The events occurring on Zhenxuan Mountain spread throughout the thirteen provinces of the world at an astonishing speed.
For a moment, the winds and clouds shifted dramatically, and countless people were fervently discussing the matter.
"Ancient Saints have returned? How is that possible? This is utterly nonsense! If I remember correctly, True Immortal Zhenxuan is at least ten thousand years old, maybe even older. Are you saying he has lived until the present age?"
"And what about Master Baoshu Buddha and the Barbarian Emperor? I searched through ancient texts and finally found records of these two. They are also figures from ten thousand years ago, with the Barbarian Emperor's era being even more ancient!"
"Could it be that the Zhenxuan Sect deliberately released false information to boost their influence?"
At first, everyone's initial reaction was disbelief.
The news was just too outrageous.
For a figure from ten thousand years ago to be alive today—even for a Martial Sage—such a lifespan was impossible. Moreover, in the minds of most people, the destiny of a Martial Sage was ascension, not lingering in the mortal world.
However, as time passed, more and more details emerged. Many Heaven-Man Realm experts who participated in the Zhenxuan Sect's Heaven-Man Ascension Ceremony stepped forward, including some powerful figures listed on the Heaven-Man List. This forced the public to accept the truth. The Zhenxuan Sect certainly did not have the capacity to stage such a grand and unprecedented event involving so many strong cultivators.
This caused a sensation across the world.
Many instinctively sensed that a major event was about to unfold.
"Have the Ancient Saints truly returned? Could this be only the first group?" The vague rumors spreading stirred unease.
Some even traveled to Zhenxuan Mountain to verify and hoped to meet the True Immortal, but Daoist Baiye only calmly replied that the True Immortal had already descended the mountain.
But the more he said that, the more anxious people became.
Others went to the Great Awakening Temple.
However, the embarrassed Great Awakening Temple and Master Baoshu Buddha would not entertain these visitors. They were driven out with stern faces, and several fights even broke out.
Observant warriors noticed that the Buddhist faction led by the Great Awakening Temple was indeed migrating northward.
This only confirmed the rumors further.
"It's true! The Buddhist sect has allied with the Barbarian Emperor, and the world's powers are about to be reshuffled!" Some martial sects began to grow tense. Although they currently ranked among the world's top and held numerous resources, they lacked the foundation of a Martial Sage Patriarch.
If the Ancient Saints have really returned, they would have to relinquish their spoils.
Therefore, they were the most concerned about the authenticity of this news.
They wished with all their hearts that it was false, but the more they investigated, the more bitterly they realized it was true.
"True Immortal Zhenxuan! Master Baoshu Buddha! The Barbarian Emperor! Wind-listening Elder! And that unknown Ancient Saint who commands the White Dragon! Five have appeared already, and who knows how many more will come. The world is truly on the verge of great change."
Countless people marveled.
Rumors said that the world was about to witness a great opportunity, so the Ancient Saints survived to the present through various means to compete for this chance.
No one knew where this news originally came from, but more and more people believed this explanation.
Otherwise, the Ancient Saints would not have bothered to cross ten thousand years to appear now without reason.
The world was in an uproar.
Until another major event occurred.
The Barbarian Emperor appeared on the battlefield between the Northern Barbarians and Great Yan forces, unleashing an oppressive strike that crushed millions.
That day, the Barbarian Emperor's terrifying aura surged like a flood, and he declared fiercely:
"Let the Martial Sage of Great Yan come see me and explain why my barbarian people have been driven to the grasslands!"
Under the Barbarian Emperor's overwhelming presence, even the top-ranked experts on the Heaven-Man List could not resist. Great Yan soldiers were shaken; the feeling of life and death controlled by others was unbearable. All eyes turned to the Great Yan imperial court.
Everyone was waiting for the appearance of Great Yan's Martial Sage.
But only a few who knew the truth felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
Time slowly passed.
Great Yan's Martial Sage still did not appear, causing many factions to become restless.
Dark currents quietly surged.
The already unclear situation became even more complicated.
...
At this moment, the Zhenwu Sect group finally returned to Zhenwu Mountain.
Luo Wentian had long been waiting at the mountain gate.
Daoist Longshan's letter had already arrived earlier, and he was aware of the upcoming changes caused by the events sweeping the world.
As the sect leader, Luo Wentian naturally cared deeply about Zhenwu Sect's future in this turmoil.
Inside Mingwu Pavilion, Luo Wentian and his disciples were present.
He asked eagerly:
"Master, is it true that what happened on Zhenxuan Mountain is really as the rumors say?"
Everyone stared intently, eyes filled with shock. Even though they had seen the letter, it was still hard to believe.
Daoist Longshan nodded slowly:
"Indeed. Great events will occur soon. You must not be negligent. Use immutability to respond to all changes!"
Everyone was solemn.
"What kind of great events?"
Ning Qi spoke slowly:
"The Ancient Saints will appear one after another. This is only the beginning. One year from now, the spiritual opportunity will awaken, and many anomalies will be born in the world. Then, the Ancient Saints will soar and return to their peak."
Daoist Baishan did not forbid this news from spreading, so Ning Qi naturally did not hide it from his master and senior brothers.
Everyone was stunned, silently chewing over the four words "spiritual opportunity awakening."
"Xiao Jiu, are you saying these powerful Ancient Saints now aren't even at their peak?" Ye Qinghe asked.
Ning Qi nodded:
"Not at all. As far as I know, the Ancient Saints who have lived until now are not ordinary people. The spiritual opportunity awakening next year is a great chance. You all must strive to improve your cultivation, preferably reaching the Heaven-Man Realm to gain greater benefits."
Hearing this, everyone smiled wryly.
Heaven-Man Realm?
With Ning Qi's secret methods and treasures, their cultivation speed was already fast, but even so, reaching Heaven-Man Realm within a year was nearly impossible.
Ning Qi pondered secretly, thinking of ways to help his senior brothers benefit from this spiritual awakening. If nothing else, at least they must quickly break into the Heaven-Man Realm after the awakening, or even become stronger.
Everyone listened breathlessly as Ning Qi shared many secrets.
This was much more detailed than the outside rumors.
They were naturally curious how Ning Qi knew all this, but since he did not say, they did not ask.
"Xiao Jiu, I suppose you've heard about the Barbarian Emperor and Great Yan's Martial Sage too?" Luo Wentian asked.
Ning Qi nodded slowly.
He had only learned of it a few days ago. He never expected the Barbarian Emperor to be so disruptive—right after descending Zhenxuan Mountain, he began causing trouble again. Ning Qi guessed this might be related to the recent appearance of Wind-listening Elder.
For some reason, Wind-listening Elder was clearly opposed to the Ancient Saints fighting each other. Even if there was conflict, it had to be controlled within limits.
This gave the Barbarian Emperor an opportunity to attack Great Yan's Martial Sage.
"However, the most critical point might be that the Barbarian Emperor heard that Great Yan's Martial Sage is in poor condition. Otherwise, according to Daoist Baishan and what he told me, Great Yan's Martial Sage and Wind-listening Elder are similarly powerful existences who survive through bloodline methods. The current Barbarian Emperor is likely no match."
Ning Qi thought carefully.
He had long feared Great Yan's Martial Sage and only recently heard about the poor state of the Martial Sage. Combined with the Demonic Sect's Southern Alliance rebellion, during which Great Yan's Martial Sage remained silent, and other small details, Ning Qi believed this intelligence might be true.
With this thought, he said slowly:
"Let's wait and see. The Barbarian Emperor and Great Yan's Martial Sage dispute is essentially a conflict between Great Yan and the Northern Barbarian territories. After the spiritual opportunity awakens, the world will offer opportunities. The Barbarian Emperor might want to seize the chance to expand Northern Barbarian territory."
This core interest was still tied to the upcoming spiritual opportunity awakening. Although this was Ning Qi's guess, he felt it was highly likely.
Luo Wentian frowned slightly and raised a question:
"If that's the case, not only Great Yan and Northern Barbarians will have disputes, but with so many Ancient Saints appearing, they will inevitably redefine their 'spheres of influence'!"
Ning Qi nodded:
"Eventually, the whole world will break apart. The glorious era of Great Yan's thirteen provinces will likely become a swan song."
Daoist Baishan had mentioned this to him as well.
In their time, no such large dynasty existed. Even if there was one, it was on par with top sects and in some ways just another sect. After the Ancient Saints awaken, they will never be satisfied with the current state. Even if Great Yan's Martial Sage was at his peak, facing so many Ancient Saints he would have to compromise, let alone now when he seems far from his peak.
Everyone was silent, feeling immense pressure.
"Let's just hope it doesn't affect our Zhenwu Sect," Luo Wentian said anxiously.
Such concern was reasonable.
If an Ancient Saint claimed the land where Zhenwu Mountain stood, conflict would be unavoidable.
Ning Qi smiled:
"No need to worry so much. For now, the best course is to prepare for the spiritual opportunity awakening and work hard to improve our cultivation."
He had some confidence.
His friendship with Daoist Baishan was a support, and not every Ancient Saint was that strong. Ning Qi himself was confident that after the awakening, some Ancient Saints might not even surpass him.
Everyone nodded firmly.
The world was changing, but if they united, they could stand firm in the coming great era. To say they were not excited was impossible. Such an era meant abundant opportunities.
Daoist Longshan merely stroked his beard with satisfaction and rarely spoke.
His disciples growing capable of handling great matters brought him immense joy.
...
At the back mountain of Zhenwu Sect, Ning Qi walked slowly.
He did not conceal his aura, and the Blade Demon immediately appeared:
"Heavenly Sword Daoist, have you found any clues?"
He was excited, words spilling out quickly, but then froze. The figure before him was not the Heavenly Sword True Immortal he knew but a refined and elegant young Daoist, though the aura was indistinguishable from the True Immortal's.
"Heavenly Sword Daoist?" The Blade Demon's expression showed surprise and doubt.
Ning Qi bowed slightly:
"Due to various reasons, I could not appear in my true form before. Please forgive me, Blade Demon Daoist. My real name is Ning Qi, the ninth disciple of Daoist Longshan."
He wore a slight apologetic expression.
But the Blade Demon's face was numb. After receiving the accurate answer, he knew perfectly well that the youth before him was the Heavenly Sword True Immortal he admired so much!
He had always thought the True Immortal was like him—a person whose time was almost up. But unexpectedly, the real True Immortal was a young man like the rising sun.
Feeling Ning Qi's unmasked aura and vitality stirred boundless waves within him, eventually turning into a bitter smile:
"Heavenly Sword Daoist, you have made me suffer by hiding the truth."
Ning Qi now was even more terrifying than before.
A youth already achieved such heights; it was incredible and unprecedented. If not for seeing it with his own eyes, the Blade Demon would never believe such a prodigy existed in the world.
Faintly, the figure that had once completely mastered his demonic blade's intent began to overlap with the youth before him.
Only astonishment remained in the Blade Demon's eyes.
Then joy followed.
The stronger Ning Qi became, the greater the chance to deduce the Martial Sage method.
However, he also understood that Ning Qi's sudden reveal of his true form today surely meant something extraordinary.
"Heavenly Sword Daoist, has something happened? If you need me to act, just say the word." He spoke solemnly. He had promised to guard Zhenwu Mountain for ten years and would not break his word.
Ning Qi waved his hand and smiled:
"There is indeed a great matter, but I do not need your intervention. I will tell you everything, and you can decide what to do."
The Blade Demon's spirit stirred.
Ning Qi began to speak slowly.
He fully disclosed his experiences after descending the mountain and his plans to deduce the Martial Sage method, needing Blade Demon's cooperation for experiments. He also revealed the anomalies in the world's energies and the possible dangers involved.
A gentleman treats me with sincerity, so I shall treat him sincerely in return.
The Blade Demon listened, his eyes shining brighter and brighter. In the end, he laughed heartily, full of heroism:
"The Ancient Saints have returned, the spiritual opportunity awakens! How lucky I am to witness such a great era! Exhilarating! Exhilarating!"
His hair and beard fluttered as he clearly expressed his heartfelt excitement.
Then he solemnly said to Ning Qi:
"Heavenly Sword Daoist, just tell me how you want me to cooperate!"
Ning Qi said seriously:
"Have you truly thought it through? Even if you refuse, when I deduce the Martial Sage method later, I will give you a copy. And after the spiritual opportunity fully awakens, it's possible the Ancient Saints will release Martial Sage methods as well."
This was not deception but Ning Qi's understanding based on Daoist Baishan's words. When the time was right, all Martial Sage methods would likely reappear.
The Blade Demon laughed and shook his head:
"If that's the case, it would be too late to catch the great opportunity of spiritual awakening!"
His eyes shone brightly.
"If I can't take advantage of this chance to soar, how could I have a place in such a great era, let alone compete with the Ancient Saints!"
"Besides, as you said, the anomalies in the world's energy remain unresolved even by the Ancient Saints. If I can help you solve this, it would be a great achievement—perhaps even surpassing the Ancient Saints! Maybe such a Martial Sage method would be the strongest!"
The Blade Demon's gaze was full of trust. Knowing Ning Qi was just a youth, his trust grew stronger. He wanted to witness this unprecedented great achievement with his own eyes. Being involved was a blessing.
The Blade Demon had always possessed a certain madness.
He knew if Ning Qi wanted to kill him, there was no need for such methods; simply not saving him before would have sufficed.
Feeling this trust, Ning Qi smiled.
"Good! You and I will work together to uncover the root cause of these worldly anomalies!"
He already had a plan.
Now that the Blade Demon nodded, his confidence increased.
"According to Daoist Baishan, the world's energy lacks spiritual opportunity and cannot reach the Martial Sage realm. But I don't need you to enter Martial Sage now; I only want to study the consequences of absorbing the world's energy. A little spiritual opportunity is enough."
"Where does this spiritual opportunity come from? Naturally, it's the Yu King Bead!"
"I will extract spiritual opportunity from it and blend it with the world's energy. It can then become complete spiritual energy. Even if it's insufficient to birth a Martial Sage, it's enough for my deductions."
Ning Qi already had a plan in his mind.
Before his deep conversation with Daoist Baishan, he had no idea what spiritual opportunity was. Later, after careful contemplation, he roughly understood it. He had sensed the special nature within the Yu King Bead while it was condensing spiritual energy.
On the way back, he tried many times and finally gained the ability to temporarily draw out part of the spiritual opportunity from the Yu King Bead.
Not only that, Ning Qi blended the spiritual opportunity with the existing world energy and found the optimal ratio in experiments, successfully creating his own fused spiritual energy.
Thinking of this, Ning Qi's lips curved into a smile.
Throughout the world, few could achieve what he had. Even many Ancient Saints might not manage this. This required an extremely profound understanding of spiritual energy and power; at least Master Baoshu Buddha could not do it.
"Daoist, focus your breath and mind!" Ning Qi instructed.
The two sat cross-legged on a stone platform in the back mountain.
The Blade Demon closed his eyes, emptying his mind, then Ning Qi's voice sounded, containing profound mysteries, including the secrets of the three blossoms of heaven, earth, and man. Using this as a foundation, he continuously expanded, forming countless variations in the style of the Three Blossoms Converge.
The Blade Demon listened with heartfelt admiration.
This was a supreme secret art of absorbing the world's energy. He could clearly see traces of his own previous experience but with a vast difference. The deeper content was so profound that even after a thousand years, he likely could not comprehend it.
He realized the vast gap between himself and Ning Qi.
This was naturally a method Ning Qi had deduced from the Yu King Bead's spiritual energy condensation.
Time passed.
Moonlight poured down, illuminating them both.
The Blade Demon spoke in a low voice:
"Daoist, I have comprehended this method. Please begin!"
If he was not at least a little nervous, that would be impossible, but he was calm. He had lived a solitary life without attachments. His only wish was to see the Martial Path reach new heights. Now, being able to participate was pure happiness.
Ning Qi nodded.
His spirit was also highly concentrated.
The Blade Demon trusted him, and logically and emotionally, Ning Qi had to be responsible for his safety.
"Better to be slow than reckless."
Ning Qi's mind moved.
The Yu King Bead immediately floated before them.