Chapter 1 The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord

A large ship was shuttling through the void.

On the deck of the large ship.

"Sit." The old man in tattered robes was sitting cross-legged, with a low table before him on which were placed some wine and water. Ji Ning also sat down opposite as instructed.

"Oh... I don't think I've introduced myself yet." The old man in tattered robes laughed. "I am the 'Heavenly Unity Dao Lord,' one of the three palace masters of the Heavenly Cang Palace."

"Three palace masters?" Ji Ning was surprised.

The information left by the World God Beixiu had told him that the Heavenly Cang Palace had two palace masters.

"In our Heavenly Cang Palace, we all address each other as brothers, with no distinction of rank." The old man in tattered robes said, "As soon as one steps into the Dao Lord of Life and Death realm, one becomes a palace master. Not long ago, our Heavenly Cang Palace gained another Dao Lord of Life and Death."

Ji Ning marveled inwardly.

Impressive.

A force with three Dao Lords—this showed the strength of the Heavenly Cang Palace.

"Earlier you said Beixiu gave you the summoning token. How exactly did Beixiu die?" The tattered-robed Heavenly Unity Dao Lord had a hint of murderous intent between his brows. The Heavenly Cang Palace was very united, and it was extremely difficult to join. Every member of the Heavenly Cang Palace was extraordinarily capable. For instance, the World God Beixiu was on the same level as the Black Lotus God Emperor, and strictly speaking, even a bit stronger, because Beixiu had learned the 'Nameless Sword Art.' Using the Nameless Sword Art to wield the divine sword Ziguang Qiong, he was slightly stronger than the Black Lotus God Emperor.

"He was killed by the Three Serpentine Beasts of Black Flood." Ji Ning said.

"Them?" A cold light flickered in the Heavenly Unity Dao Lord's eyes. Then he closed his eyes and began to sense silently.

The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord was dressed in rags, looking like an old man, but at this moment, as he closed his eyes to sense, the intangible fluctuations made Ji Ning involuntarily feel a sense of reverence. During the earlier conversation, the Heavenly Unity Dao Lord had completely restrained his aura, causing Ji Ning to feel no pressure at all. But now Ji Ning felt the pressure.

After a moment.

The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord opened his eyes and nodded. "The news has been sent back to the Heavenly Cang Palace. Both I and Yudou have performed deductions... The murderer of Beixiu is indeed the Three Serpentine Beasts of Black Flood."

Ji Ning marveled inwardly.

Deduction?

He himself had some insights into fate. For some mortals or weaker cultivators, Ji Ning could see through their entire lives at a glance. So he understood very well what the Heavenly Unity Dao Lord meant. When Beixiu died, it was very difficult to deduce and spy on who killed the World God Beixiu, because there were many interferences and many tributaries of fate.

But when the murderer was known to be the Three Serpentine Beasts of Black Flood, deducing backward while simultaneously deducing the World God Beixiu and the Three Serpentine Beasts of Black Flood... the difficulty of deduction was reduced by more than a million times. Yet this was still not something an ordinary World-level cultivator could do.

"These three beasts are truly audacious, daring to scheme against a brother of our Heavenly Cang Palace." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord's eyes held a cold light. "I wonder who gave them the courage. Six of our brothers from the Heavenly Cang Palace have already set out. In no time, those three beasts will be dead."

Ji Ning sighed inwardly for the Three Serpentine Beasts of Black Flood.

Scheming against a member of the Heavenly Cang Palace was not so easy. If even a shred of news leaked out, it would be over.

Back then, the World God Beixiu fled madly while severely wounded. Although the Three Serpentine Beasts of Black Flood succeeded in their scheme and obtained treasures, they still chased desperately. They even plunged into many dangerous and deadly places without hesitation, because they were terrified, deeply terrified in their hearts. If the news leaked, given the strength of the Heavenly Cang Palace, sending just a few brothers would be enough to destroy them.

In the Heavenly Cang Domain, the Heavenly Cang Palace was the absolute overlord.

Its internal members were all extraordinary. Some of the top ones even surpassed the peak of World Gods, stronger than Beixiu. The most monstrous among them could kill them with ease, while even ordinary ones were stronger than the Three Serpentine Beasts. Sending a few would leave them with no hope at all.

Thus, back then, the World God Beixiu could only flee into absolute death grounds, causing the surface of the Eternal Divine Weapon to shatter before shaking off the Three Serpentine Beasts. Fortunately, the 'Divine Sword Origin' of the Eternal Divine Weapon was very powerful, allowing a wisp of his remnant soul to survive. But in the end, he could not suppress the dissipation of his true spirit, and he perished, body and soul destroyed.

"Eh? Why is my lifeblood oath still here?" Ji Ning frowned slightly.

He had made a lifeblood oath that within one chaos cycle, he must reach the Heavenly Cang Palace and inform the summoning envoy of the Heavenly Cang Palace.

But now he had told the Heavenly Unity Dao Lord, and the news had been sent back to the Heavenly Cang Palace. Several brothers had immediately set out. The summoning envoy should have known by now.

"Ah!"

"Right." Ji Ning immediately realized.

The full text of the oath was: "I, with my life as a vow, swear that after becoming a Ancestral Immortal, I must leave the Three Realms within a thousand years, and within one chaos cycle, I must reach the 'Heavenly Cang Palace' and tell the 'summoning envoy' of the Heavenly Cang Palace that the World God Beixiu was killed by the 'Three Serpentine Beasts of Black Flood.'"

According to the lifeblood oath made back then, reaching the Heavenly Cang Palace within one chaos cycle was also part of the oath.

"It seems I still need to reach the Heavenly Cang Palace for this lifeblood oath to dissipate." Ji Ning thought to himself. "Well, I'm going there anyway, so no rush."

"Ji Ning." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord spoke.

"Palace Master." Ji Ning said.

"Just call me Big Brother Tianyi." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord laughed. "In our Heavenly Cang Palace, those of the same realm call each other brothers. If there's a difference of one major realm, calling 'Big Brother' is enough."

"Big Brother Tianyi." Ji Ning nodded.

"Ji Ning, this time I traveled all the way from the Heavenly Cang Domain, spending considerable time to reach this Da Mo Domain, because there are two places in the Da Mo Domain that I must visit." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord said.

"Two places in the Da Mo Domain?" Ji Ning listened attentively.

"The first is the Suifeng Ruins." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord said, "I was originally heading to the Suifeng Ruins, but halfway there, I sensed your summoning token. And from my deduction of fate, I sensed that you were in no great danger, so I wasn't in a hurry and went slowly. Alas, if I had known, I would have gone at top speed. Perhaps I could have saved that World God called Black Mist."

Ji Ning also sighed.

This couldn't be blamed on the Heavenly Unity Dao Lord. After all, he only cared about Ji Ning's life or death. Sensing that his brother was not in danger, he naturally wasn't anxious.

"This flying boat is heading to the Suifeng Ruins." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord looked at Ji Ning. "The Suifeng Ruins were built by the Suifeng Dao Lord. Suifeng Dao Lord... was a truly remarkable great being, only one step away from successfully merging with the Dao. His strength was no less than mine. So the formations and restrictions he left behind must be very dangerous and troublesome. If not necessary, I wouldn't want to take the risk."

Ji Ning could tell that the Heavenly Unity Dao Lord and the Suifeng Dao Lord were likely of comparable strength.

"Before his death, he laid down the entire 'Suifeng Hundred Streams' he had comprehended." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord said, "Once the great formation of the Suifeng Hundred Streams erupts... first, the entire Suifeng Chaos World would be completely shattered. Its power would be no less than Suifeng Dao Lord's desperate strike."

"So this time, fortunately, I don't need to break his formations and restrictions. I only need to enter the core and take his treasures." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord said, "But even so, there is danger. If you come with me... will you stay in my cave-heaven treasure, or wait for me outside the Suifeng Ruins?"

Ji Ning quickly said, "Big Brother Tianyi, if there's a relatively safe way, take me along to see."

Without a Dao Lord's protection, he would still take risks.

With a Dao Lord, how could he not venture?

"I knew it." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord appreciated Ji Ning's courage to take risks. "The Suifeng Ruins are divided into the outer region, inner region, and core. I'm going to the core. You'll come with me to the core. I'll find a safe spot for you and mark out an area. You must not step out of that area."

"Understood." Ji Ning nodded.

Of course—the core was the most dangerous place. Wandering around would be playing with his life.

"Mm." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord nodded.

...

In just over an hour, the Heavenly Unity Dao Lord and Ji Ning had already arrived at the Suifeng Chaos World.

Ji Ning marveled. The speed at which this Dao Lord of Life and Death could shuttle through the void was far faster than his own. This was still a leisurely pace; in a critical moment of life and death, it would likely be much faster.

"That's the Suifeng Ruins. I've been inside once before." Ji Ning pointed at the vast, mist-covered expanse.

"The ruins..." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord stood high in the sky, overlooking the boundless Suifeng Ruins, his expression somewhat complex. He sighed, "He had reached the final step, just this last step—the hundred streams merging with the Dao. But he still failed, perishing and leaving behind these ruins for later generations to know of his existence."

"Big Brother?" Ji Ning looked at the Heavenly Unity Dao Lord.

"Haha, before merging with the Dao, one always tends to have random thoughts." The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord shook his head and laughed. "Haha, I am much luckier than Suifeng. My Dao is also stronger than his. Haha, let's go, let's go. Come with me inside."

Whoosh~~~

The Heavenly Unity Dao Lord immediately took Ji Ning and plunged directly into the mist below.