Dragon Mountain Daoist gained greatly from this retreat.
Sharing the secrets of the Heavenly Human Realm with Divine Sword Old Man was not merely helping another—it was mutually beneficial.
Although Divine Sword Old Man's Aptitude was inferior to his own, he was still a Core Formation Realm sword cultivator. His insights, especially those sudden flashes born from the Sword Dao, often gave Dragon Mountain Daoist unexpected inspiration.
This time in seclusion,
Dragon Mountain Daoist fully digested everything he had accumulated during this period.
Now, his presence carried an added layer of ethereality.
He simply stood there, yet a unique pressure radiated from his body, as if his Physical Body was gradually merging with the world itself. Compared to his former Core Formation Perfection state, this was a fundamental difference.
He had stepped into the realm of a Half-step Heavenly Human.
Luo Wentian, who stood nearby, looked at his Master with reverence and admiration.
He was Dragon Mountain Daoist's earliest Disciple, having followed him even before the reconstruction of the True Martial Sect. Naturally, he could clearly sense the change in his Master's aura.
That faint oppressive presence made Luo Wentian's heart beat faster.
"Master, could it be that you have…?" he asked carefully.
Dragon Mountain Daoist smiled.
"Soon. At most three years, at least one year—I will surely step into the Heavenly Human Realm."
It sounded like a long time, but in truth, he was already extremely confident.
Looking across the entire Great Yan Dynasty, how many people dared to speak such words before entering the Heavenly Human Realm?
Even if it took him three full years, Dragon Mountain Daoist was still not yet a hundred years old. With such Aptitude, ruling a region of the Great Yan Dynasty would not be difficult.
Luo Wentian was overjoyed.
"Congratulations, Master! It seems this Disciple should begin preparing for the Heavenly Human Grand Ceremony in advance!"
According to custom, whenever a new Heavenly Human expert appeared within the Great Yan Dynasty, a grand ceremony would be held. This was an opportunity not only to celebrate but also to elevate the Sect's prestige.
If the ceremony were held properly, the True Martial Sect could even break free from Qingzhou and become known throughout the entire Great Yan Dynasty.
After all—
Heavenly Human Realm experts were peerless existences.
Even across the Great Yan Dynasty, they were few in number and worthy of respect from all sides.
Dragon Mountain Daoist calmed himself and waved his hand lightly.
"Has anything important happened within the Sect during my seclusion?"
Luo Wentian thought for a moment before answering.
"Everything has been normal. Only Eighth Junior Brother went down the mountain for training and has not yet returned. He's been gone for quite some time."
Dragon Mountain Daoist frowned slightly.
"Forget it. It seems Little Eight still hasn't resolved his obsession. He likely won't return for the New Year. Let him be—he will come back when he understands."
Luo Wentian fell silent for a moment, then added,
"Oh, and about a month ago, Little Nine came looking for you once. I'm not sure if it was something urgent."
Dragon Mountain Daoist froze.
His youngest Disciple—Ning Qi—was the one he was most proud of, and also the one he worried about the least.
Aside from personally guiding him when he first stepped onto the Martial Dao, Ning Qi rarely needed instruction. Dragon Mountain Daoist only needed to provide resources; Ning Qi would handle the rest himself.
For Ning Qi to actively seek him out—
A thought suddenly struck Dragon Mountain Daoist.
His eyes widened.
"No way… Little Nine is only five years old. Even if he had already reached Spirit Refining before, breaking through the bottleneck to the Flawless Physical Body Realm and condensing Inner Strength should not be this easy…"
At that thought,
Dragon Mountain Daoist could no longer sit still.
He wanted to go directly to the Seeking Dao Courtyard to confirm his suspicion.
But just as he stood up—
His gaze shifted toward the outside of the pavilion.
He paused, then sat back down.
"Wen Tian, you may leave first."
Luo Wentian was slightly surprised. He had only just arrived, and there were still matters left to report.
However, he never questioned his Master's decisions.
After bowing, he turned and left.
The moment he stepped out of the pavilion, he saw Ning Qi approaching.
Luo Wentian smiled.
"Little Nine, you came at the perfect time. Master has just come out of seclusion. We were talking about you."
Ning Qi smiled lightly and nodded.
Watching Ning Qi walk inside, Luo Wentian suddenly realized something.
"Did Master sense Little Nine's arrival and that's why he asked me to leave?"
The thought surfaced, but he felt no dissatisfaction—only curiosity.
He shook his head and chuckled.
"If Master breaks through to the Heavenly Human Realm within the next two years, the Grand Ceremony will surely be held. The Disciples must work harder so as not to shame the Sect."
"Perhaps at the end of the year, we can hold a sect-wide competition. Let Second Senior Brother and Third Junior Sister guide the Inner and Outer Sect Disciples."
With these thoughts in mind, Luo Wentian gradually walked away.
Inside Mingwu Pavilion.
After Ning Qi respectfully bowed, Dragon Mountain Daoist's gaze locked onto him. He sensed carefully, suppressing the excitement rising in his heart.
"Little Nine," he asked slowly, "have you broken through?"
Ning Qi paused for a moment, then nodded.
"I broke through to the Inner Yuan Realm a few days ago. I wanted to report earlier, but Master was in seclusion."
The moment the words fell—
Dragon Mountain Daoist stood frozen.
Guessing was one thing.
Hearing confirmation with his own ears was something else entirely.
The impact was overwhelming.
"Dao Ancestor above… Little Nine is only five years old…"
He had begun cultivating martial arts at three and entered the Inner Yuan Realm at five.
What kind of peerless prodigy was this?
According to Dragon Mountain Daoist's original estimate, Ning Qi reaching the Inner Yuan Realm after turning six would already have been astonishing.
But reality exceeded even that.
The difference of a single year represented an immeasurable gap in Aptitude.
At that moment, Dragon Mountain Daoist felt a trace of regret.
He should have stopped Ning Qi from making a move when the Divine Sword Sect came earlier—even if it meant losing some face.
Fortunately, Ning Qi's displayed cultivation back then was only at the Body Tempering Realm. At most, Divine Sword Old Man might have noticed something, and Dragon Mountain Daoist trusted his character.
"Little Nine," he said solemnly, "from now on, you must not reveal your cultivation in front of outsiders."
"Even if you must reveal it, never expose your age—unless one day you have already stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm."
Dragon Mountain Daoist's tone was firm.
One must always guard against others.
Prodigies like Qin Yun or Zhuang Chen would rarely be targeted unless there was deep hatred involved.
But Ning Qi was different.
His potential was too terrifying.
If exposed, even without hatred, others might attempt to eliminate him early.
Only by reaching the Heavenly Human Realm would one truly possess the power to protect oneself.
In one or two more years, Dragon Mountain Daoist was confident he himself would break through, ensuring Ning Qi's safety within Zhenwu Mountain.
This warning was simply an extra safeguard.
Ning Qi nodded seriously.
He could clearly feel his Master's concern.
"Master," Ning Qi asked, "you once said that after I broke through to the Inner Yuan Realm, you would tell me something important. What is it?"
He already had a vague guess in his heart.
Dragon Mountain Daoist's expression stiffened.
He let out a long sigh, hesitated briefly, then finally spoke in a heavy voice:
"It concerns your origins."