Chapter 13: The Ultimate Sword Dao

"Tsk, tsk, three million cubes agreed to just like that." Heavenly Unity Daoist laughed. "As expected of one who can capture a Three-Step Daoist alive—your style is truly different."

"Just a bit of luck," said Ji Ning.

"Brother Heavenly Unity, all the brothers have arrived and are waiting. You two are still here chatting." Fish Canopy Daoist called out from afar with a laugh.

"Brother Fuzhou, don't rush, we're coming." Heavenly Unity Daoist looked at Ji Ning. "Let's go, let's go, hurry. The induction ceremony is about to begin."

An induction ceremony.

After the ceremony, Ji Ning officially became a member of the Heavenly Firmament Palace. This put Heavenly Unity Daoist, Imperial Combat Daoist, Fish Canopy Daoist, and the others at ease. They had all seen that Ji Ning was destined to be no ordinary Daoist. Although he had the invitation token, as long as he hadn't truly entered the sect, Ji Ning could still back out.

Now that he had truly entered, they were true brothers in life and death.

…

"Boom~~~"

In the dark void, a strange temple emitting cyan streams of energy flew at high speed. The surrounding air currents surged as it shuttled through the void, its speed astonishing.

Inside the temple.

An old man in a black ornate robe stood there, silently gazing into the void, his eyes calm like an endless sea.

Behind him stood seven World-level cultivators, all respectful.

"Capturing Hu Feng alive—this little fellow named Beiming is quite bold," the old man in the black ornate robe said calmly. "He's even bolder than Tian Yi."

"Holy Master, that Beiming is just someone who had an encounter and obtained some treasures. Wasn't it Hu Feng Daoist who said he was suppressed by a peak Three-Step puppet and then fell to a dirty trick? No matter what, that Beiming is only at the World level. Before the Holy Master, he wouldn't have the slightest chance to fight back." The World-level disciple behind him immediately said.

"Still, one must not be careless," the Clear Wind Holy Master said calmly. "Someone with such great opportunities might possess some heaven-defying treasure."

He was a Four-Step Daoist.

Four-Step Daoists and Three-Step Daoists were fundamentally different. To become a Four-Step meant being on the verge of Dao-Heaven Union, having reached a terrifying level on a certain path.

Moreover, he had fought evenly with Heavenly Unity Daoist for so long. Both Clear Wind Holy Master and Heavenly Unity Daoist were extremely powerful among Four-Step Daoists. How many dangers had they faced? Surviving to this day, they naturally had formidable life-preserving abilities and would not underestimate any opponent. For instance, when Wind One Mind Lord crushed a Dao talisman and easily killed a Three-Step Daoist.

But if he encountered 'Clear Wind Holy Master', even if it were the Heart Palace Lord himself acting, a slight carelessness would allow Clear Wind Holy Master to escape.

"Tian Yi... it's been a long time since I last fought him." A cyan light flickered in Clear Wind Holy Master's eyes.

The Heavenly Firmament Palace had two Four-Step Daoists, while the Clear Wind Holy Hall had only him alone. Yet the two forces were equally matched, which showed how formidable Clear Wind Holy Master was.

…

The Three Realms, Brightheart Island.

In the study.

In Ji Ning's study, rolls of jade slips were stacked. He casually picked up a jade slip and recorded a set of sword techniques he had comprehended.

"For Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals, simpler sword techniques are more suitable." Ji Ning casually practiced swordplay with his left hand, deducing one set of techniques after another. With his perfect integration of five supreme Daos, even a Dominator dared not claim superiority over Ji Ning in creating sword techniques at the Ancestral God/Ancestral Immortal or World level.

"Low-level sword techniques: three thousand six hundred types."

"Mid-level sword techniques: one hundred and eight types."

"High-level sword techniques: the five great sword arts—Yin-Yang Style, Mind-Only Style, Blood Drop Style, Shadowless Style, and Heaven Collapse Style."

"The core is the complete integration of the five sword intents."

The sword techniques Ji Ning created covered various schools, including those suitable for women, for single-handed use, for the dull-witted... Creating these techniques was also a way for Ji Ning to analyze and comprehend the Sword Dao from another angle.

Sometimes he looked up and gazed into the distance, where he could see the lakeshore. Ji Yichuan was practicing swordplay, with Yuchi Xue watching, while his granddaughter 'Ji Mingyue' was loudly instructing him. Ji Mingyue's sword dao cultivation was indeed far superior to her grandfather Ji Yichuan's, and Ji Yichuan was happy to be taught by his granddaughter.

"Haha..." Ji Ning couldn't help but grin.

Father, mother, and his daughter Mingyue.

All of this was wonderful.

Ji Ning then continued to deduce sword techniques, recording them one by one.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning suddenly stopped.

He raised his head, his gaze fixed on the distant lakeshore, but his heart felt like the sun rising above the horizon.

"The Sword Dao is just the Sword Dao," Ji Ning smiled. "Why divide it into so many schools? Yin-Yang Sword Intent, Blood Drop Sword Intent, Shadowless Sword Intent, Mind-Only Sword Intent, Heaven Collapse Sword Intent... aren't they all part of the Sword Dao? So that's it. I've been puzzled for millions of years..."

Hearing the Dao in the morning, one could die content in the evening.

Ji Ning felt exactly that at this moment.

He was not excited but filled with inner satisfaction. He had cultivated at the Three Leaf stage for millions of years, always puzzled, sensing that his Sword Dao had not reached true ultimacy. And now, being with his parents and daughter, while composing various sword techniques, he naturally comprehended everything.

"Rumble~~~"

A mysterious power surged, resonating with Ji Ning's heart.

Ji Ning looked up at the sky. Through this resonance, he immediately sensed a place deep in the endless chaos, extremely far from Ji Ning—much farther than the entire Infinite Territory, many times farther than the entire alternate universe. There lay the true origin of this universe.

There, the Sword Dao Origin resided.

The Sword Dao Origin was one of the origins of this universe.

"Rumble~~~" The 'Sword Dao Origin', one of the origins maintaining the stability of the universe, resonated with Ji Ning.

"Boom!"

Within the Three Realms.

From Ji Ning, who had been in the study, a terrifying aura of the Sword Dao emanated. He was like a fearsome divine sword, every move imbued with the aura of the Sword Dao.

"Sword Dao Master?" Ji Ning sensed the resonance with the distant Sword Dao Origin of the universe. At this moment, he understood that this was the strongest Sword Dao, the truly ultimate Sword Dao.

The ultimate Sword Dao had nothing to do with having several supreme Daos.

The Sword Dao was a complete Dao.

Like one giving birth to two, two giving birth to three, three giving birth to all things.

Previously, Ji Ning had comprehended five supreme Daos and perfectly integrated them, like understanding the 'three' and combining them well. But that was not the ultimate of the Sword Dao. One had to comprehend the 'one'. That was the ultimate! That was completeness! That was true mastery of the Sword Dao!

"This is the true ultimate Sword Dao! Only then can one be called a Sword Dao Master." Ji Ning felt a transformative change within himself.

He finally understood...

Comprehending and integrating two supreme Daos, three supreme Daos, or even five supreme Daos resulted in very little difference in strength. He had been puzzled before. Now he understood.

Comprehending any number of supreme Daos meant nothing.

Because above them was a complete 'Sword Dao'.

All sword cultivators and their so-called schools were merely parts comprehended from this complete Sword Dao.

"Go."

Ji Ning took a step.

Whoosh.

He instantly transformed into a streak of light, which then silently vanished, becoming a shadowless遁术. In an instant, Ji Ning had reached the void of the Three Realms.

"The Sun Star." Ji Ning stood in the void of the Three Realms, gazing at the distant blazing giant Sun Star.

Ji Ning now stood there, seemingly ordinary, with all Sword Dao aura completely concealed.

But that was what made him truly terrifying.

Now, he was fundamentally different from before.

"Truly terrifying."

"Tearing through the void silently, pure speed reaching ten times the speed of light. Daoists on the verge of Dao-Heaven Union generally only reach five times the speed of light." Ji Ning was also amazed at his own power. Previously, his strongest was the Fourfold Divine Thunder and Fourfold Divine Water, but now his Sword Dao's power completely surpassed them.

"Having comprehended the ultimate Sword Dao, it's time for me to break through to Daoist." Ji Ning's eyes burned with eager anticipation.

He had once thought that reviving Senior Apprentice Sister Yu Wei was a slim hope, given that even the Eternal Emperor 'Fu Bo', who had reached the pinnacle of Dao talismans, had failed.

But at this moment of comprehending the ultimate Sword Dao, Ji Ning understood that hope had grown!

…