The Third Level's Secret Guardian

Inside the Water Mansion, Stellar Hall.

Within the Stellar Hall, space was filled at times with howling gale winds, at times with blazing flames, at times with drifting rain.

Ji Ning commanded the wind and rain as if he were all-powerful.

“A true genius.” The Yellow Bear, standing far away inside the thatched cottage, couldn’t help but sigh. “To have made such progress in just four years.”

“Impressive.” The Black Ox’s bovine eyes were wide as saucers. “As long as this kid doesn’t run into any snags and doesn’t die midway, reaching the level of Celestial Immortal Juhua should be no problem.”

The Yellow Bear glanced at the Black Ox. “Don’t praise your master. Your master couldn’t even pass the seventh level of the War God Hall when he was an Earth Immortal. Even with the Water Mansion’s help, he ended up as a Loose Immortal. How can his aptitude compare to Ji Ning’s? Ji Ning is far superior to your master in both insight and temperament.”

The Black Ox chuckled sheepishly.

“Look.” The Black Ox pointed. “Ji Ning is beginning to comprehend the Dao of the Sword.”

The Yellow Bear also looked over.

They saw Ji Ning standing on the rocky shoal. The fierce winds, torrential rain, and blazing flames had all vanished. Around him, sword-qi began to appear—countless visible sword-qi streams shredding and shuttling through the air. Each sword-qi stream naturally contained the mysteries of the Dao of the Sword, manifesting Ji Ning’s insights step by step.

Ji Ning himself looked up at one of the brilliant stars hanging in the void.

That star contained a complete Grand Dao—the Dao of the Sword.

Previously, when he had comprehended the Dao, it was like a blind man groping an elephant, advancing slowly step by step. But a star that contained a complete Grand Dao was like a lighthouse in the dark night, showing Ji Ning the way. His accumulated insights into the Dao of the Sword naturally began to burst forth.

“His level of sword comprehension is quite high.” The Black Ox gasped. “Ji Ning’s comprehension of the Dao of the Sword has long surpassed the stage of mere Sword Heart Illumination.”

“Yes, higher than I expected.” The Yellow Bear praised as well, smiling. “It seems our master is finally about to have a true successor.”

Time passed, moment by moment.

The sword-qi around Ji Ning grew more profound, more condensed, and more refined.

Having lived for countless years, the Black Ox and the Yellow Bear, two artifact spirits, leisurely watched Ji Ning’s epiphany. This viewing alone lasted for a full half month.

“Truly unfathomably profound.” Ji Ning suddenly spoke, sighing in admiration. The sword-qi around him vanished completely.

“Finished your epiphany?” The Black Ox called out.

Ji Ning turned his head to look at the Black Ox and the Yellow Bear inside the thatched cottage. He nodded, sighing, “To be able to glimpse the complete Dao of the Sword so freely is something any Sword Immortal would dream of. Having now spied on the complete Grand Dao of the Sword, I realize that even Senior Beixing’s ‘Three-Foot Sword’ of the Black-White College is merely a small part of this Grand Dao. The path of cultivation is truly winding and distant.”

“Ji Ning.” The Yellow Bear had a hint of a smile on his face. “What level has your sword art reached now? Show me.”

“Please guide me, Senior.”

Ji Ning directly condensed a long sword of Yuan power in his hand.

With a simple, plain motion, Ji Ning swept his sword.

Yes, ‘swept’—like a painter wielding a brush, so unburdened and at ease, he swept the sword out in an arc.

Swish!

As the Yuan-power long sword sliced through the air, a faint flash of light appeared. It even left a visible sword-trace in midair, as if a paintbrush had left a mark on the sky.

The third stance of the Three-Foot Sword—Sword Light Flashes!

“What a restrained sword, what a stunning stroke!” The Yellow Bear’s eyes lit up. He couldn’t help but praise, “The person who created this sword art is truly gifted. Probably even more talented than Juhua.”

The Black Ox was immediately angered. “Big brother, what do you mean ‘more talented than Juhua’? My master, Juhua, spread his renown across the entire land ruled by the Grand Xia Dynasty as a mighty Loose Immortal.”

Ji Ning said, “This sword art is called the ‘Three-Foot Sword’ and consists of nine stances. What I just executed was the third stance, ‘Sword Light Flashes’, which is also my strongest sword technique at present. This sword art was created by the mightiest Sword Immortal in the history of the Black-White College of Anchan Commandery, ‘Immortal Beixing’. He was also a Loose Immortal who lived for over a million years… Of course, in terms of pure lifespan, he is inferior to Senior Juhua.”

“Lived over a million years?” The Yellow Bear looked at the Black Ox. “Black Ox, this Immortal Beixing is merely an Immortal within Anchan Commandery. For him to achieve such a feat—I said his talent surpasses Juhua’s, am I wrong?”

“Hmph, maybe he encountered even more heaven-defying opportunities,” the Black Ox snorted.

“Black Ox, are you going to argue with me?” The Yellow Bear glared. “Do you want me to lock you away for tens of thousands of years?”

“Big brother, let’s settle disputes with words, not force!” The Black Ox took two steps back.

Ji Ning couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

These two…

One was the artifact spirit of Celestial Immortal Juhua’s Immortal-ranked treasure; the other was the artifact spirit of this cave domain created by Daoist Threelives. Both were artifact spirits, yet they bickered like this.

“Big brother, let’s not make Ji Ning laugh at us. Right?” The Black Ox said, shamelessly.

The Yellow Bear ignored the old ox and said to Ji Ning, “Ji Ning, you’ve comprehended the Dao in the Stellar Hall to the limit. Even if you continued, it wouldn’t be of use. You need enough Dao insights and enough accumulation from daily life to make progress. What do you plan to do now?”

“Senior,” Ji Ning said, “I would like to know, how confident am I in challenging the third level of the War God Hall now?”

“You?” The Yellow Bear hesitated. “Your sword Dao level is indeed higher than I predicted, especially this sword art of yours, the ‘Three-Foot Sword’. It’s truly powerful. Hmm… and you’ve also acquired our master’s most powerful divine ability. If you go challenge the third level now, you should have about a thirty percent chance.”

“Thirty percent?” Ji Ning was shocked inwardly.

His insights into the Dao of Rainwater, Dao of Blazing Fire, and Dao of Gale Wind had all improved greatly.

The Dao of the Sword had also advanced tremendously; he had even comprehended the third stance.

Ji Ning felt that his strength had taken a huge leap forward. Yet he only had a thirty percent chance?

“Are you going to challenge it?” The Yellow Bear asked.

“Yes.” Ji Ning nodded without hesitation.

“Eh? Why did you decide to challenge it?” The Yellow Bear asked, puzzled. “Don’t you want to wait until you’re stronger and more confident?”

Ji Ning shook his head. “I have a feeling that my Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens is about to break through to the tenth level soon. Once I break through to the tenth level, that will put me at the Fiendgod Body Refining Wanxiang stage. I will then gain two more opportunities to challenge the War God Hall. But the current opportunity will be wasted.”

Back when he was at the Xiantian Fiendgod Body Refining stage, Ji Ning had two chances. He used the first to clear the first level, and failed the second when challenging the second level.

When he reached the Zifu Fiendgod Body Refining stage, he also got two chances, and had only used one so far—to clear the second level.

If he didn’t use this chance now, he would soon break through to Wanxiang, and this opportunity would be wasted for nothing.

“Let’s go.” The Yellow Bear said. “Follow me to the War God Hall.”

They left the Stellar Hall. Walking along the spacious corridor, they soon arrived before the War God Hall.

Ji Ning placed his hand on the blood-light-suffused bronze doors of the War God Hall. Whoosh—the blood light directly swallowed him, teleporting him away.

An endless stretch of land, the soil seeming stained with blood. In the distance stood a towering pagoda.

“Senior,” Ji Ning said to the Yellow Bear, who had appeared beside him out of thin air.

“The third level?” The Yellow Bear looked at Ji Ning.

“Yes.” Ji Ning nodded.

“Go!” The Yellow Bear pointed at the distant pagoda. “Enter through the pagoda door and you will directly enter the third level. Remember: if you feel there’s no hope, immediately use the token talisman to teleport out. Your opponent will not show mercy. It’s not worth losing your life.”

Ji Ning nodded.

Swish!

He flashed across a hundred zhang and arrived before the pagoda door, which glowed with a misty white light. With a single step, he crossed through and the scenery changed.

“The third level?” Ji Ning looked around. This was a hazy white space a thousand zhang high and several thousand zhang wide.

“What is the trial of the third level?” The Northsea Swords appeared in Ji Ning’s hands as he carefully observed his surroundings.

Suddenly—

A streak of golden light appeared and began to coalesce. Soon, the golden light condensed into a golden-armored soldier general. The general had a cold expression, and his armor was extremely ornate. In his hands, he held a pair of great hammers.

“Oh?” The golden-armored general looked around, revealing a hint of joy. He soon fixed his gaze upon Ji Ning.

Ji Ning, however, felt his heart quiver.

Danger!

An instinctive premonition told Ji Ning that this golden-armored general was extremely terrifying. His soul’s instinct had never been wrong. Ji Ning’s heart instantly tensed up: “Didn’t the cave spirit say I had a thirty percent chance of winning? Thirty percent is actually fairly decent. But why does this golden-armored general give me such a terrifying sense of threat? Even ordinary Primal Daoists don’t give off such a dangerous feeling.”

“Little fellow, you feel very weak. Your Fiendgod body’s aura isn’t strong at all.” The golden-armored general scrutinized Ji Ning. “Although this is merely a clone formed from a sliver of my divine power, defeating you… will be far too easy.”

Divine power?

Clone?

Of course Ji Ning knew about the various stages of Fiendgod Body Refining.

At the Zifu stage, one gained Blood-Drop Rebirth.

At the Wanxiang stage, one could change their physical features.

At the Primal stage, one could separate part of their flesh and blood to form a clone, but this clone could not act independently; it had to move with the main body and was subject to the main body’s influence. It had no autonomy.

But to have a sliver of divine power form a clone that could act independently… that was definitely the mark of an extremely powerful Fiendgod!

“A Fiendgod?” Ji Ning held his breath. “At least a Void God level Fiendgod. Why would a clone of a Fiendgod be teleported into the War God Hall?”

“What secrets are hidden in this Water Mansion? Even Celestial Immortal Juhua, who refined the Water Mansion and carried it with him, believed that there were still hidden secrets within,” Ji Ning cursed inwardly. “Now that I’ve encountered a clone of a Fiendgod in the War God Hall, even a fool could guess that the Water Mansion hides a secret.”