Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

The Eighth Prince's Residence.

In the inner library.

The soft glow of the luminous beads illuminated the three-zhang-square inner treasury.

The air still carried a faint, musty smell, a result of prolonged lack of ventilation.

Jiang Ning's figure slowly appeared beside Ji Minghao, his gaze calmly sweeping over the prince's private treasury.

Compared to the luxurious collections one might imagine royalty to possess, the scene before me appeared somewhat empty and even shabby.

The stone chamber had only three rows of black wooden shelves against the walls, two of which were completely empty. On the remaining shelf, there were six scattered items, all of them jade boxes emitting a faint glow.

In the deepest corner of the stone chamber, a dark, unsheathed longsword hangs on the wall. The blade is ancient and unadorned, with faint blood-red patterns swirling within.

A large bow and a long sword were also hanging nearby.

Beside the three was an ancient bronze mirror, about the size of a palm, with strange cloud patterns engraved on its edge. The mirror was covered in dust and was not shiny.

But for some reason, Jiang Ning glanced at it again.

The reflection in the mirror was not the stone chamber at this moment, but a hazy, chaotic scene, as if containing the universe within.

Ji Minghao's expression changed slightly when he saw Jiang Ning suddenly appear. He then composed himself and followed Jiang Ning's gaze.

He then gave a wry smile: "Brother Jiang, you must be sorry. Since my father fell into a coma and my uncle took over the regency, although I am still a prince, many of the royal expenses have been reduced. Most of the savings accumulated in my household over the years have been used to maintain and cultivate necessary relationships. Including the batch I gave to you last time, this is all that is left in the treasury."

He stepped forward, picked up a jade box, and opened it.

In an instant, a red light illuminated the room, and a waterfall of cold mist cascaded down.

"This plant is called the Five-Aperture Fire Lotus. It grows deep within the lava of the earth's fire. It takes three hundred years to grow one aperture, and when all nine apertures are complete, it is known as a celestial medicine. Although it only has five apertures now, it is still an extremely precious natural material, and it is also the most precious natural material I have here. Over the years, I have been reluctant to use it. I originally planned to use it after I became a Grandmaster to stabilize my realm."

Then he opened a jade box, and the indoor temperature suddenly dropped, with ice crystals condensing in the air.

"This substance is called Cold Marrow Jade Liquid. It was obtained from a frozen paradise. A single drop can suppress inner demons, condense the soul, and awaken enlightenment and wisdom."

This item is clearly the Star Fruit.

"This item is called the Mirage Tear."

"This item is called the Soul-Nourishing Wood Heart."

This plant is called the Golden Dragon Vine.

After the introduction, Ji Minghao turned to Jiang Ning and said, "Brother Jiang, take all of these if you need them. Including that Blood-Patterned Ancient Sword, it is also a divine weapon. Even if it is a weapon forged from a thousand-times-refined iron, this sword can cut it in half with just one strike."

"As for this bow," he walked to the wall and took down the longbow. The muscles in his arm immediately tensed, indicating that the bow was very heavy. "This bow is called Sun-Shooting Bow. I heard that Brother Jiang's archery skills were divine in his early years, so it is just right for Brother Jiang to use."

"As for this mirror," he walked to the ancient mirror, reached out and touched it, wiping away the dust on it, "this mirror cannot be given to Brother Jiang. It belonged to my mother and is of great significance to me."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning smiled.

"Your Highness is too kind! I appreciate your kindness. Although the divine weapon is powerful, it is no longer necessary for my current level. The ancient mirror is a relic of Your Highness's late mother, and I would never take it."

"That's all." Jiang Ning looked at the six jade boxes containing rare and precious materials, and then continued, "I might need three of them to solve my immediate problem!"

“Brother Jiang, if you need any of these six items, take them all!” Ji Minghao said.

He quickly resealed the six jade boxes and handed them to Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning paused slightly, but did not refuse, and reached out to take the jade box.

To achieve a breakthrough in Neidan health cultivation, we still need to accumulate several source points.

The required resources are not a small amount, and he is not sure if just three items can meet his needs.

Because of Ji Minghao's brief explanation, among these six rare and precious materials, only the Five-Aperture Fire Lotus can truly be considered valuable. The other five rare and precious materials are only considered ordinary in his eyes now.

He held the jade box in his hand and could feel the chill emanating from it.

"Thank you!!"

With a wave of his hand, he instantly pocketed the six jade boxes, then cupped his hands in greeting to Ji Minghao.

Ji Minghao smiled faintly and waved his hand: "Brother Jiang, you're too kind. We're all family, why are you being so formal? In a while, you might even be my brother-in-law!"

At this point, he sighed again: "I just don't know if I'll ever see that day."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning said nothing more.

Ji Minghao then composed himself and looked at Jiang Ning.

"Brother Jiang, you need to break through the barrier tonight, and time is of the essence. Would you like to go into seclusion here? The two people waiting outside are my trusted confidants. Whatever they hear or see will never fall into the ears of a third party."

“No need.” Jiang Ning shook his head: “My residence has already been prepared, and it is more suitable for quiet cultivation.”

"Alright, then I'll see you out of the manor!" Ji Minghao said without further ado.

"Thank you for tonight, Your Highness!" Jiang Ning bowed to Ji Minghao again, and then his figure slowly faded away once more.

In less than a breath, Jiang Ning disappeared from Ji Minghao's sight.

Looking ahead, Ji Minghao's eyes narrowed slightly.

Even though he watched Jiang Ning disappear before his eyes, he still didn't realize there was a living person in front of him.

It was as if, in that instant, Jiangning had vanished completely.

"Brother Jiang, come with me, I'll see you out of the manor," Ji Minghao said again.

"Okay!" Jiang Ning's voice rang softly in his ear.

Ji Minghao stood still for a moment.

He then composed himself, turned around, and stepped out of the inner storeroom.

"Your Highness!" Outside the artificial hill, the two guards saw Ji Minghao come out and immediately came over.

One of them took down the three tokens imprinted on the stone wall and respectfully handed one of them to Ji Minghao.

"No one came near just now, right?" Ji Minghao took the token handed to him, put it in his pocket, and then asked.

“Your Highness, no one is approaching!” another person replied.

Ji Minghao nodded.

Then he gave the two of them some more instructions and walked out of the courtyard.

Behind them, the rock walls of the artificial hill slowly closed in.

Without a sound, the artificial mountain returned to its original appearance, showing no sign of the hidden cave within.

A corner inside the mansion.

“Brother Jiang, come out! There’s no one around. Just climb over this wall and you’ll be outside the manor.” Ji Minghao said to the empty space in front of him.

As he finished speaking, a tall and slender figure slowly appeared in front of him.

Ji Minghao's pupils constricted slightly as he watched this scene, wanting to see clearly what methods Jiang Ning was using.

"Your Highness, farewell!" Jiang Ning bowed to Ji Minghao after appearing.

"Brother Jiang, be extremely careful in court tomorrow," Ji Minghao said.

"Understood!" Jiang Ning nodded, then leaped over the wall and disappeared in an instant.

Ji Minghao stood there, looking in the direction Jiang Ning had left, his eyes deep and his mind churning.

"It seems to be a method of distorting vision, but the aura has not been revealed at all!"

"His methods don't seem like martial arts; they're more like the legendary immortal escape techniques."

Ji Minghao pondered to himself. Although he was not versed in the path of immortality, his martial arts were only at the fourth rank.

But as a prince, he was very knowledgeable.

"But given his past experiences, he hasn't had any opportunities to engage with the path of immortal cultivation, unless someone from a blessed land comes to him!" Thinking of this, Ji Minghao's eyes narrowed, and his expression became somewhat solemn.

In that instant, many thoughts came to mind.

Thinking back to some time ago, Jiang Ning was afflicted by a magical curse.

He had witnessed the insidious nature of this technique firsthand, for his father, the current emperor, was now on his deathbed due to it, his fate unknown.

But now, quite some time has passed since Jiang Ning was afflicted by the curse, and he sees that Jiang Ning shows no symptoms whatsoever.

"Could it be that he has entered some immortal realm?"

Thinking of this, he frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed.

"That's good! If he really did go to some immortal grotto-heaven, then he would never be able to grow to that person's level. In that case, Father's worries would be unnecessary!"

“My father once told me that he didn’t want to see another figure rise to power comparable to a Martial Saint. My father didn’t want it, and neither did I! My brothers didn’t want it either. My father must have talked to all of my brothers about this issue!”

Thinking of this, Ji Minghao sighed softly.

“If he truly seeks refuge in the immortal realm, there’s no need to worry about that matter. Even if I ascend to that position in the future, I won’t need to become his enemy.”

"But in that case, it might not be a good thing for Little Seventeen to follow him!"

Thinking of his younger sister, Ji Mingyue, a complex emotion flashed in Ji Minghao's eyes.

He had a deep bond with Ji Mingyue since childhood, and naturally hoped that his sister would be safe and happy.

Jiang Ning is a man of great loyalty and exceptional ability; he is a perfect match for her.

But now he vaguely felt that Jiangning had leaned towards some immortal grotto, and he was also aware of the recruitment efforts of the immortal grotto.

Most of them married into the family!

Marry a woman from a celestial paradise and have her live with you!

If one marries into a celestial family, one must marry a noblewoman from that celestial family, and any descendants will be subject to her control.

But having come this far, he knew that the one most hurt would be his own sister.

He looked up at the direction where Jiang Ning had disappeared, his eyes deep in thought. After a long while, he finally looked away.

"Your Highness!" A black-clad guard with a sword appeared silently behind him.

"Did you notice someone following me just now?" Ji Minghao asked.

"Your Highness, no!" the black-clad guard with a sword shook his head.

"Truly, his methods are unpredictable! If he could lend me a hand, with his abilities, all my royal brothers would perish overnight!" Ji Minghao shook his head, thinking to himself.

He wouldn't dare utter such treasonous words even in his own residence.

the other side.

Jiang Ning left the Eighth Prince's residence and swiftly traversed the vast capital, passing through countless streets. In the blink of an eye, he returned to his own residence and courtyard.

"Linglong, use magic to conceal your aura!" Jiang Ning landed by the lake, stood under a sturdy pine tree, and spoke.

"Yes, Master!" A girl's clear voice rang out from the shimmering lake.

The next moment, a curtain of water rose from the lake and instantly enveloped the entire courtyard.

The water curtain was transparent, without any unusual phenomena, and once fully unfolded, it vanished without a trace in an instant.

At this moment, Jiang Ning also took out the six jade boxes he had obtained from Ji Minghao and placed them on the stone table.

Under the cover of night and the shade of the trees, the jade box gleamed with a warm luster.

He did not swallow it immediately, but first closed his eyes slightly and looked inward at himself.

Within the spiritual platform, the Dao embryo, enveloped in the Yin-Yang Mystic Light, now shimmered with light, more solid and dazzling than before, as if it were about to burst forth at any moment.

He could clearly sense that the primordial spirit was in its final stage of development, just one step away from completion.

"Tomorrow's court assembly. Demon King Ji Xuan," the thought flashed through his mind before returning to calm.

He reached out and picked up the jade box containing the Five-Aperture Fire Lotus, then opened the lid.

In an instant, the cold air inside the jade box dissipated, followed by a wave of intense heat.

The strange object in the box, shaped like a lotus flower, entirely crimson, and with five orifices, seemed to be burning in the cold mist, distorting his vision.

"This is the most precious thing. I wonder how many source points it can increase?" The thought flashed through his mind. Then he grabbed the fire lotus and put it in his mouth.

The fire lotus melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a violent and blazing torrent that instantly surged into every part of the body.

It felt as if magma was surging through his veins, and the burning sensation almost set his whole body ablaze.

He groaned, and in the darkness, the pale golden patterns on his body suddenly lit up. The Great Sun Divine Body operated spontaneously, refining and absorbing the powerful and domineering essence of fire.

Under the influence of this fire element essence, the blood boils completely, and the qi and blood surge and increase within the body.

After a while.

Everything has settled down.

[Source point +3.3]

He nodded in satisfaction as the notification appeared before him.

If the source point is 3.3, and it is replaced with the previous source energy, then it will be an increase of 33,000.

This alone is enough to show how precious the Five-Aperture Fire Lotus is.

Then, he glanced at the panel.

[Source Point]: 97
"I'm still three points short. I wonder if the remaining five rare and precious materials will be enough to meet my needs?"

A thought flashed through Jiang Ning's mind, and then he immediately opened the jade box containing the "Frosty Marrow Jade Liquid".

An extremely cold aura spread out, forming a stark contrast with the lingering heat.

He opened his mouth and inhaled, and two drops of milky white, bone-chilling liquid flew into his throat.

This item has the effect of dispelling inner demons, condensing the spirit, and enlightening wisdom.

However, as he refined the essence, these effects did not become apparent in him.

He knew this was because his own foundation was now too deep.

Its body is like the ocean; even if a lake's water were poured into the ocean, it would not cause the slightest ripple.

[Source point +1.3]

"Still 1.7 short!" he thought to himself.

Then he opened the third jade box and took out the Star Fruit from it.

[Source point +0.9]

"Still 0.8 short, it's still not enough! Fortunately." He thought to himself, then opened the remaining jade box and took the "Mirage Tear Pearl", "Soul Nourishing Wood Heart", and "Golden Dragon Vine" one by one.

[Source point +1.1]

[Source point +0.5]

[Source point +1.3]

When the last trace of medicinal power was absorbed, Jiang Ning opened his eyes and looked at the panel.

[Source Point]: 102.1
That's enough!

Seeing the accumulated source points on the panel, he was overjoyed. (End of Chapter)