Ninth In the World

Di Jiu was teleported from the Small Central World. He knew very well the difficulties of teleporting between two continents. Even he would not be able to build a Teleportation Array that could teleport one between two realms. Besides, he was certain that when he teleported over, the Teleportation Array of the Small Central World already held a record of his aura. He could teleport back again, but it would be unrealistic to bring Hai Hong back to the Small Central World along with him.

When he thought of this, Di Jiu said frankly, “Daoist Hai, the reason I could teleport here from the Small Central World was because I possessed a special identity. Let’s do it this way. I will wait here for three months. When that expert from the Small Central World who came here to recruit genius disciples comes again, I will help you ask him if there is any way around it.”

He was going to leave Di Di there for a while. Hence, he still needed Hai Hong to help him look after her. He had to repay Hai Hong’s favor, no matter what. He believed that the reason Hai Hong was so good to him was that he wanted to head to the Small Central World.

“Thank you, Daoist Di,” said Hai Hong as he hurriedly stood up and bowed.

If this had concerned any other matter, he would not have been so insensible as to ask Di Jiu to stay there and wait for three months. However, heading to the Small Central World was too important to him. He had to accept this offer even if it made him seem shameless.

During this conversation, Xun Yi, who had previously left, returned. He handed a jade talisman and a map jade slip to Di Jiu and said, “Sir, a cave abode has been found. This jade talisman is the contract talisman of the cave abode. The owner of this talisman can enter and leave as they please. This jade slip depicts the location of the cave abode.”

“Thank you.” Di Jiu took the two items and stood up. Di Di’s cultivation level was too weak, so she needed to enter reclusive cultivation as soon as possible. He also wanted to set up some protective measures around the cave abode.

“I will not disturb you any further, Daoist Di. If you need any help, you just have to say so and I will help you to the best of my ability.” Hai Hong stood up as well, ready to see Di Jiu off.

Di Jiu cupped his fists once again and said, “Thank you, Daoist Hai. I still have a matter I will need your help with. I have a friend called Qu Xiaoshu, who originally lived in Pearl City. After what happened with my family, his entire family moved away. I would like you to help me investigate where the Qu Family has moved to.”

“This sounds easy to accomplish. I will inform you as soon as I have any news,” said Hai Hong readily. This was indeed not a big deal to him.

He was the Star Everlasting Guild Master after all, so all the empires in the Yalun Continent treated him with a certain level of respect.

After thanking Hai Hong once more, Di Jiu left Hai Hong’s cave abode with Di Di.

Even though Di Jiu possessed the details of the location of the cave abode, Hai Hong ordered Xun Yi to take Di Jiu and Di Di to the cave abode before leaving.

Although Di Jiu had said that this would be a temporary cave abode, the cave abode Hai Hong had found was not small. Its circumference was several hundred square meters, and inside the cave was a small courtyard. In the courtyard was a small spiritual herb garden filled with newly-transplanted spiritual herbs. The level of these herbs was not high, but they were all mid-level spiritual herbs used for healthy nourishment.

“Di Di, I will set up some confinement arrays and Defense Arrays in this cave abode later. The confinement array will have a record of your aura so that you can enter and leave as you will. Anyone else who wishes to do so must get your permission first. The confinement array can be activated by sending your intent into this jade card.” Di Jiu took out a new jade card and handed it to Di Di.

He naturally did not want to keep the original Defense Array of this cave abode, as its level was too low.

“Ah Jiu, is the place you are going to far away?” Di Di became increasingly aware of how weak she was as she cultivated. She knew that Di Jiu would be implicated if she did not increase her strength as soon as possible. She was worried about him, for the two of them were most likely the only members of the Di Family now.

Di Jiu nodded his head. “That’s right. I will first search for Uncle Tian, but I will still be coming back here. In three months, I will be heading to a faraway place.”

Di Di did not ask Di Jiu where he was going. She had a feeling that when the galaxy meridian formed within her body in the future, she would also belong to the vast universe and space.

…

Di Jiu left the Star Everlasting Cultivation City a day later, when he had set up all the necessary Dharma Arrays in the cave abode Di Di would be staying at. Among those Dharma Arrays was a level-four Spirit-Gathering Array. Di Di’s cultivation level was too low. Thus, he would incur the wrath of the masses if he set up a level-nine Spirit Gathering Array.

Di Di would also need cultivating resources. Therefore, he had left behind his own insights on cultivation and 10 saber talismans. Each of these saber talismans recorded a Spiritual Force image of him.

This was a feat that could not be accomplished through his Pioneer Sea Realm Cultivation. However, he also possessed a level-ten Spiritual Force, so the Spiritual Force image produced was even clearer than the images made by True Form Realm Cultivators.

After leaving the Star Everlasting Cultivation City, Di Jiu returned to the borders of the Ji Nation once again. Although it was hard to find Qu Xiaoshu, the same was not true for Tian Ku. Tian Ku was a general. Hence, he would definitely be at the borders of the Ji Nation.

…

The Union City was the biggest city north of the Ji Nation. Further up north was the territory of the West Vertigo Nation.

The Union City was currently filled with an aura of defeat. Everyone felt as if the end of the world was about to arrive. Only a few people would appear occasionally on the streets of the massive city. These people looked expressionless and lifeless.

On the main seat in the rundown City Lord Manor sat a man with average stature and untrimmed stubble. One of his hands was slung from his neck with a bandage and the armor he was wearing was filled with bloodstains.

Boom! Boom! The sound of cannons firing traveled from outside the city. The rundown City Lord Manor shook, causing mud and debris to fall on the ground.

Sitting on the left was a tall, fierce-looking man who shouted angrily, “According to the war regulations set by the Lu Yuan Empire, no explosive weapons are allowed to be used! How dare the bastards from the West Vertigo Nation use their cannons so publicly! We must report this back to the empire…”

There were more than a dozen people in the City Lord Manor, yet none of them spoke up in agreement. The Lu Yuan Empire did have such a regulation. The Ji Nation naturally abode by it strictly and dared not go against it. However, if the West Vertigo Nation had dared use cannons, it was evident that the Lu Yuan Empire had tacitly agreed. If the Ji Nation used cannons as well, the Lu Yuan Empire would most likely send its national army immediately to oppress them. The Lu Yuan Empire was neither saying nor doing anything as the West Vertigo Nation was using cannons against the Ji Nation. It was obvious that differences existed even between the colonies under the rule of the Lu Yuan Empire.

“Commander Tian, at this rate, we will not be able to resist once they blast the city walls.” Sitting beside the stubbled man was a middle-aged man with slightly pale skin.

Commander Tian extended a fist out and slammed it on the table. Perhaps he had used too much strength, for blood started seeping out of his broken arm.

After slamming his fist onto the table, he stood up. “I was originally the Di Family’s guard. The Di Family was exterminated by Wu Bahu, yet I unfortunately did not possess the capability to kill Wu Bahu to avenge the general. Instead, we have been trapped here by the combined oppression of the West Vertigo Nation and Wu Bahu’s armies. I am the one who led everyone down this path. I’ve let everyone down.”

“Big Brother Tian, why are you still harping on this? Ever since I followed you and joined the army, I have forsaken my own life,” said the tall, fierce-looking man, who was called Zhe Meng.

“That’s right, Commander Tian. Command us without any reservations. No member of the Di Frontier Army is a coward,” said everyone else in high spirits.

Tian Ku clenched his fist tightly. “In that case, we will do what we did yesterday. We will open the city gates and kill people to our hearts’ content.”

…

When Di Jiu arrived, he happened to see the cannons attacking the Union City. He was slightly surprised, for he knew very well that the Ji Nation was not allowed to develop any weapons, much less use cannons to attack a city. This regulation applied not only to the Ji Nation, but also to the other countries.

Back in Pearl City, Di Jiu had not quite understood why developing weapons was not allowed. However, he understood why now. That was not a regulation established by any empire. It had been devised by sects from the Cultivation World. These sects were also worried that mortals would develop ultimate weapons, and one cannonball would eventually be able to destroy a whole sect.

Di Jiu was enraged when he saw Tian Ku, who was covered in injuries and bandages, leading a group of abjected soldiers out of the city gates. These bastards had actually dared to use weapons to bully Uncle Tian!

Upon seeing the city gates of the Union City open, the West Vertigo Nation stopped firing their cannons. A general in a red robe led several thousand soldiers hurriedly towards the Union City. He evidently looked down on Tian Ku’s injured soldiers and wanted to conquer the Union City in one move.

Di Jiu noticed that the number of soldiers under Tian Ku’s command was smaller than 100,000. The morale of the soldiers was obviously weaker than the morale of the West Vertigo Nation. It seemed like Tian Ku was determined to fight to the bitter end.

Before the two armies could clash, Di Jiu lifted his hand and sent out a wave of Quintessential Essence. The Quintessential Essence transformed into violent gales, sending the red-robed general, who had been rushing at the very front, flying away. These violent gales kept moving forward, extending from both sides and engulfing the front-line soldiers. These soldiers were then tossed into the crowd like dumplings.

The circumference of the violent gale Di Jiu had created was simply too big. It would most likely be an ineffective attack against a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator. However, this was a disaster for mortal armies. Di Jiu actually believed that killing these mortal soldiers was beneath him. Otherwise, one Sky Screen Saber Move of his could have slaughtered all the soldiers charging forward. A casual saber array would also have massacred this army.

Thanks to Di Jiu’s interference, the charging battle formation was in a state of disarray. Even more soldiers slowly realized that their main commander had been sent flying in the air. When this frightening image appeared in their consciousness, no soldiers dared advance any further, no matter how unafraid of dying they were. As the front line backed away, the several hundreds of soldiers acted chaotically and a stampede took place.

Their battle formation was a mess. The victor had already been determined.

Tian Ku had originally intended to fight to the bitter end, as he was fully prepared to die. Otherwise, when they had charged out of the city gates in this manner, the opposing army would definitely not have eradicated his army before the assaulting battle formation had been formed.

The outcome of him not charging out would have been the same. The opponent had used cannons, so the city wall had completely lost its function. Instead of dying in an aggrieved manner within the city, he would rather charge out and fight. This way, some people would be able to escape in the midst of this chaos. Not everyone would have to wait for death in the city.

Tian Ku, who was waiting for his death, had not expected that the West Vertigo Nation Army would get confused before the two armies clashed. Tian Ku had followed Di Shan since he had been 13 years old and conquered the West. He had guarded the borders for several dozens of years, so he knew what he had to do under the circumstances.

He reacted immediately, hollering excitedly, “The bastards from the West Vertigo Nation have lost! Charge ahead with me! Let’s kill those bastards!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill…”

Tens of thousands of Di Frontier Army soldiers charged forward like ferocious tigers breaking out of their slumber and exiting their cages. In just a few minutes, the Di Frontier Army had collectively charged towards the defeated West Vertigo Army.