Chapter 44: Great Success

Due to the matter involving Qin Yun, combined with Daoist Longshan entering secluded meditation to face death, the entire Zhenwu Sect had been somewhat affected. Although they had recovered a bit during this period, morale remained somewhat low.

And now.

Jiang Baishan's breakthrough to the Gangyuan Realm instantly invigorated everyone.

With a Gangyuan Realm expert presiding over the sect, they could at least deter the restless schemes of small-time thieves and opportunists.

The Zhenwu Sect was established on Mount Zhenwu, and for so many disciples to eat and drink, they naturally could not rely solely on the mountain itself.

In reality.

The main sources of the Zhenwu Sect's wealth came from two areas.

First were the prominent families. If they sent their disciples to the Zhenwu Sect to practice martial arts, they naturally had to pay a significant annual fee. Of course, the Zhenwu Sect would also ensure their safety; when others saw this, they would grant the sect a certain amount of face and wouldn't dare to infringe upon them.

As the world grew increasingly chaotic, this type of income was rising every year.

Second were the Zhenwu Sect's own industries.

Some disciples within the sect were not skilled at martial arts and were instead assigned to manage businesses down the mountain, such as escort agencies, restaurants, and money shops. Through the accumulation of years, these had become quite substantial.

When Zhenwu Sect disciples went down the mountain for training, they would also resolve any troubles encountered by these industries.

The rest were minor sources.

But regardless of the type.

Strong martial power was the guarantee.

If it were known that the Zhenwu Sect was weakening, a pack of wolves would rise to devour them.

During this period, first a true disciple had defected, and then the only Gangyuan Realm expert had entered secluded meditation to face death, which naturally invited many probes. After all, the true disciples knew that Daoist Longshan was doing this to break through to the Heaven-Man Realm, but others did not. Furthermore, rumors that Daoist Longshan had fought against experts from the Demonic Sect caused various speculations to arise in people's minds.

Fortunately, Daoist Longshan's seclusion had not lasted long, and his deterrent effect remained; Luo Wentian and the others could handle things for the time being.

But now.

Jiang Baishan's promotion to the Gangyuan Realm was enough to make these people completely back down.

On the martial arts field.

Jiang Baishan was surrounded by disciples, and everyone was extremely excited.

"Congratulations to Fifth Senior Brother for stepping into the Gangyuan Realm!"

Ning Qi could hear these congratulatory voices from far away.

Luo Wentian had specifically gathered the disciples just to spread this news and bolster their prestige. He watched from the side with a smile, showing no displeasure. Being the eldest, he had witnessed the childhoods and adolescence of most of the true disciples.

"Congratulations, Fifth Senior Brother."

Ning Qi smiled and congratulated Jiang Baishan, his eyes filled with curiosity.

The Gangyuan Realm experts he had encountered were all top-tier powerhouses like Daoist Longshan and the Old Man of the Divine Sword. He had truly never seen a Gangyuan Realm expert who had just broken through. He had always wanted to know whether his current strength was stronger or weaker than the White Mist Realm.

Now, perhaps, was an opportunity.

Jiang Baishan was in high spirits.

He had originally thought he would need one or two years to settle his cultivation, but unexpectedly, stimulated by the matter of Qin Yun, he had suppressed a surge of energy and directly broke through to the Gangyuan Realm.

"Little Ninth, do you want to see what Gangqi looks like?" Jiang Baishan laughed loudly.

Ning Qi nodded with a smile.

Beside him, the fourth disciple, He Yan, said with a chuckle

"You rogue, Little Fifth! We've been talking for so long and you were being mysterious, but now that Little Ninth arrives—before he's even said a word—you're already going to show off."

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Fourth Senior Brother, just tell us if you want to see it or not!"

"See! We want to see!"

The disciples were all expectant and then dispersed.

Ning Qi stared at Jiang Baishan.

Jiang Baishan exhaled softly, and then his gaze became solemn. When he was in the Inner Yuan Realm, he practiced the Heaven-Shaking Strength, and the Gangyuan Realm technique he had inherited was the Heaven-Shaking True Gang. Having just transitioned, he already possessed an extraordinary aura.

The crowd could already sense the sense of pressure.

He gave his long sword a light swing.

Streaks of sword qi, like falling meteors, shot out with unstoppable sharpness, as if slicing through the air, landing on a giant boulder thirty feet away.

There was no earth-shaking roar, only the brilliant sword qi cutting back and forth.

The sword light was piercingly sharp.

Then.

The crowd gasped.

The giant boulder in the distance had been turned into a pile of incredibly neat rubble; the cuts were perfectly smooth, and even the sizes of the pieces were almost identical.

"This is Gangqi! To have such terrifying power from thirty feet away... it is far stronger than internal strength. No wonder they say that even with Nine-Fold Internal Strength, one can only hope to escape when facing the Gangyuan Realm. The gap is too large; it's difficult even to get close."

Luo Wentian could not help but sigh with emotion.

Every gaze was filled with wonder; for many, this was the first time they had seen a Gangyuan Realm expert demonstrate the power of Gangqi from such a close distance.

Even Ye Qinghe, who had never been particularly interested in martial arts, felt a rare longing for the Gangyuan Realm.

Jiang Baishan laughed even louder. He began to perform a complete sword technique set. Under the enhancement of Gangqi, that originally ordinary sword technique became terrifyingly powerful.

Exclamations rang out continuously.

It was dazzling.

Ning Qi was also watching.

He was also somewhat amazed.

"Gangqi leaving the body at thirty feet might not be the limit. It is indeed impressive."

However, Ning Qi realized that he had both underestimated and somewhat overestimated the strength of the Gangyuan Realm.

To say he underestimated it

It was because he hadn't expected that even at the White Mist Realm, Jiang Baishan's Gangqi could shoot out thirty feet, capable of killing enemies and protecting the body; those streaks of sword qi were far more powerful than internal strength.

To say he overestimated it

It was in comparison to his own strength. Ning Qi felt that although the power of Gangqi was great, if he were to go all out... he might actually surpass it?

"The advantage of a Gangqi Realm expert lies in the fact that Gangqi can leave the body, giving them an advantage in long-range combat. But if I get close, using my terrifying physical strength combined with massive internal strength, I fear even Gangqi protection wouldn't be able to stop me."

Ning Qi calculated the pros and cons of the Gangyuan Realm against himself.

Using Jiang Baishan as a hypothetical opponent, he finally reached a conclusion.

"If I strike with my full strength, Fifth Senior Brother should not be my match?"

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

Although they hadn't fought, he felt his deduction was likely correct.

However, the power of Gangqi still made him somewhat wary. He thought that if he encountered a Gangyuan Realm enemy, it would be best to use movement techniques to dodge the Gangqi and then approach the enemy with lightning speed to strike a decisive blow; otherwise, letting a Gangyuan Realm expert pull distance would be troublesome.

As the news of Jiang Baishan's promotion to the Gangyuan Realm spread.

The situation of the Zhenwu Sect stabilized.

A Gangyuan Realm expert has a lifespan of four hundred years and is considered a powerhouse capable of making a name for themselves in the Great Yan Empire. Ordinary forces simply did not dare to offend them, and the previously covetous gazes instantly vanished.

Ning Qi also began to focus on his fifth attempt at simulated death.

Half a month later.

Ning Qi awoke.

His physical body had undergone another transformation; its strength had reached six times the state of Body Tempering Perfection, which was extremely exaggerated.

But what brought Ning Qi the most joy.

Was the breakthrough of his internal strength.

Six-Fold Realm, Great Success of Inner Yuan!

Ning Qi reached out his hand, and strands of incredibly solid internal strength surged from his palm. That internal strength continuously condensed and extended until it reached over a foot before hitting its limit, looking like a sword growing out of his palm.

With a thought.

The originally invisible "Internal Strength Sword" immediately underwent changes. At times it radiated heat, at times it surged with frost, at times it roared like a mythical beast, and at times it whistled like an ancient eagle, even incorporating profound elements like vibration and rotation.

Ning Qi revealed a smile.

"Ordinary Nine-Fold Realm martial artists do not have internal strength as solid as mine. With this foot of extended internal strength, I can now say with one hundred percent certainty that Fifth Senior Brother is not my match; he might even be defeated by me quite easily."

This thought passed in an instant, and he then turned his gaze toward the white ape, feeling somewhat strange.

"Now that my internal strength can extend outside my body, perhaps I can try to explore the bloodline within my body?"

(End of Chapter)