The Desolate Era (Web Novel)

The [Soulshaker Art] was something only a person with a divine will could use; it could be used to shake the opponent’s very soul. If the enemy’s soul was particularly weak, it might even cause their soul to be extinguished.

“This is it.” Ning nodded. “Previously, during the recruitment, Uncle-Master Wu Xiu used the [Soulshaker Art] to cause hundreds of Zifu Disciples to all fall down from midair. Something only capable of being used at the ‘divine will’ level? I’ve already reached the ‘divine sense’ level!”

Ning continued to read carefully. It really was alluring. Given the power of his soul, once he used the [Soulshaker Art], he would be able to deal with the vast majority of Wanxiang Adepts! After all, it was virtually guaranteed that only Primal Daoists would have souls at the divine sense level! Ning’s soul was so very powerful that if he were to use the [Soulshaker Art], he would naturally be able to dominate the vast majority of Wanxiang Adepts.

“Two thousand black-white pellets?” When Ning saw the price of this art, he immediately shook his head.

There were a total of three books on this shelf. One was the [Soulshaker Art], one was the [Soulcharmer Art], while the other was the [Soulslayer Art]!

Of the three, the [Soulshaker Art] and the [Soulcharmer Art] only required someone’s soul to be at the divine will level in order to learn them. The prices for them were two thousand and three thousand black-white pellets, respectively.

As for the [Soulslayer Art], this was truly used to extinguish an opponent’s soul, an art used for divine souls to engage in battle. In addition, it required a person to be at the divine sense level to learn it…and in terms of rarity, it was even rarer than divine abilities! To trade for it, one would need ten thousand black-white pellets.

“All I can do is stare at it and drool.” Ning laughed, then shook his head. He immediately turned to go look at the other arts available.

……..

The Dao Repository Vault was divided into techniques, arts, and miscellaneous. Virtually all of the skills available were extremely powerful or particular sinister. There were also all manner of brilliant sword arts as well.

Ning had, in total, just six thousand black-white pellets. Which should he purchase? Which shouldn’t he purchase? He had to gain a clearer understanding.

……

Six full hours later, Ning finally departed from the third floor of the Dao Repository Vault, then walked out of the vault.

“You’ve chosen?” The tall, muscular Dao-Protector gave Ning a glance.

“Right.” Ning nodded, but he couldn’t help but turn to look backwards. It really was…really was…he really wished he had a few hundred thousand black-white pellets and was able to pick from those skills as he pleased. There were all sorts of Immortal and Fiend techniques that were simply too mysterious and godlike, as well as some truly powerful evasive techniques that made Ning truly tongue-tied. Only now did he truly understand how deep the roots of the Black-White College were.

Unfortunately, he only had six thousand black-white pellets, and he absolutely had to choose the first scroll of the [Three-Foot Sword], as well as an Immortal-ranked Ki Refining technique.

“Let me take a look,” the Dao-Protector said. Ning handed over the abridged books in his hands. The Dao-Protector, after accepting them, immediately saw that on top was the first scroll of the [Three-Foot Sword]. He immediately said with a frown, “The [Three-Foot Sword] is one of the techniques which secured the legacy of our Black-White College, and its power is absolutely astonishing. But to comprehend it…will be extremely, ,extremely hard. It is a bit too early for you to start training in the [Three-Foot Sword]; in addition, it will cost you two thousand black-white pellets to trade for it.”

Ning felt helpless. He didn’t want to choose it this early either, but his master, Immortal Diancai, had ordered him to do so. He had no one to blame but himself for having received the legacy of senior Northwalker.

“The [Lesser Five Elements Sword]?” The Dao-Protector, upon seeing the second book, immediately nodded. “The [Lesser Five Elements Sword] is also one of the top five sword techniques of our Black-White College, and it is unfathomably deep and profound, allowing one to start at a basic level but progressively comprehend more. It is very suitable for someone who wishes to focus on the Dao of the sword, and it costs eight hundred black-white pellets as well. Actually, I recommend that you only trade for the [Lesser Five Elements Sword], and temporarily set aside the [Three-Foot Sword] for now.”

“The [Flowing Watersource]. An Immortal-ranked Ki Refining technique. Not bad.” The Dao-Protector nodded, then raised his head and looked towards Ning. “You made up your mind? These are all you want? You won’t change your mind?”

“I will not.” Ning shook his head. There were many arts that were quite enticing to him, but Ning had given them up. He had even given up acquiring the second scroll of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]. After all, training in the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] required one to absorb the energy of the Solar Star and the Lunar Star…Ning was currently only at the seventh level. To reach the ninth level, he would still need a long period of time. During this period of time, he would probably be able to acquire more black-white pellets.

“Even if I’m not able to acquire the second scroll of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] in the Black-White College, I can join the Raindragon Guard and acquire it there, or even purchase it from other places,” Ning mused to himself. The second scroll of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens] was fairly easily obtained.

As for those various sword arts…Ning had spent a long period of time analyzing them in the Dao Repository Vault. Given that his divine ability, the [Starseizing Hand], was with him, so long as his swordplay was strong enough, his own power would naturally rise.

For fleeing, he had the [Windwing Evasion]. In a true battle of divine abilities, he already had the [Starseizing Hand], and so wasn’t in a rush to obtain other divine abilities. What truly mattered was his Ki Refining technique and his sword arts!

The [Lesser Five Elements Sword] was the most suitable technique for him, because he had a deep level of insight into three of the elements already; water, wind, and fire.

“2000 black-white pellets for this, 1500 for this, and 800 for this. The three come to a total of 4300 black-white pellets.” The Dao-Protector looked at Ning. “Give me the black-white pellets, and I’ll go get the copies for you.”

Ning shook his head. “Not only am I going to train in the [Flowing Watersource], I am going to give my spirit-beast a copy as well.”

“Your spirit-beast?” The Dao-Protector was shocked. “You are going to give your spirit-beast such a good Ki Refining technique? That costs 1500 black-white pellets. Moreover, you have just started training; this is a critical moment for you. With 1500 black-white pellets, you can purchase many powerful secret arts to protect yourself. There’s absolutely no need for you to spend so much effort on your spirit-beast. Just have him wait a bit longer; in a few decades or in a century, purchase it for him then. Or, just give him a slightly weaker Ki Refining technique.”

As this Dao-Protector saw it…Ning was a formal disciple and a truly monstrous talent. For him to give a spirit-beast such a great benefit was a rash, hot-headed act.

Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques! Something like this could only happen within the Black-White College. If they were roaming in the outside world, even if a Zifu level monster risked his life for centuries, he would still find it virtually impossible to acquire an Immortal-ranked Ki Refining technique.

“My mind is decided,” Ning said. The Dao-Protector shook his head. “Alas. Why must you be such a fool?” Ning did not respond, but his gaze told the Dao-Protector that his decision was an incomparably firm one.

“Fine, then,” the Dao-Protector said, rising to his feet. “I will help you find these copies. Give me those 5800 black-white pellets.” “Mm.” Ning nodded, watching as the Dao-Protector entered the Dao Repository Vault.

Uncle White…Uncle White wasn’t just his spirit-beast. More importantly, he was family. If Ning were to acquire a large pile of divine abilities and secret arts, but give nothing to Uncle White, he truly would feel terrible in his heart! In addition, even if he was able to trade for a large number of secret arts, he would still need a large amount of time and energy to focus on training in them.

“I will spend my time focusing on comprehending this [Lesser Five Elements Sword],” Ning mused to himself. The [Flowing Watersource] was something he could simply train in. The [Three-Foot Sword]? His current level of swordplay was somewhat lacking; he couldn’t even execute the first stance of the [Three-Foot Sword]. The only thing he could slowly spend time on comprehending, for now, was the [Lesser Five Elements Sword].

……

The Black-White College. Darknorth Peak.

Ning was standing atop a flying boat in the air, and he sent the boat charging downwards as he entered Darknorth Peak.

“Uncle White,” Ning called out as he landed into the courtyard. Whoosh. A large white hound bounded over from nearby. It was the Whitewater Hound. “Ning, son. You have apprenticed yourself? Which one is your master?”

“Immortal Diancai,” Ning replied, his face covered with joy. The Whitewater Hound’s face became filled with delight and astonishment as well. “An Immortal?” Prior to this, he had chatted with Ning and also made guesses regarding which Primal Daoist would be Ning’s master.

“Uncle White, this is the Ki Refining technique I traded for you, the [Flowing Watersource],” Ning said. “You absolutely cannot reveal this technique to any outsiders; if you do, the Oath of Blood sworn to the Dao of the Heavens will punish you, and your soul will be destroyed.”

“I know.” The Whitewater Hound nodded. Formal disciples, retainers, spirit-beasts…all those who lived within the Black-White College had to swear the Oath of Blood to the Dao of the Heavens! After all, retainers and spirit-beasts all had the chance to learn some top-tier techniques.

“Take it,” Ning said, handing over the [Flowing Watersource], a thick, coiled up booklet. “This is the first scroll; you can train with it directly to the peak Primal Daoist level. After we reach the Primal Daoist level, we can go trade for the second scroll.”

“Thank you for troubling yourself, my boy Ning.” Although the Whitewater Hound had never heard of this technique before, he could guess that given Ning had purchased it for him, it definitely wouldn’t be poor.

Ning chuckled. “Uncle White, I’m going to go train.” Swoosh! Ning’s heart was pumping mightily right now, and he was filled with eagerness. Naturally, he charged directly towards the underground quiet room he had prepared for himself.

Darknorth Peak had many buildings atop it; naturally, it also had some private rooms that were used for Immortal cultivators to train in. All of these private rooms had grand formations set up around them that were linked up to the grand formation which protected the entire Black-White College as a whole. Once one entered secluded meditation, not even Immortals could hope to barge in.

“Creaaaaak!” The stone door slammed shut.

Within the ten foot wide stone room. The ceiling up above was filled with many luminous jewels; these jewels naturally weren’t as extravagant and costly as the ones in the Carefree Caverns, but they were still extraordinary. The light from them made it so that the stone room was perpetually kept bright by the light of the jewels.

Ji Ning sat there in the lotus position atop his jade bed. The runes inscripted onto the jade bed had the effect of calming one’s heart. “[Flowing Watersource]!” Ning flipped through the [Flowing Watersource] in his hands, spending a full hour reading it as he completely memorized the entire book. The memories of Immortal practitioners were exceptionally good. For someone like Ning, who had reached the ‘divine sense’ level, they could actually flip through all the memories in their soul which they had acquired since they were a child, just like flipping through a book.

“Whoosh.” A flame appeared out of nowhere within Ning’s hand, and it burned the [Flowing Watersource] to ash. An Immortal-ranked Ki Refining technique like this definitely was not permitted to be revealed to the outside world. Thus, upon finishing reading this technique, one had to destroy it. Thus, killing a disciple of the Black-White College in order to gain some top-tier techniques was completely impossible.

“Let’s begin.” Ning waved his hand, and a jade green flask landed on the floor before him. He opened the bottle, and a dense elemental aura wafted out. The green jade bottle had fifty kilograms of liquefied elemental essence within. Originally, Ning had used up just five kilograms of liquefied elemental essence in order to break through from the peak Xiantian level to the early Zifu level, and had also solidified his base as an early Zifu level.

“Absorb.” Ning opened his mouth, and instantly, the liquefied elemental essence began to surge out from the green jade bottle and enter Ning’s mouth. As it did…it quickly distilled into vast amounts of elemental energy, which surged into his Zifu Violet Palace.

Within the boundless void of his Zifu Violet Palace. There was a lake there. “Rumble…” Suddenly, the entire Violet Palace began to shudder as an endless torrent of elemental energy surged inwards and was converted into elemental ki. The lake of elemental ki began to slowly expand in accordance with the method prescribed in Ning’s [Flowing Watersource] technique, and it began to slowly swivel as well.

Splash…splash…it continuously swiveled, and as it did, it began to move faster and faster. Soon, the entire Zifu Lake had transformed into an enormous whirlpool, causing the deep heart of the lake to grow deeper and deeper.

The formerly placid, flat lake had transformed into a whirlpool; it was like an awl, its depth having instantly increased hundreds of times over.

“BANG!”

A thunderous explosion. In the deepest part of the whirlpool Zifu Lake, a hole suddenly appeared, which ravenously began to produce new elemental ki. This hole was the ‘Watersource’ of the [Flowing Watersource]!

“Middle Zifu level.” Ning continued to absorb the liquefied elemental essence from the jade bottle, continuing to increase his power.

Rumble…

The deepest part of his Zifu Lake was now a thousand times deeper than it had been in the past. The absorption and transformation process was clearly much faster than it had been, and the elemental ki that was transformed and produced by the Watersource was purer than before as well.

“The late Zifu level!”