Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint

Dongling Marquis Mansion.

The hour was late in the night.

Gazing in the direction where Bai Li had disappeared, Jiang Ning withdrew his gaze.

The meeting tonight revealed to him that Bai Li of Shangyang Immortal Sect was indeed the demon country’s royal princess journeying under the same sky as he.

"Qingqiu Bai Li!" He muttered softly.

Yet in his mind, he recalled the conversation he had just had with Bai Li.

The Demon King, and Bai Li’s intentions in meeting him tonight.

"There’s still no trusting this completely; coming at such a late hour, as the demon country’s royal princess, the nine-tailed fox of Qingqiu, only a step away from the Primordial Spirit Realm." Jiang Ning internally pondered.

Then, he steadied his heart spirit.

He looked upward to the position where the bright moon hung.

The moon had already passed its zenith, slowly descending towards the east.

"It’s not early, but neither is it too late. The court meeting is at dawn, and I must set out more than half an hour early. There’s no point in resting now!" Jiang Ning thought as he looked at the bright moon overhead.

Consequently, he continued to practice his sword techniques.

The Taixu Yin Yang Sword was the highest cultivation technique he currently mastered.

The experience value required to break through was also the greatest.

This aspect filled him with anticipation.

Once this cultivation technique was mastered, it could surely elevate his strength to a new level.

The more he understood the world, the deeper his reverence grew.

Martial Arts First Grade was not truly the pinnacle.

Even as powerful as the Martial Saint, who reigned over the world for over eight hundred years, still encountered unsolvable issues.

The existence of the Upper Three Days compelled the Martial Saint to cease his destruction of the Cave Heaven Blessed Lands, leaving these many places across the land of the thirty-six prefectures of the Nine States.

The Southern Demon Country—although he doesn’t know what happened when the Martial Saint traveled there, its presence continues to this day.

"And then there are the northern Barbarians!" Jiang Ning mused internally again.

Since the founding of Great Xia, the northern Barbarians have existed just as long.

The plague of the Barbarians has persisted for an equal span.

Though he hasn’t delved into it deeply, he understands that the existence of the northern Barbarians for such an extended era, despite the peak power of the Martial Saint and the founding emperor of Great Xia, indicates they too had something to rely on.

Regarding the East Sea with its three outer islands and the eighty-one small isles of Xingluo,

"The East Sea’s existence might not have substantial backing!" Jiang Ning internally thought, "True power lies with the Southern Demon Country, the northern Barbarians, and the Immortal Cave Heaven Blessed Lands. Any of these existences had reliance sufficient for the Martial Saint’s peak period to remain unbreakable, sustaining over eight hundred years."

"Thus, my strength is far from sufficient! Even standing at the Martial Saint’s level, achieving fearlessness."

"Moreover, according to Haoyang True Inheritor’s words, the fusion of the Ten Domains is the choice of the heavens and the earth. At that time, as heaven and earth are revived, returning to the Ancient Era, the environment might even surpass it!"

"And from the Ancient Era’s upheaval to now, there still exist unimaginably powerful beings alive."

At this moment, two figures emerged in his thoughts.

One was the woman in the ice coffin.

After he awoke her from the ice coffin, she revived and departed beyond realms; he did not know where she went.

Another figure was the woman by the Moon Palace Lake in the Water Moon Sword Palace within the Divine Woman Statue.

With his current understanding and knowledge, these two were within the Third Realm among the Immortal Dao Four Realms.

Existences such as these, he believed, were not limited to just the two he had seen.

In the Ten Directions Realm, while there is a lifeless land like Liyan Heaven where Heaven and Earth Spirits are exhausted, and miles of red earth devoid of life,

There are also complete worlds like the one belonging to the Red Flame Sword Sect, where Haoyang True Inheritor and Shen Yueru reside.

Among the many worlds, there must exist beings on par with the two women he encountered, possibly even surpassing them.

At this moment, countless thoughts flashed through Jiang Ning’s mind rapidly.

Afterwards, he gathered his thoughts once more.

"But there’s no need to worry too much; in the current heavenly environment, the Martial Saint remains the strongest existence. If not, how could the world still tolerate his existence?"

"They would have converged on him during his old age, weak and with declining Qi-Blood, and besieged him."

"The Martial Saint’s might, perhaps in the Immortal Dao Four Realms, could rival the Peak Second Realm Heavenly Immortal; current Third Realm beings in this environment might not even be able to take him down!"

"After all, he alone has suppressed the world for over eight hundred years!"

"If he were so easy to deal with, he would have been besieged long ago!"

"How could there be such fear?!" Jiang Ning pondered internally.

Subsequently, he dispelled all distracting thoughts and immersed himself in practicing sword techniques wholeheartedly.

...

At four quarters of the third watch, before dawn, a black flat-roofed carriage stood silently outside the Marquis Mansion.

The carriage driver, an inner guard, clad in a dark cloak, held a palace lantern, standing with bowing head beside the carriage like a silent stone statue.

As Jiang Ning opened the gate of the mansion, a chilly wind rushed through, blowing through the gap in the Marquis Mansion’s gate, flooding inward.

Today, he was dressed in a purple python robe, the attire of a marquis, with a jade belt around his waist, walking steadily down the stone steps.

"Marquis, be cautious in all things!" Lv Yi bowed at the door to send him off.

"Go back! It’s still early enough to get some more rest!" Jiang Ning said.

After saying this, he proceeded toward the carriage.

"Dongling Marquis, please board the carriage." The inner guard leapt off the carriage and lifted the curtain with a respectful tone.

Jiang Ning nodded slightly and boarded the carriage, bending to enter.

The cabin was spacious, lined with brocade cushions, with a fixed glass lamp in the corner casting a dim amber halo.

The inner guard followed closely, taking a seat on the driver’s perch.