Sword Saint—such a figure is a peerless expert who has reached the Martial Saint level in the way of the sword.
However, in this day and age, it had been a long time since a Sword Saint had emerged.
The Great Yan Martial Saint wasn't known for swordsmanship. Ning Qi guessed that the incomplete Sword Saint inheritance acquired by the Divine Sword Elder must have been left behind by a Sword Saint from long ago.
Zhuang Chen began to recall what the Divine Sword Elder had taught him.
Ever since he stepped into the Inner Origin Realm, the Divine Sword Elder had gradually passed down to him the Sword Saint inheritance he had obtained.
While they were on the run, he had even shoved all the remaining essence into his hands.
Fortunately, Zhuang Chen possessed the Innate Sword Bone and had a unique comprehension of swordsmanship, which allowed him to remember everything.
At this moment,
He organized his thoughts and began speaking slowly:
"Grandmaster's Sword Saint inheritance came from a senior named the Qingfeng Sword Saint. It includes the Qingfeng Sword Force, Qingfeng Sword Qi, and the Qingfeng Secret Record, along with several other cultivation techniques. Besides that, there are also some deadly sword arts."
He first gave a rough overview of what was included in the inheritance, then slowly began explaining starting with the Qingfeng Sword Force.
Ning Qi listened intently.
His understanding of the path of the sword deepened instantly.
The Zhenwu Sect also had sword techniques, but clearly none were as exquisite.
This perfectly filled a gap in Ning Qi's knowledge.
He had long understood that just holding a sword did not make someone a swordsman.
In fact, a considerable number of people in the martial world were not qualified swordsmen.
The key lay in Sword Force and Sword Qi.
Strictly speaking, only those who had achieved great success in the Inner Origin Realm and cultivated Sword Force could be considered true swordsmen.
Once someone reached major achievement in the Inner Origin Realm, they could begin to convert their force and refine Sword Force.
Such individuals struck with a sharpness far beyond ordinary sword users.
Sword Force was an incredibly powerful internal energy trait, and the Qingfeng Sword Force was particularly outstanding in the way of sharpness.
"To take the essence of a three-foot Qingfeng sword and pierce directly to the core of sharpness—that truly lives up to being a Sword Saint inheritance."
Just listening, Ning Qi already began to grasp the concept.
The Qi within his body shifted, now infused with a peerless sharpness.
For Ning Qi, learning an already-formed technique was far too easy.
He had already cultivated other Sword Force and Sword Qi techniques, and now, by extracting the essence of the Qingfeng Sword Qi, the transformation became even smoother and more powerful. ŘâŊŏ𝐛ĚS
Without a doubt,
If Ning Qi used techniques like the Heavenly Sword Technique now, their power would increase even further.
A smile spread across his face.
Even after Zhuang Chen finished explaining the Qingfeng Secret Record—a technique at the Heaven-Man level—Ning Qi still felt it wasn't enough. He couldn't help asking:
"Did the Qingfeng Sword Saint leave behind any Martial Saint cultivation methods?"
With this, Ning Qi now had three Heaven-Man inheritances, but they all only touched lightly on the Martial Saint path.
Zhuang Chen scratched his head awkwardly.
"Grandmaster told me this is all he got from the inheritance. The most crucial part had already been erased."
Ning Qi frowned slightly.
But then he relaxed—this was to be expected.
If there had been a complete Martial Saint cultivation method, even a tiny leak could have led to Divine Sword Sect being wiped out dozens of times.
"However, Grandmaster said that at the end of the Qingfeng Secret Record, there was a note: to become a Martial Saint, one must harness the power of Heaven and Earth."
Ning Qi's eyes lit up.
That matched the direction he had previously speculated.
Cultivators at the Heaven-Man Realm refine the Three Flowers of Essence, Energy, and Spirit. When the three flowers converge, one reaches perfection in the Heaven-Man Realm.
To take it further might mean absorbing the power of Heaven and Earth into one's body.
It was a possibility he had considered, though he couldn't confirm it yet.
Only after he entered the Heaven-Man Realm could he begin further deductions.
"But why leave such a note after erasing the Martial Saint method?"
"If they didn't want the Martial Saint method to be passed down, this note feels unnecessary. If they wanted it passed down, why erase it? It seems there's some inner conflict here."
"Could it be that becoming a Martial Saint involves some unknown danger, leading past Saints to avoid or be unable to pass down the method?"
These thoughts swirled in Ning Qi's mind, but he didn't dwell on them.
He would understand in time once he reached that realm.
"Ninth Senior Brother, should I continue with the other secret techniques?" Zhuang Chen asked.
Ning Qi came back to his senses and nodded with a smile.
Zhuang Chen went on:
"Besides the previously mentioned cultivation methods, the rest are deadly techniques used for combat."
"For example, the Divine Sword Step. This step technique treats the body as the sword—each step is like a sword strike, advancing without retreat..."
Zhuang Chen spoke slowly.
Several of the techniques made Ning Qi's eyes light up, greatly enriching his foundation.
But the one that excited him most was the final technique Zhuang Chen mentioned.
Zhuang Chen's expression darkened slightly:
"The last technique is the Sword Core Shattering Technique. It involves nurturing the Core Formation using Sword Qi daily, forming a Sword Core. In a critical moment, one can unleash it for several times the power—but it's a desperate move that guarantees death. That day, Grandmaster used this technique to help me escape alive…"
Ning Qi sighed softly and simply patted his shoulder.
By now, night had fallen.
The Sword Saint inheritance held vast knowledge.
Zhuang Chen had only shared its essence with Ning Qi for now.
When he had time, he would transcribe it and place it in the Scripture Pavilion.
Zhuang Chen returned to rest.
Ning Qi, on the other hand, was still savoring the freshly gained Qingfeng Sword Saint inheritance.
"Though it's incomplete, a Sword Saint is still a Sword Saint. Their insights into cultivation are uniquely valuable. This has helped me a lot—better even than the Dragon, Tiger, and Eagle inheritance I got from the Three Fiends of Iron Ridge."
"Especially this Sword Core Shattering Technique—very interesting."
Ning Qi was deeply intrigued.
Undoubtedly, it was a technique for explosive power.
When used in a critical moment, it could multiply his combat strength several times over.
The price was just a bit steep.
"If I can reduce that cost, maybe it could become one of my trump cards."
Although Ning Qi pursued immortality, he wasn't going to complain about having too much power.
Especially now, when the world was becoming more chaotic—strong martial power was the best form of security.
Even though he was already near the top of the Heaven-Man Ranking, it still wasn't enough.
"I haven't even reached the Core Formation Realm yet, so even if I wanted to use this technique, I can't right now."
"But it's not impossible—I still have seventy percent of the false core's energy left. Could I use that instead of a Core Formation? Or… could I build a 'virtual Sword Core' just for explosive use?"
Flashes of inspiration sparked in Ning Qi's mind.
In a blink, he had two viable ideas.
Given his current power, the boost from the false core wasn't that meaningful anymore—unless he switched to a stronger one.
So, using the false core as a substitute in the Sword Core Shattering Technique wouldn't bother him.
Moreover, Ning Qi's Qi was immensely vast, far beyond normal people.
He could carve out a portion to form a 'virtual Sword Core' without affecting himself. Others couldn't do this.
He felt both plans were feasible and grew increasingly excited, diving into deeper analysis.
...
Time passed.
Daoist Longshan continued investigating at the mountain base, maintaining contact with Zhenwu Mountain at all times.
Ning Qi was patient.
He knew the truth wouldn't come out in just a few days.
Even with leads, they had to wait for the enemy to slip up.
But he wasn't worried.
Judging from how these people usually acted, they wouldn't stay hidden for long.
It was only a matter of time before he grabbed their weaknesses.
Ning Qi stayed focused on his own growth, unwilling to let this matter slow him down—it was just a minor bump on his path to the Dao.
During this time,
Zhuang Chen, once healed, moved out of the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
That was normal—every True Disciple in the Zhenwu Sect had their own residence.
Just like when they helped Ning Qi build his courtyard, his fellow disciples did the same for Zhuang Chen.
He named it the Sword-Questioning Courtyard.
He was truly passionate about swordsmanship, hoping to frequently challenge his sword heart and make progress on the path of the sword.
The Sword-Questioning Courtyard was built close to the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
After all, Zhuang Chen was closest to Ning Qi.
In fact, before joining the Zhenwu Sect, Ning Qi had taught him a sword move and the Innate Sword Body technique.
Having this short period of close interaction deepened Zhuang Chen's admiration for his Ninth Senior Brother.
He secretly made Ning Qi his goal and vowed to catch up.
Of course, it would be a long journey.
His sword bone was only just beginning to recover, and he would have to start cultivating again from scratch.
Fortunately, with his previous foundation, his progress would be much faster.
After Zhuang Chen moved out,
The Seeking Dao Courtyard became quiet again.
White Ape would often look for Zhuang Chen to show him around the Zhenwu Sect's every blade of grass and tree.
Unknowingly, the man and ape became quite close.
But Ning Qi would often see them arguing and bickering, which made him chuckle.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
Ning Qi's Jade Liquid Sea had grown even stronger.
Though he called his cultivation slow, it was only slow by his own standards.
Compared to others at the Jade Liquid Realm, his progress was leaps and bounds—thousands of miles per day.
At this time,
Thanks to Zhuang Chen's persistent efforts, his sword bone had fully recovered.
Ning Qi was examining him.
Strands of Qi moved nimbly under his control, completely non-aggressive.
Only the True Qi of All Phenomena could manage this.
Not even a corner was missed.
A moment later,
Ning Qi smiled and said:
"Tenth Junior Brother, your sword bone has completely recovered. You can resume your training."
Zhuang Chen, who had been tense, instantly relaxed upon hearing Ning Qi's confirmation.
Joy overflowed from his face—only he knew how lost he had felt in recent days.
If he truly couldn't cultivate again, he wouldn't have known what to do next.
Gathered nearby were Luo Wentian, Ye Qinghe, and others—all laughing heartily.
Their genuine happiness made Zhuang Chen even more emotional.
After the laughter died down, Luo Wentian spoke:
"Little Ten, now that you can train again, before Master left the mountain, he asked me to have you train in the Yazi Stance—one of the Nine Sons of Zhenwu—to lay your foundation."
Hearing that,
Everyone's expressions turned slightly complex.
The Yazi Stance was what Qin Yun had once practiced.
After Qin Yun left the Zhenwu Sect, the Nine Sons of Zhenwu had always been missing one.
The dream of 'Nine Heaven-Man warriors becoming Martial Saints' had also collapsed.
This was always a knot in Daoist Longshan's heart.
He hadn't accepted another disciple since.
It wasn't until the Divine Sword Elder entrusted Zhuang Chen to him that he finally took a step forward.
Deep down, they all knew their Master's real emotion regarding Qin Yun wasn't disappointment, but guilt.
And now, by accepting Zhuang Chen as the Tenth True Disciple, it said something.
The Eighth True Disciple position had remained vacant all this time.
But now with Zhuang Chen joining, someone would inherit the Yazi Stance once again.
Zhuang Chen quickly nodded:
"I'll do whatever Master says."
He had heard the story about the Eighth Senior Brother.
He wasn't stupid—judging by the reactions of his seniors, he could more or less understand the mood.
Ning Qi broke the silence with a smile:
"I know the Yazi Stance. I'll teach you later. If you want to learn the rest of the Nine Sons of Zhenwu stances, you can too. They don't conflict with the Qingfeng Sword Saint inheritance."
Ye Qinghe also laughed:
"It really has to be Little Nine teaching. We only have a shallow grasp of the Yazi Stance. With Master away, he's the only one who can do it."
Everyone remembered how monstrous Ning Qi had been when first learning stance techniques, and shared a knowing smile.
In the blink of an eye,
That had been six years ago.
They all sighed with emotion.
Zhuang Chen didn't get it, and just scratched his head with a silly grin.
Looking at Zhuang Chen's jiggling fat, Ning Qi suddenly thought he couldn't let him keep cultivating the Dream Devourer technique—he'd end up a mountain of meat, which would look awful.
He hadn't cared before since Zhuang Chen wasn't his junior, but now that he was, it was better to optimize it a bit.
Later, he'd also have him train the Dreamsleep Art.
...
Zhuang Chen had sharp comprehension.
He quickly grasped the Yazi Stance and practiced it fluently.
Retracing his path, Zhuang Chen progressed rapidly.
Once Zhuang Chen's training got back on track, Ning Qi resumed refining a better version of the Sword Core Shattering Technique.
These days,
Besides cultivation and reading scriptures, a large portion of Ning Qi's energy had gone into this secret art.
Now, it was nearly complete.
Within Ning Qi's body,
The Jade Liquid Sea surged and roared.
Occasionally, a wave would rise, filled with pure Qi.
"The two theories I worked out earlier are both viable, each with pros and cons. But using the false core as a substitute for the Sword Core is harder. I'll first try forming a virtual Sword Core. Later, if I want to use the false core for explosion, I'll just need to adjust a few things."
His thoughts moved, and the True Qi of All Phenomena flowed.
Part of the Qi in his body began transforming into piercing Sword Qi.
Having integrated traits from several Sword Qi techniques—primarily Qingfeng Sword Qi—it became very strong.
Strands of Sword Qi shot skyward, and under his control, gathered above the Jade Liquid Sea.
Some of it also contained ingenious elements from the Heaven-Earth Grinding Qi Refinement Method.
One by one, the Sword Qi strands converged.
Soon, they formed into a sphere.
It kept condensing. Condensing. And condensing again.
Until finally,
It became a perfectly round Sword Core.
This Sword Core couldn't compare to the real Core Formation Ning Qi would eventually achieve—but it was still far beyond what any average Core Formation Realm cultivator could manage.
Ning Qi looked inward.
The Sword Core hung above the Jade Liquid Sea, like a blazing sun.
He could feel its immense power.
But the real use of the Sword Core was for explosive bursts.
Once detonated, it would stir the Jade Liquid Sea, allowing Ning Qi to unleash exponentially more power in an instant!
Satisfied, Ning Qi smiled.
With this, the Virtual Sword Core Shattering Technique was complete.
Though not quite as powerful as the original, that was mainly due to his already vast foundation.
And the cost was much lower—at worst he'd suffer internal injuries, recoverable with time.
Far better than his Core shattering and dying.