Domain of the Dao

The White Witch’s heart turned to ice as she witnessed the power of Ji Ning’s Rainwater Sword Domain. “Is there even a path to survival for me?” In that instant, she began to circulate the forbidden techniques of her sect. All the essence of her flesh and blood, saturated with Yuan power, began to condense. A faint bloody light even started to emanate from her entire body.

The twelve hidden gu insects lurking within her Zifu began to stir restlessly, and the poisonous insects in the insect nest she carried on her person also grew agitated.

“Alas.” From afar, Ji Ning shook his head. It seemed this woman had been forced by Beishan Hu to fight to the death.

Ji Ning prepared to manifest the Water-Fire Lotus and send this woman straight to the Yellow Springs.

Suddenly—

“We concede!” A deep, heavy voice rang out.

“Eh?” Ji Ning looked up in shock. From the private room above, Beishan Hu appeared quite calm. He even smiled at Ji Ning. “I never imagined I would witness such a genius as Young Master Ji Ning here today. Your Ki Refining is merely at the early Zifu stage, and yet you have already comprehended a Domain of the Dao. Admirable, admirable. To lose to Young Master Ji Ning—I, Beishan Hu, admit defeat with full sincerity.”

The White Witch looked blankly at Beishan Hu above. She clearly remembered how crazed he had been moments before, insisting she fight Ji Ning to the death. But now, in the blink of an eye, before she could even concede, Beishan Hu had surrendered on her behalf.

Because in this battle, she represented Beishan Hu. The stakes were his to pay. With his concession, the battle was naturally over.

“Whoosh.”

The White Witch’s elongated black hair rapidly retracted, shrinking from over a hundred zhang back down to the length of her waist.

“Young Master Ji Ning wins.” The attendant Ziyi announced loudly, her address towards him changed. Previously, she had called him ‘the cultivator sent by Beishan Baiwei,’ but now she directly addressed him as ‘Young Master Ji Ning.’ She fully understood what it meant for a Zifu Disciple to have comprehended a Rainwater Sword Domain.

A Domain of the Dao was a level typically achieved only by Primal Daoists.

For a Zifu Disciple to comprehend a Domain of the Dao… this was a sign of true monstrous genius, or even a reincarnated exalted one. According to what she had heard, as long as such individuals lived, and if they practiced top-tier Ki Refining techniques, becoming a Primal Daoist was an absolute certainty!

If Beishan Baiwei and Beishan Hu had earned her caution due to their family backgrounds, Ji Ning commanded it through his own terrifying, monstrous talent.

One must understand…

Becoming a Primal Daoist already marked one as a figure of prominence. If one became an Immortal, even the Marquis of Anchan’s estate would take the initiative to recruit them. At that level, one could influence the entire political landscape of the Anchan Commandery. As long as such a monstrous genius lived, they were one hundred percent certain to become a Primal Daoist. As for becoming an Immortal? The possibility was extraordinarily high.

“Does Young Master Ji Ning wish to continue gambling in battle?” Ziyi asked, smiling at Ji Ning. As a fox spirit, her smile was one overflowing with charm.

“Haha, with Young Master Ji Ning’s Domain of the Dao revealed, who would still dare to fight?”

“There’s no way we could find another Zifu Disciple who has comprehended a Domain of the Dao to go up there. It would be a guaranteed loss.”

“Let’s end the gambling battle here.”

“The spiritual fruit wine from this battle belongs to Young Master Baiwei and Young Master Ji Ning.”

Laughter echoed from the various private rooms.

Since there was no enmity, who would want to offend such a monstrous genius? Although some among them were sect elites, most were Wanxiang Adepts. However, the leap from Wanxiang Adept to Primal Daoist was still extremely difficult. In truth, they did not know that Ji Ning’s soul had already reached the level of ‘Divine Sense.’ If they had known, they would have been utterly astounded.

One must understand that relying on his Rainwater Sword Domain and Divine Sense, Ji Ning had passed the trials for the divine ability of an ancient being born at the dawn of creation—Daoist Threelives—and had obtained the Starseizing Hand.

Of course, Ji Ning also understood that being this monstrous was enough. The Starseizing Hand divine ability was something he absolutely could not reveal. Speaking of it would be courting death! Still, he could still use it. Since he had already displayed such monstrous talent, if he were to show overwhelming attacking power, others would simply come up with their own explanations. For instance, they would assume Ji Ning had learned some secret divine ability, that his magic treasures were very special, that his level of enlightenment was extremely high… In short, for a monster to do monstrous things was perfectly normal.

“Young Master Ji Ning.” From across the private room, Beishan Hu spoke with a smile on his face, his voice carrying over. “Beishan Baiwei and I have always been at odds. Any offense I may have caused you was never directed at you, Young Master Ji Ning. It was all aimed at Beishan Baiwei. Please forgive me for any rudeness. I also want to offer a word of caution: Beishan Baiwei is a smiling tiger, a false friend. Don’t let yourself be deceived by him.”

Ji Ning looked up.

What a man, this Beishan Hu!

Impressive!

Moments ago, he had been so viciously red-eyed in his rivalry. But now, upon seeing Ji Ning display his Rainwater Sword Domain, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He had snapped back to perfect clarity, immediately softening his stance by claiming his actions were all aimed at Beishan Baiwei, and even trying to sow discord between him and Baiwei.

“And as for entering the Liejian Sword Sect, Young Master Ji Ning… there will be absolutely no problem,” Beishan Hu said with a laugh. Just before, he had arrogantly declared that Ji Ning would never enter the Liejian Sword Sect in a lifetime. Now, he reversed himself in an instant.

Ji Ning mused to himself that the sons of the Marquis’ estate could never be underestimated.

“Beishan Hu, your face is truly thick as leather. As for entering sects, what sect can’t my brother Ji Ning get into with his talent?” Beishan Baiwei immediately laughed heartily. “And as for you trying to sow discord, everyone in Anchan City knows your reputation. And who doesn’t know mine?”

“Time will reveal a man’s heart, smiling tiger. Do you think I can’t see through you?” Beishan Hu snorted coldly.

“Oh? Then I’ll be waiting for you to see through me,” Beishan Baiwei said, shaking his head.

…

Suddenly, a figure shot down from the window of one of the upper private rooms like a streak of light. The sealing formation had already been withdrawn, and the figure flew directly to Ji Ning’s side.

“Hm?” Ji Ning looked at the woman before him. She appeared to be a young girl of about fifteen or sixteen, with an innate air of nobility.

“Young Master Ji Ning, my name is Hu Shui. My grandfather is the Patriarch of the Qianchuan Sect. With talent like yours, Young Master Ji Ning… if you join our Qianchuan Sect, I dare say even our Sect’s Immortal Ancestor might accept you as a personal disciple.” The beautiful young woman, slender and adorned with a hairpin, spoke in a sweet, pleasant voice.

Ji Ning gave the girl named Hu Shui a surprised glance.

The Qianchuan Sect?

What sect was that? He had never heard of it. Well, to be fair, he could count all the sects he knew in the entire Anchan Commandery on one hand. Coming from the Yan Mountains, his knowledge was somewhat limited.

“Miss Hu Shui, your Qianchuan Sect doesn’t even rank in the top ten of the Anchan Commandery’s sects. Hoping that Young Master Ji Ning would join your sect? Hah, that’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?” A black-robed man also flew down from above.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

One figure after another flew down directly. Even Beishan Baiwei and Hun Wuqi came down as well.

Beishan Baiwei immediately sent a mental transmission to Ji Ning: “Ji Ning, for now, don’t agree to join any sect.”

“Mn.” Ji Ning also understood the principle that haste makes waste. There were many sects in the Anchan Commandery, and their various factions, relationships, and alliances were incredibly complex… Choosing a sect was a major event for him, and of course, he had to be cautious.

Ji Ning then looked at all the formidable figures. Some of these individuals were from sects, while others were from tribes, cults, and so on. Some had simply come to make friends with Ji Ning. A talent of his caliber was someone they were happy to befriend. As for jealousy? Perhaps there was a hint of it in their hearts, but they understood that there were countless geniuses in the Anchan Commandery. If they were to be jealous of every single one, there would be no point in pursuing immortality.

“Everyone.” Ji Ning hurriedly said, “I have only recently arrived in the Anchan Commandery. Joining a sect is a major decision, and I need to think it over carefully. I cannot make a hasty decision in such a short time.”

“Ah, yes. Such an important matter cannot be rushed.”

“Young Master Ji Ning, I am Meng Leshan of the Meng clan.”

“Young Master Ji Ning…”

One by one, they began to converse. A cultivator’s memory was astonishingly sharp, and Ji Ning quickly memorized a great number of names. Many of them had not really shown their faces during the battle. Now that Ji Ning was getting to know them, he began to realize just how much hidden talent lurked within the Anchan Commandery.

…

“Ji Ning? Swordsmanship?” Huo Qian, the Fire Cauldron Youth, chatted with Ji Ning for a bit before taking his leave. As he walked out of the Wuyou Caverns with his attendants, he frowned in thought. “Since he was reincarnated in the Anchan Commandery, if he is a reincarnated exalted one, his past life must have also been within our Anchan Commandery. But I haven’t heard of any great swordsman being reincarnated here in the past few decades. Even if he had reincarnated, some old friends among the Immortals should have come to guide him. Why would he be trying to join a sect on his own?”

“Could it be that something went wrong with his reincarnation, and his past life wasn’t from our Anchan Commandery?”

“Or is there some other reason?”

The Fire Cauldron Youth pondered.

As a reincarnated Immortal, his current lifespan was not very long. His memories of his past life were still vague and hazy. He would occasionally have a fragment of memory flash before him, or a sudden feeling of familiarity. Although his past life’s memories had not fully awakened, his comprehension of formations, the Dao, and so on was still advancing by leaps and bounds. Clearly, the latent memories were influencing him. The stronger he became, the clearer the memories would grow, until his past life’s memories fully awakened.

Of course, a truly great power could also directly awaken his memories for him, but that was an extraordinarily difficult task.

…

Beishan Hu came forward to exchange a few words with Ji Ning, then traded a few barbs with Beishan Baiwei before leaving with his retinue and servants.

On his chariot.

Beishan Hu sat alone, his brow furrowed.

He was replaying the scene at the Wuyou Caverns in his mind, from the very first word he had exchanged with Beishan Baiwei. He carefully reviewed everything… and pondered relentlessly…

“My feud with Beishan Baiwei is one thing, but how did I end up dragging this Ji Ning into it?” He frowned in thought. “This person seems to have tremendous potential. He might even influence the political landscape of the Anchan Commandery in the future, perhaps even affecting my father’s chances of becoming the next Marquis of Anchan.” Among the Beishan clan, there were several candidates for the next Marquis of Anchan.

The stronger one’s influence, and the more support one had, the greater their chances of becoming the Marquis of Anchan.

“Damn it!”

“For Beishan Baiwei to encounter such a monstrous talent… his luck is too good.” Beishan Hu gritted his teeth and shook his head.

…

After parting with Hun Wuqi, Ji Ning and Beishan Baiwei boarded the Nine Star Immortal Chariot together.

Inside the chariot.

Uncle White lay curled up in a corner. Beishan Baiwei and Ji Ning were both seated. Beishan Baiwei was beaming with joy. “Ji Ning, your display of the Rainwater Sword Domain today was truly stunning to everyone. Didn’t you see how Beishan Hu changed his tune in an instant? I know that kid well. Although he is ruthless and arrogant, he can also change his face in an instant. It’s one of his rare useful qualities.”

“You can stay at my place for now. I have plenty of guest quarters. After all, you really made a splash today. There are many important figures in the Wuyou Caverns, and news of this battle will quickly reach the ears of many sects. There will be many who want to recruit a genius like you. If you stay with me, you’ll have some peace and quiet. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a dossier on all the major powers in the Anchan Commandery, including the sects. That way, you can make a proper choice.”

Ji Ning smiled and nodded. “I’ll be troubling you, Brother Baiwei.”