Desolate Era (Book 11 - Book 15)

However, Ning’s own power was improving at an astonishing rate as well!

He had now analyzed more than a hundred sword-arts from the fourth level of the Divinities Palace, all of which were comparable to the complete [Three-Foot Sword].

Next, Ning had defeated the fifth golem more than thirty times and analyzed more than thirty sword-arts manuals from the fifth floor!

After that, Ning defeated the sixth golem more than twenty times and acquired more than twenty sword-arts manuals from the sixth floor.

And then, Ning had defeated the seventh golem eighteen times, acquiring eighteen sword-arts manuals from the seventh floor!

Although he had read and analyzed multiple sword-arts manuals, many of which had been written by Empyrean Gods or True Immortals and some of which had been written by Daofathers…Ning continued to spend most of his efforts on the [Three-Foot Sword], keeping it at the heart of his sword-arts. He infused the strengths and excellences of the other sword techniques in the [Three-Foot Sword], causing it to be continuously improved and perfected. There were now more and more differences between the current [Three-Foot Sword] and the one which Immortal Northwalker had originally created. In fact, it had now transformed into an even more formidable sword-art that belonged to Ning and Ning alone.

……

And so, completely focusing on his training, Ning spent more than thirty years here within Mount Innerheart.





* * *





Book 13, Chapter 8 - The Ninth Stance of the [Three-Foot Sword]


Within a grassy area in the Tristar Crescent Abode. This was the location of Ji Ning’s Immortal estate.

Within a courtyard inside the Immortal estate.

Ning was seated in the lotus position on the ground, eyes shut, completely unmoving. Next to him lay a large, snowy-white hound.

Whoosh.

An azure-robed maiden appeared out of nowhere. It was Little Qing.

“Don’t make a sound.” The Whitewater Hound opened his eyes, hurriedly sending her a mental message.

“What is it, Uncle White?” Little Qing looked puzzledly at Ning, seated in the lotus position with shut eyes. She sent mentally back, “Master is training? But doesn’t he usually go into his private room when meditating? Why is he sitting here on the ground?”

When training, Ning actually spent most of his time within the Still Room in the underwater estate. This was a training room built by Daoist Threelives which truly did allow one to gain insights into the Dao at an astonishing rate. But of course, the very existence of the underwater estate was a huge secret; Patriarch Subhuti had also reminded Ning that he absolutely could not reveal its existence. Thus, not even Little Qing or Uncle White knew about it.

“He was taking a stroll in the courtyard but suddenly had a flash of insight, and so he immediately sat down in the lotus position to meditate on it,” the Whitewater Hound sent back. “This flash of insight came suddenly; he didn’t have any time to waste on running back to his private room.”

“Oh.” Little Qing nodded. This was how sudden flashes of insights often worked; when they came, they had to be seized right away.

“During the past thirty years, Master’s sword-arts have improved at an astonishing rate. He’s even defeated the eighth golem nine times. He’s now gained a sudden flash of insight…his power is definitely going to improve dramatically!” Little Qing said excitedly, “He might even be able to beat the ninth golem!”

The ninth golem…even many Void-level Diremonsters and Fiendgods were helpless before it! From this, one could tell how utterly astonishing Ning’s rate of improvement had been during the past thirty years.

“My child Ning’s talent is extremely high, and his affinity for the Dao of the Sword is particularly exceptional,” the Whitewater Hound said. “When in the Grand Xia world, he had to divide up his attention amongst multiple types of techniques as well as engage in all sorts of battles! Here at Mount Innerheart, however, there is no infighting at all. In addition, Ning has completely focused his attention on his sword-arts for more than thirty years. His sword-arts have already exceeded an utterly inconceivable level.”

“Right. Truly inconceivable.” Little Qing nodded as well. During the past thirty years, Little Qing had improved dramatically as well, having mastered Greater Teleportation. The Whitewater Hound was more intelligent than Little Qing, with superb comprehension ability; thus, he had become a true grandmaster of formations.

But Ning’s improvement outstripped both of theirs!

Originally, the ordinary disciples of Mount Innerheart murmured amongst themselves about the strength of this new disciple, not feeling much respect for Ning. Afterwards, however, Ning began to focus all his heart and efforts on sword-arts, and his abilities began to dramatically rise without pause. He defeated the fifth, sixth, seventh, and even the eighth golem…causing all of the disciples of Mount Innerheart to be completely tongue-tied in shock.

Even the controller of the Divinities Palace, the old demon Silvermoon, had said with an emotional sigh, “Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning truly is a peerless future Sword Immortal. His improvement in his sword-arts has been utterly terrifying.”

Although Patriarch Subhuti helped by expounding on the Dao, as the saying went, the master might open the door, but cultivation depends on the self. The Patriarch could give some advice at critical moments, but most of Ning’s cultivation and insights came from himself. Clearly, he was extremely well-suited to the Dao of the Sword! Even the similarly peerless Sword Immortal, Lu Dongbin, had felt the desire to recruit him, and had made repeated requests to take him as his disciple.

Unfortunately, the Grand Xia Emperor had steadfastly refused! However, thanks to this ‘setback’, Ning had ended up arriving at Mount Innerheart and becoming apprenticed to Patriarch Subhuti.

“Quick, look!”

On the twelfth day of Ning sitting in the lotus position in meditation, sword-ki suddenly began to fill the pavilion area around Ning.

Swish! Swish!

Little Qing and Uncle White both hurriedly stepped back, moving to a distant pathway to watch from afar. They saw that more and more streaks of sword-ki began to appear in the area around Ning. Suddenly, Ning opened his eyes as well.

“Is this…the realm which senior Northwalker had reached in the past?” Ning murmured gently to himself as the countless streaks of sword-ki around him began to gather together, becoming extremely solid and dense and forming into a single, dazzling Immortal sword that glowed with white light.

“Chop,” Ning said.

SLASH!

The sword-ki that had formed into a sharp Immortal sword of light sliced through the air, and as it did so, the illusion of an enormous black dragon actually appeared above it! This illusory black dragon coiled around the flying sword of light, and in the eyes of the black dragon a look of wanton arrogance could be seen. The flying sword of white light sliced through the air, and the surrounding space completely exploded.

“The ninth stance of the [Three-Foot Sword]…” Ning murmured to himself, “Sword Roaming the Three Realms!”

“The most powerful sword technique left behind by senior Northwalker…I’ve finally mastered it. However, I feel as though this sword technique of senior Northwalker’s, this ‘Sword Roaming the Three Realms’, is too flamboyant and brash. It isn’t stately enough. If this technique could be altered to be slightly more reserved and not so brash, its power might rise even more.”

Ning’s own level of judgement was now extremely high.