In his previous life, Ning Qi suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and died in despair.
In this life, he was born into a dangerous situation and learned that he had already endured a hundred lifetimes of suffering, which gave him an obsession with living.
He detested death.
He wanted to live; he wanted to live forever.
When Ning Qi's voice fell, Dragon Mountain Daoist was slightly stunned, and Jiang Baishan was even more astonished.
Dragon Mountain Daoist frowned slightly, intending to scold Ning Qi for being overly ambitious, but upon seeing the astonishing longing in the half-year-old child's eyes, he became somewhat silent, swallowing the reprimand that had been on the tip of his tongue.
Jiang Baishan said:
"Junior Brother, how can there be a method for eternal life in this world..."
But before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Dragon Mountain Daoist waving his hand.
His expression was incredibly solemn as he gazed at Ning Qi.
Ning Qi, however, did not flinch in the slightest; this was his goal and would never change.
After a long while.
Dragon Mountain Daoist looked at Ning Qi and slowly said:
"The beginning of Martial Dao involves Skin Refining, Flesh Refining, Refining Tendons, Bone Refining, Organ Refining, Marrow Refining, Blood Refining, and Spirit Refining. These are the eight Body Tempering Realms. If one achieves Perfection without any flaws or deficiencies, their Qi and blood will be inexhaustible, and they will be free from all illnesses. Upon reaching this Realm, one's lifespan will have reached the Mortal limit of one hundred and twenty years."
Ning Qi's eyes were bright, but he remained unmoved.
One hundred and twenty years was too short.
"Upon achieving Body Tempering Perfection, one comprehends Inner Strength, thus entering the Inner Yuan Realm. With Inner Yuan, every move possesses immense power, granting a lifespan of two hundred years!"
Ning Qi remained unmoved.
Two hundred years was still not enough.
Dragon Mountain Daoist withdrew his gaze and turned to the myriad green mountains outside Mingwu Pavilion.
"When Inner Strength accumulates nine layers to form Gang, one enters the Gang Yuan Realm. When Gang Yuan erupts from the body, its power is immeasurable, granting a lifespan of four hundred years!"
"After Gang Yuan passes through the three Realms of White Mist, Jade Liquid, and Core Formation, one's Spiritual Sense greatly increases, allowing them to resonate with Heaven and Earth and reach the Realm of Heaven and Earth United as One. Splitting rivers and breaking mountains become trivial matters. This is the Heavenly Human Realm, granting a lifespan of eight hundred years!"
Speaking of this.
There was a subtle, almost imperceptible longing in Dragon Mountain Daoist's words.
He was still half a step away from the Heavenly Human Realm, but this half-step was as difficult as ascending to Heaven. All below Heavenly Human are like ants. Fortunately, his Aptitude was unparalleled, and he would surely reach it within a few years; otherwise, he would not have obtained the True Martial Legacy back then.
Eight hundred years!
In his previous life, there was a legend of a long-lived person named Peng Zu, who lived for eight hundred years. If one had such a long lifespan, it would be enough to witness dozens of generations of Mortals come and go. To Mortals, how was that any different from an immortal?
Ning Qi gained a deeper understanding of the wonders of this world.
He felt a slight anticipation but still slowly shook his head.
Eight hundred years was long, but compared to eternal life, it was merely the time for a deep sleep.
"Master, are there even longer-lived beings above the Heavenly Human Realm?"
Jiang Baishan held his breath, listening to the conversation between Master and Disciple. He felt that his Junior Brother was truly extraordinary. The Heavenly Human Realm was already the pinnacle of power in the world, enough for countless people to spend their entire lives pursuing, yet he was still not satisfied?
The astonishment in his eyes deepened.
Perhaps this was not a child's wild talk. A person's achievements are inextricably linked to their aspirations. At least, he had never thought of such a question. Thinking this way, he actually developed a hint of respect for his Junior Brother.
Dragon Mountain Daoist answered with a question:
"How do you view these green mountains?"
Ning Qi followed his gaze and saw the continuous green mountains, majestic and grand, making one feel instantly small. He instinctively sighed:
"Born of Heaven and Earth, difficult to move for ten thousand years."
Dragon Mountain Daoist said earnestly:
"Difficult to move for ten thousand years does not mean impossible to move. Even green mountains are like this, with no day of eternal existence, let alone humans. How can one live forever?"
"A person's life is not about how long they live, but about what they do."
Having great aspirations was a good thing, but he worried that his Disciple had illusory thoughts and would take a wrong path.
Ning Qi was slightly silent, discerning Dragon Mountain Daoist's admonition.
If it were an ordinary person, they would indeed not dare to have extraordinary thoughts, but he possessed full-level Comprehension Ability, so eternal life was not a delusion.
Ning Qi respectfully kowtowed and said solemnly:
"Please guide me, Master!"
Dragon Mountain Daoist helped Ning Qi up and sighed softly:
"Foolish child."
With such wisdom at only half a year old, he could not be judged by ordinary standards.
His voice was distant as he said:
"Above the Heavenly Human Realm is the Martial Saint. If a Martial Saint appears, they are invincible in the world. As for lifespan, it is said that Martial Saints can live for thousands of years, but no one has ever seen one. Some say they may have broken the world's limits and gone to other Realms."
"As for what is above Martial Saint, this Master does not know. Perhaps those at the higher peaks of Martial Dao can be immortal for ten thousand years. Everything is an unknown, and only those who reach the level of Martial Saint will know."
"If you have the ambition for eternal life, ascending to the highest peak of Martial Dao might allow you to see a different scenery."
Dragon Mountain Daoist decided to guide him. This might not be a bad thing.
He smiled as he looked at Ning Qi.
Ning Qi's eyes were bright.
A Martial Saint is invincible in the world and can live for thousands of years?
Although it was far from what he expected, it was still good. When he achieved Martial Saint in the future, he would naturally have more time to pursue the true method of eternal life.
One must eat one bite at a time.
Achieving something in one go was unrealistic.
"First, set a small goal: become a Martial Saint!"
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Ning Qi secretly made up his mind.
If it was determined that Martial Dao could not grant eternal life, then he would choose another path.
By then, his life essence would be improved, and his Comprehension Ability would inevitably be stronger. Moreover, standing at a high vantage point with abundant foundation, opening a new path would be simpler than blindly searching for some method of eternal life now.
After listening to Dragon Mountain Daoist's words today, Ning Qi felt his goal had become much clearer. He thanked him again:
"Thank you, Master, for enlightening me."
Seeing Ning Qi's invigorated spirit, Jiang Baishan, fearing he might be disheartened in the future, could not help but remind him:
"Junior Brother, perhaps there is no method for eternal life in this world?"
Ning Qi smiled slightly.
He respectfully bowed to Dragon Mountain Daoist and Jiang Baishan, then swung his arms and left.
Only his voice echoed in the pavilion.
"If there is no path to eternal life, I will carve one out."
Inside Mingwu Pavilion.
The incense smoke coiled upwards, and there was complete silence.
Dragon Mountain Daoist and his Disciple exchanged glances, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes.
This child was extraordinary.
...
After that day's conversation with Dragon Mountain Daoist, the True Disciples of the True Martial Sect were surprised to find that their precocious Junior Brother no longer pestered them with questions about Martial Dao. Instead, he was pondering something by himself.
"Junior Brother, the things you wanted are here. Remember to take them on time."
Luo Wentian called out to Ning Qi's courtyard, then shook his head and left.
Ning Qi was very independent. Apart from some tasks that required assistance due to his small body, he completed everything else himself.
After learning that Ning Qi's Bone Tempering was already accelerating its formation, Dragon Mountain Daoist began to give Ning Qi medicinal supplements, mostly tonics that strengthened the body's foundation.
Ning Qi used this as an excuse to obtain some other medicinal ingredients.
As for their purpose, it was naturally for his own plans.
Inside the room at this moment.
Ning Qi ate the medicinal soup he had concocted, then sat cross-legged on the bed like a miniature adult, closing his eyes tightly.
Inside his body.
The Innate Qi was circulating in a specific pattern. With each circulation, a small amount of Innate Qi dissipated, as if spreading throughout his limbs and bones. Immediately after, Ning Qi felt an itching sensation rising from deep within his body, much more intense than in previous days!
Ning Qi was delighted rather than surprised.
"It's done!"
He had penetrated the essence of Bone Tempering, using Innate Qi as the foundation and his self-created Ning's Medical Book as an aid, finally fully comprehending the art of Bone Tempering.
"This skill shall be called the Congenital Bone Tempering Skill!"
This was Ning Qi's gain during this period.
After his conversation with Dragon Mountain Daoist, he learned that Bone Tempering was an intangible substance, so he had been experimenting with how to actively circulate Innate Qi to accelerate its growth. This was bound to be much faster than the previous passive acceleration.
And now, it was finally successful!
"With the Congenital Bone Tempering Skill, I can actively nourish my Bone Tempering, and the speed of its formation can be accelerated by several times!"
Ning Qi's eyes were filled with anticipation.