The Desolate Era

Chapter 4 – Lotus Petals of Fire and Water

Ironwood Zhan and the Bi’an Tiger were both astonished. Zhan hurriedly activated his Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation, while shouting loudly, “Be careful, he can control fire and water. The ability of Xiantian Fiendgods of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] to control water and fire is extraordinary. Once water and fire come out simultaneously, even most ordinary Xiantian lifeforms can be killed!”

The reason he shouted so loudly was because as soon as the Bi’an Tiger had seen the fire and water, it had already transformed into its real body and begun to retreat. Once the distance between the two increased, they were no longer capable of spiritual communication. But how could the speed of the Bi’an Tiger compare to that of the water and fire?

“Boom…” An enormous water dragon instantly coiled around the Bi’an Tiger, causing a layer of frost to appear on it. At the same time, the other fire dragon also wrapped itself around the Bi’an Tiger. The water dragon and fire dragon simultaneously coiled around it, the water dragon filled with boundless cold, while the fire dragon was filled with endless heat…

Hot and cold.

Pa! Pa! Pa!

The Bi’an Tiger’s fur began to crack, and his red flesh and muscles began to be revealed, then quickly char.

“Grooooooooowl.” The Bi’an Tiger roared.

“Still not dead!” Ji Ning’s gaze grew colder.

The water dragon that had been coiling around the Bi’an Tiger suddenly loosened, then quickly began to transform, changing into an enormous flowing lotus petal. At the same time, the fire dragon also quickly transformed into a blazing lotus petal.

The water lotus petal was below.

The fire lotus petal was above.

The Bi’an Tiger was in the middle. Despite how it tried to struggle and flee, it was useless. The two lotus petals followed it wherever it went.

“Waterflame Lotus, smelt!” With a thought from Ning, instantly the two lotus petals began to slowly revolve. It was like two terrifying millstones slowly crushing down while revolving. Earlier, Ning had just been unconsciously activated the energy of the world to form those two protective lotus petals through his slight understanding of the Dao, and yet the power had already been so tremendous. But now, Ning was himself a Xiantian lifeform, capable of controlling both fire and water. Adding onto that basic power the hint of the Dao he had understood…the power became hundreds of times greater than before.

The petals of the Waterflame Lotus revolved. The Bi’an Tiger caught between them only felt a surge of heat and cold, and it felt far more miserable than before! Its entire body seemed to have lost all feeling! At the same time, as the water and fire intersected, a wind arose out of nowhere, and that wind filled with a powerful killing force descended directly upon the Bi’an Tiger.

“Ka…” The Bi’an Tiger’s charred body was like a porcelain doll. It shattered into many little pieces, its eyes filled with incomprehension as they grew dim.

The Bi’an Tiger had died!

“It is actually this powerful.” Ning’s heart was filled with surprise and delight as well. “With the water and fire I control as the base, and then formed into the protective Waterflame Lotus which I developed, I was able to execute a middle Xiantian level Diremonster, without even giving it a chance to fight back.”

Although the above took time to describe, a battle between experts was incredibly fast.

From the moment when Ning created the Waterflame Lotus to the moment when the Bi’an Tiger died, only a heartbeat’s worth of time had occurred.

“Boom…” The Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation which had surrounded this square kilometer fully released its power as well, and lines of black energy and white energy criss-crossed towards Ning.

Ironwood Zhan was shocked by how easily his Bi’an Tiger had been executed as well. And then, with a savage expression, he howled, “Within my Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation, even if you are a monstrous talent which Swallow Mountain sees once in a millennium, you will still surely die! Die!”

Lines of viper-like black and white energy instantly pounced towards Ning.

“Hrmph.”

With but a thought, instantly fire and water appeared out of nowhere next to his body. The fire and water transformed into lotus petals, with two layers of enormous petals of the Waterflame Lotus hovering about him, waiting for those black and white energy streams to attack. When they did…with a thought from Ning, the Waterflame Lotus suddenly fused!

Like a budding flower, those upward-pointing lotus petals formed into a massive lotus flower bud that was over ten meters high, instantly ensconcing Ning within them.

“Pengpengpeng…” The black and white energy waves came crashing down.

The Waterflame Lotus, although having fused into a flower bud, was still slowly swiveling. The inner layer was made of fire lotus petals, while the outer layer was made from water lotus petals. They continued to slowly swivel in opposite directions. No matter how the black and white energy struck against it time and time again, sometimes just barely breaking through the outer layer of the water lotus petals, the water lotus petals would once more reform into their normal appearance.

After all, fire and water could always part and reform; they weren’t solid substances to begin with. Even if they were occasionally broken through, with but a thought, Ning could reform them!

“What?” Ironwood Zhan was shocked. “How is this possible? My Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation…this is an extremely powerful formation. Given my power when using it, even if I were to meet with an opponent who was a peak Xiantian lifeform, I wouldn’t be afraid. How could it be that it can’t even break through the protective lotus of this child of the Ji clan? What is that protective lotus? How is it that I’ve never even heard of it?”

But how could Ironwood Zhan know that Ning had previously already reached the ‘one with the world’ level. The greatest benefit of his previous night’s worth of enlightenment was…this protective lotus, which already had a hint of the true meaning of the Dao within it.

A Xiantian lifeform created by the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] was incomparably powerful to begin with, and the fire and water it controlled was far stronger than that of the fire and water which most Diremonsters could create. When infusing that with the hint of the true Dao through the Waterflame Lotus, blocking a mere formation naturally was nothing at all.

“Ironwood Zhan, you’ve chased for such a long time. Let me repay you now, and send you on the next leg of your journey!”

Within the lotus bud, Ning stared through the flowing water lotus petals and the blazing fire lotus petals, seeing the distant, unclear figure. In addition, his mind had reached the ‘one with the world’ level…naturally, he could sense the auras of all nearby creatures, and could clearly sense the location of Zhan.

“Die.”

With but a thought from Ning.

In the area where Ironwood Zhan was standing, yet another fiery lotus petal and watery lotus petal appeared. One above him, one below him, crushing down upon Zhan like millstones.

“Formation, aid me!” Ironwood Zhan, seeing the situation, was terrified. This was how his servant, the Bi’an Tiger, had died just now. He hurriedly controlled the black and white energy streams, wildly wrapping them around himself to block the grinding, crushing force of this Waterflame Lotus. By doing so, he was just barely able to block it. Although occasionally, some fire and water would break through, his Xiantian ki was able to block it.

“How can he simultaneously create two lotus flowers?” Zhan was filled with shock and dread. “Such a powerful attack should take up almost all of his concentration.”

But how could he know…

When he was four years old, Ning’s soul was already almost on par with a Zifu Disciple. Right now, his soul was already far above that of a Zifu Disciple. Dividing his mind to execute two separate Waterflame Lotus techniques was simplicity itself.

“You actually haven’t died!” Protected within the lotus bud, Ning quickly charged towards Ironwood Zhan.

“Retreat.” Ironwood was so frightened that his face changed. He ground his teeth.

Flee!

This decision was made quite decisively. He was, after all, born into the Ironwood clan. He knew very well that once someone trained to the Xiantian lifeform level in the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens], the power of the practitioner would be hundreds of times that of ordinary Fiendgod Body Refiners. Although right now, Ning was only an early Xiantian lifeform, he was capable of matching other late-stage Xiantian Fiendgod Body Refiners!

He, Ironwood Zhan, was nothing more than a late-stage Xiantian Ki Refiner. Engage in close combat with a Fiendgod Body Refiner of this level? That was just suicide!

Before this, he had been relying on the fact that Ning didn’t have any magic treasures, but if even the Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation couldn’t do anything to Ning, if he were to continue to fight with Ning, would that be suicide?

“An early Xiantian whose battle power is equivalent to a peak Xiantian. What a monster. The Ji clan actually produced such a monster. I definitely have to inform the Ancestor and have him be exterminated as soon as possible. Otherwise, in the future, he will be a calamity to the Ironwood clan!” Ironwood Zhan was utterly terrified, especially by those Waterflame Lotuses. They were simply too powerful.

Formations had to be prepared in advance, but Ning’s Fire Water Lotus could be created with but a thought, and it was even more powerful than his formation. This was too…

“He must be eliminated.” Ironwood Zhan’s only thought was to go back and report this to his clan’s Ancestor.”

Both the Ironwood clan and the Ji clan…as two of the six hegemons of the Swallow Mountain area, had Zifu Disciples standing guard over them. That was why they had the ability to be acknowledged by the Grand Xia Dynasty to become ministers of the Grand Xia Dynasty.

“Divine Movement Seal!” With a flip of Zhan’s hand, a black, leaf-like paper seal suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The paper seal was covered with what looked like veins of blood, and was covered with an ancient, strange character which faintly emanated a mysterious, rippling aura. Ironwood Zhan sent a surge of his Xiantian ki into this seal.

Hua!

The seal instantly transformed into a shadowy word which fused into Ironwood Zhan’s body.

“Flee!” Ironwood Zhan immediately transformed into a ray of light, quickly fleeing afar, not even bothering to collect his Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation flags.

This was because Ironwood Zhan knew very well that right now, he was still relying on the Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation to protect him against that Waterflame Lotus. In addition, collecting those eight formation flags would also take up time. It would give that terrifying youth of the Ji clan a chance to catch up to him, at which point, he wouldn’t just lose the eight formation flags. He would lose his life.

“He ran?” Ji Ning hurriedly chased afterwards. His Xiantian Fiendgod body, matched with his ‘one with the world’ footwork, caused his speed to become even more rapid. He transformed into a ray of light as well, chasing after Zhan.

“Just slightly slower than me?” Ironwood Zhan was greatly shocked. “Before, when he hadn’t yet broken through to the Xiantian level yet, I was faster than him. But now, even after using a precious Divine Movement Seal, we’re roughly on par.” Ironwood Zhan couldn’t help but feel his heart ache with the cost, but grinding his teeth, he took out yet another Dao seal, covered with that same ancient network of veins atop it. He filled his Xiantian ki into that Dao seal.

Yet another illusory word appeared, then entered his body.

Light Body Seal!

“Swoosh!” Ironwood Zhan transformed into a blue blaze as he retreated even faster.

“Won’t be able to catch him.” Ning’s eyes had a hint of unwillingness to accept this outcome in them. As an Fiendgod Body Refiner expert, his speed was already incredible. But Ironwood Zhan had utilized two Dao seals in succession; a Light Body Seal, and a Divine Movement Seal…although these seals weren’t nearly as valuable as the ‘Traceless Talisman’, they were still able to allow Ironwood Zhan’s speed to explosively increase.

Ning didn’t have any Dao seals right now. In addition, even if he had them, he wouldn’t be able to use them, because Dao seals and magic treasures all required one to have Xiantian ki in order to use them.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Ironwood Zhan fled out of the area of the Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation, pulling ahead of Ning, causing Ning to be unable to utilize his Waterflame Lotus against him. This was because the Waterflame Lotus was formed through his ability to control fire and water, but there was a limit to how far a Xiantian Fiendgod could maintain the control. At too great a distance, control would no longer be possible.

“Hahaha…” Ironwood Zhan let out a sigh of relief. Without the threat from the Waterflame Lotus, and having pulled away from Ning, he finally relaxed. But then, he was filled with hate. Hatred for this Ji Ning. After all, he had lost his Yin Yang Twin Energy Formation.

“Boy of the Ji clan, feel happy for now. I will definitely report this to the Ancestor, and also to Snowdragon Mountain! The Ji clan is the mortal foe of both my Ironwood clan as well Snowdragon Mountain. A monster like you is someone which both Snowdragon Mountain and my Ironwood clan will eradicate as soon as possible.” Ironwood Zhan’s heart was filled with hatred.