Candidate Holy Son, Advancing to Core Formation (Two-in-One)

The True Martial Sect is changing rapidly.

Almost every day brings a change, both inside and out.

As news spread throughout the Great Flame Dynasty that the True Martial Sect was about to open its Mountain Gate and recruit disciples, more and more people set off ahead of time to head towards the True Martial Sect. Many people who lived nearby had already gathered in True Martial City.

True Martial City is bustling with activity right now.

no way.

As things stand, the True Martial Sect indeed possesses extremely profound foundations.

The family boasts two Celestial Realm experts. Celestial Person Daoist Longshan is already quite remarkable, after all, he is a peerless genius who reached the Celestial Person Realm before the age of one hundred. It is only a matter of time before he steps onto the Celestial Person Ranking. The other one is the unfathomable Heavenly Sword Real Person, who just shone brightly in the great battle against Thunderclap Blade Master.

The True Martial Sword Stele alone is enough to attract a large number of swordsmen who want to join the True Martial Sect.

Needless to say.

As True Martial disciples have made their mark in the martial arts world in recent years, many people have come to know that the True Martial Sect has a profound foundation and possesses various unique skills and secret techniques.

Some people are digging into ancient history.

It is already known that the True Martial Inheritance has a long history, but it was only in the hands of the Daoist Longshan that it was brought to its full glory, which has made the True Martial Sect even more popular in opening its doors and accepting disciples.

For all of this.

The True Martial Sect members were naturally happy to see this happen.

Luo Wentian was also extremely busy.

However, before he could begin accepting disciples, there was one more thing he needed to do: travel to Daozhou.

Now that he has just assumed the position of sect leader, he already carries enough weight to lead a team to Daozhou to make contact with many top Daoist sects, especially the Zhenxuan Sect. After their repeated investments and overtures, the True Martial Sect is now gradually establishing itself, and naturally, they need to reciprocate. Only through give and take can long-term relations be maintained.

This will also lay a solid foundation for the subsequent ranking of Daoist sects.

At least while Heavenly Sword Real Person was still alive, the True Martial Sect had no major problems entering the ranks of the top Daoist sects in the world.

Luo Wentian led a group of outstanding disciples, with Daoist Longshan accompanying him, demonstrating the importance and significance of the trip.

"Little Nine, while we're away, please keep a close eye on things within the sect," Daoist Longshan secretly transmitted his voice.

Of course, Ning Qi didn't need to worry about the things that were on the surface.

Xiong Shi, formerly the second disciple, has now become the Elder of Punishments. With Sect Master Luo Wentian absent, he is the most senior disciple, and his experience is rich enough to handle most problems.

Ning Qi nodded to reassure them.

They watched Luo Wentian and Daoist Longshan leave.

Ning Qi was "idle" again.

Informing Luo Wentian that he was the Heavenly Sword Real Person did not have any additional impact on his life. He continued to study scriptures and cultivate in the Dao-Seeking Courtyard every day. Although a new Scripture Pavilion had been built, it did not affect Ning Qi reading. Sometimes he would go there late at night, and sometimes he would have the White Ape bring out the scriptures.

Now that Daoist Longshan is traveling to Daozhou with Luo Wentian, Ning Qi has an additional task.

He occasionally gives Zhuang Chen and Li Ling some pointers.

This wasn't a big problem for Ning Qi. Herding one sheep was the same as herding two sheep. Besides, both of them were extremely intelligent, and a little guidance would suffice. After telling Luo Wentian the truth, Ning Qi gradually began to reveal more of his amazing abilities to his fellow disciples.

This is a gradual process.

besides.

Ning Qi simply followed the prescribed methods of cultivation.

The ninth Blood Jade Pill has been taken for half a month.

He estimated that in about a month, he would be able to naturally reach the Yuan Pill Realm, at which time his strength would experience a tremendous leap.

Look inward at yourself.

The Jade Liquid Sea in his Dantian had become incredibly solid. Even a small "wave" stirred up by it was filled with surging power. The virtual sword core above the Jade Liquid Sea hung high like the sun. After Ning Qi optimized it, it also possessed some ability to temper Gang Qi.

Such immense and powerful Gang Qi is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Compared to this, the ordinary Jade Liquid Realm is like the difference between a firefly and the bright moon.

Ning Qi's unparalleled foundation laid in his early years has begun to show its effects, and his strength becomes increasingly exaggerated as time goes on.

It's hard to imagine how powerful Ning Qi would be if he reached the Yuan Pill Realm; he felt that he might be invincible in the Celestial Person Realm.

Besides hoping for a breakthrough in his cultivation, he also looked forward to something else.

That is the Enlightenment Tea Tree.

The Blood Jade Elixir has been used up, and its effects are extremely remarkable. The Enlightenment Tea Tree is now waist-high and taking shape, with tender buds beginning to sprout on its branches and leaves. Ning Qi estimates that a small amount of Enlightenment Tea should be harvested before the True Martial Peach Gathering this year.

The effects of the Enlightenment Tea might not be useful to Ning Qi himself, but it would be an absolute treasure to others.

For Ning Qi, what he enjoys is the process of planting and harvesting. Observing the tea trees grow day by day has allowed him to accumulate a lot of knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the way of life, which is something that cannot be obtained by reading scriptures.

The True Martial Sect is growing stronger every day.

at the same time.

The Blood Demon Pool, a forbidden area of the Demon Sect, has also experienced considerable turmoil.

Powerful figures stood guard outside the forbidden area of the Blood Demon Pool, waiting for something. The silver-haired old man at the head of the group had a deep gaze, filled with a hint of anticipation.

A moment later.

The silver-haired old man's body trembled slightly as he stared ahead:

"They're out!"

Everyone turned to look.

A white-haired figure stepped out from the forbidden area. Having just broken through to the Celestial Person Realm, he was still not adept at suppressing his aura, and everyone could clearly feel the vibrations of the power of heaven and earth.

The white-haired figure appeared to be a young man, yet everyone sensed an air of premature death about him.

After stepping into the Blood Demon Pool, Qin Yun felt as if he had been transported to another world. He looked at the group of the Demon Sect experts, his gaze finally settling on the silver-haired elder at the head of the group, and respectfully said:

"Greetings, Grand Elder and all Elders!"

The Grand Elder of the Demon Sect seemed to possess penetrating vision as he sized Qin Yun up and down, finally revealing a smile and saying with appreciation:

"Although you relied on the power of the White Hair Sorrow Technique, you still showed courage, being able to directly enter the Celestial Person Realm within the Blood Demon Pool. This demonstrates your compatibility with the Blood Demon Pool. Qin Yun, you are worthy to be the Holy Son of my Holy Gate!"

As soon as the elder finished speaking, everyone else's eyes widened in surprise, and then someone hesitated and advised:

"Elder, the position of Holy Son should be carefully considered."

The reason for this lies in the way Qin Yun broke through.

They weren't fools; they could all sense the life force emanating from Qin Yun, which was probably less than half that of an average Celestial Person Realm.

Qin Yun is currently around thirty years old.

If he could reach the Celestial Person Realm at this age through normal cultivation, absolutely no one would object to him being chosen as the Holy Son. In fact, the entire Demon Sect would allow him to do whatever he wanted, because such talent surpasses all Martial Saint throughout history, destined to make him the strongest and create history.

But unfortunately...

Qin Yun was not practicing normally.

In the Blood Demon Pool, he used the Sorrowful White Hair Secret Technique, burning almost all of his lifespan to achieve such a rapid breakthrough in his cultivation level. He even nearly died several times, causing quite a stir in the Blood Demon Pool, which is why he attracted so much attention.

To be honest...

Qin Yun is now over four hundred years old.

Under such circumstances, many people naturally disagree.

But Qin Yun remained calm.

In order to buy the True Martial Sect three years, he volunteered to step into the Blood Demon Pool. He decided to go all in and live or die in the Blood Demon Pool, thinking that he would either break through to the Celestial Person Realm and have a stronger voice, or simply perish in it. Unexpectedly, he actually succeeded, thanks to the Heart Demon Secret Technique he obtained back then.

Having now faced life and death, he has come to see many things in a more detached light.

"I wonder how Master and the others are doing now after all this time..."

The thought crossed Qin Yun's mind, and then he bowed respectfully to the Grand Elder:

"Thanks to the Grand Elder's kindness, Qin Yun has cleverly entered the Celestial Person Realm, but he still needs time to consolidate his position. He is not yet qualified enough, so please consider the matter carefully, Grand Elder."

The Grand Elder gave Qin Yun a deep look, and finally said:

"Since that's the case, Qin Yun will be one of the three candidates for Holy Son. He will formally ascend to the position of Holy Son after he has rendered meritorious service to our Holy Gate. Does anyone have any objections?"

He glared at everyone with an intense, oppressive presence, conveying an uncompromising attitude.

Everyone responded in unison.

The candidate for sainthood is above the bottom line of what is generally accepted.

The Grand Elder saw the state of everyone.

Disappointed.

Over hundreds or even thousands of years, many within the Demon Sect have forgotten their original beliefs, begun to form cliques and pursue their own selfish interests.

In reality, what he valued was not Qin Yun's cultivation level, but rather his compatibility with the Blood Demon Pool.

Based on Qin Yun's performance in the Blood Demon Pool, if he were to reach the Perfection Celestial Person Realm in the future, he might have a chance to forcibly step into the Martial Saint Realm using the Blood Demon Pool. It would be problematic if someone like him couldn't directly become a Holy Son.

The Grand Elder snorted coldly and turned to leave.

The others simply bowed their heads in respect.

A moment later, someone came forward and greeted them respectfully with a smile:

"Prince Qin, please come with me."

Qin Yun nodded silently and left.

Having been in the Blood Demon Pool for over a year, he is now eager to know what has happened in the outside world during this time, especially regarding the True Martial Sect. Although the Ghost-Faced Deputy Sect Master previously said that he would destroy True Martial in three years, who knows if he might change his mind halfway through?

Logically speaking, after entering the Blood Demon Pool, one should comprehend the true meaning of the Demon Sect to protect oneself, and then one will accept the Demon Sect. However, Qin Yun did not seem to be affected by the true meaning of the Demon Sect, perhaps because of the Heart Demon secret technique he obtained in his early years.

The others, of course, were unaware of this.

They watched Qin Yun's retreating figure, their expressions varying.

Some people are already preparing to place their bets in advance. Qin Yun's foundation is shallow, but now that he has the support of the Grand Elder, he may be able to succeed. Others, however, have gloomy expressions. Qin Yun's sudden rise has turned the original two candidates for Holy Son into three, undoubtedly adding another competitor.

Qin Yun sat in the Study.

On the table were bundles of files. Now that he was one of the three candidates for Holy Son, his status was much higher than that of the previous protector. At his command, someone would naturally deliver them.

He flipped through the pages of major events that had occurred around the world in the past year.

Write down anything that might be relevant to you.

Then, they turned their attention to the last bundle of files, which contained intelligence about the True Martial Sect.

His heart skipped a beat, and he gently opened it.

A flood of messages came into view.

A moment later.

Qin Yun felt a mixture of emotions.

"Did Master... take on two more disciples?"

He looked at what the intelligence report showed.

The tenth True Disciple, Zhuang Chen, is a student of the former sect leader of the Divine Sword Sect, the Old Man Divine Sword.

The eleventh True Disciple, Li Ling, the youngest son of the Prince of Zhenbei.

In an instant.

He didn't even know how he felt, and it ultimately turned into a silent self-mockery:

"Little Nine... he's become a senior brother now."

He recalled the scene when Ning Qi was first brought up the mountain by Daoist Longshan. At that time, he was also a new senior brother and felt a kind of heartfelt excitement, but later, he gradually changed.

He doesn't blame anyone else; it's all his own fault.

Take a deep breath.

Qin Yun flipped through the other intelligence reports.

"The Celestial Person Ranking has been updated; Heavenly Sword Real Person is now ranked thirty-sixth."

"The Thunder Blade Master challenged, but was completely crushed by the Heavenly Sword Real Person. Afterwards, he even erected the True Martial Sword Stele. Is the Heavenly Sword Real Person suspected to have the strength of someone in the top twenty of the Celestial Person Ranking?"

Has the eldest disciple succeeded to the position of sect leader?

As Qin Yun read through line after line of intelligence, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

He finally exhaled a breath of stale air, and his original worries dissipated considerably.

More than a year later, when he heard news of the True Martial Sect again, it was much better than he had imagined.

The Heavenly Sword Real Person is unexpectedly powerful. At least this way, the Demon Sect won't be able to act so easily against the True Martial Sect anymore, not to mention that the True Martial Sect now has the Prince of Zhenbei secretly standing behind it.

He felt a slight sense of disappointment.

He watched as the True Martial Sect grew stronger step by step, but he remained outside of it.

He raised an eyebrow, his expression instantly turning cold.

The door was pushed open, and Ghost Face stepped inside.

Qin Yun stood up respectfully and said:

"Greetings, Vice Sect Master Ghost Face!"

The masked man waved his hand, his laughter somewhat low:

"Now that you are a candidate for Holy Son, you no longer need to treat me as you did before."

Qin Yun remained calm, but his expression turned serious:

"Propriety must not be disregarded. If it weren't for the Vice Sect Master's guidance, Qin Yun wouldn't have this opportunity. Even if I were already a Holy Son, I would always remember the Vice Sect Master's kindness."

Ghost Face smiled, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. He glanced briefly at the files on the table and asked casually:

"Looking at intelligence on the True Martial Sect?"

Qin Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he naturally replied:

"That's right. During the year or so he spent in the Blood Demon Pool, Qin Yun never forgot the instructions given by the former deputy sect leader."

The masked man stared at Qin Yun for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter:

"The Holy Gate has now made a new decision and will change its attitude towards the True Martial Sect."

Qin Yun hadn't spoken yet.

Ghost Face continued speaking to himself:

"You are now one of the three candidates for Holy Son, but whether you can remove the word 'candidate' makes a world of difference. You currently have two main competitors: one is Ye Kuang from Xiang Tianxing's faction, and the other is Wei Lei from the Second Elder's faction."

"Although you have gained the favor of the Grand Elder, your foundation is not yet solid. If you want to compete for a higher position, you need to achieve sufficient results."

"Firstly, there's the True Martial Sect. If you can persuade the True Martial Sect to integrate into our Holy Gate's great cause, that would be a tremendous achievement. The Holy Gate highly values Heavenly Sword Real Person and the True Martial Sword Stele."

As he spoke.

Ghost Face patted Qin Yun on the shoulder, but Qin Yun only glanced at him before nodding slightly and saying, "I'll try my best."

But he knew in his heart that this was absolutely impossible.

He knew his master well; he would never serve the Demon Sect.

Ghost Face continued:

"Secondly, you need to win over neutral figures in Lin Xueshuang's faction. You should know about her daughter, Lin Ruhua. If you can win her heart, it won't be difficult to get Lin Xueshuang's support. I've mentioned this to Lin Xueshuang a few times, and she's tacitly agreed. It all depends on your abilities."

Qin Yun was slightly taken aback, then nodded:

I'll give it a try.

Ghost Face continued:

"In addition, you need to show more effort in your daily life. Since your foundation is weak, you need to work harder."

"Thank you for your guidance, Vice Sect Leader!" Qin Yun said gratefully.

If possible, he would naturally want to become the Holy Son of the Demon Sect, so that he could obtain more resources and might even become the legendary Martial Saint.

Now, besides hoping that everything is well for the True Martial Sect, his biggest goal is to become stronger. He has always been a competitive person, otherwise he wouldn't have risked his entire lifespan in the Blood Demon Pool.

"By the way, there's something I need to resolve with you recently." Ghost Face's eyes gradually turned cold. "The Southern Frontier Alliance attacked us without provocation, and now that they know the strength of our Holy Gate, we've dealt them a severe blow. They've finally sent word that we need to sit down and talk."

He briefly explained the cause and effect of the matter, and then said:

"There's something fishy about this. We fought tooth and nail with the Southern Frontier Alliance, and now, looking back, it seems like we've been tricked. The best we can do in these talks is to figure out the root of the problem. Even though the Southern Frontier Alliance was foolish, we can't let them get away with this."

Qin Yun nodded slowly and said:

"The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang? I'd love to see her."

Ning Qi was unaware that his act of impersonating Elder Wang to destroy the Southern Frontier Alliance's stronghold in Qingzhou had sparked a bloody battle between the two forces for so long, and now they were about to sit down and negotiate.

He has more important things to do now.

Two weeks ago.

He had already consumed the tenth Blood Jade Pill.

now.

Finally, the limit was reached.

Rumble!

A faint rumbling sound emanated from Ning Qi's body. If he hadn't used the Stillness Art conceal it, the slightest leak of his aura would have been enough to astound everyone.

Ning Qi introspected on himself.

The Jade Liquid Sea seemed boundless, filling the Dantian, and was incredibly deep, its bottom unseen; even its casual movements carried immense power.

Ning Qi thought so.

I now definitely have the strength to be at the very bottom of the top ten on the Celestial Person Ranking.

During this process of quantitative change, his strength also improved significantly.

And now, a qualitative change is imminent.

Dao-Seeking Courtyard, only Ning Qi remained.

He sat cross-legged, and the tender buds sprouting from the Enlightenment Tea Tree emitted a faint, exotic fragrance, which made Ning Qi's State of Mind even more peaceful.

"Change."

With a single thought, everything fell into place naturally.

All that could be seen was within the Dantian.

The once high-hanging "Great Sun" shattered and fell, and the power of the Gang Qi returned to the sea.

Then, the entire Jade Liquid Sea began to rotate, and an incredibly huge vortex appeared in the center of the Jade Liquid Sea, causing all the Gang Qi Jade Liquid to rotate.

Rumble!

The vibrations grew increasingly intense, emanating from Ning Qi's body.

He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed and his face calm, but an astonishing change was taking place inside his body. The already deep and solid jade Jade Liquid became more "viscous" at a visible speed, gradually turning from a clear "liquid" into a "paste-like" substance.

Ning Qi's physical potential was unleashed, and a vigorous life force merged within him, giving birth to an inexplicable power.

I don't know when.

In the very center of the Jade Liquid Sea, a pill-like object appeared.

As soon as the nascent Yuan Pill appeared, Ning Qi felt a surge of energy, and a sense of clarity and comfort rose throughout his body.

The Jade Liquid Sea spun faster and faster.

The viscous Gang Qi penetrated into the nascent Yuan Pill.

The Jade Liquid Sea is disappearing at an alarming rate.

Meanwhile, the nascent Yuan Pill became more rounded and perfect at a speed visible to the naked eye, with powerful energy contained within, which, once unleashed, would be earth-shattering.

This crucial step has now been completed.

Everything proceeded smoothly without any obstacles, unlike the difficult breakthroughs others faced. Ning Qi's foundation was far too solid.

Time passed slowly.

As the last drop of Jade Liquid flowed into the Yuan Pill, the entire Dantian space was now completely empty, incredibly clean compared to before.

However, Ning Qi sensed an unprecedentedly powerful force.

He's reached the Yuan Pill Realm!

He looked inward at his Dantian, where an ordinary Yuan Pill was spinning around. It seemed the same as other Yuan Pill Realm martial artists, but once Ning Qi activated it, the Yuan Pill immediately emitted a golden light, and terrifying power could be unleashed in an instant.

"Yuan Pill that can emit golden light has never been recorded in Ancient Books."

Ning Qi was slightly amazed. Just like his White Mist Swamp and Jade Liquid Sea, it was also at a level that had never been recorded before. Clearly, he was now reaching an unprecedented height on the path of martial arts, and it was a kind of precipitous leap forward.

He stood up, and even with a casual clench of his fist, he could feel his own power.

The Gang Qi condensed into the form of Yuan Pill, undergoing another qualitative change.

Ning Qi slowly unleashed a punch, the immense power freezing the surrounding void, stopping the wind, stiffening the swaying peach trees, and seemingly pausing everything.

This is the Zhen Tian Fist, the ultimate technique of the Zhenbei King. Ning Qi learned it easily after observing it and improved upon it, optimizing the suppressing intent within it to achieve an effect similar to freezing the void.

Even ordinary Celestial Person Realm experts would find it difficult to move an inch under such suppression.

He compared it to the day when Zhenbei Wang casually killed four Demon Sect Celestial Person and severely injured Elder Wang with a single punch.

Ning Qi's eyes shone with unwavering certainty.

"I can do it too, even more easily. Even Elder Wang, who was wearing the Azure Treasure Armor, couldn't withstand my punch."

He smiled.

Feeling relaxed and content.

Among the top ten peerless experts on the Celestial Person Ranking, he had only met the Prince of Zhenbei, and could only use him as a comparison.

Ning Qi felt that if he went all out now, he could easily defeat the Prince of Zhenbei.

"Perhaps my combat strength has already reached the very top of the Celestial Person Realm. I wonder if the top three on the Celestial Person Ranking can match me?" Ning Qi was somewhat eager to try.

It's not that he's gotten arrogant.

Rather, this powerful feeling was so real that he had even made a conservative estimate.

"Now, perhaps only the Martial Saint can threaten me."

Without realizing it.

Ning Qi has already reached the pinnacle of the world, and only a handful of people can stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

He is only ten years old now. Although he looks like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, it doesn't change the fact that he has been practicing martial arts for less than eight years.

He felt much safer.

"However, I cannot let my guard down yet. I am not truly invincible. At least the Great Flame Martial Saint is stronger than me, and I don't know if the Blood Emperor Gu of the Southern Frontier Alliance can create Martial Saint- level being. There is also the Demon Sect..."

"There's also the mystery of the Martial Saint realm; we'll have to face it sooner or later."

"I need to keep working hard and advance to the Celestial Person Realm as soon as possible to have enough confidence."

Ning Qi plans his future after becoming famous.

The Celestial Person Realm was not difficult for him. The various secret techniques he had created before, especially the technique of the Celestial Person, had given him a full understanding of the power of heaven and earth. He had even created the subsequent Cultivation Method Secret Record.

Next.

It is the Divine Union Yuan Pill, which resonates with the power of heaven and earth.

The only obstacle is that Ning Qi's Yuan Pill is too strong. If he wants to integrate his own "god" into it, he will need to spend some more time strengthening his "god".

As for resonating with the power of heaven and earth, it was like coming home for Ning Qi —something he was extremely familiar with.

So, according to this calculation...

Ning Qi estimated that the time it would take him to break through to the Celestial Person Realm would be even shorter than the time it would take to go from the Jade Liquid Realm to the Yuan Pill Realm. This was the benefit of the foundation he had accumulated before.

"Perhaps I can truly step into the Celestial Person Realm before the end of this year!"

Ning Qi was somewhat expectant.

"I wonder if I'll be able to fight the legendary Martial Saint after I reach the Celestial Person Realm?"