The Calm Before the Storm

The border of the Southeast War Zone.

Suddenly, a portal opened, and a figure in white appeared.

Immediately following, three large armies of cultivators crossed the domain to arrive.

They stood in neat rows suspended in the air, all staring intently at the white-clad figure before them.

Ning Qi held the communication Jade Slip in his hand and silently read through the messages sent back by the cultivators from the True Martial.

It was precisely because of this information that Ning Qi was able to understand the situation in this region.

According to the intelligence relayed back by everyone, Ning Qi learned that the Central Region was similar to the Lower Region, containing a total of six regional armies, half from each of the two realms.

Among them, the Mountain and Sea Realm consists of the Heavenly Fire Domain, the Earthly Gold Domain, and the Vine and Wood Domain, while the Vast Realm consists of the Spring Sun Domain, the Summer River Domain, and the Autumn Harvest Domain.

Of the six domain armies, only the Heavenly Fire Domain and the Summer River Domain are the strongest, so only the commanders of these two strongest domains lead their cultivators on solo journeys.

As for the other four domains, they adopted a combined force approach to explore the entire central domain.

At this moment, cultivators from the three domains of the Mountain and Sea Realm have already captured nine nodes in the Central Domain, which means each domain has captured an average of three nodes.

Ning Qi carefully put away the communication Jade Slip, then took out the Soul-Suppressing Disc and poured his Law Power into it.

Because of the complete data from the lower domain, the difference between the middle domain and the lower domain is not significant. Therefore, even when Ning Qi reached the middle domain, the data he had previously obtained was still usable.

Therefore, in no time at all, the Compass automatically generated a node distribution map of the central region.

Ning Qi stared intently at the map.

On the map, thirty-six nodes flashed different lights, lighting up one by one.

Nine of these nodes were dyed a bluish-green color, which were the nodes captured by the three domains of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

In addition, ten other locations were dyed a light gold color; these ten locations were territories taken over by the three domains of the Vast Realm.

In other words, cultivators from both realms captured a total of nineteen nodes in the Central Region. Including six hidden nodes, seventeen nodes in the Central Region remain unoccupied.

The Central Region is much larger than the Lower Region, so it's quite remarkable that cultivators from both realms have been able to capture so many nodes so quickly!

After all, they didn't have Ning Qi's Compass that could detect the location of nodes.

Behind Ning Qi, Sword Ancestor, Qi Keqing, and Zhu Yanchuan stood together.

The cultivators of the three domains Commander by these three men. In order to coordinate the armies of the three domains, the three men had to stay together and discuss matters when they arrived in the Central Domain.

At this moment, the three of them also took out Compass, checking whether they could detect the nodes of the central region.

As they infused their spiritual energy into the compasses, with a hum, the Compass on the three of them immediately reacted, but the pointers pointed in different directions.

The reason for this result is that Ning Qi specifically set up a function for the Compass they had.

To avoid displaying nodes in the same location, which would incite all three armies to attack and capture them simultaneously, wouldn't that be a waste of the army's resources?

As for the army of the three regions behind them, they were all silent, like statues, waiting for Ning Qi and the others to give orders.

Ning Qi's eyes flashed.

Suddenly, six points of light gradually appeared on the map on the Compass in his hand.

These points of light are constantly moving, sometimes sparse, sometimes condensed, spreading and gathering like mist; they represent the positions of the armies of the six domains in the central region.

Looking at these points of light, Ning Qi once again modified the colors of six of them based on the information relayed back by the cultivators from the True Martial.

He had marked the armies of the Heavenly Fire Domain, Earthly Gold Domain, and Vine Wood Domain of the Mountain and Sea Realm with red, gold, and green respectively.

As for the enemy's army from the three domains of the Vast Realm, since there are currently no True Martial cultivators acting as inside agents to transmit intelligence, Ning Qi cannot make special markings like the army from the three domains of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

But it doesn't matter, since they are all cultivators from the Vast Realm anyway.

"Gentlemen, may I borrow your Compass for a moment? I'd like to add some more functions to them!"

The three Sword Ancestors behind him were slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and couldn't help but look up at Ning Qi, their expressions slightly surprised.

Another new feature? Is it really that powerful?

If we consider the ages of the three, the youngest must be dozens of times older Ning Qi.

They had a wealth of knowledge, but at this moment, all that knowledge seemed utterly insignificant in the face of Ning Qi.

It seemed that Ning Qi had broader knowledge and knew more about existence, while the three of them were like greenhorns, left only with confusion and obedience.

The three immediately manipulated their Spiritual Qi to send the Compass to Ning Qi.

Ning Qi didn't take the attack; instead, he formed a hand Method Formula.

Instantly, three small, intensely colored fireballs rose from the void, each containing a Compass.

When the people used their spiritual senses to observe, their Compass appeared to be like small boats on the sea, churning within it.

Suddenly, three blue beams of light shot out from Ning Qi's hand, entered the fireball, and instantly burrowed into the Compass.

The entire process of casting the spell was extremely fast; in just a moment, the fireball subsided, and the three Compass, shimmering with faint light, floated in the void.

Watching Ning Qi's fluid and skillful techniques, both the three Sword Ancestors and the weapon refiners among the cultivators of the Three Realms were completely mesmerized.

When skill approaches the Tao, and reaches a certain level, even mere appreciation brings a sense of delight.

Ning Qi had already added the map showing the distribution of all the nodes in the Central Region, as well as the distribution of the armies from the Six Regions, to the Compass Compass the three people.

Of course, Ning Qi, as always, quietly concealed the existence of six special nodes in the Central Region.

After all, those six nodes were impervious to the wills of both realms, and were places that Ning Qi wanted to take on alone, seizing their space and integrating it into the True Martial. He couldn't let them know about it under any circumstances.

The three Compass transformed into streams of light and returned to the hands of the three Sword Ancestors.

With its rustic base, smooth and streamlined exterior, and a transparent crystal jade cover, the Compass rests on a solid surface.

Ning Qi designed this Solingcha dial in the style of a pocket watch, so it looks no different from a work of art.

The three sword ancestors stared at the new Compass in their hands, gently infusing it with spiritual power.

In an instant, the Compass not only pointed out the location of the nearest node, but also refracted a panoramic view of the central region's nodes onto the crystal surface.

Gazing at this perfectly clear panoramic view of the nodes, the three Sword Ancestors immediately showed expressions of extreme excitement.

They never expected that Ning Qi's abilities would be so terrifying.

Surprisingly, he figured out the distribution of all the nodes in the central region as soon as he entered it.

Sword Ancestor exclaimed, "Having this map that shows the entire scene is extremely advantageous to us!"

Qi Keqing and Zhu Yanchuan both nodded emphatically.

The more they followed Ning Qi, the more they found themselves becoming Ning Qi.

They gazed at Ning Qi, increasingly realizing the importance of following Ning Qi.

Even Ning Qi Qi's help to them, just considering the Compass's function alone, they would find it impossible to part with Ning Qi!

If you were to ask them to abandon the Compass now, and instead send out cultivators to search for node locations and blindly explore and fly within the war zone as they did when they first entered it, they would definitely go crazy!

As the saying goes, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. They would rather die than go back to that state of confusion!

Therefore, Qi Keqing and Zhu Yanchuan reaffirmed their resolve: no matter what, they would lead their army to pursue Ning Qi!

Even if they are able to enter the War Realm in the future, and their Dao Integration Realm's predecessors arrive, they will never abandon and follow Ning Qi!

Neither of them said anything, but their eyes held a deep sense of admiration as they looked at Ning Qi.

This admiration will not dissipate; on the contrary, it will grow stronger as they follow Ning Qi for longer.

They probably never even looked at their own sect's patriarch with such eyes!

Sword Ancestor gazed at the map, surprised, and asked, "Why are cultivators from the three domains of the Vast Realm moving so rapidly towards the Upper Domain?"

Qi Keqing replied, "They must have already learned that we have crossed over from another region."

Zhu Yanchuan looked up at the sky, as if sensing the situation here, before saying:

"The energy of the Vast Realm can also be felt here. It must be that the will of the Vast Realm sensed everything and notified the armies of the three domains of the Vast Realm."

Sword Ancestor and the others nodded in agreement.

Zhu Yanchuan looked at Ning Qi and said, "Lord Ning, I have a bad feeling. I wonder if you would like to hear it?"

"Go ahead," Ning Qi said calmly.

Zhu Yanchuan frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the group before he spoke:

"Now that the will of the Vast Realm has detected our existence, I think that as enemies, they won't just watch us cross the boundary and create an imbalance in the situation between the two realms. Therefore, what I'm worried about is that they might specifically target you, Domain Lord Ning!"

Zhu Yanchuan didn't mention the influence of the cultivators from the three domains because he understood that their ability to cross domains wasn't due to them, but rather to Ning Qi's existence.

Naturally, the will of the Vast Realm was also aware of this.

Upon hearing this, both Sword Ancestor and Qi Keqing's expressions changed, becoming slightly more serious.

Zhu Yanchuan's words made perfect sense. If they were from the Haoran Realm, they would not stand idly by and would definitely set a trap for Ning Qi.

They couldn't help but look at Ning Qi with concern.

But Ning Qi saw through their thoughts and laughed:

"You don't need to worry. Even if they want to target me, they'll have to spend time sending people in first. Otherwise, with the cultivators of this Vast Realm, even the combined armies of the three realms couldn't harm me in the slightest. Besides, they'd have to be able to find me!"

Ning Qi's calm expression eased the heavy mood of the three men somewhat.

Then, Ning Qi said to the group, "Now that this matter is settled, I have given you everything you were entitled to. As for what needs to be done, the three of you can lead your troops and discuss it yourselves!"

The three of them came to their senses and found that Ning Qi had disappeared before their eyes, leaving no trace. They couldn't help but exchange helpless smiles.

They all wanted Ning Qi to be the commander, but Ning Qi insisted that the three of them make the decision.

Ning Qi's role as a hands-off commander-in-chief is questionable. He did everything he was supposed to do, but he was also competent in his role because he never actually worked with them.

However, the three understood Ning Qi's good intentions: firstly, to prevent them from becoming too dependent on him and to help them grow up quickly; and Ning Qi, to protect them.

If they continue to stay with Ning Qi, the Haoran Realm's plans targeting Ning Qi will likely be launched against them all, and the entire army will inevitably suffer casualties.

Sword Ancestor's sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly as he addressed the two:

"Let the three of us discuss this first. The army of the Three Realms is under our Commander, and we can't let him shoulder everything alone. We'll try our best to share some of the pressure with him."

Qi Keqing replied, "My Fuyou Domain is willing to fight for Domain Lord Ning!"

"Our Langya Domain is the same!"

Ning Qi, like a lone wolf, once again roamed alone in the Central Region.

He didn't go looking for trouble with the cultivators of the Vast Realm. He didn't care if the struggle between the Mountain and Sea Realm and the Vast Realm was so fierce that it caused the heavens and earth to collapse, as long as it didn't affect the survival of Ning Qi and the True Martial.

Ning Qi's confidence stemmed from his determination to first secure those six key points and further strengthen the True Martial Realm, where all the Daoist sects had gathered.

As for whether the Vast Realm might be targeting him?

He would resolve the issue if he could, and if he couldn't, he would simply find a secluded corner to hide in, figuring the other party wouldn't be able to find him.

Unless the other party brought some treasure from the Vast Realm that could detect his presence.

The fleeing armies of the three domains of the Vast Realm never expected that Ning Qi, whom they feared, had no intention of joining forces with the armies of the three domains of the Heavenly Fire Domain to annihilate them as soon as possible.

Ning Qi had no intention of interfering with how Sword Ancestor and the others would decide in the face of the current situation.

Whether they were conquering the remaining nodes in the Central Region or preparing to unite with the cultivators of the Central Region's Mountain and Sea Realm, Ning Qi let them handle it as they pleased.

However, although Ning Qi didn't interfere, the others in the Central Region might not.

At this moment, the army of the Heavenly Fire Domain, together with its commander Brahma, was rushing towards the Upper Domain.

Brahma was always arrogant and conceited. After learning that the cultivators from the Vast Realm had fled, he believed that it was his reputation that had caused them to escape.

How could he not seize such a good opportunity? He immediately led his army to pursue the cultivators from the Vast Realm.

Before long, Brahma suddenly pointed to the horizon and laughed loudly, "Do you see it?"

The people behind him all shook their heads.

Brahma's cultivation was extremely close to the Dao, so his spiritual sense had a wider range, allowing him to see places that others could not.

However, a clever person responded, "Commander Brahma, have you discovered the whereabouts of cultivators from the Vast Realm?"

"Your cultivation levels are far too low; not one of you can keep up with me."

Brahma first insulted everyone before arrogantly declaring, "Indeed, this commander has indeed spotted cultivators from the Vast Realm. You all must hurry and not let them escape!"

The others could only agree.

Their speed increased again, and soon they saw the figures of the cultivators from the Vast Realm.

The cultivators of the Vast Realm naturally also saw the large army pursuing them from behind.

This group of cultivators from the Vast Realm are from the Xiahe Region within the Vast Realm.

Their commander was named Fei Bing, an extremely calm man with equally astonishing talent.

At that moment, Fei Bing glanced behind her, her cold eyes reflecting the pursuing cultivators.

"Do you know who's following behind us?" he asked the people beside him.

One of the cultivators immediately stepped forward and replied, "Reporting to Commander Fei, I have fought with them before. Judging from their attire, they should be cultivators from the Heavenly Fire Domain of the Mountain and Sea Realm!"

Fei Bing narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Could it be that they also learned from the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm that Ning Qi led the army of the Three Realms across the realm, which is why they are pursuing us so relentlessly?"

The man bowed his head and said, "This subordinate does not know, but if Commander Fei needs someone to intercept them, this subordinate is willing to lead men there!"

Fei Bing pondered for a moment, then said:

"There's no need to sever troops and stay behind. The most urgent task right now is to join forces with the armies from the other two domains and then capture the node closest to the Upper Domain."

"Yes!"

Fei Bing's gaze fell on Brahma, the leader of the Heavenly Fire Domain behind them, and then he said:

"Since this guy is willing to chase after us, let him. Let's see what kind of expression he'll have when he faces the army of the three domains of the Vast Realm, hmph!"

"As for Ning Qi, even if he entered the Central Region, there's no way he could catch up so quickly."

Thus, the cultivators from the two realms, one in front and one behind, accelerated as one accelerated, maintaining a tug-of-war between them, gradually heading towards the upper realm.

Behind them, Brahma saw that the Xiahe army had clearly spotted them, but dared not stop to fight. This made Brahma feel incredibly confident!

It must be because his Brahma's fame and prestige shook the world that made the cultivators of the Vast Realm flee in terror!