Chapter 24: The Invitation

Ji Ning's eyes stung.

After killing Shaoyan Nong, Ji Ning no longer harbored any hope that the Black-White College would help him, his disciple. He actually felt somewhat indebted to the Black-White College, because his actions had surely strained relations between the College and the Shaoyan clan. Thus, Ji Ning only thought of facing the Shaoyan clan alone.

"Master... Master has gone out to wander?" Ji Ning asked worriedly.

"Yes. Your master couldn't help you at all with your matter, and it hit him hard. Moreover, he felt he had no confidence in surviving the tribulation, so he went out to train and temper himself," the Mad Immortal Wu Feng said with emotion. "But in this world, how can everything go as one wishes? Your master is too stubborn."

Ji Ning remained silent.

"Hurry and look," said the Mad Immortal Wu Feng, placing the "Water Source Manual" in Ji Ning's hands.

"Mm," Ji Ning nodded. No matter how many thoughts he had, without sufficient strength they were useless.

"Whether in my past life or this one, what I want is to hold my destiny in my own hands." The intense longing in Ji Ning's heart only strengthened his resolve on the path of cultivation.

Ji Ning flipped through the second volume of the "Water Source Manual," carefully memorizing it.

After memorizing everything,

flames appeared in Ji Ning's hand and directly burned the book. Then the Mad Immortal Wu Feng handed him the third volume of the "Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens."

The complete "Water Source Manual," the third volume of the "Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens," the complete "Heavenly Transformation," the complete "Thunderclap Eye," the complete "Ten Thousand Poison Stingers," the complete "Three Heads, Six Arms," the complete "Blazing Heart Eye," the complete "Soulshaker Art," the complete "Soulfeaster Art," and the complete "Soulslayer Art."

These were what the Mad Immortal Wu Feng had brought—almost all the most important divine abilities and secret arts from the Black-White College suitable for Ji Ning.

He read one and burned one.

Some divine abilities had over ten copies. As a cultivator, his memory was naturally astonishing, and Ji Ning kept memorizing until the early morning of the next day before he had fully committed them to memory. Of course, in the middle, he accompanied his grandmaster to the evening banquet prepared by Yuchi Xiyue.

"No need to see me off."

At the entrance of the manor, Ji Ning saw off the departing Mad Immortal Wu Feng.

"Ji Ning," the Mad Immortal Wu Feng looked at him and smiled, "From last night's banquet, it seems King Yan thinks highly of you. He's a Celestial Immortal ancestor, and he values you so much. You must work hard. The Black-White College has given you all the help it can. I myself am living from one tribulation to the next; I won't live much longer. I truly hope that among the disciples of the Black-White College, one can become a Celestial Immortal. Your master is fighting, and you must fight too."

"Mm," Ji Ning nodded.

"In the Grand Xia capital, you must be careful on your own," the Mad Immortal Wu Feng grinned. "Since you're going to the Immortal Destiny Convention, give it your all. If you can become a disciple of a great power of the Three Realms, then the Shaoyan clan will be dumbfounded."

"Mm, I'll give it my all," Ji Ning nodded.

"Alright, I'm off." The Mad Immortal Wu Feng turned and left, holding his wine gourd, carefree and at ease, soon disappearing from Ji Ning's sight.

Ji Ning took a deep breath. At this moment... his sense of belonging to the Black-White College was overwhelmingly strong.

"No matter what day it is, I, Ji Ning, will always be a disciple of the Black-White College," he silently vowed.

Then Ji Ning turned and went back into King Yan's manor.

...

"Senior, Ji Ning has reached the manor gate."

"He came out?" Immortal Floating Cloud said urgently.

"He went back inside."

Immortal Floating Cloud's face showed barely concealed anxiety. He shouted, "Keep watching."

Although he was a loose immortal and extremely patient, he had sworn a Heavenly Oath before Mystic Origin Ancestor to kill Ji Ning within three days.

"A day and a half have passed!" Immortal Floating Cloud said anxiously. "Ji Ning, Ji Ning, are you planning to stay in the manor forever? Then I would die too unjustly."

...

In the Water Mansion's great hall within King Yan's manor.

"Ji Ning, that Wu Feng fellow brought many divine abilities and secret arts. The secret arts are up to you, but among those divine abilities, do not cultivate the 'Ten Thousand Poison Stingers,' absolutely not," said the yellow-furred bear.

"Ah?" Ji Ning was surprised. "The 'Ten Thousand Poison Stingers' is considered the most powerful divine ability of the Black-White College, and it costs the most black-and-white tokens along with 'Blazing Heart Eye.' And divine abilities, the more the merrier, right? It should be fine."

The yellow-furred bear shook his head. "Yes, the more the merrier. But cultivating divine abilities requires your focus and time. Moreover, 'Ten Thousand Poison Stingers' requires over ten thousand types of rare poisons to cultivate. Finding so many poisons is costly, and fusing them into your body one by one is very troublesome. It's a thankless task! Besides, the purer your divine body, the better. What use is it to fuse so many toxins into your body? When you become a god in the future, you'll probably have to actively expel the toxins and abandon this divine ability."

Ji Ning was stunned.

"What about the other divine abilities?" Ji Ning asked quickly.

"'Heavenly Transformation' and 'Three Heads, Six Arms' are divine abilities that almost all gods and demons in the Three Realms cultivate. Although common, they are very practical," said the yellow-furred bear. "You definitely need to cultivate them. As for the others? Didn't you get 'Five Thunders Golden Body' before? Both 'Five Thunders Golden Body' and 'Thunderclap Eye' can be cultivated, and they complement each other, making both more powerful. Moreover, 'Thunderclap Eye' is actually the foundation of a top-tier great divine ability in the Three Realms, 'Thunder God Eye.'"

Ji Ning laughed. "Having an elder at home is truly like having a treasure."

"Mm, so you little brat should be more respectful to me," said the yellow-furred bear proudly.

"How powerful is the top-tier great divine ability 'Thunder God Eye' you mentioned?" Ji Ning asked curiously.

"It ranks in the top hundred among countless divine abilities in the Three Realms, one level below 'Star Picking Hand,'" said the yellow-furred bear. "But it's still very impressive. Those who fully master 'Thunder God Eye' are all influential figures in the Three Realms."

Ji Ning nodded.

Over the past year or so, he had already cultivated 'Five Thunders Golden Body,' 'One Thought into Soldiers,' and 'Three Heads, Six Arms' to their limits.

"With over a year left until the Immortal Destiny Convention, I need to make some progress in 'Thunderclap Eye,' 'Soulfeaster Art,' and 'Soulslayer Art,'" Ji Ning thought to himself.

...

"Open."

Ji Ning stood in the Water Mansion's great hall and shouted. His forehead split open, revealing a vertical eye, and a bolt of lightning struck the distant floor of the hall.

"Hm? Someone? It's not even dark yet, the banquet hasn't started. Why is a servant coming?" Ji Ning thought, and immediately closed the thunderclap eye on his brow. The Thunderclap Eye divine ability had just reached the beginner level, but its power was already considerable.

Ji Ning arrived at the entrance of the immortal mansion, with Uncle Bai and Xiao Qing following.

"What is it?" Ji Ning asked.

The female soldier servant at the door smiled and said, "The princess invites you, young master."

"Oh?" Ji Ning nodded. "Uncle Bai, Xiao Qing, I'll be back soon."

Soon, Ji Ning arrived at his cousin's residence.

His cousin was sitting in a pavilion, holding a golden beast-hide scroll.

"All of you, withdraw," Yuchi Xiyue ordered.

Soon, only Ji Ning and Yuchi Xiyue remained in the garden.

"Brother, you spent five million catties of liquefied elemental essence on that peacock feather at the Treasure Hill. News spread, and many people in the Grand Xia capital know about you now," Yuchi Xiyue handed over the golden beast-hide scroll. "So now someone has invited you to a banquet."

Ji Ning took it and looked.

"Zhuanxu clan?" Ji Ning's eyes lit up.

Ji Ning had also purchased intelligence on the major powers in the Grand Xia capital. Although he didn't know the details, he had a general idea.

"The Zhuanxu clan and the Shaoyan clan are mortal enemies! And the Zhuanxu clan is even more powerful than the Shaoyan clan," Yuchi Xiyue smiled. "Legend has it that in the age of gods and demons, the Zhuanxu clan led a large group of tribes, and the Xiamang clan also led a large group of tribes. The Xiamang and Zhuanxu clans fought for a long time, and eventually the Zhuanxu clan submitted."

Ji Ning marveled; he hadn't known this secret history.

"The Zhuanxu clan once claimed the title of emperor in the age of gods and demons!" Yuchi Xiyue sighed. "Even now, after submitting, the Zhuanxu clan is still one of the top three clans of the Grand Xia dynasty."

Ji Ning knew this much.

The top three clans of the Grand Xia dynasty were the imperial Xiamang clan, which held absolute dominance.

Second and third were the Zhuanxu clan and the Heishen clan.

"The Zhuanxu clan has a great enmity with the Shaoyan clan. The first to invite me is indeed them," Ji Ning smiled. "By the way, this invitation also includes you, cousin. Would you like to come with me tonight?"

"I won't go. Although I'm invited, it's just a courtesy. I've never liked getting involved with them," Yuchi Xiyue shook her head. "Don't force me."

"I won't trouble you, cousin," Ji Ning nodded.

...

That evening.

Ji Ning, with the Whitewater Hound and Xiao Qing, arrived at the main gate of the manor, where the fifty golden-armored imperial guards had already assembled.

"Greetings, young master," said the guard captain, Immortal Chengyu.

"I trouble you, Daoist Chengyu," Ji Ning said.

"It's no trouble. We follow King Yan's orders and will do our utmost to protect you," said Immortal Chengyu.

Ji Ning waved his hand, and a large ship appeared. It was an ancient ship with faint but discernible power—a puppet warship left behind by Immortal Juhua, worth even more than Shaoyan Nong's black dragon carriage.

"Let's go." Ji Ning, the Whitewater Hound, and Xiao Qing boarded the large ship.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The golden-armored imperial guards also boarded the warship, quickly and familiarly taking positions along the gunwales, each on alert, scanning the distance.

"Whoosh." The warship pressed through the air, flying directly toward the location where the Zhuanxu clan had invited Ji Ning—a top-tier entertainment venue called the Water Cloud Pavilion.

Swoosh.

Immortal Floating Cloud appeared in midair, watching the massive warship fly into the distance. The golden-armored guards standing on the warship only added to his irritation.

"The three-day deadline is approaching, and he finally came out. But why, why is he still accompanied by a squad of golden-armored imperial guards? With them, how can I kill him?" Immortal Floating Cloud's eyes were filled with extreme anxiety. He was truly panicked; he really didn't want to fail to act and then be struck down by the Heavenly Punishment when the time came, his soul scattering.

That would be too unjust!