Chapter 18 Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo

Ten thousand thunderbolts struck down simultaneously, bolts of lightning hurtling toward the ground below.

Cultivators soared upward, each employing their own methods—some surrounded by rings of golden light, others shrouded in the phantom of a divine dragon. Ji Ning, encircled by water-fire lotuses, was hardly conspicuous.

"Go."

"Go."

A white-robed youth stood atop an azure dragon puppet. The dragon coiled and writhed, its body lashing out, claws grasping in all directions, and tail sweeping. For a time, no lightning bolt could approach.

"Azure Dragon Sweeps Tail."

"Azure Dragon Ascends to Heaven."

The white-robed youth murmured softly now and then, his eyes burning with fervor. He was clearly immersed in controlling the azure dragon puppet, brimming with excitement and exhilaration.

"Half the puppet formation." The black-haired middle-aged man in the sky gave the order.

Instantly, over four hundred dragon-head puppets began to pour lightning bolts down at Ji Ning and the others soaring upward.

"Thrilling, awesome, truly awesome." The white-robed youth grew even more excited. The azure dragon puppet he controlled fully displayed its traits, unleashing formidable power and easily blocking all incoming lightning.

"Bang!"

The dragon tail merely brushed past, sending several lightning bolts flying to the side—right next to Ji Ning.

Ji Ning, surrounded by water-fire lotuses and wielding the Northmoon twin swords, easily scattered any lightning that penetrated the lotus barrier with his blades.

Ji Ning's sword light flowed like water, natural and effortless, blocking all the lightning.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning's expression changed.

Three lightning bolts suddenly struck without warning, too close to dodge, arriving in an instant. Caught off guard, Ji Ning was momentarily flustered.

"Watertight." Ji Ning's sword technique shifted instantly, deflecting the lightning, and he couldn't help glancing at the white-robed youth beside him—he had been caught in the youth's splash.

The white-robed youth looked at Ji Ning, a hint of shame on his face, and quickly sent a voice transmission: "My apologies, my apologies, it was unintentional."

Seeing the youth take the time to apologize via voice transmission at such a critical moment, Ji Ning felt a liking for him and replied, "It's nothing."

"I'll be more careful from now on," the white-robed youth transmitted again.

"Watch out—soon all the puppets will attack together," Ji Ning said with a smile.

The two exchanged voice transmissions, clearly both still had spare energy.

They continued flying upward!

The dragon heads above grew clearer, eight hundred and ten of them densely covering the sky. Of the figures soaring upward, two had already been struck down... leaving only eight continuing to ascend.

"Puppet formation, all!" The black-haired man above ordered again.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was as if heaven and earth were splitting apart. All the dragon heads fired at this area simultaneously, filling it with lightning. Countless bolts swirled... as far as the eye could see, there was only cyan electric light, reaching saturation.

"Water-Fire Lotus!"

A fierce glint flashed in Ji Ning's eyes.

The water-fire lotuses around him bloomed layer after layer; old layers were damaged, new ones emerged. Ji Ning's twin swords fully unfolded, surrounding him with sword light... not a single lightning bolt could penetrate his sword defense.

"Charge!"

In the blink of an eye, Ji Ning passed through the saturated attack zone.

Whoosh!

Soaring upward, he flew directly above the dragon-head formation, his vision clearing. Ji Ning immediately saw the six Primal Daoists beside him.

"Boom~~~" A fiercely domineering azure dragon shot up, also breaking through. The white-robed youth standing on it saw Ji Ning emerge first and gave him a friendly smile.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Ji Ning flew to the cave entrance, and the white-robed youth followed, putting away his puppet.

"Boom!" "Crash!" "Break!"

Amid explosions and roars, three more figures burst out of the saturated lightning attack and rushed into the cave.

The cave was dozens of zhang wide. The white-robed youth walked over to Ji Ning: "I'm Mu Zishuo. I'm truly sorry earlier—it was my lack of skill that caused trouble for you, brother."

"I'm Ji Ning," Ji Ning replied with a smile. "It's not your fault; after all, this was the sect's entrance test, and no one could afford to be careless."

The white-robed youth nodded repeatedly.

Ji Ning sensed a hint of immaturity in him; he looked even younger than Ji Ning and had probably broken through to Xiantian even earlier. He asked, "Brother Mu, I'm sixteen. How old are you?"

"Fourteen," the white-robed youth Mu Zishuo said.

The other three young men who had also rushed into the cave changed expression. They looked at Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo with complex feelings... Monsters, utter monsters. One was sixteen, the other just fourteen! How young were they? Yet they had broken through the lightning puppet formation faster than them.

The black-clad man, still bearing injuries, stared at Ji Ning: "This Ji Ning is only sixteen, already at the Zifu level through the 'Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens,' and he broke through so easily. I had to try twice to get in."

Earlier, he had charged alone and failed at the last moment.

After his failure, Ji Ning and the others made their attempts.

He then joined Ji Ning's group and barely managed to get in under the cover of the white-robed youth 'Mu Zishuo's' azure dragon puppet. With the dragon puppet shielding above, he had a slightly easier time—just enough to get in, albeit injured.

"Truly difficult," the white-robed youth Mu Zishuo said, looking down. "This lightning puppet formation is really tough, no wonder it's the Black-White College."

Ji Ning also looked down.

Below, figures of cultivators were soaring upward one after another, continuing their ascent.

"It's tough, but there are many geniuses across the vast lands of Anchan Commandery," Ji Ning said softly.

Swoosh!

Another figure broke through the lightning barrier, arcing down to land at the cave entrance. It was a purple-clad girl with an icy expression. Her gaze showed a natural haughtiness from upbringing, but now that she had entered the cave, everyone here was a genius.

A moment later.

"One incense stick's time is up." The black-haired man announced loudly, and the eight hundred and ten dragon heads immediately ceased.

Those cultivators still struggling upward tried to continue flying.

"All of you, get down!"

The black-haired man barked.

His gaze turned terrifying, and a powerful wave of divine sense swept downward. The cultivators in midair froze, then fell from the sky one by one.

"Divine sense?" Ji Ning's eyes lit up. "It's a divine sense attack!"

When the cultivators were struck, their eyes went blank, and they plummeted—clearly their souls had been affected.

"There are attack techniques for divine sense?" Ji Ning's heart itched. His soul was his greatest strength, already comparable to a Primal Daoist. And through the 'Nuwa Painting' visualization method, his soul grew stronger daily. But so far, he had only used his divine sense to control objects.

He had never heard of divine sense being used to directly attack another's soul through techniques.

When his divine sense swept over others, they didn't even notice, and he couldn't attack them with it.

"Divine sense attack?"

"How does it work?"

"I've never heard of it—it must be an advanced technique. Since the black-haired man can use it, the Black-White College likely has such divine sense methods." Ji Ning resolved instantly: no matter what, he had to learn such techniques.

...

The black-haired man and five others flew into the cave. Among the six were figures with ethereal appearances, short and stout, cold and aloof—each exuding astonishing power.

Ji Ning and the other eight all spoke respectfully in unison: "Greetings, seniors."

"Mm." The six Primal Daoists scanned Ji Ning and the others, many lingering their gazes on Ji Ning for a long time.

"You." The black-haired man pointed at a blue-robed youth wearing a tall crown, whose eyes darted nervously.

The blue-robed youth's expression changed, and he quickly said, "Senior, I am Donghe Liuxu."

Ji Ning glanced at him.

Donghe clan?

That was one of the eight major powers.

"Donghe clan?" The black-haired man sneered. "No matter where you come from—even if you're from Anchan Beishan clan or the royal family of the Xia Dynasty—to enter the Black-White College, you must follow our rules. You used a talisman, violating the rules. Leave now."

The blue-robed youth gritted his teeth, then turned into a streak of light and flew out of the cave.

"Used a talisman?" Ji Ning looked at the Donghe youth in surprise. At the sect's entrance, there were clear requirements posted: talismans and other external aids were forbidden; one had to rely on one's own strength to pass the test. Those using external help were disqualified.

"You're Mu Zishuo?" The black-haired man turned to the white-robed youth, a smile on his face.

"Senior." Mu Zishuo bowed respectfully.

"Fourteen, not bad. Show me your puppet," the black-haired man said.

"Yes." Mu Zishuo knew the rules. Using puppets had restrictions: for cultivators on the puppet path, if they had to bring a puppet through the test, it must not have intelligence, nor an internal energy core. It had to be controlled by the cultivator's own energy input.

In truth, the black-haired man and the others had already discerned the situation during the test; this inspection was just a formality.

After checking.

"Mm." The black-haired man nodded. "It's fine."

Mu Zishuo put away the azure dragon puppet.

"You eight." The black-haired man's gaze swept over Ji Ning and the other seven. "You've passed the initial screening. Next is the final screening. If you pass, you become disciples of the Black-White College. If not, you'll have to go back."

"Final screening?"

Ji Ning was startled.

Even the black-clad man at the seventh level of the 'Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens' had barely made it in by luck, and there was still another screening?

"Chong'er." The white-robed woman among the six Primal Daoists spoke.

The black-clad youth quickly bowed: "Aunt."

"If you had cultivated the 'Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens' to the ninth level, you would surely enter the Black-White College. But you're only at the seventh..." The white-robed woman shook her head.

"I can't wait any longer. Reaching the ninth level would take at least ten or twenty years," the black-clad youth said anxiously.

"You won't pass the final screening," the white-robed woman said.

"Aunt, I want to try," the black-clad youth gritted his teeth. Having come this far, he couldn't just give up.

The white-robed woman shook her head.

...