The Quiet Before the Storm

Fuxi mused for a moment, then said, “Ji Ning, how much of the power of the most powerful Karmic Punishment Deity can you control?”

“I have completely mastered it,” Ji Ning said respectfully.

“Oh…”

Fuxi revealed a faint smile. “This type of grand formation, commanding a host of Celestial Immortals and a vast sea of Loose Immortals, places extremely high demands on one’s own ki, heartforce, and heartforce-soul divine abilities. Among the Empyrean Gods and True Immortals of the Three Realms, you are the most skilled at commanding such a formation. Because no one before you was as adept, a formation of this scale is already the absolute limit.”

Ji Ning nodded.

There were many formations similar to the Xingtian Formation. His master, Subhuti, also possessed similar ones, but their power was comparable to the Xingtian Formation, so Ji Ning had never switched.

“The fourth level of heartforce, plus the ability to comprehend heartforce-soul divine abilities… you are indeed very talented in this regard.” Fuxi smiled. “In a few days, I will bestow upon you a formation that will allow you to command even more Celestial Immortals and Loose Immortals, greatly increasing its power! However, controlling it will also be far more difficult.”

“Thank you, Human Sovereign,” Ji Ning said joyfully.

Even if the Human Sovereign bestowed a magic treasure, Ji Ning wouldn’t have been this excited.

He already possessed innate spirit-treasures, and with his two true body avatars currently besieging True Gods and True Immortals in the World Prison, he would soon have many powerful treasures. Unless Fuxi bestowed a supreme chaos treasure… but was that possible? Even many supreme Daofathers didn’t have such items.

What Ji Ning urgently needed was a formation stronger than the Xingtian Formation.

His current strongest combat method was the ‘Karmic Punishment Deity,’ and he had already pushed its power to its absolute limit. There was no room for improvement. Yet, the Three Realms had no better formation. To create a formation surpassing the Xingtian type was something very few in the Three Realms could do.

And Fuxi was, without a doubt, the absolute greatest master of the ‘Dao of Formations’ in the Three Realms.

“It’s not difficult for me. While perfecting my Water-Fire Annihilation Formation, I can spend a little effort to create it. It should be done within ten years,” Fuxi said.

“Disciple.” Bodhi looked at Ji Ning from the side. “Fuxi personally creating a formation for someone… that’s an extremely rare occurrence. Fuxi, Ji Ning and I will take our leave now.”

“Alright.” Fuxi nodded with a smile. “I’ll have to trouble you to first leave my grand formation.”

Whoosh.

A passage opened in the endless sea of fire ahead.

Bodhi immediately led Ji Ning, flying through the passage. This was within the range of the Water-Fire Annihilation Formation. Even Bodhi could not directly teleport through space here; he had to leave the formation’s range before he could use his techniques. After all, the formation Fuxi had spent endless epochs perfecting possessed incredibly terrifying power.

…

They returned to Mount Innerheart.

“Master,” Ji Ning said respectfully. “May I teach the ‘Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu’ technique to Uncle White and the others?”

Bodhi said, “It’s your gain, so normally, I wouldn’t stop you. However, it’s best not to teach them. After all, your spirit-beasts are all too weak. The Seamless Gate couldn’t silently steal the technique from your memories, but they haven’t even passed the Heavenly Tribulation. They could easily have the technique extracted from their minds in their sleep by that Godking.”

“Alright. If you wish to teach them, teach them the ‘Twelve Capital Heavens Fiendgods’ technique instead. It’s a similar method, and the Seamless Gate already possesses it.” Bodhi flipped his hand, producing a bamboo scroll which he handed to Ji Ning.

Ji Ning accepted it respectfully.

“This method is slightly less difficult to cultivate than the Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu. However, cultivating such techniques—whether splitting your soul into eighteen or twelve—is very dangerous for the weak. It’s best to wait until you’ve become a Celestial Immortal before beginning,” Bodhi instructed. “You can also cultivate this Twelve Capital Heavens Fiendgods. There are those in the Three Realms who have succeeded, transforming into twelve avatars, each able to recover to their original body’s level.”

“Understood.”

Ji Ning replied, “I’ll go see the Whitewater Hound and the others first, then leave the Tristar Crescent Major World.”

“Go ahead,” Bodhi nodded.

…

Ji Ning first carefully studied the Twelve Capital Heavens Fiendgods. It was very similar to the Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu.

It also had three levels.

First level: The main body could transform into twelve avatars, but their power would all be inferior to the original. This state was actually more of a loss than a gain; its only benefit was a significant increase in survivability.

Second level: The power of the twelve avatars would rise to match the original body’s level.

Third level: The twelve avatars could merge back into the main body, causing the main body’s power to skyrocket astonishingly.

It was almost identical to the Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu.

However, its difficulty was clearly lower, and its demand for external resources was also less. The rare materials needed to cultivate the second level could still be found within the Three Realms! Although they could be found, they were still precious and rare. Furthermore, the higher one’s level of power, the more of these materials were required for cultivation, making the cost even steeper.

When Ji Ning had searched the memories of the prisoners in the World Prison, he had also gleaned some information. For instance, ‘Fairy Qianrou’ was the granddaughter of the Nine Directions Lord. The other imprisoned Empyrean Gods and Celestial Immortals were also of extraordinary status and knew a great deal.

For example, to cultivate the second level of the Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu, a top-tier Celestial Immortal would need roughly one bottle of Chaos Nectar!

Ji Ning had used about a bottle himself, with even a little left over. This was because Ji Ning was a mere True Immortal of the lowest grade. While the ‘quality’ of his ki was comparable to that of the strongest Celestial Immortals, the ‘quantity’ of his ki was far less. The top-tier Celestial Immortals nourished their golden cores with the endless, vast heavens and earth. The space within their golden cores was astonishing, and naturally, they contained far more ki.

A top-tier True Immortal would need roughly a hundred bottles of Chaos Nectar.

Whether it was their golden core or their soul, the strongest True Immortals were far more powerful than the strongest Celestial Immortals.

The strongest True Immortals… their mind’s reach alone was vast enough to cover an entire Chaosworld! In the Three Realms, only True Gods and Daofathers possessed such ability. The range of one’s mind’s reach indicated the power of one’s soul. To split such a soul into eighteen parts and then elevate each to the level of the original… the consumption of Chaos Nectar was immense.

For a top-tier Ancestral Immortal, the cost would increase another hundredfold!

The higher one’s power, the more astonishing the price to achieve the same eighteen avatars. Even the ‘Nine Directions Lord’ had only managed to cultivate the second level while he was a True Immortal. As for the Ancestral Immortal stage… through countless dangers and fortuitous encounters within the Chaos, he finally cultivated the third level of the Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu. From then on, his power skyrocketed, making him an absolute hegemon among Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals. Later, upon breaking through to the World level, he established his vast power, killed other World-level cultivators, and even had two World-level existences following him.

Throughout the entire Nine Directions Chaosworld, the Nine Directions Lord was the only one to have fully cultivated the technique.

…

Within a quiet little city.

The black-robed Ji Ning sat in a tavern, holding a wine cup as he gazed into the distance. On the street far away, a woman was strolling with a little girl.

The woman was Autumn Leaf.

The little girl was Brightmoon.

“Uncle White, Junior Apprentice-Brother Northson.” Ji Ning looked at Mu Northson and Uncle White, who were sitting nearby. “Wait here. I’ll return to the manor for a bit and be back soon.”

“Alright, Senior Apprentice-Brother. Go ahead, we’ll stay here,” Mu Northson said with a smile.

“Rest assured, Ning’er.” Uncle White also spoke.

These days, they had been roaming the Tristar Crescent Major World, accompanying the child-like Brightmoon. Their days were leisurely and carefree, allowing Mu Northson, Uncle White, and the others to find greater peace and joy in their hearts.

The black-robed Ji Ning nodded, then vanished without a trace. Although some in the tavern might have seen him, they didn’t realize anything was amiss.

…

Outside the small city was a seemingly simple immortal estate. This was a Pure Yang magic treasure controlled by Ji Ning’s second true body, and it served as their temporary home. To properly raise and care for his daughter Brightmoon, he couldn’t just rush her around the Tristar Crescent Major World. They needed to settle down in one place for a long time.

The black-robed Ji Ning flew into the immortal estate.

The white-robed Ji Ning was already inside. He had come specifically to deliver a bottle of Chaos Nectar.

Half a day passed.

Within a quiet meditation chamber in the immortal estate.

Eighteen black-robed Ji Nings sat cross-legged, their auras completely restrained, looking like ordinary mortals. They all opened their eyes simultaneously, faint smiles on their faces.

“The second level… is complete.”

Ji Ning’s true body left behind the scroll of the Twelve Capital Heavens Fiendgods and departed.

Using one bottle of Chaos Nectar, the second true body had also cultivated the Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu to the second level. These eighteen avatars had all activated the aura-concealing technique. When Ji Ning had broken through to become a Pure Yang True Immortal, Patriarch Subhuti had given him this aura-concealing technique. Even the great powers of the Three Realms couldn’t detect that Ji Ning had already become a Pure Yang True Immortal.

Ji Ning was still concealing his aura.

With his eighteen avatars, unless Ji Ning actively revealed his power, no one would know how strong these eighteen avatars of his second true body truly were.

Five Treasures Mountain, the Sword Immortal Realm.

Ji Ning had returned.

“Everything is arranged,” Ji Ning said, standing before the thatched cottage, gazing at the towering Five Treasures Mountain. The mountain still emitted that breathtaking pressure. “The stone tablet is hidden. In this great tribulation, I have gained another sliver of a chance for survival. My second true body has also cultivated to the eighteen-avatar stage. However, I have only sixteen bottles of Chaos Nectar left.”

Swoosh.

Ji Ning flew to the second peak of Five Treasures Mountain, began to study the second chapter of the Five Treasures Sword Art, and then entered a state of deep contemplation.

Within the underwater estate, the fifteen avatars of his true body all sat cross-legged, completely immersed in comprehending the Five Treasures Sword Art.

Within the stone tablet, his two true body avatars were expending a tiny amount of ki to maintain the ‘Eight-Fire Cosmos-World’, but it required almost no mental effort. They, too, were deep in contemplation of the Five Treasures Sword Art.

Within the Tristar Crescent Major World, seventeen avatars of his second true body were all studying the Five Treasures Sword Art. Only a single avatar was completely focused on caring for his daughter.

At this moment.

Between Ji Ning’s true body and his second true body, a total of thirty-five avatars were simultaneously comprehending the Five Treasures Sword Art. Compared to before he had cultivated the Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu, Ji Ning’s cultivation speed was now a staggering thirty-five times faster.

“Mysterious and profound beyond measure… this sword art…”

Thirty-five avatars, their memories linked. If one comprehended something, they all comprehended it. A torrent of insights surged endlessly within their shared memory.