The Fivefold Lotus

On the distant stone pillar opposite, Qinghe rose to his feet. “I have lost,” he said. “I concede willingly.”

Ji Ning rose as well and clasped his hands in salute. He swept his gaze across the entire hall, looking at each of his senior fellow-disciples, and announced in a clear voice, “Is there any other senior apprentice-brother or senior apprentice-sister who wishes to offer guidance?”

His resonant words echoed through the great hall.

“Alas.” Qinghe sighed, shook his head, and with a single leap covered over a hundred zhang, landing directly beside the white-haired old man. He placed two jade bottles before the old man—the prizes he had wagered and lost—then turned and departed without another word.

For a moment, the entire hall of the Dao Debate Palace fell silent. No one stepped forward.

“Even Junior Apprentice-Brother Qinghe was defeated.”

“This debate tests only one’s comprehension of the Dao and execution of techniques; it has nothing to do with the depth of one’s ki. Even among the many Wanxiang Adepts present, few surpass Qinghe in these aspects.”

“To defeat Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning, one would likely need to have comprehended multiple Domains of the Dao.”

Those who could defeat Ji Ning certainly existed!

Quite a few, in fact.

For instance, three reincarnated Immortals among the Wanxiang disciples, as well as those who had comprehended a complete ‘Dao’—all of them could crush Ji Ning effortlessly.

Even those who had realized multiple Domains of the Dao formed a sizable group. But who would actually step forward?

“Is there any other senior apprentice-brother or senior apprentice-sister who wishes to offer guidance?” Ji Ning stood atop his pillar and called out once more. “If no one does, I shall withdraw.”

In that moment, Ji Ning felt a surge of unrestrained pride.

Wonderful.

Challenging an assembly of peerless geniuses like this, as a freshly enrolled disciple, was indeed exhilarating.

“Since no other fellow disciple is stepping up, allow me to offer a humble exhibition of my skill.” A cold, clear voice rang out. A young man with white hair and white robes walked forward, his figure blurring into a streak of light as he moved to a side hall. Soon, a puppet followed him out.

“It’s Senior Apprentice-Brother Xueying!”

“Senior Apprentice-Brother Xueyang specializes in Fiendgod Body Refining and close-quarters combat. He’s not so talented at puppet dueling!”

“I’ve heard that Xueyang has already become a ‘Two-Claw Yinglong Guard’ in the Yinglong Guard. In a real life-or-death battle, he’s probably a match for an ordinary Primal Daoist. But his main strengths are his Fiendgod Body Refining manual, ‘Undying Bloodshadow Body,’ and his various divine abilities, along with his Fiendgod Blood-Refined weapon. If he’s only controlling a puppet, he might fall short.”

As the white-robed, white-haired youth emerged, the hall buzzed with discussion.

Ji Ning’s ears twitched.

He was quietly shocked.

This Senior Apprentice-Brother Xueying had an incredible background. The Fiendgod Blood-Refining Art—though the Ji clan of a remote tribe had never heard of it—was available at the Black-White College for five hundred Black-White Pearls.

“And he’s a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard?” Ji Ning marveled.

Joining the Yinglong Guard as the lowest-ranked ‘One-Claw’ Guard earned a reward of one thousand Black-White Pearls from the college.

Reaching Two-Claw status brought a reward of five thousand Black-White Pearls.

And Three-Claw? Fifteen thousand.

…

But becoming a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard was extremely difficult; it required combat power roughly on par with a Primal Daoist. Only the most monstrous Wanxiang Adepts could achieve it. By comparison, the so-called genius Xue Hongyi of Snowdragon Mountain was far inferior.

“Swish!”

The white-robed, white-haired Xueying flickered and appeared on the stone pillar opposite Ji Ning.

“Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning.” Xueying faced him from afar. “I’m more accustomed to close-quarters fighting. Controlling long-range magic treasures… that’s not my strong suit. Still, I’m a bit better than Qinghe. You’d better be careful.”

“Please guide me, senior apprentice-brother,” Ji Ning said solemnly.

No joke—a freak who could become a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard, even one who walked the Fiendgod Body Refining path, would still be formidable at puppeteering. Fortunately, the duel was conducted through puppets; if Xueying could use his divine body and abilities, Ji Ning would have no choice but to concede from the start.

“Begin!” the white-haired old man called out loudly.

Rumble! The sealing formation once again encompassed the entire battlefield.

Ji Ning sat down cross-legged.

Xueying did the same.

“Be careful, junior apprentice-brother!” Xueying shouted coldly. Behind him, the nine-sword puppet’s strange flying swords soared out—nine in total, wreathed in dense bloody light. The swords linked through the blood-light, soon coalescing into a massive…

A mosquito with enormous, translucent wings, a triangular head, and a razor-sharp proboscis gleaming with killing intent. Its murderous aura was even more terrifying than the ‘Greedy Wolf’ summoned earlier by the Blood-Drinking Question Sword.

“A mosquito?” Ji Ning blinked at the manifested beast. It looked just like a giant mosquito.

Whoosh!

The blood mosquito, exuding an icy, baleful aura, shot forward directly. Its needle-like proboscis was formed by one of the flying swords. The invisible pressure it exerted made Ji Ning’s heart tighten.

“New Three Talents Lotus Sword!” Without hesitation, Ji Ning activated his strongest sword technique.

Behind his Thousand-Sword puppet, three flying swords rose, transforming into a massive sword-light adorned with blooming lotuses, stabbing straight at the blood mosquito.

BOOM!

The two clashed in midair at lightning speed.

The lotus-covered sword-light began to tremble, becoming unstable.

“It’s about to collapse.”

“Even when using flying swords, which he’s not good at, suppressing a freshly enrolled junior is not difficult.”

“He’s going to win.”

Many senior disciples nodded silently.

Mu Northson clenched his fists, watching from afar, his heart burning with anxiety. He wished he could rush in himself. “He has to win, he has to win!”

“Not good.” Ji Ning sensed immediately the terrifying penetrating power of the blood mosquito’s proboscis.

BANG!

The mosquito flashed again, slamming into the sword-light. The blooming lotuses scattered, and the three flying swords were knocked aside.

But Ji Ning, having anticipated this, had already sent six more flying swords soaring from behind his thousand-sword puppet.

“Go, go, go!” A wild light blazed in Ji Ning’s eyes.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Every three swords formed a lotus-blooming sword-light. Even the three that had been scattered re-coalesced into another massive blade. In an instant, three enormous sword-lights hung in the air, each covered in blossoming lotuses, flying in a triangular formation to assault the blood mosquito simultaneously.

Ji Ning’s eyes burned with madness as he exerted maximum control.

“What!”

“He’s actually unleashing three Three Talents Lotus Swords at the same time?”

“Impossible?”

The surrounding disciples erupted in astonishment.

Executing a top-tier sword technique consumed immense mental energy. A single Three Talents Lotus Sword was already taxing. To unleash three simultaneously was absurd.

…

In a corner of the hall.

The Diancai Immortal nodded faintly.

“Simultaneously deploying multiple sword techniques,” the short old man beside him said, shaking his head. “Two possibilities: either his comprehension of the Dao far surpasses the technique itself, making it easy for him; or his soul is exceptionally powerful, so the burden of the technique feels light. That would also allow multiple simultaneous attacks.”

Either his realm was extremely high, or his soul was extremely strong.

“Your disciple’s soul is at the divine sense level, isn’t it?” the short old man asked, looking at the Diancai Immortal.

“Correct,” the Diancai Immortal confirmed.

“As I thought.” The short old man spoke softly. “With a divine sense-level soul, he could probably unleash two or three more sword-lights. This round… your disciple will likely win.”

…

The massive blood mosquito suddenly split into three smaller ones, each facing one of the Three Talents Lotus Swords.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In midair, the three lotus sword-lights and the three smaller blood mosquitos clashed repeatedly, vanishing and reappearing, each trying to pierce the other’s puppet protective layer while intercepting the opponent’s attacks. They fought to a standstill.

“Go, go!” Ji Ning’s eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead as he pushed to his limits.

Six more flying swords shot out from behind the thousand-sword puppet.

Soon two more lotus sword-lights appeared in the air, bringing the total to five. They surrounded the blood mosquito in a coordinated assault.

“Oh?” Xueying, still seated, changed his expression. He willed the three smaller mosquitos to merge back into the giant blood mosquito. The enormous mosquito’s translucent wings spread wide, forming a shield over the nine-sword puppet, while its proboscis stabbed repeatedly at the approaching lotus blades.

Five New Three Talents Lotus Swords furiously besieged it.

“Five!”

“Five Three Talents Lotus Swords?”

The watching senior disciples were genuinely shocked.

They understood how immense the mental pressure was to sustain five top-tier sword techniques simultaneously. Even an ordinary person would struggle to do two things at once, let alone execute five advanced sword techniques.

“Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning’s realm must be very high.”

“Or his soul is extraordinarily strong.”

“Don’t underestimate him.”

“Senior Apprentice-Brother Xueying might be in trouble.”

…

A prolonged defense inevitably leads to a breach. Besieged by Ji Ning’s five lotus sword-lights, the blood mosquito failed to block one in time, and the puppet’s protective layer was pierced.

“Ji Ning wins!” the white-haired old man announced loudly.

Only then did Ji Ning relax his mind.

He had won.

He had actually defeated a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard! Even though that Yinglong Guard specialized in Fiendgod Body Refining and divine abilities—and this was only a contest of Dao comprehension and technique—the victory still filled Ji Ning with boundless joy.

“I lost.” On the distant pillar, Xueying rose and shook his head with a smile. “Junior Apprentice-Brother, you are this formidable right after joining. Your future achievements will surely be no less than mine.”

“Senior apprentice-brother flatters me,” Ji Ning replied, also rising. “In a true life-or-death battle, I doubt I could withstand a single move from you.”

Xueying smiled.

This junior apprentice-brother was astonishingly talented and yet humble and clear-headed. He hadn’t become arrogant after his victory in the debate. His future achievements would likely be remarkable—a person worth befriending.

“Haha…” Xueying laughed, then blurred into motion, landing outside the arena. He placed two jade bottles beside the white-haired old man.

Ji Ning took a deep breath. The battle with Xueying had pushed him to his limits. He had used his strongest sword technique, even relying on his powerful soul to unleash five simultaneous lotus sword-lights. That was his absolute ceiling. He had no more trump cards left. If a next round came, he would surely lose.

But since he had fought, he would fight to the fullest.

“Is there any other senior apprentice-brother or senior apprentice-sister who wishes to offer guidance?” Ji Ning swept his gaze across the hall and announced loudly, his voice ringing through every corner.