Although Daoist Longshan had not yet emerged from seclusion, preparations for the Heaven-Man Ceremony were already in full swing.
After Luo Wentian broke through to the Qi Origin Realm, he once again immersed himself in all kinds of sect affairs.
Zhenwu Sect was now bustling with activity.
Many pavilions needed to be renovated, some even torn down and rebuilt completely. This required skilled craftsmen and the help of martial artists. After all, Zhenwu Mountain was steep and dangerous; transporting materials alone was quite the effort. Fortunately, Zhenwu Sect had many disciples, so there was no need to worry about manpower.
The commotion was quite loud. Even Ning Qi, tucked away in the quiet Seeking Dao Courtyard, could occasionally hear bits of it.
From time to time, he would glance toward the distant construction and feel a bit emotional. It had been nearly eight years since he arrived at Zhenwu Mountain. This was the first large-scale renovation, and it gave him a strange sense of both familiarity and unfamiliarity.
Still, it was a good thing.
Luo Wentian also told him that the small town at the foot of Zhenwu Mountain was constantly expanding, with the potential of becoming a large city. After all, the influence of a Heaven-Man Realm expert and a Qi Origin Realm expert was worlds apart.
As the world grew increasingly chaotic, having a Heaven-Man Realm expert nearby would always deter evildoers.
Many came in admiration. Some wealthy merchants and noble families were even moving their households over.
A lot of people were inquiring about how to join the Zhenwu Sect, which made the existing disciples extremely proud and filled with a strong sense of belonging to their sect.
Meanwhile, in the Qingzhou region, countless gazes turned toward Zhenwu Sect, wondering when the sect would begin sending out invitations.
Everyone was looking forward to the Heaven-Man Ceremony. By then, a Heaven-Man Realm expert would lecture on the Martial Path, something Qingzhou hadn't seen in a long time.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.
Ning Qi continued his cultivation quietly.
He advanced steadily toward the Qi Origin Realm. The three sub-realms—White Mist, Jade Liquid, and Core Formation—he was already approaching the White Mist Realm.
The main challenge was his Internal Energy being too powerful. Otherwise, transforming it into True Qi would have been simple.
Autumn winds began to sweep across Zhenwu Mountain.
Ning Qi hadn't stepped into the White Mist Realm yet. Instead, it was White Ape Yuan Tiansheng who broke through first.
"Completing Body Tempering in four years is much faster than I expected. Seems Yuan Tiansheng's bloodline is truly extraordinary."
Ning Qi looked at the White Ape immersed in his fist practice from afar and nodded slightly, eyes showing satisfaction.
His cultivation speed couldn't compare to Ning Qi's, but compared to other humans, it was still shockingly fast.
This was thanks to the White Ape's high intelligence, perfect compatibility with the Ape King Stance, and his awakened bloodline.
All three were essential.
At this moment—
The White Ape's movements alternated between lightning-fast and incredibly slow. His whole form blended into the sunset. The divine intent of the Ape King manifested, making it seem like a sky-reaching ancient ape was roaring at the heavens, moving mountains and filling seas.
His physical body had no flaws. Now was the critical moment of birthing Internal Energy.
But then, a look of surprise appeared in Ning Qi's eyes.
He let out a soft hum, having noticed something unusual.
In an instant—
The White Ape let out a low growl, and his body rapidly expanded.
His silver-white fur grew rapidly with the wind. A silver giant ape over two zhang tall appeared in the courtyard. Bathed in the light of the setting sun, it let out a silent roar. It looked incredibly mystical, but Ning Qi had seen similar sights before—mainly when the White Ape revealed his Ape King True Form, and his size had simply grown.
What truly surprised him—were the White Ape's eyes.
Originally, they held only faint traces of gold. Now, the gold had increased significantly, covering nearly half the iris and exuding a special aura.
Ning Qi watched quietly, suppressing his curiosity.
Only after the White Ape had completely vented and returned to his original form—
"Master, I've broken through to the Inner Origin Realm!"
The White Ape was ecstatic.
He could feel the powerful energy within himself. It felt like a dream. Not long ago, all he had hoped for was to defeat the Iron-armed Ape. But now, with his current strength, one punch might be enough to make the Iron-armed Ape call him daddy.
And it was all thanks to Ning Qi.
The way he looked at Ning Qi was full of gratitude and admiration.
He was even more thankful for the decision he made years ago. If he were still in the mountains, even if his bloodline had one day awakened, he'd just be a confused beast. How could he have ever encountered true martial arts?
He had a feeling that if he could continue following his Master, he might one day reach a level he wouldn't even dare to imagine now.
Ning Qi smiled and nodded:
"How does it feel?"
"Better than ever. My body is perfected, my spirit enhanced—this is an all-around improvement. The Ape King True Form is even stronger, and my bloodline has advanced further too!"
As the White Ape spoke, his pupils gradually turned golden.
But he remained respectful toward Ning Qi and didn't look directly at him with his golden eyes.
Ning Qi noticed his behavior and asked:
"What's changed with your golden eyes?"
Back when he first awakened his bloodline, the White Ape had mentioned that if he focused, the movement of objects would appear slower. With this further awakening, there should be new abilities.
"There seems to be some kind of message within my bloodline telling me this ability is called Eyes of Truth. Ordinary creatures within my gaze will slow down significantly. If the target's too powerful, it won't work. Besides that, I think I can now see things I couldn't before."
He scratched his head, a bit sheepish.
This Eyes of Truth had only begun to take shape. He was still exploring its uses—it was far from its complete form.
Ning Qi was rather surprised by the ability.
"Eyes of Truth... to see through illusions…"
He fell into thought.
"Try looking at me."
Ning Qi activated the Silent Technique and the Body-Altering and Bone-Changing Technique. His vitality vanished, and his true appearance faded, replaced by a young man with a face full of pockmarks.
The White Ape was eager to try.
Then he froze.
Under the gaze of his golden eyes, he saw no flaws. The Ning Qi before him looked like a normal person. But there was no way his Master was an ordinary person—and he definitely didn't look like that.
"Master's realm is too high. I can't see through you," the White Ape said, a little embarrassed.
Ning Qi returned to his original appearance and waved his hand with a smile.
He had clearly felt a powerful probing force just now. But since he'd mastered Unity of Heaven and Man, and optimized both the Silent Technique and Body-Altering and Bone-Changing Technique, even Heaven-Man Realm experts couldn't see through him. It was only natural the White Ape couldn't either.
On the contrary, he thought the White Ape's ability was impressive. Maybe one day, it really could pierce all illusions.
Ning Qi didn't use Internal Energy to probe.
He had tried a few times already.
With his current realm, even discovering the Ape King True Form was the limit. To fully study bloodline power, he'd likely need to reach the Heaven-Man Realm. With the help of the power of Heaven and Earth, he might then uncover the true nature of the Eyes of Truth.
He looked forward to it.
"In the future, make sure to explore your bloodline thoroughly. Combine it with martial arts. Don't slack off," Ning Qi instructed.
His expectations for the White Ape had only grown.
With a powerful bloodline and martial cultivation, the White Ape's combat power was exceptional. It couldn't be judged solely by realm. In fact, even if he didn't train in martial arts, his current bloodline alone was enough to go toe-to-toe with Inner Origin Realm experts.
The White Ape nodded respectfully.
Ning Qi then passed on the newly developed Ape King Force to the White Ape and resumed his own cultivation.
By his calculations, he was almost ready for the ninth false-death.