Chapter 36: Soaring Cultivation

Fuxi pondered briefly and said, “Ji Ning, how much power can you control in the strongest Xingtian Deity?”

“I can control it fully now,” Ji Ning replied respectfully.

“Oh…”

Fuxi revealed a faint smile. “This kind of grand formation that commands a host of Celestial Immortals and countless loose immortals demands extremely high requirements in terms of one’s own magic power, heartforce, and heartforce-soul techniques. Among the gods and true immortals of the Three Realms, you are the most adept at leading such formations. Because no one before was as skilled as you, this formation has reached its limit at this scale.”

Ji Ning nodded.

There were several other formations similar to the Xingtian Formation, and even his master Subhuti had some similar ones, but their power was on par with the Xingtian Formation, so Ji Ning had never switched.

“Heartforce at the fourth level, and able to comprehend heartforce-soul techniques… indeed, you are very talented,” Fuxi said with a smile. “In a few days, I will gift you a formation that can command even more Celestial Immortals and loose immortals, greatly increasing the formation’s power! However, controlling it will also be much more difficult.”

“Thank you, Human Sovereign,” Ji Ning said, overjoyed.

Even if the Human Sovereign bestowed a divine treasure, Ji Ning wouldn’t be too surprised.

After all, he already had innate spirit-treasures, and with his two main avatars besieging true gods and true immortals in the World Prison for a long time, he would have many powerful treasures in the future. Unless Fuxi bestowed a ‘Chaos treasure’—but was that possible? Even many mighty figures didn’t have Chaos treasures.

What Ji Ning urgently needed was a formation stronger than the Xingtian Formation.

Because his current strongest combat method was the ‘Xingtian Deity’, and he had already fully mastered its power, with no room for improvement. Yet there was no better formation in the Three Realms. Creating a formation stronger than the Xingtian type was something few in the Three Realms could do.

And Fuxi was absolutely the most accomplished in the ‘Way of Formations’ in the Three Realms.

“It’s not difficult for me. While pondering my Water-Fire Annihilation Formation, I can create it with a little effort. It should be done within ten years,” Fuxi said.

“Disciple.” Subhuti looked at Ji Ning from the side. “It’s rare for Fuxi to create a formation specifically for someone. Fuxi… Ji Ning and I will take our leave now.”

“Alright.” Fuxi smiled and nodded. “You’ll have to work hard to leave my formation first.”

Whoosh.

The endless sea of fire ahead parted to form a passage.

Subhuti immediately led Ji Ning along the passage and flew outward. This was within the range of the ‘Water-Fire Annihilation Formation’, and even Subhuti could not directly tear through the void; he had to leave the formation’s range before using his abilities. After all, the formation that Fuxi had spent endless ages perfecting was terrifyingly powerful.

…

Back at Mount Square Inch.

“Master,” Ji Ning said respectfully, “I wonder if I can teach the Tao Wu Eighteen Divine Fiends to Whitewater and the others.”

Subhuti said, “It’s your gain, so I shouldn’t stop you. But it’s best not to teach them. After all, your spirit-beasts are all too weak. The Abyss Gate couldn’t silently steal the technique from your memories, but they haven’t even passed the tribulation; they might have the technique stolen from them by that God King in their sleep.”

“How about this: if you want to teach them, teach them the ‘Twelve Capital Divine Fiends’, which is a similar technique. The Abyss Gate also has it.” Subhuti flipped his hand, and a bamboo scroll appeared, which he handed to Ji Ning.

Ji Ning accepted it respectfully.

“This technique is slightly easier to cultivate than the Tao Wu Eighteen Divine Fiends. But cultivating such techniques—whether splitting the soul into eighteen or twelve—is very dangerous for the weak. It’s best to wait until one becomes a Celestial Immortal before starting,” Subhuti advised. “You can also cultivate the ‘Twelve Capital Divine Fiends’. Some in the Three Realms have succeeded.”

“Yes.”

Ji Ning replied, “I’ll go see Whitewater and the others first, then leave the Crescent World.”

“Go ahead.” Subhuti nodded.

…

Ji Ning first carefully read through the ‘Twelve Capital Divine Fiends’. This technique was very similar to the Tao Wu Eighteen Divine Fiends.

It also had three levels.

First level: the main body can split into twelve avatars, each greatly weakened compared to the original. This state is actually more loss than gain, with the only benefit being significantly improved survival ability.

Second level: the twelve avatars’ power rises to match the original main body.

Third level: the twelve avatars can merge into the main body, causing a shocking surge in the main body’s power.

Almost identical to the Tao Wu Eighteen Divine Fiends.

However, the difficulty was clearly lower, and the requirements for external resources were also lower. Even the rare materials needed for the second level could still be found in the Three Realms! Though still precious and rare, the higher one’s cultivation, the more materials were needed, and the cost was higher.

Through soul-scrying the prisoners in the World Prison, Ji Ning had also learned some information. For instance, ‘Fairy Qianrou’ was the granddaughter of Lord Jiufang, and the other imprisoned gods and celestials were also of high status and knew much.

For example, to reach the second level of the Tao Wu Eighteen Divine Fiends, a top-tier Celestial Immortal would need about one bottle of Chaos Nectar!

Ji Ning had also used about one bottle, with a little left over. This was because Ji Ning was the lowest grade of True Immortal; in terms of the ‘quality’ of his magic power, he was on par with the strongest Celestial Immortals, but in terms of ‘quantity’, he was far inferior. Those top-tier Celestial Immortals nurtured their golden cores with the boundless heavens and earth, so their golden core space was astonishingly vast, naturally containing much more magic power.

For first-class true immortal cultivation, roughly a hundred bottles of chaos spiritual liquid are needed.

Whether golden core or divine soul, the strongest true immortals are far stronger than the strongest celestial immortals.

The strongest true immortals... their mere range of mind-consciousness is enough to cover an entire chaos world! Among the Three Realms, only true god patriarchs have such power. The range of mind-consciousness also shows the might of the divine soul. To split such a divine soul into eighteen parts and then elevate each to the level of the original body requires a tremendous consumption of chaos spiritual liquid.

If it were a first-class ancestral immortal cultivating, the cost would skyrocket a hundredfold!

The higher one's power, the more astonishing the price to obtain eighteen identical avatars. Even 'Lord Jiufang' only cultivated the second level during his true immortal stage; during his ancestral immortal stage... it was only after enduring many dangers and obtaining fortuitous encounters in the chaos that he finally completed the third level of the Tao Wu Eighteen Demon Gods. From then on, his power surged, making him an absolute hegemon among ancestral gods and ancestral immortals. Later, breaking through to the 'World realm', he directly established a vast force, slaying other World realm cultivators, and even had two World realm existences following him.

In the entire Jiufang Chaos Kingdom, only Lord Jiufang himself had fully cultivated it.

……

In a quiet small city.

Ji Ning in black Daoist robe was sitting in a tavern, holding a wine cup, gazing into the distance. On the street in the distance, a woman was strolling with a little girl.

That woman was Qiuye.

The little girl was Mingyue.

"Junior apprentice-brother Shuo, Uncle Bai." Ji Ning looked at Mu Zishuo and Uncle Bai sitting beside him. "You two stay here first. I'll go back for a while and come back shortly."

"Alright, senior apprentice-brother, go ahead. We'll be here." Mu Zishuo smiled.

"Rest assured, Ning'er." Uncle Bai also said.

These days, they had been roaming the Xianyue Grand World, accompanying the childlike 'Mingyue', living a leisurely and carefree life, which made Mu Zishuo, Uncle Bai, and the others all feel more peaceful and joyful.

Ji Ning in black Daoist robe nodded, then vanished into thin air. Although some in the tavern saw it, they didn't realize anything was amiss.

……

Outside the small city, there was a seemingly simple immortal mansion. This was a pure Yang magic treasure controlled by Ji Ning's second avatar, and also their temporary 'home'. Since he wanted to properly nurture and take care of his daughter Mingyue, he couldn't let her rush around the Xianyue Grand World superficially; they needed to settle down in one place for a long time.

Ji Ning in black Daoist robe flew into the immortal mansion.

Ji Ning in white Daoist robe was already inside. He had come here specifically to deliver a bottle of chaos spiritual liquid.

Only half a day later.

Inside a quiet chamber within the Immortal Estate.

Eighteen black-robed Ji Ning were sitting cross-legged, each with their aura retracted, appearing as ordinary mortals, and all opened their eyes with smiles on their faces.

“The second layer, done.”

Leaving behind that scroll of the Twelve Capital Divine Demons, Ji Ning’s true body departed.

The second avatar expended a bottle of Chaos Liquid to also train the Eighteen Fiendgod Transformations to the second layer. However, these eighteen avatars all employed techniques to conceal their auras. Back when Ji Ning broke through to become a Pure Yang True Immortal, it was because of the aura-concealing technique taught by Patriarch Subhuti that even the mighty beings of the Three Realms could not detect that Ji Ning had already broken through to become a Pure Yang True Immortal.

Now, Ji Ning still concealed his aura.

As for the eighteen avatars, as long as Ji Ning did not actively display his power, no one would know how strong the eighteen avatars of his second avatar were.

…

Sword Immortal World, Mount Wuqi.

Ji Ning returned.

“Everything is arranged properly.” Ji Ning stood before the thatched cottage, looking at the towering Mount Wuqi before him. Mount Wuqi still emanated that breath-taking pressure. “The stone stele has been hidden. In this great tribulation, I have gained an extra sliver of hope. My second avatar has also cultivated into eighteen avatars. But only a little over sixteen bottles of Chaos Liquid remain.”

Swoosh.

Ji Ning flew to the second peak of Mount Wuqi and began to view the second chapter of the Wuqi Sword Art, then also began to comprehend it.

Within the Water Mansion, the fifteen true-body avatars were all sitting cross-legged, wholeheartedly comprehending the Wuqi Sword Art.

Within the stone stele, the two true-body avatars, though consuming a small amount of divine power to maintain the ‘Eight Flames Universe Realm’, did not require any mental effort for that, and they too were comprehending the Wuqi Sword Art.

In the Crescent Moon Great World, seventeen avatars of the second avatar were comprehending the Wuqi Sword Art, while only one avatar was wholeheartedly taking care of his daughter.

It could be said that

at this moment, Ji Ning’s true body and second avatar, totaling thirty-five avatars, were simultaneously comprehending the Wuqi Sword Art. Compared to before cultivating the Eighteen Fiendgod Transformations, Ji Ning’s cultivation speed was now a full thirty-five times faster.

“Profound and marvelous… sword art…”

The thirty-five avatars shared memories; if one comprehended something, all comprehended it, causing a flood of insights to continuously surge within their memories.