Chapter 29 Preparations Before Departure

"Choose carefully." The yellow-furred bear curled his lip. "When you eventually choose Pure Yang treasures, only the third time you select Pure Yang treasures will be as shocking as this."

Ji Ning nodded.

He understood, of course. Just like when selecting Immortal-rank treasures, the first time he only got the top-grade Immortal 'Three Talents Locking Immortal Circle', the second time he got the complete set 'Plow Heaven Sword Formation', and the third time was another leap.

In the future, when selecting Pure Yang treasures, passing the ninth and tenth floors of the War God Hall would be the first and second times to choose Pure Yang treasures. It was estimated that the number of Pure Yang treasures would not be many. Only by becoming a Celestial Deity and obtaining the third opportunity to choose Pure Yang treasures could one acquire the most powerful treasures in the entire Water Mansion's Treasure Hall.

But the prerequisite is...

One must become a Celestial Deity!

Celestial Deities and Pure Yang True Immortals are on the same level. To become a Celestial Deity, one must undergo the 'Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation'. Moreover, Ji Ning's fate was extraordinary—he was a disciple of Sanzu Daoist and also a disciple of Patriarch Bodhi. His heavenly tribulation was likely not as simple as that of an ordinary divine demon. Thus, Ji Ning dared not be careless in the slightest.

"My Grand Thousand Sword Formation requires at most seven hundred and twenty-nine flying swords. I'm afraid that for a very long time to come, the treasures I use will be top-grade Immortal flying swords," Ji Ning thought to himself.

Even if he became a Celestial Immortal in the future and could obtain Pure Yang treasures, obtaining over seven hundred Pure Yang treasures was unlikely.

Unless he became a Celestial Deity and made the final selection of Pure Yang treasures in the Water Mansion's Treasure Hall... that might be possible, but only just. After all, Sanzu Daoist only left behind some of his collections; he might not have collected hundreds or thousands of Pure Yang flying swords to form a sword formation.

Becoming a Celestial Deity was too far off!

According to Ji Ning's plan, he would definitely let his second true body undergo the tribulation first, followed by his true body. Because the second true body only practiced Qi Refining, the tribulation would be easier. His true body, however, practiced Divine Demon Body Refining... the tribulation would be terrifyingly fierce. Since he knew it would be fierce, he naturally wouldn't let his true body and second true body undergo the tribulation together. If they did, what would the 'heavenly tribulation' become? Ji Ning dared not even think about it!

Moreover, when he was at Mount Fangcun, Ji Ning chatted with Senior Apprentice Brother Silver Moon and others. They also suggested that Ji Ning let his second true body undergo the tribulation first, so that the second true body could step into the 'Celestial Immortal' realm first, allowing him to comprehend the Dao of the Sword faster. Only when his realm was higher and preparations were fully made should his true body undergo the tribulation.

...

"Now that the Three Realms are in turmoil, I need this set of flying swords to fight for my life! And I need them to withstand the heavenly tribulation!" Ji Ning was very cautious as he flipped through the book, carefully searching. Many powerful top-grade Immortal treasures were impressive, but there was no set of nearly a thousand top-grade Immortal flying swords forming a complete set.

Suddenly his eyes lit up and he stopped. "Found it." Ji Ning revealed a joyful expression.

Yin-Yang Dual Polarity Thousand Extinction Formation: Composed of five hundred extremely yin 'One Breath Frost Ice Swords' and five hundred extremely yang 'Qian Gang Fire Extreme Swords', it could form the Yin-Yang Dual Polarity Thousand Extinction Formation. Once the sword formation was raised, yin and yang, water and fire would clash, annihilating everything. The One Breath Frost Ice Swords and Qian Gang Fire Extreme Swords were all top-grade Immortal flying swords. They could be separately controlled by two people—one controlling five hundred One Breath Frost Ice Swords, the other controlling five hundred Qian Gang Fire Extreme Swords—and jointly deploy the formation. Or one person could simultaneously control over a thousand top-grade Immortal flying swords to command such a grand formation.

The book detailed many mysteries.

It even recorded the method to deploy the 'Yin-Yang Dual Polarity Thousand Extinction Formation'.

But some things were not recorded. In fact, this sword formation was originally jointly controlled by a pair of Celestial Immortal Dao companions. The female immortal controlled the One Breath Frost Ice Swords, and the male immortal controlled the Qian Gang Fire Extreme Swords... Controlling top-grade Immortal flying swords placed a heavy burden on the mind. Even for Celestial Immortals, only a very few could control over a thousand top-grade Immortal flying swords and deploy the 'Yin-Yang Dual Polarity Thousand Extinction Formation'!

"This formation is too difficult." Ji Ning's expression changed as he saw it. "Although this formation uses swords, it leans more toward the 'Dao of Formations'. Using such precious flying swords merely to set up a formation is a waste of these swords."

Many immortals used flying swords, but they were not sword immortals!

For example, Immortal Wufeng used flying swords, and Xiaoqing's weapon was also a flying sword. Among loose immortals, nearly half used 'flying swords' as weapons, but it was hard to find even one sword immortal among a thousand loose immortals! This Yin-Yang Dual Polarity Thousand Extinction Formation used each flying sword as a 'formation base', forming a terrifyingly powerful grand formation.

"In my hands, you will truly unleash the power of 'swords'," Ji Ning said silently.

Ji Ning continued reading.

Soon he finished the entire book. The whole book contained several sets of sword formations composed of many flying swords, but only two sets had more than seven hundred and twenty-nine swords. The 'Yin-Yang Dual Polarity Thousand Extinction Formation' happened to belong to both yin and yang attributes. Ji Ning was relatively skilled in yin-yang coordination in the Dao of Formations, so he chose this set.

"This is it." Ji Ning revealed a smile.

...

Water Mansion, Star Hall.

Ji Ning was sitting cross-legged in the thatched cottage. He took out a flying sword emitting a cold aura. On the sword, a small white snake emerged: "Are you the master of all us sisters?"

"Sisters?" Ji Ning smiled and glanced at the small white snake.

"All five hundred of us One Breath Frost Ice Swords are good sisters," the small white snake said. "Those five hundred Qian Gang Fire Extreme Swords are lively good brothers."

Ji Ning smiled. He drew in the air with his finger, and elemental force flew out, beginning to condense into runes. These runes emitted a faint, hazy light, suspended in midair. These were recorded in the 'Grand Thousand Sword Formation' taught by his master Patriarch Bodhi, which the patriarch had spent great effort to create.

After a while, tens of thousands of runes floated in the air, forming a strange, huge divine demon character 'Thousand'.

"Condense."

Ji Ning finally hooked his elemental force, and the tens of thousands of runes all fit together, forming an extremely complex runic pattern—the 'Grand Thousand Rune'. This was a simple method of condensing runes taught by the patriarch. A rune expert could directly condense the Grand Thousand Rune in one go, but Ji Ning had to first condense small runes.

"Merge." Ji Ning directly slapped the Grand Thousand Rune and then struck it onto the flying sword, merging it into the sword.

On the sword's body, some twisted and complex patterns appeared, making the sword's aura seem even sharper.

"One sword done."

"Next."

Ji Ning continued the process.

One by one, Ji Ning modified the flying swords. For Ji Ning now, if it were the 'Lesser Thousand Sword Formation Rune', he could imprint the 'Lesser Thousand Rune' on over seven hundred flying swords simultaneously with a single thought in one breath. But the 'Grand Thousand Rune', created from the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation and many multi-treasure techniques, was countless times more complex. Each of the tens of thousands of small runes that made up the Grand Thousand Rune was far more complex than the Lesser Thousand Rune.

It took three full days before Ji Ning imprinted the Grand Thousand Rune on all seven hundred and twenty-nine flying swords. The remaining two hundred-plus Immortal flying swords were temporarily put away.

"Rise!"

"Grand Thousand Sword Formation!"

Ji Ning tried many times. Although the 'Grand Thousand Rune' helped the many flying swords resonate as one, both his true body and second true body could only execute the 'Second Level Grand Thousand Sword Formation', controlling one hundred and eighty-two top-grade Immortal flying swords. That was the limit. If his true body had to focus on close combat, he could probably only execute the First Level Grand Thousand Sword Formation.

"Such terrifying power."

Over a hundred Immortal flying swords, even without any formation, wildly attacking, were already frightening.

With the Grand Thousand Sword Formation, their power merged into one.

Instantly, his Qi Refining strength surpassed the close combat strength of his true body!

...

After his breakthrough, Ji Ning stayed in Mount Yan for a few more days, carefully studying close combat and the Grand Thousand Sword Formation to consolidate his strength. Then he left Mount Yan.

...

Fire Fan Commandery, above Yanliu City.

In the early morning, the air above Yanliu City was cold and misty. A spatial ripple appeared faintly, followed by a beast-skin-clad youth. This time Ji Ning came alone, mainly to use the 'Seventy-Two Transformations' for investigation, so it was not suitable to bring Uncle Bai and the others.

"Last time I escaped from there and teleported a million li, arriving at Yanliu City. I speculated that mountain range was the East Forest Mountain Range. I wonder if I was right," Ji Ning smiled. "Let's confirm."

Whoosh!

Ji Ning flew directly toward the place he had escaped from, sometimes flying to investigate, sometimes void-shifting over a hundred thousand li. Soon he confirmed that his earlier speculation was correct—that place was indeed the 'East Forest Sect' of the East Forest Mountain Range.

"East Forest Sect?"

"How to get in?"

"Turn into a mosquito? But the East Forest Mountain Range is covered with formations. If a mosquito forcibly breaks through the formation, it might attract attention." Ji Ning frowned in thought. Then he began to investigate the area around the East Forest Mountain Range. "I don't believe such a large sect has everyone staying inside the sect all the time without ever going out or returning!"

...

Ji Ning first went to Tianbao Mountain to buy some introductions about the experts of the 'East Forest Sect', at least to recognize the people of the East Forest Sect. Then he began to stake out around the East Forest Mountain Range, often using the 'Candle Dragon Eye' to look around and search.

On the third day of Ji Ning's stakeout.

"We are also Yuan Shen Daoists, but now we are pitifully reduced to running errands, buying immortal wine, immortal fruits, and various rare beasts for slaughter. How pathetic!" A large ship landed, and two cultivators walked side by side, transmitting messages to each other. They were careful enough to only complain via telepathy.

"Even the sect leader is bossed around by them. What are we Yuan Shen Daoists? Forget it, just endure. Didn't that general say they would leave within a thousand years and set us free?"

"I'm afraid we'll die before a thousand years are up."

The two Yuan Shen Daoists grumbled.

Several tens of thousands of li away, in the wilderness, a youth sat cross-legged. His eyes had a candlelight glow, and he was watching from afar. He revealed a delighted expression: "Oh? Aren't these two the Yuan Shen Daoists of the East Forest Sect? I knew it—a large sect spanning over a hundred thousand li couldn't possibly have no one coming and going. It seems I'll rely on these two to get in."

Then Ji Ning vanished into thin air, directly void-shifting and quietly approaching them.

...