The Most Mysterious Teacher

The white-robed, long-haired youth laughed heartily. "Brother Ji Ning, you're far too tense. You don't even know who I am, yet you ask what I've come for. Isn't that a bit hasty?"

Ji Ning grumbled inwardly.

Tense?

When a Pure Yang True Immortal sits down right in front of you, how could you not be tense? After the Immortal Fortunes Assembly, Ji Ning had come to understand that True Immortals and Empyrean Gods didn't care about so-called 'geniuses' unless they were truly taken with them. After all, no matter how many geniuses there were, how many could survive the Heavenly Tribulation to become Celestial Immortals? Let alone Pure Yang True Immortals.

"May I ask your name, Senior?" Ji Ning inquired.

"I am a carefree wanderer of the Three Realms, born in the Primordial Era and attaining the Dao in that same age. My name is Jiang Jun." The white-robed, long-haired youth sighed. "I rarely travel abroad, and even when I do, I seldom use my true name. Thus, very few know of me."

He then winked at Ji Ning. "I've told you my true name, you see."

Ji Ning relaxed a bit. It seemed this person bore him no ill will.

"And you don't need to keep calling me 'Senior.' Just call me Brother Jiang." The white-robed Jiang Jun said.

Ji Ning was startled.

Brother Jiang? A Pure Yang True Immortal was telling him to call him 'Brother Jiang'? Ji Ning wasn't foolish; he understood the implications.

"It seems if I don't explain my purpose, you won't be able to calm down, little brother." The white-robed Jiang Jun glanced at the nearby Qingqing and the Whitewater Hound. "Have your two spirit-beasts withdraw."

"Understood." Ji Ning immediately agreed, telling Uncle White and Qingqing to leave. With a Pure Yang True Immortal fully capable of crushing him with ease, Ji Ning naturally complied.

Only Ji Ning and the white-robed Jiang Jun remained sitting across from each other in the pavilion.

"I imagine you've guessed by now. I've come today on my master's orders to fetch you." The white-robed Jiang Jun smiled. "In other words, my master wishes to accept you as a disciple, and you are to become my junior apprentice-brother."

Ji Ning held his breath, unable to refrain from asking, "And Brother Jiang's master is?"

"Naturally, one of the foremost great powers of the Three Realms, an existence on the level of a Daofather." The white-robed Jiang Jun said.

Ji Ning's eyes lit up.

Indeed. The earlier invitation to address him as 'Brother Jiang' had hinted at this. But now that it was actually happening, he still found it unbelievable.

A Daofather!

He had fought desperately to win first place in the Immortal Fortunes Assembly, and in the end, even Daofather Crimsonbright hadn't chosen him as a disciple. The Slovenly Elder had been taken as a disciple by the 'Black Tortoise Supreme.' He himself had been left with no other choice, already preparing to settle for becoming a disciple of a Pure Yang True Immortal when, suddenly, this Pure Yang True Immortal, Jiang Jun, appeared, claiming to have come on his master's behalf!

"Ji Ning." The yellow-furred bear's voice suddenly rang out in his mind. "This Jiang Jun says he was born and attained the Dao in the Primordial Era! But I've never heard of him. And he says his master is a Daofather... you must find out which Daofather it is. Among the Daofathers of the Three Realms, some were close friends with your master, Daoist Threelives, while others were his mortal enemies! You can't end up taking a mortal enemy of Daoist Threelives as your master. With a Daofather's perceptions, if you study the Dao under him, given enough time, you'll inevitably reveal clues that expose your connection to Daoist Threelives. If you were to pledge yourself to an enemy of Daoist Threelives, you'd be walking right into a trap."

Ji Ning was instantly jolted awake.

It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head.

"May I ask which Daofather it is?" Ji Ning asked.

The white-robed Jiang Jun's eyes were filled with adoration as he spoke:

"My master was born from the primordial chaos, a close friend of Pangu and Nuwa."

"He made his name in the Primordial Era, slaying several Fiendgod Daofathers."

"His name is known throughout the Three Realms, yet he is rarely seen."

"He is thoroughly versed in both Buddhist and Daoist teachings, and can know all things in the Three Realms with a single dream."

"He has quite a few disciples, yet none in the world know of them."

"If one were to speak of the most mysterious being in the Three Realms, it would be my master!"

The white-robed Jiang Jun wagged his head as he spoke.

Ji Ning was baffled. "Who is it, exactly?"

"Mount Innerheart, the Tristar Crescent Abode. The Daofather is none other than Patriarch Subhuti!" The white-robed Jiang Jun's eyes shone as he looked at Ji Ning with a beaming smile.

"Him, it's him! The Tristar Crescent Abode... the most mysterious Daofather, the most mysterious Daofather! Ji Ning, you've hit the jackpot! Hahaha... you've truly hit the jackpot! Patriarch Subhuti actually knows of you. He actually knows of your existence. How does he know?" The yellow-furred bear's voice was ringing out in Ji Ning's mind, clearly beside itself with excitement.

"Is there a need to be this excited?" Ji Ning asked mentally.

"Of course I should be excited! You have no idea of his reputation! Ji Ning, let me tell you, when it comes to teaching disciples, Patriarch Subhuti is absolutely among the very top of the Three Realms. What that Jiang Jun just said is correct; Patriarch Subhuti has indeed taught many powerful disciples. But Patriarch Subhuti has a rule: after his disciples have completed their training, without his explicit permission, they are forbidden from saying they are his disciples. That's why, during the Primordial Era, many powerful, wandering cultivators were actually students of Patriarch Subhuti!"

"Ordinary people aren't very clear on this. But my master, Daoist Threelives, understood and knew of Patriarch Subhuti's prowess." The yellow-furred bear said excitedly.

"Oh." Ji Ning responded. "And why is he the most mysterious?"

"Right, he truly is the most mysterious Daofather!" The yellow-furred bear affirmed. "In the Three Realms, not even Pangu or Nuwa are as mysterious! To this very day, no one knows where his cave home actually is. Unless he allows it, no one else can find it."

"The cave homes of other great powers in the Three Realms can be found. After all, great powers always have to interact with the outside world and even invite friends to their caves."

"But Patriarch Subhuti has accepted many disciples, and has even invited friends to his cave home. Yet, whether it was his disciples or his friends... once they left that cave home, they could never find it again. You must understand, his friends were also True God or Daofather-level beings. They personally entered that cave home, but once they left, they couldn't find it. Isn't that strange? Isn't that mysterious?"

"So mysterious?" Ji Ning was flabbergasted.

Daofathers were the great powers of the Three Realms, beings who controlled the Heavenly Daos.

They had personally been to a place, and after leaving, they couldn't find it again?

Strange.

"No one knows where his cave home is. Even his many disciples, who have studied the Dao in that cave for years, still cannot find it. Unless Patriarch Subhuti nods his head, his disciples can't return." The yellow-furred bear sighed. "My master, Daoist Threelives, once said... of all the great powers in the Primordial Era, if we're talking about the ability to live and preserve one's life, Mother Nuwa ranks first, and closely followed by Patriarch Subhuti, who is renowned for his mystery."

"Patriarch Subhuti is unfathomably mysterious. The other great powers can't even find his cave home. You can imagine how powerful his life-preservation abilities are." The yellow-furred bear sighed. "If my master had possessed Patriarch Subhuti's ability to preserve his life, he would surely have lived to the present day."

Ji Ning listened, dumbfounded.

This was a true anomaly among the great powers of the Three Realms. No one could find his cave home, and in terms of life preservation, he was second only to Mother Nuwa.

"Patriarch Subhuti is versed in both Buddhism and Daoism. He knows all things in the Three Realms through a single dream. His power is unfathomable. That Jiang Jun... Patriarch Subhuti has slain Fiendgod Daofathers. Although I'm not entirely certain, it should be true. True Gods and Daofather-level beings have died by his hands, more than one." The yellow-furred bear said.

"What a terrifying existence." Ji Ning was shocked to his core.

"Most importantly, your master, Daoist Threelives, and Patriarch Subhuti were the best of friends!" The yellow-furred bear said excitedly. "True, sworn friends. The relationship between my master, Daoist Threelives, and Patriarch Subhuti was even closer than with Daofather Crimsonbright. Back when my master forged this aquatic palace, he even invited Patriarch Subhuti to help!"

"Ah." Ji Ning understood just how good the relationship between Daoist Threelives and Patriarch Subhuti was.

"Given Patriarch Subhuti's status, he would certainly not harm you. Nor would he deign to." The yellow-furred bear said.

As Ji Ning communicated mentally with the yellow-furred bear, the shock on his face was unmistakable.

The white-robed Jiang Jun across from him laughed. "My master knows all things in the Three Realms through a single dream. During your Grand Xia's Immortal Fortunes Assembly, my master saw it all in a single dream, as if he were there in person. Throughout the entire assembly, my master took a liking to only one person—you."

"As if he were there?" Ji Ning immediately understood.

True Immortals and Empyrean Gods might not be able to detect the Starseizing Hand.

But a great power could, especially one who was an old friend of Daoist Threelives.

"Furthermore, my master told me to bring you a message. He said... 'How is the little yellow bear doing these days?'" The white-robed Jiang Jun said. "He said that as long as I gave you this message, you would follow me."

Ji Ning's heart was pounding.

The little yellow bear? Wasn't that the aquatic palace's artifact spirit!

"Ji Ning, Patriarch Subhuti knows all things in the Three Realms with a single dream. He must have discovered your Starseizing Hand and guessed you are Daoist Threelives' heir. That's why he personally sent someone to fetch you." The yellow-furred bear's voice was filled with excitement. "Go, go, go quickly! As long as you go to Patriarch Subhuti, you can find out what has happened to my master!"

The aquatic palace's artifact spirit... was desperately longing to know whether its master was alive or dead.

While Ji Ning and the white-robed Jiang Jun were conversing, the Prince of Qi had arrived at the Prince of Yan's estate.

"What brings you to my place right after the Immortal Fortunes Assembly ended?" The Prince of Yan laughed.

"Naturally, it's about Ji Ning." The Prince of Qi smiled. "His Majesty went to see Senior Uncle Changqing in person. You know Senior Uncle Changqing's temperament; he doesn't like teaching disciples and is quite reclusive. However, this is due to a Daofather's command... so Senior Uncle Changqing still nodded his head and decided to accept Ji Ning as a disciple."

"Oh. Senior Uncle Changqing is a Sword Immortal. Ji Ning is also a natural-born Sword Immortal seed. He is indeed suited to teach Ji Ning. However, I am concerned about Senior Uncle Changqing's nature..." The Prince of Yan said, worried.

"That is not a worry for us to deal with." The Prince of Qi shook his head. "I am here on His Majesty's orders to deliver Senior Uncle Changqing's token to Ji Ning."

"It seems that Ji Ning is to become Senior Uncle Changqing's disciple." The Prince of Yan said.

Because of his granddaughter, the Prince of Yan also hoped Ji Ning could find a good teacher. But among the Pure Yang True Sword Immortals of Daofather Crimsonbright's lineage, there was only the Eternal Sword Immortal of Changqing.

The two of them walked, chatting, until they arrived at the gates of Ji Ning's immortal mansion.

"Ji Ning." The Prince of Yan called out.