Chapter 39: Years on the Star Island

One year later.

On the fifth level, fifteen Star Islands slowly revolved. On one of them, Ji Ning sat on a wooden chair, holding a wine cup as he slowly drank, while also examining a golden scroll.

Whoosh.

In the distance, another Star Island on the fifth level suddenly sank downward, dropping to the fourth level below.

"What chaos," Ji Ning murmured softly.

Indeed.

Ever since he, among the new batch of World-level cultivators, had been the first to charge to the fifth level and then fall back down, over the following year, 'Ge Huo,' 'the Empress,' and 'Waterwalker' had all successively reached the fifth level, suddenly making it lively. The original twelve prodigies on the fifth level knew each other well, so they fought rarely, only sparring again after some cultivation gains.

But now, with four prodigies including Ji Ning suddenly appearing, the original twelve on the fifth level grew restless and began issuing challenges.

Battle after battle.

Each battle caused a World-level cultivator on the fifth level to fall to the fourth, but they quickly rose back to the fifth.

Falling down... rising up...

Falling down... rising up...

Almost every few days, a Star Island would sink down.

At its lowest, the fifth level had only nine Star Islands; at its highest, it maintained sixteen.

"Compared to these other prodigies, I'm just average," Ji Ning sighed.

After many bouts, Ji Ning realized something.

On the fifth level, most were special lives! Very few were cultivators! Each excelled in some aspect, and the one with the fewest flaws was 'Thousand Star Child.'

Thousand Star Child had a full thousand avatars!

In terms of sustained combat ability, perhaps only Ji Ning could match him.

Once he transformed into a thousand and formed a formation, no one could harm him in the slightest.

In ferocity, with a thousand bodies united and divine power unleashed, he was also top-tier.

Thus, to this day, 'Thousand Star Child' had never fallen from the fifth level! Another newcomer, a special life called 'Waterwalker,' had also never fallen since rising to the fifth level. Ji Ning had fought him too. Waterwalker had a pure gaze, like a newborn infant. He stood there as Ji Ning attacked, turning into a massive water droplet, and no matter how Ji Ning struck, he couldn't harm him at all.

This nearly invincible defensive ability alone allowed 'Waterwalker' to firmly hold his place on the fifth level.

"Thousand Star Child relies on a thousand avatars forming a formation, making him untouchable. Waterwalker turns into a massive water droplet, also untouchable."

"But Waterwalker seems too innocent. Is he truly innocent, or is it an act?" Ji Ning wondered. Though he had only interacted with Waterwalker once, it left a good impression, but Waterwalker was excessively naive. Before their fight, he asked all sorts of questions, curious about everything.

When Ji Ning fought him, striking him, he didn't retaliate... No matter how Ji Ning attacked, it was useless, and Waterwalker enthusiastically continued questioning and chatting. Ji Ning could only concede.

"Even compared to those special lives, my divine body is not inferior."

"My only weakness is my swordsmanship."

"If I can comprehend the sixth stance of the Nameless Sword Art, then I can easily handle any prodigy on the fifth level." Ji Ning pondered. Once he grasped the sixth stance, his swordsmanship would rival Thousand Star Child's blade art, which was on par with A Luo Yi's blade art and the tests in the three Snow Appreciation scrolls.

The sixth stance of the Nameless Sword Art represented a realm where a perfected World-level cultivator, with such swordsmanship, could wield a Dao weapon to unleash peak World God power.

With such swordsmanship... and the help of the 'Yuan Yi Water-Fire Gourd,' Ji Ning could match Thousand Star Child.

...

Two months passed.

Ji Ning finally gathered a complete sword art inheritance, ranked seventy-third. He had planned to give it to the 'Danbao World God,' whom he rather liked, but only three days after obtaining it, 'Waterwalker' pestered him again. Faced with an opponent he couldn't harm and who refused to concede, wanting only to talk more, Ji Ning eventually had to yield.

Waterwalker had a bad habit: after winning, he always took all of his opponent's inheritance treasures, saying, "I really like these inheritances."

Ji Ning was helpless...

He could only sigh inwardly: Danbao World God, you've endured here for ages; bear it a while longer, and I'll send you another inheritance when I get the chance.

Another five months passed, and he gathered another sword art inheritance, ranked nineteenth.

...

Inside Ji Ning's cave heaven treasure.

On a vast land, a mountain peak rose, the highest on this continent. At its summit, a white-robed youth sat cross-legged, gazing into the endless distance.

"Finally, I've comprehended this stance, 'World Sinking.'"

From the peak, his sight reached the edge of this cave heaven. Ji Ning could better feel the sense of controlling a world. With the two sword art inheritances, he had finally grasped the fifth stance of the Nameless Sword Art, 'World Sinking.'

"The fifth stance alone is nothing special," Ji Ning shook his head.

For traversing the endless territories, such swordsmanship was impressive—on par with Bei Xiu World God's. But now, Ji Ning was competing with the terrifying prodigies selected by the 'Great Ruler' of Mangya Kingdom.

"To reach the sixth stance is no easy feat. Even with two sword art inheritances, it will take at least tens of thousands of years, or even hundreds of thousands, to comprehend." Ji Ning sighed.

A Luo Yi, for instance, had an epiphany on the Great Grindstone of Life and Death.

The sixth stance barely met the standard for Emperor Snow Appreciation's test. It was indeed difficult. Only because Ji Ning was on Star Island, with a group of prodigies as sparring partners to hone his skills, and with two sword art inheritances as guidance, could he claim to comprehend it in as little as tens of thousands of years or as long as hundreds of thousands. The time seemed long, but with his time-acceleration treasure 'Bright Light House' providing a hundredfold acceleration, he might grasp it in about a thousand years.

"These two sword art inheritances?" Ji Ning flipped his hand, revealing a thick book.

The book had a full six hundred pages, each page an inheritance treasure. Ji Ning had gathered all six hundred pages and then combined them into a book, obtaining the sword art inheritance ranked nineteenth.

Ji Ning opened the book.

Each page was a single character, radiating sword Dao aura.

He had already memorized the sword art inheritance, but the book's six hundred characters represented six hundred sword art concepts, allowing him to gradually experience them.

"This 'Daolist Liuzhou' loved calligraphy, as do I. We have much in common." After obtaining this inheritance, Ji Ning learned about Daolist Liuzhou.

Daolist Liuzhou was a mighty cultivator on the verge of the Dao, who ultimately failed in his Dao integration and perished.

He loved wandering, not conflict, calling himself 'Liuzhou' (Drifting Boat) as he roamed the endless territories. Due to his nature, his sword art was not strong in offense but excelled in defense!

He left a very detailed complete inheritance, along with six hundred characters, each representing a sword art concept. Ji Ning also liked to convey sword intent through calligraphy, so he easily sensed the mysteries Daolist Liuzhou intended to convey. Moreover, Ji Ning's swordsmanship was already defense-oriented, so he rapidly absorbed the essence of Liuzhou's sword art. Just half a month after obtaining this inheritance, Ji Ning comprehended the fifth stance.

Two sword art inheritances.

The first, ranked seventy-third, seemed brilliant but had clear flaws.

The second, ranked nineteenth, created by Daolist Liuzhou, seemed plain but had endless depth.

...

In the following time, Ji Ning delved into his swordsmanship. Even when Thousand Star Child fought him again, Ji Ning said, 'I'll concede, but you can't take this sword art inheritance treasure. Otherwise, I won't concede, and we'll slowly wear each other down.' The only one who could outlast Ji Ning in attrition was probably Thousand Star Child, and only if Ji Ning didn't use chaos gems—he had exchanged much chaos nectar for 'chaos gems' before leaving the Da Mo region.

Other cultivators? In attrition, they couldn't match Ji Ning.

Thousand Star Child followed the blade Dao and cared nothing for sword arts, so he didn't mind.

As for Waterwalker, Ji Ning couldn't harm him, but Waterwalker couldn't harm Ji Ning either. If Ji Ning absolutely refused to give up the sword art inheritance, Waterwalker had no way.

Thus, the book personally written by Daolist Liuzhou remained with Ji Ning at all times. He immersed himself in it daily, his swordsmanship realm steadily improving, especially in defense.

So absorbed in his swordsmanship, Ji Ning nearly forgot about Danbao World God. To Ji Ning, helping was a favor, not helping was normal. Danbao World God had been here for ages anyway; another ten thousand or a hundred thousand years was trivial.

Time flowed. Amid battles and sword art comprehension, five hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

...