Moon Sea Immortal Sect
The Central Region is vast and is the core area where the two realms connect.
At this moment, a layer of blood-red mist floated over the entire world, blocking all spiritual senses from probing.
This mist is formed from the resentment of cultivators who fought within the War Realm since its opening. Their deaths and resentment seem to have attracted the power of the Boundary Sea, giving rise to this unique blood mist.
Blood mist shrouded the entire Central Region.
With the arrival of the two strongest sects from the Mountain and Sea Realm and the Vast Realm, the wills of the two realms used their own realm power to condense a barrier in the middle, like the Chu River and Han Border, separating the north and south.
The Central Region is the last undamaged and closed area in the entire War Realm. Once it is completely conquered, the entire War Realm can be transformed into a completely unobstructed territory.
After that, the side that gains the advantage between the two realms will be able to directly invade the other side's spirit realm, and then this spirit realm war will reach its final stage!
Ning Qi and Leng Qing'ao led their troops across the boundary wall of the Central Region, appearing on this vast land filled with blood mist.
Their entry immediately triggered a reaction within.
Amidst billowing blood mist ahead, two cultivators swiftly descended from the sky, landing in front of Ning Qi and the others.
Who goes there?
These two cultivators were from two major immortal sects under the Mountain Ancestor and Sea Ancestor of the Mountain and Sea Realm, as could be seen from their clothing.
The woman on the left is a female cultivator from the Moon Sea Immortal Sect, dressed in a blue cultivator's robe adorned with waves, which accentuates her heroic spirit.
The person on the right is a male cultivator from the Zhou Shan Immortal Sect, dressed in white with the silhouettes of green mountain peaks printed on his clothes.
The two were probably patrolling nearby. After all, the presence of the blood mist in the Central Region was obscuring the spiritual senses of the cultivators, so they could only send people to patrol the border.
Upon sensing the nearby fluctuations, the cultivators from both sides quickly rushed over.
As cultivators from sects under the two ancestors, they maintained clear boundaries. Perhaps due to the current situation, they did not bring the conflicts within the Mountain and Sea Realm into the Central Region.
It's you!
The cultivator from Zhou Shan Immortal Sect on the right stared at Ning Qi's face, then glanced at Leng Qing'ao. His expression seemed rather unfriendly, but he didn't say much.
Previously, Ning Qi had triggered such a terrifying Tribulation Lightning, which they could sense even in the Central Region, which was separated by the boundary wall. Therefore, Gong Heavenly Dao, the sect master of Zhou Shan Immortal Sect, also sent information about Ning Qi to his subordinate cultivators.
Similarly, the same applies to the Moon Sea Immortal Sect.
When the female cultivator saw Ning Qi, her almond-shaped eyes immediately lit up. When she saw Leng Qing'ao, a smile appeared on her otherwise ordinary-looking face.
"Fellow Daoist Ning, Qing Ao, you've arrived!"
Her voice was quite pleasant, warm like a spring breeze, enough to melt the ice and snow of winter, giving people a very friendly feeling.
Ning Qi nodded slightly upon hearing this.
The other party addressed him as "fellow Daoist," but referred to Leng Qing'ao as "Qing'ao," clearly indicating that they were very familiar with Leng Qing'ao.
Just as this thought crossed Ning Qi saw Leng Qing'ao fly towards her, and the two embraced.
After the hug, Leng Qing'ao didn't forget Ning Qi. She took the initiative to introduce Ning Qi:
"Lord Ning, this is Senior Sister Gu Qingyan from the Moon Sea Immortal Sect."
Ning Qi cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Gu!"
Gu Qingyan returned the greeting and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Ning's tribulation is astonishing. Sect Master Zhao instructed us long ago that as soon as she sees you arrive, we should immediately report to her. Would you like to come with me?"
Now that the Xuanzhen Domain has been seized by the Sea Ancestor and is under her control, Ning Qi is naturally considered a cultivator on the Sea Ancestor's side.
He nodded, about to follow Gu Qingyan to meet the sect leader of the Moon Sea Immortal Sect, the sect of the Sea Ancestor.
However, at this moment, the male cultivator from Zhou Shan Immortal Sect suddenly spoke coldly:
"Ning Qi, don't forget your origins. You have always been a cultivator under our Mountain Ancestor."
Upon hearing this, not only Ning Qi, but also Leng Qing'ao, Gu Qingyan, and many other cultivators behind them all turned their gazes toward the male cultivator.
Despite being watched by so many cultivators, the man remained remarkably bold and showed no sign of being forced to back down.
Before Ning Qi could say anything, Gu Qingyan stepped forward first, her tone clearly changing from gentle to cold.
"Zhou Hanshan, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to steal our Moon Sea Immortal Sect's talent?"
"Gu Qingyan, I was merely stating a fact. If it weren't for your Hai..."
When the word "sea" was mentioned, Zhou Hanshan, who was usually full of courage, strangely shut his mouth and didn't even finish his sentence.
It seems that title was also unbearable for him.
Gu Qingyan scoffed when she saw that the other party didn't even dare to mention the name of Hai Zu.
"The Sea Ancestor appreciates Fellow Daoist Ning's talent and has already arranged for the Xuanzhen Domain to be located in a place adjacent to my Moon Sea Immortal Sect. Even though you treat such an unparalleled genius so coldly, leaving him in a remote spiritual domain and never inquiring about him."
"You..." Zhou Hanshan began to interrupt.
Unexpectedly, Gu Qingyan unleashed a barrage of words as sharp as thunder, silencing Zhou Hanshan once again.
"What you say is true, but what I say isn't? Anyone with a modicum of sense knows that the Sea Ancestor has always held great importance for a talent like Fellow Daoist Ning!"
"Besides, Fellow Daoist Ning has been on his way to the Dao Integration stage. When have you ever helped him? Not only have you not helped him, but some of you even wanted to kill him, right?"
"Don't think we didn't receive intelligence. Those three domain lords, Fancheng, Jin Guanghua, and Mu Qingtian, targeted Ning Qi as soon as they entered the War Domain. If Fellow Daoist Ning hadn't survived this crisis with the tribulation lightning, he might have been killed by your own people!"
Are you saying none of this ever happened?
Gu Qingyan uttered a series of sentences in quick succession, forcefully keeping Zhou Hanshan speechless.
Zhou Hanshan glared hatefully at Gu Qingyan. When he looked at Ning Qi again, he found that everyone, whether it was Ning Qi, Leng Qing'ao, or the army of cultivators under his command, had cold eyes when they looked at him.
Clearly, no matter what he said, there was absolutely no way he could change the Ning Qi was going to their Zhou Shan Immortal Sect.
Furthermore, Gu Qingyan's series of words resonated with everyone.
Zhou Hanshan simply left, no longer lingering there, drawing glares from the crowd.
Ning Qi lowered his eyes slightly.
Gu Qingyan's words seemed to be a rebuke to Zhou Hanshan, but they also reminded him of something.
The Xuanzhen Domain has been moved by the Sea Ancestor to the vicinity of the Moon Sea Immortal Sect.
Ning Qi couldn't say whether Hai Zu valued him or threatened him.
"Let's go, Fellow Daoist Ning. I suspect the Zhou Shan Immortal Sect might send someone to harass you again. It would be better to head to my Moon Sea Immortal Sect sooner rather than later."
Ning Qi replied casually, "Okay!"
With Gu Qingyan leading the way, the group quickly headed to the location where the Moon Sea Immortal Sect was stationed.
Ning Qi secretly glanced at the situation in the Central Plains.
The blood mist did nothing to obscure his spiritual senses.
He had already glimpsed the entirety of the Central Region when he entered it before, let alone now that he has survived the Tribulation of Dao Integration.
The number of cultivators that can be restricted by this blood mist depends on their strength, and Ning Qi is certainly an exception.
Ning Qi guessed that the blood mist probably wouldn't be able to block the spiritual senses of the sect leaders of the three sects, and as for other cultivators, the range of what they could see depended on their cultivation level.
Behind Ning Qi, Leng Qing'ao and the cultivators under their respective command were all filled with curiosity about the situation in the Central Region.
They fought tooth and nail in the outer regions before, so why did they become so calm after arriving in the central regions?
Before long, Ning Qi and Leng Qingao flew to the left side of the center of the Central Region.
A lone, beautiful figure stood quietly ahead, her figure graceful and sculpted like water. There was no one within ten meters of her.
Ten meters away, a large army stood in neat formation, and Ning Qi could tell the formation of the army at a glance.
That was a tsunami of surging waves!
This Formation is extremely adept at amplifying the power of cultivators, allowing everyone to work together to unleash wave after wave of powerful attacks.
As for how many layers of power can be added and how many times the power can be amplified, it depends on the overall strength of the cultivators and the skill of the leader.
They sensed the arrival of Ning Qi and the others.
The beautiful figure gazing at the central boundary wall suddenly turned around.
Her eyes were azure, with a tender gaze that seemed to draw one into a gentle ocean, captivating them completely.
"Fellow Daoist Ning."
As the sect leader of the Moon Sea Immortal Sect, which was personally founded by Hai Zu, Zhao Yujun's abilities are definitely second only to Hai Zu's.
She didn't exude any particular aura, yet she possessed the same transcendent quality as Ning Qi.
Now Zhao Yujun also addresses Ning Qi as Fellow Daoist Ning, which clearly shows that he is not being arrogant, but rather treating Ning Qi as an equal.
She smiled slightly, revealing two dimples at the corners of her mouth, and extended her hand.
Ning Qi landed beside him and shook hands with the outstretched hand.
"Fellow Daoist Zhao."
The clasping of hands signifies a mutual test of the other's abilities.
Ning Qi felt as if his right hand was entangled in the deep sea, yet he did not feel like he was drowning.
He immediately gleaned a glimpse of Zhao Yujun's conviction from it.
This woman, as gentle as water, possesses a belief that is not weak, but rather has an enduring, persistent, and relentless quality, like water that can wear away stone.
This was the first time Ning Qi had sensed such terrifying conviction from cultivators within the Mountain and Sea Realm.
Zhao Yujun, on the other hand, trembled slightly.
She looked at her own fair and warm hand, which had already separated from Ning Qi's hand.
Zhao Yujun's azure eyes flickered involuntarily!
Zhao Yujun found it hard to believe that Ning Qi could so easily break free from her grasp.
She was confident that, apart from the Mountain Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor, no one else in the Mountain and Sea Realm could break free so quickly from the Great Dao she excelled at. Even Gong Heavenly Dao, the sect leader of the Zhou Mountain Immortal Sect, couldn't do it!
Zhao Yujun withdrew her hand, her sleeves falling to conceal it.
She smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Ning truly lives up to his reputation as a cultivator who has survived the thirty-sixth tribulation. I admire him greatly."
Ning Qi said politely, "Having met Fellow Daoist Zhao today, I truly understand how high the sky is and how deep the sea is."
It seems that Zhao Yujun, as the sect leader of the Moon Sea Immortal Sect, has not seen a cultivator who can speak to her on equal footing for many years.
Ning Qi's appearance filled this gap.
The expression on her face became more genuine.
Behind him, the cultivators of the Moon Sea Immortal Sect were stunned to see their sect leader smile several times.
Although Sect Leader Zhao is a woman, she has fully inherited the will of the Sea Ancestor. It would be a grave mistake to treat her as a weakling or someone who is easy to talk to.
It can be said that within the realm of mountains and seas, the feud between the Sea Ancestor and the Mountain Ancestor is a major factor.
The Sea Ancestor lost to the Mountain Ancestor back then, and naturally, there were constant conflicts between the immortal sects under their command.
However, their Sect Master Zhao defeated Gong Heavenly Dao, the Sect Master of Zhoushan Immortal Sect, several times, and led Yuehai Immortal Sect to victory over Zhoushan Immortal Sect on the Battlefield several times as well.
This reveals the terrifying nature beneath Zhao Yujun's gentle exterior!
Ning Qi was unaware of this.
The two separated their clasped hands, Ning Qi forgot all about it.
"Sect Leader Zhao, now that we've met here, does the Sea Ancestor have any instructions?"
Although Ning Qi has now entered the Dao Integration stage, he will continue to follow the Dao of Deception.
Based on his understanding of the Sea Ancestor from the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and his feeling after just testing Zhao Yujun, Ning Qi knew that the Zhao Sect Master in front of him was probably a crazy woman like the Sea Ancestor.
When dealing with crazy women, the best approach is to give them as much face as possible and avoid deliberately displaying your strength and superiority in front of them.
Otherwise, they will look down on you.
If you get entangled with a crazy woman, that would be even more troublesome!
How could Ning Qi fall into the same trap as Zhou Hanshan before him?
Upon hearing Ning Qi's question, he immediately brought up Hai Zu.
Zhao Yujun's expression softened even more.
No matter how amazing Ning Qi's talent was, far surpassing the ten Tribulation Lightning she had overcome, and even the twenty-seven Tribulation Lightning created by the Sea Ancestor, Ning Qi's attitude satisfied her.
Zhao Yujun replied softly, "Hai Zu instructed me to tell you that as long as you do your job well, she will never treat you unfairly."
Her azure eyes flickered slightly, like the undulating waves of the sea in summer.
"The Sea Ancestor will look after your Xuanzhen Domain. As for the merits you have made in the War Realm, the Sea Ancestor will not only reward you, but will also help you obtain more from the Will of the Mountain and Sea Realm."
"Hmm?" Ning Qi's heart stirred slightly.
Judging from Zhao Yujun's words, Haizu really cared about him a lot.
Aside from the fact that Ning Qi felt the Sea Ancestor posed a threat regarding the Xuanzhen Domain matter, there seemed to be no other faults to be found.
Coupled with Leng Qing'ao's attitude and Zhao Yujun's bluntness, Ning Qi suddenly felt that these crazy women weren't so scary after all. On the contrary, he felt valued as if he had become one of their own.
Of course, Ning Qi's State of Mind would not be shaken by this.
He knew that all of this stemmed from his own strength.
If he weren't strong enough, and he were just an ordinary cultivator, do you think he would still have done that?
Strength is the foundation of everything!
Ning Qi responded with a faint smile, "To gain Hai Zu's attention, I, Ning, will naturally serve Hai Zu."
Zhao Yujun glanced at the others following behind Ning Qi, her eyes flashing again.
Although she was in the Central Region, she was very clear about the kind of cultivator team Ning Qi had built.
Behind Ning Qi were more than seventy Dao Integration cultivators, two of whom had actually survived more than ten layers of tribulation lightning, exceeding the number of layers she had faced in her own tribulation years ago.
As for the other Dao-merging cultivators, they all survived nine Tribulation Lightning!
This is an astonishing figure, one that even Zhao Yujun couldn't help but admire and appreciate.
Their Moon Sea Immortal Sect is the strongest sect in the Mountain and Sea Realm, with a wealth of talented individuals and geniuses emerging from among its ranks.
They are naturally much stronger than Ning Qi's team in terms of strength, but they are inferior in terms of potential.
More than seventy geniuses who collectively survived the ninefold Tribulation Lightning —the Moon Sea Immortal Sect has never had that many since its founding!
That's why Hai Zu specifically sent a telepathic message, instructing Zhao Yujun to take Ning Qi seriously.
Zhao Yujun withdrew her gaze.
Leng Qing'ao greeted her sweetly.
"Sister Yujun!"
The two then embraced.
Ning Qi observed this and felt that the cultivators under the Sea Ancestor's command were clearly more emotionally connected than those under the Mountain Ancestor's command.
The Mountain Ancestor seems to revere power, while the Sea Ancestor reveres emotions.
Of course, both of them value strength as their foundation.
Just as Ning Qi was pondering, Zhao Yujun suddenly transmitted her voice to him privately. "The Sea Ancestor also told me to tell you that you and she are very similar in some ways, especially in utilizing the power of the Boundary Sea!"
Ning Qi's expression shifted.
"???"