Chapter 20: The First Form of the 'Original Sword Intent'

The treasure-gathering meeting had ended.

It also made Ji Ning, who had been quite confident after the battle with the Black Lotus God Emperor, understand even more how vast the world outside was! Not to mention the Daoists of Life and Death, even some terrifying World-level cultivators who excelled in formations or insect beasts could easily take his life.

"Follow the plan." Ji Ning, along with Su Youji, the Wild Dog Ancestral God, and the other disciples of the Da Mo Academy, chatted and laughed as they set off back to the Da Mo Academy.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Tian Qingzi, Dragon God Daoist, and Qianying Daoist Shuifengzi split into three groups. Tian Qingzi and Qianying Daoist Shuifengzi directly tore through the void and departed, while Dragon God Daoist walked out of Yibo City on foot.

"Hmph." Dragon God Daoist glanced darkly at Shuifengzi and Qianying Daoist in the sky. Qianying Daoist did not have the ability to fly in this Eternal Realm, so Shuifengzi was carrying her.

"Qianying? Hmph, that bitch, just clinging to Shuifengzi and the others. If I get the chance, I'll definitely kill you." The killing intent in Dragon God Daoist's eyes vanished instantly. He styled himself 'Dragon God,' and on this path, the Dragon Transformation Fruit was extremely important to him, but it had been snatched away by Qianying Daoist back then.

He had friends backing him.

But Qianying Daoist also had a group of friends.

Dragon God Daoist very much wanted to kill Qianying Daoist, but unfortunately, Qianying Daoist's strength was equal to his.

"Ruining my opportunity! One day..." Dragon God Daoist walked across the vast land and soon reached the spacetime teleportation array, leaving the Da Mo Domain.

……

In a quiet room within the Water Lotus Residence of the Da Mo Academy.

The Kui Tian Tai Hao Pagoda was beside the cushion, and inside the pagoda was a golden leaf, which was a cave-heaven treasure.

Inside the cave-heaven treasure.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~~" The waves gently rippled, surging onto the sandy beach and then slowly receding.

Ji Ning, dressed in white, sat cross-legged by the beach, with a blood-colored divine sword resting on his knees. This divine sword, Ziguang Qiong, he kept with him almost all the time, constantly sensing the lofty sword intent within the 'Divine Sword Origin.' This also made Ji Ning's swordsmanship lean more towards 'killing.'

The Nameless Sword Art... although it only had the first seven forms, Ji Ning could sense from these seven forms that the creator of this sword art was likely on a level no less than that of the peerless sword Daoist who forged the 'Divine Sword Ziguang Qiong.'

The sword intent of the Divine Sword Ziguang Qiong was also lofty and aloof.

These were two different paths of the sword.

"I will comprehend both paths." Ji Ning looked down at the blood-colored divine sword on his knees. "After all, in the future, I must step into the realm of the Daoist of Life and Death, and I need to find my own path."

The Nameless Sword Art was not his own path.

Nor was the sword intent of the Divine Sword Origin. Every Daoist has a path uniquely their own. Just as in the endless territories, no two living beings have identical thoughts, memories, or souls, by the same token, even if the Dao realized is both the Sword Dao, no two are the same.

"The Nameless Sword Art excels in balance! The first form is the Heart Sword Form." Ji Ning thought to himself. "The Divine Sword Ziguang Qiong, though it has no explicit sword art, has a lofty sword intent for me to comprehend! It excels in offense."

……

This cave-heaven world, spanning over a million miles in radius, was a top-grade Chaos treasure. It was previously the cave-heaven treasure owned by the Immortal Chu Hua, and it was the most secure cave heaven Ji Ning possessed. His servants generally lived here, and within this cave-heaven world, a vast number of living beings were even multiplying.

Ji Ning comprehended the sword by the beach, sometimes stepping on the waves and practicing sword techniques on the sea.

Sword light crisscrossed, wreaking havoc around, and the ocean annihilated into nothingness.

Day after day...

Year after year...

Ji Ning comprehended the Nameless Sword Art and the Divine Sword Origin, occasionally relaxing and studying water, lightning, and space. He even wandered among the mortal worlds of this cave-heaven world. The mortal beings of this cave-heaven world were divided into six continents and many islands. On each continent, countless beings multiplied, and there were even some religions. The strongest beings barely reached the level of Pure Yang True Immortals.

In the blink of an eye, two hundred years had passed since the treasure-gathering meeting.

On a certain island.

"Fairy, we're really bored in this cave heaven."

"Right, Fairy, when will the master take us out?"

Eleven Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals were sitting scattered around, eating and drinking. The most dazzling among them was the Fire Fairy Su Youji.

Ji Ning usually kept Su Youji and the Wild Dog Ancestral God close by. Of the Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals released from the World Prison back then, a few were stationed in the Suifeng Chaos World. The other nine followed him and usually stayed in this cave heaven.

"How would I know?" The Fire Fairy Su Youji pointed to a small island faintly visible at the end of the sea. "The master is on that island. Without his summons, neither I nor Wild Dog dare to disturb him. When the master wants to come, he will naturally come to us. Just wait slowly."

"Sigh."

"We can only wait like this."

These ancestral gods and immortals were extremely bored. They themselves had cave worlds, and the joy of living among mortals they had already experienced for endless ages while in the world prison. What they craved now was a life of passion and excitement.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a terrifying fluctuation spread from afar.

"What!" Su Youji, the Wild Dog Ancestral God, and the other nine ancestral gods and immortals all stood up at once, gazing into the distance toward the island on the distant sea.

"Whoosh."

A streak of blood-colored sword light shot into the sky, its fluctuation spreading, causing each of them to tremble.

"This fluctuation." Su Youji, the strongest among them, felt her heart quake with fear.

……

"What's happening?" On the six mortal continents within the cave world, as well as on some islands, countless beings of considerable strength all looked toward one direction in the distance! Though they could not see with their eyes, they faintly sensed a supreme and awe-inspiring sword intent. Even though it was merely the diffusion of sword intent within this cave world, to these beings it was still supreme.

From that day on, many sword immortals were born in succession within this cave world.

Many beings even ventured out to sea, heading to the source of that sword intent, but in the end they found nothing.

……

"The master is coming." Su Youji and the other ten all gazed into the distance.

A white-robed youth, carrying an ordinary-looking blood-colored divine sword on his back, walked atop the waves and soon arrived at the island.

"Greetings, master." Su Youji and the other ten all bowed respectfully.

"Mm." Ji Ning nodded.

"I have stayed in the Da Mo Temple for over five hundred years," Ji Ning said. "Now my sword arts have reached a bottleneck; it is time to leave."

Five hundred years in the Da Mo Temple, but over ten thousand years had actually passed within the cave world.

"Master, just now?" Su Youji's eyes lit up.

"I comprehended a sword technique," Ji Ning said with a smile.

Unfortunately, it was not the Luotian Style!

The Nameless Sword Art had long reached a bottleneck. Recently, Ji Ning had mainly been meditating on the essence of the divine sword. Today, he finally comprehended a sword technique of extreme killing power, which he named the first style of the "Divine Sword Essence"—the Black Mist Style!

"Black Mist World God…" Ji Ning sighed inwardly.

This was the one he found hardest to forget since leaving the Three Realms. He could not forget the Black Mist World God who had turned into a statue. Naming this first style the 'Black Mist Style' was a way to commemorate that World God.

The comprehension of the Black Mist Style was an eruption of Ji Ning's long accumulation over ten thousand years in the cave world!

"In terms of offensive power, this style should be very close to the 'Luotian Style' of the Nameless Sword Art. Since it was comprehended by meditating on the essence of the divine sword, it is even better suited for mobilizing the power of the divine sword's essence." Ji Ning had already tested it; the power of the essence mobilized by that sword strike was more than ten times stronger than before. This strike was definitely at the level of a perfected World realm.

Now.

With the support of the Blue Flower Mist power, his divine body's strength rivaled that of a World God.

In sword arts, he rivaled a top-tier World God.

With the might of the Eternal Divine Weapon mobilized by the 'Black Mist Style'… Ji Ning now had the qualifications to contend with a perfected World God.

"My sword arts can no longer advance through secluded cultivation alone. It seems I must go out." Ji Ning looked at Su Youji, the Wild Dog Ancestral God, and the others before him, and commanded, "Youji, Wild Dog, Xuanyang, the three of you will come with me."

"Yes." The Fire Fairy and the Wild Dog Ancestral God were calm, but Xuanyang Ancestral God was overjoyed.

Whoosh~~~~

Ji Ning left with the three of them.

……

Ji Ning had purchased three dharma artifact puppets. The Fire Fairy and the Wild Dog Ancestral God would each control one, and Ji Ning chose Xuanyang Ancestral God to control the remaining one. Xuanyang Ancestral God was among the strongest of these ancestral god and immortal servants, and he was also relatively more honest and obedient—Ji Ning liked obedient subordinates.

"Youji." Inside the Waterfront Residence of the Da Mo Temple, Ji Ning instructed, "You can walk around the Da Mo Temple more. Spread the word that I am about to set out for the 'Myriad Gods Mansion.'"

"Myriad Gods Mansion?" Su Youji was startled.

"Mm." Ji Ning nodded.

"Good, I'll make sure the entire Da Mo Temple knows." Su Youji smiled smugly. She had even more friends in the Da Mo Temple than Ji Ning did; a woman with natural charm was quite popular.

"Also, I plan to set out in three months." Ji Ning said.

"Understood." Su Youji nodded.