Chapter 1699: Born to Nurture the Sage

Angry Squid

Qiu Tianhui’s pointed finger, whether by coincidence or not, was aimed directly at the Sages observing from outside the projection.

All the Sages remained impassive, listening as Qiu Tianhui continued.

“From ancient times until now, the Mountains and Seas have stretched endlessly, like a surging river. Being within them, one naturally finds it difficult to change their form; one can only drift with the current.”

“The usual method of transcendence is to leap out and stand above the river’s surface. If one is strong enough, and stands high enough, one can view the entire panorama of the Mountains and Seas!”

“However, we are in the middle to late stages of the Mountains and Seas’ life cycle. Many opportunities have already been exhausted, and hidden great powers are lurking ahead. Even with extraordinary talent, this situation is hard to change.”

Shao Zidai glanced outwards, as if glimpsing the true scene of the Mountains and Seas, and nodded slightly in agreement. “Then, Husband, what about the method of transcendence you spoke of?”

“Follow the form of the Mountains and Seas, align with the will of the Mountains and Seas. Continuously existing, endlessly self-sustaining. Then life will be one with the Mountains and Seas, and spirit will coexist with the Mountains and Seas.” Qiu Tianhui’s answer was extremely profound.

However, Shao Zidai seemed to share his thoughts, and with a mere flicker of her eyes, she already understood his intentions.

With a light wave of her delicate hand, a phantom image of a rushing river instantly appeared before them.

The scene focused underwater, where a newly formed undercurrent was growing strong. Following the river’s flow, it vigorously extended and perpetuated itself.

“Husband’s meaning is to be like this undercurrent, borrowing the vast momentum of the Mountains and Seas’ endless flow to prolong our lives.”

Qiu Tianhui smiled faintly. “You truly understand me, Zidai!”

He said with an air of pride: “Beings of the Mountains and Seas have limited lifespans. Even so-called transcendent powerful beings cannot escape the calamity of decay. But this method borrows the great momentum of the Mountains and Seas to extend one's fate. As long as the Mountains and Seas endure, their life will extend for a corresponding duration, with no more worries about ordinary lifespans!”

“And as one’s own life extends, one occupies more and more of the Mountains and Seas. Until…”

Qiu Tianhui pointed at the image simulated by Shao Zidai. The original undercurrent was only as thick as a thumb, but as it continuously surged downwards, it gathered more and more surrounding water vapor, and its form gradually became thicker and stronger.

By the end of the river, it had already occupied half of the underwater realm.

It almost stood as an equal to the entire Mountains and Seas!

“This is what ‘coexisting with the Mountains and Seas’ means!”

Shao Zidai watched the evolving scene before her, lost in thought.

“It sounds fine, but is it truly feasible?” After a long silence, she still felt somewhat doubtful.

“I hear the Mountains and Seas are separated by the Dao Annihilation. We are merely fish trapped in a pond. How can we continuously exist like the Mountains and Seas themselves?”

“Ordinary methods of transcendence are extremely difficult, let alone this alternative approach. It almost involves stealing the essence of the Mountains and Seas and altering its form. One cannot achieve this without immense fortune, great perseverance, and extraordinary luck.”

“Given our origin as beings of the Mountains and Seas, attempting such a rebellious act would be like striking a rock with an egg. However…”

“Madam, don’t forget that the Mountains and Seas are not eternally prosperous. Judging from the current rampage of Dao Annihilation, it’s likely that in this battle against it, They are gradually losing ground. The Mountains and Seas are weakening and cannot attend to themselves. This is where our opportunity lies!”

Shao Zidai vaguely understood Qiu Tianhui’s idea.

But immediately, she lightly furrowed her brow. “Coexisting with the Mountains and Seas… but the Mountains and Seas ultimately weaken. This method…”

Qiu Tianhui chuckled derisively. “Where in the world can one find a perfect method? Madam, it’s best not to be too greedy. Given our origins, if we are fortunate enough to cultivate to the same status as the Mountains and Seas, it would already be more than enough. Besides…”

“We’ll take one step at a time. Once we reach that realm, perhaps new methods will emerge. Living beings will always find a way to survive.”

Shao Zidai also smiled, no longer troubled. The two then intimately discussed this so-called “coexisting with the Mountains and Seas” method.

Surprisingly, they did not leave their cave dwelling for several centuries.

Then the scene abruptly cut off.

Within the Xuanji Ring, all the Sages were somewhat astonished, looking towards the Three Sages of Lianshan.

They did not understand its meaning.

“This method of coexisting with the Mountains and Seas seems plausible, but to truly succeed in its cultivation… even with our talent, it would likely be difficult.” Qiejih furrowed his brow, and after some thought, shook his head and said.

“But since the Three Sages said that it is one of the Mountains and Seas’ vital meridians and important nodes… could it be that he actually succeeded?” Baixiao was somewhat uncertain and surprised.

“But if they truly succeeded, why have none of us seen these two in the future Mountains and Seas?” Yepan looked outside the Xuanji Ring again, scanning the current Mountains and Seas.

Indeed, no trace of Qiu Tianhui or Shao Zidai was found within them.

“Are they truly absent?”

“Although Qiu Tianhui is not seen, there are Li Tianhui and Zhang Tianhui. Although Shao Zidai is not seen, there are Xia Zidai and Bai Zidai.”

As the Lianshan Sage spoke, a large number of light spots seemed to appear in the Mountains and Seas.

Everyone looked in that direction, revealing various beings scattered throughout the Mountains and Seas, representing different possibilities.

Their births, circumstances, realms, and strengths were all different.

If the Lianshan Sage had not collectively marked them, even with the discerning eyes of the Sages present, it would have been difficult to distinguish their commonality. “Could it be that these people are all manifestations of Qiu Tianhui and Shao Zidai? Impossible, right?” The Sages were still quite confident in their own discernment. After carefully examining for a moment, they all shook their heads in doubt.

At this moment, Shouqiu spoke: “They are not Qiu Tianhui and Shao Zidai themselves, but their descendants. Indeed, a clever method!”

“Children and descendants?” The Sages were taken aback and looked again.

They became even more confused.

“Elder Shouqiu, what do you mean by that? If there truly were a blood relationship between them, we wouldn’t fail to distinguish it.”

Elder Shouqiu said: “Naturally, I don’t mean blood descendants in the ordinary sense. Rather, I mean…”

“If not for Qiu Tianhui and Shao Zidai, these beings would not have appeared in the Mountains and Seas. They conceived beings by borrowing the power of the Mountains and Seas. They can similarly be called their parents.”

“Precisely,” the Guihai Sage spoke up in agreement at this moment.

This provided an answer.

“Conceiving beings by borrowing the power of the Seas and Mountains?” The Sages carefully savored these words and slowly began to understand what Qiu and Shao had truly been doing for centuries while lingering in their cave dwelling.

It was not indulging in sensual pleasures, but truly cultivating and comprehending the Dao!

“The evolution of Mountains and Seas beings is one of the fundamental Great Daos of the Mountains and Seas themselves. Could Qiu Tianhui and his wife actually meddle in it?” All the Sages were somewhat shaken, looking at the Guihai Sage.

The Guihai Sage was expressionless. “It can’t really be called meddling. As Qiu Tianhui said earlier, it’s merely borrowing the momentum of the Mountains and Seas. As long as the Mountains and Seas exist, they will inevitably continue to evolve beings. This is one of the Mountains and Seas’ hidden vital meridians.”

“These two, husband and wife, indeed possessed extraordinary talent, able to glimpse its profound mystery and intertwine their own power within it.” The Lianshan Sage again pointed repeatedly with his finger. In the continuously displayed panorama of the Mountains and Seas, like rising stars, one light spot after another continuously illuminated.

Dense and numerous, they completely permeated the Mountains and Seas!

From the Mountains and Seas where Qiu Tianhui and his wife originated, until the end of time.

Although the Mountains and Seas gradually declined, the starlight never ceased!

“Indeed!”

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, looking at the end of the Mountains and Seas before him, recalling Qiu Xinhui, the Last Sage of the Mountains and Seas.

“At the end of time, the Great Dao of the Mountains and Seas withered to such an extent, yet a figure of astonishing talent like the Last Sage was born, as if he alone occupied most of the spiritual energy at the end of the Mountains and Seas.”

“However, his origin was merely ordinary, and he had no distinguished family legacy.”

“If Qiu Tianhui’s ‘coexisting with the Mountains and Seas’ method was the ultimate crystallization accumulated throughout the entire lifespan of the Mountains and Seas, then it would make sense.”

Li Fan, Shouqiu, and Daode, the three of them, were of one mind.

As thoughts rapidly turned, Li Fan’s idea was affirmed by the other two.

“Qiu Tianhui’s method uses the momentum of the Mountains and Seas to strengthen oneself. The weaker the Mountains and Seas become, the stronger one becomes. Its effectiveness can only be fully realized at the end of time, when the Mountains and Seas are at their weakest. The Last Sage, Qiu Xinhui, truly stands as an equal to the Mountains and Seas themselves, just as Qiu Tianhui demonstrated countless ages ago. He can even do things the Mountains and Seas cannot, single-handedly turning the tide and saving the Mountains and Seas from the Dao Annihilation,” Shouqiu commented.

“However, Qiu Tianhui and Qiu Xinhui do not seem to be the same person. This so-called method of transcendence…”

“It’s truly hard to say,” Daode mused.

Meanwhile, within the Xuanji Ring, the Lianshan Sage spoke again: “Although Qiu Tianhui and his wife are hidden in the front-end Mountains and Seas, they have influenced all ages by interfering with the vital meridian of Mountains and Seas beings’ evolution.”

“The Mountains and Seas are constantly in flux. The evolution and birth of beings are also ceaseless. Compared to the Mountains and Seas, billions of beings are mere ants. But after all, they are born in and grow in the Mountains and Seas. If such a vast number of beings were to suddenly disappear on the overall scale of the Mountains and Seas…”

“…it would be enough to cause severe trauma to the Mountains and Seas. Even more critically…”

The Lianshan Sage’s expression turned serious: “How exactly Qiu Tianhui and his wife intervened in the evolutionary meridian of Mountains and Seas beings is still unknown. If this method were to be controlled by the Void Realm…”

“…then the Void Realm could, just as Qiu Tianhui did, instantly unleash countless Dao Annihilation avatars, scattering them throughout the Mountains and Seas. The defenses of the Mountains and Seas would likely become riddled with holes in an instant.”

“This is also why the front-end Mountains and Seas are an extremely important node.”

After the Three Sages’ explanation, everyone finally understood.

“May I ask, Lianshan Sage, what is Qiu Tianhui’s true strength? Logically, to be able to interfere with the Great Dao of Mountains and Seas beings, one would at least need the cultivation of a Sage. But his method of transcendence seems unable to feed back into himself…” Qiejih said with some uncertainty.

It was the Guihai Sage who answered.

Guihai pointed to the star-like beings in the panorama of the Mountains and Seas: “The beings born because of them are the crystallized essence of these two couples’ cultivation. The more beings there are, naturally, the stronger their power. There’s no need for the so-called ordinary method of feedback; because it borrows the great momentum of the Mountains and Seas, every birth of a being represents an advancement in their cultivation.”

“Therefore, in the previous projection, we only observed this much. At a certain moment, they suddenly vanished from our sight. This means that over time, they surpassed us.”

Upon hearing this, the Sages fell silent.

Given their knowledge and experience, it was truly hard to imagine that such an unconventional cultivation method existed within the Mountains and Seas.

Directly leaping from the realm of unnamed True Immortals to Sages of the Mountains and Seas, and what’s more, to the top tier of Sage power.

“What a fine way to borrow the momentum of the Mountains and Seas. I see the Mountains and Seas steadily declining, and these two are certainly not without fault,” the Xuanyin Sage snorted coldly, speaking with resentment.

The Taiyi Sage smiled: “The demise of the Mountains and Seas began with the story of devouring gods. Because of the act of splitting spirits back then, the Void Realm and Dao Annihilation emerged. The Mountains and Seas merging, uniting, and then dissolving is their destined fate. It has nothing to do with Qiu Tianhui and his wife.”

“Even without Qiu Tianhui, the situation of the Mountains and Seas at the end of time would not be any better.”

“Strictly speaking, these two, husband and wife, used their mortal bodies to differentiate, steal, and occupy a portion of the Great Dao of Mountains and Seas beings. Once their Dao is established, they can be regarded as a part of the Mountains and Seas.”

The resentful expression on the Xuanyin Sage’s face instantly disappeared.

The Taiyi Sage’s words were already very clear.

In a certain sense, Qiu Tianhui and his wife were essentially existences of the same nature as Lianshan, Guihai, and Taiyi.

The only difference is that one was a personification of the Great Dao of Mountains and Seas, while the other was a being that had inversely stolen and gained partial control over the Great Dao of Mountains and Seas.

“Since they are a part of the Mountains and Seas, they should be able to join forces to resist the Void Realm.”

“However, reality is not so.”

“Do you all still remember what Qiu Tianhui said just now: ‘we’ll take one step at a time’?”

“It’s unknown what he truly saw, but facing the conflict between the Mountains and Seas and the Void Realm, he directly chose to hide.”

The Lianshan Sage said with a smile.

“It can only be confirmed that the couple is still in the front-end Mountains and Seas. But where exactly they are hiding is unknown.” Upon hearing this, all the Sages couldn’t help but frown.

With strength comparable to the Three Sages, if they were truly determined to hide, they would indeed be difficult to find.

“Could it be that even if the Mountains and Seas were to perish, they could still keep hiding?” Li Fan suddenly interjected.

“Fellow Daoist Zhouhui, don’t speak in anger. Although they are a bit hard to find, there are always clues to follow. If it truly reaches the point where the Mountains and Seas are swallowed by the Dao Annihilation, the Void Realm would definitely divide its forces to extract the secrets of the Mountains and Seas beings. The situation would be even harder to manage,” Baixiao said with a bitter smile.

The Sages each pondered for a while, and finally, their gazes converged once more on the Three Sages.

“What is the plan now?”

“Not long ago, the Void Realm attempted to eliminate us but failed. However, its encircling forces on the front-end Mountains and Seas have not decreased but increased. Although we have the assistance of Zhouhui’s true spirit infusion, reconnecting with the Mountains and Seas is destined not to be as easy as before.”

“Besides the Dao Annihilation’s incursions, various Void Realm avatars might also secretly descend and attack.”

As soon as these words were uttered, all the Sages present, except for Li Fan and his two companions, changed their expressions slightly.

The Lianshan Sage continued: “Forcibly reconnecting with the Mountains and Seas might provoke an extreme reaction from the Void Realm. We need to proceed cautiously.”

“On one hand, we must ensure the safety of the front-end Mountains and Seas.”

“On the other hand…”

“…is to find Qiu Tianhui and his wife.”

“They are the greatest variable in this battle. If they are not brought under control…”

The Lianshan Sage’s voice became a few shades lower.

“Although they have hidden themselves, their act of borrowing momentum from beings has never ceased. We can start from this point to trace their whereabouts,” the Guihai Sage added.

“Ordinary methods make it difficult to investigate Mountains and Seas beings. Only by continually reincarnating and being reborn within the Mountains and Seas, and precisely when a being is born, encountering the intervention of Qiu Tianhui and his wife…”

“…a subtle connection exists between them. One can then trace their whereabouts by going against the flow.”