The world was in chaos.
And yet Ning Qi quietly focused on cultivation alone in the Seeking Dao Courtyard. Watching the flowers bloom and wither, he found it quite a beautiful thing. He practiced diligently every day, making steady progress step by step, and his improvement was heartening.
By now,
His Mind Tempering Method was nearly perfected, and stepping into the Heaven-Man Realm was just a matter of course.
Ning Qi estimated it would happen within the next day or two.
"Without even realizing it, I'm already eleven years old."
Ning Qi stood with hands behind his back, gazing up at the starry sky, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
At eleven, he was already tall and graceful with an extraordinary bearing. Even boys of fifteen or sixteen rarely had such stature. At first glance, people would marvel at what a stunning little Daoist he was. But a few more looks would leave them even more astonished—his air of aloof transcendence was enough to move anyone's heart.
This was the unique aura Ning Qi had developed over years of reading scriptures and pursuing enlightenment.
If there truly were immortals in the world, they likely looked just like this.
It was precisely because of this that many fellow disciples of the Zhenwu Sect had come to realize just how exceptional Ning Qi had become. He no longer concealed his true strength; now that his wings were fully grown, he didn't need to keep a low profile like before. Occasionally, when he acted on impulse and casually demonstrated a move or two, it left Zhuang Chen and Li Ling dumbfounded—utterly amazed by their Ninth Senior Brother.
Zhuang Chen, in particular, knew even more. As a child, he had still been a disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, and once traded a dream-devouring glutton technique for a sword move from Ning Qi that stunned the world. Later, Ning Qi even passed on the Innate Sword Body Secret Art to him. But he never told anyone about these things.
As for Li Ling, he would occasionally get a flash of insight, feeling that Ninth Senior Brother's demeanor was somewhat reminiscent of that stern, aloof Heavenly Sword elder. Only, Ninth Senior Brother was clearly much more kind and approachable.
That thought stirred something in his heart—could it be that Ninth Senior Brother had secretly inherited the teachings of the Heavenly Sword elder? That made him even more respectful. Having spent so much time around Daoist Heavenly Sword, he knew how hard it was to gain recognition from such a profoundly mysterious elder.
Ning Qi looked back on the past.
His Divine Intent spread outward.
The memories of his past life were nearly gone. In these eleven years of his current life, most of his time had been spent atop Zhenwu Mountain.
He gazed far into the distance, feeling a deep resonance within.
"Could the place I came from in my past life be one of those stars in the sky? Have I gone through countless reincarnations like this? I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to go back and take a look."
Ning Qi didn't really have any lingering attachments to his previous life—it was pure curiosity at this point.
He also couldn't help but recall his trip to the heavens earlier. The rules of that realm were clearly different from those of his past world. Just thinking about the terrifying Lightning Forbidden Zone made him shiver. Even after advancing to the Origin Core Realm, he hadn't dared go back.
He felt that even stepping into the Heaven-Man Realm wouldn't make it safe—he'd still need to be extremely cautious and avoid recklessness.
All these thoughts flashed through his mind.
A flood of insights surged up in his heart.
Ning Qi stood silently beneath a peach tree and slowly closed his eyes.
Everything happened naturally. His Divine Intent smoothly advanced to the state of perfection. Ning Qi's Divine Intent was far beyond that of others; scanning the entire Zhenwu Sect grounds was effortless. At that moment, his awareness swept across the area.
He saw a disciple named Gou Dan practicing diligently at the martial field. He saw his First Senior Brother walking away with hands behind his back, wearing a satisfied smile. He saw his Second Senior Brother frowning at his desk. He saw his master holding a scripture deep in thought—suddenly, his master's brows rose, as if sensing something, and he looked in the direction of the Seeking Dao Courtyard in surprise...
Ning Qi felt this state of being was incredible.
But it passed quickly.
He made an effort to memorize this state.
In an instant—
An overwhelmingly vast Divine Intent contracted inward, as though pulled by an immense force. It stirred massive ripples in the formless void, then compressed entirely back into Ning Qi's body.
At that moment—
The Origin Core within Ning Qi radiated golden light, spinning ceaselessly.
This was the Core Activation State. Now, as he merged his perfected Divine Intent with it, he sought the boundless forces of heaven and earth hidden in the void. Soon, he would be able to resonate with and control those forces with ease. While it might still be a crude "hammer-swinging" kind of resonance, the resulting power would be overwhelming.
This was the origin of the saying: "Below Heaven-Man, all are ants."
For ordinary people, this was an extremely difficult threshold. Daoist Longshan had once been stuck at this stage for a long time, unable to break through until he entered a death-closed-door retreat. Even then, his breakthrough caused the Zhenwu Sect to suffer a minor crisis.
But for Ning Qi, it was ridiculously simple.
He had created the Heaven-Human Unity Technique himself and was already very familiar with the process.
Now, under his control, his Divine Intent instantly connected with his internal Origin Core, forming the "Bridge of Heaven and Man." This bridge was the critical link between the human body and the heavens.
Once the Bridge of Heaven and Man was complete—
Ning Qi naturally stepped into the Heaven-Man Realm.
His body trembled.
And at once, he could feel the difference.
In that instant—
The entire world looked different to him. Unlike before, when he vaguely sensed the power of the world through the Heaven-Human Unity Technique, now he could actually "see" it. He saw countless strands of energy flowing through the air like fireflies. The sheer magnitude of it all was mind-blowing.
"So this is the power of heaven and earth?"
Ning Qi was shaken, deeply moved by the sensation of glimpsing the truth of the universe. Rays of inspiration flickered through his mind. If one could control such forces at will, destroying the world would be as easy as lifting a finger.
Unfortunately, even those in the Heaven-Man Realm could only use it superficially—barely touching its essence. Only Martial Sages might truly wield its core essence.
Ning Qi now had a more concrete understanding of how powerful Martial Sages were.
He took a deep breath.
Steadying his mind.
He still stood quietly beneath the peach tree, feeling the changes in his body. Thanks to the Bridge of Heaven and Man, a vast vitality spread throughout his being, enhancing his life essence. His lifespan increased, and with it, his comprehension rose. His thoughts could now more easily grasp the core of any concept.
"At this rate, my lifespan might already be double that of an average Heaven-Man Realm cultivator!"
Ning Qi's lips curved slightly in delight.
Though he was still far from achieving immortality, the feeling of steadily progressing step by step brought joy. In the path toward immortality, each step mattered deeply.
Every leap in life essence meant he was one step closer to his goal.
It was the satisfaction of "attaining the Dao."
Ning Qi continued sensing the internal changes in his body. Thanks to the Bridge of Heaven and Man, his essence, energy, and spirit had all improved—but not to levels unreachable in the Origin Core Realm. This confirmed what the ancient texts had said: if one excluded the power of heaven and earth, the Heaven-Man Realm wasn't dramatically stronger than the Origin Core Realm.
This explained why that Southern Alliance woman had dared to sneak up the mountain at night with only her Heaven-Sensing Gu.
Ning Qi was a one-of-a-kind exception.
He took a deep breath and connected with the Bridge of Heaven and Man.
In a flash—
Massive torrents of power from heaven and earth came howling toward him. The volume was vastly greater than what he had accessed via the Heaven-Human Unity Technique—likely over a hundred times greater.
Even though Ning Qi tried to suppress it, there was still a noticeable ripple.
Most disciples just assumed it was a strong night wind. But Daoist Longshan's eyes lit up in astonishment. A certain suspicion rose in him, followed by immense joy and anticipation. He took a step forward and slowly walked toward the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
"I've just stepped into the Heaven-Man Realm, yet the power I can resonate with is likely on par with, or even surpassing, those Heaven-Man experts at their peak. On top of that, with my immense Qi Force and various secret techniques, even if my power doesn't increase a hundredfold, a tenfold boost is no problem."
"And this isn't my limit. Now that I've reached the Heaven-Man Realm, I've gained so many insights. With a bit of time to process it all, whether it's the Heaven-Human Unity Technique or the Heavenly Sword Technique, I can push both even further."
"At this point, even against a Martial Sage—I wouldn't be powerless!"
Ning Qi was filled with confidence.
Before, he had no idea how powerful Martial Sages truly were—he could only imagine and assume the worst.
But now, having seen the true nature of the world, he had a clearer sense. Martial Sages drew on the very essence of heaven and earth's power. While Ning Qi's own strength didn't match theirs in quality, he could compensate with quantity.
That was something only he could do.
When ordinary people entered the Heaven-Man Realm, their Qi Force didn't vanish, but compared to the power of the world, it became secondary—just a primer used while cultivating the Flower of Qi. But Ning Qi's Qi Force still held immense power. The fusion of the two was unprecedented.
In addition—
The number of secret techniques and the height of his conceptual understanding were unimaginable to others.
Ning Qi thought—
No matter how strong Martial Sages were, they couldn't be that ridiculously powerful.
His heart eased slightly.
Ever since he learned that the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance were about to produce Martial Sages, he had kept a calm face and reassured his master and First Senior Brother. But deep down, he had been under pressure. Sure, he could run away, but the lives of 2,000 disciples in the Zhenwu Sect weren't so easy to protect.
Now—
He finally had some real confidence.
"But it's still not enough. I need to get even stronger."
Having just entered the Heaven-Man Realm, Ning Qi still had plenty of room to grow. He would improve rapidly in the short term. Also, now that he had advanced, he could resume studying the secrets of the White Ape bloodline and Zhuang Chen's Innate Sword Bones.
But he couldn't just shut himself off from the world.
Ning Qi made up his mind—he would advance on both fronts.
While continuing to strengthen himself, he would also search for the secret Martial Sage grounds of both enemy factions. If he could strike first, why wait until they grew strong enough to resist?
With his power now vastly enhanced, he believed he could move freely in the territories of the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance. If he could crush the threat in its infancy, that would be best.
However—
The Demonic Sect had always been sly and evasive. Even the Martial Sage of the Great Yan Dynasty hadn't been able to wipe them out completely. Finding their hidden base wouldn't be easy. He couldn't act hastily, lest he alert them and cause them to burrow even deeper.
Just as he was thinking this, he slowly opened his eyes and smiled as he looked ahead.
Daoist Longshan approached with measured steps. When he saw the dramatic change in Ning Qi's presence, his eyes lit up with expectation and hope.
"Xiao Jiu, you…"
Ning Qi gave a gentle nod.
Daoist Longshan stood frozen, as if caught in a dream come true. Moments later, he burst into laughter.
"Good! Good! You truly are the Guardian of our Zhenwu Sect!"
His laughter grew freer and more open as he looked up at the sky, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes—hidden from Ning Qi's view.
Ning Qi felt deeply moved.
He wasn't the only one under pressure all this time. Daoist Longshan and Luo Wentian had felt it just as much. While working on the Fireseed Plan, they had lived in anxiety. Now, finally, the hard times were over.
The bright moon hung overhead.
Master and disciple walked side by side, chatting and laughing. A sense of hope returned to the Zhenwu Sect.
...
No one in the world knew that Ning Qi had quietly broken through, and gained strength far beyond the Heaven-Man Realm.
Right now, all eyes were on the Falling Sun Sword Sect and the Zhenwu Sect.
Martial artists were gathering.
Waiting for the Blade Demon to arrive.
Zhenwu Mountain was more alive than ever, with countless warriors leaving their marks at the Zhenwu Sword Stele and the Myriad Dao Tower. Ning Qi was delighted. His sword intent had already far surpassed the Blade Demon's dreams—and then some. Mastering all under one path, his blade dao had reached the level of "everything can become a blade."
Ning Qi had a rough idea—
This level was likely one of the prerequisites to becoming a Martial Sage. But just one.
Before reaching the Heaven-Man Realm, the Blade Demon had no chance against him. And now, even less so. Ning Qi felt entirely indifferent—he didn't waste energy worrying.
If the Blade Demon challenged him early, he'd defeat him early. If he came late, he'd defeat him late.
The world's guesses didn't matter to him. He focused solely on exploring the wonders of the Heaven-Man Realm.
He was enhancing the Heaven-Human Unity Technique—or rather, evolving it into a brand-new technique.
In the past, it had helped him grasp the secrets of the Heaven-Man Realm ahead of time. Now that he had truly entered the realm, the technique seemed obsolete. But as Ning Qi pondered it further, he felt there was more to discover.
The human body's Bone Foundation held many secrets. He hadn't fully explored them.
Now fully immersed in study, inspiration struck. He wanted to build a second Bridge of Heaven and Man using the Bone Foundation as a medium!
With two bridges working together, the power Ning Qi could resonate with would multiply.
And if those two bridges could enhance one another? Then it wouldn't just double. It might triple or even quadruple.
That would massively boost Ning Qi's combat power.
Because of that, he even put his post-Heaven-Man cultivation aside—he had to master this technique immediately as the fastest way to grow stronger.
But the rest of the world was not so calm.
The Blade Demon situation remained the center of attention.
Half a month had passed since the defeat of the Canghai Sword Sect.
To everyone's surprise, the Blade Demon reappeared. Most had expected him to enter secluded cultivation for at least a month—but it had only been half that time.
He walked slowly up the gates of the Falling Sun Sword Sect, setting off a frenzy.
"The Blade Demon has chosen to challenge the Daychaser Sword King first!"
"Does that mean he considers Daoist Heavenly Sword the strongest? It seems he went to Zhenwu Mountain, saw the Zhenwu Sword Stele, and realized that was his true destined opponent—so he saved Daoist Heavenly Sword for last!"
Hearing this kind of talk, the people of the Falling Sun Sword Sect were furious.
But after being harshly scolded by their ancestor, their attitudes had shifted. They were still angry, but not to the point of exploding. At this stage, they could only speak with actions.
They knew—
If the Blade Demon lost to their old ancestor, it wouldn't matter who he thought was stronger.