Chapter 36: Setting Out

Early morning.

"Uncle Master."

"Uncle Master."

"Grandmaster."

Amid a chorus of respectful voices, Ji Ning arrived at the entrance of the Cave of the Slanting Moon on Mount Fangcun, took out a broom, and began to sweep the mountain path himself.

Swish— Swish— The fallen leaves on the path were all swept away.

"Strange."

"Grandmaster sweeping the mountain path himself? That's the trial for the first level of the Immortal Palace, isn't it?"

"Never mind the first level; even the ninth level of the Immortal Palace, Grandmaster could enter as he pleased. Those nine-tier puppets, Grandmaster could easily defeat."

"But Grandmaster is indeed sweeping in person; we can't be mistaken."

"Maybe Grandmaster is comprehending something."

The two acolytes guarding the entrance watched in astonishment as Ji Ning swept the mountain path himself, while secretly transmitting messages to discuss it. And this matter would surely spread quickly, so that all the disciples on Mount Fangcun would know.

…

Ji Ning, however, was very calm. As he lowered his head and swept, each stroke felt like wiping his heart clean.

Step by step down the mountain path, Ji Ning swept continuously, not fast, as if savoring the act.

By the afternoon, he had swept to the end.

"Oh? Finished?" Ji Ning came to his senses, straightened up, and murmured to himself, "It seems the sweeping and weeding that Master arranged have some other purpose."

"Disciple." Suddenly a voice sounded in his ear.

Ji Ning was startled and quickly responded, "Master!"

In all these years on the mountain, Master had never directly transmitted a voice to speak with him.

"After you study the 'Candle Dragon Eye,' come to me." The voice sounded again in his ear.

"Yes, Master." Ji Ning replied respectfully.

Ji Ning immediately hurried up the mountain, wondering inwardly: Master summoning him? That was very rare. Could it be… he was about to set out?

…

Ji Ning went to the Three Realms Palace and obtained the complete text of the Candle Dragon Eye.

Thus, Ji Ning had learned three major techniques from the Three Realms Palace: the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, Houyi's Archery, and the Candle Dragon Eye.

Receiving the inheritance of the Candle Dragon Eye alone took another day. Only after waking the next day did Ji Ning head to the Daoist temple where Patriarch Bodhi resided.

"Uncle Master."

The two acolytes at the temple gate called out respectfully.

One acolyte, Qingshui, said, "Uncle Master, the Patriarch has instructed that you may enter directly."

Ji Ning nodded with a smile and stepped inside.

Inside the Daoist temple.

Before an open space was a cushion, on which sat a thin old man in a loose Daoist robe. His hair and beard were white, yet he showed no sign of frailty. What Ji Ning felt more was an aura of endless eternal existence, and also sensed boundless vitality. Influenced by his master, his mind involuntarily became completely calm.

"Master." Ji Ning approached and said respectfully.

"Sit down." The Patriarch said.

Ji Ning chose a cushion, sat cross-legged, and listened to the instruction.

The Patriarch looked at Ji Ning and said slowly, "How long have you been on my Mount Fangcun?"

"Thirty-five years, now in the thirty-sixth year." Ji Ning replied respectfully.

"What skills have you learned?" the Patriarch asked.

"Disciple has studied the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, achieving the third transformation! Also practiced Houyi's Archery, just beginning. Also cultivated the Candle Dragon Eye, reaching the second level, the Lifebound Candle Flame! Over thirty years, disciple has spent more effort on swordsmanship, now perfected the ninth stance of 'Three-Foot Sword,' and learned many other powerful sword techniques." Ji Ning said respectfully.

The Patriarch nodded: "You have many skills now, a transformed person compared to when you first came up the mountain. At this point, staying on Mount Fangcun will bring little further progress. What you need next is to temper yourself in the mortal world, to prepare for the future 'Heavenly Tribulation.' With such abilities and having received the inheritance of Brother Sanshou, your future Heavenly Tribulation will surely be extraordinary and extremely difficult."

"Disciple will remember." Ji Ning understood.

Indeed…

As he had guessed, it seemed he was about to set out.

"Now it is time for you to leave." The Patriarch looked at Ji Ning. "I said before, when you set out, I would give you two great gifts."

Ji Ning's heart stirred.

"After you entered the sect, I often observed you, examining your comprehension, aptitude, preferences… and created a unique escape technique for you, called 'Nine Heavens Annihilating Wind.'" The Patriarch said.

Ji Ning was overjoyed.

Created specially for him?

He was sorely lacking an escape technique; he had even considered choosing one from the Immortal Palace if he couldn't get a good one. He didn't expect his master had already arranged it, tailoring a technique for him.

"After all, you are a human. Practicing other escape techniques makes it hard to reach the pinnacle. Even if I gave you the original 'Garuda Wings,' the source of your Windwing Evasion, you couldn't reach the realm of that great roc." The Patriarch said. "What suits you is best. This 'Nine Heavens Annihilating Wind,' when cultivated to the extreme, though inferior to Garuda Wings, is not far off; you can cover ninety thousand li in an instant."

"Ninety thousand li in an instant?" Ji Ning was delighted.

Ninety thousand li—purely in terms of speed, it was astonishing.

"This escape technique I created for you. In the future, if you gain insights, you might improve it to make yourself faster; that depends on you." The Patriarch said.

Ji Ning nodded.

An escape technique personally created by Patriarch Bodhi—even if he became a Celestial Immortal, he probably couldn't improve it. Improving it was still far off for him.

"I see you will become a sword immortal in the future. A truly powerful sword immortal must have a powerful sword formation." The Patriarch said. "The so-called Plow Heaven Sword Formation is merely what the Plow Heaven Dao Ancestor taught his disciples; its true profundity, even I don't know—it is the Plow Heaven Ancestor's life-saving technique."

Ji Ning nodded.

"Your Small Thousand Sword Formation is a multi-treasure technique. Relying on many treasures, combined with a suitable formation, it can indeed have immense power. Both Daoist and Buddhist schools have such multi-treasure formations. I took your original 'Small Thousand Sword Formation' as a basis, absorbed the essence of some Buddhist and Daoist multi-treasure formations, and created a sword formation technique for you, which I named 'Grand Thousand Sword Formation.'" The Patriarch said. "As long as you have enough treasures, the power of the Grand Thousand Sword Formation will be astonishing. It can be considered among the top sword formations in the Three Realms."

"Thank you, Master!" Ji Ning was thrilled.

The escape technique 'Nine Heavens Annihilating Wind' and the sword formation 'Grand Thousand Sword Formation' were both created specially for him by his master.

What Ji Ning didn't know…

Patriarch Bodhi was very serious in teaching disciples. Over the endless years, he had taken few disciples, but each one he taught with dedication, at least in the early years, pouring his heart into it. Though Ji Ning saw his master infrequently, the Patriarch often observed Ji Ning and, based on his traits, created techniques in another 'world.'

For 'Nine Heavens Annihilating Wind,' Patriarch Bodhi spent hundreds of thousands of years to create it.

'Grand Thousand Sword Formation' was relatively easier; such multi-treasure formations rely mainly on many treasures, and the Patriarch created it in over a thousand years.

Because in the other world, the flow of time was different.

Thus, Patriarch Bodhi could produce these two techniques now.

…

"Come forward." The Patriarch instructed.

Ji Ning stepped forward. As soon as he reached the Patriarch, the Patriarch pointed a finger at Ji Ning's brow.

Instantly, a flood of information poured into his mind.

When Ji Ning came to, the 'Nine Heavens Annihilating Wind' and 'Grand Thousand Sword Formation' were already fully recorded.

"Alright, it's time to go." The Patriarch said.

"Master." Ji Ning said respectfully, "Disciple also wishes to study the Lotus Secret Art more and would like to go to the Immortal Palace to obtain a few lotus techniques."

The Patriarch turned his hand, and a bamboo slip appeared, which he handed to Ji Ning: "I obtained this set of lotus techniques by chance; it is profound and mysterious, enough for your study. Take it with you."

"Thank you, Master." Ji Ning took it joyfully, then added, "Disciple's apprentice, Qingya Xiaoyu, has only been on the mountain a few years and is still weak. Disciple wishes to let her stay on Mount Fangcun for now…"

"Let her cultivate quietly on the mountain. The day she defeats the nine-tier puppet, I will send her away to your Great Xia world." The Patriarch said.

Ji Ning felt relieved.

Everything was settled.

"Alright, go down the mountain." The Patriarch instructed. "Remember, without permission, you must not say you are my disciple, or don't blame me for being ruthless. Only when I summon you may you return to Mount Fangcun."

"Yes." Ji Ning said respectfully.

"Now the Three Realms are seething with undercurrents; even I might lose my life. You must be careful, not arrogant or reckless, lest you bring disaster upon yourself." The Patriarch said.

Ji Ning's heart trembled.

What?

Undercurrents in the Three Realms? His master might die? Then he, not even a Celestial Immortal, was nothing but a speck?

The Patriarch waved his hand: "Blessings and calamities are of your own making; blame no one. Go!"

Ji Ning knelt respectfully, kowtowed heavily nine times: "Disciple is leaving. Master, take care!" His master had indeed expended much effort for him. Techniques like 'Nine Heavens Annihilating Wind' and 'Grand Thousand Sword Formation,' top-tier in the Three Realms, could not be casually created even by Dao Ancestors. Though his master didn't say it, Ji Ning guessed that after observing him, his master must have spent immense effort to create them.

This kindness, Ji Ning naturally remembered.

Moreover, the thirty-plus years on Mount Fangcun were the most peaceful of his life, and the time when he laid a solid foundation. Once he descended the mountain, as his master said, the Three Realms were seething with undercurrents; it would be hard to have such peace again.

…

After Ji Ning left, another person appeared in the Daoist temple—Second Senior Brother Jidian.

"Master." Jidian looked into the distance at Ji Ning's departing figure and sighed, "This little junior brother is truly a man of sentiment."

"But he was born at the wrong time." The Patriarch shook his head. "When your many fellow disciples grew up, I could still protect them somewhat. But now, as he grows, a great calamity is descending upon the Three Realms. The undercurrents are already surging; perhaps it will be even more terrible than the calamity when the ancient Pangu world shattered."

"What!" Jidian's face changed color.

"Nuwa left long ago, entering the endless chaos, and has not returned for endless years." The Patriarch said. "When Nuwa was here, the Three Realms finally stabilized, the Six Paths of Reincarnation were established, the Heavenly Court governed the Three Realms, and Dao Ancestors and True Gods were scattered everywhere. Now Nuwa is gone… the Six Paths of Reincarnation have long been breached and collapsed, the Heavenly Court is but an empty name, and undercurrents surge everywhere. This calamity…"

The Patriarch shook his head.

Jidian was worried too.

"In the calamity, blessings and calamities are of one's own making; only self-salvation works." The Patriarch said. "Even you all must be careful. In this calamity, Dao Ancestors and True Gods may fall in droves; if half of the Celestial Immortals and True Immortals survive, that would be good. If you face danger, I cannot save you."

"Disciple will remember." Jidian said respectfully.

…

Ji Ning, along with Xiaoqing and Uncle Bai, left Mount Fangcun.

On the mountain path of Mount Fangcun, Qingya Xiaoyu knelt and kowtowed: "Disciple will train hard. Once I reach the ninth level of the Immortal Palace, I will immediately go to the Great Xia world to reunite with Master."

Ji Ning nodded with a smile.

Then, with Xiaoqing and Uncle Bai, he flew out of Mount Fangcun into the void, where a void passage directly appeared—opened by Patriarch Bodhi.

Ji Ning, Xiaoqing, and Uncle Bai flew straight into it.

Whoosh!

Ji Ning and the others vanished, and the void passage closed.

"Master!" Qingya Xiayu knelt, tears streaming down her face. "I will definitely go to the Great Xia world to see Master."