Chapter 11 Ji Ning's Sword

The six youths from the Ji clan's ancestral mansion disembarked from the boat, while four people walked over from the island. Leading them was a plainly dressed beautiful woman, beside her a young man in green, and behind them two guards in red armor. The island had a total of a hundred red-armored guards, specially arranged by Ji Jiuhuo.

“You must be Steward Qiuye,” said Ji Mo, the leader of the six youths, as he produced a beast hide with some writing on it. “We have been sent by the lord of our mansion to pay respects to Lord Ji Ning.”

“Oh?” Qiuye took the beast hide and looked it over.

All the trivial matters on Brightheart Island were managed by Qiuye, who had been appointed by Ji Ning as the chief steward.

After carefully examining the beast hide, Qiuye looked up and smiled. “We received word earlier that six outstanding youths from the ancestral mansion were coming. Please follow me.”

“We have come to pay respects to Lord Ji Ning. When will Lord Ji Ning see us?”

The six youths followed Qiuye, asking questions as they went.

Qiuye replied, “Don't rush, everyone. You will definitely see the young lord today.”

Soon, she led them to a quiet spot, a guest residence. Qiuye instructed two maidservants, “These six are honored guests from the ancestral mansion. Attend to them well.”

“Yes,” the two maidservants replied.

“Everyone,” Qiuye said to the six with a smile, “Once my young lord has time, I will immediately inform you. You must be tired from your journey; please rest for now.”

With that, Qiuye left with Qingshi and the others.

“Truly, the great are always busy!” the tall and sturdy Ji Tongzhan said angrily, his eyes wide. “On such a secluded lake island, what could Lord Ji Ning possibly have to worry about? That female steward even said ‘when my young lord has time’... it's as if she doesn't consider us six worth noticing.”

“The ancestral mansion sent word ahead that we were coming. Not only did Lord Ji Ning not come out to greet us, he hasn't even set a time to see us. He just leaves us waiting here.”

These youths were all favored children of heaven.

Although they believed this Ji Ning was a cut above them, they were all the same age. Being treated so dismissively... they couldn't help but feel indignant.

“Hold it in!” Ji Mo sat there and said softly, “We came to pay respects, so we wait obediently until Lord Ji Ning summons us.”

“We're just upset.”

“Right, everyone says how amazing Lord Ji Ning is, but none of us have seen him. He's only sixteen this year—how strong can he really be?” The youths talked among themselves. Even Ji Mo, sitting there, harbored the inherent arrogance of a genius. Hearing is not seeing!

Without witnessing Ji Ning's skills firsthand, a flame of discontent burned in Ji Mo's chest.

…

The setting sun was about to disappear, and the western sky was filled with evening glow. Under the red sunlight, the surface of Yishe Lake was as beautiful as a painting. In the distance of this beautiful lake painting, a small boat rocked and drifted across the water.

“It's the young lord's boat.”

“It's the young lord.”

A maidservant spotted it and immediately reported to Steward Qiuye. Qiuye and Qingshi soon appeared at the shore, gazing at the small boat in the distance.

Inside the small boat.

Ji Ning lay comfortably with his eyes closed. The lake around him was silent, silent as a painting. Suddenly sensing many people's auras in the distance, his eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes.

“We're here.” Ji Ning stood up directly and stretched.

He still wore animal hide clothes, but these were transformed from a Dharma treasure armor... After all, the animal hide clothes his mother had sewn for him were limited in number; if he wore them constantly, they would wear out. Ji Ning couldn't bear that, so he kept them stored away. But turning his Dharma treasure armor into the form of animal hide clothes felt most comfortable to him.

“Whoosh.” The boat suddenly accelerated, cutting through the waves at high speed, heading straight for the distant island.

Ji Ning stood on the boat, smiling at Qiuye and Qingshi who were welcoming him.

As the boat approached the island's shore, it vanished into thin air. Ji Ning stepped directly onto the sandy beach, walking on the water.

“Young lord.” Qiuye greeted him with a smile.

“Brother Ji Ning.” Qingshi also ran over excitedly. “Today, six young people came from the ancestral mansion. They look like they have their eyes on top of their heads, full of arrogance.”

Ji Ning pondered. “Oh? The most outstanding clansmen of the younger generation from the ancestral mansion?”

“Mm,” Qiuye nodded. “They arrived at noon.”

“Have them come to the Sword Practice Flat,” Ji Ning said with a smile. “Since the ancestral mansion sent them to me, they want me to give them a good lesson.”

“Alright, I'll go invite them right away,” Qiuye said promptly.

…

Sword Practice Flat.

It was a spacious area about a hundred zhang wide in front of Ji Ning's residence, where he usually practiced his sword.

“I've already drunk five jars of water, and it's almost dark. Finally, they're seeing us.”

“Everyone talks about how amazing Ji Ning is; I wonder what he's really like.”

The six youths whispered among themselves, all looking excited. They were endlessly curious about the legendary Lord Ji Ning. Qiuye led the way and soon arrived at the Sword Practice Flat. “The young lord is over there; you may go over.”

Ji Mo and the other five looked carefully.

In the distance stood a youth in animal hide. From behind, he didn't seem tall—still the height and build he had when he first broke through to Xiantian. But somehow... just standing there, Ji Ning seemed to merge with everything around him, as if all were part of a painting.

The youth in animal hide suddenly turned around, breaking free from that state of being a figure in a painting, as if only then becoming a real person. Earlier, Ji Ning had been merging his spirit with heaven and earth, comprehending the 'Dao'! Ever since living by Yishe Lake, especially drifting on the lake in his small boat each day, his spirit became incredibly peaceful and perfectly attuned to the natural environment.

At the same time, Ji Ning's swordsmanship advanced by leaps and bounds. After his realm continuously improved, he could even merge his spirit with heaven and earth to comprehend the 'Dao' at any time. Although he couldn't fully immerse himself like when he comprehended the Dao by the pond, this kind of insight was already astonishing, elevating his swordsmanship realm to an extremely impressive level.

“Come over,” Ji Ning said.

Ji Mo and the other five observed this Lord Ji Ning. His features were delicate, like a youth's, but his temperament was naturally profound—a temperament forged through tempering the heart.

“Greetings, Lord Ji Ning,” Ji Mo and the others stepped forward respectfully.

“I heard that the most outstanding of the younger generation in the ancestral mansion is called Ji Mo. Which one of you is he?” Ji Ning asked directly. Since he was to teach them a lesson, targeting the strongest would have the best effect.

“I am.” Ji Mo spoke, his gaze sharp.

Ji Ning nodded. “What do you practice?”

“The Ten Thousand Swords Melody!” Ji Mo's eyes held confidence. “I've just mastered it. I hope Lord Ji Ning can offer some guidance.”

“Mastered?” Ji Ning nodded. “The Ten Thousand Swords Melody is a clan-defying ultimate art, profound and marvelous. Draw your sword... unleash your strongest sword technique against me, and let me see how your Ten Thousand Swords Melody fares.”

“Very well.” Ji Mo produced a long sword radiating coldness, with faint runes on the blade—clearly a sword-type Dharma treasure. He shouted, “Lord Ji Ning, be careful!”

Whoosh!

Instantly, the sword turned into endless illusions, a dense mass of hazy sword shadows appearing, directly enveloping Ji Ning.

Ji Ning stood there just watching. When the dense, hazy sword shadows closed in, he extended a finger and lightly tapped: “Break!” Instantly, all the sword shadows vanished, revealing the true form of the long sword. Ji Ning's finger struck the flat of the sword, and the rapidly moving sword, due to inertia, was sent flying directly.

“This, this...” Ji Mo stared in shock, his eyes wide. The other five youths were also dumbfounded. With just a finger, he sent a sword infused with the power of heaven and earth flying? And they didn't even think Ji Ning's finger was that fast.

“How is it possible? My sword?” Ji Mo couldn't believe it. “Your strength clearly isn't great, how could you instantly redirect my power and send my sword flying?”

“Let me ask you,” Ji Ning said sternly. “What are the techniques of the Ten Thousand Swords Melody?”

Ji Mo quickly replied, “The Ten Thousand Swords Melody has three sword techniques: One Sword, Ten Thousand Shadows; Ten Thousand Swords, One Return; and Ten Thousand Swords Melody. Among them, Ten Thousand Swords Melody is the ultimate killing technique. The one I used earlier was that ultimate technique, 'Ten Thousand Swords Melody'!”

Ji Ning said, “Ten Thousand Swords Melody, Ten Thousand Swords Melody... the key is not the ten thousand swords, but the word 'melody'!” In recent years, Ji Jiuhuo had specially arranged for some sword and blade techniques of the Ji clan to be sent to Ji Ning. Ji Ning had perused them all. At his level, he could even create such techniques; he only needed to grasp their essence.

“Melody?” Ji Mo was stunned.

“Watch closely.” Ji Ning condensed a sword light on his finger and swept it across the air.

Instantly, a sky full of sword shadows appeared, dense and hazy, covering everything—seemingly identical to the 'Ten Thousand Swords Melody' Ji Mo had used. But these countless dense sword shadows were like individual notes, each slightly different, and the myriad sword shadows merged into a single soaring song.

Passionate!

Joyful!

Ji Mo and the other five were stupefied. They could feel a kind of joy from the countless sword shadows, as if each had a life of its own.

“Watch again.” Ji Ning spoke and waved his sword light again, once more transforming into countless hazy sword shadows. Those countless sword shadows resonated with each other, each seemingly independent yet interconnected... countless notes formed a song, but this time it was filled with endless killing intent, a chilling murderousness that made their blood run cold.

Each sword shadow seemed like a soldier; countless soldiers roared as they charged forward, overwhelming, their killing intent soaring to the heavens.

Ji Mo and the others even turned pale and involuntarily stepped back.

“Do you see?” Ji Ning's sword light vanished from his finger. “This is the 'melody'—the soul of the entire sword technique! No matter what kind of soul, with a soul, your ten thousand swords can become one, transforming into a truly震撼 sword melody!”

The other five were awestruck.

But Ji Mo, who had profound mastery of the Ten Thousand Swords Melody, was completely conquered. With a thud, he knelt directly before Ji Ning. “Please take me as your disciple!”