Because of Qin Yun’s matter, coupled with Dragon Mountain Daoist entering seclusion for death training, the True Martial Sect was inevitably affected.
Although it had recovered somewhat during this period, morale was still low.
But now, Jiang Baishan’s breakthrough to the Gang Yuan Realm instantly uplifted everyone’s spirits.
With a Gang Yuan Realm expert overseeing the sect, it could at least deter some petty thieves and their schemes.
The True Martial Sect was founded on Zhenwu Mountain, and its many disciples certainly didn't rely on the mountain for their sustenance.
In reality, the True Martial Sect’s main sources of wealth came from two aspects.
Firstly, wealthy families would send their disciples to the True Martial Sect to practice martial arts, naturally requiring them to pay a substantial annual fee.
Of course, the True Martial Sect would also ensure their safety, and others, seeing this, would generally give the True Martial Sect some face and not dare to infringe upon them.
In these increasingly chaotic times, this type of income was rising annually.
Secondly, the True Martial Sect had its own industries.
Some disciples within the sect who were not skilled in martial arts would be arranged to go down the mountain and manage businesses, such as escort agencies, restaurants, and money houses.
Accumulating over time, these had become quite substantial.
When True Martial Sect disciples went down the mountain for experience, they would also resolve issues encountered by these industries.
The rest were minor sources.
But no matter which kind, strong martial power was the guarantee.
If it were known that the True Martial Sect was weakening, the wolves would rise to devour it.
During this period, first a true disciple betrayed the sect, and then the only Gang Yuan Realm expert entered seclusion for death training, naturally inviting many probes.
After all, the true disciples knew that Dragon Mountain Daoist was aiming to break through to the Heavenly Human Realm, but others did not.
Moreover, rumors that Dragon Mountain Daoist had fought with a demonic expert further fueled various speculations.
Fortunately, Dragon Mountain Daoist’s seclusion for death training was not prolonged, his deterrence remained, and Luo Wentian and others could temporarily handle the situation.
But now, Jiang Baishan’s promotion to the Gang Yuan Realm was enough to completely silence these people.
On the training ground, Jiang Baishan was surrounded by disciples, all of whom were extremely excited.
“Congratulations, Fifth Brother, on reaching the Gang Yuan Realm!”
Ning Qi had already heard the congratulations from afar.
Luo Wentian had specially gathered the disciples to spread this news and boost their prestige.
He watched from the side, smiling, without any displeasure.
He was the oldest and had witnessed the childhood and youth of most of the true disciples.
“Congratulations, Fifth Brother.”
Ning Qi smiled and congratulated Jiang Baishan, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
The Gang Yuan Realm experts he had encountered were top powerhouses like Dragon Mountain Daoist and Divine Sword Old Man.
He had never seen a newly breakthrough Gang Yuan Realm expert before.
He always wanted to know whether his current strength or the White Mist Realm was stronger.
Now might be a chance.
Jiang Baishan was full of vigor.
He originally thought he would need one or two more years to consolidate, but he didn't expect that being stimulated by Qin Yun’s matter during this period, he had bottled up a surge of energy and directly broke through to the Gang Yuan Realm.
“Little Ninth, do you want to see what Gang Qi looks like?” Jiang Baishan laughed loudly.
Ning Qi smiled and nodded.
He Yan, the Fourth Disciple next to him, chuckled:
“Oh, you little Fifth, we’ve been talking for ages and you’ve been mysterious, but as soon as Little Ninth arrives, before he even says a word, you’re going to show off.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“Fourth Brother, just tell me if you want to see it or not!”
“See! See!”
The disciples were all expectant and then spread out.
Ning Qi stared at Jiang Baishan.
Jiang Baishan exhaled lightly, then his gaze became solemn.
When he was in the Inner Yuan Realm, he cultivated the Shaking Heaven Strength, and the Gang Yuan Realm cultivation method he inherited was the Shaking Heaven True Gang.
At this moment, having just transitioned to cultivating it, he already possessed an extraordinary presence.
Everyone had already sensed the oppressive feeling.
He lightly waved the long sword in his hand.
Streaks of sword qi, like shooting stars, shot out, their sharpness unparalleled, as if tearing through the air, landing on a huge rock thirty feet away.
There was no earth-shattering sound, only brilliant sword qi cutting back and forth.
The sword light was dazzlingly sharp.
And then, everyone gasped.
The distant giant rock had transformed into a pile of perfectly neat gravel, with incredibly smooth cuts, and even the size of the pieces was almost identical.
“This is Gang Qi! It has such terrifying power even thirty feet away, much stronger than Inner Strength.
No wonder they all say that a Nine-Fold Inner Strength expert only has a chance to escape when encountering a Gang Yuan Realm expert.
The gap is too large; it’s difficult to even get close.”
Luo Wentian couldn't help but sigh.
All eyes were filled with awe.
Many people were seeing the power of Gang Qi demonstrated by a Gang Yuan Realm expert up close for the first time.
Even Ye Qinghe, who usually had little interest in martial arts, rarely felt a desire for the Gang Yuan Realm.
Jiang Baishan laughed even louder.
He began to fully demonstrate a set of sword techniques.
With the enhancement of Gang Qi, the originally ordinary sword techniques became terrifyingly powerful.
Exclamations of surprise continuously rang out.
Dazzling and mesmerizing.
Ning Qi was also watching.
He, too, was somewhat amazed.
“Gang Qi can be projected thirty feet from the body, and perhaps that’s not even the limit.
It is indeed powerful.”
However, Ning Qi found that he seemed to have both underestimated and overestimated the strength of the Gang Yuan Realm.
Underestimated, because he hadn't expected Jiang Baishan, who was only in the White Mist Realm, could project Gang Qi thirty feet away, capable of killing enemies and protecting the body.
Those streaks of sword qi were much stronger than Inner Strength.
Overestimated, because when comparing it to his own strength, Ning Qi felt that although Gang Qi was powerful, if he used his full strength… it seemed he might even surpass it?
“The advantage of a Gang Yuan Realm expert lies in their Gang Qi being able to leave the body, giving them a long-range advantage over me.
But if I get close, with my terrifying physical strength amplified by abundant Inner Strength, I’m afraid even Gang Qi body protection wouldn’t be able to stop me.”
Ning Qi pondered the pros and cons of the Gang Yuan Realm and himself.
He used Jiang Baishan as a hypothetical enemy and finally concluded:
“If I go all out, Fifth Brother should not be my opponent?”
His lips couldn't help but curl slightly.
Although he hadn't fought, he felt his estimation was very close to the truth.
However, the power of Gang Qi still made him somewhat wary.
He thought that if he encountered a Gang Yuan Realm enemy, it would be best to use his movement technique to evade the Gang Qi, then approach the enemy with lightning speed and achieve success in one fell swoop.
Otherwise, allowing a Gang Yuan Realm expert to create distance would be troublesome.
The news of Jiang Baishan’s promotion to the Gang Yuan Realm spread.
The True Martial Sect’s situation stabilized.
A Gang Yuan Realm expert could live for four hundred years and was already considered a renowned powerhouse in Great Yan.
Ordinary forces would not dare to offend them, and the covetous gazes that were previously present instantly vanished.
Ning Qi also began to peacefully undergo his fifth false death.
Half a month later, Ning Qi awoke.
His physical body had transformed again, its strength reaching six times that of the Body Tempering Completion state, which was incredibly exaggerated.
But what brought Ning Qi the most joy was the breakthrough of his Inner Strength.
Sixth-Fold Realm, Inner Yuan Great Accomplishment!
Ning Qi reached out, and strands of incredibly solid Inner Strength surged from his palm.
The Inner Strength continuously condensed and extended, reaching over ten feet before reaching its limit, like a sword growing out of his palm.
With a thought, the originally formless ‘Inner Strength Sword’ immediately changed, sometimes radiating heat, sometimes surging with frost, sometimes roaring like a Bixi, sometimes howling like an ancient eagle, and even incorporating profound principles like vibration and rotation.
Ning Qi smiled.
“The Inner Strength of ordinary Nine-Fold Realm martial artists is not as solid as mine.
With this ten-foot extension of Inner Strength, I can now say with one hundred percent certainty that Fifth Brother is not my opponent; he might even be defeated by me relatively easily.”
This thought flashed by, and then his gaze fell on Tiansheng, a bit strange.
“Now that Inner Strength can extend outside the body, perhaps I can try to explore the bloodline within Tiansheng’s body?”