Chapter 6: The Great Yan Martial Saint

Spring passed and autumn came.

Ning Qi was already nearly a year old.

However, thanks to the nourishment of the innate qi and the supplementation of peerless medical techniques, his physical development was rapid; he was now comparable to a three-year-old child.

Ning Qi had optimized the Innate Bone-Forging Technique several more times.

He finally felt that there was no room for further improvement.

He had reached the limit of what he could currently achieve.

He estimated that at his current pace, his bone structure would be completely formed by the time he was three!

This speed was far faster than what Daoist Longshan had previously estimated.

Do not underestimate the significance of being a few years ahead; one must know that the earlier one starts, the harder it is. Training in martial arts at three versus six is not just a simple two-fold difference; it could be several times more effective.

Every day, he practiced his techniques while using his exclusive medicinal ointment.

His bone structure accelerated its formation day by day.

Not only that, but it also accelerated his physical growth.

A body that was too young was ultimately inconvenient, and Ning Qi hoped to grow up quickly.

Unable to delve into martial arts yet, Ning Qi did not waste his time. He read through classics every day, regardless of the type, solely to increase his foundation.

He possessed max-level comprehension, unprecedented in history, but creation never comes from nothing.

Take medical science as an example.

Even without the reference of predecessors' classics, Ning Qi could still constantly experiment, categorize, and summarize on his own to pioneer a path in medicine, perhaps even reaching unprecedentedly profound realms, but the time required would inevitably increase exponentially.

Since that was the case, why not stand on the shoulders of predecessors to look into the distance?

Although others did not have comprehension as high as Ning Qi’s, the accumulation of generations could not be underestimated, and some flashes of inspiration were truly stunning.

The same was true for other fields.

Although he had not yet begun martial arts training.

Ning Qi had already started making preparations.

Learning from others, learning from classics, learning from heaven and earth, learning from nature.

Gathering the strengths of a hundred schools to pave the way forward.

This was the correct way to utilize max-level comprehension.

The Zhenwu Sect had a vast collection of classics, enough to keep Ning Qi occupied for a long time. Sometimes, after reading through them once, he would have different insights upon a second reading. Especially some of the Daoist classics, which contained profound truths that benefited Ning Qi greatly. These were all his foundation; he only needed a key to unlock the treasure.

"If I have the opportunity to read through all the classics of the Great Yan in the future, I fear my foundation will become rich to an unprecedented degree."

"If one day I can obtain the brilliant ideas of all living beings, how delightful would that be? I fear the method of immortality would be within my grasp!"

Thinking of that scene.

Ning Qi himself felt a sense of longing.

He had not forgotten that his ultimate goal was immortality.

These days.

His senior brothers and sisters would occasionally go down the mountain for training. Upon returning, they would bring Ning Qi some fresh little trinkets or recount their experiences. As Ning Qi revealed more and more extraordinary traits, they subconsciously stopped treating him as a toddler under one year old.

Thanks to this.

Combined with the records in the classics.

Ning Qi gained a deeper understanding of the dynasty he lived in.

"The Great Yan has thirteen provinces, and its territory is vast. Qing Province alone is larger than the territory of my previous life. There are countless martial arts sects in the world, but they are basically attached to imperial power and require the permission of the throne."

"For example, when Master rebuilt the Zhenwu Sect, he not only won the foundation of Zhenwu from the master of the Divine Sword Mountain through a bet, but also needed the endorsement of the Qing Province Governor to finally receive recognition."

He flipped through the *Records of Great Yan* in his hand, his eyes showing some surprise.

"But the most amazing thing is that the Great Yan has been established for two thousand years. The lifespan of this one dynasty alone is equivalent to nearly half of the ancient history of my previous life!"

"This should be related to the longevity of martial artists in this world. The Heaven-Human Realm grants a lifespan of eight hundred years. If there are some life-extending means, perhaps one can live over a thousand years. As for Martial Saints, they might really be able to live for thousands of years!"

"And the establishment of a dynasty is often directly related to a Martial Saint. A Martial Saint is invincible in the world; even a peak Heaven-Human expert is vulnerable before a Martial Saint. If a Martial Saint wants to establish a dynasty, it is indeed not difficult. The Great Yan Dynasty was opened up by the Great Yan Martial Saint himself."

Thoughts swirled in Ning Qi's mind, and he couldn't help but sigh aloud

"The Great Yan has lasted two thousand years. I wonder if the Great Yan Martial Saint is still alive?"

A Martial Saint was his goal, but such existences were far too rare. In some eras, there might only be one, elusive as a dragon.

A giggling voice came from afar

"He must be alive, otherwise the world would have fallen into chaos long ago."

Ning Qi looked over.

He saw a figure approaching at high speed. With a few leaps, she was already standing before him. Her blue Daoist robe was slightly loose, but it still couldn't hide her slender and exquisite figure. Looking up, her beautiful almond eyes were filled with smiles.

Ye Qinghe first pinched Ning Qi’s fair, tender cheeks, then giggled and hugged him, leaving Ning Qi breathless.

"Little Nine, did you miss Third Senior Sister?"

Ning Qi frowned repeatedly, struggling to jump out.

"Senior Sister, you’ve been drinking again!"

He smelled a very strong scent of alcohol; it was quite pungent.

Ye Qinghe giggled, pulled out a gourd as if performing a magic trick, and took a heavy gulp. The liquor flowed down her fair neck and into her Daoist robe.

"Wine is a treasure of the world. A woman who doesn't drink is not a good woman. Little Nine, you are still young, you don't understand."

She took out a small wine cup from somewhere and filled it.

"Want a taste?"

Looking at Ye Qinghe's expectant gaze, Ning Qi had black lines running down his forehead.

Giving a one-year-old child alcohol?

You really are something!

Ye Qinghe tempted him

"If you take a sip, I'll tell you a secret about the Great Yan Dynasty."

Ning Qi helplessly took a sip. This bit of alcohol had no effect on him, and what Ye Qinghe drank were all fine spirits that didn't harm the body, though he didn't have much interest in alcohol.

Ye Qinghe clapped and laughed

"Little Nine, you really understand me, unlike Qin Yun and the others, who are no fun at all."

Ning Qi just rolled his eyes.

Ye Qinghe took the *Records of Great Yan* from Ning Qi's hand and pouted

"There is too much official jargon in here. It is true that the Great Yan Dynasty has lasted two thousand years, making it the longest-lived dynasty in history, but there have been quite a few upheavals during this time."

Ning Qi immediately perked up.

"And none of those times overthrew the Great Yan?"

Ye Qinghe shook her head

"No. Every time it reached a critical moment, the Great Yan court would have a Martial Saint step in to suppress the enemies and extend the national destiny."

"The Great Yan Martial Saint is still alive? He hasn't ascended in two thousand years?" Ning Qi widened his eyes.

Ye Qinghe tilted her head and took a gulp of wine.

"Actually, what I said earlier about the Great Yan Martial Saint still being alive might not be accurate."

"It is rumored that a Martial Saint reaches the limit of martial arts and can break through the world to ascend. For many years, every Martial Saint who appeared in each era would fall into silence after a period of glory, as if they could not stay in this world for too long."

"Therefore, the duration of dynasties before the Great Yan was not particularly exaggerated; most lasted a few hundred years, at most a thousand."

"But the Great Yan is an exception."

Ye Qinghe tilted the gourd, watching the last few drops of liquor slowly fall, and frowned in dissatisfaction, but still carefully swallowed the drops.

She said, still wanting more

"Some say the Great Yan Martial Saint was brilliant and talented, but greedy for imperial power and refused to ascend. He used some secret method to avoid the world's pressure. Although he can stay for a long time, he cannot easily take action and only appears when the Great Yan is in danger."

"Others say the Great Yan Martial Saint actually ascended long ago, but he created an earth-shattering secret technique that allows the Great Yan royal family to continuously produce Martial Saints, which is why the Great Yan Dynasty has flourished without decline. Every Great Yan Martial Saint is bound to use the secret technique to cultivate a new Martial Saint before ascending."

"So, there is definitely a Martial Saint in the Great Yan. As for whether it is the original one, no one knows; no one has seen his true face."

Ye Qinghe shrugged slightly.

Ning Qi's eyebrows twitched, and he remained silent for a long time. He had not expected the Great Yan Dynasty to have such secrets.

(End of chapter)