Chapter 1306: Xianzhu’s Flame Awakens Daoist Thought Respect
Chapter 1306: Chapter 1306: Xianzhu’s Flame Awakens Daoist Thought Respect
A person’s character is his destiny.
The experiences of youth shaped Jichen’s character.
And this character ultimately led to his destiny of becoming a Nightmare by holding the candle.
The bloodline and roots exhibited by Wuzhiqi incited envy in Jichen, but this flame of jealousy was not ignited at that moment; it had been planted countless ages ago and was not solely directed at Wuzhiqi, but at all primordial spirits in the world.
Ordinary mortals, mountain spirits and beasts, all need acquired cultivation to transcend their mortal bodies, this is the acquired spirit.
Whereas those born as immortals, able to disdain the world without cultivation, are primordial spirits.
Jichen could not accept it; why are some born superior while he... can only be ordinary and abandoned!
The flames of jealousy burned within Jichen, covering his massive body as the Dragon with a Candle.
And when the flames reached their peak, the fire in his heart burned together, illuminating his heart spirit world which had been eroded by Nightmare Qi and sunk into darkness.
A young boy stood amidst the flames, his gaze void and empty.
He was Jichen’s true self-consciousness, but this consciousness had been eroded and controlled by the Nightmare Disaster, the entity unknown whether it was Jichen himself or the will of the Nightmare Disaster.
"Primordial spirits... Fighting Saint Ape... I seem to know him... but, I can no longer remember..."
"But I do remember that the Fighting Saint Ape has a very powerful bloodline, worth the price of my plunder..."
"But before that, I need to know who I am..."
"Who am I..."
The boy stood confused amidst the flames.
Until a voice sounded in his heart, emitted by boundless Nightmare Qi.
[You are me.]
[You are, Qi...]
Qi...
Is this, my name...
The boy seemed to recall something, his already broken heart spirit world filled by the painful emotions at that moment.
Thus the fire in his heart burned more fiercely, and amidst the flames emerged images he did not wish to remember.
[You failed to awaken your blood, possess not even a trace of bloodline roots, unworthy to remain in my Earth Giant Divine Foot City, as should be abandoned!]
Indeed, in youth, he was abandoned by his parents because he could not awaken the Earth Giant Bloodline.
Parental kindness, he never experienced it, so even losing everything, he did not know what expression to use to face it.
He hated his harsh and merciless parents, but hated more his weak and ordinary self.
He even made a wish to the unresponsive sky: that if there were no primordial spirits in the world, and everyone was an ordinary mortal, how wonderful that would be.
The lonely him, stole fodder from Barbarian Oxen and Horses in narrow alleys, just to survive, yet was discovered by the ox and horse owners, driven out of the city, forced to shelter in the mountain forest.
He hid between the forests, competed for food with wild beasts, yet was chased by a group of snow eaglets, ultimately fleeing to the ice river.
The ice river was the territory of the Moon Dragon Clan, he pleaded to be allowed to temporarily take refuge within.
But ultimately was thrown out of the ice river boundary like trash by patrol river Yaksha.
"Today is the full-moon ceremony of the Seventh Prince Xuan, by decree of the Dragon Lord and Concubine, celebrating within the region without bloodshed, you are wounded and stained with blood, not allowed to enter the ice river!"
Ha, Dragon Prince Xuan, truly fortunate indeed.
A mere full moon ceremony, yet requires celebration within the region, what parental love it must be, only because...he is a primordial spirit...
The boy felt unspeakable envy, also unspeakable jealousy.
The coldest depths of winter, snow falls all around.
The boy lay on the snow as a dead corpse, gradually buried by the snow.
But he felt no cold, for when close to freezing to death, it would feel warm.
Or perhaps to him, the world was truly too cold, death became instead the last warmth.
Several snow eaglets circled in the wind and snow, chased him from forest to this place, patiently waiting for the boy to truly die, then to feast on him. Such a death was the end for mortals.
"Eat me...at least one of us will have a full stomach, no longer endure the pains of hunger..."
The boy was dying, yet the thought in his heart was not hatred towards his parents but happiness for the snow eaglets being able to eat their fill, that’s truly, wonderful...
He was searching for meaning in his own death.
But he actually understood, his birth and death had no meaning to anyone.
He was perhaps merely an excess of people in the world, thus abandoned, thus he is... Qi...
If life stops here, then he would only be Qi.
Yet, the world will not only have pain, the great path is fifty, heaven evolves forty-nine, there exists one escape.
In the wind and snow, a Xuan Bird descended from the sky, it drove away the circling snow eaglets, with its warm and enormous wings, embraced the boy who had never known warmth.
Also at that time, the boy received his life’s redemption.
"Ah yes, a little creature, why sleep in the snow, don’t you feel cold, such a cute little fool~"
"Though dying yourself, yet want to emulate gods and Buddhas to feed eagles with flesh, still a kind little fool~"
"But I don’t dislike fools, just, have you truly decided, to die here?"
"Or would you rather attend my banquet? To try the wind cake I personally cooked~ and drink a bowl of hot dew brew~ oops, dew brew is alcohol, you seem not yet of age to drink, but if it’s wind cake, you can eat as much as you like~ why don’t you speak, clearly so cute, if you ignore me I’ll cry oh."
Cry? Don’t lie...
I have never seen you truly shed tears, your face is always an enigmatic smile.
I never truly understood you, nor ever truly entered your heart...
So even now, I still don’t understand.
As a noble primordial spirit, as a flawless Heavenly Destiny Xuan Bird, why would you save me, an impure mortal...
Is it because of a whim...
If saving me was your whim, then I will do my utmost to live till the end, not to disappoint your expectations...
...
The images paused for a moment.
In the heart spirit world of the fiery flames, warmth and laughter emerged in the boy’s eyes for the first time.
He had been abandoned by the world, yet still someone viewed him as a treasure.
So his life should not stop here.
It doesn’t matter if he is not a primordial spirit, he decided to start a new life, no longer living for the gaze of parents that will never fall, he will live for another person.
He may only be an ordinary person, but as long as he tries hard enough, he must have a chance to stand at the pinnacle of the cultivation road.
Only in this way could he have the right, to stand behind that bird, guarding the warmth that he cherishes!
Heavenly Destiny Xuan Bird ah.
To repay the expectation of this noble bird, he was willing to strive once more towards the impossible.
[Ha, do you really think so? Really believe mortals can surpass primordial existence by acquired effort?]
[What you reach by pouring all your effort is merely the starting point of some, maybe not even a starting point. You actually understand, in this unfair world, mortals actually cannot accomplish anything! Mountains are not flat, roads are not flat, the world itself is not flat, nor exists any possibility of mortals defying heaven.]
[You were never redeemed, nor ever changed, in the shadows you envy primordial spirits, vilely cursing those noble lives, look at those defeats of yours, not once were you not completely defeated by primordial spirits!]
[Even so, can you endure it? To endure this injustice inherent from birth, to endure those arrogant gazes from above!]
The enticing voice sounded again, making the brief smile return to coldness.
More images began to emerge.
He was once rescued by a Heavenly Destiny Xuan Bird, and for the sake of walking alongside it, he poured all his efforts.
What he got in return, however, was repeated defeat, being battered completely by those primordial spirits.
He took ten years to open the Yin Yang Evil Vein, took fifty years to accomplish Harmonious Spirit, took over three hundred years to form Demon Core, took over seven hundred years to form Demon Infant.
It took him over a thousand years to reach the Nascent Soul Stage, and this was still the result of the relentless help from the bird that saved him.
If not for the Xuan Bird who extended his life and preserved his youth, he would long have turned into a decrepit old man. Yet, now, he still maintains the appearance of a young man.
In the words of the Xuan Bird, she liked watching the gleam in his youthful eyes.
As she delighted in it, he could forever be her young man; should she tire of this visage one day, he could transform into any appearance she desired.
Relying on the Xuan Bird’s connections, the youth took shortcuts to enter the Heavenly Human Sect, cultivating exclusively high-grade demon techniques, yet still limited by his talent, his progress was slow.
The Xuan Bird’s Immortal Wind and Immortal Dew were nothing less than heavenly treasures, and he consumed countless amounts, yet eventually still took a thousand years to barely form a Nascent Soul, inviting countless ridicule at times.
Though he was unwilling to admit it, he had to face the reality that not only was he an Acquired spirit, but even among Acquired spirits, his cultivation aptitude was considered one of the most mediocre.
How could someone as unworthy as him stand behind her, shielding her from the storm... It was merely a delusion...
In a certain sect competition between the Heavenly Human Sect and the Taiyi Sect, he was mercilessly crushed, losing all face to his opponent.
The opponent went by the name Yingxuan, the Seventh Prince of the Chaoyue Dragon Clan.
This name remained unforgettable for him, as the day he was rescued by the Heavenly Destiny Xuan Bird was precisely the day the River Patrol Yaksha of the Chaoyue Dragon Clan bullied him.
And that day was the full moon celebration of Prince Xuan!
Back when he was a youth, Yingxuan had only just arrived in the world, even younger than him.
And after over a thousand years of arduous cultivation, what level of prowess had Yingxuan now achieved?
Immortal King!
A thousand years, ascending to become an Immortal King!
When he saw Yingxuan, he even had to address him respectfully as Young Master and Senior!
Moreover, Yingxuan had never been one to habitually cultivate; usually, he only focused on indulgence and leisure, even if he rarely cultivated and did not experience bottlenecks in realms, Yingxuan still ascended swiftly to become the lofty Immortal King at a speed unattainable to mortals!
This was the cultivation speed of a Primordial spirit! It wasn’t cultivating; it was as if heaven forcibly poured cultivation into one’s throat!
How unfair!
How... Enviable!
What the youth couldn’t come to terms with was Yingxuan’s nearly disdainful gaze at the time.
"What’s this?! Didn’t Father say I should create a sensation at the Huai Sect’s grand competition? Why did they arrange a Nascent Soul-stage ant as my opponent? How can such a weak opponent showcase my talents? Am I supposed to freeze this little guy with a single breath and kill him?"
No! No!
Clearly, you’re the little guy; you’re younger than me, younger than me!
"The Seventh Prince may not know this, but despite his weakness, the backing behind him is none other than the Xuan Bird Senior, whom even the Dragon Lord respects as a Senior... Defeating him is tantamount to proclaiming the victory of our Chaoyue Dragon Clan over the Xuan Bird Clan, a news capable of echoing through the River of Time and certainly boosting the reputation of our clan!" His subordinate replied.
Damned! Damned!
Mock me and humiliate me, those I can endure, but if you dare attempt to besmirch her reputation through this affair, I’ll risk this life to exact retribution!
"Oh? This kid is actually glaring at me! I originally didn’t plan to bolster my prestige by bullying a Nascent Soul-stage child, but this Nascent Soul child’s gaze displeases me. I need to thrash him a bit, teach him a lesson!" Yingxuan’s lofty gaze, ultimately transformed into biting frosty cold, with just one expression, he suppressed the youth’s thousand years of arduous cultivation to the ground, unable to move.
"How tedious. A mere ant wishing to chase stars and moons is really overestimating its abilities." Yingxuan sighed repeatedly.
Amidst endless taunts, for the first time, the youth experienced the insurmountable chasm between Acquired spirits and Primordial spirits.
Like heaven! Like earth!
Vast enough to be untouchable, distant enough to be despairing.
Shame and dissatisfaction filled the youth’s heart, but overshadowing these emotions were regret and self-blame.
Would his incompetence lead her into becoming a laughingstock among the world...
The Xuan Bird granted him everything, yet he was paralyzed by fear, worried that he might become the greatest blemish in the Xuan Bird’s lifetime...
"Let me see, who’s crying? Oh my, it’s our Five Grains Emperor crying, this is quite troublesome indeed, seeing you shed tears, I’ll feel heartbroken! So, tell me please, what can I do to cheer you up, my dear Five~ Grains~ Em~ Peror!"
The youth at the time, preoccupied with resentment and self-blame, even forgot to ask the Xuan Bird how she was aware of his diary’s contents.
The title of Five Grains Emperor was clearly the youth’s aspirational goal and imperial title for himself, but due to the ludicrous audacity of fantasizing such a title as a mere Nascent Soul, he sealed this matter as dark history within his diary, never revealing to anyone nor anyone caring about what he wrote. How could the Xuan Bird know, did she peek into his diary?
And what happened afterwards...
Later, to stand up for the youth, that Xuan Bird stormed into the Ice River and single-handedly beat up the entire Chao Yue Dragon Clan.
The world only thought this was a small retaliation by the Xuan Bird after its reputation was damaged by the Chao Yue Dragon Clan.
The youth also thought this way and felt even more guilty: She cares so much about her reputation, yet he only brings her shame. For someone like him to be born into this world, is it truly good...
"Hey, did you miss me? Guess what delicious thing I brought back for you from the Chao Yue Dragon Clan~"
"Oh dear, I’ve already stood up for you, so why are you still crying? The thoughts of mortal cultivators are truly difficult to understand."
"So, are you doubting your own existence? Did I guess right~"
"Don’t keep your head down~ Lift your head, look at me, listen to me. You are my most, most, most, most, most, most important party companion. Without you eating wind cakes and drinking dew brew with me, I would be lonely! You know, my biggest fear is loneliness~"
I won’t let you be lonely, I’m just... not confident enough.
"Even if you don’t believe in yourself, even if the whole world doesn’t believe in you, I believe in you. I’m eagerly awaiting the day you become the Five Grains Emperor~ [I want to become the Five Grains Emperor, and make the famine that devours people disappear from the River of Time.] Oh, what a magnificent vow, no matter how many times you read it, it always seems so radiant~"
She actually read my diary, that embarrassing diary from my youth... it’s been seen...
"Don’t be ashamed of your good intentions. Shouldn’t those selfish people who harm the world for personal gain feel ashamed instead? I really like a fool like you~ Just because you experienced the pain of hunger in your youth, you dream of becoming an emperor with grains to end all hunger in the world. Such a kind and pure Daoist thought, if there’s no audience to applaud you, you would definitely feel lonely~ Can I be your audience and supporter?"
Do you really... believe in me?
Do you really look forward to me becoming the Five Grains Emperor?
Such a humble dream, a title so devoid of dominance, do you even look forward to it...
"Absolutely! I look forward to it more than morning dew and evening breeze! More than you want me to look forward to you, I really want to taste what the grains grown by your Spirit Plant Technique would be like~"
You’re lying, you’re the Heavenly Destiny Xuan Bird, untouched by earthly fire, how could you be curious about the taste of grains...
But even if it’s your little lie, I’m willing to give everything for this...
If you want to eat grains but are bound by the Xuan Bird bloodline not to, I will grow grains that even gods can eat!
"That’s more like it! Stubborn flowers never lose their color due to a storm, that’s my favorite kind of person and thing."
"So stop looking so glum, don’t forget what day it is today~ You guessed it, today is the 1,100th anniversary of our meeting! I thought long and hard about what to give you as a gift, and finally decided to give you a new name~ You want to be the Five Grains Emperor, and Jichen is the Lord of Hundred Grains. From now on, I’ll call you Jichen, how about that~"
The name Qi brought nothing but pain to the youth.
So the Xuan Bird gave the youth a new name, Jichen.
At that time, the youth didn’t know what this meant. A name meant nothing to him. If she disliked his name, he was willing to change it to any name in the world for her.
But what the youth didn’t expect was that just by changing a name, his cultivation aptitude would improve by leaps and bounds.
At the time, the youth did not know this was a once-in-a-lifetime blessing from the Xuan Bird.
With the Xuan Bird’s blessing, a trace of the innate Xuan Bird’s roots appeared in him, which was the reason for his rapid progress.
He finally became the version of himself he both most anticipated and most despised in his youth.
In ten years, he reached Divinity Transformation; twenty years, Void Refinement; forty years, Void Fragmentation; and within a hundred years, he attained Immortal status.
He reached Enlightenment in three hundred years, Shedding Void Stage in five hundred years, mumbling in eight hundred years, and became an Immortal Venerable in a thousand years.
Just a trace of innate roots enhanced his aptitude by thousands and thousands of times over.
Further blessed by the Xuan Bird, the youth was granted the title of [Shennong], taking the path of agriculture, becoming the most renowned Spirit Plant Cultivator of the Huaiwo Divine Dynasty!
He could grow Spiritual Roots and Immortality Medicine that others couldn’t!
But more than planting these, he delighted in researching the Five Grains Immortal Grain, addressing the world’s hunger while also answering the Xuan Bird’s expectations.
If she wishes to see him shine brightly, he is willing to live as she expects him to.
The world’s accolades toward him increased while the ridicule diminished.
During the Jiang Water Tribulation, he made great contributions to the Huaiwo Divine Dynasty and was conferred the title of Immortal Venerable of Agriculture!
During the Sea of Years famine, he stemmed the tide, returning the Sea of Years to stability!
In the Battle of Heaven Separation’s Peak, he earned the allegiance of the Yin Mountain Hundred Clans and made a name for himself across the Nine Springs!
He also deciphered the secret of the Divine Bean, causing the Ancient Country’s Spiritual Roots to reemerge in the world, even Reverse Saints awakened because of this!
He was no longer the person abandoned by the world but someone embraced and watched by the entire world.
But compared to the view of the entire world, he only cared about one person’s gaze.
The young man could never forget how serious the Xuan Bird’s eyes looked when she said she was looking forward to him.
Her eyes once shone brightly for a moment, enough for him to miss her for a lifetime.
So he became an Immortal King and also an Immortal Emperor, taking the title of the Five Grains Emperor, fulfilling his promise to the Xuan Bird.
Yet there was one thing he could never accomplish. Even as the titled Shennong, he still could not cultivate the five grains that the Xuan Bird could consume, at most only a Divine Bean for her to taste.
There are five Divine Grains: rice, millet, wheat, barley, and beans.
The Divine Bean belongs to the beans category, apart from which the other four divine grains of the ancient country have vanished into history.
To make the Divine Bean reappear in the world is already defying the heavens for the young man.
He knew well that he might never be able to bring back all the Divine Five Grains within his lifetime, but if she was still waiting, he would persist in this task, never giving up.
"I really want to taste what the other divine grains are like~"
"It’s not that I’m tired of the beans, but there’s another one I crave even more, I really want to taste it~"
The young man asked the Xuan Bird which one she most wanted to eat, so he could focus his research.
"Oh, how the once pure little fool has also become cunning. Trying to trick me into saying those words won’t work, teasing a girl like this requires bearing the consequences~"
Cunning? Teasing?
Just asking what you want to eat counts as cunning, teasing?
The young man expressed his inability to understand.
"It turns out I still like that little fool of mine~"
"But if it’s you, one day you will surely be able to recover all those lost things, I always have unwavering faith in that~"
The young man made a silent vow to grow all the legendary Divine King Five Grains because she expected it so.
But later, the young man no longer had the chance to cultivate the five grains.
The floods and waves turned the land into the sea, with countless cauldron ring worlds sinking into the deep sea, along with his medicinal field, all turned into nothing.
Before a tragedy, everyone has countless wishes, but after the tragedy occurs, people are left with only one wish.
Unfortunately, even such a small wish, he could not realize, could not protect, could not save...
[Hate, curse, it is that person who took her away from your side...]
[Demon Bow, Mang Yi!]
[You were right behind her, yet could do nothing! All because of your weakness, unable to match Mang Yi’s Desolate Blood!]
[Even the true Heavenly Destiny Xuan Bird is no match for Mang Yi. How could someone like you, who only stole a sliver of the Xuan Bird’s bloodline, possibly avenge!]
[You betrayed the trust of the Yin Mountain Hundred Clans, stole the Candle Blood, reincarnated as the Candle Dragon, and renamed yourself Jichen!]
[But this is far from enough! You need to seize more innate roots! Otherwise, how can you vent this hatred!]
[Pull those born with superior bloodlines and ancestral shadows off their pedestals, trample them into the mud!]
[Tear apart all those who looked indifferently at the Xuan Bird’s death, burying them with her!]
[Annihilate all living beings in the world... then create a world that belongs only to her!]
The Heart Spirit World was completely engulfed by flames!
The young man’s self-awareness rapidly dissipated, like a candle in the wind; his eyes were shrouded in darkness, completely corroded by the Nightmare Qi, and at this moment, his aura had reached its peak.
Yes! He remembered!
He was not Qi! He was not Ji!
He was the Sixth Nightmare Master of the Nightmare Disaster, Jichen!
Fulfilling the will of the Destruction Venerable, to annihilate all primordial spirit bloodlines in the world, for one person to mourn, and for one person to return!
"Fighting Saint Ape! Your bloodline is mine! Nightmare Technique, Spirit Capturing! Nightmare Technique, Spirit Prison!"
"I am the Prison Nightmare Master, even primordial spirits entering this Spirit Prison shall be like ordinary people! Those I wish to imprison, none can escape my Spirit Capturing!"
Jichen unfolded the Nightmare Technique, transforming the Five Prisons Punishment Mountain to transcend space, forcefully drawing Wuzhiqi to him, trapping him under the mountain.
Indeed, his Spirit Capturing Technique nearly seized Wuzhiqi, truly startling Wuzhiqi.
But an anomaly occurred, interrupting his Spirit Capturing Technique, directly locking his Heart Spirit Space.
A butterfly, which crossed the realm, was confined into his Heart Spirit World.
...
Ning Fan slightly furrowed his brow.
He had been devouring Yingxuan all the way, almost reaching Yingxuan’s Nightmare Qi Crystal Core.
The delicious taste was near at hand, yet unexpectedly, Yingxuan, fearing the loss of the Crystal Core, admitted defeat, employing his means as the Heart Nightmare Master, trapping Ning Fan in someone’s Heart Spirit World.
What is this heaven-defying method? To forcibly trap a person within another’s inner world? It’s inconceivable.
Clearly, when suppressing Yingxuan last time, he did not have such a method, but in this rematch, Yingxuan had learned such a strange Nightmare Technique, somewhat underestimating Yingxuan...
Then came the problem.
Whose Heart Spirit World was this?
And how could one leave this realm?
Ning Fan tried, finding that mere force could not break the Heart Seal of this realm, but required following the rules of the Heart Seal to crack it.
Thus, Tianren Green Light flickered, understanding in an instant. Once trapped in the Heart Seal, he needed to defeat the owner of the Heart Spirit as if engaging in a Dao Thought Battle to escape the opponent’s heart spirit.
As for the owner of this Heart Spirit World, it was actually the Sixth Calamity, Jichen.
"I see, it was Yingxuan sealing my Heart Spirit, ruining my plans."
Jichen’s gaze became even colder.
At this moment, what he most wanted to do was suppress Wuzhiqi, seize his Fighting Bloodline, and utterly destroy his primordial spirit dignity.
But Yingxuan thought well, being unable to defeat the enemy, he trapped the enemy in someone else’s Heart Spirit World, forcing others to resolve it.
Yet, why should he help Yingxuan deal with this butterfly!
He had no favorable impression of Yingxuan, nor any interest in this acquired butterfly’s bloodline, only in hunting primordial spirits!
[Just because the Nightmare King commands, meeting this butterfly, destroy without mercy! Act quickly, destroy this butterfly, or the Nightmare King’s agreement with you will be void!]
A voice echoed in Jichen’s Heart Spirit World, dispelling the dissatisfaction in Jichen’s heart.
Yes, the Nightmare King commands, the butterfly must be destroyed. If not complied with, the agreement will be nullified...
Then, he could only set aside the Fighting Saint Ape to prioritize the Nightmare King’s command!
"Nightmare Technique, Spirit Capturing!"
"Nightmare Technique, Spirit Prison!"
Jichen unleashed the Spirit Capturing Technique, sufficiently powerful to capture a full-icon Fighting Saint Ape’s divine abilities, yet he could not capture Ning Fan, and the backfire caused the Spirit Capturing Technique to become somewhat out of control.
Jichen summoned the Five Prisons Punishment Mountain, but similarly failed to subjugate Ning Fan under the mountain, his five mountains hovering over Ning Fan, hesitating as if in fear.
What’s going on?
This butterfly clearly only has a mortal butterfly root, why is it more difficult to constrain than a full-icon Fighting Saint Ape!
Even an Initial Saint under this prison technique would temporarily lose seven-tenths of their cultivation, yet this butterfly isn’t even a Saint; the Saint Ring is merely borrowed from another, how can it remain unmoved under the Nightmare Prison!
Is this a power accessible to mortals?
"Can’t comprehend why your punishment mountain dares not to suppress me?"
Ning Fan certainly wouldn’t bother to explain to Jichen, but didn’t mind speaking slightly, to strike at Jichen’s Dao Thought.
After all, this Heart Spirit Battle was akin to a Dao Thought Battle. Ning Fan quickly saw the instability in the opponent’s Dao Thought, a weakness worth exploiting, hence pretended to strike at his weak point with these words.
The reason Jichen’s Five Prisons Punishment Mountain dared not to suppress Ning Fan was twofold.
Firstly, the Five Prisons Punishment Mountain requires a Nightmare Qi Crystal Core to activate the power; in other words, when Jichen uses this technique, the Nightmare Qi Crystal Core within him would transfer into the punishment mountain.
What is a Nightmare Demon? Nightmare Demons are similar to Nieli existences!
Who is Ning Fan! Ning Fan is the Demon Ancestor of the Fu Li race, the nemesis of Nieli, and has just consumed tens of thousands of Yaksha inside Yingxuan, refining a drop of ancestral blood.
The might of the Demon Ancestor of the Fu Li race grows stronger!
Facing Ning Fan, even the Nightmare King Yao Gu, who is the incarnation of the world’s will, feels fear. How could the mere Five Prisons Punishment Mountain not fear Ning Fan?
If the Five Prisons Punishment Mountain could speak, it would definitely ridicule its master Jichen.
Master, oh master, you use me to smash this butterfly, it’s like handing over your Crystal Core to the opponent’s mouth. I’ve never seen such a naive Nightmare Master! Even Yingxuan knows to protect his Crystal Core to avoid it being eaten by the butterfly, but you are completely unprepared for this. Are you being overly confident!
Secondly, fundamentally, the Five Prisons Punishment Mountain is a variant of the Barbarian God Punishment Mountain. Ning Fan also has this in his body, and has even more of them.
Jichen only has one Five Prisons Punishment Mountain, while Ning Fan has thirty-six Barbarian God Punishment Mountains within him!
According to the limitation of the minority not overpowering the majority, if there’s only one Punishment Mountain, it can’t suppress Ning Fan, unless breaking the rules with special means.
With these two reasons, naturally, the Five Prisons Punishment Mountain doesn’t dare and cannot suppress Ning Fan.
Ning Fan, opening the Tianren Eye Technique, instantly understands this.
But Jichen, whose consciousness is clouded by Nightmare Qi, fails to notice this.
Seeing that Ning Fan, who was just a mere butterfly, can achieve such terrifying feats, a new flame of jealousy ignites in Jichen’s eyes, and this feeling of jealousy will bring him continuous strength.
"Clearly Yingxuan’s Heart Nightmare Technique is effective here, yet my more powerful Prison Nightmare Technique is utterly ineffective against this butterfly... Is there some reason my magic is being countered?"
But I have other methods, if Nightmare Technique doesn’t work, I’ll use others!
Jichen activates an idea, twelve colorful lights spread across the Heart Spirit World, and twelve arrow books transform into True Illusion Arrows, shooting towards Ning Fan.
But they cannot hit Ning Fan.
It’s not that Ning Fan did anything, rather the Purple Robe Straw Man of Wuzhiqi protected him once again, though he doesn’t really need such protection.
The moment the twelve arrow books were about to hit Ning Fan, they directly teleport away and disappear without a trace.
Almost at the same time, twenty-four screams echo out.
Wuzhiqi gets hit a second time, enduring twelve arrows, painfully and angrily cursing.
Yingxuan, also unlucky, gets hit by twelve arrows again. To hit Wuzhiqi, one must first pierce Yingxuan’s belly... Actually, the arrows could directly teleport inside Yingxuan’s abdomen to strike Wuzhiqi, but as if possessing their own consciousness, the arrows insist on piercing Yingxuan’s belly stubbornly, which can only be blamed on Yingxuan’s misfortune...
"Good! Very good! I’m locked in your Heart Spirit, and you retaliate by shooting twelve arrow books at me again!" Yingxuan understands everything.
"Don’t let me find out who’s ambushing me! Ugh... As soon as I open my mouth to speak, the attacks of these Nightmare Demons and Nightmare Beasts enter my mouth, tasting weird, what on earth is this stuff..." Wuzhiqi angrily mumbles.
On the Four Seas Mountain, the Huawei Cultivators originally planned to sacrifice themselves valiantly, activating the Four Seas Protection Array to fight Yingxuan to the death, to rescue Nifan and Wuzhiqi.
Unexpectedly, before they could even begin the sacrifice, they see Yingxuan screaming miserably, seemingly about to be beaten to death.
We haven’t exerted any effort, why are you collapsing already?
"Wait! The situation seems different from my predictions... Judging by this scenario, Nifan and Wuzhiqi don’t need us to intervene, they can escape from Yingxuan’s belly, and if we prematurely activate the formation to attack, it might drag them in, affecting them. Let me conduct a divination to see what should be done..."
But just as Wuxian hasn’t calculated a specific outcome, Yingxuan’s screams cease.
The Nightmare Master of the Sixth Nightmare Realm, Jichen, suddenly starts screaming again!
"How dare you! I am the Prison Nightmare Technique, how dare you consume my prison!" Jichen’s angry voice reverberates throughout the Huaiwo World, eager to kill Ning Fan at any cost.
It turns out Ning Fan didn’t get Yingxuan’s Nightmare Qi Crystal Core, feeling quite regretful, settled for consuming Jichen’s Crystal Core.
In Jichen’s Heart Spirit World, Ning Fan chases after the Five Prisons Punishment Mountain everywhere he goes, every time catching up, he opens his Divine Giant Mouth, biting fiercely.
It’s somewhat hard, somewhat tooth-breaking, not tasty... But biting down increases cultivation for several tribulations, this feeling is incredible.
The Five Prisons Punishment Mountain wants to fight back, but is powerless against the suppression of the Demon Ancestor of the Fu Li race.
Jichen, at the very least comparable to an Initial Saint, though not a true Saint, has not condensed Mountain and Sea, yet his Divine Skills achieve the power of Saint Technique.
Yet every time he attacks Ning Fan, all Divine Skills strangely miss, getting transmitted elsewhere.
"Ah! Jichen, are you blind? Why do you keep attacking me with the Earth Giant Hound Divine Spear! And you’ve hit me dozens of times!" Yingxuan suffers blow after blow, firmly believing this is Jichen’s retaliation.
"Ouch! My monkey fur, my precious monkey fur has been scraped off by this spear! It’s my cherished loved one’s hair, losing one means fewer each time! Who is so ruthless, trying to make me bald!" Wuzhiqi roars.
Heads can break, blood can flow, how can a handsome monkey be bald! It’s intolerable!
The price of roaring is getting fed another mouthful of something indescribable by Tian Gong Beast.
Fortunately, after so many times, Wuzhiqi had somewhat gotten used to the taste, not finding it particularly unbearable. After chewing and spitting out the contents of his mouth, he once again wielded the iron rod, creating havoc in Yingxuan’s belly.
At first, Wuzhiqi couldn’t figure out the teleportation rules inside Yingxuan’s stomach. His random actions always transported him to bizarre locations, and when he wanted to strike Yingxuan, his rod would miss, dissipating his strength into thin air, failing to inflict effective damage on Yingxuan.
But as time went by, Wuzhiqi’s muscle-bound brain gradually figured out some tricks. Finally, he could bypass the rules and fiercely smash the iron rod against Yingxuan’s intestinal walls.
The scene became increasingly difficult to describe with yellow and white matters splattering.
With that, Yingxuan’s suffering doubled.
Not only did he have to deal with Jichen’s seemingly malicious external attacks, but he also had to cope with Wuzhiqi’s internal assaults.
He tried to spew Wuzhiqi out, but he couldn’t. He regretted his impulsive decision to swallow both Wuzhiqi and Ning Fan.
"Damn Jichen! Damn monkey! If the Heart Seal could trap more than one person, I’d definitely lock this monkey in Jichen’s Heart Spirit World too."
Jichen was in agony as well at this moment.
Every time Ning Fan consumed a piece of the Five Prisons Punishment Mountain, he would also devour some of his Nightmare Qi core, continuously suffering from backlash, with his breath weakening every moment.
He didn’t refrain from counterattacking, but all counterattacks mysteriously missed.
Even when directly punching Ning Fan, any damage dealt to Ning Fan mysteriously disappeared, as if someone else endured it.
This was incredibly unfair!
Even in a normal battle against Ning Fan, he might not win, and now Ning Fan seemed to be invincible, with a full-defense Wuzhiqi blocking damage, akin to having an infinite health bar.
Jichen couldn’t do anything against Ning Fan at all, only watching helplessly as Ning Fan wreaked havoc in his Heart Spirit World, but it wasn’t Ning Fan’s fault; after all, this butterfly was let in by Yingxuan!
Yingxuan’s tactic of redirecting disaster was truly shameless!
"All attacks are ineffective against this butterfly; it seems like a true Dao Thought Battle, where I must use my Dao thoughts to clash with this butterfly’s Dao thoughts. Though the Purple Grass technique can be a substitute for death, a Dao Thought Battle cannot be replaced, only the true self can engage!"
Seeing all means fail, Jichen’s expression instead turned calm, as he made a decision.
The darkness in his eyes slightly dissipated, allowing a fraction of his consciousness to awaken, aiming to summon the madness of his true self’s Dao thoughts to decisively confront Ning Fan.
Jichen understood that with the chaotic Dao thoughts clouded by Nightmare Qi, he couldn’t outfight Ning Fan. Indeed, embodying the Nightmare wasn’t his strongest state of Dao thoughts.
His Dao existed solely for a certain Heavenly Destiny Xuan Bird.
Therefore, the Dao thoughts tainted by Nightmare Qi, focused only on slaughter and destruction, were far from his strongest form.
But if it was for protecting her, he would willingly... exhaust everything!
"At this moment, I am not Jichen but... Qi! And because of this, now I can feel we are alike. Both from mortal to immortal, both having ordinary roots, both... forever losing the one we love... Butterfly, your Dao thoughts are strong, far more formidable than the combat prowess you exhibit, but my obsession surpasses yours!"
The youth named Qi slowly closed his eyes, two streams of blood-red tears flowed, though they weren’t genuine blood, but red wax.
When the candle turns to ash, tears begin to dry.
"Others become Nightmares, often against their will, but I am different. The Sixth Calamity’s Nightmare Master shouldn’t have been me, yet I forcibly defied fate, usurping everything."
"I would overturn the world, only to bring one person back, such comprehension you do not possess! For your heart holds spare emotions, living not only for one person; while my heart holds but one, leaving no room for others."
"Thus, in the sea of Dao thoughts woven by my Four Noble Truths, become the tears of a waning candle!"
The Dao Thought Battle begins!
Ning Fan couldn’t refuse, for he was located in the opponent’s Heart Spirit World, all the discourse governed by the opponent, how could he refuse?
"And so, hoping to rely on devouring the Crystal Core to defeat this person might be wishful thinking. Only in the Dao Thought Battle can the victor be determined..."
The scenery of the Heart Spirit World quickly changed.
The previously blazing flames vanished somewhere unknown, transforming into a snowstorm covering the sky.
Before him, the scene shifted into an endless ice river.
Ning Fan stood by the riverbank, pains surged all around him, as if beaten, with unhealed injuries lingering. Yet, such pain wasn’t reality, but Jichen’s Dao thoughts transformed, the injuries nonexistent, merely allowing Ning Fan to resonate with Jichen’s memories of reincarnation.
"I see, in this Dao Thought Battle, I must experience all of Jichen’s reincarnation pasts as Jichen. What kind of result needs to be achieved to defeat his Dao thoughts..."
Just as he pondered, an urging voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Qi! Today is the day our clan awakens their blood, all eligible members are gathered at Divine Foot City, why are you still here delaying? If you are late again this time, missing the awakening ceremony, Earth Venerable will punish you again!"