Caught You

True Martial Mountain.

Dao-Seeking Courtyard.

Zhuang Chen had woken up two days ago. After two days of recuperation, his external injuries had mostly healed, but the most troublesome thing was the shattered sword bone inside his body.

"Ninth Senior Brother, is there truly a way to restore my sword bones?"

Zhuang Chen's face showed a hopeful expression.

If he could, he certainly didn't want to become a cripple. He wanted to personally seek justice for his master and ask Dong He why he did what he did.

Ning Qi nodded slightly.

After several days of research, he successfully advanced the secret technique of the Innate Sword Body and also deduced a method to restore the sword bone.

However, this process may not be so pleasant.

Ning Qi asked solemnly:

"It will hurt a lot. Are you sure you don't want to wait until the injury is fully healed?"

Seeing that Zhuang Chen remained unmoved, he added:

"It will be dozens of times more painful than when the Celestial Person Ceremony explored your sword bones."

A hint of fear involuntarily flashed in Zhuang Chen's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"Ninth Senior Brother, I'm not afraid! The sooner my sword bones recover, the sooner I can start cultivating!"

He was afraid of pain, but he was even more afraid of becoming a cripple.

"Alright, it's not difficult to reassemble your sword bones. The key lies in the innate sword body secret technique I taught you before. You've already relearned the reverse energy method these past two days, but you currently have no Internal Force left, so you can only rely on mine."

"The Secret Resonance Technique can guide the revival of your sword bones, but the process is incredibly painful, even more terrifying than being slowly sliced to death. Moreover, since the power comes from me, you will be repelled by my power and suffer double the pain. Throughout the entire process, you must remain clear-headed and not succumb, otherwise you will suffer even more severe injuries."

Ning Qi gave serious instructions.

Zhuang Chen let out a long breath and finally nodded firmly:

"Come on, Ninth Senior Brother, I can do it!"

"Good."

Ning Qi didn't waste any time.

The two sat facing each other, palms touching, while the White Ape protected them.

In an instant.

Ning Qi moved. He circulated his internal Gang Qi, diluting the power within it as much as possible, and skillfully controlling it within the limit that Zhuang Chen could both withstand and be effective. Then, he channeled it into Zhuang Chen's body.

Zhuang Chen shuddered, remembering Ning Qi's instructions.

He channeled this external power, reversing the innate sword body technique.

In an instant.

The wave forms and resonates with the broken sword bone inside the body.

He felt a jolt, an indescribable pain shooting straight to his soul, like countless steel needles piercing his body, even the agony of ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart couldn't describe the agony. Zhuang Chen's eyes bulged instantly, he gritted his teeth, blood spilling from them, and he swallowed back a low growl...

Ning Qi kept a close eye on Zhuang Chen's situation.

He had described the situation as so serious, but if Zhuang Chen really couldn't hold on any longer, he could stop immediately to prevent Zhuang Chen from suffering even more.

now.

Seeing that Zhuang Chen had persevered, Ning Qi couldn't help but look at him with new respect. He had originally thought that Zhuang Chen might need a few tries to adapt, but he hadn't expected that he would persevere on the first try.

Looking at the chubby boy with gritted teeth and red eyes, Ning Qi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He recalled the time during the Celestial Person Ceremony when Zhuang Chen cried out in agony just exploring the Sword Bone, but now he gritted his teeth and endured the pain that was dozens of times greater. The changes at the Divine Sword Sect had indeed had a great impact on Zhuang Chen.

However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined.

Having survived this ordeal, if his sword bones are broken and then rebuilt, and he has forged such a tenacious will, then Zhuang Chen's future will truly be limitless.

After an incense stick has burned.

Ning Qi slowly withdrew his palms, and Zhuang Chen collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud. He gasped for breath, his body convulsing, yet his eyes still held an indescribable excitement.

"Ninth... Ninth Senior Brother, I... I think I... succeeded, right?"

Ning Qi smiled approvingly:

"This time it went smoothly, but reviving your sword bones won't be easy. I'll guide you a few more times until your sword bones have begun to recover. At that point, you'll be able to use the secret technique to restore your sword bones on your own. In a month, you might have a chance to fully recover."

Zhuang Chen clenched his fist, extremely excited.

"Thank you, Ninth Senior Brother!"

He looked at Ning Qi with immense gratitude and amazement. He had felt that Ning Qi's swordsmanship was extraordinary when they first met, and now he had only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg. He felt that his ninth senior brother was unfathomable to the extreme.

Ning Qi simply smiled and waved his hand:

"There's no need for such formalities between us, fellow disciples. Get some rest, and we'll continue tomorrow."

He had a strange feeling in his heart.

Although Zhuang Chen was technically three years older than him, a junior brother was still a junior brother, which made Ning Qi, who had always been used to the role of a junior brother, feel like a senior brother for the first time.

late at night.

Outside True Martial Mountain, a figure in black silently approached. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a beautiful and charming woman, one of the Yuan Pill Realm cultivators who had gathered earlier.

The alluring woman's face darkened; she never expected to be chosen by the lot.

"Damn Zhao Dong, I've played along with you in bed so many times, and now you want me to do this dangerous mission? You turn your back on me after you've done your job, serves you right!"

She cursed the leader in her heart.

It's supposed to be a lottery, but who knows if there's anything fishy going on?

Looking at True Martial Mountain in the distance, she felt a little scared.

She was naturally afraid of the formidable reputation of the Heavenly Sword Real Person.

Although Zhao Dong's analysis made some sense, everyone knew that the Yuan Pill Realm who went to carry out the mission were prepared to sacrifice themselves. Otherwise, they wouldn't have even prepared the Sensing Heaven Gu. Once they sensed the fluctuations of the power of heaven and earth, it would immediately collapse, and the deadly poison inside would spread, resulting in certain death.

No one would disagree; even Yuan Pill Realm is utterly powerless against the Celestial Person Realm cultivator—the gap is simply too vast.

But she dared not refuse to carry out the mission, for the consequences of refusal would be even more severe.

The only hope the alluring woman had now was that the Heavenly Sword Real Person wasn't on the mountain, or that he really wouldn't take action over such a trivial matter, as Zhao Dong had speculated. If that were the case, she might still have a sliver of hope, and even a chance to complete her mission.

If we can really bring the Innate Sword Bone back, it will be a great achievement. We can settle accounts with Zhao Dong later.

"I must make as little noise as possible, preferably take that chubby boy away silently."

The alluring woman silently donned a black mask, her entire body concealed in the night, gliding out like a snake with a somewhat eerie Movement Method.

Bypassing the various guard patrols, she headed towards the Dao-Seeking Courtyard. After investigation, they already knew that Zhuang Chen was currently staying at the residence of the ninth True Disciple of the True Martial Sect.

Ning Qi cultivated using the Great Grinding Technique of Heaven and Earth in the Scripture Pavilion.

Although the cultivation speed is not as fast now without the blessing of the Golden Jade Pill, it still needs to be accumulated step by step.

Suddenly.

He frowned, stopped cultivating, and looked in a certain direction in the distance.

"Someone has infiltrated?" Ning Qi's mind raced with various thoughts. "It seems they're heading in my direction. Is it a coincidence, or are they after Xiao Shi?"

His first thought was that the Daoist Longshan had succeeded and that a snake had indeed been lured out.

However, this cannot be completely confirmed.

Without the slightest hesitation.

As Ning Qi stepped out of the Scripture Pavilion, his entire body and appearance changed. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into an ordinary-looking young Daoist. The intruder's origins were unknown, and Ning Qi planned to capture him alive. Perhaps by changing his appearance to be younger, he could make the intruder underestimate him.

soon.

Ning Qi saw a figure in black darting through the shadows at incredible speed, his eyes scanning the area as he crept towards the Scripture Pavilion and the Dao-Seeking Courtyard.

"Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be at the Celestial Person Realm? Yuan Pill Realm?"

Ning Qi was about to make his move. He needed the other party to lower their guard and not appear too powerful, lest they commit suicide. He wanted to capture the person unexpectedly.

The alluring woman was walking through the True Martial Sect. She dodged several patrols, secretly mocking the True Martial Sect for having only a handful of people besides Real Person Dragon Mountain. In her moment of triumph, she suddenly felt a jolt in her heart and instinctively struck out with her palm to the side. Her Yuan Pill burst Gang Qi fierce energy.

A muffled thud.

The attacker was struck in the chest by her palm and rolled away into the distance, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood in mid-air. The charming woman had excellent eyesight and immediately saw the attacker's face clearly: an ordinary-looking young Daoist priest with low cultivation, only at the White Mist Realm.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, but did not let her guard down; instead, a surge of murderous intent welled up in her eyes.

She hadn't forgotten that they were currently within the True Martial Sect; if the commotion were too great and attracted others, things would be disastrous.

"We need a swift and decisive victory!"

In an instant, the alluring woman had already devised a strategy to quickly suppress the young Daoist priest before he could react, lest he shout and alert others.

The woman tapped her toes repeatedly, causing her Yuan Pill to vibrate and unleash a burst of Gang Qi, moving at an incredible speed, like lightning in the night.

She showed no mercy; everything happened in the blink of an eye. Even as the young Daoist was still coughing up blood in mid-air, she had already caught up and was determined to kill him with a single blow.

A fierce killing intent had already appeared in the alluring woman's eyes.

But immediately.

The murderous intent turned into astonishment.

She saw a pair of eyes; the young Daoist priest was looking at her, his indifference tinged with a hint of mockery.

A bad feeling rose in the alluring woman's heart, but it was too late to react. The astonishment in her eyes almost instantly turned into deep horror.

She only saw those hands gently flick, and her fierce Gang Qi was dispersed, as easily as swatting a fly—no, as easily as swatting dust.

An immense force pressed down upon her, leaving her almost powerless to resist and frozen in place, unable to even move a finger. Even the internal Gang Qi within her body was suppressed.

"How is this possible?! Why isn't the Heaven-Sensing Gu reacting at all? Isn't this person in front of me Celestial Person Realm?"

The reason why the Celestial Person Realm is far stronger than the Yuan Pill Realm is due to the blessing of the power of heaven and earth. If the power of heaven and earth were not used, the Celestial Person Realm would not be able to prevent a Yuan Pill Realm expert from committing suicide.

A horrifying thought crossed her mind, but she was already unable to move.

A hand grabbed her neck.

Ning Qi's calm voice rang out:

"Got you!"