Desolate Era

Ji Ning next led Su Youji and the others to visit his fifth disciple, his sixth disciple, and his seventh disciple.

Swoosh. The realmship continued to fly through the skies. “Dawnjade,” Ning said, “You are significantly more talented than all eight of my disciples.” By now, Ning had encountered many geniuses in his life. Mother Nuwa, for example, was so incredibly talented that she had reached Hegemony within an extremely short period of time. As Ning saw it, Dawnjade was extremely close to himself and Mother Nuwa in talent.

“However… you have an obvious weakness,” Ning said. “Due to the fact that you’ve always lived within the Ji clan, you’ve experienced almost no setbacks in your life. During your early years in particular, you were always given the best treatment by the clan. As a result, your Dao-heart is lacking and needs tempering.”

“I understand,” Dawnjade said obediently.

‘Favored son’: this phrase described Dawnjade perfectly. Ning had been forced to scour the world for techniques, fighting and clawing for every scrap of karmic luck he could find before stumbling upon the path of the Omega Dao. Dawnjade was different. The Ji clan had poured its resources into rearing him, and had also arranged for him to undergo many different ‘tempering exercises’, but in the end all of those exercises were artificial. Dawnjade had a decent Dao-heart, but it wasn’t even close to the perfect Dao-heart one needed to succeed in the Daomerge for an Omega Dao.

“If you wish to succeed in the Daomerge for the Omega Dao, you must have a perfect Dao-heart,” Ning said. “In the Flamedragon Realmverse, there was an Emperor known as Emperor Heartsword. If you can fully master his [Heartsword] art, you’ll have a perfect Dao-heart. There are multiple legacies within the annals of the Ji clan pertaining to perfecting one’s Dao-heart.”

“I understand.” Dawnjade nodded.

“Just ‘understanding’ is meaningless. You have to act,” Ning instructed. “From this day forth, you shall begin training in the [Daoheart Illusion Sword].”

“The [Daoheart Illusion Sword]?” Dawnjade was puzzled. “Patriarch, I’ve never even heard of this technique.”

“This is a Dao-heart technique which I just finished creating. I’d be shocked if you had heard of it,” Ning said with a chuckle. “It should be a technique which suits you very well… but in the end, you have to temper your Dao-heart yourself. Techniques can only serve as a guide.” Ning waved his hand, producing a jade slip which he handed over to Dawnjade, who respectfully accepted it.

Emperor Heartsword, God Emperor Helong, ‘Green Bamboo’ Yang Quding… all of them had perfect Dao-hearts, and all of them were incredible figures. However, it would be extremely difficult for anyone else to gain perfect Dao-hearts by training in the techniques they left behind! This was because every cultivator had to find his own spiritual path to perfecting his Dao-heart.

If Ning had tried to perfectly emulate the [Heartsword] art, he wouldn’t have been able to perfect his Dao-heart either. In the end, he had only been able to take that final step during the Daomerge, using three years of time in that hyper-stimulated environment to succeed. Alas… all that wasted time had resulted in Ning failing the Daomerge!

“Although my technique will help you temper your Dao-heart,” Ning said seriously, “You must remember… your Dao-heart is your own. Not someone else’s! Thus in seeking the Dao, you must seek your own true self. If you want a perfect Dao-heart, you’ll need to do it your own way.”

“Understood.” Dawnjade firmly engraved these words into his heart.

Ning said nothing further. He had scried Dawnjade’s future, and he knew that Dawnjade had to suffer many setbacks if the child wished to have a chance at perfecting his Dao-heart. If everything in his life was completely smooth and troublefree, he might become a Daolord of the Fourth Step but he would never be able to perfect his Dao-heart, much less succeed in the Daomerge.

……

Within a secret realm hidden within a region of empty space. The insides of this secret realm had been half-demolished; clearly, a great battle had been fought here.

“Brother Greatjoy.” Ning stared at the palace ruins before him, his gaze piercing through spacetime and showing him what had occurred here in the past.

During the time Ning spent in seclusion, Daolord Greatjoy had perished in battle here! Greatjoy had been an incredible figure, but in the end his dying enemy had destroyed the entire realm around them in a final suicide attack. The two had died together.

……

Skyfire Brightshore had a very relaxed life. Ning ate and drank and made merry with him for two days, then parted paths.

……

Rumble… tens of thousands of chaos planets were being moved about like chess pieces. They slowly orbited a vast region of empty space, controlled by a great formation.

At the center of that region was a temple, and before that temple sat a skinny, bald, red-robed youth. An invisible surge of power swirled around him, encompassing the tens of thousands of chaos planets around him.

“Mortal-rank, class one mission – complete!”

“This was your first time embarking upon the path of cultivation. You survived, while all of your experienced teammates died. You are worth spending a bit of extra effort on. Do not disappoint me, Qin An.”

“Evaluation – 6.0!”

“Reward: 3000 Mortal-ranked gemstones.”

A spectacled youth stared, puzzled, at the illusory globe of light before him. This globe of light was filled with an enormous amount of information regarding cultivation, pill-making, and even how to transform the body. One was even able to trade for mighty Fiendgod bodies that could be used to uproot the mountains themselves! But of course, the price would be high.

“I can even trade for a golem-body that would allow me to easily destroy a vast world with a wave of my hand? If all this is real… this is absolutely terrifying.” The spectacled youth’s eyes were shining as he continued to review the information. “I can bring the dead back to life and even travel to other worlds. Anything and everything is possible! This type of world is much more interesting than my old one. I love this world!”

Qin An was a nerd who lived in a world of ordinary mortals. He was extremely clever, but his brilliance was only put to good use after he was brought to the ‘Cataclysm Trials’.

He took on one mission after another, forming squads with others to challenge them. He sparred against many powerful martial artists, going so far as to actually embark upon the path of true Immortal cultivation. He was even sent into a world of Fiendgods, where he battled against mighty gods and fiends alike. He was tempered and tested over and over again. In the process, many teammates perished, but they were quickly replaced. The survivors only grew stronger and stronger.

……

“Solewind, I have to say, this ‘Cataclysm Trials’ game you came up with is rather interesting.” Ning appeared in the emptiness of space outside the temple.

The skinny, bald, red-robed youth opened his eyes. A delighted look was on his face. “Darknorth, you came! What do you think? My Cataclysm Trials are pretty nice, eh? I used tens of thousands of chaos planets as the foundation for the formation, my many estate-treasures as support beams, and my Dao of Illusions to join them all together into the Cataclysm Trials. I then chose countless mortals to take part in my trials, allowing them to claw their way forwards upon the path of cultivation within it.”

“It’s not bad at all,” Ning praised.

“My heartforce is strengthened and improved by the process,” Solewind said with a smile. “I’m planning to maintain the Cataclysm Trials for ten thousand chaos cycles. Hopefully, by then I’ll be confident enough to attempt the Daomerge. If not, I’ll find another way to train.”

Ning nodded. It was extremely difficult for Heartforce Cultivators to succeed in the Daomerge. They had to try all sorts of strange, unique methods to train and improve themselves.

“Have you come to bid an old friend a final farewell?” Solewind suddenly asked. As powerful Heartforce Cultivators with strong hearts, there was no need for the two of them to mince words.

Ning nodded and smiled. “I’m going into terminal seclusion after this meeting.”

“I’ve made many friends on my path of cultivation, but I admire you above all others,” Solewind said. “You are going to succeed. You have to.” Solewind knew that if Ning was going into terminal seclusion, that meant Ning was most likely trying a last-ditch effort to save himself. If Ning was truly out of options and saw no hope at all, why would he go into seclusion?

“Stop trying to make me feel better,” Ning said with a chuckle. “I don’t need it. By the way, I actually spent a thousand years watching events occur within your Cataclysm Trials.”

“That long?” Solewind was surprised. “I use reality as the foundation, then use illusions to make up for reality’s shortcomings. Now, why would the venerable Daolord Darknorth take an interest in such a simple technique?”

Ning explained, “I was actually watching a young fellow who was training within it. That’s why I watched for a thousand years. Are you willing to let him follow me instead?”

“I might have put countless cultivators into my Cataclysm Trials, but only a few thousand have been able to survive for more than a thousand years. They are priceless treasures to me,” Solewind said in an intentionally sorrowful manner. “Buuuuut… since you’ve made the request, Daolord Darknorth, I suppose I must give you face. Which one have you taken a fancy to?”

“The one called Qin An,” Ning said.

Qin An had come from a world which was extremely similar to the world Ning had lived in during his previous life, ‘Earth’. There were quite a few under-developed worlds like ‘Earth’ in the Chaosverse, and Daolord Solewind had teleported many people from such worlds to the Cataclysm Trials.

“Qin An! That boy was born to be a cultivator.” Solewind sighed dramatically. “You know, he doesn’t view the ‘trials’ of the Cataclysm Trials as dangers to be avoided. He eagerly dives into mission after mission! I actually prepared a few difficult trials just for him, but he managed to flip the script each time.”

“I’ve taken a liking to the kid as well,” Ning said. “I’m planning to take him on as a disciple.”

“Then he is one lucky kid.” Solewind immediately waved his hand.

Whoosh! A youth suddenly appeared in the emptiness of space by Solewind’s side. The kid was dressed in black robes and had a stately gaze. He looked completely harmless… but when he scanned the area around him and saw Daolord Solewind and Ji Ning, his eyes narrowed. He could sense that his very soul itself was quaking in fear. The auras emanating from the two individuals before him were absolutely terrifying.

Even though just hints of their auras were leaking out, the two were clearly unfathomably more powerful than even the most powerful creature he had ever encountered, an Elder God-class Fiendgod.

“I am the creator of the Cataclysm Trials. You can address me as ‘Solewind’.” Daolord Solewind's very first words caused the young Qin An to feel completely stunned. The creator of the Cataclysm Trials?!

Solewind smiled. “Next to me is my good friend, Darknorth. Qin An, today is your lucky day. My friend is far more powerful than I am, but he’s actually taken a fancy to you.”

“Qin An, are you willing to become my disciple and take me on as your master?” Ning asked.

He had always followed his own heart in choosing new disciples. His ‘fourth disciple’, for example… Ning had simply tossed a talisman into a hidden location. Whoever was lucky enough to acquire it would become his fourth personal disciple! Thus far, this person had yet to arise. His seventh disciple ‘Almonder’ and his eighth disciple ‘Stonepool’ had all been extremely weak when Ning had first noticed them, while his second disciple ‘Green Bamboo’ Yang Quding had been just an ordinary mortal.

Ning cared more about the Dao-hearts of his potential disciples. And of course, he also chose people whose personalities he liked! He had seen countless beings struggling within the Cataclysm Trials, but the only one he had liked was Qin An! He admired how Qin An was still brimming with confidence and excitement despite having seen so much death and lost so many friends in the Cataclysm Trials. This truly was quite rare!

“I’m willing! Willing!” Qin An had experienced much in recent years, and he was no fool. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed: “Master, your disciple Qin An greets you!”

“Good. From this day forth, you shall be the ninth disciple of myself, Darknorth. You are the last personal disciple I shall ever take,” Ning said.

Solewind glanced at Qin An. How the hell was this kid so lucky? He actually became the final disciple Daolord Darknorth chose before going into terminal seclusion! It must be remembered that even major powers like Lord Houwu of the Blazesun Domain would love for the chance to become Ning’s servant and receive a few occasional pointers from him.

Ning looked at his new disciple, Qin An, then nodded. He now had a ninth disciple, and he had visited everyone he needed to visit. It was time to return to the Three Realms and prepare to enter terminal seclusion.