Chapter 18: Life or Death

"I can't run anymore. If I keep running, the Chiming divine power within me will be completely exhausted. Once it's gone, I'll surely die, without even the strength to struggle." Ji Ning suddenly stopped, then turned to look at the nine ugly giants who had been chasing him with great fury. The ugly giants, each holding a stone club, charged forward with their large feet.

"Finally stopped running."

"Human, your divine power is almost gone, right?"

"Trying to outrun us? Even if you ran for days, we wouldn't tire." The nine ugly giants wished they could devour the human before them.

Ji Ning stood calmly, holding a sword in each hand.

Facing life and death, Ji Ning's mind became utterly ethereal. At this moment, he cast aside all other thoughts, his heart focused solely on this battle.

"Hmph." Just as the nine ugly giants charged before him, Ji Ning immediately dashed forward. The three fire lotus leaves and three water lotus leaves around his body spun and churned, causing the alien giants to stagger as they approached, unable to form an encirclement.

Ji Ning's sword moved.

Sword like fire!

Slaughtering wantonly!

"Haha, your sword is too weak."

"Too weak." The ugly giants paid no heed. Ji Ning's sword, piercing through the dense black light, could only leave a scratch on their faces.

Ji Ning remained calm, simply giving his all.

"Not much divine power left." Sensing his divine power, Ji Ning gritted his teeth and suddenly leaped upward, like a roc soaring into the sky.

Whoosh!

The corridor was a hundred zhang high. Ji Ning leaped to that height. As he ascended, two ancient talismans appeared in his hands—one a Lightness Talisman, the other a Swiftness Talisman. His innate true essence instantly surged into them, and two strange forces flowed into his body.

"One final strike!" When Ji Ning touched the corridor's ceiling, he kicked off with both feet, unleashing all his power!

Diving downward!

Fast!

Fast!

Fast!

With the rebound from kicking the ceiling, the terrifying speed of the Windwing Evasion Art, the acceleration from gravity, and the boost from the Lightness and Swiftness Talismans, Ji Ning's downward dive reached an inconceivable speed, swift as a flash of light!

Speed is power. When speed reaches its extreme, the sword's might naturally increases.

"Drip, taking the meaning of water wearing through stone. Drips can form threads, streams, rivers, and seas." As Ji Ning executed the killing move 'Drip Pierces Stone' from the Waterdrop Sutra while diving, his mind flashed back to his father Ji Yichuan instructing him in swordsmanship. His father had demonstrated the Nine Dropsword Art before him three times.

At this moment, with a heart resolved to die, Ji Ning suddenly understood.

His father demonstrated the sword art slowly, starting from 'Drip Pierces Stone,' then 'Threads of Rain Form Lines,' 'Flowing Water Never Stagnates,' 'Flowing Water Is Heartless,' and finally returning to 'Drip Pierces Stone.'

Then it turned to 'Drizzle Scatters,' 'Rainstorm Like a Curtain,' 'Water Curtain Reaches the Sky,' and again returned to 'Drip Pierces Stone.'

Then it turned to 'Gentle Stream Flows Long,' 'Not a Single Drop Leaks,' and finally returned to 'Drip Pierces Stone.'

"'Drip Pierces Stone' is the strongest move, yet also the weakest. The mystery of the Waterdrop Sutra is endless; one can ponder it for a lifetime. Remember... water wears through stone." When Ji Yichuan said these words, Ji Ning thought he understood.

But after a night of enlightenment and several brushes with death, Ji Ning now truly grasped his father's intent.

"This is the move."

"Drip!"

Diving at high speed, Ji Ning held his swords with both hands. One sword lured the ugly giant's stone club, deflecting it aside. His right-hand sword thrust directly at the giant's head! The giant's club had already been deflected, leaving no time to block, but it still wasn't afraid: "You can't hurt me."

"Pierce stone!" Ji Ning's eyes calmly fixed on the ugly head.

Chii!

A sword like water, like a heavy drop falling on stone, slap! The sword instantly pierced through the dense black light, deeply stabbing into the ugly giant's head, even into its abdomen. The terrifying power of heaven and earth within erupted directly. With no internal defense, the body exploded with a bang, turning into a pool of black water. The armor and stone club fell to the ground.

"Collect." Ji Ning immediately stored the armor and stone club into his storage treasure.

The pool of black water quickly condensed back into the alien giant, who exclaimed in shock, "Impossible! How is this possible?"

"Nothing is impossible." Ji Ning was completely relieved. He understood that these nine alien giants could no longer hinder him.

"Die."

Ji Ning, merely manipulating the water-fire lotus, quickly crushed the alien giant back into a pool of black water. Without the protection of the armor, the alien giant couldn't withstand the crushing of his water-fire lotus.

"You eight, die too." Ji Ning turned into a phantom, flickering repeatedly.

Only by gathering nine sets of armor could they unite. Now the alien giants couldn't unite, and facing Ji Ning's greatly improved sword art, they couldn't escape either. One by one, they were slain. Their armor and stone clubs were all collected by Ji Ning into his storage treasure.

"Die."

Ji Ning stood still, merely manipulating six pairs of water-fire lotuses with his Taiyin and Taiyang divine runes, repeatedly crushing the nine alien giants into black water. Even as they reformed, Ji Ning crushed them again.

After just a few crushes, the nine alien giants finally dispersed completely, unable to reform.

The mist at both ends of the corridor gradually dissipated.

"Father." Ji Ning murmured to himself.

Though he had gained some insight into the true meaning of water, fire, and wind during the night of enlightenment, understanding and application were different. Previously, Ji Ning only knew the 'Water-Fire Lotus' move, which was mainly defensive and not suited for offense.

But just now, relying on his foundation and his father's guidance, Ji Ning finally grasped the ultimate true meaning of the Waterdrop Sutra at the critical moment of life and death—the True Meaning of the Waterdrop!

According to the realm classification.

Above Unity of Heaven and Man lies the True Meaning of the Dao!

"The essence of the True Meaning of the Waterdrop lies in the 'waterdrop.'" Ji Ning marveled. "A single drop is the foundation. When drops accumulate, they form a line—that is 'Threads of Rain Form Lines.' With more drops, they naturally begin to flow, gaining vitality—that is 'Flowing Water Never Stagnates.' And when the water surges unstoppably, that is 'Flowing Water Is Heartless.' Yet endless drops gathered together can still be called a waterdrop."

"'Drip Pierces Stone' is the strongest move of the Waterdrop Sutra, and also the weakest." Ji Ning smiled. "In defense, it's the same: 'Drizzle Scatters,' 'Rainstorm Like a Curtain,' 'Water Curtain Reaches the Sky,' all converge into 'Drip Pierces Stone.' 'Gentle Stream Flows Long' and 'Not a Single Drop Leaks' also converge into 'Drip Pierces Stone.'"

"The True Meaning of the Waterdrop."

"Lies in endless cycles." Ji Ning sighed. "No wonder Father said the Waterdrop Sutra could consume a lifetime."

Undoubtedly, his father had long grasped the True Meaning of the Waterdrop.

Understanding that the Waterdrop Sutra could endlessly cycle and improve, truly consuming a lifetime.

Strictly speaking...

Once one comprehends the True Meaning of the Waterdrop, the Waterdrop Sutra itself becomes useless. Perhaps the ancestor who created it only reached the realm of the True Meaning of the Waterdrop and, by chance, created the nine endlessly cycling moves. Or perhaps some mighty Fiendgod or Immortal deliberately created such a sword art that could endlessly cycle and improve.

"Water wears through stone, water wears through stone." Ji Ning muttered repeatedly, then closed his eyes to rest. The previous battle had been too exhausting.

...

After resting, eating, drinking, and recovering his divine power, Ji Ning began to perfect his True Meaning of the Waterdrop. Once comprehended, he could link drops into threads to execute 'Threads of Rain Form Lines,' a move more powerful than 'Drip Pierces Stone.'

Time passed.

Ji Ning ate and drank. Fortunately, he had some food in the storage treasures of Najing and Tiemuzhan. What he needed most now was time. The longer he had, the better his chances if he could raise his Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens by one level or improve his sword art.

Ji Ning understood...

He had passed the first trial thanks to the water-fire lotus, and the second trial had pushed him to the brink, forcing him to comprehend the True Meaning of the Waterdrop to barely break through. Given this increasing difficulty, the third trial would surely be terrifying. Ju Hua the Immortal was openly taking disciples, so the difficulty of the third trial was entirely imaginable.

...

By the Winged Serpent Lake.

Ji Yichuan and Yuchi Xue had settled there temporarily, waiting silently for their son's return. But as days passed, their anxiety grew. The longer the delay, the lower the chance of their son's survival.

"Cough, cough." Yuchi Xue coughed.

"Don't worry, don't worry." Ji Yichuan watched his wife's illness worsen rapidly over the past month, his heart aching.

"I want to stop worrying." Yuchi Xue gazed at the endless waters of Winged Serpent Lake and sighed. "But Ning'er, Ning'er... it's been over a month. Why hasn't he come out? Why hasn't he come out!"

To Yuchi Xue, her son was her world.

"Our son will definitely return. He will. You've had a chronic illness since you were pregnant with Ning'er. You know you can't get angry or anxious. Take care of your health." Ji Yichuan was also burning with anxiety. He worried about his son, but also about his wife. Ever since that battle on the way back from the Northern Great Sea...

Though the Whitewater Hound had carried his severely injured wife out with great effort, and luckily the child was born alive, both mother and child had lingering ailments.

"Ji Ning." Ji Yichuan also stared at the endless lake water. "You must come back alive."

...

In the endless corridor.

Without sun or moon, time passed vaguely. His appetite was large, and the food stored in the Najing was limited; Tiemuzhan's stored food was also scarce. After all, one could hunt anywhere on Yanshan, and the Najing space was limited, so why store too much?

In just over a month, the stores were completely consumed.

"'Gentle Stream Flows Long' and 'Threads of Rain Form Lines' have also been infused with the True Meaning of the Waterdrop." Ji Ning thought. One defensive, one offensive—his strength had greatly improved. "After over a month of training, my divine power is more abundant. This third trial is the final battle..."

Ji Ning understood the terror and danger of the final trial.

He also knew that if he passed, he would survive.

But if he failed, he would die!

"Life or death, it's all here."

"If I die, I'll probably go to the underworld. This time, I probably won't be lucky enough to avoid Meng Po's soup. After drinking it, I'll no longer be me." Ji Ning had a vague feeling, an instinct from his strengthened soul, a terrifying premonition that an immense calamity awaited him.

"Let life or death be decided."

Ji Ning, holding a Northriver sword in each hand, walked directly to the corridor on the other side of the corner. On the ground lay three not-yet-fully-decayed corpses, with some scattered treasures.

Ji Ning swept his divine sense over them, calmly refining them. Upon inspection, the storage treasure contained thousands of items, all easily refined—truly low-grade treasures. But such a massive quantity was an astonishing fortune. Yet Ji Ning remained calm, for if he died, what use were they?

"Finally here." A hoarse voice spoke in the human language common throughout the Grand Xia Dynasty.

Ji Ning immediately looked.

From the distant black mist emerged a figure with a hunched body, greenish eyes, and black fur all over. He seemed to walk slowly, but each step covered dozens of zhang: "Pity, you're too weak."

Whoosh!

In an instant, he was before Ji Ning. A large gray palm, like a palm leaf, struck at Ji Ning with dense deathly aura. This simple strike was so fast that Ji Ning couldn't dodge; he could only use his twin swords with the defensive move 'Gentle Stream Flows Long,' which also contained the True Meaning of the Waterdrop.

"Bang!" Ji Ning was sent flying, his hands instantly numb with pain.

"No—" Ji Ning tried to hold onto his Northriver swords. If the swords flew away, what use was his sword art? But his fingers were completely numb and senseless. Whoosh! Whoosh! His broken fingers and the two Northriver swords drifted away, clattering against the distant corridor wall.

Ji Ning's skin cracked all over, spraying blood mist. Both hands had lost their fingers. Wrapped in a cloud of blood, he flew through the air and crashed onto the ground in the distance.