Chapter 9: Consecutive Breakthroughs

The Xia Emperor, Di Hao, and the other nine Pure Yang True Immortals all stared at the enormous painting of mountains and rivers hanging high in the sky, all staring at that slovenly fat youth. Without a doubt, a 'Grand Divine Ability like the Black Tortoise' could never be recorded in a single book; it required a special means of inheritance, even personal instruction from the Black Tortoise Emperor himself!

"To be acknowledged by the Black Tortoise Emperor is no small matter," the Northern Land Immortal said with a chuckle. "Xiamang, what is this youth's identity and background?"

The others also looked toward the Xia Emperor.

The Xia Emperor knew all of the more than one hundred thousand participants in this Immortal Destiny Assembly and did not hide the truth: "This young man is a disciple of the Black-White College in Anchan Commandery of my Great Xia Dynasty. His name is Zhang Qi, his Daoist title is Sanpang. Because he is very slovenly, outsiders rarely call him the Sanpang True Person; instead, they mostly call him the Slovenly True Person."

"The Slovenly True Person? Daoist title Sanpang? This little fellow is interesting, interesting," Lü Dongbin laughed. "His Daoist title is so casual. It seems that being favored by the Black Tortoise Emperor means this youth is somewhat special."

"The Black Tortoise Emperor, so majestic, actually accepted such a slovenly little fellow as a disciple."

"The Slovenly True Person?"

One by one, they all committed this name to memory.

Even if this fat youth was now only a nominal disciple of the Black Tortoise Emperor, once he achieved 'Celestial Immortal' in the future, he would likely become a personal disciple! Being taught the 'Grand Divine Ability of the Black Tortoise' at such a weak stage showed the Black Tortoise Emperor's fondness for him. Being so valued by a great power, his future achievements would surely be extraordinary.

How lofty were the perspectives of Pure Yang True Immortals?

Among the more than one hundred thousand geniuses, only a handful would become Celestial Immortals; they did not really think much of them. But the identity of 'disciple of the Black Tortoise Emperor' was enough to make them take the Slovenly True Person seriously.

…

"The Grand Divine Ability of the Black Tortoise?" Patriarch Dongyan showed a shocked expression. "Unexpectedly, in this Immortal Destiny Assembly, there is actually a disciple of the Black Tortoise Emperor."

"It is the Grand Divine Ability of the Black Tortoise!" Patriarch Xuanji also showed a shocked expression. "Who exactly is this slovenly youth? In my Great Xia Dynasty world, there is actually someone who can become a disciple of the Black Tortoise Emperor?"

The nearly thousand Celestial Immortals often traveled to various worlds and even to the Heavenly Realm.

Thus, their horizons were broad. The 'Grand Divine Ability of the Black Tortoise' was also a very recognizable divine ability. Seeing the huge phantom of a turtle and snake, and looking at the Slovenly True Person's skin taking on the pattern of a turtle shell, there was no doubt it was the 'Grand Divine Ability of the Black Tortoise'. More than eighty percent of the nearly thousand Celestial Immortals recognized it.

All were horrified!

The Grand Divine Ability of the Black Tortoise… represented being a disciple of the Black Tortoise Emperor! The Black Tortoise Emperor was one of the overlords of the entire Three Realms, a hegemon since the ancient world, an absolute great power! These Celestial Immortals dreamed of becoming personal disciples under a great power. Unfortunately, most of them were merely 'nominal disciples' under great powers.

The difference between nominal disciples and personal disciples was vast.

Personal disciples… meant the great power would spare no effort to cultivate them.

Nominal disciples meant just having one's name listed, being qualified to listen to the great power's lectures. Even having a private word with the great power was difficult!

Celestial Immortals, after all, were carefree immortals who had leaped out of the Three Realms and could intimidate a region. Great powers needed some people to handle affairs, so they condescendingly gave the Celestial Immortals under them the status of 'nominal disciple'.

But the Slovenly True Person was different. At the Wanxiang stage, he was already taught the 'Grand Divine Ability of the Black Tortoise'. This was definitely the treatment of a personal disciple! Even if he was only a nominal disciple now, it was only because his strength was too weak. Once he became a Celestial Immortal, he would directly become a personal disciple.

…

In the square below.

"The patriarch orders a quick investigation into the identity of that slovenly fat youth." A shrunken cyan dragon coiled there, extending a claw to point at a spot in the air.

"I will investigate immediately."

…

"The Supreme One orders: find out the identity of that slovenly youth."

…

"Quickly find out who that person is."

…

The Celestial Immortals had too lofty perspectives; they knew far too few of the geniuses in the Immortal Destiny Assembly. At least, they almost all did not recognize this slovenly youth. They dared not recklessly release their divine sense, since the Xia Emperor and the other nine Pure Yang True Immortals were nearby. They could only do their best to convey orders downward.

For a time, most of the forces in the three thousand six hundred commanderies and the four oceans below quickly investigated.

Soon, they found out—

This person, named Zhang Qi, Daoist title Sanpang, generally called the Slovenly True Person. He was a disciple of the Black-White College in Anchan Commandery!

"Anchan Commandery, Black-White College?"

"Black-White College?"

"That small sect actually has a disciple valued by the Black Tortoise Emperor?"

The Celestial Immortals in the main hall of the Heavenly T芒殿 also quickly received the news, all puzzled, but they had already placed the 'Slovenly True Person' on an equal footing. The mere fact that the Slovenly True Person was 'valued by the Black Tortoise Emperor' was enough for them to treat him as an equal.

…

The leading immortal of the Black-White College, the Five Mad Immortal, watched with beaming joy: "I always said Little Slovenly was formidable. I recognized his Dao-heart long ago… among all the loose immortals and earth immortals in the entire Black-White College, not one can match him. Truly impressive. What divine ability was that? I've never seen it. But it looks very powerful. Little Slovenly must have had some extraordinary encounter."

"Hehe, Little Slovenly is so formidable. Maybe in this Immortal Destiny Assembly… there will be powerful Celestial Immortals, even Pure Yang True Immortals, from the Three Realms who will take Little Slovenly as a disciple," the Five Mad Immortal thought blissfully.

…

Time passed, month after month.

The slaughter within the painting of mountains and rivers was especially brutal, for they understood that what they were seizing was 'immortal destiny'.

But in the eyes of the lofty Xia Emperor and the other nine Pure Yang True Immortals, aside from the earlier Slovenly True Person who amazed them, the others at most made their eyes light up! After all, in an Immortal Destiny Assembly of a major world, the appearance of a disciple of a great power was already rare, and they did not think there would be a second one!

"Rumble~~~" Within the world of the painting of mountains and rivers, a waterfall plunged down like a white silk, splashing white foam.

Beside the lake where the waterfall crashed, a thick-browed, big-eyed, tiger-backed, bear-waisted youth in purple robes sat cross-legged. Not far away, a wild-man-like youth with disheveled hair also sat cross-legged, his gaze like that of a heavenly eagle, carrying a heart-stopping ferocity: "Xiamang Zishan, have you rested enough? We should go. We haven't gathered enough talismans yet!"

"I'm talking to you," the wild-man youth with disheveled hair said angrily.

As soon as he spoke.

Suddenly, a mysterious fluctuation descended around the tiger-backed, bear-waisted purple-robed youth—the fluctuation of the 'Dao'. Around him, water mist faintly swirled, and within the mist, lightning flickered.

"Damn it, breaking through just like that?" The wild-man youth was stunned.

The purple-robed youth slowly opened his eyes. If the wild-man youth had been like a heavenly eagle before, the purple-robed youth was like an ancient beast of the earth, giving off an incomparably domineering feeling. In terms of sheer domineeringness, even Beishan Baiwei's father, 'Beishan Heihu', fell short.

"Cangwu Jiu," the purple-robed youth grinned, showing a row of white teeth. "I've also comprehended four Daos! I've caught up with you!"

"Before, you were my equal. Now, aren't you stronger than me?" Cangwu Jiu was stunned.

The two had met shortly after entering the world of the painting of mountains and rivers. They had fought, neither able to overcome the other. Having grown up together in the Great Xia capital, they had long admired each other. Moreover, upon first entering the painting, both had been ambushed separately, so they decided to join forces!

"You're fast. If you're determined not to clash head-on with me, I can't do anything to you either," Xiamang Zishan said with confidence in his eyes. "But if you fight me, you are indeed no match. With four Daos integrated into my Lightning Dao, looking at the entire world of the painting of mountains and rivers, I daresay if I claim second, no one would dare claim first!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Cangwu Jiu sneered. "Don't get cocky. In the painting of mountains and rivers, there are many geniuses. They fight many times every day, honing themselves through repeated battles, making astonishing progress. Many have broken through!"

"Hmm, that's something to be careful about," Xiamang Zishan nodded. "I must not be careless. My goal this time is to be first in the Immortal Destiny Assembly!"

Cangwu Jiu shook his head: "Let's go."

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Xiamang Zishan and Cangwu Jiu immediately sped away.

…

The Slovenly True Person stood on the surface of a lake, bathed in moonlight, dreamlike and illusory.

He closed his eyes, completely unaware that the nine Pure Yang True Immortals and the many Celestial Immortals outside were almost all paying attention to him. He was the biggest focus in the painting of mountains and rivers.

"Whoosh."

The Slovenly True Person's body moved slightly, and a ring of fire spread around him.

Ring after ring of fire spread outward from the Slovenly True Person, and a fluctuation of the 'Dao' descended.

The Slovenly True Person opened his eyes: "After years of cultivation, fighting dozens of battles every day in the world of the painting of mountains and rivers, after four months, I have finally broken through and comprehended a third complete Dao. What I need to do now is integrate these three complete Daos into my 'Taiji' Grand Dao."

The Slovenly True Person had also stepped onto the threshold of the Grand Dao.

Ji Ning had entered the 'Sword Dao' Grand Dao, while the Slovenly True Person walked the 'Taiji' Grand Dao.

…

Over the following months, many in the painting of mountains and rivers gave up, and many geniuses died! But the surviving geniuses—such peerless geniuses of the same level fighting to the death, normally hard to come by even once—now fought dozens or even hundreds of times a day, so breakthroughs were frequent.

Many who had been stuck at bottlenecks broke through one after another.

In the sixth month within the painting of mountains and rivers.

In a wilderness, among the weeds, there was a black-clad youth and a black-clad girl.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged, not far from Yu Wei, who also sat cross-legged, silently watching Ji Ning. Not long before, Ji Ning had said to her: "Senior apprentice-sister, I gained some insight from the previous battle. Please guard me." Then he set up a simple illusion around him, closed his eyes, and entered a state of contemplation.

Yu Wei watched the closed-eyed Ji Ning, carefully studying his eyes, nose, and mouth, looking very intently and seriously.