Cultivating with Top Enlightenment

Chapter 893: Chapter 380: Crisis (Part 2)

"This brat... When did he secretly learn my techniques?"

Black flames flickered, and from a microscopic perspective, they were composed of individual characters just like his Hundred Character Divine Techniques.

For example, the character for ’flame,’ the character for ’fire,’ the character for ’wind,’ the character for ’stickiness,’ and so on...

Each character, besides containing its respective Power of Rules, also embodied a divine charm and the Great Way...

The combination of these components, the Saint Ancestor’s avatar clearly sensed that these characters were still not sufficiently refined, and their Great Way Will combined clumsily, clearly showing that Ning Qi had just mastered them.

The Saint Ancestor had lived for so long and seen many geniuses, but in such an intense battle with him, someone could actually learn from him face-to-face in such a short time and do it so well!

The Saint Ancestor could vouch that if Ning Qi had a bit more time, the ability of this black flame would reach a higher level.

Possibly even equalling his Hundred Character Divine Techniques!

Is this guy truly not a reincarnated Immortal?

The Saint Ancestor was a bit uncertain because even he couldn’t achieve what Ning Qi did.

He was sure that neither of the two Spirit Realms, neither he nor the Mountain Ancestor and Sea Ancestor, nor even the Wills of both realms could comprehend as Ning Qi did in such a brief time.

Although the two Spirit Realms can contain myriad paths and generate all things, naturally serving as worlds, all this is achieved by instinct, not through learning.

Back when he tamed the newly awakened Vast Realm Will, guiding it onto the right path, he personally felt this point.

So...

The Saint Ancestor looked at the black flame burning on his Hundred Character Divine Techniques, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

His Hundred Character Divine Techniques were created through reading extensively since childhood, thoroughly researching various calligraphic masterpieces, understanding their spiritual intents, and infusing various cultural anecdotes into the characters, achieving today’s accomplishment.

But Ning Qi?

How old is Ning Qi? Even if he spent all those years immersed in reading, it’s impossible to master this divine technique so quickly.

Yet now, right before the Saint Ancestor’s eyes, Ning Qi was pulling off a marvelous act.

The black flame danced as if mocking the Saint Ancestor’s avatar.

Controlling the Hundred Character Divine Techniques, one character suddenly flew out, a ’cut’ character!

Upon its release, the ’cut’ character had no edge or physical form, yet it was sharper than anything in the world.

The ’cut’ character transformed into a slash of blade and sword light, and eighteen kinds of weapon techniques, constantly striking at the black flame.

Swish, swish, swish!

Ning Qi, perceiving everything, had long abandoned other ways of attack, controlling the black flame in a confrontation against the Saint Ancestor.

With a thought, Ning Qi transformed the characters composing the black flame into a group of ’cut’ characters.

One character against a group.

Their clash leaped back and forth in space, appearing rather comical.

Yet, the danger inside was beyond mortal comprehension.

Rather than a battle of characters, it was more an understanding of everything.

The Saint Ancestor had lived countless millennia, fond of reading, calligraphy, and painting, with a profound foundation unmatched in the two Spirit Realms.

But Ning Qi’s strength lay in his perception!

The opponent used a ’cut’ character, seemingly containing every sharp weapon in the world, to destroy the black flame; Ning Qi, in turn, transformed the black flame into ’cut’ characters.

While Ning Qi might not defeat the Saint Ancestor with a single character, he was fully confident with a group of the same characters.

The battle between the two had now transitioned from resounding might to a silent intensity, inherently more dangerous.

Every character condensed the Power of Heart and Mind of both, making it most challenging to control such a technique that balanced between illusion and reality.

Swish, swish, swish!

The Saint Ancestor, at this moment, seemed to let go of everything, wholeheartedly battling Ning Qi.

This unique combat was something even he had long yearned for.

Although Ning Qi’s prowess in the ’character’ discipline was far inferior, he often took unexpected approaches, always differing from the Saint Ancestor’s steadfast methods.

This was entirely a clash of wills!

As time passed, whether it was the Saint Ancestor or Ning Qi, reaching their current cultivation should mean no longer feeling fatigue.

Yet now, overhead on both, white steam, like boiling water, emanated softly, clearly pushing themselves to the utmost.

The Saint Ancestor initially could easily slash away Ning Qi’s clumsy imitations, cutting down dozens or hundreds of ’cut’ characters, but gradually, he found it impossible.

As if with every ’cut’ character untouched by him, Ning Qi’s understanding grew deeper.

The Saint Ancestor was a bit alarmed yet remained composed.

This method of combat meant neither could withdraw, for withdrawal would bar future progression. Any hesitation would give the opponent an opening.

Moreover, compared to actual divine technique duels, this was a strange contest of personal paths, with no retreat, only a forward push.

Swish, swish, swish!

Continuously, character illusions were slashed, falling into the void.

Gradually, the Saint Ancestor increasingly failed to slash Ning Qi’s ’cut’ characters; initially able to take down ten or a hundred, later, as Ning Qi’s skill rapidly soared, the Saint Ancestor could only cut within ten characters.

But in the end, the Saint Ancestor was astonished to find only a single, highly condensed ’cut’ character left before him!

The Saint Ancestor’s Hundred Character Divine Techniques had faded at some point, and Ning Qi had abandoned other attack methods.

The two were not so much battling as they were playing a game, strategizing.

Ning Qi rapidly absorbed the power of this divine technique from the Saint Ancestor, growing stronger as they fought.

Ultimately, even the Saint Ancestor’s avatar didn’t notice as a layer of white sweat emerged on his forehead.

Clang!

A crisp, clear ringing echoed as both ’cut’ characters shattered in the air simultaneously.

Ning Qi and the Saint Ancestor’s avatars both stepped back simultaneously, shaking their heads as if recovering from a moment of intense distraction.

The Saint Ancestor’s avatar gazed at Ning Qi in the void ahead.

"No wonder you can grow so fast, now I finally understand."

Ning Qi’s eyes gleamed, appearing sharper and clearer after this perilous battle.

"Old man, don’t stop now, continue!"

The Saint Ancestor’s avatar swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

After sensing his state carefully, damn it, the fight with Ning Qi had consumed seventy percent of his spiritual power.

His avatar’s energy wasn’t infinite; since he had entered the warfare realm, he naturally limited the avatar’s power.

Originally, he intended to use the avatar to reinforce the Vast Realm with additional forces, but now Ning Qi alone had consumed nearly all of it.

"Enough, if I keep fighting this brat, I’ll need to call for a second avatar."

He suddenly said.

"You don’t want to fight me anymore?"

The Saint Ancestor stared at Ning Qi. Honestly, he did want to keep fighting Ning Qi, after all, it was rare in his life to encounter such a formidable young individual.

Throughout the Vast Realm, he had manifested numerous avatars, traveling worldwide, even accepting the Vast Realm Will as his disciple.

Considering this, the Saint Ancestor had a distinct eagerness to teach!

Thus, encountering someone like Ning Qi made him more excited than Ning Qi wanted, eager to discuss further, giving a fresh zest to his countless years of dull existence.

However, he was the Saint Ancestor, now in the warfare realm, with unfinished business!

The Saint Ancestor’s avatar suddenly pointed into the void.

Ning Qi was taken aback, observing that the Saint Ancestor was not unleashing a divine technique but arranging a trigram in the void before him.

"Brat, do you know why I dispatched this avatar?"

Ning Qi replied, "Naturally, because I eliminated nearly a thousand Harmonization cultivators from your Vast Realm; you’re here to replenish the cultivators and maintain balance between the two realms."

The Saint Ancestor’s avatar smiled slightly, "You’ve only guessed part of it."

He pointed to the trigrams before him, "Before coming, I divined a trigram. It suggests that you might become my ally, not my enemy..."

Ning Qi’s expression remained calm.

"Old man, you’re already of such age, a Saint Ancestor, and you still believe this?"

"Whether you believe it or not is none of my business, but I believe it!"

The Saint Ancestor’s avatar’s expression suddenly shifted, telling Ning Qi, "If my assumption is correct, you seem to be deliberately guiding the balance between the two realms, aren’t you?"

Ning Qi: "..."

At this moment, Ning Qi for the first time felt a crisis of someone grasping the truth.

Could this old man indeed deduce everything about him?