50: Chapter 50 The Fifteenth Day of the First Lunar Month

Ning Changqing raised his head. There was not a hint of surprise in his eyes, only irrepressible anticipation. He had been waiting for these words for two years.

Although the Qingyun Temple's Cultivation Technique was stable, its grade was ultimately too low. He knew his father cultivated a more profound technique, but as long as his father didn't bring it up, he never asked. Now that his father had finally spoken, it meant that in his father's eyes, his Foundation was sufficiently solid.

"Yes, Father." Ning Changqing didn't say anything more; he just gripped the flowing cloud sword in his hand tightly.

Ning Yuan took a Jade Slip from his robes and placed it in his palm. "Read through the first three levels of the Nine Yang Art with your Divine Sense first, and come ask me if there is anything you don't understand. During the transition period, your daily sword practice time will be halved, and your meditation time will be doubled. You are allowed one ningyuan pill per month; do not exceed this amount."

Ning Changqing received the Jade Slip with both hands and nodded heavily.

Ning Yuan watched his son turn and walk toward the quiet room, an indescribable feeling suddenly welling up in his heart. Back when he defeated the 7th-layer Qi Refining Ling Xiao at the Qunfang Fair, this child was only seven years old, standing beneath the arena looking at him with a face full of admiration.

Now, three years had passed, and that seven-year-old child was already at the 5th layer of Qi Refining, about to start practicing the Ning Family's true Family Cultivation Technique.

It wouldn't be long before someone from the Ning Family's second generation would attempt Foundation Establishment. At that time, he, Ning Yuan, would no longer be the only pillar of the Ning Family, but rather the first crossbeam of a great building—very important, but not the whole thing.

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, Ye Qingshuang came out of seclusion.

7th layer of Qi Refining. Her Breakthrough was even more clean and decisive than Su Yuniang's had been back then. The spiritual power fluctuations that had not yet converged around her were as sharp as a sword's edge; one could feel a chill just standing next to her.

Ning Yuan checked her Meridians and found that her Foundation was even more solid than he had anticipated—the jump from the 6th to the 7th layer of Qi Refining was a hurdle in the Late Stage of Qi Refining, yet she had crossed it in less than two months, and her Meridians had not suffered any hidden injuries.

"Did you have a Breakthrough in the Qingshuang Sword Art?" Ning Yuan asked.

"The fifth level." Ye Qingshuang cupped her hands, her voice as cold and clear as ever, but a trace of irrepressible excitement was hidden in her eyes. "Many thanks to Master for the ningyuan pill."

Ning Yuan nodded. "Continue to consolidate. After spring begins, you will join me in overseeing the daily operation of the Pure Yang Star Array. Qingshuang, your Aptitude is no worse than Su Yuniang's. If she could achieve Foundation Establishment within two months, you may not need any longer."

Ye Qingshuang did not speak, only tightened her grip on the Qingshuang Sword at her waist, her knuckles turning slightly white.

In the following days, Ning Yuan spent half an hour each day personally guiding Ning Changqing in switching to the Nine Yang Art. The father and son sat facing each other in the cultivation room; one explained concisely and clearly, while the other listened with focused attention.

Ning Changqing's Comprehension Ability was not bad, and coupled with the solid Foundation laid at Qingyun Temple, the transition process was much smoother than he had expected.

"The biggest difference between the Nine Yang Art and the Qingyun Qi-Guiding Art lies in the route of spiritual power circulation." Ning Yuan extended a finger and tapped his son's Dantian, a point of golden light igniting at his fingertip. "The Qingyun Qi-Guiding Art follows the Ren and Du Meridians, gentle and steady, suitable for laying a Foundation. The Nine Yang Art follows the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, fierce and domineering, requiring stronger meridian tolerance. This is also why I had you spend two years laying a Foundation at Qingyun Temple—without the Meridians widened by the Qingyun Qi-Guiding Art, practicing the Nine Yang Art directly would cause damage to your Meridians."

Ning Changqing closed his eyes, carefully sensing the route of the wisp of Pure Yang Spiritual Power that Ning Yuan had transmitted as it traveled through his Meridians. A moment later, he opened his eyes, thoughtful. "The route Father's spiritual power took is not exactly the same as what is recorded on the Nine Yang Art Jade Slip."

Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. The Jade Slip he gave Ning Changqing only contained the first three levels of the Nine Yang Art, and the spiritual power route he had just demonstrated contained some variations from the Great Sun Pure Yang Art. For this child to actually be able to spot the difference—this level of insight was extremely rare among his peers.

"The Nine Yang Art is the Ning Family's public Cultivation Technique," Ning Yuan said slowly, his tone even more solemn than before. "But what you will inherit in the future is not just the Nine Yang Art. Do not mention this matter to anyone. Including Changhe."

Ning Changqing nodded solemnly, without asking further questions.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival.

Following the custom of previous years, the Ning Family Manor was hung with lanterns. Madam Lin, along with several Mortal concubines, had handcrafted dozens of lanterns—rabbit lanterns, lotus lanterns, carp lanterns—adorning the corridor in front of the main hall with brilliant, flowing colors.

Each of the children carried a small lantern and ran around the courtyard. The youngest, Ning Qingxue, couldn't carry a lantern, so she let her nanny hold her while she reached out with her small hands to grab at the lanterns; when she couldn't reach them, she would cry out anxiously in baby talk.

Old Daoist Zhou hurried over from Qingyun Temple to attend the banquet. The old Daoist had changed into a new Daoist robe today; his complexion was much better than it had been two years ago, and he walked with a spring in his step.

He brought Ning Yuan a jar of osmanthus wine that had been treasured for many years, said to be brewed from wild osmanthus flowers from Qingyun Mountain, buried under a pine tree in the temple for a full ten years.

"Fellow Daoist Ning, this jar of wine has been kept by this old Daoist for ten years; I could never bear to drink it." Old Daoist Zhou placed the wine jar on the table and stroked his beard, smiling. "I'm bringing it out today because I have something to announce."

Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"This old Daoist has been stuck at the 5th layer of Qi Refining for fifteen years." Old Daoist Zhou's voice was not loud, but the whole table quieted down. "The marrow cleansing pill that Fellow Daoist Ning gifted me back then allowed me to break through to the 6th layer of Qi Refining. But what I didn't expect was that after half a year of calm cultivation, I actually touched the threshold of the 7th layer of Qi Refining. I had thought that I would only reach the 5th layer of Qi Refining in this lifetime, never expecting to see the hope of the Late Stage of Qi Refining in my remaining years."

He raised his wine cup and bowed solemnly to Ning Yuan. "Fellow Daoist Ning, what this old Daoist owes you, I'm afraid I won't be able to repay in this lifetime."

Ning Yuan pressed his wrist and personally poured him a cup of wine. "Old Brother Zhou, you are being too much of a stranger by saying that. If Qingyun Temple hadn't guarded the back mountain for the Ning Family, the two children wouldn't have been able to lay their Foundation for two years in peace. If we are talking about debts, the Ning Family also owes you."

Old Daoist Zhou's eyes reddened slightly, and he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Su Yuniang, watching this scene from the side, quietly wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

She remembered the days when she had just married into the Ning Family and Old Daoist Zhou had helped her guide Qi into her body. At that time, her dream was only to reach the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, but now she was already a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

After the banquet dispersed, Ning Yuan climbed to the Stargazing Platform alone. Lanterns flickered in the manor, and the laughter of the children could be heard faintly. The light of the Pure Yang Star Array flickered slightly in the night sky, competing with the bright moon. He opened the Family interface, and the data on the light screen was clear at a glance—

Number of offspring: 28. Foundation Establishment Cultivators: 3. Manor scale: 1,000 mu. Only two children away from unlocking the Family territory.

Ning Yao and Ning Qi had already moved to Qingyun Temple to Cultivate. When the sisters left, Ning Yao was so excited she didn't sleep all night, while Ning Qi held onto Shen Qingyi's waist and refused to let go; it was only after Shen Qingyi promised to visit her once a month that she climbed into the carriage with red-rimmed eyes.

Ning Yuan watched the backs of his two daughters and suddenly realized a fact—the next generation of the Ning Family had already begun to officially step onto the path of cultivation.

Ning Changqing was at the 5th layer of Qi Refining, Ning Changhe at the 4th layer, and Ning Yao and Ning Qi had just entered the fold. Further down, there were more than twenty younger brothers and sisters waiting in line to grow up. In less than ten years, the Ning Family's second generation would become a force that could not be ignored.

The System said he needed three Foundation Establishment Cultivators to unlock the Family territory—perhaps not just the three from Ning Yuan's generation, but the continuous, generation-to-generation Legacy of Foundation Establishment in the Ning Family. That night, Ning Yuan stood on the Stargazing Platform for a long time, only walking down the steps when the night was deep and quiet.