Chapter 12: The Three Ultimate Swords

"Master." The black-haired elder said respectfully.

Ji Ning sighed inwardly. As a newly promoted Ancestral Immortal, it was unrealistic to expect other Ancestral Gods or Ancestral Immortals to willingly become his 'followers,' yet he had managed it. In the boundless Chaos, even if one accepted followers, the treasures they used for cultivation, the divine weapons they wielded in battle, and so on—all had to be provided by the master. This was very fair: the followers risked their lives for the master, so naturally the master provided cultivation techniques, treasures, and the like. This was why powerful cultivators could easily attract followers.

He, on the other hand, was 'exploiting' treasures from his followers...

However, the black-haired elder was imprisoned here. To sever those chains, one needed the strength of a World God or Chaos Immortal! So although the elder had submitted, he couldn't truly go out and fight alongside Ji Ning.

"Let me ask you." Ji Ning looked at the black-haired elder. "Do you have an 'Ancestral God Formation'?"

"An Ancestral God Formation?" The black-haired elder was stunned. "Master, are you overestimating me?"

"A small one would do." Ji Ning pressed. "Or, among the other fifteen Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals imprisoned here, do you know if any of them have an 'Ancestral God Formation'?"

"There are fifteen?" The black-haired elder was surprised. "Which fifteen?"

Imprisoned here, he only knew of those Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals who had been locked up before him.

"It's Bilan Ancestral Immortal..." Ji Ning listed the names of the other fifteen.

"So that madman has been imprisoned too. Good, good, good." The black-haired elder was delighted. Then he shook his head at Ji Ning. "Master, don't hold out hope for an Ancestral God Formation. Although the Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals imprisoned here are extraordinary, an 'Ancestral God Formation' is not something at our level that we can aspire to. Any set of Ancestral God Formations, even one that only three to five Ancestral Gods can control—throughout our entire Nine Domains Cosmos, not a single Ancestral God or Ancestral Immortal has managed to obtain one. Generally, only World Gods and Chaos Immortals can acquire them."

Ancestral God Formations are divided into small and large types.

For example, a set of Ancestral God Formations could be used by six Ancestral Gods! The six Ancestral Gods would each refine a 'formation plate,' and they would naturally become part of the formation, forming a great array. Their divine power would be perfectly integrated, and their attacks, amplified by the formation, would greatly increase in power.

A set of 'Ancestral God Formations' for a hundred Ancestral Gods could even contend with a World God!

Even a small Ancestral God Formation could dominate among Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals...

This was what Ji Ning desperately desired. Ever since he learned of this from Northrest World God, he had been longing for it. If a few Ancestral Gods from the Nuwa camp could cooperate with an 'Ancestral God Formation,' even if they lacked enough members, they could temporarily substitute True Gods! Even so, they would absolutely be able to sweep through the forces of the Seamless Gate that lacked an Ancestral God Formation.

"Even a small Ancestral God Formation costs at least five hundred bottles of Chaos Nectar." The black-haired elder shook his head with a sigh. "Five hundred bottles of Chaos Nectar! Back then, Lord Nine Domains worked hard to gather a vast amount of rare materials and expended endless effort to set up thirty-six great formations for refining Chaos Nectar. These thirty-six world prisons, though called prisons... to Lord Nine Domains, the most precious thing was the great formations for refining Chaos Nectar."

"The world prison could be said to be Lord Nine Domains' most important treasure. Even the world prison has fallen into your hands... That's why I said the Nine Domains Cosmos has likely truly been destroyed."

"The thirty-six prisons produce about two hundred bottles in one chaos cycle." The black-haired elder looked at Ji Ning. "One chaos cycle—what an endless span of time! And a small Ancestral God Formation costs at least five hundred bottles of Chaos Nectar to trade for... World Gods and Chaos Immortals might be able to afford it. But Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals are generally those with heaven-defying strength or astonishing fortunes. We all lived in the Nine Domains Cosmos and rarely ventured out, so naturally we had fewer treasures."

Ji Ning nodded.

Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals in the Chaos could be divided into two types: one, like Gonggong, Suiren, and Three Ultimate Sword Master, who lived long-term in a certain chaos world and rarely ventured out.

The other type, like Lord of All Things and Zishan Great Demon, often roamed outside, going on adventures here and there. Although they were cautious, afraid of losing their lives, as long as they succeeded once, they could reap great rewards!

"How much Chaos Nectar and Chaos Crystals do you have left?" Ji Ning asked.

"Two bottles of Chaos Nectar and just over a hundred Chaos Crystals." The black-haired elder said.

Ji Ning shook his head.

Disappointing.

But this was the normal wealth of an Ancestral Immortal. After all, their most valuable possessions were chaos treasures! For instance, that black chain might be worth several bottles of Chaos Nectar. And the Three Ultimate Sword Formation was worth dozens of bottles of Chaos Nectar... It was something 'Three Ultimate Sword Master' had obtained after spending endless time.

Chaos Nectar was a hard currency in the boundless Chaos!

It was the essence extracted from the Chaos, and it could be used to repair any damage to the soul, divine power, magic power, heart force, and so on.

...

After questioning the black-haired elder, Ji Ning finally gave up. Hoping for heaven-defying items like 'Ancestral God Formations' or 'World Fortresses' was indeed unrealistic. Only true prodigies among Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals—those who could even fight across levels against World Gods and Chaos Immortals at the Ancestral God or Ancestral Immortal level—would generally possess such treasures.

"Give me all your chaos treasures." Ji Ning said.

"Alas." The black-haired elder's eyes showed pain, but he still waved his hand, and two ice-crystal divine swords and a golden divine sword shone in harmony, along with a black chain coiling around them.

"Just these two?" Ji Ning pressed.

"How many more do you want?" The black-haired elder said angrily. "I risked my life to get the Three Ultimate Divine Swords. Go look among the sixteen Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals imprisoned here—how many of them have treasures more precious than the Three Ultimate Sword Formation?"

Ji Ning smiled, waved his hand to collect the two treasures, and immediately sent his magic power surging to refine them.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning's expression shifted.

"How many layers have you refined for the Three Ultimate Divine Swords and the Black Cloud Chain?" Ji Ning asked.

"I've refined the Three Ultimate Divine Swords to the third layer, and the Black Cloud Chain to the second layer." The black-haired elder said.

"By the way, bring out all your other treasures. Let me pick through them." Ji Ning said.

"You..." The black-haired elder was speechless.

More ruthless than a bandit!

Was this how you exploited your followers?

But Ji Ning picked and chose without concern. These treasures were of little use to him; the two bottles of Chaos Nectar wouldn't make much difference either. However, he would eventually leave the Three Realms, and before leaving, he naturally had to leave some good things for his daughter Brightmoon.

...

After exploiting the black-haired elder, Ji Ning quickly left, unwilling to face the elder's 'resentful' gaze.

He found a mountain peak and descended.

Ji Ning waved his hand, and three chaos divine swords floated before him, along with a black chain like a great serpent.

"The Black Cloud Chain has three layers of restrictions, barely a top-grade chaos treasure."

"The Three Ultimate Sword Formation—tsk, it has six layers of restrictions, each sword a chaos supreme-grade treasure. When combined, they can even surpass the category of chaos divine weapons." Ji Ning nodded inwardly, then began to attempt refining them.

He first refined the Black Cloud Chain.

The Black Cloud Chain could be used to bind enemies or coil around oneself to block attacks! Ji Ning's true body didn't need any defensive treasures; his divine body's protective divine abilities were formidable. But his second body, as an Ancestral Immortal, had an immortal body that couldn't withstand weapons, so he needed the 'Black Cloud Chain.'

"The first layer is fairly simple."

"The second layer is done too."

After spending over an hour, Ji Ning refined two layers of the Black Cloud Chain's restrictions. Instantly, the Black Cloud Chain's aura surged, becoming much more agile.

Ji Ning's sword technique realm was truly high. Even when occasionally studying the 'Ninefold Chaos Seal,' he could now refine six layers, only slightly inferior to the ancient Three Purities. So refining two layers of the Black Cloud Chain was effortless.

"The third layer is too difficult... I can't refine it in a short time." After pondering for over three hours, Ji Ning gave up. "I'll refine my Three Ultimate Divine Swords first."

"Still, the Violetjade Sword is the best—it has no restrictions for me to refine." Ji Ning sighed.

"After all, it's a divine sword with a source." Ji Ning marveled.

Treasures and divine weapons... Chaos divine weapons were already a high level.

Above chaos divine weapons were 'Dao divine weapons,' which World Gods and Chaos Immortals generally used.

As for the Violetjade Sword, it was a treasure surpassing 'Dao divine weapons'! Its sword body even contained a 'source'! Ji Ning had only repaired its surface, yet it could unleash power beyond chaos divine weapons! Naturally, such a divine weapon would drive Chaos Immortals and World Gods mad. When Northrest World God fled back then, his true spirit attached to the divine sword and fled all the way. He had lost everything else, even his divine body, leaving only the most precious sword and his true spirit.