noffsinger Chapter 183 Passing the Test
Chapter 183 Passing the Test
After the matter at Qingqiu Mountain was settled, Zhou Ning did not stay long.
He bid farewell to Xin Shisi Niang and the elders, and carrying the Heavenly Fox Sword, embarked on his journey back to Lanruo Temple.
He carefully stored the Heavenly Fox Sword in his bag, wrapping it with layers of talismans so that its spiritual energy did not leak out at all.
The power within the sword was even stronger than he had anticipated; it was a power that shared the same origin as his righteous spirit, yet was even more ancient and pure.
The divine weapon left behind by the ancestors of the Celestial Fox Clan truly lived up to its reputation.
There is a distance of a thousand miles between Qingqiu Mountain and Qingyun Mountain.
Zhou Ning did not rush on his way, but walked slowly, comprehending the sword intent of the Heavenly Fox Sword as he went.
He took out the jade slip given to him by the elder, probed it with his divine sense, and carefully studied the method of using the Heavenly Fox Sword.
The jade slip records that the Heavenly Fox Sword was forged by the ancestors of the Heavenly Fox Clan using their own blood essence and a thousand years of cultivation, and a wisp of the Heavenly Fox's soul is sealed within the sword.
When using it, one needs to be guided by righteous energy and based on a firm Dao heart in order to awaken the celestial fox soul within the sword and unleash its greatest power.
If one's resolve is not firm, one will be devoured by the celestial fox spirit within the sword, resulting in a decline in cultivation or even demonic possession.
"The Soul of the Celestial Fox..." Zhou Ning murmured.
He could sense that there was indeed a dormant consciousness within the sword, a consciousness that was pure and ancient, carrying the unique spirituality and pride of the Heavenly Fox Clan.
It seemed to sense Zhou Ning's righteous spirit and trembled slightly, as if in response to him.
"I'll talk to you properly when I get back."
Zhou Ning carefully put the Heavenly Fox Sword away and quickened his pace.
After walking for three days, he finally returned to Qingyun Mountain.
He entered the main hall.
Yan Chixia was meditating when he heard footsteps and suddenly opened his eyes.
His gaze fell on Zhou Ning, somewhat surprised.
"Did you get the Heavenly Fox Sword?"
Zhou Ning took out the Heavenly Fox Sword from his bag and handed it to his master with both hands.
Yan Chixia took the sword, examined it carefully for a moment, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"A fine sword. A relic of the Celestial Fox Clan's ancestor, indeed extraordinary."
He returned the sword to Zhou Ning.
"Try to communicate with the celestial fox spirit within the sword and see if you can awaken it."
Zhou Ning nodded, sat cross-legged on the futon, and placed the Heavenly Fox Sword horizontally in front of his knees.
He closed his eyes and focused his mind into the sword.
Within the sword lies a blue void, and within that void, a white fox is fast asleep.
Its fur was as white as snow, its tail was bushy, curled up in a ball, and it breathed evenly.
Zhou Ning could sense that it was emanating extremely powerful spiritual energy fluctuations, the power of the peak of the Dao Integration stage.
"Senior Tianhu," Zhou Ning called out softly with his divine sense.
The white fox's ears twitched, but it didn't wake up.
Zhou Ning called out again.
This time, the white fox slowly opened its eyes.
Those were amber eyes, clear and deep, as if they could see through all the illusions of the world.
It looked at Zhou Ning, tilted its head, and seemed somewhat curious.
"Human, who are you? Why have you awakened me?"
The white fox's voice was soft and ethereal, like a mountain stream.
Zhou Ning said, "My name is Zhou Ning. I have been entrusted by the elders of the Qingqiu Fox Clan to retrieve the Heavenly Fox Sword to fight against the Heavenly Demon. I ask for your assistance, senior."
The white fox was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Dao heart is firm, and your righteous energy is pure. But to wield the Heavenly Fox Sword, these alone are not enough. You need to establish a spiritual connection with me and gain my approval. Otherwise, I would rather remain asleep than help you."
Zhou Ning asked, "How do we establish a spiritual connection?"
The white fox said, "Place your hand on the sword and merge your divine sense with my consciousness. The process will be very painful, but if you can endure it, I will acknowledge you."
Without hesitation, Zhou Ning placed his right hand on the blade of the Heavenly Fox Sword and probed it with his divine sense.
The moment his divine sense made contact with the white fox's consciousness, a powerful mental shock surged into his mind.
The impact was like a raging storm, trying to engulf his consciousness.
Zhou Ning gritted his teeth, holding firm to his mental center, refusing to let the white fox's consciousness gain the upper hand.
"Your resolve to follow the Tao is very firm."
The white fox's voice echoed in his mind.
"But that's not enough."
The mental impact grew stronger and stronger, and large beads of sweat appeared on Zhou Ning's forehead, and all the muscles in his body were trembling.
But he gritted his teeth and didn't give up.
He had only one thought in his mind.
To gain the approval of the Heavenly Fox Sword and completely annihilate the Heavenly Demon.
After an unknown amount of time, the mental shock suddenly stopped.
The white fox's voice rang out again, tinged with approval.
"Excellent. You have passed the test. From this day forward, you are the master of the Heavenly Fox Sword."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Ning felt a warm power surge from the sword into his body, merging with his Dao-merging power.
His cultivation level increased dramatically in an instant, bringing him one step closer to the mid-stage of the Dao Integration Realm.
He opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.
The Heavenly Fox Sword lay quietly on his lap, the runes on its blade shimmering with a faint blue light, as if smiling.
"It's a success," Zhou Ning said.
Yan Chixia nodded: "That's right. The Heavenly Fox Sword has recognized its master. Next, you need to continue cultivating and improve your cultivation level to reach the Dao Integration stage. Only when you are strong enough can you unleash the full power of the Heavenly Fox Sword."
Zhou Ning returned to his room and continued studying the Dao Integration Chapter.
It tells how to completely integrate the primordial spirit with the laws of heaven and earth, how to mobilize the power of heaven and earth on a larger scale, and how to comprehend the essence of the Dao.
"We still can't rush things."
"First, solidify your initial stage of Dao Integration before considering your next goal."
In the days that followed, Zhou Ning cultivated in the back mountain every day to solidify his early stage of Dao Integration.
He practiced the "Demon-Slaying Technique" hundreds of times to adapt to the new power.
The power of the Dao Integration stage is several times stronger than that of the Nascent Soul stage, and the sword energy is sharper and more powerful.
He mastered sword control to a higher level, and all six flying swords could be arranged into complex sword formations in the air under the control of his divine sense, combining offense and defense.
He also incorporated the Heavenly Fox Sword into the sword formation, using it as the main sword.
His divine sense could already cover an area of millions of feet in radius.
He could sense what the people down the mountain were doing, he could sense the birds and beasts flying in the distance, and he could sense the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth.
He could even sense that the seal remained stable in the direction of Qingfeng City to the north, and the aura of the Heavenly Demon was not abnormal.
"It's safe for now." Zhou Ning felt a little relieved.
On this day, he was meditating on the back mountain when he suddenly felt the communication jade talisman in his arms getting slightly warm.
He took out the jade talisman and infused it with a wisp of true essence.
Han Wei's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with anxiety.
"Young Master Zhou, the seal in the North is showing signs of weakening again. Immortal Master Yan wants you to come as soon as possible."
Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine, put away the jade talisman, and stood up.
He returned to his lodgings and packed his bags.
The three flying swords, the Heavenly Fox Sword, the talismans, the pills, and the jade slips were all packed away one by one.
With everything prepared, he left Lanruo Temple and sped northwards.