Chapter 23: The Immortal Diancai

The short old man held his gourd of wine, forgetting even to drink the celestial brew, his eyes fixed on the beast-hide-clad youth before the stone wall below. The sword intent on the youth was so tenacious, resonating with the radiant line of characters on the wall.

“Transmission across generations!”

“It’s Senior Beixing imparting his sword intent. And judging by how easily this beast-hide lad receives it, he truly possesses a sword immortal’s heart.” The short old man took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, then turned and transmitted his voice directly: “Junior brother Diancai, get your ass over here now!”

“Get your ass over here now!”

“Get your ass over here now!”

The voice pierced through the void, through layers of restrictions, directly into the ears of a man in black robes with black hair, who sat cross-legged on a jade bed.

“Hmm?” The black-robed, black-haired man opened his eyes, a hint of confusion flickering, then he relaxed. “Senior brother Wufeng seems to have survived the nine-hundred-year tribulation; he sounds quite excited.”

The black-robed, black-haired man took a step and vanished from the room.

In the night sky.

The black-robed, black-haired man trod on the void, each step covering a hundred li. If one didn’t look closely, he seemed not to exist in the world.

“Senior brother Wufeng.” The black-robed, black-haired man spoke.

The short old man glanced at him, blinked, and muttered, “You freak, your strength keeps growing. It’s only been a little over a hundred years, and you’ve already reached such a level. Since I entered the Black-White College, you’re the one with the most hope of becoming a celestial immortal.”

“The path to celestial immortality is so difficult; we can only do our utmost and gamble everything,” the black-robed, black-haired man said with a smile. “Junior brother hasn’t yet congratulated senior brother on surviving the nine-hundred-year tribulation.”

“I didn’t call you to talk about becoming a celestial immortal or surviving the nine-hundred-year tribulation.” The short old man pointed below. “Take a look.”

Immortal Diancai also looked downward.

On the square below were two people. One was meditating before the black-and-white diagram stone wall, clearly gaining much insight. The other stood before one of the stone walls inscribed by immortals. On that wall, a line of characters blazed with light, each character radiant and dazzling, emitting a restrained, profound, and powerful sword intent.

That line of characters read: “Holding a three-foot sword, slaying all injustices—Beixing’s inscription.”

“Senior Beixing’s cross-generational inheritance?” Immortal Diancai was startled.

As a peerless genius rarely seen in the Black-White College over a million years, and the current member with the greatest hope of becoming a celestial immortal, Immortal Diancai had also received the cross-generational inheritance of ‘Immortal Beixing’ when he first entered the college.

“You also received Senior Beixing’s sword intent inheritance back then, didn’t you?” the short old man said with a smile.

“Mm.” Immortal Diancai carefully observed the beast-hide-clad youth below.

His gaze was very focused.

He was scrutinizing the beast-hide-clad youth.

“Who is he?” Immortal Diancai asked.

The short old man knew Immortal Diancai was asking about the beast-hide-clad youth below. He shook his head. “How would I know? I just came out of seclusion and happened to see this, so I called you immediately. But today is the day our college recruits disciples; this beast-hide-clad youth should be a newly admitted disciple.”

Immortal Diancai nodded slightly.

Among the upper echelons of the Black-White College, everyone knew that since Immortal Diancai received ‘Senior Beixing’s’ sword intent inheritance as a new disciple and learned of Senior Beixing’s deeds, he had worshipped Senior Beixing immensely. He even regarded himself as Senior Beixing’s disciple, frantically exploring everything about Senior Beixing and his sword techniques.

He even followed the places Senior Beixing had once visited, tracing his footsteps.

In this process, Immortal Diancai’s strength grew ever greater, to the point where he could be called another ‘Senior Beixing.’ The other immortals of the Black-White College universally regarded him as the most promising candidate to become a celestial immortal.

“Well, is he worthy of being your disciple?” The short old man laughed, raising his gourd for a couple of gulps. His junior brother Diancai had never taken a disciple, having once said that only those who could receive Senior Beixing’s cross-generational sword intent inheritance could become his disciple.

Immortal Diancai had been cultivating for less than a thousand years.

In the last millennium, many had sensed the uniqueness of that line of characters, but none had received the sword intent inheritance.

“He’s not bad,” Immortal Diancai said softly. “But whether I take him as a disciple, I need to observe him further.”

“Your standards are really high,” the short old man shook his head.

Immortal Diancai said nothing, focusing on the beast-hide-clad youth below.

Watching silently…

Suddenly—

“Hummm~~~” The light from the line of characters on the stone wall below—‘Holding a three-foot sword, slaying all injustices—Beixing’s inscription’—suddenly surged. Radiant characters flew out from the wall: ‘Holding,’ ‘a,’ ‘three’… all suspended in the air.

Each suspended, glowing character looked like a character, yet every stroke seemed like a sword shadow, as if countless sword shadows converged into the characters.

“The Three-Foot Sword Technique, the complete Three-Foot Sword Technique.” Immortal Diancai’s eyes lit up instantly, revealing joy.

“The sword technique, that legendary Three-Foot Sword!” The short old man shed all his nonchalance, his eyes filled with surprise and fervor.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Almost simultaneously, three figures appeared in the night sky: a long-bearded elder with an imposing air, wearing a tall crown, whose very presence seemed like an emperor’s procession, influencing the surroundings; a child radiating endless cold, with eyes incredibly ancient; and a tall man wrapped in chains.

All three stared downward.

“The Three-Foot Sword.”

“The Three-Foot Sword sees the light again!”

“Our Black-White College has gained another remarkable disciple.” The three looked at Ji Ning below with anticipation and excitement.

Immortal Diancai and the short old man also stared downward.

These five looked down, all silent, watching.

Whoosh!

Another figure appeared—a white-robed youth of stunning, almost demonic beauty. After appearing, he first said respectfully, “Greetings, uncles and senior uncles.”

“Don’t speak,” the short old man waved directly.

The white-robed youth nodded. Though he was the exalted leader of the Black-White College, he maintained the bearing of a junior before these five, obediently standing aside without another word.

…

‘Holding,’ ‘a,’ ‘three,’ ‘foot,’ ‘sword,’ ‘slaying’… one by one, the glowing characters formed from sword shadows flew into Ji Ning’s eyes.

Ji Ning closed his eyes.

The line of characters on the stone wall—‘Holding a three-foot sword, slaying all injustices—Beixing’s inscription’—became ordinary, no longer emitting any aura. Perhaps in some future moment, when another disciple capable of receiving its sword intent inheritance appeared, it would once again reveal its extraordinary nature.

“Alright,” the short old man said with a smile. “Senior Beixing’s complete ‘Three-Foot Sword’ has been imparted to this lad.”

“Indeed, the complete Three-Foot Sword.” The long-bearded elder in the tall crown sighed. “How many years has it been? The last time the ‘Three-Foot Sword’ emerged was thirty million years ago. Finally, another disciple has inherited the complete Three-Foot Sword.”

“The Three-Foot Sword… slew countless demons, darkened heaven and earth, made the entire Great Xia Dynasty tremble, and even carved out this great world of ours.” The tall man wrapped in strange chains spoke in a low, resonant voice, his eyes filled with longing.

Though all were immortals, their strength and status differed greatly.

Immortals like Senior Beixing, on par with celestial immortals and even intimidating some, could kill ordinary scattered immortals and earth immortals like chickens.

Thus, even after endless ages, the admiration for ‘Immortal Beixing’ within the Black-White College surpassed even that for the college’s only celestial immortal in history.

“The Three-Foot Sword,” Immortal Diancai said slowly, “is said to have nine moves. The first six are recorded in our college’s secret manuals. But the last three moves—Senior Beixing’s true reliance for invincibility—cannot be preserved in text or diagrams; they can only be passed on through the profound sword intent inheritance.”

“This child has a sword immortal’s heart,” the long-bearded elder said, looking down at Ji Ning. “His Dao-heart is exceptionally pure and firm, and his soul is powerful. With these three, he can inherit such sword art as the Three-Foot Sword.”

The child-like figure nodded. “Among our college’s disciples, there have been some with firm Dao-hearts and powerful souls through the ages. But those with a sword immortal’s heart are far too few.”

“A sword immortal’s heart is the awakening of a true swordsman. It is the awakening of the heart,” the short old man said with emotion. “And awakening one’s own sword immortal’s heart is the prerequisite for walking the great Dao of ‘Sword.’”

…

“Junior brother Diancai, if you don’t want this fine disciple, I’ll take him,” the long-bearded elder said with a smile.

“Junior brother Diancai, I want this disciple,” the child-like figure said with burning eyes. “Though he can’t wield the Three-Foot Sword now, it has been imprinted into his soul. As long as his realm is sufficient, he can execute it. I look forward to nurturing a sword immortal with the Three-Foot Sword technique.”

“Junior brother Diancai…” Each of them spoke.

Immortal Diancai glanced at the other four. “I don’t have a single disciple yet. And you’re competing with me?”

The other four all laughed.

“Bihai.” Immortal Diancai looked at the white-robed youth beside him.

“Uncle,” the white-robed youth responded immediately.

“Who is the little fellow below?” Immortal Diancai asked with a smile.

The white-robed youth, Daoist Bihai, said, “He is one of two newly accepted disciples of our Black-White College. His name is Ji Ning, from the Ji clan, a small tribe in Swallow Mountain, Anchan Commandery. Both his parents are deceased. He showed peerless talent from a young age; at eleven, he killed Zi Mansion cultivator Bo Zishan, who was wanted by the Yinglong Guard. Later, because Fire Dragon Immortal went into seclusion to break through in the Ji clan’s territory, a one-yuan vein appeared there, prompting a branch of Snow Dragon Mountain to attempt to wipe out the Ji clan. But Snow Dragon Mountain ultimately lost a Wanxiang Adept and over twenty Zi Mansion cultivators there. The main reason for such heavy losses was Ji Ning. Through his acquaintance with Beishan Baiwei, a direct descendant of the Beishan clan, he fought in Carefree Cave, revealing that his realm had reached the Dao Domain. He is sixteen this year. The other disciple entering our college this time, Mu Zishuo, is fourteen.”

The five immortals beside him nodded.

Ji Ning’s growth sounded monstrous, but in the eyes of the Black-White College immortals, it was merely decent. After all, they had seen many reincarnated immortals.

“This Ji Ning will be my disciple,” Immortal Diancai said, looking around. “I ask my four senior brothers to bear with me.”

“Haha.”

“We thought junior brother Diancai would never take a disciple.”

“We won’t compete with you. Who else but you can teach him, given your deepest study of Senior Beixing’s sword techniques? If we taught him, wouldn’t we be wasting his talent?”

With these immortals’ conversation, Ji Ning’s apprenticeship was settled.

…