Chapter 4: Asking About Immortality
Although Ning Qi was not an impatient person, the thought of needing to wait a full seven and a half more years before he could contact the Martial Way still made him feel it was too long.
After all.
He bore max level comprehension, and once he stepped onto the Martial Way path, he would inevitably make rapid progress.
Ning Qi had not forgotten the clan extermination incident half a year ago.
He did not want to be like Huang Shang, waiting until the day his divine skill reached major accomplishment, only to find that his enemies had all already died.
These days.
He had already begun pondering how to accelerate the formation of his own bone structure. The dense innate Qi in his body seemed to have a good effect, but he had not yet excavated its greatest effect. Everyone in the True Martial Sect knew Ning Qi was a prodigy and feared he would contact the Martial Way too early and go astray, so they would not let Ning Qi view any Martial Way classics.
Some of what Ning Qi knew was pieced together from miscellaneous studies, and there might be errors.
“Why not go ask Master.”
Ning Qi made up his mind.
He feared he might misunderstand, and wanted to know what the so-called bone structure essence really was, so that he could create a secret technique to accelerate bone structure formation, and put to use the innate Qi he had retained back then.
He moved his steps, his little arms and legs swinging back and forth, very cute, and with his delicate and fair appearance, he was even more endearing.
Along the way.
True Martial Sect outer and inner disciples who saw Ning Qi all respectfully saluted and addressed him as Ninth Senior Brother.
This was the rule; true disciples took precedence.
Ning Qi clasped his hands behind his back and nodded in an old-mannered way:
“Good, junior brothers and junior sisters.”
The disciples all secretly smiled, while also feeling some astonishment in their hearts. This Ninth Senior Brother was indeed no ordinary person; at merely half a year old, his mind was already so mature, and his steps were steady, different from the others.
It was just that the way his little arms and legs swung was too amusing.
Ning Qi walked on.
A pair of strong arms picked him up.
“Little Nine, you’re running around everywhere again!”
Hearing the laughter, Ning Qi knew who it was without turning his head; it was Fifth Senior Brother Jiang Baishan. Ning Qi struggled to get down:
“Fifth Senior Brother, put me down, I can walk myself!”
The fair and handsome youth laughed heartily, his eyes full of indulgence.
“Slow down, slow down, don’t fall. I’ll put you down now.”
“Fifth Senior Brother, are you going to find Master?”
“That’s right. I’ve stayed on the mountain for so long; I need to go down the mountain for some experience, lest people look down on our True Martial Sect.”
There was anticipation in Jiang Baishan’s eyes.
Before Qin Yun entered the sect, he had the highest talent, and now his strength was already approaching Senior Disciple Brother Luo Wentian.
“Fifth Senior Brother, you’re so awesome. What realm are you at now?”
“Your Fifth Senior Brother is definitely awesome. At merely twenty-five years old, I’ve already… pfft, Little Ning Qi, you’re trying to pry words out of me. I’m not telling you! You little rascal, you’ll know when you grow up.”
“If you won’t tell me, I’ll go ask Master myself!”
This scene had happened many times; his senior brothers and senior sisters wouldn’t even tell him their Martial Way realms. Ning Qi pouted, swung his arms, and ran into Mingwu Pavilion.
Jiang Baishan couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement.
He shook his head and followed closely behind.
Within the pavilion.
Dragon Mountain Daoist was meditating with eyes closed, and only after a good while did he gradually open his eyes.
“Disciple pays respects to Master!”
Ning Qi and Jiang Baishan respectfully saluted.
Dragon Mountain Daoist smiled cheerfully as he looked at the two disciples, especially at Ning Qi, with fondness in his eyes that he did not hide at all. This disciple was truly likable; he learned everything quickly. He had already begun anticipating the day Ning Qi stepped onto the Martial Way.
Perhaps the future of the True Martial Sect lay with this disciple.
“Master, this disciple wishes to go down the mountain for experience and bring glory to our True Martial Sect.” Jiang Baishan stated his purpose.
Dragon Mountain Daoist’s expression was pleased:
“Going down the mountain for experience is a good thing. Bringing glory is secondary; gaining knowledge is the main point. You must pay attention to your own safety. In recent years, the Demonic Path has shown signs of resurgence; you must take care not to get involved.”
Feeling his master’s concern, Jiang Baishan was moved.
“Disciple will remember Master’s teachings.”
Dragon Mountain Daoist slowly nodded, then smiled amiably at Ning Qi:
“Little Nine, what brings you to your master’s place today? Did your Third Senior Sister tease you again, and you came to complain?”
Jiang Baishan also laughed.
Ye Qinghe was the one who liked teasing Ning Qi the most.
Who would have thought Ning Qi would shake his head? His little face scrunched up, and he mysteriously leaned in and said:
“Your disciple discovered something strange. Every night, I always feel a numb, itchy sensation deep in my body. Master, there aren’t any monsters on our True Martial Mountain, are there?”
Dragon Mountain Daoist laughed and scolded:
“Nonsense.”
But after hearing Ning Qi’s words, he fell into thought. He reached out and placed his hand on Ning Qi’s shoulder. Ning Qi could feel a kind of mystical power surging in his body, and then a trace of astonishment appeared on Dragon Mountain Daoist’s face.
“This is… bone structure accelerating formation. How could it be so early?”
Joy appeared on Ning Qi’s face:
“Master, do you mean that I can also practice martial arts ahead of time like Eighth Senior Brother?”
Jiang Baishan also looked delightedly at Dragon Mountain Daoist, but Dragon Mountain Daoist smiled and lightly knocked Ning Qi’s head:
“You little sly one, trying to probe your master in a roundabout way.”
With his little disciple’s mind, how could he not have noticed such a change? Talking about monsters was just a deliberate way to get him to speak of the matter.
Ning Qi chuckled and asked the question he had always wanted to know:
“Master, what exactly is bone structure?”
Dragon Mountain Daoist pondered slightly, then said:
“Very well, I’ll tell you today, lest you have doubts in your heart and feel restless. Since your bone structure is already accelerating formation, you need to pay attention to medicinal and dietary supplements afterward.”
Ning Qi sat up straight.
“The so-called bone structure is not meridians, not bones. It is not a tangible thing, but the foundation of the human body, the treasure of the human body. When an infant is born, the seed falls and needs time to be nurtured. As long as it grows between heaven and earth, with mystical power warming it, it can continuously grow.”
“Countless ancestors inquired and concluded that for the vast majority of children, bone structure forms at eight years old. A small portion with dense innate qualities can form earlier, like your Eighth Senior Brother, who stepped onto the Martial Way path at seven years old.”
“As for you, perhaps you will be even faster.”
Dragon Mountain Daoist stroked his beard and smiled. He recalled seeing Ning Qi in the hidden compartment in the sea of fire half a year ago; that innate Qi was indeed dense enough, but he hadn’t expected that at merely half a year old, it had already begun accelerating growth.
Generally speaking, those who practiced martial arts ahead of time could achieve no small accomplishments and had a greater chance of stepping into high realms of the Martial Way, though it was not absolute.
He naturally did not know that Ning Qi had already begun consciously mobilizing his own innate Qi to integrate into his body.
Ning Qi understood.
He had always thought bone structure referred to the muscles and bones of the human body, needing to grow to a certain extent to bear the Martial Way.
Now it seemed that was merely the surface.
The concept of bone structure was actually so profound, involving the foundation of the human body and also the power of heaven and earth.
He had stumbled upon it before, coincidentally going from surface to essence.
Fortunately, he had clarified the direction in time. This was the benefit of having a master. Even with max level comprehension, in the early weak stage, proper guidance could let him avoid many detours.
“Disciple thanks Master for the clarification!” Ning Qi respectfully said.
He was joyful in his heart; his confusion was resolved, and he had found the direction. He just needed a little time, and creating a secret technique to accelerate bone structure formation would not be difficult.
Six years old?
He felt it was still too long.
Dragon Mountain Daoist smiled:
“Since we’ve already talked about bone structure today, if you have any other questions, say them all at once, lest you, little imp, keep mulling over them every day.”
Ning Qi’s eyes lit up, and he asked a question he really wanted to know:
“May I ask Master, can the Martial Way lead to longevity?”
The longing in his eyes was brilliantly radiant.
