Returning to the Mountain, the Southern Border Saintess, Dao Companion (Two-in-One)

Looking at the familiar True Martial Mountain, Ning Qi was filled with emotion.

This trip down the mountain took more than a month, during which he gained some insight into the state of the Great Flame, but he still did not leave Qingzhou.

But Ning Qi had no regrets. After going out, he actually felt quite comfortable staying at True Martial Mountain.

Without anyone knowing.

Ning Qi returned to True Martial Mountain.

He first went to see the Daoist Longshan.

When Daoist Longshan saw Ning Qi, he was extremely excited.

Although Ning Qi had already demonstrated his strength to him before he descended the mountain, there was still some danger on this journey, and he was still worried. If Ning Qi hadn't sent him secret messages saying that everything was going smoothly, he would have been unable to resist going to help.

"Little Nine, did the trip go smoothly?" Daoist Longshan couldn't help but ask.

Although Ning Qi had already ordered Dong He to be escorted back, he did not disclose any further details.

Ning Qi bowed respectfully, then smiled and said:

"Master, don't be impatient, I'll explain it to you slowly."

He organized his thoughts.

Let's begin with the events in Canghe Prefecture.

During this time, they disguised themselves as "Lei" and "Fat Elder," luring their enemies step by step into a trap to capture them all.

Except for a few things that involved his own secrets and were not mentioned, Ning Qi told everything else in detail.

The Daoist Longshan was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes filled with amazement and emotion.

"I never expected that your journey down the mountain this time would be so thrilling, Little Nine. It seems that it was wise of you to ask me not to go with you, otherwise I would have really been a burden to you."

Daoist Longshan felt a mix of bittersweetness and pride.

His little apprentice had grown too fast, and now he was slowly reaching a level that he could not even look up to. This was a prodigy who appeared only once in a thousand years, and there was no other such existence in the entire history of China.

He thought that the only thing he could do for Ning Qi now was to take care of the logistics.

"I didn't expect that an alliance had been formed in the Southern Frontier so quietly. I wonder if we should reveal this news to the Great Flame Dynasty?" Then, Daoist Longshan shook his head. "It's best not to get involved in such a mess. With the Great Flame's resources, it's impossible that they don't know that the Southern Frontier has formed an alliance. They probably have a way to deal with it, and they might even know something about the Blood King Gu."

"However, there is one coincidence." At this point, Daoist Longshan smiled.

"During the two days you spent clearing out that stronghold in the southern border, I made a appearance in True Martial City. This will reduce the suspicion against my True Martial Sect."

Ning Qi smiled too.

This serves as an alibi.

The master and disciple recounted the events of the past few days. When they heard Ning Qi's speculation about the True Martial Underground Palace, Daoist Longshan was also somewhat amazed, as he had never been able to go underground before due to his limited abilities.

"I hope the True Martial Palace will reappear one day. I will keep a close watch on it in secret. If it does reappear, with your talent, Little Nine, you will surely be able to obtain the entire Inheritance!"

Thinking about it this way, Daoist Longshan became somewhat excited, as his lifelong wish was to revive True Martial.

Ning Qi simply smiled and nodded.

He then inquired about the Dong He.

Daoist Longshan slowly said:

"When you sent someone up the Dong He before, I told them that I had secretly found a clue and captured Dong He. In the end, I handed Dong He over to Xiao Shi to deal with."

"That Dong He was indeed eloquent, but Xiao Shi was resolute enough to kill Dong He himself and take his head to Brother Shenjian's tombstone as a tribute."

There was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Daoist Longshan was never a nice guy. He had a chivalrous heart, but he was also decisive in killing. He didn't think there was anything wrong with Zhuang Chen killing Dong He. If he couldn't bring himself to do it in the face of such hatred for killing his master, then he would be disappointed in Zhuang Chen.

Ning Qi nodded approvingly.

Ning Qi chatted with Daoist Longshan until late at night before returning to Dao-Seeking Courtyard.

The White Ape is practicing the Ape King's Strength.

His cultivation level has become increasingly profound, and his bloodline is constantly awakening. At this point, his actual combat strength is probably comparable to that of Jiang Baishan and others.

Ning Qi watched with a smile. He was very satisfied with the White Ape because the White Ape was very determined in its pursuit of the Dao. Although it was sometimes naughty and playful, it never slacked off when it needed to work hard. Perhaps it would accompany him for a long time in the future.

A moment later.

The White Ape stood up and looked at the familiar figure standing under the peach tree. He rubbed his eyes in confusion, but when he realized it was indeed Ning Qi, his eyes immediately lit up with joy.

"Teacher!"

He bowed respectfully to Ning Qi, scratching his head in frustration.

His excitement was palpable.

During Ning Qi's absence, he seemed to have lost his backbone, and his spirits were somewhat low. But now, he suddenly became lively again.

Ning Qi smiled:

"I'm back."

He didn't hide the fact that he had gone down the mountain from the White Ape. Because they spent so much time together, the White Ape would protect him every time he went into seclusion, so it was natural that it could sense whether he was at the Dao-Seeking Courtyard or not.

The next day.

Ning Qi emerged from seclusion, Dao-Seeking Courtyard became lively once again.

Luo Wentian and the others all came upon hearing the news.

They started talking all at once about what had happened recently.

Ning Qi smiled gently at the noise, feeling a sense of peace within.

After returning to the mountain.

Ning Qi's life returned to its former rhythm.

Reading scriptures, comprehending the Dao, cultivating, nurturing the spirit tree... these things filled his time, making his life very fulfilling, and Ning Qi also liked this kind of life.

With the help of the Blood Jade Pill, Ning Qi's cultivation speed became even faster.

I can feel my abilities getting stronger every day.

The Jade Liquid Sea grows wider and deeper with each passing day.

As he accumulated strength, Ning Qi's power also increased at a speed that was unimaginable to ordinary people. He felt that after consuming five or six more Blood Jade Pills, he might be able to compete with the King of Zhenbei.

Meanwhile, the Daoist scriptures of the True Mystery Sect are being continuously digested, and it is estimated that in another six months, they will all be transformed into his foundation.

Ning Qi was thinking about whether he should take advantage of the upcoming ranking of all the Daoist sects in the world to find the old Bai Shan. The old man's suggestion made him even more tempted.

He genuinely felt that these classic texts were of great help to him.

The Myriad Manifestations True Qi draws on the strengths of all schools, becoming ever more perfect.

Ning Qi gradually came to understand his own path, and with his comprehension, he should be able to integrate all paths and make them his own.

As he progressed further, he needed more references and inspiration, especially after reaching the Celestial Person Realm. The insights of predecessors into the universe were even more helpful to him than some martial arts classics. Otherwise, although he could succeed on his own, it would take much longer.

For example, Ning Qi is currently comprehending the Gang Qi technique.

Thanks to this accumulated knowledge, it has already found various applications.

The Enlightenment Tea Tree has grown very smoothly after breaking through the soil, and it is now as tall as Ning Qi's forearm.

After much deliberation, Ning Qi finally decided to transform his two extra Blood Jade Pills into elixir to cultivate the Enlightenment Tea Tree.

He originally intended to leave it to the True Martial Sect as a foundation.

But then I thought about it again.

There were only two Blood Jade Pills, which was too few. He felt uneasy about giving them to any of his senior brothers or sisters.

Moreover, it will probably be a long time before the senior brothers and sisters are able to use the Blood Jade Pill to improve their cultivation. After all, the Blood Jade Pill is quite potent. For Ning Qi, it can only be used to accelerate cultivation, but for others, it needs to be used with caution.

By then, Ning Qi might have refined even more pills that were more suitable for them.

Since that's the case, why not use it to cultivate the Enlightenment Tea Tree first?

If the Enlightenment Tea Tree matures ahead of schedule, it will be a testament to the True Martial Sect's strength and will benefit everyone.

With the blessing of the Blood Jade Elixir.

The Wudao tea trees are growing even more impressively.

Ning Qi estimated that he might be able to obtain a small amount of Enlightenment Tea leaves before the True Martial Peach Gathering next year!

but.

The True Martial Peach Gathering drawing ever closer this year.

Many of the True Disciple were looking forward to it, especially Zhuang Chen, who had heard Ye Qinghe talk about the True Martial Peach Gathering many times and was already eager for this grand event.

Time passed slowly.

Just as everyone was looking forward to the True Martial Peach Gathering.

A palace built on a mountaintop was greeted by two martial artists with cold expressions and powerful auras.

One of them was an old woman with a slightly hunched back. Most striking were the two strange snakes coiled around her neck, one blue and one purple, their bodies crystal clear like jade, like works of art. This old woman had a very strong aura, even stronger than the thin elder that Ning Qi had killed before.

But she lagged behind another companion by half a step.

The companion was a woman with a black veil covering her face, obscuring her true features, but her figure was alluring, and one could tell from her physique alone that she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

The two arrived by stepping into the air.

They walked slowly towards them.

The guards below the palace finally spotted the newcomer and shouted:

"Who goes there?!"

The woman in black veil walked forward as if she hadn't heard anything, while the old woman gave a slight, cold snort.

"Insolence! Is this how you skinny kids learn about hierarchy?"

She unleashed the power of heaven and earth, and with just a little pressure, everyone coughed up blood and flew backward. All eyes turned over in horror, and they saw a blood-red Command Token fly over and embed itself in the pillar of the hall.

"If I didn't have something else to ask you, you would all deserve to die for the offense you committed against the Holy Maiden today!" The old woman's sinister voice sent chills down everyone's spines.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang waved her hand slightly.

She sat regally in the main seat, her voice carrying a cool and aloof quality, and said calmly:

"Grandma Snake, why are you making things difficult for them? Elder Thin isn't here. Can anyone tell me where he went?"

Look at that Command Token.

Finally, someone realized what was happening.

First came shock and fear, then a sorrowful expression, and a weeping roar:

"Your Holiness, you've finally arrived! Qingzhou... Qingzhou is finished! You... you must avenge us!"

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang and Granny Snake exchanged a glance, both seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes.

Some time ago.

After failing to contact the two elders through Secret Method, the Southern Frontier Alliance finally realized that something was wrong. The two had come together to resolve this matter, initially hoping for a lucky break, but now it seemed that the problem was far more serious than they appeared.

"Explain in detail," the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang said, her voice growing increasingly cold.

A moment later.

After hearing what the people below said...

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang's voice was devoid of emotion.

"You mean to say that the fat elder and the thin elder have both disappeared without a trace, suspected of being murdered, and all the Yuan Pill Realm cultivators at that stronghold are dead, and you still don't know who the murderer is, or even find the slightest trace of them?"

The people who were crawling on the ground all trembled.

Someone said tremblingly:

"Your Majesty, the force that made the move was extremely cautious, erasing all traces. We wanted to report to our superiors as soon as possible, but... but we are unable to contact them."

They were indeed wronged.

It was discovered more than a month ago that the stronghold had been destroyed, and not only the two elders, but even all the adults at the Yuan Pill Realm were dead.

But they couldn't find a single trace of the murderer.

They were even more unable to contact anyone at the Southern Xinjiang Alliance headquarters.

They were all as anxious as Ants on a hot pan.

The snake grandmother sneered:

"Making excuses? A bunch of useless trash!"

With a wave of her hand, the one who had spoken was instantly reduced to a bloody pulp. Everyone's hearts trembled. The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang slowly said:

"Mother-in-law, please don't be angry. Let's give them a chance to make amends."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Take us to that outpost."

She rose and vanished into thin air. The old snake gave the crowd a cold look, casually pointed to a few of the leaders, and dragged them away with her.

One day later.

The stronghold that Ning Qi wiped out.

The figures of the group landed.

"Holy Maiden, Snake Granny, this is the stronghold where Elder Thin and the others gathered that day. Before that day, Elder Fat suddenly sent a message, summoning all the leaders of Qingzhou. He said that 'Thunder' of Blood Rain Tower had betrayed them and needed to be thoroughly investigated..."

Someone slowly recounted the cause and effect.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang and Granny Snake stood side by side, looking down from the sky. The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang frowned slightly and guessed:

"Could it be that Elder Pang betrayed the alliance because he coveted the Blood King Gu? He's managed to cover his tracks quite well..."

The old snake slowly shook her head:

"Holy Maiden, you may not know this, but although that fat man is a bit weak, he comes from the Black Orchid tribe, and his loyalty to the alliance is beyond doubt. There's probably more to this than meets the eye. Perhaps someone used the fat man to orchestrate this, which is why Skinny and his men were caught in the crossfire."

At this point...

They no longer harbored the idea that the fat and thin elders were still alive; based on the information they had now, they knew that this matter had been premeditated for a long time.

"Mother-in-law, is there any way to restore these marks?" The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang asked, tilting her head. A gentle breeze occasionally lifted a corner of her veil, revealing her fair and pointed chin, which was somewhat breathtaking.

Grandma Snake smiled confidently:

"The attacker was quite cautious, erasing all traces, but he underestimated us Southern Border people. Although we can't completely reconstruct the events, tracing the attacker's power and aura is no problem."

She landed amidst the collapsed ruins.

Gently lifting the blue jade-like snake from his neck, he kissed it and began chanting rapid, eerie syllables. Then, the blue snake began an astonishing transformation. Its abdomen swelled, and tiny snake eggs fell out, instantly giving rise to countless tiny blue snakes.

The little blue snakes shot out and spread in all directions.

It's chilling and gives you goosebumps.

The Snake Granny simply closed her eyes and chanted incantations, while the blue jade snake coiled around her palm, occasionally raising its body.

After an incense stick has burned.

The little blue snakes died and turned into dust.

Granny Snake began to listen to the hissing of the blue jade snake. After a moment, she raised her head and smiled confidently:

"The Holy Maiden has been found."

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang's eyes showed joy, thinking to herself that it was fortunate that she had brought Granny Snake with her this time, as she had a unique secret technique to track enemy tracks, otherwise she would have wasted even more time.

"Grandma Snake, who did this?"

The snake grandmother said:

"There are only traces of a battle between two Celestial Person Realm on the field. One of them is Skinny, and the other is a powerful expert who is skilled in using the power of poison. He is much stronger than Skinny!"

She began to mobilize the power of heaven and earth, and clusters of green mist formed around her, just like Elder Wang and Ning Qi. If Ning Qi were here, he would probably be amazed that there are indeed many extraordinary people in the world.

However, the snake grandmother only simulated the form; the power itself was completely different.

"This is how its power manifests."

The Southern Frontier Saintess's eyes narrowed:

"One person wiped out everyone?"

The snake grandmother nodded slowly:

"That's right. It seems unbelievable, but it's actually not hard to understand. This person, or rather, this force, first used tricks to capture the fat man, then used his name to lure the skinny guy and the others, and then attacked them when they were off guard. If that's the case, it's entirely possible."

"The rest of the people were like ants in his presence."

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang had a deep, mysterious gaze.

"That should be it. I've already investigated; the Blood King Gu's aura has completely disappeared. The person who made this move might be after the Blood King Gu, but other possibilities cannot be ruled out."

She looked at the person in charge kneeling on the ground, her voice as cold as ice:

"Are there any powerful individuals within the Great Flame who wield this power? You have three days. If you cannot find any, there's no need to come see me again. Also, gather all the intelligence on the various organizations under your command that have been involved with during this period!"

Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly responded:

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

One day later.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang sat at a desk, perusing a wealth of collected intelligence, while Granny Snake drank tea and teased two strange snakes beside her.

"Holy Maiden, how is it?" Granny Snake asked.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang raised her head and gently rubbed her temples:

"It now appears that two groups are somewhat suspected."

Which two places?

"Firstly, it's... the Demon Sect!"

Upon hearing these two words, both the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang and Granny Snake's expressions turned solemn.

Even though they were in the Southern Frontier, they knew the name of the Demon Sect. The fact that this force had been able to repeatedly rise from the ashes and make a comeback despite the suppression of the Great Flame for so many years showed how troublesome it was.

"The kind of highly toxic power that you investigated before, Mother-in-law, appeared last year. Five Celestial Person Realm experts from the Demon Sect attacked the True Martial Sect in Qingzhou, and one of them used this power."

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang recounted in detail what had happened at True Martial Mountain.

"The fundamental nature of the Celestial Person Realm expert's power cannot be changed unless they cultivate multiple fields simultaneously. Since we've found out, it's probably this person who did it. The fact that he managed to escape from the clutches of the Zhenbei King, who is ranked ninth on the Celestial Person list, shows he certainly has the strength to kill Skinny Guy!"

"It's even possible that he's not the only one in the Demon Sect who cultivates this power, which would make him even more suspicious!"

The old woman's voice gradually filled with murderous intent.

"I'm afraid that the damned Demon Sect coveted the Blood King Gu we cultivated, which is why they suddenly attacked us. According to you, Holy Maiden, the Demon Sect suffered repeated defeats at the hands of the Great Flame, losing several Celestial Person Realm."

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang nodded in agreement.

She also felt that the Demon Sect was the most likely possibility.

"What about the other suspected faction?"

"The second is the True Martial Sect," said the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang.

"The True Martial Sect? The True Martial Sect that was attacked by the Demon Sect?"

"Yes, I've reviewed the sects that have recently clashed with several of their forces. A few months ago, the Divine Sword Sect was destroyed by Zhao Dong and his group. Then, the Divine Sword Sect leader, the Old Man Divine Sword, fled to the True Martial Sect with his young disciple. Given the relationship between Real Person Dragon Mountain and the Old Man Divine Sword, the True Martial Sect also has a motive to intervene. They had previously sent people to investigate the Blood Pool."

"Real Person Dragon Mountain may not be strong enough, but the True Martial Sect also has Heavenly Sword Real Person."

Granny Snake hesitated for a moment:

"But isn't Heavenly Sword Real Person a swordsman? His strength and the traces of his attack are completely different."

"Holy Maiden, do you think the Demon Sect might be trying to frame the True Martial Sect and use us as scapegoats? The Demon Sect tried to destroy the True Martial Sect before."

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang nodded slowly:

"I've also considered this possibility. Currently, the Demon Sect is the most suspicious, but we can't completely ignore the True Martial Sect either."

The snake grandmother nodded with a smile.

"You, Holy Maiden, are the most reliable in your actions."

There was an expression of admiration in her eyes.

In reality, by this point, it's Demon Sect that they've fallen into the clutches of the Demonic Sect. However, as someone in a position of power, one cannot act arbitrarily; not even the slightest possibility can be overlooked. This is what makes a qualified leader.

"If I had the chance to witness Heavenly Sword Real Person in action and see the true nature of his power up close, I would be even more certain."

Grandma Snake added.

It's somewhat absurd to put swordsmen and poisonous powers together, but there are indeed swordsmen skilled in using poisoned swords. Everything must be seen with one's own eyes. If she could witness it firsthand, she would naturally know whether the Heavenly Sword Real Person also possessed poisonous powers.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang slowly rose and sighed softly:

"I only hope that the cultivation of the Blood Emperor Gu will go smoothly. The world is about to be in turmoil, and our Southern Frontier must also forge ahead. This time we've lost two Blood King Gu, so we can only try to make up for it in the south as soon as possible. If that doesn't work, we'll go to the mountains..."

"This time, we'll have to trouble Mother-in-law and me to oversee Qingzhou. If it really was the work of the Demon Sect, we can't just let this loss slide."

The saintess's eyebrows furrowed slightly, revealing a murderous intent.

The Southern Xinjiang Alliance finally realized what was happening.

The True Martial Sect is unaware of all this. Daoist Longshan did not have anyone keep an eye on them, as doing so would be tantamount to admitting guilt. It would be better to act as if nothing had happened and investigate later.

The Dao-Seeking Courtyard at this moment.

The atmosphere was lively.

It's that time of year again for the True Martial Peach Gathering.

Everyone raised their glasses in celebration:

"Come on, let's raise a glass together to welcome Xiao Shi to the team!"

"This toast is for Xiao Shi!"

Everyone laughed heartily. Zhuang Chen, the chubby boy, was flushed, partly from the alcohol and partly from excitement. A warm feeling welled up inside him.

"Dear fellow disciples, I'll drink first as a sign of respect!"

Everything is in the wine.

Saying more would only seem pretentious.

Everyone had smiles on their faces. They had grown to like Zhuang Chen's personality over the time they had spent together. He was easygoing and often laughed foolishly. He used to be overweight, but he had lost a lot of weight since he started practicing the modified version of the Dream Taotie that Ning Qi had taught him, though he was still a little chubby.

Logically speaking, Zhuang Chen shouldn't be fat; he's just a glutton.

Zhuang Chen's progress in cultivating the Yazi Stake is very fast. He is an unparalleled genius with Innate Sword Bone. Now that his sword bones have been broken and rebuilt, he has rebuilt them again, making his foundation even more solid.

"Third Senior Sister's wine is really good!" Zhuang Chen praised without reservation.

Ye Qinghe laughed loudly:

"Little Ten knows how to talk."

Everyone just smiled, but to be fair, Ye Qinghe's Peach Blossom Brew had improved again this year. However, some people couldn't tell whether it was because Ye Qinghe's brewing technique had improved or because the ingredients were better.

As everyone munched on the True Martial peaches in their hands, they found them exceptionally sweet.

Especially for Zhuang Chen, who is now rebuilding his Body Tempering Realm, these peaches are of even greater help to him, and he has shown off several of them.

This was the second year of cultivation using the Bright Fruit as a model. In addition, Ning Qi moved the peach tree to activate the Enlightenment Tea Tree seeds. Now, the tea tree sprouted from the soil and began to nourish the plants, naturally making the peaches even better than before.

Everyone chatted freely.

Zhuang Chen felt the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere and kept grinning foolishly.

Ning Qi listened attentively as his senior classmates shared interesting anecdotes.

Ye Qinghe smiled slyly:

"I'll tell you something you'll definitely be interested in. I once caught Fifth Brother secretly writing love letters! He probably has a girl he likes and is keeping it from us!"

These words were spoken.

Jiang Baishan's face immediately turned red, while the crowd burst into laughter, extremely interested.

Speaking of which, most of the True Disciple are single now, and none of them have a dao companion. Although the True Martial Sect is a Daoist sect, it is also possible to form dao companion. Unfortunately, the disciples are not ambitious enough. Now that they hear that Jiang Baishan is going to be the pioneer, their eyes have lit up.

Jiang Baishan blushed and waved his hands repeatedly:

"Don't listen to Third Senior Sister's nonsense, I was writing a letter to a good friend!"

"Tch, do you think that friend is a girl? Who would secretly go to Little Nine's yard to pick a peach blossom while writing a letter to a friend? Fifth Brother, you don't necessarily prefer men, do you?"

Luo Wentian delivered the finishing blow at the opportune moment:

"Tsk tsk, could it be that fierce woman who tried to cut off your shoulder, Fifth Brother? You're in for a rough time; you'll be completely under her thumb!"

Everyone laughed heartily.

Jiang Baishan smiled wryly and begged for mercy repeatedly. Only after drinking several cups of wine did the crowd let him go.

However, no one pressed for details. They were just joking around, and they knew that if the time came to tell everyone, Jiang Baishan wouldn't hide it from them.

Ning Qi listened with a smile.

He doesn't have many thoughts about dao companion for the time being. He's still young, and he might not have one in the future. If he does have one, it has to be someone who can truly pursue the Great Dao with him.