Zhenwu Peach Meet

Zhenwu Peach Meet. Once this thought arose, Ning Qi's curiosity could no longer be restrained.

"Tiansheng, come here."

Ning Qi smiled kindly.

Yet the White Ape could not help but tremble. He felt that his teacher's gaze was somewhat terrifying.

"Don't worry. It's a good thing for you. If I can figure out the condition inside your body, perhaps I'll be able to help you awaken the bloodline within you someday."

At those words, the White Ape's eyes lit up.

Come to think of it, the White Ape had grown larger as well. He had even surpassed Ning Qi in size. Perhaps he was in a growth spurt; no one knew just how tall he would be once fully grown.

Still smiling, Ning Qi placed a hand on the White Ape's shoulder. He had originally wanted to start with the head, but that seemed somewhat dangerous, so he decided it would be better to begin with the body.

"Relax."

With that, fine strands of gentle Inner Strength seeped from Ning Qi's palm. He had activated the Water Softness trait. The White Ape instinctively cried out, but quickly discovered that apart from a slight itch, his shoulder was suffused with a gentle, comfortable sensation.

Yet Ning Qi gradually frowned.

He had discovered something.

After his Inner Strength entered the White Ape's body, he could sense it at first, but it was immediately depleted at a terrifying speed. It could not even travel far. At most, he could barely make out the Skin Membrane, flesh, and blood around the shoulder.

"This... could it be that my Inner Strength isn't condensed enough?"

Ning Qi withdrew his hand, silently making a guess.

Inner Strength was a wondrous power born from one's own Physical Body. Trying to send it into someone else's body would likely meet with resistance.

"Looks like I'll have to wait until my Inner Strength grows stronger."

He was not disappointed.

The White Ape, however, was somewhat dejected after his initial anticipation.

"You little monkey, and now you're disappointed? Train properly. Strive to complete Organ Refinement soon, then you'll be able to learn Ventriloquism."

Seeing the White Ape write with a pitiful expression, Ning Qi laughed and scolded him.

He had long since created a Ventriloquism technique for the White Ape.

It was simply that Ventriloquism required strong Viscera.

Expectation gleamed in the White Ape's eyes. He respectfully bowed, then resumed training. Though Ventriloquism was not truly speaking with his own mouth, he would at least be able to communicate.

He was not too far from that step.

Ye Qinghe's Peach Blossom Wine failed again, just as expected.

But she felt that she had improved greatly this time. At the very least, the Peach Blossom Wine did not smell sour and rancid—it simply had no flavor.

Fortunately, the wine brewed by the White Ape was there to save the day.

This time, she came clean.

"This was brewed through the combined efforts of the White Ape and me!"

All Direct Disciples secretly laughed.

On the surface, they continued to praise her.

Dragon Mountain Daoist had yet to emerge from seclusion. This time, it was a death seclusion; he would not leave until he broke through to the Heaven-Human Realm. No one knew how long it would take.

Perhaps one year, perhaps two.

But everyone believed that with their master Dragon Mountain Daoist's talent, he would certainly succeed within two years. If not for being affected by Qin Yun's earlier affair, Dragon Mountain Daoist would likely have already broken through to the Heaven-Human Realm.

It was rare for everyone to gather together at Ning Qi's Seeking Dao Institute.

They drank the Peach Blossom Wine "jointly" brewed by Ye Qinghe and the White Ape, ate fresh Peach Fruit, and enjoyed themselves in perfect harmony.

Qin Yun's affair had instead made them cherish the bonds between fellow disciples even more.

"Little Nine, I always feel that the peaches outside your courtyard taste better than those anywhere else. They even seem tastier than last year's."

Xiong Shi, the second disciple, was exceptionally straightforward.

"Qinghe, I think next time you brew wine, you could wait until the peaches ripen and add them in. Perhaps it would give it a different feel."

Ye Qinghe refused to let it go. She folded her arms and shot Xiong Shi a sidelong glance. "Second Senior Brother, are you saying the wine I brewed doesn't taste good?"

Xiong Shi hurriedly begged for mercy, and everyone burst into laughter.

"But seriously, the peaches outside Junior Brother's courtyard really are delicious."

Everyone nodded in unison.

After tasting them last year, they had been left craving more.

Ning Qi smiled and said:

"If you senior brothers and sisters think they're tasty, how about we gather here every year when the peach fruits ripen?"

He refined the cultivation technique a little further.

Perhaps in a few more years, this peach tree would begin to display the first hints of the miraculous.

Everyone's eyes lit up. "Little Nine, that's a fine suggestion, but won't it disturb your cultivation?"

Ning Qi smiled and shook his head.

He increasingly felt that while seeking immortality, one must also cherish the people before one's eyes.

Luo Wentian made the decision outright. "Then it's settled. Every year at this time, no matter what we have going on, we must gather in Junior Brother's courtyard. Mm... how about calling it the Zhenwu Peach Meet?"

Everyone grew excited.

Perhaps many years from now, it would become a tale much told.

Ye Qinghe hurriedly said:

"Junior Brother provides the Peach Fruit, and I'll provide the Peach Blossom Wine. They'll complement each other perfectly!"

Everyone laughed.

All of them were already considering what they should bring next time to liven things up.

Watching his senior brothers and sisters chat excitedly, Ning Qi smiled. His heart felt even more tranquil.

After the bustle faded.

The Seeking Dao Institute became quiet once more.

Ning Qi did not find it unfamiliar at all.

He continued cultivating.

Time drifted by.

In the blink of an eye, autumn had arrived.

There was still no sign of Dragon Mountain Daoist emerging from seclusion.

Instead, Ning Qi broke through once again.

He successfully forged a connection between his Inner Strength and Physical Body, entering his sixth round of suspended animation.

Another half month later, he awoke from the Suspended Animation State. A startling gleam shone in his eyes, and his aura was powerful.

"Seventh Layer Realm. My Inner Strength can now extend more than thirty feet beyond my body. That's rather frightening. Its solidity even carries a trace of Gang Qi now. If an enemy is caught off guard, they'll suffer badly."

Ning Qi felt that he was quite powerful now.

As his Inner Strength steadily grew stronger, he had begun researching killing moves. The martial intents he had comprehended before—Sword Intent, Fist Intent, and the like—could erupt with tremendous power when infused into his Inner Strength. Ning Qi's Inner Strength could stack its properties, making it all the more terrifying.

For example, there was a move called Frostflame Triple Sword.

It contained not only the dual properties of ice and fire, but also the triple properties of vibration, rotation, and cutting.

If he unleashed this move, Fifth Senior Brother's protective Gang Qi definitely would not be able to withstand it.

Ning Qi tried once more to send his Inner Strength deep into White Ape's body, but he still failed.

Yet this failure only made Ning Qi more certain that his Inner Strength was simply not strong enough.

"If I break through once more and reach the Eighth Layer Realm, there should be no problem."

Ning Qi felt that reaching the Eighth Layer Realm at around seven years old should not be an issue.

As he pondered.

Luo Wentian's delighted call came from outside the courtyard. "Little Nine, you've come out of seclusion?"

Luo Wentian had come by before, but White Ape had told him that Ning Qi was in seclusion, so he had not disturbed him. This time, when he came again, he found that Ning Qi had already emerged.

Ning Qi smiled and said:

"I only came out today. I hadn't had the chance to tell you yet, Eldest Senior Brother."

Luo Wentian waved a hand. "No matter. I only came by for a look. If you need anything, just tell Eldest Senior Brother anytime."

Ning Qi nodded.

He had no doubt about that. Come to think of it, he had yet to go down the mountain to obtain any martial cultivation resources. Unlike those Rogue Cultivators without a master or sect, who might have to fight desperately for even a single breakthrough pill, he considered himself exceptionally fortunate.

While still weak, he had been spared the struggle.

"Eldest Senior Brother, how have things been in the Sect lately?"

"Quite good. Nothing major has happened. It's just that Master still hasn't come out of seclusion."

Worry showed faintly in Luo Wentian's eyes. Though he trusted his master, this period of seclusion had already lasted nearly half a year.

"Master will definitely be fine."

The two chatted.

After a moment, Jiang Baishan's call rang out from the distance:

"Eldest Senior Brother, people from the Purple River Sword Sect are here again!"