Chapter Thirty-Eight: Thousand Star Child

Su Youji's eyes were red. She was both surprised and delighted, her emotions complex. She was thrilled that Ji Ning was the first among this batch of World-level cultivators to reach the fifth level, and she also felt fortunate for herself.

The long-standing pressure and exhaustion vanished in an instant.

"Youji." Ji Ning moved, transforming into a streak of light that flew to Su Youji's side, looking at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just happy." Su Youji finally smiled brightly, returning to her former self. "If you had come a little later, Master, you might never have seen me again."

"What happened?" Ji Ning was startled. "On the first level, with your beast and puppet, you should have been able to hold out for a long time."

"I could hold out for a long time, but World-level cultivators from the third and even fourth levels often challenged me to duels," Su Youji said helplessly. "I couldn't avoid them."

"The third and fourth levels? There are so many World-level cultivators on the first level—why would they specifically challenge you... Ah!" Ji Ning's expression changed. He understood. Giving Su Youji beasts and puppets was well-intentioned, but good intentions had led to bad outcomes.

On the Star Island, even slightly better treasures would be taken away. Let alone this set of powerful puppets and numerous powerful beasts. Although it was hard for the World-level cultivators here to pass messages, some had formed mutual aid alliances, making it normal for a few on the third and fourth levels to know.

"I've harmed you," Ji Ning shook his head.

"Don't blame yourself, Master. Even I didn't realize it at first. Only later did I understand how desperately they wanted to take my puppets and beasts," Su Youji said.

"You've suffered these days." Ji Ning could imagine what Su Youji had been through. Those World-level cultivators would have tried every means to force her to fight. Though she resisted, how long could she hold out? And the longer it went on, the stronger the World-level cultivators who would be attracted.

"I concede!" Ji Ning suddenly called out loudly.

The sound echoed across the volcanic island.

"Master?" Su Youji was stunned.

"In our duel, I lost," Ji Ning said with a smile. "This set of inheritance treasures is for you. You don't need the other inheritance treasures, do you?"

Su Youji understood completely.

"Hurry up. This set of inheritance treasures is useless to me, and I've already gained the protection of the Star Island." Ji Ning waved his hand, and the three hundred and twenty leaves containing the complete Fire Dao inheritance floated before Su Youji.

Su Youji immediately waved her hand and accepted them. This duel was her victory. If she insisted, she could even make Ji Ning hand over all his other inheritance treasures. But she was about to leave the Star Island, and more would be useless, since inheritance treasures only worked as a complete set.

"Alright, now that you have the inheritance treasures, leave the Star Island as soon as possible," Ji Ning instructed. "It's too dangerous here."

For someone of Su Youji's strength, it was indeed dangerous.

Without the beasts and puppets, Su Youji could die at any moment. With them, she would be targeted by stronger cultivators.

"Mm." Su Youji's emotions were mixed.

"Also, after you leave the Star Island, it's best if you join the Twelve Palaces," Ji Ning said. "With your strength, you probably can't enter the Twelve Palaces yet. But after receiving the inheritance, your strength will greatly increase. Cultivate diligently, and seize the chance to enter the Twelve Palaces. In the future, I will also enter the Sword Palace among the Twelve Palaces."

"The Twelve Palaces?" Su Youji was puzzled.

"They are the top forces of the Mangya Kingdom. The highest level of the Mangya Kingdom is divided into the Royal Clan and the Twelve Palaces," Ji Ning explained briefly. "Since you obtained a set of inheritance with my help, the Twelve Palaces won't directly summon you. You'll need to cultivate on your own and pass various trials to possibly enter the Twelve Palaces."

"Understood." Su Youji was self-aware. Being able to leave was already incredibly lucky; she couldn't hope to be summoned by the Twelve Palaces.

"This is my token. Carry it, and I'll be able to sense its location. After I leave the Star Island, I'll come find you." Ji Ning handed her a piece of jade talisman.

Su Youji took the jade talisman, feeling its coolness in her palm, and nodded lightly: "Alright."

"Go, and be careful in the Mangya Kingdom," Ji Ning urged.

"Don't worry. Having suffered once, I'll be more careful from now on. Besides, even if the outside world is dangerous, it can't compare to the Star Island." Su Youji smiled.

...

The master and servant talked for a while, then parted ways, each being teleported back to their own Star Island.

Su Youji first learned the complete inheritance, then chose to leave.

"Damn it."

"That bitch got a complete set of inheritance and left."

"That freak who reached the fifth level deliberately lost to her? No wonder she had such precious beasts and puppets—they were probably from that freak."

"Will that freak who reached the fifth level come after us?"

"We're in big trouble."

The World-level cultivators who had been constantly challenging Su Youji to take her treasures began to panic. But in truth, neither Ji Ning nor Su Youji had any thought of revenge.

Although Su Youji had been driven nearly mad, she didn't hold a grudge. Those World-level cultivators were also struggling. When the strong ones discovered beasts and puppets that could help them complete a set of inheritance, it was natural for them to desperately try to obtain them.

In Su Youji's eyes, she had escaped the sea of suffering, while those World-level cultivators were still struggling.

After all, among the hundreds of thousands of Star Islands, the only ones truly carefree were the twenty-odd who had gained protection.

...

"What? He went up and then fell back down?"

"He actually lost that set of inheritance treasures to a World-level cultivator on the first level?"

These World-level cultivators checked the golden scrolls with incredible speed. In the span of a breath, they could scan information from over three hundred thousand Star Islands and discovered that one Star Island now had an extra set of Fire Dao inheritance treasures.

Fifth level losing to first level? And only one extra set of Fire Dao inheritance?

"He deliberately lost."

"Why don't I have such a good friend."

"Sigh."

...

Ji Ning's Star Island dropped from the fifth level to the fourth.

This annoyed the 'Thousand Star Child' on the fifth level. He had challenged Ji Ning earlier, but Ji Ning ended up fighting Su Youji instead: "He avoided the fight and gave a set of inheritance treasures to someone on the first level..."

"Hmph, I'll challenge him again."

"If he dares to accept, I'll still think something of him."

The next day, Thousand Star Child issued another challenge to Ji Ning. This time, Ji Ning did not avoid it.

After all, Ji Ning, now under protection, was full of fighting spirit and wanted to see how strong the freak on the fifth level really was. Thousand Star Child and Ji Ning, both cultivators, were teleported to a black island.

The two faced each other from a distance.

Thousand Star Child looked like a thin, dark-skinned child, his silver cloak rustling in the wind. As the battle began, Thousand Star Child transformed into a thousand copies of himself. Seeing this, Ji Ning's expression changed: "The Thousand Bodies Scripture."

"Indeed, the Thousand Bodies Scripture."

The thousand copies of Thousand Star Child also deployed a special formation similar to the 'Lesser Thousand Ancestor Formation'. In an instant, Ji Ning was surrounded on all sides by the copies, and a surging, domain-like force shook the area.

Though Ji Ning went all out, even using the Primordial Water-Fire Gourd, he could not affect the formation in the slightest.

The thousand 'Thousand Star Children' also attacked from all sides.

Two types of divine thunder rampaged freely, affecting many copies, while Ji Ning fought with wild ferocity. Though Thousand Star Child suppressed him, Ji Ning's six Eternal Divine Weapons defended flawlessly.

"Your sword technique is average in power, but your defense is truly impressive," Thousand Star Child said, then merged all his copies into one.

After merging, his divine body was comparable to a One-Step Daolord, and he could also use divine abilities!

Though Ji Ning's azure flower mist power enhanced his divine body, it could not be used to activate divine abilities. Thousand Star Child wielded only a curved blade.

His saber technique was ethereal and eerie, with greater strength and speed than Sabafuyi.

Ji Ning's swords were knocked back repeatedly. Fortunately, with six swords alternating, Ji Ning was completely on the defensive. Occasionally, he even let the enemy land a blow, using the Water Element Armor's rebound to ambush his opponent.

"I have a thousand copies and vast divine power, yet you can still hold on?" After fighting for a while, Thousand Star Child was astonished. "Enough, enough. Continuing would consume too much divine power. My name is Thousand Star Child. What's yours? Your strength is indeed worthy of the fifth level. At least, by consuming divine power, you could defeat some opponents."

"My name is Beiming." Ji Ning smiled. And so he came to know Thousand Star Child.

However, Ji Ning conceded defeat in this battle.

Thus, he dropped from the fourth level back to the third.

...