Chapter 183: The World Shakes
The events at True Profound Mountain spread to the Thirteen Provinces of Great Yan at an astonishing speed.
For a time.
The winds and clouds changed dramatically, with countless people hotly discussing the matter.
“Ancient Saints have returned? How is that possible? This is simply absurd! If I remember correctly, True Profound True Monarch is at least a figure from ten thousand years ago, or even longer, and now you’re saying he lived to the present?”
“There’s also Baoshu Buddha and the Savage Emperor. I scoured ancient books and finally found records about these two, both figures from ten thousand years ago, and the Savage Emperor’s era was even more ancient!”
“This is probably just fake news deliberately released by True Profound Sect to bolster their momentum?”
At the beginning.
Everyone’s first reaction was disbelief.
The news was simply too outrageous.
For figures from ten thousand years ago to live to the present, even a Martial Saint absolutely could not have such a long lifespan, and in the minds of most people, the destination of a Martial Saint was ascension—how could they possibly remain in the mortal world?
But as time passed.
More and more details emerged, including many Heavenly Human Realm experts who had participated in True Profound Sect’s Heavenly Human Ceremony stepping forward, among them even some powerhouses from the Heavenly Human Ranking. This forced the congregation to believe it—True Profound Sect did not have the energy to orchestrate such a world-shocking scheme with so many experts.
At this, the world was in an uproar.
Many people instinctively felt that something major was about to happen.
“Have the Ancient Saints truly returned? And this might just be the first batch?” The vaguely leaked news made people uneasy.
Some went personally to True Profound Mountain to verify, hoping to pay respects to the True Monarch, but White Leaf True Person only calmly replied that the True Monarch had already descended the mountain.
But the more this was the case, the more it made people anxious.
Others went to Great Awakening Temple.
But Great Awakening Temple, having lost face, and Baoshu Buddha would hardly pay attention to these people; they darkly chased them out, and several fights even broke out.
Attentive martial artists noticed that the Buddhist Sect forces, led by Great Awakening Temple, were indeed migrating northward.
This immediately confirmed those rumors even more.
“It’s real! The Buddhist Sect has submitted to the Savage Emperor, and the world’s forces are about to be reshuffled!” Some Martial Arts Sects began to grow nervous. Although they were now among the top ranks in the world and occupied many resources, tracing back to the root, they had no Martial Saint patriarch.
If the Ancient Saints truly returned now, they would likely be forced to spit out the fat meat in their mouths.
And so, they were the most concerned about the authenticity of this news.
They so hoped the news was fake, but as they verified it, they bitterly discovered it was entirely real.
“True Profound True Monarch! Baoshu Buddha! Savage Emperor! Listening Wind Elder! And that unnamed Ancient Saint who commanded the white dragon! Five have already appeared, who knows how many more there will be in the future. The world is truly about to undergo great change.”
Countless people exclaimed in astonishment.
There were rumors that a great opportunity was about to appear in heaven and earth, so the Ancient Saints had survived to the present through various means precisely to compete for this opportunity.
No one knew where this news originated anymore, but more and more people had come to believe it.
Otherwise, the Ancient Saints would never idly cross ten thousand years to reach the present.
The world was abuzz.
Until another major event occurred.
The Savage Emperor appeared on the battlefield between the Northern Barbarians and Great Yan, his might suppressing a million troops with a single strike.
That day.
The Savage Emperor’s ferocious might was overwhelming as he issued a harsh declaration:
“Have the Great Yan Martial Saint come see me and explain why my Barbarian race’s people were driven to the grasslands!”
Under the Savage Emperor’s aura, even experts ranked at the top of the Heavenly Human Ranking had no power to resist whatsoever. The Great Yan soldiers were all terrified—this feeling of life and death in others’ hands was far from pleasant. One after another, gazes turned toward the Great Yan imperial court.
Everyone was expecting the Great Yan Martial Saint to appear.
But only a very few who knew the truth felt their hearts sink.
Time slowly passed.
The Great Yan Martial Saint’s failure to appear made the many forces of the world begin to grow restless.
Undercurrents quietly surged.
The already unclear situation immediately became even more complex.
…
At this moment, the True Martial Sect group had finally returned to True Martial Mountain.
Luo Wentian was already waiting at the sect gate to greet them.
Dragon Mountain Daoist’s letter had been sent back ahead of time, and the events in the world had also made him aware of the impending changes.
As the sect master, Luo Wentian naturally had to be concerned about what direction True Martial Sect should take next.
Inside Mingwu Pavilion.
Luo Wentian and the disciples were all present. He asked impatiently:
“Master, are the events at True Profound Mountain truly as the rumors say?”
Everyone stared intently, shock in their eyes. Even having seen the letter, they still found it hard to believe.
Dragon Mountain Daoist slowly nodded:
“Indeed. Major events are coming next. You all must not slack off—respond to all changes with immutability!”
Everyone was solemn.
“What major event?”
Ning Qi slowly said:
“The Ancient Saints will emerge one after another. This is just the beginning. One year from now, Spiritual Energy Revival will occur, and many anomalies will be born in heaven and earth. At that time, the Ancient Saints will soar to the skies and return to their peak.”
White Mountain Old Daoist had not instructed that this news must be kept secret, so Ning Qi naturally would not hide it from his master and senior brothers.
Everyone was shocked, silently chewing over the words Spiritual Energy Revival.
“Little Nine, are you saying that even these powerful Ancient Saints now are not their peak?” Ye Qinghe asked.
Ning Qi nodded:
“Far from it. From what I know, the Ancient Saints who could live to the present are no easy opponents. The Spiritual Energy Revival one year from now is a great opportunity. You all must strive to improve your cultivation—ideally reaching the Heavenly Human Realm, so you can gain even greater benefits.”
Hearing this, everyone smiled bitterly.
Heavenly Human Realm?
With Ning Qi’s many secret techniques and treasures aiding them, their cultivation speed was already extremely fast, but no matter how fast, it was unlikely they could step into the Heavenly Human Realm within a year.
Ning Qi pondered inwardly, thinking of ways to let his senior brothers benefit from this Spiritual Energy Revival. If nothing else, at least after the revival, they should quickly step into the Heavenly Human Realm, or even stronger.
Everyone listened breathlessly as Ning Qi recounted many secrets.
This was far more detailed than the outside rumors.
Of course they were curious how Ning Qi knew, but since he didn’t say, they didn’t ask.
“Little Nine, you must know about the Savage Emperor and Great Yan Martial Saint matter by now, right?” Luo Wentian said.
Ning Qi slowly nodded.
He had only learned of it a few days ago. He hadn’t expected that Savage Emperor to be so troublesome—right after descending True Profound Mountain, he started causing trouble again. Ning Qi guessed this might be related to Listening Wind Elder’s final appearance.
Out of some consideration, Listening Wind Elder was clearly opposed to the Ancient Saints fighting each other. Even if there was fighting, it probably had to be kept within certain limits.
This allowed the Savage Emperor to take the opportunity to challenge the Great Yan Martial Saint.
“However, the key might still be that the Savage Emperor heard the Great Yan Martial Saint’s condition had problems. Otherwise, according to what White Mountain Old Daoist and I said, the Great Yan Martial Saint and Listening Wind Elder are both powerful existences who lived to the present through bloodline methods—probably not something the current Savage Emperor can compare to.”
Ning Qi pondered in his heart.
He had previously feared the Great Yan Martial Saint, but only in the past few days had he heard intelligence that the Great Yan Martial Saint’s condition was very poor. Combining this with the Demonic Sect’s chaos in Southern Border where the Great Yan Martial Saint had shown no movement, and some minor details, Ning Qi felt this intelligence was likely true.
With this thought, he slowly said:
“Let’s observe for now. The conflict between the Savage Emperor and Great Yan Martial Saint is essentially the struggle between Great Yan and the Northern Barbarian territories. After the Spiritual Energy Revival, opportunities will arise in heaven and earth. Perhaps the Savage Emperor wants to take this chance to expand the Northern Barbarians’ territory.”
This core interest was still due to the upcoming Spiritual Energy Revival. Though just Ning Qi’s guess, he felt it was eight or nine out of ten.
Luo Wentian frowned slightly and raised a question:
“If so, I’m afraid it won’t just be conflict between Great Yan and the Northern Barbarians. With so many Ancient Saints emerging next, they will inevitably redraw their ‘territories’!”
Ning Qi nodded:
“Afterward, the entire world will inevitably fracture into five parts. The glory of Great Yan’s Thirteen Provinces will likely become a swan song.”
White Mountain Old Daoist had also mentioned this to him.
In their era, there had never been such a large dynasty. Even if there was, it was on par with top-tier sects, essentially another form of sect. After the Ancient Saints revived, they would certainly not be satisfied with the status quo. Even if the Great Yan Martial Saint was at his peak, facing so many Ancient Saints, he would inevitably compromise—not to mention now, when he seemed not to be at his peak.
Everyone fell silent, feeling immense pressure.
“I only hope it doesn’t affect our True Martial Sect.” Luo Wentian was somewhat worried.
This concern was reasonable.
If some Ancient Saint claimed the land where True Martial Mountain was located as their own, conflict would be unavoidable.
Ning Qi smiled:
“No need to think so much. For now, the only way is to prepare as best we can for the Spiritual Energy Revival and strive to improve our cultivation—that’s the right path.”
He had some confidence.
White Mountain Old Daoist was on good terms with him, which was one boost. Moreover, not every Ancient Saint was that powerful. Ning Qi had confidence in himself—perhaps after the Spiritual Energy Revival, some Ancient Saints would not match him.
Everyone nodded vigorously.
The world was about to change, but if they worked together, they could certainly stand firm in the coming great era. To say they weren’t excited was impossible—such a great era meant extremely abundant opportunities as well.
Dragon Mountain Daoist only stroked his beard contentedly, basically not interjecting.
For his disciples to grow up and shoulder major matters, he as their master felt nothing but immense joy.
…
True Martial rear mountain.
Ning Qi slowly walked over.
He did not conceal his aura, and the Blade Demon, sensing it, immediately appeared:
“Heavenly Sword Fellow Daoist, have you made progress?”
He was overjoyed, the question slipping out, but he immediately froze in place. The one who appeared was not the familiar Heavenly Sword True Person he knew, but a handsome and spirited young Daoist—yet that aura was no different from Heavenly Sword True Person’s.
“Heavenly Sword Fellow Daoist?” The Blade Demon’s expression was somewhat shocked and doubtful.
Ning Qi slightly bowed:
“Previously, due to various reasons, I couldn’t meet you in my true form. Please forgive me, Blade Demon Fellow Daoist. My real name is Ning Qi, ninth disciple of Dragon Mountain True Person.”
A hint of apology was on his face.
But the Blade Demon’s face went somewhat numb. After getting the accurate reply, how could he not understand—the young Daoist before him was that Heavenly Sword True Person he so admired!
He had always thought Heavenly Sword True Person was like him, someone approaching the end of their lifespan, but he never imagined the real Heavenly Sword True Person was a youth like the rising sun.
Sensing the unmasked aura and vitality on Ning Qi.
Boundless waves rose in his heart, ultimately turning into a bitter smile:
“Heavenly Sword Fellow Daoist, you hid it from me so well.”
The current Ning Qi was even more terrifying than before.
For a youth to have achieved such accomplishments was simply inconceivable, unheard of since ancient times. If not seen with his own eyes, the Blade Demon could never believe there was such a prodigy in the world.
Vaguely.
The figure who had instantly mastered his Demonic Blade’s saber intent began to completely overlap with the young Daoist before him.
Only astonishment remained in the Blade Demon’s eyes.
Followed by joy.
The more powerful Ning Qi was, the greater the possibility of deducing the Martial Saint Method.
However, he also understood that Ning Qi suddenly revealing his true form today likely meant something extraordinary.
“Heavenly Sword Fellow Daoist, has something happened? If you need me to act, just say the word?” He was solemn. Having promised to guard True Martial Mountain for ten years for Ning Qi, he would not go back on his word.
Ning Qi waved his hand with a smile:
“There is indeed a major matter, but it doesn’t require your action, Fellow Daoist. I’ll tell you the full story, and you can decide then.”
The Blade Demon’s spirit shook.
Ning Qi slowly explained.
He recounted everything he could about this mountain descent’s experiences. He also mentioned his desire to deduce the Martial Saint Method, needing the Blade Demon’s cooperation for experiments. Of course, he did not hide the anomaly in heaven and earth power’s existence, nor the potential dangers involved.
A gentleman treats me with sincerity, so I shall treat a gentleman with sincerity.
The Blade Demon listened, divine light bursting in his eyes, growing brighter. In the end, he laughed heartily, full of heroic spirit.
“Ancient Saints return, Spiritual Energy Revival! How fortunate am I, the Blade Demon, to catch such a great era! Delightful! Delightful!”
His beard and hair flew wildly, clearly excited from the heart.
Then.
He said solemnly to Ning Qi:
“Heavenly Sword Fellow Daoist, just tell me how I need to cooperate!”
Ning Qi said seriously:
“Have you truly considered it? Even if you refuse, when I deduce the Martial Saint Method later, I’ll still give you a share. Moreover, once Spiritual Energy fully revives in the future, the Ancient Saints might release the Martial Saint Method.”
This was not deceiving the Blade Demon, but something Ning Qi gleaned from White Mountain Old Daoist’s words. When the time was right, portions of the Martial Saint Method would likely reappear in the world.
But the Blade Demon laughed and shook his head:
“If so, we won’t catch the great opportunity of the Spiritual Energy Revival!”
Light bloomed in his eyes.
“If we can’t soar with this opportunity, how can we have a place in such a great era later, let alone contend with the Ancient Saints!”
“Besides, as you said, Heavenly Sword Fellow Daoist, the anomaly in heaven and earth even the Ancient Saints haven’t resolved. If I can help you solve it, that would be a major accomplishment, in a sense surpassing the Ancient Saints! Perhaps only such a Martial Saint Method is the strongest!”
The Blade Demon’s gaze was full of trust. After learning Ning Qi was just a youth, his trust in Ning Qi grew even stronger. He wanted to witness this unprecedented great achievement born with his own eyes, and participating in it was a blessing.
The Blade Demon never lacked a touch of madness.
He knew if Ning Qi wanted to kill him, there was no need for such methods—just not saving him back then would have let him explode and die.
Feeling that trust, Ning Qi smiled.
“Good! You and I join hands to clarify the root cause of this heaven and earth anomaly!”
He already had an idea.
Now with the Blade Demon’s agreement, his confidence increased even more.
“According to White Mountain Old Daoist, heaven and earth power lacks Spiritual Energy, making it impossible to step into the Martial Saint Realm. But I don’t need the Blade Demon to step into Martial Saint now—just study the consequences of absorbing heaven and earth power. A little Spiritual Energy is enough.”
“Where does this Spiritual Energy come from? Naturally, the King Yu Bead!”
“I’ll extract Spiritual Energy from it and fuse it with heaven and earth power to create complete Spiritual Energy. Even if insufficient for birthing a Martial Saint, it’s at least fine for deduction!”
Ning Qi already had a plan in mind.
Before his in-depth talk with White Mountain Old Daoist, he didn’t even know what Spiritual Energy was, had no concept of it. But after careful study later, he roughly understood. Previously, when the King Yu Bead condensed Spiritual Power, he had sensed its uniqueness inside.
Afterward, on the return journey.
He tried many times and finally gained the ability to briefly draw out a portion from the King Yu Bead.
Not only that.
Ning Qi even fused Spiritual Energy with existing heaven and earth power, and in experiments, found the optimal ratio, successfully obtaining his fused Spiritual Energy.
Thinking of this.
A smile involuntarily appeared on Ning Qi’s lips.
Across the world, few could probably do what he had—likely even most Ancient Saints couldn’t. This required an extremely profound understanding of Spiritual Energy and Spiritual Power; at least Baoshu Buddha couldn’t.
“Fellow Daoist, hold your breath and focus!” Ning Qi instructed.
The two sat cross-legged on the rear mountain stone platform.
The Blade Demon closed his eyes, emptying his mind. Then he heard Ning Qi’s voice rise, containing profoundly mysterious content, including the secrets of the three flowers of heaven, earth, and man. Building on this foundation, it constantly expanded, manifesting in the state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Apex, producing many changes.
The Blade Demon listened, utterly convinced.
This was a supreme secret technique for absorbing heaven and earth power. He could clearly see it bore shadows of his own previous experiences, but it was worlds apart—its even more profound content was something he probably couldn’t conceive even in a thousand more years.
He realized the true gap between himself and Ning Qi.
This was naturally a method Ning Qi had comprehended by drawing on the King Yu Bead’s Spiritual Power condensation.
Time passed.
Moonlight poured down, spilling on the two.
The Blade Demon spoke in a deep voice:
“Fellow Daoist, I have comprehended this method. Please begin!”
To say he had no tension at all was impossible, but he was still very calm. His life had been solitary, without ties. His only obsession was to see the higher peaks of the Martial Way. Now fortunate to participate, he only felt happy.
Ning Qi nodded.
His spirit was also highly focused.
The Blade Demon trusted him, so emotionally and rationally, he had to be responsible for the Blade Demon’s safety.
“Better to go slow than too aggressive.”
With a thought from Ning Qi.
The King Yu Bead immediately floated before the two.
