Chapter 17 The Third Form of the Three-Foot Sword

Water Mansion, Star Hall.

Within the Star Hall, the space was sometimes filled with howling gales, sometimes with blazing flames, and sometimes with drifting rain.

Ji Ning summoned wind and rain, as if he could do anything.

“A true genius.” The yellow-furred bear stood in the thatched hut, watching from afar, unable to help but sigh, “In just four years, he has made such progress.”

“Impressive.” The black ox’s eyes were wide as saucers. “As long as this kid doesn’t mess up halfway or die, he’ll definitely reach the level of Immortal Juhua in the future.”

The yellow-furred bear glanced at the black ox. “Don’t praise your master. Your master couldn’t even get past the seventh floor of the War God Hall as an Earth Immortal… With the Water Mansion’s help, he only became a loose immortal. Such talent can’t compare with Ji Ning’s. Ji Ning is far superior to your master in both insight and temperament.”

The black ox grinned foolishly.

“Look.” The black ox said, “Ji Ning is beginning to comprehend the Dao of the Sword.”

The yellow-furred bear also looked…

Ji Ning stood on the rocky beach. The earlier storm, rain, and fire all vanished. Around him, streaks of sword qi began to appear—visible to the naked eye—shooting and weaving chaotically. The movement of the sword qi naturally contained the mysteries of the ‘Dao of the Sword,’ continuously manifesting Ji Ning’s insights.

Ji Ning himself looked up at one of the brilliant stars in the sky.

That star contained the complete Great Dao of the Sword.

Previously, comprehending the Dao was like a blind man feeling an elephant—slow progress step by step. But the star containing a complete Great Dao was like a lighthouse in the dark night, showing Ji Ning the way. His accumulated insights into the Sword Dao naturally began to burst forth.

“His Sword Dao insights are quite high.” The black ox exclaimed, “Ji Ning’s comprehension of the Sword Dao has long surpassed the level of awakening the sword heart.”

“Mm, higher than I expected.” The yellow-furred bear praised with a smile. “It seems the master will finally have a true successor.”

…

Time passed minute by minute.

The sword qi around Ji Ning grew more profound and more condensed and pure.

The black ox and yellow-furred bear, two artifact spirits who had lived for who knows how many years, leisurely watched Ji Ning comprehend the Dao. This watching lasted a full half month.

“Truly unfathomable.” Ji Ning suddenly sighed in admiration, and the surrounding sword qi vanished completely.

“Done comprehending?” The black ox called out.

Ji Ning turned his head, looked at the black ox and yellow-furred bear in the thatched hut, and nodded in admiration. “To be able to glimpse the complete Sword Dao so freely is a dream for any sword immortal. After this glimpse of the entire Sword Dao, I realize that even Senior Beixing’s ‘Three-Foot Sword’ of the Black-White College is only a small part of the whole Sword Dao. The path of cultivation is truly winding and distant.”

“Ji Ning.” The yellow-furred bear had a hint of a smile. “What level has your swordsmanship reached now? Show me.”

“Please guide me, Senior.”

Ji Ning directly condensed a longsword of Yuan force in his hand.

Casually, Ji Ning drew a stroke with his sword.

Yes, ‘drew’—like a painter wielding a brush, leisurely and freely, he drew that one stroke.

“Whoosh!”

As the Yuan force sword cut through the air, a faint light flashed, leaving a visible trace of the sword in midair—like a brush leaving a mark in the air.

The Third Form of the Three-Foot Sword—Sword Light Flashes!

“Such a restrained stroke, such a remarkable stroke.” The yellow-furred bear’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help praising, “The one who created this sword technique is truly gifted. Probably stronger than Juhua.”

The black ox immediately grew angry. “Big brother, what do you mean by stronger than Juhua? My master Juhua is a powerful loose immortal renowned across the lands ruled by the Great Xia Dynasty.”

Ji Ning said, “This sword technique is called the ‘Three-Foot Sword,’ with nine forms in total. The one I just performed is the third form, ‘Sword Light Flashes,’ which is also the strongest sword move I can execute now. This set of sword techniques was created by the strongest sword immortal in the history of the Black-White College of Anchan Commandery, the ‘Immortal Beixing.’ He was also a loose immortal who lived over a million years… Of course, in terms of lifespan alone, he is not as long-lived as Senior Juhua.”

“Lived over a million years?” The yellow-furred bear looked at the black ox. “Black Ox, this Immortal Beixing was just an immortal from Anchan Commandery, yet he achieved such accomplishments. I’m right to say his talent surpasses Juhua’s, aren’t I?”

“Hmph, maybe he had even more incredible encounters.” The black ox snorted.

“You black ox, still arguing with me?” The yellow-furred bear glared. “Do you want me to lock you up for ten thousand years to make you feel better?”

“Big brother, let’s use words, not fists!” The black ox backed away two steps.

Ji Ning couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

These two…

One was the artifact spirit of Immortal Juhua’s immortal-grade magic treasure, and the other was the spirit of this grotto created by Sanxiao Daoren. Both were artifact spirits, yet they bickered like this.

“Big brother, let’s not let Ji Ning laugh at us, right?” The black ox said ingratiatingly.

The yellow-furred bear ignored the ox and said to Ji Ning, “Ji Ning, you’ve comprehended the Dao in the Star Hall now… Even if you continue, it’s useless. You need enough insights into the Dao and enough accumulation in daily practice. What do you plan to do now?”

“Senior,” Ji Ning said, “I wonder what my chances are of clearing the third floor of the War God Hall now?”

“You now?” The yellow-furred bear hesitated. “Your Sword Dao realm is indeed higher than I expected, especially that sword technique you mentioned, the ‘Three-Foot Sword.’ It’s truly formidable. Mm, and you’ve obtained my master’s strongest divine ability… If you go to the third floor now, you should have a thirty percent chance.”

“Thirty percent?” Ji Ning was secretly shocked.

The Dao of Rain, the Dao of Fire, the Dao of Wind… He had made great progress in all three.

The Sword Dao had also advanced significantly, to the point where he had comprehended the third form!

Ji Ning felt his strength had increased greatly. Yet it was only a thirty percent chance?

“Will you challenge it?” The yellow-furred bear asked.

“Yes!” Ji Ning nodded without hesitation.

“Eh? Why did you decide to challenge it?” The yellow-furred bear was puzzled. “Why not wait until you’re stronger and more confident?”

Ji Ning shook his head. “I have a feeling that my ‘Chiming Nine Heavens Chart’ will soon break through to the tenth level. Once it does, I’ll reach the Wanxiang level in divine body cultivation. Then I’ll get two new chances to challenge the War God Hall, but the current chance will be wasted.”

When his divine body was at the Xiantian level, Ji Ning had two chances. The first time, he cleared the first floor; the second time, he failed on the second floor.

When his divine body was at the Zifu level, Ji Ning also had two chances. He had used one to clear the second floor.

If he didn’t use this chance now…

He would soon break through to the Wanxiang level, which would mean wasting it.

“Let’s go.” The yellow-furred bear said, “Follow me to the War God Hall.”

…

Leaving the Star Hall, they walked along the wide corridor and soon arrived before the War God Hall.

Ji Ning placed his hand directly on the blood-light-covered bronze door of the War God Hall. With a swoosh, the blood light swallowed him and teleported him away.

On an endless land, the soil seemed stained red with blood, and in the distance stood a towering pagoda.

“Senior.” Ji Ning saw the yellow-furred bear appear beside him out of thin air.

“Go to the third floor?” The yellow-furred bear looked at Ji Ning.

“Mm.” Ji Ning nodded.

“Go ahead.” The yellow-furred bear pointed at the distant pagoda. “Enter through the pagoda gate, and you’ll go directly to the third floor. Remember, if you feel hopeless, immediately use the talisman to teleport out. Your opponent won’t show mercy. It’s not worth losing your life.”

Ji Ning nodded.

Swoosh!

He flashed a hundred zhang in an instant and arrived at the pagoda gate, which emitted a hazy white light. With one step, the space shifted.

“The third floor?” Ji Ning looked around. This was a hazy white space a thousand zhang high and several thousand zhang wide.

“What is the trial of the third floor?” A Northmoon sword appeared in Ji Ning’s hand as he cautiously observed his surroundings.

Suddenly—

A golden light appeared and began to coalesce. Soon, the golden light formed a golden-armored general. The general’s face was cold, his armor magnificent, and he held two large hammers.

“Huh?” The golden-armored general looked around, revealing a hint of joy, then quickly fixed his gaze on Ji Ning.

Ji Ning felt a chill in his heart.

Danger!

Danger!

An instinctive premonition told Ji Ning that this golden-armored general was extremely terrifying. His spiritual sense had never been wrong. Ji Ning’s heart tightened to the utmost. “Didn’t the grotto spirit say I had a thirty percent chance of winning? Thirty percent is decent, but why does this golden-armored general give me such a terrifying sense of threat? Even an ordinary Daoist of the Primordial Spirit doesn’t give such a terrifying threat.”

“Little fellow, you feel very weak. Your divine body’s aura isn’t strong.” The golden-armored general scrutinized Ji Ning. “Although I only condensed this avatar with a wisp of divine power, defeating you… is too easy.”

Divine power?

Avatar?

Ji Ning naturally knew the major stages of divine body cultivation.

The Zifu stage allowed blood reincarnation.

The Wanxiang stage allowed changing appearance and form.

The Primordial Spirit stage allowed splitting off part of the flesh and blood to form an avatar, but the ‘avatar’ formed at the Primordial Spirit stage couldn’t act independently; it had to move with the main body and was influenced by it. It lacked independence.

An avatar formed from a mere wisp of divine power that could act independently… That was definitely a very powerful divine demon!

“A divine demon?” Ji Ning held his breath. “At least a Return to Void level divine demon. How could a divine demon’s avatar be teleported into the War God Hall?”

“What secrets does this Water Mansion hold? Back then, Immortal Juhua had already refined the Water Mansion to carry with him, yet the black ox said that Immortal Juhua always believed the Water Mansion still hid secrets.” Ji Ning cursed inwardly. “Encountering a divine demon’s avatar in the War God Hall—even a fool could guess that the Water Mansion hides secrets.”