Who Said I Was Alone?
The once invincible wooden spikes were now held between Ning Qi's two fingers.
The wood thorns transformed back into withered yellow leaves, swaying gently on Ning Qi's fingertips.
This scene was projected without reservation onto the sky above the Vast Realm, and a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in everyone's previously lifeless eyes.
They had not yet recovered from their stagnant state of mind, but they could not suppress their curiosity to explore.
What exactly happened?
Why was Ning Qi able to catch the splinter so easily, and why did it turn back into a withered leaf?
Inside the cave.
The dragon-faced cultivator was slightly startled.
The will of the Vast Realm and the Saint Ancestor's avatar, both impaled by wooden spikes, also showed expressions of bewilderment and surprise.
Ning Qi flicked his fingers, and the withered leaf at his fingertips vanished instantly.
Seeing this, the dragon-faced cultivator asked with some uncertainty, "The sapling of the Jianmu tree is with you?"
Previously, he had seen Ning Qi break into the Mountain and Sea Realm and use the seedling of the Jianmu tree to mend the holes in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
At that time, the Mountain Ancestor only launched one attack on Ning Qi and did not target him with his full strength.
He thought Ning Qi could only hold on for a little longer at most, and sooner or later he would not be able to withstand the consumption of the Jianmu seedling, and Mount Buzhou would continue to devour the Mountain and Sea Realm.
To everyone's surprise, the entire Mountain and Sea Realm vanished, and the seedling of the Jianmu tree disappeared without a trace.
Originally, the Jianmu seedling was brought into the Mountain and Sea Realm by the Mountain Ancestor after he obtained the Inheritance Mount Buzhou. He then sealed the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and the Mountain Ancestor also left a Primordial Spirit to reside in the Jianmu seedling.
The seedling of Jianmu has always been within the grasp of the Mountain Ancestor, but the Mountain Ancestor can no longer sense its existence.
Therefore, when he saw Ning Qi easily catch the wooden spikes formed from the withered leaves of the Jianmu tree as he shot them at Ning Qi, the dragon-faced cultivator asked this question.
Ning Qi's expression remained unchanged as he countered, "What is a seedling of the Jianmu tree?"
The dragon-faced cultivator was speechless; Ning Qi simply wouldn't admit it!
However, he only suspected Ning Qi, but could not confirm it.
He still leaned towards his previous guess: that someone of equal strength to their ancestors was hiding in the shadows and orchestrated everything.
The dragon-faced cultivator shook his head at Ning Qi, saying that it was impossible for Ning Qi to have done all this!
The dragon-faced cultivator immediately conjured three more wooden spikes, each shimmering with a different luster, and shot them toward Ning Qi.
Whoosh whoosh!
Three wooden spikes pierced through the space; one shot towards Ning Qi's eyes, one towards Ning Qi Dantian, and one appeared from behind Ning Qi, heading towards Ning Qi back.
Their speed was extremely fast, and they were even infused with immortal energy by the dragon-faced cultivator.
This time, however, Ning Qi didn't even bother to move.
As soon as the three wooden thorns approached Ning Qi, they softened instantly, reverting to leaves, and lightly burrowed into Ning Qi's body.
Upon seeing this, the dragon-faced cultivator lost his composure.
If the previous splinter was an accident, then the fact that Ning Qi turned all three splinters into withered leaves this time was definitely not an accident!
The next second, he forcefully spat out his palm, sending countless wooden spikes flying towards Ning Qi.
These wooden spikes, arranged in formation, some large, some small, some real, some fake, some illusory, surrounded Ning Qi from all directions like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, before suddenly shooting out.
Beside them, the sealed will of the Vast Realm and the Saint Ancestor's avatar couldn't help but show expressions of worry.
They were covered in splinters, so they knew all too well how dangerous those splinters were.
It not only possesses the sharpest penetrating power in the world, but it also seems to have a life of its own, pinning them down while constantly drawing power from their bodies to take root and sprout.
Countless wooden spikes shot towards Ning Qi, Ning Qi merely uttered a single word. "Withdraw!"
Instantly, all the incoming wooden spikes pierced into Ning Qi's body. This time, Ning Qi didn't even bother to turn them back into withered leaves.
Everyone who witnessed this scene was on edge.
The next moment, Ning Qi let out a light breath. Not only was he completely unharmed, but his aura actually increased significantly.
The splinters didn't harm him at all; on the contrary, they were like a nourishing medicine.
He smiled faintly at the dragon-faced cultivator and said, "How many more wooden spikes do you have? Why don't you just bring them all over?"
The Holy Ancestor's avatar and the will of the Vast Realm were completely dumbfounded.
The numb expressions of everyone in the Vast Realm who were staring at the sky suddenly shifted, and their eyes shone brightly.
The dragon-faced cultivator stared at Ning Qi's two fingers with unfathomable depths.
"No, this is definitely not your strength. Who exactly are you?"
Suddenly, he strode towards Ning Qi, his fingers forming claws, reaching out to grab him.
Ning Qi had no intention of accepting the challenge. His figure faded and transformed into two streams of energy, one yin and one yang.
The dragon-faced cultivator's claws danced, tearing apart even space itself, but when it touched the Yin and Yang energies...
The yin and yang energies flowed through his fingers like slippery loaches.
He clearly used methods of restraint and confinement, but they were completely ineffective.
The dragon-faced cultivator's expression changed, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Transforming Qi into ultimate softness... this is the technique of the Sea of Emotion!"
The Cultivation Method and supernatural Divine Ability he practiced were extremely powerful and yang, capable of breaking through and grasping nothing. Only the power of the gentlest force, which Hai Zu, who had been opposing him all these years, had comprehended, could allow him to escape.
To trap the Sea Ancestor's supremely gentle power, only the illusory image of Mount Buzhou can be used, but the illusory image of Mount Buzhou has not yet been projected in.
The dragon-faced cultivator turned around and looked at the yin and yang energies.
The yin and yang energies that Ning Qi had transformed into circled behind him, seemingly trying to re-condense Ning Qi's figure.
The dragon-faced cultivator attacked the Yin and Yang energies once again.
However, the Yin and Yang energies were like an elusive breeze from beginning to end, flowing away with the wind from the dragon-faced cultivator's fist, impervious to all attacks.
Clank!
Suddenly, a series of rapid metallic sounds came from inside the cave.
Upon hearing the sound, the dragon-faced cultivator continued his attack on the Yin and Yang energies while simultaneously glancing sharply towards the source of the sound.
The will of the Vast Realm's main body and the Saint Ancestor's avatar, which he had originally pinned down, were actually freed at the same time.
The splinters on their bodies were easily pulled out one by one, and what saved them was a stream of yin and yang energy!
Those splinters seemed to change hands instantly, merging into the yin and yang energies.
Upon seeing this, the dragon-faced cultivator immediately flew into a rage.
It turns out that Ning Qi had not only generated a single yin and yang energy, but had also quietly separated into two streams. One stream was used to engage him in battle, while the other stream went to rescue the Holy Ancestor's avatar and the will of the Vast Realm.
He worked so hard to pin the two together, which caused a catastrophe in the Haoran Realm, with the phantom of Mount Buzhou devouring the energy of the Haoran Realm.
Who knew that Ning Qi would ruin it again, and that he succeeded so easily.
The dragon-faced cultivator roared, his voice echoing through the cavern.
"You brat, how dare you!"
As he went berserk, the Devouring Dragon, which had long since merged into the cave space, reappeared.
The dragon roared and its scales emerged, trapping the three who had just escaped inside its belly.
A massive dragon head suddenly emerged from one corner, aimed at the three people inside its belly, and unleashed a breath of annihilation!
Inside the dragon's head, a section of tree branch emitted a withered yellow color, which seemed to turn grayish-black instantly as the dragon's head exhaled its breath.
"Kid, you focus on dealing with him, don't worry about us!"
The Holy Ancestor's avatar and the will of the Vast Realm broke free from the dragon-faced cultivator's seal, still looking incredulous.
After all, neither of them could do anything about the wooden spike, but Ning Qi seemed to be its master, taking it away with ease, which truly shocked them.
However, the Holy Ancestor's avatar understood the current situation.
He and the will of the Vast Realm were no longer able to deal with the dragon-faced cultivator; it was up to Ning Qi now.
Therefore, he immediately spoke up, hoping that Ning Qi would ignore them.
Ning Qi did not respond, but instead shielded the two behind him, facing the Devouring World Dragon's annihilating dragon breath head-on.
His pupils reflected the annihilating dragon's breath, and he couldn't help but show admiration in his eyes.
"The sapling of the Jianmu tree nourishes itself with the world's energy, drawing strength from it to grow stronger. Who would have thought that in the hands of the dragon-faced cultivator, it could unleash such reverse power? Is this the Inheritance of Mount Buzhou?"
The Dragon's Breath of Annihilation, like a flood and a raging fire, spewed towards the three of them, scorching the space around them until it collapsed.
Ning Qi sensed the desolation of life, the withering and the way of death contained within it.
He neither dodged nor evaded; with a turn of his body, he transformed into a dark, gloomy Yin Qi, rather than appearing as both yin and yang energies.
The dragon's breath instantly erupted upon the Yin Qi.
The two collided, but there was no fierce confrontation or struggle.
The next second, the two began to merge together, the Yin Qi flowing like water, encompassing all things, completely absorbing the dragon's breath into its own body.
In the void, a wisp of Yin Qi swirled and rotated, like a fish playing merrily in the space that was its own pond!
Behind Ning Qi, the Holy Ancestor's avatar and the will of the Vast Realm were stunned.
Since Ning Qi made his move, he has never chosen to confront the dragon-faced cultivator head-on, but has been using an incomparably sophisticated method of neutralizing his power.
Although the Holy Ancestor's avatar didn't understand why Ning Qi wasn't as sharp as he had been when they fought before, he had to admit that Ning Qi had become stronger!
It's like two people fighting. If they fight back and forth, and both are injured, it means that their skill levels are actually about the same.
However, if one side can neutralize the opponent's attack through a neutralizing method, it only proves one thing: the person neutralizing the attack has a complete understanding of the opponent's methods and is confident that they can fully accept the opponent's methods in order to successfully execute the neutralizing move.
At their level, in addition to possessing the power of rules and the body of rules of ordinary Dao Integration Realm cultivators, they are also pursuing a higher realm of immortality.
This great path is no longer the power of rules, but rather an understanding of the Dao.
All three have forged their own paths and are poised to break through to the realm of Dao Integration, attaining immortality.
However, the three of them followed different paths.
Haizu entered the Dao by following the principle of the correspondence between water and the moon, and embarked on a path of ultimate yin and gentleness.
The Mountain Ancestor took the mountain as his path, and with the cultivation of the Inheritance of Mount Buzhou, he embarked on a path of ultimate strength and yang.
The Holy Ancestor entered the Dao through calligraphy and painting, studied divine script, and created a unique secret path of divine script through calligraphy and painting.
Of the three paths, no one can definitively say which is the strongest.
However, as the Spirit Realm War has progressed to this point, they all know that the Mountain Ancestor is far stronger.
This is not to say that the Mountain Ancestor's supremely masculine and yang-based path is the strongest, but rather that the Inheritance the Mountain Ancestor received was too astonishing.
Moreover, the Mountain Ancestor was ruthless enough to regard everyone as straw dogs and to treat everything in the world as expendable material to achieve his goals.
However, now, the Holy Ancestor's avatar sensed a Dao that transcended the three of them from the Yin and Yang energies that Ning Qi was displaying!
These great principles may sound simple, but they are related to one's personal experiences, cultivation, and enlightenment.
Ning Qi appeared to be using only Yin and Yang energies, but his Yin and Yang energies encompassed everything.
Other cultivators can also use Yin and Yang energies, such as Qin Minghao, who followed Ning Qi back then.
However, what Qin Minghao used was only the power of rules. He comprehended the power of Yin and Yang from the rules of heaven and earth, rather than the Great Dao that he had comprehended and understood on his own.
Just like the Holy Ancestor, the Mountain Ancestor, and the Sea Ancestor, these three were the ancestors of two realms, and they had countless disciples who received their teachings.
However, no one could cultivate to their level. They had not even entered the Dao; they were cultivating entirely according to the methods of the Three Ancestors, let alone surpass them.
Just as countless teachers in the world instruct young people to learn various kinds of knowledge, very few people actually master and skillfully apply it themselves, let alone those who dare to explore their own path.
The Holy Ancestor, the Mountain Ancestor, and the Sea Ancestor were all such people, Ning Qi was even more so!
Ning Qi and eager to learn. From the moment the Holy Ancestor took notice of Ning Qi, Ning Qi never stopped making progress.
The Holy Ancestor's avatar clearly sensed that Ning Qi had completely mastered the Inheritance he and the Sea Ancestor had passed down, and had even surpassed them.
Ning Qi has transformed their Dao into his own power and integrated it into his own Dao!
"Truly worthy of the name 'Immortal Seed'!"
The Holy Ancestor's avatar's expression was a mixture of joy and sorrow.
In the distance, even the dragon-faced cultivator's eyelids twitched.
He had to admit that he had still underestimated Ning Qi.
But is this guy really Ning Qi, who once served under him in a remote spiritual realm?
The dragon-faced cultivator remained resentful and suspicious.
Who exactly are you?
"The dragon-faced cultivator inquired."
In the void, the Yin Fish swung its tail, dissipating all the dragon's breath and revealing Ning Qi's figure once more.
"What do you think, Lord Shanzu?"
Ning Qi said calmly.
The dragon-faced cultivator remained silent, already equating Ning Qi with the person he suspected was hiding nearby, someone of equal strength to them.
"With your cultivation level, even if Ning Qi cultivated for another thousand years, he could never reach such a realm. Why do you need to hide your identity and act cowardly, only to become a laughingstock?"
Ning Qi remained silent.
This guy is really paranoid.
He couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to the other person; no matter what he said, the other person would doubt its authenticity.
Ning Qi looked at the Holy Ancestor's avatar and the will of the Vast Realm behind him.
"You two, I'd better see you out first. The entire Vast Realm is in turmoil, and we need you outside!"
The will of the Vast Realm stared at Ning Qi, remaining silent.
The Holy Ancestor's avatar also stared at Ning Qi's ordinary face and said, "Are you really capable of handling this alone? It seems you've been avoiding a direct confrontation with him all along."
Ning Qi laughed, "Old man, who said young people can't do it? I was just preparing before, and also..."
Ning Qi paused for a second.
"What else?"
The Holy Ancestor's avatar looked anxious. This brat, even at this critical moment, is still playing riddles with him.
Ning Qi suddenly snapped his fingers.
Inside the cavern, the dragon-faced cultivator had opened a spatial passage connecting to the illusory image of Mount Buzhou. On the opposite side, the Mountain Ancestor was condensing a small illusory image of a divine mountain, preparing to project it into the core area of the Vast Realm.
However, just as success was about to be achieved, Ning Qi snapped his fingers.
The spatial passage that had been floating above the dragon-faced cultivator's head suddenly and abruptly closed.
The Holy Ancestor's avatar, the dragon-faced cultivator of the Vast Realm's will, and all the beings within the Vast Realm gazing at the sky, clearly saw a young, tall, and slender cultivator sweep his right hand, instantly sealing off the spatial passage, and then gracefully descending from it, as if plucking a thread to touch the dust.
His speed was incredibly fast; in the next instant, he appeared beside the dragon-faced cultivator.
With a swift palm strike, he ripped off the dragon-shaped mask from the dragon-faced cultivator's face.
Who said I'm alone?
Ning Qi said calmly.
"And besides, isn't it you, the masked guy, who's really hiding his true identity?"