Ning Qi's eyes lit up slightly.
"A secret art of the Shenjian Sect?"
Little Fatty nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking rice.
"That's right."
"Ning Qi, let me tell you, I have three hobbies."
"Which three?"
"I love practicing swords the most, second I love eating, and third I love sleeping. Eating and sleeping are because of this secret art I Cultivate."
Zhuang Chen's expression was full of pride.
Ning Qi, on the other hand, became thoroughly interested.
He had seen Little Fatty wolf down food during the banquet, but he only thought it was natural. Now it seemed, that wasn't the case.
"This secret art is called Dream Gluttony."
"A glutton devours the Earth, absorbing the essence of all things, and transforming it for one's own use in sleep..."
Zhuang Chen's tender voice began to sound.
Each sentence was slowly narrated, making the surprise in Ning Qi's eyes grow deeper.
This Dream Gluttony secret art is not simple!
After listening to Zhuang Chen's explanation, its subtleties and ingenious ideas made Ning Qi feel incredibly fresh. This was a secret art independent of cultivation methods like Stance Skills and Multiplied Strength Skill, yet it could assist and enhance the former.
Thus making cultivation faster.
Through consuming large amounts of food or other more precious treasures, one absorbs their essence and digests them in a special state during sleep.
One has to say, the creator of this skill was a talent.
"Ning Qi, this Dream Gluttony is definitely powerful. I'm telling you, part of the reason I can reach the Muscle Refining Realm so quickly is because of this secret art."
"My Master said that if this secret art can reach a profound Realm, one can even eat treasures like iron blocks and crystals, causing changes in both the Physical Body and Inner Strength. It's incredibly powerful, but unfortunately, I can only eat food right now."
"Don't think I'm stupid, I'm the only one in the Shenjian Sect who has learned this secret art, even my Master hasn't learned it!"
Little Fatty proudly puffed out his chest, then seemed a little guilty.
"But Ning Qi, don't worry, you're so smart, you'll definitely be able to learn it."
Seeing Ning Qi remain silent, Little Fatty became anxious:
"Ning Qi, I've already told you the secret art, you won't not teach me sword techniques, right?"
He didn't intentionally want to trick Ning Qi, he just simply forgot the difficulty of Dream Gluttony, and only remembered while talking. He was afraid Ning Qi wouldn't be able to learn it and thus wouldn't teach him sword techniques.
Ning Qi came back to his senses and smiled. This Little Fatty had a bit of a scheme, but not much.
For ordinary people, learning this secret art would be very difficult, and perhaps even require a specific Physique.
But for Ning Qi, it was simple.
He could completely extract its essence and perfect it into a secret art suitable for himself.
For him, what mattered were the ideas and inspiration.
However, having an existing path also saved him a lot of time.
He didn't expect Zhuang Chen to bring him such a surprise.
All sorts of inspirations were already constantly emerging in his mind.
However, Ning Qi naturally wouldn't bully him and take advantage of him for free.
"Don't worry, I said I'd teach you, so I will."
Zhuang Chen nodded repeatedly, his face showing joy.
"Then I'll tell you a few more times, so you don't forget."
"No need, I've already memorized everything."
Zhuang Chen immediately scratched his head:
"Ning Qi, you're so smart. It took me a long time to memorize this secret art, but you're so fast."
However, he didn't think much of it.
He felt that no matter how fast Ning Qi was, he wouldn't learn this secret art right away.
Ning Qi smiled slightly, offering no further explanation.
"Stand properly, now practice a sword technique for me to see."
Since he had received the other party's secret art, he had to teach them well. Ning Qi wouldn't be perfunctory.
His expression was calm, but there was an inherent solemnity.
Zhuang Chen, who had been jovial, involuntarily trembled, a hint of fear instinctively appearing on his face. He felt as if he saw his Master's shadow in Ning Qi.
Throughout the entire Shenjian Sect, only when Divine Sword Old Man taught martial arts would he feel a bit of awe.
"Yes!"
Little Fatty respectfully responded, then took a deep breath and slowly drew the wooden sword from his back.
His eyes suddenly became sharp.
With a soft shout, Zhuang Chen's chubby body became agile. He swung his sword and unleashed a profound sword technique with ease.
Zhuang Chen held nothing back, giving his all.
Within the Seeking Dao Courtyard, streaks of sword light danced, sweeping up fallen leaves. Occasionally, a flash of sword light would precisely split something in two, demonstrating his powerful control over the sword dao.
This level of skill is something many seasoned swordsmen who have cultivated for ten or twenty years might not achieve.
Zhuang Chen's sword was sometimes as light as a floating leaf, sometimes as heavy as a mountain pressing down, effortlessly switching between light and heavy. Later, only the sound of the sword could be heard, not the person; it wasn't that the person had truly disappeared, but that the exquisite swordplay was already enough to make one ignore the person's presence.
"The Realm of Human and Sword as One is becoming more proficient. In just a few days, Zhuang Chen has improved again. How profound is this Congenital Sword Bone after all?"
A hint of curiosity flashed in Ning Qi's eyes. He even had a slight urge to 'dissect' Little Fatty. If he could closely observe the profoundness of the Congenital Sword Bone, it might allow him to comprehend something extraordinary.
Of course, that was just a thought.
He wasn't that kind of person.
Unbeknownst to him, Zhuang Chen had stopped. He saw Ning Qi's gaze and shivered, timidly saying:
"Ning Qi, was there something wrong with my sword technique just now?"
Ning Qi came back to his senses and smiled:
"It's passable."
With his eyesight, it was naturally not difficult to see that Little Fatty was on the path of dominance.
Dominant Sword Intent is also a very powerful type of Sword Intent.
He roughly understood why Little Fatty was particularly eager to learn his sword techniques. It was because the Sword Intent Ning Qi wielded was far more than just one type; that casual sword strike that day was actually a composite of several Sword Intents.
Ning Qi's observations of the Ten Thousand Manifestations of Earth had yielded far more than just creating the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Stake; it was a lifetime's worth of accumulation that he could draw upon at any time.
However, Ning Qi had used it very subtly that day, and he was confident that even Divine Sword Old Man and his Master wouldn't be able to discern it.
He didn't expect this Little Fatty to instinctively sense a hint of strangeness.
He already knew how to teach Little Fatty.
Taking a light breath, Ning Qi said solemnly:
"Watch this sword strike carefully."
Zhuang Chen's eyes widened.
Ning Qi casually waved his hand, and the wooden sword in Zhuang Chen's hand flew uncontrollably into Ning Qi's hand.
Then, Ning Qi moved.
His left hand was behind his back, and his right hand gently swung the sword.
Little Fatty's eyes immediately widened even further.
In his eyes, Ning Qi had vanished.
As that ordinary sword strike came, he seemed to see a vast ancient mountain suppressing him, and then an ancient divine elephant roaring towards the sky, and faintly, a great sun slowly rising.
He stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded.
Until Ning Qi's voice sounded:
"What did you see?"
Zhuang Chen jolted, waking up, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Ning Qi.
"I saw an ancient mountain, a divine elephant, and a golden great sun."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
Ning Qi nodded faintly:
"Your comprehension is acceptable."
"Keep watching."
Ning Qi swung his sword again.
Zhuang Chen watched intently.
Then Ning Qi asked again.
Zhuang Chen answered truthfully.
This was repeated over and over.
Until the eagerness in Zhuang Chen's eyes grew stronger, Ning Qi finally said:
"Try it yourself."
Zhuang Chen swung his sword.
Compared to before, there was already a subtle difference.
Ning Qi nodded secretly.
This Congenital Sword Bone was indeed extraordinary. His comprehension in the sword dao far surpassed ordinary people. This speed of learning, Ning Qi had only seen when White Ape learned the Ape King Stance. Everyone else, compared to this one person and one ape, was inferior.
Ning Qi had Zhuang Chen practice his sword, occasionally correcting him, until he was drenched in sweat and his face turned pale, then he let him stop.
Contact with Sword Intent also requires a strong Physique and 'spirit' to support it.
Zhuang Chen was still eager, his face full of excitement:
"Ning Qi, I feel it, I feel it!"
"You are truly amazing!"
He felt that following Ning Qi's guidance was like having divine assistance; a casual word could save him many detours.
He even thought to himself that his Master, Divine Sword Old Man, wasn't as good at teaching as Ning Qi.
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Zhuang Chen's eyes were full of admiration.
But Ning Qi merely smiled faintly:
"For the next few days, come here at noon for half an hour to practice your sword. You are not allowed to come at other times."
If it were before, Little Fatty might have pestered him.
But now, he felt an indescribable reverence for Ning Qi.
Although he felt reluctant, he still respectfully said:
"Yes!"
In the following days, every noon, Little Fatty would arrive as scheduled to practice his sword at the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
Ning Qi occasionally gave pointers, but he had already created a custom-made sword technique for Little Fatty. As long as Little Fatty didn't slack off and practiced systematically, comprehending Dominant Sword Intent ahead of time would be a natural progression.
Furthermore, this Dominant Sword Intent also contained other profound qualities.
While Little Fatty practiced his sword, White Ape watched from the side. After a few days, Little Fatty's humble demeanor finally appeased White Ape's anger. The two, one human and one ape, became friends after a fight, and their relationship was now surprisingly good.
However, White Ape did not practice his Stance Skill when Little Fatty was around; this was a rule Ning Qi had set for him: he was not to display his Stance Skill when outsiders were present.
As for Ning Qi himself, besides occasionally giving pointers to Zhuang Chen, he was engrossed in comprehending the newly acquired Dream Gluttony secret art.
This secret art was indeed extraordinary, but Ning Qi also discovered its drawbacks.
That is, if one continues to Cultivate this secret art, their body will become increasingly corpulent, eventually perhaps even becoming a mountain of flesh, which Ning Qi found intolerable.
"Ultimately, this is because the Dream Gluttony secret art cannot fully digest the energy taken into the body, requiring it to be converted into fat for storage."
Ning Qi planned to extract its essence, perfect it, and integrate it into the Multiplied Strength Skill he envisioned.
He already had an idea.
Thus, seven days passed in a flash.
Ning Qi's Inner Strength grew stronger day by day, and at the same time, he was re-comprehending those various Multiplied Strength Skills, especially Ice Silkworm Strength. He felt that its concept was quite good, perhaps even not inferior to Dream Gluttony, and worth learning from.
On this day, Little Fatty walked outside the Seeking Dao Courtyard but did not enter.
His face showed some disappointment:
"Ning Qi, Yuan Tiansheng, I have to go."
Today was the day the Shenjian Sect was leaving. After exchanging for so many days here, it was indeed time to depart.
White Ape scurried out, his eyes also showing some reluctance.
Although he initially disliked Little Fatty's disrespect, after getting to know him, he found Little Fatty to be a decent person.
"Are you reluctant to see me go?"
Zhuang Chen looked at Yuan Tiansheng, his eyes slightly brightened.
White Ape pouted proudly and turned his head away.
Zhuang Chen chuckled, looking at the figure in the courtyard, reverence rising in his eyes.
"Ning Qi, I'll miss you all."
Ning Qi smiled.
"Go back and Cultivate well."
Zhuang Chen nodded repeatedly:
"I will definitely work hard and strive to surpass you in ten years!"
With that, Little Fatty sprinted away.
Ning Qi looked at his receding figure and shook his head with a smile. Surpassing him was quite unlikely.
His state of mind rippled slightly, but quickly returned to calm.
With Little Fatty's talent, without any accidents, he would at least reach the Heavenly Human Realm, with a long lifespan. There would be plenty of opportunities to meet again in the future, so there was no need to rush now.
His gaze returned to the sheepskin scroll in his hand.
"Ice Silkworm Strength, nine times of breaking the cocoon and Rebirth, means nine times of Multiplied Strength. Each qualitative change is extremely thorough, but breaking the cocoon and Rebirth is easier said than done. Each time requires enduring hardships. Perhaps, there's another way..."
Inspiration kept surfacing in Ning Qi's mind.
Meanwhile, outside Zhenwu Mountain, Divine Sword Old Man and Dragon Mountain Daoist were also bidding farewell.
"This time, I owe you a favor." Divine Sword Old Man said, which was rare for him.
Although they said they were jointly studying the Heavenly Human secret, it was actually Dragon Mountain Daoist who shared primarily. At most, Divine Sword Old Man could occasionally offer some different insights. With these, Divine Sword Old Man wouldn't immediately be confident in breaking into the Heavenly Human Realm, but at least he had a few more hopes and saw the path ahead.
Dragon Mountain Daoist laughed loudly:
"It's rare to hear such words from you, Divine Sword Senior Brother."
Divine Sword Old Man angrily turned his head away and snorted:
"Dragon Mountain Daoist, don't think that just because I owe you a favor, I'll go easy on you. Don't be complacent for the next ten-year pact, or my Disciples might sweep you away!"
Dragon Mountain Daoist merely smiled.
After Divine Sword Old Man finished speaking, he also laughed loudly:
"I'm off, see you in ten years!"
The Shenjian Sect members performed a sword salute, then activated their sword steps and sped away.
On the road, Little Fatty was distracted, often wanting to speak but hesitating.
Divine Sword Old Man saw his youngest Disciple's appearance and his heart tightened. He pulled Zhuang Chen to the very front, and only when he could no longer see the other Disciples behind him did he ask kindly:
"Chen'er, is there something you want to tell Master?"
Zhuang Chen cautiously said:
"If I tell you, Master, can you promise not to spank my bottom?"
Divine Sword Old Man's heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath and smiled:
"Speak."
"I... I taught Dream Gluttony to Ning Qi."
Little Fatty mustered his courage.
Divine Sword Old Man stood rooted to the spot.
He knew his little Disciple had been playing with that True Martial Sect Prodigy these past few days, but he never expected his foolish Disciple to actually transmit this peerless secret art. However, he wasn't angry; instead, his mood was complex.
"Dragon Mountain shared the Heavenly Human secret with me, and Chen'er passed Dream Gluttony to Ning Qi. Could this be destiny?"
He felt that things were somewhat wondrous.
Seeing his Master silent for a long time, Zhuang Chen thought he was angry and quickly said:
"Master, don't be angry. Ning Qi didn't take my secret art for nothing; he taught me a sword technique."
Divine Sword Old Man's spirits lifted.
A moment later, he watched Zhuang Chen swing his sword and stood rooted to the spot like a statue, a storm raging in his heart.
"In just a few days, Chen'er has already had a glimpse of Sword Intent?!"
At this moment, he understood that the True Martial Sect's Ninth True Disciple was probably far more monstrous than he had imagined.
"Dragon Mountain, you've taken on an extraordinary Disciple!"
He sighed in his heart, feeling a bit envious, and also happy for his old friend.
Then he solemnly stroked Zhuang Chen's head and said seriously:
"Chen'er, from now on, you must not tell anyone that this sword technique was taught to you by Ning Qi. If anyone asks, say that I taught it to you, understand?"
Zhuang Chen had never seen his Master so serious.
But he still respectfully replied:
"Mm! I understand, Master!"
Divine Sword Old Man smiled contentedly. No matter how monstrous other people's Disciples were, his own foolish Disciple was still the best.
...
Time passed leisurely. A month had passed since the Shenjian Sect's departure, and the True Martial Sect had once again returned to peace.
And Ning Qi's creation of his own Multiplied Strength Skill had reached a critical moment.