A Chess Piece That Had Broken Free of the Player

Fan Cheng's words were filled with deep hatred.

Hearing his words, one could only wish to devour Ning Qi's flesh raw.

As Dao Integration Realm ancestors who also held the position of Domain Lord, the three from Fancheng stood at the very top of the entire Mountain and Sea Realm.

If they weren't currently unable to enter the war zone and wanted to resurrect their son, why would they come seeking the help of the Mountain Ancestor?

If they could enter the war zone, they could save their son immediately and also eliminate Ning Qi!

After Fan Cheng finished speaking, the three of them looked up at the figure standing atop the peak.

Unbeknownst to them, the black-clad waiter wearing the dragon-shaped mask seemed to have a glint in his eyes.

Before the three of them ascended the Heavenly Peak, the black-clad attendant had just overheard the Mountain Ancestor and the Realm Lord discussing Ning Qi's matter.

And now these three guys have come here, wanting to punish Ning Qi, this...

The waiter in black silently cast a fleeting look of sympathy at the three of them.

The mountain ancestor stood with his hands behind his back, his strong arms faintly visible beneath his wide robe.

He suddenly asked, "Fan Cheng, how long have you been following me?"

After a moment's thought, Fan Cheng replied, "Reporting to the Mountain Ancestor, Fan Cheng has followed the Mountain Ancestor for nearly 100,000 years."

"One hundred thousand years..."

The Mountain Ancestor sighed, and a beam of light automatically flew out from his sleeve and landed in Fan Cheng's hand.

Fan Cheng stared intently at the object in his hand.

It turned out to be not some magical artifact, but a jade medicine bottle.

Although the jade medicine bottle was opaque, he could still see three perfectly round pills inside.

Although the elixir was black, its surface radiated a dazzling golden light.

"Mountain Ancestor, this is..."

Fan Cheng did not understand why the Bai Shan would bestow this elixir upon him.

The Mountain Ancestor said, "This pill is a newly developed resurrection pill based on the divine artifact. As long as the remnant soul remains, it can be resurrected with this pill."

Fan Cheng was overjoyed.

The three men quickly said to the Mountain Ancestor, "We thank you for bestowing the elixir."

They all retained a Primordial Spirit, so the most important task at hand was now accomplished.

After putting away the pills, the three exchanged glances, and Fan Cheng said again:

"Mountain Ancestor, regarding the matter of punishing Ning Qi, would you agree?"

Fan Cheng wasn't stupid either. Through the explanation of the Mountain and Sea Realm's will, he also understood Ning Qi's current importance in conquering the realm.

They simply couldn't swallow their anger. They were among the top figures in the Mountain and Sea Realm; were they really supposed to just silently endure the death of their child at the hands of a lowly genius?

In his view, such low-level talents should be used when they are useful, and once they have been completely utilized, they should be killed to vent his hatred!

Fan Cheng considered himself to be among the top fifty strongest in the Mountain and Sea Realm, and had followed the Mountain Ancestor for nearly 100,000 years.

Ning Qi is just a newly emerging genius, and the Mountain Ancestor will definitely stand on his side.

An echo came from the mountain ancestor ahead.

"Fan Cheng, you all need to help me manage the lower spiritual realm well. The upcoming battle for the Dao Integration Realm will also require your help. You can decide what to do then!"

Upon hearing this, the three from Fancheng seemed to understand what the Mountain Ancestor meant.

The Mountain Ancestor seemed to have agreed to their request, but only on the condition that they take action themselves.

The three from Fancheng were naturally happy with this.

It's definitely more satisfying to take revenge personally!

"Thank you, Mountain Ancestor!"

Shan Zu waved one of his hands, which was behind his back.

The dragon-faced attendant immediately said, "Gentlemen, please make yourselves at home if there's nothing else."

The three from Fancheng bowed deeply once more to the departing figure of the Mountain Ancestor, saying, "Your subordinates take their leave!"

The dragon-faced attendant raised his hand and waved it. A gray light emanated, instantly enveloping the three of them and causing them to disappear from the spot.

When Fan Cheng and his two companions came to their senses, they found themselves already down Jietian Peak, standing on the Taxian Peak Square.

The three of them looked on in horror.

Jin Guanghua and Mu Qingtian need no introduction, but Fan Cheng, ranked in the top fifty, had a glint in his eyes.

The dragon-faced attendant's strength seemed to have become so great that even he couldn't discern it anymore!

"Brother, let's go back quickly, revive our children, and ask them what exactly happened in the War Realm!"

The speaker was the third brother, Jin Guanghua. Although the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm had told the three of them everything that had happened inside, he was clearly still somewhat skeptical.

Fan Cheng nodded.

Mu Heavenly Dao, "Big brother, third brother, if we want to kill Ning Qi, we have to wait until the War Zone is completely stable before we can enter. Isn't that a bit too slow?"

Fan Cheng looked at him, "What do you want to do?"

Mu Qingtian gave a sinister smile and said, "Brother, why don't we send men to slaughter the Xuanzhen Domain where Ning Qi is located, massacre his sect, and capture all his most important people? I want him to experience the same pain!"

Jin Guanghua said, "Brother, I also think this is a good idea. That Ning Qi dared to attack our son; he has already committed the crime of being slowly sliced to death. Killing just him won't quell the hatred in our hearts!"

Fan Cheng seemed to be moved by what he was said, and a ruthless look flashed across his face.

They have always been the ones who control the lives and deaths of their subordinates. Anyone who dares to resist is considered a grave transgression, let alone committing such an outrageous act against their own son.

For such people, executing their entire family is the norm.

However, Fan Cheng glanced at the Sky-Reaching Peak again, his fierce expression softened, and he shook his head, saying:

"With the Spirit Realm war raging ahead, it would be easy for us to give others ammunition if we retaliate from the rear. Moreover, the Mountain Ancestor only allowed us to personally retaliate against Ning Qi, not that we could slaughter the entire Xuanzhen Domain. We'd better be careful."

Upon hearing this, Jin Guanghua and Mu Qingtian finally suppressed the killing intent that was about to erupt in their hearts.

"Alright, we'll listen to you, brother. Let's go back and revive our child first."

Immediately, the three set off back to the Heavenly Fire Domain.

Within the boundaries of war.

Ning Qi hovered in the void outside the boundary between the Middle Domain and the Upper Domain, silently waiting for the army of the three domains to return.

All the surrounding nodes have been captured, and the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm has also spread to this area.

Ning Qi reached out and touched the boundary wall, sensing its structure.

The boundary wall is also constructed from a mixture of three types of energy: the Mountain and Sea Boundary, the Vast and Boundary Boundary, and the Boundary Sea.

Ning Qi walked along the boundary wall, touching an extremely long section of it.

Because of his background as the Lord of the True Martial Realm, his perception of this boundary became increasingly clear.

The three energies are mixed within it, creating a slightly chaotic appearance.

It's possible to form these lifeless barriers, but it's absolutely impossible to create a vibrant place like their respective worlds.

After all, this is a dedicated Battlefield created by the two realms, not a world for cultivating all living beings to survive in.

The more Ning Qi perceived, the more he understood about the three.

The energy of the Mountain and Sea Realm is like mountains and water, just like the vast natural world, which is filled with the feeling of the survival of the fittest.

The energy in the Vast Realm was neutral and peaceful, yet it possessed a strange quality, as if it had been corrupted.

Ning Qi was slightly taken aback, wondering why the energy in the Vast Realm was like this.

Having indirectly clashed with the Holy Ancestor several times before, he was extremely familiar with this feeling. It must be that the Holy Ancestor had influenced the will of the Vast Realm, which was why the energy of the Vast Realm was in such a state.

Ning Qi couldn't help but recall what the Holy Ancestor had said before.

The old man said that he was not afraid of the Mountain Ancestor, the Sea Ancestor, or the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm at all, saying that the three were openly and secretly fighting and were not united.

This clearly reveals that the Holy Ancestor and the will of the Vast Realm are working together very well.

The energy of the Boundary Sea, as always, is violent and aggressive!

Ning Qi's eyes burned with determination. One day, he would pacify these three forces and integrate them into the True Martial.

Just then, the armies of the three regions gradually returned.

"Domain Lord!"

"Lord Ning!"

Sword Ancestor, Qi Keqing, and Zhu Yanchuan led their army to stop behind Ning Qi.

Everyone's face was slightly sweaty, radiating the heat of their journey.

For them, under Ning Qi's protection, the War Zone was no longer a perilous place where death was a near certainty, but instead became a blessed place for them to hone their skills.

Therefore, everyone cherished this opportunity.

Ning Qi nodded slightly and said to the three of them, "Now that everyone has returned, let's cross over to another realm."

He led the group to the boundary wall.

Everyone looked puzzled.

It wasn't that they felt Ning Qi had done anything wrong, but rather that the boundary in front of them had changed.

Previously, the group crossed over from the lower domain to enter the central domain.

The group had previously traversed boundary walls, but those walls were nowhere near as thick as the one before them.

That's why everyone was surprised and suspicious.

Sword Ancestor said, "Young Ning, it seems you're not leading us to the Upper Realm, are you?"

Ning Qi stroked the incredibly thick boundary wall, turned around and smiled, "Those twenty Dao Integration Realm cultivators from the Vast Realm have been in the Upper Domain for so long. If we go in now, what do you think will happen?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions on their faces all changed.

They relied on Ning Qi all along, believing that Ning Qi could solve any problem, but they gave little thought to the big picture.

At this moment, Ning Qi brought it up, and the group of people's minds raced, instantly understanding something.

Qi Keqing said, "Lord Ning, are you saying they might have already joined forces with the cultivators of the Vast Realm of the Upper Domain and are waiting for us outside the boundary?"

Ning Qi shook his head and said, "You've underestimated it."

Zhu Yanchuan immediately added, "Lord Ning, are you implying that the will of the Vast Realm is also waiting for us?"

Ning Qi shook his head again.

Sword Ancestor laughed and said, "He means that not only the will of the Vast Realm, but the entire Vast Realm may be making moves again!"

Qi Keqing and the other person were taken aback, then took a deep breath.

Ning Qi's appearance has already disrupted the course of the war throughout the entire war zone.

Since the Vast Realm had already taken notice of Ning Qi, and in order to eliminate this anomaly, they even sent twenty people who had severed their own Dao Integration to enter.

Now that the Central Region has been captured again, and the enemy barely managed to save the lives of twenty Dao Integration Realm cultivators, couldn't they have foreseen that Ning Qi would cross over to this region?

The powerful figures within the Haoran Realm must be preparing new methods.

They were locked in a fierce battle on the chessboard, and those important figures were both spectators and players. How could they be allowed to gain the upper hand so easily?

Perhaps, after sending twenty self-severed Dao-merging cultivators into the Upper Realm, they have already given orders to the Vast Realm army in the Upper Realm, and may even have added new deployments within the Upper Realm.

These are all possible!

That's why Ning Qi brought everyone here; he had no intention of playing by the rules.

Just kidding. If he played by the rules, he would probably be constantly watched by the wills of both realms, and thus be controlled by them. In fact, his location would become the center of a war between the two realms.

Ning Qi doesn't want to become that kind of person!

Ning Qi said no more.

Within his palm, the Mountain and Sea Imprint appeared, and he pressed his palm against the incredibly thick boundary wall.

Suddenly, a gust of wind seemed to rise around him, and all the energy flowed towards his palm, all of it being the energy of the Mountain and Sea Realm!

If he were to step into a smaller domain within a larger domain, it would naturally be very easy.

But now, fighting across vast territories has naturally become much more difficult.

Fortunately, having captured two smaller domains in the southeastern region, and with the support of the Mountain and Sea Realm's energy and will from these two smaller domains, it's enough to open a passage to the larger domain.

However, the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm did not intend to reject Ning Qi.

It seems to highly approve of Ning Qi's strategy.

The will of the Mountain and Sea Realm didn't even manifest a phantom image, but instead whispered a soft laugh in Ning Qi's ear:

"Your move has gone beyond the realm of a chess piece, which will displease those playing outside the board. However, I am increasingly optimistic about your future development!"

Ning Qi smiled slightly but didn't respond.

The key to defeating the game lies in the fact that the pieces have developed self-awareness and do not move according to the will of the player who placed them.

Ahead, on the incredibly thick boundary wall, a round hole was gradually opened by the will and energy of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Once the round hole appears, it expands at an even faster rate.

Before long, Ning Qi and the others saw a phantom-like circular archway appear on the boundary wall.

Ultimately, the circular archway, no more than ten zhang in size, could no longer be expanded and showed signs of shrinking back.

The will of the Mountain and Sea Realm transmitted a message: "Move forward quickly! Use the power of two minor domains to open a portal across major domains. Even for my true form, this is the most I can do!"

Ning Qi immediately waved his hand and said to the army of the three regions behind him, "Enter immediately, do not linger!"

Dressed in white, he was the first to slip inside.

Sword Ancestor Qi Keqing and her companions followed closely behind, followed by the army from the Three Realms.

They were like walking through a long, dark tunnel.

Compared to the previous crossing of the boundary between smaller domains, this time it was significantly slower, and it also gave everyone a strong sense of oppression.

After an unknown amount of time, everyone's eyes finally lit up.

They seemed to have been squeezed out of the tunnel at the same time, falling one by one into another vast realm.

Ning Qi stood alone in front, his spiritual sense extended, looking down over the entire realm.

The group lined up at the back, all scanning this unknown vast territory.

Within the boundaries of mountains and seas lies an endless ocean.

Within the heart of the sea, atop the Dragon Ascending to Heaven Palace, the Sea Ancestor sits in quiet contemplation.

The illusory image of the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm suddenly appeared on its own.

"Speak, what is it?"

A voice, as cold and clear as ten-thousand-year-old ice, rang out, ethereal and elusive, its origin unknown.

The illusory image of the Mountain and Sea Realm's will looked at the Sea Ancestor and saw that her lips did not move at all, and she did not even glance at him.

He didn't care about that, knowing that Haizu was just that kind of person.

The will of the Mountain and Sea Realm declared, "Qinghai, Ning Qi has already stepped into the war domain you control!"

The Sea Ancestor remained seated motionless, only his pair of deep blue eyes seemed to radiate a cold light as he stared at the illusory image of the Mountain and Sea Realm's will.

"Shan Hai, is this really true?"

The will of the Mountain and Sea Realm snorted in dissatisfaction, "Do you think I would lie to you about a woman?"

Hai Zu gritted his teeth and said resentfully, "Shan Hai, are you asking for a beating again? How many times have I told you not to call me a woman!"

Unlike the Mountain Ancestor, the Sea Ancestor did not address the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm as the Realm Lord, but instead gave him a name: Mountain and Sea!