Chapter 15 The Struggle for Fortune (Part 2)

War was brutal.

The Celestial Immortals and True Immortals formed great formations, commanding vast numbers of Heavenly Immortals and countless scattered immortals, gods, and demons. Once a formation was broken, it meant mass slaughter! Only a lucky few could escape, saved by fellow immortals and demons from other formations using cave-heaven or immortal mansion treasures to take them in.

Ji Ning watched with reddened eyes, his heart surging with killing intent, yearning to charge forward.

But he knew he must stay calm, because in the early stages, the Nuwa camp seemed to suffer more losses than the Heartless Gate—that was because the Heartless Gate had many puppets to sacrifice! As the puppets were gradually destroyed, the number of immortals and demons dying on the Heartless Gate side also increased.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning felt a slight relief.

His second true body, which had been meditating in the Kui Tower, finally refined the fourth seal of the 'Three Absolute Sword'! Since the second true body had become a Ancestral Immortal, the surge in mana consumption for time acceleration in the Kui Tower was astonishing, so the second true body only maintained a thirtyfold time flow.

At twentyfold time flow, mana consumption and natural replenishment were balanced. At thirtyfold, occasional elixir supplements were needed, but it was sustainable.

About three months had passed in the outside world.

In the Kui Tower, nearly eight years had passed, and the fourth seal was finally refined.

"The Three Absolute Sword, in my hands, is even more powerful than in the hands of its original master." Ji Ning nodded inwardly, excited that his strength could increase by a notch at a critical moment.

...

The struggle for fortune continued. As more puppets were eliminated, the Nuwa camp's army gradually gained an advantage, but the Heartless Gate was decisive, willing to cut off its tail to survive, never giving the Nuwa camp a chance to 'end the war'.

War after war, the number of dead immortals and demons kept rising...

On the 179th day of the war, about half a year, the Nuwa camp's dead Celestial and True Immortals exceeded twenty thousand! The Heartless Gate's dead also exceeded twenty thousand! If this were a mortal army, such casualties would cause panic if not a total collapse.

Yet the immortal and demon armies on both sides still burned with killing intent.

"It's almost time."

In the dim void, Lord of All Demons, Lord Hengmu, Demonhand Patriarch, Blood Crow Demon Ancestor, Old Man Source, and other mighty figures stood watching the war.

"Prepare for the final battle." Lord of All Demons transmitted.

"Final battle?" Everyone's heart tightened.

Demonhand Patriarch urgently transmitted: "Wind Demon, we haven't lost the struggle for fortune yet. Our losses of Celestial and True Immortals are comparable to theirs; we can continue..."

"Can we win?" Lord of All Demons countered.

Demonhand Patriarch fell silent.

Lord of All Demons swept his gaze and transmitted: "At the start, we were in a good position because we had many puppets! But as puppets were destroyed, after half a year, almost ninety percent of our puppet army is gone! Meanwhile, the Nuwa camp's formations are too powerful, completely suppressing us. In coordinating Celestial and True Immortals, we are inferior."

The Heartless Gate's mighty figures admitted this.

The Nuwa camp's formations, left by Nuwa, were superior, making their Celestial and True Immortals more powerful when combined.

"Perhaps some tactical maneuvers could twist the situation, but their commander 'Xuanyuan' leads the army flawlessly, seeking no merit but no fault. He uses a straightforward army to grind us down! He relies on having more Celestial and True Immortals and better formations!" Lord of All Demons shook his head. "Tricks might work on others, but against Xuanyuan's straightforward army, there's little hope."

"But our fortune is weaker now, unfavorable to us." The Blackclothed Godking also worried.

Previously, the Heartless Gate had lost many important realm wars.

Their fortune was already weak.

Now they were at a disadvantage...

With weak fortune, in the final battle, forming great arrays to draw on the power of heaven and earth would be much harder. The Nuwa camp, however, could do so easily, as if heaven and earth were helping them.

"It's only slightly weaker now. If we continue, our fortune might be completely taken." Lord of All Demons said.

"Hengmu?" Demonhand Patriarch looked at the silent Lord Hengmu.

"I agree with Wind Demon." Lord Hengmu spoke slowly. "Regardless, the final battle must begin. Although the struggle for fortune seems to offer some hope, precisely because of that hope, a sudden strike now might catch the Nuwa camp off guard. If we wait until defeat is certain, our fortune will be even weaker, and the Nuwa camp will be fully prepared."

"Good."

"Then let it be the final battle."

"My child's death—I haven't settled that with the Nuwa camp."

"This Three Realms was formed by the collision of our Heartless Chaos World and Pangu Chaos World. Why do they always act like masters of the Three Realms? I've long been sick of it."

"Fight."

The Heartless Gate's mighty figures cast everything aside; only one path remained before them—fight!

Lord of All Demons also transmitted: "Daoist Source, don't be soft-hearted when the time comes."

"Rest assured." Old Man Source smiled calmly.

"Cixiu." Lord of All Demons also transmitted to a dark golden fortress hidden in the void in the distance.

Inside the fortress, the Great Demon Cixiu still sat on his throne, replying coldly: "All Demons, rest assured... If I don't act, your chances of winning the final battle would be pitifully small. I will act."

"Good." Lord of All Demons looked calmly at the two great armies clashing before him. "Await my orders."

All the mighty figures of the Heartless Gate stood solemnly, ready to fight on command.

...

The slaughter among immortals and demons grew even more brutal.

Ji Ning and the others watched breathlessly, hearts aching as familiar friends died. Yet the Nuwa camp's mighty figures only watched!

Though pained... Ji Ning also sensed his divine body, cultivating the method of the 'Desolate World God', seeking a spark of light in his divine body to find the path to becoming a Ancestral God. If he could become a Ancestral God... with his Taowu Eighteen Gods and Unique Incarnation techniques, he would be a 'Half-Step World God', and in all the Three Realms, perhaps only the mysterious 'Lord of All Demons' could match him.

Alas...

Though Ji Ning had always sought a breakthrough and had comprehended one Heavenly Dao, the 'Water Heavenly Dao', comprehending a Heavenly Dao was only one condition for becoming a Ancestral God. In the Three Realms, many True Gods had comprehended a Heavenly Dao, and many had received Nuwa's 'Inner Contemplation Ancestral God Scroll', but only Suiren had broken through—showing how difficult it was!

Ji Ning had never felt the spark of light in his divine body, but even so, he never gave up, constantly striving to find that spark.

"Snow Scorpion!" Suddenly a cry of pain came from behind Ji Ning; it was Red Snow, his face full of anxiety and pain.

When Ji Ning campaigned in the ancient ruins, Red Snow had already emerged from seclusion, having broken through to become a True God. Now Red Snow stared at a distant Pangu Creation Formation; that formation had collapsed, and within it, Snow Scorpion Celestial had been struck by a puppet's claw, dying on the spot, soul extinguished.

"Snow Scorpion..." Ji Ning's heart also ached. Of the seven celestials who followed him from Plucked Star Major World, Snow Scorpion Celestial was dead.

Compared to Ji Ning, Red Snow was even more grieved.

Red Snow and Snow Scorpion had been the left and right arms of Sanctu Daoist. He could not forget the years they fought together. After Sanctu Daoist fell, many celestials and true immortals under him scattered like monkeys from a fallen tree; only a few stayed. Red Snow and Snow Scorpion did not leave. They had long admired each other, and though they never became dao companions, after endless years together, they were like family.

"Damn it." Red Snow's eyes glistened with tears.

"Boom~~~" Suddenly a black light appeared in the distance, faster than the Heavenly Dao's limit, charging straight at the Nuwa camp's army. The one who struck was the most terrifying figure of the Heartless Gate, 'Lord of All Demons'. His attack was too fast, but the Nuwa camp was always on guard.

"Kill!" Lord Sanqing's face changed, and he roared!

"Kill!" All the mighty figures, who had been suppressing their fury, erupted with killing intent. Red Snow and the others' eyes turned red; in an instant, every mighty figure went berserk.

"All Demons!" Ji Ning and Suiren roared simultaneously.

They were the fastest, but against Lord of All Demons' sudden attack, Ji Ning, who had learned the 'Five Treasure Sword Art', was the most likely to intercept.

Ji Ning immediately manifested three heads and six arms, also activating the sixth level of Plucker Star! Instantly, six giant palms appeared with divine patterns, their might causing the void to tremble. Like six massive dark clouds, they shot across the sky, each surpassing the Heavenly Dao's limit, and slammed directly at the Heartless Gate's army!

Ji Ning knew he was slightly slower than All Demons, so he used a diversionary tactic—striking the Heartless Gate's army to force All Demons to defend.

"Not good."

"Watch out."

"Block it."

The Heartless Gate's army paled, looking up at the six giant clouds that blotted out the sky. Lord of All Demons sent out a single blade, like a black light. But Ji Ning's attack was six giant palms... how many immortals and demons would die under that strike?

"Hmph." Lord of All Demons frowned, and the black light turned, stretching hundreds of thousands of miles, lashing at Ji Ning's palms.

"Boom~~~"

A thunderous crash; the immense force sent Ji Ning flying backward.

Lord of All Demons also halted, stunned—in his hand was a strange black spike.

With the clash between the Northsea Sword Immortal and Lord of All Demons, the other mighty figures on both sides also entered the fray. Some began to control their side's Emissaries of All Things, others quickly commanded their Celestial and True Immortals to form clan-protecting formations... The situation instantly escalated from the struggle for fortune to the true final battle!