Chapter 15

Three days later, in the early morning, Ji Ning and his parents arrived at Dragon Castle.

Dragon Castle was a hundred zhang wide and three hundred zhang long, divided into two parts: the Cage and the Beast Den. The Cage was the place where life-and-death battles took place, while the Beast Den was where a large number of demonic beasts were usually kept. Because Dragon Castle housed many demonic beasts, it was very dangerous, so it was originally built in a remote part of the inner city.

...

Inside the Cage of Dragon Castle.

After entering the Cage, Ji Ning looked around. It was a vast open space with a diameter of two to three hundred meters. The walls on all sides were made of black metal, and the top was connected by thick black iron chains, forming a dense iron chain net, making it impossible to escape.

"This is completely sealed," Ji Yichuan said, his voice faintly cold. "The walls are made of Blackwater Iron, which, although not precious, are difficult for even a newly ascended innate realm expert to destroy. As for the thick iron chains above, they are also made of Blackwater Iron. With your strength... if you use the 'Nine Heavens of Crimson Brightness' technique to the fullest, you might be able to sever the chains, but the dense net of chains would require you about ten breaths to cut enough to escape."

Ji Ning nodded.

"Look," Ji Yichuan pointed to the top of the iron chain net, where there was a viewing platform.

"I will be watching you from there with your mother and Uncle Bai," Ji Yichuan said coldly.

"Be careful," Wei Chixue encouraged her son.

"Roar!" The white dog also looked at Ji Ning, its eyes filled with encouragement and anticipation. This white dog was Ji Yichuan's life-and-death brother, Uncle Bai. Ji Yichuan had tamed two great beasts: one was the black snake, Uncle Hei! The other was this white dog, Uncle Bai.

Beasts that gain intelligence and absorb the essence of heaven and earth become demonic beasts. After a difficult transformation, demonic beasts enter the innate realm and become innate spirits, at which point they are considered great demons. Most great demons can transform into human form, like Uncle Hei. However, among demonic beasts, there are also special existences—divine beasts.

Divine beasts are demonic beasts with the bloodline of ancient gods and demons, born with intelligence. Their innate abilities are extremely powerful, and they are much stronger than ordinary demonic beasts. Similarly, it is much more difficult for them to transform into human form, and the difficulty varies among different divine beasts.

Some need to reach the 'Purple Mansion' realm to transform into human form, some need to reach the 'Myriad Phenomena' realm, and some even higher...

Uncle Bai was a divine beast named 'Bai Shui Ze,' who needed to reach the Purple Mansion realm to transform into human form and speak.

However, Ji Ning and Bai Shui Ze had a deep bond. After his archery master Meng Yu finished teaching him, Ji Ning would practice archery with Bai Shui Ze in the mountains outside West Mansion City every morning. This was also why Ji Yichuan, who was concerned about his son going out alone, had the innate spirit Bai Shui Ze protect him.

An innate spirit divine beast was extremely powerful! Ji Yichuan's exalted status in the Western Mansion of the Ji Clan was partly due to Bai Shui Ze.

"You just watch," Ji Ning smiled.

"Roar." Bai Shui Ze growled and then followed Ji Yichuan and his wife along a narrow passage to the viewing platform above.

Ji Ning took a deep breath to calm himself and looked around.

"How does this feel like a Roman arena?" Ji Ning muttered to himself. "There's a battle ground and a viewing platform." He knew that those who could enter the Cage to battle demonic beasts were usually the clan's key proteges, so some of the clan's elders and relatives would watch from the viewing platform.

"Clank~" "Clank~"

"Clank~" The sound of iron chains clashing came from a passage in the distant wall. Ji Ning looked over, and from the dark passage, a low, angry roar could be heard, causing the entire Cage to tremble, and the massive iron chain net above to shake and rattle.

A large head with silver fur gradually emerged from the passage in the distant wall.

"What is that?" Ji Ning observed carefully.

"Ji Ning," Ji Yichuan, who was watching from the viewing platform above, said coldly, "You have practiced the first method of divine and demonic body refinement, so I specially chose a very powerful demonic beast for you, a Moonhowl Wolf with the bloodline of a god or demon."

Ji Ning looked up at his father with wide eyes, his face full of surprise.

With the bloodline of a god or demon?

That would be a divine beast, right? Indeed, divine beasts are a type of demonic beast. There are many such divine beasts in the vast land, such as 'Earth Armor Dragons,' 'Mountain Shaking Rhinos,' 'Moonhowl Wolves,' 'Red Clawed Golden Crows,' 'Thunder Sea Owls,' and 'Bai Shui Ze,' among others. Generally, out of hundreds or thousands of divine beasts in the innate stage, only one would have a difficult breakthrough to the innate spirit stage.

"Clank~" The sound of iron chains continued.

Ji Ning no longer distracted himself and focused on the large passage in the distant wall. He knew that they were probably unlocking the chains there, and once the chains were completely unlocked, the Moonhowl Wolf would be released.

"Clang!" The sound of chains hitting the ground.

"Roar~" A loud, joyful howl echoed, and Ji Yichuan, his wife, and Bai Shui Ze all watched intently from above.

Ji Ning held his breath.

A massive creature gradually emerged from the passage in the distant wall. It had beautiful silver fur, stood about two zhang tall, and walked out gracefully. It looked down at the small human boy from a distance. As a special existence among demonic beasts, a divine beast, its intelligence was no less than that of a human.

It understood that once it entered the Cage, there were only two outcomes: either it would kill the human and continue living, or it would be killed by the human boy.

"Choosing a divine beast for the first time," Ji Ning extended his right hand, and a sword appeared in his hand, its blade gleaming with a cold light. "Then let's fight."

The Moonhowl Wolf, with a body weighing nearly ten thousand pounds, moved forward with light, agile steps, its narrow eyes scrutinizing the human boy.

Ji Ning held his long sword and walked step by step.

The distance between them rapidly closed.

"Bang!" The Moonhowl Wolf quickly turned from graceful to fierce, darting at Ji Ning. Its soft paws extended like knives, and sharp claws emerged.

Whoosh!

At the critical moment, Ji Ning moved his foot, evading the Moonhowl Wolf's pounce like a gust of wind, and his sword thrust diagonally. The thrust was decisive and swift, and if it pierced the Moonhowl Wolf's body, it could use the wolf's momentum to tear it open.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning's expression changed as the sword tip met significant resistance, the Moonhowl Wolf's fur preventing it from penetrating.

At the same time, the Moonhowl Wolf's tail lashed out, and Ji Ning, unable to dodge, blocked it with his sword.

Bang!

The Moonhowl Wolf's tail, like a heavy steel whip, struck the sword, and the powerful impact sent Ji Ning flying, his body crashing into the Blackwater Iron wall with a loud thud, causing the thick wall to tremble.

"Roar!" The Moonhowl Wolf pounced again, its claws aiming directly at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning dodged, leaping away.

Sss! Sss! Sss! Deep claw marks appeared on the Blackwater Iron wall. The Moonhowl Wolf landed and turned to look at the human boy in the distance. Its 'tail sweep' was a killing move, and the human boy, after being struck against the wall, had instantly escaped to a distance. It understood that this human boy was truly strong, capable of fighting it.

"An ordinary Nine-Toothed Warrior would have had their internal organs shattered and died from that tail sweep," Ji Ning frowned, looking at the Moonhowl Wolf in the distance. "It seems I must rely on the power of divine and demonic body refinement."

Over the years, he had also practiced qi cultivation, reaching the peak of the innate stage.

But a sword strike at the peak of the innate stage couldn't even pierce the fur. How could he fight?

"Hmph!"

Ji Ning let out a low hum, and two visible streams of air shot out of his nostrils, causing the air to tremble. At this moment, the terrifying power hidden in his seemingly frail body erupted completely. The Yin and Yang forces within him also burst forth, and his skin turned a faint red.

Ji Ning lightly waved his sword, and the air waves created by the sword cut a deep gash in the thick, muddy ground.

The Moonhowl Wolf let out a low growl, staring intently at the boy.

...

"This child finally used the 'Nine Heavens of Crimson Brightness' technique," Wei Chixue smiled. "He was stubbornly refusing to use it before."

Ji Yichuan nodded. "The Moonhowl Wolf, with the bloodline of a god or demon, has incredibly tough fur. An ordinary peak innate warrior cannot pierce its fur. I specially chose the Moonhowl Wolf to force Ji Ning to unleash all his strength and see how he performs in a real, intense life-and-death battle."

"How do you think Ning is doing now?" Wei Chixue asked.

"Average," Ji Yichuan said, watching below. "He's still relatively calm."

...

Ji Ning held his sword and circled the Moonhowl Wolf, walking in a large circle.

The Moonhowl Wolf also kept its eyes on Ji Ning, not attacking easily. Once it attacked, it would also expose a weakness, and life and death could be decided in an instant.

"Hmph." Ji Ning suddenly turned into a blurry shadow, closing in on the Moonhowl Wolf.

The Moonhowl Wolf immediately roared and pounced, its mouth opening to reveal fangs, and its claws aimed at Ji Ning.

Whoosh!

The sword flashed!

The sword's shadow changed direction nine times in a small range as it broke through the air, increasing its speed to an extremely terrifying level, as if it could split the void. Sss! Sss! Sss! The sword's shadow struck the Moonhowl Wolf's chest, creating a large wound, and blood spurted out.

"Clang." As Ji Ning struck with his sword, he immediately turned the blade to block the Moonhowl Wolf's claw, and then used the impact to fly back.

The Moonhowl Wolf bared its teeth and roared, staring at Ji Ning. The large wound on its chest contracted, slowing the bleeding, but blood still trickled out, clearly indicating the severity of the wound.

The Moonhowl Wolf truly felt death approaching!

"The 'Lightning and Fire' technique from the 'Remnant Chapters of the Thunderfire Sword' is indeed extraordinary," Ji Ning whispered in admiration.