Book 9, Ji Ning of Serpentwing Lake, Chapter 26 –Chen Jin’s Threat
Chen Jin was being choked by the throat. Ning’s left hand appeared ordinary, but it contained power that was capable of tearing apart mountains; there was no way Chen Jin could struggle at all.
“No…no…” Chen Jin’s eyes were bloodshot. This was humiliation. His throat was being choked by Ning; he felt humiliated, like he had never felt humiliated before.
“You don’t know the answer?” Ning continued to grip Chen Jin by the throat. He said coldly, “Then I’ll tell you the answer. YOU are the pile of s.h.i.+t!”
Although they were fellow disciples, Ning felt nothing but boundless distaste for Chen Jin. Ninelotus and Chen Jin were nothing more than old friends…what business was it of Chen Jin as to who Ninelotus wished to become Dao-Companions with? Because Ninelotus was interested in Ning, Chen Jin was going to try to vent all of his anger on him? He had held Ning in no regard at all.
“If it weren’t for the fact that we are forbidden from committing fratricide, I wouldn’t let you off this easily.” Ning continued to clench Chen Jin by the throat.
“You’d dare to kill me? Do you dare? Do you dare?” Chen Jin stared at Ning, eyes filled with madness.
“Kill you? Kill you, then be punished by the College?” Ning shook his head and let out a cold laugh. “You aren’t worth it!” And then, Ning swung his arm, exploding forth with the might of his FiendG.o.d body and throwing Chen Jin out like a meteor into the distance.
The events which had transpired in midair caused Ji Ninefire, Granny Shadow, and the others on Brightheart Island to feel incomparably nervous.
“He’s grown stronger, stronger than in the past.” Ninefire’s eyes were blazing with heat. “It’s only been a few years…although in the past he was already able to easily slay a Wanxiang Adept, Adept Xu Li was incomparably weaker than this student of the Black-White College. However…even this powerful disciple of the Black-White College was easily defeated by Ji Ning. Ji Ning’s advancement speed is simply too fast. If this continues…in a few more decades, what will he be like?”
“Young master…” Autumn Leaf watched quietly as well, eyes filled with excitement.
“Too formidable.” Qingqing blinked, somewhat dazed. Ning’s performance this time was clearly far stronger than his previous one against the Dragonwhale King. “No wonder, despite my countless strokes of good fortune, I remain so much weaker than him. His rate of advancement is simply too monstrous.”
Chen Jin shot down from the skies like a meteor, smas.h.i.+ng into the waters of Serpentwing Lake and arousing a wave that was three hundred meters high. However, he quickly managed to steady himself.
“Flowcloud.” The fiery-robed, bare-footed Holyfire walked over the waves, moving towards him.
“Uncle Fire.” Chen Jin lowered his head, an incomparably ugly look on his face. He had never imagined…that he would lose so disastrously!
He had wanted to let Ninelotus see how powerful he was, and how worthless Ji Ning was! He had wanted to completely dominate and trample this Ji Ning, so as to give vent to his anger. Reality, however, was completely different from what he had antic.i.p.ated. He hadn’t defeated his enemy; instead, he had been completely crushed.
“Ji Ning’s innate talent is indeed monstrous,” Holyfire sighed softly. “In the past, when I watched him battle our fellow disciples in the Dao Debates for the first time, I knew that he was monstrously talented…but it seems I still underestimated him. Perhaps our Black-White College is going to produce yet another senior apprentice-brother Sloppy.”
“Him? As if!” Chen Jin couldn’t help but grit his teeth. The Sloppy Daoist…he was universally acknowledged as the number one figure amongst the third generation disciples of the Black-White College. Although he had trained for many years, the Sloppy Daoist was someone who only became more outstanding as the years went on. Generally speaking, Immortal cultivators would find their rate of improvement lessen as time went on, but the opposite was true for the Sloppy Daoist; he seemed to contain endless, inexhaustible potential, causing him to make one breakthrough after another. His combat power was even more incomparably shocking. Even FiendG.o.d pract.i.tioners like Holyfire and the various reincarnated Immortals were all completely convinced of his superiority.
In this moment, Holyfire had the feeling that this Ji Ning’s potential was enough to make him the next ‘Sloppy Daoist’.
“Senior apprentice-brother Sloppy is like a raging wave that continues to surge forward, building up power and becoming increasingly mighty as it moves forward,” Holyfire said. “As for this Ji Ning, he’s like a sharp sword, capable of chopping through all obstacles, allowing him to advance at an inconceivable speed. This sort of astonis.h.i.+ng speed…even the reincarnated Immortals in our Black-White College aren’t able to advance at such a rate. He’s simply too monstrous!”
Chen Jin gritted his teeth. The more Holyfire praised Ning, the more miserable he felt.
“Now, do you understand?” Holyfire looked athim.
“Understand?” Chen Jin looked at the distant Ji Ning, but his heart felt extremely miserable. He felt stifled! Enraged! Unrepentant!
He had wooed Ninelotus for many years, and his jealousy had transformed into rage! He had wanted to viciously pummel Ning and give vent to his rage, then leave in a carefree, relaxed manner. But instead, he had been dominated by Ning, causing his pent-up anger to cause him to feel even more miserable…this sort of agony caused Chen Jin to understand that a shadow had fallen over his heart!
“I understand.” Chen Jin nodded, staring towards the distant Ning. Holyfire nodded slightly as well.
“He, Ji Ning, has cast a shadow over my heart. Unless I defeat him, unless I dominate him, or unless he dies…it will be very hard for me to wipe out the anger in my mind.” Chen Jin gritted his teeth. “I’ve never been humiliated like this in my life. I’ve never felt so stifled, so angry before.”
“You…” Holyfire was astonished. He had thought that thanks to this defeat, Chen Jin would regain his calm clarity of mind, but instead…Chen Jin was sinker deeper and deeper into the mora.s.s.
“This is terrible.” Holyfire instantly understood his mistake. He had thought too highly of Chen Jin. Chen Jin and Ninelotus were of the same age; they were both very young, and were both proud, pampered scions of their clans; thus, they had never suffered much. In addition, Chen Jin himself truly was also an extremely, astonis.h.i.+ngly talented individual; this was why, even when Ninelotus had been at the Zifu Disciple stage, he had already become one of the top ten members of the third generation disciples.
He was extremely talented, and so had always been praised by others! The elders within his clan had also encouraged him to woo Ninelotus and become her Dao-Companion; after all, Ninelotus was the next leader of the Dongyan clan, an ancient clan that was even more powerful than the Chen clan and which was spread over three commanderies.
Because he himself truly did like her, and because of the encouragement of his elders, and because of his self-confidence, Chen Jin had always believed that eventually, he would become Ninelotus’ Dao-Companion! For her sake, he even chose to join the Black-White College…he truly believed that he had already sacrificed enough for her.
But…
First, Ninelotus had chosen Ning, causing him to feel completely stunned, jealous, and angry. He had planning to release his anger on Ning, but instead was completely crushed…this sort of humiliation was something he had never felt before in his entire life.
“Ning has cast a shadow over my heart.” Chen Jin understood this point; he was an extremely intelligent person, and upon realizing this, he immediately grew frantic. “I want to become a Primal Daoist, and then become an Immortal. I have to disperse this shadow. I have to!”
“What should I do? What should I do? Defeat him? Kill him?” Chen Jin couldn’t come up with any ideas. Just now, they had already fought each other; he was no match for Ning. As for causing Ning to die? Ning was a disciple of the Black-White College, and the senior disciple of Immortal Diancai. Who would dare kill him?
“What should I do?!” Chen Jin shook his head. “No. I must immediately disperse this shadow.” The humiliation and stifled rage which he felt caused him to feel extremely agonized. He knew that these emotions would have an enormous impact on his Immortal cultivation…but he wasn’t able to sever this emotions.
Knowing the problem was one thing; being able to address it was another.
“Ji Ning!” Chen Jin suddenly raised his head, staring towards Ning and Ninelotus, who were chatting in midair. A savage light flashed through his eyes, and with a swoosh, he immediately soared into the air once more.
Ninelotus was in a dazed state right now. She had no idea that Ning had such tremendous power. Chen Jin was one of the top ten third generation disciples of the Black-White College, but he had been defeated so cleanly by Ning. Didn’t that mean…that in the Black-White College, only the likes of Holyfire and those few who had completely mastered a Dao Path were a match for him?
“Ji Ning, you…how did you become so strong?” Once her words came out, Ninelotus began to laugh at herself for saying such childish words. She hurriedly changed her words, saying, “You defeated Chen Jin…I imagine that he should leave now.”
“I hope he has come to his senses.” Ning turned to look downwards, but as soon as his words came out…a streak of light shot upwards from the ground. It was Chen Jin.
Chen Jin flew into the air, staring towards Ning and Ninelotus. He let out a cold laugh. “Ji Ning.”
Ning smirked. “Want another fight?”
Chen Jin could feel his anger begin to blaze up again, but he forced it down and growled, “Ji Ning, I urge you to leave Ninelotus.”
“Leave?” Ning felt quite amused.
Ninelotus sighed. “Chen Jin, you had best leave.”
At this moment, Holyfire flew up towards them as well. However, he just stood to one side, watching calmly and not saying anything. He hadn’t been able to help Chen Jin; instead, a shadow had been cast over Chen Jin’s heart. In truth…Holyfire felt rather vexed.
Chen Jin was looking at Ji Ning. He said in a cold voice, “You are indeed talented…but so what if you are powerful? Your clan, the Ji clan, is too weak…it doesn’t even have a single Wanxiang Adept. Annihilating this sort of tribe is simply too easy, as easy as blowing a speck of dust.”
Ning’s face sank. “What do you mean by this!” Ning said in a cold voice.
“You know exactly what I mean!” Chen Jin looked at Ning. “You had best leave Ninelotus. Otherwise…don’t blame me for being vicious! I don’t even need to do anything personally; I have plenty of tools at my disposal for dealing with a small clan like the Ji clan.”
Ning’s face was ashen, the color of iron. Threatening his clan? For the sake of the clan…his father, the Patriarch, and the others all had been willing to sacrifice their lives. Although, due to his former life, Ning didn’t care as much about the clan as his parents and his elders, because of their influence, he still cared quite a bit about it.
“You…” A killing desire began to surge within Ning’s mind. However, the Black-White College restricted its disciples from committing fratricide.
“I know that you are a Raindragon Guard, and that ten thousand kilometers of the territory of the Ji clan is protected by them.” Chen Jin looked at Ning. “Anyone who dares violate your territory will definitely suffer retaliation from the Raindragon Guard! However, in this vast world, there are still many forces that don’t care at all about the Raindragon Guard…such as those criminals which the Raindragon Guard pursue. They are already wanted criminals; they won’t be worried about offending the Raindragon Guard!”
Ning’s gaze flashed with a cold light as he listened.
“It will have nothing to do with me. The ones who will annihilate your Ji clan will be those wanted criminals.” Chen Jin looked at Ning. “Honestly. It will have nothing to do with me at all.”
Ning, as well, understand…that the so-called ‘iron rule of law’ was something which the supreme clans were capable of avoiding or skirting around. The Raindragon Guard operated on the basis of proof; without proof, the Raindragon Guard wouldn’t do anything to Chen Jin.
Chen Jin looked at Ning, then said coldly, “Make your choice. Do you choose Ninelotus, or do you choose your clan?”
Ninelotus was enraged. “Chen Jin, you…”
“He’s cast a shadow over my heart. To get rid of it, I will stop at nothing. Ninelotus, you won’t be able to stop me.” Chen Jin looked towards Ning. “Ji Ning, what will you choose? Speak!”
BOOM!!!!!
The black wings behind Ning’s back suddenly flashed, and he transformed into a streak of lightning as he charged straight towards Chen Jin.
“HALT!” Holyfire roared.
“F*CK OFF!” Ning let out a savage roar back, and a crus.h.i.+ng wave of divine will smashed outwards, striking directly against the soul of Holyfire, who wanted to intervene and block him. Although Holyfire was powerful, he wasn’t a reincarnated Immortal, and although both his soul and his Dao-heart were powerful, he still felt his soul tremble.
That moment’s tremble…made him too late!
Chen Jin, whose soul had also been struck, wasn’t able to even use any magic treasures before Ning’s hand once more clenched around his throat.
Ning, his left hand clenched around Chen Jin’s larynx, began delivering blows with his right hand. “SLAP!” “SLAP!” “SLAP!” “SLAP!” “SLAP!” “SLAP!” He viciously slapped Chen Jin on the face, and in a single breath, he delivered tens of slaps. “Threaten me? You dare THREATEN me? To boast of annihilating MY clan? You deserve to die. To DIE!”
Chen Jin’s face instantly began to swell.
“I’ll give you two choices.” Ning came to a halt, giving a sideways glance to the distant Holyfire. “Senior apprentice-brother Holyfire, don’t come any closer, or I’ll immediately kill him.” Holyfire was shocked.
Ning then continued to look towards Chen Jin. “You have two choices. The first choice is for you to swear an oath to the Dao of the Heavens that you will never cause any harm in any fas.h.i.+on to my Ji clan; otherwise, your soul will instantly be shattered. The other choice…is for me to shatter your soul right now. DECIDE!”
“You dare…you actually dare kill one of your fellow disciples?!” Chen Jin stared at him.
“You threatened to annihilate my clan. You tell me; would I dare kill you or not?” Ning stared at him. “Swear an oath to the Dao of the Heavens. Otherwise, I’ll shatter your soul right now.”