Chapter 26: Escape from Death

A treasure with a 'source'?

Hmm, his own divine sword, Ziguang Qiong, also had a source; back then, the sword body was damaged to such an extent, yet the source within remained completely unharmed.

“Don’t you want to get out?” Ji Ning asked.

“Of course I do. It’s so boring being cooped up here.” The black-robed boy glanced at Ji Ning.

“Besides breaking the Suifeng Formation and making a life-bound oath, is there any other way to take you away?” Ji Ning asked. “Tell me, and I’ll do everything I can to achieve it.”

“There is,” said the black-robed boy.

“What way?” Ji Ning’s eyes lit up.

“The day you become a Daoist,” said the black-robed boy.

Ji Ning was speechless. In the entire Damo territory, the only Daoist Ji Ning knew of was Damo Daoist; perhaps there were one or two Daoists in seclusion, but that was far too distant for Ji Ning. If he really became a Daoist in the future, obtaining treasures of this level wouldn’t be too difficult. Hadn’t the deceased ‘Suifeng Daoist’ bestowed one on his World God servant?

It showed how many treasures a Daoist had!

“How many servants did Suifeng Daoist have?” Ji Ning asked curiously.

“You little fellow, not even a World-level cultivator yet,” the black-robed boy said smugly. “I’ll tell you, just to broaden your horizons.”

“Mm, mm.” Ji Ning’s eyes shone.

“Suifeng Daoist, though eccentric, was a truly extraordinary being. He roamed the endless chaos, traversing vast swaths of territory. He directly enslaved over five hundred World-level cultivators, and over a hundred World-level cultivators willingly followed him…” the black-robed boy exclaimed in awe. “He even had a Daoist-level follower.”

“What?” Ji Ning was shocked.

“Impressive, right?” the black-robed boy said smugly. “Wherever Suifeng Daoist descended, the master of that territory would come to greet and entertain him with great courtesy.”

“Unfortunately… I heard that Suifeng Daoist ultimately failed in his Hundred Streams Dao-Heading. Before his death, he dismissed his eldest disciple, who had become a Daoist, along with some other disciples and followers… and then led some enslaved World-level cultivators and other followers implicated by him, all brought here.”

“I heard Suifeng Daoist say that this was his homeland. He had left his homeland long, long ago and drifted outside. When he died, he wanted to die in his homeland.”

"But the chaotic world of his hometown had long since vanished, so Daoist Su Feng created the 'Su Feng Chaotic World' at the site of his original home, and later established his cave-dwelling relic, said to be for manifesting and leaving behind all the Dao he had comprehended in his life... After leaving it, he died." The black-robed boy pointed at the cross-legged figure beside him. "Look, these unfortunate servants—every one of them was buried alive with him."

"Over five hundred World-level cultivators buried alive?" Ji Ning was stunned.

"Mm." The black-robed boy nodded. "A Daoist, you know. Daoist Su Feng was relatively peaceful. Some mad Daoists, when they die, sometimes have an entire territory buried with them, or even go on a killing spree, dying amidst slaughter."

Ji Ning was taken aback.

An entire territory buried with him? And even continued killing?

Madmen.

The greater the power, the more terrifying the madness. Daoist Su Feng seemed relatively decent by comparison.

"So you're saying that in this relic, there are over five hundred dead World-level cultivators?" Ji Ning exclaimed.

"There is one dead Daoist of Life and Death, over five hundred World-level cultivators, and vast numbers of Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals buried with him," said the black-robed boy. "And over the long ages, cultivators who died in the relic have left behind no small amount of treasures. So this is indeed a great treasure trove—it just depends on whether you have the ability to take them."

"You're lucky," the black-robed boy remarked. "You actually managed to find this place. After all, wind is formless and ever-changing; the layout of Daoist Su Feng's cave-dwelling is constantly shifting... The fact that you found this place means you at least have hope of getting out."

"Hope of getting out?" Ji Ning was overjoyed.

"Mm. In one of the pavilions within the courtyard, if you enter it, you'll be teleported to the outer region, which is much safer," said the black-robed boy. "Alright, hurry up and go. I advise you to leave obediently. You were lucky to find this courtyard this time, but you won't be so lucky next time."

With that, whoosh, the black-robed boy dove into the nine-story pagoda.

Ji Ning looked at the golden-robed old man sitting cross-legged in the room and shook his head with a sigh. This old man was at the 'World God Perfection' level; compared to Northrest World God, he was probably not far off, perhaps even stronger. Yet his final fate was to be buried alive!

Daoist Su Feng had first expelled his disciples and some of his followers.

Some followers and slaves were buried alive with him. It seemed Daoist Su Feng did not favor these buried followers—if he truly liked them, he would have expelled them like his disciples, not buried them alive.

"Treasures are right before my eyes, yet I can't take them."

"Go, go, go."

Ji Ning understood that opportunities were inherently mysterious and could not be forced. If he was truly lucky and found a World God's corpse with no formations or restrictions, easily taking away the treasures, then he would be truly fortunate.

He considered himself lucky—though he couldn't take the treasures, at least he knew the way out safely.

……

He left the house.

Turning back to glance at the golden-robed old man sitting cross-legged inside, Ji Ning then began to stroll through the courtyard. There were three pavilions in the courtyard, but he didn't rush over; instead, he looked around the other rooms.

"Maybe there's some treasure left behind," Ji Ning thought.

"Eh?"

Standing in one room, Ji Ning actually found something.

It was a study. On the desk lay a writing brush, and on the desk were golden sheets of paper, with some papers scattered on the floor.

"Hate, hate, hate."

"Hate that I once followed the old thief."

"Hate that the old thief was unjust in his judgments."

"You deserve to have your Dao vanish and your body perish!"

The papers were filled with words of hatred. In truth, the servants hadn't understood at first, but later, when 'Daoist Suofeng' placed true spirit restrictions on them, they realized they would all be annihilated. What did servant slaves have to fear then? Writing to vent their hatred on paper was the least of it.

Unfortunately, Daoist Suofeng was already waiting for death and cared nothing for the curses of these ants.

The moment he died, the true spirit restrictions on the slave servants were triggered, and each of them perished with their true spirits extinguished.

"It seems that dead World God liked to write in his spare time. This brush is actually a Dao weapon." Ji Ning was surprised; it was the first time he'd seen a brush-shaped Dao weapon. He picked it up and easily refined it.

The brush's tip could transform into countless white threads to bind enemies.

It could also condense into an awl-like shape.

It could be both hard and soft, indeed a formidable divine weapon, though the dead World God had grown accustomed to using it for writing.

"Let's check again."

"Maybe there are more treasures." Ji Ning searched all the other rooms but found nothing else. Still, he was in a good mood, because this extra search had yielded a brush-shaped Dao weapon—a treasure that would make even Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immigrants fight desperately.

"Let's go."

Ji Ning no longer hesitated and immediately headed for the pavilions.

Of the three pavilions, Ji Ning used his divine power to manipulate nearby flowers and plants to test them one by one. When he tried the second pavilion, a plant had no sooner entered than it was instantly teleported away with a whoosh.

"This is it. It's indeed a teleportation. I wonder if it leads to a safe place or a deadly one." Ji Ning could sense the spatial fluctuations. "At least there's hope of getting out. Let's go."

Ji Ning stepped into the pavilion.

The moment he entered, whoosh—Ji Ning vanished without a trace.

……

In midair.

Ji Ning appeared out of nowhere.

"Where is this?" Ji Ning looked down and immediately showed joy. "The dangerous region?"

He had spent over a year roaming the dangerous region before, and later, after fighting Prison Sword God, he was swept into the 'Suofeng Hundred Streams.' Now he was back in the dangerous region. But Ji Ning understood that compared to the perils inside, both the swamp and this dangerous region were extremely safe—places where Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals could roam comfortably.

"Carrying so many treasures, at least I came back alive. If I'd died inside, I'd have gotten nothing." Ji Ning was filled with joy.

"Hmm?"

Ji Ning suddenly looked into the distance. His eyesight was incredibly sharp, especially with the power of the blueflower mist constantly empowering his body, allowing him to see even farther. He spotted a ship slowly flying behind a distant mountain range—a ship only a few dozen zhang long, skimming close to the mountains.

"Ancestral God Tiannan?" Ji Ning recognized the large ship at a glance and couldn't help muttering, "You and I, we really are fated."

Swoosh.

Ji Ning immediately manipulated the Zhutian Star Gold Beads to surround him, then quickly approached that area.