The Heart of the Abyss

Although the interior of the Flame Star was terrifyingly deadly, the power of the flames roiling across its surface was merely average, enough to harm Loose Immortals at best.

A white-robed youth stood perfectly still.

The two sets of memories from six hundred years were in the process of merging.

If the Ji Ning within the Moon Underwater Abyss could be described as a sword-fanatic, a sword-devotee, wholly immersed in the blade while his ‘heart’ remained somewhat restless and untransformed, then the Ji Ning of the outside world had undergone a fundamental transformation in his ‘heart.’ He had swept through the World Prison for six hundred years, soul-searched countless prisoners, and witnessed a vast trove of memories.

Dark, mad, sweet, cold…

Each soul-search left its mark on Ji Ning. For ordinary mortals, viewing another’s memories could blur the lines with their own. Someone of Ji Ning’s caliber wouldn’t suffer such confusion, though heart-demons could still arise. But if one could endure them, it became a tempering of the soul.

To Ji Ning, the heart-demons born from soul-searches were nothing; yet his heart gradually transformed, becoming like an endless abyss capable of bearing all things.

And his journey through the Three Realms, comprehending the Ninefold Chaos Seal, continued to polish his heart…

…

One man’s sword-realm was astonishing.

The other man’s heart was transforming.

Mortals say that concentration yields better results; the same level of sword-art, wielded by different hearts, produces completely different results.

“My sword… it leans too heavily toward sharpness, lacking a certain sedimentation. Earlier, within the Moon Underwater Abyss, I could never break through.” The white-robed youth murmured to himself. He pointed a finger forward. At the very tip of his finger, two opposing, twisting, tearing forces manifested faintly. Whoosh! The very void was pierced through.

“Now… I’ve finally made a breakthrough.”

Ji Ning nodded gently.

For six hundred years in the Moon Underwater Abyss, Ji Ning had been almost completely immersed in sword-art. In particular, studying the ninety-eight stele left behind by World God Northrest had shown him a brand new path. He had long sought to reach the fifth level of Sword Force, but from the fourth to the fifth level was as difficult as ascending to heaven. Only the great god Houyi, for example, had reached the fifth level of Heartforce.

The fifth level of Sword Force—within the Three Realms, one could count them on one’s fingers.

To reach the fifth level in just a few hundred years was far too difficult. Ji Ning had kept striving, and though he hadn’t broken through in Sword Force, he had blazed a different trail. He gradually came to comprehend the ‘Force of Yin’ and the ‘Force of Yang,’ and even fused them to form ‘Wuji Force.’ The insights from World God Northrest’s sword-art were constantly being integrated into this Wuji Force.

World God Northrest’s sword-art actually contained many types of power—Sword Force, Wuji Force, Spacetime Force…

But clearly, Ji Ning was more adept at understanding Yin and Yang through the sword. He had realized Wuji Force. In truth, back in his Yan Mountain days, Ji Ning had simultaneously trained in both Water and Fire sword-arts. Water and fire in harmony—even then, he had instinctively grasped Yin and Yang. Yet his training time was still so short; in the past, his mind had always been focused on the ‘Dao of the Sword’ and the ‘Grand Dao of Rainwater.’ He simply hadn’t wished to be distracted.

Inside the Moon Underwater Abyss, Ji Ning couldn’t comprehend other Daos. He could only focus on the sword.

And so, he realized Wuji Force.

Three years, and Wuji Force entered the door. Strictly speaking, if he were outside, he would have already completely mastered the Grand Dao of Wuji.

Twenty years, and Wuji Force reached the second layer.

In less than a hundred years, the third layer.

But the fourth layer had always eluded him.

It wasn’t until he left the Moon Underwater Abyss, merged his memories with his outside-world clone, underwent a transformation of the heart, and absorbed six hundred years of sword-art insights from the outside world that Ji Ning naturally reached the fourth layer of Wuji Force. Importantly, because Ji Ning had been studying World God Northrest’s sword-art, his Wuji Force and Sword Force had been fused together from the very start, seamlessly and perfectly.

“The fifth level of Sword Force…” Ji Ning could feel it becoming clearer and clearer.

“It seems the insight of my predecessors was correct.” Ji Ning nodded to himself.

Among the numerous bamboo slips left by World God Northrest were not only techniques but also some basic cultivation knowledge and introductions to the Endless Chaos. Unfortunately, World God Northrest had been frantically fleeing, even crossing countless spacetime dimensions to reach the Three Realms. Maps, organizational structures, and the like from the Endless Chaos were useless to Ji Ning for now.

But cultivation knowledge was extremely useful.

According to World God Northrest, to reach the fifth level of the Sword Dao, it was best to integrate other forces into one’s sword-art, making it more powerful. The more powerful the sword-art, the closer one could get to the fifth level of Sword Force.

To reach the sixth level of Sword Force—the true ‘Sword World’ level—that was already the World God realm, completely transcending the Heavenly Dao. One method to aid in this was to train in sword-art that surpassed the Heavenly Dao. Because the World God realm completely transcended the Heavenly Dao, cultivating a sword-art that surpassed it—even if only in one aspect, like the Five Treasures Sword Art which surpassed it in speed—would still tear open a crack in the completely sealed Heavenly Dao, bringing Ji Ning closer to that level.

“With guidance from those who came before, it’s like standing on the shoulders of giants.” Ji Ning had no aversion to guidance.

His goal was simply to keep improving himself, even to surpass his predecessors.

Back when he had personally sent Yu Wei into the Infinity Hells, a realization had struck his heart, and he had spoken: ‘I am but a mote of dust from the lowest of places, yet my heart yearns for the heavens above.’ This spoke volumes about his innermost being.

…

“Hm? I’ve comprehended the Dao of Rainwater?”

The white-robed youth stood on the surface of the Flame Star, suddenly startled.

With the Five Treasures Sword Art perfected, he could finally comprehend Daos. In just a few breaths of time, he had fully mastered the Dao of Rainwater. It was mainly because Ji Ning’s realm was so high. Back when he was a mortal, his ninth senior apprentice-brother ‘Jun Wu,’ while still a child, had completely comprehended a Dao overnight after a single pointer from Bodhi. What realm was Ji Ning at? In terms of sword-art, he commanded a sword-art that surpassed the Heavenly Dao, perfectly fused Sword Force and Wuji Force, and had absorbed the essence of World God Northrest’s sword-art. The Brightmoon Sword-Art he had created was already unquestionably number one in the Three Realms.

With such a high realm, with such a level of Heartforce…

Comprehending Daos? It was only natural and effortless.

“Time to go to the World Prison.” The white-robed youth mounted his boat, tearing through the void, and departed.

…

Arriving at the Frozen Star, he entered the World Prison.

“I’ve comprehended the Dao of Lightning?” Ji Ning was startled just moments after entering the World Prison. Before training in the Five Treasures Sword Art, he had essentially no talent whatsoever in the Dao of Thunder and Lightning. But now, his comprehension was incredibly fast, second only to the Dao of Rainwater. He hadn’t even comprehended the Dao of Blazing Fire yet, but he had already mastered the Dao of Lightning.

Still, it made sense.

His divine body had long been tempered into a ‘Lightning Divine Body.’ In terms of the body’s affinity with lightning, he was even higher than the Primordial-born Lord of Thunder, the Divine Thundergod. He was perfectly suited to the Nine-Horned Lightning Serpent. His affinity with lightning was like that of a Golden Crow with the sun.

In fact, in terms of pure talent, Ji Ning’s talent for lightning was even higher than his talent for water. It was only because he had once mastered the Grand Dao of Rainwater that, despite forgetting those memories, a certain instinct led him to swiftly and naturally comprehend the Dao of Rainwater.

And then…

The Dao of Blazing Fire, the Dao of Gale Winds—one after another, he began to comprehend them. Even the Dao of Space began to show signs of awakening.

“With a deep foundation, one comprehends at a high level.” Ji Ning remained calm.

According to World God Northrest, different Chaosworlds have different Heavenly Daos. Even the ‘Heavenly Dao of Earth’ was called ‘Earth’ in the Pangu Chaosworld, but ‘Ground Dao’ in the Seamless Chaosworld. While they were largely similar, differences still existed.

For a truly powerful cultivator, as long as their foundation was deep enough—their Sword Force, Wuji Force, Taiji Force, Chaos Force, and other fundamental powers were cultivated to a sufficiently high level—then no matter which Chaosworld they entered, they could rapidly comprehend a vast number of Daos in a short time. Ji Ning’s foundation was now deep enough.

“The World Prison.”

“In the past, my horizons were too narrow. Or perhaps, even those True Gods and True Immortals of the Nine Directions Chaosworld had horizons that were equally narrow.” Ji Ning couldn’t help but sigh.

Standing on a grassy plain in the World Prison, eighteen white-robed youths stood scattered around him. Before them were arrayed a large number of Innate spirit-treasures and various rare curiosities. Among them, the one with the most powerful aura was a sword—the Northsea Sword.

After six hundred years of sweeping conquest, over twenty True Gods and True Immortals had fallen! This had finally allowed one of Ji Ning’s six Northsea Swords to absorb enough baleful aura and, through the ‘Karmic Sin Weapon’ technique, to evolve to the ‘Chaos Treasure’ level.

“Fortunately, World God Northrest left behind some techniques that allowed me to identify the uses of many of these treasures.”

(To be continued…)