The Final Farewell

Ji Yichuan coughed, his face pale. Seeing the worry in his son's eyes, he couldn't help but laugh. “Because I used multiple forbidden arts earlier, my Zifu had been shrinking steadily. Just now, it completely collapsed. That’s why my body suddenly weakened.”

“Multiple forbidden arts?” Ji Ning was alarmed. “Father, then you…”

“Hahaha…” Ji Yichuan laughed freely, stroking Ji Ning’s head. “This battle was my last. After it, I would have become a cripple anyway. So I naturally used a few extra forbidden arts.”

Ji Ning’s face changed.

Forbidden arts all inflicted heavy damage on the body, burning one’s flesh and even lifespan to unleash power far beyond normal.

“Yichuan, your body?” Ji Jiuhuo’s expression also shifted.

“I should still have about a month to live,” Ji Yichuan said.

“A month!” Ji Ning’s face instantly turned deathly pale, drained of all blood.

How?

How could this be? He had rushed back in time—why did it still have to be like this?

“Ji Ning.” Ji Yichuan looked at his son. “You have seen much of life and death already. Can you not see through this? For me, to live on as a cripple for a long time would be torture. I would rather die a brilliant death after my strongest battle. That is my true归宿.”

Ji Ning’s body trembled faintly.

“And your mother has been waiting for me too long. It’s time I went to keep her company.” Ji Yichuan gazed at his son, studying him carefully. “After your mother died, the only thing I worried about was you. And now, you no longer need my protection. You are truly able to soar through the heavens and earth.”

“No, Father.” Ji Ning looked at his father, his eyes moist.

…

Having survived a catastrophe, there should have been wild joy. But Ji Ning could not feel any happiness at all.

Time passed.

Ji Ning spent every day with his father. Every day, the two of them practiced swords together. Though they only exchanged moves, both father and son were completely immersed in it. Nearby, a great snow-white hound would often be watching, or the young boy Qingshi, or the steward Qiuye.

At last, that day arrived.

Ji Yichuan lay in his chair. Whitewater Hound had returned to his original form and leaned against the chair, gently nudging Ji Yichuan.

“Xiao Bai,” Ji Yichuan said softly, stroking the fur on Whitewater Hound’s head. “In this life, to have you as a brother, I die without regrets.”

Whitewater Hound lowered his head, tears streaming down.

“Ji Ning.” Ji Yichuan looked at his son standing beside him. “I originally wanted to set Xiao Bai free. But as a Zifu-level Godbeast, once freed, he would likely be captured by other cultivators. Besides, Xiao Bai has watched you grow up and is very close to you. I want him to follow you. This is my wish, and also Xiao Bai’s wish.”

Ji Ning nodded gently. “Alright.”

“Xiao Bai.” Ji Yichuan looked at his sworn brother who had fought at his side through life and death. “Take good care of Ji Ning for me. When I am no longer here, you are Ji Ning’s elder. Remind him as well. Don’t let him stray from the right path.”

Whitewater Hound nodded gently.

Then Ji Yichuan took out a piece of beast-hide from his bosom and handed it to Ji Ning. “I know you have always wanted to know who killed your uncle and brought such suffering to your mother and me. This has the names on it, along with some information about them. I was originally going to have Grandfather give it to you, but since I made it back alive from Oxhorn Mountain, I am giving it to you myself.”

“I swear,” Ji Ning said, taking the beast-hide with a fierce glint in his eyes, gritting his teeth. “I, Ji Ning, will kill them all and avenge this grudge!”

Ji Yichuan nodded. “I will not stop you from taking revenge. But remember this—in the hearts of your mother and me, your life is far more precious than theirs.”

“I understand,” Ji Ning said.

“Mm.” Ji Yichuan could clearly feel his life force ebbing away, his breath weakening. He smiled. “Remember, after I die, cremate me. Scatter my ashes over Winged Serpent Lake. I promised your mother that after death, I would be with her.”

Ji Ning held back his tears with all his might.

“In this life, when I was young, I had no worries. In my youth, I strove forward. With my sword in hand, I made my name known throughout the Yan Mountains.” Ji Yichuan gazed at the void, his eyes ethereal. “I once swore that with this sword, I would make my name known across the boundless lands of the Grand Xia Dynasty. Too bad… I couldn’t do it. But my son will.”

Ji Yichuan looked at Ji Ning, endless longing in his eyes. “Ji Ning, you will do it!”

Ji Ning’s heart ached.

He still clearly remembered the scene of his father personally teaching him swordplay.

“From today on, I will teach you how to use the sword.” Back then, he was still a young child, and his father seemed tall and powerful.

Starting from the Thirteen Fundamental Sword Forms, step by step his father taught him…

…

At this moment, Ji Ning understood. At that time, his father, whose immortal path had already been severed, had placed his own longing for the sword onto him.

“I will do it,” Ji Ning said, looking at his father, making a vow. “Father, I will do it. I definitely will. I will make my name known across the boundless lands of the Grand Xia.”

Ji Yichuan reached out his hand and gently touched Ji Ning’s face.

His hand trembled.

“Remember, live well. Live splendidly.” Ji Yichuan’s voice had grown faint. His smile grew even brighter. “Live happily, live freely, live at ease…”

Father’s hand suddenly fell. His eyes closed.

Thud.

Ji Ning knelt down, lowered his head, and clenched his teeth.

“Ah!” Ji Ning threw back his head and let out a howl.

Whitewater Hound gently nudged Ji Yichuan’s body again and again, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.

…

No one knew that Ji Yichuan had died silently, with only Ji Ning and Whitewater Hound by his side. The other servants on Brightheart Island had no idea.

Hua.

A small boat drifted across Winged Serpent Lake. Ji Ning was on the boat, holding an urn of ashes. He scattered handfuls of ashes onto the lake water, where they drifted with the wind and merged into the water.

Beneath the setting sun.

On a small boat, a youth and a great snow-white hound drifted slowly.

Ji Ning did not immediately leave the Yan Mountains. He stayed on Brightheart Island at Winged Serpent Lake for a while. In the middle of that time, he also visited the aquatic palace and challenged the second floor of the War God Hall. The second floor held no danger for Ji Ning at his current level. He then chose one of the Human-ranked treasures.

In the blink of an eye, autumn passed and winter arrived. Outside, heavy snowflakes were drifting down like goose feathers. Ji Ning was in his study, his fingers tracing sword-forms as he wrote on a piece of beast-hide.

“Qiuye,” Ji Ning called.

“Young master.” Soon, Qiuye pushed the door open and entered.

“Send someone to notify Ten Thousand Swords City and the Western Prefecture City,” Ji Ning said. “Tell them that I am leaving.”

“Leaving?”

Qiuye was stunned. She looked at Ji Ning. “Young master, are you leaving the Yan Mountains?” Qiuye had long known this day would come. Her young master was a genius of extraordinary talent; he would eventually leave the Yan Mountains. But when that day actually arrived, Qiuye still felt a pang in her heart—reluctance and sorrow.

“Silly girl.” Ji Ning walked over and reached out to wipe away Qiuye’s tears. “I need to go out and explore. This world is vast, and there are many powerful experts. I can’t just stay in one place and grow arrogant, can I?”

“I understand, I understand,” Qiuye said quickly.

“Qiuye.” Ji Ning took out a storage crystal and handed it to her. “There are some treasures inside this crystal, prepared for you and Qingshi. Chuncao died, and although I am leaving, I still need to take care of Qingshi. There is a book in the crystal that details how to use all the treasures.”

“Among them is a Marrow Cleansing Pill, obtained from that Wanxiang Adept. After taking it, it can improve your constitution and greatly increase your chances of breaking through to the Xiantian level,” Ji Ning said.

“This… this is too precious.” Qiuye was startled and immediately tried to refuse.

Ji Ning looked at her. “The path of cultivation is long. I don’t want to see you die too soon, Qiuye. If you can become a Xiantian lifeform, you will live much longer. Don’t refuse… In a place like the Yan Mountains, a Marrow Cleansing Pill might be precious. But to powerful figures like Wanxiang Adepts, it’s not much.”

“Live longer.” Qiuye nodded gently. She no longer refused. Looking at Ji Ning, she asked, “Will you come back, young master?”

“I will. I definitely will,” Ji Ning said with emotion. “There are many things here at Winged Serpent Lake that I cannot bear to part with. When I achieve some success in cultivation, I will return and settle here at Winged Serpent Lake.”

“I will wait for you, young master,” Qiuye said, gazing at him.

Ji Ning smiled. “Don’t wait foolishly. If you meet someone you like, just marry him.”

Qiuye shook her head. “I am your maidservant, young master. I will be your maidservant for my entire life.”

Ji Ning said no more.

…

The next day.

Outside, the world was cloaked in silver-white snow. Ji Youyang, Ji Honghua, Ji Jiuhuo, Ji Liuzhen, and others all arrived.

“These are some secret manuals I acquired by chance,” Ji Ning said, directly handing them to Clan Leader Ji Jiuhuo. “Most are on par with Ten Thousand Swords Song and Dripping Sutra.”

“This scroll contains the formation insights of a Loose Immortal, Nine Volumes of Formations.” Ji Ning also handed it to Ji Jiuhuo. “It is unfathomably profound. But studying formations requires talent and takes a great deal of time. I hope the clan will teach according to each person’s aptitude in the future.”

Ji Jiuhuo, Ji Liuzhen, and the others were all shocked.

Formation insights from a Loose Immortal?

“And this one is called Thunderfire Sword Supplement.” Ji Ning brought out a beast-hide book. “Based on my deductions from the Fragments of the Thunderfire Sword and my own insights into the sword, I added four more moves, resulting in this Thunderfire Sword Supplement—a total of seven great techniques.”

“And this one is the culmination of nearly all my effort over these past six months.” Ji Ning took out another beast-hide book, on the cover of which were written the words ‘Rainwater Sutra’. “I compiled a sword art and named it Rainwater Sutra. In the future, when members of the Ji Clan have mastered Dripping Sutra to perfection, they may study and comprehend this Rainwater Sutra.”

Ji Ning looked at the book in his hands with deep emotion. Over the past half year, he had constantly pondered and summarized his insights. He had written down all his comprehension of the ‘Dao of Rainwater’ into this Rainwater Sutra. This process of summarizing and writing a book had also greatly advanced his progress on the Dao of Rainwater.

As one who had comprehended a ‘Rainwater Sword Domain’, the Rainwater Sutra he wrote contained several hundred layers of the True Meaning of the Dao within it, and even the strokes of the words themselves contained sword-intent.

“This…” When Ji Jiuhuo and the others saw the three big characters on the cover of Rainwater Sutra, they immediately felt an overwhelming sword-intent crashing toward them.

Every one of them changed expression.

As experts, they could all sense the extraordinary nature of Rainwater Sutra. Even they felt oppressed by it. No wonder Ji Ning had insisted that only those who had fully mastered Dripping Sutra could attempt to comprehend it.

“From today on, Rainwater Sutra shall be the clan-guarding treasure of our Ji Clan,” Ji Jiuhuo declared excitedly. The other clan members were also thrilled. For a clan to produce a genius was a stroke of luck, but leaving behind a book like this could nurture even more geniuses in the future. This Rainwater Sutra was clearly a cut above the Ten Thousand Swords Song and other manuals.

…

Ji Ning did not ask anyone to see him off. He had Ji Jiuhuo and the others return home. He waited until deep in the night.

In the dead of night, when all was quiet.

Ji Ning, alone with Whitewater Hound, came to the lakeside. He knelt directly on the snow and kowtowed three times toward the endless expanse of Winged Serpent Lake. “Father, Mother, I, Ji Ning, swear that I will slay the enemies of Snowdragon Mountain and avenge you. I will also make my name known across the boundless lands of the entire Grand Xia Dynasty.”

“Please forgive your son for this temporary departure.” Ji Ning rose and looked at Whitewater Hound beside him. “Uncle White, let’s go.”

“That little girl,” Whitewater Hound transmitted to Ji Ning.

Ji Ning glanced into the distance. In the darkness stood Qiuye, who had known he was leaving and had not slept, waiting silently. When she saw Ji Ning look her way, she began to cry.

Ji Ning smiled.

“Let’s go.” Ji Ning stepped onto a small boat that had materialized beside him, and Whitewater Hound followed.

Swish!

The small boat rose swiftly into the air, piercing through the night sky.

“Young master!” Qiuye rushed out a few steps and looked up into the distance. “I will definitely wait for you to return. I definitely will.”

…

In the night sky.

The small boat drifted through the clouds. Ji Ning looked down at the vast land below, at the great lake, Winged Serpent Lake, and Brightheart Island at its center.

He took a long, deep look. There were too many things here that he could not bear to leave behind.

“Go!” Ji Ning turned his head and looked into the endless night sky ahead. Beyond the Yan Mountains lay an even vaster, even more brilliant world.

Whoosh!

A small boat bearing only a youth and a great snow-white hound vanished swiftly at the edge of the sky.

(End of Volume)