The Dance on the Razor's Edge

1,761 words

Inside the mountain.

Mengyu was covered in blood, bound to an iron pillar. From the very first day he had arrived in this hellish place, he had been overcome by despair. But right now, he gritted his teeth against the pain and continued to taunt: "Is that all the strength you've got? Harder! Put some backbone into it, my darling boy! Were you not breastfed as a child?"

And then—

"Your young master Ji Ning will be here to keep you company soon! Hahaha..." The laughter drifted in.

"Ji Ning!" The big-bearded Mengyu's body trembled. Then, with all the strength he could muster, he let out a hoarse, desperate howl: "Young master Ji Ning, run! There are Immortal cultivators here refining an evil magic treasure!"

Beside him, Ji Wuyu—his head drooping weakly, too exhausted to even lift it—suddenly jerked upright and murmured, "Ji Ning? Ji Ning?"

"Ji Ning! Run! Get out of here!" Ji Wuyu screamed shrilly, pouring all his remaining strength into the cry.

Years ago, he had wanted his own father's line to succeed as Prefectural Lord. But since they had lost, he accepted the outcome willingly. Ji Ning was the next Prefectural Lord of the Ji Clan's Western Prefecture! He had seen Ji Ning's talent with his own eyes; the Western Prefecture would surely grow stronger because of him. He had already been crippled and captured here. He refused to let the most talented genius of the Western Prefecture, the next Prefectural Lord, die here as well. This would be a disgrace to the Ji Clan!

"Run!" Ji Wuyu roared.

"Young master Ji Ning, go!" Ji Shan also screamed hoarsely.

Ever since they had been captured here, they would often see vicious ghosts emerge and sink into the ground. The conversations of those six extravagantly dressed men and women nearby had made them understand exactly what kind of demonic lair this was.

…

Black mist filled the air. From a distance, frantic shouts could be heard.

"Young master Ji Ning, run! There are Immortal cultivators here refining an evil magic treasure!"

"Young master Ji Ning, go!"

"Flee!"

Their voices were hoarse from torture, but because Ji Ning knew them so well, he could still recognize each one.

"Refining an evil magic treasure?" Ji Ning forcibly suppressed the blazing fury in his heart, his gaze locked onto the black-robed man.

The black-robed man let out an eerie laugh. "The Ji Clan's genius, the great young master Ji Ning… don't get upset, don't get angry. They will all die. And you… you're going to die too." He wanted Ji Ning to burn with rage. When a person was consumed by fury, they lost their calm. Without calm, his chances of winning this battle would naturally be greater.

After years on the run, the black-robed man had learned one thing: never underestimate any opponent. Even if the young master Ji Ning in front of him was just a boy.

"Go to hell!" Ji Ning charged forward like a mountain-descending tiger, crashing into the black-robed man with an unstoppable momentum.

"Hmph. So easily provoked, and they call this a genius? Still, too young." The black-robed man sneered inwardly. In his hands, he held two black long-spikes. Moving like a ghost, he began to meet Ji Ning's attack, thrusting the two black spikes toward him. The moment they closed in—

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

From the two black spikes, a hail of black nails shot out, blanketing Ji Ning. The distance was too close; the black nails were too sudden. Even with his superb swordplay, it was impossible to block them all. Fortunately, the Water-Fire Lotus of protection swirling around Ji Ning's body intercepted the black nails. They barely managed to penetrate a single layer before clattering to the ground. Where they fell, the stone floor instantly hissed and corroded.

"All coated with a lethal poison." Ji Ning's Northsea swords stabbed furiously at the black-robed man.

The black-robed man's body flickered like a ghost. His two black spikes barely managed to parry, and from time to time he would release another volley of black nails.

"What a troublesome Ji Ning," the black-robed man thought with alarm. "His protective lotus is too strong. It's even twisting and affecting my movement technique. Fortunately, this robe of mine is a Dharma treasure armor that can change shape; otherwise, that lotus alone would have shredded my clothes to pieces."

"Pfft!"

A streak of sword-light pierced straight through the black-robed man's arm. He immediately tapped his foot and explosively retreated backward. His expression gradually twisted into something sinister. "That protective lotus of yours is quite profound. My Blackblood Nails can't break through it. It seems I'll have to use overwhelming force to overcome your technique." The two black spikes in his hands vanished, replaced by a six-edged black longstaff. At the same time, flames began to flicker faintly around the black-robed man's body, and a powerful aura began to spread.

"A staff?" Ji Ning was secretly startled.

From their earlier exchange, he had already noticed that the black-robed man's skill with the black spikes was truly mediocre. His only truly sinister technique was the sudden release of the Blackblood Nails. Now that the opponent had brought out a staff, Ji Ning understood… this was his true weapon.

"A staff is a long weapon, a heavy weapon," Ji Ning mused. "Fiendgod Body Refiners mostly prefer heavy weapons. Use overwhelming force to overcome technique."

"Take this!" The black-robed man transformed into a streak of black shadow. The longstaff in his hand was raised high, instantly growing larger and heavier. The staff itself must have weighed tens of thousands of jin, and it came crashing down directly toward Ji Ning's head!

Ji Ning crossed his Northsea swords in front of him.

CLANG!

A massive thunderclap of sound. Ji Ning himself was sent flying backward, plowing a deep furrow into the ground. The tiger-mouths of both his hands were split open, blood staining the hilts of his swords.

"He's incredibly strong. Much stronger than I am. I'm only at the fourth layer of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens, yet my strength is comparable to an ordinary Xiantian late-stage Fiendgod Body Refiner. This black-robed man is even stronger than me. He must be at Xiantian perfection." Ji Ning understood that he had finally met a true match.

Killing a Xiantian Fiendgod Body Refiner was no easy task.

"Let's see how many of my staff strikes you can endure." The black-robed man's eyes flickered with a faint green light. He charged forward with the momentum of a dragon. As he closed in on Ji Ning, he thrust the staff forward—a straight shot aimed at the heart!

"The staff relies on raw power! The sword relies on skill!" Ji Ning let out a low shout. Behind him, a pair of azure wings suddenly materialized. They seemed forged from steel—this was one of the thousands of magic treasures Ji Ning had acquired in the aquatic palace, a flying-wing type treasure.

The Windshadow Steps were merely the foundation of the divine ability Windwing Evasion. With actual wings, executing this ability was far more formidable—like a tiger gaining wings.

WHOOSH!

With a flap of his wings, Ji Ning became like a massive Roc—swift, unpredictable, and ghostly. He moved like a passing gust of wind, constantly changing direction. The twin Northsea swords in his hands slashed at the black-robed man over and over again.

"ARGHHHH!" The black-robed man was driven completely berserk. His true energy activated the runes on his staff, causing the gravity runes to increase in power continuously. The staff felt like a small mountain. Fortunately, he was a Fiendgod Body Refiner at Xiantian perfection; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to wield such a heavy weapon.

"No matter how heavy the staff is, what use is it if it can't hit its target? Die!" Ji Ning, too, was like a demon possessed. The invisible pressure of the Zifu Disciple's existence, the sufferings of the captured Ji Clan members—all of it seared his heart like fire.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

With the Dharma treasure wings, Ji Ning was as swift as a ghost, faster than the black-robed man's movement technique. The Northsea swords, enhanced by the Blood-Refining Art, were incomparably sharp. His swordplay, suffused with a 'True Meaning of the Dao', completely surpassed the black-robed man in terms of insight.

"Pfft!" A massive hole was torn into his abdomen, but it rapidly shrank and healed without a trace.

"Shkk!" A huge gash was carved across his back.

"Tch." A wound appeared even on his face.

"ARGHHHH!!!" The black-robed man was going mad with frustration. With his virtually indestructible body and his staff technique that had reached Unity of Man and Heaven, he could easily crush an ordinary Xiantian-perfect Ki Refiner. He had never expected to run into such a tough opponent. Although the boy was weaker in raw power, he was also a Fiendgod Body Refining expert, and his level of insight in the sword arts was clearly superior!

WHAM!

Ji Ning was sent flying by a glancing blow from the staff, bounced off the ground, and fell back. The skin on his hands was often split open by the shock, but it healed instantly. Because his swordplay was more profound, Ji Ning only suffered minor setbacks. It was the black-robed man who was truly dancing on the edge of death. If Ji Ning ever managed to pierce through his head, he would be dead for good.

"Pfft!" Using both swords in concert, his movements were utterly unpredictable. When dancing on the edge of death, one was bound to stumble eventually.

Pfft!

The black-robed man's abdomen was suddenly sliced open by a streak of sword-light. A massive wound appeared, and he collapsed to the ground, his body severed in two.

"Impressive. Impressive," the black-robed man hissed through clenched teeth. "But still… die."

WHOOSH!

Just as Ji Ning flapped his wings and pounced at the black-robed man with both swords, a bottle appeared in one of the man's hands. He abruptly smashed it against the ground. The bottle shattered against the stone floor, and a dense white mist instantly spread in all directions. Sensing danger, Ji Ning immediately retreated backward. But a faint, sweet fragrance had already entered his nostrils. Although he had long since stopped breathing, the odor still seeped into his body through his skin.

"Dissolve into a pool of water!" The black-robed man stared fixedly at Ji Ning. The two halves of his body rapidly drew together and began to seamlessly rejoin.

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Reading Guide Decoding

Ji Ning's Most Brutal Fight Yet—Poison, Staffs, and a Cliffhanger

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

Fiendgod Body Refining vs. Heavy Weapons: The black-robed man's reliance on a staff reinforced with gravity runes is a classic trope of the "overwhelming force" combat style. In Xianxia, Fiendgod Body Refiners often favor blunt, heavy weapons precisely because their regenerating bodies make defense less critical—they can afford to trade blows. The chapter explicitly notes that his staff technique has reached "Unity of Man and Heaven", a foundational stage of Dao comprehension.
The Blood-Refining Art: Ji Ning's Northsea swords are sharper than ordinary treasures because he has bonded them through a Fiendgod Blood-Refining Art. This is an ancient technique where the weapon absorbs the user's blood and killing intent, growing alongside them. It's a significant advantage against a regenerating enemy—you want a blade that can cleave deep and true every single time.
The "True Meaning of the Dao" Edge: Ji Ning's swordplay has already surpassed the "Unity of Man and Heaven" stage and touched upon the True Meaning of the Dripping Sutra. This is why, despite being physically weaker, he can consistently land hits on the black-robed man. In Xianxia metaphysics, "realm of insight" trumps "raw power" more often than not.
Poison in the Xianxia Repertoire: The black-robed man's last resort—a poison mist that bypasses breath and attacks the body's internal essence—is a classic "domain-control" technique. Within the cultivation world, alchemy and toxins are a legitimate (if unsavory) school of combat. The phrase "dissolve into a pool of water" is a poetic threat describing the full-body decomposition such poisons can cause.

Chapter Overview

Whew. After several chapters of build-up, the payoff has finally arrived—and it's a doozy. Our young Fiendgod Body Refiner Ji Ning has stormed the mountain lair, only to find his clansmen broken, bound, and begging him to flee. The enemy? A Xiantian-perfect Fiendgod Body Refiner who’s been on the run for years, armed with poison tricks, a mountain-crushing staff, and a grudge. This is the chapter where Ji Ning sheds the last of his child-warrior skin and steps fully into the role of the relentless sword cultivator. The fight is brutal, back-and-forth, and more than a little desperate. Get ready, fellow Daoists—this one is a masterclass in Xianxia combat pacing.

Key Plot Points

The Captives' Cries: Deep in the mountain's belly, the captured Ji Clan members—Mengyu, Ji Wuyu, and Ji Shan—hear the enemy's boast that Ji Ning will soon join them. Despite their own shattered cultivations and torture, their first instinct is to shout a warning, hoping Ning will escape while he can. It's a small but powerful moment that shows the clan's loyalty even in utter despair.
First Blood: Ji Ning launches his attack head-on, but the black-robed man is no pushover. He uses a dirty trick early on—concealed poisonous Blackblood Nails fired from his short spikes—which Ning only survives thanks to his Water-Fire Lotus. This establishes that the enemy is crafty and experienced, not just a brute.
The Real Weapon Emerges: Disarmed (literally) of his spikes, the black-robed man pulls out his true weapon: a six-edged black longstaff weighted like a small mountain. He's a heavy-weapon specialist, and his raw strength outmatches even Ji Ning's Fiendgod physique.
Wings of the Roc: Ji Ning counters with his own trump card—the flying-wing Dharma treasure from the aquatic palace. Combined with the Windshadow Steps and the Windwing Evasion technique, his speed and agility skyrocket, turning him into a ghostly blur that the staff can barely touch.
The Dance on the Razor's Edge: The ensuing fight is a classic Xianxia stalemate. The black-robed man's regenerative Fiendgod body keeps him alive through every sword wound, while Ji Ning's superior sword insight and speed keep him from getting crushed. Ning takes minor damage; the enemy takes major wounds. The tension is thick—who will break first?
A Desperate Last Gambit: The black-robed man, cut in half and furious, pulls out a vial of deadly white mist. Its poison is so potent that even holding his breath doesn't protect Ji Ning from its corrosive effects. The chapter ends with a horrifying cliffhanger: the mist has already entered Ning's system.

Reading Guide

Watch the Sword Form: Notice how Ji Ning's combat strategy hinges on precision over power. He's not trying to overpower the staff; he's exploiting angles, speed, and the two-sword technique to slip past the enemy's defenses. This is a textbook example of "skill versus strength" in Xianxia.
The Cliffhanger's Weight: The poison mist is a genuine threat because we've seen how resilient Fiendgod bodies are. If Ning's regeneration has to fight against a toxin that is actively dissolving him from the inside, even his Crimsonbright Diagram might be pushed to its limit. The stakes are very real.
Character Beat – Ji Wuyu: Pay attention to Ji Wuyu's reaction. He was a political rival of Ji Ning's faction in the Golden Sword Ceremony arc. His willingness to scream for Ning to run shows that, despite past grudges, clan unity under existential threat is the higher value. It's a small but meaningful character moment in the midst of all the action.
The Cost of Victory: Even if Ji Ning survives, the chapter subtly reminds us that the captured clansmen are crippled. Their dantians have been destroyed. In the cruel calculus of the cultivation world, a broken cultivator is often a dead man walking—creating potential future conflicts and burdens for Ning to shoulder.