Cultivating with Top Enlightenment Chapter 915 - 390: Harvest (Part 2)

For instance, upon facing the Nine Words of the Demon Subjugation Mantra unleashed by the Saint Ancestor’s avatar, Ning Qi ingeniously conceived a divine technique known as Ten Thousand Swords Opening a Lotus.

This allowed him to extract the very essence for his personal benefit.

Ning Qi quietly assessed his gains after entering the war domain; the realization of his achievements left him astonished.

In such a brief period, his acquisitions were remarkably substantial.

Truly, it echoed the adage that 'crime pays,' or rather, 'war enriches the capable even further!'

However, Ning Qi understood that these gains were merely a prelude, with even greater profits awaiting him in the future.

As he advanced further, and once the ancestors of both realms joined the fray, the rewards would undoubtedly be far more immense.

By this point, Ning Qi had discerned the true character of the Sea Ancestor, Saint Ancestor, and the Will of the Two Realms, finding them not as malevolent as initially perceived.

Regarding the Mountain Ancestor, Ning Qi had not truly interacted with him, leaving his true nature somewhat uncertain.

As the True Martial Realm Master, Ning Qi had been reborn into the Mountain and Sea Realm initially for the safety of the True Martial Realm, with the original intent to subjugate the Mountain and Sea Realm.

But now, Ning Qi’s perspective had subtly shifted.

It appeared that not all these entities necessitated destruction; simply surpassing them in power would allow him to bring them under his command.

Ning Qi envisioned the future integration of the Vast Realm and the Mountain and Sea Realm into the True Martial Realm.

At this very moment, the entire war domain vibrated intensely once more.

The clear Qi ascended from within, while the turbid Qi descended, creating an ambiance eerily reminiscent of the sensory experiences within the real world.

Ning Qi recognized that the war domain had finally achieved complete stabilization, and thus...

He promptly redirected his gaze towards the junction where the boundary walls of the two spirit realms converged.

Indeed, the entryway, which had been on the verge of opening, was now expanding at a pace clearly observable by the naked eye.

Initially minuscule, allowing only a sliver of light to penetrate.

Then, abruptly widening, becoming clear and unobstructed, sufficient for an individual to pass through.

In an instant, Ning Qi witnessed two figures dramatically emerge from the opening, moving with lightning-fast speed.

Boom!

The air rent with a sharp whistle, and even before the sound dissipated, the two figures had already entered the war domain.

Ning Qi's eyes widened considerably as he observed the two individuals standing a short distance apart before him.

These two were none other than the Saint Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor, their true forms having finally arrived within the war domain.

They stood facing each other, their imposing auras both palpable and subtly concealed.

Ning Qi meticulously gauged their cultivation levels; their true bodies appeared somewhat restrained.

He perceived they were in an unusual state.

It seemed akin to the peak of Harmonization, potentially a realm beyond, or perhaps, a state of being caught in between.

Ning Qi intuitively compared their power with his own.

He realized with regret that the strength of his reincarnated body had not yet reached their level.

If his true body's power were included, Ning Qi remained uncertain.

Given their current state, Ning Qi hesitated to assume that the Saint Ancestor and Sea Ancestor were not concealing any capabilities.

With their true bodies present in the war domain, it appeared as though no one else registered in their sight.

The Saint Ancestor surveyed the entire war domain, his aged face resembling a wrinkled orange peel, and spoke with a hint of resignation:

"The war domain can barely contain our powers at this juncture."

Opposite him, the Sea Ancestor, adorned in opulent attire, exuded an air of regal elegance.

She responded, "Even if the war domain disintegrates, within the Sea of Realms, can we not still engage in temporary combat?"

The Saint Ancestor shook his head, a wry smile crossing his lips. "Had I foreseen such recklessness from you, I would sooner risk the depletion of the Vast Realm than consent to this spirit realm war."

He then turned his gaze to the Sea Ancestor, inquiring, "Are you unaware of the repercussions should we clash within the Sea of Realms?"

"So what?" the Sea Ancestor replied nonchalantly.

The Saint Ancestor let out a cough.

"You speak of it so lightly, but in actively pursuing it, who can say how many cultivators will perish? Even you and I would face peril, let alone the lesser cultivators."

"Enough of this rambling; is this the disposition of an elder?"

The Sea Ancestor's eyes, like exquisite ice jade, refracted light with an icy glint.

"If you seek a fight, then let us fight; there is no need for such lengthy discourse. I have already permitted your Vast Realm cultivators to depart; this impending battle is ours alone!"

Ning Qi felt an urge to scoff, thinking that women were indeed perplexing; criticizing others for rambling while being equally verbose herself, was she not?

Naturally, these musings remained within his mind. Judging by the current aura emanating from the true bodies of both Ancestors, he still appeared to be outmatched.

Ning Qi's eyes flickered, his gaze unintentionally sweeping across the war domain.

To his perception, the boundary walls enclosing the entire war domain were etched with intricate array patterns, ones that even Ancestors would find difficult to discern upon close inspection.

These were array patterns that Ning Qi had previously established, continuously absorbing the residual power of fallen cultivators, alongside the energy of the entire war domain and the Sea of Realms.

Ning Qi kept this hidden, intending to fully integrate the entire war domain into the True Martial Realm at a later stage.

Upon completion, his power should ascend to the level of Saint Ancestor and Sea Ancestor.

However, what truly left Ning Qi astonished was that the cunning old Mountain Ancestor had still not made an appearance?

He was truly adept at hiding!

Ning Qi even began to suspect if Mountain Ancestor aimed to play the role of a fisherman, profiting from the conflict between the stork and the clam. Given Mountain Ancestor's characteristic behavior, Ning Qi questioned if such a scheme could actually succeed.

Suddenly, the space before them began to tremble, as if made of pliable dough.

Sea Ancestor extended her long, fair right hand, instantly shaping the space before her into an immense sphere of water.

This water sphere shimmered with a transparent, rippling luminescence, resembling a glass tank bathed in sunlight.

It was a flawlessly executed water prison divine technique, seamlessly integrated with the very fabric of space.

It remained unclear whether Saint Ancestor was caught off guard by this maneuver or if he had intentionally allowed himself to be ensnared within the water prison.

"Various Prisons Trapped Kill!" Sea Ancestor's voice echoed coldly.

Instantly, observers witnessed the transparent water prison transform, appearing to bifurcate into a myriad of separate spaces.

One moment, it manifested as scenes from the eighteen layers of hell, including horrifying visions like Tongue-Pulling Hell, Iron Pillar Hell, Fire Flame Hell, and Heavy Water Hell; the next, it presented various human prisons populated by illusory figures inflicting eighteen distinct forms of torture.

Strangely, a Cattle-Horse Hell was even present.

A realm where individuals were transformed into cattle and horses, or even worse, subjected to labor exceeding that of actual livestock, yet receiving meager compensation insufficient for bare survival, causing the watching cultivators to break out in a cold sweat.

Within the swirling vortex, as the scenes shifted, Saint Ancestor seemed to be enduring every horrifying experience firsthand.

These experiences were difficult to definitively label as mere illusions, yet equally challenging to accept as absolute reality.

Much like the nature of this divine technique itself, the boundaries between illusion and reality, truth and falsehood, continually blurred and rotated, making them impossible to distinguish.

The inclusion of the various prisons caused the entire water sphere to ripple with a spectrum of colors. Saint Ancestor appeared to be willingly immersed in these tormenting experiences, showing no signs of resistance.

Ning Qi found Saint Ancestor's apparent passivity to be exceptionally intriguing.

Could this old man be deriving pleasure from such agony or from the sheer novelty of the experience?

He cast a curious glance at the tormenting Sea Ancestor and then at Saint Ancestor trapped within. Were these two a perfectly matched pair of tormentors?

The thought sent an inexplicable shiver down Ning Qi's spine, a cold sensation coursing through his body.

Nearby, numerous spectator cultivators seemed to share a similar unease but refrained from voicing their thoughts.

Jesting aside, who would dare to interfere in a battle between the most formidable Ancestors of the two realms?

Meanwhile, under the guidance of Gong Tiandao, the subordinates of Mountain Ancestor harbored a profound sense of abandonment.

Where was their elusive Mountain Ancestor?

Even a single word from the Mountain and Sea Realm's Will would suffice.

How could they be so utterly disregarded, unrecognized by their Mountain Ancestor? Could it be that they held so little value in Mountain Ancestor’s estimation?

...

Within the vast expanse of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Atop the majestic Heaven-Reaching Peak, strong gusts of wind swept past, rustling the garments of those standing vigil.

The Dragon-faced Servant remained stationed by the mountain path, as still and silent as a stone sculpture.

It appeared he would only stir from his immobility upon receiving an explicit command from Mountain Ancestor.

Mountain Ancestor, with his hands clasped behind his back, surveyed the entirety of the war domain.

"I can sense your doubts, can't I? Hmph, I shall allow you to continue your struggles for a while longer, and then I will extract further power from that source."

"I meticulously orchestrated the spirit realm war for the sole purpose of nurturing that entity. Now, the time for the harvest is at hand; I sincerely hope it will facilitate my further progress!"