Ninth In the World

Di Jiu spent almost half a year tearing apart the void to no avail. However, at that moment, he managed to rip apart a rift and rush into it as fast as he could before it vanished in a second.

Once he rushed into the rift, Di Jiu could sense a strong vast force sweep him up without giving him a chance to resist.

Bam! It seemed as though he fell from a platform that was feet high and landed in a pond with lingering white fog.

Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force immediately swept over. Very soon, he could see the cultivator who had come before him. He was a thin young man with tanned skin and strong confidence.

“Please, Daoist,” Di Jiu said gratefully with cupped fists, addressing the thin, tanned young man. Perhaps, this thin young man was unaware why Di Jiu was grateful, but Di Jiu knew very well that if this young man had not ascended all of a sudden, he would not have had the chance to land here at all.

The Heaven Earth Essence Energy here was very rich and at a higher level than the Immortal Spirit Qi. It was similar to the Essence Energy absorbed from his Dao meridian but was even more suitable for Di Jiu to absorb.

The thin young man took a glance at Di Jiu without answering and immediately closed his eyes to start frantically absorbing the Heaven Earth Essence Energy in the pond and condensing his cultivation level.

This young man seemed very arrogant and would not have taken it to heart even if Di Jiu had ascended at the same time as him.

Di Jiu did not mind, as he was the one who owed him and not the other way around. When the young man did not answer him, he stopped talking to him and saw three huge ancient words: The Ascension Lake.

Di Jiu was shocked that he had actually come to the Ascension Lake. This was the first time he was seeing the Ascension Lake ever since he had started cultivating.

Di Jiu very soon pushed those thoughts aside, as this was the best time for cultivation.

He performed one Nomological Qi Circulation and the thin young man, who could already sense it, looked at him in shock. Di Jiu’s cultivation was too frantic and a huge whirlpool swept above him. He could even clearly sense that Di Jiu was transforming the Heaven Earth Essence Energy, thus increasing his strength.

The thin young man only took a look and absorbed the Heaven Earth Essence Energy in the Ascension Lake to his utmost to improve the strength of his cultivation level.

He could sense with one Nomological Qi Circulation that after Di Jiu started cultivating, he had a much deeper understanding of his Dao law.

At the moment, he also completely understood some things that he used to not understand. He naturally would not let such an opportunity go so he was even more focused on cultivating.

Di Jiu cultivated for a very long time. When he sensed that his cultivation had once again improved rapidly, he was suddenly swept up by a strong thrust that sent him out of the Ascension Lake.

Once Di Jiu was out of the Ascension Lake, his Spiritual Force could sense that the tanned, thin young man’s aura had changed. It was evident that he had surpassed the level of an Immortal Emperor. However, Di Jiu could still sense that the young man had not attained the level of a Saint.

Di Jiu tried to use his Nomological Qi Circulation to imitate a similar Dao rune aura as the young man and smiled at him while nodding his head. He then examined the place where he had landed, which was a hall.

The young man nodded his head at Di Jiu this time, as he had benefited from cultivating with Di Jiu earlier.

While Di Jiu realized that this was a hall, a lazy voice could be heard from the entrance. “Since you have come out of the Ascension Lake, hurry over and register your name. Don’t tell me that I have to invite both of you?” said a fair-skinned, middle-aged man as his gaze landed on Di Jiu and the thin young man with a hint of sarcasm.

“Your surname? Which Immortal Protectorate did you ascend from?” Before Di Jiu and the thin young man could walk to the entrance, the fair-skinned young man had taken out two jade cards and started speaking as he prepared to register their names.

Di Jiu purposely fell a step behind. The tanned young man, who walked in front, immediately answered, “I’m Zhuo Wujia from the Microwood Immortal Protectorate.”

When Di Jiu heard that, he knew that this thin young man did not like flattery or talking.

An ordinary cultivator would certainly address this middle-aged man as Senior and then introduce themselves. However, this young man was monotonous and he did not say anything else.

The middle-aged man did not lift his head. Instead, he immediately engraved some things on the jade slip and then threw the jade slip to Zhuo Wujia. “Report to the Wormhole. Take a look at the jade slip for more details.”

Report to the Wormhole? Di Jiu thought he had returned to Earth, where the wormhole came from. Based on his understanding, this involved the law of time and space.

“What’s your name? Which Immortal Protectorate did you ascend from?” After Zhuo Wujia left, the middle-aged man’s gaze landed on Di Jiu.

After he said that, he said to himself doubtfully, “It’s rare to see two people ascending at the same time.”

“I’m Zimo and I ascended from the Microwood Immortal Protectorate.” Di Jiu changed his name and the Immortal Protectorate he had ascended from without any hesitation.

Before he had come to the Dao World, he’d had a feud with Jiang Dai and had even killed those who had acted on his behalf. This Dao World was likely the place where Jiang Dai had survived, so Di Jiu was not dumb enough to use his original name.

The middle-aged man did not suspect him at all. It would be strange if he did not come from an Immortal Protectorate, as Di Jiu and Zhuo Wujia had come out of the Ascension Lake together.

In a breath’s time, an engraved jade card was thrown to Di Jiu. The middle-aged man then said the same thing. “Report to the Wormhole.”

Di Jiu had a pile of questions but he would not ask this middle-aged man since he did not look like someone who was easy to talk to.

“I’m Zhuo Wujia.” When Di Jiu walked out, Zhuo Wujia, who had been waiting aside, appeared with cupped fists before Di Jiu and took the initiative to speak first.

Di Jiu knew that Zhuo Wujia wanted to befriend him when he once again said his name in front of him.

“I’m Zimo.” Di Jiu cupped his fists. Regardless of what kind of person Zhuo Wujia was, Di Jiu was grateful for him. If it had not been for Zhuo Wujia, he would still have been wandering around between the two realms.

Zhuo Wujia, who was clearly not good at talking, remained silent after that. Upon seeing Di Jiu not speak anymore, he could only say, “Brother Zimo, as far as I know, only a few Immortal Emperors ascended to the Dao World from the Microwood Immortal Protectorate. I apparently haven’t…”

Di Jiu laughed faintly and took the initiative to interrupt Zhuo Wujia. “Daoist Zhuo, I had actually been in reclusive cultivation all this time. Since I had ample cultivating resources, I never went out to put myself to the test. There are no more than 10 Daoists who know me except for you…”

Di Jiu paused for a while and then added, “Daoist Zhuo, I have a friend called Nong Xiuqi. I don’t know if you have heard of her…”

Nong Xiuqi was obviously not in the Four Major Immortal Continents, so Di Jiu supposed she had gone to the other immortal continents. He asked Zhuo Wujia, who came from the Microwood Immortal Continent, just in case.

Di Jiu had not expected that Zhuo Wujia would look at him in shock after hearing him ask about Nong Xiuqi. He then muttered after some time, “It’s no wonder that you were able to ascend to the Dao World. It turns out that you know Senior Nong…”

“Senior Nong?” It was Di Jiu’s turn to be baffled. Nong Xiuqi was younger than him. Since when had she become a Senior? Could the Nong Xiuqi that Zhuo Wujia had mentioned not be his wife?

Zhuo Wujia sounded more respectful now. “After Senior Nong ascended to the Microwood Immortal Protectorate, she only spent less than 300 years ascending to the Dao World. The Microwood Immortal Protectorate has never had a person like Senior Nong…”

“Ah…” Di Jiu exclaimed in surprise and immediately grew excited. Nong Xiuqi had already ascended to the Dao World. Didn’t this mean that Nong Xiuqi had arrived here a step earlier than him?