Cultivating with Top Enlightenment Chapter 826 - 349: Exotic Treasure of the Withered Leaf

A look of satisfaction graced the phantom of the Mountain and Sea Realm Will as Ning Qi engaged him in conversation.

Despite holding the exalted rank of the realm’s sovereign, very few individuals possessed the ability to converse with him on multiple occasions.

His power had been partially constrained by the Mountain Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor; consequently, although he was often in contact with these two, he felt no true contentment within his heart.

As for the vast multitude of lives inhabiting the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Will cared little for them.

They were largely under the control of the two Ancestors, and the most formidable cultivators among them offered him nothing more than hollow, superficial respect.

Meanwhile, the common mortals and loose cultivators were far too obsessed with worshiping him.

Having witnessed such fawning reverence countless times, the Mountain and Sea Realm Will found it as dull as a woman weary of sycophants.

To the somewhat solitary Mountain and Sea Realm Will, Ning Qi served as a welcome relief from this isolation.

Ning Qi neither showered him with the typical, mindless adoration seen from other cultivators, nor did he display the cold, calculated distance maintained by the Mountain and Sea Ancestors.

Ever since noticing Ning Qi, the Will had identified him as a rare prodigy, harboring the intention to nurture him into a rival capable of challenging the Mountain and Sea Ancestors.

For this reason, the Mountain and Sea Realm Will spoke with uncharacteristic gentleness:

"You should proceed with the conquest of other realms, but for the sake of your own safety, steer clear of the Central Domain for now. Be aware that the Vast Realm Will and the Saint Ancestor backing it are undoubtedly keeping close watch on your movements."

Ning Qi gave a curt nod.

"I shall follow the advice of the Realm Venerable. Simply call upon me whenever the time is appropriate for me to enter the Central Domain, does that sound acceptable?"

The phantom of the Mountain and Sea Realm Will gestured in agreement, adding, "Rest assured, I will continue to keep a vigilant eye on the Vast Realm Will and the Saint Ancestor. I will notify you immediately if they begin to mobilize against you."

Ning Qi’s face brightened, and he pressed further, "Realm Venerable, is there perhaps an object that can obstruct the detection of the Vast Realm?"

The phantom hesitated briefly, scrutinizing him before asking, "Why do you inquire about such things?"

Ning Qi answered, "If such an item exists, I can operate with greater autonomy across the war realms and contribute even more to the Mountain and Sea Realm."

He kept his gaze fixed firmly on the phantom.

Although Ning Qi’s current strength allowed him to evade the detection of the two realm wills when they were not actively tethered to nodes, he remained vulnerable to the manifestation of their true descending will.

After all, these were significant spiritual realms, far superior to the True Martial Realm in both scale and power.

However, if he could acquire an item from the phantom to mask his presence from the Vast Realm Will, he was confident his own insights would allow him to develop a similar technique to bypass the censorship of the Mountain and Sea Realm Will.

The phantom of the Mountain and Sea Realm Will replied, "I do possess such an item, though it can only shroud you alone. Take heed: should your actions cause major disturbances in the local environment, you will still be vulnerable to discovery."

With that, he extended his hand and passed a partially deteriorated leaf to Ning Qi.

The leaf was withered and appeared to be decaying, marked by a series of fragmented lines.

Ning Qi accepted it, studying the object with great care.

The veins of the tattered leaf were interwoven with deep, damaged sections, and parts of the surface were missing entirely.

Yet, this withered leaf sparked his curiosity, as he found himself unable to identify the species of the tree it originated from.

Furthermore, when Ning Qi applied pressure, his fingers failed to make the slightest dent in the material.

Even after increasing his strength, it remained completely unresponsive. Finally, he gave it his full effort right in front of the Mountain and Sea Realm Will, yet the leaf remained unfazed.

The phantom observed his struggle with the decaying leaf, seemingly amused rather than annoyed.

Ning Qi infused the leaf with his spiritual qi and the power of rules, but like a sponge absorbing water, the tattered leaf remained utterly unaffected.

"Give it up. I have already tested every conceivable method, and none have succeeded."

Ning Qi’s interest grew sharper as he asked, "What exactly is this thing?"

The phantom answered, "I have no idea myself. It was discovered by a subordinate in a minor world and brought to me. I only determined that it could obscure spiritual perceptions, but found no other practical applications."

Ning Qi was stunned. "Such a precious item, and you are truly willing to give it to me?"

The phantom chuckled lightly. "It is hardly a treasure. I have several more just like it."

Ning Qi realized he had been given what the Will considered a redundant or substandard item.

Nevertheless, he remained eager, sensing that the item held immense, untapped potential.

As of now, neither he nor the Realm Will understood the item's true nature or utility.

Clutching the rare item, Ning Qi sought further guidance: "Realm Venerable, how does one activate its ability to block the Vast Realm Will’s perception? I have tried everything within my reach."

"There is no need for complex activation; you simply have to carry it upon your person," the phantom explained.

Ning Qi’s expression turned joyous, and he replied with genuine gratitude, "I thank you, Realm Venerable."

The phantom performed a dismissive wave, acting as if the matter was of no consequence.

"If there is nothing else, you may go!"

Ning Qi immediately departed.

He proceeded to gather his allies to re-evaluate their strategies regarding the different realms.

Given the specific warnings from the Mountain and Sea Realm Will, Ning Qi deemed it wise to avoid the Central Domain for the immediate future.

It was not that he was intimidated by the Central Domain, but acknowledging that it was the heart of the war zone—heavily scrutinized by both great powers—he concluded that staying in the outer realms would be more beneficial, allowing him to seize additional nodes to integrate into the True Martial Realm.

Consequently, Ning Qi resolved to set his sights on the Southwestern War Realm, a territory where the forces of the Sea Ancestor had already begun to take hold.