Under the curtain of night.
The flames soared into the sky, the raging tongues of fire devouring both the Snow Plum and the building together.
One by one, the black-clad figures coldly watched the gradually terrifying sea of fire in front of them, merciless and cruel. Occasionally, one or two people who managed to escape the net could not withstand the high temperatures and ran out from the sea of fire, only to have their heads chopped off with a single sword.
Lord Feng's lips slowly curled into a smile.
He wanted to see Snow Plum Manor turned into ashes with his own eyes.
The fire grew even fiercer.
In the distance, a black-clad figure came running in panic.
"Lord Feng, Taoist Longshan of the True Martial Sect is on his way. Should we retreat now?"
Lord Feng furrowed his brow, his eyes flashing with deep apprehension.
"Wasn't that Longshan old fox supposed to come tomorrow? Why has he come early?"
"I don't know, sir."
"Useless!"
Lord Feng snorted coldly and finally ordered,
"Retreat!"
Taoist Longshan was a prodigy, rumored to have inherited the True Martial legacy, making a grand entrance in the Great Yan dynasty and earning a huge reputation. He later rebuilt the True Martial Sect and was renowned among the Taoist sects across the world.
It was said that he was close to entering the Celestial Being Realm, and neither he nor his subordinates had any confidence in outnumbering him.
He looked deeply at the manor now turned into a sea of fire.
Under such fierce flames, an ordinary martial artist couldn't possibly survive, let alone a newborn baby, who probably had already fainted and would turn to charcoal in its sleep.
With a cold smile, the group of black-clad figures departed with the gusting wind.
...
In the hidden compartment.
Ning Qi felt the surrounding temperature slowly rising, both shocked and furious.
He hadn't expected these people to be so vicious, massacring the entire manor and then turning it to ashes.
His eyes were filled with a cold, chilling intent.
But now was not the time to think about these things; the urgent task was how to survive.
The Innate Fetal Breathing Skill continued to run, slowing down the encroaching high temperatures by quite a bit. However, as the fire intensified and started to engulf the hidden compartment, Ning Qi was on a dead-end road!
He was just born, unable to move, and hadn't even eaten. If not for the Innate Fetal Breathing Skill he created, he would probably have died by now.
But even so,
the current situation still seemed hopeless.
"What should I do?"
Ning Qi's mind continued to race. Amidst the roaring flames, he faintly heard that the group of black-clad figures had already left.
"Taoist Longshan? True Martial Sect? Is this Taoist a friend of my parents or another righteous person?"
Thoughts surged in Ning Qi's mind.
He knew that his hope of survival might rest on this Taoist Longshan.
He curled up as much as possible in the swaddling cloth. The material was very special, making him feel a bit more comfortable. He needed to hold on until Taoist Longshan arrived and, more importantly, he needed to make sure Taoist Longshan discovered his existence.
"Sound!"
"I must have a loud enough sound, lest it's drowned out by the crackling of the fire."
Although that Taoist Longshan was a top master, as long as he released the Innate Fetal Breathing state, he would probably notice his presence, but Ning Qi knew he needed to fight for attention himself.
"How can my voice be louder?"
"Blend it with my breath, let the sound spit out along with the breath...An infant's cry is sharp enough; if the vocal cord's frequency can be more reasonable..."
"..."
Ideas continued to flash through Ning Qi's mind.
He attempted to open and close his mouth, the innate qi within his body being mobilized, and he had a strong premonition that once he made a sound, it would definitely be loud enough.
This was a vocal technique; Ning Qi thought it could be called the Sound Wave Vibration Technique.
A gleam flashed across Ning Qi's eyes.
If he knew martial arts now, he might even be able to create a Sound Wave Martial Art, like the Lion's Roar in the martial arts novels of his previous life!
This was the power of maxed-out comprehension.
Everything was ready.
He began to hope.
"Taoist Longshan, you must hurry and come!"
If Taoist Longshan arrived late, he would probably become a scorched corpse.
He could now feel the increasingly surging heat, and the sounds of buildings collapsing in the flames rang out from time to time. If not for the special material of the hidden compartment, he would probably have been crushed to death.
...
The night grew deeper.
But this part of Snow Plum Manor was bright red, like daylight; the sea of fire dyed half the sky red.
When Taoist Longshan arrived here, seeing this scene, a surge of anger rose in his eyes.
"What a vile thief!"
He had come by invitation, but he had not expected to witness such a massacre, the cruelty of the perpetrator's methods being simply outrageous.
Taoist Longshan let out an angry roar, and within his palms, the Gang Qi surged continuously, like thin rain, pressing down upon the sea of flames.
Patches of fire extinguished, but soon even more vigorous flames rose up.
This made his expression even uglier.
If the fire had just started, he would have been confident in extinguishing it, but now it was already a foregone conclusion. Even if he exerted all his strength, he might only be able to save a pile of ruins.
Gang Qi protected his body, allowing him to walk in the flames unscathed, shouting out continuously:
"Manor Master Ning!"
"Heroine Jiang!"
"Taoist Longshan has arrived!"
He knew that the Ning Ye couple were likely doomed, but still harbored a glimmer of hope and fantasy in his heart.
He kept calling out.
But there was no response for a long time.
The Taoist Longshan felt extremely regretful, thinking that if he had arrived half a day earlier, perhaps he could have prevented this tragedy.
Suddenly.
He paused, seemingly hearing the cry of an infant.
He instinctively thought he had misheard, after all, how could there still be a baby in such a sea of fire?
But soon, his expression changed.
Because that cry grew louder, piercing through the flames, it was definitely not an auditory illusion.
"There's still a survivor!"
Taoist Longshan became excited.
He used the force to leap into the air, shooting towards the corner where the sound came from, and then condensed Gang Qi in his palm, instantly extinguishing the flames there.
He slowly approached, his eyes full of astonishment.
The sound of crying was indeed coming from the hidden compartment in front of him.
The Gang Qi in his palm was like a knife, slowly slicing open the hidden compartment, revealing a figure wrapped in swaddling clothes before his eyes.
Looking at the baby in front of him.
The astonishment in Taoist Longshan's eyes grew even more because, after he opened the hidden compartment, the baby stopped crying and quietly looked at him, as if the crying was specifically to lure him over.
Moreover.
He had just sensed the temperature inside the hidden compartment, which was slightly better than outside, but for a newborn baby to survive until now was absolutely a miracle!
Even so, the baby's face was beginning to redden.
"This child truly has a strong life!"
Taoist Longshan gently picked up Ning Qi, discovering a jade pendant inscribed with the word 'Qi' and a book of the Night Plum Swordsmanship in the swaddling clothes.
"The Night Plum Swordsmanship is the pinnacle creation of Manor Master Ning and Heroine Jiang, it seems you are indeed their offspring."
Taoist Longshan sighed.
"Perhaps this is destiny, perhaps it's their spirits watching over you, allowing you to miraculously survive this disaster."
"From now on, you shall be called Ning Qi."
With those words.
Taoist Longshan was surprised to find that the baby in front of him seemed to smile happily.
"You little fellow, full of extraordinary spirituality, naturally able to discern good from evil, you will surely be exceptional in the future."
Ning Qi was also observing the middle-aged Taoist in front of him, dressed in a gray Taoist robe, with a goatee, and gentle eyes, making it easy for one to have good impressions at a glance.
Upon hearing Taoist Longshan's call earlier, Ning Qi decisively used the Sound Wave Vibration Technique to cry out, and now was finally out of danger.
His mind relaxed instantly.
Having just crossed over and encountering such a situation, especially as a newborn baby, upon hearing Taoist Longshan say that his name remained Ning Qi, he smiled slightly and couldn't help but fall into a deep sleep.
Taoist Longshan was startled.
He quickly checked Ning Qi's pulse, feeling relieved upon discovering it was merely due to overexertion needing nourishment, but then immediately became astonished.
For in his perception, the child's innate Qi within was quite abundant.
"No wonder he could withstand the sea of fire until now, thinking back, that crying seemed to carry some kind of technique?"
"Could there really be one who is born knowledgeable?"
Taoist Longshan looked at Ning Qi with increasing amazement.
Without a doubt, this was an uncut gem.
Inherent endowment was solid, exceptionally spiritual, and extraordinarily intelligent.
"Manor Master Ning, the offspring you and your wife left behind is so intelligent; you can rest in peace. Don't worry, I will take him as my disciple, raise him well, and teach him. As for the perpetrators of your murder, I will investigate thoroughly!"
Looking at the Snow Plum Manor engulfed by flames before him, Taoist Longshan silently made a resolution in his heart.
...
The next day.
Taoist Longshan holding Ning Qi stood in front of a clothing mound.
This was the tomb he erected for Ning Qi's parents; the fire was so fierce last night that besides Ning Qi, there were no other survivors in the entire manor, not even a bone could be found.
Having eaten some food borrowed by Taoist Longshan, Ning Qi was now awake.
He looked at the clothing mound in front of him, complexity in his eyes.
Having just crossed over and becoming an orphan, but the maternal love of Jiang Xuemei the day before was still vividly etched in his mind, they sacrificed themselves to preserve Ning Qi, such grace cannot be forgotten.
"One day, I will avenge you."
Ning Qi silently vowed.
He recalled the 'Master Feng' and those murderers from yesterday, a cold killing intent surged in his heart.
This person not only killed his biological parents but nearly led to his demise in the sea of fire too.
This vengeance must be exacted!
With full-level comprehension, all he needs is a stable environment to grow, to rapidly progress, avenging will not be a difficult task, and that day will not be far off.
And now.
A stable growth environment was already provided.
Seeing Taoist Longshan sigh, a myriad of thoughts emerged in his mind, finally turning into a loving smile, he looked down at Ning Qi:
"Little guy, from now on you will be Taoist Longshan's ninth disciple!"
"Come with me back to the mountain!"
Now with Ning Qi, it's not the time to investigate the killers; only after settling Ning Qi can he slowly pursue the investigation. A force capable of massacring the Snow Plum Manor overnight is certainly formidable, given the Ning Ye couple were not weaklings either.
Looking at the smile on Ning Qi's lips, Taoist Longshan felt a bit better.
Holding Ning Qi, he gracefully drifted away.