The Enlightenment Tea went down his throat.
Ning Qi immediately felt a warm current surge through him as a burst of exotic fragrance exploded from within. It was dozens of times richer than before—not just affecting the body, but his spirit was completely immersed in the aroma of the tea.
In that instant, streams of spiritual insight burst forth like a fountain.
Ning Qi entered a state of "pseudo-enlightenment."
The feeling was, of course, wonderful.
But Ning Qi's expression was a bit strange.
"This… isn't this just the normal state I enter when I'm cultivating?"
At that moment, he realized the true function of the Enlightenment Tea—it guided the user's mind into a special mental state that enabled this so-called "pseudo-enlightenment." But the problem was, even without the tea, Ning Qi could already enter this state at will.
He could even frequently enter the state of true enlightenment that most people could only dream of. Though not as easy as eating or drinking, as long as he was in good condition and had accumulated enough insight, enlightenment came naturally.
Ning Qi shook his head and laughed.
He understood that the Enlightenment Tea really wasn't of much use to him.
But he had already prepared himself for this, so he wasn't disappointed. Instead, he simply savored the taste of the tea. Putting aside its cultivation benefits, the tea itself was a peerless delicacy among teas.
"Still, just because the Enlightenment Tea is useless now doesn't mean it'll be useless in the future. If I keep cultivating and refining it, maybe I can eventually produce a leaf that actually induces true enlightenment!"
Ning Qi had some expectations. If he could reach that point, it would still be helpful to him.
As for whether he could achieve it—he had confidence in himself.
He had already turned ordinary peach trees into rare exotic fruit-bearing treasures. Elevating the Enlightenment Tea Tree another level was definitely within reach. He would keep researching in that direction.
He calmly sipped tea, smiling as he watched his fellow disciples.
While the Enlightenment Tea was just a tasting experience for Ning Qi, for the others it was a stroke of fate.
Right now, each of them had entered a state of "pseudo-enlightenment." Countless flashes of insight burst forth, and all their accumulated understanding erupted in full force.
First was Luo Wentian.
Inside him was the Thunder Tiger False Core that Ning Qi had implanted. He had been diligently studying it every day, already gaining some understanding and foundation in the Dao of Thunder. Now, with the help of the Enlightenment Tea, his control over the False Core skyrocketed. In just a moment, he made a month's worth of progress.
But that wasn't all.
As his comprehension of the False Core deepened, he also began to understand new aspects of cultivating in the Qi Origin Realm and even grasped some hidden truths about the Origin Core Realm in advance.
He sat cross-legged, afraid to waste even a sliver of this opportunity.
Next was Jiang Baishan.
Among everyone, he was the first to step into the White Mist Realm—and he'd done it without the help of a Condensed Qi Pill. Years of cultivation and Ning Qi's aid had already made his progress astonishing. Now, with the help of the tea, he gained an entirely new understanding of the Jadehide Realm.
Then came Zhuang Chen.
Born with a Sword Bone and exceptional comprehension, he had only grown more talented after breaking and rebuilding his foundation. After all this time of retraining, he was about to condense inner strength again and step into the Inner Origin Realm. His foundation was now even more solid than before. Flashes of insight lit up his mind, and he hungrily solved sword-related problems that had long baffled him.
The others all wore different expressions.
But each and every one had gained tremendously.
Some sat cross-legged. Some danced with their swords. Others punched into the air, shattering it with their strikes. All of them were experiencing an outburst of foundation due to the Enlightenment Tea. Even if it was just a pseudo-enlightenment, it was a state they all craved.
Not everyone was a monster like Ning Qi.
This state lasted for two whole hours.
Eventually, the effects of the Enlightenment Tea faded.
Everyone jolted awake almost in unison. As they gradually regained clarity, their eyes were full of reluctance and loss. That previous state had simply felt too good—so good that they wished they could stay in it forever.
It had only been two hours, but the gains were immense.
Many questions that had troubled them were now easily resolved, bottlenecks shattered. Maybe the tea hadn't directly raised their cultivation, but it had cleared their paths significantly. From here on, their progress would be far smoother.
A bit of time was all they needed for their cultivation to surge explosively.
A look of awe appeared in everyone's eyes.
"Xiao Jiu, this Enlightenment Tea is truly divine!" Luo Wentian couldn't help praising. His improvement had been the greatest thanks to the False Core. He no longer needed time to accumulate strength. Now, if he activated the core, he'd definitely be a top-tier powerhouse within the Origin Core Realm.
"Yeah, it's hard to imagine. If I could drink Enlightenment Tea every day and always enter that wondrous state of enlightenment, that would be amazing!" Ye Qinghe looked full of longing.
Everyone's eyes showed a deep sense of nostalgia.
That near-enlightenment state had been genuinely magical.
They joyfully shared their recent breakthroughs.
Ning Qi simply smiled.
Then he burst Ye Qinghe's "beautiful dream."
"Even if you drank Enlightenment Tea every day, it wouldn't always have the same effect."
Ye Qinghe blinked.
"The Enlightenment Tea builds up tolerance too?"
Some spiritual fruits did work that way—the more you ate, the less effective they became.
Jiang Baishan mused, "That's probably not it. Xiao Jiu's saying we don't have enough accumulation."
"This time, the tea worked so well because we'd been building up for a long time. If we drank it again too soon, even if we re-entered that wondrous state, the insights wouldn't come from nowhere. The effect would be a lot weaker."
Ning Qi smiled and nodded.
"Exactly."
Why did he constantly read Daoist texts, scriptures, and miscellaneous writings?
To build up his foundation, so he could draw upon it during his enlightenment sessions. And he could accumulate much faster than ordinary people—that wasn't something others could even imagine.
He spread his hands and said,
"But even if you all build up enough again, there's no more Enlightenment Tea to drink. This year's yield is all we have, and we still need to save some for Master. Otherwise, we 'unfilial disciples' are going to get kicked out of the sect."
Everyone looked at the bare top of the Enlightenment Tea Tree and burst into laughter.
"Just build up for a year and drink it next year. Gives you something to look forward to."
Ning Qi smiled.
Next year's yield should be higher. Then he could share more with everyone.
But Jiang Baishan's expression dimmed. Next year… he wouldn't be around to drink it.
Luo Wentian patted him on the shoulder and grinned.
Seeing the encouragement in his senior brother's eyes, Jiang Baishan finally broke into a smile and nodded heavily. Nothing more needed to be said.
"Fifth Brother… take care."
Ning Qi watched everyone's departing backs and sighed inwardly.
He had done all he could. The rest was up to fate.
The next day.
Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua quietly left the mountain, not alerting anyone. They left only a letter behind.
At the foot of the mountain, Jiang Baishan turned and looked at the towering Zhenwu Mountain piercing the clouds.
Grief overwhelmed him, and tears streamed down his face. He knelt toward the mountain and respectfully kowtowed three times.
Lin Ruhua watched and sighed softly, pulling him into an embrace.
Though their time together had been short, she completely understood what he was feeling.
"Let's go." Jiang Baishan's voice was low.
He only hated that his strength wasn't enough.
If he were as powerful as a Martial Sage of the Great Yan Dynasty, he could've eliminated the rest of the Demonic Sect and wouldn't be facing this kind of choice.
He now craved strength like never before.
A moment later.
A soft sigh echoed out.
Daoist Longshan stepped forth.
As a Heaven-Man Realm cultivator, how could Jiang Baishan leave unnoticed?
Watching Jiang Baishan's retreating figure, his face was filled with conflicting emotions.
If he could've helped it, he never would've let his disciple flee so far.
And who knew if they would ever meet again after this parting.
Ning Qi also stepped out, standing beside Daoist Longshan as they gazed at the distant figures.
He offered some comfort.
"Don't worry, Master. I gave Fifth Brother and the others some things to protect themselves. They'll be fine. It's just a short separation. Once this is over, we'll see them again."
Daoist Longshan slowly nodded, pushing down the sorrow in his heart bit by bit.
Now, the most important thing was figuring out how to get through this crisis.
...
After that.
Ning Qi's life returned to a peaceful and steady rhythm.
But the hidden threat of the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance gave him even more motivation.
Still, rushing wouldn't help. The only thing that mattered was growing stronger.
Every day, aside from regular Mind Tempering,
Ning Qi would meditate and study Daoist texts. He would occasionally pull out the silver pages left behind by Wu Jianghe and examine them, deducing the possible techniques of a Martial Sage.
Partly to prepare for the future.
Partly to better understand the Martial Sage, making it easier to deal with him later.
In addition,
He was refining his various secret arts, making his combat power as formidable as possible.
He especially valued the Azure Profound Bodyguard Technique, a defensive art.
In past fights, the gap in strength had been huge, so his enemies were usually crushed in an instant. The Azure Profound Bodyguard Technique only proved useful when facing the Heavenly Thunder.
But this time was different.
If he really ended up facing a Martial Sage, a defensive technique could be critical—possibly the key to turning the tables.
Ning Qi absorbed the essence from numerous tomes within Wenjian Pavilion, hoping to integrate his sword intent and push the Azure Profound Bodyguard Technique to the next level.
After all, among all the paths he cultivated, the sword path was the strongest.
The sword wasn't only for offense. If fused with other paths, it could be used defensively too.
Time passed day by day.
Until one day—
Chen Xing returned from Northern Barbarians.
She brought back a letter from the Northern Suppression King—
And she brought someone with her: General Shenyu.
In the Zhenwu Grand Hall,
Daoist Longshan and Luo Wentian received them.
"Greetings, Senior Chen Xing. General Shenyu." Luo Wentian was extremely courteous.
These two—one a Heaven-Man Realm expert of the Northern Suppression King's estate, and the other a ranked powerhouse on the Heaven-Man List—were people that, if he weren't the Sect Leader of the Zhenwu Sect, Luo Wentian wouldn't even qualify to speak to.
But General Shenyu returned the greeting with a smile.
"Sect Leader Luo, no need to be so polite."
"Daoist, I trust you've been well?"
Daoist Longshan smiled faintly.
"General Shenyu, you're as elegant as ever. I still remember the grace you displayed when slaying Old Demon Lin. In the blink of an eye, it's already been over two years."
He still remembered two years ago, when General Shenyu was high and mighty. Although he showed no hostility toward the Zhenwu Sect, their statuses weren't equal.
But now, returning to Zhenwu Mountain, General Shenyu was extremely courteous.
He naturally understood why.
The current fame of the Heavenly Sword Daoist was simply too great.
General Shenyu smiled bitterly and waved his hand.
"Daoist, don't make fun of me. If the Heavenly Sword Daoist hadn't declined to take action back then, I wouldn't have had any chance to earn credit."
Back then, he thought the Heavenly Sword Daoist was beneath him. But facts proved him wrong again and again. Especially after speaking with General Yanwu, he realized just how extraordinary the Heavenly Sword Daoist truly was. Now, he took the Zhenwu Sect very seriously.
Everyone smiled.
Then, Daoist Longshan looked expectantly at Chen Xing.
Chen Xing didn't hesitate. She produced a sealed letter.
"Daoist, the Prince has already been informed of everything. He takes this very seriously and has already reported it to His Majesty. General Shenyu and I were sent here specifically for this matter."
Daoist Longshan wasn't surprised.
He had already guessed as much when he saw General Shenyu arrive.
He opened the sealed letter.
His frown gradually eased.
Ever since he learned of the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance's plan to produce a Martial Sage, a dark cloud had loomed over his heart.
But now, he finally felt some relief. At least the Zhenwu Sect wouldn't have to shoulder this burden alone—there would be strong support.
Whether for the sake of Li Ling or the Great Yan Dynasty, the Northern Suppression King wouldn't just stand by.
However, there had been recent disturbances in the Northern Barbarians, so he needed to remain stationed there. Thus, he had reported the situation to the court.
The letter contained two main points.
First: the Great Yan Court would fully commit to disrupting the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance's plan to create a Martial Sage. They would do everything they could to crush the plan in its infancy.
Second: for the safety of the Zhenwu Sect, General Shenyu, who had recently been assigned to defend Qingzhou, would now move even closer—stationed in the nearest city to the Zhenwu Sect.
That way, if anything happened, General Shenyu and his elite troops could respond immediately.
The small moves of the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance also had to be guarded against. Their thinking couldn't be limited to just the threat of Martial Sages.
After reading the letter,
Daoist Longshan gave a solemn bow.
"General Shenyu, we'll be counting on you from now on."
General Shenyu straightened his expression and waved his hand.
"Daoist, no need to be so formal. The Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance are wolves with wild ambitions—daring to ally in an attempt to overthrow Great Yan. I won't stand idly by. Don't worry, Daoist. Their plan won't succeed so easily."
He remembered what General Yanwu had told him before: win the Zhenwu Sect over and align them with the court.
Originally, he thought this would be difficult and planned to take his time.
He hadn't expected the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance to push the Zhenwu Sect into their arms.
Still, the plot to produce a Martial Sage did make him uneasy.
After all, General Yanwu's stance back then had been hard to read.
He didn't know whether the Great Yan Martial Sage would step forward when it mattered most.
Though he now stood among the court's top ranks, there were still core secrets he wasn't privy to.
As he pondered this,
Luo Wentian finished reading the letter and asked,
"May I ask, General—if the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance truly succeed in creating a Martial Sage, how should our Zhenwu Sect respond?"
The implication was clear.
Only a Martial Sage could fight a Martial Sage.
Anyone else would be throwing their life away.
General Shenyu's heart skipped a beat, but he knew he couldn't show any hesitation.
He calmly replied,
"If that day really comes, someone will deal with it. Just rest assured. Since I've been stationed here, I will advance and retreat together with the Zhenwu Sect. I won't leave."
His tone was resolute.
Luo Wentian quietly offered an apology.
Daoist Longshan smiled and changed the subject. He said,
"Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to let it come to that. Rather than wait for the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance to produce a Martial Sage and attack, we should nip the threat in the bud. I trust the General knows that our Zhenwu Sect offended the Southern Alliance over the Blood King Gu—this can be a starting point for the investigation."
Whether or not the Great Yan Martial Sage would intervene, he couldn't bet the entire Zhenwu Sect's safety on that possibility.
Rather than risk it, better to ensure no Martial Sage was born in the first place.
General Shenyu nodded seriously.
"Don't worry, Daoist. The court has already begun acting on this. Spies are operating in all thirteen provinces. No matter how well the Southern Alliance hides, they can't cover everything. If they dare conduct such vile schemes on Great Yan soil, they must be severely punished!"
His eyes flashed with killing intent.
Then he added,
"As for the Demonic Sect's method of achieving Martial Sage status—we've uncovered some clues. It might be related to the inner cores of exotic beasts. The Southern Alliance borders the Ten Thousand Mountains and is quite familiar with the area, making it easier for them to obtain these cores. This could be the fundamental reason for their alliance."
Daoist Longshan's eyes flashed.
The Great Yan Court was still investigating the Southern Alliance, yet they had already uncovered secrets from the Demonic Sect—this meant the court had plenty of informants inside the Demonic Sect.
After so many years of conflict,
The infiltration between Great Yan and the Demonic Sect was likely deep and mutual.
With this in mind, Daoist Longshan became even more cautious.
He realized he couldn't place absolute trust in the court.
Otherwise, who knew when they might be betrayed by a Demonic Sect mole.
The four of them continued discussing various details—
All related to upcoming actions, sharing intel and strategies.
As they watched Chen Xing and General Shenyu depart,
Daoist Longshan and Luo Wentian both let out a sigh of relief.
Then they immediately relayed everything to Ning Qi.
Ning Qi also relaxed somewhat.
With the Great Yan Court stepping in, the pressure wasn't so overwhelming anymore.
Even if they couldn't completely prevent the birth of Martial Sages from the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance, they could at least greatly delay them—buying Ning Qi valuable time.
If the court couldn't even buy half a year, then they'd be utterly useless.
Ning Qi didn't believe the court was that incompetent.
Since they were willing to intervene, perhaps he wouldn't even need to act in the end.
But he wouldn't rely on luck or put his hopes on others.
In the days that followed,
Ning Qi continued cultivating.
The waves stirred up by the Heavenly Sword Daoist's slaying of the Heart-Seeking Sword were also gradually dying down.
The martial world never lacked fresh news, and Ning Qi was happy for the quiet.
Too much attention on the Heavenly Sword Daoist was never a good thing.
But soon—
Another event shook the world and drew everyone's gaze.
The Blade Demon, ranked third on the Heaven-Man List, had emerged from seclusion!