Chapter 39: The First Form of the Three-Foot Sword

"Junior apprentice-brother, being able to comprehend the sword in the midst of battle truly makes you a genius at sword practice. No wonder you were accepted as a disciple by Immortal Diancai." The black-robed youth said calmly, "Junior apprentice-brother, my methods are a bit more ruthless than Senior Apprentice-Sister Bai Xue's. You'd best be careful."

"Senior apprentice-brother, feel free to make your move!" Ji Ning sat down cross-legged.

The black-robed youth also sat down cross-legged.

The two sat facing each other from afar.

The surroundings were deathly still. The two previous Wanxiang Adepts, 'Senior Apprentice-Brother Xue Ying' and 'Senior Apprentice-Sister Bai Xue', had been defeated in succession. Now, this 'Senior Apprentice-Brother Du Xue' who had stepped forward was naturally stronger than those two in the Dao Debates. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come up.

"Go! Go! Go!" A cold light flashed in the black-robed youth's eyes. Instantly, from behind the puppet he controlled, eighteen gleaming green hooks flew out. These eighteen poisonous green hooks streaked through the void, and in midair, the tips of the eighteen poisonous hooks faintly shimmered with a three-colored poisonous light. Emitting a three-colored poisonous light, the eighteen poisonous hooks shot straight toward the Thousand Sword Puppet that Ji Ning controlled.

They appeared to have restrained their power, giving off no sense of threat.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning's expression changed slightly.

Three-colored poisonous light?

Of the previous opponents, Senior Apprentice-Brother Xue Ying and Senior Apprentice-Sister Bai Xue, Xue Ying had specialized in a single Dao and had also incorporated insights from other Daos. He was quite similar to Ji Ning, having reached the 'Realm of Dao' in one Dao while the others hadn't. However, Xue Ying's insights into his specialized Dao were extremely deep, far surpassing Ji Ning's. Ji Ning had only defeated him by relying on his powerful 'divine soul'.

Senior Apprentice-Sister Bai Xue had likely reached the 'Realm of Dao' in two Daos!

This 'Du Xue' senior apprentice-brother before him had likely reached the 'Realm of Dao' in three Daos!

Immortal Diancai had also told Ji Ning... that only when he reached the 'Realm of Dao' in three Daos could he truly unleash the power of the 'Three Talents Lotus Sword'. And this Du Xue senior apprentice-brother had already reached that level.

"So what if he's at the Realm of Dao in three Daos?"

"Go!" A sword-light flashed in Ji Ning's eyes. From behind the Thousand Sword Puppet below, eighteen flying swords shot out.

The eighteen flying swords streaked through the air, instantly blooming into lotus flowers, transforming into eighteen beams of Three Talents Lotus Sword light. Although combining three flying swords into one sword beam increased power greatly... since the opponent had split into eighteen beams, Ji Ning naturally had to split into eighteen beams to counter them!

When it came to quantity, Ji Ning had never feared anyone!

"Clang!"

"Crack!"

"Whoosh!"

On one side were eighteen lotus sword beams; on the other, eighteen poisonous hook beams of colored light. It was as if eighteen cultivators were controlling each side, clashing and intertwining in the air.

The eighteen poisonous hook beams of colored light were astonishingly powerful, completely suppressing Ji Ning. However, Ji Ning's sword beams were more inclined toward the Water of the Five Elements, possessing great resilience.

And under this pressure... Ji Ning once again entered the battle state he had been in before, casting aside everything, leaving only the sword in his heart!

My heart is only the sword!

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

The lotus sword beams danced, becoming sharper and sharper. Even the many fellow disciples watching from afar all noticed that the power of the Three Talents Lotus Sword that Ji Ning controlled was visibly increasing. The sword beams seemed to be growing 'sharper', and even seemed to gradually gain life.

It kept growing stronger!

The power of the lotus sword beams kept increasing!

...

"Still in the state of sword comprehension." Senior Apprentice-Brother Huo Sheng watched from afar. "This little junior apprentice-brother's potential is truly terrifying. He really is a genius at sword practice."

...

"The power of the sword beams keeps rising. Could it be that this little junior apprentice-brother is about to step into the first realm of a 'Sword Immortal' today?" The slovenly fat youth watched silently. On the path of immortality, there were many subtle schools, such as the 'Yin-Yang School', the 'Taiji School', the 'Sword Immortal School', and so on.

Sword Immortals walk the great Dao of the 'Sword'!

Sword Immortals have always been renowned for their astonishing combat power, considered the most adept at battle. Examples include Immortal Diancai and the most famous figure in the Black-White College's history, Immortal Beixing—both were Sword Immortals!

...

"Impressive." The black-robed girl also praised softly. Beside her, Jiu Lian, hearing this, looked at Ji Ning in the arena, her eyes shimmering with a strange light.

...

In a corner of the Dao Debate Hall, the short old man leisurely took out his gourd, took a sip of immortal wine, glanced at Immortal Diancai, who was watching the battle without blinking, and chuckled strangely: "Junior apprentice-brother Diancai, don't worry. Judging by the situation, your disciple is almost there. He'll soon truly awaken his sword heart."

"Mm." Immortal Diancai responded, but his eyes remained fixed on the battle.

After all, this was his first disciple.

...

The black-robed youth, Senior Apprentice-Brother Du Xue, sat cross-legged, his expression growing increasingly grim: "How can this be? This enlightenment should have a limit. Why does the power of his sword beams keep increasing... from being at a disadvantage at the start, now he's gradually gaining the upper hand. Where is the limit of his enlightenment?"

"What exactly is he comprehending?" The black-robed youth gritted his teeth.

The most outstanding disciples, like the slovenly true man, could tell at a glance that Ji Ning was on the path of the Sword Immortal. But this Du Xue senior apprentice-brother's insight was clearly inferior; he only knew that Ji Ning was in a state of enlightenment, not that he was walking the path of the Sword Immortal.

In midair, the eighteen lotus sword beams and the eighteen poisonous hook beams of colored light clashed more and more fiercely. The poisonous hook beams struggled desperately... but they were clearly at a disadvantage.

"Ah!"

A fierce light flashed in the black-robed youth's eyes, and the madness within him erupted.

Instantly, the eighteen poisonous light beams transformed, forming a huge colored poisonous hook over ten zhang long. The entire colored poisonous hook emitted a hazy light, sweeping directly toward Ji Ning's Thousand Sword Puppet.

"Break!"

The eighteen lotus sword beams also transformed instantly.

Six flying swords formed one formation base, instantly forming a huge Three Talents Lotus Sword that met it head-on.

"Boom!!!" A thunderous collision.

The colored poisonous hook disintegrated directly, and the huge Three Talents Lotus Sword beam howled forward, piercing the protective layer of the distant poisonous hook puppet.

"Ji Ning wins!" The white-haired elder's voice rang out, and the sealing formation began to dissipate.

"Lost."

The black-robed youth, having struggled for a long time only to lose, had a trace of dejection in his eyes. He glanced at the beast-skin-clad youth sitting on the distant stone pillar, then lightly tapped his foot, transforming into a streak of light as he leaped out of the battlefield. He handed two jade bottles to the white-haired elder and turned to leave.

The entire Dao Debate Hall fell silent, then various discussions broke out.

"Lost."

"Even Senior Apprentice-Brother Du Xue lost. He was already at the Realm of Dao in three Daos."

"Even Du Xue lost. What do we do now?"

For a time, the many senior fellow disciples in the hall discussed. Since Du Xue had lost, who should step up next?

"Good."

"Senior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning! Well done!" Mu Zishuo was a staunch supporter of Ji Ning, the only one shouting in support. Among the new disciples, only he and Ji Ning remained.

The senior fellow disciples discussed among themselves, debating who should go next. But none of them noticed Ji Ning's peculiar state.

...

Even the Primordial Daoists watching through water-scrying techniques couldn't detect it, as they weren't witnessing it in person.

Only two people—Mad Immortal Wu and Immortal Diancai.

They both noticed Ji Ning's peculiarity.

After defeating the black-robed youth 'Senior Apprentice-Brother Du Xue', Ji Ning did not stand up as usual but continued to sit cross-legged.

"Do you feel his aura?" Mad Immortal Wu's eyes grew brighter. "Ji Ning's aura, his aura is becoming sharper and stronger."

"Mm." Immortal Diancai's eyes also shone as he stared fixedly at Ji Ning sitting cross-legged on the distant stone pillar. As a powerful Sword Immortal, he could even sense the burgeoning sword aura emanating from Ji Ning on that distant stone pillar. Though weak, it was gradually being born.

"It's getting stronger." Mad Immortal Wu forgot to drink, staring excitedly at Ji Ning in the distance. "I feel like his entire person is turning into a sword."

"He's broken through." A smile appeared on Immortal Diancai's face.

As soon as he spoke.

Ji Ning, who had been sitting cross-legged in the distance, stood up.

...

During the battle with Senior Apprentice-Sister Bai Xue, the scene of his master Immortal Diancai instructing him had surfaced in Ji Ning's mind, gradually touching upon the realm of 'Sword Heart Illumination'. Then, in the battle with Du Xue, his insights became clearer and clearer, and the power of the sword beams he unleashed naturally increased.

The moment he defeated Du Xue, it was like a bubble that had built up to the extreme suddenly burst with a bang.

The remaining doubts vanished.

Ji Ning's heart was completely illuminated!

"To become a Sword Immortal, one must have a sincere heart toward the sword!"

"The sword is the sword in the heart."

"If the sword is in the heart, even using a pebble, a flying hammer, or a wooden stick, one can execute sword techniques."

"Sword Immortals walk the 'Dao of the Sword' in everything."

"Whether it's the Dao of Rainwater, Wind, Fire, or any other Dao... all can be integrated into the Dao of the Sword."

"The sword is my body."

"The sword is my life."

"The sword is my path."

Ji Ning opened his eyes. His eyes, every part of his body, brimmed with sword energy ready to burst forth! It was as if Ji Ning himself was a peerless sword!

The sword of a Sword Immortal is oneself. Oneself is the sword; any magic treasure can be used to execute sword techniques.

The sword of a Sword Immortal is the path. This path leads to the peak, to the summit of the Three Realms.

The sword of a Sword Immortal is the reliance. On this path of immortality, it is precisely by relying on the sword... that one can carve a path to the peak, slaying gods who block, slaying Buddhas who obstruct, killing all obstacles. The reliance is this sword!

"I want my father and mother to live forever."

"I want the people I love to live happily."

"I want tragedies to no longer happen around me!"

"I want to no longer be controlled by fate!"

Ji Ning's sword heart was completely illuminated. All his desires, all his hopes, were placed on the sword! His body, his life, and his future aspirations were all entrusted to the sword. The sword was his reliance, carving out his own path.

"The first form of the 'Three-Foot Sword'—Sword Heart Illumination." Ji Ning instantly comprehended his own first form of the Three-Foot Sword.

This first form had many methods of execution.

All he needed to do was to execute it based on his enlightenment of Sword Heart Illumination, and that would be enough. Others had their own first form of the Three-Foot Sword, and Ji Ning naturally had his own!

...

Ji Ning stood up, standing on the stone pillar, looking across at the senior fellow disciples in the Dao Debate Hall, and spoke again: "Is there any other senior apprentice-brother or senior apprentice-sister who wishes to offer guidance?"

...