The Three-Foot Sword's Second Stance

On a clear summer morning, the air was especially cool and refreshing.

On Northdark Peak, inside the manor, Ji Ning walked out, still dressed in his black beast-hide robes.

“Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning.” Stone, who had grown even darker and more robust, stepped forward respectfully.

“Stone, prepare some food as usual,” Ji Ning instructed with a smile. Over the past three years, including the two additional servants Beishan Baiwei had sent later, he now had a total of six servants. He was very familiar with all of them, but Meng Yan was still the one he trusted the most.

Meng Yan, whose foundation had been crippled back then, had begun to train in the Fiendgod Body Refining method after entering the Black-White College, and his skin had become even darker as a result.

“Yes, Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning.” Meng Yan withdrew.

“Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, you’re out.” A graceful figure walked over from afar. It was Yun Lu, followed by a black-robed youth; one of Ji Ning’s six servants, Weifang.

Yun Lu’s eyes glistened. Under the influence of the environment of the Black-White College, her aura had gained a touch of etherealness. “You were in closed-door meditation for a long time this time, Senior apprentice-brother. Nearly a full month.”

Her gaze at Ji Ning was scorching hot. Although her time in the Black-White College had broadened her horizons considerably… in her eyes, Ji Ning was still the most dazzling figure. Over three years had passed, and compared to three years ago, Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning’s aura had become even more unadorned, like a youth from the wild mountains.

But Yun Lu understood very well that Ji Ning had already become immeasurably more powerful than he had been back then. There were very few people in the Dao Debate Palace who were willing to debate the Dao with him. Many people in private called him a ‘reincarnated Immortal’, which showed just how monstrously talented he was.

“Every time I come out of seclusion, I see you,” Ji Ning said with a smile. “Yun Lu, you also need to calm your heart and focus on your cultivation. Look at Weifang… although he arrived later than the rest of you, he has become the strongest of the group.”

“You flatter me, Senior apprentice-brother,” the black-robed youth Weifang said hurriedly and respectfully. “Compared to you, I’m not even worth a fraction of a percent.”

“I’ve been working very hard too,” Yun Lu said.

“Your talent is good, but your Dao-heart is somewhat lacking,” Ji Ning said with a shake of his head.

Yun Lu’s eyes darted around slyly.

Ji Ning sighed to himself. When Yun Lu had first arrived, she had always tried to seduce him… but after seeing there was no hope, although she remained respectful to him, she had started to seduce the other senior apprentice-brothers in the college.

“Walking the Immortal path, yet she doesn’t focus on cultivation, only thinking about becoming the Dao-companion of a powerful cultivator. Tsk, tsk.” Ji Ning felt helpless about this as well.

He had seen through her.

Yun Lu wasn’t a bad person at heart. Of his six servants, the one he trusted the most was Meng Yan, and the second was Yun Lu. As for the other four servants, although they were always respectful to him, Ji Ning could sense that all four of them harbored great ambitions. He had to be more careful when trusting them.

Ji Ning sat there, drinking nourishing millet porridge that contained the natural energy of heaven and earth, and eating some delicious food. His already good mood naturally improved even further. The Whitewater Hound was lying to the side, watching Ji Ning. “Ning, you seem to be in an excellent mood,” he transmitted mentally.

“Mm. After being in seclusion for nearly a month, I finally comprehended the second stance of the ‘Three-Foot Sword’!” Ji Ning looked at Uncle White, his face full of smiles.

“You comprehended it?” The Whitewater Hound revealed a look of pleasant surprise.

Over the past three years…

With the guidance of an Immortal teacher, the reference of a large number of sword techniques from the Dao Treasury Hall, and the complete ‘Three-Foot Sword’ and the sword-intent inheritance from the late Beixing Senior that he had in his mind… Ji Ning’s progress had naturally been astonishing. In the past, he had never had a truly powerful teacher. Even his father and the others had found their own abilities insufficient to teach a talent as monstrous as Ji Ning.

But the Diancai Immortal guided Ji Ning, bringing him endless joy, and his progress was astonishingly fast. However, the second stance of the ‘Three-Foot Sword’ had always eluded his complete comprehension.

“Over three years, and I’ve finally comprehended it.” The Whitewater Hound stood up, excited for Ji Ning.

“With this sword-art, I dare to spar with my master again,” Ji Ning revealed a smile. “Perhaps this time I will be able to earn my master’s recognition and be allowed to go out and roam the world.”

If he didn’t earn his master’s recognition, Ji Ning wouldn’t be allowed to leave the sect. Logically speaking, with Ji Ning’s strength, he should have been allowed to go out and roam long ago. However, given how monstrously talented Ji Ning was, his master, the Diancai Immortal, had naturally set higher requirements for him! Ji Ning had sparred with his master a few times before, and although he had made great progress each time, he had never been acknowledged.

“Go on,” the Whitewater Hound transmitted mentally with a smile. “If you go out, I’ll be able to follow you and roam the world as well. Thinking back to when I roamed the world with your father still gets my blood boiling.”

With the Primordial Liquid Ji Ning had given him, the Whitewater Hound had naturally long since reached the Zifu Disciple perfection stage. Ji Ning had also wanted to exchange for some powerful secret arts for him, but the Whitewater Hound didn’t need them. He had only spent two hundred Black-White Pearls to exchange for some formation technique manuals for reference. Because researching formations consumed a lot of time, formation technique manuals were much cheaper. Ji Ning had spent six hundred Black-White Pearls to exchange for thirty-six sword technique manuals. As for formation technique manuals… for only two hundred Black-White Pearls, he had obtained a total of ninety-one volumes.

The ‘Nine Volumes of Formations’ left behind by that Loose Immortal back then was already extremely profound and broad. It was the complete inheritance of a Loose Immortal. As a Godbeast, when the Whitewater Hound had followed Ji Ning’s father, he had already been researching formations. Obtaining the ‘Nine Volumes of Formations’ had been like adding wings to a tiger. With the additional reference materials from the Black-White College on formations, he had naturally advanced by leaps and bounds.

He could also occasionally go to listen to lectures given by Primal Daoists and even Immortals of the Black-White College.

“I’ll be off then.” Ji Ning stood up.

“Mm.” The Whitewater Hound watched Ji Ning walk out, then he rode a flying boat and shot into the sky, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Standing on the flying boat, Ji Ning broke through the air at high speed, his gaze sweeping below. Soon, he arrived at his master, the Diancai Immortal’s, residence.

Whoosh.

Ji Ning landed in front of the manor. The guards at the door smiled at him, and Ji Ning walked straight in. The Diancai Immortal had long given orders… Ji Ning could enter directly without needing to announce himself.

Inside the hall.

The black-robed, black-haired Diancai Immortal sat cross-legged on a jade bed. The three years seemed to have had no effect on him.

“Today isn’t the first of the month. Could it be that you’ve come today to spar with me again?” The Diancai Immortal looked at his beloved disciple. Over three years, he had grown even fonder of this, his only disciple. Even the descendants of his own clan weren’t as pleasing to him as Ji Ning.

“Yes,” Ji Ning replied, looking at his master.

Substantial sword-light seemed to shine from Ji Ning’s eyes, and an awe-inspiring sword-intent began to emanate from his entire body.

Sword-intent soaring to the heavens!

“It seems you’ve improved a bit more.” The Diancai Immortal nodded. “Come, attack me.”

“Be careful, Master.”

A pair of Northsea Swords appeared in Ji Ning’s hands, one in each.

Swish!

Ji Ning turned into a blurry phantom, his swords as swift as ghosts, reaching their absolute limit in speed as they stabbed directly towards his master, who was seated on the cloud bed.

The Diancai Immortal sat leisurely on his cloud bed. He extended a finger and formed a sword-finger, gently pointing it forward. Instantly, a beam of sword-light traced an arc through the air. “Swoosh~~” This arcing sword-light and Ji Ning’s sword-shadow rapidly intersected and clashed in midair. Ji Ning’s sword-shadow was ghostly, while the sword-light’s trajectory was full of arcs, also unpredictable.

“Hmph.” Ji Ning’s sword stance changed, becoming fierce and domineering.

Boom!

The surroundings were instantly plunged into a blazing sea of fire. Ji Ning’s sword-light became a single flame within this sea, savagely valiant as it slashed directly towards the Diancai Immortal. This strike of Ji Ning’s… had already far surpassed the artistic conception of the ‘Thunderfire Sword Fragments’. The cultivator who had created the ‘Thunderfire Sword’ might not even have matched Ji Ning’s current level of swordsmanship.

“Extinguish.” The Diancai Immortal revealed a smile. He gently pointed, and the sword-light flying from his fingertip instantly transformed into thousands upon thousands of threads. The threads intertwined, forming a massive net. This net of sword-light howled as it swept down, quickly trapping Ji Ning’s blazing sword-light.

“Water and Fire are Merciless!” Ji Ning also revealed a smile.

The surrounding environment changed instantly. One side was scorching flames, the other was an endless rain…

Ji Ning wielded a flaming sword-light in one hand and a rain sword-light in the other.

With an unstoppable momentum, Ji Ning charged directly at the incoming net of sword-light, his twin swords intertwining like a vortex.

“Boom!”

The Water-Fire sword-light and the sword-light net collided directly, exploding.

The sword-light net also fragmented.

“This ‘Water and Fire are Merciless’ stance is finally starting to have some flavor,” the Diancai Immortal commented. He pointed his sword-finger again from afar.

Swish!

A sharp sword-mang, at an astonishing speed, shot towards Ji Ning. Then the Diancai Immortal pointed again, and again… More than a thousand sword-mangs shot out in succession, all incredibly fast.

“Last time, I lost to this move and ended up with quite a few bloody holes in my body. I wonder if he can block it this time.” The Diancai Immortal’s eyes held a look of anticipation.

Ji Ning no longer looked relaxed and at ease. Instead, his eyes lit up, and his entire being erupted with power.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The twin swords in Ji Ning’s hands moved. Instantly, a colossal grinding disc formed by water and fire appeared around him. The two different natural forces of water and fire… intertwined to form a massive millstone. At the center of this millstone, the collision of water and fire produced a terrifying wind. This three-colored millstone revolved around Ji Ning, and wherever his sword-light passed, it carried an incredibly strong wind!

Fast!

Supremely fast!

“Slash! Slash! Slash!” Ji Ning directly slashed apart the sword-mangs his master had been sending at him, one by one.

The Water-Fire millstone revolved, a gale wrapping around his body.

Ji Ning’s sword was ethereal and as fast as lightning, each time striking the weak point on the side of those sword-mangs, rather than confronting them head-on.

“Faster, faster.” The Diancai Immortal pointed his finger out again and again, and more and more sword-mangs appeared in the air, madly converging on Ji Ning. Ji Ning, surrounded by the massive Water-Fire millstone, moved his sword with inconceivable speed, slashing apart those sword-mangs time and time again.

“Go!!”

The Diancai Immortal gently flicked his finger, and in an instant, the thousands of sword-mangs in the high air each began to shine like a brilliant star, resonating faintly with each other. They united as one, attacking Ji Ning simultaneously.