“Stop!” Ji Ning hurriedly called out.

The Seven Dragon Gods and Empyrean God Roughpeak paused their protestations, looking at Ning. Truthfully speaking, they didn’t really want to say these words either, but they also didn’t wish to see Ning die in the hands of the Purgatory God.

“You, uh…who told you that my swordforce is at the third stage?” Ning laughed.

“Eh?” The other eight were all startled. Judging from Ji Ning’s words…it seemed as though he wasn’t at that stage?

“I did.” Roughpeak looked at Ning, puzzled. “Was my guess wrong?”

“Oh!” Ning now understood. Laughing, he explained, “When I first encountered you, senior apprentice-brother Roughpeak, I was indeed just at the third stage of swordforce.”

These words instantly caused the eight to reveal looks of surprised delight.

“You broke through?”

“You made a breakthrough when fighting Snowfiend?”

“Have you reached the fourth stage of swordforce?” All of them looked eagerly and excitedly towards Ning.

Ning smiled, then nodded. At the same time, he waved a finger, causing a loop of extremely sharp black sword-light to circle around it.

Upon seeing the black, sword-shaped swordforce, the Seven Dragon Gods and Roughpeak felt extremely excited, but they also didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

Roughpeak finally said, “Junior apprentice-brother Darknorth, I…uh…”

“I understand,” Ning said hurriedly. “Senior apprentice-brother...