The Martial Saint's Twilight Years Were Ominous; the Blood Jade Pill Was Refined (Two-in-One Extended Chapter)

In a small town.

Ning Qi strolled through the area. He was now an ordinary young man, but after everything was settled, he had a rare moment to savor the everyday life, which gave him a few different feelings.

Having avenged the massacre of his State of Mind, his mind became much more peaceful and tranquil.

He wasn't in a hurry to go to the True Martial Underground Palace that the Daoist Longshan had discovered back then. He had used the Virtual Sword Pill Disintegration Technique to quickly deal with the Thin Elder, which still had some impact on his physical body. Although the side effects of this explosive growth technique were small, they were not without them.

Ning Qi planned to spend two or three days adjusting his state and condensing another virtual sword core.

This gives us the confidence to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

The cries of street vendors occasionally reached Ning Qi's ears, and he also overheard many martial artists' private conversations or stories, including many mentions of "treasures" and "secret realms."

But he wasn't interested in learning more about it.

For him, focusing his energy on these things would be a waste of time.

This was the first time he had traveled such a long distance down the mountain alone, which gave him a deeper understanding of the Great Flame Dynasty.

Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.

Ning Qi's previous understanding of the Great Flame came from books or other people's accounts, which was never as good as seeing it with his own eyes.

"In this era Great Flame Dynasty reigns supreme in the Central Region, occupying fertile lands. Below it are thirteen states, with Yan State as the center. Below the thirteen states are prefectures, counties, and districts, governed in a hierarchical manner. It is truly not easy to control such a vast land."

"Looking at it now, although the people of the Great Flame are not as civilized as in the previous life, they can be considered to be living in peace and contentment. The chaotic situation in recent years has affected them, but it is still within a controllable range."

Ning Qi could see.

When martial artists fight, they try to minimize the impact on ordinary people. This is inseparable from the powerful deterrent effect of the Great Flame on martial artists; no one dares to provoke the tiger.

To some extent, the Great Flame was a prosperous era that lasted for quite a long time.

Unfortunately, this situation may not last much longer.

"The Great Flame occupies the Central Region. To the east lies the boundless sea, to the west the barren desert, to the south the Ten Thousand Mountains, and to the north the grasslands inhabited by barbarian tribes. Currently, the Demon Sect within its borders are stirring, and an alliance has formed in the Southern Frontier to keep an eye on things. As for the remaining northern barbarians on the grasslands, although they have been suppressed by the King of Zhenbei, their specific situation is unknown."

"If it erupts, the Great Flame will likely be attacked from both sides."

Ning Qi listened intently to the storyteller's exaggerated tales.

As his cultivation deepened, especially after experiencing several battles Celestial Person, he gradually gained an understanding of the rules governing this world.

"The Martial Saint is an existence that suppresses heaven and earth. Apart from the Great Flame, which openly has Martial Saint, the other factions are unaware of it, but they must all have some means to contend with the Martial Saint."

"Besides the Martial Saint, there are those at the Celestial Person Realm, but the destructive power of the Celestial Person is already quite strong, so they rarely take action, only appearing during intense conflicts like those before."

"As for those below the Celestial Person Realm, they are the main force in ordinary times. Focusing on the prefectures, counties, and districts, these are the true main force."

"I wonder when... things will really get chaotic."

Ning Qi pondered.

After learning about the Blood Emperor Gu, he felt more and more that undercurrents were surging.

Ning Qi left the storytelling alleyway quietly, unnoticed by anyone.

Three days later.

Ning Qi condensed another virtual sword core. Looking at the sword core, which was several times stronger than before, he smiled slightly. After using it once, he corrected a minor flaw, making the method even more perfect.

Ning Qi left the small town and headed towards the True Martial Palace, which was closer.

In the midst of towering mountains and deep valleys.

This is a relatively remote mountain range in Qingzhou.

Ning Qi arrived, stepping through the air.

He slowly descended, his senses constantly expanding outwards, landing in a mountain stream where there were traces left by the Daoist Longshan, which only True Martial disciples could recognize.

"Is this the place where Master discovered the True Martial Palace?"

When Daoist Longshan was young, he accidentally entered the True Martial Palace and obtained part of the True Martial Inheritance, which led to the establishment of the True Martial Sect.

If it were a complete Inheritance, there would likely be records about the realm of Martial Saint.

Although Ning Qi's cultivation level is still far from that of Martial Saint, his combat strength is gradually approaching that level, and he is slowly preparing for his future path.

"My master once said that after several searches, he had not found any trace of the True Martial Palace. He even asked a friend who was skilled in Qimen Dunjia Formation to check, and there were no Formation to conceal the place."

Ning Qi's mind was racing with various thoughts, and his senses had already permeated the surroundings.

He was also skilled in various miscellaneous subjects. He often studied martial arts when he couldn't practice them before, and he didn't give up in the years that followed. He believed that there was no one in the world who could surpass him in these fields.

But soon...

Ning Qi frowned slightly.

There was indeed no Formation to conceal them.

He was very confident in his esoteric skills; it was impossible for a real Formation to exist without leaving a trace for him.

But he also didn't sense any trace of the underground palace. Doesn't that mean the underground palace "left" decades ago?

"Let's go down and take a look!"

Ning Qi's interest grew even stronger; at least one possibility had been ruled out, meaning they hadn't come away empty-handed.

There are several possibilities as to how True Martial Palace was left behind.

His body's Jade Liquid Sea trembled as he activated the Innate Sword Body Secret Technique. In an instant, wisps of sword energy appeared and crisscrossed around Ning Qi. As Ning Qi revived Zhuang Chen's sword bones, this secret technique became even more perfect.

The sword energy, light and sharp, pierced through a passage in the blink of an eye.

Ning Qi stepped inside.

Go underground.

The underground world was nothing special; it was just soil everywhere, which surprised Ning Qi even more. He had previously thought there would at least be an open space, since the True Martial Palace had actually existed here, but there wasn't.

Ning Qi carefully sensed it, but found nothing unusual.

But suddenly...

His eyes lit up.

Finally, something seemed amiss.

As he walked further out, he could feel that the soil outside was harder, with very little difference between the two. Moreover, at a distance of a thousand meters underground, almost no one except Ning Qi could detect it.

Ning Qi followed the changes in soil hardness, but the trail ended a hundred miles away.

This means that before True Martial Palace left and burrowed underground, it disappeared a hundred miles away by some unknown means.

"This... could it be that the True Martial Palace is inhabited by living beings that can walk freely? My master left after receiving part of the Inheritance."

He couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

"Is it some kind of enormous Mutant Beast, or some kind of mechanism?"

Ning Qi emerged from underground.

It has been confirmed that they have left the True Martial Palace, and staying there any longer will not help.

He knew that this trip was now over.

But it wasn't without its gains.

"Whether the True Martial Underground Palace is a trap, Mutant Beast, or something else, since it appeared decades ago, it will surely appear again in the future, perhaps following a certain pattern."

"My master only received a portion of the True Martial Inheritance back then, perhaps because he lacked the talent. If the underground palace reappears, I should be able to obtain the entire Inheritance."

Ning Qi planned to return to the mountain and inquire about the circumstances of that year in detail, hoping to find a pattern in the appearance of the underground palace.

Perhaps Daoist Longshan was not the first person to receive the True Martial Inheritance; it's just that the others had already perished.

Ning Qi erased many traces.

Then he stepped into the air and disappeared.

He didn't dwell on it any longer. Since he couldn't find it here, he would go to the next place, figuring it was just a matter of luck anyway.

Ye Qinghe had mentioned this to him before when she went down the mountain to train.

In a small town, I overheard a blind old man recounting a legend about Martial Saint.

The next morning.

Ning Qi slowly walked into the town.

He had asked Ye Qinghe in detail before, and the blind old man in this town was a storyteller.

Ning Qi asked for directions and immediately received a warm reply:

"You mean Mr. Sun? He's in the east of the city; you'll see him when you get there."

Ning Qi smiled and nodded his thanks, then slowly walked eastward. There was nothing special about this town, except that the residents were very friendly, more so than people in other places.

"The hometown of the Martial Saint? I wonder if it's true or not."

With this thought in mind, Ning Qi stopped outside a wooden shed.

The wooden shed was packed with people inside and out.

It was very lively.

A loud shout came from inside:

"Old Li, can you play another one? I haven't had enough today!"

"Please, sir, just one more time. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well tonight."

How about telling me the story of the Martial Saint who slayed the heavens?

Ning Qi's spirits lifted as he listened from outside. The title "Slaying Heaven Martial Saint Martial Saint" was the same title Ye Qinghe had mentioned earlier.

An aged voice came from inside.

Everyone held their breath.

They listened with rapt attention, and exclamations and murmurs of surprise could be heard from time to time.

But Ning Qi's gaze gradually turned strange.

"Severing nine celestial veins to save all living beings? Chasing the great sun, ultimately punished by divine lightning?"

Even though Ning Qi hadn't yet reached the Martial Saint realm, he knew it was impossible. This was clearly an exaggeration by the old man, but the people loved to hear such things.

No wonder Ye Qinghe didn't mention this.

But Ning Qi listened attentively, hoping to glean some useful information.

soon.

With the sound of the gavel striking the floor, the crowd left their tips and departed, still feeling unsatisfied.

Ning Qi looked at the blind old man who was tidying up his things with his head down.

His eyes widened in surprise.

This old man was no ordinary person; he possessed considerable cultivation.

The old man raised his head and smiled:

"Young man, you must be from out of town. Today's storytelling is over. Come back tomorrow."

Ning Qi laughed:

"You are blind, how could you know I am a young man, let alone that I am from out of town?"

Although he does indeed appear to be a young man now.

"Although I'm blind, after being blind for so long, I can still sense things that normal people can't see. You're not as decayed as an old man like me. As for how I knew you were from out of town?"

The blind old man laughed.

"The locals won't stand here watching this blind old man pack up his stall."

Ning Qi smiled and placed a handful of copper coins on the ground, saying:

"I really enjoyed hearing your story about the Martial Saint who slew the heavens."

The old man waved his hand and said:

"You're not the only one who likes it; many people do. If you'd like to hear it again, come back tomorrow."

Ning Qi clasped his hands in a fist salute and left.

The old man looked up at the direction Ning Qi had left in and shook his head slightly.

The next day.

Ning Qi is here again.

During this time, the blind old man told another story about the Martial Saint who slew the heavens, but it was still outrageous and exaggerated, and everyone listened with great interest.

In the end.

Ning Qi smiled and greeted the blind old man before leaving.

He plans to stay here for a while.

I'll take this opportunity to study the Blood King Gu.

Having the experience of creating the Pill Formula before, this time it will save a lot of time. The main thing is to compare the differences in medicinal properties between the relic and the Blood King Gu. At that time, with the help of the Night-Shining Pearl, it is possible to create a pill with even stronger medicinal properties than the Golden Jade Pill.

After all, the Blood King Gu has even more energy than the relic.

Day three.

Day four.

Ning Qi went to listen to the storytelling every day, and many people gradually became familiar with this frequent visitor from out of town.

"Little Liu, you're here again!" someone greeted him; this was Ning Qi's alias.

Ning Qi nodded with a smile.

This day.

Ning Qi finally heard some different news.

"Our town is the hometown of the Martial Saint. He grew up here and returned here in his later years. Some people have caught a glimpse of him, but the Martial Saint was unbelievably old..."

This was mentioned by Ye Qinghe earlier.

It seems Ye Qinghe also stayed here for a few days.

Ning Qi was very patient.

Keep listening.

This information clearly felt more real, making one feel as if they were witnessing the tragic fate of the Martial Saint.

in this way.

Time passed.

Ning Qi has been staying here for nearly a month, the longest he has ever stayed in a place other than True Martial Mountain since he was born.

That's why I stayed for so long.

Firstly, I wanted to see if there was any more information about the Martial Saint.

Secondly, it was for the Blood King Gu.

Although he had learned from Elder Thin that there were no resonance or tracking marks on the Blood King Gu, Ning Qi still planned to remove it outside of True Martial Mountain just to be on the safe side, so as not to leave any future troubles on True Martial Mountain.

Three days ago.

Ning Qi has deduced a formula for Pill Formula with the Blood King Gu as the main ingredient, which he calls the Blood Jade Pill.

He sent a message to Luo Wentian, instructing him to send the remaining auxiliary materials down the mountain.

At that time.

He would only return to the mountain after refining the Blood Jade Pill at the foot of the True Martial Mountain.

Ning Qi looked up at the torrential rain outside the window and sighed softly:

"Perhaps this is all that Mr. Sun knows."

The Blood Jade Pill Formula is complete, and he plans to leave in a few days once the medicinal materials are delivered to the designated location.

Although his cultivation wouldn't be hindered here, he still preferred True Martial Mountain, where there were many Daoist scriptures waiting for him to read.

Ning Qi opened an umbrella and went out.

There were almost no pedestrians on the road.

We arrived at the storytelling shed.

It was completely deserted.

Only a blind old man.

Today's torrential rain meant that even the most enthusiastic storyteller wouldn't come. Ning Qi had originally thought that Mr. Sun wouldn't come either, but to his surprise, he actually did.

Mr. Sun clearly hadn't expected Ning Qi to come.

"Oh, it's you, Xiao Liu..."

The old man smiled wryly and began his storytelling as if it were a routine, a habit he had formed over many years.

Ning Qi listened quietly, trying to relax.

Over the past month, he had heard much of the content more than once. Gradually, he simply regarded this period as a special experience, and perhaps he would smile faintly when he thought about it someday in the future.

I'll be leaving in a few days.

He didn't have many other ideas.

The torrential rain poured down on the wooden shed, and the old man and the young man, one telling a story and the other listening, created a strange and wonderful atmosphere.

a long time.

Mr. Sun stopped and glanced at the torrential rain outside, as if he could actually see it.

"Young man, how long have you been here?" he suddenly asked, not addressing Ning Qi as "Little Liu."

Ning Qi was also looking out of the shed, and said calmly:

It's been almost a month.

"A month is a short time. How many months does one have in a lifetime? Go back home now. This blind old man isn't worth your time."

Ning Qi laughed:

"I'm very happy here, sir. I think this month has been very meaningful."

This is the truth. This month has subtly changed his State of Mind, a feeling completely different from that at True Martial Mountain.

Silence again.

After a moment, Mr. Sun's soft voice slowly rang out:

"The story of the Martial Saint should probably have ended long ago. In time, I should also depart."

He could tell that Ning Qi was particularly interested in the story of the Martial Saint.

Ning Qi was taken aback:

Where are you planning to go?

The blind old man gazed into the distance:

"Home is where the world is."

He waved his hand and began packing up his storytelling tools, his voice seemingly possessing Demonic Power:

"It's best not to delve too deeply into matters of the Martial Saint realm; excessive curiosity isn't always a good thing."

Ning Qi fell silent, then asked:

"Old sir, did anyone really see the Martial Saint return in his later years?"

The blind old man chuckled:

"Perhaps. Who can distinguish between truth and falsehood? Nobody knows anything about the Martial Saint. Perhaps they will face disaster in their later years. Perhaps they wanted to convey some message, but they simply couldn't."

The unfocused pupils suddenly lifted, creating a sense of dread that made Ning Qi's heart skip a beat.

The blind old man drifted away.

The rain was pouring down, but he didn't use an umbrella, yet not a drop of rain touched him. Occasionally, passersby would see this, but they showed no surprise, as if they hadn't seen anything at all.

Ning Qi stood alone in the wooden shed.

"Disaster? An ominous sign?"

He vaguely sensed that he had already touched upon the secrets of the Martial Saint.

a long time.

Ning Qi let out a long breath.

The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge.

Although he still didn't know what secrets lay hidden beyond this realm, he was at least mentally prepared.

The rest.

We should at least wait until he reaches the level of Martial Saint before we can slowly investigate further.

Ning Qi felt that this might be close to being achieved after he broke through to the Celestial Person Realm, and he wasn't too far from that point.

Once the Blood Jade Pill is refined, Ning Qi can accelerate his advancement to the Yuan Pill.

Then comes the Celestial Person Realm.

The next day.

Ning Qi left quietly.

The wooden shed where people listened to stories was still there. Some people only learned of Ning Qi for several days, and they couldn't help but feel sad and regretful that they had lost a listening companion. The blind old man sighed slightly and continued to tell the story of the Martial Saint who slayed the heavens.

After leaving the town, Ning Qi arrived at a prefecture city that was relatively close to True Martial Mountain.

He had previously sent a message to Luo Wentian instructing him to send someone to prepare the auxiliary materials for refining the Blood Jade Pill and deliver them here.

By the time Ning Qi arrived, the auxiliary materials had already arrived.

In the courtyard.

Ning Qi arranged the precious medicinal herbs one by one, then casually picked up a Pill Furnace. For him, refining pills did not require any external assistance.

Only the main materials remain.

He took out two purple jade bamboo tubes from his pocket, opened one of them, and the Blood King Gu appeared, circling around Ning Qi. Even though Ning Qi was controlling it with special syllables, the Blood King Gu still showed a frenzied nature.

Ning Qi had noticed this over the past few days; it seemed that the Blood King Gu had become ferocious after it matured.

If two Blood King Gu were placed together now, it would likely spiral completely out of control.

Even so, this Blood King Gu is now constantly circling around the other purple jade bamboo tube containing the Blood King Gu.

With a thought, Ning Qi solidified his Gang Qi in mid-air.

He has spent the last few days researching how to use the Blood King Gu.

Its essence lies in its three pairs of wings; its vibrant body is secondary. Even if an ordinary person obtained this Blood King Gu, they probably wouldn't know how to use it.

Fortunately, this wasn't difficult for Ning Qi.

Over the past month, he has been observing the Blood King Gu from time to time, studying the special syllables he obtained from the two elders, the fat and the thin one, and has even created a method to draw out the essence blood from the Blood King Gu.

now.

His Gang Qi vibrated at a special frequency, transmitting unique syllables—only the Blood King Gu could hear—to its mind.

The next moment.

The Blood King Gu's body surface emanated even denser blood patterns, which then converged towards its three pairs of wings.

As time goes by.

The three pairs of wings had become works of art, blood jade wings, breathtakingly beautiful, but what was most captivating was the incredibly rich energy essence.

The Blood King Gu's eyes had completely lost their life force.

Ning Qi casually plucked three pairs of wings, and with a burst of Gang Qi, the remains of the Blood King Gu turned to ashes and vanished into the world.

Ning Qi's eyes held a hint of anticipation.

Without hesitation.

Let's start refining elixirs!

The Gang Qi transformed into a raging inferno, but the changes followed Ning Qi's will. He refined each medicinal herb, and the entire alchemy process was as beautiful as a painting, but unfortunately, no one could appreciate this scene.

One hour later.

The elixir is complete.

Ning Qi's expression shifted, and he completely enveloped the courtyard with his Gang Qi to prevent any movement from escaping.

He opened the Pill Furnace, and a blood-red light surged forth, brimming with vitality and energy.

Six Blood Jade Pills.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ning Qi swallowed one pill and then began to refine his Gang Qi using the Great Grinding Technique of Heaven and Earth.

Rumble!

As soon as the rumbling sound that Ning Qi could hear rang out, the Jade Liquid Sea trembled, and strands of seawater surged into the Great Millstone to undergo tempering. However, after consuming the Blood Jade Pill, the Great Millstone took on a blood-red luster, and its tempering efficiency increased exponentially.

Ning Qi felt a surge of joy as he experienced the much faster refining efficiency compared to before.

"Like the Golden Jade Pill, a Blood Jade Pill is enough to accelerate my cultivation by a month, but the effect is even better."

"At this rate... just ten Blood Jade Pills will be enough for me to naturally reach the Yuan Pill Realm."

Ning Qi nodded in satisfaction.

One Blood King Gu can be refined into six Blood Jade Pills, so there are still two left over.

Whether it's kept as a foundation for the True Martial Sect or used for other purposes, it's fine.

However, he also felt somewhat sentimental.

He was indeed far superior to others in the same realm. One Blood King Gu was enough to allow an ordinary Yuan Pill Realm cultivator to advance to the Celestial Person Realm, but for him, two Gu could only barely allow him to break through to the Yuan Pill Realm, and not even directly, but only at an accelerated pace.

That's normal.

After all, Ning Qi is only at the Jade Liquid Realm now, yet he already possesses strength far exceeding that of ordinary Celestial Person Realm, making a breakthrough naturally difficult.

However, even if there were pills that could directly help him break through to a higher realm, Ning Qi would not take them. He needed to ensure that his foundation was flawless. Therefore, whether it was the Golden Jade Pill or the Blood Jade Pill, Ning Qi always deduced in the direction of accelerating cultivation rather than directly breaking through to a higher realm.

Ning Qi felt relaxed.

To copy exactly what is shown.

They successfully refined another Blood King Gu into six Blood Jade Pills.

In this way...

Even if the Southern Frontier Alliance possessed extraordinary abilities, it would be impossible for them to find any trace of the Blood King Gu.

Currently...

The Southern Frontier Alliance has remained silent for the time being, presumably unaware that the fat and thin elders have lost contact.

But if they really realize it, they will eventually suspect the Demon Sect.

That unique, highly poisonous martial art could be easily traced. After all, Elder Wang had used it before at True Martial Mountain. Although Ning Qi had deliberately erased the traces, he believed that the Southern Border Alliance should be able to find the original. Otherwise, it wouldn't be worthy of being compared to the Demon Sect.

After the Divine Sword Sect was destroyed, Zhuang Chen survived and escaped to the True Martial Sect.

This could potentially cast doubt on the True Martial Sect.

However, the Southern Frontier Alliance might mistakenly believe that the Demonic Sect is Demon Sect to do their dirty work.

After all, the True Martial Sect Sect's apparent strength was far from enough to destroy the Southern Frontier Alliance's stronghold. Even with the addition of Heavenly Sword Real Person, it would still be difficult. The methods and strength displayed by the two elders, the fat and the thin, were no weaker than those of Daoist Longshan and Heavenly Sword Real Person.

Ning Qi pondered carefully.

After confirming that nothing was missed, they headed towards True Martial Mountain.

This was the first time he'd been away from home for so long, and he was starting to miss it.