White Ape scratched at his ears, restless.
Instinct urged him to rush inside, but he forcibly suppressed the impulse. Instead, he steadied his breathing and began practicing the Ape King Stance, using cultivation to calm his mind—though a sliver of his attention never left the closed door.
Inside the room.
Ning Qi slowly opened his eyes.
For an instant, there was confusion within them—an ancient, weathered feeling, as though he had wandered through countless cycles of time. Then clarity returned, sharp and alive.
"So this is the Great Dream Nine Deaths Art…"
"Each death of the physical body is not merely destruction—but a true passage through life and death."
His heart stirred.
The seven days that had passed felt strange to recall. There had been no darkness, no fear, no awareness of time itself. He had neither dreamed nor slept.
It felt as though he had just closed his eyes—yet awakening revealed an entire week had passed.
Ning Qi smiled faintly. The skin on his face cracked slightly, dry and withered, instantly reminding him of his current state.
But he did not panic.
With a thought, the Light of Vitality buried deep within his body trembled.
Buzz—
It was as though embers had been reignited.
A surge of terrifying vitality erupted from his limbs and bones, flooding every inch of his body. His Inner Strength followed, merging seamlessly with that vitality and drilling into flesh, marrow, and sinew.
The transformation was immediate.
His shriveled body rapidly filled out, skin regaining luster—clear and radiant, like tempered jade.
Vitality roared.
Aura surged.
Outside, White Ape abruptly halted his stance practice, staring toward the room in disbelief. Reverence and joy filled his eyes.
Moments later, the aura gradually stabilized.
Ning Qi rose from the bed, clenching his fist lightly.
Power coursed through him.
Stronger.
Denser.
More complete.
Not only had his physical body been reborn—his Inner Strength, after fully integrating with flesh and bone, had emerged again, refined far beyond before.
"Born from death… the physical body's potential is forcibly excavated."
"A full-fold increase."
Ning Qi exhaled slowly.
"This is something ordinary layered techniques could never achieve."
More importantly, his Inner Strength now carried the faintest hint of substance—despite being only at the Second Layer Realm.
"If this continues… I may not even need Inner Yuan Major Achievement to begin attributing Inner Strength."
The Great Dream Nine Deaths Art was finally revealing its true terror.
For others, strengthening Inner Strength was a slow grind—years of accumulation.
For Ning Qi, one death was enough to complete the transformation.
The cost was danger.
But the reward was time itself.
And for him, danger had never been a problem.
He pushed the door open and stepped outside.
White Ape rushed forward, joy written all over his face. His movements were becoming increasingly human—less jumping, less rolling, more control.
Ning Qi smiled.
"Just normal cultivation. There will be more times like this."
"No need to worry."
White Ape nodded repeatedly and returned to his stance practice nearby.
Ning Qi watched calmly.
White Ape's body tempering speed was terrifying—second only to his own. Given time, his strength would surely surpass many of the True Martial Nine Sons.
Ning Qi chuckled softly.
"If Third Senior Sister ever finds out the little monkey she brought back has surpassed her… that expression will be priceless."
The New Year arrived in the blink of an eye.
True Martial Sect was alive with excitement.
"It's a pity Little Eight isn't here," Song Cheng sighed. "The Nine Sons are missing one."
Silence followed briefly.
Then Ye Qinghe smiled.
"Junior Brother Eight has always been clever. He's probably gained plenty on this trip. We should worry about ourselves instead—otherwise he'll catch up and embarrass us."
Laughter broke out.
Luo Wentian waved dismissively.
"I hope all of you surpass me. Especially you, Qing Yi—wasting your talent and even dragging Little Nine out drinking."
Everyone laughed again.
Ning Qi smiled quietly.
Though he cultivated alone most of the time, his senior brothers and sisters always indulged him. Zhenwu Mountain felt… right.
Soon after, Luo Wentian bowed toward Dragon Mountain Daoist and announced loudly:
"I declare the New Year Grand Competition open!"
"Outer Sect first, then Inner Sect! Top twenty in each will be rewarded!"
The competitions unfolded swiftly.
Ning Qi watched casually, occasionally chatting, occasionally observing. To him, most of the battles felt like children playing—though a few disciples did catch his eye.
At his current level, Inner Sect disciples posed no threat.
Even among True Disciples, several would struggle against him.
Only Luo Wentian and Jiang Baishan remained uncertain—but there was no need to test that.
When the competition ended, rewards were distributed. Several True Disciples shared cultivation insights, preparing the sect for the future Heavenly Human Grand Ceremony.
Jiang Baishan slung an arm around Ning Qi's shoulder, grinning.
"Little Nine, want to spar? Senior Brother can guide you."
Curiosity flashed in the others' eyes.
They couldn't see Ning Qi's realm—but his presence was unmistakable.
Ning Qi shook his head seriously.
"No fighting. I'm not a masochist."
"Wait twenty years. Then I'll ask Senior Brother for guidance."
Laughter erupted.
Jiang Baishan clicked his tongue.
"Vicious kid. Planning revenge twenty years in advance."
Luo Wentian stepped forward, eyes alight.
"Then I'll fight Fifth Senior Brother!"
"Good!"
Battle intent surged.
The New Year celebration had only just begun