Contempt

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.

"???"

Ning Qi gave Zhao Yujun a deep look.

The sect leader of the Moon Sea Immortal Sect was already communicating with Leng Qing'ao.

Clearly, the final message from the other party was something Hai Zu had specifically instructed them to convey.

Hai Zu said that Ning Qi was similar to her in some ways, especially in using the power of the Boundary Sea.

Ning Qi carefully considered the meaning of this sentence.

Clearly, Hai Zu can also utilize the power of the Boundary Sea; Zhao Yujun's words conveyed this meaning.

But why would Haizu specifically convey this message to him? Surely it couldn't be that the other party was just bored watching and using him for amusement?

Ning Qi tried to decipher Hai Zu's deeper meaning.

Perhaps she is the only one in the entire Mountain and Sea Realm who can utilize the power of the Boundary Sea, something even the Ancestor Lianshan cannot do.

However, his use of the power of the Boundary Sea was observed by the Sea Ancestor, who could also use the power of the Boundary Sea, which is why the Sea Ancestor specifically mentioned it.

But even so, what exactly did Haizu want to say to him?

Ning Qi recalled the messages Hai Zu had conveyed to him through various channels since he entered the war zone.

The first message Ning Qi received was that, upon hearing that the Mountain Ancestor intended to take him as a disciple, the other party immediately had the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm convey the same intention to him.

And she threatened that if she couldn't have it, no one else could!

The second time, Ning Qi displayed his prowess within the war zone, single-handedly pacifying multiple war zones.

Hai Zu realized his value and directly fought with Shan Zu, seizing the Xuanzhen Domain under Shan Zu's jurisdiction.

The third time, after Ning Qi underwent his tribulation, Hai Zu realized that he had underestimated Ning Qi's potential, which is why he had Zhao Yujun convey this message.

After comparing the information from several sources, Ning Qi indeed felt that Hai Zu cared about him very much.

Ning Qi's deduction of what the other party was trying to convey became much clearer.

Ning Qi felt that what Hai Zu wanted to convey, besides that she could also use the power of the Boundary Sea, was that only she could be his master.

Of course, he couldn't escape the threat posed by Haizu.

Hai Zu always used a combination of kindness and severity, so the other party was definitely warning him that they had discovered his little secret.

With that in mind, Ning Qi stopped thinking about it.

Whatever Hai Zu thinks, once he becomes the biggest winner, we'll see who becomes whose master!

Just then, shouts suddenly came from afar, startling everyone.

Someone asked first, "Who goes there?"

Immediately afterward, someone shouted, "Gong Heavenly Dao, why aren't you in your own ranks? What are you doing here in our army?"

"Don't think that just because you're the sect leader of the Zhou Shan Immortal Sect, we won't dare to do anything to you!"

No sooner had these words been spoken than a series of sounds of fighting seemed to erupt.

A gust of wind swept through the misty blood.

Zhao Yujun suddenly spoke, her tone calm and steady.

"Let Gong Heavenly Dao in."

"Yes!"

The cultivators immediately obeyed the order and stopped entangled with the man who had barged into the army's ranks.

Then, a tall and imposing middle-aged man appeared, stepping through the air and landing not far in front of Zhao Yujun.

This is Gong Heavenly Dao, the sect leader of Zhoushan Immortal Sect. Just by standing there, his aura is as heavy as a mountain, giving people a sense of responsibility and the ability to shoulder great tasks.

Gong Heavenly Dao first clasped his hands in greeting to Zhao Yujun and said, "I have come here to pay my respects to Sect Leader Zhao and wish to discuss some matters concerning the upcoming battle."

Zhao Yujun sneered and replied, "I think you're just pretending to discuss the war; you really want to snatch people, don't you?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Ning Qi.

Gong Heavenly Dao followed her gaze and looked at Ning Qi.

"Is this Fellow Daoist Ning?"

Gong Heavenly Dao scrutinized Ning Qi, a glint of divine light flashing in his eyes, as if he wanted to see through everything about Ning Qi.

"I, Gong, have met Fellow Daoist Ning."

This was Ning Qi's first time facing the two sect leaders of the strongest sect in the Mountain and Sea Realm. He remained neither humble nor arrogant, and also clasped his hands in greeting to Gong Heavenly Dao.

"I, Ning, have met Fellow Daoist Gong."

The light in Gong Heavenly Dao's eyes gradually faded, and his eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

He possessed a unique ability to observe people, and could even discern the true nature of Zhao Yujun from the Moon Sea Immortal Sect, who was of the same level as him.

However, when facing Ning Qi, Gong Heavenly Dao was shocked to find that his secret technique had no effect on Ning Qi at all.

Is this the terrifying thing about surviving the thirty-six tribulations of Tribulation Lightning?

In fact, both Gong Heavenly Dao and Zhao Yujun were secretly probing Ning Qi's situation.

After all, the two were arguably the most powerful and strongest cultivators in the Mountain and Sea Realm, aside from the two Ancestors.

Ning Qi's appearance will inevitably have some impact on them.

However, since both of them received messages from their ancestors, their attitudes toward Ning Qi differed.

The attitudes of the two sides of cultivators became apparent after Ning Qi entered the Central Region.

After the others had exchanged greetings, Zhao Yujun said with a playful tone, "Sect Leader Gong, if you're thinking of using your subordinates' rhetoric to win over Fellow Daoist Ning, I think you'd better give up as soon as possible."

Gong Heavenly Dao looked slightly embarrassed.

The man on patrol had reported everything that had happened after encountering Ning Qi, and Gong Heavenly Dao naturally knew that things were about to go wrong.

Even if Ning Qi did indeed belong to the Mountain Ancestor before, can this kind of rhetoric be used to win Ning Qi over?

Obviously not!

His superior, the Mountain Ancestor, also passed down a divine command, consisting of only one sentence. "You must bring Ning Qi back!"

That's why Gong Heavenly Dao came here to see Ning Qi in person.

But as soon as they met, Gong Heavenly Dao knew that he could not persuade Ning Qi at all.

Gong Heavenly Dao couldn't help but feel a bit helpless towards the Mountain Ancestor.

Damn it, if you had discovered Ning Qi's hidden gem earlier, would he have ended up in Hai Zu's hands?

Not only did they fail to discover Ning Qi beforehand, but they also allowed the Xuanzhen Domain to be seized by the Sea Ancestor.

Even Ning Qi's weakness has fallen into Hai Zu's hands, how could he possibly persuade him?

In fact, Gong Heavenly Dao had considered forcibly taking Ning Qi away.

But glancing at Zhao Yujun, who was staring at him meaningfully, he knew he couldn't beat her with this crazy woman around.

In addition, Ning Qi's current strength is not weak either.

Gong Heavenly Dao could only sigh inwardly and give up the idea of bringing Ning Qi back to the Mountain Ancestor's command.

He then used a feigned retreat to advance, saying, "Fellow Daoist Ning is a free man; he can stay wherever he wants. How could I, Gong, forcibly try to win him over?"

After saying that, Gong Heavenly Dao turned to the north and continued, "I think we should discuss our next strategy. I suspect both sides will soon remove this barrier."

He acted as if he wasn't really there to win over Ning Qi, and although everyone could see through it, no one said anything more about it.

Seeing this, Zhao Yujun gestured to Ning Qi to invite him to join her.

"Fellow Daoist Ning, you are now qualified to participate in the strategic planning of this war. Please follow me."

Ning Qi then flew forward with the two of them.

They flew to the boundary where the rules of the two realms converged.

A boundary wall separates the north and south.

Gong Heavenly Dao activated his divine eyes again and suddenly turned to ask, "I wonder if Fellow Daoist Ning can see the situation on the other side?"

"No problem!"

Ning Qi's eyes automatically transformed into the Golden Eyes of Truth.

In fact, whether he activates his Golden Eyes of Truth or not, he can easily survey the situation in the entire Central Region. However, he still needs to keep a low profile in front of the two sect leaders.

Zhao Yujun's pair of azure blue eyes, like water, now seemed to be swirling with eddies, clearly indicating that she also possessed a divine eye capable of discerning truth from falsehood.

The three of them gazed northward across the boundary wall.

Gong Heavenly Dao then added, "Thanks to Fellow Daoist Cheng Ning, we wiped out over a thousand Dao Integration cultivators on the other side during our tribulation. Now, their number of Dao Integration cultivators in the Central Region is inferior to ours."

"It was just something I did on a whim," Ning Qi said modestly.

Zhao Yujun narrowed her eyes, as if searching for something.

"Within the Vast Realm, the Vast Immortal Sect is the most revered. Their sect leader is named Jiang Yingchu. Can you sense where he is?"

Gong Heavenly Dao shook his head slightly, "Although I can't see where he is, I can roughly guess where he is based on my perception of cultivation levels."

"But that place?" Zhao Yujun pointed to a spot in the northeast.

Gong Heavenly Dao nodded slightly.

"Indeed, I wonder if Fellow Daoist Ning has noticed?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Qi immediately understood the range of their vision.

These two guys seem to be far less sharp than him.

However, being able to investigate the situation on the other side despite the boundary is already quite remarkable, and it is worthy of their position as sect leader.

Ning Qi also pointed northeast and said, "Jiang Yingchu should be about seventeen li northeast of us."

Upon hearing Ning Qi reveal such a specific location, both of them were taken aback.

Good heavens, is Ning Qi's eyesight even better than theirs?

Gong Heavenly Dao tentatively asked, "Brother Ning, can you see Jiang Yingchu completely?"

Ning Qi nodded.

"I could not only see him, but I also saw him rallying his men, seemingly inscribing some kind of Formation on the ground."

Ning Qi concealed some details, but upon hearing this, the two were stunned once again, their hearts stirred with emotion.

Ning Qi explained in such detail that even if the two had some doubts, they wouldn't have many.

Zhao Yujun smiled slightly.

"It seems that although the battle has not yet begun, Fellow Daoist Ning has already made a contribution. Jiang Yingchu's eyesight should be about the same as ours; he doesn't know what we're doing, but we know what he's doing, which gives us an extra edge in victory."

Zhao Yujun changed the subject and looked at Ning Qi and Gong Heavenly Dao.

Should we also carve a magic circle on the ground?

Gong Heavenly Dao frowned slightly.

The two sects have always been opposed, and their practices and studies are in conflict.

Before Ning Qi entered, the two showed no intention of communicating, instead each occupying one side and preparing to fight.

Now Zhao Yujun is mentioning that she also wants to learn from Jiang Yingchu and inscribe magic arrays on the ground, this...

Gong Heavenly Dao stated bluntly, "Forgive my frankness, but the Formation practiced by our two sects have always been incompatible, like fire and water. If we were to inscribe formations on the ground, I believe it would not only be ineffective but could even trigger unnecessary conflict."

Zhao Yujun did not reply.

Her brows furrowed slightly, clearly indicating that she agreed with Gong Heavenly Dao's idea.

Ning Qi's heart stirred, and he thought to himself, "Inscribing Formation? I have already inscribed a large array surrounding the entire war realm, but within the Central Region, it can be repaired and strengthened further. I can also take this opportunity to see how the Formation of the two sects are, and gain insight into their sect arrays within the Mountain and Sea Realm."

Thinking of this, Ning Qi immediately said, "I am not very talented, but I happen to have some achievements in the field of array formations, which may be able to resolve the conflict you mentioned."

The two of them turned their gazes toward each other.

Zhao Yujun said earnestly, "Fellow Daoist Ning, this matter is of great importance; you'd better not get involved."

She knew that Ning Qi had amazing talent, but in the path of array formation, their Moon Sea Immortal Sect and Zhou Mountain Immortal Sect had accumulated knowledge for countless millennia.

She thought Ning Qi might not be aware of this, so she kindly reminded him.

A hint of disdain flashed in Gong Heavenly Dao's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

He said aloud, "Sect Leader Zhao, what if Fellow Daoist Ning is telling the truth?"

Zhao Yujun glared at him. She knew perfectly well what Gong Heavenly Dao was thinking.

Faced with the intimidating gaze of this wicked woman, Gong Heavenly Dao visibly shrank back.

However, he did not give up and said, "Sect Master Zhao, the matter of engraving arrays is of great importance. Even if there is only a sliver of hope, we should seize it. Otherwise, if the Haoran Immortal Sect is fully prepared, we will definitely fall behind them in this aspect."

Zhao Yujun was well aware of this principle.

"Alright, if we really want to carve it, our two armies are each ten miles apart, so carving half each will be enough. Even if it's not as complete as the grand formation of the Haoran Immortal Sect, it won't be too bad."

Ning Qi touched his nose and offered, "Gentlemen, I know you don't trust me, but why don't you test my method with one or two small Formation first?"

Zhao Yujun's chest trembled, and she almost choked on her own lungs.

All she said was to prevent Ning Qi from making a mistake, so why is Ning Qi still so insistent on pushing forward?

Zhao Yujun knew the gravity of the situation. If Ning Qi made a wrong move, it wouldn't matter much to her and Gong Heavenly Dao, but it would be a different story for the two ancestors behind them.

The two ancestors attacked the Vast Realm with the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm this time because they were determined to conquer the Vast Realm.

In some cases, Zhao Yujun and Gong Heavenly Dao were even fully aware of the situation.

The two patriarchs told them that as long as they could conquer the Vast Realm, they would not hesitate to sacrifice 95 percent of the cultivators in the Mountain and Sea Realm!

This shows the two ancestors' thirst for victory; they were willing to sacrifice 95 percent of the creatures in the Mountain and Sea Realm to achieve their goal.

As their disciples, the two felt some pity for the creatures within the Mountain and Sea Realm, but they had no choice but to carry out their orders.

That's why Zhao Yujun repeatedly told Ning Qi not to get involved.

A deeper look of contempt flashed in Gong Heavenly Dao's eyes once again.

Even if Ning Qi wanted to inscribe the formation, he wouldn't agree. But since Ning Qi brought it up himself, he had to make Ning Qi look foolish at least once.

This kid's talent was so strong that even he was terrified. In addition, it seemed that both ancestors valued Ning Qi very much, which made Gong Heavenly Dao even more dissatisfied.

He smiled and said to Zhao Yujun, "Sect Master Zhao, why don't we let Fellow Daoist Ning give it a try? What if he can actually do it? Even if he can't, Fellow Daoist Ning will back down when faced with a difficult situation, which would be a good thing for him."

Zhao Yujun stared at Ning Qi's face.

Ning Qi's face was very clean, handsome and dashing, but more than his extraordinary appearance, he exuded confidence and detachment.

Seeing Ning Qi's confidence, she finally agreed.

"Oh well."

After saying that, the two of them suddenly leaped back a large step.

The two formed a sword with their fingers, and the power of the rules within their bodies condensed at their fingertips.

Swish swish swish!

Soon, the two of them had inscribed a complex small Formation on the ground in front of them.

Ning Qi looked down at the large array on the ground, seemingly stunned for a moment.

When Gong Heavenly Dao saw Ning Qi's stunned expression, the corners of his mouth curled up almost imperceptibly, indicating that Ning Qi must have been stumped.

"Fellow Daoist Ning, isn't this formation too troublesome? This is merely the most basic Formation of our two sects."