Chapter 3: Not Understanding the Way of the Sword

Ji Ning looked at the crystal ball in his hand and asked, “What use is this Eternal Divine Blood to me?”

“This drop of Eternal Divine Blood is not of great use to the Dao Alliance—at most, it can be used to refine pills or cultivate some special insect beasts,” the maiden said. “But it is extremely important to the Eternal Clan. This single drop of Eternal Divine Blood is enough to skyrocket the power of a member of the Eternal Clan! After all, it is a drop of divine blood refined from nearly half the lifeblood of Emperor Melobo.”

“If the Eternal Clan learns that you possess it, you will be hunted down,” the maiden said.

Ji Ning frowned.

It was of little use to him, yet the Eternal Nation was determined to obtain it.

“But don’t worry. The Da Mo Domain is a relatively core region of the Dao Alliance; the Eternal Clan dares not come here. At most, they will send some World-level soldiers…” the maiden said. “In fact, we already suspect that Fu Kai and A Luo Yi are likely soldiers of the Eternal Clan.”

“Indeed, their desire for the Eternal Divine Blood is too intense—unnaturally so,” the Golden-Eyed Golem also said. “There are other rare treasures in my Myriad Gods Estate, yet they only fixate on this ‘Eternal Divine Blood.’ Moreover, both Fu Kai and A Luo Yi brought ten World-level servants, possess many treasures, and even Eternal Divine Weapons.”

“With so many treasures, their origins are extraordinary, yet they risk their lives solely for the Eternal Divine Blood,” the Golden-Eyed Golem said. “That is enough to make me suspect they are lackeys of the Eternal Clan.”

Ji Ning nodded.

Indeed, merely lackeys.

Because true members of the Eternal Clan are extremely few in number, and at the very least are at the level of Daoists of Life and Death.

“But it’s just suspicion,” the Golden-Eyed Golem said. “After all, they followed the rules set by my master, traversed many perilous places, and survived the Millstone of Life and Death. If not for you, I would have had no choice but to give the Eternal Divine Blood to ‘A Luo Yi.’”

“Mm,” Ji Ning nodded.

“This Eternal Divine Blood is of little use to you. After you leave, hurry back to the Da Mo Institute,” the Golden-Eyed Golem said. “Tell Da Mo Daoist that you have obtained the Eternal Divine Blood and wish to sell it to the Dao Alliance.”

The maiden beside him also nodded. “Da Mo Daoist is extraordinarily powerful. Although he has not yet touched the brink of Dao-Heeding, he is already a renowned Daoist among the endless territories. In the art of deduction, he ranks among the top three Daoists of the endless territories. If he takes one more step and reaches the brink of Dao-Heeding, he will likely be no less than my master.”

“No less than Myriad Gods Daoist?” Ji Ning was secretly astonished.

Da Mo Daoist…

Truly formidable. At the brink of Dao-Heeding, he could rival Myriad Gods Daoist? No wonder even his elder brother ‘Heavenly Daoist’ was so courteous.

“A great power like Da Mo Daoist would never embezzle your Eternal Divine Blood,” the maiden said with a smile. “Giving it to him is the safest course. If you give it to any other Daoist of Life and Death in the Dao Alliance, there’s a nine in ten chance they will kill you and take the treasure. Because although this drop of Eternal Divine Blood is not too important to the Dao Alliance, they would still be willing to buy it for 2 million cubes of chaos nectar.”

“Two million cubes?” Ji Ning was stunned. A windfall from heaven.

But these were all external forces; in the end, one’s own strength was true strength!

“The Eternal Nation would probably be willing to pay 10 million cubes to buy it,” the maiden laughed. “But the Dao Alliance cannot sell it to them, because selling it would make the experts of the Eternal Nation stronger.”

“Two million cubes? Ten million cubes?” Ji Ning felt the wealth was astonishing. Suddenly he remembered that his elder brother Heavenly Daoist had asked Da Mo Daoist for help by offering treasures sufficient to refine the best and most perfect two avatars.

Ji Ning quickly asked, “For a Daoist of Life and Death to refine an avatar, what is the value of the treasures needed for the best and most perfect one?”

“Most perfect?” The maiden glanced at Ji Ning with a smile. “Daoists of Life and Death generally refine relatively crude avatars. After all, every step is a life-or-death matter for them. Only in the later stages, when they possess inconceivable power, do they dare to speak of obtaining a so-called perfect avatar. The treasures needed for a perfect avatar are likely no less than 10 million cubes! Even for a Daoist of Life and Death at the brink of Dao-Heeding, that is almost their entire wealth.”

Ji Ning understood upon hearing this.

His elder brother Heavenly Daoist had exhausted his treasures to ask Da Mo Daoist for help. Heavenly Daoist was the Palace Lord of the ‘Heavenly Cang Palace’ and had lived for endless ages. Only now, for the sake of Dao-Heeding, was he willing to part with so many treasures.

“Ten million cubes is what a normal great power at the brink of Dao-Heeding can afford,” the maiden said. “A weaker Daoist of Life and Death typically has a wealth of only a few hundred thousand cubes of chaos nectar.”

“This drop of Eternal Divine Blood is already comparable to an ordinary Daoist of Life and Death.”

…

The Golden-Eyed Golem solemnly shouted, “The vast, endless chaos hides countless treasures. A mysterious leaf might be worth millions of cubes; a drop of ‘Heart Mirror Water’ could drive great powers at the brink of Dao-Heeding mad, and even if they offered ten million cubes, they couldn’t buy it. But these are all illusory. Treasures are only external forces; on the path of cultivation, one must ultimately rely on oneself.”

Ji Ning nodded.

For example, Heavenly Daoist went to the Yi Bo Realm seemingly for a certain treasure. For that treasure, he ventured into the Su Feng ruins to obtain the ‘Eternal Token,’ spent a huge price to ask Da Mo Daoist for help, and risked life and death to enter the Yi Bo Realm… This shows that some treasures are indeed enough to drive Daoists at the brink of Dao-Heeding mad.

“Yes, treasures are ultimately external forces,” the maiden also sighed. “My master, for the sake of Dao-Heeding, risked his life to find some treasures, asked many friends for help, and made extremely thorough preparations. Yet in the end, he still failed in Dao-Heeding. But legend has it that there are also great powers who, without any preparation, naturally achieved Dao-Heeding in their sleep and attained eternity.”

“Cultivation is the foundation.”

The maiden sighed.

Ji Ning nodded.

Ji Ning had long understood this. In fact, who among Heavenly Daoist elder brother and Myriad Gods Daoist didn’t understand it? But when the path reached its end, standing at the brink of Dao-Heeding without confidence in success, they naturally sought external help to increase the possibility of Dao-Heeding.

“You now know how to handle the matter of the Eternal Divine Blood,” the maiden said, pointing to the numerous carvings on the walls of the hall, which spanned a hundred miles and had thousands of carvings. “These were all personally carved by my master.”

“Alchemy, artifact forging, formations, and so on—my master was proficient in far too many things and styled himself ‘Myriad Gods,’” the maiden said. “Even in the way of the sword, my master once studied it. He specifically observed over five thousand World-level cultivators who walked the path of the sword, watching their sword techniques. Over five thousand World-level cultivators, each with different sword techniques.”

“My master observed their sword techniques and then carved over five thousand carvings.”

“Each carving has a different style, representing the sword technique of a World-level cultivator,” the maiden said. “After observing the sword techniques of over five thousand World-level cultivators and painstakingly carving so many carvings, my master’s attainment in the way of the sword had already reached the level of a Daoist of Life and Death.”

Ji Ning listened, dumbfounded.

This method of cultivation was simply too…

Specially observing over five thousand World-level cultivators skilled in the sword? The entire Da Mo Domain probably couldn’t find a thousand!

When the carvings were completed, his attainment in the way of the sword reached the Daoist of Life and Death level?

“My master later gave up. He said his talent in the way of the sword was poor,” the maiden said. “To observe over five thousand World-level cultivators and complete the carvings, my master spent several chaos cycles.”

Ji Ning had also heard from the Myriad Mountains Array Spirit that Myriad Gods Daoist did not understand the way of the sword. But that was compared to his other aspects. In other areas, Myriad Gods Daoist was too heaven-defying. The formations he set up before his death made even Eternal Emperors dare not enter. The golem ‘Golden-Eyed Golem’ he refined back then rivaled a great power at the brink of Dao-Heeding.

As for the way of the sword? He had only just stepped into the Daoist of Life and Death level. To Myriad Gods Daoist, that could indeed be considered ‘not understanding the way of the sword.’”

“Go and contemplate. Over five thousand carvings represent over five thousand sword techniques. My master always said… all paths are interconnected. From over five thousand sword techniques, he found the path to break through to the Daoist of Life and Death level in the way of the sword,” the maiden said.

“Mm,” Ji Ning nodded, then walked over. Suddenly he turned back and asked, “How long can I view them?”

“You can view them here as long as you like!” the maiden laughed. “You can stay here for one or two chaos cycles. I believe Fu Kai and A Luo Yi won’t wait outside the Myriad Gods Estate for that long.”

“They are waiting outside?” Ji Ning was startled. He had anticipated this, but when it actually happened, he still felt uneasy.

“Yes. Both of them gave up any other opportunities and left the Myriad Gods Estate as quickly as possible. If I’m not mistaken, they are definitely waiting for you outside the Myriad Gods Estate,” the maiden said.

Ji Ning nodded and smiled.

Let them be.

These over five thousand carvings, representing over five thousand sword techniques, were enough for him to contemplate for a long time. He would slowly contemplate, and let Fu Kai and A Luo Yi wait outside as long as they wished.

…