Cultivating with Top Enlightenment Chapter 644 - 289: Come Quickly

A heavy silence hung over the central square, gripping the gathered crowd.

Niu Man and his fellow demons were visibly shaken, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they struggled to process the unfolding reality.

The impossible had happened: their supreme ancestor from the Niu Mo Upper Sect had actually been defeated!

What shocked them most was the timeline.

It had been a mere few decades since they first met Ning Qi, a time when everyone’s Cultivation levels were roughly equal.

While Niu Man had only just managed to break through to the Void Path Realm, Ning Qi was already capable of pinning their very ancestor to the earth.

If it weren't for the benchmarks of progress provided by the Profound Truth Secret Realm, Niu Man would have felt as though he were standing still while Ning Qi surged ahead at a terrifying pace.

The ancestor himself, Niu Dingtian, felt an even sharper pang of bitterness.

His perspective was colored by his status; from the moment they met, he had looked down upon Ning Qi from a position of superiority.

Even when he had attempted to forge a friendship during their last encounter, Niu Dingtian still viewed himself as Ning Qi’s senior.

He had recognized that Ning Qi was no ordinary talent, yet he assumed it would take centuries for the youth to truly stand on equal footing with him.

And yet...

He had simply entered a brief period of seclusion—decades being nothing more than a heartbeat to a cultivator of his level. Upon returning to the Infinite Sword Sect, he found himself overwhelmed and beaten by Ning Qi.

Had he not felt the pressure himself, Niu Dingtian would have dismissed such a story as nothing more than a far-fetched myth!

Fortunately, those who walk the path of the Heavenly Dao and study the great cycles of the world are quick to adapt.

Reality was undeniable, and he accepted it swiftly.

With a shrug and a self-deprecating smile, Niu Dingtian spoke:

"Younger Brother Ning, your Cultivation speed and those miraculous divine techniques of yours have truly left this old bull in awe!"

Having traded blows with him for so long, he was acutely aware that Ning Qi had been holding back.

Throughout the duel, Ning Qi had restricted his arsenal, relying solely on the Qiu Niu Divine Form to engage him.

For Niu Dingtian, the Qiu Niu Divine Form was a trump card; for Ning Qi, it was merely one of many tools.

Niu Dingtian recalled the reports he had received earlier, knowing that Ning Qi’s true lethality lay not in the Qiu Niu form, but in a technique known as the Five Elements Divine Chain.

Ye Wuxin of the Feather Transformation Upper Sect had been utterly erased, soul and body, by that single technique, leading the various powers of the Beixuan Domain to grant Ning Qi the title of Five-star Sword Venerate.

Realizing this, Niu Dingtian felt a deep, genuine respect for Ning Qi.

In his own Niu Mo Upper Sect, he was honored as the Qiu Niu Venerable.

Cultivators at the peak of Integration Perfection are often addressed as Venerable by their subordinates, as they stand on the precipice of the Unity Realm.

To cross that threshold, one must endure the baptism of world tribulation lightning; only those who survive the strike are worthy of the Unity Realm.

Naturally, these venerables were ranked based on their mastery of laws and the number of divine techniques forged within their integrated forms.

Previously, Niu Dingtian was considered a standard venerable within the Integration Realm.

His power had been limited to a basic mastery of the Divine Beast Qiu Niu's form.

It was only after obtaining the refined Qiu Niu Divine Form from Ning Qi and cultivating it to its current state—infusing his attacks with Divine Intent—that he had ascended to the rank of a top-tier venerable.

However, he still fell short of being an extreme venerable of the Integration Perfection.

To reach that peak, he would need to elevate his Qiu Niu technique to Ning Qi's level, achieving fluid transformations and devastating sonic resonance.

Thinking of this, Niu Dingtian could only smile bitterly once more.

Despite being the famed Qiu Niu Venerable of the Niu Mo Upper Sect, standing next to Ning Qi made the younger man seem like the true venerable.

Ning Qi let the Qiu Niu Divine Shadow dissipate and drifted back to the ground, his white robes remaining perfectly pristine.

With a negligent flick of his wrist, he invoked the Earth Rule, instantly mending the cracks and craters in the square.

"Brother Niu, let us return to the main hall to finish our talk."

Niu Dingtian nodded in agreement.

The crowd began to scatter, though the experts of the Infinite Sword Sect walked away with a deeper comprehension of the Integration Realm after witnessing such a clash.

Niu Man and the other demons were ushered into the hall as guests.

When they looked at Ning Qi now, their gaze was filled with profound reverence.

The white-robed figure before them had already surpassed the mightiest ancestor of their entire sect!

At that moment, the Sword Ancestor arrived to greet the visiting demons.

Sensing the unmistakable aura of the Integration Realm radiating from the Sword Ancestor, Niu Dingtian was once again stunned.

Good heavens, it was no wonder Ning Qi didn't fear the three Integration experts of the Feather Transformation Upper Sect; the Infinite Sword Sect possessed two of their own.

Both were masters of offensive Dao, a fact that filled Niu Dingtian with envy. He wondered why his own sect hadn't produced such formidable figures.

"I must congratulate Younger Brother Sword on reaching the Integration Realm," Niu Dingtian said, cupping his hands.

Sword Shocking wore a wide, satisfied grin, clearly enjoying his newfound power.

During the old bull’s last visit, he had been condescendingly referred to as "Little Sword" while Ning Qi was treated as an equal. That slight had bothered him for a long time.

Finally, he had forced the old bull to change his tune!

"Many thanks, Brother Niu. Since you’ve traveled all this way to the Infinite Sword Sect, I assume you didn’t come just for a sparring match with Little Ning?"

Sword Shocking asked, getting straight to the point. As a practitioner of the Sword Dao, he preferred a direct approach.

Niu Dingtian looked between them, paused to collect his thoughts, and then admitted:

"I came first to offer my apologies for failing to help block the Feather Transformation Upper Sect, and secondly to see if your sect required any further assistance."

He sighed, a bit ruefully. "But seeing as both of you have already reached the Integration Realm, it seems there isn't much help I can provide."

The Sword Ancestor countered, "Brother Niu, there is no need for such talk. Our sects govern the north and south; we should maintain a close relationship."

With the Spirit Realm war looming, every ally was a vital asset. Even the usually distant Sword Ancestor was now interested in solidifying an alliance with the Niu Mo Upper Sect.

Hearing this, Niu Dingtian looked at the two of them again and suddenly spoke: