Cultivating with Top Enlightenment Chapter 974 - 419: Home Is Gone

Within the spectral form of Buzhou Mountain, the Mountain Ancestor emitted a furious roar, unleashing a beam of divine light from his mouth. This light, swift as an arrow, shot towards a rift in the Boundary Wall of the Mountain and Sea Realm, a rift that was obstructed by the spectral image of Jianmu.

Ever since Ning Qi employed the Seed of Jianmu to seal the breach in the Mountain and Sea Realm's Boundary Wall, the Mountain Ancestor's initial action had failed to neutralize Ning Qi. Given the immediate circumstances, his focus shifted away from Ning Qi and the Mountain and Sea Realm lying beyond. Instead, he concentrated his efforts on suppressing the Sea Ancestor and the Saint Ancestor. In his estimation, Ning Qi was merely a slightly more potent grasshopper, incapable of causing any significant disruption despite his agility. Moreover, it was assumed that the consuming power emanating from the phantom of Buzhou Mountain couldn't be easily resisted.

For Ning Qi to maintain the seal on the Mountain and Sea Realm's rift, a continuous infusion of energy into the Seed of Jianmu was imperative. This sustained power, whether originating from Ning Qi himself or the ambient energy of the Mountain and Sea Realm, was crucial; any interruption would immediately cause the breach to reopen.

However, the Mountain Ancestor had just received intelligence from his Dragon-faced Servant. The message indicated that Ning Qi had been sighted within the Vast Realm! This revelation stirred profound disbelief. How could Ning Qi be present in the Vast Realm when he was supposedly in the Mountain and Sea Realm, actively using the Seed of Jianmu to fend off the phantom of Buzhou Mountain? A wave of unease washed over the Mountain Ancestor, prompting him to spew another blast of divine light, which struck and damaged the now partially restored Boundary Wall of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Beneath the colossal phantom of Buzhou Mountain, the Saint Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor found their maneuverable space drastically diminishing, compressed to a mere fifty li. Should this compression continue unabated, the two would soon be irrevocably sealed, rendering them immobile, which would signify a complete victory for the Mountain Ancestor. They struggled valiantly against the encroaching pressure, their gazes fixed upwards towards the Mountain Ancestor.

"What is that fellow agitated about now?" the Sea Ancestor inquired, her voice laced with bewilderment.

The Saint Ancestor exchanged a knowing glance with the Will of the Vast Realm; both had evidently received the same intelligence from within the Vast Realm. The Saint Ancestor responded, "Ning mentioned he had resolved the situation within the Mountain and Sea Realm. Subsequently, individuals from Haoshan secretly infiltrated the Vast Realm. Their astonishment upon encountering Ning Qi led them to dispatch the message."

"Ning Qi resolved the situation in the Mountain and Sea Realm?" the Sea Ancestor echoed, her tone conveying strong skepticism.

The Saint Ancestor offered a shrug. "Do not ask me for details. His avatar did not apprise me of the specifics, and frankly, I find it hard to believe he could settle the Mountain and Sea Realm's predicament in such a short timeframe. Nevertheless, his reappearance in the Vast Realm is indeed perplexing."

The Sea Ancestor's exquisitely sculpted face was marred by a deep furrow between her elegant brows. Since being ensnared by the phantom of Buzhou Mountain, she had witnessed the Mountain Ancestor's callous sacrifice of cultivators from the Mountain and Sea Realm, their life force continuously fueling the phantom. She grasped that the Mountain Ancestor's ultimate objective was to consume both the Mountain and Sea Realm and the Vast Realm to achieve his final breakthrough. However, unlike the Mountain Ancestor’s utter ruthlessness, the Sea Ancestor harbored concern for the well-being of all sentient beings within the Mountain and Sea Realm. A significant portion of the Mountain and Sea Realm constituted her domain. Even excluding those subordinates who had journeyed to the War Realm, approximately twenty percent of the cultivators remained within the Mountain and Sea Realm. The thought of such a vast number of lives being extinguished was unbearable to her; she desperately wished to spare them from sacrifice.

Upon hearing that Ning Qi had rectified the predicament in the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Sea Ancestor's immediate thoughts turned to these remaining inhabitants. Sensing her apprehension, the Saint Ancestor added, "We shall soon ascertain the veracity of Ning Qi's claims!"

The Sea Ancestor nodded in agreement.

Together, they directed their attention towards the Mountain Ancestor and the direction of the Mountain and Sea Realm. The arrow-like divine light effortlessly pierced the mended Boundary Wall of the Mountain and Sea Realm. Like a decaying edifice, the Boundary Wall began to disintegrate further, its fragments peeling away to reveal the expanse beyond.

In the ensuing moment, both the Mountain Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor, along with the Saint Ancestor, were struck with expressions of profound disbelief.

"Where is the Mountain and Sea Realm?" the Mountain Ancestor bellowed, his voice echoing through the cosmos, utterly unable to comprehend the sight before him. Despite the ragged chunks of the Boundary Wall plummeting away, the scene he anticipated – the Mountain and Sea Realm hurtling towards despair – was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a swirling expanse of gray mist met his gaze. The entire Mountain and Sea Realm had vanished; his home was gone!

The Sea Ancestor's eyes widened, her alabaster neck appearing to elongate as she strained to see better.

"Am I losing my mind? Where has the Mountain and Sea Realm gone?"

She had just been informed by the Saint Ancestor that Ning Qi had settled the affairs of the Mountain and Sea Realm. She had considered various possibilities for how Ning Qi might have achieved this resolution.

Perhaps Ning Qi had managed to temporarily seal the internal energy of the Mountain and Sea Realm, halting its overflow into the phantom of Buzhou Mountain.

Or maybe Ning Qi had taken more drastic measures, rallying all her retainers to ensure everyone's safety.

However, under no circumstances had the Sea Ancestor envisioned that Ning Qi's solution would result in the spectacle unfolding before them.

The entirety of the Mountain and Sea Realm had simply ceased to exist!

The Saint Ancestor gazed upon the swirling gray mist, identifying it as the void beyond their world, an intrinsic energy characteristic of the Sea of Realms.

He too was overcome with astonishment; despite the damage inflicted upon the Mountain and Sea Realm by the Mountain Ancestor, which had siphoned off a significant portion of its power, the realm retained a vastness comparable to that of any Spirit Realm, such as the Vast Realm. How could such a colossal Spirit Realm vanish without leaving a single trace?

The image of Ning Qi dominated their thoughts, yet try as they might, the trio could not comprehend the method by which Ning Qi had achieved this feat.

"This is impossible; it's utterly beyond his abilities!"

High above, the Mountain Ancestor continued to bellow.

His countenance shifted between bewilderment and disbelief as two piercing beams of light suddenly erupted from his eyes.