Unrivaled, Ning Family Sword Style

And indeed, that was the case.

After watching Ning Zhongze demonstrate the sword art, Ji Shu had already comprehended it.

He drew his sword and began to practice.

The first time, he was stiff and unskilled.

The second time, the sword moves became intricate and ingenious, dazzling the eye.

The third time, Sword Qi flowed restlessly around the tip of his sword. With a casual thrust, it seemed capable of piercing iron armor.

Ten times in succession.

Only then did Ji Shu sheathe his sword.

He stood beneath the Old Sophora Tree.

As the Qi Mechanism drew in and replenished his depleted blood and vitality, his body gradually grew lighter as well.

He closed his eyes slightly and looked inward.

He could see the Jade Maiden Sword Qi being slowly devoured by the Righteous Sword Qi.

This Sword Qi was not the slightest bit weaker than Yangwu Sword Qi or Xiyi Sword Qi. Only because the Righteous Sword Qi had gathered the quantity and characteristics of several types of Sword Qi could it devour the Jade Maiden Sword Qi like a tiger!

Otherwise, when two equally powerful forces met, neither would be able to overcome the other. That would have been torment for Ji Shu as well.

Ji Shu understood this clearly and decided to cultivate his sword arts methodically from then on, continually stacking them to become stronger.

Before long.

The Righteous Sword Qi successfully devoured it and became even stronger. Not only had its quantity increased, but it had also gained the Jade Maiden Swordplay's qualities of overcoming clumsiness with finesse and its intricate transformations!

"Truly an unparalleled genius!"

Although she had expected it, seeing with her own eyes that Ji Shu had cultivated Jade Maiden Swordplay to the realm of generating Sword Qi internally after only a few repetitions still left Ning Zhongze deeply shocked. "For a genius like you to emerge into the world only now is truly a great loss to the Human World! But fortunately, you came to our Mount Hua Sect! If you had gone to a Demonic Path sect, I simply cannot imagine what calamities the righteous path would suffer in the future."

Ning Zhongze took a deep breath and said, "Ji Shu, you are a genius, different from ordinary people. Naturally, you must be treated differently.

"Even such an intricate sword art as Jade Maiden Swordplay, you cultivated to a legendary realm in mere moments! You cannot learn in the usual step-by-step fashion. I need to think about which supreme arts to pass on to you."

"Mother, whatever skills you have, you can teach them all to Ji Shu at once. He can learn anything. But you should prepare more medicinal supplements for him. He practiced sword arts yesterday and suffered severe depletion. He has just practiced Jade Maiden Swordplay too, so he will probably consume a great deal of blood and vitality as well."

"What Shan'er says is exactly right."

Ning Zhongze said seriously:

"For an ordinary person to cultivate Jade Maiden Swordplay to mastery, it would take at least ten-odd years of painstaking effort! Therefore, ordinary people need not deliberately take medicinal supplements to replenish the blood and vitality depleted through martial practice. But Ji Shu is different. His rate of progress is astonishing beyond belief. We truly must prepare more medicinal supplements for him."

As she spoke, she said:

"Ji Shu, once the medicinal supplements are ready, I will teach you other martial arts."

But Ji Shu said:

"Martial Mother, standing beneath this Old Sophora Tree can replenish my losses, so I truly have no need for any Great Medicine for now. If Martial Mother has time today, you might as well teach me a few more sword arts."

"...Are you really all right?"

"Martial Mother, do I look like something is wrong?"

At Ji Shu's words,

Yue Lingshan gave a surprised "Eh?" and said, "Mother, Ji Shu really does look different from yesterday today. How strange. Why did you look so miserable yesterday?"

"It should be because I cultivated an Internal Cultivation Method."

Ji Shu said:

"Once this Internal Cultivation Method reaches mastery, it can automatically draw in the Qi Mechanism."

"...It is not that mastery of a cultivation method lets one draw in the Qi Mechanism. You can do so only because your talent is extraordinary."

Ning Zhongze's heartstrings trembled. What kind of genius was this? "Our Huashan Heart Method has also reached mastery, yet we have no such feeling. Ji Shu, your talent is beyond compare. Since you can draw in the Qi Mechanism, there is no time to lose. I will teach you several more sets of sword arts!"

"Thank you, Martial Mother!"

"You are already an Inner Sect disciple of Mount Hua. From now on, we are family. You need not be so polite with me."

"Yes, Martial Mother!"

Ji Shu answered aloud, but thought, Ning Zhongze is a good person too! If she had been one of those treacherous sorts, she might have found all manner of ways to cause trouble—threaten me, intimidate me, or even forcibly bind me to her side. That was entirely possible!

Not everyone who sees a genius will be overjoyed. Some will suppress them! Frame them! Murder them!

Ji Shu could only say,

Fortunately, he was lucky and cautious enough.

He had met the kind-hearted mother and daughter, Yue Lingshan and Ning Zhongze.

Ning Zhongze next taught Ji Shu a full six sword arts, including Three Peaks of Mount Tai Swordplay, Three Immortals Swordplay, and Chong Ling Swordplay.

Ning Zhongze had not mastered all of these sword arts. She merely understood their methods and could use them.

Unlike Jade Maiden Swordplay, which she had mastered so thoroughly that she could explain its essence.

Yet even though she could not articulate their essence,

and merely explained the methods and demonstrated the moves,

Ji Shu, with his terrifying Supreme Comprehension, still easily saw through them and grasped all their essential mysteries. Then, bolstered by his Inner Strength Talent, Sword Qi Self-Generation occurred!

All six sword arts reached the supreme realm of Sword Qi Self-Generation!

The Righteous Sword Qi continuously devoured all sorts of Sword Qi like a tiger.

By now, it had condensed into a sword-shaped phantom! It could easily suppress the internal qi generated by the Huashan Heart Method!

"Next is my ultimate art: Unrivaled, the Ning Family Sword Style!"

Ning Zhongze had gone numb from watching.

No matter how unbelievable it was, after witnessing it with her own eyes, she had no choice but to accept the truth. Someone truly could learn six sword arts in only one or two hours! And all of them had reached the legendary realm of Sword Qi!

It was too absurd!

Ning Zhongze's heart churned like overturning rivers and seas, and an irrepressible joy flashed deep in her eyes. This was an Inner Sect disciple of the Mount Hua Sect!

She looked at Ji Shu as though he were a priceless treasure!

She passed down each of her own ultimate sword arts.

With this final sword,

Ji Shu comprehended it instantly. Moreover, he went a step further. His Ning Family Sword Style became formless and traceless, swift as racing thunder and fast to the extreme. Even someone a full realm stronger than Ji Shu would likely find it difficult to evade completely.

Someone in the same realm, when facing this sword, would likely have no choice but to perish!

"What a powerful sword!"

Yue Lingshan was dumbfounded. After coming back to herself, she could not help saying, "Mother, I want to learn it too! I want to learn this sword!"

"You are not even qualified to learn Jade Maiden Swordplay, and you want to learn the Ning Family Sword Style?"

Ning Zhongze shot Yue Lingshan a glare. "I always tell you to practice your sword seriously, but you never do. Now you know your shortcomings, yet you still do not know restraint! Once your Mount Hua Swordplay and cultivation method reach mastery, I will teach you Jade Maiden Swordplay. As for the other sword arts, we will talk after you have achieved something in your studies!"

Yue Lingshan pursed her lips.

Ning Zhongze said earnestly:

"Your foundation is not solid. Learning more profound sword arts would merely be building a castle in the air. It would be easily broken by others, and you could lose your life. When masters clash, if the opponent finds a flaw, they can kill you in an instant. I do not want you to leave for the martial world with insufficient skill and suffer some mishap."

She looked at Ji Shu and said the same:

"Ji Shu, your current strength is such that even I cannot say for certain that I could defeat you.

"But your foundation is weak, so you must continue cultivating. The martial world is very chaotic now. As an Inner Sect disciple of Mount Hua, there is a high chance you will be targeted. Before you have mastered the ultimate arts of Mount Hua, do not casually descend the mountain. Even if you do, you must go with us."