Little Fatty Zhuang Chen's passion for the Way of the Sword was beyond doubt; after seeing Ning Qi's sword strike, he even had the idea of becoming his disciple.
Divine Sword Old Man nearly blacked out and fainted on the spot.
If any other disciple had committed such a rebellious act, he would have already started to clean house.
But for Zhuang Chen, this precious little rascal, he could only feel his liver ache with anger, yet he couldn't bear to hit him.
When Little Fatty wasn't in combat, he was rather silly, so such an action was not hard to understand.
Ning Qi was dumbfounded; he hadn't expected that teaching Little Fatty a lesson would almost land him a disciple. However, he clearly couldn't accept this disciple, or Divine Sword Old Man would get angry with him.
Fortunately, Dong He had the good sense to see his master's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot, and with a flash, he rushed over and carried Zhuang Chen away.
Little Fatty could only look at Ning Qi with longing eyes.
Everyone from the Divine Sword Sect breathed a sigh of relief.
Dragon Mountain Daoist coughed lightly:
"Divine Sword Senior Brother, is that all for today?"
Divine Sword Old Man was now filled with regret. He wished he hadn't agreed to this last match; he had lost both his wife and his army.
He had almost lost his silly disciple too, who nearly ran off with someone else.
He looked at the Long Xiao Sword in front of him, a faint ache in his heart.
But words spoken were like water poured out, and he naturally wouldn't go back on his word. With a wave of his hand, the Long Xiao Sword landed beside Dragon Mountain Daoist.
"Hmph, today you, old Dragon Mountain, are indeed superior! We'll compete again in ten years!"
He planned to go back and properly discipline Little Fatty. He absolutely couldn't be so lax anymore. Someone else had already grasped Sword Intent, and for a Congenital Sword Bone user to still be stuck at the human-sword fusion stage was simply unacceptable.
Divine Sword Old Man felt that if he diligently taught Little Fatty for ten years, it might not be impossible to fight Ning Qi in ten years' time.
Congenital Sword Bone also signified the potential of a Sword Saint, it was just that Little Fatty had no opponents before, which made him complacent.
He saw clearly that Ning Qi's body tempering progress was at most similar to his silly disciple's, or even worse.
Dragon Mountain Daoist smiled bitterly:
"Divine Sword Senior Brother, why bother?"
But he ultimately put away the Long Xiao Sword. Divine Sword Mountain was given away so readily back then, let alone the Long Xiao Sword.
Divine Sword Old Man stood up:
"Today's sparring session has also let my unworthy disciples understand the principle that there are always people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens. But don't get too smug, old man, it's still unknown who will emerge victorious in ten years!"
With a dark expression, he took a deep breath and waved his hand, preparing to leave with his disciples.
He felt that his last shred of dignity had been completely lost by Zhuang Chen.
Dragon Mountain Daoist tried to persuade him to stay:
"Divine Sword Senior Brother, wait!"
Just as Divine Sword Old Man was about to speak, he heard Dragon Mountain Daoist transmit a message directly into his ear:
"Divine Sword Senior Brother, we haven't seen each other for ten years, why such a hurry? Recently, I've occasionally glimpsed the secrets of the Heavenly Human realm and gained some insights. Why not stay and discuss them together? It would also be good for our disciples to exchange ideas. In truth, we both know that what happened back then was just a momentary fit of pique…"
His words were earnest, and his expression sincere.
Divine Sword Old Man stood rooted to the spot, looking at Dragon Mountain Daoist with a complicated expression.
To be willing to share insights into advancing to the Heavenly Human realm, he was momentarily unsure how to react.
"Dragon Mountain, you…"
Dragon Mountain Daoist laughed loudly:
"If we discuss it together, we naturally have a better chance. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement."
A feeling of complete conviction suddenly arose in Divine Sword Old Man's heart. He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
Dragon Mountain Daoist extended a hand and pointed, and the Long Xiao Sword landed in front of Ning Qi. He nodded approvingly at his young disciple, then instructed Luo Wentian:
"Wen Tian, properly settle the members of the Divine Sword Sect. For the next few days, you all should exchange ideas and make sure not to hurt each other's feelings."
Divine Sword Old Man also spoke in a deep voice:
"Dong He, do not act presumptuously on Zhenwu Mountain."
Disciples from both sects respectfully responded:
"We obey the orders of both masters!"
And then.
Dragon Mountain Daoist and Divine Sword Old Man departed.
Ning Qi was slightly surprised, but he could roughly guess what was happening. He shook his head; that was not yet a realm he could peer into.
The ten-year agreement ending in such a way was unexpected by everyone. Ning Qi had originally thought he would have the chance to witness a grand battle between two top Gang Yuan Realm masters today, but he hadn't expected it to turn into a sparring session between disciples.
However, he didn't lose out.
Drawing the Long Xiao Sword, which was almost as tall as him, Ning Qi secretly praised it as a fine sword.
Such a top-tier famous sword not only cut iron like mud and severed gold and jade, but it could also amplify Inner Strength and Gang Yuan. He was about to advance to the Inner Yuan Realm, and even if he couldn't use it immediately, he could find an opportunity to re-forge a suitable one. At worst, he could use it to study the mysteries of such a weapon.
Ning Qi tossed the Long Xiao Sword to Yuan Tiansheng to hold and left directly. He had no interest in the subsequent matters.
Gaze after gaze fell upon Ning Qi and the white ape, who followed him closely, filled with admiration.
They knew this was a truly peerless genius.
But what they didn't know was that what Ning Qi displayed was less than one percent of his true monstrous talent.
…
Inside the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
Ning Qi lay on a rattan chair, reading ancient texts.
He felt his body undergoing a transformation, a subtle and pervasive sensation that intoxicated him. Threads of powerful energy were being born, converging towards his Dantian.
"Is this… Inner Strength?"
Ning Qi's eyes were exceptionally bright.
The miraculous power flowed within his body, and even a tiny trace of it allowed him to feel its formidable nature. It could easily make his physical body erupt with much more terrifying power than before, though this small amount could probably only enhance a single fingertip.
This was the essence of physical strength.
"The process of Inner Strength's birth will last for two months. This is the 'fruit' borne by the physical body. Only when the fruit is fully mature can it be considered a breakthrough to the Inner Yuan Realm. Am I, at most, a half-step Inner Yuan now?"
He laughed self-deprecatingly.
In reality, according to martial artists, a martial artist in this transitional stage could also be considered Inner Yuan Realm, but the Inner Strength hadn't fully formed, and its destructive power was inferior to a complete Inner Yuan Realm. Most crucially, without the process of Inner Strength fully forming and nourishing the body, there was no change in lifespan either.
Generally speaking, people in this transitional stage rarely traveled outside.
"But for me, even a single trace is enough for me to understand the essence of Inner Strength!"
"The so-called Inner Strength is not a physical substance. It is a miraculous power born from one's 'spirit' stimulating the physical body, but it is rather ethereal, somewhat like a power brought forth by psychological suggestion. Therefore, Inner Strength can only enhance oneself and cannot leave the body. In fact, from the Inner Yuan Realm to the Gang Yuan Realm is precisely the process of solidifying the illusory!"
Flashes of inspiration arose in Ning Qi's mind.
The Inner Strength martial arts he had read in the Scripture Pavilion constantly flashed through his mind. Previously, it was pure theory, but now that he himself had given birth to Inner Strength and touched reality, everything was naturally very different.
"The Inner Yuan Realm is divided into nine layers, meaning nine layers to form Gang."
"With each layer of Multiplied Strength, the Inner Strength solidifies a bit more."
"The initial process of the physical body giving birth to Inner Strength is actually the first layer, which is the entry into Inner Yuan."
"After three layers, it is minor accomplishment."
"Six layers, major accomplishment!"
"Nine layers, perfection!"
"After that, one can solidify the illusory and attempt to break through to the Gang Yuan Realm!"
Feeling the miraculous power within his body, Ning Qi had completely grasped the path ahead. From the Inner Yuan Realm to the Gang Yuan Realm, there were no longer any secrets.
He stood up and slowly began to practice the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Stake.
The newly born traces of Inner Strength immediately became more active.
"Inner Strength originates from the physical body, and it is in the same lineage as the Stance Skills."
"The method of cultivating Inner Strength is called Multiplied Strength Skill."
"For example, the Ice Silkworm Strength obtained earlier is a superior Multiplied Strength Skill, and in my True Martial Sect, there are four superior Multiplied Strength Skills. Three of them correspond perfectly to the True Martial Nine Stances, namely Shaking Heaven Strength, Earth Tremor Strength, and Overturning Sea Strength."
"If what I cultivated before was the Bixi Stance, then at this moment I should cultivate Earth Tremor Strength. By establishing connections step by step, nine into three, and three into one, there will be a chance to recreate the grand spectacle of the nine Heavenly Humans battling the Martial Saint."
"And above Shaking Heaven Strength, Earth Tremor Strength, and Overturning Sea Strength, is True Martial Strength, which my master also does not have a legacy for."
"However, this is not difficult for me."
Ning Qi exhaled a long breath, already having an inspiration.
He had been pondering for a long time, and these days in the Scripture Pavilion were not wasted; he had already begun to accumulate knowledge. Now that Inner Strength had been born and its essence understood, everything naturally fell into place.
In an instant.
The intricacies of the three Multiplied Strength Skills, Shaking Heaven Strength, constantly emerged in his mind.
Their commonalities were continuously extracted, and their essences were fused together.
Who knows how much time passed.
A new Multiplied Strength Skill quietly took shape.
It was the True Martial Strength that Ning Qi had reverse-engineered.
Previously, it took Ning Qi ten days to create the True Martial Stake from the True Martial Nine Stances.
But now, it only took him two hours to create True Martial Strength from Shaking Heaven Strength, Earth Tremor Strength, and Overturning Sea Strength.
Because the path was similar, it saved him a lot of time.
Moreover, he had already begun theoretical preparation earlier.
This True Martial Strength might not be exactly the same as the original, but the difference wouldn't be too great.
But Ning Qi was still not satisfied.
"Now that I have laid my foundation with the supreme Stance Skill, Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Stake, I naturally cannot cultivate True Martial Strength anymore. As Master said before, the True Martial Stake matches the True Martial Strength, so I naturally have to create a Multiplied Strength Skill that matches the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Stake."
To some extent, this was also a drawback of creating one's own methods; one had to pave the entire path ahead oneself.
For Ning Qi to lower his standards and practice True Martial Strength, he would feel very uncomfortable; it would be a waste of the supreme foundation he had laid.
And it would slow down his growth rate.
"Inner Yuan Realm martial artists live for two hundred years. To cultivate to the Nine Layers Realm in twenty years is considered extraordinary talent, but for me, twenty years is too long!"
"Currently, there are still two months until Inner Strength fully forms. This period is completely enough for me to create a supreme Multiplied Strength Skill that matches the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Stake. In fact, it might not even take that long."
Ning Qi's eyes showed confidence.
With the experience of creating the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Stake, and with True Martial Strength and various Multiplied Strength Skills as references, plus his current comprehension being even greater than before, he had full confidence.
He let out a long breath.
Ning Qi's gaze shifted slightly, and he said:
"Tiansheng, we have a guest."
Yuan Tiansheng, who was practicing the Ape King Stance nearby, immediately stopped. He went into the house to make tea, but when he came out again with the teapot, he immediately became agitated.
In the distance, he saw.
A sneaky Little Fatty was creeping over, looking around furtively.
Yuan Tiansheng put down the teapot and rushed over angrily. Having just begun his martial arts training, as long as he didn't use martial arts, others would only think his bloodline was powerful.
Yuan Tiansheng was extremely fast, and Zhuang Chen was startled.
"Yuan Tiansheng, you, you found me!"
But Yuan Tiansheng just grinned coldly, kicking out directly at Zhuang Chen's backside. He still remembered Little Fatty calling him a pet two days ago, and now Little Fatty was sneaking over again. He would settle both old and new scores at once.
Zhuang Chen dodged in a panic.
But he couldn't avoid it.
He took a solid kick.
Zhuang Chen began to fight back, but he was shocked to find that he couldn't suppress Yuan Tiansheng. The man and the ape fought fiercely, seemingly evenly matched.
"Yuan Tiansheng, you're so strong!" he exclaimed.
Ning Qi watched from afar, nodding slightly.
Yuan Tiansheng was indeed extraordinary. How long had he been practicing martial arts, yet he could fight Zhuang Chen to a standstill? And Yuan Tiansheng hadn't used any martial arts, of course, Zhuang Chen hadn't drawn his sword either.
With a thump.
Zhuang Chen's butt was kicked again.
He said indignantly, "Yuan Tiansheng, if you keep this up, I won't go easy on you."
Seeing Zhuang Chen about to draw his sword, Ning Qi finally spoke:
"Tiansheng, let him come over."
Yuan Tiansheng immediately stopped respectfully.
He made a face at Zhuang Chen and then slipped into the courtyard.
Zhuang Chen also chuckled. He looked at Ning Qi, his eyes lighting up, and quickly rushed over.
"Little Master Ning Qi, I finally found you!"
The Divine Sword Sect members were still staying at the True Martial Sect, but Ning Qi had been avoiding them to have some peace and quiet, never expecting Zhuang Chen to find his way here.
Ning Qi lay on the rattan chair and said lightly:
"Don't call me master. Be careful, Senior Divine Sword might expel you from the sect."
Zhuang Chen quickly shook his head:
"No, he won't. My master said before that if I saw anyone I wanted to take as a master, I could."
"Little Master Ning Qi, please accept your disciple's bow."
"I don't take disciples. A hundred kowtows won't help."
"Then will you teach me the sword technique from that day?"
"With your talent, comprehending Sword Intent is only a matter of time. You don't need me to teach you."
"No, it's different!"
"Your sword is different from everyone else's sword I've seen."
Looking at the certainty in Little Fatty's eyes, Ning Qi was slightly surprised.
The sword he used was derived from Ten Thousand Manifestations Fist. That sword strike was not just about containing Sword Intent; even Divine Sword Old Man and the others probably hadn't seen it, yet this Little Fatty in front of him had noticed it?
This Congenital Sword Bone indeed seemed extraordinary.
"What's different?" Ning Qi became interested.
"So cool! Incredibly cool!"
Zhuang Chen's face was full of excitement.
"Master's sword isn't as cool as yours!"
He instinctively felt that Ning Qi's sword was very powerful, but he couldn't articulate exactly why.
Ning Qi's mouth twitched.
"You have some insight, but not much."
However, having someone appreciate his sword technique so much still put him in a good mood.
Ning Qi looked at Little Fatty with a smile:
"I don't take disciples, and I don't teach just anyone."
Little Fatty seemed to have a sudden flash of inspiration, and his intelligence came online. He leaned in mysteriously and said:
"Ning Qi, I'll tell you a peerless secret technique. In exchange, will you teach me the sword technique from that day?"