Volume 7 - Chapter 19 (1/2)

As one of the managers of this recruitment effort, Fairy Hua Yun naturally knew how difficult the final test would be . This junior of her clan, Hua Chong, had no chance of success at all .

“The eight of you, follow me,” the black-haired, middle-aged man said . The six Primal Daoists began to walk in front, while Ji Ning and the rest of the eight followed from behind .

Ning glanced sideways at the nearby black-clothed youth . The youth’s eyes were filled with defiance and madness . His aunt was Fairy Hua Yun…her status in the Hua clan was extremely high, and although the Hua clan had an Immortal guarding it, since Fairy Hua Yun was a Primal Daoist of the Black-White College, her combat prowess was definitely comparable to an Immortal’s .

He had to honor and respect the words of Fairy Hua Yun . But…he also had to enter the Black-White College . He, too, wished to be like his aunt and be a member of the Black-White College! “I have to enter . The Dao of the Heavens ensures that one will always have a chance . ” The black-clothed youth gritted his teeth .

…… . .

After walking through the dark, gloomy caves for a period of time, they arrived at an exit . Up ahead, there were nine different entrances .

“Halt,” the black-haired man said . Ning and the other seven all came to a halt . “These nine entrances are each guarded by a Zifu Disciple of our Black-White College . ” The black-haired, middle-aged man swept Ning and the others with his gaze . “The eight of you shall each choose a passageway . ”

The faces of Ning and the rest of the eight all changed . What?! Guarded by full disciples of the Black-White College? These were people who trained in supreme techniques and arts, while the eight of them were all only early Zifu Ki Refiners .

“After you each enter your chosen corridors, you will encounter these guardian disciples . As long as you are able to charge through out of cave while they are guarding it, you will become a disciple of our Black-White College . ” A smile was on the face of the man . “Don’t worry . These Zifu Disciples on guard are only permitted to use a single type of technique, while all of you can go all out . In addition, there is no need for you to defeat the guardian disciple; you only need to charge out of the cave . Afterwards, we shall all reunite at the peak of this mountain . ”

“Alright . ” Ning and the rest of the eight all nodded . “Go, then,” the black-haired, middle-aged man instructed .

They quickly each selected a corridor . Ning pondered slightly, then chose one for himself as well . Only the black-haired youth hesitated for a period of time…and then, gritting his teeth, he entered a corridor as well . All of them entered their corridors .

“Wu Xiu . ” The short, pudgy, bald man laughed . “You are in charge of this disciple recruitment, and are managing it from start to finish . Tell me, of the eight, which will be able to become disciples of our Black-White College?”

The black-haired, middle-aged man hesitated . “If I have to choose…of the eight, I’d say Ji Ning will definitely succeed!”

“Right . ”

“Yes, he’ll definitely succeed . ”

“Everyone knows that Ji Ning will succeed, old Daoist Wu Xiu . What about the other seven?” All of the others were laughing while speaking .

The black-haired, middle-aged man pondered for a bit longer, then said, “Of these eight, only Ji Ning will definitely succeed . It will be hard for all of the other seven . If you insist on me choosing someone…that fourteen year old kid who controls the Azure Dragon construct, Mu Northson . There’s a chance for him as well . ”

“Mm . ”

“Right . Aside from Ji Ning, the others will all find it quite difficult, especially that clansman of Fairy Hua Yun . He found it rather difficult to even make it through the lightning construct array; he definitely won’t make it past this one . ”

“Everyone knows how smart you are . ” The white-robed woman gave the bearded, middle-aged man who just spoke a hard look .

…… .

While the Primal Daoists were chatting amongst themselves, they were also using their divine senses to investigate what was going on within each of the mountain tunnels .

“Oh, it’s Bloodrinker Bladask . ”

“The corridor which Ji Ning chose is guarded by that kid, Bladask? He’s quite arrogant . He definitely won’t make it easy for Ji Ning to pass through . ” The Primal Daoists all leisurely watched the events going on through the eight corridors .

Within the corridor Ning had chosen . Roughly a hundred meters past the entrance, there was a white-robed youth . This youth had three bloodstains on the side of his chest . A white vest, with three drops of blood on the chest…only the genius disciples who had acquired the legacy of the Bloodrinker clan were qualified to wear this .

The Bloodrinker clan…was one of the supreme tribes that was located outside of Stillwater Commandery .

“They had me stand guard?” The white-robed youth, Bladask, just stood there, a flying sword hovering around his body . He gently stretched out a finger and tapped it . Rumble…a sword hymn instantly filled the cave . He couldn’t help but close his eyes, revealing a look of enjoyment on his face . “No matter how much of a genius you are, you can forget about successfully passing through the tunnel I have chosen . ”

Bloodrinker Bladask’s arrogance made it so that he definitely would not permit any juniors of the early Zifu Disciple stage to successfully pass through his cave .

“A single sword…they only permitted me to use this single sword . Still, it will be enough . ” The white-robed youth tapped the sword again, and the sword hummed out in response, as though it were behaving coquettishly towards him . He couldn’t help but smile .

Since the day he was born, he had held a wooden sword as he slept . His parents had named him ‘Bladask’, and in the past thirty years, he had focused all of his efforts on his blade . He was at the point where he was his blade, and the blade was him . Although he was in possession of the consummate skills of the Bloodrinker clan, the clan had still sent him to the Black-White College of Stillwater Commandery . He had lived up to their expectations and had entered the Black-White College .

“He’s coming . ” The white-clothed youth sensed the impending ripples . Suddenly, he heard a resigned voice ring out from outside . “Nine corridors, eight contestants . Mine ends up being the only one with no selectee…my fellow disciples, I hope that none of you will let these juniors make it through . ”

“Don’t worry, senior apprentice-brother Ox . ”

“Junior apprentice-brother Ox, how sad for you . ”

“You’ve waited all this time for nothing . ”

“Senior apprentice-brother Ox, although I’m only permitted a single magic treasure, these juniors definitely won’t be able to pass through . ”

One voice after another rang out in response . Bladask also shouted back, “Junior apprentice-brother Ox, please wait just a moment . After I turn back this kid, we’ll go back together . ”

Footsteps rang out . Bladask immediately stared forward carefully . He saw, from afar, a figure emerge from the depths of the tunnel . A youth with delicate, handsome features emerged, holding a sword in each hand, dressed in furs, and a smile on his face .

“Junior . ” Bloodrinker Bladask tapped the flying sword in front of him, and the sword hummed in response . Bladask said calmly, “In the future, remember this clearly – the one who prevented you from entering the Black-White College is me, Bloodrinker Bladask . ”

“I am…” Ning was about to say something, but Bladask interrupted calmly, “No need to tell me . We won’t meet again . You don’t need to give me your name . ”

Ning frowned . How arrogant . Since this was the case…then he might as well just go ahead and win this quickly and cleanly .

“Let the lightning descend!” Bladask called out softly, and as soon as he did, that flying sword in front of him began to emit a thundering sound . One bolt of lightning actually appeared in the surrounding area, all swirling around that flying sword, then flooding towards Ning with shocking power .

The strength of this blow alone was far superior to the power of Adept Xu Li and the Monoceros . The sword seemed to have transformed into countless bolts of lightning, striking at an astonishing speed .

“Let the lotus flower bloom . ” Ning had a faint smile on his face . Instantly, Waterflame Loti appeared around him . One layer after another of the flower bloomed; a total of six layers of flowers appeared .

Crackle crackle crackle…

The sword of lightning cut directly through all six layers, but its speed had clearly dropped somewhat . Ning’s Darknorth Swords swept out in a deceivingly simple manner, deflecting that powerful, vicious sword blow to one side .

“Such power . ” Ning frowned slightly . It had appeared as though he had received that blow with ease, but in reality, his hand had cracked slightly at the point between his thumb and index finger .

“So you do have some ability . It is useless, however!” Bladask suddenly let out a loud roar . “Thundergod’s Hell!”

The flying sword continued to hang there in midair, but around it, one violet bolt of lightning after another appeared . These bolts of serpentine lightning zigzagged into the shape of a prison, and a powerful pressure filled the entire caverns .

“Feel proud that you were defeated by this technique of mine,” Bladask said coldly . “Go . ”

BOOM!

The Thundergod Prison technique flew rapidly towards Ning .

“The Black-White College’s disciples live up to their reputation . With but a single flying sword, he’s still able to unleash such power and activate so much of the energy of the world . ” Ning mentally sighed in praise as made one flying sword after another appear in the area around him . In total, 729 flying swords emerged .

“A sword formation!” The distant Bladask’s face changed . Anything that had to do with the word ‘formation’ could not be belittled, and there were many swords in this one . If one could perfectly focus all of the energy into a whole, then the power of that one blow would be explosive! As a disciple of the Black-White College, Bladask naturally also was in possession of sword formation techniques, but for the purposes of this assignment, he was only able to use a single sword .

The 729 flying swords hung there in the air . Amongst them, there were eighty one Mortal-ranked flying swords; they included the Nine Yang Sword Formation swords that Ning had acquired from the underwater estate, and the seventy two flying swords Ning had acquired after killing Adept Xu Li . Although he had some other other Mortal-ranked flying swords as well, there weren’t enough of them, and they were all varied and different in nature . Thus, Ning didn’t use them .

The nine flying swords of the Nine Yang Swords served as the core formation base, while the other seventy two Mortal-ranked flying swords, all of which came from the same origin, swirled around them, forming a grand formation of eighty one flying swords . They, in turn, guided the six hundred-plus unranked flying swords .

“Rumble…” Ning’s elemental ki filled those flying swords and was transformed by them . His divine soul, which was at the divine sense level, was completely capable of controlling all of these swords, and soon, in front of his chest, a shocking, awe-inspiringly powerful sword light appeared .

The power of this technique was now truly astonishing . The reason why it was so strong was primarily because of those nine incredibly rare flying swords he had acquired from the underwater estate . Every single one of them was comparable to an Earth-ranked magic treasure, and they all came from the same source, which was even rarer .

“Kill!” Ning willed the attack . Swish! The sword light, now completely in the shape of a real flying sword, shot out through the air, forcibly slashing open the impending prison of lightning .

BOOM! Moments later, the lightning prison detonated in awe-inspiring fashion .

“Go, go, go . ” Ning hurriedly executed three more attacks of sword light, striking out in succession .

“Not good . ” Bladask’s face changed dramatically . He was a peak Zifu Disciple, after all, while Ning, by controlling and transforming his ki through the [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] and forming it into his sword light, had a purity of ki that was comparable to a Wanxiang Adept’s . In terms of sword techniques…Bladask was of the Bloodrinker clan and was an elite member of the Black-White College; naturally, he was formidable . But in terms of true insight and comprehension, Ning was on an even higher level . Thus, when Ning activated his [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation], Bladask actually was at a disadvantage .

“Polaris . ” Bladask had no other choice . In an instant, seven flying swords appeared, flashing with lightning . The seven flying swords swirled around him, forming into the pattern of an enormous constellation; it was the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper .

“Down!” Bladask growled . Bang! Bang! Bang! Ning’s three flashes of sword light were all shattered by the slowly revolving Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper .

“Hmph . ” Bladask turned his head, collected his flying swords, then transformed into a ray of light and departed . Per the rules, he was only permitted to use a single flying sword…since he had been forced to bring out his other magic treasures, he had naturally lost .

“How formidable . ” Ning watched as that disciple of Black-White College, ‘Bloodrinker Bladask’, departed . He couldn’t help but sigh in amazement . “The school should have limited him to using just a single flying sword . As soon as he showed his real power…he instantly suppressed my [Lesser Thousand Swords Formation] . He’s a peak Zifu Disciple, after all, while I am an early stage Zifu Disciple . The difference in elemental ki strength…when I encounter another unparalleled genius, the difference is clear . ”

What Ning didn’t realize…was that actually, all he had to do was fly out of the cave . And yet, he had insisted on forcing the guardian to show his real power instead .

“The Black-White College . ” Ning slowly strolled forward, walking out of the cave . He stepped onto a flying boat, then stared at the boundless, beautiful mountain scenery around him . From this day forward, he would truly be a member of the Black-White College .

Book 7, Stillwater City, Chapter 19, The Final Guardian.