Countless thoughts flashed through Ning Qi's mind, but the process of transforming the power of heaven and earth became increasingly smooth.
The entire process gradually stabilized; the once surging power of heaven and earth found a vent, no longer congested or bottlenecked. It was orderly absorbed into the Yu King Bead, transforming into an even stronger Martial Sage power. However, during this process, a 'vacuum zone' of heavenly and earthly power inevitably formed.
Several Heaven-Man Realm masters who were comprehending at the Zhenwu Sword Stele looked toward the depths of the Zhenwu Sect with surprise and uncertainty. It was only now that they became aware.
"Could it be that Heavenly Sword True Immortal has broken through again? Or perhaps he has comprehended some peerless secret technique?"
Respect and awe surged deep within everyone's hearts.
Nowadays, many believed Heavenly Sword True Immortal possessed the strength to challenge for the top spot on the Heaven-Man List. If he broke through again and word got out, it would undoubtedly stir up a storm.
Daoist Longshan smiled faintly.
His cultivation was advancing rapidly every day. Once he finished refining the medicinal power of the Heaven-Penetrating Pill, he would naturally step into the Perfect Heaven-Man realm. At that time, with secret techniques like the Heaven-Man Bridge taught by Ning Qi, his strength would be formidable.
"The ability of Little Nine is unprecedented; this world cannot contain him."
He sighed inwardly.
Now he had understood many of the mysteries of the Martial Sage realm, but he firmly believed Ning Qi could ride the wind and waves. As for himself as the master, as long as he didn't hold his disciple back, it was enough. He recalled the fire sea from eleven years ago that seemed to illuminate his pupils.
Daoist Longshan thought: rather than saying he saved Ning Qi, it was Ning Qi who chose him. This would be his lifelong pride.
At this moment, the most excited was the Blade Demon in the back mountain.
He looked around and repeatedly gazed toward the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
Feeling the gradually stabilizing power of heaven and earth, his emotions were unsettled, even scratching his head in frustration. The movement was different from the breakthrough he had experienced personally; as someone who had firsthand breakthrough experience, he sensed the difference clearly.
"Could it be that Heavenly Sword Dao Friend succeeded?" he thought.
An instinctual urge pushed him to go take a look, but in the end, he suppressed it with several deep breaths.
"If Heavenly Sword Dao Friend succeeded, he certainly wouldn't hide it from me. There's no need to rush now."
He trusted the promise of Heavenly Sword True Immortal.
Yet, his anticipation only grew. He seemed to see the door to the peak of the Martial Path gradually opening before him.
Everyone's thoughts varied.
But Ning Qi was unaware of all this. He tried to shield himself from those disturbances as much as possible, but the fluctuations in the condensed Martial Sage power exceeded his expectations. Fortunately, it was harmless.
At this moment, Ning Qi held the translucent white treasure bead in one hand, extremely delighted.
The Yu King Bead was already saturated.
"The Martial Sage power inside the Yu King Bead now is at least three times the previous amount! Not only that, but the quality has also improved significantly!"
In other words,
If Ning Qi controlled the Yu King Bead now, it could unleash even more terrifying power. He waved his hand, and a translucent white spear tore through the air, accompanied by an invisible roar, transforming into a five-clawed white dragon, majestic and imposing. Perhaps because this power was condensed personally by Ning Qi, its control was especially flexible.
Ning Qi played with it gleefully.
After a long while, he gradually stopped, still somewhat reluctant.
"Just controlling the Martial Sage power condensed within the Yu King Bead is already like this. I wonder how exhilarating it would be if I could condense Martial Sage power within my own body?"
Ning Qi felt a thirst deep in his heart.
Relying on external power and reaching that realm oneself felt entirely different.
Just like before, although the False Core of the Thunder Beast allowed him to touch Heaven-Man Realm power in advance, it was incomparable to actually stepping into the Heaven-Man Realm himself.
"However, until I fully understand what abnormal changes have occurred in heaven and earth, the Yu King Bead is a very good substitute and prevents my strength from completely stagnating."
"Now, Martial Sage power is no longer used sparingly. Next, I can study how to better utilize it to unleash even greater power."
Ning Qi stored away the Yu King Bead, and his joy gradually calmed.
The road of the Martial Path ahead was unknown, heavy, and long.
He was prepared for the worst. If the path of heavenly and earthly power proved unfeasible, he might try to develop another path to circumvent it, though that would inevitably consume massive time. He would avoid doing so unless absolutely necessary.
The best current direction was still to continue exploring the abnormalities of heavenly and earthly power.
"If Brother Eight still gains nothing after awakening, perhaps… it's time to go down the mountain and take a look around," Ning Qi thought. Now his strength was almost invincible; going down the mountain might yield unexpected gains.
Time passed.
Qin Yun remained unconscious.
But the Zhenwu Peach Blossom Festival of this year had arrived.
The Seeking Dao Courtyard was bustling.
Several new members joined this year: Luo Nianchu, Lu Mang, and Ouyang Yu Xuan. As the only disciples of Luo Wentian, Xiong Shi, and Ye Qinghe respectively, they were naturally brought along.
The three youngsters were a bit reserved.
They watched their uncles and elder brothers chat and laugh, yearning deeply inside.
Seeing the casually piled Zhenwu Peaches, they couldn't help but swallow their saliva. Only now did they realize these rare fruits that could enhance foundational strength were cultivated by their Ninth Senior Uncle, shocking them greatly and silencing their speech.
Fortunately, Zhuang Chen and Li Ling were only a few years older than them, so the three weren't completely bored. Together with a White Ape, the six little ones gathered happily.
Luo Wentian smiled as he glanced at them:
"Fourth and Fifth Junior Brothers, you can't slack off. Soon you'll have to start selecting outstanding disciples to strengthen the foundation of our Zhenwu Sect. At that time, this Peach Blossom Festival will be a chance for these kids to spar with each other, which will be an encouragement."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
Just gathering and chatting every year was somewhat dull; these senior brothers were already too familiar with each other, and sparring among them was meaningless.
Better to let the younger disciples enliven things.
"Yes, yes, good idea! We should each prepare some prizes. It will encourage these kids and reward them, helping them grow faster," Song Cheng said, slapping his thigh.
"Hehe, my martial path cultivation is temporarily inferior to yours, but I'm not necessarily worse at teaching disciples!" He Yan said confidently.
The group bantered eagerly, already impatient to start taking disciples.
This was a small pleasure among senior brothers—competing with each other was a fun pastime in the long years.
Ning Qi smiled and nodded.
Hundreds or thousands of years later, this might become a fond story among later generations or even a tradition. He welcomed it.
Ye Qinghe giggled and said:
"Stop, Little Nine, you absolutely can't let Tiansheng participate, or these kids combined wouldn't even be able to handle one of his fingers!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
The originally excited White Ape instantly deflated, causing Luo Nianchu and the others to chuckle quietly.
Indeed, after further development of his bloodline, White Ape had become a solid Heaven-Man Realm expert. Not to mention the kids like Luo Nianchu, even Luo Wentian with the False Core's blessing was no match. Letting him participate would be cheating.
Ning Qi smiled helplessly and nodded:
"Then you have to convince Tiansheng yourself."
Ye Qinghe giggled:
"Little Tiansheng, come talk to your Third Senior Uncle and tell him what reward you want."
Yuan Tiansheng's body stiffened, shaking his head repeatedly:
"I'm not participating. Third Senior Uncle, don't give me any reward!"
Everyone laughed uproariously.
This was something everyone learned later. It was said before Ye Qinghe's enlightenment in brewing, she constantly dragged White Ape to ask for advice. Out of face, White Ape couldn't just leave, but Ye Qinghe's brewing talent was so poor it was torturous—like a top student having to carefully explain one plus one slowly. White Ape was utterly exhausted.
After the laughter, everyone began discussing details.
They planned to start this initiative once most senior brothers had taken disciples. Additionally, they mentioned the annual Zhenwu Peach Blossom Festival was too frequent. As everyone's cultivation deepened, sometimes a single retreat lasted half a year. With elder duties, they often missed the festival.
Thus, they unanimously decided to hold it once every three years going forward, then adjust as circumstances changed.
"Last year, Fifth Junior Brother went down the mountain and left. I thought it would be a long time before we could meet again. Unexpectedly, this time's Peach Blossom Festival gathered us all. Truly, fate is unpredictable. The only pity is that Brother Eight hasn't awakened yet, otherwise we would have been fully reunited!" Luo Wentian said sincerely.
They recalled this day last year, thinking it was farewell, and Ning Qi had specially given the mandarin duck jades.
"Don't worry, Brother Eight will wake up soon. The next Peach Blossom Festival will be a full reunion."
Ning Qi gestured, and cups of Enlightenment Tea appeared before everyone.
An astonishingly fragrant aroma burst forth, attracting everyone's attention. Ning Qi smiled:
"This year's Enlightenment Tea is even more lush, with stronger medicinal power. Give it a try."
Everyone's eyes shone brightly, especially Luo Nianchu and the other two youngsters, who stared wide-eyed at Ning Qi. The legendary treasure Enlightenment Tea was casually placed before them. At this moment, Ning Qi's figure grew towering in their hearts.
They originally thought their master's promised opportunity was the Zhenwu Peaches, but unexpectedly, there was also Enlightenment Tea!
Ning Qi smiled and drank deeply.
One by one, the others also entered a state of sudden comprehension.
This year's Enlightenment Tea trees were indeed excellent. Nourished by dozens of Heaven-Man Realm flesh and blood, they underwent further transformation, greatly increasing yield and enhancing effects. If this trend continued, they might truly produce Enlightenment Tea that could induce a genuine state of sudden insight.
While Zhenwu Mountain was joyful, far away in Daozhou,
Zhenxuan Mountain stood.
This was the founding place of the True Mystery Sect. The mountain was misty and hidden in clouds, resembling a fairyland—mysterious beyond words. It was a treasured spot specially chosen by the True Mystery Sect's founder, True Mystery True Lord.
Outside the True Mystery Dao Palace's forbidden area,
Three Daoists in purple robes waited respectfully, their eyes filled with reverence.
If outsiders were present, they would notice these Daoists' identities were extraordinary.
Daoist Baihe, Daoist Baixiang, and True Mystery Sect Leader Daoist Baiye!
All were Heaven-Man Realm cultivators.
Especially the eldest, Daoist Baixiang, an unparalleled top-tier strongman on the Heaven-Man List. Yet, his white hair and eyebrows matched the other two in solemn reverence.
Soon, the Dao Palace doors opened wide.
A somewhat disheveled old Daoist stepped out. His robe was unkempt and had a roguish air, but the three Daoists bowed in unison and saluted:
"Junior disciples Baihe, Baixiang, and Baiye pay respects to True Mystery True Lord!"
Their eyes were filled with excitement and trembling.
The figure before them was a legendary sect founder—the True Mystery True Lord!
He was called a True Immortal by Heaven-Man standards.
If called True Lord, naturally he was a Martial Sage!
The old Daoist waved carelessly and smiled, revealing yellow teeth:
"Baihe, I still prefer you to call me Brother."
Baihe showed a bitter smile.
Looking at that familiar face, he felt dazed. After Daoist Baishan entered the Heaven-Man Realm, Daoist Baixiang told him everything: Baishan Daoist was not just Baishan Daoist; he was the reincarnated Dao seed of the True Mystery True Lord, specifically found by Daoist Baixiang.
Only then did he realize the root reason Daoist Baixiang had said he would take disciples on behalf of the master.
"Baihe pays respects to Brother!" Baihe was obedient, but his tone had a respect unlike before, making the old Daoist curl his mouth, feeling somewhat disheartened. He still preferred the old Baihe, who occasionally scolded and disciplined him—that was a completely different experience.
Sadly, that time was gone forever.
Now that memories were returning, changes would gradually come.
Sighing inwardly, the old Daoist said lightly:
"From now on, there will be no more True Mystery, only Baishan."
All three were stunned.
Daoist Baixiang cautiously asked:
"True Lord… You will no longer reincarnate?"
Daoist Baishan sighed softly:
"This will be the last time. From now on, there's no need and no way to reincarnate again."
His words carried some loneliness as his gaze looked toward the distant sky, lost in thought.
The others did not understand and could not grasp the meaning behind Daoist Baishan's words. Among the three, only Daoist Baixiang inherited ancient teachings. He knew the founder had reincarnated more than once. Each time the reincarnated Dao seed was found, the True Mystery Sect's foundation deepened considerably, which was why the sect had always stood among the top Daoist sects.
Though rarely entering the top three Daoist sects, True Mystery Sect had thrived and lasted for so long, impressing the world.
Originally, they thought this time would be the same, but it was an exception.
Why could he no longer reincarnate?
Daoist Baixiang dared not ask more, but felt an inexplicable unease, sensing something major was about to happen; otherwise, the founder wouldn't speak this way.
"True Lord, will your Heaven-Man Ascension Ceremony still be held as scheduled?"
Daoist Baishan slowly stepped forward, his aura very ethereal, completely different from the Heaven-Man Realm.
"It will be held as scheduled. Perhaps some old friends might also come," he smiled broadly, surprisingly with some anticipation.