Chapter Twenty-Nine: Cultivating the Mystic Art

By the time Ji Ning woke up, the sky was already dark.

Ji Ning was still standing outside the gate of this several-zhang-tall pavilion, while his senior apprentice-brother Jidian was already lying there, snoring.

"Although my soul is now immeasurably stronger than when I first received the 'Starry Hand' divine ability, such a vast amount of information still took me several hours." A faint smile appeared on Ji Ning's face; the feeling of confidence was wonderful. The complete cultivation method of the Eight-Nine Mystic Art was now in his memory.

"Truly the number one divine ability in the Three Realms below the True God level."

Ji Ning smiled and walked into the Three Realms Palace.

"Junior apprentice-brother, just place this complete copy of the 'Eight-Nine Mystic Art' anywhere in the Three Realms Palace. If you want to choose something else, you can go pick again." Jidian lay there, speaking as if in a dream, then turned over and went back to sleep.

Ji Ning smiled, turned, and bowed: "Yes, senior apprentice-brother."

…

He placed the bamboo slips of the Eight-Nine Mystic Art on a long table, then without hesitation walked to a spot and directly picked up a bamboo slip.

On the bamboo slip were four large characters: 'Houyi's Archery'.

Learning 'Houyi's Archery' was a decision Ji Ning had made after long deliberation. The divine ability he cultivated was the Starry Hand, a divine ability that granted boundless power to his hands. With infinite strength in his hands, he could draw a bow and shoot arrows... and Houyi's Archery was precisely a technique-oriented art. These two great divine abilities, both ranked among the top ten in the Three Realms, could be perfectly combined.

One gave his hands boundless strength.

The other would allow Ji Ning's archery to reach its pinnacle.

Combined, they could become a powerful trump card for him in the future.

"But this trial is truly difficult. Can I do it?" Ji Ning looked at the trial and frowned. "No matter what, I'll try first. After all, there's no time limit for this trial."

"Senior apprentice-brother."

Ji Ning put down the bamboo slip, walked to the door, and looked at the sleeping Jidian. "I wish to learn 'Houyi's Archery'."

"Go ahead. Come back after you pass the trial." Jidian muttered.

Ji Ning smiled and turned to leave.

In truth, although it seemed he was speaking to Senior Apprentice-Brother Jidian, he was actually speaking to his master, Patriarch Bodhi. After all, it was the Patriarch who decided whether to teach him these techniques.

"Whoosh."

Jidian suddenly sat up, leaning against the wooden door of the pavilion, frowning as he watched Ji Ning leave. "He learned the Eight-Nine Mystic Art, and now he wants to learn Houyi's Archery? Isn't this little junior apprentice-brother a sword immortal? Why do I feel he's determined to master 'Houyi's Archery'? In the entire Three Realms, no one has ever reached the terrifying level of Houyi in archery."

For example, with the Starry Hand, as long as one had enough quintessential essence of the five elements, one could gradually cultivate it to the sixth level of completion.

The same was true for the Eight-Nine Mystic Art. Once one entered the gate, one only needed a massive amount of treasures to reach the ninth level of completion.

However, the 'Starry Hand' and 'Eight-Nine Mystic Art' required astonishing amounts of quintessential essence of the five elements and treasures respectively. For the Eight-Nine Mystic Art, many in the Three Realms knew it, but very few had truly reached the state of indestructible diamond body.

Unlike the first two!

Houyi's Archery was technique-oriented and required comprehension—it was far more difficult! One had to constantly ponder the 'Way of Archery', and Houyi's archery had already transcended the scope of the Way of Archery.

"Originally a sword immortal, now he's diverting his attention to the Way of Archery?" Jidian pondered. "Or perhaps this little junior apprentice-brother just wants to learn it because Houyi's Archery is one of the top ten great divine abilities in the Three Realms. Once he realizes how difficult it is, he'll probably give up."

…

In the quiet room of the water mansion.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged and began to cultivate the Eight-Nine Mystic Art. This was a divine ability, so only his true body could cultivate it!

"Whoosh~~~"

Ji Ning exhaled.

A faint golden light began to appear on the surface of his body. The golden light was very faint at first, then gradually became denser, making Ji Ning look as if he were made of metal.

"Change!"

Ji Ning, who had been sitting on the Netherwater Jade bed, suddenly vanished, and in his place appeared a rock on the jade bed. However, the rock had a life aura; any cultivator could tell at a glance that this rock was extraordinary.

"Withdraw." The rock disappeared, and Ji Ning reappeared.

For a Fiendgod Body Refiner at Ji Ning's level, the divine body could be transformed into divine power, and divine power could be transformed back into the divine body! He could even pluck a hair and transform it into a clone! So turning himself into a rock was not difficult. What was difficult was completely concealing his aura and making it identical to that of a rock.

"Concealing aura? Even the soul aura must change?" Ji Ning murmured to himself. "The entry into the Eight-Nine Mystic Art is truly difficult. But once I enter, I can change my aura at will and easily conceal it to be like rock or earth."

…

The entry into the Eight-Nine Mystic Art was the Seventy-Two Transformations.

'Seventy-two' refers to 'eight-nine'; in fact, the number of transformations is countless. Whether rocks, trees, flowers, plants, wild animals, humans, demons, or Fiendgods—anything that exists in the Three Realms can be transformed into. Even the aura can be completely changed.

Even those stronger than oneself would find it hard to see through.

Only those who cultivated great divine abilities like the 'Divine Eye' or special secret arts could see through the disguise when using those arts. Without using such arts, they would not be able to tell that a large tree beside them was actually a transformation.

…

In the early morning.

Qingya Xiaoyu, feeling bored, walked out of her room alone.

"After my master brought me to Mount Fangcun, it's been half a year, and he's only guided me twice. He even told me to go to the Immortal Palace to learn cultivation methods, divine abilities, and secret arts." Qingya Xiaoyu was helpless. She knew that some experts had eccentric temperaments, but she never expected her master to care so little about her; she rarely even saw him.

"But..."

"This Mount Fangcun is truly incredible." Qingya Xiaoyu sighed in amazement.

Over the past half year, she often spent time with Uncle Bai and Xiaoqing, and also mingled with other disciples of the Mount Fangcun lineage, so she learned more and more.

The more she learned, the more shocked she became.

Celestial Immortals? Even Celestial Immortals were not as esteemed as her master!

Personal disciples? They were all Pure Yang True Immortals and Celestial Gods. The gatekeeper of the Immortal Palace was a Celestial God. No wonder her master had said that senior apprentice-uncle could kill Celestial Immortals as easily as killing chickens.

What!

The entire Xieyue Major World was created by Patriarch Bodhi? Reincarnation? All of it was created and opened by the Patriarch?

Qingya Xiaoyu understood that the entire Xieyue Major World was the back garden of their Mount Fangcun sect. It was said that beyond the Xieyue Major World, there was an even vaster, boundless Three Realms, where there were mighty beings as powerful as the Patriarch.

"Hmm." Qingya Xiaoyu walked along, saw a large rock beside her, and without much thought, sat down on it.

"I wonder when I'll see my master again." Qingya Xiaoyu muttered softly.

"Eh?"

Qingya Xiaoyu suddenly frowned and stood up, looking at the rock beside her. "Strange. If I remember correctly, there shouldn't be a rock here. How did one suddenly appear? Well, this is my master's immortal mansion; everything here is under his control, so I don't need to think too much. Hmm, I'll go find that big fool. His realm is high; he can give me some guidance."

Then Qingya Xiaoyu quickly ran off.

"Whoosh."

The rock transformed into the beast-skin-clad youth Ji Ning.

"I actually got sat on by my own disciple." Ji Ning took a deep breath. "Good thing they don't know. Hmm, I won't say anything. This absolutely cannot be mentioned."

"I won't turn into a rock anymore. I'll turn into a tree. I doubt anyone will sit on that."

Whoosh.

In a corner of the courtyard, among some trees and flowers, another small pine tree several zhang tall appeared. The pine tree swayed gently in the wind from time to time.

Ji Ning had already mastered most of the transformation techniques required for entry into the Eight-Nine Mystic Art. Every day, he practiced turning into rocks, trees, streams, grass, and other things. So far, no one had discovered him. Even his second incarnation personally observed with divine sense, carefully probed, and even opened his celestial eye, but could find no flaw!

For example, when he turned into a tree, the bark, branches, and leaves were exactly like those of a real tree.

His soul aura also completely became the aura of a tree.

There was nothing special.

…

Days passed one after another.

He continuously cultivated the transformation techniques, trying again and again, constantly learning from experience. Finally, after cultivating the Eight-Nine Mystic Art for one year and three months, Ji Ning mastered all seventy-two transformations.

"This last transformation was really difficult; it took the longest time. But I've finally mastered it. Change!"

By a small stream, Ji Ning sat cross-legged, then suddenly transformed.

Sitting there now was a white-robed, handsome man holding a feather fan—'Silvermoon Celestial God'. His appearance, his aura—the overwhelmingly powerful aura that made one's heart tremble, the aura of a Celestial God, and the unique aura of Silvermoon—all emanated from Ji Ning.

"Let's try it out."

Ji Ning, transformed into Silvermoon, smiled and walked through the Slanting Moon Three-Star Cave.

"Grandmaster."

"Grandmaster."

"Senior apprentice-uncle."

"Master."

Walking through the Slanting Moon Three-Star Cave, for the first time, disciples called him 'senior apprentice-uncle'. Normally, since he was the youngest among his generation, they called him 'junior apprentice-uncle'.

"Haha, none of these Void Fiendgods or great demons noticed any flaw." Ji Ning was in a great mood and occasionally nodded.

"Strange, why isn't Grandmaster Silvermoon at the Immortal Palace?"

"It's rare to see Grandmaster Silvermoon out for a stroll."

"That's odd."

After Ji Ning walked away, the disciples of Mount Fangcun quietly discussed. Silvermoon's fearsome reputation was too great; he was practically a demon. The 'sin' on him was unimaginable. The sin on Senior Apprentice-Brother Silvermoon was no longer just 'sinful blood light' but the legendary 'karmic fire'.

However, Senior Apprentice-Brother Silvermoon's power was overwhelming, and he was not afraid of karmic fire at all.

Ji Ning soon arrived at the Immortal Palace. In the open space outside the Immortal Palace, many disciples of Mount Fangcun had gathered.

"Grandmaster."

"Senior apprentice-uncle."

Everyone respectfully called out. Even Qingya Xiaoyu, who had been chatting with others, quickly stood up and called out respectfully: "Senior apprentice-uncle."

However, Xiaoqing and Uncle Bai, who were among them, stared at Ji Ning in shock.

"Who are you?" Xiaoqing and Uncle Bai had a spiritual connection with Ji Ning and knew it was him, so they were extremely astonished. This white-robed handsome man with his terrifying aura, his appearance—it was clearly Silvermoon Celestial God. But their intuition told them that this was Ji Ning.

This struck them as strange. Previously, Ji Ning had only shown them his ability to transform into a tree, never into a person.

"Mm." Ji Ning nodded, smiled, and walked into the Immortal Palace.

Inside the Immortal Palace, there was also a white-robed handsome man holding a feather fan.

The two faced each other, identical in appearance and aura.

"Daring to transform into my likeness—Second Senior Apprentice-Brother wouldn't be so boring, and Jiang Jun isn't that type. Little junior apprentice-brother, have you mastered the Eight-Nine Mystic Art?" Silvermoon guessed Ji Ning's identity.

"Senior apprentice-brother is sharp." The opposite white-robed handsome man shook his body and transformed back into the beast-skin-clad youth Ji Ning.

…