Chapter 25: Fleshly Body Perfection |
There are no years in Zhenwu Sect.
Winter passed and spring came, and then autumn flourished.
In the blink of an eye, nearly a year had passed, and Ning Qi, who was born in winter, was about to turn five.
Ning Qi had grown taller again, now slightly taller than White Ape, looking no different from a seven- or eight-year-old child.
Over the past year, Zhenwu Sect had undergone great changes.
Daoist Longshan frequently entered seclusion, seeking a chance to break through to the Heaven-Man Realm, leaving all major and minor sect affairs to his senior disciple Luo Wentian to manage, with assistance from several other disciples.
Zhenwu Sect gradually began to expand and accept new disciples; by today, there were already over a thousand disciples under its name.
There were even quite a few third-generation disciples now.
Ning Qi’s seniority had also risen another level.
However.
Ning Qi was too mysterious and low-key; many disciples had little concept of this enigmatic Ninth Martial Uncle.
Instead, they were very familiar with the White Ape under his tutelage.
White Ape, as Ning Qi’s disciple, was naturally considered a third-generation disciple of Zhenwu Sect as well.
From being extremely cautious at the beginning, to finally revealing his true nature—mischievous and lively—White Ape only took one month.
After all, he had a lively temperament, unlike Ning Qi who could endure loneliness.
From time to time, he had to go out and play, and as a result, he became well acquainted with many disciples of Zhenwu Sect.
The disciples also thoroughly got used to having such a unique third-generation disciple and were very fond of the mischievous White Ape.
Ning Qi let him be.
He would not force everyone to be like him.
For him, comprehending the Dao and cultivating was the ultimate pleasure, but it might not be the same for others.
However.
It wasn't that White Ape didn't strive for improvement; it was simply his nature.
In fact.
White Ape was more diligent than most people.
About half a year ago.
Ning Qi, drawing on human stance training, extracted the ape image from the Origin of All Phenomena Stance to create a cultivation method for White Ape.
Having the experience of creating the Origin of All Phenomena Stance, Ning Qi’s foundation in martial arts improved significantly.
Without much difficulty, he created the Ape King Stance suitable for White Ape’s cultivation.
Since then.
White Ape formally embarked on the path of cultivation.
With a White Ape body cultivating the Ape King Stance, he had an innate advantage, naturally able to comprehend the divine intent of the Ape King.
Adding to his own intelligence, his cultivation speed was incredibly fast—though not as fast as Ning Qi’s, it surpassed even the most outstanding human prodigies.
Ning Qi was surprised and observed carefully.
He found that perhaps beasts’ physical bodies were inherently stronger than humans’, making body tempering much easier.
Maybe that mysterious Red Fruit played a role too.
But either way.
Ning Qi gave White Ape strict orders: without permission, he must not reveal that he had begun cultivating martial arts, otherwise he would be expelled.
Ning Qi feared that if White Ape’s uniqueness was exposed, powerful exotic beasts might come upon hearing the news.
White Ape obediently agreed.
Thus, until now, no one in Zhenwu Sect besides Ning Qi knew that White Ape had already started practicing martial arts—and had even reached a considerable level.
But the changes in Zhenwu Sect and White Ape were secondary.
The real, greatest change.
Was Ning Qi himself.
In the Dao Seeking Courtyard.
Ning Qi was practicing stance techniques.
His fists and kicks were slow and gentle, carrying a special charm.
But this wasn’t real cultivation; it was just the instinctive practice he had built over nearly two years.
Reflecting on his cultivation over the past year, Ning Qi felt a slight sense of awe.
Since creating the Origin of All Phenomena Stance.
It took only two months.
He achieved Flesh Refinement Perfection.
His internal organs became robust, ceaselessly self-renewing; on the battlefield, he could fight a thousand soldiers before tiring.
After another three months.
He achieved Bone Marrow Refinement Perfection.
His marrow became like mercury, his strength sublimated, his movements agile like a fleeing rabbit.
After another three months.
He achieved Blood Refinement Perfection.
His vital energy and blood unified, his body flowing smoothly, completely unhindered.
Finally, two months later.
Just seven days ago.
Ning Qi had crossed the final threshold of body tempering—Spirit Refinement.
This realm was the hardest.
It required using the ‘Qi’ of stance training to simply temper the skull, thereby awakening one’s ‘Spirit.’
But for Ning Qi, it was not difficult.
With his extraordinary comprehension, mastering the divine intent of the stance techniques greatly aided Spirit Refinement.
Moreover, the types of divine intents he grasped far exceeded what others could achieve.
Thus, this took even less time than the previous two stages.
“Now, I have achieved Spirit Refinement Perfection, my thoughts are clear, my mind flows freely; ordinary martial artists at this stage will also experience an awakening of wisdom.”
“But for me, it’s more than that.”
“With the Spirit overseeing everything, my inner and outer self are fully integrated. My body has now reached a flawless, perfect state without any leaks or defects. I can live two full cycles—one hundred and twenty years—my vitality greatly enhanced, and my comprehension has also strengthened again!”
Joy flashed in Ning Qi’s eyes.
He pursued the path of immortality.
Although living two cycles was only a slight improvement, it still delighted him—he was moving step by step on the Great Dao.
Moreover.
His full-level comprehension would continue to improve as his life essence strengthened, always staying at its peak.
This was his foundation.
In the future, if he could elevate his life essence to match heaven and earth, comprehending ten thousand Daos with a single thought would be effortless.
Of course.
It wasn’t just a matter of lifespan improvement.
Ning Qi’s combat strength had also become astonishing.
With the Origin of All Phenomena Stance, he had forged an unmatched foundation.
Now that his body was perfected, a casual flex of his arms could unleash a hundred thousand jin of force.
And in terms of killing techniques, Ning Qi had studied them somewhat.
Ordinary people couldn’t even hope to catch up to him; even a casual strike would likely make prodigies ashamed of their inferiority.
Especially the Myriad Phenomena Fist he later created to complement the Origin of All Phenomena Stance—it was even stronger.
Ning Qi rarely fought others.
But he believed that even Inner Origin Realm cultivators might not all be his match.
It was unimaginable.
This was just a not-yet-five-year-old child.
Practically a humanoid beast.
“But the Inner Origin Realm cannot be underestimated either. Inner Qi is an incredibly powerful force—though it can’t burst out to cut mountains and rivers like Qi Origin Force, it greatly amplifies the human body. With nine layers of stacking force, the later it gets, the stronger it becomes.”
Ning Qi did not become arrogant or complacent.
Although he had achieved certain accomplishments now.
He was still far from being invincible under heaven.
“Now that my body has reached perfection, the next step is to use the ‘Spirit’ to stimulate the body, giving birth to Inner Qi, and then stepping into the Inner Origin Realm.”
For ordinary people, this threshold was also extremely difficult to cross.
Some might be stuck there for life, growing old, their bodies withering, unable to extend their lives.
But for Ning Qi.
It was merely a matter of course.
His foundation was too solid, and it was foreseeable that the Inner Qi he would give birth to would also be extremely powerful.
“Two months should be enough.”
Ning Qi silently calculated.
His eyes carried a bit of expectation.
By then, he would just be five years old—and ready to step into the Inner Origin Realm, extending his lifespan to two hundred years—another leap in life.
“This period is perfect for contemplating the path of Inner Origin Realm cultivation and preparing in advance.”
“But before that, there’s one more thing that needs to be resolved.”
Ning Qi called out to the White Ape beside him.
“Tiansheng, it’s time for us to go.”
White Ape, dressed in a gray Daoist robe, looked almost no different from a human.
He paused his practice of the Ape King Stance and quickly followed.
Today.
Was the ten-year appointment between the Divine Sword Elder and Daoist Longshan.