Chapter 22: Breakthrough, Pure Yang True Immortal

In the void beyond the Three Realms, a mountain peak floated.

This towering peak, spanning a million miles, was the site of Patriarch Chi Ming's cave dwelling.

At this moment, an old man with long cyan hair sat cross-legged, while below him on both sides stood a group of powerful Heavenly Gods and True Immortals, including an incarnation of the 'Black-robed Xia Emperor'.

"The divine demon army is finished."

Patriarch Chi Ming sighed softly.

A circular light hung in midair, as Patriarch Chi Ming personally cast a spell to observe the scene of the battle.

"Finished."

"One of the three divine demon armies will be lost."

"How can this go on?"

The Heavenly Gods and True Immortals below were also anxious, while the Black-robed Xia Emperor's incarnation only watched coldly.

"Senior Brother Xiamang, our great world has been breached; must your Great Xia world also be breached?" a simple-looking Heavenly God with a bear head and human form asked anxiously.

"We have lost some divine demons, but at least Heavenly God Han Zheng still lives," the Xia Emperor said coldly. "Our strength hasn't suffered much, and the Gate of Infinity has also lost eight Blood Cloud Puppets in total."

"Senior Brother Xiamang, don't be stubborn," said the Green Bamboo Sword Immortal beside him calmly. "At this point, you must have seen that the Gate of Infinity is clearly at an advantage, and as the war continues, your side will suffer repeated heavy blows! Although the Gate of Infinity has lost eight Blood Cloud Puppets, those eight Blood Cloud Puppets have cost you one Punishment Heavenly God and one divine demon army. The strong grow stronger, the weak weaker. The gap between you and the Gate of Infinity will keep widening until your Great Xia side can't hold on and completely collapses!"

The Xia Emperor frowned.

The Green Bamboo Sword Immortal's words were harsh, but they were the truth.

Because the Gate of Infinity's White Extreme True Immortal alone held back the divine demon army led by Heavenly God Han Zheng, so when the new White-faced Jiao arrived, White Extreme True Immortal immediately ordered a strong assault on Han Zheng's army. All the Blood Cloud Puppets also rushed over, concentrating all superior forces to deal with that divine demon army.

In just a short time, although another four Blood Cloud Puppets were lost, bringing the total loss to eight, the Gate of Infinity succeeded.

All the Xia Emperor could do at that time was take out his innate spirit treasure, a red gourd, and directly collect the countless scattered divine demons, but many divine demons were still slaughtered by those Blood Cloud Puppets.

"Will we lose?" the Xia Emperor sighed silently in his heart.

His only thought now was...

To ask his master, Patriarch Chi Ming, as well as Patriarch Yinglong, and the ancient imperial clan for help.

But the situation in the Three Realms was very perilous now; would the Patriarchs be willing to send their forces to intervene? The Xia Emperor himself wasn't sure. His request, he believed, was known to Patriarch Chi Ming and Patriarch Yinglong. Whether they would send help depended on their decisions.

"If Master, Elder Brother, and the ancient imperial clan don't intervene, this battle will be lost," the Xia Emperor thought unwillingly.

He was truly unwilling.

This was the world he had created, the foundation of his 'Xiamang Clan' after its founding. Was he to be driven out like a dog, in such a disgraceful manner?

"Senior Brother Xiamang has a very important combat force," said a golden-eyed, burly man in a dragon robe, looking at the circular light in midair, pondering. "That is the strongest Punishment Heavenly God, Ji Ning. He alone can handle two White-faced Jiao. But he is held back by that True Immortal Chi Bing. Senior Brother Xiamang, that black chain trapping Ji Ning... can it not be broken?"

"It can't be broken," the Xia Emperor shook his head helplessly. "At this moment of fierce fighting, we can only give Ji Ning that much help. Unless we send more and stronger forces, we can't break that black chain."

"What kind of spell is that? Why is it so powerful?"

"Yes, that black chain... I've never seen such a spell before."

"I haven't seen it either."

"It seems like the black chains that the Gate of Infinity cities extend into the void, but I always thought those were refined war cities. I didn't expect such a spell to exist."

The Heavenly Gods and True Immortals present came from dozens of great worlds under Patriarch Chi Ming's command.

They were extremely knowledgeable, yet none had seen it before.

The Xia Emperor closed his eyes.

Pain.

He didn't want to watch anymore. His true body was fighting there, so he knew everything clearly. The situation was deteriorating... The enemy was strong, and his side was weaker. So the enemy could keep gaining results, and the gap would keep widening until his side was defeated.

"Master, Elder Brother, what are you considering?" the Xia Emperor could only worry inwardly.

"Senior Brother Xiamang, that Ji Ning—he's the one you asked me to take as a disciple back then, right?" the Green Bamboo Sword Immortal suddenly said.

The Xia Emperor glanced at him: "Yes."

"I had forgotten about that," the Green Bamboo Sword Immortal laughed. "I just remembered now. I heard Ji Ning has become a disciple of a Patriarch. As a disciple of a Patriarch, although being just a Celestial Immortal is somewhat weak, at least he has proven very useful under your command."

"Being a Celestial Immortal is not weak," the Xia Emperor shook his head. "After all, he has cultivated for a short time. Ji Ning's potential is extraordinary."

"Potential?"

The Green Bamboo Sword Immortal said calmly, "There are plenty with great potential. Those stuck at the Celestial Immortal level—there are many across the Three Realms. Is becoming a Heavenly God or True Immortal so easy?"

The Xia Emperor's face darkened. His junior brother, the Green Bamboo Sword Immortal, was usually described as transcendent, but to put it bluntly, he was very selfish! He didn't care about other fellow disciples, always speaking his mind without regard for others' feelings. Normally, everyone was magnanimous, but now, during the great calamity war, his Great Xia was about to be destroyed.

Although what Green Bamboo said was very realistic.

But couldn't he say something nice? Doesn't he know I'm furious right now?

"Oh?" the Xia Emperor said calmly. "Then when Brother Changqing had been cultivating for only a hundred years, had he become a Celestial Immortal?"

The Changqing Sword Immortal's face changed instantly, then he sneered: "What use is stubborn talk? Brother Xiamang, you still have to face reality."

The Xia Emperor was in a very bad mood and too lazy to say more.

"Great Xia..."

The Xia Emperor's heart ached. "Is it really going to end?"

...

While the Primordial Dao Ancestor watched the battle outside the Three Realms with his host of Heavenly Gods and True Immortals, elsewhere, the towering figure shrouded in black robes also silently observed. The God King was equally concerned about this battle.

"We're going to win."

The God King lightly tapped the armrest with his left hand. Before him, a mirror formed from condensed mist displayed the scene of battle.

...

At this moment, neither the God King nor the Primordial Dao Ancestor could see through the body of the 'Punishment God' to perceive the changes within Ji Ning, the 'Northern Abyss Immortal'.

In the Great Xia world, within Baiji Commandery.

Both sides were fighting with madness and frenzy, especially the side of the Voidgate, which was the most fanatical. The Great Xia side appeared even more tragic. For anyone could see that after the demonic army of the Coldclaw Heavenly God was destroyed, the disparity in strength between the two sides had become even more apparent. The Great Xia side was barely holding on.

"Break, break, break."

Ji Ning, trapped by the black chains, was filled with anxiety.

Filled with anger.

Why...

Why couldn't he break these chains?

His brothers and sisters were all fighting fiercely, and Ji Ning's heart was also anxious.

Though anxious, he remained absolutely calm. Calmness and anxiety were not contradictory.

"Boom~~~" Ji Ning's mind suddenly shook.

He was stunned.

Then his eyes were filled with ecstasy.

He had fully sensed the vast and broad Dao, the 'Dao of the Sword'. At this moment, all the mysteries of the Dao of the Sword were in Ji Ning's heart. Unlike before, when sensing the Dao of the Sword had caused great fluctuations. Now? The Dao of the Sword was like an extremely obedient child before Ji Ning, offering no resistance.

Because Ji Ning had completely comprehended and fully grasped it, naturally there was no leakage or fluctuation.

"So this is the Dao of the Sword?"

"So what I lacked was just a true aura of a Sword Immortal?" Ji Ning immediately understood his problem when he broke through the final bottleneck.

In fact, when one reaches the final bottleneck in comprehending a Grand Dao, one's understanding of that Dao is already nearly perfect.

Only the final integration remains.

Perfectly integrating all previous insights into the Dao of the Sword—that is the Dao of the Sword.

This integration requires extremely difficult enlightenment. But Ji Ning, first, had a pure sword heart and had even comprehended a trace of sword force. Second, he had once experienced the feeling of achieving the Dao of the Sword in a dream of a thousand years. So he lacked nothing else but a certain spirit, the 'Sword Immortal's spirit' possessed by a true peerless Sword Immortal.

Every Sword Immortal has their own unique traits.

Lü Dongbin was transcendent and non-interfering.

The Changqing Sword Immortal was utterly self-centered, viewing everything coldly. When speaking to those of the same level, he didn't bother to conceal his disdain. He knew his words were harsh, but he didn't care. Perhaps he showed respect before Dao Ancestors, but he ignored other Heavenly Gods and True Immortals. He was well aware that his foundation was his own strength.

As for Ji Ning, he wanted to use the sword in his hand to cut through all thorns and truly reach the pinnacle. Though he had understood this in the past, to put it simply, he was still lacking that spirit.

But now, tempered in war and even oppressed by the black chains, this pressure instead caused Ji Ning to rebound and even break through.

Once he broke through,

Ji Ning's gaze changed.

Though his eyes seemed similar to before, deep within them was a chilling sword intent.

"The Dao of the Sword is achieved!"

"Condensing the Five Energies of the Chest—I could already do that long ago." Ji Ning said silently.

What are the Five Energies of the Chest?

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth—just the Five Elements! For a Celestial Immortal to become a Pure Yang True Immortal, the most important thing is to comprehend a Grand Dao, and second, to comprehend five ordinary Daos belonging to the Five Elements. These five 'Five Elements' Daos also serve as bridges connecting heaven and earth, for the foundation of the Three Realms is the Five Elements.

By condensing the Five Energies of the Chest and receiving nourishment from the primal Five Elements of heaven and earth, the golden core can absorb vast amounts of vital energy and truly transform into a Pure Yang golden core. Only then can one possess Pure Yang dharma power and become a true Pure Yang True Immortal.

"Now is a time of war; I don't have time to slowly absorb vital energy." Ji Ning immediately took out a large number of Pure Yang Immortal Pills and stuffed them all into his mouth. At this moment, his golden core needed to absorb boundless vital energy, so he wasn't worried about bursting.