Chapter 5 Ji Ning and the Source Elder

"If you think highly of me, old man, just call me Daoist friend," the Source Elder said with a smile.

"Daoist friend Source," Ji Ning said.

The atmosphere between them was very subtle.

The battle of the primeval ruins was over, and now the struggle for fortune was underway in the Three Realms. At the final moment of that struggle, the ultimate decisive battle would come! Yet even now, the Source Daoist had not sided with Nuwa's camp. To be honest, Ji Ning felt the Source Elder was too selfish.

"First, have some wine I brought," the Source Elder said, reaching for the wine pot. Ji Ning took it first, smiling. "Let me pour."

Splash, splash.

Ji Ning filled two cups. The Source Elder raised his cup and took a light sip. "I remember when you were still very immature. Who would have thought that in less than a thousand years, you would reach this point? The Frivolity Sect sees you as a thorn in their side, yet they have no way to remove you."

"The Frivolity Sect's strength is just so-so," Ji Ning said, looking at the Source Elder. "Even on the surface, they seem weaker than us. Since that's the case, why won't you stand with us, Daoist friend Source? My master, Patriarch Subhuti, and many other great powers—many of them were born from chaos alongside you, Daoist friend Source, and were close friends through life and death in the primeval Pangu World."

"Yes, close friends through life and death," the Source Elder said softly. "But for my Dao, I can abandon everything."

"Your Dao?" Ji Ning looked at him.

"My Dao lies in the broader territories outside," the Source Elder said with a smile. "The Three Realms are just one chaos world. Outside, there are more chaos worlds—World Gods, Chaos Immortals... the broader territories beyond are vast. That is my world. Wasting life in this internal strife is too boring."

"And you would watch your close friends die one by one?" Ji Ning pressed.

"What if I watch them die?" The Source Elder was very calm.

Ji Ning understood then that many great powers, like his master Subhuti, had likely tried to persuade the Source Elder before. The Source Elder remained unmoved; clearly, persuasion was not easy.

"In my homeland, there is a saying: 'Gold nest, silver nest, not as good as one's own dog kennel,'" Ji Ning said with a smile. "Crude, but the principle is simple. Though the outside is broader, with more great powers, more adventures, more techniques and divine abilities—just like the chaos invaders who entered our Three Realms are mere nobodies outside—still, no matter how weak our Three Realms are, it is our dog kennel, our home."

"If you can't protect your home,"

"if you can't protect your brothers,"

"what's the point of cultivation?" Ji Ning shook his head.

The Source Elder looked at Ji Ning. "What you say has some truth. But to me, climbing higher is what matters most. Among mortals, some cultivators, on the path to immortality, even kill their fathers, mothers, wives, and children to clarify their Dao heart. If I were a mortal cultivating, perhaps I would do the same. Do you understand?"

Ji Ning sighed inwardly.

Killing father, mother, wife, and child to clarify the Dao heart—in Ji Ning's view, that was already a deviant path. If one lost all emotion, what difference was there from a walking corpse?

"Different paths, no common ground," Ji Ning said, raising his cup. "In the past, you gave me the Heart Sutra, and I have no way to repay you. Let me offer you this cup of wine."

"The Northernbright Sword Immortal offers me wine; of course I'll drink," the Source Elder said, raising his cup as well.

Both drank.

Setting down the cup, Ji Ning looked at the Source Elder. The faint sharpness made even the Source Elder inwardly startled; he felt the strong threat Ji Ning posed.

"May I ask, Daoist friend Source, what brings you here today?" Ji Ning said.

"Nothing. Can't we just drink and reminisce?" the Source Daoist said with a laugh.

"Reminisce? We've reminisced. We've drunk. I still need to go back and make some fish soup," Ji Ning said, rising to fetch the wooden bucket and fishing hook from the bow.

"I do have something to discuss with you," the Source Daoist said.

Ji Ning paused and turned around.

But at that moment—

A subtle, unfathomable ripple instantly invaded Ji Ning's body, reaching toward his soul. The ripple was powerful and vast.

"Heartforce," Ji Ning realized at once.

That subtle, vast heartforce forced its way in. Ji Ning's own heartforce could not block it at all; they were not on the same level.

"Fifth-stage heartforce! The Source Elder has fifth-stage heartforce, and he's ambushing me!" Ji Ning was shocked. It had always been said in the Three Realms that only Houyi had reached the fifth stage of heartforce. But that was just on the surface. The Source Elder had always been accomplished in heartforce; Ji Ning had seen his skill from the Heart Sutra he gave him.

Only now did he realize the Source Elder's heartforce was at the fifth stage!

The heartforce invaded!

Ji Ning's heartforce could not block it at all. The invading heartforce directly penetrated toward Ji Ning's soul.

"Heartforce Lock Soul!" Ji Ning had been maintaining this secret art all along.

Heartforce Lock Soul.

It was a defensive secret art combining heartforce and soul, like a complex 'lock' securing the soul, making it hard for external forces to penetrate!

In the chaos, natural illusions and sinister secret arts targeting the soul were common, so soul-guarding arts were crucial. The one Beixiu World God left Ji Ning was this 'Heartforce Lock Soul' method! Ji Ning's soul, nurtured by his 'Half-Step Ancestor' divine body, was already very strong. Fourth-stage heartforce and soul combined with the secret art formed a 'lock' as solid as iron.

"Boom~~~" The powerful fifth-stage heartforce clashed violently with the Heartforce Lock Soul.

Outside.

The surrounding space suddenly stilled. The river water also grew quiet, without a ripple, as if frozen. The fish in the wooden bucket on the bow stopped moving one by one.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The wooden boat suddenly exploded, the bucket exploded, the fish inside turned to dust... the surrounding lake water instantly turned to nothing...

Though heartforce was ethereal,

the fifth-stage heartforce was too powerful. Yet the Source Elder's heartforce hit a wall! The defense of the Heartforce Lock Soul was too strong, completely blocking the invasion. This clash of strengths caused a great disturbance in the external reality, turning everything within thirty zhang into dust, while farther away remained unharmed.

"Impossible." The Source Elder showed surprise. His most assured move had failed from the start.

Ji Ning turned his head, a trace of pain in his eyes.

"Daoist friend Source, you truly disappoint me."

The voice echoed in the Source Elder's ears.

Whoosh!

A dazzling sword light descended. Ji Ning unhesitatingly brought out the divine sword Ziguangqiong and executed the most elusive 'Shadowless Style'.

"Go." A whisk appeared in the Source Elder's hand. He swung it, a continuous flow blocking the sword light, while retreating rapidly.

"You've hidden yourself well."

With one exchange, Ji Ning realized the Source Elder was definitely at the leader level.

On the surface, he was said to be near leader level, but that was long ago. In this exchange, he first revealed fifth-stage heartforce, then his whisk could block Ji Ning's sword light. Though using softness to overcome hardness was a specialty, there was no doubt the Source Elder was already at leader level.

Whoosh. Beside the Source Elder, a figure flickered, and a green-haired, red-robed man appeared.

"Lord of All Demons!"

Ji Ning was shocked by the Lord of All Demons' speed; he had appeared without any warning.

"Don't flee." Ji Ning thrust his sword like a thunderbolt—the fastest 'Blooddrop Style'—straight at the Source Elder. But the green-haired, red-robed man drifted away. As he flew, the surrounding space shifted inch by inch. Ji Ning's sword had already surpassed the limits of the Heavenly Dao, and it was the fastest Blooddrop Style.

Yet Ji Ning watched helplessly as his sword speed could not keep up with the Lord of All Demons' flight.

Whoosh.

The Lord of All Demons and the Source Elder vanished from Ji Ning's sight.

...

The Realm of All Demons.

The Lord of All Demons appeared with the Source Elder. In the hall, Lord Henmu, Demonhand Patriarch, and the Blackclothed Godking looked over.

"Failed," the Source Elder said, shaking his head. "He just became a True God. His soul, nurtured by his divine body, needs enough time to become strong. I thought his soul wasn't strong enough and could scheme against him, take him away, and use Ji Ning's life as a pledge of loyalty. Who would have thought... ah, I'm old."

"Ji Ning's momentum is established. It won't be easy to deal with him. In truth, you didn't need any pledge of loyalty. I trust you," the Lord of All Demons said, looking at the Source Elder.