Chapter 10: A Chance for Revival |
As Daoist Longshan slowly explained, countless flashes of insight surged through Ning Qi’s mind. So this is what it means to comprehend a hundred truths in a single thought. Even the inspirations he had previously pondered on his own integrated into the moment.
Only after touching upon the Martial Path did he truly understand what it all meant. Compared to creating it out of thin air, this was far, far easier.
But that was only true for Ning Qi.
At this moment, Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi were both staring in awe and reverence.
They had each specialized in one stance, with some dabbling in others, but none as proficiently as their main stance technique. Only someone like Daoist Longshan, a top-tier expert near the Heaven-Man Realm, could stand above the rest and strike at the essence of all the stance techniques.
“Master might be close to reaching the Heaven-Man Realm.”
Both disciples were full of admiration.
Daoist Longshan slowly came to a stop, and said in a rare, serious tone:
“Ning Qi, did you understand it?”
“Yes, Master, I understand.”
Daoist Longshan stood expressionless to the side.
“Give it a try.”
Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi exchanged a glance, both seeing the amused look in each other’s eyes.
They remembered when they had first encountered the stance technique—so full of confidence, thinking they had already understood it all.
But stance techniques specialize in humbling the arrogant.
Even a low-grade stance technique required coordination with breathing methods, with every move containing subtle intricacies. Just copying the motions was meaningless.
And as for a high-grade technique like the Nine Zhenwu Stances—one had to gradually comprehend the divine essence of the stances to make progress.
Back then, which of them hadn’t been humbled by Master in the same way? Even the most gifted, Qin Yun, had only fared slightly better.
They knew their Master wanted to temper their junior brother’s pride, to show him that cultivating martial arts was no easy task.
“Little Junior Brother may be clever, but even he has to bow before a high-grade stance technique.”
There’s a good show coming.
Ning Qi, of course, had no idea what Daoist Longshan was thinking.
He recalled every movement Master had just demonstrated, and his understanding deepened.
“Please guide me, Master.”
As Ning Qi finished speaking, he spread his legs, and his momentum shifted.
Before Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi could react, Daoist Longshan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“This is... the starting form?!”
He had deliberately not mentioned this key detail, and yet Ning Qi had figured it out on his own?
Before he could think further—
Ning Qi had already begun moving.
He exhaled sharply, his expression solemn, starting with the first form—“Bi’an Sits on the Mountain.” Though still a bit stiff, there were no mistakes at all, whether externally or internally.
The Bi’an resembled a tiger but was even more majestic and fierce.
At this moment, Ning Qi was like a young Bi’an, moving with power and control.
In the practice field, the sound of fists and feet cutting through the air could be heard. White mist began to rise from Ning Qi’s body—it was sweat evaporating. His skin turned red like a prawn, the exposed membrane pulsing, clearly beginning the body tempering process.
This was the first stage—refining the skin.
Daoist Longshan hadn’t even begun explaining how to use stance techniques to temper the body, and yet Ning Qi had already figured it out on his own.
He knew the first stage was skin refinement, so he guided the Qi generated from the stance through his skin membranes. This came easily to him, thanks to his previous experience with the Innate Fetal Breath Technique and the Innate Bone-Nourishing Technique, both of which involved manipulating Qi.
Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi stared with wide eyes, dumbfounded.
They had crossed their arms, ready to watch their junior brother make a fool of himself.
Who would’ve thought—
It was a show.
But not the kind they expected!
The two of them were utterly shocked.
After just a few rounds, Ning Qi had fully performed the stance and even entered the skin refinement stage—what kind of monster was this?!
Back when they... never mind, best not to say it.
Compared to Ning Qi, they felt like their so-called “talent” was a joke.
If they didn’t know their Master’s character, they would’ve suspected that he had given Little Junior Brother some private tutoring ahead of time.
They stole a glance at Daoist Longshan.
Daoist Longshan’s face remained expressionless, but Luo Wentian, who knew him well, could tell that his Master wasn’t calm at all—wasn’t that beard trembling slightly?
In truth—
Daoist Longshan wasn’t calm.
He was a genius himself, and his disciples were also geniuses. After living more than eighty years, what kind of talent hadn’t he seen?
But someone like Ning Qi—this was a first.
Just by watching him demonstrate the stance a few times, Ning Qi had grasped all the key elements, even applying the unspoken details. Now he was even refining his skin without being taught.
If this wasn’t monstrous, what was?
Daoist Longshan suddenly had a thought—if Ning Qi had been the one to receive the Zhenwu inheritance back then, he’d probably have reached the Heaven-Man Realm long ago. Maybe even... the Martial Saint Realm wasn’t out of reach!
His heart surged with excitement.
He hadn’t expected that this Little Disciple he took in by coincidence would bring him such a huge surprise.
The three of them were all stunned.
But Ning Qi was fully immersed in his own world.
Every time he practiced the Bi’an Stance, he gained something. Countless flashes of insight burst in his mind, making this deeply addictive.
Personal practice was far more profound than mere observation.
“So this is the world of martial arts—refining the skin?”
He could feel the changes within his body.
At the same time, he marveled at the wisdom of those before him.
Generation after generation had refined and passed down this martial path, raising human potential to incredible levels.
If it had been up to him, it would’ve taken years to develop such a system.
Better to stand on the shoulders of giants—no need to waste time reinventing the wheel.
But comprehension alone wasn’t enough—the body had to follow through with practice.
Fortunately, the Innate Bone-Nourishing Technique had already given him a solid foundation.
The first round was a bit stiff.
By the second, he was fluent.
By the third, he moved with grace and ease.
After two more rounds, he was already touching upon the Bi’an’s divine essence.
Daoist Longshan and the other two were completely silent now, even breathing carefully, dumbstruck.
Ning Qi was invigorated, but he stopped at the right moment.
He didn’t want to scare his Master and senior brothers too much.
He felt that if he practiced a few more times, understanding the divine essence of the Bi’an wouldn’t be a problem—but he’d rather do that in private.
He didn’t know how far others had progressed, but he had plenty of confidence in himself.
“Master.”
Ning Qi stopped and respectfully waited for guidance.
Daoist Longshan’s body trembled, and a faint smile appeared on his face:
“Well done. You’re already better than your useless senior brothers and sisters.”
Luo Wentian and Xiong Shi staggered and covered their faces in shame.
They definitely didn’t deserve that praise.
Daoist Longshan wanted to nitpick a few faults, but after thinking it over, he couldn’t find any. His teeth ached a little—having such a freakish disciple wasn’t exactly easy either.
So he targeted Ning Qi’s knowledge gaps instead.
“Hmm... keep practicing the stance technique. Start your body tempering. Oh, and after refining the body, you’ll need medicinal baths. They help speed up the transformation. You must train diligently every day, but not too forcefully—don’t exhaust your core vitality.”
“Understood, Master.”
Ning Qi bowed respectfully.
Daoist Longshan slowly nodded, already looking forward to how soon this Little Disciple could complete body tempering.
Maybe—within five years!
And at that point, Ning Qi would still only be eight years old.
An eight-year-old in the Inner Origin Realm—just imagining it made Daoist Longshan feel like he was dreaming.
Most kids only start body tempering at eight.
The Zhenwu Sect—finally had a real hope for revival!
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