Great Accomplishment

Major Accomplishment. Because of Qin Yun's affair, coupled with Dragon Mountain Daoist entering Seclusion for Breakthrough, the True Martial Sect as a whole had inevitably been affected. Though it had recovered somewhat during this time, morale was still rather low.

And now.

Jiang Baishan's breakthrough into the Gang Yuan Realm immediately filled everyone with exhilaration.

With someone of the Gang Yuan Realm standing guard, it would at least curb the restless schemes of certain petty thieves.

The True Martial Sect had established itself on True Martial Mountain. With so many disciples to feed and support, they naturally could not simply live off the mountain.

In truth.

The True Martial Sect's wealth mainly came from two sources.

First, wealthy households that sent their children to the True Martial Sect to train in martial arts naturally had to pay a considerable fee every year. In return, the True Martial Sect would protect their safety. When others saw this, they would more or less give the True Martial Sect some face and not dare infringe upon them.

The world was growing ever more chaotic now, and this kind of income was rising year by year.

Second were the True Martial Sect's own businesses.

Some disciples within the Sect were not suited to martial arts, so they would be assigned to manage businesses down the mountain—escort agencies, taverns, banks, and the like. Accumulated over the years, these had become quite substantial as well.

When True Martial Sect disciples went down the mountain for training, they would also deal with troubles encountered by these businesses.

The rest were merely minor sources of income.

But no matter which kind.

Powerful martial strength was the guarantee.

If people learned that the True Martial Sect had weakened, a pack of wolves would rise up and devour it.

During this period, first a True Disciple had betrayed the Sect, then the only Gang Yuan Realm expert had entered Seclusion for Breakthrough. Naturally, this had drawn no small number of probes. The True Disciples knew that Dragon Mountain Daoist was seeking to break through to the Heaven-Human Realm, but outsiders did not. On top of that, rumors that Dragon Mountain Daoist had fought a Demonic Sect expert had given rise to all kinds of speculation.

Fortunately, Dragon Mountain Daoist had not been in Seclusion for Breakthrough for long, and his deterrent remained. Luo Wentian and the others could temporarily handle matters as well.

And now.

Jiang Baishan's advancement into the Gang Yuan Realm was enough to make these people completely lower their banners and still their drums.

On the Martial Arena.

Jiang Baishan was surrounded by disciples, and everyone was brimming with excitement.

"Congratulations to Fifth Senior Brother for stepping into the Gang Yuan Realm!"

Ning Qi heard these congratulations from far away.

Luo Wentian had deliberately gathered the disciples here precisely to spread this news and bolster their prestige. He stood to the side, smiling merrily without the slightest displeasure. He was the oldest, and it could be said that he had witnessed most of the True Disciples' childhoods and youths.

"Congratulations, Fifth Senior Brother."

Ning Qi smiled as he congratulated Jiang Baishan, curiosity in his eyes.

The Gang Yuan Realm experts he had encountered were all Top Experts like Dragon Mountain Daoist and Divine Sword Elder. He had truly never seen someone who had just broken through to the Gang Yuan Realm. He had always wanted to know whether his current strength was greater or weaker than the White Mist Realm.

Perhaps this was an opportunity.

Jiang Baishan was in high spirits.

He had originally thought that he would need another year or two of accumulation. Yet after being provoked by Qin Yun's affair during this time, he had held in a breath of resentment and directly broken through to the Gang Yuan Realm.

"Little Nine, do you want to see what Gang Qi looks like?" Jiang Baishan laughed loudly.

Ning Qi smiled and nodded.

Beside them, Fourth Disciple He Yan said with a chuckle:

"You little Five, we talked for ages and you kept playing mysterious. Now Little Nine has barely arrived and said nothing, yet you're already eager to show off."

Everyone laughed.

"Fourth Senior Brother, just tell me—do you want to see it or not!"

"Yes! Yes!"

The disciples all watched in anticipation before spreading out.

Ning Qi fixed his gaze on Jiang Baishan.

Jiang Baishan gently exhaled, then his expression turned solemn. At the Inner Yuan Realm, he had cultivated Shaking Heaven Strength. The Gang Yuan Realm cultivation technique that followed was Shaking Heaven True Force. Though he had only just switched to cultivating it, it already carried an extraordinary might.

Everyone had already sensed the pressure.

He lightly swept the longsword in his hand.

Strands of Sword Qi shot forth like meteors, their sharpness peerless, as though they tore through the air and struck a giant boulder thirty zhang away.

There was no earth-shaking roar, only dazzling Sword Qi slicing back and forth.

The sword light was so sharp it stabbed the eyes.

Then.

Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.

The distant boulder had already become a pile of incredibly uniform rubble. The cuts were incomparably smooth, and even the pieces were almost the same size.

"So this is Gang Qi! It still possesses such terrifying power thirty zhang away. It is far stronger than Inner Strength. No wonder they say that when Inner Strength reaches the ninth layer and encounters the Gang Yuan Realm, all one can do is flee for one's life. The gap is simply too vast—getting close is difficult."

Luo Wentian could not help but sigh in admiration.

Every gaze was filled with amazement. For many of them, this was their first time seeing a Gang Yuan Realm expert demonstrate the might of Gang Qi from such close range.

Even Ye Qinghe, who had never been particularly interested in martial arts, rarely found herself yearning for the Gang Yuan Realm.

Jiang Baishan laughed heartily and began to fully demonstrate a sword technique. Empowered by Gang Qi, the once-ordinary sword art became terrifyingly powerful.

Cries of astonishment rang out one after another.

They were dazzled, utterly entranced.

Ning Qi watched as well.

He too was somewhat astonished.

"Gang Qi Leaves Body Thirty Zhang—perhaps that isn't even the limit. It truly is formidable."

However, Ning Qi realized that he seemed to have both underestimated and overestimated the strength of the Gang Yuan Realm.

He had underestimated it because he had not expected Jiang Baishan, merely at the White Mist Realm, to be able to shoot Gang Qi thirty zhang away. It could kill enemies and protect the body, and every strand of Sword Qi was vastly stronger than inner strength.

He had overestimated it because, compared with his own strength, Ning Qi felt that although Gang Qi was immensely powerful, if he went all out... he seemed to be somewhat stronger still? "The advantage of Gang Qi Realm experts lies in their Gang Qi being able to leave the body, giving them the advantage in long-range attacks. But if I get close, with my terrifying Physical Body strength reinforced by vast inner strength, even protective Gang Qi probably won't be able to stop me."

Ning Qi weighed the respective strengths and weaknesses of the Gang Yuan Realm and himself.

Using Jiang Baishan as an imaginary opponent, he finally reached a conclusion.

"If I strike with my full strength, Fifth Senior Brother probably won't be my match?"

The corners of his mouth could not help but curl upward slightly.

Though they had never fought, he felt that his deduction was almost certainly correct.

Still, the power of Gang Qi made him somewhat wary. He thought that if he encountered an enemy in the Gang Yuan Realm, it would be best to use his movement technique to evade the Gang Qi, then close in with the speed of Thunder before they could cover their ears and achieve victory in one stroke. Otherwise, if he let a Gang Yuan Realm expert Pull away and open the distance, things would become troublesome.

News of Jiang Baishan's advancement to the Gang Yuan Realm spread.

The True Martial Sect's situation stabilized.

Gang Yuan Realm cultivators lived for four hundred years. In Great Flame, they were already considered renowned powerhouses capable of shaking a region. Ordinary factions did not dare offend them, and the covetous gazes that had once lingered on the sect vanished like smoke.

Ning Qi also began his fifth simulated death with peace of mind.

Half a month later.

Ning Qi awakened.

His Physical Body had transformed once again, its strength reaching six times that of the Body Tempering realm's perfected state—an utterly exaggerated level.

Yet what delighted Ning Qi the most

was the breakthrough in his inner strength.

Six Layer Realm, Inner Yuan Grand Completion!

With a probing stretch of his hand, strands of incomparably solid inner strength surged from his palm. The inner strength continuously condensed and lengthened, only reaching its limit after extending more than one zhang, like a sword that had grown from the flesh of his palm.

With a thought from him, the originally invisible 'Inner Strength Sword' immediately began to change. At times it radiated scorching heat, at times frost surged across it; at times it growled low like Bi An, at times it cried out sharply like an Ancient Eagle. It was even interwoven with Mysteries such as vibration and rotation.

Ning Qi smiled.

"Even ordinary Nine Layer Realm martial artists do not possess inner strength as solid as mine. With this zhang-long extension of inner strength, I can now say with absolute certainty that Fifth Senior Brother is no match for me. I might even defeat him rather easily."

The thought flashed through his mind, and he then turned his gaze toward White Ape, looking somewhat intrigued.

"Now that my inner strength can extend beyond my body, perhaps I can try investigating the bloodline within Tiansheng's body?"