Chapter 5: Immortal Diancai and Ji Ning

"Let's go, back to the royal capital!" Ancestral Master Xuanji commanded.

Immediately, the nine flood dragons pulled the immortal carriage, soaring into the sky and vanishing.

Ancestral Master Xuanji was a decisive man. He knew well that having failed to discover Ji Ning at the first moment, capturing him would take a long time. Though he was a Celestial Immortal and an ancestral master, he was not omniscient. Mobilizing the tribe's forces and the Tianbao Mountain's power would be more helpful in finding Ji Ning.

...

Within Wanjian City.

Immortal Diancai looked up, watching Ancestral Master Xuanji fly away. Beside him stood Ji Liuzhen, Ji Jiuhuo, and the two loose immortals of the demon race.

"Clan Leader Ji," Immortal Diancai spoke, "Ancestral Master Xuanji has left. He won't stay here long, as he can't find my disciple. After all, he is a Celestial Immortal, of noble status! But I suspect he will arrange for some people to monitor the Yanshan area. This is my disciple's hometown; they will certainly keep watch. Now that your Ji clan has many demon soldiers, you are safe. I will not linger."

"Thank you, Immortal," Ji Liuzhen and the others quickly said.

They were grateful that this immortal from the Black-White College had come at a critical moment. Though he was Ji Ning's master, in times of real danger, some masters flee faster than their disciples.

Immortal Diancai said no more. His figure shot into the sky; the inner city of Wanjian had been sealed by a grand formation, preventing teleportation.

"Swoosh." After reaching high altitude, Immortal Diancai vanished directly.

"This Immortal Diancai is truly a man of honor," the demon immortal Duohe remarked.

"Admirable, admirable," the immortal Wu Sui also said.

"Yes, it is Ning'er's fortune to have such a master," Ji Jiuhuo sighed.

...

At the Black-White College in Anchan City.

Immortal Diancai, with black robes and black hair, sat opposite the short old man. Before them was only immortal wine.

"Senior Brother Wufeng," Immortal Diancai said softly, "The arrival of Ancestral Master Xuanji filled me with a sense of powerlessness. Ji Ning is my disciple, my only disciple. Yet when the Shaoyin clan wanted to kill him, I could do nothing! I couldn't save my disciple!" As he spoke, his body trembled slightly.

"Junior Brother Diancai," the short old man quickly said, "Don't be too attached. After all, he is a Celestial Immortal."

"What of a Celestial Immortal? In the past, Senior Beixing, as a loose immortal, could match a Celestial Immortal!" Immortal Diancai said in a low voice. "I've decided. Today I will set out, leave this great world, and go out to temper myself. Though I reached the consummate stage of the Return to Void long ago and could undergo the tribulation at any time, I have been suppressing it because I've never been confident. My talent is inferior to my disciple's. If I don't go mad, I fear I cannot avoid failing the tribulation and becoming a loose immortal. Even if I spend eons and achieve what Senior Beixing did, in the end, I will still fall to the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations."

The short old man was silent, then slowly said, "It seems your disciple's matter has greatly affected you."

"It is I, the master, who has failed him. The master is useless!" Immortal Diancai stood up. "Junior Brother will take his leave now."

"Be careful!" the short old man said solemnly.

To temper oneself, one must place oneself in danger. Walking through life and death can elevate one's mind and insights, but such tempering is also very dangerous. Walking between life and death often might lead to actual death.

Immortal Diancai smiled, then shot into the sky and soon vanished.

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish.

Five figures appeared in succession beside the short old man, all other immortals of the Black-White College.

"Truly decisive," the child-like immortal sighed.

"Compared to him," the tall man wrapped in chains said in a low voice, "though I am a reincarnated immortal, my Dao-heart is less firm. As the saying goes, if one cannot become a Celestial Immortal in one life, ten or a hundred reincarnations won't make them one."

"There are still reincarnated immortals who become Celestial Immortals," the short old man said.

"How rare?" the child-like immortal sighed. "This time, Junior Brother Diancai has shown great determination and resolve. In my view, his chances of becoming a Celestial Immortal have increased. Perhaps he truly has hope to become the second Celestial Immortal in the endless history of our Black-White College."

"Indeed, he is the most promising," the blood-robed, gaunt youth nodded. "But the Celestial Tribulation is hard to cross!"

Everyone fell silent.

The Celestial Tribulation?

It was a nightmare for all Earth Immortals and loose immortals. The most deadly part was that each tribulation's power differed. Great strength did not guarantee crossing it!

"I hope Junior Brother Diancai returns safely; otherwise, there is no need to speak of the tribulation," the short old man said with hope in his eyes. "I wonder if this old madman will see Junior Brother Diancai again before I die."

...

In another space, the Water Mansion.

Ji Ning knew nothing of the outside world. His entire mind was on the 'Second Soul Secret Art'. Splitting his soul into two required utmost caution.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged on a cushion.

Not far away, the yellow-furred bear and the black ox watched him.

"He won't fail, will he?" the black ox whispered. They had set up a barrier so sound wouldn't disturb Ji Ning.

"Ji Ning's visualization technique is remarkable. Even if he fails, at most he'll lose half his soul. There's no danger to his life," the yellow-furred bear said.

"Losing half his soul..." the black ox muttered.

That was still serious.

If the Second Soul Secret Art succeeded, the soul would split in two, and both parts would survive. Though Ji Ning would be weak for a short time, it would pass. But if one part of the soul perished, Ji Ning might suffer personality defects, becoming neurotic, gloomy, or even mad.

Losing half the soul would indeed cause a major personality change.

"Breathe in, breathe out."

Ji Ning's breathing was long and deep. He was utterly calm, having reviewed the Second Soul Secret Art many times and deliberated repeatedly.

"Let's begin."

Ji Ning closed his eyes.

In the sea of consciousness.

The soul Ji Ning stood there, his entire body radiating boundless sword energy. This was a transformed sword soul! The sword soul was indestructible, making separation even harder.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~" A light began to appear at the brow of the soul Ji Ning, a vertical light.

Ji Ning exerted the secret art with all his might, his divine sense converging like a blade, cutting downward and upward from the brow.

The vertical light gradually extended.

"Ah!" The pain of tearing the soul made even Ji Ning's firm will tremble, but those who dared to use the Second Soul Secret Art were no ordinary people; they could endure such pain.

The vertical light extended past the neck, chest, abdomen...

The vertical light in the center of the soul Ji Ning's body now ran through his entire form, like a line splitting the soul. But this was not yet dangerous; the most dangerous part came next.

"Split!" Ji Ning's soul suddenly divided.

Along the central vertical light, the soul split in two. One half flew out of Ji Ning's physical body like lightning. The moment the soul completely separated, Ji Ning felt dizzy. The flying half-soul also trembled, but Ji Ning's Dao-heart was firm, and though dizzy and exhausted, he held on.

This step had to be fast and steady.

Otherwise, if the half-soul failed to enter the 'One Element Water Pearl', it would perish. Once separated, the soul could not be recombined.

"Enter."

The half-soul turned into a stream of light and flew directly into the One Element Water Pearl.

The moment it entered the pearl, it felt like a child in its mother's arms, a drifting boat finally returning to harbor. A sense of peace and warmth filled the soul. With a vessel, the soul felt comfortable.

"Phew." Ji Ning breathed a sigh of relief.

"Visualize!"

Ji Ning ignored the cultivation of the second soul for now and immediately had both souls begin the visualization technique.

In the sea of consciousness.

The smaller soul Ji Ning sat cross-legged, while in the vast void of the sea of consciousness, a giant statue of Nüwa appeared. The statue seemed to suppress past and future, eternal and unchanging, stabilizing Ji Ning's newly split soul. The boundless warm light shone on Ji Ning's soul, helping it recover from the great damage.

Inside the One Element Water Pearl.

A smaller soul also visualized Nüwa, the statue appearing with radiant light.

Both souls were injured and rapidly grew and recovered. This recovery lasted nearly three days, and both souls grew larger.

"Phew." Ji Ning opened his eyes.

The One Element Water Pearl before him flew up and landed in his hand.

"How is it?" the yellow-furred bear asked quickly. "How is your soul now?"

"Both have recovered to about seventy percent of before," Ji Ning said.

"Seventy percent?" the yellow-furred bear was shocked. "It seems you have a very powerful visualization technique."

When a soul split in two, each half was about fifty percent of the original. With ordinary visualization, stabilizing the soul was already good; rapid growth was out of the question. But Ji Ning had not only stabilized but also reached seventy percent.

"But this is only once, as it was just after the split and injury, so a large recovery was possible. It will slow down later. It will take a long time for these two souls to recover to the state where their divine sense can reach a thousand li," Ji Ning sighed.

"Don't be ungrateful. You've refined a second soul; it's like having another life," the yellow-furred bear remarked. "This second soul can become an Earth Immortal and a Celestial Immortal. Even if your original body dies, the second soul lives on."

Ji Ning nodded with a smile.

The original and the second soul could share memories, but in other aspects, they were independent. It could indeed be called a second life.

"Hurry and cultivate, refine all the essence in this One Element Water Pearl," the yellow-furred bear laughed.

"Mm."

Ji Ning nodded, and immediately the second soul in the One Element Water Pearl began to cultivate.