Within Ning Qi's small courtyard.
Low roars and sharp cries echoed intermittently, as if ancient beasts were awakening one after another. If anyone were present, they would undoubtedly be left speechless.
Ning Qi's gaze was focused, his mind fully immersed in cultivation.
At times, he roared with the ferocity of a Bixi.At times, he leapt like a Suanni.At times, he suppressed the seas like a Baxia.At times, he crossed water like a Qiuniu.
The True Martial Nine Stances flowed seamlessly through him. Divine Intent shifted without pause—Bixi one moment, Chiwen the next. The nine Stances no longer felt separate, but like fragments of a single, unified whole.
If the True Disciples were to witness this scene, they would likely begin questioning their own existence.
Ning Qi's eyes shone brightly.
Insight after insight surged through his mind.
"Not enough. Still not enough."
"Although I appear to have merged the nine Stances, this is only a superficial integration. The improvement to Body Tempering is clear, but it still falls within the limits of advanced Stance cultivation."
He continued practicing as he reflected. At his current level, many movements no longer required conscious thought; instinct alone guided them.
His skin bulged repeatedly, an unsettling sight. The reddish hue had already deepened into iron-gray, radiating strength and density.
Ten days passed.
Ning Qi broke through once more.
Iron Skin Realm.
At this stage, ordinary blades could barely injure him. Though still young, his combat strength already surpassed that of many adults.
The speed was astonishing—yet Ning Qi remained unsatisfied.
"There must be a deeper pattern connecting the True Martial Nine Stances."
"Simple fusion isn't enough. The key lies in Divine Intent."
After stepping into the Iron Skin Realm, his perspective changed fundamentally. Body Tempering itself was a process of comprehension.
Stand higher—see farther.
If he were already in the Inner Yuan Realm, having fully experienced the Body Tempering process once, Ning Qi felt he could unravel the relationship between the Nine Stances in mere moments.
But comprehension still required foundation.
Stance cultivation did not end with Skin Tempering—it encompassed the entire Body Tempering path.
Still—
Ten days were enough.
Inspiration surged violently.
Divine Intent enveloped Ning Qi, shifting rapidly before slowly converging. Not by force, but through refinement—extracting the essence of each Stance and transforming it into something entirely new.
"The ferocity of Bixi.""The heaviness of Baxia.""The agility of Chaofeng.""The steadiness of Qiuniu.""The vicious resolve of Yazi…"
"The Dragon has nine sons—each different, yet all born of the same source."
"The origin of all of them is—"
"The True Dragon."
The instant this realization crystallized—
All beastly roars vanished.
A single, majestic dragon's roar echoed through the courtyard.
White mist exploded outward as Ning Qi's sweat evaporated instantly, shrouding his figure. His movements changed completely—derived from the Nine Stances, yet transcending them.
From afar, it was as if a young True Dragon writhed within the mist.
Exhilaration surged through Ning Qi.
This was a Stance he had created himself.
Thus, it reached Perfection the moment it was born.
The efficiency of Body Tempering skyrocketed—at least twice as strong as before.
"Incredible…!"
Ning Qi laughed silently.
He continued cultivating until exhaustion overwhelmed him, then reluctantly submerged himself into the medicinal bath prepared earlier.
As he closed his eyes, excitement still coursed through him.
The satisfaction of solving a profound problem through deep contemplation surpassed even a realm breakthrough. It reminded him of cracking an impossibly difficult problem in his previous life—only far more intense.
"There must exist a Stance above the True Martial Nine."
"In a sense, I reverse-engineered it."
"I wonder… is the True Dragon Posture I created identical to the original? Stronger? Or weaker?"
A thought surfaced.
"Perhaps I should ask Master."
But doubt followed immediately.
He had heard from Luo Wentian that Dragon Mountain Daoist's True Martial inheritance seemed incomplete—missing core components.
Moreover, based on Ning Qi's understanding of his Master, if a stronger Stance truly existed, it would not have been hidden.
Still, he intended to ask.
If such a Stance did exist, mutual verification might allow him to further refine the True Dragon Posture.
Though already peerless, Ning Qi refused to believe it was the limit.
Additionally, he felt it was time to inform Dragon Mountain Daoist of his progress. This concerned the freedom he might gain in the future.
As for his other Senior Brothers and Sisters, he chose not to reveal his realm for now.
Most were fine—but his Eighth Senior Brother seemed… different.
When Ning Qi went to find Qin Yun again, he discovered that Qin Yun had entered seclusion once more.
"…He wasn't overstimulated, was he?"
Ning Qi frowned slightly, deciding to check on him later.
"Once Master leaves seclusion, I'll speak to him about the True Dragon Posture and the improved Body-Tempering formula."
Clearing his thoughts, Ning Qi focused fully on the medicinal bath.
A burning, stinging sensation spread across his skin—painful, yet deeply satisfying.
This was strength taking shape.
Time passed swiftly.
Eight days later—
Before Dragon Mountain Daoist emerged from seclusion, Ning Qi broke through once again.
Jade Skin Realm.
It had taken ten days to advance from Stone Skin to Iron Skin, yet only eight days to reach Jade Skin—even after spending a full day re-cultivating earlier realms.
This alone demonstrated the terrifying power of the True Dragon Posture.
Ning Qi examined his skin.
Smooth and luminous, like refined jade.
Jade Skin marked the Perfection Realm of Skin Tempering. Not only could it withstand blades, but it could also absorb tremendous force—rigid yet flexible.
And with the True Dragon Posture as his foundation, Ning Qi's groundwork far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.
"Next… Muscle Tempering."
"Strictly speaking, I completed Skin Tempering in under a month."
"If progress continued at this rate, could I complete Body Tempering and form Inner Yuan within a year?"
He paused, then shook his head.
"No. Body Tempering grows increasingly difficult. The deeper realms temper the very essence of the human body and require far more time and caution."
"My current speed is only possible because I stepped onto the Martial Dao with Divine Intent Perfection—and then created a peerless Stance."
"Eighth Senior Brother began cultivating at seven. Even with exceptional talent, it took him over a decade to complete Body Tempering."
"That alone proves how arduous the later stages are."
"Still…"
"My speed will remain far greater than average."
"This path has only just begun."
"And I will have time—plenty of time—to create even faster methods."
"The True Dragon Posture is not my limit."
Ning Qi's gaze hardened with calm confidence.