Hermit Xuyuan let out a wry smile. "It seems Fellow Daoist Ning already knows what I'm thinking. This is why I sought you out. After all, a decision like this must be made by you, Fellow Daoist Ning."
Ning Fa said without hesitation, "I will go to the Abyssal Heavenly Pool."
Sensing Ning Fa's resolve, Hermit Xuyuan first sighed, then smiled and shook his head.
"I knew you would make such a choice, Fellow Daoist Ning.
After all, if you weren't so decisive, you wouldn't have achieved so much in such a short time with just your Five Elements Thunder Body.
To be honest, this is also what I hoped for.
We Cangyuan are currently being targeted by three forces. Tianli is one thing, but the Sea Race and the Rakshasa Immortal Realm both have Spirit Transformation Cultivators.
Even if we can hold them off for a while, we can't hold them off forever.
Therefore, Cangyuan must also have a Spirit Transformation expert appear, and currently, you are the only one in Cangyuan with that potential.
Even if Cangyuan is occupied, as long as you can escape and return as a Spirit Transformation expert in the future, our Cangyuan will still have hope for revival.
It's like 100,000 years ago, when Cangyuan was almost wiped out by endless beast tides. But Ancestor Xiaokong rushed back from other immortal realms and turned the tide, allowing Cangyuan to prosper again.
So, Fellow Daoist Ning, you can be just like Ancestor Xiaokong of the past."
Ning Fa's gaze couldn't help but sharpen. He hadn't expected Hermit Xuyuan to think so far ahead.
At this moment, Hermit Xuyuan's expression turned serious. "Since that's the case, Fellow Daoist Ning, prepare yourself.
According to the feedback from the Sky Monitoring Instrument, the Abyssal Heavenly Pool will officially open not too long from now."
Ning Fa nodded, and then discussed matters with Hermit Xuyuan for several hours.
Ning Fa also learned some bad news.
The Grand Extermination Immortal Array had suffered severe damage during the last attack and defense battle. It could now only exert the power of a quasi-fifth-tier grand array, unable to provide the same strong support as before.
However, fortunately, Ning Fa was present. As long as the number of enemy great cultivators didn't suddenly increase too much, they should still be able to hold on.
The next day, Ning Fa met Xiao Yu.
Over the past few years, Xiao Yu had collected thousands of various spirit mine ores, ranging from first to fourth tier.
Then, Ning Fa shut himself in a secret chamber and only emerged three days later after his seclusion.
He had a look of excitement on his face. The third-tier origin points of the Source-Crossing Heavenly Book had decreased by 1,500 points.
However, his storage ring was now filled with a large pile of extremely precious fourth-tier spirit mine ores.
At this moment, he had finally gathered all the spirit materials for the remaining components of the three Divine Firmament Thunder Armor Set pieces.
Ning Fa immediately found Cheng Ziyi and had her help him build a top-tier artifact refining room in a hidden location within Zhenyou City.
He asked Cheng Ziyi to help him refine those three Divine Firmament Thunder Armor Set components, while he was responsible for providing the magical power.
In his spare time, Ning Fa also studied the upgrade method for the Five Flames Lamp that Liuying had told him about. This was because the key spirit materials needed to upgrade the Five Flames Lamp to a high-grade spiritual treasure were all ones he had managed to trace and obtain.
In addition, Ning Fa was closely monitoring the repair progress of the ultra-long-distance teleportation array at the Profound Fire Sect ruins. Fortunately, the progress was smooth.
Ning Fa also took the time to start refining a batch of high-grade teleportation talismans. After all, if his close associates were to leave through this ultra-long-distance teleportation array, their physical bodies would not be able to withstand it without the protection of such high-grade teleportation talismans.
Three months passed in this manner. Zhenyou City, which had enjoyed a rare half-year of peace, was once again greeted by the sound of a vast horn. The enemy army had attacked again.
Several powerful figures soared into the sky from the walls of Zhenyou City. It was Ning Fa and the other great cultivators of Cangyuan.
Below, amidst the tide-like army, several powerful figures also flew up.
Soon, both sides had chosen their opponents.
This time, Ning Fa was still facing the two Sea Race experts, Hathaway and Lor.
However, Ning Fa frowned as he looked at the two of them.
Although the two Sea Race members looked at him with apprehension, there was an indescribable strangeness in their gaze.
Lor's face was filled with regret and pity.
As for the noble and cold Sea Race female cultivator, Hathaway, the mysterious rhombus crystal on her forehead, which Ning Fa had shattered, now only left a scar.
The woman glared fiercely at Ning Fa, her face filled with schadenfreude, and even a hint of anticipation.
Seeing this, Ning Fa's frown deepened.
Something was strange.
Just then, the Moon God Heart in Ning Fa's sea of consciousness suddenly flashed.
Ning Fa finally sensed something and looked sharply to the side of the two.
There, a blue-robed youth of ordinary build stood with his hands behind his back, as if he had been there all along, but Ning Fa had only just noticed him.
The blue-robed youth had a handsome face with some of the distinctive blue spiritual patterns of the Sea Race cultivators. His eyes were azure blue, and he was looking at Ning Fa with a calm expression and a faint, indifferent smile.
When Ning Fa looked towards him, a hint of surprise flickered in the blue-robed youth's blue eyes. He then said with a faint smile, "As expected, you have some skill to be able to detect my presence."
Ning Fa's eyes widened in shock.
Even with his current cultivation, he couldn't see through the Blue Robe Youth's depth at all. He only felt that the youth's body was illusory and insubstantial, making it impossible to probe his true strength.
On the divine soul level, however, this person gave him an indescribable sense of pressure, making his skin crawl.
Ning Fa's heart sank to the bottom.
Although he didn't recognize the Blue Robe Youth, his identity was obvious. He was very likely a Spirit Transformation Cultivator from the Sea Race.
The Sea Race had indeed sent a Spirit Transformation Cultivator to deal with him.
At this moment, Hathaway stood with her arms crossed, looking at Ning Fa with a triumphant expression.
"You detestable human cultivator, you should be proud that our Lord Kailandir has personally come to deal with you."
"Shameless!" Ning Fa cursed inwardly, and without hesitation, a flash of lightning erupted around him as he prepared to flee downwards.
At this moment, the blue-haired youth let out a cold snort. "You think you can escape from me? Then my cultivation has been wasted on dogs."
As he spoke, he casually reached out with his right hand.
With a flash of light a hundred feet away, Ning Fa's figure reappeared.
But just then, a crystal light flashed above him, and a crystal hand, over ten feet in size, appeared without warning. It seemed to be waiting for Ning Fa, and it grabbed towards him.
Before it even got close, the surrounding void felt as if it had been sealed. Even with Ning Fa's current powerful physique, he felt an inability to move.
Ning Fa bit his tongue sharply, his blood and qi erupting, and he immediately broke free from the restraint.
With a clear sword cry, the Heaven-Shattering Sword appeared, floating with dazzling white and red lightning. The surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy surged towards it, causing the sword to rapidly expand to several feet in length.
Ning Fa wielded the sword and slashed fiercely at the crystal hand.
BOOM!
With an explosion, the crystal hand was cleaved with a crack by the Heaven-Shattering Sword.
Ning Fa's face turned pale, but he didn't waste the opportunity. A flash of lightning erupted around him, and he once again activated his Lightning Escape technique, fleeing madly towards the north.
Failing to achieve his goal with one strike, the Blue Robe Youth frowned.
He opened his right hand, and instantly, a flash of crystal light appeared below him a hundred feet away. A large blue net suddenly emerged from the void and flew back into his hand.
He had thought he had set up an ambush without anyone noticing, waiting for Ning Fa to flee back to Zhenyou City and fall right into his trap.
But clearly, Ning Fa had already sensed something and didn't fall for it, choosing to flee north instead.
"Hmph, interesting."
The Blue Robe Youth snorted lightly, then took a step forward, vanishing strangely.
The next moment, crystal light appeared in the air a hundred feet away, and the Blue Robe Youth reappeared, as if he had shrunk the ground into an inch.
He took another step and reappeared a hundred feet away again. His speed was not much slower than Ning Fa's Lightning Escape.
At this moment, the Cangyuan Great Cultivators felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.
They could clearly see that the suddenly appearing Sea Race youth was a legendary Spirit Transformation Cultivator!
Hermit Xuyuan couldn't help but tremble, despair flashing in his eyes.
The enemy's Spirit Transformation Cultivator had appeared, and Da Qin's reinforcements had still not arrived. It seemed that today was truly the day Cangyuan would perish.
On the other side, Su Rihe and Mei Danlun burst into laughter.
"Old Hermit Xuyuan, let's see how you resist this time!"
Hermit Xuyuan looked at them coldly.
"Truly foolish and ignorant. Even if Cangyuan perishes, without any Spirit Transformation Cultivators in Tianli, how will you defend this land? Sooner or later, you will follow in our footsteps!" Su Rihe and Mei Danlun's hearts skipped a beat. Then Su Rihe sneered, "Tianli has long anticipated this situation, so you don't need to worry about us."
Hearing this, Hermit Xuyuan's brow furrowed first, then he gave a mournful smile.
He could only silently pray that Ning Fa could escape this calamity. If he returned after achieving Spirit Transformation, perhaps Cangyuan would have a chance to rise again. Otherwise, all would be lost.
Meanwhile, Ning Fa had already flown hundreds of miles.
But even though he was desperately using his Lightning Escape technique without regard for the cost, he still couldn't widen the distance between himself and the Sea Race Spirit Transformation Cultivator.
At this moment, the Blue Robe Youth's frown deepened.
He hadn't expected to have chased for so long without catching Ning Fa.
What angered him even more was that Ning Fa hadn't even displayed the powerful Heaven and Earth Manifestation that Hathaway and the others had described.
"Even if I have to expend some vital energy today, I will capture you!"
The Blue Robe Youth snorted coldly, then he lifted his right hand. With a flash of spiritual light, a small, exquisite Bronze Trident appeared.
It looked rusty and unremarkable.
But under the Blue Robe Youth's magical power, the trident suddenly emitted a brilliant blue light. The bronze runes on its surface seemed to come alive, flashing wildly and exuding an indescribable and terrifying power.
The trident trembled slightly, then transformed into a blue rainbow and disappeared.
Ning Fa, who was speeding ahead, had a drastic change in expression. He immediately felt a sense of being locked onto, and an extreme sense of danger surged within him.
Without time to think, Ning Fa immediately activated the Divine Firmament Manifestation.
Meanwhile, spiritual light flickered before him, and an ancient, simple round mirror appeared – the Zhou Tian Yan Lei Mirror.
Under Ning Fa's frantic activation, the five mysterious lightning runes on the mirror's edge all lit up.
The mirror's surface immediately churned with five-colored lightning. As it spun wildly, a bolt of five-colored lightning, about ten feet long, shot out from it, hurtling towards the bronze trident that was emitting a terrifying aura from behind.
After unleashing this attack, the Zhou Tian Yan Lei Mirror turned completely gray and white, clearly having been pushed beyond its limits by Ning Fa's activation of the Minor Chaos Divine Thunder.
The five-colored lightning collided with the bronze trident. After a brief pause, with a sky-shattering roar, it transformed into a multicolored spiritual energy halo that swept outwards like a tsunami.
Under this immense recoil force, Ning Fa suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura plummeting.
The Blue Robe Youth's eyes widened in disbelief.
He absolutely did not expect that his attack, which had consumed his vital energy, still hadn't taken down Ning Fa.
Moreover, that terrifying five-colored lightning gave him a sense of heart palpitations, causing his gaze towards Ning Fa to burn with even greater killing intent.
Immediately, he formed a strange hand seal with his right hand. The bronze trident, which had just stabilized its position in the air, began to tremble violently.
Countless blood-colored runes flashed madly at its tip, causing the spearhead to turn blood-red.
Clearly, this Sea Race Spirit Transformation Cultivator, in his rage, was preparing to use an extraordinary divine ability, intending to completely annihilate Ning Fa.
Ning Fa's expression turned solemn. Although he felt that if he forcibly activated the First Transformation realm of the Divine Firmament Manifestation again, he should be able to block this attack.
However, it hadn't been long since the last activation, and his body hadn't recovered. Forcing it again would have too great a side effect.
With this thought, Ning Fa flipped his right hand.
Instantly, a white pearl, about the size of a baby's fist, appeared in his hand. It was the Great Immortal Extermination Bead that had been traced back. Ning Fa had decided to use this bead.
Just then, a strange whistling sound suddenly echoed.
A point of spiritual light flashed and flew close, transforming into a gleaming silver brush.
With a stroke in the air, the brush created a large ink character – "Bind."
As the ink character radiated spiritual light, it instantly transformed into a black cage, trapping the bronze trident that was emitting world-destroying power.
Although the black cage exploded instantly with the eruption of terrifying spiritual light, another identical ink character flew over, trapping it once more.
In this manner, the bronze trident could never escape the confinement of the ink character cage.
The Blue Robe Youth's expression changed, and he suddenly looked towards the distant sky.
Ning Fa also let out a long sigh of relief, quietly putting away the Great Immortal Extermination Bead in his hand.
It seemed the reinforcements from Great Qin had finally arrived.