Chapter 3 Seclusion in the Black-White College

Whether to choose a life of wandering freely or to give up most of one's freedom in exchange for top-tier 'techniques and secret arts' has never been settled from ancient times to the present.

Ji Ning was not tempted because the Black-White College had divine abilities, secret arts, and techniques.

"The Xia Dynasty tempts us time and again, trying every means to make some Yinglong Guards become inner guards," Ji Ning sighed inwardly. "Most importantly, the Xia Dynasty never forces anyone; everything is voluntary! Those who join cannot blame anyone. Truly skillful methods!"

"Everyone."

Yu Lan Daoist spoke loudly, "Becoming a Yinglong Guard can also bless your tribe. You can demarcate a territory ten thousand li in diameter within your tribe's lands. As long as you live, this territory will be absolutely protected by the Yinglong Guard! No force dares to invade! Including Marquis Anchan!"

Ji Ning smiled. When he was young, he had met Mu Xiao Daoist, who had already told him this.

"Even if you die, this territory will still be protected for a full thousand years." Yu Lan Daoist suddenly smiled, a smile like a hundred flowers blooming. "If you become an inner guard of the Yinglong Guard, even if you die, your tribe's territory will be protected for a full ten thousand years!"

"Ten thousand years?" Ji Ning was startled.

"Ten thousand years? With such a long time for careful cultivation, the tribe will surely produce powerful figures."

"Ten thousand years of peace?"

This was not recorded in the books. Except for a few who knew in advance, most of the new Yinglong Guards were extremely shocked.

"Those who wish to join the inner guard of the Yinglong Guard may do so at any time." Yu Lan Daoist turned and said, "Let's go, to demarcate the territories for your tribes."

…

They went to an ancient hall, where each new Yinglong Guard entered to demarcate their territory.

"Ji clan, Ten Thousand Swords City." Ji Ning lightly touched the map with a brush, then drew a circle centered on Ten Thousand Swords City, about ten thousand li in diameter, barely including the four prefectural cities to the east, west, north, and south.

The old man sitting at the desk nodded, took the beast-skin map Ji Ning had drawn, rolled it up and put it away, then handed Ji Ning a token, saying, "Take this. Have at least a Zifu-level cultivator refine it, then hang it in front of the city lord's mansion in Ten Thousand Swords City."

Ji Ning took it and left the ancient hall.

One by one they entered and exited, each demarcating territory for their tribe. Some loose cultivators had no tribal territory and did not draw for now.

…

"Those who wish to join the inner guard of the Yinglong Guard may do so at any time."

A lotus leaf appeared under Yu Lan Daoist's feet, and she floated up, her voice still echoing, "Now you can do whatever you want. But remember one thing: you are now one-claw Yinglong Guards. Every ten years, you must complete a meritorious task. This is your responsibility as a Yinglong Guard. If you fail to do so... you will be caught and forced to do it. If you cannot complete it, you will be expelled from the Yinglong Guard."

Her voice still lingered in the air.

Yu Lan Daoist, stepping on the lotus leaf, drifted away toward a peak in the distant clouds.

"Senior apprentice-brother, what do we do now?" Mu Zishuo asked.

"What can we do?" Ji Ning shook his head. "Although the Yinglong Guard branch has many Daoist scriptures, they must be exchanged for merit. We have no merit at all now... Let's quickly take on tasks, complete them, and then the Yinglong Guard won't bother us. First, we'll take on tasks, then go to Anchan City to sell the harvest from Yushan Dahuang Swamp."

Mu Zishuo smiled: "Right."

"Let's go."

A green snake coiled around Ji Ning's arm, a white dog followed behind, and his junior apprentice-brother Mu Zishuo was by his side.

In just a moment, Ji Ning and the other took on tasks.

"Back to Anchan City!"

Ji Ning, Mu Zishuo, the Whitewater Hound, and Qingqing immediately boarded the dragon-headed warship, which swiftly broke through the air and soon rushed into the clouds.

…

"Senior apprentice-brother, these tasks aren't too hard," Mu Zishuo said. "I say we could choose tasks worth twenty or thirty merit points. With the two of us working together, we're truly unmatched among Wanxiang Adepts!"

"Be humble." Ji Ning teased, "If we run into any of Senior Bloodshadow, Senior Slovenly, or Senior Fire Saint, could the two of us defeat them?"

"They, they..." Mu Zishuo opened his mouth.

They really couldn't.

Those were ones who had comprehended a complete Dao, comparable to Primal Daoists.

Ji Ning said, "Don't think you're invincible just because you've killed a few Wanxiang Adepts and some Wanxiang great demons. Besides, the two tasks we chose are both worth 'ten merit points.' Once we complete them, we can be carefree for a hundred years."

"Right, a hundred years of freedom is enough." Mu Zishuo nodded, then gritted his teeth, "Not going to the Military Affairs Hall, I never knew there were so many evil people on this land, all kinds."

"Mm." Ji Ning's eyes also flashed with killing intent.

The Military Affairs Hall had many tasks, most of which involved killing those with great sin. 'Sin' here was sin determined by the Heavenly Dao. Killing these heavily sinful ones... also increased the Xia Dynasty's fortune. The Xia Dynasty naturally continued this long-term.

"These two, one massacred mortals to cultivate his 'Blood Hell Demon Eye.' The other nurtured a 'Ghost Infant King,' who knows how many infants he killed." Mu Zishuo shook his head. "And these are only tasks worth ten merit points. Those worth tens of thousands or millions of merit points... require killing true great demons, terrifying existences that even the Xia Dynasty finds troublesome. They are heavily burdened with sin, yet they can withstand the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations."

Walking the righteous path requires insight, tempering the Dao-heart, step by step.

But walking the evil path is much faster.

Although it leads to sin burden... making the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations more powerful, the evil path also allows one's strength to soar, making it easier to withstand them.

However, the evil path is strong for a time but does not last long! When facing the Heavenly Tribulation, those on the righteous path may become Celestial Immortals, or at least Loose Immortals... but those on the evil path have almost no chance of becoming Celestial Immortals. Very few become Loose Immortals. Because the Heavenly Tribulation for evil cultivators is too terrifying!

"We've reached Anchan City." Mu Zishuo looked down.

"Little Qing." Ji Ning looked at the green snake on his wrist, "Give me half of your Ten Thousand Year Cold Ice."

Whoosh.

The green snake turned into mist and condensed into a green-clad girl, her eyes wide, angrily saying, "That's mine, master, I got it with hard work! You, you... you robber, I misjudged you. Such an innocent youth before, now you've become so ruthless, you simply have no..."

"Shut up." Ji Ning quickly shouted, secretly sighing in relief, then said, "You miser, you can't use up so much Ten Thousand Year Cold Ice. I'm helping you sell it at Tianbao Mountain to exchange for enough liquid yuan to increase your strength. Understand?"

Qingqing blinked, muttering, "Don't embezzle it."

"You come in with me and watch me exchange it for liquid yuan, okay?" Ji Ning was helpless. This Little Qing was such a miser.

"Mm, here." Qingqing extended her small hand, and with a whoosh, a small mountain of Ten Thousand Year Cold Ice appeared above her palm.

Mu Zishuo's mouth fell open, and he roared, "You little green snake, with so much Ten Thousand Year Cold Ice, you only gave me such a tiny piece? And I was so grateful to you!"

But Qingqing didn't even look at the roaring Mu Zishuo. She directly sliced through the Ten Thousand Year Cold Ice mountain with her yuan force, splitting it in half. She put away one half and handed the other to Ji Ning.

"Let's go, to Tianbao Mountain."

The dragon-headed warship dove downward, flying toward the vast and ancient Anchan City below.

…

Back in Anchan City, Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo felt extremely familiar, having lived there for over three years.

Half an hour later at Tianbao Mountain, Ji Ning and the others came out.

"Yours." Ji Ning handed a jade bottle to Qingqing beside him.

Qingqing took it and carefully examined it. Inside was exactly five thousand three hundred catties of liquid yuan, the proceeds from selling the Ten Thousand Year Cold Ice. She nodded in satisfaction.

Ji Ning shook his head with a smile.

"Uncle Bai, this is yours." Ji Ning also handed a jade bottle to the transformed Whitewater Hound, who was now a white-clad, white-haired man, his features strikingly similar to Ji Ning's father, but softer and more kind.

The Whitewater Hound took it and examined it, then was greatly shocked. Inside was a full eight thousand catties of liquid yuan. He was startled and quickly shook his head, communicating telepathically, "Ning'er, so much liquid yuan would greatly benefit your strength. There's no need to waste it on me."

"I still have six thousand catties of liquid yuan." Ji Ning also communicated telepathically, "Having this extra eight thousand or not... doesn't affect me much. To reach the Primal stage, I'll probably need tens of thousands of catties. And according to the tradition of our Black-White College, one must comprehend a complete Dao before being allowed to enter the Primal stage. I'm still far from comprehending a complete Dao."

"It won't benefit me much, but it will help you a lot, Uncle Bai. Now that Little Qing is a Wanxiang great demon, if your strength increases, you can help me better." Ji Ning communicated telepathically.

The Whitewater Hound hesitated, then finally nodded.

This time at Tianbao Mountain, Ji Ning sold almost all the treasures obtained from Yushan Dahuang Swamp, including Dongyi's protective strange treasure, as well as the treasures of the Dragon Whale Demon King. Even its lifebound treasure was sold at a high price. The lifebound treasure of a Dragon Whale Demon King, the 'two dragon whiskers,' was far more valuable than ordinary Earth-ranked treasures.

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo each obtained over ten thousand catties of liquid yuan.

Mu Zishuo bought many materials.

Ji Ning only bought a bottle of 'Fire Lotus Marrow,' costing five hundred catties of liquid yuan. This was for nurturing the 'Golden Flame Earth Fire.'

"Let's go, back to the Black-White College. Cultivating in the college is the most reassuring, without worrying about anyone disturbing us." Ji Ning said.

"Mm, we both need to go back and go into seclusion, cultivating in one go. I should be able to reach Wanxiang Perfection." Mu Zishuo said excitedly. "Senior apprentice-brother, you should also reach Wanxiang Perfection." He had no idea that Ji Ning had given eight thousand catties of liquid yuan to Uncle Bai, thinking Ji Ning also had over ten thousand catties.

Ji Ning smiled: "Let's go, back to cultivate together."

Immediately, the two humans and two spirit beasts headed toward the Black-White College.