Chapter 3: The Ancient Takes a Disciple

"I..." The yellow-furred bear looked at the ancient.

"Dead. He died long ago, in that great calamity." The ancient shook his head. "If Sanshou were still alive, how could he not have sought you out? He let you drift through the cosmos for countless eons. You little bear, you guessed it long ago, but you refused to believe."

Slap! Slap!

Tears fell drop by drop onto the ground. The kneeling yellow-furred bear trembled all over and let out a pained howl: "Oww—"

The howl made Ji Ning's heart ache as well.

"Master, master, master..." The yellow-furred bear looked up and cried out wildly. To him, the Daoist Sanshou was like a parent.

After a long while, the yellow-furred bear knelt and said, "This little bear was presumptuous earlier."

"Enough." The ancient instructed, "Return to the Plucking Star Estate. You cannot leave it yet."

"Yes." The yellow-furred bear said respectfully, then vanished with a whoosh, returning to the water manor.

Ji Ning, standing by, was moved by the bond between the water manor's spirit and the Daoist Sanshou, but he also noticed something puzzling. The yellow-furred bear was the water manor's spirit, yet he seemed like a living being—he could even shed tears. And the ancient had said he could not yet leave the Plucking Star Estate. Did that mean he might leave the water manor in the future?

But the water manor's spirit had already spent countless eons within it without leaving. Even if he could leave, it would likely be a very, very long time from now.

"Ji Ning." The ancient looked at him. "Sanshou is dead. I will teach you the Dao in his stead. Are you willing to take me as your master?"

Ji Ning immediately knelt: "Your disciple pays respects to Master!"

"Mm."

The ancient revealed a faint smile. "From today onward, you are a nominal disciple under me. When you transcend the tribulation and become a celestial immortal, you will become my personal disciple."

"Yes." Ji Ning replied respectfully.

"Under me, there are few rules, only two."

"First, you must not be disobedient."

"Second, without my permission, you must not speak outside that I am your master." The ancient said, "If you violate this, at the lightest, I will kill you, cloud your memory, and send you into reincarnation. At the worst, I will directly annihilate your soul. Even worse... I will have your soul suffer the torment of true fire for eternity."

Ji Ning said respectfully, "Your disciple understands."

"Then when may your disciple say he is the ancient's disciple?" Ji Ning asked.

"When the time comes, naturally you may." The ancient smiled. "If you can match your senior apprentice-brother's skill, you may say it freely outside."

Ji Ning muttered to himself.

Senior apprentice-brother?

He was the foremost among many fellow disciples. Even the White-Robed Lord Jiang and others admitted they were no match for him. To reach the senior apprentice-brother's level—how hard that would be!

"As for whether you do good or evil in the future, I will not interfere. Just follow your heart in all things." The ancient said.

"Yes." Ji Ning replied.

"Come forward, to my side." The ancient instructed.

Ji Ning was startled, then stepped forward, climbing the stairs until he stood right beside the ancient.

Suddenly—

The ancient pointed a finger at Ji Ning's brow. A simple point, but Ji Ning could not react at all before the finger touched his brow.

"Humm~~~"

Ji Ning's whole body went limp. He sat down on the steps, closed his eyes, and remained still.

The ancient smiled at Ji Ning, then closed his eyes as well and paid no further attention.

...

This was an empty, silent corridor. The walls on both sides were covered with various sword art patterns. Those sword arts even moved, displaying their mysteries.

Ji Ning walked along this corridor, watching the constantly moving sword arts on both sides.

"The level of these sword arts is ordinary, not even reaching the level of the first stance of the Three-Foot Sword." Ji Ning walked on.

He had forgotten why he came here.

He had forgotten the past.

He only knew to keep walking deeper along this corridor.

The sword arts on the two walls constantly changed, even breaking free from the walls to surround Ji Ning, making him feel boundless profundity.

"Here, they have reached the power of the second stance of the Three-Foot Sword."

Ji Ning continued walking.

He walked for who knows how long. This corridor seemed to display every sword art that existed in the 'Way of the Sword' in exquisite detail before Ji Ning. He had thought his own understanding of sword arts was high enough, but now he realized it was still not detailed enough. Strange, domineering, proud, aloof, fierce—all kinds of sword arts were displayed.

"Here, it has reached the level of the third stance of the Three-Foot Sword."

……

He did not know how long he had walked.

"Here, this is already the level of the Seventh Form of the Three-Foot Sword." Ji Ning continued forward, absorbing a vast number of profound sword techniques. His foundation grew increasingly solid. Although he had already reached the level of the Seventh Form, his insights into the 'Way of the Sword' were now clearly much deeper.

……

Again, a long time passed.

"This is already the level of the Eighth Form of the Three-Foot Sword." Ji Ning felt the difficulty, felt the strain. Countless sword techniques around him continuously transmitted various profundities to him.

Ji Ning absorbed them unceasingly.

His steps along the corridor also became slower.

……

"The level of the Ninth Form of the Three-Foot Sword."

The sword techniques grew ever more unfathomable. Each of the countless sword techniques around him could rival the 'Ninth Form of the Three-Foot Sword,' yet although Ji Ning could not fully comprehend them, the fundamental profundities of these techniques were deeply imprinted in his soul.

……

Continuing further, it had already far surpassed the Three-Foot Sword.

If the Three-Foot Sword had a continuation, the subsequent sword techniques could fully rival the tenth, eleventh forms of the Three-Foot Sword...

...

Ji Ning was immersed in an ocean of 'swords,' walking along the corridor, his mind completely filled with countless sword techniques. The profound mysteries of increasingly abstruse sword arts flashed through his heart. Though he did not understand them, the baptism of countless sword techniques made Ji Ning deeply familiar with these mysteries.

A long, long time passed.

As if a thousand years or ten thousand years had gone by, Ji Ning finally saw the end of this passage—a vast, boundless expanse of sword light.

Ji Ning did not know why he walked toward it, nor whether he should stop. He simply walked into the end of the corridor, his body entering that immense sword light.

Boom~~~

A vast, endless profundity surged into his heart.

The vastness of the Sword Dao, all its mysteries, were fully touched by Ji Ning. The countless sword techniques from the corridor also flashed through his heart, drawing his heart ever closer to the 'Sword Dao.'

...

Hmm?

Ji Ning shuddered and opened his eyes.

Only then did he see that he was sitting on the steps. On the cushion above the steps sat the Ancestral Master in a loose Daoist robe. The Ancestral Master opened his eyes and smiled at Ji Ning.

"This, this..." Ji Ning looked around, everything feeling unreal.

After a long while, the memories of decades deep in his mind fully recovered, and the mysteries of countless sword techniques were suppressed by Ji Ning deep into his soul.

"Master, I, I..." Ji Ning looked nervously at the Ancestral Master. He felt as if he had passed a thousand or ten thousand years, and even his decades of memories took a while to recover.

"What's wrong with you? You just dozed off," the Ancestral Master said with a laugh.

"Master, how long did I sleep?" Ji Ning asked.

"Just the time it takes to burn an incense stick," said the Ancestral Master.

"But I... I feel as if I have lived through a thousand or ten thousand years," Ji Ning couldn't help saying.

The Ancestral Master said, "I merely used the 'Dream of a Thousand Years' spell to let you truly experience a complete 'Sword Dao,' from the initial entry into the Sword Dao to its great completion."

Indeed, a dream of a thousand years.

That feeling was indeed like a dream. He seemed to have lost the ability to think, only foolishly walking continuously in the corridor.

"It was only to let you feel the sensation of fully mastering the 'Sword Dao.' Your Sword Dao realm has not improved much," said the Ancestral Master.

But Ji Ning knew that this 'Dream of a Thousand Years' had greatly helped him.

Although he could still only execute the seventh stance of the Three-Foot Sword, his understanding of swordsmanship had become much more solid, and he now had a vague cognition of the path ahead in the Sword Dao, even a fuzzy perception of fully mastering the 'Sword Dao.'

The path of immortal cultivation is like crossing a river by feeling the stones.

Having a general perception of this path, he would naturally walk faster.

"Thank you, Master," Ji Ning said, kneeling down.

"I merely gave you a push. Whatever achievements you make still depend on yourself." The Ancestral Master lightly pointed, and a stream of light flew directly into Ji Ning's mind.

Ji Ning felt a flood of information surge into his mind.

It took a good while before Ji Ning came to his senses.

"The Northern Ocean Sutra? Four volumes of the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Diagram?" Ji Ning sensed the cultivation methods within his soul.

Volume One of the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Diagram: Houtian, Xiantian, Zifu.

Volume Two of the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Diagram: Wanxiang, Yuanshen, Fanxu.