Chapter 156: Blood-colored Thunder, Descending The Mountain
Seeker’s Courtyard.
Ning Qi was reviewing the two major secret techniques he had just created.
The Enlightenment Tea Tree grew even more verdant, remaining full of vitality even amidst the harsh winter snow. Ning Qi sat cross-legged beneath the tea tree, able to more easily enter a state of enlightenment.
Strands of Heaven and Earth Power swirled around him, forming a barrier at his side.
But the even more astonishing change was within Ning Qi’s body.
Sword Intent fluctuated in a special manner, the Core Elixir within his body constantly vibrating. Strands of pure Gang Qi began to circulate along specific routes, then fused with the Sword Intent in a peculiar way, ultimately giving birth to a peerlessly sharp power that continued to be nurtured.
“This is Innate Divine Sword Qi!” Sensing the might that surpassed the Heavenly Sword Technique, Ning Qi was delighted.
The key to this secret technique lay in nurturing Sword Qi.
By combining innate divinity with Sword Intent and Gang Qi to fuse into an extremely terrifying Sword Qi, it could unleash earth-shattering power.
According to Ning Qi’s deductions, the Innate Divine Sword Qi he was currently nurturing was actually a castrated version. This was because true Innate Divine Sword Qi required not Gang Qi, but the power condensed from Heaven and Earth Power.
Ning Qi felt somewhat emotional:
“In the scenes I observed before, those with Innate Sword Bone could naturally absorb Heaven and Earth Power, and thus, from birth, those with Innate Sword Bone could wield such powerful talent. For later Innate Sword Bones to awaken this talent, they would likely need to advance to Martial Saint themselves.”
“However, that was before. With the secret technique I created, Gang Qi can substitute for Martial Saint Power, though the might will be somewhat lesser.”
“But even so, it cannot be underestimated. The current Innate Divine Sword Qi is my strongest strike! Even if I fully activate the Heavenly Sword Technique, it cannot compare.”
His lips curved slightly. This time’s harvest was indeed great.
To this day.
The Heavenly Sword Technique that Ning Qi had mastered had actually gradually shifted toward victory through quantity, simply because the essence of power could not break through, and Sword Intent could not be elevated in the short term. If Ning Qi fully activated it now, he could condense over a thousand Heavenly Swords, forming the Thousand Star Sword Array.
And if he reached Heavenly Human Realm Perfection, Myriad Swords Return to Origin would not be an issue, allowing for an even greater breakthrough then.
But now.
The might of Innate Divine Sword Qi had already surpassed the Thousand Star Sword Array, becoming Ning Qi’s strongest technique.
“Not only that, when I step into the Martial Saint Realm in the future and substitute Martial Saint Power for Gang Qi, the upper limit of this Innate Divine Sword Qi will truly be developed. This is a supreme secret technique that can shine even in the Martial Saint Realm!”
Ning Qi once again marveled at the prowess of Innate Sword Bone. Unfortunately, in this era, Innate Sword Bone had been lost.
He looked inward at himself, hiding the terrifying Sword Qi nurtured within his body even deeper. This was his trump card, not to be used lightly.
Then.
He tested the other secret technique.
Illusion Breaking Golden Eye.
Its prowess was in no way inferior to Innate Divine Sword Qi, though the use of this secret technique did not lie in killing.
“Like Innate Divine Sword Qi, Illusion Breaking Golden Eye actually requires Martial Saint Power to be fully activated. Right now, I’m just cleverly using Gang Qi to activate it, but it can still produce considerable effects.”
With a thought from Ning Qi, a thread of golden light rose in his eyes, filled with majesty.
Wherever his gaze fell, everything seemed to be slowed down. The heavy snow drifted in excruciating slowness, the howling wind’s sound stretched out oddly. He looked at the Enlightenment Tea Tree and directly saw the essence nurturing and transport within its roots, then at the Heaven and Earth Power, where he could see wondrous veins overflowing through heaven and earth.
“To break delusion is to shatter falsehoods. With Illusion Breaking Golden Eye, most things in the world hold no secrets from me. This pairs perfectly with my comprehension, helping me better achieve enlightenment.”
“Not only that, it is extremely helpful in battle as well, allowing me to easily see through an enemy’s feints and reality. Heaven and Earth Power, Sword Intent, Saber Intent, and the like cannot hide from me. Even… it probably has some effect against the Martial Saint Realm.”
Though Ning Qi had never seen the Martial Saint Realm, this intuition in his heart was very strong.
Mastering the two secret techniques advanced Ning Qi’s strength further, making his heart even more settled.
He looked up at the sky, suddenly curious.
“Shall I use Illusion Breaking Golden Eye to look at the Thunder Forbidden Zone?”
He had not yet completed today’s cultivation practice, so he was immediately tempted.
Silently, Ning Qi rose into the air. His speed was extremely fast, and he soon arrived above the High Heavens with familiarity. In the distance, the Thunder Forbidden Zone still roared and churned, like countless Thunder Dragons battling within.
Golden light gleamed in Ning Qi’s eyes as he gazed toward the Thunder Forbidden Zone.
The originally roaring thunder seemed to slow. Ning Qi’s gaze crossed space, peering deeper into the forbidden zone: purple-black thunder, black thunder, black-red thunder, blood-colored thunder…
Countless terrifying thunders filled it, and just the aura emanating from within made Ning Qi’s soul tremble.
He wanted to peer even deeper, but blood light surged to the heavens with terrifying might, as if chasing along his line of sight. He cried out in alarm inwardly and hurriedly dispelled the Illusion Breaking Golden Eye, still with lingering fear.
“That blood-colored thunder is truly terrifying, not only destroying the flesh, but also grinding away spirit and will!”
But Ning Qi could not help but feel curious again.
“I wonder if beyond that blood-colored thunder, there are other even more terrifying thunders, or perhaps… something else?”
He sighed slightly. This world truly held many secrets, but unfortunately, he was not yet strong enough to probe deeper.
Adjusting his state, Ning Qi cleared stray thoughts and began cultivating.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Strengthening himself was still more important.
Now, he only needed to wait for news from Luo Wentian. Once there was any trace of the Blood King Gu, he would immediately descend the mountain.
Time slowly passed.
Ning Qi did not wait long.
This day.
Luo Wentian stepped into the Seeker’s Courtyard.
“Little Nine, I’ve collected the intelligence. There are indeed several places suspected of the Southern Border Alliance cultivating Blood King Gu, but they are all very secretive, with only scattered clues. Moreover, some may be deliberate traps set by the Southern Border. The Imperial Court has suffered losses in this regard before.”
“Perhaps… you shouldn’t descend the mountain.”
He hesitated to speak.
On one hand, he hoped Ning Qi could strangle the Martial Saint threats from the Southern Border and Demonic Sect in the cradle ahead of time. On the other, he did not want Ning Qi to fall into danger, whether from a senior brother’s care for his junior brother or from the perspective of Ning Qi being the future of the True Martial Sect.
Thus, he had been entangled these past days.
But there was no way around it; evasion solved nothing. In the end, he decided to leave the choice to Ning Qi.
Ning Qi took the dossier and comforted with a smile:
“Senior Disciple Brother, do not worry. I’ve made further progress these days. Even if a real Martial Saint comes, I can escape with my life.”
Hearing this.
Luo Wentian felt slightly relieved. He knew his ninth junior brother never spoke recklessly and might even be conservative, but he still earnestly warned:
“Little Nine, promise Senior Disciple Brother that on this trip down the mountain, if the matter is feasible, strive to eliminate the threat. But if it is not, prioritize preserving yourself. The Demonic Sect and Southern Border have deep foundations. Though no Martial Saints have emerged now, they may have Martial Saint level foundations. Be extremely careful and do not underestimate them.”
Ning Qi nodded solemnly and smiled:
“Rest assured, Senior Disciple Brother. My aspiration is longevity; I won’t easily court death.”
The Demonic Sect could entangle with the Great Yan Dynasty for so many years, so Ning Qi would never underestimate them. And the Southern Border could hold firm in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, such a perilous place, surely with their own means. None were simple.
Hearing Ning Qi’s half-joking words, Luo Wentian smiled knowingly.
He naturally knew how, at just half a year old, Ning Qi had declared his aspiration for longevity to their master. Dragon Mountain Daoist had privately mentioned it to other disciples several times, full of praise.
A martial artist must have aspiration.
As for how lofty the aspiration was, it was not an issue, as long as one steadily advanced step by step on solid ground.
These years.
Ning Qi had remained secluded in the Seeker’s Courtyard, practicing his aspiration with actions. Others said nothing, but deep down, they greatly admired Ning Qi’s temperament, far surpassing their own.
Luo Wentian thought of something and added:
“There’s one more thing. A few days ago, White Mountain Daoist of the True Profound Sect stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm. He plans to hold the Heavenly Human Ceremony in half a year. He specially sent a letter inviting Master to attend and also mentioned you, little junior brother, hoping you can go too.”
The True Profound Sect now had quite good relations with the True Martial Sect. When Dragon Mountain Daoist’s Heavenly Human Ceremony occurred, White River True Person had come personally. During the top-tier Daoist Sect rankings, the True Profound Sect had also contributed greatly. Even in the matter of the Formless Sect sending spies before, the True Profound Sect had pressured them.
Now that the True Profound Sect had a new Heavenly Human, it was only right to go congratulate and support them, both emotionally and rationally.
Ning Qi recalled that unserious White Mountain Old Daoist, his gaze showing some astonishment:
“That old Daoist actually really stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm?”
Their last meeting was several years ago, when White Mountain Old Daoist had kept trying to coax Ning Qi into going to Dao State with him to plunder other Daoist Sects.
Ning Qi had vaguely sensed before that this White Mountain Daoist was not ordinary, just that his tone was grandiose, often boasting that after stepping into the Heavenly Human Realm, he would advance by leaps and bounds, even reaching Martial Saint.
Now that he had truly stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm, perhaps he could see if it was true.
“I’ll decide after returning from the mountain. If conditions allow, perhaps I can make a trip.” Ning Qi thought and said. He was indeed interested in the many Daoist Sects in Dao State.
Luo Wentian nodded as well.
In any case, the Heavenly Human Ceremony was not immediate, so they could decide later.
He gave some more reminders about precautions for descending the mountain, then strode away.
The next day.
After arranging matters for Yuan Tiansheng, Ning Qi announced Closed-door Cultivation, then silently descended the mountain and departed.
…
The heavy snow gradually eased, but for ordinary people, it was still extremely threatening severe weather.
Traveling from True Martial City, Ning Qi clearly saw the conditions in roadside cities worsening. The common folk at the bottom struggled to survive, with frozen corpses occasionally lying by the roads or in the wilds. Ning Qi could only sigh, occasionally helping some with what he could, but it was ultimately a drop in the bucket.
The Great Yan Dynasty had ruled for two thousand years. Even the most sagely imperial family would breed corruption after such long inheritance, with accumulated maladies growing ever more severe.
Coupled with the joint assaults from the Southern Border and Demonic Sect.
In truth, the foundation of the Great Yan Dynasty was already somewhat shaken.
The resentment in the hearts of many common folk at the bottom gradually accumulated to a certain limit, awaiting the right moment to erupt.
Of course.
In this world where martial artists reigned supreme, the common folk at the bottom could not accomplish much. Ultimately, it required Martial Arts Sects pushing from behind.
Ning Qi continued onward.
He stopped in Black Stone City of Shi Prefecture.
The first piece of intelligence from Luo Wentian was here—or more precisely, in the Black Stone Mountain Range outside Black Stone City. Some intelligence indicated that corpses of powerful martial artists were transported here, then vanished.
There might be a Blood Pool for cultivating Blood King Gu in the Black Stone Mountain Range.
Ning Qi sat in the inn, savoring delicacies, finding a unique flavor.
He rarely descended the mountain and would not be too harsh on himself. Though this trip had important business, it had to be taken step by step, without rushing.
Observing the hundred states of the world was also a form of cultivation, especially for someone like Ning Qi who had cultivated on the mountain year-round.
The Wind Sensing Chapter had long been silently circulating. Though in the inn, Ning Qi had already locked onto several suspicious figures from the intelligence. He was looking for a chance to silently enter the Black Stone Mountain Range, to avoid alerting the enemy.
“Bang!”
A muffled sound made Ning Qi raise a brow.
It turned out two people in the inn had started fighting.
One was a swordsman, the other a swordsman.
The swordsman was flushed red, eyes blazing with fury:
“You dare belittle Heavenly Sword True Person the old senior? The Blade Demon was defeated not long ago, and a mere clown like you dares question?”
Seeing the crowd’s gazes, the swordsman felt somewhat unnatural. He snorted coldly:
“I naturally revere Heavenly Sword True Person. I only said that Heavenly Sword True Person may not be a match for Listening Wind Elder. Is that belittling? Hmph! No matter how strong Heavenly Sword True Person is, what does it have to do with trash like you who hasn’t even entered the gate of Sword Technique?”
The two kept berating each other, then fought outright.
Ning Qi could not help but chuckle wryly.
So one of them was his fan, and a die-hard one at that, willing to fight to the death for it. Along the way, he had heard much discussion about Heavenly Sword True Person, but this was the first time he saw something like this.
Seeing the swordsman gradually falling to the disadvantage, even in mortal danger, Ning Qi silently pointed a finger. Threads of extremely fine Sword Intent attached to the swordsman’s sword. Meeting was fate; this Sword Intent would help his Sword Dao progress somewhat in the future.
In an instant, the swordsman erupted with divine might, as if aided by gods.
However, the swordsman did not take the swordsman’s life, merely reiterating Heavenly Sword True Person’s many feats, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Ning Qi found the feeling somewhat novel.
He shook his head slightly, ignoring the aftermath, and stepped out. He had stayed long enough and learned what he wanted, so he headed toward the Black Stone Mountain Range.
