Chapter 14 One Year

"Master... I, I..." Prince Dongji stared wide-eyed, tongue-tied.

"Dongji?" The captured Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal immediately understood upon seeing the prince, his eyes filled with fury, then he quickly said, "Senior, senior, I am merely in charge of guarding here in Dongluan Realm, with no intention to offend you two seniors. My master is the Daoist Wudao. I beg you two seniors to spare me."

"Lord of the manor." Nine-Tooth Heavenly God looked at Ji Ning.

"Let him go." Ji Ning nodded.

Only then did the Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal fall to the ground. He rushed forward two steps and fiercely slapped Prince Dongji's face, scolding, "Chongyun Mountain is no place for your insolence. These two seniors are not to be offended by the likes of you."

After slapping the prince twice,

the Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal quickly turned to Ji Ning and Nine-Tooth, smiling apologetically, "Two seniors, when the senior just now captured me, I panicked and crushed the communication talisman. My master will likely arrive soon." He had thought he was in great danger, but now it seemed the other party had no intention of killing him.

"Your master?" Ji Ning spoke.

"My master is the Daoist Wudao." The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal quickly said.

Ji Ning nodded lightly: "I have heard of the great name of Daoist Wudao but never met him. Today I may have the chance."

Whoosh!

A figure appeared in the distance, followed by a hearty laugh: "Is this the Northern Fellow Daoist who slays immortals and demons with his sword, unmatched in the realm war? This junior is not worth your attention, Northern Fellow Daoist; you honor him too much." The laughter echoed through the mountains.

"Unmatched in the realm war?" The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal and Prince Dongji were stunned, while the other cultivators were puzzled, as they almost all knew nothing of 'realm wars.'

Ji Ning looked into the distance.

A very slovenly, bearded young man came riding clouds and mist, his beard long, his head swaying, yet his face was youthful—quite odd.

"It is said that Daoist Wudao is unrestrained and sharp-tongued. Today I have witnessed it. This is my fault; I have lightly punished your disciple." Ji Ning said with a faint smile. He had heard of Daoist Wudao, who spoke entirely as he pleased and sometimes offended others. Yet this true nature also won him friends, and he was quite famous in the Three Realms.

"Ah, that's not what I meant." Daoist Wudao flew over, flicking his sleeve, "This junior did not know his place and offended you. Whether to kill or punish is entirely up to you, Fellow Daoist. I meant that there is no need for you to act; if you command, I will do it for you, and I will be cleansing my own sect."

Ji Ning was speechless.

Daoist Wudao was unrestrained, slovenly, without底线 in speech, and utterly shameless—the rumors were indeed true. Few Heavenly Gods or True Immortals would say such things in front of their disciples.

"It's over, it's over."

Prince Dongji sat slumped, completely dazed.

"Unmatched in the realm war? The war that my master said gathers billions of immortals and gods, where even Heavenly Gods and True Immortals die in droves? This, this white-robed one... he... he can be unmatched in the realm war?" Dongji was utterly bewildered, unable to fathom it. "Even Grandmaster Wudao is so humble before him, clearly much stronger than Grandmaster Wudao. And one of his subordinates reached out and grabbed a Celestial Immortal from ten thousand li away. Who is he? Why did I have to meet him? Why am I so unlucky?"

Prince Dongji was terrified and regretful.

He who often walks by the river will eventually wet his shoes. Used to throwing his weight around, he had finally kicked an iron plate—a plate of primordial chaos divine iron!

"It's over, it's over. I'm dead, I'm dead." Prince Dongji, born into royalty, had seen many lose their heads at the royal family's anger. And this person's status was far higher; crushing him would be too easy.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Ji Ning, Nine-Tooth Heavenly God, and Daoist Wudao all tore through the void and left Dongluan Realm.

Prince Dongji finally came to his senses.

"They... they left?" Dongji blinked. "I'm not dead?"

"Master." Prince Dongji quickly looked at the Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal beside him.

The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal frowned at him: "Hmph, according to what Master Wudao said, you should have been cleansed."

"Cleansed?" Prince Dongji was terrified.

"Fortunately, Senior Northern Fellow Daoist spoke for you, saying you had no killing intent, so you escaped this calamity." The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal said, "But though death is forgiven, punishment cannot be avoided."

"I truly had no killing intent." Prince Dongji quickly said, "I only wanted to drive him away. Later, when he crippled my subordinate, I was angry and wanted to lock him up and punish him." Prince Dongji was not inherently evil, but born into royalty, with high cultivation talent, he was always the center of attention, arrogant and used to throwing his weight around. Especially after becoming a disciple of the Sword Sect, his status was even more exalted.

He was used to bullying others, so when Ji Ning crippled one of his subordinates, he was furious. When had he ever been bullied?

Later, when Ji Ning revealed his strength, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, he had no killing intent; otherwise, how could he have hidden it from Ji Ning? Ji Ning would never have spoken for him.

"Earlier, Master Wudao wanted to expel you from the Sword Sect, but Senior Northern Fellow Daoist said you should go to the mortal world and work as a waiter in a tavern for three hundred years, during which you must not fight back or talk back." The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal sneered. "If you violate this, you will be immediately expelled from the Sword Sect."

Prince Dongji finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He knelt and kowtowed toward the distant sky: "Thank you, Senior Northern Fellow Daoist."

Being a mortal waiter for three hundred years, not fighting back or talking back, was indeed difficult. But if expelled from the Sword Sect... he had been arrogant and offended many. Without the protection of being a Sword Sect disciple, he would surely die without a burial place. At least now he was still a Sword Sect disciple, just undergoing three hundred years of worldly training.

"I swear, with Heaven as witness." Prince Dongji quickly made an oath.

"Go. From today, you are no longer a prince, but a mortal waiter." The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal waved his hand. "After three hundred years, come see me again."

"Yes, Master."

Dongji respectfully departed, then transformed into a streak of light and flew away alone.

The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal could not be bothered to look at this disciple again.

He was originally a demon, with a strange temperament. He had previously valued Dongji and doted on him. But this time, Dongji had caused great trouble, and he himself had been captured. The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal also vented his anger on Dongji, losing all goodwill toward him. If not for the fate set by the two experts Ji Ning and Wudao, he would have already expelled this wicked disciple from the sect.

"Three hundred years, hmph." The Three-Scorpion Celestial Immortal tore through the void and vanished.

When this disciple came to see him in three hundred years, he would not teach him earnestly.

Because he had come to detest this disciple.

Although this disciple had high comprehension, which he had liked before, now... he detested him! What did high comprehension matter? How many could safely pass the tribulation?

...

But no one expected that this arrogant and unruly Prince Dongji, after serving as a mortal waiter for three hundred years, became low-key, steady, humble, and polite. Like a rough jade truly polished, he radiated astonishing brilliance. He directly overcame the tribulation and became a Celestial Immortal, was introduced into Buddhism, and on the decisive battlefield of the final calamity, he was a general in Nuwa's camp, fighting alongside Ji Ning.

Of course, Ji Ning did not know this now.

He felt that the guard had killing intent, so he directly crippled him. The prince was still redeemable, so he pointed out a path that could grind away the prince's impetuous arrogance, without thinking much else. At Ji Ning's level, his mind was more occupied with swordsmanship and the struggle with the Wujian Sect.

...

Ji Ning had originally planned to cultivate in Dongluan Realm for three or four months, but Daoist Wudao said that the other twenty-six realms contained fragmented sword techniques, while the 'Sword Immortal Realm' had the complete 'Five Treasures Sword Art.' Those fragmented techniques could all be found in the Five Treasures Sword Art, so there was no need to study them deliberately.

Ji Ning felt he should still study them, but decided to stay in each world for only ten days or half a month.

Thus...

He visited each small world one by one.

Whether sword techniques on cliff faces, traces of sword techniques formed by crisscrossing rivers on wild plains, or traces of canyons in forests... these were all left casually by Patriarch Fuju. Ji Ning, holding the Star Gold Pearl, followed by Nine-Tooth Heavenly God, went to various places to contemplate.

Comparing the Nine Chaos Seals with the sword techniques, Ji Ning often gained insights.

In each world, he stayed from as little as three to five days to as long as one or two months.

When Ji Ning had visited all twenty-six realms, exactly one year had passed. Finally, Ji Ning arrived at the last realm of Fuju's twenty-seven realms, and the most important one—the Sword Immortal Realm.

...

Sword Immortal Realm.

This small world had no mortals. At its center were five peaks. Each peak was taller than the last; strangely, the first peak was a thousand li high, the second two thousand li, the third three thousand li... and the last was five thousand li high.

In a small world, such high peaks were simply inconceivable!

The peaks pierced completely into the clouds.

"Five Treasures Peak!"

Ji Ning and Nine-Tooth Heavenly God appeared in midair, looking at the five towering peaks ahead. The peaks exuded an overwhelming pressure that startled even Ji Ning. Beside him, Nine-Tooth Heavenly God's face even turned pale before stabilizing.

"Such a strong aura. Even I feel uncomfortable without paying attention." Nine-Tooth said in surprise. "An ordinary Celestial Immortal probably couldn't withstand it."

"It is said that the peaks containing the complete Five Treasures Sword Art are extraordinary. The Five Treasures Sword Art is the number one sword art in the Three Realms." Ji Ning smiled. "Aura is intangible; resisting it depends on the Dao-heart. Nine-Tooth, although Heavenly Gods need not fear going astray, the Dao-heart is still important. You must also train your Dao-heart more."

Nine-Tooth nodded: "Yes, Lord of the manor."

Among the seven Heavenly Gods under his command, Nine-Tooth had the weakest foundation. The other six had followed Sanxiao Daoren through many battles in ancient times, while Nine-Tooth was only a Returning Void Fiendgod in ancient times, breaking through to become a Heavenly God in the Zhaixing Great World. Since then, he had experienced few real battles and lacked a good teacher, so he was deficient in many aspects.

"The number one sword art in the Three Realms, said to be extremely profound." Ji Ning had long heard many rumors about the Five Treasures Sword Art, which had demonized it. The more rumors, the more curious Ji Ning became.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Ji Ning and Nine-Tooth flew toward the Five Treasures Peak.