The Divine Sword Realm Forged

Ji Ning closed his eyes.

Countless insights regarding the sword surged through his mind, like mist converging and coalescing. And then — boom — all of that mist suddenly congealed into a single 'seed.' A seed faintly wreathed in sword-qi. This seed of sword-essence was entirely a condensation of Ji Ning's comprehension of the primordial source of the sword. He could sense it within his heart.

It was not something visible to the naked eye. It was something only his inner senses could perceive.

This Dao-seed now rested within Ji Ning's heart.

"Whew."

Ji Ning let out a soft breath and opened his eyes.

Within the Azurejade Divinity Hall, everything had returned to calm. The rainbow sword-light that had manifested around his body earlier had vanished completely. Ji Ning appeared utterly ordinary, yet a chilling, heart-stopping sharpness lurked deep within his eyes.

"So this is it. When one's sword-insights coalesce into a Dao-seed, one naturally acquires its divine aura," Ji Ning murmured to himself.

Thanks to the guidance of World God Northrest,

Ji Ning had a clear understanding of the path a Sword Immortal must walk.

The fifth level of Sword Force — the 'Divine Sword Realm.' It meant one's comprehension of the sword's primordial source had reached such a towering height that upon breaking through the bottleneck, a 'Dao-seed' would naturally condense. Just as a plant requires a seed to sprout and flourish, this 'Dao-seed' naturally took on the true aura of the primordial source of the sword. From that point forward, every single movement Ji Ning made — every gesture — would carry the immense, transcendent might of the sword's source. That might was the fifth level of Sword Force. It was the rainbow sword-light.

"At last, I've stepped into the Divine Sword Realm." Ji Ning extended his index and middle fingers, forming a sword-finger. Huum, huum, huum~~~ A rainbow sword-light began to flow along his fingertips.

That rainbow sword-light was incomparably lively, brimming with a transcendent, sharp aura.

Crushing and irresistible!

Unstoppable!

This was the sword.

"No wonder the fifth level of Sword Force was so difficult to achieve. If I hadn't had the Ninefold Chaos Seal and the Sword-Art Stelae to assist me, and hadn't used those True Gods and True Immortals as my whetstones… I might never have broken through, even after countless ages." Only now, after breaking through, did he truly grasp the utterly transformative nature of the 'Divine Sword Realm.'

Only at this moment did Ji Ning feel he had finally touched the true essence of the 'primordial source of the sword.'

He also understood now that the path of the Sword Immortal could stretch on for an incredibly long, long time. Even World God Northrest had merely been a traveler upon that road.

"Excellent. The stronger, the better. If the pinnacle were already in sight… that would be boring." Ji Ning rose to his feet and strode out of the Azurejade Divinity Hall. He gazed at the Sword-Art Stela outside. "I've just stepped into the Divine Sword Realm. I need to carefully consolidate my foundation. I should also study the sword-arts left behind by World God Northrest, and then integrate them into my Brightmoon Sword-Art."

……

Now that he was studying the Sword-Art Stela, everything came far more easily. Many concepts that had once been incomprehensible were now suddenly clear, and his understanding of the sword continued to climb.

He integrated every new insight into his Brightmoon Sword-Art. The Brightmoon Sword-Art was the embodiment of Ji Ning's understanding of the sword; all comprehension and insight could be merged into it.

This period of meditation lasted for over three months.

Whoosh.

Ji Ning held the Northsea sword in his hand and swung it gently.

The rainbow sword-light flowed, and the world suddenly seemed dreamlike and illusory, layered with phantom after phantom. The naked eye could barely track it. This was the current state of the 'Shadowless Stance' within the Brightmoon Sword-Art.

"Making any further improvements in a short period of time will be difficult," Ji Ning mused. "That imprisoned True God has the 'Heaven-Gazing Taihao Tower.' I absolutely have to get my hands on that treasure. With enough time, I'll be able to grow even stronger. But before I fight that imprisoned True God… I should first find another opponent to test my sword-arts against."

Sword-arts. They had to be tempered in the crucible of battle before they could become true, lethal sword-arts.

If one merely trained in seclusion, one might reach a high level of enlightenment, yet one's actual combat prowess would still be lacking.

"Who should I use as a whetstone? Hm…" A smile crept across Ji Ning's face. "Him."

On a desolate plain.

An old, gaunt figure sat cross-legged in meditation.

"Mn?" He suddenly lifted his head, his gaze locking onto a distant point high in the air. A white-robed youth was descending from the sky.

"Keeper?" A cold sneer curled on the old man's lips. "So you dare come to me again."

Whoosh!

The white-robed youth landed on the ground, a mere few hundred zhang away from the old man. He was well within the thousand-li sealed range. The old man could attack him at any time.

"Long time no see," Ji Ning said, looking at him.

"It's only been five years. Feels like I just blinked. And here you are again." The old, gaunt man shook his head. "Your Ki is indeed incredibly dense. With those magic treasures you control, you can hold me off. But you're still no match for me. It's just that killing you is very difficult. I think you should just leave, so I don't have to waste my divine power."

This old man was True God Jueyu. He had nearly taken Ji Ning's life years ago.

Swish. Swish. A divine sword appeared in each of Ji Ning's hands.

"Oh?" The old man's expression shifted, and he let out a cold laugh. "You want to fight me up close? You?"

"Yes. Just me."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ji Ning charged forward.

The old man was instantly enraged. He was a prisoner here, after all, and was extremely careful with his power. Every bit of energy he wasted shortened the time he could survive in the World Prison. On top of that, this Keeper was quite formidable with his puppets and treasures; the old man had no desire to fight him at all. But now, this insolent Keeper was arrogant enough to take the fight to him at close quarters!

"Since you're looking for death, I'll send you on your way!" Although the old, gaunt man suspected that the Keeper might have made some progress, he figured that even if he had, how much could he have improved in just five years?

Bang! Bang!

The two figures clashed and then separated.

"Is this the extent of your strength, and you dare come back for more?" the old man roared.

Afterimages flickered as sword-light and claw-light collided.

"You've made a little progress, but it's useless! Your sword is fast, but far too weak. If you became a True God, maybe you'd have a chance to defeat me. Right now, you're nowhere close!" The old man goaded Ji Ning verbally as he furiously attacked, yet he was still unable to defeat him.

Ji Ning was utterly calm.

He had completely suppressed the rainbow sword-light! If he used the rainbow sword-light, its power would be too great, allowing him to easily crush his opponent. That was the opposite of what he wanted. He had come here precisely to temper his sword-arts in real combat, to make them more perfect and complete. Naturally, he suppressed the rainbow light, relying purely on his half-step True God divine power and the profundity of his Brightmoon Sword-Art to fight.

Although he wasn't using the rainbow sword-light, his Brightmoon Sword-Art was far more profound than before, and he was able to hold his own.

"Break for me!" The old man was growing frantic. He had reached the fifth level of the Nine Abyss Force, whose power was nothing to scoff at. Yet, he simply could not crack Ji Ning's defensive sword-art.

"His sword is too fast! It still surpasses the limits of the Heavenly Dao! And it's even more profound now, even more skillful. I have the advantage, but I still can't defeat him!" The old, gaunt man grew anxious. "If this keeps up, my divine power will be exhausted. I still have my Ki, but my Ki Refining is only at the second-rate Golden Core level. It's far weaker than my close-combat ability."

The two of them clashed unceasingly.

The longer the battle went on, the more anxious the old man became.

"That's enough." Ji Ning realized there was nothing new to learn from the old man's claw techniques; they were no longer useful for sharpening his own sword-arts. In an instant, the Northsea sword in his hand suddenly blazed with rainbow sword-light.

"The Divine Sword Realm?!" The old man cried out in alarm.

The sword, now wrapped in layers of rainbow sword-light, instantly surged in power, even surpassing the old man's claw attacks!

Whoosh!

The sword-light drifted, ethereal and untouchable. It directly shook the old man's claw-attack aside as it traced a phantom-like arc across his divine body. The old man was split in two. His two halves quickly reformed, and he stared blankly at Ji Ning.

"True God Jueyu. Are you willing to submit?" Ji Ning looked at him.

True God Jueyu stared blankly at Ji Ning for a moment, then lowered his head. "I am willing."

True God Jueyu had never been a proud True God to begin with. He had been quite ordinary in the Nine Directions Chaosworld. It was only during his imprisonment that his Nine Abyss Force had broken through, reaching the fifth level and making him vastly more powerful. He had long grown accustomed to bowing his head to the strong. He was used to submission.

"I defeated a True God who has reached the fifth level of the Nine Abyss Force!" Ji Ning's heart was pounding with excitement, even as his face remained calm.

This was top-tier Daofather-level power!

He hadn't relied on formations. He hadn't relied on the All-Things Emissary. He had won simply through close-combat!

The 'Divine Sword Realm' had always represented a terrifying group of beings. The Seamless Gate's number one assassin, 'Darklight Swordmaster,' had been at the fifth level of Sword Force. The legendary Daofather Fuju (who had been possessed by World God Northrest) had also been at the fifth level of Sword Force. And now, Ji Ning was at the fifth level of Sword Force as well. On top of that, he had cultivated the Five Treasures Sword Art.

The fifth level of Sword Force, coupled with speed that surpassed the limits of the Heavenly Dao… this was the most terrifying sword-art in the entire Three Realms.

It was even more terrifying than Darklight Swordmaster's!

If Ji Ning, as he was now, were to face the ambush from years ago… the sneak attack from Darklight Swordmaster could be parried head-on!