The Desolate Era (Web Novel)

Whacko was stunned. For a moment, he couldn’t say a word.

“All of you can go back now. Let me be by myself for a while,” Ning said, then began to walk towards a nearby private room. This was the private room which Yu Wei had designed for him back when they had first arrived here.

Celestial Immortals Allbeasts, Rainsoar, Unity, and the others all watched as Ning walked away, then exchanged glances with each other. There was nothing they could do. They left the house.

……

The private room was very simple, as were the prayer mats and the incense burners…but Yu Wei had personally laid out this room.

Ning swept the room with his gaze. He felt as though he could see Yu Wei decorating the room.

“Senior apprentice-sister,” Ning murmured softly.

He then sat down in the lotus position by himself, closing his eyes.

His thoughts were a complete mess. The countless scenes of him being together with Yu Wei flooded his mind, and he couldn’t help but repeatedly grimace.

Rumble…

A profound, arcane sort of ripple that came from another level of existence brushed past Ning. Not even Daofather Crimsonbright could detect this ripple. As it brushed past Ning, a powerful desire to sleep quickly filled him.

“Eh?!” Ning was shocked. He was a Pure Yang True Immortal; he wouldn’t be so easily mesmerized.

“I am the Godking of the Seamless Gate. You should know of me.” A voice rang out in Ning’s mind.

“You?” Ning’s mind was filled with boundless hate.

After having fought for so long, Ning had naturally engaged the Xia Emperor and the others in conversation. He knew, of course, that the true supreme commander of the Seamless Gate was the Godking. The Nuwa Alliance had learned long ago that the Godking was able to control the world of dreams, was capable of meeting others in their dreams. The Nuwa Alliance, however, was unable to counter this ability of his; they were completely unable to penetrate the dreamworlds which the Godking created.

“I’m going to guide a strand of your thoughts into my world. Let us converse,” the Godking said.

“Fine.” Ning didn’t refuse. He was within the Eight Dragons Cloudcity; he wouldn’t be in much danger at all. Just a strand of his thoughts…even if that strand was severed, it wouldn’t be much of a loss.

Ning allowed a strand of his mind to be guided downwards, downwards into the abyss…

……

Within a vast world of darkness.

A gigantic throne that was thirty thousand meters high was levitating in midair. The Godking was seated on his throne, and before him appeared the figure of Ji Ning.

Ning raised his head to glance coldly at the black-robed figure in midair. The aura around the black robes caused the Godking to seem exceptionally inscrutable and mysterious. Ning said coldly, “Why has an exalted Daofather such as yourself come to seek me out?” Although his heart was filled with boundless hatred, enough hatred to cause an ordinary mortal to go insane…Ning knew very well that the difference in power between himself and the supreme commander of the Seamless Alliance was too great.

“No need to feel such hatred for me.” The Godking sat up high on his throne as he spoke calmly to Ji Ning. “We are enemies, after all; the actions I took, I took to guarantee that the Seamless Gate would win. I’ve come to you…because I wish for you to join the Seamless Gate.”

“Idiocy.” This was the only word Ning said. He couldn’t even be bothered to say more.

“Do you think…that Yu Wei is dead?” The Godking asked.

Ning was stunned.

“What?” Ning stared at the Godking. “I personally watched as my senior apprentice-sister’s soul was shattered. How could she not be?”

“Yes, her soul was shattered…but she didn’t die.” Amusement could be heard within the Godking’s voice. “After her soul was shattered, her truesoul would’ve headed straight towards the River of Destiny, yes?”

Ning didn’t say anything. This was indeed true. Even if Yu Wei’s soul was shattered…if one could locate Yu Wei’s truesoul within the River of Destiny, the truesoul could be used to bring her back to life once more! However, to find a truesoul within the River of Destiny…based on what Ning knew, the only one in the entire Three Realms capable of this was Mother Nuwa. Mother Nuwa, however, had long ago entered the infinite primordial chaos…

“Yu Wei was one of the many spies I sent to infiltrate the Nuwa Alliance,” the Godking said. “Of the many spies, some were absolutely and unwaveringly loyal to me. They obey all my orders and commands, and are willing to die for me. These true believers…I long ago left behind my imprint upon their souls.”

Ning’s pupils contracted.

“Yu Wei committed suicide, shattering her soul…but thanks to the imprint I left behind on it, I knew right away what she had done,” the Godking said. “Thus, as her soul was shattering, I immediately reached out to latch onto her truesoul, taking it away. Her truesoul isn’t in the River of Destiny at all.”

Ning’s heart began to quiver.

“After taking away her truesoul, I sent it to be reincarnated within a lesser cycle of reincarnation which I set up,” the Godking said. Ning knew that most Daofathers were capable of setting up a lesser cycle of reincarnation; Daofather Crimsonbright himself had done such a thing.

Once a truesoul entered the cycle of reincarnation, it would naturally be reborn.

When Celestial Immortals and True Immortals were reborn, it was generally their truesouls which were reborn.

“After she was reborn, I immediately awakened her memories and captured her young soul. Take…a close look.” The Godking pointed with one finger.

Instantly, roughly a hundred meters to the right of Ji Ning, a black-robed maiden appeared out of thin air. Her appearance…her aura…her eyes…

“Senior apprentice-sister?” Ning couldn’t believe it…but he knew it to be true.

Some things could be imitated, but the look in one’s eyes could not.

“Ji Ning, she cannot hear you or see you. Just stand there and watch,” the Godking’s voice rang out.

“Respectful greetings to you, Godking.” Yu Wei had a somewhat stunned look her face as she fell to her knees.

“Yu Wei…did you think that if you committed suicide, your soul would be destroyed?” The Godking’s voice held a hint of wrath within it. “I told you that once you were prepared to destroy Shennong’s medicine, you were to first touch the imprint I left upon your soul, and I would rescue it right away. Why did you choose to commit suicide? If I was just slightly slower, your truesoul would’ve entered the River of Destiny, never to be found again.”

Yu Wei remained there on her knees. “Godking, please grant me death.”

“Grant you death?” The Godking said coldly, “What, are you afraid that if you remain alive, you’ll bring Ji Ning more trouble?”

The kneeling Yu Wei didn’t move at all.

“You truly are quite loyal to this Ji Ning of yours. Long ago, when I ordered you to take him to the Fifth World, you refused. And now, you would rather die than become a chess piece our Seamless Gate can use to influence him. You truly disappoint me.” The Godking was rather angry now.

Yu Wei remained on her knees, her tears cascading downwards.

She truly was very devoted to the Godking. She couldn’t help but feel miserable upon hearing that the Godking was disappointed in her…but she truly didn’t wish to become a burden to Ji Ning or her daughter.

Whoosh. The Godking blew towards her, and a wind arose that swept her away, causing her to disappear.

“Senior apprentice-sister.” Ning was shocked. That definitely had been his senior apprentice-sister; there was no mistaking it at all. That look in her eyes…there was definitely no mistaking it!

“Don’t panic.” The Godking looked towards Ning. “Your Dao-companion’s soul is fine. Only a sliver of her mind was within this dreamworld of mine. Now that her truesoul has been reborn, her new soul is incredibly weak. She isn’t even capable of committing suicide. Her fate…is now completely in your hands.”

“My hands?” Ning’s face changed.

“Right!” The Godking’s dark, misty eyes seemed to flash with lightning. “Your hands. If you join our Seamless Gate, then I can let you once more reunite with your beloved Dao-companion and live together in bliss. Under the Seamless Gate’s protection…not even your master, Daofather Subhuti, would be able to kill you. In addition, your master most likely wouldn’t be willing to violate our unspoken accord and personally act to kill you. He is a Daofather, after all.”

“Thus…”

“If you join our Seamless Gate, then you, your Dao-companion Yu Wei, and your child…all of you will be able to live together in bliss. You will also receive our protection!”

“But if you do not join us…the soul of your Dao-companion Yu Wei shall suffer endless, inescapable torment within my Infinity Hells. As for you and your child…you shall remain enemies of the Seamless Gate, forever suffering our assaults.”

The Godking looked at Ning. “I trust you know which choice you should make.”

“Take another look.” The Godking pointed sideways.

Whoosh.

A painting appeared out of nowhere.

This was the painting of a vast world, a world of flames, of mountains of blades, of lakes of burning oil, of forests of swords, of implements of torture. Many souls were here, undergoing countless torments and punishments. A black-robed maiden had been teleported here as well. Upon seeing the Infinity Hells, upon seeing the despair and misery of those countless souls…the look on her face couldn’t help but change.

But moments later, Yu Wei calmed down. She had guessed long ago that she would probably be sent to the Godking’s Infinity Hells.

“These are the Infinity Hells, a place I created. It’s an even more painful place than the eighteen layer of Hell of the Netherworld Kingdom.” The Godking looked at Ning. “If you are the enemy of the Seamless Gate…then Yu Wei will no longer be of use to me. Thus, she should prepare herself to suffer endless, infinite torture within the Infinity Hells.”

“She was so loyal to you!” Ning couldn’t help but snap.

“Loyal?” The Godking shook his head. “No. If she was loyal to me…you would’ve died long ago.”

Ning was stunned.

Right.

He himself could sense how badly the Seamless Gate wished to kill him. The three Diremonster Gods of Mount Dragoneater, for example, had always been hovering around him. Before that, the Seamless Gate had actually sent out a squad to assassinate him. Fortunately, Old Man Yuan had intervened. If Yu Wei had wanted him dead…given his absolute faith in her, he would’ve died long ago.

“She violated my orders,” the Godking said. “Given my temper…I should’ve cast her into the Infinity Hells long ago, letting her suffer endless torment. However, she was the disciple of Lu Dongbin and your Dao-companion. It is hard to find someone like her, and so I showed her clemency.”

In truth, when Yu Wei had refused the Godking’s commands all those years ago, she had already mentally prepared herself for death.

That time, the Godking had shown clemency…which was why Yu Wei had wanted to give Ning a child.

“Thus, she should have started to suffer this sort of torture long ago. To violate my orders? The only result can be death.” The Godking looked towards Ning. “But Ji Ning, your talent is truly remarkable; you are qualified to me to reconsider. The Seamless Gate views you as being very important…and so if you can join us, Yu Wei will immediately be spared her eternal torment. She’ll even be allowed to accompany you and your child. The three of you will be able to live together with each other forever.”

The Godking truly wished to be able to pull Ji Ning to his side.

Ji Ning was a tremendous threat, true. But if they could recruit him…the Seamless Gate would’ve gained yet another helper, while the Nuwa Alliance would’ve lost one of their peerless talents. This was a result that was much better than merely killing Ji Ning. As for Yu Wei…she was the tool which the Seamless Gate was relying on to make this happen.

“Join our Seamless Gate. We have treasures, divine abilities, golems…everything. You, your child, and your Dao-companion will be able to join together once more.” The Godking pointed towards the midair images. “I trust you won’t consigned the woman you love into the Infinity Hells.”

Ning was silent.

He just stood there, looking at the image of his senior apprentice-sister, Yu Wei. He just silently stood there.