Seeing this, Ning Qi could not help laughing. He reached out and lightly tapped the White Ape on the head.
"You little rascal."
The White Ape grinned foolishly.
He knew Ning Qi would never harm him. Still, the unknown always carried a trace of fear—mixed with anticipation. Ning Qi had once told him that through this method, there might be a chance to awaken his bloodline ahead of time.
For a Heavenly Beast, strength lay in two things.
The purity of the bloodline, which determined the upper limit.And the degree of awakening, which determined current power.
Ning Qi understood this clearly.
He placed his palm on the White Ape's shoulder.
This time, his Inner Strength—far more solid than before—flowed in without resistance.
Previously, whenever Ning Qi's Inner Strength entered another body, it dissipated almost instantly, unable to sustain itself. But now, it was different. The strength lingered, flowing continuously through meridians, flesh, and blood.
Ning Qi had already explored this body several times through medical techniques, forming countless hypotheses.
Now, after breaking through, everything felt natural.
"Heavenly Born's bones and muscles truly differ from a human's," Ning Qi thought. "I already sensed this when creating the Ape King Stance, but seeing it directly makes it even clearer."
"But the greatest difference… is in the blood."
He closed his eyes and focused.
Within the blood, Inner Strength moved sluggishly, as if suppressed. More than that—there was a faint pressure, ancient and profound.
Ning Qi's heart stirred.
"So it really is an extraordinary bloodline."
This confirmed his long-held suspicion.
Yuan Tiansheng's bloodline was not dormant because it was weak—but because it was too strong, too vast to awaken under ordinary conditions.
Ning Qi felt anticipation rise.
If this bloodline truly awakened, combined with the martial path he had prepared… Yuan Tiansheng would undoubtedly stand at the pinnacle of Heavenly Beasts.
The Inner Strength circulated slowly.
Ideas surged.
This was the first time Ning Qi had so clearly explored a body completely different from a human's. The structure alone gave him endless inspiration.
"The deepest secrets of the bloodline are untouchable for now," he concluded. "But the secrets of the physical body… those can be refined."
He withdrew his Inner Strength and opened his eyes.
His reserves were nearly exhausted.
Injecting Inner Strength into another body was no trivial matter—something even many Gang Yuan experts could not sustain.
The White Ape was tired as well.
Yet throughout the process, he had remained obedient and still. He claimed to be afraid, but in truth, he trusted Ning Qi completely.
Seeing the eager look in his eyes, Ning Qi laughed.
"Now you're actually looking forward to it."
The White Ape immediately fawned, rubbing Ning Qi's legs and shoulders with practiced enthusiasm.
Ning Qi chuckled.
"Don't rush. After a few more sessions, I should fully understand it. When that time comes, I'll tailor a secret technique just for you."
"Perhaps… we can force a partial awakening of your bloodline."
The White Ape froze—
Then erupted with joy.
He leapt, flipped, and tumbled across the courtyard, scratching his ears and cheeks in excitement.
Ning Qi watched quietly, smiling.
Three years.
The stubborn little monkey who had insisted on following him back then had grown stronger than the Iron Arm Ape itself.
Somewhere along the way, Ning Qi had already begun to see him as family.
Helping him refine his bloodline was not only kindness—it was curiosity, research, and foundation-building all at once.
His thoughts drifted to Zhuang Chen, the little fatty of the Divine Sword Sect.
"If I can uncover the principles behind the Congenital Sword Bone…"
A smile formed.
"Perhaps one day, I could even create Acquired Sword Bones."
The days passed.
The unrest within the True Martial Sect fully subsided.
Patrols remained tight, especially near the Scripture Pavilion.
Luo Wentian and the others finally found time to visit the Seeking Dao Courtyard again. They worried that the recent chaos might have disturbed Ning Qi.
"Little Ninth," they said gently, "once Master leaves seclusion, everything will return to normal."
Ning Qi only smiled.
They did not know—
Every night, he personally patrolled Zhenwu Mountain.
Gang Yuan intruders, White Mist experts, Inner Yuan Great Completion masters—several had already fallen without a trace.
And still, Ning Qi cultivated.
He continued refining the connection between body and Inner Strength, and repeatedly explored the White Ape's physical structure. He searched ancient records in the Scripture Pavilion, reading everything related to Heavenly Beasts and bloodlines.
More than ten days passed.
Inspiration reached its peak.
"Heavenly Beasts are creatures favored by Heaven," Ning Qi murmured. "Born with authority over Heaven and Earth."
"Heavenly Beasts carry traces of that bloodline. If awakening the bloodline grants power…"
He paused.
"Then if the body itself becomes powerful enough… could it force the bloodline to awaken?"
His eyes sharpened.
"If the body is insufficient, then I will make it strong enough."
"Strength awakens bloodline. Bloodline feeds strength."
"A positive cycle."
Within his mind, a colossal ancient ape roared toward the heavens.
All scattered insights converged.
A secret technique took shape.
"Ape King True Body."
Ning Qi opened his eyes, joy and satisfaction filling his chest.
"Heavenly Born," he said calmly, "I will now impart a secret technique to you."
The White Ape instantly abandoned his stance practice and rushed over, eyes blazing with anticipation.
For days he had endured exploration, fear, and exhaustion—
All for this moment.