Chapter 41: Beta Leo Has Arrived

Only a year after learning the sixth move of the Nameless Sword Art, 'Spirit Rhinoceros Thread', Ji Ning created the third move of his 'Origin Sword Intent', 'Star Style'.

Black Mist Style, Ten Thousand Gods Style, and Star Style each represented a place that had greatly influenced Ji Ning.

'Spirit Rhinoceros Thread' and 'Star Style' were both sword techniques at the same level, but using the divine sword Ziguang Qiong to execute 'Star Style' was several times more powerful.

…

Since his sword technique improved, Ji Ning immediately secured his position on the fifth level; even Qian Xingzi could only match him.

In truth, when Qian Xingzi unleashed his divine ability, his power was clearly stronger, but unfortunately, Ji Ning had the Yuanyi Water-Fire Gourd and a full six divine swords Ziguang Qiong, which other prodigies could hardly match.

'You have six swords, while I only have two war blades... you sly fellow, you even release lightning!' Qian Xingzi found fighting Ji Ning frustrating; even going all out only resulted in a draw. 'No more fighting, no more. If you challenge me again, I won't fight. You take the initiative to concede this match; I absolutely won't concede.'

Qian Xingzi immediately transformed into a thousand clones, forming a great formation, and stubbornly refused to concede. With this formation... no one could do anything to him.

Ji Ning was in a good mood, so he took the initiative to concede and let the matter rest.

…

Thirty-two years after learning 'Spirit Rhinoceros Thread', Ji Ning finally gathered the complete set of footwork inheritance.

'Finally got it.'

Ji Ning looked at the scroll of jade slips in his hand. The inheritance treasure of the footwork was a set of jade slips, eight hundred in total. When all eight hundred were gathered, they naturally formed a long scroll of jade slips, on which several large characters appeared: 'Take an oath, and you may glimpse the truth.' Beside them were some small characters.

Ji Ning sensed the prohibitions on the jade slips and immediately took an oath, following which some information surged into his mind.

Then the scroll of jade slips also revealed dense text, exuding a mysterious aura.

'Footwork, what is footwork?'

'It is the art of movement!'

'From mortals to Eternal Emperors, in close-quarters combat where strength is similar, the use of footwork far surpasses offensive and defensive techniques!'

'If I am one step faster, your sword cannot touch me. Even if the difference is but a hair's breadth, then no matter how powerful the sword technique, it is useless.'

'If my footwork is superior, I can touch the enemy while the enemy cannot touch me; everything is under my control.'

Ji Ning read and nodded lightly. He also understood the importance of footwork. In his childhood, when he was still in Yanshan, his mother Yuchi Xue personally taught him body movement. In the years that followed, Ji Ning never gave up. He integrated his insights into the Dao into his footwork and even purchased the Thunder Light Wings. His footwork was considered quite high among World-level cultivators; he was not weak in this aspect.

'The essence of footwork is mostly the same.'

'It is all about making instantaneous bursts of speed faster, to better evade.'

'With the same divine power and the same realm of the Dao, by using footwork divine abilities, some evade faster while others are relatively slower—this is the difference in footwork. The divine power operation method of the footwork I created is divided into three levels. The first level is a simple operation method; I'm afraid many cultivators' divine abilities can achieve such footwork evasion speed. The second level allows much faster instantaneous evasion, and the third level is even more remarkable...'

Ji Ning smiled bitterly.

Divine power operation?

His greatest reliance was the power of the Blueflower Mist; even if divine power erupted, it could not compare to the power of the Blueflower Mist not erupting! Although some secret divine power operation methods of this footwork had been transmitted into Ji Ning's mind, they were of little use to him.

'Whether footwork is remarkable depends first on the divine power operation method, and second on the realm of footwork.'

'Those with a higher realm, even without using divine abilities, can easily surpass those with a lower realm in footwork.'

'This footwork of mine was inspired when I once visited the great ruler of Mangya Kingdom and saw a lightning flood dragon. That lightning flood dragon was an eternal lightning created by the great ruler. Observing the movement of that 'Eternal Thunder Dragon', I pondered for many years and finally realized this 'Thunder Dragon Footwork'. The realm of this footwork is divided into five levels.'

'First realm, 'Mastery': fully learn my footwork.'

'Second realm, 'Integration': integrate your insights into the Dao into the footwork.'

'If you are skilled in the Dao of Space-Time, apply the mysteries of space-time to footwork. If you are skilled in the Dao of the Blade, apply blade techniques to footwork... truly merge your insights into the Dao with my Thunder Dragon Footwork to reach this second realm of 'Integration'.'

'Third realm, 'Dragon Transformation': when executing footwork, a phantom of the thunder dragon protects the body, greatly increasing speed; this is considered truly grasping the essence of the footwork.'

'Fourth realm, 'Thunder Dragon': this footwork can also control lightning, a lightning at the level of 'Dao Divine Lightning'. Reaching this fourth realm, the controlled lightning can merge with the person; the person is lightning, lightning is the person, and speed rivals that of Dao Divine Lightning. I have only reached this fourth realm.'

'Fifth realm, 'Eternal Thunder Dragon': after the great ruler reviewed the footwork I created, he modified two places, then said that if practiced to the extreme, one could condense an Eternal Divine Lightning and merge with it... I have bitterly pondered this footwork at the edge of Dao integration for dozens of chaos cycles, yet still cannot make progress. I do not know what realm the great ruler meant by 'practiced to the extreme', so I boldly set it as the fifth realm.'

Ji Ning marveled.

This footwork was truly formidable.

The latter part of this scroll only left some diagrams, a total of eighteen thunder dragon images. As for the detailed footwork and divine power operation methods, they were directly transmitted into Ji Ning's memory.

'The divine power operation method is useless to me.'

'But if the realm of this footwork reaches a very high level, it would indeed be powerful.' Ji Ning knew very well what Eternal Divine Lightning was.

Chaos Divine Lightning was at the World-level, so it could naturally break the limits of the Heavenly Dao. Chaos Divine Lightning flew extremely fast, generally ten times the speed limit of the Heavenly Dao, and even most Dao Lords could not compare.

Dao Divine Lightning was at the level of the Dao of Life and Death. In the endless chaos, some Dao Divine Lightning might be born, and some Dao Lords created Dao Divine Lightning! Just as Zhurong created 'Zhurong Divine Fire' and Suirenshi created 'Immortal Ember'... some Dao Lords of Life and Death who were extremely skilled in the Dao of Lightning could also create 'Dao Divine Lightning'. The flight speed of Dao Divine Lightning was a qualitative leap from Chaos Divine Lightning, roughly a hundred times the speed limit of the Heavenly Dao.

Eternal Divine Lightning... that was a legend. Ji Ning had never heard of Eternal Divine Lightning being born in the endless chaos; perhaps it existed, perhaps not. As for creating Eternal Divine Lightning, probably only Eternal Emperors who had achieved a high level in the Dao of Lightning and reached the Eternal realm could create 'Eternal Divine Lightning'.

As for the speed of Eternal Divine Lightning, Ji Ning did not know, having never seen it.

'This footwork, practiced to the extreme, can condense Eternal Divine Lightning and merge with it?' Ji Ning was stunned. How fast would that be?

'But the creator of this footwork, merely by observing Eternal Divine Lightning, comprehended this set of footwork. How high was his comprehension? And he only reached the fourth realm. The reason this footwork can reach the fifth realm is probably because the great ruler modified two places.' Ji Ning immediately understood that the fifth realm was like flowers in a mirror or the moon in water; even the creator, who had reached the 'edge of Dao integration', spent dozens of chaos cycles without comprehending it. Who could comprehend it?

'I don't aim high; reaching the third realm would be good enough.' Ji Ning was quite expectant.

The third realm, with the phantom of the thunder dragon protecting the body, would greatly increase speed.

…

Life on Star Island was, at least for Ji Ning, very happy. For sword technique inheritance, there were two precious sword technique inheritances with very detailed guidance. For footwork, such formidable footwork was something Ji Ning had never seen before, and now he could freely study it.

For opponents at the same level, there were dozens of prodigies to challenge.

…

Days passed one by one. The prodigies who had broken through to the fifth level gradually fought less, as everyone had fought each other, some many times. Even Waterwalker and Qian Xingzi had fought once; of course, Waterwalker lost, and Qian Xingzi maintained his undefeated record on the fifth level.

Time flowed, and Ji Ning had been on Star Island for a thousand years.

On the sixth level, the only floating Star Island was the residence of 'Beta Leo'. If Beta Leo did not issue a challenge, no one was qualified to challenge him.

On this Star Island, a white-haired youth in loose white robes sat cross-legged on the ground. Suddenly, he opened his eyes. His gaze was gentle, yet seemed to contain countless brilliant stars. He murmured to himself, 'A thousand years have passed. This new batch of cultivators, after a thousand years of tempering, have reached a bottleneck in their strength. It's time to challenge them.'

'Mm, start with Qian Xingzi.'

Soon, the World-level cultivators on hundreds of thousands of Star Islands were shocked.

Because...

Qian Xingzi, who had never fallen from the fifth level since entering it, had dropped to the fourth level, and all his inheritance treasures were taken by the sixth level.

Thus, everyone knew that Beta Leo on the sixth level had made his move and defeated Qian Xingzi.

…