by RWX
“Mm.”
“Right.”
The Pure Yang True Immortals present all nodded.
The Conclave of Immortal Destiny had more than a hundred thousand participants, and there were many reincarnated Immortals amongst them. It was indeed theoretically possible for them to reawaken their past memories… but it was extremely, extremely rare.
“What’s the name of this little lass?” Lu Dongbin looked towards the Xia Emperor. “I don’t know her name yet.”
“Her name is Yu Wei. Her Daoist title is Rainbowflame; because she is a reincarnated Immortal, she is referred to by others as the Rainbowflame Fairy,” the Xia Emperor said. “She, too, hails from the Black-White College of Stillwater Commandery. You already know about Ji Ning, who is next to her. This time, the Black-White College has produced three attendees, and each of them truly are formidable.”
“The Sloppy Daoist is the disciple of Grand Emperor Xuanwu, and his power is on par with Cangwu Jiu, Xiamang Zishan, and Ji Ning. This Yu Wei was originally weaker, but now that she’s regained her former memories, she’s on the same level as well,” Sovereign Hao said with a sigh.
“As I see it, the Sloppy Daoist has trained for more than a century, while Yu Wei had memories from a past life that she reawakened. But Ji Ning has only trained for thirty years, yet already has such incredible power… this is rather inconceivable.” Lu Dongbin stroked his jaw, murmuring to himself, “As I see it, Ji Ning has tremendous potential.”
The Xia Emperor laughed. “Lu Dongbin, can it be that you want to take on a disciple?”
“No, no, no… I actually have more of a liking for that little lass named Yu Wei.” Lu Dongbin’s eyes lit up. “She was actually stimulated to the point of having her former memories awaken; this little lass is quite, quite amusing.”
The others all immediately shook their heads. Reincarnated Immortals generally didn’t have much potential; if they weren’t able to overcome the tribulation and become a Celestial Immortal in their past life, then the chances they would succeed in this one would be very, very low.
“Ji Ning does have some potential.” The Xia Emperor murmured quietly to himself. He had already taken notice of twenty-one youths in this Conclave, each of which had tremendous potential; Ji Ning was one of them.
Within the world of the Diagram.
BOOM!
Ji Ning was suppressed by Xiamang Zishan’s might; although he used his agility to counter the other’s raw power, he was still wounded by their colliding blows. Still, this sort of injury was minor; Ning was still paying full attention to his senior apprentice-sister, only to discover that under Cangwu Jiu’s attack, Yu Wei had suddenly exploded with power. She was actually able to fight him to a standstill! This caused Ning to feel both astonished and delighted.
“Junior apprentice-brother, come over here. Hurry up and collect your sword array,” Yu Wei sent frantically.
“Senior apprentice-sister!” Ning stopped wasting time with Xiamang Zishan. With a whoosh, he swept through the air to move towards Yu Wei, while at the same time mentally commanding the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] swords to return to him.
“Let’s go.” Yu Wei grabbed Ning by the arm.
The black phoenix and the white phoenix suddenly began to revolve around each other, forming into a black and white vortex. Yu Wei grabbed Ning, then charged into the vortex.
Swoosh!
A brilliant, dazzling streak of black-and-white light appeared in the skies. They had instantly moved more than a thousand kilometers away.
“What, what technique is this?!” Xiamang Zishan walked over, saying in astonishment, “How could they have escaped so quickly? Cangwu Jiu, even you were unable to catch them? Didn’t you say that you are the fastest person in the world at the Wanxiang level?”
“I can’t catch them.” Cangwu Jiu shook his head. “I can tell that this is an evasive technique which uses a magic treasure… a technique that was specifically designed for escape, formed from the Grand Dao of Taiji. This woman has an extremely high level of comprehension in the Grand Dao of Taiji!”
……
Within a mountain cave. After setting up a simple formation, Ning plopped his rear down.
“Xiamang Zishan really was an absolute madman.” Ning felt utterly exhausted; the earlier battle had been simply too frenetic. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye he saw a pool of water located deep in the cave. He immediately ran over, then used his hands to cup some water and wash his face. “That feels great.”
Yu Wei laughed.
She was going to be able to continue to stay with her junior apprentice-brother in the Brightmoon Diagram of the Mountains and Rivers.
She walked towards the side of the pool, then sat down. With a wave of her hand, she produced a jade flute, then began to gently blow it.
The sound of the flute was melodious and leisurely, seeming to reach deep into a person’s heart.
Ning, stunned, put down the water in his hands and sat down to listen.
The sound of the flute was drifting and soft…
…it spoke of a vast grassland, a peaceful, gentle tribe, and a female child who was the member of that small tribe…
…the peace was destroyed, and disaster descended…
…the female child embarked upon the path of slaughter, becoming a terrifying female Asura…
……
One scene after another, starting from childhood in the past life, to death and reincarnation… they all entered Ning’s mind.
The sound of the flute seemed to possess an indescribable magic power, causing Ning to feel joy, rage, sorrow, and pleasure. It was a flute song that bored straight through to the heart. Ning was completely drawn into it. He looked at the black-robed woman playing the flute. This memory was deeply engraved into Ning’s heart. Even after a tremendous period of time passed, he would still be unable to forget it.
Drip.
A single tear fell down onto the ground, staining the dirt.
Ning was startled awakened from the reverie the flute song had brought him into. Only now did he realize that Yu Wei had two tearstains on her face. He couldn’t help but call out, “Senior apprentice-sister!” Yu Wei trembled… then gently put down her flute.
“Senior apprentice-sister, you…” Ning was a bit worried.
“I’m fine.” Yu Wei shook her head, looking at Ning. She even smiled. “I just thought of some things in my past life. Although everything has already happened… now that the memories have truly returned, they really do make it hard to control one’s emotions. Still, those are all in the past now; let the past be in the past. I’ve already reincarnated into a different world. In truth… I would rather not know about what happened in my past life.”
“Can you talk to me about it?” Ning asked.
“I don’t want to.” Yu Wei shook her head.
“Then… did you have a Dao-companion in your past life?” Ning suddenly asked.
Yu Wei was startled. She gave Ning a close look, as though wanting to see something in Ning’s expression. She then gently shook her head. “I did not!”
* * *
Book 12, Chapter 13 - Immortals and Gods
“Oh.” Ning said hurriedly, “I… used up a lot of divine power in the previous battle. I need to take a rest.”
As he spoke, Ning hurriedly walked deeper into the cave. Waving his arm, he chopped out a neat, flat region onto the ground and then lay down. Using his arms as a pillow, he immediately closed his eyes and began to snore.
He seemed calm, but in his heart Ning felt a bit confused.
“Why the hell did I ask senior apprentice-sister if she had a Dao-companion or not?” Ning’s mind was restless. He was a smart person, and an Immortal cultivator who had understood his own heart long ago. He quickly understood the issue. “Can it be that I’m…”
“Forget it… how can Dao-companions be so casually joined?”
“Am I mentally ready?”
“Not yet! I’m not yet ready…�
��
Ning turned in his sleep, suppressing everything in his heart.
He thought back to the experiences he had in the past half year. He thought back to the first time he had met her, and all the times he had met her up till today. Ning had to admit… from the very beginning, he had felt very friendly towards her, because she was unlike Ninelotus, who had many beliefs that were different from Ning’s. He and Ninelotus were from different worlds. As for Yu Wei… many of her beliefs were the same as his, and her personality was similar as well!
Her birth…
Her experiences…
Her talent…
He and Yu Wei were very similar. She was even more intelligent than him! The past half year he had spent with her was very relaxed and comfortable. She had silently, tracelessly slipped deep into his heart with her warmth. Just now in particular, when she had played the flute, the song of the flute had thoroughly penetrated his heart. Ning could even feel the joy, the pain, and the sadness she felt in her heart…
This feeling, as though he had touched her soul, made Ning feel a certain softness towards her. He even wanted to go over and hug her. This was why his subconscious had moved him to ask her about Dao-companions.
“Dao-companions… this sort of promise cannot be casually made.” Ning sighed quietly to himself in his heart.
……
Yu Wei watched Ning lie there deep in the cave. She rose, then walked to the entrance of the cave, where she sat down. She stared at the vast, seemingly endless mountain forest. The cave was protected by a bewildering formation, and so the outside world couldn’t see inside it.
Moonlight shone down into the cave.
Yu Wei picked up her flute, holding it as she sat there quietly.
“I can feel junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning’s heart.”
“Previously, I held back, wanting to let it all pass.”
“But on the sixth day I was in the Diagram, I was in dire straits… despite how vast the Diagram was, junior apprentice-brother ran into me. Can it be that fate is telling me that I should be together with him?”
“But… can I even have a Dao-companion? Can I dare hope for a Dao-companion?”
Yu Wei stared at the moon hanging high in the skies. She quietly asked…“Heavens above… what should I do?”
Yu Wei understood that she had reached a fork in the path.
If she chose to be with Ning, then the two might have a chance. But if she didn’t want to be with him, then after leaving the Diagram, she would have to separate from him and make a clean break.
……
One month after another passed. The number of Wanxiang Adepts within the Diagram dropped continuously. Now, virtually all the remaining competitors within the Diagram were monsters capable of exploding forth with power that rivaled ordinary Loose Immortals.
Within the imperial citadel’s plaza.
“Haha, only a thousand remain within the world of the Brightmoon Diagram of the Mountains and Rivers, but the Black-White College has taken up three of those slots!” Immortal Fivecraze was utterly delighted. There was no way any of the other powers of Stillwater Commandery, including the Northmont clan of Stillwater, could compare to the Black-White College in this regard. The three experts the Black-White College had sent out this time were simply too dazzling.
“Even the Marquis of Stillwater came over to chat with me for quite a long period of time. Even other marquises came over, as well as leaders of supreme clans and sects.” Immortal Fivecraze then frowned. “But it’s weird… Ji Ning is clearly very powerful as well, but why is it that those who came to chat with me discussed little Sloppy even more?”
He could sense the goodwill these major clans and sects were displaying towards the Black-White College was primarily aimed towards befriending the Sloppy Daoist. It seemed as though Ji Ning and Yu Wei were far from being comparable with the Sloppy daoist.
“Weird, weird. Ji Ning is very formidable as well, and he’s trained for an even shorter period of time.” Immortal Fivecraze was puzzled.
……
“How bizarre.” Lu Dongbin, who had spent a period of time napping in the main hall of the Skylight Palace, stared at the Diagram. “I took a three month nap… why is that this little girl named Yu Wei still hasn’t become Dao-companions with Ji Ning yet?”
“Dao-companions represent a promise that cannot be so easily uttered!” The Pure Yang True Immortal who was dressed in black robes decorated with a blood-colored taiji diagram shook his head.
“You can’t dawdle when it comes to matters of love!” Lu Dongbin shook his head. “Based on my experiences roaming the Three Realms and countless minor worlds, matters of love must be immediately seized and settled down upon at the critical moments in time! If you hesitate, the more you dawdle, the more difficult it will become to form Dao-companions. I am willing to bet on it! If this Yu Wei and Ji Ning are to become Dao-companions, they’ll become Dao-companions within the Diagram. If they don’t, then after they leave it… without these shared daily life-and-death experiences, the chances will drop even more!”
“Do any of you dare to bet against me?” Lu Dongbin stared at them.
“Lu Dongbin, you are a Sage of Love. You spout so much wisdom about love… why don’t you have a Dao-companion of your own?” the True Immortal with the blood-colored taiji diagram robes spoke out.
“Those in the game are blinded by it. Those who are watching the game have clear eyes.” Lu Dongbin gave a calm response, then stopped talking.
…….
Within a quiet mountain. A bewildering formation had been set down. Ning was seated in the lotus position atop a grassy area.
Streams of fire and water swirled around the surrounding area. Surges of power from the Solar Star and the Lunar Star were being absorbed into Ning’s body. Although they were within the world of the Diagram, he was still able to train in the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens].
Rumble…
A series of rumbling sounds could be heard from within Ning’s body. His bones were clattering together as his muscles and skin were rapidly transforming.
At his current level, Ning’s physical body was already extremely tough; he wasn’t too far off from the likes of the Fiendgod, Xiangliu Fang. A casual breath from him could generate a hurricane that would sweep out for a thousand kilometers.
Slowly… everything calmed down. Ning opened his eyes, revealing a smile.
“Junior apprentice-brother?” Yu Wei, who had been standing guard for him, looked eagerly at Ning.
“Mm. I’ve already broken through.” Ning let out a laugh. “It took me quite a few years, but I’ve finally managed to reach the twelfth level of the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]. And it really is different; the twelfth level of this technique… it’s comparable to ordinary early Primal stage Fiendgod Body Refiners. My divine body and my soul have completely joined… and I can feel that my soul is rapidly strengthening.”
Fiendgod Body Refiners and Ki Refiners… these were two different paths. Upon reaching the Primal level, Fiendgods could directly split off a clone! Upon reaching the Void level, they could pluck out a hair and transform it into a clone!
Now that Ning had trained to the twelfth stage, his body was actually quite similar to the Primal Turtle-Snake in that it was capable of nourishing the soul. In addition, he was able to join his soul to his body! His soul was able to enter every single part of his body. In other words… Ning’s current body was no longer made of mere flesh. His flesh and blood contained his soul within it as well! This was why he was now capable of creating mobile ‘clones’.
“Your soul is rapidly gaining in strength?” Yu Wei hurriedly said, “I heard that the souls of Fiendgods are generally even more powerful than that of ordinary Primal Daoists.”
“It’s true.” Ning nodded. “The soul-nourishment provided by my divine body is even more astonishing than that provided by the Primal Turtle-Snake… based on what I sensed when I created my
Primaltwin, my Fiendgod body is strengthening my soul at least five or six times faster than the Primal Turtle-Snake did.”
“No wonder Fiendgod Body Refiners are so powerful. Everyone says that at higher levels, Fiendgod Body Refiners are even more powerful, especially after overcoming the Celestial Tribulation and becoming Empyrean Gods. Empyrean Gods are comparable to Pure Yang True Immortals in power,” Yu Wei sighed.
“Senior apprentice-sister, you know about Empyrean Gods and Pure Yang True Immortals?” Ning was startled.
“Don’t forget that I’m a reincarnated Immortal.” Yu Wei nodded. “Based on what I know… for Immortal cultivators, the stages are Zifu Disciples, Wanxiang Adepts, Primal Daoists, Void-level Earth Immortals… and, for those who pass the Celestial Tribulation, the stages are Celestial Immortals and True Immortals! True Immortals are also known as Pure Yang True Immortals. After them are Golden Immortals of the Great Firmament, also known as Daofathers of the Great Firmament! Alternately, they can just be addressed as Daofather! Daofathers are the absolute most supreme figures of the Three Realms. They are unquestioned hegemons who are even more exalted in status than the Celestial Emperor!”
Ning’s eyes lit up. He didn’t know any of these things. He had only trained for thirty years. Compared to someone who had memories from a past life, he did indeed know very little regarding the Three Realms.
“Golden Immortals of the Great Firmament, also known as Daofathers of the Great Firmament or as Daofathers?” Ning murmured to himself.
“Mastery of a Dao-Path is a prerequisite for becoming a Celestial Immortal. Mastery of a Grand Dao is a prerequisite for becoming a Pure Yang True Immortal. And mastery of a Heavenly Dao is the prerequisite for becoming a Daofather of the Great Firmament!” Yu Wei said.
Ning’s heart shook. Mastery of a Heavenly Dao?
When the Black-White College’s Headmaster Daoist Jadesea had discussed these things with him, he hadn’t explained in such detail. It seemed as though Yu Wei was truly extraordinary in her past life. At least, she knew much more than Daoist Jadesea!
“After Pangu established the heavens and the earth, there were ten Heavenly Daos! This is common knowledge for Celestial Immortals. It was a Celestial Immortal who told me this,” Yu Wei said.