Chapter 173: The Master of the Martial Palace's Senior Sister

Chapter 173: The Master of the Martial Palace's Senior Sister

"It took a hundred days to fully convert the Profound Qi in your body into Misty Profound Qi—slightly longer than I estimated, but still acceptable." The mysterious woman cradled a small black tiger in her arms, no larger than a cat, with the character for "king" etched on its forehead.

Though it appeared harmless, docile, and adorable, Ning Xiaochuan could sense the immense Blood Qi emanating from it. This was undoubtedly a powerful mystic beast.

Ning Xiaochuan averted his gaze from the little tiger and asked, "So, can I break through to the Eighth Level of the Divine Body Realm now?"

"Far from it," the mysterious woman replied. "Come find me again only when you can climb out from the bottom of the Mystic Spring using nothing but your physical strength."

"How deep is this Mystic Spring?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

With a flick of her sleeve, the mysterious woman unleashed a tremendous gust of wind that sent Ning Xiaochuan flying like a grain of sand. With a splash, he plunged into the bone-chilling Mystic Spring.

The Profound Qi within Ning Xiaochuan's body had been sealed, confined within his Martial Arts Heart Palace. His body plummeted rapidly toward the depths of the Mystic Spring. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the bottom.

Boom!

An overwhelming water pressure crashed down on Ning Xiaochuan, threatening to crush his body. The bones in his legs creaked, his knees bending slightly under the force, nearly buckling entirely.

At that moment, it felt as though a mountain was pressing down on his head. Gritting his teeth, he relied on sheer willpower to keep himself upright.

Beads of blood seeped from his pores as his flesh, bones, and meridians screamed in agony, enduring inhuman torment.

Had it been any other Seventh Level Divine Body Realm martial artist, their body would have already been flattened by the pressure—bones protruding from flesh, eyes bulging from their sockets.

Forget climbing out of the Mystic Spring—even moving a single finger would be an immense struggle.

Thud!

After enduring for three hours, Ning Xiaochuan was finally forced to the ground, collapsing into the muddy bottom. Darkness crept into his vision as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness.

No—he couldn’t pass out.

Once his eyes closed, they might never open again.

Lying in the mud at the bottom of the Mystic Spring, Ning Xiaochuan began circulating Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, drawing it into his body and guiding it through his Meridians, triggering fetal breathing.

The mysterious woman had only sealed his Profound Qi to prevent it from circulating outward—not completely immobilizing it.

Ning Xiaochuan could still cultivate Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to replace breathing, allowing him to survive underwater without suffocating.

This was an extreme test of his body’s limits—not just tempering his physical form but also refining his mastery of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.

A month passed.

Ning Xiaochuan’s skin had now adapted to autonomously absorbing Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, drawing it into his flesh, merging it with his Meridians, and channeling it into his Martial Arts Heart Palace.

Summoning his strength, Ning Xiaochuan forced himself to stand and began trudging toward the shore.

Thud!

After only five steps, he collapsed again under the crushing pressure.

But Ning Xiaochuan refused to give up. He continued cultivating Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, refining his flesh and blood.

Knocked down again and again, he rose each time.

Some days, the water pressure crushed him over ten times, sometimes even fracturing his bones and tearing his tendons.

Fortunately, he had already cultivated Misty Profound Qi, which was of a higher grade and had superior healing effects, allowing him to recover from his injuries at an extremely rapid pace.

Another month passed.

Ning Xiaochuan’s physical body had grown much stronger. Thin strands had emerged within his bones, and sparkling specks of light flickered in his blood. Even a single drop of his blood now emitted a faint, unusual fragrance.

Walking along the bottom of the Mystic Spring, Ning Xiaochuan’s robes had been soaked pale, his hair reaching his waist, his entire body covered in grime. After two months underwater, he looked like a mud-covered water ghost.

Through relentless cultivation, Ning Xiaochuan had managed to withstand the immense water pressure, but a new challenge emerged—underwater currents.

Swoosh!

A powerful underwater current surged toward him, sending Ning Xiaochuan flying before he crashed back to the ground.

Every time these currents struck, they would hurl him backward, sometimes even dragging him back to his starting point, forcing him to crawl toward the shore all over again.

Thud!

Thud!

Again and again, he was thrown, battered, and crushed, yet Ning Xiaochuan stubbornly rose to his feet each time and continued forward.

By the third month underwater— Boom!

When another underwater current rushed at him, Ning Xiaochuan traced circles with his hands, creating ripples that dispersed the current effortlessly.

This was the martial technique Star Shifting, which Ning Xiaochuan now used to counter the underwater currents.

Boom!

Advancing steadily, Ning Xiaochuan repelled every incoming current with ease.

After three months of underwater training, his physical strength had improved significantly. His blood, bones, and internal organs were now coated in a layer of violet radiance, merging with the Misty Profound Qi—truly worthy of being called a Divine Body.

The closer he got to the shore, the weaker the water pressure became, naturally reducing the strain on Ning Xiaochuan.

However, as he neared the shore, a new problem arose—ferocious mystic beasts lurking in the water.

A golden piranha, its razor-sharp teeth gleaming, its body wreathed in golden Profound Qi, lunged at Ning Xiaochuan’s shoulder.

Though only half a meter long, this golden piranha was a fourth-grade mystic beast, moving as fast as a streak of golden light.

But Ning Xiaochuan was faster. With a single palm strike to the piranha’s head, he knocked it unconscious.

Boom!

Seizing the piranha, Ning Xiaochuan shot upward like a water column, bursting through the surface and soaring into the air.

Landing lightly on the water’s surface, he didn’t sink but instead glided gracefully like an immortal, stepping across the ripples before alighting on the shore.

By the Mystic Spring, the Small Red Dragon was playfully wrestling with a small black tiger. The sudden eruption of Ning Xiaochuan from the water startled them, sending them scrambling into the grass, where they peeked out cautiously with tiny claws parting the foliage.

"Three months… finally back under the open sky."

Using his Profound Qi, Ning Xiaochuan dried his robes, though the once-pristine garment was now tattered and worn.

It took the Small Red Dragon a long moment to recognize him, but once it did, it excitedly fluttered onto his shoulder, tugging at his hair.

"Little Red, seems like you really missed me, huh? Haha! Alright, today I’ll grill some fish for you!"

Gathering firewood, Ning Xiaochuan skewered the golden piranha over the flames and began roasting it.

It had been three months since he last tasted fresh meat, and the gnawing hunger had long become unbearable. At the bottom of the water, he had relied solely on sheer willpower to restrain himself, enduring starvation to push his body's potential to its limits.

Precisely because of this, Ning Xiaochuan had forged an extraordinary tolerance beyond ordinary people.

Crackle, crackle.

The flames burned brightly, flickering in the night.

Before long, the golden fish was roasted, emitting a faint, savory aroma.

Little Red and the small black tiger crouched beside the fire, perched on a small rock, their eyes fixed intently on the fish above the flames, drool dripping in long strands from their mouths.

"It's done."

Ning Xiaochuan used a Profound Qi blade to divide the half-meter-long fish into three portions, handing one each to Little Red and the small black tiger while keeping the smallest piece for himself.

He had starved for too long, but precisely because of this, he couldn’t afford to eat too much at once—doing so would hinder his martial cultivation and harm his body.

The small black tiger ate the fastest, practically a glutton, even swallowing the fish bones whole before staring eagerly at Ning Xiaochuan and Little Red.

Little Red also ate swiftly, soon leaving only a clean fish bone in her tiny claws.

The small black tiger snatched the bone away, tossed it into its mouth, and crunched it with a "Crunch, crunch!"—devouring even that in moments.

One must remember, these were the bones of a fourth-grade mystic beast, as hard as iron and suitable for forging Mystic Artifacts. Yet, its teeth ground them into powder in mere bites—just how sharp were those fangs?

After finishing his portion, Ning Xiaochuan immediately felt his spirit revitalized, his eyes gleaming with vigor, as if an inexhaustible strength surged within him, making him eager for a good fight.

Boom!

Boom!

Once satiated, Ning Xiaochuan began practicing his fist techniques. His body transformed into a seven-colored rainbow, his fists shrouded in a layer of purple Profound Light, sending shockwaves through the air.

The moonlight was pure, like a jade plate hanging in the center of the sky.

The mysterious woman walked to the edge of the Mystic Spring, her hair like willow catkins, her gaze like stars. The mist drifting over the water's surface lent her an ethereal, enigmatic aura.

Ning Xiaochuan ceased his training and approached the water, standing atop the green weeds as he gazed at the bright moon reflected on the surface. "I’ve always wanted to ask you something, Senior. What is your name? And what is your status in the Emperor's Martial Palace?"

"My name?" The mysterious woman fell into deep thought for a long while, yet no answer followed.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke. "My name is of no importance to you. As for my connection to the Emperor's Martial Palace... I can tell you this much. I once studied there and was fortunate to learn under a great master, who taught me how to cultivate more effectively—just as I now guide you. And the current Master of the Martial Palace... two hundred years ago, he was my junior brother."

"The Master of the Martial Palace’s senior sister?!"

Ning Xiaochuan was utterly stunned. If that was the case, even the Jade Emperor would have to address her as Martial Aunt!

She truly was an ancient relic.

Ning Xiaochuan’s mental fortitude was strong, however, and he quickly suppressed his excitement before asking another question. "There’s one more thing. What exactly is the origin of that Short Sword inside the Mystic Beast Manual? And how can it be suppressed?"

"It was indeed the Heavenly Emperor’s personal blade in his youth," the mysterious woman replied calmly.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Does the Heavenly Emperor truly exist in this world?"

The mysterious woman nodded and replied, "The Heavenly Emperor is far more powerful than you can imagine. It is said that he has achieved immortality, becoming a deity, living as long as the heavens themselves. However, there are also rumors that the Heavenly Emperor has already perished, and the entire Emperor's Ruins is his tomb. The Heavenly Emperor's Tomb Forest you saw is merely an entrance."

"The entire Emperor's Ruins is the Heavenly Emperor's tomb—an entire world used to bury a single person. His cultivation is truly beyond comprehension."

The mysterious woman continued, "That Short Sword was merely the blade the Heavenly Emperor carried in his youth. When he ascended to godhood, the sword could no longer withstand his power and was discarded. Because of this, the sword grew resentful, seeking to unearth the Heavenly Emperor's tomb and disturb his eternal rest. It has transformed from the Heavenly Emperor's Blade into a vengeful demonic weapon."

"The Short Sword's original name was 'Heavenly Emperor's Blade.'"