Chapter 13 Returning to the Void

The trial was merely two lines: Recruit a disciple from the lower realm who possesses great merit, at least with merit golden light a hundred zhang high. Kill ten Earth Immortals or loose immortals burdened with great sin, at least with sin blood light a hundred zhang high.

"This..." Ji Ning frowned.

Recruit a disciple? And kill people?

At least with merit golden light a hundred zhang high—that was extremely rare.

Generally, those with great merit were very lucky, so they would usually join some sect early on, and it would be a major sect. After all, with merit golden light on them, and at least a hundred zhang high, such disciples burdened with great merit... the larger the sect or tribe, the more they craved them, as they could suppress fate.

Was he supposed to snatch a disciple?

As for killing people, one must know that the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations of Earth Immortals and loose immortals were terrifying. The greater the sin, the more powerful the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations. So most Earth Immortals and loose immortals restrained themselves, not daring to commit great sins, and often did good deeds. Only true great demons, with formidable Dao-hearts and overwhelming power, dared to kill wantonly, burdened with endless sin! Such Earth Immortals and loose immortals were definitely not to be trifled with.

Killing one wasn't enough; he had to kill ten!

"Recruiting disciples and killing people, Second Senior Brother..." Ji Ning looked at Jidian beside him.

"Taking a person of great merit as a disciple and teaching him is also a good deed. Killing those of great sin is also great merit. Both are good for you." Jidian nodded. "Although it will take some time, there's no need to rush. Just search slowly in the lower realm. If you don't succeed in a year, ten years will be enough."

Ji Ning nodded: "Where in the lower realm do I recruit disciples and kill people? Do I go to the Three Thousand Major Worlds and the billions of minor worlds?"

"You have not yet completed your apprenticeship; you cannot leave this cave-world." Jidian said. "The so-called lower realm is this cave-world, which is no less than a major world. Even if you wander slowly, you won't finish exploring it in ten thousand or a million years."

"Yes." Ji Ning immediately said, "Thank you for your guidance, Second Senior Brother. Then I'll take my leave."

"Go ahead." Jidian waved his fan.

...

Ji Ning did not rush to descend to the lower realm. Instead, he first returned to his immortal mansion.

In the quiet room of the Water Mansion.

Boom~~~ The door closed.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged on the Netherwater Jade bed, and his heart soon calmed down. The excitement and surging emotions caused by seeing so many techniques and divine abilities in the Three Realms Palace had completely subsided. When he was fully calm, Ji Ning began to reflect carefully.

"Although there are many divine abilities and secret arts, one should indeed specialize. No matter how many you learn, if none are specialized, it's useless." Ji Ning calmly pondered over each divine ability and secret art.

"That 'Vairocana Body' would be a waste of time to learn; it helps me very little. That 'Buddha's Palm' is powerful, but I have the Star Picking Hand; cultivating that divine ability wouldn't increase my strength either." Ji Ning quickly eliminated one divine ability after another, considering everything from 'specialization' and 'maximizing strength increase.'

"There are two must-chooses."

"First, the 'Eight-Nine Arcane Art.' Once I master it, my body will be indestructible, like a magic treasure. I won't need to consume divine power at all. Ordinary divine abilities consume divine power when used. For example, the Star Picking Hand unleashes astonishing power but also consumes a shocking amount of divine power. But this Eight-Nine Arcane Art makes the body indestructible through nine transformations, and not consuming divine power is a huge advantage! I can stand there, and others can't do anything to me."

"Second, the 'Houyi's Archery,' which is a famous long-range attack divine ability in the Three Realms. Even from ten thousand or a hundred thousand li away, one arrow can kill the opponent. Even if I don't reach the level of the ancient Houyi in this art, reaching one-tenth of his level would still be a reliance for me to roam the Three Realms."

Ji Ning abandoned all other techniques in the Three Realms Palace.

Eight-Nine Arcane Art, mainly for defense! Indestructible, and doesn't consume divine power.

Houyi's Archery, mainly for long-range attack! It is one of the top ten divine abilities in the Three Realms.

Star Picking Hand, for close combat! Also one of the top ten divine abilities in the Three Realms!

"Defense, long-range attack, close combat... enough." Ji Ning nodded lightly. "If Master allows, I'll also choose that 'Candle Dragon's Eye.'"

Candle Dragon's Eye is neither defense, long-range attack, nor close combat; it is an extremely powerful auxiliary method! Choosing it would be for assistance, and more importantly, the trial for this divine ability is very easy—just sweeping a mountain path. But now Ji Ning dared not choose it; he didn't know how many techniques Patriarch Subhuti would allow him to choose from the Three Realms Palace.

If he chose the Eight-Nine Arcane Art and Candle Dragon's Eye, and then Patriarch Subhuti didn't allow him to choose more, that would be a loss.

First choose the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, then Houyi's Archery, and finally add Candle Dragon's Eye.

"But why are there no flying escape divine abilities in the Three Realms Palace?" Ji Ning frowned in confusion. The Windwing Evasion was just a simplified foundation of the divine ability 'Garuda's Wings.' After thirty years on Mount Squinch, with his current insight, the Windwing Evasion was too weak, not enough for him.

He had already mastered the Windwing Evasion; mainly it was too low-level.

"When I next see Master, I'll ask him to teach me an escape technique divine ability." Ji Ning thought. "If that doesn't work, I'll go to the Immortal Palace to find one."

There were also many divine abilities in the Immortal Palace.

Ji Ning had previously focused solely on learning swordsmanship and hadn't chosen any other books from the Immortal Palace, intending to choose from the Three Realms Palace. But unexpectedly, there were no escape techniques in the Three Realms Palace. He would first ask Master; if he couldn't get one from Master, he would find an escape technique in the Immortal Palace. Although it would be average in the Three Realms, it would still be a hundred or a thousand times better than the Windwing Evasion.

...

Whoosh~~~

Sitting on the Netherwater Jade bed, mist appeared beside Ji Ning, condensing into a figure—a black-robed Ji Ning, his second soul!

"My second soul should also step into the Earth Immortal stage of returning to the void."

In the thirty-one years on Mount Squinch, Ji Ning's second soul had remained at 'Nascent Soul Perfection.' The reason was that Master Patriarch Subhuti had told Ji Ning: "Ji Ning, I know you obtained ten million catties of liquid essence at the Immortal Destiny Gathering, but your second soul must not break through hastily. Your second soul is a 'One Qi Water Pearl,' naturally excellent at comprehending the 'Water' Dao. Even at the same Nascent Soul stage, your true body and second soul have different perceptions of the Dao. So your second soul should remain at the Nascent Soul stage for at least ten years."

"Yes." Ji Ning had respectfully replied at the time.

Indeed, as Master said, the second soul's comprehension of Water was indeed high.

Now, besides the Sword Dao, Ji Ning's highest achievement was in 'Water,' far higher than 'Fire,' and then Wind and Space-time Dao!

Because he saw the benefits, and there was no life-or-death combat on Mount Squinch, Ji Ning had not rushed to break through. Instead, he tried to keep the second soul at the Nascent Soul stage longer. Master said at least ten years, but Ji Ning stayed for over thirty years. Now he was about to descend the mountain to kill enemies.

The enemies he had to kill were not ordinary loose immortals or Earth Immortals, but terrifying great demons burdened with great sin, with blood light a hundred zhang high. Naturally, Ji Ning had to prepare thoroughly, letting his second soul reach the returning to void stage.

In fact, over the past thirty-one years, the second soul had also been cultivating the 'Beiming Scripture.' But the Beiming Scripture was a technique created by a Dao Ancestor of the Great Luo. After thirty-one years of hard cultivation, the second soul was still at Nascent Soul Perfection, not yet reaching its limit! If it were the former Black-White College technique 'Water Source Note,' after reaching Nascent Soul Perfection, another thirty years of cultivation would have been enough to break through to the Earth Immortal stage of returning to the void.

But now Ji Ning was cultivating the more profound 'Beiming Scripture.' According to estimates, if he cultivated slowly without any elixirs or liquid essence, it would take at least eighty to ninety years to reach the early stage of returning to the void.

"Swoosh."

A jade bottle flew out, landing on the ground ahead, and the stopper automatically popped off.

"Fortunately, I have ten million catties of liquid essence." The black-robed Ji Ning willed it, and whoosh—a surging wave of liquid essence flew out of the jade bottle. When it first emerged, it was only as thick as a finger, but when it flew halfway, it was already ten zhang thick. When it reached the black-robed Ji Ning, an invisible vortex appeared around him.

These waves of liquid essence flew into the vortex and disappeared.

Inside the black-robed Ji Ning's body, within the One Qi Water Pearl, there was a vast void of the Zi Mansion. In the void, in the ocean of Yuan force, there was a huge tortoise-snake. On the back of this tortoise-snake, flames were burning—the Yuan Fire!

"Rumble~~~"

The Zi Mansion ocean surged, and the essence of Yuan force flew toward the sky.

Countless stars in the sky shot down beams of light, all converging on the tortoise-snake. Instantly, the Yuan Fire on its back surged greatly! Crackle crackle crackle~~~ The Yuan Fire blazed, and the tortoise-snake even let out a hiss.

One hundred thousand catties, two hundred thousand catties, three hundred thousand catties of liquid essence... continuously refined. With a higher realm, the refining speed was much faster.

The Yuan Fire grew more and more fierce.

After a long time...

"Whoosh~~~"

Like a seed breaking through soil and sprouting, on the back of the tortoise-snake, amidst the soaring blazing flames, a slender golden lotus grew out from the tortoise shell, swaying.

The tortoise shell was like soil.

The Yuan Fire was like sunlight and water.

The golden lotus swayed, growing slowly.

This golden lotus was extremely tiny, insignificant compared to the towering Yuan Fire and the huge tortoise-snake. But the Yuan force swirling around the golden lotus was extremely pure, far surpassing the previous Yuan force. At the same time, the entire huge tortoise-snake began to dim, and a large amount of essence continuously gathered and transmitted to the golden lotus, causing it to sway and grow larger and larger. The tortoise shell gradually became dull, losing its former luster.

"Early stage of returning to the void."

The soul of Ji Ning's second soul also moved from the tortoise-snake Nascent Soul into the 'golden lotus.'

Whether Earth Immortal or loose immortal, their Nascent Soul was the Golden Lotus Nascent Soul!

To become a carefree immortal, one must plant a golden lotus in fire!

"Continue!" The black-robed Ji Ning was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much liquid essence there was, it was all swallowed.

...

After a long time, it stopped.

The black-robed Ji Ning pointed from afar, and the jade bottle on the ground was stoppered.

"Cultivating the 'Beiming Scripture' consumes an astonishing amount of liquid essence. But my Yuan force is one or two levels purer than that of ordinary Earth Immortals." Ji Ning was not distressed. "From Nascent Soul Perfection to the late stage of returning to the void, I consumed over five million catties of liquid essence! There are still over four million catties left in this bottle. Hmm, I should prepare some for Uncle Bai and Xiaoqing."

The reason he stopped at the late stage of returning to the void was that once he reached the perfection stage of returning to the void, the Heavenly Tribulation might come at any time.

"Time to descend to the lower realm."

Boom~~~ The door of the quiet room opened, and Ji Ning's true body walked out.

...