Chapter 8: Ji Ning's Gains

"The Winged Serpent was slain by you?" Ji Yichuan looked at his son, and Wei Chi Xue beside him also found it hard to believe. They both knew their son was not one to lie, but this matter was too... The experts of the five Ji clans had fought the Winged Serpent many times and never managed to kill it.

Ji Ning quickly said, "Father, please look." He waved his hand, and on the sandy bank beside them, a massive creature with wounds on its body appeared out of thin air. Its huge scaled bone wings and dark green blood all revealed its identity.

"Winged Serpent?"

"Winged Serpent?"

Ji Yichuan and Wei Chi Xue both looked at the massive corpse before them and exchanged glances.

"It seems our son's strength is extraordinary," Ji Yichuan said. "Not only did he kill the Winged Serpent, but he also has a storage treasure capable of holding its corpse."

"Father, Mother," Ji Ning did not hide anything. "When I was roaming the Dongshan Swamp, I encountered Tie Muzhan of the Tiemu clan."

Ji Yichuan and Wei Chi Xue were startled.

Tie Muzhan?

That was a dangerous opponent.

"He was probably going to deal with the Azure Skysnake and force it to become his servant," Ji Ning said. Speaking of this, Ji Ning also felt some emotion. Back then, he had fought the Azure Skysnake many times without being able to defeat it, and they had developed a mutual respect. Later, in Tie Muzhan's storage treasure, he found neither the Azure Skysnake's corpse nor any sign of it being enslaved, so Ji Ning understood that the Azure Skysnake must have awakened its innate ability 'Void Blink' at a critical moment.

Having awakened Void Blink, the Azure Skysnake was like a fish leaping over the dragon gate. It would surely leave the Yan Mountains, roam far and wide, and seek heavenly treasures...

Who knew when he would see it again?

Ji Ning quickly recovered from his thoughts. "When Tie Muzhan was dealing with the Azure Skysnake, I took the chance to flee. I ran into the mountains for over a thousand li... By a pond, I rested and, by a stroke of luck, gained enlightenment."

"Enlightenment?" Ji Yichuan and his wife exchanged glances, holding their breath.

"I gained enlightenment overnight, but in the end, Tie Muzhan caught up and ruined it," Ji Ning shook his head. "However, at that moment, I was able to complete the fusion of yin and yang in one go, transforming it into Chiming divine power. Heaven and water and fire descended, forging a Fiendgod body, and I stepped into the Xiantian realm. My strength surged, and I killed Tie Muzhan's spirit beast, the Huan beast, and Tie Muzhan himself!"

Ji Yichuan exclaimed, "You killed Tie Muzhan?"

"Yes," Ji Ning flipped his hand, and a black wooden vine whip appeared. "This is Tie Muzhan's personal magic treasure."

Looking at the black wooden vine whip, Ji Yichuan nodded in admiration. "It is indeed his Blackwood Vine Whip. I'm afraid even now, the Tiemu clan doesn't know Tie Muzhan is dead. For you to kill Tie Muzhan just after entering the Xiantian realm, that night of enlightenment must have greatly improved you."

Ji Ning nodded. "That night of enlightenment, I comprehended a sliver of the true meaning of the Dao."

"The true meaning of the Dao?" Wei Chi Xue exclaimed.

"Is it really the true meaning of the Dao?" Ji Yichuan could hardly believe it.

Advancing in realm becomes harder the higher one goes.

Above Unity of Heaven and Man is the true meaning of the Dao! Even most Zifu cultivators have not reached the realm of 'true meaning of the Dao'. Ji Yichuan himself had only reached it after a fortuitous encounter, and the Ji clan kept it secret, with outsiders thinking he was only at the Unity of Heaven and Man level.

"My son is only eleven," Wei Chi Xue's eyes lit up. "He has reached the realm of true meaning of the Dao and cultivated the hardest first Fiendgod Body Refining method, the 'Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens'. With such talent, it would be easy for him to become a disciple of some great power."

"Not so fast," Ji Yichuan looked at his son. "Can you manifest the true meaning of the Dao?"

Comprehending it is one thing; being able to manifest it is another.

Ji Ning had only manifested the True Meaning of the Waterdrop after surviving countless dangers in the ancient water mansion.

"Father, please watch," Ji Ning said. The Northmoon Sword appeared in his hand, and he thrust it directly into the void. Swish—the sword tip seemed to turn into a drop of water, causing the surrounding air to ripple.

"True Meaning of the Waterdrop!" Ji Yichuan nodded repeatedly. "It is the True Meaning of the Waterdrop. You gained enlightenment overnight and can even manifest the true meaning of the Dao through swordsmanship? This is... this is..." Ji Yichuan didn't know what to say. At least on the Yan Mountain land, he had never seen such a monstrous genius.

Perhaps only in some distant great tribes could such a figure exist.

"I only comprehended this True Meaning of the Waterdrop in a hidden place," Ji Ning said. "I suppose Father and Mother know that I fell into a hidden realm."

Ji Yichuan and his wife nodded.

"My sudden disappearance worried my parents..." Ji Ning realized as soon as he saw his parents that his father must have sensed the jade sword was unreachable and became anxious. After all, the water mansion was in another space; how could his father sense the jade sword? At that time, his parents probably feared he had died. Having worried for so long, Ji Ning could fully imagine their feelings and felt somewhat guilty.

"It's not your fault," Ji Yichuan sighed. "When I roamed outside, I saw many ruins but never entered them. Although ruins hold opportunities, out of a hundred who enter, maybe one comes out alive. I'm glad you came out alive, and your mother and I are happy."

Wei Chi Xue gently stroked her son's hair.

This past month, she had been truly worried.

"But your gains in that hidden place were considerable. You even managed to kill the Winged Serpent," Ji Yichuan said. He didn't think his son could kill the Winged Serpent just by comprehending the True Meaning of the Waterdrop, since he himself had long comprehended it and could infuse each of the nine swords of the 'Waterdrop Sutra' with it, yet still couldn't defeat the Winged Serpent.

"Yes, I obtained a Small Thousand Swords Formation," Ji Ning said, flipping his hand and taking out several pieces of fur, handing them to his parents.

The Small Thousand Swords Formation was a secret.

But there was no need to hide it from his parents.

"Small Thousand Swords Formation?" Ji Yichuan and his wife looked at it, but as they read, their expressions changed.

"This... this..." Ji Yichuan and his wife were completely shocked. Both had broad knowledge, especially Wei Chi Xue, who came from a distinguished background. They quickly saw the extraordinary nature of the 'Small Thousand Swords Formation'.

Ji Yichuan couldn't help saying, "This Small Thousand Swords Formation is far superior to any ultimate technique of our Ji clan. Xue'er, this formation might be comparable to your clan's 'Windwing Evasion Art'."

Ji Ning sighed inwardly.

The Fiendgod Body Refining path most needed divine abilities! But every divine ability was a closely guarded secret from the Fiendgod era. Even the black ox in the ancient water mansion didn't know any. The Weichi clan had only obtained a divine ability by saving the life of a Celestial Immortal. The value of a divine ability might even surpass that of the Small Thousand Swords Formation! Fortunately, his mother had given him a divine ability; otherwise, he didn't know when he would learn his first one.

"This Small Thousand Swords Formation is extraordinary, a top-tier formation capable of fighting above one's level," Wei Chi Xue said. "However, it has high requirements for magic treasures and for the soul. That is its weakness."

"Yes, who can afford hundreds of magic treasures?" Ji Yichuan nodded.

Ji Ning said, "Father, Mother, I obtained many substandard magic treasures in the hidden place, a huge number." He took out a storage armguard and handed it to his father, simultaneously withdrawing his own true yuan from the treasures, making it easier for others to refine them.

"A huge number?" Ji Yichuan took it doubtfully, quickly refined the storage armguard, and looked inside, revealing a look of surprise.

"What's wrong?" Wei Chi Xue asked.

"There must be several thousand magic treasures," Ji Yichuan exclaimed.

"So many!" Wei Chi Xue was also startled. Although they didn't care much about substandard magic treasures, adding 'several thousand' in front made even the entire five Ji clans covetous.

Ji Ning said, "Those magic treasures are useless to me, so I'll leave them to Father and Mother to handle." He kept dozens of storage treasures, over a thousand sword-type magic treasures, and a few scattered others, such as wing-type treasures suitable for his 'Windwing Evasion Art', and also kept some talismans and formations.

As for the other thousand-plus storage treasures, blade weapons, whips, staves, spears, axes, and other treasures, he gave them all to his father.

...

Having just received the Small Thousand Swords Formation and so many magic treasures, before Ji Yichuan and his wife could react, Ji Ning said, "This time in the hidden place, I obtained a treasure that will benefit our Ji clan the most."

"What?" Ji Yichuan and Wei Chi Xue looked at him.

Ji Ning flipped his hand, and a beast hide appeared, on which was depicted a Buddha with a sun and moon hanging high, radiating boundless light.

"A visualization method!" Ji Yichuan and Wei Chi Xue said simultaneously.

Ji Ning was surprised. "Father, Mother, you know about it?"

"Of course," Wei Chi Xue looked at the Buddha scroll. "Our Weichi clan once had a visualization scroll, but it was lost in a tribal war. However, Ning'er, this visualization method is a technique to condense the soul. The soul is the foundation of a person; its benefits are not immediately apparent, but they are immense and intangible. Keep it for yourself and visualize it often."

Ji Ning quickly said, "In the hidden place, by a stroke of luck, the visualization image was infused into my memory! It's even clearer than this!"

Wei Chi Xue was delighted. "My son's fortune is extraordinary. Legend has it that when our Weichi clan's ancestor met a Celestial Immortal, the Celestial Immortal pointed and sent the visualization image directly into the ancestor's soul. It is clearer than a scroll and can be visualized at any time. I didn't expect my son to have such an encounter in the hidden place."

Ji Ning recalled that before reincarnation, when he met Lord Cui in the underworld, Lord Cui had pointed and sent the 'Nuwa Diagram' into his soul's memory.

"Father, Mother, this visualization method is called 'Inner Visualization of the Sun and Moon Radiant Buddha'," Ji Ning added.

"Ji Ning."

Ji Yichuan's heart surged as he looked at his son. "This 'Inner Visualization of the Sun and Moon Radiant Buddha' will have a long-term impact on the entire Ji clan. I will take it back immediately. However, the Small Thousand Swords Formation need not be made public for now; it is too difficult to cultivate. Besides you, no one in the Ji clan can unleash its power. When your strength and status improve, you can decide whether to make it public. As for these substandard magic treasures, I will handle them."

"I'll leave everything to Father," Ji Ning replied.