"Hehehehehe..."

Ninghai Zen, like opening a gate, stepped into the Ancestor Hall that's as vast as a palace, and just in time to hear a strange laughter.

He saw his direct disciple, Bai Qilang, spreading his five fingers and pressing down on the head of a child roughly ten years old.

The child kept flailing, but with short limbs, he couldn't even reach the hem of Bai Qi's clothes.

"Ungrateful disciple..."

Ninghai Zen's temple veins throbbed, a rare obvious change in his mood.

"They say you can tell at three, and see the elderly at seven; Master had this temper from a young age, no wonder he grew up into Ning the Madman."

Bai Qi looked at the child with two little horn-shaped braids, lips tightly pursed and full of stubbornness.

Even though his whole person was held in Bai Qi's hand, he still tried to scratch with nails and bite with teeth.

Quite fits Ninghai Zen's disposition.

"Can't beat the Ancestor Master! Yet I can't deal with..."

Bai Qi chuckled, having been beaten dead more than four hundred times, he almost felt numb, now finally finding some joy in bullying the child.

But before he could enjoy for long, he inexplicably felt a chill in his back, sending shivers down his spine.

Immediately alert in his heart, he altered his words:

"Tut tut, Master is truly extraordinary! At just ten years old, what an impressive demeanor, what striking spirit, makes the disciple wish to bow down right away!"

Bai Qi hastily released his hand, acting gently, placing the child down softly, touching Ninghai Zen's forehead, now marked in childhood, as if facing a little ancestor.

"You really have quite the leisure."

Ninghai Zen, hands behind his back, standing at the threshold, squinted his eyes, eyeing his ungrateful disciple from head to toe.

"How goes the comprehension of Ancestor Kanglong Sheng's Hundred Aspects of the Furnace?"

Bai Qi secretly stroked the Dragon Elephant Jade tied around his wrist, the phantom image instantly dissipating, he replied respectfully:

"I've gleaned a bit of insight."

Ninghai Zen's eyebrows slightly raised, the profundity of genuine martial arts isn't comparable to mere punches and kicks.

Within it lies the signs of the heavens and earth, the principles of transformation, extremely deep and unpredictable.

Many practitioners of average aptitude, even if they fortunately obtain the fundamental diagram.

Due to their low perception, they struggle to enter all their lives, a common occurrence.

Of course, this also depends on the grade of the genuine art.

It's said that the seven Upper Sects not only possess complete inheritance of the Physical Body Secret Realm and Longevity Secret Realm, but also possess methods to fully imprint divine charm.

Even ordinary people, observing day and night, can gradually comprehend.

Joining the ranks of the sect's many disciples, they follow the path pioneered by the founding ancestor.

Passed down through generations, progressively perfect!

Also, because of this, the major Upper Sects can continuously cultivate Third-Practice and Fourth-Practice experts.

Even produce Divine Power Giants holding down the mountain gate every few generations!

"Use Qi to guide the spirit, use spirit to form imagery! Hundred Aspects of the Furnace, transmute all things!"

Bai Qi summoned the Ink Talisman, with technique and effect enhancement, at the entry level, the Ten Dragons and Ten Elephants Prison-Suppression Skill instantly infused his entire body.

Like a surging tide, all his Qi and Blood Power was drained, consolidating a formidable aura of thunder and wind.

The twenty-six connected segments of the Great Dragon Spine seemed to soar up, driving muscles and skin membranes to vibrate wildly, forming golden armor covering the muscle surface.

Impenetrable!

Unmatchable!

In that instant, he seemed to break through Second-Stage Perfection of Mercury Blood Silver Marrow and step into Third-Practice Skin Barrier Water and Fire Immortal Robe.

The momentum underwent a huge upheaval!

"Perhaps I can wrestle with Uncle Dao now, at least withstand ten moves!"

Bai Qi's eyes widened, the formidable strength of a vast force surged through him, spontaneously producing an illusion of inexhaustible power.

But in the next moment, piercing pain rose inside and outside his hardened flesh, the "crack crack" moan revealing the inability of a Second-Practice physique to sustain Nine Oxen and Two Tigers.

"Hiss! Only room for two punches!"

Bai Qi inhaled sharply, suddenly loosening his clenched hand, releasing the torrential breath capable of severing river currents.

Beans of sweat appeared on his forehead, almost exhausted as if laboring for days.

"Quite decent, truly my pupil chosen by Ninghai Zen.

I died over two hundred times back then, only then grasped the Hundred Aspects of the Furnace... You may be a bit shallow in transformation, but more profound in Dragon Elephant Power.

Indeed, the 'Ten Dragons and Ten Elephants Prison-Suppression Skill' created by Ancestor Kanglong Sheng fits perfectly with your Great Dragon Bone, can be called destiny!"

Satisfaction surfaced in Ninghai Zen's eyes, his effort to burn a measure of Spiritual Sand to open the Ancestor Hall not wasted!

The money spent was worth it!

"Disciple dares not claim credit, it's all thanks to the teachings of Master. Being by Master's side every day benefits immensely, disciple wishes to accompany night and day, endlessly improving."

Bai Qi spoke sincerely, with formal seriousness:

"With disciple's innate talent, grasping the Hundred Aspects of the Furnace can at most be thirty percent.

Along with the physique altered by six blood transformations, accumulated Five Grand Captures can add another twenty percent."

Ninghai Zen seemed to predict what his disciple was going to say, lightly coughed twice:

"This is just barely fifty percent."

Bai Qi straightened his chest:

"With Master by my side, it's like having divine assistance. I should add another fifty percent!"

Ninghai Zen was gratified and patted Bai Qi's shoulder:

"Ah Qi speaks reasonably."

Bai Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief; he finally escaped this ordeal. Otherwise, with his master's pettiness, he'd surely face trouble later.

"Not much is left of the twelve hours. Since you, Ah Qi, are so diligent, I'll give you another push."

Ninghai Zen's tone shifted, and unbeknownst to Bai Qi, he had removed the Dragon Elephant Jade from Bai Qi's wrist:

"The furnace of myriad aspects from Ancestor Kang Longsheng is indeed profound, but I have drawn from a hundred schools, and my martial arts also have their merits.

Ah Qi, why not give it a try?"

Give it a try?

Just perish!

Bai Qi's scalp tingled!

He watched as Ninghai Zen lightly rubbed, and the Dragon Elephant Jade vibrated with a hum.

In an instant, it manifested a Celestial Cyan Robe, and a young man with cold eyes came forth.

Compared to the master in front of him, the defiant aura in the brows of this shadowy figure was even more intense.

It suddenly reminded Bai Qi of a phrase—

"Arrogant and domineering, I am the hero!"

"Master at twenty-five..."

His eye twitched; at this time, Ninghai Zen should be the kind who kills gods if they block his way, and kills Buddhas if they stand in his path, utterly lawless!

"Train well."

Ninghai Zen smiled slightly and stepped out of the Ancestor Hall, paying no mind to the explosion booming behind him.

Half a stick of incense, enough for Ah Qi to die dozens more times.

...

...

"How's Young Master Qi?"

Lao Dao, done with washing the dishes, looked at Ninghai Zen who seemed to have suddenly stepped out of a void under the large plaque in the main hall, and asked with concern.

"He's doing well, lively and bouncing."

Ninghai Zen smiled warmly.

"Is the young master planning to set off again?"

Lao Dao, knowing Ninghai Zen well, saw his deep gaze directed at the five-hundred-mile mountain road, and knew that this master couldn't stay idle.

"No, in a few days. The Celestial Fiend Day is here, and this time the Metal Element is thriving, overshadowing the other three elements."

Ninghai Zen shook his head. He closed his eyes, his body and mind seemingly merged with the heavens and the earth, detecting a trace of signs.

"Do you think we should find Qiu Changtian? Let him foretell Ah Qi's fate? The Turbid Tide is rising, demons roam the night, just strong enough to suppress that guy's bad luck."

Lao Dao's face twitched, seeming very apprehensive:

"Young Master, think thrice. Daoist Qiu's misfortune cannot be contained even by the two Daoist Officials, Master Xuanji and Chongxu Zi, of Yihai Prefecture, who expelled him to prevent long-term stay.

Do you remember ten years ago, Water Monarch Palace merely hosted him for seven days, leading to the catastrophe of the sky collapsing, Meridian Sword Sect Daoist Kou Qiuyue fell into demonic ways, was slain by Sect Leader Yan Xin at the Nu Yun River, immortals fighting, mortals suffering, and Water Monarch Palace was destroyed.

Also, he was in frequent contact with the previous Daoist Official of Zhi Xin Temple, Master Qingxuan, who disappeared five years ago while being transferred to another branch, alive unseen, dead not found.

Moreover, every time you traveled with this guy, any breakthrough in training was surely struck by lightning, nearly blasted to death."

The Red Eyebrow Leader of Fulong Mountain mentioned these past events, feeling a bit dread.

Qiu Changtian, as a Feng Shui Daoist, was said to have once been daring beyond belief, setting the fifth of the thirteen ceremonies of the Observatory Tower, the Golden Talisman Grand Sacrifice, calculating some unspeakable forbidden secrets of fate.

In the end, he suffered backlash, and since then, misfortune plagued him, even being a Divine Power Giant capable of suppressing a prefecture.

Seeing him, even had to take a detour!

Grand General Zhao once didn't believe in such curses, invited him for a discussion, bringing about terrifying thunderclouds covering the sky.

Even though Qiu Changtian was sent away in time, bizarre incidents kept occurring for three years.

Until an Immortal from the Observatory Tower realigned the Feng Shui layout and washed away the ill fortune, then peace returned.

That's why Ninghai Zen liked to use the name "Qiu Changtian" in Jianghu.

Such a Plague Deity, even vicious fugitives dare not provoke.

After all, without deep fortune, if misfortune strikes, it affects three generations!

"Forget it, who knows what that guy calculated... to be backlash into such a state.

Usually, he's forthcoming, answers everything, but when probing into this, he becomes secretive."

Ninghai Zen waved his hand, thinking of that guy Qiu Changtian, who was in his early days, bestowed with talismans by the Dragon Court, favored by one of the five Taoist Sects, the Observatory Tower, the pride of heaven.

Who could have predicted a single misstep would lead to such a catastrophe, reduced to a Plague Deity.

With his own calamity star, they were known as the "Heroes of Yihai"!

Lao Dao was relieved, having known before he met Ninghai Zen, there was a widely circulated saying in Yihai Prefecture.

Rather provoke a calamity star, than a plague deity.

His young master and Qiu Changtian have always been considered two disasters.

Once involved, you can't avoid family ruin.