Ji Lie Accepted His Fate

With their "hearts" and "bodies" prepared, Ji Yichuan originally thought that it would be excellent if his two sons could achieve this within three years.

His youngest son, however, was not unexpected.

But to his surprise, his eldest son had already completed the first step in learning swordsmanship.

"Brother, how did you do that?" Ji Ning stepped forward and grabbed Ji An, asking.

You have to understand, he has been practicing the Nuwa Painting since he was a child, but even now, when he can multitask, he still can't do it.

"I don't know either, I just felt a sense of familiarity when I picked up the sword." Ji An scratched his head.

Inside the training ground, a biting wind howled.

Ji Yichuan looked at Ji An, his eyes still filled with shock.

Just now, Ji An held a sword for the first time and showed an almost monstrous level of control. Nine out of ten sword strikes hit the red dot on the puppet. His "mind" and "body" were perfectly integrated. He was born for the sword.

"Good--good!" Ji Yichuan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement. With a flick of his wrist, a thick book appeared in his palm, the cover bearing ten large, bold characters. "The 108 Swords of Tiangang and Disha!"

"This '108 Swords of Tiangang and Disha' is the most complex sword technique," Ji Yichuan said, handing the book to Ji An. "It contains one hundred and eight basic sword moves, Myriad Phenomena, and is the best sword technique for achieving 'Unity of Man and Sword.'"

"Remember, the way of the sword lies in rigorous training; never become complacent just because you have some talent!"

Ji An took the book and nodded vigorously. "Yes, Father!"

Looking at the sword manual in his brother's hand, and then at the short sword in his own, Ji Ning clenched his fist quietly, his eyes burning with intense fighting spirit. What his brother could do, he, Ji Ning, could definitely do too!

Time flies, and it's already late autumn.

On the training ground.

Holding a specially made black short sword, Ji An moved among several Metal Puppets wielding knives.

His movements were simple and precise, each thrust, touch, flick, and sweep carrying a strange sense of rhythm.

The sword light flowed like mercury spilling onto the ground, smooth and natural, as if it were an extension of an arm.

He no longer aimed at the red dot; with a thought, the tip of the sword precisely pierced the target!

"Hiss!" "Hiss!" "Hiss!"

A series of soft sounds rang out, and the puppets all stopped.

Ji An sheathed his sword and stood there, the specially made black sword in his hand pointing diagonally at the ground.

After a year of arduous training, he has completely integrated the "108 Swords of Tiangang and Disha" into his instincts. In the third month after obtaining the sword manual, he stepped into the first realm of swordsmanship, "Basic". Now, he has naturally reached the second realm of swordsmanship, "Unity of Man and Sword"!

"Good!" Ji Yichuan cheered from the sidelines, his eyes filled with satisfaction. "An'er, you have now entered the realm of 'Unity of Man and Sword'."

It was incredibly fast; the distance he had covered in twelve years was covered by his eldest son in just one year.

Just as Ji Yichuan finished speaking, a clear shout came from the side of the field.

Ji Ning precisely parried the slash of a puppet with his twin swords, while simultaneously thrusting the sword tips back to strike the red dot under the puppet's armpit.

His little face was full of excitement. "Father! Brother, I've mastered it!"

That year, Ji Ning witnessed his elder brother Ji An's despair-inducing swordsmanship talent and terrifying progress, and his indomitable spirit completely erupted.

After all, the future Northern Dark Supreme was not defeated by Ji An's terrifying talent, but rather his fighting spirit was ignited.

He devoted most of his energy to swordsmanship, neglecting even archery. Coupled with his unwavering dedication beyond his years and the invisible pressure from Ji An, he finally honed his "body" and "mind" to a level sufficient to support him in formally beginning systematic sword training by the age of five, a full year earlier than in the original story.

"Haha, today is a good day. Come with me to find your mother; she should know about this good news too," Ji Yichuan laughed.

The residence of Ji Lie.

Ji Lie strode back with a gloomy face, exuding an invisible aura of menace that made the surrounding air feel heavier.

Behind him, a ferocious four-legged beast followed closely, occasionally letting out a low growl.

The servants and guards along the way saw their master returning from afar.

They all knelt down with a "thud," burying their heads deep in the ground, not daring to breathe.

Everyone could clearly feel the almost tangible gloom emanating from their master.

At this moment, angering the master? Nobody wants to experience being slapped into mincemeat.

"Father."

A worried voice rang out.

A tall, middle-aged man with dozens of fine braids and dressed in animal skins quickly approached. He was Ji Lie's most promising son, Ji Wuyu, who was also Xiantian Lifeform.

Ji Lie stopped, his eyes fixed on Ji Wuyu, and said in a low voice, "Wuyu, is the news true? I was only away from the manor for half a day hunting when someone came to report that Ji Yichuan's eldest son, that brat named Ji An —he, he has actually reached the realm of 'Unity of Man and Sword'?"

His tone was filled with disbelief, and even more so with a sense of powerlessness at being mocked by fate.

"Father, the news is absolutely true." Ji Wuyu nodded heavily. "Just today at the training ground, Ji An broke through in front of Ji Yichuan. Our people stationed around Ji Yichuan witnessed it with their own eyes."

Ever since Ji An and Ji Ning began their cultivation, Ji Lie had placed many spies around Ji Yichuan. Now that Ji An had just broken through, Ji Lie had already received the news.

"Bang!"

Ji Lie slammed his fist into the pillar beside him, and the hard ironwood pillar instantly cracked.

His chest heaved violently, his eyes bloodshot, as he let out a Ji Lie! Heaven has forsaken me! My elder brother, Ji Youyang, was clearly less talented than me! If it weren't for my youthful arrogance and momentary carelessness, would the position of prefect have fallen into his hands? His lineage first produced the peerless Ji Yichuan, further solidifying his position. And now—now another Ji An has appeared! One year! He's only been practicing swordsmanship for one year! And he's already reached 'Unity of Man and Sword'? What a monster! When has such a figure ever appeared in this Yan Mountain land?!"

"Father, please calm down," Ji Wuyu quickly reassured him, then asked, "Should we still train the three boys we painstakingly selected from so many tribes?"

Ji Lie shook his head bitterly, "How can the light of a firefly compare to the brilliance of the moon? The difference is too great, it's like comparing heaven and earth!"

"Don't even mention them, even the bears are no match for Ji An now."

The bear was an infant he found in the lair of a great demon called "Golden-haired Bear" after he killed it on his way back from conquering a tribe.

The infant possessed superhuman strength, with muscles and bones so robust they seemed inhuman. He regarded him as a gifted genius, adopted him as his son, and named him "Pi".

He raised bears as the most ferocious weapons of war, having them fight wild beasts from the time they could speak, and as they grew older, they were thrown into life-or-death battles with demonic beasts, supplemented by the most rigorous and suitable body training and swordsmanship.

The bear grows stronger through slaughter, and in a few years it will reach the state of "man and sword as one," which is what he has high hopes for.

This is the trump card to stop Ji An and Ji Ning at the Golden Sword Ceremony before they turn sixteen!

Even if he could only intercept them once due to his age, he would have three more tribal geniuses he had trained to intercept them again.

But no one expected that the two children born to Ji Yichuan, who had extremely poor physiques, would have such comprehension. The five-year-old's "Unity of Man and Sword" was something even the once peerless Ji Yichuan did not possess.

Ji Lie stood there quietly, his tall frame seemingly drained of all strength. Raising an adopted son?

Compared to Ji An's monstrous brilliance, all these calculations seemed so pale and laughable.

He slowly closed his eyes. The mansion was deathly silent, except for the four-legged beast pacing anxiously, scratching at the ground with its claws, making a soft rustling sound.

He quickly opened his eyes and sighed, "Send those children back to their original tribe."

Ji Wuyu hurriedly said, "Father—"

"No need to say anything more, just do as I say." Ji Wuyu was interrupted by Ji Lie before he could finish speaking, "This is fate, there's no need for further discussion."

Although they were vying for the position of the prefect, Ji Lie and the others never had the thought of killing Ji An and Ji Ning.

In the Cangmang Land, for a tribe to survive, it must unite and absolutely forbid internal strife!

Especially since Ji An and Ji Ning are Ji Yichuan's children, if anyone were to harm them, the entire Ji family's five branches would likely not let the murderer go unpunished.

Moreover, what does it mean for a five-year-old to achieve "Unity of Heaven and Man"? It seems that the Ji Clan is about to produce a powerful expert of Myriad Phenomena.

"Father—" Ji Wuyu hesitated, but finally nodded in agreement, "Yes, I'll make the arrangements right away."

1

Ji Wuyu turned around, about to leave to carry out her father's orders.

"Wait!" Ji Lie called out to his son, who had already reached the door.

Ji Wuyu immediately stopped and turned to look at her father. "Father, is there anything else you need?"

After figuring it out, Ji Lie's eyes were filled with only calm.

He looked at Ji Wuyu and said coldly, "Wuyu—arrange the manpower. Forget it, you do it yourself. Place us by Ji Yichuan's side as spies for all those who witnessed Ji An breaking through to the 'Unity of Man and Sword' realm."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and said, "Silence them."

Ji Wuyu's body trembled slightly; he instantly understood his father's intention.

A five-year-old Unity of Man and Sword!

This news is so shocking that if it gets leaked, the consequences will be unimaginable.

It might attract the covetous eyes of other forces in the Yan Mountain region!

Although the Ji Clan is the dominant force in the Yan Mountain region, there are six such dominant Ji Clan in the Yan Mountain region.

They would never allow a genius from another faction to grow up.

This is still within the Yan Mountain; the situation is even more uncertain for forces outside the Yan Mountains.

But whether it's recruiting or suppressing, it could be more of a curse than a blessing for Ji An himself, for the Western Prefecture, or even for the entire Ji Clan.

The safest course of action for the Ji Clan and for that prodigy child is to keep this secret tightly under wraps until Ji An truly matures.

This is the cold, hard law governing the survival of weaker tribes.

"Your son understands." Ji Wuyu took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. "Father, rest assured, I will handle this personally and ensure that no trace is left. No third party will ever know the details."

"Go ahead." Ji Lie waved his hand.

I n ES nn

Inside the hall, a family of four sat eating the food on the table in front of them.

Looking at her eldest son with his bright eyes, Yuchi Xue's eyes were filled with pride and tenderness.

She put down her water glass, her voice filled with barely suppressed joy. "Yichuan, An'er—she's only five years old and she's already reached the 'Unity of Man and Sword' realm! This speed is truly unheard of. If she continues like this, wouldn't it be a piece of cake for her to seize the Lord's Golden Sword in the future?"

Ji Yichuan held the ram's horn-shaped cup, took a small sip of strong liquor, and glanced at his two sons.

Looking at his youngest son, Ji Ning, who was currently engrossed in eating, he nodded slightly. "Ning'er's ability to harmonize his 'body' and 'mind' in just one year is already a gift from heaven. As for An'er—" He looked at Ji An, a hint of amazement in his eyes, "His talent in swordsmanship is even more—inconceivable. As for seizing the Golden Sword, it's as easy as taking candy from a baby for them. In another four years, even Xiantian Lifeform will find it difficult to stop An'er's brilliance."

Ji Ning picked up the large water jug and gulped down a whole jug of hot water, then patted his belly contentedly.

Hearing his parents' words, he looked at his older brother and nodded in agreement.

However, Ji An, who was cutting up pieces of meat, looked up.

He firmly replied, "Father, Mother, I have never even considered the position of Lord of the Manor."

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent instantly. Yuchi Xue and Ji Yichuan both looked at their eldest son in surprise.

Ji An put down the knife and looked at his parents, saying, "Yan Mountain is too small. I don't want to be confined to this small Heaven and Earth. This world is so vast, with countless realms and the Legend Heaven and Earthly Underworld, and endless powerful beings—I want to see it all."

He paused, then looked at his younger brother. "Ning'er, what about you?"

Ji Ning's eyes lit up, and he immediately chimed in, "Me too! Brother is right, Yan Mountain is too small! I want to become a powerful being who roams the Heaven and Earth, just like in the Legends, to see a wider Heaven and Earth!" His youthful face burned with fierce fighting spirit.

If even a five-year-old child has such ambitions, how much more so for him, a reincarnated human?

Ji Yi remained silent for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping over Ji An and Ji Ning's faces. He nodded slowly, a hint of approval and satisfaction in his eyes.

"Good." Ji Yichuan's voice was deep. "Young eagles aspire to the heavens, while sparrows are content to stay under the eaves. It's good that you have such ambitions! As for the position of prefect, let's not compete for it. My sons, Ji Yichuan's sons, should have their sights set on the Stars and the sea, not on this small corner of Yan Mountain!"

His words were forceful and carried a sense of pride and magnanimity.

Looking at her husband and two spirited sons, Yuchi Xue still felt some worry.

As a father, Ji Yichuan had also traveled extensively and understood how small the Yan Mountain region was. He believed that the Ji Clan family lord might even be a burden to Ji An's talent.

Therefore, he naturally agreed with what Ji An and Ji Ning said.

But for Yuchi Xue, it was a different story.

She came from a much better background than Ji Yichuan; if it weren't for that incident back then, things wouldn't be like this now.

As a mother, of course she wanted her son to be by her side, Pingping.

But she also knew that the Ji Clan was too small for her sons' talents, and even the Yan Mountain region was too small.