Full level of enlightenment: I achieved Daozu by ascending to the lower realm

Chapter 427 Seizing the Mountain Ancestor's Sword

"shut up!"

The mountain ancestor, his face covered in wounds, retorted angrily in his heart.

However, the mountain ancestor within the illusory image of Buzhou Mountain continued to transmit a message.

"If you don't hurry, the Vast Realm might suddenly disappear like the Mountain and Sea Realm!"

"Ok?"

The mountain ancestor was immediately taken aback, and then realized something.

He turned to look outside.

Suddenly, he turned his hand around and thrust the black divine sword into a certain space behind him.

Suddenly, this space was like an egg with a small hole poked in it, enough to see the outside world.

The Mountain Ancestor's divine sense instantly penetrated that small dot and swept outwards.

Upon seeing it, his heart skipped a beat.

Good heavens, the spiritual domains within the entire Vast Realm are like clouds floating in the sky, flowing in a certain direction and gradually disappearing from the Vast Realm.

The energy of the entire Vast Realm is also rapidly dissipating.

Upon seeing this, Shan Zu immediately turned to look at Ning Qi opposite him.

So you've been dragging me along all along!

He was furious, but in an instant, he seemed to realize that something was wrong.

"No, you fought me right here, so why has the Vast Realm outside disappeared? You..."

The mountain ancestor's gaze swept over Ning Qi from head to toe. "Do you have other accomplices outside?"

Opposite him, Ning Qi still held a sword-shaped green light in his hand, which was transformed from a branch of the Enlightenment Tree.

Seeing the mountain ancestor's reaction, he laughed and said, "So you finally figured it out? Too bad, you figured it out too late!"

Upon hearing this, the Mountain Ancestor's gaze almost materialized as it shot towards Ning Qi.

He suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. No wonder your strength is still increasing. It turns out you've obtained the power of the Vast Realm."

He couldn't understand where those spiritual realms of the Vast Realm had gone, but he guessed it must be related to Ning Qi, and that Ning Qi's strength had increased because of the power of the Vast Realm.

Just like another version of him used the phantom of Mount Buzhou to devour the War Realm and the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Once the Mountain Ancestor understood this, he immediately took up the black divine sword, gathered all his power, and channeled it into the sword.

"How dare you steal my pre-selected opportunity to become an immortal right under my nose! Die!"

On the black divine sword in his hand, tiny black roots began to sprout.

Each tendril danced like a tentacle, then rapidly expanded, becoming something that was both real and illusory.

From a distance, it looked as if the mountain ancestor was not holding a sword, but rather grasping a tree root.

Those seemingly real yet illusory roots and tentacles dispersed in the blink of an eye, like octopus legs, plunging into the void and wriggling rapidly.

The entire space was trembling, as if a paper ball was shaking rapidly and shrinking inward.

Ning Qi narrowed his eyes.

Right in front of him, the Mountain Ancestor used the sword in his hand to devour the entire space, and the Mountain Ancestor's aura was slowly getting stronger.

Ning Qi took a step forward.

However, the Mountain Ancestor was faster than him, instantly teleporting in front of Ning Qi.

"Extinction Sword Body!"

He gripped the sword, its surface covered in swirling roots, with both hands and thrust it at Ning Qi.

It was like a strong man holding the roots of a big tree, using the tree roots as a battering ram to smash Ning Qi, trying to shatter him.

A strange light flashed in Ning Qi's clear black and white eyes.

He neither dodged nor evaded, but simply raised his hand quickly and thrust out with his sword.

His swordplay was unpretentious and simple, like a novice swordsman trying to clash the tip of his sword with the opponent's thrust.

Ding!
The green sword instantly collided with the tip of the black divine sword in the hand of the Mountain Ancestor.

A terrifying storm of sword light erupted instantly from the tips of the two swords!
On one side was pitch black ink, and on the other side was a shimmering, vibrant green light.

The two seem to be inherently incompatible, one heading towards death, the other towards life.

Endless power of rules poured out from the storm of sword light, and each of them contained a wisp of immortal aura.

The sword in Ning Qi's hand still did not condense into a clear sword body like the Mountain Ancestor; it was just a sword of green light.

The sword in Shanzu's hand was extremely powerful and yang, seemingly capable of destroying anything that stood in his way.

Even more terrifying, as the tips of the black divine sword and the green light sword met, more roots crawled out from the black divine sword, like spiders and centipedes rapidly crawling along the tip towards the sword in Ning Qi's hand.

They climb while tearing and biting with their sharp teeth, displaying extreme ferocity.

The enormous roots that had been there before all turned upside down and surrounded Ning Qi from all directions.

They have completely sealed off the space, so Ning Qi cannot escape even if he wants to tear through the space.

Anyone facing this sword would feel fear.

However, Ning Qi's expression remained calm and composed, and the light reflected in his clear black and white eyes became even more peculiar.

Ding!
The next second, the sword in Ning Qi's hand shone brightly with green light, like fireflies spreading out in the dead of summer night.

A clear sword shadow was completely condensed by Ning Qi and appeared in his palm.

The mountain ancestor was subconsciously drawn to the dissipating firefly light and couldn't help but look at the sword in Ning Qi's hand.

He glanced at it and was clearly taken aback.

Because what Ning Qi conjured in his hand was not a divine sword at all, but an ordinary scabbard!

At this moment, Ning Qi was holding the scabbard in his backhand, with the notch of the scabbard facing the tip of the black divine sword in the Mountain Ancestor's hand.

"receive!"

Ning Qi gave a soft shout!
The next second, a terrifying suction force erupted from the sword sheath. The Mountain Ancestor was already exerting force. In fact, even if Ning Qi did not use the sword-retracting technique, the Mountain Ancestor's figure was automatically moving forward, handing over the black divine sword in his hand.

The black divine sword instantly sheathed itself, and all the roots that had grown from it were absorbed into it.

Shan Zu gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands and couldn't help but pull the sword outward with all his might.

But even though he exerted all his strength, the sword in his hand seemed to have escaped his control forever, no longer belonging to him, nor being driven by him.

Ning Qi slashed out with his empty left palm.

The Mountain Ancestor's hands were violently shaken apart by a great force, and he took a solid blow from Ning Qi's palm.

Bang bang bang!
The Mountain Ancestor clutched his chest and retreated repeatedly in the void.

A look of confusion crossed his eyes as he stared at the sword sheath in Ning Qi's hand, completely bewildered by what had happened.

"This is impossible!"

Ning Qi sheathed his sword and stood facing the Mountain Ancestor, the entire space behind him. He said calmly, "Nothing is impossible!"

As the black divine sword disappeared, the previously depleted space instantly expanded again, regaining its vitality.

Furthermore, on the Mountain Ancestor's side, the originally damaged space was being repaired at an alarming speed.

Above the void, patches of tree shadows appeared, with leaves of different shapes connecting and mending the void.

Just like Ning Qi used the seedling of Jianmu to mend the hole in the Mountain and Sea Realm, but this time it was even faster, and it was completed in the blink of an eye!
The space was perfectly restored, faintly gleaming with a luster, perfectly round and integrated.

In an instant, Shan Zu felt a sense of foreboding. It was as if the entire space had become a completely enclosed space, trapping him inside.

Upon seeing this, the mountain ancestor's scarred face gradually calmed down.

He looked at Ning Qi with eyes full of curiosity, as if he had discovered an amazing treasure.

The Mountain Ancestor murmured, "The seedlings of the Jianmu tree do indeed have the function of mending the world, but you and I both hold branches of the Jianmu seedlings. I also have related inheritances to complement it, so why were you able to take away the branches in my hands?"

By this point, even he, who was slow to realize, understood that something was wrong.

After all, Ning Qi had previously taken the dragon scales formed from the leaves of the Jianmu seedling from the Devouring World Dragon. He could interpret this as Ning Qi having stolen the Jianmu seedling's original body, thus granting him such abilities.

But later, he used the secret techniques passed down from Buzhou Mountain to transform that withered branch into a divine sword.

With the legacy of Buzhou Mountain and his understanding of the mutually generative Jianmu seedling, the Mountain Ancestor was confident that no one in the world could take the branch away from him again.

On the contrary, as long as Ning Qi takes out the true form of the Jianmu seedling, he can take it back.

However, things didn't go as the mountain ancestor expected at all. He even doubted whether he had remembered the inheritance he had received incorrectly!
The inheritance is naturally correct, otherwise he wouldn't have reached where he is today, becoming the strongest cultivator in both realms, and almost sacrificing himself for both realms if Ning Qi hadn't appeared.

Therefore, the key to everything lies with Ning Qi.

The Mountain Ancestor didn't believe Ning Qi had such great abilities. After all, even now, he felt that although Ning Qi's strength was still increasing, he still couldn't catch up with him.

The only explanation is that Ning Qi must possess an incredibly valuable treasure!

Thinking about Ning Qi's sudden rise, the Mountain Ancestor suddenly thought of many things. Ning Qi might have obtained a kind of inheritance, just like him, and the strength of that inheritance might even be greater than that of Buzhou Mountain's inheritance.

Ning Qi said calmly, "You really want to know?"

The Mountain Ancestor narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you willing to talk? Anyway, it's just the two of us here, so you might as well tell me."

"Heh, if you defeat me, I'll tell you!"

Ning Qi twirled his sword, then tossed it into his storage space.

Meanwhile, Ning Qi took out his storage space and threw it into the sky above the True Martial Spirit Realm.

The Enlightenment Tree itself lowered a branch, curling up the sword.

The sword instantly transformed back into a tree branch, landing on the Enlightenment Tree and becoming a newly sprouted branch.

The shadows of the trees swayed, seemingly carrying a hint of joy, as if they were thanking Ning Qi.

Ning Qi smiled slightly and continued relocating the entire Vast Realm.

……

Inside the cave.

Ning Qi used the Enlightenment Tree to restore the cave space and imprisoned himself and the Mountain Ancestor inside.

The mountain ancestor strolled along.

He was a little anxious before, but now he's not flustered at all.

Even if the outer Vast Realm disappeared like the Mountain and Sea Realm, he would not be worried.

As long as Ning Qi is there, what does it matter if he takes away a part of the Vast Realm?
After he kills Ning Qi, everything will naturally return to his control.

Shan Zu's attention was now completely focused on Ning Qi on the other side. Ning Qi's appearance had undoubtedly surprised him as well.

He originally thought that the obstacles on his path to immortality were the Sea Ancestor and the Holy Ancestor, but he easily trapped both of them in the illusion of Buzhou Mountain. Instead, Ning Qi's sudden emergence became the biggest obstacle on his path to immortality.

Shanzu felt that fate was truly unpredictable.

Ning Qi's appearance was an even better opportunity for him, comparable to the true copy of the Ancient Dao Sacred Map of the Holy Ancestor!

"Very well, it's been a long time since anyone has challenged me like this. Should I say you're just a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, or do you truly possess the corresponding strength?"

The Mountain Ancestor reached out and grabbed at the void, pulling out an ancient scroll from it.

Ning Qi looked at the ancient Dao Sacred Map in his hand, his eyes gleaming.

"Let me use the Holy Ancestor's treasure to subdue you!" the Mountain Ancestor suddenly laughed.

He separated a wisp of immortal energy from his body and infused it into the true text of the Ancient Dao Sacred Diagram.

Instantly, the Ancient Dao Sacred Diagram opened automatically and floated above the Mountain Ancestor's head.

A blurry image of an ancient saint descended, followed by strands of immortal power flowing into the Mountain Ancestor's body like raindrops.

The mountain ancestor's already imposing physique instantly swelled even more, and what was even more terrifying was that the immortal power within his body surged dramatically.

A faint aura of immortality swirled around him, making him seem as if he were about to ascend to heaven.

Seeing this, Ning Qi glanced at the ancient Daoist sacred map that had been opened above the mountain ancestor's head.

However, the Mountain Ancestor wouldn't give him time to observe, and instantly teleported behind Ning Qi.

At this moment, his figure seemed to transcend the mortal world, transcend time and space, and be free from all constraints!
His speed was so fast that it affected the rules of time and space.

Whoosh!
The powerful, long legs cleaved down like a giant axe, smashing into Ning Qi's back.

Seeing that Ning Qi showed no intention of turning around, it seemed that he would be struck by the Mountain Ancestor's kick at any moment.

But to the astonishment of the Mountain Ancestor, Ning Qi's silhouette was also like a stream of light, rising against the flow of time and space.

Bang!
Its long legs, like axes, were grabbed by Ning Qi.

A smile appeared on his handsome face.

"I forgot to tell you, the Holy Ancestor passed on all his knowledge to me, so..."

Ning Qi grabbed Shan Zu's hand and threw him away violently.

In an instant, the figure of the Mountain Ancestor flew out.

The mountain ancestor's body was enormous, crashing into the wall of space like a stubborn rock.

But a second before the impact, the mountain ancestor suddenly stopped his flying body and slowly stood up.

Ning Qi's figure had already appeared in front of him, and he also swept out a leg, like a huge whip shadow.

Snapped!
The Holy Ancestor stretched out his arm and blocked Ning Qi's kick.

Immediately afterwards, the two engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat in the void.

This time, their battle was different from before; it was filled with an eeriness, as if the two of them had transcended time and space!
For a moment, their figures were everywhere in the space; for a moment, their afterimages merged into a portrait painting, spanning the past, present, and future.

After an unknown amount of time, the two clashed fists again.

A fierce gale erupted in the void, and all their afterimages instantly merged into one, as did space and time.

"You've only known that old pedantic scholar for a few days. Even if he were to pass on his entire legacy to you, you'd only have a few hours to comprehend it at most. Amazing, truly amazing!"

The mountain ancestor sighed repeatedly.

His eyes gleamed with even greater delight as he stared at Ning Qi as if assessing the value of a treasure.

Undoubtedly, Ning Qi's value was once again elevated in Shan Zu's eyes.

“Before, when I fought that old pedant, he also used the rules of time. But I never expected that your understanding of the rules of time has surpassed his. Tell me, how should I view you? Are you really not a reincarnation of a true immortal?”

Ning Qi didn't bother to reply.

His battle with the Mountain Ancestor was more like a simultaneous verification of what he had learned. The Mountain Ancestor was a very good opponent for him, especially since the other party was also using the same supernatural power, the rule of time!

Having fought Ning Qi for so long, Shan Zu had clearly come to understand Ning Qi's methods.

He smiled slightly, the scars on his face appearing particularly gruesome.

"I won't fall for that again and become your free teacher!"

After he finished speaking, the ancient Dao Sacred Diagram above his head projected another phantom image down and entered his body!

(End of this chapter)