Translator: AnubisTL
Black Wind Domain, Giant Rock City.
Many young Martial Artists who had recently joined the martial alliance were astonished. They had never seen such an expression on the face of their usually stern and dignified Alliance Leader Miao—a complex mix of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation.
At that moment, Miao Xi and Yan Xishan, two high-ranking figures of immense influence within the martial alliance, seemed to have transformed into mere juniors.
"Guardian Xi Shan... Alliance Leader Miao..." A Martial Artist tentatively spoke, trying to understand the situation.
However, neither Miao Xi nor Yan Xishan responded, their gazes locked in tense anticipation.
"Xi Shan, is it him?" Miao Xi's voice trembled slightly.
Yan Xishan, his body covered in dark green scales, nodded vigorously, his own voice shaking as he replied, "I just questioned the brothers who returned from Precious Lotus City. The man inside indeed claims to be the Martial Alliance's dao guardian."
"Moreover, Junior Sister Lin has explicitly confirmed that he is our master!"
Meanwhile, in the courtyard where Lin Jing resided, Li Qing had just completed his final treatment of his disciple's injuries.
Lin Jing's previously damaged foundation had finally been fully restored, and her cultivation had reached the ninth transformation of qi blood.
After completing his work, Li Qing slowly regulated his breathing before rising to his feet.
Snap!
Lin Jing, her consciousness still hazy, grabbed the corner of Li Qing's robe.
"Master... don't leave. Xiao Jing doesn't want you to go."
Li Qing gently stroked the cat ears on his beloved disciple's head and said softly, "Don't worry, I'm not leaving. I'm just going to see your Senior Brother Xishan and the others."
Hearing this, Lin Jing finally relaxed her grip and drifted into a deep slumber.
Li Qing had long sensed Miao Xi and Yan Xishan standing outside with his divine sense. However, he had been focused on healing Lin Jing and repairing her Martial Dao foundation, so he hadn't rushed out to greet them.
Creak~
The heavy door swung open. Miao Xi and Yan Xishan, leading a group of Martial Artists, stood before the courtyard gate. When they saw that familiar face, their expressions lit up with joy.
"Unworthy disciple Yan Xishan greets Master!"
"Nephew Miao Xi greets Uncle Li!"
As they spoke, both men prepared to kneel before Li Qing. But before they could move, a pair of strong hands steadied their shoulders.
"Enough," Li Qing said, his gaze filled with the warmth of an elder looking upon his juniors. "You're grown men now. What kind of spectacle is this, kneeling at the drop of a hat?" His eyes shone with deep satisfaction.
The aura emanating from the two men was far stronger than even the ninth transformation of qi blood, clearly demonstrating that they had truly forged a new path in the vital energy martial dao.
"Uncle Li, it's really you! It's been so many years," Miao Xi said, his face weathered with time, a few inconspicuous strands of white hair mixed into his dark locks.
These past years had been mentally and physically exhausting for him. He had to manage the affairs of the martial alliance, constantly consider the relationship with the Blood Lotus Sect, and dedicate his energy to pioneering the new path of the vital energy martial dao.
Although the vital energy martial dao had advanced to profound depths in recent years, and practitioners' lifespans had significantly increased, the relentless mental and physical strain had inevitably caused some graying of his hair.
By his calculations, he was now approaching sixty years of age.
"Master, where have you been all these years? We've been searching for you tirelessly, never giving up," Yan Xishan said, his usually resolute face softening, his eyes reddening slightly.
As they gazed at Li Qing's face, a strange illusion crept into their minds, as if the past years had been nothing but a dream.
Otherwise, how could Li Qing's face remain completely unchanged?
It was exactly as they remembered it from the depths of their memories—evergreen and ageless, untouched by the passage of time.
Indeed, time had left no mark on Li Qing's face. His features remained youthful, as if time itself had frozen around him.
Time passed, yet he remained unchanged—an almost unbelievable phenomenon.
Miao Xi, who had known Li Qing even longer, remembered meeting "Uncle Li" when he was just a teenager, back when his father was an elder in the Green Gang.
Decades had flown by in the blink of an eye. Now nearing sixty, Miao Xi had witnessed the relentless march of time, yet Uncle Li looked exactly as he had all those years ago.
"I've traveled far and wide these past years, experiencing many things," Li Qing said, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. Nephew, you've aged too, haven't you?"
The young vital energy martial artists behind them felt a wave of dizziness wash over them.
What had they just heard?
Alliance Leader Miao, a man of great renown and advancing years, had just addressed this man as "Uncle Li"!
And this youth, who looked no older than themselves, had calmly accepted the title and called their alliance leader "nephew"!
Then there was Guardian Xi Shan, a towering figure in the vital energy martial dao, whose mastery had reached a realm beyond the comprehension of ordinary practitioners—yet he was merely this man's disciple.
The identity and origins of the person before them had already surpassed the limits of their imagination.
Martial Alliance dao guardian!
At that moment, those words resonated with a profound and undeniable truth.
What had once been mere legends and fantastical tales had finally become reality!
Yan Xishan paid no heed to the reactions of the young martial artists behind him. His voice trembled as he said, "Master, I failed to protect Junior Brother Xiao Man and Junior Brother Xiao Feng. Please punish me!"
With these words, Yan Xishan prepared to kneel in self-reproach, his eyes filled with anguish.
As the eldest of the four disciples Li Qing had taken, Yan Xishan naturally assumed the role of senior brother.
Later, under pressure from the Blood Lotus Sect, the martial alliance had to organize more vital energy martial artists with advanced cultivation to hunt strange beasts.
But as the hunts grew more frequent, accidents inevitably occurred.
It was during one of these hunts that the martial alliance first learned of the demonic willow lurking in the southern wilderness.
Li Qing exerted a slight force, firmly supporting his eldest disciple's shoulders. He sighed, "This is not your fault. I failed to fulfill my responsibilities as a master. I haven't been a proper teacher."
"Xiao Shan, you've worked so hard all these years. I've heard everything from Xiao Jing about your efforts. You've been a true Eldest Brother."
"You've done your best and haven't disappointed the expectations I had for you."
Yan Xishan, always so steadfast and resolute, trembled visibly upon hearing his master's acknowledgment, his emotions overwhelming him.
"Master..."
This towering seven-foot man, who had forged a new path in the Martial Dao and restored his vital energy to its innate strength, suddenly seemed like a child again.
Beside him, Miao Xi, though equally moved, maintained a calmer demeanor. He had understood from a young age that his Uncle Li was no ordinary man.
"Uncle Li," Miao Xi asked curiously, "what about the Blood Lotus Sect?"
Li Qing nodded casually. "Yes, there will be no more Blood Lotus Sect."
"As this so-called 'new martial arts protector daoist,' all I can do is these trivial things—clearing obstacles from your path as best I can."
"After this, you can include the Autumn Mountain Domain in your map for spreading the vital energy martial dao."
Hearing these words, Miao Xi felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from his heart, leaving him feeling lighter and even appearing several years younger.
Ever since their first encounter with the Autumn Mountain Domain, the Blood Lotus Sect had become the martial alliance's number one enemy.
Martial propagation had halted, and the martial alliance was forced to pay annual tributes of vast quantities of resources to the Blood Lotus Sect, resulting in the needless deaths of countless allied disciples each year.
Miao Xi's gaze toward Li Qing was filled with reverence and admiration.
Uncle Li seems to be the kind of person who can overcome any challenge the world throws at him.
"I've returned to see what this new path of the Martial Dao you've forged truly looks like."
These words ignited even greater excitement in Yan Xishan and Miao Xi, akin to the pride of a junior finally able to showcase their achievements to a senior.
Without hesitation, the two immediately began demonstrating their newly established path of the vital energy martial dao to Li Qing.
After successfully completing the ninth transformation of vital energy, a Martial Artist's blood qi would surge to unprecedented levels, reaching the pinnacle of their life's vitality.
Despite possessing abundant vital energy, Miao Xi and Yan Xishan struggled to find the next step in their cultivation path, no matter how hard they pondered.
Finally, during a meditative breakthrough, Yan Xishan witnessed the Wilderness Demonic Willow feeding. With a single willow branch, it devoured an entire powerful strange beast, absorbing both its flesh and crimson crystal, leaving behind only an empty husk.
Based on this observation, Yan Xishan realized how to circulate vital energy back into his own body, ultimately transforming his fleshly body into an unfathomable state.
Returning to simplicity, attaining the innate!
This was the next realm of the vital energy martial dao: the Innate Realm!
"The Innate Realm..." Li Qing murmured, gazing at Yan Xishan and Miao Xi as they demonstrated their Innate Realm abilities without reservation.
He soon sensed a peculiar energy emerging from their dantian qi seas.
This energy differed fundamentally from the mana produced by immortal cultivators through absorbing heaven and earth spiritual energy. It was a unique state, somewhat resembling a hybrid of Martial Dao Inner Strength and vital energy.
"What is the purpose of the qi within your dantian qi seas?"
Yan Xishan's eyes widened in surprise. "Master, you've sensed the qi within us?" he exclaimed excitedly.
"We only discovered this qi after reaching the Innate Realm. It can be harnessed to amplify the destructive power of our martial arts techniques."
"Alliance Leader Miao and I had planned to focus on cultivating this qi, waiting until it became more potent before challenging the Blood Lotus Sect Leader. But now..."
Li Qing chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll spar with you. Unleash your special qi against me!"
The two disciples swallowed nervously. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? What if we accidentally hurt you, Master?" they asked hesitantly.
Li Qing burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! You two brats! Don't get cocky. You're still a long way from being able to harm me."
With those words, the disciples exchanged a glance and rose to their feet.
"Master! Forgive our impudence!"
"Uncle Li, please excuse our rudeness!"
Boom!
A sharp burst of qi erupted from the dantian qi seas of Yan Xishan and Miao Xi, surging through their meridians and hurtling toward Li Qing.
"Excellent!" Li Qing declared in a deep voice, choosing to meet the attack with his body arts alone, without drawing on his immortal dao cultivation.
He unleashed a palm strike at each of them, using less than half of his body arts prowess.
Bang! Bang!
His palms intercepted the qi blasts from Yan Xishan and Miao Xi. Li Qing's eyes narrowed as a piercing pain shot through both his hands.
This qi's destructive power was truly extraordinary!
After reaching the second stage of the Brahma King True Body, Li Qing's fleshly body had already approached the resilience of a third-tier demonic beast, leaving him just a step away from becoming a true third-tier body cultivator.
For even such a body to be wounded by this qi, its potency was undeniable.
"Impressive! This qi is truly remarkable!" Li Qing praised without reservation.
The two disciples beamed with pride at the compliment.
"Master, we haven't named this special qi yet. Please bestow a name upon it!"
"Indeed, Uncle Li, with your vast knowledge, we humbly request you name it!"
"We need to name it ourselves?"
Li Qing's expression stiffened slightly. To be honest, he wasn't particularly good at naming things.
But his eyes soon lit up, and he declared, "Since this qi can only be generated by those who have reached the Martial Dao Innate Realm, let's call it... Innate True Qi!"
Innate True Qi!
Upon hearing these words, Yan Xishan and Miao Xi's eyes gleamed with excitement, utterly satisfied with the name.
"Excellent! Innate True Qi it is!"
Thus, Miao Xi, the founding alliance leader of the martial alliance, and Yan Xishan, the alliance's first guardian, following in the footsteps of Zhao Kou, the pioneer of the vital energy martial dao, had forged a new path for this discipline—the Innate Realm!
From this day forward, the vital energy martial dao would have two realms: the Qi Blood Ninth Transformation and the Innate Realm!
Only Martial Artists who attained the Innate Realm and cultivated Innate True Qi could be considered among the most elite practitioners of this discipline.
Watching his two spirited juniors, Li Qing's eyes filled with pride and anticipation.
He had personally witnessed the birth of a new system of power and experienced its entire evolution firsthand.
Whether this path was right or wrong, and whether it could be further developed in the future, only time would tell.
(End of the Chapter)
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