Chapter 19: Brightheart Island

At the turn of spring and summer, the mornings were still a bit cold.

On Brightheart Island in Yishe Lake, Mount Yan, Ji Ning walked out of the house alone. Yu Wei was still asleep. At the Celestial Immortal level, daily cultivation was unnecessary; what mattered more was enlightenment. Once one reached the Dao, such as fully comprehending a Grand Dao, one could condense the Five Qis in the chest and become a Pure Yang True Immortal.

But fully comprehending a Grand Dao... was extremely difficult. Many Celestial Immolars were even stuck at the final bottleneck, unable to take that last step.

So Yu Wei spent her days leisurely, sleeping until the Golden Crow rose before coming out.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~~" As he walked out, Ji Ning faintly heard the sound of Yishe Lake's waters lapping against the shore. This lake, a hundred miles in circumference, had waves three feet high even without wind, so the sound of lapping was often heard.

Holding a Northsea sword over his shoulder, Ji Ning leisurely passed through the clusters of buildings.

"Young master."

"Young master."

Many maids and servants on Brightheart Island greeted him.

Ji Ning soon arrived at the island's water's edge.

"Snap snap." Not far away, an old man with graying hair held large shears, trimming flowers and plants. Brightheart Island was managed like a paradise, and these gardeners were indispensable. Clearly, the old gardener was absorbed in his trimming, not noticing the appearance of Ji Ning, the island's master.

Ji Ning glanced at the old gardener, smiled, and began practicing his swordplay.

Sword light flashed.

Ji Ning's sword was purer, not dazzling, but it gave a sense of 'penetrating power' from the bones. Just by looking, it felt as if the sword tip was pointing at one's eyeballs. This sharpness and penetration, if seen by ordinary cultivators, would only seem strange. But Celestial Immortals would understand its power.

Gradually...

The Golden Crow rose! The temperature around began to rise, no longer chilly. The Golden Crow's light shone on the body, warm and cozy.

The old gardener also noticed Ji Ning, but he dared not disturb him. Instead, he sat nearby, watching curiously. As he watched... because the weather was so nice and warm, he grew drowsy and gradually fell asleep.

Soon after.

A tall, white-clad girl walked over. It was Yu Wei.

She usually wore black, but since becoming pregnant, she often changed her attire.

"Be good, baby, watch your father practice his sword." Yu Wei flicked her sleeve, and a set of crystal-clear tables and chairs appeared. With another wave, some immortal fruits appeared on the square table. As she sat down, she also noticed the old gardener dozing off in the distance, smiled, and turned to watch Ji Ning practice.

The lake water lapping against the shore, the morning sunlight enveloping everything, the old gardener sleeping soundly, and her Dao companion practicing his sword.

Yu Wei stroked her belly, feeling that this scene was so beautiful!

"Time to get up."

Ji Ning stopped and walked over.

"You're about to undergo the tribulation, so of course I have to watch you practice." Yu Wei smiled. "How do you feel?"

"Very good." Ji Ning smiled. "My heart is calm now, and my insights into the Dao of the Sword keep improving. I feel I'm approaching the bottleneck of the 'Dao of the Sword.' Maybe in a year or so, I'll reach it."

Reaching the bottleneck wasn't hard.

But breaking through the bottleneck and achieving mastery of the Dao of the Sword was difficult. However, he had once dreamed for a thousand years, and his master, Patriarch Subhuti, had let him experience the feeling of mastering the Dao of the Sword in advance. Moreover, he had already grasped a trace of Sword Force. He believed breaking through the bottleneck would be much easier for him than for other Celestial Immortals.

But even if it was easier, Ji Ning didn't know how long it would take to break through.

Only when the Dao of the Sword was mastered would his true body undergo the tribulation. If his true body succeeded and became a God, he would truly turn things around!

Everything depended on mastering the Dao of the Sword.

"Why not cultivate a bit longer, until you reach the bottleneck, then let your second avatar undergo the tribulation?" Yu Wei said.

"My second avatar has mastered Heartforce, strong enough. Even if my sword Dao improves a bit, it won't help much with the tribulation." Ji Ning said. Their conversation was naturally shielded from the surroundings; no one else on the island could hear.

Ji Ning was right.

Perfect mastery of the third level of Heartforce... in terms of power, it was already at the peak of Celestial Immortals.

If a Soul Refining Daoist could monstrously achieve perfect mastery of the third level of Heartforce, his strength would also rise to the peak of Celestial Immortals. This was a very mysterious power, usually gradually mastered by Gods and True Immortals. Many True Gods and Dao Ancestors had achievements in this area.

To comprehend it at the Void Refining stage was extremely rare.

For a Soul Refining Daoist to do so was unprecedented!

Now, Ji Ning's second avatar, with perfect mastery of the third level of Heartforce, had also made a leap in strength, reaching the peak of Celestial Immortals. For a Qi Refiner, such strength could definitely withstand the 'Thunder Tribulation,' and the Wind and Fire Tribulations were less threatening. Only the most unpredictable Heart Demon Tribulation posed a threat.

And improving the Dao of the Sword didn't help with the Heart Demon Tribulation.

"Moreover, I have a vague feeling that the near future is the best time for me to undergo the tribulation." Ji Ning said.

"Oh?" Yu Wei nodded.

...

While Ji Ning and Yu Wei, this loving Dao couple, were together, in the Southern Sea of the Daxia world, a spatial rift appeared in the sky above a sea area. A vast group of figures appeared in midair, each with powerful auras. Leading them were the four Gods and True Immortals: Flowing Clouds True Immortal, Withered Grass Immortal, Abandoned Beast God, and Triyang God.

Although they were only avatars or incarnations, with one-tenth the power of their true bodies, they were still at the level of Gods and True Immortals. Much stronger than Ji Ning, who barely crossed the threshold of Gods and True Immortals.

Darknorth Celestial Immortal, Poison Ugly Immortal, and a group of black-clad figures behind them. Each black-clad figure's aura was incredibly fierce and狂暴. When Poison Ugly Immortal first saw these black-clad figures, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart: "Bloodcloud Hall's hellish death warriors, said to come from the endless hell. What kind of place is that endless hell? The eighteen levels of hell in the underworld shouldn't have such terrifying beings, right?"

Poison Ugly Immortal had just defected, so many secrets were unknown to him, and he dared not ask.

"We've arrived in the Daxia world." Flowing Clouds True Immortal spoke. "Poison Ugly, you couldn't teleport directly from the fifth world to Yishe Lake. Now that we're in the Daxia world, teleporting to Yishe Lake shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"That's simple. Not just Yishe Lake, I can teleport directly to Brightheart Island." Poison Ugly Immortal smiled, confidence in his eyes. "When I tried to kill Ji Ning before, I thoroughly investigated Yishe Lake and Brightheart Island. I know their locations like the back of my hand."

"Good." Flowing Clouds True Immortal said. "Perform the grand teleportation."

A blood-red pearl appeared in midair.

Whoosh.

Poison Ugly Immortal waved his hand, and everyone, without resistance, was drawn into the blood-red pearl. This pearl was merely an Earth-ranked magic treasure containing a space. With their strength, Flowing Clouds True Immortal and the others could easily tear it open to escape. Moreover, they could observe the outside through the pearl. They weren't afraid of Poison Ugly Immortal playing tricks, because if he did, the Alliance of Unfettered would not let him off. After all, the Alliance of Unfettered was monitoring all their movements.

"Let's go." Poison Ugly Immortal took the pearl and performed a grand teleportation.

Whoosh.

...

Yishe Lake, Brightheart Island.

It was still like a paradise. Many maids and servants had already risen and started their light chores.

Ji Ning and Yu Wei sat together, drinking warm fruit wine.

"Come, feel this. Can you feel the pulse?" Yu Wei placed Ji Ning's hand on her belly.

Ji Ning focused.

Very faint, very subtle.

A faint pulse.

This pulse gave Ji Ning a strange feeling in his heart—a strong urge to protect, like an eagle sheltering its chick. Ji Ning naturally felt the need to protect this little life.

Yu Wei watched Ji Ning, observing his expression.

"Boom~~~"

It was a silent spatial fluctuation.

But to Ji Ning and Yu Wei, the fluctuation of a grand teleportation was more shocking than the sky falling and the earth splitting.

"No good, a grand teleportation." Ji Ning turned abruptly. "I can't let them harm Sister."

The moment he sensed the fluctuation,

Ji Ning had a realization.

Even if he died, he had to protect mother and child.

"Senior Bear, Senior Red Snow, this is bad." As he turned, Ji Ning immediately called out to the seven Gods. At the same time, he saw a ugly horned figure appear in the distance.

"Shaoyin Chou?" Ji Ning recognized the Shaoyin ancestor at a glance.

The horned figure grinned ferociously, his raspy voice, like a knife scraping across a table, instantly echoed across Brightheart Island: "What a coincidence, Ji Ning." His voice, infused with Celestial Immortal power, reverberated across the island.

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!!!!!!

In an instant, a large group appeared beside Shaoyin Chou. The leaders made Ji Ning's eyelids twitch. He immediately recognized Flowing Clouds True Immortal. Last time, if not for the Xia Emperor, Senior Red Snow and the others would have had to intervene. But Flowing Clouds True Immortal was just one of them; beside him were three others with auras no weaker than his.

"Four Gods and True Immortals?" Ji Ning was shocked. "Even if I immediately beg the Xia Emperor for help, if he doesn't bring enough people, it might be hard to stop them."

"Senior Red Snow." Ji Ning called urgently.

The seven Gods were originally in the Picking Star Grand World. When Yellow-Haired Bear notified them, they had to come, which took time.

"A rare opportunity. Kill Ji Ning."

Fifty-five figures in the air. Darknorth Celestial Immortal immediately roared. The four Gods and True Immortals all had killing intent in their eyes. The invisible killing aura enveloped Ji Ning, giving him an overwhelming sense of threat. He felt that if he resisted alone, he would die in one encounter!

"Can't you let people sleep?" A voice filled with anger rang out.

The old gardener, who had been sleeping nearby, stood up frowning. He even coughed twice, looked at the fifty-five figures in the air, and said, "That voice just now was really grating. Looks like you all want to die!"

Everyone was stunned.

Ji Ning and Yu Wei stared at the old gardener in shock. In the blink of an eye, the old gardener had slowly stood up, coughed, and spoken. It was as if time for them was completely different from time for the old gardener.

The fifty-five figures in the air were completely stunned and terrified.

Because they all found...

"Why can't we move?"

...