Chapter 14: The Pure Wind Saint

Heavenly Cang Palace, Northern Abyss Cave.

With a splash, Ji Ning lifted his wine flask, and the wine inside arced into a cup.

"Master, you're so leisurely. A few days ago you were still practicing swordsmanship every day, but now you don't practice at all," Su Youji said as she walked over from afar.

"Am I not practicing?" Ji Ning retorted. "When the sword-intent is in the heart, that is practicing the sword. When the heart lacks sword-intent, no amount of practice is in vain. So when you see me pouring and drinking wine, I am actually practicing the sword."

"Sophistry," Su Youji muttered.

Ji Ning smiled.

He truly did harbor sword-intent in his heart now. The vast and mighty Sword Dao resided within him, and the feeling of controlling this complete Sword Dao fascinated Ji Ning. But having reached this point in his cultivation, Ji Ning could advance no further at the World level. What he needed now was to become a Daolord! Only then could he continue on the 'Ultimate Sword Dao.'

The Ultimate Sword Dao merely meant that the path Ji Ning had chosen was the highest; but on this path, he had only just begun.

Yet even at the beginning, his level of insight was already comparable to that of many four-step Daolords, and in some aspects even surpassed them! This could be seen from the fact that Ji Ning could reach ten times the speed of light. He relied not on lightning or divine light, but purely on the Sword Dao for flight, achieving ten times the speed of light—this showed how high his insight was.

"My true body clone will take over thirty years to arrive here," Ji Ning mused. "I'll wait another thirty-plus years."

During these thirty-plus years, Ji Ning occasionally drank wine and wandered around Heavenly Cang Palace.

At the same time, he would record techniques and secret arts, having his 'second true body' in the Three Realms record them. The total number of techniques, divine abilities, and secret arts below the Daolord level that Ji Ning had purchased for three million cubes from Heavenly Cang Palace was simply too vast. It would take a long time to record them all! Ji Ning only casually recorded some now, planning to memorize them on a large scale only after becoming a Daolord.

The speed at which a Daolord memorized things was completely different from that of a World-level cultivator.

"Hm?" Ji Ning held his wine cup, then his expression changed slightly.

"What's wrong, Master?" Su Youji asked, puzzled.

"Such a strong aura," Ji Ning said softly. "An enemy has come."

"Such a strong aura? An enemy?" Su Youji was even more puzzled. She was already a Daolord, yet she hadn't sensed anything.

Ji Ning stood up. "Let's go take a look."

"Is there really an enemy?" Su Youji followed behind Ji Ning in confusion, but after just a few steps, she too looked up in shock into the distance. "This aura is indeed very strong and terrifying." Then she was inwardly astonished as she looked at her master Ji Ning. He was only at the World level, yet he had detected it much earlier than she, a Daolord.

But she didn't know.

After mastering the Ultimate Sword Dao, Ji Ning naturally possessed a Sword Dao domain; he was the master of this domain! As long as the power of the primal Sword Dao extended to a place, Ji Ning could sense it easily. The closer the distance, the stronger the sensation. With his achievement in the Sword Dao, his sensing range alone was already comparable to that of a four-step Daolord.

...

Soon Danbao also rushed out. Ji Ning, Su Youji, and Danbao quickly arrived at the main hall of Heavenly Cang Palace, where Daolord Tianyi and Daolord Yudou were already present.

"Ji Ning."

"Beiming." Daolord Tianyi and Daolord Yudou both spoke.

"What's the big matter?" Ji Ning asked, turning his head to look into the distance. The main hall of Heavenly Cang Palace was the highest point in the palace complex. Standing there, one could see the distant horizon, where a gray haze was spreading from the sky, blotting out the sun. The aura was so strong that just looking at it was alarming.

"It's the Pure Wind Saint," Daolord Yudou said. "A few days ago, I had a premonition and deduced that he would come. But we can only deal with it; there's no other way."

Daolord Tianyi was calm, sneering, "I knew that old fellow wouldn't give up easily."

"He really has come," Ji Ning said solemnly.

"Don't worry, at most he'll shout outside; he wouldn't dare enter my Heavenly Cang Palace," Daolord Tianyi sneered. "Although I only have a dharma body here, with only a fraction of my true body's power, with the help of the formations and restrictions of Heavenly Cang Palace built over endless years, I have no fear of that old fellow. Besides, Yudou is helping me; he wouldn't dare come in."

Daolord Yudou nodded. "Outside, I am no match for the Pure Wind Saint. But inside Heavenly Cang Palace, I have no fear."

Rumble...

At the distant horizon, the gray haze continued to spread. The other brothers of Heavenly Cang Palace also sensed it one after another and arrived at the main hall.

"What's going on?"

"This... who is this?"

"Big brother Tianyi, who dares to attack our Heavenly Cang Palace?" Everyone was shocked.

"All brothers of Heavenly Cang Palace, do not go out; wait for my orders," Daolord Tianyi said calmly, his voice echoing in the ears of every brother.

"Yes." Everyone obeyed, understanding that this was no time for negligence.

Soon—

The gray wind, filled with overwhelming murderous aura, had completely covered the sky above Heavenly Cang Palace, blotting out the sun, leaving almost no light. Heavenly Cang Palace grew dark, but some formations and restrictions were activated, and lights shone in various places within the palace, making it look magnificent.

"Old man Tianyi." In the high sky, within the endless gray wind, a divine palace appeared. At its main gate stood an old man in a black ornate robe. His voice resounded through heaven and earth. "You are quite bold, daring to indulge your little underlings and even abducting Daolord Hufeng of my Pure Wind Hall. If you know what's good for you, quickly hand over Daolord Hufeng and the other five World-level cultivators! Then I'll let this matter slide. Otherwise, hmph..."

His cold snort echoed through heaven and earth.

On the Heavenly Cang Palace side.

"Wait here," Daolord Tianyi instructed. "Yudou, let's go see this madman."

"Mm." Daolord Yudou nodded.

Daolord Tianyi and Daolord Yudou immediately soared into the air, flying to a high altitude. Because Heavenly Cang Palace had formations and restrictions, those outside could not see clearly inside, but the cultivators inside could clearly see outside.

Now Daolord Tianyi and Daolord Yudou flew to a high place, allowing the Pure Wind Saint to see them.

"Pure Wind," Daolord Tianyi sneered. "Daolord Hufeng of your Pure Wind Hall fell at the hands of a World-level brother of my Heavenly Cang Palace. Neither Yudou nor I made a move! He lost so badly, and you still have the nerve to come here."

"He lost, but that little World-level cultivator relied only on treasures and puppets," the Pure Wind Saint said angrily. "Tianyi, hand over Daolord Hufeng and the others, or else—"

"Or else what?" Daolord Tianyi interrupted him, enraged. "Right now, Daolord Hufeng's life is in the hands of my Heavenly Cang Palace. I can kill him at any time."

"If you want to kill him, then kill him," the Pure Wind Saint said coldly. "I won't let your Heavenly Cang Palace off easy either."

If he couldn't bring back Daolord Hufeng this time, then whether Daolord Hufeng lived or died was meaningless.

"How ruthless," Daolord Tianyi sneered. "You know my true body is not here, so you deliberately come to act tough. Hmph, if you have the guts, break into my Heavenly Cang Palace. I've already opened the sealing formation; you can come right in. Yudou, let's go back and drink, ignore this madman."

"Yes, big brother, let's go back and drink," Yudou said with a smile.

They both swooped down.

The Pure Wind Saint's face grew even uglier with anger. Heavenly Cang Palace simply ignored him, but he indeed dared not break into their lair! Outside, he had the upper hand against Daolord Tianyi's dharma body and Daolord Yudou. But inside Heavenly Cang Palace, he would be crushed.

...

Inside Heavenly Cang Palace.

"Big brother Tianyi, are we just going to leave him hanging?" Ji Ning asked.

"Don't mind that madman. Let us brothers drink. Come, come, let's drink here and see what that madman can do," Daolord Tianyi said loudly.

Immediately, cheers arose. The brothers of Heavenly Cang Palace were all bold and spirited, but they also kept an eye on the outside, for the Pure Wind Saint's reputation had been known to them for endless years.

"Fine, fine, fine."

The Pure Wind Saint's angry voice resounded through heaven and earth. He roared, "From today on, don't even think about leaving Heavenly Cang Palace! I'll kill anyone who comes out! And don't think about entering either; I'll kill anyone trying to enter. If you don't hand over Daolord Hufeng, I'll keep you trapped in Heavenly Cang Palace. One chaos cycle, ten chaos cycles—let's take it slow!"

"When my true body returns, let's see if you still dare to trap my Heavenly Cang Palace," Daolord Tianyi's cold voice also rang out.