Under the cover of night.
Flames soared into the sky, their surging tongues devouring Snow Plum Manor and its pavilions.
Black-clad figures watched indifferently as the raging inferno grew more terrifying, their expressions cold and cruel. Occasionally, a few stragglers, unable to bear the heat, would escape the blaze, only to be instantly beheaded by a sword.
Lord Feng’s lips slowly curved into a smile.
He wanted to personally witness Snow Plum Manor turn into ashes.
The fire intensified.
From a distance, a black-clad figure rushed over in a panic.
“Lord Feng, Dragon Mountain Daoist of the True Martial Sect is already on his way. Should we retreat now?”
Lord Feng frowned, his eyes flashing with deep apprehension.
“Wasn’t that old Dragon Mountain Daoist supposed to arrive tomorrow? Why is he here early?”
“This subordinate does not know.”
“Useless!”
Lord Feng snorted coldly, finally giving the order:
“Retreat!”
Dragon Mountain Daoist was a genius, rumored to have obtained the True Martial Legacy, emerging in the Great Yan Dynasty and establishing a great reputation. Afterwards, he rebuilt the True Martial Sect, earning renown among all the Daoist sects in the world.
He was said to be on the verge of reaching the Celestial Realm, and even with his subordinates outnumbering their opponents, Lord Feng was not confident in facing him.
He took a deep look at the manor, now a sea of flames.
Under such a fire, it was impossible for ordinary Martial Artists to survive, let alone a newborn infant. He was probably already unconscious and would turn into charcoal in his sleep.
With a cold smile, the black-clad figures departed, leaving a gust of wind in their wake.
…
Inside the secret compartment.
Ning Qi felt the surrounding temperature gradually rising, filled with both shock and anger.
He hadn't expected these people to be so malicious, not only slaughtering everyone in the manor but also intending to burn the entire place to ashes.
A cold chill rose in his eyes.
But now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts; the most pressing matter was how to survive.
The Innate Embryonic Breathing Technique continuously circulated, slowing down the spread of the high temperature, but as the fire raged and consumed this secret compartment, Ning Qi would surely die!
He had just been born, lacked mobility, and hadn't even eaten yet. If not for the Innate Embryonic Breathing Technique he had created, he would probably be dead by now.
But even so.
The current situation still seemed like a dead end.
“What should I do?”
Ning Qi’s mind raced. Amidst the raging flames, he faintly heard the black-clad figures leaving.
“Dragon Mountain Daoist? True Martial Sect? Is this Daoist a friend of my parents, or another righteous individual?”
Thoughts popped up in Ning Qi’s mind one after another.
He knew that his hope of survival might rest on this Dragon Mountain Daoist.
He curled up as much as possible within the swaddling clothes. The swaddling clothes were made of a very special material that made him more comfortable. He needed to hold out until Dragon Mountain Daoist arrived, and more importantly, he needed Dragon Mountain Daoist to discover his existence.
“Sound!”
“I must make a loud enough sound, so it isn't drowned out by the burning flames.”
Although that Dragon Mountain Daoist was a top expert, and he would most likely discover Ning Qi’s presence if Ning Qi exited his Innate Embryonic Breathing state, Ning Qi still needed to strive for himself.
“How can I make my voice louder?”
“Merge with Qi, let the sound be expelled along with the Qi… An infant’s cry is already sharp enough. If the vocal cord vibration frequency could be more optimal…”
“…”
Flashes of inspiration continuously arose in Ning Qi’s mind.
He tried to open and close his mouth, mobilizing the Innate Qi within his body. He had a strong premonition that once he made a sound, it would surely be loud.
This was a vocalization technique, which Ning Qi felt could be called the Sound Wave Oscillation Method.
A light flashed in Ning Qi’s eyes.
If he weren't currently ignorant of martial arts, he could even directly create a sound wave martial art, like the Buddhist Lion’s Roar martial art from Wuxia novels of his previous life!
This was the power of Peak Comprehension Ability.
Everything was ready.
He began to anticipate.
“Dragon Mountain Daoist, you must come quickly!”
If Dragon Mountain Daoist arrived late, he would likely already be a charred corpse.
He could now feel the increasingly surging temperature, and the sound of buildings collapsing in the flames occasionally rang out. If not for the special material of this secret compartment, he would probably have been crushed to death.
…
The night deepened.
But the area around Snow Plum Manor was a fiery red, like daytime, the sea of flames dyeing half the sky red.
When Dragon Mountain Daoist arrived and saw this scene, a surge of furious anger rose in his eyes.
“What vicious fiends!”
He had come by invitation, but unexpectedly witnessed such a tragic massacre. The perpetrators' methods were simply heinous.
Dragon Mountain Daoist roared, Protective Aura continuously gushing from his palms like fine rain, suppressing the sea of flames.
Flames were extinguished in some places, but immediately, even more vigorous flames rose.
This made his expression even uglier.
If the fire had just started, he would have been confident in extinguishing it, but now it was a foregone conclusion. Even if he exerted all his strength, he would probably only be able to save a pile of ruins.
With Protective Aura protecting his body, he walked through the flames unharmed, continuously shouting:
“Manor Lord Ning!”
“Heroine Jiang!”
“Dragon Mountain Old Taoist has arrived!”
He knew that Ning Ye and his wife were likely dead, but he still held a glimmer of hope and fantasy.
He kept calling out.
But there was no response for a long time.
Dragon Mountain Daoist was filled with immense regret. If he had arrived half a day earlier, perhaps he could have prevented this tragedy.
Suddenly.
He stopped in his tracks, seemingly hearing the cry of an infant.
He instinctively thought he had misheard. After all, how could there be an infant in such a sea of flames?
But immediately, his expression changed.
Because the crying grew louder, piercing through the flames, it was definitely not a hallucination.
“There’s still a survivor!”
Dragon Mountain Daoist became excited.
He used his body to leap into the air, shooting towards the corner from which the sound came. Then, Protective Aura condensed in his palm, and the flames in that spot were instantly extinguished.
He slowly approached, his eyes filled with surprise.
The infant’s cry was clearly coming from the secret compartment in front of him.
With Protective Aura like a blade in his palm, he slowly cut open the secret compartment in front of him, and then, a figure wrapped in swaddling clothes immediately appeared before his eyes.
Looking at the infant before him.
Dragon Mountain Daoist’s surprise deepened, because after he opened the secret compartment, the infant stopped crying and simply looked at him quietly, as if the crying was specifically to attract him.
Not only that.
He had just sensed the temperature inside the secret compartment. Although it was better than outside, for a newborn infant, being able to last until now was absolutely a miracle!
Even so, the infant’s face and skin were starting to turn red.
“This child truly has a great destiny!”
Dragon Mountain Daoist slowly picked up Ning Qi, and found a jade pendant with the character ‘Qi’ written on it, as well as a copy of the Night Plum Swordplay, inside the swaddling clothes.
“The Night Plum Swordplay is a Peak masterpiece created by Manor Lord Ning and Heroine Jiang together. It seems you are the offspring they left behind.”
Dragon Mountain Daoist sighed.
“This might be the will of Heaven, or perhaps their spirits in the netherworld protected you, allowing you to miraculously survive this killing tribulation.”
“From now on, you shall be called Ning Qi.”
As the words fell.
Dragon Mountain Daoist was surprised to find that the infant in front of him seemed to smile happily.
“You little fellow, your spiritual essence is extraordinary. You are born with the ability to discern good and evil. You will surely be remarkable in the future.”
Ning Qi was also sizing up the middle-aged Daoist in front of him. He wore a grey Daoist robe, had a goatee, and his eyes were peaceful, making it easy for people to feel goodwill towards him at first glance.
After hearing Dragon Mountain Daoist’s call earlier, he had decisively used the Sound Wave Oscillation Method to cry out. Now, he was finally out of danger.
His mind immediately relaxed.
Having just experienced Transmigration and encountering such a situation, not to mention Ning Qi being just a newborn infant, he smiled slightly upon hearing Dragon Mountain Daoist say his name was still Ning Qi, and finally couldn't help but fall into a deep sleep.
Dragon Mountain Daoist was startled.
He quickly checked Ning Qi’s pulse and breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing it was just exhaustion requiring energy replenishment. However, immediately, surprise rose in his eyes.
Because in his perception, the Innate Qi within this child was quite abundant.
“No wonder he could last in the sea of flames until now. Now that I think about it, that crying sound earlier also seemed to contain some kind of technique?”
“Could there truly be someone who is born with knowledge?”
Dragon Mountain Daoist looked at Ning Qi with increasing surprise.
Undoubtedly, this was an unpolished gem.
He had a solid Innate foundation, was extraordinarily spiritual, and incredibly intelligent.
“Manor Lord Ning, you and your wife have left behind such an intelligent offspring. You can rest in peace now. Don’t worry, I will take him as my disciple and raise him, teaching him well. As for the murderers who killed you, I will investigate to the end!”
Looking at Snow Plum Manor, swallowed by the sea of flames, Dragon Mountain Daoist silently made up his mind.
…
The next day.
Dragon Mountain Daoist held Ning Qi, standing before a cenotaph.
This was the tomb he erected for Ning Qi’s parents. Last night, the fire was too great; the entire manor, except for Ning Qi, had no survivors, and not even bones could be found.
Ning Qi had eaten the food Dragon Mountain Daoist borrowed, and was now awake.
He looked at the cenotaph before him, his eyes complex.
Having just Transmigrated, he became an orphan, but the loving gaze of his birth mother, Jiang Xuemei, still often appeared in his mind. They sacrificed themselves to protect Ning Qi; such kindness must not be forgotten.
“One day, I will surely avenge you.”
Ning Qi silently vowed in his heart.
He recalled the ‘Lord Feng’ from yesterday and those murderers, and a cold killing intent surged within him.
This person not only killed his birth parents but also almost caused him to be buried in the flames.
This vengeance must be exacted!
With Peak Comprehension Ability, he only needed a stable environment to grow rapidly. Avenge himself in the future would definitely not be difficult, and that day would not be too far off.
And now.
A stable growth environment was already available.
Dragon Mountain Daoist sighed, countless thoughts arising in his heart, finally turning into a benevolent smile. He looked down at Ning Qi:
“Little fellow, from now on, you are my Dragon Mountain Daoist’s ninth disciple!”
“Come with me back to the mountain!”
Now, with Ning Qi, it was not the time to investigate the murderers. Only after Ning Qi was settled would he slowly investigate later. The force capable of wiping out Snow Plum Manor overnight was definitely not weak, after all, Ning Ye and his wife were not weak either.
Seeing Ning Qi’s lips curl into a smile, Dragon Mountain Daoist’s mood also improved a bit.
Holding Ning Qi, his figure drifted away.