Chapter 32: The Taotie in a Dream, the Divine Sword Descends the Mountain (Two-in-One)

Ning Qi's eyes lit up slightly.

"A secret technique of the Divine Sword Sect?"

The little fatty nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at grain.

"That's right."

"Ning Qi, let me tell you, I have three hobbies."

"Which three?"

"I like practicing the sword most, eating second, and sleeping third. I like eating and sleeping because of this secret technique I practice."

Zhuang Chen's expression was full of pride.

Ning Qi, on the other hand, became completely interested.

During their meals, he had seen the little fatty devour food voraciously, but he had simply assumed it was his nature. Now, it seemed that wasn't the case.

"This technique is called the Dreamtime Taotie."

"The Taotie is one that devours heaven and earth, absorbing the essence of all things and converting it for one's own use within the realm of sleep and dreams..."

Zhuang Chen's youthful voice began to ring out.

As he spoke each sentence slowly, the astonishment in Ning Qi's eyes grew deeper.

This Dreamtime Taotie technique was not simple!

After listening to Zhuang Chen's explanation, the intricacies and ingenious concepts within it left Ning Qi feeling refreshed. This was a secret technique independent of cultivation methods like Stance Work or Layered Force Work, yet it could assist and augment the former.

Thereby making cultivation faster.

By consuming large amounts of food or other more precious treasures, one could absorb their essence and digest it through the special state of sleeping.

One had to admit, the creator of this technique was a genius.

"Ning Qi, this Dreamtime Taotie is absolutely powerful. I'm telling you, the reason I was able to reach the Tendon Refining Realm so quickly is partly because of this technique."

"My master said that if this technique reaches a profound level, one can even consume treasures like iron chunks or crystals to cause changes in both the physical body and internal energy. It's incredibly powerful, but unfortunately, I can only eat food for now."

"Don't think I'm stupid, okay? I am the only person in the Divine Sword Sect who has learned this technique. Even my master hasn't mastered it!"

The little fatty puffed out his chest proudly, though he seemed a bit self-conscious afterward.

"But don't worry, Ning Qi. You're so smart, you'll definitely be able to learn it."

Seeing that Ning Qi remained silent, the little fatty grew anxious

"Ning Qi, I've already told you the secret technique. You won't refuse to teach me your swordplay, will you?"

He wasn't intentionally trying to trap Ning Qi; he had simply forgotten the difficulty of the Dreamtime Taotie. As he spoke, he realized it and grew fearful that Ning Qi might not be able to learn it and would therefore refuse to teach him swordplay.

Ning Qi snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. This little fatty had a bit of a scheme, but not much.

For an ordinary person, learning this technique would be very difficult, perhaps even requiring a specific constitution.

But for Ning Qi.

It was simple.

He could completely take its essence and refine it into a secret technique suited to himself.

For him, what mattered were ideas and inspiration.

However, having a ready-made path would also save him a vast amount of time.

He hadn't expected Zhuang Chen to bring him such a pleasant surprise.

Various inspirations were already continuously surfacing in his mind.

Of course, Ning Qi naturally wouldn't bully him or take advantage of him for nothing.

"Don't worry. If I said I'd teach you, I'll teach you."

Zhuang Chen nodded repeatedly, a look of joy appearing on his face.

"Then let me tell you a few more times, so you don't forget."

"No need, I've already memorized it all."

Zhuang Chen immediately scratched his head

"Ning Qi, you're so smart. It took me a long time just to memorize this technique, yet you've done it so quickly."

But he didn't think much of it.

He felt that no matter how fast Ning Qi was, he wouldn't be able to master the technique right this moment.

Ning Qi smiled faintly without further explanation.

"Stand straight. Now, perform a sword routine for me to see."

Since he had obtained someone else's secret technique, he had to teach them properly; Ning Qi would not be perfunctory.

His expression was calm, yet he possessed an inherent majesty.

Zhuang Chen, who had been joking around, was suddenly jolted. A trace of instinctive fear appeared on his face; he felt as if he saw a shadow of his master in Ning Qi.

In the entire Divine Sword Sect, he would only feel such trepidation when the Divine Sword Elder was imparting martial arts.

"Yes!"

The little fatty responded respectfully, then took a deep breath and slowly drew the wooden sword from his back.

His gaze suddenly became sharp.

With a light shout, Zhuang Chen's chubby body became agile. He swung his sword in a series of strikes, executing a profound sword routine with ease.

Zhuang Chen held nothing back, giving it his all.

Within the Seeking Dao Courtyard, streaks of sword light danced, sweeping up fallen leaves. Occasionally, a flash of sword light would pass, precisely splitting things in two, demonstrating his powerful control over the sword.

This level of skill was something many veteran swordsmen who had practiced bitterly for ten or twenty years might not even achieve.

Zhuang Chen's sword was sometimes as light as a falling leaf, and sometimes as heavy as a mountain pressing down, controlling weight with ease. Later on, one could only hear the sound of the sword without seeing the person; it wasn't that the person had truly vanished, but that the exquisite swordplay was sufficient to make one ignore the person's existence.

"His mastery of the Unity of Man and Sword is becoming more proficient. In just a few days, Zhuang Chen has progressed again. Just how mysterious is this Innate Sword Bone?"

A flash of curiosity crossed Ning Qi's eyes. He even felt a slight urge to "dissect" the little fatty; if he could observe the mysteries of the Innate Sword Bone up close, perhaps it would allow him to realize something extraordinary.

Of course, it was just a thought.

He was not that kind of person.

Before he knew it, Zhuang Chen had stopped. Seeing Ning Qi's gaze, he felt a chill run through his body and asked timidly

"Ning Qi, was there something wrong with my swordplay just now?"

Ning Qi snapped back to reality and smiled

"It's passable."

With his vision, it wasn't difficult to see that the little fatty followed the path of dominance.

Dominant Sword Intent was also a very powerful type of sword intent.

He roughly understood why the little fatty was so eager to learn his swordplay; it was because Ning Qi mastered far more than just one type of sword intent. That casual strike from that day was actually a composite of several types of sword intent.

By observing the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth, Ning Qi's gains were not merely as simple as creating the Myriad Manifestation Origin Stance; this was an accumulation sufficient to last a lifetime, available for use at any time.

However, Ning Qi had used it very discreetly that day. He was confident that even the Divine Sword Elder and his own master wouldn't be able to tell.

He hadn't expected this little fatty to instinctively sense a hint of something extraordinary.

He already knew how to teach the little fatty.

Taking a light breath, Ning Qi said solemnly

"Watch this strike of mine carefully."

Zhuang Chen's eyes widened.

With a casual wave of Ning Qi's hand, the wooden sword in Zhuang Chen's hand flew uncontrollably into Ning Qi's hand.

Then.

Ning Qi moved.

His left hand was placed behind his back, and his right hand swung the sword gently.

The little fatty's eyes widened even further.

In his eyes.

Ning Qi had effectively vanished.

As that plain, unremarkable strike swung toward him, it was as if he saw a vast ancient mountain pressing down, as if he saw an ancient divine elephant roaring at the heavens, and he vaguely saw a great sun rising.

He stood there, stunned like a wooden chicken.

Until Ning Qi's voice rang out

"What did you see?"

Zhuang Chen jolted awake, his eyes filled with adoration as he looked at Ning Qi.

"I saw an ancient mountain, a divine elephant, and a golden sun."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

Ning Qi nodded faintly

"Your comprehension is decent."

"Watch again."

Ning Qi swung the sword once more.

Zhuang Chen watched without blinking.

Then Ning Qi asked again.

Zhuang Chen answered truthfully.

This repeated until the eagerness in Zhuang Chen's eyes grew even more intense, and Ning Qi finally said

"Try it yourself."

Zhuang Chen swung the sword.

Compared to before, there was already a distinct difference.

Ning Qi nodded inwardly.

This Innate Sword Bone was indeed extraordinary; his comprehension of the sword far exceeded that of ordinary people. Ning Qi had only seen such a learning speed once before, when the White Ape was learning the Ape King Stance; everyone else was inferior to this one human and one ape.

Ning Qi had Zhuang Chen practice, occasionally offering corrections, until the boy was drenched in sweat and pale-faced, at which point he let him stop.

Contacting sword intent also required a strong physical body and "spirit" to support it.

Zhuang Chen was not satisfied, his face full of excitement

"Ning Qi, I felt it, I felt it!"

"You are truly amazing!"

He felt that, following Ning Qi's guidance, he was practically aided by the gods; a single word could save him from many detours.

He even thought to himself that even his master, the Divine Sword Elder, was not as good a teacher as Ning Qi.

Zhuang Chen's eyes were full of worship.

But Ning Qi only smiled faintly

"For the next few days, come here for half an hour every day at noon to practice. You are not allowed to come at any other time."

If it had been before, the little fatty might have pestered him relentlessly.

But now, he felt an indescribable awe toward Ning Qi.

Though reluctant, he still replied respectfully

"Yes!"

Over the next few days.

Every day at noon, the little fatty arrived as promised to practice in the Seeking Dao Courtyard.

Ning Qi offered occasional guidance, but he had already created a customized sword strike for him. As long as the little fatty did not become lazy and practiced step-by-step, comprehending the Dominant Sword Intent would be a natural progression.

In fact, this Dominant Sword Intent possessed a few other mysteries.

While the little fatty practiced his sword, the White Ape watched from the side. After a few days, the little fatty's humble attitude finally caused the White Ape's anger to dissipate. This human and ape had become friends through conflict, and their relationship was now unexpectedly quite good.

However, the White Ape did not practice stance work while the little fatty was present; this was a rule Ning Qi had set—one must not display stance work in the presence of outsiders.

As for Ning Qi himself, aside from occasionally guiding Zhuang Chen, he was contemplating the newly acquired Dreamtime Taotie technique.

This technique was indeed extraordinary, but Ning Qi had also discovered its flaw.

That was, if one continued to practice this technique, their physique would become increasingly bloated, eventually potentially turning them into a mountain of flesh—something Ning Qi could not tolerate.

"Ultimately, this Dreamtime Taotie technique cannot fully digest and absorb the energy into the body; it needs to be converted into a form like fat for storage."

Ning Qi intended to take its essence, refine it, and integrate it into his envisioned Layered Force Work.

He already had an idea.

And so.

Seven days passed in a flash.

The internal energy in Ning Qi's body grew stronger day by day. At the same time, he was re-comprehending his various Layered Force Works, especially the Ice Silkworm Force. He felt its concept was quite excellent, perhaps not even inferior to the Dreamtime Taotie, making it worth borrowing from.

On this day.

The little fatty walked to the outside of the Seeking Dao Courtyard but did not enter.

He looked somewhat disappointed

"Ning Qi, Yuan Tiansheng, I have to go."

Today was the day the Divine Sword Sect departed. After exchanging knowledge here for so long, it was indeed time to leave.

The White Ape scurried out, its eyes also showing a hint of reluctance.

Although it had initially disliked the little fatty's lack of respect, after getting to know him, it found him to be a decent person.

"Are you reluctant to leave me?"

Zhuang Chen looked at Yuan Tiansheng, his eyes brightening slightly.

The White Ape curled its lip arrogantly and turned its head away.

Zhuang Chen chuckled, looking at the figure in the courtyard, his eyes filled with reverence.

"Ning Qi, I will miss you guys."

Ning Qi smiled.

"Go back and cultivate well."

Zhuang Chen nodded repeatedly

"I will definitely work hard and strive to surpass you in ten years!"

With that.

The little fatty ran off.

Ning Qi watched his retreating figure and shook his head with a smile. Surpassing him was unlikely.

His heart experienced a slight ripple of emotion, but it quickly returned to calm.

With the little fatty's talent, barring any accidents, he would at least reach the Celestial Realm with a long lifespan. There would be plenty of opportunities to meet him in the future; there was no rush.

He turned his gaze back to the parchment in his hand.

"Ice Silkworm Force, nine times of breaking the cocoon to be reborn, which means nine layers of force. Each qualitative change is extremely thorough, but breaking the cocoon is no easy task; each time requires enduring hardships. Perhaps, I can try a different way..."

Inspirations were continuously surfacing in Ning Qi's mind.

Meanwhile, outside Mount Zhenwu.

The Divine Sword Elder and Daoist Longshan were also bidding farewell.

"This time, I consider it a favor owed to you," the Divine Sword Elder said, a rare occurrence.

It was said that the two were jointly comprehending the secrets of the Celestial Realm, but in reality, it was primarily Daoist Longshan sharing knowledge. At most, the Divine Sword Elder could occasionally offer different perspectives. With these, although the Divine Sword Elder could not say he was certain to break through to the Celestial Realm immediately, he at least had more hope and could see the path ahead.

Daoist Longshan laughed loudly

"It is rare to hear such words from you, Brother Divine Sword."

The Divine Sword Elder turned away in annoyance and snorted

"Longshan, you old nose, do not think that because I owe you a favor, I will let you walk over me. Do not slack off for our ten-year agreement, or else beware of being swept away by my disciples!"

Daoist Longshan merely smiled.

After saying this, the Divine Sword Elder also laughed loudly

"I'm off. See you in ten years!"

The members of the Divine Sword Sect performed sword salutes and then sped away using sword steps.

On the road.

The little fatty was absent-minded, repeatedly starting to speak and then stopping.

Seeing his youngest disciple in such a state, the Divine Sword Elder's heart tightened. He pulled Zhuang Chen to the very front and waited until the disciples behind them were out of sight before asking kindly

"Chen'er, is there something you wish to tell your master?"

Zhuang Chen asked cautiously

"If I tell you, Master, can you promise not to spank my butt?"

The Divine Sword Elder's heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath and smiled

"Speak."

"I... I taught the Dreamtime Taotie to Ning Qi."

The little fatty mustered his courage.

The Divine Sword Elder froze in place.

He knew his youngest disciple had been playing with that genius from the Zhenwu Sect these past few days, but he never imagined his foolish disciple would actually pass on such a peerless secret technique. However, he did not get angry; instead, his emotions were complex.

"Longshan shared the secrets of the Celestial Realm with me, and Chen'er passed the Dreamtime Taotie to Ning Qi. Could this be fate?"

He felt the world was quite wondrous.

Seeing that his master remained silent for a long time, Zhuang Chen thought he was angry and hurriedly said

"Master, please don't be angry. Ning Qi didn't take my technique for nothing; he taught me a sword move."

The Divine Sword Elder's spirit jolted.

A moment later.

As he watched Zhuang Chen swing his sword, he stood frozen like a statue, his heart surging with waves of shock.

"In just a few days, Chen'er has already caught a glimpse of Sword Intent?!"

At this moment.

He understood that the ninth true disciple of the Zhenwu Sect was likely far more monstrous than he had imagined.

"Longshan, you have recruited a remarkable disciple!"

He sighed inwardly, feeling a mix of envy and joy for his old friend.

Then, he solemnly brushed his hand over Zhuang Chen's head and said seriously

"Chen'er, in the future, you must not tell anyone that this swordplay was taught to you by Ning Qi. If anyone asks, say that I taught it to you. Do you understand?"

Zhuang Chen had never seen his master look so serious.

But he still responded respectfully

"Yes! I understand, Master!"

The Divine Sword Elder smiled with relief. No matter how monstrous other people's disciples were, his foolish disciple was still the best.

...

Time passed leisurely.

A month had passed since the departure of the Divine Sword Sect, and the Zhenwu Sect had returned to its usual tranquility.

And Ning Qi's creation of his own Layered Force Work had reached a critical moment.

(End of Chapter)