The Greater Teleportation

“How long has it been since Junior Apprentice-Brother began his cultivation?” Silvermoon asked.

“Over thirty years,” Ji Ning replied.

Silvermoon chuckled. “No wonder. I was wondering. So you’ve only cultivated for thirty-odd years. In such a short time, you’ve managed to defeat a fourth-tier puppet. I believe that from now on, at Mount Innerheart, Junior Apprentice-Brother’s progress will be truly astonishing.”

Ji Ning smiled. “Thank you for your kind words, Senior Apprentice-Brother.”

Under the gaze of a crowd of humans, yaos, and Fiendgods, Ji Ning and Silvermoon entered the fourth floor of the Immortal Palace. The sword technique manuals on this floor were so profound that any one of them was comparable to the complete nine stances of the Three-Foot Sword.

“This is truly a sacred land for learning the Dao.” Ji Ning flipped through the abridged versions of these sword techniques. The abridged copies already contained the initial sections, and his brows danced with excitement as he read. “So many sword techniques, containing the insights of countless Sword Immortals across the Three Realms. By absorbing the comprehensions of all these Sword Immortals, I will certainly be able to vastly improve my swordplay.”

And so Ji Ning began his days of studying the Dao at Mount Innerheart.

To be able to leave the school, he would at the very least need to defeat a ninth-tier puppet and obtain the techniques of the ninth floor of the Immortal Palace. Only then could he enter the “Three Realms Palace.” This was the prerequisite for “graduation.” Being treated as a personal disciple and entering the Three Realms Palace to learn true great divine abilities and secret arts—this was Patriarch Subhuti’s most basic requirement for his disciple Ji Ning. Ji Ning himself was also very clear on this.

Added to that was his promise to Yu Wei, to return to the Grand Xia and reunite with her.

And so…

He had to enter the Three Realms Palace as soon as possible! Ji Ning had no desire to waste hundreds or thousands of years on Mount Innerheart. If he spent millennia on Mount Innerheart, it was impossible to imagine what would become of the people he cared about in the Grand Xia—Yu Wei, Qiuye, Mu Northson, Yuchi Xiyue, and the others.

“I must defeat a ninth-tier puppet as quickly as possible. I need to do it within a few decades at most,” Ji Ning set this requirement for himself, but he also understood just how difficult this demand was. “In the days ahead on Mount Innerheart, I cannot afford any distractions. Lotus法术, secret soul arts—I will put them all aside. In the Immortal Palace, I will only choose sword technique manuals!”

Focus exclusively on the sword!

This was Ji Ning’s decision.

Time flowed on.

Ji Ning, the Whitewater Hound, and Xiaoqing all immersed themselves in cultivation on Mount Innerheart.

The Whitewater Hound and Xiaoqing were actually even more excited than Ji Ning!

“What can we do? The third-tier puppet easily defeated us,” Xiaoqing said helplessly.

“As things stand now, I’m not even confident I can beat a second-tier puppet,” the Whitewater Hound said, equally helpless.

The disciples of the Mount Innerheart lineage included peerless monstrous geniuses from throughout the Three Realms.

Or there were spirit-beasts of Celestial Immortals who had been cultivating for a very long time. The Whitewater Hound and Xiaoqing, in comparison, had been cultivating for a much shorter period.

“There’s no other choice. We’ll have to do some odd jobs,” the Whitewater Hound said.

“Odd jobs it is,” Xiaoqing agreed.

And so the two of them took on an “odd job.” They spent nearly an entire month pulling weeds by hand over an area of a hundred li. Only then were they allowed to choose techniques from the third floor of the Immortal Palace.

The techniques on the third floor of the Immortal Palace would be considered treasures worthy of being a sect’s foundational legacy even at the Black-White College!

“Hahaha, I can actually get a technique like this!” Xiaoqing grasped a manual titled Qiankun Sword Canon in her hands, trembling with excitement. “Finally, I can truly begin to comprehend the ‘Grand Dao of Space.’ ”

“These are the formation notes of a Celestial Immortal?” The Whitewater Hound was also holding a formation manual, utterly thrilled.

Uncle White and Xiaoqing were both extremely talented.

Uncle White was a Whitewater Hound. Although he was a godbeast, he was unremarkable in every other respect, save for one thing: he was born with extraordinary intelligence.

Xiaoqing had a shocking talent for the “Grand Dao of Space.” Even as a Xiantian-level lifeform, she had been capable of Void Shuttle (spatial teleportation). At the time, while Xiaoqing hadn’t fully understood the mysteries of spatial teleportation, as a godbeast it was an innate talent. All she needed was to touch upon a sliver of the principle, and she could execute it. There was no need to comprehend it thoroughly—just a light brush with its mystery was enough!

The problem was that they had never encountered a truly good teacher! Ji Ning had received guidance from the estate’s “Starseizing Hall” and direction from the Diancai Immortal. But Uncle White and Xiaoqing had both been studying entirely on their own!

Coming to Mount Innerheart changed everything!

They could now exchange ideas with the humans, yaos, and Fiendgods there. In particular, the Void-level Fiendgods—who lived for eons—possessed insights no less profound than the Diancai Immortal. These disciples, mindful of Ji Ning’s face, would often guide Xiaoqing and the Whitewater Hound.

From time to time, they could even receive pointers from seniors like the “Old Fiend Silvermoon” or “Whiteclad Immortal Jiang.”

Most importantly…

Patriarch Subhuti began giving lectures on the Dao!

Patriarch Subhuti rarely lectured on the Dao. Sometimes, he would not do so even once in ten thousand years. However, ever since he accepted Ji Ning as his disciple, the frequency of his Dao lectures increased dramatically. He now lectured almost once every month. This was also Patriarch Subhuti’s habit. Generally, after accepting a disciple, he would lecture more regularly. If he hadn’t accepted any disciples? He would only lecture when the mood struck him.

After all, only personal disciples received the Patriarch’s attention.

As for the other disciples, they generally did not even have the opportunity to converse with the Patriarch.

Thus, the entire Mount Innerheart lineage of disciples was stirred with excitement. Even the several True Immortals and Empyrean Gods on the mountain would occasionally come to listen to the Dao lectures.

“As expected of a Daofather.” The Whitewater Hound was thrilled. “A single lecture from the Daofather far exceeds a hundred years of secluded cultivation. Many doubts in my heart have been resolved one by one. I have also mastered a Dao!”

“The Daofather definitely has a complete grasp of the Grand Dao of Space. A casual remark from him allowed me to comprehend a great deal. Now, even in a space-sealed area, I am still able to teleport,” Xiaoqing said excitedly.

Years passed, one after another.

After half a year of odd jobs, the two of them obtained techniques from the fourth floor of the Immortal Palace.

Odd jobs were merely physical labor. They only needed to devote a small portion of their mind to them; they could continue to meditate and cultivate on the Dao even while working.

Next, after three more years of odd jobs, they obtained the techniques of the fifth floor of the Immortal Palace.

After another twenty years of odd jobs, they finally obtained the techniques of the sixth floor of the Immortal Palace.

The techniques of the sixth floor were already top-tier even within the Grand Xia Dynasty! Almost all of them were written by Celestial Immortals, and some were the works of Pure Yang True Immortals.

In the twenty-sixth year on Mount Innerheart.

“Hahaha, I’m invincible! Absolutely invincible!” In the middle of a torrential downpour, Xiaoqing ran excitedly around the grounds of Ji Ning’s immortal estate, flickering in and out of sight as she moved. Her figure blurred as she executed spatial teleportation with incredible speed.

“Xiaoqing! Xiaoqing!”

Ji Ning stood at the entrance of the immortal estate. Standing there, he himself seemed like a heavenly sword, inspiring an involuntary urge to submit in anyone who looked at him.

“How are you invincible? And what are you running around in all this heavy rain for?” Ji Ning laughed.

“Xiaoqing.” The Whitewater Hound also spoke in human tongue. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so worked up?”

“Hahaha…” With a burst of laughter, Xiaoqing appeared before Ji Ning in a flash.

“Master! Master!” Xiaoqing’s eyes were filled with excitement. “I can now perform a Greater Teleportation! I can finally perform a Greater Teleportation!”

“What? A Greater Teleportation?” Ji Ning’s face showed surprise.

He remembered that when he had killed Shaoyan Nong, he had obtained a Greater Teleportation Dao talisman. One of the life-saving items he had acquired from the “estate” was also a Greater Teleportation Dao talisman. Normal void shuttles and spatial teleportations were all “Lesser Teleportations.” They could only teleport within a single spatial dimension; the only difference was the distance.

As one’s comprehension of space deepened, the teleportation distance grew longer and longer, to the point where even spatial seals could not suppress it.

However, when the “Grand Dao of Space” was completely comprehended—when one fully grasped this Grand Dao—one would be able to perform a “Greater Teleportation.” This Greater Teleportation… could teleport directly from one world to another.

For example, if one was in the Netherworld Kingdom, a single Greater Teleportation could bring them directly back to the Grand Xia World’s Winged Serpent Lake!

Even when Shaoyan Nong had been trapped inside the Wu Jiang Immortal Estate, he had been brimming with confidence. He knew that no matter how dangerous the situation, as long as he used his Greater Teleportation Dao talisman, he could escape back to the core stronghold of his tribe in the Grand Xia World. Unfortunately, he had not taken Ji Ning seriously at the time and had not believed Ji Ning posed a threat. By the time Ji Ning unleashed that black ring, it was already too late for Shaoyan Nong to flee!

“I have reached the ‘Domain of the Grand Dao of Space!’ ” Xiaoqing exclaimed excitedly. “I can already perform a Greater Teleportation! Hahaha… I’m invincible now! Who can kill me? Who can kill me? Hahaha, no matter how powerful the grand formation, I can just escape from it!”

Ji Ning and the Whitewater Hound both laughed.

The Skygreen Serpent had an astonishing talent for the Dao of Space. Once she reached the “Domain of the Grand Dao,” and could merge with the Grand Dao itself, she could perform a Greater Teleportation. This was something that could not be envied.

“Master, when you teach me sword techniques, my resonance with the ‘Grand Dao of Space’ grows even stronger, and my sword techniques will improve as well!” Xiaoqing quickly said. Because she wanted Ji Ning’s guidance, she had chosen to study the sword, integrating the Dao of Space completely into her own swordplay.

“Alright.” Ji Ning nodded.

Xiaoqing was improving, but his own progress was even more astonishing.

After all, from the time Ji Ning had first entered the Zifu Disciple stage in the Grand Xia World until the time he entered Mount Innerheart, barely twenty years had passed!

Since coming to Mount Innerheart, he had received guidance from his master, Patriarch Subhuti. He had often gone into the estate’s Starseizing Hall to engage in contemplation. He had repeatedly competed against those puppets, refining the mysteries of his sword techniques through each spar. And he had countless sword technique manuals at his disposal to study!

How could his progress possibly be slow?

Each time he defeated a puppet, he was allowed to choose a technique. For instance, with the fourth-tier puppet: the first time they fought, the fourth-tier puppet used a tyrannical sword style. But the second, third, and fourth times… the puppet’s combat tactics would change. It would start by varying its sword techniques. Eventually, it would even use sabers, longspears, longstaffs, as well as control flying swords, use magic treasures, and employ formation assistance… making the fourth-tier puppet increasingly difficult to defeat.

However, Ji Ning’s strength was progressing rapidly as well!

He spent his time thoroughly studying over a hundred sword technique manuals from the fourth floor of the Immortal Palace, all of which were comparable to the Three-Foot Sword.

Later, Ji Ning defeated the fifth-tier puppet as well. He then beat it over thirty more times, studying over thirty sword technique manuals.

Later, he defeated the sixth-tier puppet many times, obtaining over twenty sword technique manuals from the sixth floor.

Later, he defeated the seventh-tier puppet many times, obtaining eighteen sword technique manuals.

Although he studied and pored over a great many sword technique manuals—many of which were written by Empyrean Gods and True Immortals, and some were the casual notes of Daofathers—Ji Ning still kept the Three-Foot Sword, on which he had expended the most effort, as his core foundation. He then absorbed the essence of other sword techniques and integrated them into the Three-Foot Sword, causing this sword art to be continuously perfected and changed. It grew more and more distinct from the original sword art of the Beixing Immortal, having become a far more powerful sword technique that belonged entirely to Ji Ning.

In the midst of this cultivation, thirty years had passed in the blink of an eye since Ji Ning first arrived on Mount Innerheart.