Chapter 5 Ji Ning's Second Disciple

In the mountain forest, the young man with graying temples was making simple furniture. Ji Ning, carrying a fishing rod and a fish basket, was still watching.

"How strange. This youth looks like a mere boy, but his tone is quite arrogant. I've been making furniture here, and he's been watching for nearly an hour," the young man muttered to himself. "But this youth doesn't seem ordinary. How could a mortal boy leisurely fish in the deep mountains and forests? And his bearing is extraordinary."

Ji Ning watched from the side, and the young man said nothing more, letting him watch.

Ji Ning suddenly smiled. The faint sword-light in his eyes completely retracted. In truth, even the faint sword-light he had displayed earlier was not something a mortal could perceive.

"I was passing by while fishing, curious and came to take a look... Who would have thought that another form of my Brightmoon Sword-Art would be completed?" Ji Ning shook his head with a smile, his gaze falling on the young man. "Although he doesn't know it, it was because of his pulling of the wooden drill that I comprehended this form. I must repay this kindness."

Ji Ning sensed that this mortal's state of mind was extraordinary and admired him. Now, having gained insight from him, he considered giving him an opportunity.

"Let me see what he has experienced and what he needs." Ji Ning's gaze rested on the young man, and all that had happened to him in the past was laid bare before Ji Ning.

Though he wanted to thank the mortal youth, he had to know what the other desired.

"Hmm..."

After looking, Ji Ning couldn't help but gently shake his head.

This young man, originally named Yang Quding, came from a well-off family. His mother died early, and his father doted on him. He was raised in luxury, the son of a merchant. Born intelligent, his father tried to get him into cultivation, but unfortunately, Yang Quding lacked the so-called 'spiritual root.' Ji Ning knew that this 'spiritual root' was merely the degree of affinity with the natural energy.

The greater the affinity with natural energy, the easier it was to absorb it. When Ji Ning was young, he was very close to water. Later, after cultivating the 'Nine-Angled Electric Serpent Evasion,' his body became close to lightning. This 'Yang Quding' had a very poor affinity with natural energy.

If others could absorb a hundred parts, he could only absorb one. Naturally, cultivation was different. Moreover, the natural energy on this continent was extremely thin, making cultivation difficult. If his absorption was also abysmally slow, his hopes were even more remote.

To help his son cultivate, Yang Quding's father paid a heavy price, even losing his life while escorting goods. This dealt a heavy blow to Yang Quding. After failing to become an immortal, he devoted himself to his father's business. He was indeed brilliant, becoming a major merchant in just a few years, even hiring two Foundation Establishment cultivators and several weaker Qi Refining cultivators. Later, he married a woman.

However...

One day, a young, sinister-looking man passed through the city where Yang Quding lived. Seeing Yang Quding's wife, he wanted to take her as a concubine. But Yang Quding was not to be trifled with; he had Foundation Establishment cultivators by his side and managed to stop him!

However, this sinister man had an extraordinary background and powerful connections. After investigating, Yang Quding quickly befriended a Core Formation elder of a major sect, presented rare treasures, and became the elder's adopted son—at least in name. With this protection, the other party dared not act rashly.

But the sinister man secretly used some means to pressure Yang Quding's wife's family. In the end, even Yang Quding's wife chose to leave with that sinister man.

After his parents died, Yang Quding had no close relatives left. His feelings for his wife were deep, but she abandoned him and ran off with that man, saying, 'Quding, you can protect me, but can you protect my parents? Don't blame me.'

After this blow, Yang Quding did not seek revenge. Instead, he sat in stillness for several days, then distributed all his wealth, retreated into the mountains, and called himself 'Green Bamboo.'

"Let me see his future." Ji Ning's gaze fell on the young man Yang Quding. His future fate was somewhat blurred. Once Ji Ning intervened, Yang Quding's fate would naturally change. After all, Ji Ning's power was enough to easily destroy this continent.

If Ji Ning did not intervene...

Yang Quding would live alone in these mountains for over sixty years. After sixty years, he would encounter a Nascent Soul grand cultivator from the 'Sect of Stillness.' After a conversation, the grand cultivator would greatly admire Yang Quding and spare no expense to help him cultivate. However, due to his advanced age and poor spiritual root, he would ultimately stop at the Foundation Establishment stage.

His realm was extremely high. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could kill Core Formation true men. He was kind to others and had a good reputation, most skilled in the 'Stillness Illusion Realm,' causing enemies to sink into layer after layer of illusions and even repent and reform. The sinister man who had taken his wife was also killed by him for his evil deeds. Though only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was respectfully called 'True Man Green Bamboo.' Eventually, he passed away peacefully at the end of his lifespan.

"His current state of mind surpasses that of so-called Nascent Soul cultivators and Soul Transformation venerables. When he cultivates, his Stillness Illusion Realm will be comparable to the methods of some great Buddhist powers." Ji Ning nodded slightly. "Such a state of mind is indeed naturally suited for cultivation."

"Go."

Suddenly, two strands of sword-light burst from Ji Ning's eyes and landed on the young man making furniture.

The sword-light instantly enveloped his body, rapidly transforming it. The young man's body was reborn, his bones, muscles, and meridians becoming perfect. His physical strength alone surpassed even some innate-level divine demons in the Three Realms.

With this body, Yang Quding's 'spiritual root' would be absolutely the best on the entire continent.

"Whoosh." Ji Ning extended his finger and touched it to Yang Quding's brow.

A divine thought was directly split off and transmitted into Yang Quding's sea of consciousness.

Yang Quding was still a mortal; even after his transformation, he could not bear the memories Ji Ning intended to transmit. So Ji Ning had to split off one of his divine thoughts and leave it in Yang Quding's sea of consciousness to carry the information. It was similar to how 'Snowfiend Emperor' had left a divine thought, but Snowfiend Emperor had done so because he had long since left and could only teach disciples this way.

Ji Ning did it because his disciple was too weak to bear it.

"You are too weak now. You can only bear the techniques and sword-arts up to the 'Celestial Immortal/Heavenly God' stage." Ji Ning thought to himself. That divine thought contained complete cultivation methods and his two most prized sword-arts, the Yin-Yang Sword-Art and the Blooddrop Sword-Art, which were his highest achievements.

As the young man's strength increased, he would naturally receive more information. When his soul reached a sufficient level, he would be able to fully accept it.

"You are the first to receive the true transmission of my sword-arts." Ji Ning smiled.

Ji Ning's disciples included Qingya Xiaoyu, chosen because of the rules of Mount Cuihua—Ji Ning selected disciples with sufficient merit. His second incarnation guarded the Three Realms and also guided Qingya Xiaoyu, but her talent was ultimately lacking.

This 'Green Bamboo' Yang Quding could be considered Ji Ning's second disciple.

Ji Ning only left behind cultivation methods and sword-arts! He did not transmit divine abilities or other techniques. Snowfiend Emperor had left behind four Daoist Lord puppets, but Ji Ning left no life-saving measures. Some weaker life-saving methods were not very useful. With Green Bamboo's talent, rising in the mortal world would not be difficult. Overly powerful life-saving measures might instead cause trouble.

Guiding a mortal was different from guiding a World-level genius.

When Snowfiend Emperor took disciples, they had to be at the World level and pass numerous trials. But 'Green Bamboo' Yang Quding was merely a mortal.

...

"I... what happened to me..." Green Bamboo Yang Quding woke up as if from a great dream.

When he woke, he saw a youth in the distance, carrying a fish basket and a fishing rod, walking away. "Disciple, if fate allows, we shall meet again, haha..." Then Ji Ning vanished into nothingness.

"Disciple?"

Yang Quding was stunned. Then a flood of information poured into his mind.

From mortal to Celestial Immortal/Heavenly God, there was a detailed cultivation process. There were also two incredibly powerful sword-arts, the Yin-Yang Sword-Art and the Blooddrop Sword-Art. What he received was only a part; when his soul grew stronger, he would naturally obtain more inheritance. Ji Ning also set restrictions in Yang Quding's memory, forbidding him from transmitting them.

"This, this, this..." Yang Quding was shocked. He was not ignorant of cultivation. He knew the several stages of the cultivation path. The methods he had received already reached the legendary Celestial Immortal/Heavenly God stage after transcending the tribulation! And this was only part of the methods? And there were also those incredibly powerful sword-arts.

Yang Quding immediately understood.

From this day on, he was different.

If a great power were to probe Yang Quding's fate, they would find that his fate had completely changed, becoming increasingly blurred and harder to discern as time went on.

"Master." Yang Quding immediately knelt and kowtowed in the direction Ji Ning had left. He remembered the name Ji Ning had left behind: 'Northming.'

...

"He is in a different universe, and I must return to the Endless Territories. I wonder if we will ever meet again." Ji Ning pondered. He had acted on a whim and taught a disciple. As a master, he was certainly irresponsible enough.

"Brother Northming."

"Northming." Prince Qinghuang, Feng Yixin, Huojin Shuijun, and Tianhuo Mangya were sitting there drinking.

"I just caught a big fish." Ji Ning smiled and lifted his fish basket.

...