Cultivating with Top Enlightenment Chapter 905 - 385: The Sea Ancestor’s Temperament (2)

"Teacher, Ning Qi keeps thwarting our schemes over and over. I couldn’t stand watching the twisted creatures you summoned get slaughtered without accomplishing a single thing, so I infused a small portion of my own willpower into the fused twisted creature."

Once his words concluded, he swiftly condensed a strand of Spirit Realm Will right before the pair, with the Saint Ancestor present.

"Teacher, I’ve merely utilized this tiny amount of willpower. The twisted creatures are truly perilous, yet with your presence, do we really need to be so wary?"

The Saint Ancestor stared at that hair-thin thread of Spirit Realm Will, his pupils shrinking repeatedly.

"I’ve warned you repeatedly not to meddle in these affairs. Why must you disregard my words?"

As the Saint Ancestor continued his scolding, the Vast Realm Will lingered by his side like a chastised pupil, head bowed in bewilderment.

Observing his look, the Saint Ancestor let out a heavy sigh at last.

"I pray that the sliver of willpower you expended fails to draw the gaze of those horrifying beings in the Sea of Realms."

Lifting his head, the Vast Realm Will sensed his grave mistake from the Saint Ancestor’s demeanor.

"Teacher, please explain plainly what dangers my willpower fusing with the twisted creature could summon. I genuinely have no idea."

The Saint Ancestor’s aged features grew even more etched with concern in that instant.

This anxiety seemed profounder than the shadow cast by the Mountain and Sea Realm’s assault.

He declared, "Allow me to make it clear: I cautioned you earlier that these issues fall solely to me, and you must stay detached because you embody the Spirit Realm Will!"

Comprehension still eluded the Vast Realm Will.

Then the Saint Ancestor pressed on: "The twisted creatures target the Spirit Realm fiercely, particularly its core, as if crafted to obliterate all existence. Thus, as the Spirit Realm Will, should they detect your willpower, they’ll surely trace through the Sea of Realms to the Vast Realm’s position."

At last, the Vast Realm Will grasped the reason behind the Saint Ancestor’s firm warnings against the twisted creatures.

"Teacher, I was mistaken!" Regret overwhelmed the Vast Realm Will’s expression.

Reaching out, the Saint Ancestor gently patted his head.

"For now, we can merely wish your trace of willpower evades notice, and that Ning Qi’s destruction of the twisted creature infused with Evil Qi prevented any message from reaching their source."

The Vast Realm Will looked up once more.

"Indeed, Ning Qi eradicated the twisted creature rapidly, so they probably didn’t transmit any intel yet."

In that moment, an unprecedented wave of thankfulness toward Ning Qi washed over the Vast Realm Will.

The Saint Ancestor uttered one more line.

"Never mind, let’s concentrate on the ongoing Spirit Realm conflict. Should we fall, perhaps those entities will come to avenge us; if victory is ours, abandon the Mountain and Sea Realm’s survivors here, then envelop the entire Vast Realm in protection and flee this area swiftly."

The Vast Realm Will gave a firm nod.

...

Inside the Central Domain of the War Realm.

The Saint Ancestor’s avatar materialized anew.

This sight boosted the morale of the Vast Realm cultivators, whereas unease gripped most from the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Their foe’s Saint Ancestor avatar showing up twice clearly demonstrated greater care for his own than their Ancestors displayed.

And what of their side?

Without Ning Qi’s intervention, they dreaded total collapse in the war from the Saint Ancestor’s avatar debut and the twisted creatures’ emergence.

Naturally, such a setback wouldn’t signify the Mountain and Sea Realm’s full defeat, yet these cultivators would have perished!

Losing their lives—wouldn’t that count as defeat?

Vast Realm cultivators fixed glares on the Saint Ancestor’s avatar, while Mountain and Sea Realm ones eyed the adversaries before fixing on Ning Qi soaring overhead.

Ning Qi stood as the sole pillar granting them any safety.

Neither Sect Leader Gong Tiandao of the Zhou Mountain Immortal Sect nor Sect Leader Zhao Yujun of the Moon Sea Immortal Sect could provide that reassurance.

Between the pair, Zhao Yujun edged out Gong Tiandao somewhat.

During the prior twisted creature onslaught, Mountain and Sea Realm cultivators divided into three factions: the two great Immortal Sects forming two, Ning Qi’s dual-domain forces the third.

Ning Qi’s contingent endured the fewest losses—in fact, zero cultivators fell to the twisted creatures’ maws, owing much to the Sword Ancestor.

Conversely, the Sea Ancestor’s group lost around three hundred, and the Mountain Ancestor’s nearly seven hundred!

Indeed, this clearly revealed who truly deserved their loyalty!

Gong Tiandao clashed fiercely in a deadlock with Jiang Yingchu, barely restraining the enemy Sect Leader yet unable to press any further.

But how could they fault Gong Tiandao?

Inferior in strength to Zhao Yujun, for Gong Tiandao to hold off the Vast Immortal Sect Lord represented the pinnacle of his prowess.

Their real resentment ought not target Gong Tiandao, but instead...

All entertained this notion, only to halt it abruptly.

Those two Ancestors remained untouchable taboos deep in their minds.

Daring to even contemplate voicing their names was utterly prohibited.

The Saint Ancestor’s avatar loomed majestically within the void, dismissing all others as it stared straight at Ning Qi.

"Kid, did you agree to my previous proposal or not? Why do you keep obstructing our Vast Realm cultivators from securing victory?"

Ning Qi had no patience to reply.

Secretly, he actually yearned to consent.

However, with the Saint Ancestor’s avatar relentlessly unleashing countless assaults that imperiled his allies, how could he simply stand idle?

Wouldn’t that amount to blatant treason against the Mountain and Sea Realm?

Such betrayal was something Ning Qi would never commit, at least not at this juncture.

Even so, faced with the Saint Ancestor’s avatar manifesting once more, Ning Qi felt utterly powerless.

Were the Mountain and Sea Realm’s two Ancestors truly so timid, callously abandoning the lives of these vanguard cultivators?

The foe had dispatched avatars twice already, while they hadn’t mustered even one.

This defied Ning Qi’s grasp of those two Ancestors—supreme in power across the Mountain and Sea Realm, yet so pathetically lacking in resolve!

It unmistakably proved they sought to expend the cultivators’ lives just to drain the Saint Ancestor’s power, correct?

Nevertheless, since Ning Qi was personally on the scene, he couldn’t fully avert his gaze.

He refused to overlook the slaughter of his subordinates, nor tolerate injury to recent acquaintances like Zhao Yujun and Leng Qingao, toward whom he’d taken a liking.

Juxtaposed against those two Ancestors, Ning Qi deemed his own heart far more benevolent.

Per his initial scheme, he ought to have stayed wary, poised like the fisherman to harvest the gains.

Yet now, the two Ancestors lounged safely behind, reaping the rewards.

This farce must end. He needed to haul those two Ancestors into the melee; otherwise, persisting thus would swiftly unmask Ning Qi!

Ning Qi cast a weary glance at the nearby Mountain and Sea Realm Will and uttered:

"Realm Venerable, when will the two Ancestors dispatch their avatars?"

The Mountain and Sea Realm Will’s shadow perceived Ning Qi’s exhaustion and realized the youth before it shouldered an excessive load.

"Fear not, aid arrives shortly. Bear no grudge; the Venerable shall duly compensate you."

These words stirred Ning Qi’s emotions.

Who was en route? The Mountain Ancestor’s avatar? The Sea Ancestor’s? Or perhaps both?

Should both deploy avatars, the Saint Ancestor would doubtless escalate, lest he falter against the Mountain and Sea Realm.

While mulling these uncertainties, he addressed the Mountain and Sea Realm Will:

"I fear I won’t live long enough to claim the Realm Venerable’s reward!"

The Mountain and Sea Realm Will hesitated momentarily.

"Have no fear—even in defeat, the Venerable guarantees your safety!"

Delivered with unshakeable certainty, this underscored Ning Qi’s immense value in its eyes.

Yet Ning Qi pressed on, "Saving only me won’t suffice; I refuse to depart without my followers rescued too."

Hearing this, profound emotion welled within the Mountain and Sea Realm Will.

The silhouette of a frenzied woman merged in its perception with Ning Qi, both brimming with sentiment—unlike the Mountain Ancestor, who emulated the impassive Heavenly Dao.

Could the Mountain and Sea Realm Will bear witness to the total demise of every life it had nurtured within the realm?

Evidently, it could not!

Abruptly, bizarre disturbances rippled through the void.

High above the Mountain and Sea Realm cultivators, a portion of the boundary wall undulated like flowing liquid.

A rivulet of water seeped forth and swiftly coalesced into a humanoid form.

"Kid, hasn’t the commander arrived to lighten your load?"