The Desolate Era

Chapter 2 – Torch Dragon’s Eye

Two hours later.

Ji Ning and the others, after having acquired a Raindragon Guard talisman, were guided by Daoist Yulan towards a beautiful palace, filled with sculptures and paintings. The palace was roughly three hundred meters high, and it took up nearly three thousand meters in length.

“This is our Dao Repository,” Daoist Yulan said with a smile. “It holds countless techniques, secret arts, and various skills. You can take a good look; your spirit-beasts, however, cannot.”

“Uncle White, Little Qing, wait for me outside.” Ning and Northson immediately followed the others, entering this palace.

The Dao Repository of the Raindragon Guard was simply too vast. “It’s far larger than even the Dao Repository Palace of our Black-White College,” Northson said with a sigh. “Yeah.” Ning stared about himself as well as he walked forward.

“There are 360 different types of Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques? This, this is…” A shocked shout rang out from afar. Upon hearing these words, the faces of Ning and Northson changed as well. 360? Even the Black-White College only had 28!

“There actually are Ki Refining techniques that allows one to reach the ‘Pure Yang’ level? A level which is above even Immortal-level Ki Refining techniques?” Another shocked cry from afar. Upon hearing this, Ning and Northson immediately ran over.

There was an incomparably, exquisitely carved crystalline table here, and atop it were two books. The covers of the books had starry points of light drifting atop them, and next to the books was a silver-haired youth. The silver-haired youth had one of these starry books in his hands. While reading through the book, he called out in shock, “It actually requires anywhere from a thousand to fifteen hundred kilograms of liquefied elemental essence to break through to the Wanxiang level?”

“Is it that incredible?”

“Immortal-level Ki Refining techniques generally only require four hundred to eight hundred kilograms.” Quite a few people ran over, and some of them moved quite quickly. Although Ning and Northson both saw those two books on the table, they were instantly snatched up by the other new Raindragon Guards.

While reading through it, the other new guards shook their heads and sighed in shock. “If one trains in this Pure Yang-level technique, then one’s chances of reaching the Void stage and becoming an Earth Immortal is several times higher than if one uses an Immortal-level technique. The sturdier one’s foundation is, the better!”

Many of the people present had never even heard of Pure Yang techniques. They only knew of four levels of techniques; Mortal-ranked, Earth-ranked, Heaven-ranked, and Immortal-ranked; they hadn’t imagined that there was an even more powerful, Pure Yang-rank. It must be understood that not even the Black-White College, which had produced a Celestial Immortal, had such a technique.

“You don’t understand.” The smug voice of a fairly attractive green-robed woman rang out. “Ki Refining techniques can be divided into Mortal-ranked, Earth-ranked, Heaven-ranked, Immortal-ranked, and Pure Yang-ranked techniques! However, generally speaking, even the most supreme and most firmly established of organizations, such as the Northmont clan of Stillwater and the other Marquisates, will only have access to Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques. Only the likes of the Raindragon Guard, the most powerful organization of the entire, vast empire of the Grand Xia Dynasty, has a Pure Yang-ranked technique!”

“Not even the Stillwater clan of Northmont has one?” Ning mused silently to himself, “Perhaps they do, but don’t dare make it public.” After all, the many Marquisates of this vast world might possess certain special powers and techniques, but they would all have to hide them, for fear that the Grand Xia Dynasty would suspect them of desiring to rebel!

“What?!”

“Only Keepers of the Raindragon Guard can train in this? And even Keepers have to have a thousand karmic points before acquiring it?”

“Ordinary Raindragon Guards like us will never have the chance to learn it? I wanted to switch to training in a Pure Yang-level technique!”

Soon, these people flipped to the final pages regarding the Pure Yang-level techniques. Instantly, they all began to curse and moan.

Ning had a thought. Swoosh! He moved directly towards the table containing the 360 Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques, immediately beginning to flip through them. The other new Raindragon Guards also seemed to have thought of something, and they, too, came to flip through the books.

“Keepers of the Raindragon Guard need a hundred karmic points to learn this. One-clawed Raindragon Guards need ten thousand karmic points to learn this. Two-clawed Raindragon Guards need a hundred thousand karmic points to learn this…” Ning flipped through the requirements, then shook his head.

In the end, Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques were still quite precious. For ordinary Raindragon Guards to acquire ten thousand karmic points required them to risk their lives repeatedly. They would probably have to battle for dozens of years before accumulating enough.

“Cruel.”

“That’s just cruel.”

Quite a few cultivators shook their heads. Ning shook his head as well. Originally, he had wanted to switch to training in a water-attribute Pure Yang-ranked technique, but unfortunately, all of those techniques were reserved for the Keepers!

It was quite common for one to change in techniques. For example, while he was at the Swallow Mountain region, Ning had trained in the quite average [Water Element Art], while after arriving at the Black-White College, he had established his foundations with the [Flowing Watersource]. If he then switched to training in an even-better Pure Yang technique…although it wouldn’t be as good as if he had trained in it from the very beginning, it would still be superb.

Unfortunately…how could the Raindragon Guard so easily allow this technique to be learned by others?

……

Soon, they arrived at the second floor of the palace.

“It’s so hard to learn divine abilities as well.”

“There are 89 divine abilities, but more than half are reserved strictly for Keepers!”

“The requirements for the Heavenly Transformation technique are the lowest…one-clawed Raindragon Guards only need ten karmic points!”

Ning and the others flipped through one divine ability manual after another.

[Heavenly Transformation], [Rainbowflame Evasion], [Moving Mountains, Overturning Seas]…these techniques all caused Ning’s eyes to go red wth lust. Each of them had different requirements. [Heavenly Transformation] was naturally the easiest to learn, while the hardest was a divine ability known as the [Torch Dragon’s Eye]; it required one to be a Keeper, and also have accumulated ten million karmic points!

“Ten million?” Ning was secretly speechless. He had heard of the [Torch Dragon’s Eye] long ago; this was a divine ability that only appeared in the legends, and was a divine ability on par with the likes of [Houyi Shooting the Suns]. He hadn’t expect to encounter it here, today. Clearly, the roots of the Grand Xia Dynasty were incomparably deep, for it to be able to produce such a legendary divine ability.

“The [Torch Dragon’s Eye]…it’s just here to draw people’s attention.” Ning shook his head. “It requires one to be a Keeper; clearly, one has to be completely loyal to the Grand Xia Dynasty. And it requires ten million karmic points…this would be incomparably difficult for even an Earth Immortal. Clearly, only truly powerful Fiendgod Body Refiners could possibly fulfill these requirements! But would a major power amongst the Fiendgod Body Refiners sell his life into the service of the Grand Xia Dynasty, for the sake of a single divine ability?”

But of course, Ning also understood that this divine ability was definitely incomparably powerful. “Still, compared to my [Starseizing Hand], it’s probably still a bit weaker,” he mused to himself.

The [Starseizing Hand]…this was ranked amongst the top ten of the countless divine abilities that had been developed since Pangu had established the heavens. It wasn’t too realistic for the Grand Xia Dynasty to acquire one of the top ten divine abilities.

……

360 types of Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques. Three Pure Yang-ranked. 89 divine abilities. 61 divine will techniques. 102 forbidden techniques.

……

There were also a number of other unique treasures as well as countless precious materials. Although they were only recorded in books, the requirements for acquiring them were all noted clearly…and since they were all mentioned, given the Raindragon Guard’s resources, they would surely be able to produce them.

“Even Immortal-ranked magic treasures are available for trade. Immortal-ranked! I hear that even many Immortals lack treasures of that rank. Unfortunately, again, this requires one to be a Keeper, and one who has accumulated tremendous sums of karmic points.”

…….

He continued to read about what was available. Even Ji Ning and Mu Northson, disciples of the Black-White College, the third most powerful organization in Stillwater Commandery, felt moved and desirous. One could imagine how ordinary new Raindragon Guards felt! All of them had itchy feelings in their hearts.

In terms of the Dao Repository…the Raindragon Guard truly was number one in the entire Grand Xia Dynasty!

“Everyone, what have you decided upon?” As Ning and the others walked out, Daoist Yulan, seeing the unhappy looks on their faces, said to them, “If you join the Keepers, then you will instantly soar to the heavens.”

Ning and the rest were all quiet.

“I’m not in a rush.”

“You can request to be admitted to join the Keepers at any time.” Adept Yulan shook her head and said, “However, the later you join the Keepers of the Raindragon Guard, the more training time you waste. Perhaps, because of the time you wasted, you won’t be able to ascend to the highest levels of your Immortal path.”

Suddenly, a short, pudgy man strode out from the group. A fierce look I his eyes, he said in a low voice, “I will join the Keepers.”

Daoist Yulan instantly laughed, her smile as beautiful as a flower’s. “Excellent. You are the first of this batch!”