Chapter 9: The Nine Stances of Zhenwu |
Inside Mingwu Pavilion.
So silent, you could hear a pin drop.
Three pairs of eyes were fixed on Ning Qi, filled with disbelief.
Luo Wentian finally understood why Xiong Shi had been so rash, and why their Master hadn’t moved his hand away for so long.
Little Nine's bone foundation had formed!
His breathing suddenly became rapid.
“Little Junior Brother is only three years old!”
He was the eldest senior brother of the Zhenwu Sect and was already being groomed by Daoist Longshan as the successor. His greatest wish was also to revive the Zhenwu Sect. So after learning that Ning Qi had already formed his bone foundation at just three years old, shock gave way to overwhelming joy!
Luo Wentian rubbed his hands excitedly.
Both men looked toward Daoist Longshan.
“Master, this should be correct, right…”
Daoist Longshan ignored them and instead looked at Ning Qi with warmth.
“Little Nine, have you noticed anything unusual recently?”
Ning Qi said:
“Disciple has felt itchy and tingly all over lately, especially in the middle of the night—it gets really intense. This morning, I felt like I was more in tune with the world around me, but the feeling faded quickly.”
He temporarily left out the matter of the Innate Bone-Nourishing Technique, planning to bring it up with Daoist Longshan later after starting martial arts training.
Daoist Longshan lightly scolded:
“Why didn’t you tell Master about this earlier?”
Then, his eyes filled with amazement.
“A naturally formed bone foundation—when complete—will indeed create a faint connection with heaven and earth. It will restart again in the future to help you reach the peak of the Martial Path. I originally thought it would take until you were six for your bone foundation to form, but it happened so fast. Master truly misjudged this. Little Nine, you can begin your martial training now!”
Ning Qi was overjoyed and bowed respectfully:
“Please teach me, Master!”
He had poured in countless efforts and painstakingly created the peerless secret technique—the Innate Bone-Nourishing Technique—just for the sake of beginning his training early. And now, that goal was finally within reach.
Daoist Longshan stroked his beard and laughed heartily, while Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi both smiled with joy.
In Ning Qi, they saw the rising future of the Zhenwu Sect.
“Find a chance to tell Qinghe and the others about this, but don’t spread it around for now.”
Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi both nodded respectfully.
“Little Nine, come with me.”
Daoist Longshan had no interest in continuing his discussion with Luo Wentian. Right now, he just wanted to see how Ning Qi would perform in martial arts.
Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi both felt itchy with curiosity.
They exchanged a glance and followed.
Behind Mingwu Pavilion.
There was a training ground—neither large nor small—off-limits to both Outer and Inner Sect Disciples.
Daoist Longshan stood with his hands behind his back.
“Little Nine, are you already fully familiar with the initial stages of the Martial Path?”
Ning Qi nodded:
“The beginning of the Martial Path consists of the Eight Body Tempering Stages—tempering the skin, flesh, tendons, bones, organs, marrow, blood, and spirit!”
“After tempering the blood, one will be free from all illness. If the spirit then unifies it all, internal force will arise naturally, stepping into the Inner Origin Realm.”
Daoist Longshan’s robe billowed despite no wind, and a natural aura of mastery exuded from him.
“The Martial Path is tough. Every step must be taken solidly. Some may spend decades stuck in just one stage. You may have talent, but you must also work hard. Otherwise, you won’t succeed.”
Ning Qi’s expression was resolute:
“Disciple will remember that!”
Daoist Longshan smiled. He felt a bit emotional, remembering the time when Ning Qi, at just six months old, had asked him whether martial arts could lead to immortality. This little disciple had always been far more mature than others—he must have set his sights on the peak of the Martial Path even then.
“The Body Tempering Realm is both the start and the core of the Martial Path. A solid foundation here allows for strong progress later. To temper the body, you need stance training!”
Ning Qi’s eyes shone brightly.
Not the slightest bit surprised.
Though he hadn’t been allowed to practice martial arts these three years, he had wondered whether he could forge a path in martial arts no one had walked before. In the end, he gave up—not because it was impossible, but because it would take too much time and wasn't worth the trade-off.
Still, he had considered several approaches.
Using stance training to temper the body was one of them.
“Stance techniques are divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers. The higher the tier, the more solid the foundation it lays.”
“Our Zhenwu Sect possesses nine upper-tier stance techniques!”
“These are the Nine Stances of Zhenwu!”
At this, a glint of pride flashed in Daoist Longshan’s eyes. Beside him, both Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi subconsciously straightened up. Outsiders didn’t know the depth of Zhenwu’s heritage, but the True Disciples did.
“A dragon has nine sons, each different from the rest.”
“The Nine Stances of Zhenwu correspond to the Nine Sons of the Dragon—Qiu Niu, Ya Zi, Chao Feng, Pu Lao, Suan Ni, Ba Xia, Bi An, Fu Xi, and Chi Wen.”
“Your eight senior brothers and sisters have each chosen one of the eight stances. Little Nine, you can train in the Bi An Stance.”
His face was full of satisfaction.
The reason he had taken nine True Disciples was precisely for the Nine Stances of Zhenwu.
Each time he accepted a disciple, he would evaluate which stance suited them. Of course, some disciples fit more than one, like Qin Yun and Ning Qi, but he ensured none of them chose the same stance.
Ning Qi asked:
“Master, what’s the significance of these Nine Stances?”
Daoist Longshan’s voice held a trace of longing:
“There is no hierarchy among the Nine Stances. It’s said that during Zhenwu’s golden age, those who excelled in the Nine Stances were called the Nine Sons of Zhenwu. If all nine reached the Heaven-Man Realm, they could even challenge a Martial Saint!”
Ning Qi’s breath caught.
He now understood what a Martial Saint was—a peerless figure who could dominate an era. Unless another Martial Saint appeared in the same age, they had no equal.
And the Nine Sons of Zhenwu had once been capable of fighting Martial Saints.
What an incredibly powerful technique.
Did that mean the Zhenwu Sect once had Martial Saint-level strength in every generation?
It was hard to imagine how such a powerful sect could ever decline and fall into ruin.
But Ning Qi suspected that the Nine Stances were just the foundation—there must be even deeper secret arts behind them.
No wonder his Eighth Senior Brother had shouted that the Nine Sons of Zhenwu were finally assembled when Master carried him up the mountain that day.
Ning Qi smiled and said solemnly:
“Please teach me the Bi An Stance, Master!”
“Very well, watch closely.”
As Daoist Longshan spoke, his expression grew serious.
He spread his legs, and his aura changed in an instant—like a wild tiger in the mountains. No, far more terrifying than a tiger!
Then he moved. His motions were slow,
but they carried a profound rhythm.
“Stance training can be both still and active. The form is secondary—the spirit is within. Breathe in rhythm, grasp the essence…”
“Visualize Bi An, exhale like thunder…”
Daoist Longshan spoke calmly and steadily.
As he demonstrated the technique, he explained each critical point.
To most, it would be dizzying to follow.
Upper-tier stance techniques laid excellent foundations, but mastering them was also extremely difficult.
Ning Qi watched intently, feeling as if the world around him peeled away.
Every move Daoist Longshan made was reflected in his pupils. He saw past the surface into the essence—how the movement affected skin and muscles, how breath rhythms stirred energy, how the spirit of Bi An arose from within… With each motion, the wonders of the Bi An Stance unfolded before him.
“This top-tier stance technique… actually seems kind of easy?” Ning Qi thought.