Seeking Dao Courtyard.
Ning Qi was circulating the Great Dream of Nine Deaths Force. He could feel that his Internal Energy had reached the verge of a qualitative transformation. For the average person, the final leap from the Ninth Fold to True Qi Force required painstaking effort and slow transformation.
But according to Ning Qi's deductions, during his final false-death state, both his physical body and Internal Energy would undergo transformation on their own.
Luo Wentian paid a visit.
He brought another batch of recently gathered medicinal ingredients, including two sets of materials for Condensed Qi Pills. These had been urgently sent over from some of the Zhenwu Sect's subordinate industries. If more were needed in the future, they would have to be accumulated slowly.
This wasn't because Luo Wentian wanted Ning Qi to refine pills, but because Ning Qi had made the request himself.
"Little Nine, alchemy is fine and all, but don't lose sight of what's important. Don't get too caught up in it."
Luo Wentian couldn't help but remind him.
He was worried that his Little Junior Brother might get obsessed with refining Condensed Qi Pills and neglect his martial cultivation. Even though he didn't know Ning Qi's current realm, it was an unspoken truth among the disciples that Ning Qi's future surpassed everyone else's.
Ning Qi smiled and nodded.
"Senior Brother, I know."
He was just trying it out in his spare time, wanting to see if he could deduce a pill formula that could accelerate Qi Origin Realm cultivation.
Cultivating in the Qi Origin Realm was a slow and steady process. Even a genius like Daoist Longshan would take ten years to break through a single stage. The Myriad Phenomena True Qi that Ning Qi created was indeed powerful, but its strength lay more in its comprehensive nature.
"As long as you're clear-headed, I won't nag you anymore."
Luo Wentian smiled and got up. He knew Ning Qi never needed anyone to worry about him, but he couldn't help saying a bit more—it was an instinctive expression of care.
"Well then, I'll get going. Master should be coming out of seclusion soon. I need to get everything ready before he does."
Ning Qi said,
"I'm about to go into seclusion for a while. If Master comes out, please let him know I can't be there to welcome him."
Luo Wentian waved and left.
Ning Qi looked at the piles of medicinal herbs and smiled knowingly.
He turned his gaze inward.
A sudden inspiration struck him.
His Internal Energy and physical body were now completely interconnected.
It was already late autumn, the cold wind howled, but it couldn't blow away the joy in Ning Qi's heart.
"Tiansheng, don't go out during this time."
Leaving a word of caution, Ning Qi strode into the house.
He took a deep breath, slightly excited. Though he had undergone eight false-deaths already, this last one was crucial. The transformation from the Ninth Fold to True Qi Force was a qualitative leap.
Adjusting his state of mind, Ning Qi gradually emptied his thoughts.
He entered a Silent State, as if sinking into a chaotic void.
…
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
His body pulsed, life essence surged from deep within, carrying a rhythm only Ning Qi himself could hear.
Internal Energy merged with life essence, beginning to undergo mysterious changes.
Above the silent and boundless Dantian space—
A first wisp of mist-like white energy appeared.
Then, strands like drizzle followed, filling the entire space.
Time flowed slowly.
More and more white mist gathered, becoming a vast haze like a foggy marsh.
Until, at a certain moment—
A faint hum echoed.
Ning Qi opened his eyes, a sense of disorientation washing over him. Even though he was used to false-death, the duration of this sleep far exceeded his expectations.
"One month."
He was a bit amazed.
He had thought this last false-death would take about the same time as the previous one, but he had underestimated the abundance of his Internal Energy and the strength of his body. The newly formed True Qi gathered like mist and rain, vast beyond imagination.
It had taken a long time to transform.
Thankfully, it was all worth it.
Ning Qi had heard his Senior Brothers describe their internal states.
Compared to himself, they didn't even come close.
"So this is the Qi Origin Realm? It really is powerful."
Ning Qi sighed in awe. With a thought, True Qi flickered at his fingertip—this power was incomparable to his previous Internal Energy.
"White Mist, Jade Liquid, and Core Formation—they're actually the three forms of True Qi."
"Qi Origin Realm cultivation is all about refining True Qi and merging it with life essence—starting from gaseous White Mist to the solid Core Formation. At that point, one can attempt 'Divine Unity with Heaven and Earth', the 'Unity of Heaven and Man', and step into the Heaven-Man Realm."
There were no secrets in Qi Origin Realm cultivation for Ning Qi.
He had even created the cultivation technique for it—the Myriad Phenomena True Qi.
He could feel that his current state was better than ever. Thoughts flowed freely, inspiration came endlessly—this was the result of a drastic rise in his life essence, which raised his comprehension limit again.
An average Qi Origin cultivator could live for four hundred years, but Ning Qi suspected his lifespan would be even more extraordinary.
He speculated that he might already be approaching the Heaven-Man Realm.
But—
What Ning Qi felt most strongly now was…
He was powerful.
He could no longer gauge his own strength.
The boundless True Qi in his body surged with such power that he felt he could obliterate his past self with ease.
"Maybe… I can try flying."
A tinge of excitement and anticipation surged in Ning Qi's heart.
Normally, martial artists could only barely fly upon reaching Core Formation, but Ning Qi's True Qi was overwhelmingly abundant and of high quality—he might be able to manage it.
Suppressing that urge, he walked outside.
White Ape had already been waiting for quite a while, eyes filled with reverence. Ever since awakening his Eyes of Truth, his perception had become incredibly sharp. That fleeting sense of terrifying pressure earlier told him just how powerful his seemingly ordinary teacher truly was.
"Has Master come out of seclusion yet?"
Ning Qi asked.
White Ape bowed respectfully.
"Master has not emerged yet."
Ning Qi hadn't formally taken him as a disciple yet, so White Ape didn't dare call Daoist Longshan 'Grandmaster'.
Ning Qi was slightly surprised.
He had assumed that in a month's time, his Master would've already come out—but apparently not.
"Looks like Master gained a lot from this seclusion."
He was a bit emotional. Normally, the longer it took to digest insights after just breaking into the Heaven-Man Realm, the greater the gains. Perhaps that battle with the Wang Clan Patriarch had given Daoist Longshan some inspiration.
"When Master comes out, I'll exchange insights with him on the Unity of Heaven and Man Secret Art. Maybe it'll help him—and I can ask him to demonstrate the Power of Heaven and Earth for me."
Ning Qi thought to himself.
At night—
Ning Qi silently left Zhenwu Mountain. His speed was fast—like a ghost.
Sensing no one nearby, a look of anticipation rose in Ning Qi's eyes.
The next moment—
The massive True Qi mist within surged, and Ning Qi's body slowly lifted off the ground.
At first it was a bit unstable, but once he got used to it, his flight became smooth and agile, moving like the wind.
Standing high in the sky, he instinctively spread his arms wide, closing his eyes to feel the night breeze brushing past him.
In his past life, he was paralyzed in bed.
In this life, he could soar through the sky.
Ning Qi's chest surged with a sense of liberation and exhilaration.
And this—was just the beginning.
He would cherish this hard-won chance and go even farther.