Chapter 25: Ji Ning Battles Chen Jin

The two were in midair.

Fire Celestial and Nine Lotus both stood on the water's surface, looking up. Nine Lotus anxiously sent a message: "Senior apprentice-brother Fire Celestial, won't you stop Chen Jin?"

Fire Celestial, however, looked up and replied calmly via message: "Chen Jin has pursued you for many years. The rage from the sudden shattering of his long-cherished desire is astonishing. Let him vent it. If he vents some of his anger, his future heart demons will be smaller. If he bottles it all up inside, it will likely become a tribulation for him later."

"You let him vent, but it's Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning who suffers," Nine Lotus said indignantly.

"Relax. The Black-White College forbids disciples from harming each other," Fire Celestial said.

"The Black-White College does forbid disciples from harming each other, but I can see that Chen Jin is completely red-eyed and would do anything. Although the college will punish him later, if he really injures Ji Ning... what use will punishment be then?" Nine Lotus fumed. "Senior apprentice-brother Fire Celestial, you are powerful and can definitely stop him."

Fire Celestial glanced at Nine Lotus. "If real danger appears, I will act."

"If real danger appears, it might already be too late. After all, they are both Wanxiang Adepts, and you, Senior apprentice-brother Fire Celestial, are also a Wanxiang Adept. In a life-and-death instant... you might not be able to rescue him in time," Nine Lotus sent urgently, trying to pressure Fire Celestial into acting.

Fire Celestial simply looked up.

...

Ji Ning and Chen Jin faced each other from afar in midair.

"You brat from a native tribe actually have the guts to accept the challenge," Chen Jin sneered via message. "But this only shows your stupidity!"

Ji Ning's eyes flickered with flames.

Flames of anger!

"I'll show you how fragile you are, how weak, how utterly pathetic!" Chen Jin's eyes were full of madness. "In terms of clan, my Shangshui Commandery's Chen clan is infinitely stronger than your native tribe. In terms of parents, both your parents are dead, while my father is a Primal Daoist! In terms of personal ability, I rank among the top ten of the third-generation disciples of the Black-White College. And you? A newly admitted junior apprentice-brother. Now let your senior apprentice-brother wake you up and make you understand... compared to me, you are nothing but a piece of shit!"

The voice echoed in Ji Ning's ears.

Ji Ning could hardly believe... that these words came from a disciple of the Black-White College!

"Indeed, even cultivators, who usually appear immortal and refined, when truly enraged and mad, become a thousand times uglier than mortal criminals," Ji Ning's heart burned with anger.

Compare clans?

Compare parents?

Compare personal ability?

Especially the mention of his parents stirred great fury in Ji Ning's heart.

"Chen Jin, aren't you just pursuing Nine Lotus? She hasn't paid you any attention, has she?" Ji Ning taunted via message. "You've pursued her for so many years, and she hasn't even acknowledged you. Don't you have any self-awareness? I feel embarrassed for you! Look at yourself, take a good look... how ugly you look in your rage. Really, you're worse than a piece of shit."

Ji Ning's words struck Chen Jin's vital point.

Nine Lotus ignoring him... that was something he couldn't refute.

At least in matters of the heart with Nine Lotus, she had chosen Ji Ning's side. Ji Ning was the victor.

"You deserve to die!" Chen Jin's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

"Wind!"

Chen Jin suddenly roared.

The huge clouds surrounding the sky immediately gathered beams of light, condensing in front of Chen Jin into a massive cyan wind-bird. The great cyan wind-bird held its head high, its feathers clearly visible, its gaze full of arrogance.

"Compared to me, you are nothing!" Chen Jin's voice roared in Ji Ning's ears, and the huge cyan wind-bird in the sky swiftly dove toward Ji Ning.

Ji Ning stood in midair.

"Hmph."

Ji Ning snorted coldly, and immediately a dense array of floating flying swords appeared around him. The nine black Coldmoon flying swords at the core elevated the power of the entire Lesser Thousand Sword Formation by a whole level. Light flickered on all the swords, and soon a jade-like sword glow condensed before Ji Ning.

The ninth layer of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation!

"Chop!" Ji Ning roared.

The jade sword glow streaked across the sky, leaving faint afterimages of a three-colored lotus. By now, Ji Ning had already reached the 'Dao Domain' level in the Dao of Rainwater, the Dao of Blazing Fire, and the Dao of Gale Wind. The power of this Three Talents Lotus Sword had naturally reached an astonishing level, and this strike also contained some mysteries of the Dao of the Sword.

The sword light emerged like a swimming dragon in the sky.

"Boom~~~"

The swiftly diving cyan wind-bird collided with the oncoming sword-light dragon.

Like a butcher dismembering an ox.

The dragon-like sword light directly sliced through the cyan wind-bird, splitting it apart.

...

"What!" Fire Celestial showed surprise.

He knew Chen Jin's strength well; Chen Jin ranked among the top ten of the third-generation disciples of the Black-White College. "Although that move wasn't Chen Jin's strongest, it was still a formidable technique. How did Ji Ning suppress it? And Ji Ning used flying swords, not close combat."

Nine Lotus, standing beside Fire Celestial, was equally shocked. She had never known Ji Ning's true combat power, because during the year at Serpentwing Lake, Ji Ning had never fought at full strength.

"Could it be... could Ji Ning actually defeat Chen Jin?"

...

On Brightheart Island, Ji Jiuhuo, Granny Shadow, and the others all watched with bated breath. The clash between two Wanxiang Adepts caused heaven and earth to change color, far surpassing the battle at Oxhorn Mountain. Qiuye, Qingshi, Uncle Bai, and Qingqing were all extremely nervous and worried.

But when they saw Ji Ning's sword light cleave the cyan wind-bird, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like he can win," Whitewater Hound nodded slightly.

...

Chen Jin, in midair, turned ashen. He had wanted to humiliate Ji Ning in front of Nine Lotus, to show her how utterly powerless Ji Ning was, and to prove that he, Chen Jin, was truly strong.

Chen Jin knew well that in the world of cultivation, everything else was illusory; strength was the most fundamental determinant of one's status. He had to prove with his power that he was stronger than this 'Ji Ning' that Nine Lotus had taken a liking to.

"How can this be?" Chen Jin couldn't accept it.

"Wind! Cloud!" Chen Jin suddenly roared.

Energy gathered from the surrounding heaven and earth, and a huge cyan wind-bird and a pure golden divine dragon appeared.

The wind-bird and divine dragon intertwined, their momentum astonishing.

They directly attacked Ji Ning.

"Chop!" Ji Ning coldly shouted again from afar.

The power of the ninth layer of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation erupted once more. This time, the jade sword light traced a stroke in the air like a brush painting, its trajectory so beautiful it made hearts tremble... And as it painted this trajectory on the canvas of the sky, a stunning sword glow suddenly manifested.

The third stance of the Three-Foot Sword—Sudden Sword Glow!

"What!" Fire Celestial, watching below, saw this move and his eyes widened. "Three-Foot Sword, Sudden Sword Glow!"

"This is!" Nine Lotus was also shocked. They were both disciples of the Black-White College, and the first six stances of the Three-Foot Sword had been passed down through generations. Of course they recognized the move.

Whoosh!

The sudden sword glow possessed an irresistible momentum. Although the wind-bird and divine dragon complemented each other, full of resilience and overwhelming power, before this sword intent that soared to the heavens... they were directly cut in two and completely scattered.

"The third stance of the Three-Foot Sword?" Chen Jin's eyes were full of disbelief. "Impossible, this is absolutely impossible. His sword technique can't be this powerful. How long has he been a disciple? How could he have comprehended the third stance of the Three-Foot Sword?"

"Even if he has the third stance of the Three-Foot Sword, he shouldn't be my match."

"I have long reached the Wanxiang Perfection stage and possess the Windcloud Grand Formation. The treasures for this formation were gathered by my father himself... one hundred and eight Earth-grade top-quality treasures, its power is no less than a divine ability." Chen Jin shook his head, his eyes full of disbelief. "His sword technique is powerful, but the third stance of the Three-Foot Sword... is only slightly stronger than me."

After all, he ranked among the top ten of the third-generation disciples.

He knew well the power of the Three-Foot Sword.

The fourth stance of the Three-Foot Sword was roughly equivalent to the power of a complete 'Dao'.

The third stance was a notch below.

In the Black-White College, only Senior apprentice-brother Fire Celestial, Slacker Daoist, and a few others surpassed Ji Ning in realm. This single strike alone was already on par with Chen Jin, Firecloud Fairy Yu Wei, and others who ranked in the top ten.

"Hmph." Ji Ning sneered.

Seems hard to believe?

Chen Jin's 'Windcloud Grand Formation' was famous, but his own 'Lesser Thousand Sword Formation' was even more powerful, and with the nine Coldmoon swords, it could unleash far greater power. That was how he managed to overpower his opponent.

"Impossible! How can a brat from a native tribe compare to me?" Chen Jin's face twisted with rage. "I will beat you until you kneel, until you submit!"

Chen Jin had only one thought!

He must defeat Ji Ning, no matter what!

"Windcloud Seal Heaven and Earth!" Chen Jin roared.

But at that moment, a pair of black wings appeared behind Ji Ning in the distance. The wings flapped violently, and Ji Ning shot forward like a streak of light.

Instantly, cyan chains and golden chains from heaven and earth coiled toward Ji Ning.

"Rip!"

The Northriver sword in Ji Ning's hand flashed with sword light.

Ji Ning's divine body had now reached the tenth level, comparable to a late-stage Wanxiang divine body, and he was using the divine ability, Star Picking Hand! Even against Fire Celestial, Ji Ning dared to fight!

"Boom~~~" The cyan and golden chains all shattered.

"No—" Chen Jin panicked and tried to dodge.

But how could he escape?

Ji Ning's left hand reached out like a divine hand, directly grabbing Chen Jin by the throat. Chen Jin's throat made a 'heh heh' sound but he couldn't speak, and fear appeared in his eyes.

"Who is a piece of shit?" Ji Ning held Chen Jin's throat and coldly demanded. "Tell me, who is a piece of shit?"