Chapter 36: The Treasure of the Dominator

Staring at the three figures before him, Ji Ning's heart churned with emotion.

In truth, having been blocked earlier by the white-robed man and the armored figure, Ji Ning had been extremely cautious about the thirty-sixth level of the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons. After all, even those stronger than him had died here. Yet he was quite confident in his defenses, and retreating at the first sign of difficulty was not in his nature. He was willing to risk this one clone for a chance.

If he succeeded, he would gain a great opportunity.

And the result?

It was far easier than he had anticipated. He directly comprehended the 'Heaven-Crumbling Sword Intent,' and as if by natural progression, the five sword intents merged together!

In truth, this was only natural. Ji Ning had long since reached a bottleneck in the five sword techniques of the Brightmoon Sword Art. After the 'Yin-Yang Form' first broke through in the Sword Palace of the Mangya Kingdom, the subsequent four forms—'Blood Drop Form,' 'Shadowless Form,' 'Mind-Only Form,' and 'Heaven-Crumbling Form'—had become increasingly smooth. The later stages broke through faster, and the final fusion was accomplished in one go!

"Senior," Ji Ning said, looking at the burly man. "May I ask if this junior can become a personal disciple of the Dominator?"

If you aim, aim for the best!

"Personal disciple?" The burly man was taken aback and gave a rare grin. "Your ambition is not small. But to become a personal disciple of the Dominator, you must gain the recognition of that Universe treasure!"

"It doesn't recognize me?" Ji Ning pressed.

"It didn't react. Hmm... let me ask for you." The burly man suddenly closed his eyes.

...

In the inner domain world, the Dominator's corpse, one hundred and eight thousand zhang tall, stood silently as it had for endless ages. The deep blue giant sword he held propped in his hands suddenly shimmered with light and let out a sword hum.

"Swoosh."

A figure flashed and appeared before the corpses of the three sword Dao grandmasters.

"What's going on? I shouldn't have sensed it wrong. There seemed to be a fluctuation just now." The silver-eyed man in white robes, his expression solemn, stared at the corpses of the three sword Dao grandmasters. "Could something unusual have happened?"

...

The thirty-sixth level of the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons.

The three volcano giants had long been released by Ji Ning and had reverted to three towering volcanoes. On the ruined, shattered land, Ji Ning, the white-robed man, and the armored figure all stared at the burly man, each somewhat tense. If the Universe treasure was truly willing to acknowledge a master, then Ji Ning's choice would be beyond question.

"I asked," the burly man said, opening his eyes.

"What happened?" Ji Ning immediately pressed, though a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. If that Universe treasure had truly acknowledged him, there should have been some special sign.

The burly man sighed. "The sword Dao you have comprehended is indeed perfect and includes the Dominator's path of cultivation. You are the most perfect I have known in 'sword Dao.' But—that sword told me it... does not wish to follow you."

"Does not wish to?" Ji Ning was stunned.

"Yes, simply does not wish to," the burly man said. "It followed my master for endless ages. It likes men like my master—bold as the sea, deep as the mountains. It does not like someone like you."

Ji Ning was speechless.

So that was the reason. Like a man and woman taking a liking to each other, this Universe treasure also had to take a liking to someone before it would follow. Clearly, it had been greatly influenced by the Dominator and preferred cultivators with a personality like his.

"It seems I have no affinity with this Universe treasure," Ji Ning said with a shake of his head and a wry smile. Since it looked down on him, there was nothing he could do. Though somewhat disappointed, he could bear it. After all, getting a Universe treasure to acknowledge a master was extremely difficult. Even Eternal Emperors dreamed of owning one. He had been mentally prepared for it not to recognize him.

But no matter how prepared he was, deep down he was still very disappointed. "Doesn't like someone like me? Well, I don't fancy you either."

This was Ji Ning's self-consolation, for this was the closest he had ever come to obtaining a Universe treasure.

"Beiming, don't be disappointed," the white-robed man comforted.

"It's just a Universe treasure. Big Brother's standards are high, but that Universe treasure's standards are even higher and stranger," the armored figure quickly added. "I think you should become my master's personal disciple."

"Beiming, have you decided?" the burly man asked.

Ji Ning pondered. It seemed he could only choose between being a nominal disciple of the Dominator or a personal disciple of one of the sword Dao Emperors.

"Three seniors, if I become a nominal disciple of the Dominator, or a personal disciple of one of the other two Emperors, what treasures and techniques can I obtain? Could you first explain so I can make a better choice?" Ji Ning asked.

"Very well."

"Yes, let us explain."

"Take a look first."

The three waved their hands simultaneously.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—on the ruined ground beside them, phantom images began to appear, images of treasures, each looking quite extraordinary.

"Let me go first," the armored figure said, pointing to the phantom images of nine blood-colored greatswords floating nearby. "First, these nine precious divine swords, unmatched in power, hard to buy even on the market... and this suit of armor... and this gourd... and this cloth banner... and finally, my master's sword art inheritance, along with various secret arts and divine abilities."

An Emperor's treasures, more than half of them, gave Ji Ning many ideas.

"My turn," the white-robed man began, and beside him appeared phantom images of three divine swords—purple, gold, and white—along with many other treasures.

...

The burly man stood silently among the ruins. After his third and second brothers finished speaking, he said calmly, "There are two sets of treasures here, each for one of the two nominal disciples. You can only choose one."

"This set includes fifty million cubic meters of chaos nectar, two talismans personally refined by the Dominator, and a divine sword the Dominator used before obtaining the Universe treasure. This divine sword... is no less valuable than the divine weapons of my third and second brothers' masters. Additionally, there is the complete sword art left by my master, along with divine abilities and secret arts."

"The other set also includes fifty million cubic meters of chaos nectar, two talismans refined by the Dominator, and a suit of armor the Dominator wore in life. This armor has many marvelous uses and is equally precious as the divine weapons of my third and second brothers' masters. Additionally, there is the complete sword art left by my master, along with divine abilities and secret arts."

After speaking, the burly man fell silent.

The white-robed man and the armored figure looked at Ji Ning expectantly.

Ji Ning examined carefully. Though the white-robed man and the armored figure had treated him well, when it came to his own great opportunity, Ji Ning would never choose casually.

The other two Eternal Emperors had left almost all their treasures to their disciples. There were many treasures, and the total value of so many treasures was astonishing.

In terms of treasures, the two Eternal Emperors had more.

But! What the Dominator left behind would be more helpful to him. A sword Dao grandmaster at the Dominator level was likely nonexistent in the endless territories. His inheritance was something one couldn't learn even if one wanted to. His success in achieving the Dao... would be an enormous reference and help for Ji Ning.

"What suits is better. Moreover, if the other two Emperors' treasures were given to me, I would have to find a way to sell them. In contrast, the Dominator's talismans and chaos nectar are exactly what I need." Ji Ning nodded.

"I'm sorry, two seniors," Ji Ning said apologetically.

The white-robed man and the armored figure standing on the ruins both sighed, looking somewhat forlorn. The white-robed man shook his head with a smile. "We both guessed as much. A Dominator's complete sword art is an irresistible temptation to a sword cultivator—we understand that well."

A complete sword art of a Sword Dominator was priceless.

Sword Dao grandmasters on par with Xue Jian Emperor could still be found. But one comparable to the deceased Dominator was nowhere to be found. When Ji Ning's strength reached the brink of achieving the Dao, no matter the cost, it would be nearly impossible to obtain such a complete sword art.

"Big Brother, congratulations."

"Big Brother, you've finally accepted a nominal disciple for your master." They both offered congratulations.

They were deeply moved. The three of them—the two brothers and their elder brother—had waited here for far too long. But their elder brother's standards were even higher.

Now, after endless ages, their elder brother had finally accepted a nominal disciple for the Dominator. After all, the Dominator only took two nominal disciples. The benefits a nominal disciple received were more than ten times better than becoming a personal disciple of Xue Jian Emperor.

Whether it was the divine sword he once used or the armor he wore in life, both were invaluable.

"Beiming." The burly man grinned, showing a rare smile. "Follow me." With that, he transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the distant temple.