Ji Ning’s heart clenched. He could tell that there were some disagreements between his master, Subhuti, and Old Man Yuan. Was his master going to forbid him from training in the [Heart Sutra]?


    “What did Old Man Yuan transmit to you?” Subhuti asked.


    “The [Heart Sutra].” Ning didn’t dare to hide this. “It contains his many experiences with various heartforce application techniques, as well as a mix of heartforce application techniques from a few other Daofathers. However, they are all un-systemized...but they will still be of great benefit to me, especially the one that applies to using heartforce on the soul. It will be of tremendous help to me in controlling the [Greater Thousand Swords Formation] as well as in oveing the demonheart tribtion.”


    Subhuti gave Ning a nce, then revealed a calm smile. “Your master isn’t the pedantic, unflexible sort; since Daofather Yuan has gifted you with this sutra, and since he hasn’t forced you to be his disciple...go ahead and learn from it! If in the future, Daofather Yuan decides to stand with us, you shall naturally repay his kindness. If, however, he stands with the Seamless Gate...then when a war to the death erupts between our two alliances, you’d have to fight against him with all your might. This would be true even if he really was your master, to say nothing of him merely having transmitted a technique!”


    Ning’s heart shivered. He immediately said, “Your disciple understands.”


    This was a storm!


    A storm which no one would be able to avoid.


    “I hope senior Old Man Yuan decides to stand with us,” Ning mused secretly to himself. Everyone who he owed a debt of gratitude to, such as the former Lord of Cui Pce who had been the First Judge of the Dead and who had transmitted the [Nuwa Painting] to him, belonged to the side of the Nuwa Alliance. Even the master he had never met, Daoist Threelives, had also been on the side of Nuwa. The same was true for the seven Empyrean Gods of the Starseizing world, to say nothing of Patriarch Subhuti, Daofather Crimsonbright, and the Xia Emperor.


    There was also already a feud between himself and the Seamless Gate...and Ning had a true disliking for the way in which the Seamless Gate had acted in seeking to conquer the universe. Once they took over the Three Realms, not only would they pay no attention to maintaining any order, they would instigate countless battles and massacres.


    “This Old Man Yuan truly is an extremely formidable figure,” Subhuti said to Ning. “His power is most likely no lower than mine, and he loves to analyze and research many different types of techniques. He’s a master in many areas, and in heartforce he is second only to Houyi. In terms of how many heartforce skills he knows, he’s even superior to Houyi. Spend some effort on this [Heart Sutra], especially in the part that shows you how to apply heartforce to your soul. You must gain insight into it; once you do, your chances of oveing the Empyrean Tribtion and shall incrase by quite a bit.”


    “Your disciple understands.” Ning nodded.


    Heartforce as the general, the soul as the soldiers.


    Once the generalmanded the soldiers to unleash their power in an organized fashion, he would be able to control even more magic treasures while also making it harder for the demonheart tribtion to invade his mind. Against a weak soul, it was easy to create a terrifying demonheart illusion, but against one with a powerful soul, it would be far more difficult. In fact, there were some truly terrifying souls that were so powerful that the demonheart illusions werepletely unable to take hold against them.


    Once Ning learned the art of applying heartforce to his soul, his soul would instantly be more than ten times steadier. This, in turn, would dramatically lessen the power of the demonheart illusions generated by the ‘demonheart tribtion’ of his Empyrean Tribtion.


    “Your disciple has a subconscious feeling...if I am able to master this soul heartforce technique, my Primaltwin will be in virtually no danger during the Celestial Tribtion,” Ning said. “Should your disciple dy the tribtion?”


    “No need.” Subhuti shook his head.


    Ning looked at his master, puzzled.


    “If you wait until you’ve mastered the soul heartforce technique, your Primaltwin’s tribtion will indeed be very easy.” Subhuti nodded. “But...first of all, it’s hard to say how long it would take you toe up with such a technique; after all, there’s a tremendous difference between applying heartforce to the soul and applying heartforce to sword-fingers. Second, although your Primaltwin’s tribtion is indeed a tribtion, it’s also an excellent and rare opportunity to temper yourself.”


    “Temper myself?” Ning was intrigued.


    “After having withstood the karmic sinmes, your heartforce improved dramatically,” Subhuti said. “By the same principle...your Primaltwin’s demonheart tribtion will be a tempering experience as well that will allow your heartforce to improve in strength and your Dao-heart to grow even more resolute. If you wait until youe up with a soul heartforce technique before you attempt the tribtion, ending up in an excessively easy tribtion, it won’t have any tempering effect on you.”


    “Remember this.”


    “Your Primaltwin’s tribtion is a minor matter. What really matters for you should be your true body’s tribtion.” Subhuti looked at Ning. “Your true body has trained in many divine abilities, and its potential is far greater than your Primaltwin’s. After all..pared to Fiendgods, Ki Refiners are always at a significant disadvantage. If you look at the Three Realms, all of the most supreme of powers of the Three Realms have powerful divine bodies.”


    “Threelives, for example; he clearly didn’t master a Heavenly Dao, but was still able to kill many Daofathers.” Subhuti looked at Ning. “Or for example, you; even if your Primaltwin bes a Pure Yang True Immortal, it will still most likely be merely an average Pure Yang True Immortal. But once your true body bes an Empyrean God, you’ll instantly be one of the most supreme Empyrean Gods or True Immortals. If you spend a bit of time training, you’ll probablye extremely close to Lu Dongbin’s level. That’s the advantage which Fiendgods have! Look at the most famous figures of the Three Realms; Houyi, Nuwa, Pangu, Old Man Yuan, and yes, myself; which of them trained solely as Ki Refiners?”


    Ning nodded.


    “The more monstrously talented you are, the more terrifying your tribtion will be. Even I can’t be certain as to how powerful your Empyrean Tribtion shall be. All I know is that it will definitely be shocking.” Subhuti looked towards Ning. “Thus...the most important thing for you right now is to focus all of your efforts towards preparing for your Empyrean Tribtion.”


    “Your disciple understands,” Ning said solemnly. “Three days from now, your disciple’s Primaltwin will undergo the tribtion.”


    “Good.” Subhuti nodded with satisfaction. “If you seed in this tribtion and your Primaltwin bes a Celestial Immortal, your Dao-heart shall be further strengthened. This would naturally be an ideal oue. However, even if you fail and lose your Primaltwin...you’ll have at least experienced the demonheart tribtion. If you end up failing it, it’ll have been of even greater help to you in terms of tempering yourself.”


    Ning nodded.


    Everything was for the sake of his true body!


    “Shall I still go to Daofather Crimsonbright’s ce for the tribtion?” Ning asked.


    “No need.” Subhuti shook his head. “Undergoing the Celestial Tribtion is a major matter; naturally, as your master, I will ensure that you won’t suffer any disturbances during your tribtion. I was always nning to guard you while you underwent your tribtion. I didn’t expect that you’d go seek out that kid Xiamang.”


    Not even Subhuti could keep the [Dream of the Three Realms] up at all times. Subhuti only found out about Ning speaking to Xiamang after the fact.


    “You can undergo it here at Swallow Mountain,” Subhuti said. “Don’t worry about anything. I won’t show myself, but I definitely won’t let anyone disturb you.”


    “Thank you, Master,” Ning immediately said.


    “This Celestial Tribtion is nothing more than a tempering experience for you; don’t waste it. Your Empyrean Tribtion is what truly matters,” Subhuti said solemnly.


    Upon bing an Empyrean God, Ning would have be one of the truly formidable figures of the Three Realms.


    “Calm yourself and prepare for your Celestial Tribtion. Although this Celestial Tribtion isn’t as important as your true body’s Empyrean Tribtion, it will still be extraordinary.” Subhuti smiled, then vanished into thin air, no longer anywhere to be seen.


    ......


    Ning continued his preparations here at Swallow Mountain. He spent a little bit of time to pay a visit to the Xia Emperor, informing him that his own Daofather master was going to protect him, and so there was no need to trouble Daofather Crimsonbright. The Xia Emperor had nodded; if there was no need to bother his master, all the better.


    During these three days prior to his tribtion, Ning paid a visit to West Prefecture City, where he had spent his early childhood days. He visited the Eastmount Marshes he had once adventured through, went to the mountains where he had once killed Bei Zishan...and as he retraced his steps, Ning felt his heart grow calmer and calmer.


    This was a day on the cusp between spring and summer. The early dawn was very cool and refreshing.


    Within a solitary mountain peak in the Swallow Mountain region, Ning’s true body and his ck-robed Primaltwin were seated together in the lotus position, a hint of dew on their bodies. They had sat here all night, their minds and hearts as calm as still water. Far away, on a distant mountain peak, stood Uncle White, Little Qing, Mu Northson, Immortal Diancai, Autumn Leaf, and the pregnant Yu Wei. They all watched nervously...because Ji Ning was about to undergo his Celestial Tribtion.