Supreme Foundation

After Ning Qi paid his respects, he left with Yuan Tiansheng.

Seeing that things were going badly, Ye Qinghe stuck out her tongue slightly and prepared to slip away, only to be stopped by Dragon Mountain Daoist.

Her face fell as she said, "Master, this time I wasn't the one who disturbed Junior Brother. He was the one who asked me to accompany him into the mountains."

Dragon Mountain Daoist snorted, but his expression eventually softened.

"You, you. Your talent is not the slightest bit inferior to Baishan's, yet your heart is set entirely on wine. Now even Baishan's cultivation has surpassed yours."

He rebuked her softly, but Ye Qinghe merely giggled. "Isn't it good enough to have Fifth Brother as the face of the sect? And there are Little Eight and Little Nine behind him. Once they grow up, our True Martial Sect will have experts as numerous as clouds. This disciple is very much at ease."

"You may be at ease, but this old Daoist is not!"

Dragon Mountain Daoist was helpless.

The only thing that consoled him was that although this third disciple of his was carefree and fond of drink, her heart was kind and pure, and her cultivation placed her among the best of her peers. She simply could have been stronger.

"Enough, enough. That Divine Sword Old Man will bring his disciple to visit again next autumn. Just don't disgrace your master then."

Ye Qinghe froze, as though she had remembered something.

The Divine Sword Old Man her master spoke of was no ordinary man. Strictly speaking, he had once been the master of True Martial Mountain, though back then, True Martial Mountain had still been called Divine Sword Mountain.

At last, a trace of urgency rose in Ye Qinghe's heart. She said solemnly:

"This disciple understands."

Dragon Mountain Daoist waved a hand.

"Go. Tomorrow, tell your Eldest Senior Brother about Tiansheng. Have him inform the sect's disciples, lest they injure him by mistake."

"This disciple accepts the order."

Ye Qinghe departed respectfully.

Ning Qi led the White Ape, who was looking around in every direction, all the way to his small courtyard.

"Tiansheng, you will live here with me from now on. The room next door is yours. Take good care of it yourself."

"Do not disturb me when I am practicing martial arts or reading. You may move about the True Martial Sect freely, but remember not to disrupt the other disciples' cultivation. As for a path of cultivation suitable for you, I will slowly teach it to you once I have sorted it out."

"For now, learn to read and read more books."

The White Ape nodded repeatedly, brimming with excitement.

He felt that he had already touched an entirely new world.

The night passed without incident.

The next day.

When Ning Qi rose, he discovered that the White Ape was already busy with chores. He could not help but smile, and something in his state of mind shifted.

Having a living creature by his side felt rather nice.

Ning Qi found a wooden board, wrote the three words "Seeking Dao Institute" on it, and set it outside the courtyard.

Inspired by naming the White Ape yesterday, he felt that he ought to give his little courtyard a name as well. Seeking Dao, seeking Dao—the Dao he sought was the Dao of longevity. He needed to remind himself of that at all times.

Looking at the simple wooden plaque.

Ning Qi felt his thoughts become even more clear and unimpeded.

He wanted to practice martial arts.

After creating the Myriad Forms Origin Stake yesterday, he had yet to truly test it with all his strength.

"Perfect timing to re-cultivate the first four realms and forge a Supreme Foundation."

That was precisely why he had not rushed to break through into Organ Refinement before.

With that thought.

Ning Qi moved.

His body moved with his heart, and in an instant, he entered an unfathomably mysterious state. The Myriad Forms Origin Stake had been created by him, so he naturally understood every subtle wonder within it. The realm of Divine Intent Perfection came as easily as turning his hand over.

The White Ape, who had been chopping firewood nearby, stared with eyes as round as bells. It was as if he had once again seen the Golden Monkey asking the heavens for the Dao. It took him quite some time to recover.

Looking at the firewood in his hands, the White Ape's gaze gradually hardened.

A journey of a thousand miles began beneath one's feet. He believed that as long as he handled these small tasks well, one day he would surely receive the true teachings.

He continued chopping wood, even more earnestly than before.

Meanwhile, Ning Qi practiced martial arts.

Ning Qi could feel the "qi" of his Stake Skill within his body moving according to his will. Beginning with the Skin Membrane, he cultivated anew. This time, he was astonished to discover that the Skin Membrane tempered by True Dragon Qi still had so many inadequacies.

Qi transformed into white clouds, green mountains, soaring eagles... gap after gap was gradually filled.

The process was incredibly swift.

After all, he was walking the same road again.

Ning Qi's growth was visible to the naked eye.

In the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.

Within the Seeking Dao Institute.

Ning Qi practiced his punches. There were no strange phenomena, only plain and unadorned strikes, but the changes within his body were enough to leave anyone dumbstruck.

"Among the Outer Four Realms of Body Tempering, Skin Refinement grants peerless defense, Flesh Refinement grants strength enough to lift cauldrons, Tendon Refinement makes one swift as a leopard, and Bone Refinement coordinates the three, elevating a martial artist's strength, speed, and defense to another level!"

"For those with an Inferior Foundation, Bone Refinement Completion grants no more than a thousand jin of force in one arm. A Superior Foundation like the True Martial Nine Piles grants three thousand jin in one arm. Previously, when I cultivated the True Martial Stance and forged a Peerless Foundation, I possessed five thousand jin of force in one arm!"

"But now, I have forged a Supreme Foundation through the Myriad Forms Origin Stake. One arm carries ten thousand jin of force!"

"The time spent was worth it."

This was not merely a difference in strength, but a difference in the depth of his foundation.

From this day onward, Ning Qi would be invincible among those of the same realm.

He gently pushed out his palm. It was clearly light and drifting, yet the White Ape watched with his heart pounding in alarm, as though a prehistoric beast had passed by his side, and a crushing pressure suddenly arose.

Then.

The White Ape's eyes widened. He saw Ning Qi slowly come to a stop and exhale a stream of white qi. The white qi shot forth like an arrow, pierced through the air, and struck the ground, where it blasted out a pit.

Ning Qi's lips slowly curved upward.

"Exhaling qi like an arrow—even ordinary practitioners at Organ Refinement Perfection may not be capable of this. I have only just begun Organ Refinement, yet I have already reached such a realm. This is the difference in foundations."

Advancing into the Organ Refinement Realm was merely a natural course of events. He had long been able to break through; he had only waited until he created his Stake Skill.

He could feel that his condition had never been better.

The latter four realms of Body Tempering were called the Inner Four Realms, and they involved even more secrets of the human body.

"From this point onward, Body Tempering is a smooth road all the way."

"The organs govern endurance, the marrow governs burst, the blood governs longevity, and finally, the spirit unifies them all. When the Inner Four Realms are complete, the Flawless Physical Body will have no leaks and no defects, immune to a hundred diseases, and one may live for Two 60-Year Cycles."

Ning Qi felt somewhat expectant.

That might be the first elevation of his life's essence.

He turned his head and looked at the White Ape's yearning gaze. "Tiansheng, how has today's coursework gone?"

The White Ape jolted, snapping out of his reverie. He then pulled a small booklet from his Daoist Robe and wrote: "Please test me, Teacher."

The White Ape now wore the Daoist Robe of a True Martial Sect disciple as well, something he took immense pride in. Using a small booklet to communicate through writing was also a form of practice, saving others from having to guess back and forth. As for how the White Ape addressed Ning Qi, he himself insisted on it.

He felt that having entered Ning Qi's tutelage, he ought to call Ning Qi Master.

But Ning Qi believed that he too was still seeking the Dao and was not yet qualified to accept disciples, so he firmly refused.

In the end, the White Ape could only pitifully call him Teacher.

Ning Qi tacitly allowed it.

He could be considered a student.

Ning Qi smiled and began asking questions.

The White Ape continuously wrote down his answers, with scarcely any errors or omissions. Ning Qi was quite satisfied. Though this student was far inferior to himself, even among humans, he would belong to the most intelligent group.

"Writing like this is indeed rather troublesome. If Tiansheng gets the chance to enter the Martial Dao in the future, perhaps I can create a Ventriloquism technique for him."

Ning Qi thought silently.

He was still pondering the White Ape's Martial Dao. Once he understood the White Ape's bodily structure, he could simplify a Stake Skill from the Myriad Forms Origin Stake. It might just work.

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