As soon as this thought arose, Ning Qi's curiosity could no longer be contained.
"Tiansheng, come here."
Ning Qi said with a kind smile.
The White Ape couldn't help but shiver, feeling that his Master's gaze was a bit terrifying.
"Don't worry, it's a good thing for you. If I can thoroughly investigate the situation within your body, perhaps I can help you activate your Bloodline in the future."
Hearing this, the White Ape's eyes lit up.
Speaking of which, the White Ape's body has grown larger now, even surpassing Ning Qi. Perhaps he is in a growth spurt, and it's unknown how tall he will eventually become after fully maturing.
Ning Qi smiled and placed his hand on the White Ape's shoulder. He originally wanted to start from the head, but felt it might be a bit dangerous, so he decided it was better to start from the body.
"Relax."
With that, strands of gentle Inner Strength emerged from Ning Qi's palm. This was him activating the 'Water Softness' characteristic. The White Ape instinctively shrieked, but then realized that besides a slight tickle on his shoulder, there was also a soft, comfortable sensation.
However, Ning Qi gradually furrowed his brows.
He discovered that after his Inner Strength drilled into the White Ape's body, he could sense it at first, but it quickly depleted at a terrifying speed, unable to travel far at all. He could only barely perceive the skin, membrane, and flesh of the shoulder.
"This... could it be that my Inner Strength isn't solid enough?"
Ning Qi withdrew his hand, guessing in his heart.
Inner Strength is a miraculous power born from one's own Physical Body, and it's likely that there would be repulsion when trying to penetrate another's body.
"It seems I'll have to wait until my Inner Strength is stronger."
He wasn't disappointed, however.
On the contrary, the White Ape, after his initial anticipation, felt a bit lost.
"You little monkey, you're disappointed now, aren't you? Practice your Martial Dao diligently and strive to achieve the perfect state of Organ Refinement early, so you can learn Ventriloquism."
Looking at the White Ape, who was writing with a wronged expression, Ning Qi scolded him with a smile.
He had already created Ventriloquism for the White Ape.
However, Ventriloquism requires strong internal organs.
The White Ape's eyes showed anticipation. He respectfully bowed, then began to practice Martial Dao. Although Ventriloquism wasn't truly speaking aloud, it would at least allow him to communicate.
He wasn't too far from this step.
...
Ye Qinghe's Peach Blossom Wine, as expected, failed again.
But she felt that this time her progress was significant; at least the Peach Blossom Wine didn't smell sour, it just had no taste.
Fortunately, the wine brewed by the White Ape served as a backup.
This time, she was frank.
"This was brewed by Little White Ape and me together!"
All the True Disciples secretly chuckled, their faces still full of praise.
Dragon Mountain Daoist was still in seclusion and had not come out. This time, it was a death seclusion; he wouldn't emerge until he broke through to the Heavenly Human Realm. It was unknown how long it would take.
Perhaps a year, perhaps two years.
But everyone felt that with Master Dragon Mountain Daoist's talent, he would definitely succeed within two years. If not for being affected by Qin Yun's matter earlier, Dragon Mountain Daoist would have probably already broken through to the Heavenly Human Realm.
Everyone gathered at Ning Qi's Seeking Dao Courtyard, a rare occasion.
Drinking the Peach Blossom Wine 'jointly' brewed by Ye Qinghe and Little White Ape, and eating fresh peaches, they enjoyed themselves immensely.
The matter with Qin Yun had, instead, made everyone cherish their camaraderie even more.
"Xiao Jiu, I always feel that the peaches outside your courtyard are better than those elsewhere, and they seem even tastier than last year."
Second Disciple Xiong Shi was quite honest.
"Qinghe, I think next time you brew wine, you can wait until the peaches are ripe and add them in; it might give it a different flavor."
Ye Qinghe pouted, crossing her arms and looking at Xiong Shi askance:
"Second Senior Apprentice Brother, are you saying the wine I brewed isn't good?"
Xiong Shi quickly pleaded for mercy, and everyone burst into laughter.
"But seriously, the peaches outside Junior Brother's courtyard are indeed delicious."
Everyone nodded in unison.
After tasting them last year, they had quite a craving for them.
Ning Qi smiled:
"If all Senior Apprentice Brothers and Senior Apprentice Sisters find them delicious, how about gathering here every year when the peaches bear fruit?"
He had further optimized his cultivation technique.
Perhaps in a few more years, these peach trees would begin to show some divine peculiarities.
Everyone's eyes lit up:
"Xiao Jiu, that's a great idea! But won't it disturb your cultivation?"
Ning Qi smiled and shook his head.
He increasingly felt that while seeking longevity, one must also cherish the people in front of them.
Luo Wentian immediately decided:
"Alright, then, every year at this time, no matter what we're doing, we must gather at Junior Brother's courtyard. Hmm... how about we call it the True Martial Peach Meet?"
Everyone became excited.
Perhaps many years later, this would become a widely told story.
Ye Qinghe quickly said:
"Junior Brother provides the peaches, and I'll provide the Peach Blossom Wine; they complement each other perfectly!"
Everyone laughed loudly.
In their hearts, they were all planning what to bring next time to liven things up.
Read the error-free version at 1619shuba!
Watching his excited Senior Apprentice Brothers and Senior Apprentice Sisters chatting, Ning Qi smiled, feeling his heart become even more peaceful.
After the clamor, the Seeking Dao Courtyard became quiet once more.
Ning Qi was not unaccustomed to it.
He continued his cultivation.
...
Time flowed by leisurely.
In the blink of an eye, autumn arrived.
Dragon Mountain Daoist still showed no signs of emerging from seclusion.
On the contrary, Ning Qi had broken through again.
He successfully forged a connection between his Inner Strength and his Physical Body, entering the sixth state of suspended animation.
Half a month later, he awoke from suspended animation, his eyes gleaming with a piercing light, and his aura very strong.
"Seventh Fold Realm. Now, my Inner Strength can extend more than three zhang outside my body, which is somewhat terrifying. Its solidity even has a hint of Gang Qi. Caught off guard, an enemy would suffer a great loss."
Ning Qi felt that he was very strong now.
As his Inner Strength gradually became stronger, he had begun to research killing moves. The Martial Intents he had previously comprehended, such as Sword Intent and Fist Intent, would unleash powerful might when imbued with Inner Strength. Especially since Ning Qi's Inner Strength characteristics could be stacked, it was even more terrifying.
For example, there was a move called Triple Cold Flame Sword.
It not only contained the dual characteristics of ice and fire but also the triple characteristics of vibration, rotation, and cutting.
If this move were used, Fifth Brother's protective Gang Qi would certainly not be able to block it.
Ning Qi also tried to use Inner Strength to penetrate the White Ape's body, but he still failed.
However, this failure also made Ning Qi more certain that it was due to insufficient Inner Strength strength.
"Breaking through one more time, reaching the Eighth Fold Realm, should solve the problem."
Ning Qi felt that reaching the Eighth Fold Realm around the age of seven shouldn't be a problem for him.
While he was pondering, Luo Wentian's joyful call came from outside the courtyard:
"Xiao Jiu, you've come out of seclusion?"
Luo Wentian had visited before, but the White Ape told him that Ning Qi was in seclusion, so he didn't disturb him. This time, when he came again, he found that Ning Qi had already emerged.
Ning Qi smiled:
"I just came out today; I haven't had time to inform Senior Brother yet."
Luo Wentian waved his hand:
"It's fine, I just came by to check. If you need anything, just tell Senior Brother anytime."
Ning Qi nodded.
He had no doubt about this. Speaking of which, he had never gone down the mountain to acquire Martial Dao resources, unlike those rogue cultivators without a Master who might have to fight desperately for a single Breakthrough pill. He felt that he was quite fortunate.
He was spared from conflicts when he was weak.
"Senior Brother, how is the situation within the Sect lately?"
"It's quite good, nothing major has happened, it's just that Master still hasn't come out of seclusion."
Luo Wentian's brows showed some worry. Although he trusted his Master, this seclusion had already lasted for nearly half a year.
"Master will definitely be fine."
The two chatted.
A moment later, Jiang Baishan's call came from afar:
"Senior Brother, the people from Purple River Sword Sect are here again!"