that, the golden-robed messenger vanished through the void.

Frowning, Celestial Immortal Xuanji held the scroll. After a moment's hesitation, he opened it to look. The scroll unfurled, revealing a scene—indeed a water-seal technique. When he activated it with celestial magic, the scene began: the battle of eighteen Celestial Immortals against Celestial Immortal Tonghe, and later Ji Ning's killing of him.

"That Celestial Immortal Zicao?" Celestial Immortal Xuanji recognized Celestial Immortal Zicao, with whom he had some acquaintance.

"Such powerful eighteen Celestial Immortals, able to suppress Tonghe. Tonghe is about to die."

"What?"

Seeing Ji Ning's intervention, Celestial Immortal Xuanji was utterly shocked.

Heavens.

This... this...

This was far more powerful than Ji Ning's previous display in the Chenyu Mountains. Even if all the Celestial Immortals of the Shaoyin clan joined forces now, they might not be able to withstand Ji Ning. Knowing full well the enmity between his clan and Ji Ning, Celestial Immortal Xuanji, terrified, immediately tore through the void to return.

……

Inside the Town Realm Tower.

“What is it?” the Sha Yan Ancestor emerged from the void, followed by two Celestial Immortals.

“Ancestor.” The other four Celestial Immortals within the Town Realm Tower were extremely respectful.

The seven Celestial Immortals of the Sha Yan clan had all gathered!

“Ancestor, this was sent by the Abyss Gate. Take a look.” Xuanji Celestial Immortal solemnly handed over the scroll in his hand.

“The Abyss Gate seeking out my Sha Yan clan never bodes well.” The Sha Yan Ancestor, ‘Poison Ugly Immortal,’ sneered as he unrolled the scroll, then chuckled, “Oh, a water-impression technique. Let me see what it is.”

As soon as Celestial Immortal power was infused, the scene of that battle replayed.

It included everything: the eighteen Celestial Immortals making their move, suppressing Tonghe, Ji Ning making his move, the appearance of Fuhua True Immortal, and the Xia Emperor appearing to drive back Fuhua!

At first, Poison Ugly Immortal watched with a faint smile, but then his expression changed, growing uglier and uglier.

“It really has come to this.”

Poison Ugly Immortal’s pupils narrowed, his face dark as water.

The other six Celestial Immortals present all watched Poison Ugly Immortal, awaiting orders.

“I thought that only after Ji Ning crossed the tribulation and became a Heavenly God would the Xia Emperor fully side with him. I never imagined… that before he even became a Heavenly God, he could be such a freak. If I were the Xia Emperor, I would side with Ji Ning too.” Poison Ugly Immortal’s face darkened.

“Ancestor, what do we do now?”

“If Ji Ning comes, we won’t be able to stop him.”

“Ancestor.”

Everyone looked at the Ancestor, waiting for his command.

After all, the Ancestor was a monstrous figure who had roamed the ancient Pangu World, one who had given even many Heavenly Gods and True Immigrants headaches.

“This Ji Ning won’t start a war with my Sha Yan clan anytime soon,” Poison Ugly Immortal said. “Because having suffered a loss once, he should understand… that I have many clones. He can’t kill all my clones, and I will keep harassing him, becoming a nightmare for his tribe.” Poison Ugly Immortal’s eyes flickered with a fierce light.

He was a cold, sinister, and evil person, always had been.

“Then we do nothing about this?” Withered Wood Ancestor frowned.

“You block of wood,” Poison Ugly Immortal scolded. “Didn’t you see how astonishing Ji Ning’s growth is? At the Return to Void stage, he is already this powerful. I have roamed the ancient times and seen plenty, but such a freak is the first I’ve encountered! In the ancient times, only some legendary freaks could compare to him. If such a freak continues to grow, he will surely gain great power within Lord Chi Ming’s faction… In the future, even I might not be able to escape. Once I die, the entire Sha Yan clan will be doomed, with no chance of recovery.”

Chixin Celestial Immortal and the others all nodded.

“Let me think, let me think.” Poison Ugly Immortal narrowed his eyes. “I never thought it would come to this.”

He was very alert.

It was precisely because of his alertness, ruthlessness, and cunning that he, despite offending so many, had managed to survive until now.

The other six Celestial Immortals waited in silence.

"Make arrangements quickly. Move all mortals of my Shaoyan clan into the world of the Town Realm Pagoda," Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal suddenly ordered. "A tree dies if moved; a man lives if he moves. If worst comes to worst, we flee!"

Fleeing was what he did best.

"Move them all?" The six Celestial Immortals were stunned.

"All," Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal ordered. "It must be done quickly, at top speed. I want it done within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If it's truly impossible, abandoning some mortals won't matter."

"Yes." The six Celestial Immortals quickly acknowledged.

The Town Realm Pagoda was a先天 spiritual treasure, containing a world within. Though not as vast as the great world in Ji Ning's Zhaixing Mansion, it was still considerable, capable of holding twenty or thirty billion people without difficulty.

…

The Celestial Immortals gave orders, and the Earth Immortals and loose immortals took action themselves.

Although the Chenyu Mountain Range, one of the three main lairs, had been completely wiped out last time, after Ji Ning was banished to the Land of Annihilation, the Shaoyan clan had moved tens of billions of clansmen back there.

How fast were the loose immortals? Nearly a thousand Earth Immortals and loose immortals under the Shaoyan clan acted simultaneously, and within the time of a cup of tea, they moved all the clansmen from their lairs into the Town Realm Pagoda.

The seven Celestial Immortals inside the Town Realm Pagoda looked out at the land outside.

This was their fief, the territory they had conquered.

"Let's go. In the future, we'll gain even larger fiefs. My Shaoyan clan will surely grow stronger." Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal flew out, waved his hand to collect the Town Realm Pagoda, and then vanished into thin air.

…

That night.

Tianmang Hall, the capital of the Grand Xia.

"Your Majesty, Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal requests an audience," a white-faced old man said respectfully.

Xia Emperor's brows rose, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He then ordered, "Let him in."

"Yes." The white-faced old man withdrew.

"He's come so quickly. The Abyss Gate must have gone to tempt him again," Xia Emperor mused. "This Shaoyan Chou, if used well, can be a sharp weapon. But he cuts both ways—he's too prone to madness." Xia Emperor knew well that Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal had a core of 'madness.' That was why Xia Emperor used his clan and fief to bind him, giving him attachments and making him serve.

Now it seemed…

"Though Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal is useful, he's far inferior to Ji Ning." Xia Emperor shook his head. "It seems I'll have to lose this sharp weapon."

At that moment, the ugly horned man walked in from outside.

"Your Majesty." The horned man was exceptionally respectful.

"Poison Ugly." Xia Emperor smiled.

The horned man said respectfully, "The Abyss Gate has been trying to get me to defect to them, but I've always refused. They just sent a scroll with a water imprint showing the battle scene of Ji Ning killing eighteen Celestial Immortals. After seeing it… I understand that Ji Ning has grown powerful. I want to reconcile with him, to swear a Heavenly Oath with him. May I ask if that's possible?"

"Reconcile?" Xia Emperor shook his head. "When Ji Ning was weak, he still fought you. Now that he has the advantage, how could he reconcile?"

"Your Majesty… will you stand on his side?" the horned man said in a low voice.

"If you go to kill him, I won't stop you. If he goes to kill you, I won't stop you either," Xia Emperor said.

The horned man sneered, "How could I possibly kill him? Your Majesty, it seems you've already made your choice. I guessed as much before I came… but I still held a sliver of hope!"

"Poison Ugly, you're very clever, but I advise you not to defect to the Abyss Gate. If you do, you'll not only be my enemy and the enemy of Patriarch Crimsonbright, but also the enemy of my entire ancient imperial clan and many True Gods and Patriarchs," Xia Emperor said. "You may leave. I hope you live a little longer in this great tribulation."

"I'm not good at much, but surviving is what I do best." The horned man smiled. "Your Majesty didn't kill me, which saves me from losing one avatar."

Then, still smiling, he left directly.

Xia Emperor watched him go. This avatar of Shaoyan Chou surely didn't even carry any good treasures; he had come prepared to die. This visit was to lay his cards on the table… Unfortunately, Xia Emperor stood firmly with Ji Ning. Xia Emperor couldn't even be bothered to deceive him, because he knew that a cunning creature like Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal couldn't be fooled.

"The Abyss Gate, truly 'abyss,' entering every crevice." Xia Emperor shook his head. "Just like that, I've lost a sharp weapon."

…

The Shaoyan clan quietly vanished from the entire Grand Xia world, causing not a ripple.

The Fifth World.

In a majestic hall.

"Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal, I've long heard of your fame," said a woman in a green robe, seated high in the hall.

"Gate Lord of the Abyss Gate, your name alone makes countless lords in the Grand Xia world tremble." The horned man smiled. Though Xia Emperor had advised him, he knew that in the great tribulation, one had to choose sides. If he didn't choose now, he would likely be purged later—by both sides.

So he might as well choose early, and even secure a high position!

"Poison Ugly Celestial Immortal, go and rest. When the time comes to battle the Grand Xia, you'll have your chance to shine," the woman in green said with a smile.

"Then I await your orders, Gate Lord." The horned man bowed, then withdrew with a smile.

The woman in green smiled as well.

She had gained a fierce general!

"Hmm?" The woman in green sensed slightly. "This Yu Wei has finally fallen asleep." She immediately rose and walked toward her meditation chamber, intending to meet Yu Wei in a dream.