Chapter 184: Martial Saint Emerges
Under the night sky.
The King Yu Bead’s milky white glow appeared very gentle, with strands of strange power emanating from within.
The Blade Demon perceived the subtle special fluctuations within, his heart jolting. He immediately understood that the fluctuations he had sensed some time ago were not fake; they likely originated from this. His heart grew even more expectant as he relaxed his body’s defenses.
Ning Qi manipulated a bit of Heaven and Earth Power to gather.
In an instant.
The King Yu Bead’s glow burst forth brightly. Strands of peculiar spirituality were drawn out from the King Yu Bead, unstable in nature, as if teetering on the verge of collapse, about to dissipate in the next second.
Ning Qi did not hesitate at all. The Heaven and Earth Power he had prepared long in advance immediately enveloped it, rotating in resonance at a special frequency.
In just a few short breaths.
The original Heaven and Earth Power and those strands of peculiar spirituality completely vanished, replaced by a new kind of power.
“This is spiritual energy!”
Ning Qi’s eyes filled with astonishment.
Even though it was not his first time synthesizing spiritual energy, seeing it again still felt unbelievable. This power had far more vitality compared to Heaven and Earth Power, as if all things in the world were born from it. The power intensity might not differ much, but Heaven and Earth Power without spiritual energy lacked many changes. In a sense, it was ‘lifeless,’ its upper limit already sealed.
The Blade Demon, perceiving the emergence of spiritual energy, felt it even more profoundly.
His body trembled slightly—that was excitement. Ning Qi had already explained the steps to him in advance, but sensing the existence of spiritual energy now still gave him the impulse to shed tears. The path he had bitterly pursued was finally taking shape.
“Blade Demon Fellow Daoist, prepare to absorb the spiritual energy. If anything feels off, expel it immediately—do not hesitate for even a moment!”
Ning Qi’s voice was very serious.
This was crossing the river by feeling the stones.
The fate of the Silver Giant Ape he had seen in Yuan Tiansheng’s bloodline had always made him wary. Now, although the Blade Demon was bearing the risk, he still needed to be extremely cautious. Thus, he only condensed an extremely minute amount of spiritual energy this time, so that if there were truly dire consequences, they could be controlled.
The Blade Demon said passionately:
“Heavenly Sword Fellow Daoist, proceed without reservation!”
With that said.
He had already begun operating the secret technique Ning Qi had taught him earlier, forming Three Flowers Gathering at the Apex into a special shape. Ning Qi no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, and directed that strand of synthesized spiritual energy into it.
The Blade Demon instinctively let out a low roar, his voice laced with excitement.
Though the spiritual energy was scant, it differed qualitatively from Heaven and Earth Power. As he began refining it, he immediately noticed the difference.
Ning Qi’s eyes gleamed with golden light as he observed the trajectory of this strand of spiritual energy with full focus, analyzing the many changes.
In his observation.
The spiritual energy passed through the ‘Three Flowers Funnel,’ seemingly filtering out some impurities, then entered the Blade Demon’s body extremely smoothly, unimpeded all the way—far smoother than previously absorbing Heaven and Earth Power.
He committed all these changes to memory, while countless inspirations surged forth unceasingly.
Practice brings true knowledge.
Ten thousand deductions were no match for a single practice. Many of Ning Qi’s prior ideas were now elevating.
“The filtering effect of the Three Flowers has been optimized several times, but it’s still not ideal. Perhaps a few more layers could be added?”
“After the spiritual energy enters the body, it seems to entangle wondrously with the flesh. Could this be the direction for promotion after Martial Saint Realm? From Blade Demon Fellow Daoist’s bodily changes, the Five Viscera seem to react most strongly!”
Ning Qi gained enlightenment.
“Three Flowers Gathering at the Apex, Five Energies Returning to the Origin.”
“Heavenly Human Realm cultivates Three Flowers—could Martial Saint Realm cultivate Five Energies? And what they correspond to might be the Five Viscera?”
He observed meticulously, gaining more than he had imagined.
But this time was not about breaking through to Martial Saint Realm; rather, it was to see the reaction of spiritual energy being refined and integrated into the body.
Soon.
Under repeated tempering, the spiritual energy transformed into peculiar spiritual power. This was a method Ning Qi had deduced by drawing from the King Yu Bead’s power—equally outstanding in effect. As this new powerful force appeared in his body, the Blade Demon was stunned. He felt the essence of this strand of power was terrifyingly profound, stirring intense longing in his heart.
Fortunately, he had not forgotten Ning Qi’s prior warning.
Stabilizing his mind, the Blade Demon began directing this trace of spiritual power to disperse throughout his body. Ning Qi activated his Illusion Breaking Golden Eye to the extreme, preparing to observe whether the Five Viscera were the optimal place to store spiritual power. Another location he had deduced was the dantian, but this trial revealed something different about the Five Viscera.
But at that moment.
An unexpected change arose.
Ning Qi vaguely sensed strands of peculiar power bursting from the spiritual power, also entering the Blade Demon’s body. The Blade Demon, who had been in excellent condition, suddenly shuddered violently. His eyes widened, the ferocity and pain in his pupils visible to the naked eye.
“Roar!!”
A low roar like that of a wild beast erupted.
Just like a jade stone suddenly losing its luster, the Blade Demon’s already aged face instantly became riddled with gullies, aged beyond belief. His hair was lusterless like withered leaves, and his pupils grew turbid at a visible speed.
Ning Qi felt a chill run down his spine; the miserable end of the Silver Giant Ape from before immediately flashed in his mind.
“Blade Demon Fellow Daoist, quickly reverse the secret technique!”
Ning Qi shouted urgently while directing spiritual power from the King Yu Bead into the Blade Demon’s body to help flush out the spiritual power previously integrated.
The Blade Demon, dazed in his muddled state, was jolted awake by the shout and gritted his teeth to reverse the secret technique.
With Ning Qi’s assistance.
The trace of spiritual power originally integrated into his body was immediately expelled.
Ning Qi also sensed again that the previously obscure peculiar power abruptly dissipated, as if it had never existed. At the same time, the Blade Demon’s condition finally recovered somewhat—his pupils returned to their original deep black, and his body’s vitality reversed course.
In the back mountain.
A stretch of silence.
Only the sound of the Blade Demon gasping heavily remained.
The stark fear was evident in his black pupils. Even though he had prepared mentally for death and dissipation, facing that unknown terror truly still brought a sense of suffocation.
If not for Ning Qi’s various contingency plans, his fate might have been desolate.
“That……what exactly was it? In the spiritual energy……what is there?” The Blade Demon’s hoarse voice rang out.
He looked up at Ning Qi, eager for an answer.
But Ning Qi’s eyes were also full of gravity.
He slowly shook his head.
Everything was unknown.
The only thing certain now was that something harmful indeed existed in the spiritual energy—his perception could not be wrong. This was the source of it all. Ning Qi took a deep breath and said:
“How do you feel now?”
The Blade Demon examined his body inwardly, sensing with full focus. Moments later, he said gravely:
“My lifespan has shortened somewhat, and my body’s vitality has weakened considerably.”
He felt lingering fear. If not for reversing the secret technique at the critical moment with Ning Qi’s help, he would likely have perished.
Ning Qi nodded slightly:
“It seems……the harmful substance in the spiritual energy drastically reduces one’s lifespan. If integrated into the body, one misstep could lead to lifespan withering away to death!”
The Blade Demon fell silent, his voice somewhat strained:
“In that case, doesn’t it mean Martial Saint Realm is a dead end? Without absorbing spiritual energy, one cannot step into Martial Saint Realm, but absorbing it leads to lifespan exhaustion—neither way works!”
He felt some despair, but his eyes suddenly brightened:
“No! If so, how did those Ancient Saints promote? There must be a way!”
Ning Qi sank into contemplation, countless ideas rising.
Moments later, he spoke:
“There are a few possibilities. Either the Ancient Saints had already mastered a method to remove this harmful substance, filtering it out before absorbing spiritual energy—then naturally no issue.”
“Or, the Martial Saints temporarily suppressed the backlash of this harmful substance, and after stepping into Martial Saint Realm, with lifespan extended, they could forcibly withstand its backlash.”
“I lean toward the latter.”
Ning Qi’s eyes rippled somewhat.
From his prior conversation with White Mountain Old Daoist, he had already understood some things, and now this corroborated them.
If the Ancient Saints had found a solution, perhaps the world would not be as it is now.
The Blade Demon immediately fell silent.
Did this not mean the Ancient Saints merely endured it forcefully?
Ning Qi smiled reassuringly:
“Fellow Daoist need not lose heart. This was far from fruitless—at least, it has revealed the existence of this poisonous substance. What the Ancient Saints could not do does not mean I cannot.”
His words were calm, yet brimming with powerful confidence.
Far from no gains—this could be called tremendous harvest!
For Ning Qi.
The difficulty was not the problem, but finding the target.
Now that he could capture the trajectory of that poisonous substance, he just needed a few more trials to slowly find a way to remove it. On this point, he was very confident in himself.
The Blade Demon was stunned, then also smiled.
He always subconsciously forgot what kind of prodigy stood before him. No matter how formidable the Ancient Saints, they had merely cultivated for more years. But in terms of talent and comprehension, none could match this one’s terror.
“Good! Whatever ideas Fellow Daoist has, I will fully cooperate!” The Blade Demon straightened his body, his raised right arm like a blade.
Ning Qi just waved his hand with a smile:
“Fellow Daoist’s top priority now is to first recuperate his body. Since this poisonous substance consumes lifespan and vitality, I must first prepare some longevity items and longevity secret techniques.”
By coincidence.
Thanks to the matter with Qin Yun earlier, the True Martial Sect had been fully gathering longevity treasures with some results. In his spare time, Ning Qi had also pondered creating longevity secret techniques, laying a foundation now.
The Blade Demon also nodded.
He had previously scorned longevity items—after all, at Heavenly Human peak, mere survival without a path ahead held no meaning. But now, with hope, he would not reject them.
The two stood side by side in the night sky, exchanging insights from the previous spiritual energy refinement.
Inspiration in Ning Qi’s mind grew ever denser.
Countless ideas were born.
Time passed.
After the Blade Demon recovered to peak condition, Ning Qi conducted another trial with him. This time, prepared, he perceived the poisonous substance in the spiritual energy and spiritual power even more clearly. Moreover, with precautions, the backlash on the Blade Demon was somewhat lessened.
This invigorated his heart.
The direction was correct; next was relentless effort.
Just a few more trials to grasp the essence of this poisonous substance and its form in spiritual energy, and Ning Qi would surely deduce a secret technique to filter it out.
And beyond that.
There was an extra benefit.
Ning Qi’s control over spiritual power was growing at a visible speed, invisibly advancing his strength further. At this rate, it would not be long before even White Mountain Old Daoist would not be his match.
Thus, at least before Spiritual Energy Revival, Ning Qi remained among the strongest.
As for after Spiritual Energy Revival, if Ning Qi wished to maintain his top-tier combat power as always, he needed to build more foundation in this period, striving to soar upon revival—and he was now striving for it.
The True Martial Mountain congregation all secretly rallied their spirits.
Meanwhile, eyes across the world were fixed on Liangzhou.
The Savage Emperor led the Barbarian horde charging into Liangzhou and issued fierce threats.
Yet the Great Yan Martial Saint had yet to appear.
Everyone wondered: if not for the faint possibility of the Great Yan Martial Saint appearing, Liangzhou would have fallen long ago. Even so, the Savage Emperor’s patience waned day by day—perhaps soon he would fully tear apart Great Yan territory.
Countless people watched.
This was a signal.
If the Great Yan Dynasty truly revealed weakness, it would invite packs of jackals next. Many already knew the great era was imminent and were unwilling to become mere stepping stones, aspiring to achieve great deeds in the coming age.
……
Yan Province.
Imperial Capital Tai’an.
An anxious atmosphere had spread even to this land of revelry. Even the wealthy knew of the defeats at the northern border.
Sealed urgent letters arrived one after another.
Noble ministers were drenched in sweat.
The reigning Great Yan Emperor was furious but helpless.
Some hoped General Yanwu would personally lead troops to resist the Northern Barbarians, but consensus was lacking. Many felt even General Yanwu could not match the revived Savage Emperor—the only hope lay with the Great Yan Martial Saint.
Deep in the imperial palace.
Martial Saint Ancestral Temple.
Rows of figures knelt on the ground. If outsiders saw this, they would be shocked pale.
For these were without exception the peak figures of Great Yan: the Great Yan Emperor, General Yanwu, the imperial clan’s eldest ancestral elder—all knelt.
“Old Ancestor, Great Yan is in peril!”
“Please, Old Ancestor, save Great Yan!”
Mournful cries echoed in the ancestral temple, moving listeners to tears. The pressure from the Savage Emperor had left the congregation helpless. Though Great Yan’s foundation was deep, none could resist the Savage Emperor. The army suffered massive daily losses—continuing thus, sooner or later they would become remnants under Northern Barbarian iron hooves.
They had sent envoys to True Profound Mountain for aid, only to learn True Profound True Monarch had descended for travels—utterly helpless.
If the Great Yan Martial Saint did not appear.
Great Yan’s downfall was near!
“Old Ancestor, if you hear your unfilial descendants’ call, please emerge and save Great Yan!” The Great Yan Emperor prostrated and cried out.
The congregation instinctively echoed the call.
But an aged voice stunned everyone in place:
“Li Yanwu, come in.”
Stunned, then ecstatic joy surged.
“The Old Ancestor has responded!”
This voice came from the Great Yan Martial Saint.
Then, the tightly shut doors deep in the ancestral temple burst open with a boom—pitch black, like an unnamed giant beast devouring all.
All eyes turned uniformly to General Yanwu.
General Yanwu took a deep breath, slowly rose, then walked toward the opening. When his figure vanished into the darkness, the doors slammed shut. The heavy thud made everyone’s hearts tremble, eyes flickering slightly.
After Li Yanwu entered the darkness, light gradually appeared before him.
His emotions complex, he pressed forward.
Soon.
The scene before him clarified.
No profound mystery as imagined—only a simple stone bed, an elder seated cross-legged upon it, on the verge of death. The elder slightly raised his head, his voice filled with vicissitudes and deathly stillness:
“You’ve come.”
Looking at the elder whose face bore some resemblance to his own, Li Yanwu’s heart trembled. He hastily lowered his head:
“Li Yanwu pays respects to Old Ancestor.”
The elder slowly nodded. His eyes in the darkness were like bright lamps, as if all surrounding light emanated from those pupils.
He asked: “Are you prepared?”
Li Yanwu’s body shuddered. His lips moved, myriad thoughts flashing through his mind, but ultimately he nodded firmly:
“Li Yanwu is willing to give everything for Great Yan!”
The elder’s gaze dimmed slightly:
“You’re a good child. Your father was too.”
“I once promised your father that having used his body, I would not use yours. But now my body has a problem—I must break that promise.”
Li Yanwu suddenly looked up, scrutinizing that familiar face intently. This face had appeared countless times in his dreams, yet ever unattainable.
He took a deep breath:
“Old Ancestor, I understand. If you need my body, then take it.”
The elder sighed softly, extending his twig-like right hand to brush Li Yanwu’s head:
“What do you wish to do? Tell me.”
Li Yanwu’s eyes shone:
“Old Ancestor, I only hope you can ensure Great Yan endures for ten thousand generations!”
The elder smiled:
“Good.”
Li Yanwu slowly approached, his steps pausing slightly as he said softly:
“Old Ancestor, I have one small request.”
“Speak.”
“May I……hug my father?” His voice carried a faint, imperceptible tremble.
The elder sighed lightly, saying nothing, merely slowly extending both arms.
Li Yanwu closed his eyes and hugged tightly.
He seemed to recall his childhood: his father carrying him in the yard like a horse, accompanying his martial training…… Then those scenes shattered explosively. A hand silently reached out, and Li Yanwu’s consciousness slowly sank into darkness, only sporadic murmurs rising:
“Father……I, I’m here to accompany you……”
In the darkness, sounds of wriggling and tearing arose.
Unknown how much time passed.
Before everything stilled.
Outside the Martial Saint Ancestral Temple, the great figures grew ever more anxious. They vaguely knew why Li Yanwu had been summoned but not if it had succeeded.
Finally.
The heavy thud resounded again.
Eyes instinctively turned, seeing a familiar figure step forth.
Li Yanwu.
But everyone’s spirits jolted—they knew that though the appearance was Li Yanwu’s, it was not Li Yanwu.
“Greetings, Old Ancestor!” Eyes lowered, not daring to meet his gaze.
Only to see that gaze overlooking the world sweep around, a vigorous voice full of sense of oppression:
“From now on, this seat is the Great Yan Martial Saint, Li Yanwu!”
