Chapter 26: The Sword Intent of Shadowlessness

Time passed.

Ji Ning walked alone in the inner region world, observing the traces of war and the traces of the Dao within it.

In his observations, Ji Ning discovered that there were as many as thirty-nine types of Dao traces here! Even if two Eternal Emperors had both achieved the Eternal Dao through the sword, their paths differed, and the Eternal Daos they attained were distinct. Thus, their 'Dao traces' also differed, and it was not difficult to distinguish between the types of Dao traces.

"Thirty-nine?"

"The thirty-five who died correspond to thirty-five of those traces. But there are four traces without a corresponding corpse." Ji Ning was also somewhat shocked, for he realized, "The Daos of the three leaders are vast and boundless, possessing inconceivable power. Yet there is one Dao trace that is omnipresent, seemingly plain and ordinary... It took me over three hundred years of observation to discover its terror."

This 'Dao trace' should belong to the Chaos Dao.

It appeared ordinary, but upon truly experiencing it, one found that this 'Dao trace' had surpassed the level of the three leaders.

"In that war back then, there was an existence even stronger than the three leaders." Ji Ning was astonished. Based on his perception, the three leaders should be comparable to the Great Dominator, and even if they were inferior, it wouldn't be by much. But the other being gave Ji Ning the feeling that it had already surpassed the Great Dominator.

"There is always a mountain beyond a mountain."

"What exactly happened in this place of origin of the universe?" Ji Ning sighed, then his eyes lit up. "But for me, it is a great gift."

...

Thus, he sensed the various Dao traces, especially the strongest one, the 'Chaos Dao' trace, on which he spent considerable effort. Sometimes he lay on a mountain peak sleeping, sometimes he sat cross-legged by a stream listening, sometimes he walked in icy snowfields, sometimes he wandered in lakes... In the blink of an eye, six thousand eight hundred and ninety-three years had passed.

"There is a kind of sword."

"It is eerie and unfathomable."

"Its traces are hard to find."

"When it appears, it is the moment the enemy dies."

Ji Ning smiled. A divine sword, Violetjade, appeared in his hand. Ji Ning stepped forward and swung the sword.

Whoosh.

Ji Ning, along with the sword, vanished without a trace, leaving no shadow or sign.

There was no spatial teleportation, no trace of other secret arts. Just like that, Ji Ning disappeared.

"Pfft." A thousand zhang away, Ji Ning reappeared, his sword slashing at a spot in front of him.

"What kind of sword can truly be called hard to trace? It is a sword that cannot be seen at all, cannot be detected at all. Such a sword is the hardest to defend against." Ji Ning smiled. His gaze fell on the corpses of ancient mighty cultivators in the distance. He bowed respectfully. "Thank you, seniors. I have finally comprehended my Shadowless Dao."

The Shadowless Style of the Brightmoon Sword Art.

When Ji Ning had used this style in the past, his sword would harness the power of the omnipresent 'Dao'—for example, in the wind, it would use the wind's power to greatly increase speed; in light, it would use the power of light; in space, it would use the power of spatial fluctuations.

By utilizing the power of various Daos, Ji Ning's sword became ghostly and unpredictable, its speed variable, and its power immense.

But—

This style had never been able to reach the level of 'Yin-Yang Sword Intent' or 'Blooddrop Sword Intent'.

It was only after coming to the inner region world and observing the Dao traces left by many Eternal mighty cultivators, especially the strongest and seemingly most ordinary 'Chaos Dao' trace, that Ji Ning suddenly awakened.

"What is shadowlessness? It is not using the myriad things, but truly transforming into the myriad things."

"A sword cannot truly disappear."

"Only by transforming into the myriad things can one avoid detection by the enemy."

"The sword, in the wind, can transform into a wisp of wind."

"The sword, in light, can transform into a ray of light."

"The sword, in space, can transform into a spatial fluctuation."

"No matter where, the primordial source of the universe can influence everything. As long as my sword can merge with all this, it will naturally be shadowless and formless." Thus Ji Ning understood the goal of his Shadowless Sword Intent. He stayed in the inner region for six thousand eight hundred and ninety-three years, immersing himself in different Dao traces, and finally comprehended this sword.

...

Ji Ning's divine body, being like a treasure, could also merge into the myriad things like a sword.

When fully merged, the sword's speed became even greater, more ghostly and unpredictable.

"Currently, my sword barely merges into the myriad things. Though it is hard to see with the naked eye, divine sense can still detect it." Ji Ning thought to himself. "As I cultivate further, in the future, this Shadowless Sword... will completely merge with the myriad things, becoming indistinguishable even to divine sense. That would be truly formidable."

The Dao is omnipresent.

Thus, the Shadowless Sword is also omnipresent.

A sword that cannot be detected even by divine sense, yet suddenly stabs into the enemy's forehead—what a chilling thought. Of course, reaching that level is extremely difficult.

"Cultivated to the extreme, it is shadowless and formless, reachable anywhere. Unfortunately, I am still far, far from that realm." Ji Ning understood this. In fact, he had already seen a mighty cultivator achieve it—the one who followed the 'Chaos Dao'. Because Chaos can encompass all Daos, Ji Ning had not initially realized that this 'Chaos Dao' trace surpassed the three leaders, precisely because it seamlessly merged with every other Dao trace.

Only after years of careful observation did Ji Ning awaken to its power.

That mighty cultivator...

Could completely merge into all Daos, making it hard to detect even with the naked eye, divine sense, or mental strength. Other means were required to find him.

...

After Blooddrop Sword Intent and Yin-Yang Sword Intent, Ji Ning had now comprehended Shadowless Sword Intent as part of the Brightmoon Sword Art.

Although Shadowless Sword Intent had the weakness of being detectable by divine sense, strictly speaking, it was not a real weakness. After all, even among Dao Lords, how many could evade divine sense? Because the Shadowless Sword could merge into all Daos and the myriad things, its speed became even faster and more eerie, greatly increasing its power. It had leaped to a level comparable to Blooddrop Sword Intent.

"Whoosh."

Ji Ning walked through the inner region world, sometimes vanishing without a trace, causing no disturbance, and reappearing hundreds of thousands of li away.

He walked in this manner, simultaneously cultivating the Shadowless Style.

"Without the Daos of so many Eternal mighty cultivators to immerse myself in and feel, this style would have taken at least a hundred million years." Ji Ning thought to himself. Among the five styles of Brightmoon, the other four required sudden enlightenment, but only the 'Shadowless Style' required extensive experience. The Dao traces of the Eternal mighty cultivators in the inner region world allowed Ji Ning to comprehend this style much faster.

Each of Ji Ning's Daos.

Could be considered a supreme Dao...

For example, in the Dao of Attack, Blooddrop Sword Intent, when pushed to the extreme, could shatter all obstacles of Dao—time, space, chaos, everything—and its power would be limitless.

Shadowless Sword Intent, when pushed to the extreme, would mean the enemy dies without ever seeing Ji Ning.

...

"Of the five styles of Brightmoon, I have comprehended three. There remain the Heartforce Style and the Heavenrend Style." Ji Ning thought. The Heartforce Style was the Dao of Defense, while the Heavenrend Style was the Dao of Attack. They were fundamentally different from the previous three styles.

"I have arrived."

Ji Ning sometimes vanished, sometimes reappeared. His forward speed was already faster than his previous desperate flight at maximum speed.

This movement technique could be considered 'Shadowless Teleportation'. Most Dao Lords probably could not match Ji Ning in pure speed. Such was the terror of comprehending a supreme Dao. Anyone who comprehended a supreme Dao—even if only one heaven-defying Dao—would become a heaven-defying Dao Lord.

"Leaders?"

Ji Ning stood there, looking up.

In the distance were the figures of three sword Dao mighty cultivators.

The burly man with a huge dark blue sword resting against his chest, the white-robed man carrying three divine swords—purple, gold, and white—on his back, and the man with nine blood-colored great swords stuck in the ground before him, exuding a terrifying killing intent.

These three were the only sword Dao mighty cultivators in the inner region world.

"Three seniors." Ji Ning bowed respectfully. He held great reverence for mighty cultivators who had reached such heights in the sword Dao.

Then Ji Ning stepped forward.

Soon, he sensed an invisible fluctuation enveloping him. If he advanced further, he would be swept into it and subjected to a trial. Many brilliant World-level cultivators and Dao Lords had died in such trials.

"Opportunity lies before me. How could I retreat?" Ji Ning did not hesitate and stepped forward again.

Whoosh~~~

He was completely enveloped by the invisible fluctuation. This time, Ji Ning did not use Shadowless Teleportation; he truly vanished, entering the trial world left by the three sword Dao mighty cultivators.

...