Refining the Mountains and Rivers

This person had reached the edge of the Sea of Bitterness and had no obstacles to stepping into it. Yet, he had sealed himself and purposefully didn't enter for a long time. The purpose of this was to make up for his flaws, giving himself the perfect capital before he stepped into the Sea of Bitterness so that he could build a foundation that would allow him to cross to the other shore and become a True Saint.

But just like how he chose not to enter the Saint's path, him borrowing some of a Saint's might was in itself a kind of cheat method. It was something that wasn't allowed by the rules of the heavens and earth.

As a result, Lian Yi had harmed himself before he harmed others. This was because he borrowed the power of the Saint's path, violating the will of the heavens and earth as a result.

Qin Yu didn't want to see Lian Yi working so hard, so he wanted to give him a helping hand - to have him step into the Sea of Bitterness and truly become a Saint.

The moment Lian Yi stepped into the Sea of Bitterness, because of his actions of sealing himself away and also borrowing a Saint's might, in this situation where he wasn't prepared, he would welcome punishment from the heavens and earth.

And this was Qin Yu's opportunity.

Lian Yi desperately wanted to kill him. Of course Qin Yu knew about this.

But to do nothing as someone tried to kill him wasn't Qin Yu's style. So, he would kill Lian Yi. This was why he agreed to Lian Yi's request and provoked him into an agreement, where their life and death were placed on the arena stage and no one would pursue anything afterwards.

Since that moment, Qin Yu had been moved to true killing intent.

It was just that Lian Yi was too strong, strong to the point that Qin Yu might not be able to kill him even if he used his complete power.

So to kill him, Qin Yu either had to erupt with an even greater power…or have Lian Yi fall into a weakened condition.

The moment of weakness didn't need to last long. As long as it persisted for just an instant, it would be enough for Qin Yu.

And now, the time had come!

Qin Yu roared out loud. The light and dark Abyssal Titan above his head howled in unison. Then, it brutally punched out. Light and darkness intertwined all over its body and its violent power erupted like a volcano.

Being passively beaten without fighting back wasn't Qin Yu's style. This time, he would take the initiative and force Lian Yi to step into the Sea of Bitterness!

The invisible boulder that pressed down on him collided with the Abyssal Titan's punch. Qin Yu's body trembled and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

At this moment, as the smell of blood flooded his senses, he spat out, "Domain of Light and Darkness!"

Bang -

Half-light half-darkness, a cage suddenly appeared. And what it caged was the invisible boulder that Lian Yi sent crashing down…because Lian Yi hadn't yet entered the Sea of Bitterness and was borrowing the might of a Saint, he was closely linked to it.

And imprisoning this Saint's might was the same as imprisoning Lian Yi!

Qin Yu took a step forward, directly entering the Domain of Light and Darkness. At the boundary where white and black met, he sat down. Then, the light and darkness was like a vortex in the sea, roaring as it began to rapidly spin.

With the light entering darkness and darkness flowing into light, as they circulated and transformed, they released a terrifying refining power that covered the invisible boulder.

Qin Yu had summoned this domain by borrowing the power of light and darkness. Then, using the destruction contained within the circulating light and darkness, he started to refine this Saint's might!

Lian Yi's heart shook and his eyes darkened. At the same time, a bit of panic struck at his heart, causing his complexion to change again and again.

As mentioned before, by forcibly borrowing the power of a Saint's might, it was now closely bound to him. If there was any damage to it, he would not escape being impacted.

And what was even more terrifying was that Lian Yi discovered to his panic that the refining strength released by the Domain of Light and Darkness was actually able to destroy a Saint's might!

What sort of strength was this!?

"Qin Yu!"

Lian Yi's roar was mixed with anger and resentment as he glared at Qin Yu sitting down cross-legged inside the domain. He hadn't yet entered the Sea of Bitterness. If the Saint's might he borrowed was destroyed, he would inevitably suffer a backlash.

To be blunt, if his Saint's might was trapped, his future road would be cut off! His unobstructed road to the Saint's path would immediately become his Great Dao being severed, leaving him forever unable to become a Saint.

To a cultivator, cutting off the Great Dao they cultivated was a sin even worse than killing their lover and slaying their children. It was the deepest hatred that followed them until their death.

When Lian Yi determined that Qin Yu wanted to ruin his cultivation and cut off his Great Dao, he was certainly enraged to the extreme. But what he didn't realize was that it was him who wanted to kill Qin Yu first, and pressed forward step by step, eventually leading to this.

Within the Light and Darkness Domain, Qin Yu opened his eyes. His pupils were cold and faint, "Senior-apprentice brother Lian Yi, if you are afraid, then just admit defeat and I will stop."

He occupied a commanding position!

This expression, this look, this attitude, it was exactly the same way Lian Yi spoke to Qin Yu before.

It was the same as giving him back a resounding slap!

Lian Yi roared a second time, his voice trembling. When had the extremely strong and extremely proud Lian Yi ever imagined he would fall into such a situation?

Now, as he looked up at Qin Yu, his eyes were almost maniacal. The killing intent was like poison, almost condensing into essence. Rage and cruelty tumbled in his chest, recklessly biting at his heart and pushing him over the edge.

If he really wasn't a match and was forced into a hopeless situation, it would be fine if he had to bow his head. But the key was that Lian Yi had an even greater power. This wasn't his limit!

He stood at the edge of the Sea of Bitterness and his Saint's path was unobstructed. With a single thought, he could step in and become an unsurpassed Saint. At that time he could suppress Qin Yu with a turn of his hand, even smashing him to pieces!

The more this was the case, the more unwilling Lian Yi was. He clearly had the strength to kill Qin Yu, yet he was forced back and bullied by him. His eyes reddened and his breathing deepened. His nails pierced into the flesh of his fists and traces of blood dripped down from the corners of his mouth.

But Lian Yi didn't go crazy.

He was strong, he was arrogant, he was unwilling, he hated Qin Yu to the bones…but none of this could compare with his bright future.

As mentioned before, Lian Yi had lofty ideals. And, the foundation to achieving these ideals was to cross the Sea of Bitterness and reach the other shore, becoming a True Saint.

His Saint's path had long been unobstructed. The reason he suppressed the enticement of becoming a Saint and not entering the Sea of Bitterness was because he wanted to perfectly complement his flaws, establishing the foundation for becoming a True Saint.

Now, Lian Yi was just a step away. If he rashly stepped into the Sea of Bitterness, that would be the same as abandoning all of this!

Qin Yu had to die, but he didn't need to die today. When he became a Saint in the future, killing him would be easy.

His eyes were still crimson, but he had already made a decision. So what if he lost face? So what if he was mocked by others?

The skies were high and the waters were far away. Let's see who is the last one smiling!

He looked deeply at Qin Yu. Lian Yi never imagined that today he would become this boy's stepping stone, helping him to become famous throughout the world.

Aware of Lian Yi's gaze, Qin Yu furrowed his eyebrows. He suddenly felt a bit helpless, as if he had underestimated the heroes of the world.

He never thought that in today's situation, especially in front of Peachy, the arrogant and dissolute Lian Yi could throw away his self-respect and face to beg for mercy.

This was beyond Qin Yu's expectations and also caused him to fall into a dilemma. Once Lian Yi admitted defeat, could he still attempt to kill him?

Regardless of whether or not the Western Mountain would take revenge, the Dragon Saint wouldn't watch on as he tried to kill Lian Yi after he admitted defeat. Even if the Western Mountain and East Sea had a bad relationship.

But if he didn't kill Lian Yi today, then with this person's personality, methods, and potential, he was sure to become a dire enemy in the future.

This was a predicament!

As if discovering Qin Yu's current state of mind, Lian Yi's lips twitched. Just as he was about to admit defeat, his complexion suddenly changed.

Behind the crystal wall, the Dragon Saint turned around, his eyes locking onto the figure of that ordinary middle-aged cultivator in a corner of the hall.

The man looked up and met eyes with the Dragon Saint. His lips curved up in a happy smile, "Brother Dragon, it's been a long time."

With a ringing in his ears, a sky-reaching scholartree suddenly appeared, filling the Dragon Saint's field of vision in an instant. He cursed inwardly, but before he could make a sound he was directly dragged into the world of the scholartree.

Although they were both avatars, one had been prepared and the other wasn't. It was hard to escape this trap.

Besides Qin Yu, no one realized that two True Saint level giants were fighting in the hall.

After receiving Old Turtle's message, he felt his heart shake.

Across from him, Lian Yi revealed an ice-cold smile.

"Junior-apprentice brother Qin, I must thank you for pushing me past the edges of what I knew. You have finally helped me perceive the final checkpoint."

He lifted a hand and placed a finger between his eyebrows.

"If junior-apprentice brother can block this attack, then it is my loss!"

Kacha -

With a light crack, the seal within Lian Yi completely dissolved. He stepped into the Sea of Bitterness without hesitation.

Bang -

A boundless aura instantly broke free from his body. It was enormous and limitless like an abyss, shrouding everyone within the hall.

At this moment, everyone's eyes widened with disbelief and shock.

This…this is…

He had entered the Sea of Bitterness and become a Saint!

Lian Yi…had become a Saint!

The impact this formed far overwhelmed every experience from before.

As disciples of Saints, everything they saw, and everything they learned, mercilessly told them that even though there were countless trillions of lives in the world, those who hadn't entered the Saint's path were nothing but ants.

No matter how one's cultivation shook the sun, moon, and stars, they still couldn't resist the erosion of the years. In the end they would return to dust, reentering the cycle of samsara.

Everything was illusory. Only the Saint's path was forever!

But it was exactly because of this that they understood how difficult it was to step into the Sea of Bitterness and become a Saint.

After all, it not only required sufficient talent and a firm mind for cultivation, but also enough luck. A single defect in any of these aspects was enough to doom one to failure.

But now, Lian Yi had become a Saint!

Before, no matter how strong and awe-inspiring he was, he was still a benchmark and goal that everyone could silently establish in their hearts. They could think that one day, they would be able to reach his level of power, even surpassing what he had.

But that thought had completely disappeared!

After becoming a Saint, one was no longer mundane. They truly leaped up, becoming an existence that stood atop the highest heavens. In the endless vast brightness world, they had the qualifications to participate in the great game.

Such a Lian Yi, how could anyone dare to chase after his back?

And at such a moment, Qin Yu was standing in front of Lian Yi and had been looking down at him from an imperious position. What was he feeling right now? What fate would he end up with?