Chapter 190: Obtaining The Inheritance
The Giant Turtle before him was over a hundred zhang in size, with thick and ancient turtle shell, advancing through the waves like a small mountain, filled with an overwhelming sense of oppression. Although Ning Qi had never seen a Martial Saint, he was absolutely certain that this was a Martial Saint level Giant Turtle.
Ning Qi’s gaze instantly became solemn.
To be honest, this had already exceeded his expectations.
According to the strength increase in each previous trial, he originally thought the opponent in this final trial should be at the level of the Demonic Sect Grand Elder after using the King Yu Bead. Even considering the sudden difficulty spike in the Small True Martial Seal in the ninth trial of comprehension, he had already prepared to face a False Saint.
But he never expected.
What emerged was a true Martial Saint level Giant Turtle!
The spiritual power fluctuations surrounding its entire body were utterly genuine, carrying an endless vitality, completely different from the False Saint described by White Mountain Old Daoist earlier.
He examined the Giant Turtle before him. There was a trace of cold indifference in its pupils, unlike the previous puppet-like Giant Turtles; it clearly possessed much more spirituality. For some reason, Ning Qi always felt that the way this Giant Turtle looked at him was somewhat malicious.
He took a deep breath, his entire state fully heightened.
This opponent was excessively powerful, requiring him to go all out. Even he himself had no absolute confidence, after all, he had already tried earlier in this trial and could not borrow the power of the King Yu Bead.
“For a Heavenly Human Realm Martial Artist to defeat a true Martial Saint? Looking across the world, it’s absolutely impossible for anyone to achieve it. This True Martial Inheritance probably wants to end right here.” Ning Qi grumbled inwardly.
He didn’t think anyone else could achieve such difficulty, not even those so-called Ancient Saints; there wouldn’t be the slightest hope.
Only those who understood these two realms knew the gap between Heavenly Human Realm and Martial Saint Realm.
However.
Unbeknownst at what point.
The battle intent in Ning Qi’s eyes gradually rose.
Such an opponent was rare to find.
“Come on, let’s see exactly where my limit is!”
The Martial Saint Giant Turtle seemed to sense Ning Qi’s battle intent, a hint of disdain in its eyes. It let out a low roar that shook the sea, sending pillars of water shooting into the sky like Mad Dragons, intent on shredding Ning Qi. These simple water pillars, empowered by spiritual power, carried overwhelming might, capable of instantly killing top ten experts on the Heavenly Human Ranking.
It itself sat steadily in the void, like a rock suppressing the sea, mockingly watching Ning Qi.
Ning Qi quickly formed hand seals with both hands.
His divine intent surged, unleashing full power for the first time.
Vast heaven and earth power gathered, inferior in quality to spiritual power but astonishing in sheer volume. An Ancient Seal condensed and pressed down, stagnating the void.
What Ning Qi used was the Small True Martial Seal he had just learned. In previous battles, he had gained further insight, advancing it further. Now, its void suppression effect was clearly much stronger.
One sea dragon after another was shattered by the suppressive force, but the Ancient Seal was also on the verge of collapse.
The Giant Turtle, which had mockery in its eyes, showed a slight astonishment.
Ning Qi, who had been observing, instantly understood. He had used the Small True Martial Seal first precisely to test the waters.
“This Giant Turtle can clearly recognize the Small True Martial Seal, unlike the previous ones. Could those earlier ones have been its projections or the like? It couldn’t be that I angered this Giant Turtle by blasting those Great Turtles to pieces earlier to save time, prompting it to personally intervene, right?”
In an instant, Ning Qi seemed to understand something.
He couldn’t help but smile bitterly inwardly; this was truly a disaster out of nowhere.
But with things as they were, regret was useless.
The Giant Turtle shook its body, and the water pillars, which had been somewhat dispersing, merged into one, transforming into a ferocious sea dragon that lunged at Ning Qi. Its aura was immensely powerful, far surpassing those so-called Beast Kings, with spatial fissures spreading, leaving Ning Qi unable to afford distraction.
Ning Qi made a decisive decision.
Three Flowers Gathering at the Apex activated, the Heavenly Human Bridge operated, vast heaven and earth power converged. Moreover, the Three Flowers vibrated at a special frequency, like a purifier, making the heaven and earth power more resilient and powerful.
This was the result of his recent experiments with Blade Demon.
A byproduct of researching the Martial Saint Method.
It was equally divine in combat.
One Heavenly Sword after another condensed, carrying unparalleled sharpness. Ning Qi’s Sword Intent grew every day, and the power of Heavenly Sword Technique grew accordingly.
A clear trace of astonishment appeared in the Giant Turtle’s eyes.
In the blink of an eye.
The Heavenly Swords filled the sky like stars.
A hundred!
A thousand!
Ten thousand!
One Heavenly Sword after another crossed the sky, their unparalleled sharp auras weaving together. Even the passive Sword Qi fluctuations formed a dense Sword Net, with faint fissures rising in the void. Compared to his previous battle with the Demonic Sect Grand Elder, Ning Qi not only had cultivation reaching Heavenly Human Perfection, but his various secret techniques had advanced further, his combat power now vastly different.
The mockery vanished from the Giant Turtle’s eyes.
The sea dragon roared, rolling up Giant Waves that crashed down, the oppressive force striking straight at the soul.
But with a thought from Ning Qi, each Heavenly Sword split into a hundred Sword Qis, forming a million dense Sword Qis that wove into a terrifying Sword Net, interconnected and drawing each other.
The void was sliced to pieces.
The Giant Waves were completely pulverized by the Sword Qi, and the Sword Qis even transformed. The originally roaring sea dragon was trapped within, bombarded by Sword Qis. The spiritual power fluctuations in the sea dragon erupted, easily annihilating Sword Qis, but there were simply too many Sword Qis. Even though the sea dragon’s power was superior in essence, it was gradually worn down.
The sea shook endlessly, the Giant Turtle’s mind shaken.
The young Daoist before it was indeed extraordinary, beyond imagination.
The mockery in its eyes had disappeared. If earlier it had only intended to teach this kid a lesson, after seeing the familiar Small True Martial Seal, it had realized Ning Qi’s potential. Now, it subtly regarded Ning Qi as an opponent worthy of serious treatment.
“For a Heavenly Human Realm to be this powerful, truly an anomaly.”
The Giant Turtle’s pride was also stirred.
Seeing the sea dragon shredded to pieces in the Sword Qi cage, it finally moved.
Buzz!
Unique fluctuations spread out.
The Giant Turtle swiped with its four limbs, appearing extremely slow but actually incredibly fast.
The move was plain and unadorned, suppressing like a mountain.
Golden light flickered in Ning Qi’s eyes as he tried to spot flaws, but the Giant Turtle before him was perfectly integrated, unbreakable. The aura suppressing the void was heart-palpitating, and Ning Qi saw traces of the Small True Martial Seal within, but far more advanced.
“Impressive!”
He praised inwardly, but his movements did not slow.
One Heavenly Sword after another shone, this time not splitting Sword Qi, but striking with their main bodies.
Ning Qi formed Sword Art with his hand, his Daoist Robe fluttering, his aura rainbow-like.
“Myriad Swords Return to Origin!”
He pointed.
Sword Intent arose from all corners of the void, intersecting vertically and horizontally.
Ten thousand Heavenly Swords uniformly struck down at the Giant Turtle, the terrifying killing aura tearing fine spatial fissures, the entire void showing signs of fragmentation.
Boom!!
A terrifying shock resounded.
The aftershocks vibrated, countless seawater completely evaporated, and the resulting White Mist utterly eradicated.
Unfortunately.
This earth-shattering supreme battle had few spectators.
Rumble!
One Heavenly Sword after another bombarded the turtle shell. The Giant Turtle’s suppressive charge was greatly slowed, but no matter how sharp the Heavenly Swords, they could not breach this thick turtle shell. Layers of dark green spiritual power light flowed over the shell, its defensive power unparalleled.
Ning Qi’s eyes shifted; this profound technique surpassed even the Azure Profound Body Protection Technique he had created earlier. He observed, gaining some insight, but now was not the time for contemplation. He simply memorized it to study slowly later.
Interrupting the Giant Turtle’s assault.
Ning Qi pressed his advantage.
His hand Sword Art changed again, the remaining Heavenly Swords condensing into one even more terrifying giant Heavenly Sword!
This was the limit of what his divine intent could currently control.
The Giant Turtle’s pupils changed, sensing a threatening aura within.
The next instant.
Its head, limbs, and tail all retracted, the turtle shell sealing without a single gap. Dark green light enveloped it, resembling a giant egg from afar, its thick aura making Ning Qi’s eyelids twitch.
The giant Heavenly Sword slashed down.
A terrifying hum echoed through heaven and earth, the entire sea overturned, while the dark green turtle shell was blasted skyward.
Looking at the shell, virtually unscathed with only a white mark, Ning Qi couldn’t help cursing inwardly:
“This turtle shell is really tough!”
His gaze fixed; he still had his strongest strike, but he was unsure if it could defeat this Giant Turtle. This level of defense was too perverse; he didn’t believe every Martial Saint had such powerful defense.
Far in the sky.
The dark green turtle shell finally halted.
Under Ning Qi’s gaze, it trembled continuously, calming after a moment. Then, the Giant Turtle shook as it extended its head and limbs again, shaking several times before gradually regaining clarity. Ning Qi could clearly see blood seeping from its limbs, steadying his heart.
If Myriad Swords Return to Origin couldn’t breach its defense, things would really be tricky.
Now, it seemed the Giant Turtle wasn’t faring well either.
The Giant Turtle’s eyes cleared, then it let out a low roar. Winds and waves gradually swept up, its gaze unprecedentedly serious. Ning Qi could even see clear shock and traces of anger within; clearly, being injured by Ning Qi was unexpected and frustrating.
After all, it was a Martial Saint level Beast Emperor.
Buzz!
Strands of dark green spiritual power swirled around it, emitting waves. The Giant Turtle’s already massive body showed signs of further expansion, but that was secondary. The most astonishing change was in its tail.
Originally an ordinary tail, it now began to elongate and writhe. Ning Qi sensed astonishing vitality and aura brewing within.
An intense sense of crisis tightened Ning Qi’s heart.
He took a deep breath, communing with the Innate Divine Sword Qi within. Even after reaching Heavenly Human Perfection, this remained his strongest strike.
Man and turtle refused to yield.
Both steeled to defeat the other. For Ning Qi, there was no reason to fall at the final step. Unknowingly, he entered a wondrous state. Under Illusion Breaking Golden Eye, his mind focused unprecedentedly. The Giant Turtle, previously flawless, finally revealed faint weaknesses in his golden pupils.
Earth-shattering in the next instant.
The Giant Turtle’s roar shook the heavens.
But it suddenly halted.
It unwillingly growled toward a certain direction, then after pausing, growled several more times as if arguing. Finally, fear appeared in its pupils. It glared fiercely at Ning Qi unwillingly, then shook its head and tail, diving into the sea.
The turmoil subsided.
Everything before seemed as if it never happened.
Ning Qi was slightly stunned.
“What does this mean? Trial passed?”
He steadied his aura, sensing ahead, but no more Giant Turtle came.
He pondered.
Perhaps injuring the Giant Turtle earlier had met the standard, or someone in hiding didn’t want him and the Giant Turtle to fight all out. But it was all unknown. However, after battling the Giant Turtle, Ning Qi recalled something: White Mountain Old Daoist had once called the source of the True Martial Inheritance ‘Old Turtle’.
Ning Qi originally thought it was just a joke between old acquaintances, like how Divine Sword Elder always called Dragon Mountain Daoist ‘Ox Nose’. But now, Ning Qi felt he needed to think carefully.
Perhaps… it really was a turtle?
Many thoughts swirled in his mind.
He quietly awaited what followed.
It didn’t keep Ning Qi waiting long; the sea finally stirred.
“Successfully passing the Heavenly Human Comprehension Nine Trials and Heavenly Human Battle Nine Trials grants the Martial Saint level True Martial Inheritance.” The vast voice resounded again, seeming to carry a faint, imperceptible astonishment.
A trace of joy rose in Ning Qi’s heart.
It was worth all his effort.
Especially this final battle with the Martial Saint Giant Turtle, where he used nearly all his trump cards. Purely in terms of combat power, he probably wasn’t far from the several Ancient Saints who appeared at True Profound Mountain, but even harder to defeat. Ning Qi was certain Myriad Swords Return to Origin hadn’t caused major harm to the Giant Turtle.
In his line of sight.
A black Vortex gradually spun into existence, growing larger.
Ning Qi took a deep breath, heightened vigilance, and stepped in.
In an instant.
The Vortex contracted, transforming heaven and earth.
Ning Qi opened his eyes again to find himself in a massive Scripture Depository. He rarely used “massive” for Scripture Depositories; this pavilion was simply too shocking, its books vast as smoke on the sea. True Profound Sect’s Scripture Depository was mere child’s play in comparison.
He looked up, the spiral Bookshelves vanishing into the peak, visually stunning.
Ning Qi casually picked up a book, which recorded a Stance Technique he had seen in True Martial Mountain’s Scripture Depository.
Instinctively, he floated upward, books flying into his hands one by one, then back.
Martial arts theory, path expositions, scripture ancient books—from Martial Way enlightenment to Heavenly Human Realm, covering everything. Anyone obtaining these classics could hole up for a time and easily establish a colossal hegemon Sect.
Everything before him was overwhelmingly comprehensive. Now, what his Master obtained was not just incomplete—it was less than one percent.
He even saw the secret technique ‘Nine Heavenly Humans Battle Martial Saints’ among them—truly extraordinary, a supreme secret technique. Just a glance sparked new ideas.
Ning Qi’s gaze grew fervent as he looked to the peak. If he guessed right, that was where the Martial Saint Method was stored.
“Is this the True Martial Inheritance?” he murmured in awe.
“Strictly speaking, this is merely the Martial Saint level True Martial Inheritance.” An elderly cough sounded, followed by someone speaking.
Ning Qi was startled.
He hadn’t sensed it at all—an extremely rare occurrence.
Turning, he saw a hunchbacked Elder with sparse hair, leaning on a Cane, appearing on the spiral pavilion stairs at his level, smiling amiably:
“Young man, you’re impressive.”
Ning Qi heard the praise, knowing he was satisfied with his trial performance. He steadied his mind, landed beside the Hunchbacked Elder, and said respectfully:
“Ning Qi pays respects to Senior. Are you the founder of the True Martial Inheritance?”
The Hunchbacked Elder shook his head with a wry smile:
“Me? I’m not qualified.”
Ning Qi’s heart shook slightly.
He sensed the Elder before him was even more unfathomable than White Mountain Old Daoist and the others, yet he claimed not qualified to found the True Martial Inheritance—this shocked him.
The Hunchbacked Elder walked upward slowly, Ning Qi following closely. He asked again:
“Senior just said this is only Martial Saint level inheritance?”
The Hunchbacked Elder smiled:
“Correct, you passed only the Heavenly Human Realm trials, so you get only Martial Saint level inheritance.”
“What if I passed the Martial Saint Realm trials?”
The Elder turned to look at Ning Qi:
“Not possible for now.”
Ning Qi nodded silently. He figured the Elder had seen his trial performance and knew his strength limits well. But he couldn’t help yearning for the Martial Saint Realm trials—passing those would mean inheritance beyond Martial Saint level, right?
“I didn’t defeat the opponent in the ninth trial, so why did I pass?” Ning Qi suddenly asked.
The Hunchbacked Elder’s figure paused, coughing heavily:
“That was a small mishap. You’ve performed more than well enough.”
With that.
He pointed to several Classics before him, seemingly changing the subject.
“This is the Martial Saint Method you’ve been eager for.”
Ning Qi’s eyes lit up.
He had come all this way for the Martial Saint Method as reference. Now, it was finally before him.
“Senior, forgive my rudeness.”
Ning Qi apologized, then began carefully browsing.
“True Martial Scripture!”
“Mountain Suppressing Scripture!”
…
One Martial Saint Method after another lay before him. Naturally, Ning Qi first chose the True Martial Scripture.
Opening it.
The first line read:
“Martial Saint: Refine Spiritual Energy, transform to Mana, enter Five Viscera, gather Five Elements, lifespan three thousand years.”
Ning Qi’s gaze sharpened:
“Mana?”
The Hunchbacked Elder smiled with emotion:
“It’s the same as the well-known spiritual power, just a different name.”
Ning Qi nodded slightly.
His eyes gleamed. In experiments with Blade Demon, he had discovered the Five Viscera were the most affinity points for spiritual power in the body. Now, his deductions were confirmed—this was the right path. The ancients weren’t incompetent; generations of exploration had found the optimal solution.
He flipped rapidly, absorbing eagerly.
Flashes of spiritual insight lit his mind. Long solitary groping finally found answers. In fact, Ning Qi already had many ideas and directions; browsing the True Martial Scripture was less learning, more verification.
“Refining spiritual power is indeed achieved through Three Flowers Gathering at the Apex, thereby tempering Mana within the body.”
“Martial Saints cultivate Mana, which is vast in supernatural power with myriad wonders, and the Five Viscera are where Mana is contained.”
“Heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys correspond to fire, wood, earth, metal, water, refining Five Elements Mana accordingly. Thus, Martial Saints divide into Five Realms: one viscus Mana to Perfection is First Realm Martial Saint. Each additional viscus Mana to Perfection transforms quality and quantity. One day, with all Five Viscera Mana complete and Five Elements Perfection, it is Fifth Realm Martial Saint.”
The path unfolded before Ning Qi for the first time.
How to cultivate Martial Saint Realm, its divisions, its myriad wonders—all detailed therein, crystal clear.
In a mere instant, countless insights surged in Ning Qi’s mind, rapidly deducing. Past confusions resolved effortlessly. Given time, he could surely create the Martial Saint Method most suited to him.
However.
The biggest problem remained unsolved.
Ning Qi reached the last page—blank. This irritated him slightly, like stopping at the crucial moment, frustrating enough to spit blood.
The Hunchbacked Elder smiled slyly.
Ning Qi asked:
“May I ask, Senior, this Martial Saint Method is from before the heaven and earth mutation, right?”
He stared at the Elder, utterly convinced.
It made no mention whatsoever of the toxic substances in spiritual energy. Practicing this method would likely prevent becoming a Martial Saint even unto death.
The Hunchbacked Elder was somewhat surprised:
“Looks like you’re not entirely ignorant.”
He sighed lightly and shook his head, then waved his hand. Lights gathered into characters imprinted in the void.
“You need this.”
Ning Qi took a deep breath, hesitating slightly, then looked intently. His mind shook; he immediately knew these void-imprinted characters were a supreme secret technique—a technique to alleviate the toxic substances in spiritual energy.
“As expected, the Ancient Saints found a way to mitigate the toxic side effects!”
Ning Qi was greatly relieved inwardly.
A brief scan told him this secret technique was immensely useful. Though only alleviating, he could use it to further deduce, even create a filtering method.
If deducing alone, it would take more time, but with this reference, the time was greatly reduced. He could fully strengthen his foundation before Spiritual Energy Revival, then soar.
However.
One question lingered in Ning Qi’s mind.
He bowed slightly to the Hunchbacked Elder, then asked earnestly:
“I once asked True Profound True Monarch about this heaven and earth mutation. He only said ‘unspeakable’. Today, with Senior’s guidance and this secret technique revealed, may I ask one more: what exactly are the toxic substances in this spiritual energy?”
In the Scripture Depository, the atmosphere instantly fell silent.
But Ning Qi felt the Elder before him was different; perhaps he would give an answer.
Unknowingly, Ning Qi’s heart began beating slightly faster.
