Stealing Through Chencang in the Dark

The Boundary Sea holds countless secrets hidden within it.

In ancient times, after the legendary Mount Buzhou collapsed, it was reduced to several fragments scattered throughout the Boundary Sea.

Now, its Inheritance has been obtained by the Mountain Ancestor, and finally, just as the Mountain Ancestor was about to break through, he chose to summon one of the fragments that was closest to this place.

It streaked across the Boundary Sea like a meteor, shrinking continuously along the way, and finally merging with the illusory image of Mount Buzhou in the hands of the Mountain Ancestor.

Buzz!

A terrifying energy surge erupted, causing the Boundary Sea to instantly appear to boil, rippling outwards.

At the center of the ripples, a colossal double-sided Dharma image appeared, with four arms and four legs. One of its palms faced upwards, supporting the fused entity of Mount Buzhou, resembling a celestial being!

Ning Qi, carrying the Holy Ancestor Hai Zu, stepped out of the illusory image of Mount Buzhou.

"That was close!"

The Holy Ancestor Haizu almost cried out in surprise.

They saw the remains of Mount Buzhou that had flown from the Boundary Sea; its surface was dark and covered with cracks.

The broken sections are faintly visible, with what appear to be broken roots protruding.

Afterwards, the remains merged with the illusory image of Mount Buzhou in the hands of the Mountain Ancestor, becoming a true physical entity.

They knew that if they hadn't escaped beforehand, and if the entity had a physical form to support it, they would likely have no hope of escaping at all.

But now, the three of them were no longer worried about what had not yet happened, but instead focused their attention on the giant hand that was slapping towards them.

"Dharmakaya Triple Palm!"

"Mountain Ancestor coldly shouted."

The three giant hands each held a different Dao seal, grabbing, patting, or pinching together, sweeping towards the three people who had just escaped the illusory image of Mount Buzhou from three different angles.

One palm blocked the airspace above the three, another palm to the lower left, and another palm to the lower right. Moreover, all three palms left numerous afterimages, completely sealing off all the space for the three to escape.

It looked as if a deity from the Boundary Sea had come to life and was about to punish Ning Qi and the other two.

As the Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor gazed at the three palms, a rare sense of powerlessness rose in their hearts. Even more strangely, they felt that even resistance would be blasphemy and a grave mistake.

The closer one's realm is to that of the Mountain Ancestor, but also the lower it is, the greater the influence one will have on the Mountain Ancestor.

Fortunately, Ning Qi was still ahead of them and was not affected by the Mountain Ancestor.

Ning Qi's cultivation system is different; he doesn't follow the traditional path of cultivation at all. In addition, he possesses several powers, so he is completely unaware of it.

The tree trunk house, which had previously led them out and withstood the compression of Mount Buzhou, still protected the three of them.

"They should be able to hold on!"

Ning Qi felt the power of those three palm strikes in his heart; it could be said that these three palm strikes were the strongest attack he had ever encountered.

Each palm strike felt like a vast world crashing down upon them.

Faced with these three blows, Ning Qi continued to mobilize the power of the Enlightenment Tree, channeling it into the protective chamber formed by the surrounding tree trunks, while preparing to try to teleport back to the True Martial Spirit World.

Boom!

Three giant hands, accompanied by numerous afterimages, suddenly struck towards Ning Qi and his companions.

The energy of the entire Boundary Sea surged forth in another massive wave, powerful enough to destroy a small world.

Squeak!

An unparalleled force struck the trunk of the Enlightenment Tree, producing a teeth-grinding creaking sound and seemingly creating cracks.

Ning Qi and the Holy Ancestor Hai Zu both narrowed their eyes.

Fortunately, a golden light flashed across it, and the broken lines were instantly repaired.

"They held on!"

The Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor exclaimed in surprise, staring in disbelief at the perfectly restored tree trunk.

They were certain that if those three palm strikes had landed on them, they would not have been able to withstand them with their physical bodies; at most, they would have survived, but their Dao-merging bodies, cultivated to the extreme, would have been instantly annihilated.

But the tree trunk held up!

Ning Qi's mind cleared, and the Enlightenment Tree unleashed all its power.

First, it inherited the Jianmu seedling's restorative abilities; second, it utilized its supporting role; third, it employed a trace of faith power; and fourth, Inheritance Ning Qi's comprehension, enabling it to adjust its own resilience according to the intensity of the attack.

Within the Boundary Sea, the Dharma form of the Two-Faced Mountain Ancestor stared at Xiao Mufang, who was surrounded by three giant palms, and its four blood-red eyes were still startled by a glimmer of light!

"Can the sapling of the Jianmu tree withstand such an attack?"

He even doubted whether there was a mistake in the Inheritance he had received, as its strength was completely inconsistent with what was described in the Inheritance, the difference was simply too great!

However, he didn't dwell on this matter for long. After all, what he cared about most was summoning the legendary Mount Buzhou from the Boundary Sea!

It can be said that even without devouring the Vast World of Mountains and Seas, he could truly break through in one fell swoop with just this legendary remnant of Mount Buzhou.

If it weren't for the risks involved, he would have done it already!

The Mountain Ancestor rose to prominence within the Mountain and Sea Realm, all stemming from the Inheritance he received from Mount Buzhou. Now that he has witnessed the true form of Mount Buzhou, how could he not take it seriously?

Seeing that Ning Qi and the other two were trapped by his three palms and seemed to have no way to escape for a while, the Mountain Ancestor turned three of his four eyes into the other palm.

The giant hand Perfection, with sharp fingertips, dragging the remains of Mount Buzhou, and bursting forth with boundless divine light within the Boundary Sea.

Within the divine light, inside a shrunken phantom of Mount Buzhou, about one-third of the fragments filled the phantom.

Gradually, the phantom dissipated, leaving only the real fragment, within which energy writhed, repairing the missing parts on its own.

However, it is clear that those parts that should have been incomplete are merely empty shells, lacking the weight and sanctity of a real, damaged body.

The next second, the boundless divine light it emitted instantly vanished, just like a treasure covered in dust, losing all its mystery.

It is unclear whether this is its inherent nature or whether the Mountain Ancestor is using methods to conceal its aura.

He gently withdrew his hand and brought it to his eyes.

Mount Buzhou floated in his palm, emitting a faint, hidden aura that entered the mountain ancestor's nostrils.

The dual-faced Dharma body of the Mountain Ancestor had become noticeably more solid.

"Unfortunately, it's not perfect yet; it's still quite a distance from a complete mountain..."

The Mountain Ancestor cast his other eye toward the area where the three giant palms were joined together, looking at Ning Qi and the other two who were attacking his giant palms.

"It's all your fault! You made it impossible for me to gather the power to summon all the remaining fragments, which is why I'm so imperfect!"

"Why do you resist me? Wouldn't it be better to obediently let me devour both realms, let me sacrifice the lives of both realms, and create a beautiful tale of becoming immortals?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Qi and the other two in the palm almost laughed out of anger.

What does it mean to not resist, but to obediently be devoured and sacrificed, thus becoming an immortal?

So, all living beings should obediently sacrifice themselves, just to make him the strongest?

The Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor were too lazy to argue with him. They joined forces to attack, slashing at the giant hand through the cracks in the tree trunk.

But at this moment, the two of them clearly felt an extreme strain.

Their attacks landed on the giant hand, at most leaving a shallow mark, not even breaking the skin.

Looking at the faint, powerless mark on the giant hand, the two felt an unprecedented sense of loss.

So the Mountain Ancestor's true power was truly terrifying?

If the Mountain Ancestor had used this power from the beginning, probably no one in either realm could have stopped him, and Ning Qi would never have had the chance to rise to power.

Ning Qi squinted.

He also unleashed a Sword-Ray, attempting an attack.

The Sword-Ray pierced the air, striking the giant palm and creating a gash in it.

But in an instant, a powerful force emerged from within the giant palm, breaking and shattering his Sword-Ray. Then, one of the many afterimages descended from it, restoring it to its original state.

Clearly, Ning Qi's attack power is much stronger than that of the Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor.

But trying to break through it was still futile.

The Mountain Ancestor casually shook the giant hand that Ning Qi had just pierced, and said calmly:

"Ning Qi, next, I will use this Dharma body and Mount Buzhou to conquer your world."

After he finished speaking, he forcefully closed his three palms again, trapping Ning Qi and the other two inside.

Meanwhile, the physical form of Mount Buzhou, which was being dragged along in the other hand, moved towards the three palms, but at an extremely slow speed.

The Mountain Ancestor seemed to be preparing to use the physical form of Mount Buzhou to suppress the three of them once again.

His dual-faced form, resembling a deity, continued his previous journey, moving towards the enormous void that had appeared in the distance, crossing the sea of emptiness.

This caused enormous waves within the Boundary Sea, naturally attracting the attention of the creatures within the Boundary Sea.

Ripples spread across the gray mist and black water area, and countless Boundary Sea Fierce Beasts seemed to be startled by the commotion and rushed towards the place.

Even in the deeper turbulent areas, there were strange fluctuations.

At this moment, the Mountain Ancestor separated one of his pupils and scanned the surroundings.

Even with his immense power, he seemed unable to ignore the fluctuations in the Boundary Sea.

He seemed to be on guard against something, and the physical form of Mount Buzhou in his hand faintly emitted a fluctuation, trying to quell the turmoil in the Boundary Sea.

The ripples began to be smoothed out, and spread rapidly into the distance, calming everything.

The Boundary Sea Fierce Beasts that had just been gathering towards him, as well as the beings in the turbulent Blackwater Zone deeper within, seemed to no longer sense the fluctuations here, and even forgot what they were supposed to do, subconsciously avoiding him in the opposite direction.

The Mountain Ancestor frowned slightly.

He seemed confident of victory, but he did not let his guard down.

Gazing at the enormous void in the distance, he thought to himself, "Almost there, almost there, only one last step left to my goal!"

The area where the three giant hands closed was where Ning Qi and his two companions were trapped.

"Kid, is there still a way to break through his blockade?"

The Holy Ancestor asked in a deep voice.

Hai Zu's stunningly beautiful face was also fixed on Ning Qi's retreating figure, waiting for Ning Qi to speak.

Although Ning Qi was many times younger than them, at this moment, they clearly regarded Ning Qi as someone who could truly change everything.

In Ning Qi's hand, the roots of the Enlightenment Tree wriggled and pierced towards the giant palm.

Previously, the roots could easily pierce through the illusory image of Mount Buzhou and break through its layers of sealing power, allowing the three to escape.

Now, however, the roots are greatly suppressed as soon as they touch the Mountain Ancestor's Dharma Body Giant Palm, and can no longer move as easily as before.

Even if it could pierce its palm, the Mountain Ancestor's palm, which was carrying the physical body of Mount Buzhou, would project an even stronger suppressive force, instantly stopping the roots of the Enlightenment Tree from advancing.

"There's no way to escape for now," Ning Qi replied.

Upon hearing this and witnessing this scene, the Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor were almost in despair.

They thought Ning Qi had led them away from the tiger's den, but they didn't expect they were still not truly out of danger.

"However..." Ning Qi's words suddenly took a turn.

"But what?" the Holy Ancestor asked immediately.

"I can manipulate the True Martial Spirit World to distance itself from the Mountain Ancestor."

The two were both amused and exasperated; it didn't seem like a very useful method, but nothing was more useful than it.

Hai Zu suddenly asked, "Are you here in your true form or an avatar?"

Ning Qi replied, "A clone!"

"Ah?"

The Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor were no longer calm; they stared at Ning Qi in disbelief.

"Are you still an avatar? My avatar watched you leave the True Martial Spirit World."

The Holy Ancestor was extremely puzzled.

Ning Qi laughed and said, "Who said that just because my main body left the True Martial Spirit World, it necessarily means I've bet everything on this place?"

"So where did you place your bet?"

For some reason, the two felt that Ning Qi's expression, as expressed in his words, did not seem worried, but rather showed a calm confidence.

"Previously, the True Martial Spirit World merged with the Mountain and Sea Vast Realms, which allowed me to sense something. I've always felt that the phantom of Mount Buzhou seems to resonate with a certain direction in the Boundary Sea, so I've been waiting for this moment."

Upon hearing this, the two men's hearts stirred. "What do you want to do...?"

"It's nothing. I'm going to direct the True Martial Spirit World Realm in the direction from which the physical form of Mount Buzhou just flew!"

The Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor exchanged a glance. They didn't know what to say at this moment, nor could they judge what the consequences of Ning Qi's actions would be.

However, at this moment, it seems to be the only solution.

Because Ning Qi was present, the giant hand was unable to refine them.

However, it seems that even the dual-faced Dharma form of the Mountain Ancestor cannot approach the True Martial Spirit World.

Ning Qi peered through the crack, gazing at the location of the True Martial Spirit World in the distance.

The enormous void began to ripple, then began to drift deeper into the Boundary Sea.

The Mountain Ancestor naturally witnessed this scene, and the expression on his face instantly changed.

"I clearly used Mount Buzhou to locate your world and used the divine power of Mount Buzhou to smooth the Boundary Sea, so why can that world still move?"

In his subconscious, Shanzu still believed that the world and Ning Qi were two separate entities.

Just as the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm was distinct from that of their ancestor.

Ning Qi did not answer. His eyes flickered uncertainly. He completely gave up the idea of continuing to walk out of the giant palm. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the void and used the root of the Enlightenment World Tree to continuously pierce the giant palm of the Mountain Ancestor and extract a trace of power from it.

Now, the roots of the Enlightenment Tree can automatically decompose power, completely eliminating the need for Ning Qi to purify and analyze it again.

He is dismantling the power of the Mountain Ancestor, and he is also dismantling the power of Mount Buzhou!

Ning Qi's statement that he drove the True Martial Spirit World towards the depths of the Boundary Sea, seemingly indicating his inability to deal with the Mountain Ancestor and his desire to escape, is not entirely true.

He actually left some of his power on the illusory image of Mount Buzhou.

Back then, Ning Qi inscribed a complete set of array patterns on the war boundary formed between the two realms, without being discovered by either realm.

Later, the Mountain Ancestor summoned the phantom of Mount Buzhou, which devoured the War Domain, but the array patterns did not disappear; instead, they remained within the phantom of Mount Buzhou.

When Ning Qi broke through the illusory image of Mount Buzhou, he left some of his power inside, which quietly activated the array patterns.

Furthermore, he also came into contact with the remains of Mount Buzhou that flew in from within the Boundary Sea.

But the Mountain Ancestor was unaware of all this!