True Martial Second

Ning Qi had asked Dragon Mountain Daoist for some supportive medicines, and after spending half a month, he had finally trained the Shape Shifting and Bone Changing Art to the highest realm he had envisioned.

From then on.

He had far more room to maneuver when disguising his face and changing his form. He could easily switch his features between old, young, middle-aged, and youth, and the same went for his build. Thanks to his powerful physical body, Ning Qi could shrink to half his current height, or stretch himself to over two meters tall.

Once his physical body grew even stronger in the future, he would be able to do even more.

However.

The Shape Shifting and Bone Changing Art was only for unexpected needs.

The Silent Tranquility Art was undoubtedly far more useful.

In ordinary times, Ning Qi kept his aura maintained at the intensity of the Tendon Refinement Realm. Occasionally, a trace would leak out, but basically only those with perception-type martial arts could notice it.

Whether a martial artist was strong or weak, in the end, could only be known after fighting.

Vitality and aura intensity could only serve as references.

With these two martial arts, Ning Qi's heart undoubtedly settled much more.

He continued to train step by step as before.

Although his senior brothers and sisters occasionally returned from tempering journeys and spoke of the prosperity and liveliness below the mountain, making Ning Qi feel a slight yearning, he could endure loneliness.

Of course, most importantly, Ning Qi could feel his own growth every single day.

Training martial arts was plenty enjoyable.

That made him less eager for the outside world.

The peach blossoms outside the Seeking Dao Institute bloomed more and more brilliantly, dazzling with color.

Once, even a rough fellow like Second Senior Brother Xiong Shi could not help praising them when he came by, saying that Junior Brother's place had good Feng Shui that nourished people, and even the peach blossoms were better than those in other places on True Martial Mountain.

Ye Qinghe even smilingly picked some to take back, saying she wanted to make Peach Blossom Wine.

Ning Qi smiled faintly.

He felt Third Senior Sister was bound to fail.

Ye Qinghe liked drinking wine, but her brewing skills were terrible. Once, she had White Ape teach her to brew Monkey Wine, and the result was so sour and foul that White Ape kept shaking his head at the sight.

This time.

When White Ape saw that Ye Qinghe wanted to make Peach Blossom Wine, he hurriedly brewed a batch himself too, so that he would not suffer disaster when the time came.

None of them knew.

Ning Qi had specially studied cultivation techniques for a while. This batch of peach trees would grow more and more full of vitality, becoming stronger year by year. Perhaps one day in the future, they might even bear Spiritual Fruits.

After the peach blossoms gradually withered.

One peach after another appeared on the peach branches, looking especially pleasing.

Ning Qi plucked a peach and bit into it.

His mouth filled with saliva, and it was exceptionally sweet and fragrant.

He had White Ape send some to his master and all his senior brothers and sisters.

They received much praise.

Ning Qi's state of mind became increasingly peaceful.

Dragon Mountain Daoist was also astonished to discover that he could no longer see through this little Disciple, which made him sigh with even more emotion.

As for Ning Qi.

He had already welcomed his second false death.

With the experience of his first false death, this time he was familiar with the road and drove the cart with ease. Ning Qi prepared his resources, gave White Ape his instructions, then locked himself in his room and entered the Silent State.

White Ape had now also begun refining his tendons. His movements were incomparably agile as he practiced the Ape King Stake, improving constantly.

This time, he did not panic. He merely waited silently for Ning Qi to wake.

Ten days later.

Ning Qi awoke.

His gaze held a little more peace than before. He realized that the recent changes in his state of mind might have been related to the two false deaths, but he did not panic. Instead, he quite liked his current state.

"Advanced to the Third Layer Realm, minor accomplishment in inner yuan!"

"My physical body has doubled in strength again. In other words, it is a full three times stronger than when I first reached perfect, flawless completion of the Body Tempering Realm. I feel... my lifespan seems to have increased again?"

Ning Qi's eyes shone faintly.

This was an unexpected joy.

He had never heard before that each breakthrough in the Inner Yuan Realm brought such a change. He guessed that perhaps it had something to do with his physical body withering into stillness and being reborn to reach its limit each time.

Although he did not know how much his lifespan had increased, that feeling in the unseen could not be false. Moreover, his Spiritual Light of thought had clearly increased a little again.

This was a good thing.

If things continued according to this trend, perhaps when he reached perfection in inner yuan, he might be able to obtain a lifespan about the same as that of the Gang Yuan Realm.

"Other than my physical body and lifespan, it's the change in my inner strength. If nothing unexpected has happened, my inner strength is already 'Half-Solid.' This is a state most people only reach after Inner Yuan Grand Completion, and I'm afraid they still wouldn't compare to me."

"For ordinary martial artists, once they reach this level of grand completion, they can already cultivate the 'Energy Conversion Method' within the Layered Strength Art, adding all sorts of powerful properties to their inner strength."

Ning Qi was deep in thought.

He circulated the inner strength within his body and could clearly feel that it was no longer as 'illusory' as before. It had begun to possess a sense of 'solidity.' Its might had greatly increased, and its enhancement to his physical body was even stronger.

"There are many properties inner strength can have. For example, Ice Silkworm Strength can cultivate Extreme Ice Inner Strength, making one's inner strength extremely cold. There are also other cultivation techniques that can attach flames, deadly poison, baleful qi, and all sorts of other qualities to inner strength. Some special Layered Strength Arts even require corresponding resources to succeed."

"But there are other properties too. For example, Quaking Earth Strength gives inner strength the property of 'quaking.' With one palm strike, it shakes a person's lungs and viscera, reaching straight into the depths."

"But none of these are what I want."

During this period, aside from cultivating the Layered Strength Art, Ning Qi had also been constantly considering the Energy Conversion Method in the latter half of the Great Dream Nine Deaths Technique. Now, he already had some clues.

He had ambition, and felt that ordinary properties could not satisfy him.

If he was going to cultivate, he would cultivate the strongest.

Energy conversion was not merely a way to strengthen an Inner Yuan Realm martial artist's power; it also involved the later cultivation of Gang Yuan strength.

"Let's wait a little longer. There's no need to rush for now. I can convert my strength later. In any case, I'm not fighting anyone right now, so I'm not in a hurry to convert."

Ning Qi made up his mind.

After all, even if he did not convert his strength, it would not delay his continued cultivation and advancement in realm.

He felt that his current strength was not weak either.

His physical body was formidable, and he also possessed vast, condensed inner strength. On top of that, he had easily cultivated many martial arts to extremely high realms. His combat strength was somewhat exaggerated.

"If I was still somewhat uncertain before, then now, Eldest Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Brother should no longer be my match."

Ning Qi was not being arrogant.

His physical body was too strong. Following this trend, in the future, perhaps he could raise his arms with a million jin of force. That was a height no one would even dare dream of.

No one knew that this Ninth True Disciple had already, silently and without a sound, become the second strongest person in the True Martial Sect.

"As for the Gang Yuan Realm, I don't know whether I can beat one or not."

Among the Three Gang Yuan Realms—White Mist, Jade Liquid, and Core Formation—there was an enormous gap between each realm.

The only two Gang Yuan Realm experts Ning Qi had seen up close were the Divine Sword Elder and his own master. However, both of them were in the Core Formation Realm, and the gap was too great. He certainly did not think he could compare to them now.

But Ning Qi did not waste time on this.

If he encountered one in the future, he would naturally know.

Summer gradually arrived.

One afternoon, Ye Qinghe was shocked to discover that all the Peach Blossom Wine she had sealed had leaked air and turned into a sour liquid. This left her extremely frustrated, and she sighed deeply that the heavens were jealous of talent, giving her no chance to display her winemaking ability.

Fortunately, White Ape promptly brought out the Peach Blossom Wine he had brewed himself.

After Ye Qinghe tasted it, her eyes brightened, and she beamed with delight.

She pulled Yuan Tiansheng along to find each of their fellow disciples and have them taste the Peach Blossom Wine one by one. Without blushing or her heart skipping a beat, she said that she and White Ape had brewed it together. Everyone praised it, laughing inwardly.

This greatly satisfied her vanity.

"Mm... I'll leave this jar for Eighth Junior Brother to try."

Perhaps Ye Qinghe's words proved effective.

A few days later.

The eighth disciple, Qin Yun, really did return to the mountain.