Cultivating with Top Enlightenment Chapter 815 - 344: A Chess Piece Breaking Free from the Player (2)

...

In the war realm.

Silently floating in the empty space beyond the barrier separating the Central Domain from the Upper Domain, Ning Qi awaited the comeback of the Three Domains' forces without a sound.

All nearby nodes had fallen into their hands, and the influence of the Mountain and Sea Realm Will had spread here as well.

Extending his hand, Ning Qi made contact with the barrier, sensing what it was made of.

This barrier consisted of blended forces from the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Vast Realm, and the Sea of Realms.

Ning Qi moved alongside the barrier, running his fingers over a lengthy stretch of it.

Thanks to the True Martial Realm Lord's base, his insight into this barrier grew sharper and sharper.

The trio of forces intertwined inside were a bit disordered.

While they could craft this barren barrier, producing a vibrant land like the individual worlds was utterly out of the question.

After everything, this served as a conflict zone forged by two realms, unfit for any creatures to inhabit.

The deeper Ning Qi delved into the sensing, the better he grasped the three forces.

The energy from the Mountain and Sea Realm resembled towering peaks and flowing rivers, evoking the wild essence of nature teeming with ruthless competition for survival.

The Vast Realm's energy came across as neutral and serene, carrying a strange aura of corruption.

A flicker of surprise crossed Ning Qi's face as he pondered the reason behind this sensation in the Vast Realm's energy.

Having clashed indirectly with the Saint Ancestor multiple times, this vibe felt all too recognizable; without doubt, the Saint Ancestor's sway over the Vast Realm Will had tainted its energy to this degree.

Suddenly, Ning Qi remembered the Saint Ancestor's earlier words.

That elder claimed he held no dread toward the Mountain Ancestor, the Sea Ancestor, or the Mountain and Sea Realm Will, for those three constantly schemed against one another without true alliance.

It was plain to see that the Saint Ancestor maintained a strong partnership with the Vast Realm Will.

The Sea of Realms' energy remained wild and fierce at all times!

A fierce resolve ignited in Ning Qi's gaze; someday, he aimed to conquer these three forces, fully merging them into the True Martial Realm.

Just then, the Three Domains' troops began trickling back.

"Domain Master!"

"Domain Master Ning!"

Leading their respective forces, the Sword Ancestor, Qi Keqing, and Zhu Yanchuan positioned themselves behind Ning Qi to recover.

A light layer of perspiration covered each of them, radiating the warmth from their travels.

To these warriors, with Ning Qi's safeguarding, the war realm had transformed from a deadly trap where one might lose everything into a prime arena for self-improvement.

As such, they all valued this chance immensely.

Ning Qi gave a small nod and addressed the trio, "Now that all have returned, it's time to traverse the domain."

He guided the group toward the barrier.

Confusion appeared on one face after another.

No one believed Ning Qi was making a mistake, yet the barrier ahead looked different now.

Before, they had moved from the Lower Realm into the Central Domain.

They knew the feel of passing through a barrier, and that one's depth was nowhere near as immense as this current one.

So, astonishment gripped them.

The Sword Ancestor commented, "Ning, looks like you're not leading us to the Upper Domain?"

Ning Qi laid his hand on the massive barrier and glanced back with a grin: "Those twenty Harmonization cultivators from the Vast Realm have been in the Upper Domain for a while now; if we head there at this point, what do you suppose would occur?"

Their faces shifted upon hearing that.

Having leaned on Ning Qi throughout, they assumed he could handle every obstacle, rarely pondering broader tactical plans.

With Ning Qi pointing it out, realizations dawned quickly in their minds.

"Domain Master Ning, do you mean they've possibly joined forces with the Upper Domain's Vast Realm cultivators to ambush us beyond the barrier?" Qi Keqing inquired.

Ning Qi shook his head, replying, "That's understating it."

Zhu Yanchuan chimed in right away, "Domain Master Ning, are you implying the Vast Realm Will is lying in wait for us too?"

Ning Qi kept shaking his head.

The Sword Ancestor chuckled: "He's saying it's not just the Vast Realm Will; maybe the whole Vast Realm is mobilizing once more!"

Shock hit Qi Keqing and Zhu Yanchuan, followed by a heavy inhale.

Ning Qi's presence had already thrown the war realm's conflict into disarray.

Alerted to Ning Qi, the Vast Realm had sent those twenty Harmonization cultivators to wipe out this wildcard.

Now that the Central Domain was reclaimed, and after struggling to keep those twenty alive, how could they fail to anticipate Ning Qi's domain crossing?

The top powers in the Vast Realm surely had fresh plans in store.

In this game of strategy on the board, with those powers watching and participating, would they allow an easy win by sticking to standard moves?

Likely, right after dispatching the twenty Harmonization cultivators, they had directed the Vast Realm forces in the Upper Domain, and even set up alterations inside the Upper Domain itself.

All of that was feasible!

That's why Ning Qi had led them here—to break from the usual patterns.

If he stuck to conventions, he'd forever be the target of the two realms' wills, dancing to their tune and serving as their conflict's centerpiece.

Ning Qi refused to end up like that!

No further words came from Ning Qi.

The Mountain and Sea Seal emerged in his hand, and he slammed it onto the sturdy barrier.

At once, a gentle wind stirred, drawing all energies toward his hand, pulling solely from the Mountain and Sea Realm's power!

Crossing a small domain inside a large one would have been simple enough.

Yet venturing between major domains amid battle made it far tougher.

Luckily, by claiming two small domains in the southeast region, with the backing of Mountain and Sea Realm energy and the Realm Will from those areas, carving a path to the major domain became achievable.

Moreover, the Mountain and Sea Realm Will had no desire to block Ning Qi.

It appeared to hold great regard for his approach.

Without manifesting as a vision, the Mountain and Sea Realm Will chuckled softly in Ning Qi's ear:

"You've outgrown the role of a mere piece, irking those maneuvering from beyond the board; still, I'm growing more eager to see how you progress!"

A faint smile touched Ning Qi's lips, but he offered no reply.

A piece gaining its own mind, defying the players' designs, was the way to flip the entire board.

Before them, the enormously dense barrier started forming a circular opening via the Mountain and Sea Realm Will and energy.

Once it showed, the hole widened rapidly.

In short order, a shimmering, watery circular gateway materialized within the barrier, visible to Ning Qi and the rest.

In the end, this gateway reached just ten meters across, unable to grow more, and it began to waver as if closing.

The Mountain and Sea Realm Will sent a message: "Hurry inside; even drawing on two small domains' strength to forge a portal across major domains, this is the limit of what I can manage!"

Ning Qi promptly gestured, urging the Three Domains' forces behind him: "Move in fast, no lingering!"

Dressed in white robes, he charged ahead into it.

The Sword Ancestor, Qi Keqing, and the others trailed right after, with the Three Domains' troops following.

It felt like passing through an extended, pitch-black corridor.

Unlike their prior crossings of small domain barriers, this passage dragged on slower and brought a powerful sense of pressure.

After an unclear span of time, brightness pierced the darkness ahead.

They were pushed from the corridor, emerging one by one into the new major domain.

Hovering solo at the front, Ning Qi extended his Spiritual Sense to survey the whole realm.

In his wake, the group assembled, jointly examining this unknown major domain.

...

Inside the Mountain and Sea Realm's Endless Sea.

At the sea's core, the Sea Ancestor meditated calmly within the Dragon Ascending to Heaven Treasure Hall that had taken shape there.

The Mountain and Sea Realm Will's phantom materialized on its own.

"Out with it, what's the issue?"

A voice chilled like everlasting frost echoed, distant and sourceless.

The Mountain and Sea Realm Will's phantom regarded the Sea Ancestor, noting her lips stayed sealed, her eyes not even flicking his way.

Unbothered, he knew her temperament well.

The Mountain and Sea Realm Will stated, "In the Sea of Emotions, Ning Qi has advanced into your designated war realm!"

The Sea Ancestor's form didn't stir, though her profound azure eyes gleamed icily, fixed on the Mountain and Sea Realm Will's phantom.

"Mountain and Sea, is that true?"

The Mountain and Sea Realm Will huffed in irritation, "Would I lie to a woman, honestly?"

Fury made the Sea Ancestor clench her teeth, "Mountain and Sea, you seeking another thrashing? I've warned you endlessly—stop labeling me a woman!"

In contrast to the Mountain Ancestor, the Sea Ancestor addressed the Mountain and Sea Realm Will not as Realm Venerable but by the moniker Mountain and Sea!