Chapter 23: Refining the Myriad Things Emissary

After mastering the Five Sword Technique, comprehending the Dao in reverse was very fast.

But the mighty cultivators of the Three Realms were not confident in mastering the Five Sword Technique. If they got stuck at a bottleneck and forgot their past Dao, it would be disastrous. Ji Ning, whose original strength was not high, dared to gamble.

…

Inside Ji Ning's cave heaven magic treasure.

The black-robed Ji Ning waved his hand, and a gourd appeared beside him. Looking at the gourd, he murmured to himself, "It's time to refine the Myriad Things Emissary."

"Pop." He pulled out the gourd stopper, and the Myriad Things Emissary, a monkey-like creature covered in flames and bound by innate spirit treasure ropes, tumbled to the ground.

The Myriad Things Emissary opened its eyes and glared at Ji Ning. "You captured me, but don't think you can get the Myriad Things Emissary."

"Is that so?" The black-robed Ji Ning said coldly.

"What if you bind me? You can't get in," the Myriad Things Emissary growled. "You can't damage the Myriad Things Emissary at all. Not you, not even the most powerful cultivator in the Three Realms can damage it!"

Ji Ning shook his head. "I'll just forcibly refine the Myriad Things Emissary, won't I?"

"Forcibly refine? If a Dao Ancestor came, maybe. But you?" The Myriad Things Emissary roared. "Go ahead."

The Myriad Things Emissary was like a magic treasure, and its current owner was the Bloodwave Celestial Immortal inside it. Bloodwave Celestial Immortal thought Ji Ning was also a Celestial Immortal or True Immortal with equal divine power and magic power, so forcible refinement was impossible, as he could continuously supply magic power from within to resist Ji Ning's refinement.

"We'll see." The black-robed Ji Ning pointed from afar.

Torrential magic power directly invaded the Myriad Things Emissary. Upon entry, he felt Bloodwave Celestial Immortal's control over it. Bloodwave Celestial Immortal already had control, holding the home-field advantage. Unless one was far stronger than Bloodwave Celestial Immortal, one could not seize this puppet from his control. But magic power comparable to a Dao Ancestor's far surpassed Bloodwave Celestial Immortal's and began to gradually permeate.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle~~~ It kept invading, gradually taking over.

"How is this possible?" Bloodwave Celestial Immortal was shocked. "How can this magic power be so strong? How..." He clearly sensed that the invading magic power was incredibly pure and vast, far beyond the level of a Pure Yang True Immortal.

"You, you, you became a Dao Ancestor?" Bloodwave Celestial Immortal couldn't believe it. "Impossible. If you became a Dao Ancestor, you would have to comprehend the Heavenly Dao first. Once you comprehend it, it can't be hidden."

Ji Ning smiled calmly.

Yes, comprehending the Heavenly Dao couldn't be hidden. The resonance of the Heavenly Dao would be detected by the Heart Demon Sovereign, who was fused with it. But he was only a True Immortal, merely comparable to a first-class True Immortal. If his golden core was first-class, then with the Tao Wu Eighteen Divine Demons and the One True Body technique, he would be even stronger than a first-class True Immortal.

But a first-class True Immortal must condense a first-class golden core during the tribulation.

"Impossible. How could you become a Dao Ancestor?" Bloodwave Celestial Immortal couldn't understand. Suddenly he thought that the mighty cultivators on his side didn't know Ji Ning had become a Dao Ancestor. This was definitely a secret.

Boom~~~

Suddenly, a surge of mental power rushed out of the Myriad Things Emissary's surface, heading into the distance, trying to break out of the cave heaven magic treasure.

"Trying to inform on me?" Ji Ning smiled calmly. "Don't bother. Your mental power can't break out of this cave heaven magic treasure."

This cave heaven magic treasure was such that even the mental power of Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals couldn't penetrate or probe it. Let alone this Bloodwave Celestial Immortal. As long as Ji Ning didn't allow it, he couldn't send his mental power outside.

…

Ji Ning wasn't worried about Bloodwave Celestial Immortal informing on him.

Bloodwave Celestial Immortal had no second avatar!

Second, even if Bloodwave Celestial Immortal had an incarnation outside, it didn't matter.

What is an 'incarnation'? Even a Return to Void divine demon could pull out a hair to form an incarnation, or a drop of blood. At the Dao Ancestor level, a single thought could condense an incarnation. But an incarnation depends on the original body to exist. For Return to Void divine demons, the incarnation must be very close; once the distance is too great, the incarnation naturally dissipates.

For Dao Ancestors, the incarnation must also be constantly connected to the original body.

Because they are faintly linked... With the support of the original body, the incarnation has consciousness, can think, talk, and laugh. If the soul loses too much, say seventy to eighty percent, severe damage leads to immediate death. But an incarnation condensed by a Dao Ancestor's thought has no soul. How can it survive? It relies on the original body.

Now, 'Bloodwave Celestial Immortal' was trapped in the cave heaven magic treasure. This treasure was one Ji Ning had specially chosen from the prisoners of the Nine Fang Chaos Kingdom, the most secretive one, capable of blocking the probing and connection of Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals.

Once connection was cut off, even if Bloodwave Celestial Immortal had an incarnation outside, it would dissipate because it couldn't contact the original body.

…

No matter how angry or unwilling Bloodwave Celestial Immortal was, he could only watch helplessly as Ji Ning refined the treasure. After nearly half an hour, Ji Ning finally succeeded.

"Out." Ji Ning thought.

Swoosh.

Bloodwave Celestial Immortal was teleported out. As soon as he appeared, his eyes reddened, and he charged madly at Ji Ning.

"Hmph." The black-robed Ji Ning's gaze turned cold. Instantly, the thirty-six heavens transformed into 'banners' around him. The thirty-six banners interwove and completely surrounded Bloodwave Celestial Immortal. With sizzling sounds and screams of rage, Bloodwave Celestial Immortal was completely obliterated.

The gap between a Celestial Immortal and a Dao Ancestor was still too great. Without special opportunities, it was hard to cross this chasm.

"Myriad Things Emissary."

The black-robed Ji Ning willed it, first retracting the thirty-six heavens, then flickering into the Myriad Things Emissary.

"Such an exquisite puppet." Ji Ning was inside, sensing the Myriad Things Emissary. Even as its controller, he couldn't damage it at all.

"Fortunately... this puppet wasn't damaged." Ji Ning secretly rejoiced.

During the ancient cataclysm war, the Myriad Things Sovereign had led a group of Myriad Things Emissaries. When he died, every Myriad Things Emissary had its internal key parts shattered, so although Nuwa ultimately won, the 'Myriad Things Emissaries' she obtained were just useless lumps.

Ji Ning didn't know...

The Myriad Things Sovereign's use of the 'Myriad Things Emissaries' was completely different from Master Uxiao's.

The Myriad Things Sovereign had cruelly refined Dao Ancestor souls into the 'Myriad Things Emissaries', making each one absolutely loyal. Such a loyal army was what he needed. When he died, the emissaries' internal parts were damaged, preventing enemies from getting them. Master Uxiao didn't have the means to capture and refine Dao Ancestor souls, so he could only let living Dao Ancestors pilot them.

"Such a powerful puppet... Is this the core? Five Chaos Crystals?" Ji Ning discovered the energy source of this Myriad Things Emissary.

Even a Celestial Immortal could use the Myriad Things Emissary to display top-tier Dao Ancestor strength.

The energy source of this Myriad Things Emissary couldn't be a Celestial Immortal. It came from five Chaos Crystals, each containing one of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—which combined to unleash astonishing power. A Celestial Immortal couldn't fully control this power, but a Dao Ancestor's magic power could, further enhancing the emissary's strength.

"A powerful feeling, even stronger than the Rahu God. No wonder it can approach the strength of Buddhist and Daoist leaders." Ji Ning was awed. Probably ten Rahu Gods together could match this Myriad Things Emissary.

A Celestial Immortal piloting it.

And a Dao Ancestor piloting it—the difference was huge.

…

Inside the grand palace, Ji Ning's residence.

"Brother Beiming."

"It's shameful that we only now get to see you, Beiming." The Flood Dragon Celestial Immortal led a group of Celestial Immortals and True Immortals to visit.

The white-robed Ji Ning received them with a smile. He could feel the 'gratitude,' 'admiration,' and 'excitement' in the hearts of the visiting Celestial Immortals and True Immortals, because they all understood that Ji Ning was the greatest contributor and hero in the war of the Zhulu World. And with the strength Ji Ning had shown, he could play a stunning role in future battles and even the final struggle for fortune.

With Ji Ning strong, their side had a better chance of winning.

These Celestial Immortals and True Immortals were naturally grateful and admiring!

"They place their hopes on me. Well, let them. The Abyss Gate... I will fight them with all my might." After seeing off the group of Celestial Immortals and True Immortals, Ji Ning stood alone by the railing, gazing at the endless starry sky. "And that God King, I must slay him."