Chapter 246: True Disciples In Pursuit, Issuing The Mission
Five Elements Peak.
Colored clouds hung in the sky, with the waterfall cascading straight down.
One by one, powerful-aura Inner Disciples walked up the mountain respectfully.
These years, Ning Qi naturally was not alone. Along his path, he had suppressed quite a few fellow sect Heavenly Prides, while also inspiring admiration in many, who were willing to follow him.
Now that he had achieved True Disciple status, these followers naturally ascended to heaven with chickens and dogs alongside him.
The most prodigious Heavenly Pride in Boundless Sword Sect history!
The Grand Elder personally selected Immortal Seed!
Such titles continuously piled onto Ning Qi’s head, plunging Boundless Sword Sect into prolonged shock. Disciples privately discussed this super dark horse that had appeared out of nowhere.
For True Disciples.
Ning Qi was a rival.
But the vast majority knew that Ning Qi surpassing them was merely a matter of time. However, a minority of True Disciples were unwilling. What was a True Disciple? The Sect Leader position was selected from among True Disciples. Now Ning Qi had merely shown supreme talent, so expecting them to give up was naturally impossible.
Among this generation’s True Disciples, there were also quite a few prodigies, especially the current First True Disciple, Ye Chen, who possessed the innate Wind Thunder Sword Body. Before Ning Qi appeared, his prestige was extremely high, and he was hailed as having the potential to become a magnate.
Now, although he was in closed-door cultivation, once he emerged and learned of Ning Qi’s news, there would surely be a dragon-tiger struggle.
Of course.
For the vast majority of True Disciples, they were willing to befriend Ning Qi.
Even… some True Disciples had already begun placing their bets early.
Such as at this moment.
A handsome cultivator in green robes came to visit Ning Qi.
One by one, surprised gazes looked toward the horizon. That sword light landed on Five Elements Peak, seemingly obtaining some permission before slowly descending. Then, the congregation was stunned speechless by a sincere voice:
“Qin Minghao wishes to follow Senior Brother Ning. Please show mercy, Senior Brother Ning!”
This was an old-brand True Disciple. Although he ranked at the bottom among True Disciples, he was still a True Disciple. Now he was proactively pledging allegiance, which held extraordinary significance. His posture was very low. Clearly his age was dozens of times Ning Qi’s, yet he called him Senior Brother without hesitation.
Qin Minghao’s thinking was simple.
Adding flowers to brocade was not as good as sending charcoal in snow. His talent was average; Nascent Soul Realm might be his endpoint. Since that was the case, why not take a gamble? Now serving before and after the saddle for Ning Qi, in the future when Ning Qi grew up, he might have a chance to go further!
At the top of Five Elements Peak, a white-robed youth of exceptional demeanor walked out and personally welcomed Qin Minghao inside. Ning Qi smiled and said:
“Junior Brother Qin, you are mistaken in saying that. From now on, if you do not mind, we can discuss the Dao together.”
With a True Disciple joining under him, Ning Qi’s prestige rose even higher.
Many True Disciples of ordinary talent were moved but still observing. However, a few extremely strong ones scorned it.
But no matter how the True Disciples thought, once the many Inner Disciples and Outer Disciples learned of this news, they became even more fervent. True Disciples were so proud; only elites like the Top Ten True Disciples might gain the allegiance of other True Disciples.
But now, Ning Qi had just become a True Disciple, and already another True Disciple was following him.
The implications were self-evident.
In a moment.
Potential figures among Inner and Outer Doors were scrambling to join Five Elements Peak.
Ning Qi achieving True Disciple status came with three hundred Inner Door spots. Besides his prior followers, there were still more than half vacant.
Now with many Purple Mansion Realm True Persons rushing to follow, his faction in Boundless Sword Sect instantly expanded.
In the Upper Sect.
Every powerful True Disciple often represented a powerful faction, some not inferior to external sects.
Ning Qi’s faction was also gradually expanding.
With many loyal and powerful followers, some matters became much easier to handle.
For example, probing Tiangang Sect’s movements.
For example, contacting True Martial Realm’s reincarnated beings in Northern Xuan Region.
For example, obtaining information on the whereabouts of Spiritual Treasures containing Power of Rules.
…
Bright Heart Hall.
Ning Qi sat cross-legged, a three-foot golden sword slowly floating and sinking before his chest. Sharpness flickered on it, as if to tear the void—that was the pure Rules of Sword, though very faint.
Strands of Primordial Spirit Power wrapped around it, comprehending the mysteries within.
Beams of spiritual insight rose from his mind; Ning Qi easily analyzed the wonders contained within.
“What is Power of Rules? In truth, it is simply deeper-level World Origin. In the infinite Sea of Realms, various Rule Origins are contained. If a world luckily draws in a portion and integrates it, it becomes a Spirit Realm.”
“As for Small Worlds like True Martial Realm, they lack Power of Rules. Therefore, even though True Martial Realm has now undergone metamorphosis, it lacks the most crucial thing and cannot accommodate Void Dao Realm cultivators. At most, it can only permit Nascent Soul Realm cultivators to be born.”
“If I wish to step into Rule Realm, I must at least first integrate a sufficient amount of one kind of Rule Origin.”
“Naturally, the Sea of Realms also has them, but the Sea of Realms is deep and chaotic, with Rule Origins obscured within. It all depends on luck. By the time True Martial Realm luckily captures some Rule Origin, who knows how many years will have passed. So… better to intercept ready-made, ordered Rule Origins, then use them as foundation to resonate with and supplement the Rule Origins in the Sea of Realms.”
This was the promotion path Ning Qi had devised.
Where were there ready-made Rule Origins?
None other than Spirit Realms.
His gaze fell on the Golden Sun Sword before him, revealing a faint smile.
“I didn’t expect it to be so smooth. Just stepping into Nascent Soul Realm, and I already have such a Spiritual Treasure. Amplifying my reincarnated body’s killing power is secondary; the key is that it benefits my Main Body’s Realm Lord path.”
“Now I know that for Nascent Soul Realm to step into Void Dao Realm, one must use the Nascent Soul to comprehend Power of Rules, thereby inscribing Rule Imprints on the Nascent Soul, which then allows resonating with Power of Rules and wielding great power. And any Spiritual Treasure must similarly have a Rule Imprint. For example, the Golden Sun Sword contains the Sword Rule Imprint.”
“Whether it’s the Rule Imprints of Void Dao Realm and above cultivators or those in Spiritual Treasures, they no longer belong to Mountain Sea Realm—which means they can be completely taken away.”
“If I refine it into True Martial Realm, I can let True Martial Realm condense Rule Origin!”
“But one Low-grade Spiritual Treasure is not enough. Probably dozens of such Spirit Swords would suffice for me to condense one Sword Rule Origin. Of course, refining and comprehending Void Dao Realm cultivators of Rules of Sword would also work, as would more powerful mid-grade Spirit Swords or high-grade Spirit Swords.”
Ning Qi was in a good mood.
Having a goal made things easy.
With a thought, a new mission appeared in the minds of many True Martial Realm reincarnated beings.
【Acquire treasures containing Sword Rule Imprints.】
He planned to use Rules of Sword as the first Origin to condense. After all, being in Boundless Sword Sect made acquiring Sword Rule Origin much easier.
In twenty-four years, Ning Qi had rarely used this method to issue missions or contact others. After all, this was Mountain Sea Realm; using this ability too frequently might be noticed by Mountain Sea Realm Will, which would be bad. He could only use it occasionally at key moments.
“Over twenty years have passed, and I have successively placed nearly one hundred thousand Martial World beings. With Past Life Wisdom and ‘small golden fingers’ helping them, although they have not yet advanced to Nascent Soul Realm, quite a few have stepped into Purple Mansion Realm. Even some with good luck and innate physiques are nearing Purple Mansion Realm Perfection.”
“Their chances of acquiring Spiritual Treasures are slim, but not zero. Moreover, once their cultivation is higher, it will be inevitable.”
Ning Qi stood up tall, hands behind his back, storing the Spirit Sword into his Purple Mansion.
Personal strength was the foundation; he would never neglect the essentials for the trivial.
“Now that the Rule Realm breakthrough opportunity is found, next is to focus on promoting Lord Realm to Perfection.”
“At True Martial Realm’s current development speed, two or three decades will suffice. By then, my Main Body will be invincible in Void Dao Realm, and even stronger within the world!”
“However… there might be a chance to accelerate the progress further.”
Ning Qi’s gaze flickered as he recalled the former Black Demon Sect.
The fall of Black Demon Sect’s one hundred thousand cultivators had brought enormous benefits to True Martial Realm. If another few hundred thousand cultivators fell in True Martial Realm, then Lord Realm Perfection would be a natural progression.
“Speaking of which… the one hundred thousand Mountain Sea Realm imprints from back then are almost used up. Time to replenish them.”
Ning Qi’s gaze grew deeper.
A respectful voice sounded outside the hall:
“Senior Brother Ning, there is news on the matter you previously instructed.”
It was Qin Minghao.
Ning Qi smiled; when sleepy, a pillow arrives.
Ning Qi walked out of the hall.
His white robes fluttered like an exiled immortal. Strands of sharpness had not fully converged, somewhat intimidating. Qin Minghao paid respects, growing even more reverent in his heart.
Having accompanied this Immortal Seed Senior Brother Ning for half a year, he felt increasingly fortunate in his decision. He knew that many True Disciples in the sect currently looked down on him, thinking he had lost the poise and face of a True Disciple. Even if Ning Qi was an Immortal Seed, he should wait until Ning Qi’s cultivation reached a certain realm before pledging allegiance.
But he scoffed at that.
“If they knew Senior Brother Ning’s prowess, they would probably be even crazier than me.”
At the beginning.
Qin Minghao had indeed only wanted to place an early bet due to Ning Qi’s talent. But after prolonged companionship, he realized he had been gravely mistaken.
Such as at this moment, those strands of Sword Dao sharpness and supernatural power aura left him shocked. He could determine that if he fought Ning Qi, he could not escape being slain. Yet how long had Ning Qi been in Nascent Soul Realm, and how long had he himself been?
The gap was too great.
“Senior Brother Ning is a true prodigy! Not only is his cultivation speed unmatched, his combat strength crowns his peers! Not to mention, Senior Brother Ning occasionally giving me pointers has actually made my stalled cultivation show signs of advancing again. Such peerless immortal aptitude—how could others understand?”
Others mocked his humility; he mocked them for being blind.
As thoughts turned.
Qin Minghao respectfully spoke:
“Senior Brother Ning, you previously had me investigate the movements of various sects in Chu Kingdom Cultivation World, and now I have clear information.”
In Northern Xuan Region, there were also many kingdoms. Each kingdom was vast, with the royal clan merely acting as stewards managing the kingdom and supplying resources for the cultivators. Chu Kingdom Cultivation World was the former location of Black Demon Sect.
Ning Qi nodded slowly. Qin Minghao continued:
“Chu Kingdom Cultivation World has hundreds of large and small sects. Excluding those insignificant minor sects, there are over twenty sects with Nascent Soul Realm True Monarchs in charge.”
“In recent years, the region has been peaceful, but twenty-odd years ago, a major event occurred. One sect named Black Demon Sect was reportedly wiped out by a Great Power cultivator, and the leftover resources were divided by the Demon Slaying Alliance formed by the Top Ten Sects, sparking intense struggle during which.”
“The Top Ten Sects include Wind Thunder Hall, Tiangang Sect, Chiyang Sect, Thousand Mechanisms Gate, and others. That great battle resulted in hundreds of thousands of cultivator casualties, with several Nascent Soul True Monarchs falling.”
“In the over twenty years since, there have been ongoing conflicts, only gradually calming in recent years.”
There was some disdain in his words. Coming from an Upper Sect and being a True Disciple, he might not even look up to those sects’ Sect Leaders.
Immediately after.
He detailed the changes and movements of sect after sect over these twenty-odd years, extremely thorough, showing he had taken Ning Qi’s instructions to heart without perfunctory effort.
Seeing no fluctuation in Ning Qi’s expression, Qin Minghao’s heart tightened, and he continued:
“Wind Thunder Hall seems to have obtained a damaged Spiritual Treasure from Black Demon Sect, which they have been hiding. Besides that, it’s Tiangang Sect. This sect excels in Formation Way. Since participating in the battle to annihilate Black Demon Sect twenty-odd years ago, they have remained very low-key with no major actions.”
“After multi-directional investigation, Junior Brother believes Tiangang Sect very likely obtained something even more precious than a damaged Spiritual Treasure from Black Demon Sect! Some time ago, Tiangang Sect had internal strife. A disciple named Hou Yuan under Nascent Soul True Monarch Li Linghe died. This person may have been a True Disciple of Black Demon Sect back then!”
He said it all in one breath, somewhat uneasy.
Afraid that failing this first mission would displease Ning Qi.
Ning Qi’s mild voice rang out:
“Junior Brother Qin, you have worked hard.”
Qin Minghao felt relieved, repeatedly saying he dared not.
Details showed sincerity. The many details Qin Minghao described could not have been investigated without effort. Ning Qi could see that this True Disciple was determined to cling to his thigh, and he had obtained the information he wanted.
Tiangang Sect had remained low-key with no major actions, meaning they had no immediate plans to attack True Martial Realm. They were likely waiting for things to settle before continuing.
This plan was excellent, but Ning Qi did not want to wait that long.
He was uneasy with True Martial Realm’s coordinates in others’ hands.
“Since you don’t want to strike, I’ll give you a push.” Ning Qi already had a plan in mind.
Qin Minghao prepared to withdraw.
He tactfully did not ask more. Which True Disciple did not have secrets? Someone like Ning Qi the Immortal Seed had great fortune accompanying him. Since Ning Qi had his eyes on Chu Kingdom Cultivation World, even if there were immense opportunities there, he would not covet them in the slightest.
After years of tempering, he had clear self-cognition.
Ning Qi smiled and detained him:
“Junior Brother Qin, coincidentally, recently I have some insights into Nascent Soul Realm and wish to verify them with you.”
Qin Minghao was overjoyed.
This was indirect guidance. In a moment, he felt all his recent toil was completely worth it.
A few days later.
Qin Minghao departed with reverence in his expression. In his heart, he was even more sincerely submissive, increasingly glad for his decision.
Ning Qi’s gaze looked toward the horizon, somewhat expectant.
Next, it was time to meet an old friend.
