True Martial knew no age.
Winter faded, spring passed, and autumn arrived in quiet succession.
In the blink of an eye, nearly another year had gone by.
Ning Qi had been born in winter. Now, he was about to turn five.
He had grown taller again—slender but well-proportioned—and already stood slightly taller than Heavenly Born. At a glance, he looked no different from an ordinary child of seven or eight.
Over the past year, the True Martial Sect had undergone noticeable changes.
Dragon Mountain Daoist entered seclusion frequently, seeking an opportunity to break through into the Heavenly Human Realm. As a result, all affairs within the sect—large and small—were entrusted to the eldest disciple, Luo Wentian, with several senior disciples assisting him.
At the same time, the sect officially opened its gates and began recruiting disciples on a larger scale.
To this day, the True Martial Sect had surpassed one thousand disciples.
Among them were even many third-generation disciples.
Because of this, Ning Qi's seniority rose yet again.
Now, within the sect, he was addressed as Ninth Uncle-Master.
However—
Ning Qi was far too low-key and mysterious. Most disciples had never seen him in person, nor dared to disturb the quiet courtyard he lived in. As such, they had little real concept of this legendary Ninth Uncle-Master.
Instead, they were very familiar with his disciple.
The white ape.
As Ning Qi's disciple, Heavenly Born was naturally considered a third-generation disciple of the True Martial Sect.
From cautious restraint to revealing his true playful nature, the white ape took barely a month.
He was lively, agile, and curious by nature—very different from Ning Qi, who could endure years of solitude without the slightest discomfort. Heavenly Born often slipped out to wander the sect, and over time, he became acquainted with many disciples.
Before long, the entire True Martial Sect had grown accustomed to this unusual third-generation disciple.
And strangely enough, they liked him very much.
Ning Qi did not interfere.
He never believed everyone should walk the same path.
For him, cultivation and Dao comprehension were the highest pleasures.
For others, that might not be the case.
That said—
Heavenly Born was not lacking in ambition.
It was simply hidden beneath his nature.
In truth, the white ape worked harder than most.
More than half a year ago, Ning Qi drew inspiration from human stake cultivation and extracted the Ape Image from the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Pillar. Using it as a foundation, he created a cultivation method tailored specifically for Heavenly Born.
With the experience of creating the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Pillar behind him, Ning Qi's understanding of the Martial Dao had deepened significantly.
Creating a suitable method was no longer difficult.
Thus, the Ape King Stance was born.
Cultivating the Ape King Stance with the body of a white ape was an innate advantage. Heavenly Born naturally comprehended the Ape King Divine Intent, and coupled with his sharp intelligence, his cultivation progressed at an astonishing speed.
Though he could not compare to Ning Qi, he was faster than even most peerless human geniuses.
This surprised Ning Qi.
After observing carefully, he realized that beast bodies were inherently stronger than human ones, making body tempering far more efficient.
Perhaps the mysterious red fruit had also played a role.
Whatever the reason, Ning Qi issued a strict warning.
Without his permission, Heavenly Born was never allowed to reveal that he had stepped onto the Martial Dao.
If he did—
He would be expelled from the sect immediately.
Ning Qi was not being heartless.
He simply understood that if news spread of a beast cultivating martial arts, powerful vicious beasts would inevitably come searching.
Heavenly Born obediently agreed.
As a result, until now, no one within the True Martial Sect—aside from Ning Qi—knew that the white ape had already embarked upon cultivation, and had even reached a respectable realm.
But these changes—
Whether within the sect or within Heavenly Born—
Were secondary.
The greatest change of all was Ning Qi himself.
Inside the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
Ning Qi practiced his stance.
His movements were slow, gentle, and rhythmic. Each punch and kick followed a natural flow, as if born from instinct.
This was no longer active cultivation.
It was habit.
Recalling his journey over the past year, Ning Qi let out a quiet breath.
Since creating the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Pillar—
In just two months, he had reached Organ Refining Perfection.
His internal organs were vigorous and resilient, capable of enduring endless exhaustion. Even on a battlefield of thousands, he could fight until others collapsed.
Three months later—
Marrow Refining Perfection.
His marrow flowed like mercury. Qi and strength sublimated, erupting with explosive power, swift as a startled rabbit.
Another three months—
Blood Refining Perfection.
Qi and blood unified, flowing without obstruction. His physical body became clear and smooth, free of stagnation.
And finally—
Seven days ago—
Ning Qi passed the final and most difficult hurdle of Body Tempering.
Spirit Refining.
This realm involved tempering the head with stance Qi and stimulating one's Spirit.
For others, it was an insurmountable wall.
For Ning Qi, it was merely a matter of understanding.
His comprehension ability, combined with his mastery of countless Divine Intents, allowed him to cross it in less time than the previous realms.
"Spirit Refining Perfection…"
"My thoughts are clear, my mind sharp."
"For ordinary martial artists, this realm brings a rise in wisdom."
"But for me—"
"With Spirit as the coordinator, internal and external unified, my physical body is now flawless. No leaks. No defects."
"I can live for two full sexagenary cycles."
"My life essence has increased."
"And my comprehension has strengthened once again."
Joy flickered in Ning Qi's eyes.
Longevity was his Dao.
Though two sexagenary cycles were only a modest step forward, it was still progress upon the Great Dao.
Moreover, as his life essence continued to rise, his max-level comprehension would only grow stronger—never weakening.
This was his true foundation.
If one day his life essence reached the level of heaven and earth, comprehending ten thousand Daos with a single thought might not be impossible.
And beyond lifespan—
His combat power was now terrifying.
With an unparalleled foundation forged by the Ten Thousand Manifestations Source Pillar, and a perfected physical body, a single movement of his arms carried one hundred thousand jin of force.
He had refined killing techniques as well.
Against ordinary opponents, it would be slaughter.
Even geniuses would feel ashamed.
Especially the Ten Thousand Manifestations Fist, which he later created—it perfectly complemented his foundation and was overwhelmingly powerful.
Ning Qi rarely fought.
But he knew—
Even some Inner Yuan Realm martial artists would not be his match.
And this—
Was the body of a child not yet five years old.
A living humanoid vicious beast.
Still, Ning Qi remained calm.
"One must not underestimate the Inner Yuan Realm."
"Inner Strength is terrifying. Though it cannot yet shatter mountains like Gang Yuan, its layered amplification is formidable—especially in the later stages."
He never allowed arrogance to take root.
He knew his limits.
"Now that my physical body is perfected, the next step is to stimulate it with Spirit, give birth to Inner Strength, and step into the Inner Yuan Realm."
For many, this threshold ended their entire lives.
But for Ning Qi—
It was inevitable.
His foundation was too solid.
The Inner Strength he would give birth to would naturally be extraordinary.
"Two months will be enough."
His eyes held anticipation.
By then, he would be exactly five years old.
Two hundred years of lifespan.
Another leap forward.
"Before that, I should plan the Inner Yuan path carefully."
"But first—"
"There is one matter to attend to."
Ning Qi turned his head.
"Heavenly Born."
The white ape, clad in a gray Daoist robe and nearly indistinguishable from a human, halted his Ape King Stance and hurried over.
"We should go."
Today—
Marked the ten-year agreement.
Between the Divine Sword Old Man.
And Dragon Mountain Daoist.