Chapter 9: The Thirty-Six Heavens

"Good."

Ji Ning willed it, and instantly that pile of beads flew up, forming a brilliant galaxy that nearly filled the room.

"Three thousand six hundred beads." Ji Ning murmured to himself, then smiled. "Refine."

His pure yang divine power transformed into three thousand six hundred streams, enveloping the beads. In an instant, they were refined, leaving soul imprints within them. Innate spirit-treasures are the easiest to refine; as long as the spirit of the treasure does not resist, even a mortal's blood can refine them. All that is needed is to leave a soul imprint within the innate spirit-treasure.

As soon as Ji Ning refined them, he sensed everything within the three thousand six hundred beads and gasped. "These restrictions..."

They were like a celestial book.

Vast, profound, unfathomable.

"Hmph, you see these restrictions now," said the handsome child coldly. "In the chaos, there are countless stars. After stars fall, their essence naturally coalesces into crystal cores. When Pangu created the world, these crystal cores entered the primordial world by chance. These three thousand six hundred crystal cores were nurtured in the newly born Pangu world, undergoing another transformation, and thus became Star Gold Beads. Each Star Gold Bead is an innate spirit-treasure, capable of myriad transformations, taking the form of swords, blades, and other shapes. The three thousand six hundred beads resonate as one, making them a natural ultimate innate treasure."

"Later, Lord Three Purities obtained them."

"After comprehending Yin and Yang, Lord Three Purities roamed the chaos and encountered a great opportunity, discovering the Ninefold Chaos Restrictions. Finding them ineffably profound, he erased all the restrictions originally imprinted on me and then fully integrated these Ninefold Chaos Restrictions into the three thousand six hundred Star Gold Beads."

"Since then, the power of these beads has greatly increased."

"But the Chaos Restrictions are too profound." The handsome child looked at Ji Ning, prideful. "Throughout the primordial world, no one has been able to fully refine these Ninefold Chaos Restrictions."

"Not even one?" Ji Ning was astonished.

"These are Chaos Restrictions, manifested from chaos, containing great mysteries." The handsome child said confidently, "Back then, Lord Three Purities even invited Nuwa to try. She only refined the eighth layer of the Chaos Restrictions. Of course, Nuwa only studied them for three years. If she had studied them for eons, she might have fully refined them."

Ji Ning was truly shocked.

With Nuwa's level of power, she only refined eight layers of the Chaos Restrictions after three years of study.

That made sense.

Before the war of destruction, Lord Three Purities had placed the treasure here. So at that time, Nuwa had not yet fully comprehended the Chaos Heavenly Dao and reached the realm of Pangu.

"Lord Three Purities carried me with him for endless ages, yet he only refined the seventh layer of the Chaos Restrictions." The handsome child said confidently, "These Chaos Restrictions naturally manifest in chaos; how can human power match them?"

"These Ninefold Chaos Restrictions might be remarkable, but Nuwa broke through to the realm of Pangu during that great war." Ji Ning smiled. "If Nuwa tried again, she could probably refine them."

"The realm of Pangu?" The handsome child was startled.

"What? Nuwa reached the realm of Pangu?" The old man on the wooden boat was also shocked.

"Incredible." The bald little monk was full of admiration.

"If only I were in Nuwa's hands, I could unleash my greatest power." The handsome child's eyes showed longing.

Ji Ning laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, don't mention Nuwa. Even Lord Three Purities didn't use you."

"Lord Three Purities has chaos treasures." The handsome child was unwilling. "Every chaos treasure is nurtured by chaos, containing innate Chaos Restrictions that are perfectly attuned. Their power is absurdly great. Although I have Chaos Restrictions, they were added later, so I am naturally inferior."

"The most important thing is that you are too hard to refine. None of Lord Three Purities' major disciples wanted you in the end." The bald little monk teased.

"They have no taste." The handsome child turned away, unwilling to say more.

As the leader of the Daoist school, Lord Three Purities had many treasures and was skilled in alchemy and artifact refinement. Integrating the Ninefold Chaos Restrictions into these Star Gold Beads was extremely difficult! He had many treasures but few disciples. His most valued disciples all had the opportunity to obtain these Star Gold Beads, but after comparison, several, including Patriarch Lü, ultimately gave up the Star Gold Beads and chose other treasures.

Ji Ning smiled. "Perhaps after refining the Ninefold Restrictions, your power would be extraordinary. But even Lord Three Purities only refined the seventh layer. His disciples naturally understand that what suits them is best."

"But I am a supreme killing treasure!" The handsome child stared at Ji Ning, very proud. "Do you know that the Immortal-Slaying Sword Diagram refined by Lord Three Purities was inspired by me?"

"Ah?" Ji Ning was surprised.

"The Immortal-Slaying Sword Diagram was based on my Ninefold Chaos Restrictions. Later, combined with the four Chaos Divine Swords, Lord Three Purities created seven layers of restrictions. That gave it such tremendous power, hailed as the number one killing treasure of the primordial world. But in terms of subtlety, the seven restrictions created by Lord Three Purities cannot compare to my Ninefold Chaos Restrictions." The handsome child looked at Ji Ning. "Lord Three Purities also said that even if I am only an ultimate innate treasure, if someone could refine all nine layers, with these Ninefold Chaos Restrictions, I would be no less than the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation. That's why I am a supreme killing treasure!"

"Self-proclaimed," laughed the old man on the wooden boat.

"The fiercest killing spirit-treasure," added the bald little monk.

"One who can refine all nine layers is probably at the realm of Pangu. Every move they make might be no less than the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation." Ji Ning smiled.

"You..." The handsome child was furious.

"Alright, you are still very impressive."

Ji Ning smiled. "Let me first try to refine these Ninefold Chaos Restrictions."

"You must refine at least one layer of the Chaos Restrictions to barely control me. Otherwise, in your hands, I can only be used as a ball to smash people, wasting my potential as a supreme killing treasure." The handsome child said proudly. "Among Heavenly Gods and True Immortals, only a very few can refine one layer of Chaos Restrictions. Dao Ancestors generally manage three layers at best. Lord Three Purities spent endless ages to refine seven layers."

Ji Ning sat down cross-legged, devoting himself entirely to the refinement.

Rumble~~~

The three thousand six hundred Star Gold Beads floated above Ji Ning, each emitting light. On their surfaces, dark golden divine patterns flowed, constantly changing. No matter when you looked, the patterns were different from before.

These were the Chaos Restrictions!

Restrictions that constantly evolved, never ending. Like the pi on Earth, an endless, patternless number. These 'Chaos Restrictions' were similarly patternless and endless. One must grasp their essence. When Lord Three Purities first saw these Ninefold Restrictions, he was shocked and amazed. He spent over one hundred and twenty thousand years in chaos contemplating them, then grasped the fundamental principle in the unseen, successfully integrating the Ninefold Chaos Restrictions into the three thousand six hundred Star Gold Beads.

But he could only fully record them!

To refine them? He was far from it.

"Incredible."

"These Chaos Restrictions are so profound." Ji Ning's mind was fully immersed. He felt like a mortal gazing at an endless galaxy, unable to fathom even a single star, yet before him was an infinite river of stars... Just looking at it gave Ji Ning a sense of despair, as if he should retreat.

So beautiful.

So stunning.

These were definitely the most profound restrictions Ji Ning had ever seen, the most awe-inspiring! Even the mysteries of the 'Heavenly Dao' were far inferior to these Ninefold Chaos Restrictions.

"First, comprehend the first layer."

Ji Ning stopped thinking and immersed himself in the most basic, shallowest first layer. His powerful heartforce came into play. Fully devoting himself to comprehending the Chaos Restrictions consumed a great deal of heartforce, causing fatigue. Ji Ning's heartforce had reached the fourth level, so he pushed through in one go, refining the entire first layer of Chaos Restrictions.

"Hum~~~"

The first layer of the Ninefold Chaos Restrictions flowed like little tadpoles, then completely faded, fully under Ji Ning's control.

Ji Ning opened his eyes, strange divine patterns faintly swirling within them.

"No wonder my master, Lord Three Purities, obtained such a treasure for me." After refining the first layer of Chaos Restrictions, Ji Ning understood. "For Lord Three Purities' disciples, each of them was probably only a step away from becoming a Dao Ancestor. As for me, I have only comprehended the Sword Dao; I haven't even fully comprehended the Drip Water Dao. I am even further from the Water Element Heavenly Dao."

His strength was indeed formidable.

But Ji Ning's strength came from his heartforce and divine abilities.

As for the Dao? Ji Ning was far from the Water Element Heavenly Dao... Figures like Patriarch Lü, Silver Moon, and Red Snow had long comprehended many Great Daos and were very close to the Heavenly Dao, even reaching a bottleneck. One step forward, and they would become Dao Ancestors! Ji Ning hadn't even completed the Drip Water Dao; he was far behind.

"The Drip Water Dao turns out to be so simple."

Ji Ning could clearly feel his insights into the Drip Water Dao advancing by leaps and bounds.

After being exposed to the supremely advanced Chaos Restrictions, the Drip Water Dao seemed relatively simple.

"This treasure will greatly help me in comprehending the Dao and studying swordsmanship. My swordsmanship is too crude in comparison." Ji Ning now had a direction.

"Condense."

Ji Ning willed it.

Whoosh.

The three thousand six hundred Star Gold Beads floating in the air instantly merged ten into one, becoming three hundred and sixty Star Gold Beads. This put pressure on Ji Ning.

"Condense." Light swirled in Ji Ning's eyes. He had to use heartforce to control his divine power. The three hundred and sixty Star Gold Beads merged again into thirty-six Star Gold Beads, each radiating awe-inspiring power. Reaching this step was comparable to controlling the strongest Punishing Celestial; it required heartforce.

"What? You can condense them into the Thirty-Six Heavens?" The handsome child floating nearby was shocked.

"How is that possible?"

"Simply controlling three thousand six hundred is difficult. Melding them into the Three Hundred and Sixty Zhou Heavenly Stars is something only a few Heavenly Gods and True Immortals can do. Melding them to the ultimate Thirty-Six Heavens is something no Heavenly God or True Immortal can achieve. Only Dao Ancestors can do it." The bald little monk marveled, then looked at the handsome child. "Were you just bragging, deceiving us?"

"Melding to the ultimate Thirty-Six Heavens is indeed something only Dao Ancestors can do." The handsome child shook his head repeatedly. "Lord Three Purities' most powerful disciples all tried, and none succeeded. If they could, how could they bear to give me up?"

He looked at Ji Ning in disbelief.

Ji Ning, however, was immersed in the overwhelming power of the Thirty-Six Heavens.