Chapter 56: Ji Ning's Slaves

Around the main hall were layers of light. When the six sky-covering giant hands from above struck down, only the outermost layer shattered, and even as it shattered, it recovered completely.

“Haha, you can’t break through.” The East Smoke Cult Leader saw this and rejoiced greatly. Standing in the main hall, he looked outside and sneered, “This is the main hall, the most important place in the entire East Smoke Branch, and also the most heavily defended. With eight layers of protective禁制, you’ve only broken one. You’re far from enough. You can’t kill me, and then you’ll die. I don’t believe your divine ability can keep going forever.”

Ji Ning, looking down from high above, nodded slightly and thought to himself, “As expected of the main hall, the origin of the entire sealing formation.”

The sealing formation also needed a formation core, which was controlled by the East Smoke Cult Leader and placed in the most heavily guarded main hall.

“It seems I’ll have to go all out.” A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Ji Ning’s mouth, and then he placed one hand on the hilt of the divine sword strapped to his back.

“He’s going to draw that sword.”

“He’s been carrying that sword all along. It seems that sword is very powerful.”

“I wonder what will happen?”

The World-level cultivators of the East Smoke Branch, including Qingfan Fairy and the East Smoke Cult Leader, all watched this scene.

“Clang.”

The sword was drawn!

The moment Ji Ning drew his sword, a sword appeared in each of his other five hands.

Six hands, six Eternal Divine Weapons.

“Star Style!” Ji Ning struck. The six Eternal Divine Weapons emitted dazzling light, transforming into six blood-colored sword rainbows, as if six blood-colored rainbows appeared in the sky, and then they fell upon the main hall.

Boom, boom, boom, boom…

Layer after layer of light shattered. The eight layers of protective禁制 of the main hall broke six in succession.

The residual waves from the collision spread in all directions, causing the surrounding mountains to collapse with a roar, and countless trees turned to dust.

“This…” The East Smoke Cult Leader’s face turned pale with fear, then he swallowed and said, “It’s okay, it didn’t break. He can’t break through.”

“Is this his true strength?” Qingfan Fairy, standing at the entrance of her cave dwelling, looked from afar at Ji Ning, who stood in midair holding six divine swords. “No wonder Sister Youji is willing to follow him. Can a World-level cultivator be this strong?”

…

“Hmm, still can’t break through?” Ji Ning frowned and looked up at the sealing formation in the sky.

Swoosh!

Ji Ning shot upward.

“I knew he couldn’t hold out. To unleash such power, how much divine power must he consume?” The East Smoke Cult Leader in the main hall showed a hint of joy, and at the same time, he transmitted through the sealing formation to the other sixteen World-level cultivators, “Keep manipulating the formation. Don’t be fooled by how strong he is now; in a little while, he’ll have no strength left to resist.”

“Right, he’s alone, while we rely on the formation’s power.”

“He can’t outlast us.”

These World-level cultivators continued to manipulate the formation to attack.

“Annoying.” Ji Ning frowned and glanced at the giant axe, divine sword, and flame god that had come again.

“Whoosh.”

Three blood-colored sword rainbows streaked across the sky, and instantly the axe, divine sword, and flame god completely dissipated. After Ji Ning used the Eternal Divine Weapons, these formations meant even less.

“Since a full-power strike can’t break the main hall, let’s see if I can break this sealing formation.” Ji Ning flew to a high altitude, looked up at the layer of sealing in the sky, and although he guessed the sealing formation would be tough, he still wanted to try.

“Go.”

Six blood-colored sword rainbows, like falling stars, simultaneously struck a region of the sealing formation no more than ten zhang wide. Although the sealing formation covered tens of millions of li, Ji Ning focused on one spot, making it easier to break through a point.

“Rumble~~~” The entire sealing formation trembled slightly, then dissipated the impact.

“Can’t break it?” Ji Ning’s expression changed slightly. “Again.”

Rumble~~~~

Six blood-colored sword rainbows streaked across the sky again and again, each time striking the sealing formation.

For a moment, the entire East Smoke Branch seemed to fall silent. All the World-level cultivators watched this scene, watching the white-robed youth use his divine ability to strike the sealing formation. In the long years to come, they would never forget this day—a World-level cultivator daring to attack the sealing formation of the East Smoke Branch’s lair, making the entire formation tremble.

Ten consecutive full-power strikes!

“It really won’t work.” Ji Ning shook his head gently. “It seems forcibly breaking the sealing formation is not feasible.”

Since he couldn’t break the formation, he would have to follow the original plan!

Ji Ning looked down below, a cold light in his eyes.

“Whoosh.”

Ji Ning dove down, and in just two breaths, he arrived before a black palace.

“Break.” Still six dazzling sword rainbows fell from the sky, striking the black palace. Although the black palace had three layers of protective禁制 on its surface, they shattered with a boom.

“Spare us.”

“Spare us.”

The three World-level cultivators hiding inside the black palace immediately came out, looking at Ji Ning in terror.

Every formation core had禁制 protection, but these禁制 were inferior to those of the main hall. Even a being beyond the World-level peak couldn’t break them, but in front of Ji Ning, who could match a true One-Step Dao Lord, they could be forcibly broken.

“Hmph.” Ji Ning extended his large hand. Whoosh, the sky seemed to darken, and he directly grabbed the three World-level cultivators.

“Let’s go.” Ji Ning flew toward another formation core.

…

“What do we do?”

“We can’t stop him.”

“Huolong, it’s all your fault, you fool. Qingfan was right to call you a fool of a cult leader.”

“It’s over.”

“We’re finished.”

“He said anyone who blocks him will be killed without mercy.”

Ji Ning broke through formation core after formation core with irresistible force, capturing all sixteen World-level cultivators.

“They’re all done for.” The East Smoke Cult Leader in the main hall turned pale, looking outside. “Only I’m left. He can’t get in; he can’t break the main hall’s protective禁制.”

Although he comforted himself, the East Smoke Cult Leader was still terrified, because although the sealing formation could trap Ji Ning, it couldn’t kill him. Given enough time, who knew what changes might occur?

“Big brother.”

The East Smoke Cult Leader flipped his right hand, and a black communication talisman appeared. He gritted his teeth, and with a crack, crushed the talisman.

“Big brother, you must save me.” The East Smoke Cult Leader felt threatened. He felt that only his beloved big brother could protect him now.

…

Huilan Sect’s Main Sect.

The main sect was vast and expansive, covering over a hundred million li, with countless cultivators. Not to mention Ancestral Immortals and Ancestral Gods, there were over three thousand World-level cultivators, and also four Dao Lords! Among them, the strongest, ‘Huilan Dao Lord,’ was renowned throughout the entire Mangya Kingdom.

“Boom.”

In a canyon completely shrouded in black mist, a figure shot up. He wore a black robe, his face cold and gloomy, very similar to the East Smoke Branch’s Cult Leader ‘Huolong World God,’ but his aura was even more sinister and dark.

“Huolong actually crushed the communication talisman. What danger did he encounter?” The Bat Dragon Dao Lord’s face was dark, but his eyes showed anxiety and worry.

He and his younger brother Huolong were blood brothers.

It was very rare for blood brothers to grow together on the path of cultivation and both reach their current level. His other relatives had died long ago, only his younger brother remained with him. Huolong World God was not really qualified to lead, but with the strong support of ‘Bat Dragon Dao Lord,’ he was appointed as the branch cult leader.

His younger brother was his only family.

“Let’s go.” The Bat Dragon Dao Lord didn’t hesitate. He immediately turned into a streak of light, flew out of the main sect, and headed toward the East Smoke Branch.

…

At a mountaintop in the East Smoke Branch.

Ji Ning stood there, and beside him stood a group of thirty-four World-level cultivators, all of them terrified and uneasy.

Among these thirty-four World-level cultivators, sixteen had manipulated the formation against Ji Ning, and the other eighteen were the ones who had loyally obeyed the ‘East Smoke Cult Leader’ and had been watching the Fire Fairy. Ji Ning had only captured some earlier, and now he had captured the rest as well.

“You eighteen, obeying the East Smoke Cult Leader, wanted to kill my follower and seize the treasure.”

“And you sixteen, you wanted to kill me.”

Ji Ning’s gaze swept over the thirty-four before him. “In truth, killing you would be justified.”

These thirty-four were all terrified and uneasy. On the path of cultivation, choosing the wrong enemy or following the wrong master could lead to death.

“But I’ll give you two choices. One: die! The other: swear a life-bound oath and become my slave.” Ji Ning then threw out a vow stone. “The oath is in it. Those willing to swear can live.”

“Slave?”

These World-level cultivators’ faces turned ugly. World-level cultivators were noble; how many would willingly become slaves?

But if they didn’t, they would die! Moreover, Ji Ning’s strength was too great, already beyond the scope of World-level cultivators. Submitting to Ji Ning… wasn’t so hard to accept.

“This oath…”

“Too harsh…”

“This, this…”

The thirty-four World-level cultivators were stunned when they saw the oath.

Once they swore, they would become absolute slaves, loyally serving Ji Ning, not even allowed to ‘lie’ in front of him! This oath was extremely harsh. The only glimmer of hope for them was that after a thousand chaos cycles, they could regain their freedom.

A thousand chaos cycles? Too long. How many cultivators could actually live that long?

Ji Ning glanced at them. He had initially intended to kill them, but then he thought that on the path of cultivation, he did need some slaves. For example, trivial matters couldn’t always be done personally. More importantly, when exploring and taking risks in the outside world, he could send slaves ahead to scout… If any of them truly had great fortune and could live a thousand chaos cycles, regaining their freedom wouldn’t matter.

In a thousand chaos cycles, Ji Ning would have long reached some unknown realm.

“Impossible.”

“One wrong step, and everything is lost.” Immediately, some World-level cultivators looked up and sighed, then their true spirits collapsed, and they died on the spot.

“If you take the wrong path, you must bear the consequences.”

“Forget it, forget it.”

A full five World-level cultivators chose suicide, and Ji Ning did not stop them.

The other twenty-nine chose to bow their heads and become Ji Ning’s slaves. After all, in their eyes, this incredibly fearsome World-level cultivator would likely become a Dao Lord in the future. Being a slave to a Dao Lord was acceptable to them.

“Whoosh.” Ji Ning waved his hand and collected the twenty-nine World-level slave servants.

…