The Plowshares Sword Array

The yellow-furred bear nodded lightly. “Excellent odds. It’s worth a try.”

Ji Ning smiled, then walked toward one of the side corridors.

A Fiendgod Body Refiner only had two chances to challenge the War God Hall for each major realm they reached! This was why Ji Ning always asked the yellow-furred bear for his opinion before attempting. Each opportunity represented a top-tier treasure, and Ji Ning didn’t dare to be careless. At this point in particular, it meant Immortal-ranked treasures!

A moment later.

Whoosh. Ji Ning had already emerged from the War God Hall.

“I won!” Ji Ning let out a soft breath. On the eighth floor of the War God Hall, he had encountered an ancient Fiendgod at the Void level! His own Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens was only at the fifteenth stage, which, compared to an ordinary Fiendgod Body Refiner, was equivalent to the early Void stage. Compared to a true Fiendgod, he was probably only at the peak Primal Fiendgod level!

This Void Fiendgod was a full major realm above him! Furthermore, it also had divine abilities at its disposal. Its combat power was terrifyingly high!

This battle had been utterly exhilarating…

That Void Fiendgod had even split into three avatars, transforming into three Fiendgods that surrounded and attacked Ji Ning from all sides! Ji Ning had activated Three Heads, Six Arms and the Starseizing Hand, sword-light crisscrossing in all directions… he had actually forced that Void Fiendgod onto the defensive. In the end, the Void Fiendgod had no choice but to admit defeat.

“Wonderful, wonderful. Thirty years of training on Mount Innerheart, and I’ve finally managed to defeat a Void Fiendgod!” Ji Ning recalled those days in the Mount Yujue Wasteland when, in the eyes of that ancient Void Fiendgod, he had been nothing more than an ant.

But now!

He himself was now at the Void Fiendgod level! He was no weaker than that being, and in fact, he had just defeated one!

“Strange. Why would a Void Fiendgod appear in this aquatic palace?” Ji Ning was puzzled. He had asked the aquatic palace’s artifact spirit, the ‘yellow-furred bear’, but the spirit had refused to say anything.

“Ji Ning, congratulations on clearing the eighth floor of the War God Hall.” The yellow-furred bear appeared out of thin air. “Even Celestial Immortal Juhua only managed to clear the seventh floor back in his day.”

Celestial Immortal Juhua had only cleared the seventh floor when he had become a Loose Immortal.

A very, very long time later, Celestial Immortal Juhua had the power to clear the eighth floor. Unfortunately, he no longer had the chance to challenge it!

“Senior, I wish to select my treasures.” Ji Ning laughed. “Last time, when I cleared the seventh floor, the treasures in the book you showed me were all high-grade Immortal-ranked. There wasn’t even a single top-grade Immortal-ranked treasure.”

“There will be this time.” The yellow-furred bear said. “And the third time you select treasures, there will be even more.”

Ji Ning felt helpless.

These were the rules of the Treasure Hall.

In theory, he could obtain Immortal-ranked treasures three times. They corresponded to clearing the seventh and eighth floors of the War God Hall, as well as reaching the sixteenth stage of the Crimsonbright Diagram and entering a new major realm!

The first time he selected Immortal-ranked treasures, the pool of options was the smallest.

The second time, it was larger.

The third time, all of the Immortal-ranked treasures left behind by Daoist Threelives would be listed. Naturally, there would be many more rare and exotic items.

“It would be a trivial matter for you to simply bring out all the treasures in the Treasure Hall for me to choose from.” Ji Ning was resigned.

“Can’t be helped.” The yellow-furred bear shook his head. “The master set the rules. I can’t change them.

Back then, you were at the Wanxiang Adept stage, the most dangerous period where you were most likely to die. The master made an exception to allow you to obtain some life-saving treasures at that stage. As for now? Your strength is much greater, so we must follow the rules.”

Ji Ning nodded.

He entered the Treasure Hall.

A cup of tea’s worth of time later.

He left the Treasure Hall!

Another Immortal-ranked treasure was in hand!

“Hahaha…” Ji Ning walked out of the Treasure Hall with a smile. This second selection of Immortal-ranked treasures was indeed far more satisfying than the first.

“Senior, I’m going to the quiet chamber to go into seclusion for a while.” Ji Ning said, then headed for the aquatic palace’s quiet chamber.

Boom!

The door to the quiet chamber opened, then closed once more.

Ji Ning directly sat cross-legged on top of the massive bed of Netherwater Jade. This ink-colored jade bed emanated a shocking, bone-chilling cold that gave his soul a refreshing coolness! He remembered the first time he had sat on this Netherwater Jade bed, feeling as though his very soul had been frozen stiff. But now, Ji Ning’s strength was far greater.

His comprehension of the Dao was higher, his Dao-heart was more settled, and his soul was also stronger! Even the Netherwater Jade bed only made Ji Ning feel an incomparably cool and refreshing sensation.

Huuuum… The Primalheart Stillness Formation also radiated a series of ripples.

Ji Ning’s heart had completely calmed.

With a flip of his hand, two treasures appeared before him, floating in midair. One was a golden circlet! The other was a set of nine black flying swords that seemed to flicker in and out of existence, as if about to fade into nothingness.

This golden circlet was the treasure he had selected after clearing the seventh floor of the War God Hall. Its name was the ‘Triple Sealing Immortal Circlet.’ It was a high-grade Immortal-ranked treasure used to trap or even capture enemies. Once an enemy was caught within its glow, escape was very difficult. Those who were weaker could be directly sucked into it. The Triple Sealing Immortal Circlet had its own internal spatial dimensions, capable of holding living beings and objects alike. Once trapped inside, even a Pure Yang True Immortal would be unable to escape.

Of course, a Pure Yang True Immortal wouldn’t be foolish enough to be caught in the first place!

As for the nine black flying swords, they were the Immortal-ranked treasure he had just selected after clearing the eighth floor of the War God Hall. They were called the ‘Plowshares Sword Formation.’ All nine were top-grade Immortal-ranked flying swords. A complete set of nine… while each individual sword was inferior to the ‘Oxhorn Sword’—which was at the absolute pinnacle of top-grade Immortal-ranked, nearly on par with Pure Yang Immortal swords—the Plowshares Immortal Swords, when combined as a set of nine, were in no way inferior to the Oxhorn Sword!

Most importantly, Ji Ning had once seen a sword art technique manual called Plowshares on the ninth floor of the Immortals’ Palace.

Ji Ning had previously asked the yellow-furred bear, “Senior, I saw a sword art manual called Plowshares on the ninth floor of the Immortals’ Palace. The abridged manual states it was created by a major power of the Three Realms, ‘Daofather Plowshares.’ Could this set of Immortal swords, the ‘Plowshares Sword Formation,’ be related to Daofather Plowshares?”

“Hahaha, this Plowshares Sword Formation was indeed specifically designed to be used with the ‘Plowshares Sword Technique.’ During the Primordial Pangu World era, this Plowshares Sword Technique was exceptionally famous. It is a sword technique of great renown within the Three Realms!” The yellow-furred bear laughed.

Thus, Ji Ning had immediately chosen this set of swords!

Ji Ning sat on the Netherwater Jade bed, looking at the two Immortal-ranked treasures before him. He nodded to himself. “Once I defeat that ninth-level golem, I’ll immediately go to the ninth floor of the Immortals’ Palace to select that sword technique, Plowshares.”

“I will need to continue to absorb the essence of various arts to slowly create and perfect my Three-Foot Sword. As for Plowshares… barring any surprises, it will serve as one of my methods for engaging the enemy in battle.”

The sword technique created by Immortal Beixing was far inferior to many of the powerful techniques found in the Immortals’ Palace.

He had already completely revised and perfected the first eight stances! The ninth stance also required revision and perfection. As for the tenth, eleventh, and future stances… he would need to create them himself.

A sword technique created by oneself would be the most suitable to use, and its power would be the strongest!

However, before he could create it, Plowshares would be a suitable substitute for the time being.

“As for this ‘Triple Sealing Immortal Circlet’… once Uncle White reaches the Earth Immortal stage, I’ll give it to him.” Ji Ning secretly mused.

The Triple Sealing Immortal Circlet was of little help to him.

When he had chosen it, he was already thinking of Uncle White. Uncle White was a grand formation master, but he lacked offensive methods. This Triple Sealing Immortal Circlet could manifest the ‘Heaven, Earth, and Man’ triplicate, and its activation was fairly complex. It was most suitable for a formation master like Uncle White. Moreover, it didn’t require Uncle White to engage in close combat. It truly was a perfect fit!

This closed-door session lasted for over a month. Ji Ning made some revisions to the ninth stance of the Three-Foot Sword, ‘Sword Roaming the Three Realms,’ making it more restrained, yet simultaneously swifter and faster!

For Immortal Beixing, this ninth stance, ‘Sword Roaming the Three Realms,’ was an apex. For himself, however, it was merely an intermediate stance. He was definitely going to create a tenth and an eleventh stance.

“It’s already summer?”

Ji Ning walked out of his Immortal estate and felt the blazing heat of the sun hanging high in the sky.

Every single world was illuminated by the Sunstar and the Taiyin Star.

Even this cave world of the Tristar Crescent Abode was no exception. Every world would have a projection of the ‘Sunstar’ and the ‘Taiyin Star.’ For example, in the Grand Xia world, there was a sun and a moon! Because the Sunstar was closer to the Grand Xia world, its sun was larger, while its moon was smaller.

Although they were merely projections of the Sunstar and the Taiyin Star, their power was still astonishing. Clearly, as the leaders of all the stars of the heavens, the power of the Sunstar and the Taiyin Star was inconceivable.

“Uncle-Master.”

“Grandmaster.”

On the empty grounds in front of the Immortals’ Palace, disciples of the Mount Innerheart lineage were gathered together. Some were meditating and comprehending the Dao in quiet cultivation, others were discussing the Dao, relaxed and at ease. When they saw Ji Ning approach, they rose to their feet one after another, calling out to him respectfully.

In thirty years, the disciples of Mount Innerheart had come to truly respect and admire Ji Ning from the bottom of their hearts!

“Mm.” Ji Ning merely nodded lightly before walking straight into the Immortals’ Palace. He searched from the first floor all the way to the ninth floor.

Beside the railing on the ninth floor of the Immortals’ Palace, the white-robed Silvermoon Senior Apprentice-Brother was sitting on the floor, leaning against the railing. There were some Immortal wine and grilled chicken skewers, other roast foods, beside him. His feathered fan was resting on his stomach as he slept soundly.

Ji Ning wasn’t in a hurry. He first walked over to the bookshelf and picked up the sword technique manual, Plowshares.

The manuals on the ninth floor were not ordinary.

Ji Ning opened the abridged manual, nodded lightly, and revealed a slight smile. This Plowshares had indeed been created by the Daofather Plowshares of the Three Realms. It required nine flying swords to execute, and ideally, each flying sword needed to have the ‘Thirty-Six Layered Plowshares Formation’ fused within it.

“Plowshares uses the subtleties of the Water Element and Earth Element, merging them into the mysteries of the Grand Dao of Space, and finally executing it through the Dao of the Sword.” Ji Ning nodded. Water, Space, and the Dao of the Sword were all fields he was quite skilled in. As for the ‘Earth Element’… the Plowshares sword technique was quite vast. Clearly, Daofather Plowshares had also prepared some foundational sword arts for his disciples.

Even if one’s comprehension of the Earth Element was minimal, they could still execute those sword arts that didn’t incorporate the ‘Earth Element.’ As for the future, he believed he would make progress in the Earth Element as well.

“Senior Apprentice-Brother. Senior Apprentice-Brother.” Ji Ning put down the abridged manual, walked over to Silvermoon Senior Apprentice-Brother, and began calling out to him, even reaching out to shake him. “Senior Apprentice-Brother!”

“Ah!” Silvermoon Senior Apprentice-Brother finally opened his eyes. “What is it, what is it?”

“Senior Apprentice-Brother, I wish to challenge the ninth-level golem.” Ji Ning stated.