Chapter 911: Chapter 911: The Enemy Arrives

(Thanks to the book friend for sending the heart as desired, becoming Mosui’s sixth alliance hierarch!)

The Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree gave Ning Fan a blessing, making Ning Fan’s mana significantly increase, and the breakthrough to the Late Stage Enlightenment seems not far away.

After uprooting the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree, Ning Fan’s gaze swept towards Liuhe Immortal. He saw a trace of fear in Liuhe’s eyes.

1.35 million Seven-Colored Runes successfully intimidated Liuhe Immortal Lord. Such an achievement is not something an ordinary Immortal Emperor can achieve, but Ning Fan did it…

“This person is definitely not an Immortal Emperor, nor possibly an Immortal King. Otherwise, within the wilds, this person would be rampant and would not need to hide in this king’s South Li Fire Formation.”

“The reason this person can condense 1.35 million runes must be due to borrowing some external force. Although he borrowed external power, the fact that he could maneuver under this king’s nose also shows that this person is extraordinary. This person hides behind a ghost face, conceals his true cultivation even with this king’s power of insight, but I suspect his cultivation might truly have reached the Timeless Realm…”

“In this case, even if not for Miaoyan’s sake, just looking at this person’s strength alone, this king should not offend him too deeply…”

Liuhe Immortal Lord maintained a serene appearance but internally decided that unless necessary, he would never actively provoke Ning Fan again. Upon glimpsing Ning Fan’s eye, there was now a hint of courtesy, precisely the outcome Ning Fan desired.

“With this intimidation, Liuhe Immortal should not come to trouble me again…” thought Ning Fan to himself.

Liuhe Immortal Lord’s previous troubles and tests were unwelcomed by Ning Fan, but ultimately Ning Fan did not tear face with Liuhe.

This South Li Fire Formation belongs to Liuhe Immortal’s fire formation and is the station for human cultivators, with two human clan Immortal Honorifics overseeing.

Staying here ensures better protection for Xian Luoli, Zhao Die’er, and millions of stone warriors; leaving could risk attacks from hordes of Barbarian Beast, Barbarian Ancestor…

To leverage the protection provided by the two Immortal Venerables and the South Li Fire Formation for the people of Tianman City, Ning Fan did not wish the relationship with Liuhe to become too strained.

“As long as this Liuhe Immortal Lord does not cross my final line, I can let today’s matters go…”

Ning Fan’s final line consists of Xian Luoli, Zhao Die’er, and the millions of stone warriors.

For their safety, Ning Fan can endure the past events.

For their safety, Ning Fan is equally capable of doing astonishing deeds.

This is the line! This, is his Dao!

“This king already believes that Daoist Zhao possesses the cultivation level of an Immortal Venerable. Therefore, this king wishes to make a request to Daoist Zhao and hopes Daoist Zhao will not refuse.” Liuhe Immortal Lord’s tone was visibly more courteous than before.

“A request? I wonder what Liuhe Immortal Lord wishes to request of Zhao?”

Ning Fan’s eyes twinkled slightly, for in genuinely following his heart, he was unwilling to agree to any personal requests from Liuhe Immortal Lord.

“This king’s request is not a personal matter but a public matter. This affair definitely does not exceed Daoist’s capabilities, so Daoist Zhao need not worry, and I kindly ask Daoist Zhao not to refuse.” After speaking, Liuhe Immortal Lord slowly opened his mouth to state his request.

Half an hour later, Ning Fan and Miaoyan Immortal Honorific walked out of the palace and left the First Peak. Ning Fan’s expression was quite complicated.

Liuhe Immortal Lord’s request was for Ning Fan to preside over the South Li Fire Formation’s Third Peak, becoming its Peak Master and unlocking the flame runes of the Third Peak.

The South Li Fire Formation is the defense formation of the human station, consisting of three fire peaks. Each fire peak seals countless flame runes within. Those runes are named Lihuo Runes.

The First Peak rises nine thousand zhang high, and nine million Lihuo Runes are sealed within.

The Second Peak rises six thousand zhang high, holding only six million Lihuo Runes.

The Third Peak rises a thousand zhang high, sealing only one million Lihuo Runes.

The power of South Li Fire Formation is closely related to the total number of runes unlocked from the three fire peaks; the more runes unlocked, the greater the formation’s power.

The First Peak has always been presided over by Liuhe Immortal Lord, who with his strength can barely unlock seven million runes within, which is his limit; the remaining two million runes cannot be unlocked.

Before Miaoyan and Ning Fan arrived, there was no Peak Master presiding over the Second Peak and Third Peak. Thus, the runes within the peaks remained sealed. Ordinary Fragmented Thought Cultivators had their cultivation suppressed by the Banishing Immortal Force, rendering them too weak to unlock the runes within the peaks.

Liuhe Immortal Lord’s idea was to have Miaoyan Immortal Honorific preside over the Second Peak, unlocking the six million runes therein; and have Ning Fan preside over the Third Peak, unlocking the million runes within.

In this manner, the total runes of South Li Fire Formation could increase from the previous seven million to fourteen million, effectively doubling the formation’s power!

If Barbarian Beasts, Barbarian Ancestors, or Demon Race Immortal Venerables come to attack, with the enhanced power of South Li Fire Formation, it can better defend.

“Unexpectedly, Liuhe Immortal Lord would request me to take charge of the Third Peak, becoming the Peak Master of the Third Peak…” Ning Fan pondered thoughtfully.

Becoming the Peak Master of the Third Peak and unlocking the runes within elevates the power of South Li Fire Formation and better protects the cultivators and stone warriors within the formation.

This matter was not a private request from Liuhe Immortal Lord, but a public matter. Thus, Ning Fan did not refuse it.

“I’m now heading to the Second Peak… Daoist Zhao, having been hit by the Summon Barbarian Dark Art of the Fifth Generation Barbarian Ancestor, is there any discomfort in your body?” As they flew out of the First Peak’s range, Miaoyan suddenly expressed concern to Ning Fan.

“It’s fine, Zhao’s body does not feel any discomfort. Thank you, Immortal Honorific, for your concern.” Besides the previous Barbarian Pattern backlash, Ning Fan’s Barbarian Pattern on the left face did not have any discomfort.

To Miaoyan Immortal Honorific’s concern, Ning Fan returned a kind smile.

“Not to hide from you, Daoist, I possess a certain secret technique. If three Immortal Venerable level experts could protect you, even the Summon Barbarian Technique could be broken. However, this technique has a drawback, it might cost you a little cultivation… I originally intended to ask the Union Ally to assist, to help you break the Summon Barbarian Technique, but I didn’t expect to cause you quite a bit of trouble… Fortunately, it’s all over now…”

Miaoyan Immortal Honorific’s tone was full of apology.

If it weren’t for her leaking the fact that Ning Fan was affected by the Summon Barbarian Technique, he wouldn’t have been in so much trouble and almost had a falling out with Liuhe Immortal Lord.

Her intention was good, but she almost messed things up…

“Now Liuhe’s attitude towards you has changed. If Zhao Daoyou needs, I can ask Liuhe to help, along with your daughter, and myself, all three can protect you, surely breaking the Summon Barbarian Technique inside you. Daoist Zhao, do you need my assistance to break this Summon Barbarian Technique? If needed, feel free to ask.”

Miaoyan Immortal Honorific displayed extreme sincerity; Ning Fan had saved her life, and she would certainly not sit idly by if he needed help.

The Summon Barbarian Technique had brought Ning Fan a lot of trouble, but not without benefits. After pondering, Ning Fan replied,

“Thank you for your kindness, Immortal Honorific sincerely treats Zhao. Zhao would not hide from the Immortal Honorific, this Summon Barbarian Technique may not necessarily be a bad thing for Zhao. If not removed, it may even turn out to be an opportunity. Zhao doesn’t plan to remove the Summon Barbarian Technique just yet, but will surely seek your assistance if truly needed.”

“Oh? The Barbarian Clan’s Summon Barbarian Dark Art can even become your opportunity?” Miaoyan Immortal Honorific was slightly surprised but did not inquire further.

Upon learning Ning Fan was not troubled by the Summon Barbarian Technique, Miaoyan Immortal Honorific no longer brought it up, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then returned to the Second Peak.

As for Ning Fan, he returned alone to the Third Peak, gave a few instructions to Xian Luoli and others before heading directly to the top of the Third Peak.

The summit of the Third Peak was desolate, without any grass, wood, or palaces. As his foot touched the ground, a scorching wave of air rushed towards Ning Fan. This wave was enough to threaten the life of a first step cultivator, yet naturally, it posed no harm to Ning Fan at all.

With a flicker, Ning Fan entered the Xuan Yin Treasure.

Called to the First Peak by Liuhe, Ning Fan faced some difficulties but also gained a lot.

He received the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree from Miaoyan Immortal Honorific. Once inside Xuan Yin Treasure, Ning Fan planted this tree near the Western Realm Cave Dwelling.

The Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree now stood 135 zhang tall. If it grows to 200 zhang tall, it can once again bring benefits to Ning Fan. To make the tree grow taller, the number of Seven-Colored Runes on the tree needs to be increased.

After recognizing its master, the only remaining way to increase the runes on the tree was to water it with Daoquan, to promote its growth.

Daoquan, also known as Great Dao Spring Water, is a relatively rare Spiritual Spring, divided into nine grades, with ninth grade being the lowest and first grade being the highest.

Throughout his journey, Ning Fan has occasionally obtained some ninth and eighth grade Daoquan through killing and seizing treasures. With no other use, they are perfect for watering the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree.

One small bottle of ninth grade Daoquan could sell for ten million Dao Crystals, while eighth grade Daoquan could go for fifty million Dao Crystals.

Ning Fan had hundreds of bottles of Daoquan, which he used to water the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree.

With hundreds of bottles of Daoquan, the number of runes on the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree increased slightly, adding about two hundred.

Two hundred or so runes only made the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree grow by two inches…

“The Daoquan I possess, equivalent to tens of billions of Dao Crystals, only made the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree grow taller by two inches…”

Ning Fan was inwardly speechless, realizing that making the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree grow to 200 zhang tall would require thousands of billions of Dao Crystals to purchase Daoquan.

The Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree is indeed a money-burning tree…

“The Daoquan I have is now exhausted. I can only wait to buy more Daoquan in the future to continue watering the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree…”

Ning Fan then took out three brocade boxes containing Emperor Spirit Fruit and examined them closely.

He won three Emperor Spirit Fruits from Liuhe Immortal Lord, a considerable gain indeed.

The Emperor Spirit Fruit is an exclusive Immortal Fruit of the Southern Heaven Immortal World, consuming it can increase the sovereign qi within a cultivator.

Having enough sovereign qi is one of the important conditions to enter the Immortal Emperor Realm. This Immortal Fruit aids in cultivating sovereign qi, hence it is precious. Every time the Emperor Spirit Fruit appears, it is fiercely contested by Timeless Realm Elders.

The energy contained in the Emperor Spirit Fruit is immense. Consuming it requires at least Timeless Realm cultivation, otherwise a considerable portion of its medicinal power is wasted…

For Ning Fan, the Timeless Realm is still afar…

“Currently, my cultivation is insufficient to consume the Emperor Spirit Fruit… Cultivating sovereign qi need not be rushed. These three Emperor Spirit Fruits should be saved for after attaining the Timeless Realm for consumption.”

Ning Fan placed the three Emperor Spirit Fruits in the Western Realm Cave Dwelling. With a flicker, he left the Xuan Yin Treasure, returning to the summit of the Third Peak. He casually took out a small golden house from his storage pouch and rapidly raised it. As it grew against the wind, it gradually transformed into a majestic Golden Palace, landing heavily at the peak.

This small golden house was a Cauldron Ring grade magical treasure, not high-grade. Such low-level magical treasures were abundant for Ning Fan.

Ning Fan gradually stepped into the Golden Palace, standing with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly. After an incense stick’s worth of time, a team of cultivators flew to the summit of the Third Peak, waiting outside the Golden Palace.

This team consisted of thirteen people, all Shedding Void Stage experts from the Yin-Hai Battle Division. The leader was the commander of the Yin-Hai Battle Division, the Fragmented Thought Elder Sang Chong.

Sang Chong came to this place under the orders of Liuhe Immortal Lord, to deliver the formation array command flag of the Third Peak into Ning Fan’s hands.

He held a jade box with a secure seal and respectfully addressed the Golden Palace,

“Junior Sang Chong, seeking an audience with the Senior.”

“Enter,” Ning Fan replied indifferently.

“Yes!”

Sang Chong, leading numerous Shedding Void old monsters, entered the Golden Palace and handed the jade box to Ning Fan, respectfully saying,

“Junior, following the command of the Liuhe Immortal Lord, has specially brought the Third Peak Command Flag to Senior, please verify.”

In front of Ning Fan, Sang Chong dared not even take a deep breath, fearing to anger Ning Fan, nor dared to recklessly use his spirit sense to probe Ning Fan. Ning Fan swallowing his spirit sense before had left a psychological shadow, which made him feel a trace of awe facing Ning Fan at this moment.

“So this is the formation command flag of the Third Peak…”

Ning Fan removed the seal on the jade box, taking out a small fiery red banner. On the banner, there were five Divine Seal Script characters written: ’Nanli Third Peak’.

Only by possessing this formation command flag can one become the Peak Master of the Third Peak, able to unseal the Lihuo runes within the Fire Peak.

This command flag was specially refined by the Liuhe Immortal Lord; without his permission, others simply cannot activate the flag’s power…

And if Liuhe Immortal Lord wills it, this command flag will immediately return to his hand, beyond anyone’s snatching…

“The command flag has been delivered, please Senior Zhao quickly perform the spell to unseal the million runes of the Third Peak. We, juniors, are fire cultivators and wish to stay here to protect Senior!”

Sang Chong’s tone was extremely respectful, but inwardly he was complaining.

The Liuhe Immortal Lord sent him here firstly to deliver the command flag to Ning Fan, and secondly to protect Ning Fan.

Unsealing the Lihuo runes is extremely dangerous; even the Liuhe Immortal Lord needs protection from others.

On that day, when the Liuhe Immortal Lord unsealed seven million Lihuo runes from the First Peak, he invited twenty-four old monsters to protect him.

Among the twenty-four, four were Fragmented Thought elders, and the rest all had cultivations above the Shedding Void Stage. That day, Sang Chong was not among the protectors and did not know the specifics of the situation.

The only thing he knew was that after Liuhe Immortal Lord successfully unsealed seven million Lihuo runes, among the twenty-four old monsters who protected him, seventeen were severely injured, and seven were lightly injured…

“Teng Nan and Teng Bei have been dispatched by the Liuhe Immortal Lord to the Second Peak to protect the Wonderful Speech Immortal Honorific. As for this old man, he has been sent here to protect Senior Zhao Jian… Alas, protecting is too dangerous; today, I’m afraid I’ll have to bear some injuries…” Sang Chong sighed inwardly, and the twelve Shedding Void old monsters behind him were all showing dismal expressions.

The thirteen of them each took out Dao Weapons and magical treasures, guarded themselves, and surrounded Ning Fan, forming a formation in the palace with tense expressions.

Ning Fan ignored these protectors, his eyes glowing azure, secretly activating the Momentum Character Secret, studying the seal formation of the Third Peak’s runes.

At the same time, a thunderous sound came from the direction of the Second Peak, along with sky-high flames, which indicated that the Wonderful Speech Immortal Honorific was unsealing the Lihuo runes of the Second Peak.

Without hastening to unseal the runes of the Third Peak, Ning Fan’s gaze condensed slightly, and amidst the puzzled gazes of Sang Chong and others, he walked out of the Golden Palace and sent his spirit sense towards the Second Peak’s direction.

Inside the Second Peak, there were six million Lihuo runes sealed. At the moment, runes were continuously flying out of the Second Peak. And whenever a rune flew out, the great momentum of heaven and earth would be disrupted, forming great blades of power indistinguishable to the naked eye, slicing down from the void.

There were a total of sixteen old monsters protecting the Wonderful Speech Immortal Honorific, among whom two were Thought-Shattering Cultivators—the leaders of the ZiChou Battle Division, Teng Nan and Teng Bei.

Among the sixteen, people were constantly being wounded by the great blades of power—this was the danger of unsealing the Lihuo runes.

If not for the high cultivation of the Wonderful Speech Immortal Honorific who was fiercely suppressing the great momentum, merely relying on the cultivation of Teng Nan, Teng Bei, and the others, they would likely be directly shredded by the great blades of power.

“These great blades of power, extremely dangerous to others, but to me…”

Ning Fan returned to the center of the Golden Palace amidst Sang Chong and others’ confused gazes, secretly activated the Momentum Character Secret, and then ceremoniously raised the command flag in his hand.

Upon seeing Ning Fan finally start unsealing the runes, Sang Chong and the old monsters all had tense expressions, readying themselves with utmost vigilance.

As soon as the command flag soared into the air, numerous fire glows dispersed, directly causing the entire Third Peak to shake.

The shaking was initially gentle but soon became intense, producing a booming sound.

Furthermore, numerous fire runes recklessly flew out from the Fire Peak, completely disrupting the great momentum of this world!

A series of bright white sword beams appeared incessantly over the Third Peak, and upon formation, they sliced towards the direction of the Golden Palace one after another.

These bright white sword beams were all great blades of power, and in just a moment, they shredded the entire Golden Palace into dust!

Inside the Golden Palace, everyone suffered strikes from the great blades of power: ten, a hundred, a thousand… As more runes were unsealed, the number of great blades of power falling from the sky increased!

Initially, Sang Chong and others could contend against the blades, avoiding injuries, but when the number of great blades surpassed three thousand, their defenses began to falter, and old monsters kept groaning and suffering injuries…

Though Sang Chong had Fragmented Thought Cultivation, he still inevitably suffered some injuries.

Ning Fan formed seals with his fingers, activated the power of the command flag, and continuously unsealed Lihuo runes, standing right at the center of the great blades of power’s attacks.

However, no wound appeared on him, and he was completely unscathed by the countless great blades of power falling from the sky.

In terms of real cultivation, Ning Fan was inferior to Sang Chong, indeed to any Shedding Void guardian here.

But in terms of control over momentum, not to mention Sang Chong, even Liuhe and Wonderful Speech, the two Immortal Lords couldn’t compare to Ning Fan who comprehended the Momentum Character Secret!

At this moment, Ning Fan had activated the Momentum Character Secret to its utmost! He was clearly standing there, unmoved, yet for some reason, every great blade of power slicing towards him bizarrely veered inches aside, avoiding him without cutting!

Sang Chong and the thirteen other old monsters widened their eyes in disbelief as they watched this scene.

They couldn’t comprehend how Ning Fan avoided the slash of the Blade of Momentum. The divine skill involved was too profound for them to understand!

What baffled them more was that sudden step Ning Fan took forward!

Ning Fan took a step forward. Without using any divine skills, this step gave Sang Chong and others an indescribable sense of mystery, as if this step trod upon the very veins of the Great Dao.

Originally, the momentum here was chaotic, but after Ning Fan took that step, the chaotic momentum gradually began to stabilize…

Two steps, three steps, four steps…

Ning Fan slowly moved forward, taking nine steps. With the use of the Momentum Character Secret, the chaos here was completely pacified by Ning Fan’s mere nine steps, halting the flow of momentum!

The blades of momentum shattered directly in the sky.

More and more fire runes shot out from the Third Peak, merging into the entire Nanli Fire Formation, but no more blades of momentum appeared.

“Senior Zhao’s divine skill is truly astonishing, even able to quell the momentum! What kind of divine skill is this!”

Sang Chong and the others were all shocked, looking at Ning Fan with unprecedented fervor.

This feat was beyond even the Liuhe Immortal Lord, yet Ning Fan accomplished it. Could it be that Ning Fan was not only an Eternal Immortal Venerable but also one with a cultivation level higher than Liuhe Immortal Lord?

“This boy only took nine steps and managed to quell the momentum!”

On the First Peak, the Liuhe Immortal Lord, who had been watching the Third Peak, was even more apprehensive of Ning Fan.

What he could not do, Ning Fan accomplished effortlessly…

On the Second Peak, the Miaoyan Immortal Honorific, who had successfully unsealed six million Lihuo Runes, was captivated by this spectacle.

She had just unsealed all the runes of the Second Peak and sensed Ning Fan quelling the momentum. She felt both surprised and found it to be expected.

Several dozen breaths later, the million runes of the Third Peak were entirely unsealed by Ning Fan.

At this moment, the Nanli Fire Formation had absorbed 14 million runes, greatly enhancing its power.

Ning Fan and Sang Chong, having finished unsealing the runes, had no time to rest when suddenly, from the distant void outside the fire formation, an overwhelming beastly roar was heard!

In the distance, over eight million barbarian beasts had assembled, charging towards the Nanli Fire Formation!

Following behind the eight million barbarian beasts were three hidden Barbarian Ancestors.

These three Barbarian Ancestors were the Fourth Ancestor, the Second Ancestor, and the tardy First-Generation Barbarian Ancestor!

“First-Generation, First-Generation, you certainly took your time to arrive, but since you are here now, we can finally make a move on that child who fell to the Summon Barbarian Technique. The three of us can all exert the power of Immortal Venerables, while among the humans, only two Immortal Venerables are overseeing. Capturing that child shouldn’t be difficult!” the Fourth Ancestor chuckled sinisterly.

“But before capturing the child, we must first give him a grand gift… These eight million barbarian beasts are for him to devour! Once these beasts are all dead, we shall make our move. Patience, patience…” the Second Ancestor said with a sinister smile, licking his lips.

The First-Generation Barbarian Ancestor stood on the White Bone sword, calmly observing the scene before him with a cold expression, not uttering a word.

In his heart, he seemed to be absolutely confident in the matter of capturing Ning Fan.

His strength was the greatest among the first six Barbarian Ancestors, rivaled only by the gifted Seventh Generation Barbarian Ancestor Fan Mokong.

With eight million barbarian beasts attacking, the human cultivators within the fire formation were immediately filled with cries of alarm.

These human experts had no idea why eight million barbarian beasts were assaulting them! They did not know that these beasts were drawn by the Summon Barbarian Technique within Ning Fan.

The Liuhe Immortal Lord’s gaze turned cold, his expression unprecedentedly serious, as he glanced towards the Third Peak. After a sigh, he dismissed the coldness in his eyes.

He had been constantly making things difficult for Ning Fan, even wanting to expel him from the fire formation, fearing that the Summon Barbarian Technique within Ning Fan would attract a massive beast assault.

Unfortunately, he had not succeeded in driving Ning Fan away…

“Enough, what’s done is done, no use talking further! With this King, Miaoyan, and Zhao Jian overseeing this Nanli Fire Formation, even with eight million barbarian beasts attacking, what is there to fear?”

Liuhe Immortal Lord’s gaze was resolute as he flew from the First Peak, ascending into the sky, saying aloud,

“Dao Friend Miaoyan, Dao Friend Zhao, please join me in controlling the three fire peaks of the Nanli Fire Formation to repel these barbarian beasts!”

With those words, the Liuhe Immortal Lord raised the formation command flag of the First Peak, his spirit sense changing constantly.

Immediately, seven million runes from the Nanli Fire Formation began to flicker, converging into a sky-covering flame palm, striking towards the distant barbarian beast horde.

The power of a single palm was almost comparable to an Immortal Venerable Strike!

With just one strike, tens of thousands of barbarian beasts at the center of the horde perished, but more beasts, appearing crazed, ignited their beast blood without regard for anything else, crashing directly towards the Nanli Fire Formation…

(1/3) Apologies for the interruption in updates yesterday, today I am determined to catch up. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep