Innate Bone Forging Art

In his previous life, Ning Qi had suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and died in despair.

In this life, he had fallen into danger from the moment he was born. And after learning that he had already endured Hundred Lifetimes of Suffering, he developed an obsession with staying alive.

He loathed death.

He wanted to live. He wanted eternal life.

As Ning Qi's words fell, Dragon Mountain Daoist froze slightly, while Jiang Baishan was even more astonished.

Dragon Mountain Daoist frowned faintly. He had intended to rebuke Ning Qi for aiming too high, but when he saw the astonishing longing in the eyes of that half-year-old child, he fell silent. The rebuke at his lips was swallowed back down.

Jiang Baishan said:

"Little Nine, where in this world could there be a method of longevity..."

But before he could finish, Dragon Mountain Daoist raised a hand and cut him off.

His expression was incomparably solemn as he stared at Ning Qi.

Ning Qi, meanwhile, showed not the slightest sign of retreat. This was his goal, and it would never change.

After a long while.

Dragon Mountain Daoist looked at Ning Qi and slowly spoke:

"At the beginning of the Martial Dao come Skin Refinement, Flesh Refinement, Tendon Refinement, Bone Refinement, Organ Refinement, Marrow Refinement, Blood Refinement, and Spirit Refinement. These are the Tempering Body Eight Realms. If one achieves complete perfection, flawless and without leakage, one's qi and blood will never run dry, and no illness will arise. At that stage, one's lifespan reaches a Mortal's limit: two 60-year cycles."

Ning Qi's eyes shone brightly, but he remained unmoved.

Two 60-year cycles were far too few.

"Upon perfecting Body Tempering and comprehending Inner Strength, one enters the Inner Yuan Realm. With Inner Yuan suffusing the body, every gesture holds immense power, and one may live two hundred years!"

Ning Qi still remained unmoved.

Two hundred years was not enough either.

Dragon Mountain Daoist withdrew his gaze and turned toward the countless green mountains beyond Bright Martial Pavilion.

"Inner Strength Ninefold into Gang leads to the Gang Yuan Realm. Gang Yuan bursts forth from the body with unmatched might, granting a lifespan of four hundred years!"

"After Gang Yuan passes through the three realms of White Mist, Jade Liquid, and Yuan Pill, one's divine intent flourishes and may resonate with Heaven and Earth. Reaching the realm of Heaven and Man United, splitting rivers and breaking mountains become trivial matters. This is the Heaven-Human Realm, with a lifespan of eight hundred years!"

At this point.

Even Dragon Mountain Daoist's words carried a trace of barely perceptible yearning.

He was only half a step away from the Heaven-Human Realm, yet that half-step was as difficult as climbing to the heavens. All beneath Heavenly Humans were ants. Fortunately, his aptitude was peerless, and within a few years he would surely reach it. Otherwise, he would not have obtained the True Martial Inheritance back then.

Eight hundred years! In his previous life, there had been legends of a long-lived man named Peng Zu who had lived eight hundred years. With such a vast lifespan, one could sit and watch dozens of generations of Mortals rise and fall. To Mortals, how would that differ from an Immortal?

Ning Qi gained a deeper understanding of the wonder of this world.

He felt a faint stir of anticipation, but still slowly shook his head.

Eight hundred years was long, but compared to eternal life, it was no more than the time spent sleeping soundly with closed eyes.

"Master, are there those above the Heaven-Human Realm who live even longer?"

Jiang Baishan held his breath as he listened to the exchange between master and disciple. He only felt that his Ninth Junior Brother was truly unlike anyone else. The Heaven-Human Realm already stood at the absolute pinnacle of the world, enough for countless people to pursue for their entire lives, yet he was still unsatisfied?

The astonishment in his eyes deepened.

Perhaps this was not childish delusion. What a person could achieve was inseparable from the scope of their ambition. At the very least, he had never considered such a question. Thinking of it this way, he unexpectedly felt a trace of respect for his Junior Brother.

Dragon Mountain Daoist answered with a question. "What do you think of these green mountains?"

Ning Qi followed his gaze. The rolling mountains were grand and majestic, making one instinctively feel insignificant. He sighed unconsciously, "Born of Heaven and Earth, Ten Thousand Years Unmovable."

Dragon Mountain Daoist said earnestly, "Ten Thousand Years Unmovable does not mean they cannot be moved. Even green mountains are like this; they have no day of eternal existence. How much less can people possess immortality?"

"A person's life is not about how long one lives, but what one accomplishes."

Great ambition was a good thing, but he feared that his disciple held illusory and vague notions and would take a crooked path.

Ning Qi fell silent for a moment, hearing Dragon Mountain Daoist's warning.

For an ordinary person, it was indeed impossible to entertain extraordinary thoughts. But he possessed Max Level Comprehension; eternal life was not a wild fantasy.

Ning Qi kowtowed respectfully and solemnly said:

"Please guide me, Master!"

Dragon Mountain Daoist helped Ning Qi to his feet and sighed softly.

"Foolish child."

To possess such a mind at merely half a year old, he could not be judged through the eyes used for ordinary people.

His voice became distant.

"Above Heavenly Humans are Martial Saints. Should a Martial Saint emerge, he would be Invincible in the World. As for their lifespan, it is said that Martial Saints can live for several thousand years, though no one has ever seen one. Some say that they may have already broken through the world's limits and gone to the Other Realm."

"As for what lies above Martial Saints, even I do not know. Perhaps those at higher peaks of the Martial Dao may endure for ten thousand years without decay. Everything is an unknown; only beings who have reached the Martial Saint realm would know."

"If you harbor the ambition for eternal life, perhaps ascending to the highest peak of the Martial Dao will let you behold different scenery."

Dragon Mountain Daoist decided to guide him properly. Perhaps this was not a bad thing.

He smiled as he looked at Ning Qi before him.

Ning Qi's eyes gleamed.

Martial Saints were Invincible in the World and could live for several thousand years?

Though that was still far from what he had expected, it was not bad. Once he became a Martial Saint in the future, he would naturally have more time to seek the true Method of Longevity.

One had to eat one bite at a time.

Reaching the summit in a single step was unrealistic.

"First, set a small goal: become a Martial Saint!"

Ning Qi silently made up his mind.

If it turned out that the Martial Dao truly could not grant eternal life, then he would change paths.

By then, the very essence of his life would have been elevated, and his comprehension would surely become even stronger. Moreover, standing at a higher point with ample foundations, opening up a new path would be somewhat easier than stubbornly drilling into a dead end and searching for some Method of Longevity now.

After hearing Dragon Mountain Daoist's words today, Ning Qi felt that his goal had become far clearer. He thanked him once more. "Thank you, Master, for resolving my doubts."

Seeing Ning Qi looking so energized, Jiang Baishan feared that he might suffer a blow in the future and could not help reminding him:

"Little Nine, what if there truly is no Path of Longevity in this world?"

Ning Qi smiled faintly.

He respectfully saluted Dragon Mountain Daoist and Jiang Baishan, then swung his arms as he left.

Only his voice echoed through the attic.

"If there is no Path of Longevity, then I will carve one out myself."

Inside Bright Martial Pavilion.

Concentration Incense curled upward. Silence filled the room.

Dragon Mountain Daoist and his disciple looked at each other, both seeing astonishment in the other's eyes.

This child was extraordinary.

After that day's conversation with Dragon Mountain Daoist, the True Disciples of the True Martial Sect discovered in surprise that their precocious Ninth Junior Brother no longer pestered them with questions about the Martial Dao. Instead, he stayed by himself, apparently pondering something.

"Little Nine, I left what you wanted here. Remember to take it on time."

Luo Wentian called out toward Ning Qi's courtyard, then shook his head and left.

Ning Qi was highly independent. Aside from certain things he could not accomplish because his body was too small and required assistance, he did everything else himself.

After learning last time that Ning Qi's Bone Structure had begun forming at an accelerated rate, Dragon Mountain Daoist started having him take medicinal supplements, mostly medicines that strengthened his foundation and replenished his vitality.

Using that as an excuse, Ning Qi obtained some other medicinal ingredients as well.

As for their purpose, naturally, they were for his idea.

Inside the room at that moment.

Ning Qi consumed the medicinal broth he had concocted, then sat cross-legged on the bed like a little adult, his eyes tightly shut.

Within his body.

Innate Qi circulated according to a particular pattern. With every cycle, a portion of the Innate Qi dissipated, as though spreading into his limbs and bones. Immediately afterward, Ning Qi sensed a prickling itch rising from deep within his body, far more intense than in previous days! Rather than being alarmed, Ning Qi was delighted.

"It worked!"

Having seen through the essence of Bone Structure, using Innate Qi as the foundation and the Ning's Medical Treatise he had created as support, he had finally gained complete insight into the art of forging bones.

"This art shall be called the Innate Bone Forging Art!"

This was what Ning Qi had gained during this period.

After speaking with Dragon Mountain Daoist, he learned that Bone Structure was formless, so he had continually experimented with how to actively stimulate Innate Qi and accelerate the growth of his Bone Structure. This would certainly be much faster than passively accelerating it as before.

And now, he had finally succeeded!

"With the Innate Bone Forging Art, I can actively nurture my Bone Structure. The speed at which my Bone Structure forms can increase severalfold again!"

Ning Qi's eyes were filled with anticipation.