Sword Heart Illumination

The entire Dao Debate Palace fell silent. One by one, the assembled disciples turned to look at each other. If Ji Ning could defeat ‘Senior Apprentice-Brother Bloodshadow’ in debate, he would not be easy to defeat. Who would step up?

“His heart has changed!” the short old man in the corner suddenly said. “This battle in the Dao Debate Palace serves as a tempering for your disciple.”

Diancai Immortal also turned to look at Ji Ning in the distance.

At this moment, Ji Ning’s eyes were extremely bright, without a trace of hesitation. Moreover, they held a shocking battle intent.

“Mm.” Diancai Immortal nodded lightly. “His heart has changed; it is purer than before. Previously, he had many distracting thoughts, but now all he seeks is a battle. This is indeed a rare tempering of the Dao-heart.”

…

Ji Ning had no other thoughts at this moment. He only wanted to fight!

Volume 7, Chapter 38: My Heart Is Only the Sword, the Path of the Sword Immortal — Fight to One’s Heart’s Content!

The entire Dao Debate Palace remained silent for about three breaths. Finally, a green-robed woman stepped forward.

“It’s Senior Apprentice-Sister Baixue.”

“Senior Apprentice-Sister Baixue’s ‘Green Silk Nether Formation’ is exceedingly formidable. In pure debate, even Senior Apprentice-Brother Bloodshadow is no match for Senior Apprentice-Sister Baixue.”

“True. I wonder if Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning has any other tricks. If not, he will likely lose.”

Murmurs spread everywhere.

Flamesaint, surrounded by several junior disciples, watched from afar and said softly, “If my guess is correct, what Ji Ning just showed was already his limit. In this battle, Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning will lose… Faced with Junior Apprentice-Sister Baixue’s Green Silk Nether Formation, this little junior brother might lose.” The slovenly fat youth spoke softly as well.

…

“Senior Apprentice-Sister, can Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning win?” Jiujie was beside the black-robed girl.

The black-robed girl watched from afar: “Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning has probably reached his limit. This battle should be his last.”

…

The short old man in the corner also nodded. “It’s about right. The Dao Debate Palace battle should be concluding. Your disciple has reached his limit.”

“Mm.” Diancai Immortal nodded lightly, continuing to watch his disciple in the distance… on top of the stone pillar.

Volume 7, Chapter 38: My Heart Is Only the Sword, the Path of the Sword Immortal

Ji Ning stood silently, waiting.

“Senior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning, win! Win! I believe you will definitely win!” Mu Northson clenched his fists in the distance and shouted loudly.

Ji Ning smiled at him.

At this moment, the green-robed woman who had come out from the side hall lightly tapped her foot and floated directly down onto the stone pillar opposite. She looked at Ji Ning from afar, her gaze carrying a sense of cool detachment. Looking at her was like looking at a sickly beauty. She finally spoke: “Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning, the puppet I have selected is the ‘Heaven Net Puppet.’ Be careful.”

“Senior Apprentice-Sister, please!” Ji Ning directly sat cross-legged.

The green-robed woman also sat cross-legged.

The two sat opposite each other from afar.

“Begin!” the white-haired elder shouted loudly. Rumble… the sealing grand formation once again enveloped the entire combat area.

“Go!” The green-robed woman sat cross-legged, her gaze cool. The Heaven Net Puppet beneath her sent out countless ribbons, transforming into streaks of flowing light.

“New Three Talents Lotus Sword!”

A flash of sharpness appeared in Ji Ning’s eyes. Without hesitation, he immediately controlled the Thousand Sword Puppet to release fifteen flying swords, forming five New Three Talents Lotus Swords. Five beams of sword-light, blossoming with lotuses, met the flowing ribbons.

Whoosh~~~

The flowing ribbons suddenly arced through the air. In an instant, the world changed. These ribbons actually formed a sealed, enormous spherical space, trapping Ji Ning’s five New Three Talents Lotus Swords inside. The five beams of sword-light struck madly at a single spot. The ribbons bulged outward at the point of impact, but they still managed to restrain the sword-light within.

“Tighten!” The cross-legged green-robed woman said softly.

The enormous spherical space formed by the ribbons began to rotate and shrink, desperately suppressing the five beams of sword-light inside.

Although Ji Ning could abandon these fifteen flying swords and control new ones… if he couldn’t break this move, even if he sent out new flying swords, they would only be sucked in with the same result.

“Break!” Ji Ning strained to control them.

“Go!” The green-robed woman pointed again.

Whoosh!

Another stream of ribbons flew from the puppet, heading straight for Ji Ning’s Thousand Sword Puppet.

“Hmph.” Ji Ning’s gaze turned cold. Three more flying swords flew out from behind the Thousand Sword Puppet, once again forming a Three Talents Lotus Sword to meet the attack.

Six full New Three Talents Lotus Swords caused Ji Ning’s eyes to redden.

It was taxing.

Truly taxing.

But Ji Ning had no other thoughts. He only had one thought: to give his all, to fight to his heart’s content! To unleash the strongest power of his flying swords!

At this moment, in Ji Ning’s heart, there was only… the sword!

…

In the arena.

Ji Ning and the green-robed woman faced each other from afar, controlling their puppets and deploying their techniques, clashing again and again. Clearly, the green-robed woman was at an advantage, yet she simply could not defeat Ji Ning. In particular, inside that enormous spherical space, massive bulges appeared again and again, showing that the five beams of sword-light within were struggling more and more fiercely, forcing the green-robed woman to divert considerable mental energy to control them.

The short old man in the corner of the Dao Debate Palace suddenly widened his eyes and murmured to himself, “My heart is only the sword?”

Diancai Immortal was also staring fixedly at his disciple.

He had also noticed Ji Ning’s change.

“My heart is only the sword!” Diancai Immortal said softly. “Finally, his sword heart has touched this threshold.”

“It’s hard to say,” the short old man sighed. “Your disciple is truly a prodigy. At this moment, the Dao Debate Palace has gathered many disciples of our Black-White College. So many talents gathered… Your disciple is facing off against numerous senior apprentices, a battle destined to end in defeat. Yet now, it has allowed his sword heart to gradually become clear.”

“Whether he can fully comprehend it is still far from certain,” Diancai Immortal said, staring at Ji Ning without blinking.

…

Simultaneously unleashing six New Three Talents Lotus Swords had already pushed Ji Ning to his limit, and he even felt dizzy. But Ji Ning had no other thoughts. He only wanted to fight! To give his all!

His heart was entirely on the flying swords.

At this moment…

Ji Ning, who had long comprehended a Sword Immortal’s heart, began to see his sword heart gradually become clear. Scenes even began to flash through his mind.

“Ji Ning, what I am about to perform for you now is the first stance of the ‘Three-Foot Sword’ — Sword Heart Illumination!” Earlier, before the Dao Debate Palace battle, Ji Ning had gone to see Diancai Immortal, who had carefully analyzed the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword for him.

“This is the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword!”

A sword-light, like fire, streaked across the sky, lingering long.

“This is also the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword!”

A sword-light, like water, coiled in the air, as if the sky were cut by water.

“This is also the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword!”

A green light tore through the midair.

Stance after stance…

Completely different sword stances, some of ordinary power, some extremely powerful. Yet all of these stances, in Diancai Immortal’s words, were the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword.

“The ‘Three-Foot Sword’ is the supreme sword manual leading to the Grand Dao of the Sword. To become a true Sword Immortal who has comprehended the Grand Dao of the Sword, one first needs a sword heart. Through years of bitter training, you have unknowingly developed a Sword Immortal’s heart. But this sword heart requires a sincere heart towards the ‘sword.’ You need to understand your own sword heart.”

“When you understand your own sword heart, when you understand what it means to be a Sword Immortal, only then will you have pushed open the door to the Sword Immortal path. And at that moment, you will naturally know how to execute the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword.”

“The first stance of the Three-Foot Sword — Sword Heart Illumination!”

“Only when your sword heart is illuminated will you see the true path of the Sword Immortal.”

…

The scenes of Diancai Immortal executing the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword, ‘Sword Heart Illumination,’ flashed through his mind repeatedly. Some stances were very weak, some very strong. But as these scenes continuously flashed through his mind, Ji Ning felt a stirring. He vaguely understood something. Though not fully comprehended, he knew he had touched something.

“Whoosh!”

Sword-light danced.

The Three Talents Lotus Swords in the air flew and wove again and again, but the sword-light grew sharper and more powerful. It even began to suppress the flowing ribbons.

“Rumble~~~” The enormous spherical space that had trapped the five Three Talents Lotus Swords trembled ever more violently. One massive bulge after another appeared, each larger than the last.

In the distance, the cross-legged green-robed woman, ‘Senior Apprentice-Sister Baixue,’ began to sweat on her forehead.

“What?!” In the distance, Flamesaint’s expression changed dramatically.

The slovenly fat youth widened his eyes in shock. “He’s actually… comprehending and breaking through during battle.”

The black-robed girl, who had always been icy, also revealed a hint of surprise. “A Sword Immortal…? Boom!” With a loud explosion, the barely maintained spherical space of flowing ribbons finally burst apart, and the ribbons scattered. Six Three Talents Lotus Swords emerged, each radiating overwhelming sword-intent, extremely sharp. Their power had clearly increased greatly, and they charged straight towards the Heaven Net Puppet. Soon, the protective layer on the surface of the Heaven Net Puppet was cut open.

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

The green-robed woman’s eyes were filled with disbelief. To achieve insight and breakthrough during a battle… she couldn’t help but murmur, “Monster. Truly a sword-dao monster.”

Ji Ning stood up, swept his gaze across the hall, and once again spoke loudly: “Are there any other senior apprentice-brothers or senior apprentice-sisters who wish to give guidance?”

…

The short old man in the corner couldn’t help saying, “A talent of the sword-dao, truly a talent of the sword-dao. This Ji Ning was born to walk the path of the Sword Immortal! His comprehension of the sword is beyond ordinary, even monstrous. Moreover, he has a sincere heart towards the sword.”

“Mm.” Diancai Immortal watched Ji Ning from afar. “He is meant to be a Sword Immortal.”

“Another disciple has stepped up,” the short old man nodded. “Good. The current Ji Ning needs battle. The greater the pressure, the clearer his sword heart will become.”

“Perhaps… he can use this battle to comprehend the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword — Sword Heart Illumination!” Diancai Immortal murmured.

…

Ji Ning stood on the stone pillar.

On the stone pillar opposite stood a black-robed youth.

Ji Ning’s eyes seemed to hold a sword-light. He spoke clearly: “Senior Apprentice-Brother, please!”

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