The topic of Dao partners was quickly brushed over, especially since Ning Qi and Zhuang Chen, the two 'little Daoists,' were present.
The second disciple, Xiong Shi, brought up another matter:
"Senior Brother, when is the next Daoist Sect Ranking? How's the preparation going?"
Everyone turned their gaze toward him.
Although the Zhenwu Sect had recently received a Daoist Sect Plaque from the Great Yan imperial court, true recognition as one of the top sects in the world required being listed in the official Daoist Sect Rankings.
Only nine sects were selected as the top Daoist sects in the realm.
Countless sects had their eyes on these spots. Generations of effort were poured into this goal, and the Zhenwu Sect was no exception.
But it was difficult—even getting into the ninth spot required immense heritage.
While the Zhenwu Sect now had enough top-tier combat power with the Heavenly Sword Elder, it was still lacking in heritage. After all, it had only been established for a few decades. To join the rankings, they'd have to find ways to make up for that deficiency. Those already in the rankings wouldn't step down without resistance—there would definitely be friction.
In truth,
very few top sects had been pushed out over the years.
Luo Wentian said:
"The exact date hasn't been finalized. It depends on the nine sects currently in the rankings. With our current foundation, the Zhenwu Sect can compete, but it's only a try. After the Zhenwu Peach Festival, I'll go to Daozhou and speak with the Zhenxuan Sect to get a sense of the situation."
Everyone raised their cups to toast Luo Wentian.
Over the years, Luo Wentian had sacrificed a lot for the Zhenwu Sect's growth. Daoist Longshan had recently been discussing passing the leadership to him, but Luo Wentian was still hesitant, worried that his cultivation wasn't high enough and that he might tarnish the Zhenwu Sect's reputation.
Still, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Luo Wentian took over.
He was the most qualified of them all.
Ning Qi was also aware of this. He had even considered ways to help Luo Wentian break through faster, but the martial path had few shortcuts. All he could do was help make Luo Wentian's cultivation smoother and more efficient, though a major breakthrough in the short term wasn't likely.
At the mention of the Zhenxuan Sect,
Ning Qi's mind stirred—he thought again of that old Daoist, Baishan.
He chuckled and said:
"Senior Brother, if you go to the Zhenxuan Sect, check in on Daoist Baishan for me. Is he getting close to the Heaven and Human Realm?"
Everyone laughed. They'd all heard the rumors of the shameless old Daoist Baishan pestering the little junior brother on Zhenwu Mountain. Upon hearing that name, the white ape rolled his eyes. He was still bitter about the old Daoist trying to steal him away.
The group moved on to discuss the various preparations needed for the Daoist Sect Rankings.
Naturally, the Heavenly Sword Elder came up in conversation.
The fourth disciple, He Yan, suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up:
"If we calculate the timing, the Great Yan's Heaven and Human Ranking, which updates every three years, should be due soon. If the Heavenly Sword Elder can make the list, our chances at the rankings will increase a lot."
Everyone's spirits lifted.
"That's true. Let's hope the Heavenly Sword Elder gets listed."
The Heaven and Human Ranking of the Great Yan Empire only listed thirty-six individuals.
Sometimes the difference between thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh or thirty-eighth wasn't much in terms of power—but the world only remembered those on the list. The difference in fame was huge.
Ning Qi smiled, but inwardly he was a bit helpless.
If possible, he'd actually prefer not to be on the Heaven and Human Ranking. It would only invite unnecessary trouble. But this wasn't something he could decide.
Everyone waited eagerly for the ranking update.
During this time, Zhuang Chen also expressed his admiration for the Heavenly Sword Elder, even boldly declaring that he wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a peerless sword master.
The others all smiled and nodded.
Zhuang Chen's talent was clear to everyone—especially in the way of the sword.
He spontaneously demonstrated a sword technique with remarkable intuition. Though it was a common form, he gave it an indescribable grace. At such a young age, he already carried the air of a master. Even Luo Wentian and the others were impressed, praising his natural sword bones as extraordinary.
Ning Qi chuckled softly.
If Zhuang Chen stayed persistent, reaching the Heaven and Human Realm would be as natural as flowing water. With his talent, even becoming a Sword Saint one day wasn't out of reach—especially after his sword bones were reforged and rebuilt.
Good times always passed quickly.
The senior brothers didn't part ways until late at night.
Ning Qi walked them out, pointing to the young Dao Comprehension Tea Tree seedling, which had grown up to his calf.
"If all goes well next year, we might finally taste some Dao Comprehension Tea."
Everyone's eyes lit up with anticipation.
"Don't worry, Little Nine! For your cup of Dao Comprehension Tea, we'll definitely find more Martial Saint lore!" They patted their chests and made eager promises.
Ye Qinghe added:
"I'll head to that small town again and see if I can dig up more from that blind old man."
Ning Qi didn't stop her. He couldn't exactly tell her he had already been there and that the old man might've passed away.
He just smiled and nodded.
Zhuang Chen listened and quietly made a mental note: if he ever got any useful information, he'd tell Ning Qi right away. He never forgot how good Ning Qi had been to him.
As he watched them leave, a smile curled on Ning Qi's lips. His heart was calm—being with his senior brothers and sisters always brought him peace.
The lingering effects of all the recent bloodshed had completely faded away.
…
After the Zhenwu Peach Festival,
the personal disciples took turns leaving the mountain for training. It had become a habit by now—especially Jiang Baishan, who practically rushed off and was teased heavily for it.
Ning Qi's life returned to its old rhythm.
He trained steadily, read scriptures, and watered the Dao Comprehension Tea Tree in his spare time. Watching the seedlings grow day by day had its own kind of charm.
This process also gave Ning Qi a lot of inspiration.
Currently,
most of his energy was focused on creating a secret art for forming a Qi Avatar.
Ever since breaking into the Jade Liquid Realm and sensing increased sentience in his Qi, Ning Qi had been nurturing the idea. In fact, the Qi Avatars he could now form were already quite powerful.
At this moment,
he pointed a finger, and Qi surged out of him. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into a ferocious Thunder Tiger with wings sprouting from its ribs. Lightning crackled over its body, and its wings were sharp like blades. It looked just like a real Thunder Tiger King—though not quite as agile.
No matter how sentient Qi became, it still had limits.
For combat, this was plenty.
But Ning Qi wasn't satisfied.
"There are too many forces watching Zhenwu Mountain—both the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance are colossal powers. Even if they spare only a fraction of attention on us, we need to stay vigilant. The Heavenly Sword Elder hiding in the shadows will eventually be forced to appear."
"Though I can disguise myself and take his place, it's not foolproof. If a situation ever calls for both 'me' and the 'Heavenly Sword Elder' to show up, the game's up."
Ning Qi was clear-headed.
He Yan's recent reminder that the Heaven and Human Ranking was updating soon only reinforced this point. If the Heavenly Sword Elder made the list, it could stir up even more trouble.
"If my Qi Avatars only mimic beasts, that's fine. But to create a human-shaped version that can pass as real for a while—that's another story."
Ideas surged through Ning Qi's mind like a rushing river.
He pointed again. The surface of his Jade Liquid Sea collapsed halfway.
An incredible torrent of Qi condensed in the air, stretched and reshaped into a humanoid figure, forming facial features and other human traits. With Ning Qi's mastery of Bone-Shifting and Body-Morphing Techniques, this wasn't difficult. He could even simulate human skin and bones with Qi.
Staring at the old man in Daoist robes—immortal-looking and serene—Ning Qi fell into thought.
The figure's eyes were emotionless, devoid of spirit. The appearance was there, but a real fight would cause it to fall apart.
"Maybe it's missing a core."
Ning Qi's eyes brightened.
Controlling the Qi, he formed a 'Core Pellet' inside the figure. Thanks to his past experience with the Virtual Sword Core Dissolution Method, this step came easily.
As he refined it further,
he could clearly feel the Avatar become more solid and stable.
"Still feels slightly off, but not a big issue. If I stabilize the Qi with the Azure Profound Bodyguard Technique, it'll both defend the form and prevent collapse!"
Sitting beside the Dao Comprehension Tea Tree,
more flashes of inspiration bloomed in Ning Qi's mind.
All the secret techniques he had created before floated up from memory, each offering pieces of the puzzle. Scriptures he had studied added more insight. He constantly tweaked and refined the Qi Avatar. Its aura became stronger, more stable.
"With the Qi's sentience as the foundation, Bone-Shifting Techniques as the form, the Virtual Sword Core Method as the heart, and the Azure Profound Bodyguard as the anchor—this Formless Steel Body is complete!"
Joy filled Ning Qi's heart.
A white-haired old man in Daoist robes now sat across from him, silent. From afar, anyone might've thought someone was playing chess with Ning Qi.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist!" Ning Qi laughed and saluted.
But the old man didn't speak, his gaze utterly blank.
Ning Qi didn't mind. He hadn't expected a response.
This was a Qi Avatar—just Qi shaped into form. It had no true sentience. That little greeting was just for fun.
"From what I just tested, the Formless Steel Body needs at least twenty percent of my Qi to form. At most, it can take up to eighty percent, with strength varying accordingly. But even the minimum is more than what most martial artists could ever handle."
No doubt about it.
This was another secret art only Ning Qi could use. No one else had such overwhelming Qi—not even those in the Core Pellet Realm.
Ning Qi waved his hand lightly.
The Qi Avatar shot off into the distance like a lightning bolt. Ning Qi tracked its status through the Qi connection. He could even remotely control it to use Heavenly Sword Techniques and other secret arts—just from within the Seeking Dao Pavilion.
That was the wonder of the Qi Avatar—it could share the same elemental force Ning Qi used.
Moments later,
the Avatar returned, and Ning Qi had his answer.
"If the Avatar gets more than ten li away, it's hard to control and collapses. Best range is within five li."
He smiled and dismissed the Avatar.
While it didn't match his full power, spending more Qi could grant it most of his strength. That was good enough for now.
If he ever truly faced death, he wouldn't care about keeping secrets—he'd fight himself.
With this problem solved, Ning Qi exhaled, satisfied. He lay back on his rattan chair and happily flipped open another scripture.
…
Time passed.
Summer's heat rolled in. Ning Qi had already consumed his third Blood Jade Pill, and his strength had grown substantially again.
With both the Blood Jade Pill and the Heaven-Earth Grindstone Qi-Refining Method, his progress was lightning-fast. His Jade Liquid Sea expanded constantly, becoming deeper and denser. Once it reached its peak, he'd begin forming his Core Pellet.
Even Ning Qi couldn't help but feel excited—once he stepped into the Core Pellet Realm, there would be few in the Heaven and Human Realm who could rival him.
Aside from cultivating, Ning Qi also monitored the movements of Blood Rain Tower and similar organizations. Some low-level agents had escaped before, but he hadn't wiped them all out to avoid exposing himself. Keeping them alive helped him track the Southern Alliance's activity.
But something puzzled him.
Months passed without any sign of the Southern Alliance moving.
He wasn't sure if they hadn't discovered the deaths of Fat and Skinny Elders—or if they had, but were just lying low for now.
All Ning Qi could do was remind Daoist Longshan to stay alert. The rest would have to unfold naturally. Actively investigating could expose him—it might be exactly what the enemy was waiting for.
Staying still was the better move for now. Just keeping their guard up would suffice.
Speaking of Daoist Longshan,
he had been quite busy lately.
Not with his own cultivation—progress in the Heaven and Human Realm was slow, even for someone as gifted as Daoist Longshan.
He'd been busy teaching Zhuang Chen.
Now, he finally understood the joy of training a genius—grasping lessons instantly, able to extrapolate concepts easily. That kind of satisfaction was unmatched. Even better, he still got to maintain the authority of a teacher. It made him feel great.
It reminded him of teaching Ning Qi years ago.
A nightmare, really.
Back then, Ning Qi had overwhelmed him with questions, draining his energy in just a few short days. In the end, he could only retreat to logistical support.
Ning Qi wasn't just a genius—he was a monster.
A disciple with too little talent could drive a teacher mad. But too much talent wasn't much better—it robbed you of any sense of achievement. Zhuang Chen was just the right balance.
Ning Qi had visited once and couldn't help but smile when he saw his master so fired up.
He knew his master had been holding back for years. Now that he had a bright new disciple, he naturally wanted to give everything he had.
Life on Zhenwu Mountain was peaceful and pleasant.
If possible, Ning Qi wished it could stay that way until he became unrivaled in the world.
But unfortunately, things never went as one hoped.
Fourth disciple He Yan rushed back to Zhenwu Mountain overnight with earth-shattering news.
The Great Yan's Heaven and Human Ranking had been updated!