Chapter 48: Chapter 44 Great Success Due to the matter concerning Qin Yun, plus Taoist Longshan’s seclusion, the True Martial Sect has inevitably felt some impact. Although morale has recovered somewhat over this period, it still remains low. And now. Jiang Baishan’s breakthrough to the Gang Essence Realm has instantly uplifted everyone’s spirits tremendously. With a Gang Essence practitioner holding the fort, at the very least, it can deter those who harbor ill intentions from acting rashly. The True Martial Sect, established on True Martial Mountain, cannot possibly sustain such a large number of disciples on mountain resources alone. In reality. The main sources of wealth for the True Martial Sect are twofold. One is from wealthy families who send their children to the True Martial Sect to train in martial arts, requiring them to pay a considerable fee annually. Naturally, the True Martial Sect ensures their safety, and others, seeing this, would show some respect and dare not infringe. In these increasingly chaotic times, this kind of revenue has been rising year by year. Secondly, the True Martial Sect has its own industries. Some disciples who are not adept at martial arts are arranged to go down the mountain to manage businesses like escort agencies, restaurants, and money shops, accumulating considerable wealth over time. When disciples descend the mountain for training, they also resolve any issues faced by these businesses. The rest are smaller sources. But regardless of the type. Powerful martial strength is the guarantee. If it becomes known that the True Martial Sect is weak, wolves will gather to devour it. Recently, there was a rebellion by a True Disciple, followed by the sole Gang Essence practitioner entering seclusion, naturally inviting many probes since True Disciples knew Taoist Longshan was aiming to break through to the Celestial Human Realm, but outsiders did not know this. Moreover, rumors of Taoist Longshan having contended with a master from the Demon Sect further fueled speculations. Fortunately, Taoist Longshan’s seclusion was not prolonged, and his deterrent effect remains, with Luo Wentian and others temporarily able to handle matters. And now. Jiang Baishan’s advancement to the Gang Essence Realm suffices to completely quell their challenges. At the Martial Arts Arena. Jiang Baishan is surrounded by disciples, and everyone is extremely excited. "Congratulations to Fifth Senior Brother for stepping into the Gang Essence Realm!" Ning Qi heard these congratulatory shouts from afar. Luo Wentian intentionally gathered the disciples to spread this news and bolster their strength. He stood by with a cheerful expression, showing no hint of displeasure, as the eldest who had witnessed most True Disciples’ childhood and youth. "Congratulations, Fifth Senior Brother." Ning Qi congratulated Jiang Baishan with a smile, his gaze filled with curiosity. The Gang Essence practitioners he had encountered were all top-tier experts like Taoist Longshan and the Divine Sword Old Man. He had never seen someone who had just broken through to the Gang Essence Realm and was always curious to compare his current strength with that of the White Mist Realm. Now might be his opportunity. Jiang Baishan was full of spirit. He initially thought he needed one or two more years to consolidate his power, but he unexpectedly broke through to the Gang Essence Realm due to the recent events involving Qin Yun, which fueled his determination. "Jiu, do you want to witness what Gang Qi is like?" Jiang Baishan laughed heartily. Ning Qi smiled and nodded. Beside them, Fourth Disciple He Yan chuckled, "You’re quite something, Little Wu. We’ve been talking for ages, and you act mysterious. Now Jiu just arrived, and you haven’t even spoken yet, and you want to show off." Everyone burst into laughter. "Fourth Senior Brother, just say if you want to see it or not!" "Watch! Watch!" All the disciples were expectant and then dispersed. Ning Qi focused on Jiang Baishan. Jiang Baishan exhaled lightly, his gaze then turned serious. The technique he cultivated in the Inner Essence Realm was Heaven-shaking Strength, and the Gang Essence Realm technique he was transitioning to was Heaven-shaking True Gang. Already, transitioning to the new cultivation method exuded an extraordinary presence. The crowd had already sensed the oppression. He lightly swung the long sword in his hand. Sword Qi streaked out like meteors, its edge seemingly cutting through the air, striking a boulder thirty feet away. There was no earth-shattering sound, just brilliant Sword Qi slicing through continuously. The Sword Light was blindingly sharp. Then. The crowd collectively gasped. Only to see that the distant boulder had transformed into a pile of exceptionally neat fragments, the cuts impossibly smooth, with almost uniform sizes. "This is Gang Qi! With such terrifying power even thirty feet away, it’s much stronger than Inner Strength. No wonder they say when Inner Strength Ninefold meets the Gang Essence Realm, the only option is to flee—the gap is too large, even close combat is difficult." Luo Wentian couldn’t help but sigh. A chorus of amazed gazes followed, with many witnessing the power of Gang Qi so closely for the first time. Even Ye Qinghe, who usually showed little interest in martial arts, rarely felt a desire for the Gang Essence Realm. Jiang Baishan laughed even louder, he began to perform a complete set of sword techniques, and under the augmentation of Gang Qi, the originally ordinary swordplay became exceedingly formidable. Cheers of astonishment erupted continuously. The atmosphere was mesmerizing. Ning Qi also watched. He was impressed. "Gang Qi extending thirty feet, perhaps it’s not even the limit—it truly is formidable." Yet, Ning Qi realized he seemed to both underestimate and overestimate the Gang Essence Realm’s power. Underestimated because he didn’t expect Jiang Baishan, only in the White Mist Realm, could have Gang Qi shooting thirty feet, able to kill enemies and protect himself. The Sword Qi was much stronger than Inner Strength. Overestimated because when comparing it with his own strength, Ning Qi felt that, though Gang Qi had substantial power, if he exerted himself fully... he seemed to surpass it? "The advantage of Gang Qi practitioners lies in their ability to extend Qi outward, giving them a range advantage over me. But if I can get close, with my terrifying physical strength bolstered by my abundant Inner Strength, even Gang Qi might not be able to fend me off." Ning Qi pondered the strengths and weaknesses of the Gang Essence Realm versus his own. He used Jiang Baishan as a hypothetical opponent, finally drawing a conclusion. "If I go all out, Fifth Senior Brother should not be my match?" He couldn’t help but slightly curl his lip. Though he hadn’t fought yet, he believed his assumption was likely correct. However, the power of Gang Qi still commanded his respect. He thought that if he faced an opponent in the Gang Essence Realm, it would be best to use his body technique to evade the Gang Qi, then swiftly close in and achieve victory in one strike. Otherwise, allowing the Gang Essence Realm to widen the distance would be troublesome. The news of Jiang Baishan’s elevation to the Gang Essence Realm spread. The True Martial Sect’s situation stabilized. The longevity of the Gang Essence Realm practitioner, four hundred years, already marked him as a renowned powerhouse in Great Yan, a force that ordinary powers dared not offend, and many of those coveting eyes instantly disappeared. Ning Qi also began to perform his fifth Fake Death with peace of mind. Half a month later. Ning Qi awoke. His physical form underwent another transformation, its strength already reaching six times that of the Body Tempering Perfection state, which was extremely exaggerated. But what brought Ning Qi the most joy. Was the breakthrough in his Inner Strength. Sixfold realm, Great Success of Inner Essence! Ning Qi reached out his hand, and exceedingly solid Inner Strength surged forth from his palm, continuously gathering and extending until it exceeded ten feet, reaching its limit, like a sword growing from the flesh of his hand. With a mere thought. The originally invisible ’Inner Strength Sword’ underwent changes, sometimes exuding heat, sometimes brimmed with frost, sometimes echoed with the low growl of a Bian, sometimes resembling the long screech of an ancient eagle, interspersed with vibrational spins and other mysterious phenomena. Ning Qi revealed a smile. "Ordinary Ninefold realm martial artists don’t have Inner Strength as solid as mine. With this more than ten-foot extension of Inner Strength, I can now confidently say, Fifth Senior Brother is not my match, and could perhaps be defeated by me quite easily." That thought swiftly passed, and he soon directed his attention to the White Ape, somewhat intrigued. "Now that Inner Strength can extend outside the body, perhaps I can attempt to explore the innate bloodline within?"