In his previous life, Ning Qi had been bound to a hospital bed, watching his body wither away under the torment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
In this life, he was born into bloodshed, learned that he had already endured a hundred lifetimes of suffering, and once again found himself standing at the edge of death.
These two lives overlapped in his mind.
They gave birth to an obsession.
Ning Qi hated death.
He wanted to live.
Not for a hundred years.Not for a thousand years.
He wanted to live forever.
When Ning Qi's words fell, the pavilion went quiet.
Dragon Mountain Daoist was momentarily stunned.
Jiang Baishan was even more shocked, his mouth slightly open.
Dragon Mountain Daoist frowned instinctively, about to reprimand Ning Qi for harboring delusions far beyond his age. But when he met the child's gaze—clear, unwavering, and burning with an intensity no child should possess—he fell silent.
The scolding died in his throat.
Jiang Baishan finally spoke, unable to restrain himself.
"Junior Brother… how could there possibly be a method of eternal life in this world—"
Before he could finish, Dragon Mountain Daoist raised a hand.
His expression grew solemn as he looked at Ning Qi.
Ning Qi did not avert his eyes.
This was not childish curiosity.This was resolve.
After a long while, Dragon Mountain Daoist spoke.
"The Martial Dao begins with Body Tempering."
"Skin Refining. Flesh Refining. Tendon Refining. Bone Refining. Organ Refining. Marrow Refining. Blood Refining. Spirit Refining."
"These are the Eight Body Tempering Realms."
"If one achieves perfection without flaw, their qi and blood will be inexhaustible, illness will never touch them, and their lifespan will reach the mortal limit—one hundred and twenty years."
Ning Qi listened calmly.
One hundred and twenty years was too short.
"After that comes Inner Strength," Dragon Mountain Daoist continued. "Upon entering the Inner Yuan Realm, one's power surges dramatically, and lifespan extends to two hundred years."
Ning Qi's expression did not change.
Two hundred years was still not enough.
"When Inner Strength condenses into Gang," Dragon Mountain Daoist said, gazing into the distance, "one enters the Gang Yuan Realm. A single strike can shatter cities. Lifespan reaches four hundred years."
Still not enough.
"Beyond that lies the Heavenly Human Realm."
Dragon Mountain Daoist's voice slowed, carrying faint reverence.
"When Gang Yuan passes through White Mist, Jade Liquid, and Core Formation, spiritual sense resonates with Heaven and Earth. Rivers can be split, mountains shattered."
"Those at this realm may live eight hundred years."
For a mortal, eight hundred years was eternity.
For Ning Qi—
It was merely a long sleep.
He raised his head.
"Master… is there a realm beyond Heavenly Human?"
Jiang Baishan inhaled sharply.
That was the peak of the world.Countless cultivators exhausted their entire lives chasing it.
Yet Ning Qi was still unsatisfied.
Dragon Mountain Daoist did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked:
"How do you see these mountains?"
Ning Qi followed his gaze. Endless green peaks stretched across the horizon, ancient and unmoving.
"Born of Heaven and Earth," Ning Qi said softly, "difficult to move for ten thousand years."
Dragon Mountain Daoist nodded.
"Difficult does not mean eternal. Even mountains erode. How could humans escape decay?"
"A person's life is not measured by its length, but by what is done within it."
His words carried both guidance and warning.
Ning Qi lowered his head slightly, understanding his Master's concern.
Then he knelt.
"Please guide me, Master."
Dragon Mountain Daoist sighed and helped him up.
"Foolish child… yet not an ordinary one."
"Above Heavenly Human lies Martial Saint."
"If a Martial Saint appears, they stand invincible beneath the heavens. As for lifespan—some say thousands of years."
"No one truly knows. Some claim Martial Saints break the world's limits and leave for other realms."
"As for what lies beyond…"He shook his head. "Even I do not know."
"If you seek eternal life, then climb to the highest peak of the Martial Dao first."
Ning Qi's eyes shone.
Martial Saint.
Invincible.Thousands of years.
It was not eternity—but it was time.
Enough time to search for the true answer.
"Then my first goal," Ning Qi thought calmly,"is to become a Martial Saint."
If Martial Dao failed to grant immortality, he would forge another path.
With greater life essence, stronger comprehension, and a foundation beyond common sense, opening a new road would not be impossible.
He bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Master."
Jiang Baishan hesitated, then said, "Junior Brother… perhaps eternal life truly does not exist."
Ning Qi smiled faintly as he turned away.
"If there is no path," his voice echoed,"then I will carve one."
From that day onward, Ning Qi stopped pestering his Senior Brothers about cultivation.
Instead, he thought alone.
Dragon Mountain Daoist began providing medicinal supplements to strengthen Ning Qi's foundation. Using this opportunity, Ning Qi quietly requested additional ingredients—ostensibly for nourishment.
Their true purpose lay elsewhere.
Inside his room, Ning Qi finished drinking the medicinal soup he had refined himself, then sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed.
Within his body, Innate Qi circulated in a precise pattern.
Each cycle consumed a portion of Innate Qi, dispersing it into his limbs and—more importantly—into the intangible foundation of his body.
An intense itching surged from deep within his bones.
Ning Qi's heart leapt.
"It worked."
He had finally grasped the essence of Bone Tempering.
Using Innate Qi as the core and medical theory as guidance, he had broken through the barrier that separated passive growth from active refinement.
"This technique…"
He opened his eyes.
"Shall be called the Xiantian Bone Strengthening Skill."
With it, he could actively nourish his bone foundation, accelerating its formation several times over.
Eight years old?
Too long.
Now—He would decide his own pace