Chapter 33: Death Is Just a Number

Running barefoot on the earth, Ji Ning took the lead, followed by other Xing Tian gods. Over three hundred Xing Tian gods charged together, while on the other side, the Frivolous Alliance sent numerous god puppets, white-faced flood dragons, Zhu Yan, Bi Fang, and other ferocious divine beasts to meet them.

"Boom!"

The two armies collided.

"Kill."

Ji Ning had been keeping pace with the other Xing Tian gods while running. Among the three hundred and twenty-six Xing Tian gods, twelve were Celestial Immortal commanders. Neither they nor Ji Ning showed any sign of breaking formation. But the moment the armies clashed, Ji Ning and the twelve Celestial Immortals erupted! Their speed and power surged dramatically.

"That's the Xing Tian god Ji Ning."

"Watch out."

The Frivolous Alliance naturally recognized Ji Ning, but on the battlefield, there was no avoiding him—they had to face him head-on. A white-furred beast with red toes, a Zhu Yan, roared with equally fierce momentum, charging past other beasts to be the first to confront Ji Ning.

"Daring to block me, you must have some skill. Likely a Celestial Immortal commander leading a 'Zhu Yan Formation.' But this is the first clash of the realm war, the moment of greatest chaos—perfect for making a mark!" Ji Ning's eyes flashed with ferocity. His Pure Yang supreme treasure 'Po Jian' instantly transformed into a massive shield.

The headless Xing Tian god, its thick arms gripping the shield, charged straight ahead!

The fierce Zhu Yan was startled: "Cunning Ji Ning! I am a Pure Yang True Immortal, my techniques far superior to his. Though I've heard Ji Ning's control of the Xing Tian god is formidable... if he used his sword arts, I could barely hold him off for a moment until our reinforcements arrive. But now he's charging with a shield, forcing a contest of raw strength."

"But even in strength, I command eighteen hundred Celestial Immortals and countless Earth Immortals—I won't lose!"

The Zhu Yan was equally ferocious.

"Roar~~~"

Its two claws also gripped a shield, charging straight at Ji Ning.

Both wielded massive shields, colliding head-on.

Their footsteps shook the earth.

"Boom!!!" The two shields crashed together.

"What? How is his strength so great? Even stronger than Qing Hu and Bai Ji said!" The Zhu Yan felt an irresistible, terrifying force surge through him. He lost control and was sent flying backward.

Onlookers saw only that at the moment of collision, the Zhu Yan was hurled backward, forcing the other Zhu Yan behind him to dodge to avoid being struck.

During the year-long ceasefire, Ji Ning had made great progress in his heartforce and soul techniques, but he still concealed his improvement. The increase from one thousand Celestial Immortals and one hundred thousand Earth Immortals to three thousand Celestial Immortals and three hundred thousand Earth Immortals had boosted the Xing Tian god's foundation, naturally enhancing Ji Ning's strength.

"Now is not the time to reveal my full power. I need an opportunity—one that can turn the tide of battle." Ji Ning, holding the massive shield, sent the Zhu Yan flying and then pounced on another Zhu Yan.

"Come quickly!"

"Stop him!"

This Zhu Yan panicked. By then, a Pure Yang True Immortal had arrived, casting a spell. Brilliant golden light appeared in the sky, enveloping the Xing Tian god Ji Ning. But the invisible suppression and binding had little effect on the mighty Xing Tian god. It would take at least ten Pure Yang True Immortals casting the same spell to restrain Ji Ning.

"Together!" Five more Zhu Yan charged in unison.

But even under the spell's binding, Ji Ning strode forward, still faster than them, quickly reaching the fleeing Zhu Yan.

Though the Zhu Yan tried desperately to defend, the gap in strength was too vast.

Ji Ning merely sidestepped, then swung his right hand. A flash of sword light.

Swish!

A monkey's head flew into the air. The white-furred Zhu Yan collapsed entirely, and the countless Celestial Immortals and Earth Immortals inside fled in terror.

"Boom~~~" A fan appeared in Ji Ning's hand. He grabbed it and fanned twice at the fleeing Celestial Immortals and Earth Immortals. Some used escape techniques; others, unable to flee in time, hid in their immortal mansions. Boom boom boom~~~ Countless immortal mansions shattered like glass beads. Only a few with sufficient power survived the fan's blast.

But then the Yin-Yang Mysterious Qi Bottle appeared beside Ji Ning, frantically sucking in and directly capturing the Celestial Immortals hiding in their mansions.

In war, one must annihilate all enemy forces!

Otherwise, even if a Zhu Yan is destroyed, if more than half the Celestial Immortals escape, the enemy can quickly form another legion.

"Go."

"Damn it."

Eight Zhu Yan and two Pure Yang True Immortals surrounded Ji Ning.

In the initial clash, the battle quickly became chaotic. Only in that brief moment did Ji Ning destroy one Zhu Yan, nearly wiping it out—only a few dozen Celestial Immortals with exceptional escape techniques managed to flee.

"Boom boom boom." Ji Ning alone furiously attacked eight Zhu Yan. Even together, they were overwhelmed, barely holding on with the help of two Pure Yang True Immortals.

"Bei Ming, we're here."

"Bei Ming, well done."

Tonghe Celestial Immortal, Fengdian Celestial Immortal, and other Xing Tian gods who had been following Ji Ning came to his aid.

"Kill." The white-faced flood dragons of the Frivolous Alliance also converged.

Soon...

A dense small-scale battlefield formed around Ji Ning, where nearly ten percent of both sides' forces were locked in combat.

"That's Ji Ning? The God King seems to value him highly." The three great demon gods of Tunlong Mountain, who roamed the battlefield freely, had all reverted to their beast forms. The eldest, 'Tunshan Great Sage,' was a golden-furred eagle. With wings spread, he was as fast as lightning—the fastest on the battlefield!

The second, Tunhai Great Sage, was a pitch-black, broken-horned ugly divine dragon, slithering across the battlefield, its four dragon claws occasionally striking, seeming to shatter space.

The third, Tuntian Great Sage, was a majestic nine-headed lion, each step shaking heaven and earth with a mysterious rhythm. Even when a 'Pangu War Formation' from the Crimsonbright Realm clashed head-on with this nine-headed lion, it was knocked back repeatedly.

Even Bai Ji True Immortal, at full effort, could barely hold off one Pangu War Formation.

Any one of the three Tunlong demon gods was supremely powerful. On this battlefield, no Celestial Immortal from the Crimsonbright Realm could match them, nor could any other Celestial Immortal from the Frivolous Alliance.

Their fame had long spread across the Three Realms.

"I'll test this Ji Ning." Tunshan Great Sage, the golden-furred divine eagle, smiled and flapped his wings.

Swish.

A flash of golden light shot straight toward Ji Ning at astonishing speed.

"Follow him."

"Don't let him escape."

A flowing light ship carried six Celestial Immortals, including the Xia Emperor. Riding the innate spirit treasure 'Flowing Light One-Realm Boat,' they could barely keep up with the golden-furred divine eagle. Among the three Tunlong demon gods, the eldest wasn't the strongest, but he was the fastest. If left unchecked on the battlefield, he would be too dangerous.

So the Xia Emperor and his five companions were tasked with tracking and restraining him.

"Chasing me?" The golden-furred divine eagle sneered, darting left and right unpredictably.

The Flowing Light One-Realm Boat might be slightly faster in a straight line, but it couldn't match the eagle's agility.

"We're coming too."

"Killing Ji Ning would be a great merit—greater than killing twenty ordinary Xing Tian gods." The other two Tunlong demon gods also began charging toward Ji Ning. As they moved, the Crimsonbright Realm forces had to respond. Yinglong and Pangu War Formations swarmed to intercept them, but the two demon gods kept pushing toward Ji Ning.

...

"Ji Ning."

The golden-furred divine eagle soon reached Ji Ning and pounced.

Though Ji Ning was fighting, he kept an eye on his surroundings. The battle had just begun; both sides had killed some enemies. Notably, the six demon gods of Tonglian Mountain formed a 'Six Harmonies Formation,' positioned in six directions, complementing each other and sweeping through everything. They were even more ferocious than Ji Ning alone. Under their combined assault, they killed two Xing Tian gods and destroyed one Pangu War Formation before being surrounded by three Yinglong and held at bay!

Of course, the Celestial Immortals on their side were also formidable and had made their own contributions.

In just the initial clash, both sides had already suffered countless casualties.

As Ji Ning surveyed the battlefield, he suddenly caught a glimpse of golden light.

"That's? The eldest of the three Tunlong demon gods?" Ji Ning saw the terrifyingly fast, thousand-zhang golden-furred divine eagle flying toward him and was startled.

"Whoosh." Cautiously, Ji Ning transformed his weapon into two shields.

"Human boy, die!"

The golden-furred divine eagle dove at Ji Ning, its talons like sharp hooks tearing through the void.

Ji Ning stood firm on the ground, not dodging.

As the divine eagle swooped in, Ji Ning swung his arms. Boom! The shield struck the eagle's claws. Commanding three thousand Celestial Immortals and three hundred thousand Earth Immortals, the Xing Tian god was faster, especially in arm speed. With the large shield, he blocked the mysterious and terrifying claw.

Boom~~~

The golden-furred divine eagle was sent tumbling uncontrollably through the air before stopping. This humiliated the ever-arrogant Tunshan Great Sage. Enraged, he shouted, "Second, Third, come quickly! This Ji Ning has incredible strength!"

...