The Snowplume Patriarch Arrives

Within the Yan Mountains.

The ancient immortal war chariot crushed the air currents as it flew towards Winged Serpent Lake.

“Greetings, Patriarch.”

Xu Fang and the other three Zifu Disciples knelt trembling, not daring to lift their heads. To them, four mere Zifu Disciples… a Primal Daoist was an utterly distant existence. They had never imagined that crushing a single token of command would actually summon Snowplume Daoist, one of the three patriarchs of Snowdragon Mountain.

“Speak of the matter in full.” The robed Snowplume Daoist sat, glanced down at them, then closed his eyes and commanded calmly.

“Yes.” Xu Fang, the leader, swallowed nervously and said, “Just yesterday, an envoy from the Ji Clan came to our Snowdragon City and threw Ji Ning’s personal letter before us. When we read the letter… the terrifying sword-intent contained within those words made our hearts tremble and our legs go weak.”

“Made your hearts tremble and your legs weak?” Snowplume Daoist’s eyes suddenly opened wide, staring down at the kneeling Xu Fang.

“Yes, Patriarch. You can ask the other three.” Xu Fang quickly said. The other three Zifu Disciples beside him also nodded repeatedly. “Our hearts truly trembled and our legs went weak. The sword-intent within those words was indeed astonishing. We have never seen such terrible sword-intent in our lives. The sword-intent contained within those words… already terrified us.”

“We dare not lie. We have never even heard of such sword-intent.”

“This was personally written by Ji Ning of Winged Serpent Lake.”

They all spoke in succession.

This made Snowplume Daoist frown. He barked, “Let me see that letter!”

Xu Fang quickly said, “That letter had a seal placed upon it. The moment we opened it and finished reading, it incinerated itself.”

Snowplume Daoist’s expression darkened.

This caused Xu Fang and the other three to panic, terrified of angering this old patriarch.

“What did his letter say?” Snowplume Daoist demanded.

“His letter contained only a single passage, saying: ‘Xu clan of the Yan Mountains branch. I give you ten days to get out of the Yan Mountains. If you have not relocated by then, do not blame me if my sword shows no mercy.’” Xu Fang, a cultivator, had an excellent memory and recited the contents of Ji Ning’s letter exactly.

Hearing this, Snowplume Daoist sneered. “Arrogant. He truly doesn’t put Snowdragon Mountain in his eyes.”

“All of you, withdraw.” Snowplume Daoist waved his hand.

Xu Fang and the other four quickly retreated from the cabin, leaving only Snowplume Daoist, Xuke Realperson, and the gray-robed man.

“Master.” Xuke Realperson and the gray-robed man both looked at their master, awaiting his command.

“A sword-intent within mere writing that can make Zifu Disciples tremble in fear… such sword-intent… no one in our Snowdragon Mountain has ever accomplished it.” Snowplume Daoist nodded slowly. “I’ve heard this Ji Ning is skilled with the sword. It seems the rumors are true. But no matter what, he is merely a Wanxiang Adept. At most, his magic treasures are top-grade Earth-ranked.”

Snowplume Daoist was supremely confident.

The Primal Daoists who were defeated by Wanxiang Adepts were mostly early or mid-stage Primal Daoists.

But he was a Primal Daoist at perfection!

Having cultivated for over a thousand years, as one of the three patriarchs of his sect, the treasures he used were high-grade Heaven-ranked. Even ignoring all other factors and only considering the fundamental aspects—Ki and treasures—he could already suppress Ji Ning. Not to mention the ‘Primordial Fire’ that was naturally born within his body, or the ‘Celestial Water’ he had nurtured, which was a grade higher than Cold Sha…

“Let’s go see this sword-arts genius.” Snowplume Daoist smiled calmly. “I’m truly curious. What gives him the right to bully my Snowdragon Mountain? Does he really think the name of a Black-White College disciple makes him invincible?”

On Brightheart Island at Winged Serpent Lake.

In the study.

Ji Ning was doing what he did almost every day—practicing calligraphy! Qiuye was beside him, grinding the inkstick. Ji Ning held the brush, each stroke a joy to him, a form of tempering his heart and a deepening of his understanding of the sword.

BOOM!

A crushing wave of divine sense instantly swept across the entire Winged Serpent Lake, scanning over Brightheart Island.

BANG!

Ji Ning’s soul was like a reef in the sea. The crashing wave of divine sense split apart upon contact with him.

“Which Daoist friend is this?” Ji Ning communicated through his divine sense.

“Divine sense? It seems the outside world has underestimated you, Ji Ning. To possess divine sense at such a young age, you must be a reincarnated Immortal.” The other’s divine sense, realizing it had no advantage in soul-power, began to converse as well.

Ji Ning’s divine sense lashed out in return.

Soul-Shattering Art!

A torrent of divine sense, like rolling waves, smashed directly into the soul of Snowplume Daoist, who was hovering above Winged Serpent Lake!

BANG!

Although Snowplume Daoist had cultivated for over a thousand years, Ji Ning had reached the divine sense level more than a decade ago. In those ten-plus years, he had never slackened in visualizing the ‘Nuwa Diagram’. His soul had progressed immensely. His divine sense could now spread across nearly a thousand li, a level that most Primal Daoists could not hope to reach.

At the very least, Snowplume Daoist was inferior to Ji Ning in terms of soul-power. His divine sense could only spread across six hundred li.

“Qiuye, clean up. I’m going out to take a look.” Ji Ning said.

“Yes, young master.” Qiuye nodded in acknowledgment.

Above Winged Serpent Lake, an ancient immortal war chariot hovered. Numerous cultivators on the chariot stood behind a single Primal Daoist clad in a feathered robe—Snowplume Daoist. Snowplume Daoist’s expression changed slightly. The collision with Ji Ning’s Soul-Shattering Art had left him somewhat uncomfortable. However, the gap in their soul-power was not enormous, so the impact was minimal.

“What a Ji Ning!” Snowplume Daoist, having suffered a hidden loss, said in a low voice, “No wonder he’s such a freak. He really must be a reincarnated Immortal!”

“So what if he is a reincarnated Immortal? The Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations will be that much harder for him to endure.” Snowplume Daoist sneered.

A tribulation descended every three hundred years.

It was always accompanied by a Heartfiend Tribulation. The more one knew, the more terrifying the Heartfiend Tribulation would be. The Heartfiend Tribulations faced by reincarnated Immortals were far greater than those of ordinary cultivators. Thus, while a reincarnated Immortal would progress rapidly at first, they would find things increasingly difficult the further they went.

It was almost unheard of for a reincarnated Immortal to survive the Heavenly Tribulation and become a Celestial Immortal. Their success rate was far lower than that of normal cultivators.

“A reincarnated Immortal?” Xuke Realperson and the gray-robed man exchanged a glance, secretly shocked.

“What luck for the Ji Clan, to have a reincarnated Immortal reincarnate into their tribe,” Xuke Realperson thought silently. “That poor brother of mine, Xu Li, died so tragically. He died at the hands of a reincarnated Immortal.”

Snowplume Daoist said calmly, “Don’t be fooled by his reputation. So what if he’s a reincarnated Immortal? Many reincarnated Immortals die on the path of cultivation before they even reach the heights of their previous lives. This is far too common.”

It was the truth.

Lazy Realperson, Flamesaint, and many others all had the foundation to become Immortals. But cultivation was a path that defied the heavens. Heaven itself would naturally send down invisible trials, causing countless geniuses to fall by the wayside. Even reincarnated Immortals could perish during the Wanxiang or even Primal stages.

“Is this Snowplume Daoist of Snowdragon Mountain?” A voice rang out from afar, shaking heaven and earth.

Snowplume Daoist walked directly to the railing of the chariot, gazing into the distance.

In the distance stood a youth dressed in animal skins, like a very ordinary youth from a barbarian tribe. Behind him followed a young woman in green robes and a massive snow-white hound. They all floated in the air, looking over from afar.

“Master, those people from Snowdragon Mountain have no good intentions,” Little Qing sent mentally.

“Of course they don’t, but I wanted to expel their Yan Mountain branch. I never thought it would provoke a Primal Daoist to come personally.” Ji Ning looked at the distant war chariot.

On the immortal war chariot, Snowplume Daoist truly had an immortal’s aura. He also laughed out loudly, “Indeed! I had heard that Ji Ning, a disciple of the Black-White College, had astonishing talent and formidable strength. Having now met you in person, I can see the reputation is well-deserved.”

“You flatter me,” Ji Ning said. “May I ask what business Snowplume Daoist has at my Winged Serpent Lake?”

Snowplume Daoist on the chariot replied directly, “I have come because of some matters between your Ji Clan and our Snowdragon Mountain’s Yan Mountain branch. Your Ji Clan is expanding in the Yan Mountains… our Snowdragon Mountain Yan Mountain branch will not hinder this. But I have heard that you issued an ultimatum, ordering our Yan Mountain branch to relocate within ten days?”

“That is correct,” Ji Ning nodded.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too arrogant?” Snowplume Daoist stared at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning shook his head. “From what I know, your Snowdragon Mountain’s headquarters occupies over a hundred thousand li, and you have branches throughout the Anchan Commandery. You are constantly expanding, infiltrating everywhere, and establishing new branches. Is it permissible for Snowdragon Mountain to expand madly, but not for my Ji Clan to expand even within the Yan Mountains?”

The strong always expanded.

“Your Ji Clan dares to compare itself to my Snowdragon Mountain?” Snowplume Daoist frowned.

“In the past, when my Ji Clan was weak, your Yan Mountain branch kept infiltrating and encroaching, going from an outsider to the most powerful force in the Yan Mountains. You even tried to seize our mine by force!” Ji Ning stared at Snowplume Daoist. “Now that my Ji Clan has grown strong, is it not permissible to drive out a single one of your branches? Are you allowed to bully others, but we are forbidden from expanding?”

“You are set on expelling the Yan Mountain branch?” Snowplume Daoist’s face was filled with anger.

“Yes,” Ji Ning nodded.

“This means you truly don’t put Snowdragon Mountain in your eyes!” Snowplume Daoist roared.

“Think what you will. I am absolutely determined to expel your Yan Mountain branch.” Ji Ning looked at Snowplume Daoist.

Their eyes met.

Snowplume Daoist understood instantly that this Ji Ning would never back down.

“Do you think the name ‘Black-White College disciple’ will scare me?” Snowplume Daoist’s expression turned grim, his voice shaking heaven and earth. “I suggest you learn when to advance and when to retreat. Otherwise, today I will personally teach you a lesson, so you understand… that you can only speak as loudly as your strength allows!”

Ji Ning gazed at Snowplume Daoist from afar, gave a grin, and his voice also boomed across heaven and earth: “Speak as loudly as your strength allows. That makes sense! I, too, would like to test this and see what high skills Snowplume Daoist has to show!”

Snowplume Daoist was enraged.

“You overestimate yourself!” Snowplume Daoist bellowed, his voice like a thunder god’s fury, causing the very colors of heaven and earth to shift. “Then I shall grant your wish!”

“Please!” Ji Ning said coldly.