The Dream of a Thousand Years

“I…” the yellow-furred great bear looked at the old master.

“He died a long time ago. He died in that great cataclysm.” The old master shook his head. “If Threelives were still alive with his temperament, how could he not have come looking for you? Leaving you to drift alone for a trillion years. You little bear guessed the truth long ago, but you simply refused to believe it.”

Slap! Slap!

Tears dripped down onto the ground. The kneeling yellow-furred great bear trembled violently, then let out a pained, anguished howl. “Owoooo——”

The howl made even Ji Ning’s heart ache.

“Master! Master! MASTER!” The yellow-furred great bear threw his head back and screamed wildly. To him, Daoist Threelives had been like a parent.

A long time passed before the yellow-furred great bear knelt and spoke respectfully. “Little Bear was insolent earlier.”

“Enough.” The old master instructed, “Return to the Starseizing Manor for now. You cannot yet leave the Starseizing Manor.”

“Yes.” The yellow-furred great bear acknowledged with reverence. He then vanished into thin air, returning to the aquatic estate.

Ji Ning lamented the bond between the manor spirit and Daoist Threelives, but he also noticed something puzzling. Since the yellow-furred great bear was a manor spirit, how could it seem so… alive? It could weep. Even the old master had said it could not yet leave the Starseizing Manor. Did that mean it would be able to leave in the future? The manor spirit had been trapped within the estate for a trillion years without ever escaping. Even if it eventually could, that was likely very far off.

“Ji Ning.” The old master looked at him. “Threelives is dead. I shall teach you the Dao in his stead. Would you be willing to take me as your master?”

Ji Ning immediately knelt. “Your disciple pays his respects to Master!”

“Mmm.” A hint of a smile appeared on the old master’s face. “From this day forth, you are a nominal disciple of my school. When you transcend the tribulation and become a Celestial Immortal, you shall become my full-fledged personal disciple.”

“Yes.” Ji Ning acknowledged respectfully.

“My school has very few rules. Only two.”

“First, never be disobedient.”

“Second, without my permission, you are forbidden from telling anyone that I am your master.” The old master said, “If you violate this, the lightest punishment is that I will kill you, cloud your memories, and send you back into the cycle of reincarnation. A heavier punishment is to have your soul scattered and extinguished. The heaviest… is to trap your soul in true flame for eternity.”

Ji Ning said respectfully, “Your disciple understands.”

“Then, when will your disciple be permitted to say that he is the old master’s disciple?” Ji Ning asked.

“When the time comes, you may naturally do so.” The old master smiled. “If you can match your senior apprentice-brother’s skill, you may say it wherever you wish.”

Ji Ning mused to himself.

Senior apprentice-brother? He was the foremost amongst all the senior and junior fellow disciples. Even the Whiteclad Immortal Jiang and others had admitted they were inferior to him. Reaching the senior apprentice-brother’s level of strength… that was no easy task.

“As for whether you do good or evil in the future, I will not interfere. You merely must follow your true heart in all things.” The old master said.

“Yes.” Ji Ning acknowledged.

“Come forward. Stand before me.” The old master instructed.

Ji Ning was startled, but then went forward, climbed the steps, and walked directly to the old master’s side.

And then, without warning—

The old master reached out with one finger and tapped it against Ji Ning’s forehead. It was a simple tap, yet Ji Ning was completely unable to react before that finger had landed upon his brow.

“Huummm——”

Ji Ning’s entire body went limp. He sat down on the steps, closed his eyes, and remained motionless.

The old master smiled at Ji Ning, then closed his own eyes and paid him no further attention.

It was an empty, silent corridor. The walls on either side were covered with sword technique diagrams, each of which came to life, displaying the profound mysteries of the sword arts.

Ji Ning walked down this corridor, watching the constantly moving sword techniques on either side.

“These sword techniques are weak. They don’t even reach the level of the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword.” Ji Ning continued walking.

He had forgotten why he had come here.

He had forgotten the past.

All he knew was that he was walking deeper into this corridor.

The sword techniques on the walls continuously transformed, even breaking free from the walls to swirl around Ji Ning, revealing an endless profundity.

“This place… it has already reached the power of the second stance of the Three-Foot Sword.”

Ji Ning kept walking.

He walked for an unknowable amount of time. It was as if this corridor was displaying every sword technique that existed within the ‘Dao of the Sword’ in meticulous detail before him. Ji Ning had thought his understanding of sword arts was already quite profound, but now he realized it was far from thorough enough. Strange, domineering, proud, eccentric, savage… all manner of sword techniques were on full display.

“Here, it has already reached the level of the third stance of the Three-Foot Sword.”

He did not know how much longer he walked.

“This is the seventh stance of the Three-Foot Sword.” Ji Ning continued onward. A deluge of profound sword mysteries was absorbed by Ji Ning, strengthening his foundations. Though he had already reached the level of the seventh stance, his comprehension of the ‘Dao of the Sword’ was now noticeably deeper.

After another long stretch of time.

“This is already the eighth stance of the Three-Foot Sword.” Ji Ning began to find it difficult and strenuous. The countless sword techniques around him ceaselessly transmitted their profundities to him.

Ji Ning absorbed them relentlessly.

His pace within the corridor slowed even further.

“The level of the ninth stance of the Three-Foot Sword.”

The sword techniques grew deeper and more unfathomable. Every single technique displayed around him could rival the Ninth Stance of the Three-Foot Sword, and there were countless varieties. Though Ji Ning could not fully comprehend them, the fundamental mysteries of these sword arts were deeply etched into his soul.

He continued further back. The techniques now far surpassed the Three-Foot Sword.

If the Three-Foot Sword had continued, the sword arts here would have rivaled its tenth stance, its eleventh stance…

Ji Ning was immersed in an ocean of ‘swords’. Walking in the corridor, his mind was completely filled by the countless sword techniques. The more profound mysteries passed through his heart. Though he did not understand them, the baptism of countless sword arts made him extremely familiar with these enigmas.

A very, very long time passed.

It felt like a thousand years, or ten thousand. Ji Ning finally saw the end of the tunnel. There, a vast, boundless sword-light shone.

Ji Ning did not know why he walked toward it, nor did he know if he should stop. He simply walked forward, into the end of the corridor, and his body stepped into that vast sword-light.

“BOOOOM——”

An endless, overwhelming profundity flooded his heart. The boundless vastness of the ‘Dao of the Sword’, all its mysteries, were completely laid bare before Ji Ning. The countless sword techniques from the corridor flashed through his heart, drawing his heart ever closer to the ‘Dao of the Sword’.

“Hmm?”

Ji Ning shuddered and opened his eyes.

He saw that he was sitting on the steps. Above him, on a prayer mat, sat the old master in his loose Daoist robe, who had opened his eyes and was smiling at Ji Ning.

“This, this…” Ji Ning looked around. Everything felt unreal.

After a long moment, the memories of decades from that illusory journey were fully restored. The profound mysteries of those countless sword techniques were suppressed deep within his soul.

“Master, I, I…” Ji Ning looked at the old master nervously. It had felt like he spent a thousand or ten thousand years in there, and even his decades of real-life memories took a while to fully recover.

“What is it? You merely dozed off for a moment.” The old master laughed.

“Master, how long was I asleep?” Ji Ning asked.

“About the time it takes to burn an incense stick.” The old master said.

“But I felt… I felt like I lived for ten thousand years.” Ji Ning could not help but say.

The old master said, “I merely used the ‘Dream of a Thousand Years’ technique to let you truly experience a complete ‘Dao of the Sword’, from its beginner stages to its full mastery.”

Right. A dream of a thousand years.

That feeling was indeed like a dream. He had lost all ability to think, and just foolishly kept walking down that corridor.

“I have only let you experience what it feels like to completely master the ‘Dao of the Sword’. Your actual sword dao level hasn’t improved much.” The old master said.

Ji Ning, however, understood clearly that this ‘Dream of a Thousand Years’ had been an enormous help to him.

Though he could still only execute the seventh stance of the Three-Foot Sword, his understanding of sword techniques was far more solid. Moreover, he now had a vague awareness of the path ahead for the Dao of the Sword. He even had a blurry perception of what it meant to fully master the Dao of the Sword.

The path of immortal cultivation was like crossing a river by feeling for stones in the dark.

But now, he had a rough idea of the entire path. This would naturally allow him to travel much faster.

“Thank you, Master.” Ji Ning quickly knelt.

“I have merely given you a push. What level of achievement you reach will still depend on you.” The old master tapped lightly with his finger, and a stream of light flew directly into Ji Ning’s mind.

Ji Ning felt a flood of information surge into his mind.

It took him a long time to fully process it.

“The Beiming Sutra? And four volumes of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens?” Ji Ning sensed the cultivation techniques within his soul.

The first volume of the Crimsonbright Diagram covered Houtian, Xiantian, and Zifu. The second volume covered Wanxiang, Primal, and Return to Void. The third volume was the Empyrean God volume! The fourth volume was the True God volume!

“The Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens was created by Crimsonbright. This technique was once praised by Nuwa, and it is indeed a rare method, capable of allowing one to cultivate all the way to the True God level.” The old master said. “As for the Beiming Sutra, it is a Water-element Ki Refining technique created by Daofather Xiaoyao, allowing one to cultivate all the way to the Daofather level.”

“These two, one for body refinement and one for Ki Refining, shall serve as your foundational techniques from now on.” The old master said.

“Yes.” Ji Ning was overjoyed.

The Beiming Sutra? Created by Daofather Xiaoyao? That was one of the absolute top-tier Ki Refining techniques of the Three Realms.

“Body refining techniques and Ki Refining techniques are not considered particularly precious in the Three Realms.” The old master said calmly. “Divine abilities and secret arts, however, are far more valuable.”

A top-tier technique like the Beiming Sutra was something even the Grand Xia Emperor did not possess. Only someone on Patriarch Subhuti’s level could speak of it so casually.

“Our Mount Innerheart has two Dao palaces, containing a vast array of techniques—formations, puppetry, the sword, the saber, the Taiji, thunder arts, lotus arts… all manner of methods are included. There are countless divine abilities and secret arts within. It will all depend on whether you have the ability to learn them.” The old master said calmly. “The Dao is not to be lightly taught. If you wish to learn, you must have the skill to do so.”

“Your disciple understands.” Ji Ning said respectfully.

“Go. Settle down on my mountain and study the Dao in peace. When your strength is sufficient, you may descend the mountain and return to the Grand Xia world.” The old master said. “On the day you leave the mountain, I shall grant you two great benefits.”

“Master, what level of strength is considered sufficient?” Ji Ning pressed.

“You will know when the time comes.” The old master said.

Ji Ning was speechless.

He was just supposed to bury his head in study, with no idea when he would be allowed to leave?

“Go.” The old master closed his eyes calmly. “Unless I summon you, do not disturb me.”

“Yes.” Ji Ning respectfully took his leave.

After Ji Ning left, the old master opened his eyes and shook his head gently. “How long has it been since I chatted so much with a disciple? Thinking of Threelives, thinking of that great cataclysm from so long ago, my heart is still unsettled.”