The Master's Debriefing and the Truth of the Alien War

Between the white clouds, a spatial vortex appeared out of nowhere, and a Daoist-robed elder and a young man walked out of it.

Ji Ning looked down.

He immediately saw Mount Innerheart, and could even clearly see the many disciples of the Mount Innerheart sect living their peaceful lives on the mountain.

“Let’s go.” Subhuti led Ji Ning directly downwards, soon arriving at the very core of the Tristar Crescent Abode on Mount Innerheart—that seemingly ordinary Daoist temple. This temple was also Patriarch Subhuti’s usual place of quiet cultivation, a place that disciples like Ji Ning did not dare to disturb carelessly.

Inside the Daoist temple.

After descending, Subhuti sat cross-legged on a high seat.

Ji Ning bowed respectfully: “If it weren’t for you, Master, coming to my rescue, I fear I would never have had a chance to return to the Three Realms. I am deeply ashamed for causing you, Master, to travel so far on my behalf.”

Subhuti smiled. “Sit.”

Ji Ning selected a cattail cushion below and sat cross-legged.

“How was the Karmic Hellfire?” Subhuti asked.

“I would not wish to experience it a second time,” Ji Ning said. “Even now, the Karmic Hellfire clings to me constantly. Although there is a burning pain, I can still endure it. This descent of the Karmic Hellfire was a tribulation, but it also granted me no small harvest.”

“Misfortune is where good fortune depends,” Subhuti said with a laugh. “What level has your Heartforce reached?”

“The third level,” Ji Ning said.

Subhuti nodded with a smile. “I noticed that when you fought that alien race, your use of Heartforce on your sword-finger had reached a point where not a trace leaked out. It seems you have comprehended the method of applying it through the finger.”

“After eighteen years of continuous battle, I have gained some insights,” Ji Ning said.

“Do you know why that alien race didn’t kill you, but instead fought you for eighteen years?” Subhuti countered.

Ji Ning was startled, then shook his head. “Those aliens said they were using me as a target to temper their warriors. But I feel… that might not be the real reason.”

Subhuti nodded gently. “Your feeling is correct. Because you have mastered Heartforce and understand the methods of using it. And Heartforce… is a very mysterious type of power, one that even True Gods and Daofathers are still studying. There are five levels of Heartforce. The first level is relatively weak, but each subsequent level brings earth-shattering changes. The third level is already quite astonishing, and with it, you have even reached the threshold of an Empyrean God.”

Ji Ning understood.

The first level was relatively weak, providing almost negligible enhancement to one’s strength. The second level brought a clear explosion in power. The third level basically gave a massive boost on top of one’s original foundation. The fourth level was the limit of the current strongest archers in the Three Realms, and the fifth level was that of Houyi, who had long since vanished.

“Heartforce is very formidable. If you can reach the fifth level, then even if you are merely an Empyrean God, you will possess the strength of a Daofather or True God.” Subhuti looked at Ji Ning. “The peak of Heartforce is even more powerful than your Starseizing Hand. You have talent in Heartforce, so you must not slacken your efforts.”

“Your disciple understands,” Ji Ning nodded.

But reaching the fifth level was not so easily achieved.

The only publicly known cultivator in the Three Realms to have reached the fifth level was Houyi. Perhaps there were some top True Gods and Daofathers who had secretly reached the fifth level without revealing or displaying it. Still, it was clear that the fifth level was incredibly difficult.

“The reason that alien race from the Broken Horn World didn’t kill you was that the master of the Broken Horn World had long since descended his will upon those warriors,” Subhuti said. “He wanted to use the repeated battles with you to carefully sense your Heartforce fluctuations and deduce the method of Heartforce cultivation. I suspect that in these eighteen years, the master of the Broken Horn World has gained something. Heartforce is a unique technique controlled by our Three Realms, and it absolutely must not be spread.”

“They gained something? Cannot be spread?” Ji Ning was shocked. “Master, I…”

“The entire Broken Horn World has already been annihilated by me, and the master of the Broken Horn World is also dead. Any Heartforce techniques they might have deduced are now useless,” Subhuti said.

Ji Ning breathed a sigh of relief, then felt a surge of shock.

The Broken Horn World was destroyed?

Master had saved him and brought him back to Mount Innerheart, never even leaving his side. Yet, without Ji Ning even knowing it, he had already destroyed an entire Broken Horn World and even killed its master. Ji Ning, from the earlier battle between the three Mother Queen avatars and the seven Empyrean Gods, could guess that the master of the Broken Horn World was certainly very powerful.

“My master is truly unfathomable,” Ji Ning thought to himself.

“By the way, about that Dao-companion of yours, the one called Yu Wei,” Subhuti said. “She has already渡过天劫 and become a Celestial Immortal. Did you know?”

“Senior apprentice-sister Yu has become a Celestial Immortal?” Ji Ning felt both joy and surprise.

Surprise came because she had become a Celestial Immortal before him. Before leaving with Patriarch Lu, her strength at the Immortal Fortunes Assembly wasn’t particularly dazzling. Who would have thought that in just a few decades, she would become a Celestial Immortal? Even faster than him!

“When will your Primaltwin undergo its tribulation?” Subhuti asked. What the master was most concerned about, naturally, was this matter of渡过天劫, the greatest trial for a cultivator.

“Very soon,” Ji Ning said.

“You need to comprehend the method of applying Heartforce to your Immortal flying swords,” Subhuti said. “Given your experiences and opportunities, even though your Primaltwin follows the Ki Refining path, its tribulation will likely be quite severe. If you can use Heartforce on your Immortal flying swords, greatly increasing their power, I believe your chances of successfully渡劫 will be much higher. In these eighteen years, you have comprehended the method of using it on your sword-finger. The difference between the sword-finger and Immortal flying swords isn’t that great, as both are a form of swordsmanship… I believe you can comprehend it.”

“Yes.” Ji Ning also understood his master’s concern.

Indeed.

If his Primaltwin could also use Heartforce while executing the Grand Thousand Sword Formation, the increase in his strength would be astonishing, and his chances of渡劫 would indeed be much greater.

“Your disciple will definitely comprehend the method of using Heartforce for Immortal flying swords before渡劫,” Ji Ning said.

“As for your true body, it would be best to wait until your Sword Dao is complete before你渡劫 to become an Empyrean God,” Subhuti added.

“Sword Dao complete?” Ji Ning was startled.

Although his Sword Dao was very advanced, he was still a distance away from completing it. Moreover, the closer one got to completion, the harder it was to break through the bottleneck.

“You have already grasped Sword Force, which can be considered an understanding of the Sword Dao’s essence. It is entirely possible for you to comprehend the complete Sword Dao while still at the Void level. Only then will you have some measure of certainty.” Subhuti looked seriously at Ji Ning. “I am not too worried about your Primaltwin渡劫, but you must be extremely cautious when your true body渡劫.”

Ji Ning also felt an invisible pressure.

He nodded gently.

Indeed.

Now that he had returned to the Three Realms, his connection to the vague, invisible forces of destiny was much stronger. The moment his true body's tribulation was mentioned, a feeling of dread arose in Ji Ning’s heart. He knew this was a warning from the vague forces of fate. In the Three Realms, there were true monsters born from the pure essence of the world. The more monstrous they were, the more terrifying the Heavenly Tribulation. If they managed to survive it, they would truly soar and become legendary figures of the Three Realms. But the vast majority died under the Heavenly Tribulation!

“Little Bear,” Subhuti suddenly called out.

With a whoosh, the yellow-furred bear appeared beside Ji Ning. The great bear knelt respectfully and said, “Little Bear pays respects to the Daofather.”

“Tell those seven to come out,” Subhuti said.

“Yes.” The yellow-furred bear did not dare to be negligent.

Ji Ning’s heart tensed. He was extremely curious about those seven Empyrean Gods. After all, back when he was at the aquatic palace’s War God Hall, it was the avatar formed from a drop of Empyrean God Red Snow’s blood that had tested him. And earlier, when he was in danger, it was these seven Empyrean Gods who had come to his rescue.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Seven figures appeared out of thin air. They all looked human, but this was just a form they had taken. As Fiendgods, their true bodies were generally enormous and their appearances were diverse. The most supreme beings, like Pangu and Nuwa, all closely resembled the human race, so Fiendgods also liked to take human form. Many Fiendgods even secretly speculated that the reason the human race had such astonishing potential was that Nuwa had created them using Pangu as a template.

“Greetings, Patriarch.” The seven Empyrean Gods all bowed respectfully.

“Thank you, Patriarch, for saving our lives earlier.” Empyrean God Red Snow, at the lead, said respectfully.

“Even if I hadn’t come, you would have been able to live,” Subhuti said with a laugh. “You could have returned to the Starseizing Manor, returned to your own world, and hidden Ji Ning inside it. In a direct fight, you couldn’t match the Broken Horn World. But with the formation restrictions covering your world, you could have held them off.”

“But those were three Daofathers…” Empyrean God Red Snow said in astonishment, and the other six Empyrean Gods were also stunned.

Returning to Daoist Threelives’ world and relying on the grand formation restrictions covering it to resist the external enemy—that was their last resort. But a Daofather was incredibly powerful, and this time there were three of them. They didn’t think they could hold them off.

But Patriarch Subhuti was who he was. Since he said this, there had to be a reason.

“Three Daofathers? You give those three little insects too much credit.” Subhuti shook his head. “Those beings are not of our Three Realms, and you know nothing about them. You cannot simply judge their strength by using the power classifications of our Three Realms.”

The seven Empyrean Gods were curious.

Ji Ning was also curious.

“In that Broken Horn World, there were eighteen beings wearing golden cloaks. According to your classification, that would be eighteen Empyrean Gods, right?” Subhuti said. “But in reality, all their horned warriors have vital points. Once their magical core in their body is destroyed, they are dead.”

“As for the immortals of our Three Realms, although the immortals’ physical bodies are relatively weak, they can control their magic treasures from a great distance and don’t need to fight in close quarters. As for Empyrean Gods and True Gods who fight in close quarters, they have no vital points at all.” Subhuti said. “But these beings can only fight in close quarters, and they also have vital points.”

“As for those three little insects, their actual combat strength is not very strong, only at the peak Empyrean God level. What they are good at is birthing. Their birthing ability is astonishing.” Subhuti sighed with emotion. “In that ancient calamity, there were over ten thousand of these little insects. They birthed endless warriors, and these warriors could even fuse together into one… Kill one batch, and another batch would appear. Under the control of their master, these ten thousand little insects caused our Three Realms to suffer heavy losses.”

Ji Ning was shocked. “Ten thousand? Master, you said they have a master?”

During that ancient calamity…

What exactly had happened?

“These little insects share a common master,” Subhuti said with a sigh. “A being far more powerful than me. Only Mother Nuwa could suppress him. Fortunately, that demon lord is already dead.”

“Red Snow, you are only one step away from becoming a True God or Daofather. Cultivate well, and become a True God or Daofather as soon as possible.” Subhuti looked at Empyrean God Red Snow.

“Red Snow understands,” Empyrean God Red Snow said respectfully.

“Ji Ning probably has things to say to you all.” Subhuti smiled. “Alright, all of you return to the Grand Xia world. If you have anything to say, you can talk it over amongst yourselves.”

Subhuti waved his hand.

A spatial vortex appeared before them.

“Yes, Master.” Ji Ning bowed respectfully. The seven Empyrean Gods also bowed. Then, together, they stepped into the spatial vortex, leaving Mount Innerheart and heading for the Grand Xia world.