The Gift of Scriptures and the Shadow of Loss

Before long, Ji Ning was granted an audience with the Diancai Immortal.

They sat beneath a quiet, secluded pavilion. A jug of immortal wine rested on the table between two cups, as master and disciple drank and conversed.

“Master, I hope I haven’t disturbed your secluded meditation,” Ji Ning said.

“I was merely sitting in quiet contemplation to settle my heart, not in the throes of some sudden enlightenment. There’s no harm in being disturbed.” The Diancai Immortal looked at Ji Ning with a satisfied nod. “Ji Ning, you’ve grown far more powerful than you were back then. When you first entered my tutelage, you were but a rough piece of jade—young and inexperienced. Now, your divine sense is even stronger than my own. You truly are a peerless genius who could claim first place in the Immortal Fortunes Assembly after only thirty-odd years of cultivation.”

“Master, stop your praise, or your disciple’s tail will be sticking straight up in the air,” Ji Ning said with a laugh.

“You rascal…” The Diancai Immortal shook his head with a smile.

Ji Ning’s expression grew serious. “Master, are you truly going to undergo your tribulation soon? You must be cautious with this Heavenly Tribulation. There is no room for the slightest carelessness.”

“Of course I know. There are countless Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals, yet it is rare for even one to become a Celestial Immortal from the entire Grand Xia world in a span of a million years.” The Diancai Immortal said, “But things are different now. In the past two or three decades alone, several Earth Immortals from the Grand Xia world have successfully渡过 tribulation and become Celestial Immortals.”

“Several?” Ji Ning was astonished.

“Mm.” The Diancai Immortal nodded. “The more turbulent the times, the easier it is for the strong to emerge! Furthermore, during my recent cultivation, I had a faint冥冥感应… a great calamity is approaching. If I am to transcend my tribulation and become an Immortal, I must do so soon, for only then is there a glimmer of hope. If I delay, I fear I will perish in this coming storm.”

Ji Ning was startled.

A cultivator’s premonitions from冥冥were generally quite accurate. In truth, ever since returning to the Grand Xia world, Ji Ning had also vaguely sensed a terrifying storm brewing. However, he did not share the same feeling of urgency to undergo his tribulation immediately. Clearly, thanks to his mastery of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, his chances of survival were far greater than the Diancai Immortal’s.

“Master.” Ji Ning suddenly waved his hand. Instantly, a pile of books as tall as a man appeared beside him.

“These are…?” The Diancai Immortal was puzzled.

“Daoist scriptures,” Ji Ning replied. He took three thick volumes from the pile. “Master, you should take a look at these three first.”

The Diancai Immortal took them and began to flip through. These scriptures were obtained by Ji Ning after slaying various妖王 and evil patriarchs in the Tristar Crescent Major World! Those powerful figures tended to trust only themselves; to prevent their sect’s scriptures from being destroyed, they would always carry a copy with them. For instance, when the Firewing Demon King destroyed the Qi Kingdom, some of the Qi Kingdom’s scriptures had fallen into his hands, and Ji Ning had subsequently acquired them.

“Excellent sword arts, excellent sword arts!” The Diancai Immortal’s eyes lit up. He quickly flipped through another book and grew excited once more. “Directly pointing to the Dao, directly pointing to the Dao!”

Ji Ning smiled.

One must understand that the Qi Kingdom had opened up a million li of territory in a mere tens of thousands of years; how could their scriptures be insignificant? The twelve great demon kings and the evil patriarchs were all beings comparable to Celestial Immortals. The combined accumulation of their scriptures was astonishing. Although it could not compare to Mount Innerheart, it was a hundred times richer than the Black-White College’s collection!

“Ji Ning, these scriptures…” The Diancai Immortal looked at Ji Ning.

“Rest assured, Master. Your disciple obtained them legitimately, and there are no lingering troubles. They are prepared for you and for the Black-White College,” Ji Ning said. The supreme techniques of the Mount Innerheart lineage could not be passed on due to the Patriarch’s rules. However, the scriptures acquired by killing demon kings and evil patriarchs had no such restrictions.

The Black-White College had over ten Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals, each one no ordinary cultivator. With these new scriptures, their strength could reach another level.

As for the Ji Clan? Ji Ning had already prepared a set of these scriptures for them using the Watermark Art. He believed that as his own power grew, he would be able to obtain even more impressive scriptures. To fulfill his father’s wish, to honor the hopes of the old Patriarchs, and as a member of the Ji Clan himself, it was only right that he make the clan flourish.

“Good, good, good. These scriptures are truly remarkable.” The Diancai Immortal was deeply moved. “These three sword art manuals you selected have inspired me. I must immediately go into seclusion to ponder them. It has significantly increased my chances of surviving the tribulation.”

Ji Ning nodded.

These three manuals were no less profound than the complete ‘Three-Foot Sword’. They were all Dao of the Sword classics! Within the Black-White College’s Retuning Void Earth Immortals, there were only two Sword Immortals: the Diancai Immortal and Ji Ning himself, so no one would compete with the Diancai Immortal for them.

…

“Excellent!”

All the Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals of the Black-White College were summoned to the Diancai Immortal’s dwelling. When they saw the pile of scriptures and began to browse through them, each one was overjoyed.

“A divine ability, ‘Nine Twists’!”

“A divine ability, ‘Bloodshadow Evasion’!”

“A secret art, ‘Thousand Stars Soul Search’!”

“A Pure Yang-level Ki Refining technique! The Black-White College has never had a Pure Yang-level Ki Refining technique before!”

“This is also a Pure Yang-level Ki Refining technique.”

“These are formations.”

“And these are puppet arts?”

The various scriptures had the gathered Immortals’ blood boiling with excitement.

Ji Ning sighed inwardly. On Mount Innerheart, there were even Daluo-level Ki Refining techniques! The Patriarch had created many sword arts, but the sect rules forbade their transmission. He could only give the sect the scriptures he had taken from the demon kings and the evil patriarch, and yet this alone had sent them into a frenzy.

The Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals of the Black-White College were all extraordinary individuals.

In the past, they had lacked good scriptures. Now, with the scriptures Ji Ning had provided, each of them would certainly grow stronger. Even the Wufeng Immortal laughed heartily, “With these scriptures, the fortune of our Black-White College will increase tenfold! Back when the little slacker made it into the top six of the Immortal Fortunes Assembly, and Ji Ning took first place, I knew our fortune was on the rise, and we would only grow stronger. And now, I have finally seen it. With these scriptures, haha… even I might be able to live for another ten thousand years!”

The Wufeng Immortal had originally estimated that he would not survive the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations due in nine hundred years. But now, with a deeper understanding gained from these new scriptures, his strength would increase, and he would naturally live longer.

…

Night.

Ji Ning and the Diancai Immortal walked along a mountain path within the Black-White College.

“Ji Ning, scriptures are the very foundation of a sect. With these, the Black-White College will certainly flourish, and in the future, it might even be able to rival the most top-tier sects in the Grand Xia Dynasty.” The Diancai Immortal looked at Ji Ning. “All of this is because of you. Your contribution this time is immense.”

It was rare for a disciple to give so many powerful scriptures to their sect rather than hoarding them for their own tribe or family.

“This is nothing,” Ji Ning said, shaking his head.

“The Anchan Commandery is in chaos, and even the entire Grand Xia world is seething with undercurrents and unrest.” The Diancai Immortal said, “With these scriptures, the strength of our Black-White College’s most elite Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals can ascend to another level. This will allow more of our people to survive the coming calamity.” He looked at Ji Ning. “At such a critical juncture, a single set of scriptures like this is far more important than ten or a hundred times as many after the calamity has passed.”

Ji Ning was puzzled. “Master, what chaos is there in the Anchan Commandery?”

“You don’t know?” The Diancai Immortal was taken aback.

“I have only just returned to the Grand Xia. I didn’t have much time to chat with Fifth Crazy and the others before you emerged from seclusion,” Ji Ning explained.

The Diancai Immortal nodded. “Then let me tell you. In the Anchan Commandery… ah, your friend, Beishan Baiwei? Over a decade ago, he was nearly assassinated. And this happened within Anchan City itself!”

“What?” Ji Ning was shocked. “Right inside Anchan City? Isn’t that a direct provocation against the Grand Xia Dynasty?”

The Grand Xia’s cities forbade murder.

That was the law!

When the Shaoyin clan had sent the Flowing Cloud Immortal before, that had been a willing suicide strike.

“Is Beishan Baiwei alright now?” Ji Ning pressed.

“He narrowly escaped with his life, and he’s been living well ever since.” The Diancai Immortal said, “In the past two to three decades, there have been over a hundred assassination attempts within Anchan City. Although we all suspect the Blood God Church is responsible, we only have suspicion, no proof. Without proof, the Grand Xia Dynasty couldn’t act against them.”

Ji Ning was confused. “The Blood God Church? One of the eight great powers of the Anchan Commandery? Would they have the nerve?”

Over a hundred assassinations within Anchan City. It was madness.

“Why wouldn’t they? Their courage is far greater than you imagine.” The Diancai Immortal shook his head. “The Blood God Church is a gathering of madmen, and their recently revealed strength is astonishing. In several clashes with the Anchan Northmont clan, the Anchan Northmont clan has actually been at a consistent disadvantage!”

“What?” Ji Ning couldn’t believe it.

The Anchan Northmont clan ruled this entire region. They were a marquis!

The Blood God Church was merely one of eight great powers.

In theory, if the Anchan Northmont clan truly set their mind to destroying the Blood God Church, it shouldn’t have been a difficult task.

“The Blood God Church’s true strength is far greater than it appeared on the surface,” the Diancai Immortal said. “The Church’s leader even fought against Tuoshan Celestial Immortal! Tuoshan Celestial Immortal couldn’t do anything to him. Many of the Anchan Northmont clan’s outposts and immortal armies have been forcibly uprooted and slaughtered by the Blood God Church. Whether it’s the clashes of Loose Immortals or the battles of ordinary disciples, the Anchan Northmont clan hasn’t been able to gain the upper hand. You could say it’s been a stalemate.”

Ji Ning listened in disbelief.

A marquis, the rightful ruler of the region, couldn’t eliminate one of the eight great powers within their own territory?

“The Blood God Church’s leader wasn’t this strong in the past.” The Diancai Immortal shook his head. “I’ve even crossed blows with ‘Blood God Zi,’ the leader of the Blood God Church. Only a short time has passed, and his power has risen to be on par with a Celestial Immortal.”

Ji Ning nodded.

“The Anchan Northmont clan is feeling the sting now. They want to recruit the other seven great powers to join them in dealing with the Blood God Church,” the Diancai Immortal said. “But it’s not just our Anchan Commandery that’s in turmoil. The entire Grand Xia world is in chaos. How could any of our sects or tribes act carelessly?”

“How did this happen?” Ji Ning frowned.

The entire Grand Xia world was in chaos. It felt as though the old order had been shattered.

It seemed that an incredibly terrifying hand was manipulating everything from the shadows.

“Because the entire Grand Xia world is in upheaval, and the Blood God Church has suddenly grown so powerful, we all suspect they have a great secret backing them.” The Diancai Immortal warned, “Ji Ning, don’t be foolish and charge headfirst into this mess. This is the Anchan Northmont clan’s headache. They should be the ones worrying about it.”

“Mm.” Ji Ning nodded. “Master, you should rest. Your disciple will go and see the other senior and junior fellow disciples.”

“Your fellow disciples? Do you even know where your junior apprentice-brother Mu Northson is?” the Diancai Immortal asked.

“I don’t. I haven’t seen him in over thirty years. I was hoping to see him,” Ji Ning said, a note of concern entering his voice. “What’s wrong? Has something happened to him?”

The Diancai Immortal shook his head. “Mu Northson… over twenty years ago, he and his Dao-companion vanished without a trace!”