Seeing Ning Qi remain silent, Little Fatty Zhuang Chen immediately entered chatterbox mode.
"Ning Qi, really, you should go down."
"Ning Qi, I didn't even use my full strength just now, you know."
"Ning Qi, why aren't you talking to me?"
"Ning Qi… are you not very smart?"
He sighed heavily.
"If you don't come down, then I'll go a little easier on you."
The moment those words came out, the expressions of everyone present turned strange.
The Divine Sword Sect's senior brothers twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Divine Sword Old Man's face darkened visibly.
Dragon Mountain Daoist, however, smiled.
This Little Fatty was… quite something.
Ning Qi finally looked at Zhuang Chen and said calmly:
"If you keep talking, your Master is going to beat you."
Zhuang Chen froze, then hurriedly looked back.
Sure enough, Divine Sword Old Man's face was already sinking like water at the bottom of a well.
Zhuang Chen sniffled hard.
He pulled out the deep-black wooden sword from his back.
In that instant, his entire aura changed.
A sharp edge-like intent rose silently, intertwining around him. Even Ning Qi felt slightly surprised—only when facing him directly did he realize how drastic the change was.
If the previous Zhuang Chen was just a silly, gluttonous Little Fatty…
Then the current him already carried the faint shadow of a peerless swordsman.
"Ning Qi," Zhuang Chen asked seriously, "are you fighting empty-handed?"
Ning Qi raised his eyebrow slightly.
"I also use a sword."
He had never specialized in sword cultivation, but he had read countless sword manuals. With his comprehension, casual insights already surpassed years of bitter cultivation for ordinary people. When one Dao was understood, all Dao followed—his Myriad Manifestations Fist could just as easily become the Myriad Manifestations Sword.
Zhuang Chen might be a peerless prodigy in the Dao of the sword.
But in front of Ning Qi—
He was still too young.
Battle intent ignited in Zhuang Chen's eyes.
"Then why don't you draw your sword?"
Before Ning Qi could reply, Ye Qinghe's voice rang out from the True Martial Sect's side.
"Ning Qi, catch!"
A wooden sword flew over.
Ning Qi didn't even turn his head. He casually reached out, and the sword landed perfectly in his palm, as if it had grown there.
To ordinary eyes, it seemed unremarkable.
But Divine Sword Old Man's pupils shrank sharply.
Surprise—and uncertainty—flashed through his eyes.
Perhaps sensing Ning Qi's extraordinariness, Zhuang Chen smiled. Sword practice was his greatest joy, and fighting different sword practitioners made him genuinely happy. Sadly, no one his age—or even several years older—within the Divine Sword Sect could truly fight him.
"Ning Qi, be careful!"
His chubby body burst forward.
After reaching the Refining Tendons Realm, his body possessed extraordinary flexibility and toughness, capable of movements far beyond ordinary people.
At this moment, it was fully displayed.
With a flick of his wrist, Zhuang Chen thrust his sword, and more than a dozen sword flowers bloomed instantly, drawing gasps from the crowd.
His expression was solemn, completely different from his usual foolish look.
The sword flowers seemed light—
Yet carried terrifying weight, like mountains or ancient cauldrons.
"Making light appear heavy…"
Qin Yun muttered, enunciating each word clearly.
Earlier, Zhuang Chen had already shown the realm of making heavy appear light. Now, with a casual move, he reversed it.
Such sword attainment appearing on an eight-year-old child was almost unbelievable.
"So this is the Innate Sword Bone…"
Qin Yun fell silent.
Ning Qi held the wooden sword loosely.
At this moment, his physical body was flawless. With a single swing, he could unleash tens of thousands of jin of strength. If he wished, he could flatten Zhuang Chen instantly.
Even Dragon Mountain Daoist didn't know the true depth of his foundation.
And Ning Qi's sword Dao realm was far beyond Zhuang Chen's.
They were never on the same level.
But there was no need to be excessive.
"I'll just use physical strength similar to his," Ning Qi thought calmly.
The sword light approached.
Ning Qi remained still.
This confused the Divine Sword Sect disciples.
But Zhuang Chen felt unprecedented pressure.
Ning Qi hadn't even raised his sword, yet standing there casually, he felt as if countless invisible swords surrounded him. Sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
He had never encountered such an opponent.
Zhuang Chen shouted.
Unable to withstand the pressure, he went all out.
The sword flowers vanished, leaving behind a simple, direct thrust. Yet the sword hum tearing through the air was piercingly clear.
Dragon Mountain Daoist couldn't help exclaiming:
"This is… Man and Sword as One?"
Though it was only a glimpse, it was still astonishing.
Divine Sword Old Man didn't show off this time.
Because what he saw in Ning Qi was even more terrifying.
Ning Qi finally moved.
He raised his sword casually and slashed forward, gentle as a breeze brushing willow branches.
The speed wasn't fast.
The strength wasn't great.
It was even slightly inferior to Zhuang Chen's.
Yet it carried an indescribable beauty and Dao.
In Zhuang Chen's eyes—
Ning Qi's sword was wind, cloud, nothingness.
Light, yet everywhere.
Impossible to evade.
When Zhuang Chen snapped back to his senses—
His sword had already fallen to the ground.
Ning Qi's wooden sword was pointed at his round belly.
Ning Qi smiled faintly and tapped him lightly.
"A sword should be used like this."
Zhuang Chen stood frozen, like a wooden chicken.
Ning Qi felt both a little guilty—and strangely satisfied—bullying a child.
The training ground was deathly silent.
The Divine Sword Sect disciples stared in disbelief.
Among the True Martial Sect, those who had never seen Ning Qi fight were bursting with excitement.
"So Ninth Uncle-Master is this strong!"
Ye Qinghe secretly stuck out her tongue.
"Little Nine's sword Dao… I can barely understand it."
She had thought Ning Qi would simply crush Zhuang Chen with brute strength.
She hadn't expected him to suppress him purely through sword Dao.
Qin Yun watched with mixed emotions.
Joy.
And bitterness.
Divine Sword Old Man's heart churned violently.
At this moment, he finally understood—
Why Dragon Mountain Daoist had admired, but never envied.
With such a disciple…
Who would envy others?
He suppressed the sourness in his chest and said hoarsely:
"To comprehend Sword Intent at such a young age, and forge his own path… he already has the bearing of a Sword Saint."
Then he glared.
"Dragon Mountain ox-nose… what kind of dog-shit luck did you step on?"
Dragon Mountain Daoist laughed loudly, pretending to be calm.
"You flatter me, you flatter me."
In truth, even he was shaken.
He knew Ning Qi's body was terrifying—but today's sword strike completely refreshed his understanding.
"This child… would be wasted in your True Martial Sect."
Divine Sword Old Man muttered.
Dragon Mountain Daoist's heart immediately went on alert.
"Don't even think about it!"
Divine Sword Old Man snorted. He was just venting.
He looked back at the arena.
Ning Qi stood calm and composed.
His own foolish disciple, however—
Zhuang Chen suddenly rushed forward and hugged Ning Qi's leg tightly.
"Ning Qi! What was that sword just now?"
"Teach me, please!"
"I can become your disciple!"
Divine Sword Old Man's face instantly turned pitch black.
This rebellious disciple!