Spring went and autumn came.
Ning Qi was almost one year old.
However, nourished by Innate Qi and supplemented by peerless medical skills, his body developed very quickly, and he was now similar to a three-year-old child.
Ning Qi optimized the Congenital Bone Tempering Skill several more times.
Finally, he felt that there was no further room for improvement.
It had reached the limit of what he could achieve at present.
He speculated that, at this current pace, his Foundation would be fully formed by the age of three!
This speed was much faster than what Dragon Mountain Daoist had previously estimated.
Don't just see it as a few years earlier; one must know that the earlier it is, the more difficult it becomes. Practicing martial arts at three years old versus six years old is not simply a twofold difference, but possibly several times over.
He practiced his skills daily, accompanied by a specialized medicinal paste.
His Foundation accelerated its formation day by day.
Not only that, but it also accelerated his physical growth.
An overly young body was ultimately inconvenient, and Ning Qi hoped to grow up quickly.
Unable to delve into martial arts, Ning Qi did not waste time. He read classics every day, of all types, solely to increase his knowledge and background.
He possessed max-level Comprehension Ability, unprecedented in history, but creation never came from nothing.
Take medical skills as an example.
Even without reference to ancient texts, Ning Qi could still continuously experiment, deduce, and summarize to pioneer the Dao of medicine, and even reach unprecedented profound Domains. However, the time spent would inevitably increase exponentially.
Since that was the case, why not stand on the shoulders of predecessors and look further?
Although others' Comprehension Ability was not as good as Ning Qi's, the accumulation of generations should not be underestimated. Some flashes of inspiration and brilliant ideas were also astonishing.
The same was true for other Domains.
Although he had not yet begun practicing martial arts.
However, 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 forge a new path.
This was the correct way to utilize max-level Comprehension Ability.
The True Martial Sect had numerous classics, enough for Ning Qi to read for a very long time. Sometimes, after reading them once, when he read them a second time, he would have different insights, especially some Daoist classics, which contained extremely profound principles that greatly benefited Ning Qi. These were all his background, only needing a key to unlock the Treasure Trove.
“If I have the opportunity to read all the Great Yan classics in the future, my background will probably reach an unprecedented level.”
“One day, to gain the ingenious thoughts of all living beings, how exhilarating that would be! Perhaps even the method of longevity would be within reach!”
Upon imagining that scene.
Ning Qi himself was somewhat yearning.
He did not forget that his ultimate goal was longevity.
These days.
His Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters would occasionally go down the mountain for training. Upon their return, they would bring Ning Qi some new small trinkets or recount some experiences. As Ning Qi exhibited more and more unique qualities, they had subconsciously stopped treating Ning Qi as an infant less than a year old.
Thanks to this.
Combined with the records in the classics.
Ning Qi gained a deeper understanding of the Dynasty he was in.
“The Great Yan Dynasty spans thirteen prefectures, with vast territory. Just a single Qinghe Prefecture is larger than the entire land of my previous life. There are even more numerous Martial Arts Sects in the world, but they are basically subordinate to imperial power, requiring imperial permission.”
“For example, when Master rebuilt the True Martial Sect, he not only won the True Martial Foundation from the Shenjian Mountain owner through a wager, but also needed endorsement from the Qinghe Prefecture Governor, ultimately gaining approval.”
He flipped through the Great Yan Records in his hand, his eyes filled with some surprise.
“But the most miraculous thing is that the Great Yan Dynasty has existed for two thousand years; the lifespan of this one Dynasty alone is almost half of the ancient history of my previous life!”
“This should be related to the longevity of Martial Artists in this world. A Heavenly Human Realm practitioner can live up to eight hundred years. If there are some life-extending methods, they might be able to live for over a thousand years. As for a Martial Saint, it's possible they could truly live for several thousand 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 Heavenly Human Realm Perfection expert is no match for a Martial Saint. If a Martial Saint wants to establish a Dynasty, it is indeed not difficult. The Great Yan Dynasty was founded by the Great Yan Martial Saint himself.”
Thoughts arose in Ning Qi's mind, and he couldn't help but exclaim:
“The Great Yan Dynasty has existed for two thousand years. I wonder if the Great Yan Martial Saint is still alive?”
A Martial Saint was his goal, but such a level of existence was extremely rare. Some eras might even have only one, like a Dragon appearing only by its tail, its head unseen.
A cheerful voice came from afar:
“He must still be alive, otherwise the world would have long since fallen into chaos.”
Ning Qi looked over.
He saw a figure approaching at extreme speed, appearing before him in a few leaps. The blue Daoist robe was slightly loose, but it still couldn't hide her slender and graceful figure. Looking further up, her beautiful apricot eyes held a smile.
Ye Qinghe first kneaded Ning Qi's fair and tender cheek, then chuckled and hugged him, making Ning Qi gasp for breath.
“Little Nine, did you miss Third Senior Sister?”
Ning Qi frowned repeatedly, struggling to break free.
“Senior Sister, you've been drinking again!”
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He smelled a strong, pungent odor of alcohol.
Ye Qinghe giggled, pulling out a gourd as if by magic, and took a big 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're still young, you don't understand.”
She pulled out a small wine cup from somewhere and filled it.
“Want a taste?”
Looking at Ye Qinghe's expectant gaze, Ning Qi's forehead was covered in black lines.
Giving a one-year-old child alcohol?
You're something else!
Ye Qinghe tempted him:
“If you drink a little, 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 Ye Qinghe only drank fine wines that weren't harmful. He just wasn't very interested in alcohol.
Ye Qinghe clapped her hands and laughed aloud:
“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 Great Yan Records from Ning Qi's hand, pouting as she said:
“There's too much official jargon in this. It's true that the Great Yan Dynasty has existed for two thousand years, making it the longest-lived Dynasty in history, but there have been quite a few periods of unrest during that time.”
Ning Qi immediately became attentive.
“Those times didn't overthrow Great Yan?”
Ye Qinghe shook her head:
“No, every time at a critical moment, the Great Yan Dynasty would have a Martial Saint make a move, suppressing all enemies and extending the Dynasty's fate.”
“The Great Yan Martial Saint is still alive? He hasn't Ascended for two thousand years?” Ning Qi's eyes widened.
Ye Qinghe tilted her head back and took a gulp of wine.
“Actually, what I said earlier about the Great Yan Martial Saint still being alive might not be entirely accurate.”
“Legend has it that a Martial Saint, having reached the peak of martial Dao, can break through the boundary and Ascend. For so many years, every Martial Saint who appeared in each era would fall silent after a period of glory, seemingly unable to remain in this realm for long.”
“Therefore, the previous Dynasties before Great Yan did not last an exceptionally long time; most were a few hundred years, at most no more than a thousand years.”
“But Great Yan is an exception.”
Ye Qinghe tilted the gourd, watching the last few drops of wine slowly fall, frowning in dissatisfaction, but still carefully swallowed the wine.
She said, still wanting more:
“Some say that the Great Yan Martial Saint was extraordinarily talented, but coveted imperial power and refused to Ascend. He used some secret method to avoid the pressure of the world. Although he could remain, he couldn't easily make a move, only appearing when Great Yan was in peril.”
“Others say that the Great Yan Martial Saint actually Ascended long ago, but he created an earth-shattering secret art that allows the Great Yan Dynasty's imperial family to continuously produce Martial Saints. That's why the Great Yan Dynasty has flourished without decline; every Great Yan Martial Saint must use this secret art to cultivate a new Martial Saint before Ascending.”
“So, there is definitely a Martial Saint in Great Yan. As for whether it's the original one, no one knows, as 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 hadn't expected the Great Yan Dynasty to hold such a secret.