Refining the Mountains and Rivers

…

The aether shattered. The Scholartree Saint turned to leave, but the Spring Master's laugh echoed out from behind him. "You and I haven't seen each other for so many years, and since we're fighting today, you might as well let me experience a few thousand more rounds with you. Let me have a good look at just what progress you've made."

Before his voice fell, peach branches swept in, instantly sealing away the aether and keeping the Scholartree Saint here.

Before this, the Scholartree Saint had used similar methods to entangle the Spring Master so that he couldn't withdraw. Now, it was all being returned to him in full.

Because the Scholartree Saint had smoothly managed to keep the Spring Master here, he knew that if the Spring Master insisted on doing the same, it would be difficult for him to leave.

He turned and looked at the peach tree. The Scholartree Saint's eyes were cold and grim. "You really want others to seize my dao quintessence? Don't forget our relationship."

The Spring Master was silent for a moment before he chuckled. "You're right. But it's been so many years that I've already prepared myself for it. Even if someone manages to seize your dao quintessence, so what? I want to see who dares to come to the peach garden to look for me."

Negotiations had broken down.

The Scholartree Saint stepped forward. The body of the ancient heaven-reaching scholartree exploded as hundreds of millions of thick branches slammed forward.

The Spring Master laughed out loud. The peach tree showed no weakness as it loudly collided with the Scholartree Saint's main body.

Thus, in this pitch black aether, there were the sounds of shocking thunderclaps and roaring rumbles that swept out into the endless distance.

…

Qin Yu felt that he was going to die soon. The vast brightness world was indeed powerful. To sympathize with the fall of a Saint, it had released such an astonishing firecracker. He had used all of his cards at this time, and the strongest Saint-slaying one couldn't be used at all.

When he needed help the most, he found that his biggest boost couldn't even take care of himself. Old Turtle growled and roared, biting onto something and desperately pulling back. He exerted so much strength that he couldn't even speak.

Qin Yu threatened him that if he didn't help, they were both going to die. But this time, the threat of death didn't cause Old Turtle to retreat in fear. Perhaps it was because the thing between his lips was too delicious, so delicious that he didn't even feel fear right now.

There was nothing Qin Yu could do about it. He could only sigh. With a thought, the great furnace howled over, sucking him inside.

He immediately relaxed!

But when he saw the crimson runes on the surface of the great furnace fiercely twisted, he found that he couldn't truly relax. In particular, as Qin Yu entered, these distortions became increasingly intense!

The so-called 'all things grieving in sorrow' could probably be regarded as the vast brightness world pulling everything around the dead Saint into the grave with them.

All creatures within range, no matter what they did or didn't, whether they were innocent or not, as long as they were alive and breathing they were all targets of attack. It was fine if the great furnace protected Peachy, but if it also protected Qin Yu, that would be equal to withstanding double the power.

In truth, its strength had already surpassed Qin Yu's expectations, so he never really thought about relying on the great furnace to survive.

As far as he could tell, if he continued staying in here, the great furnace wouldn't be able to withstand it and Peachy would be the first to die.

Qin Yu couldn't allow her to die, so he could only choose to take the risk himself.

He took several deep breaths, doing his best to restore his condition. Then, with a single step, he left the great furnace.

Hiss -

The sour feeling came again!

Qin Yu clenched his teeth and tried to tough it out. When he almost reached his limit, he shouted out loud for Old Turtle but still received no reply.

As he expected, in the end he could only rely on himself…but Qin Yu really was curious. Just what had that fellow bitten onto that he wasn't even afraid of death?

With a thought, he entered the great furnace once again. He sat down, doing his best to restore his injuries.

He didn't dare to stay in the great furnace for too long, so every breath of time he was in here was especially precious.

After restoring a bit of strength, Qin Yu opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He took a step out and left the great furnace.

He had done his best and managed to eliminate a Saint. But as a result, he was also left in an extremely bad condition.

Now, caught in the 'burial-level' firecracker that the vast brightness world had left behind for him, he was on the verge of collapse. If it weren't for the existence of the great furnace giving him the chance to catch his breath now and then, he would have already died.

Even though he was still alive, his condition grew worse and worse over time. He frowned as he sensed this before composing himself.

The great furnace was his. It might not have been before, but after the iron lump fused into it, it was the same as approving him.

If Qin Yu wanted to, he only needed a thought to exchange his position with Peachy's and obtain the protection of the great furnace.

It could even be said that as long as Peachy died, he would live.

If one never experienced the great terror of life and death, a person would never know of the despair and fear that swelled up in their heart, as well as the intensely fervent hope to survive!

As long as there was even the smallest chance, they wouldn't miss out on it…and in Qin Yu's case, he only needed a single thought to continue living on.

At such a time, this sort of choice was made even more difficult. It was a true test of a person's character!

But from the very start, Qin Yu's expression never changed. As he silently entered the great furnace and left again, he never had a single thought of throwing Peachy out in exchange for his own life.

Even if he was in an incomparably poor condition and could be torn apart by the 'great firecracker' at any moment.

Shua -

He entered the great furnace once again. As he sat down cross-legged, there was not a single intact place on his body.

Blood soaked his robes and then dripped to the floor, dyeing the ground dark red.

As he breathed, his chest was heavy, burning with pain and sounding like worn-out bellows.

He forcibly suppressed his wounds and forced himself to close his eyes, circulating his cultivation to restore his injuries. Then, his eyes flashed open and he spat out several mouthfuls of blood.

As he blindly pursued a quick recovery and accumulated as much power as he could to resist the destructive force outside, this act had caused a great burden on Qin Yu. For him to last so long in such a severely wounded state was a testament to his firm will and tenacity.

He sat down exhausted, gasping for breath. He bitterly smiled. He really had reached his limit this time.

If he left again, he probably wouldn't have the strength to return…in all honesty, before Qin Yu came to the East Sea, he never thought he would slay two Saints and then die so quickly.

Although life and death were guided by fate, no one wanted to die. But in this situation, he didn't have a choice.

In order to save Peachy, he had to withstand everything!

But the question was, even now Peachy didn't know why Qin Yu was going all-out to save her. Thinking about it, when Peachy woke up would she feel completely confused and incomprehensible, wondering if her little junior-apprentice brother was stupid?

Qin Yu couldn't help but force a smile!

He knew he didn't have much time left. After thinking a bit, he took out a jade slip and prepared to leave some information within it.

If he died, perhaps the information in this jade slip could move Peachy, and give Ning Ling and You Qi a slim chance of survival.

But at this moment…

Kacha!

Kacha!

Cracks began to appear on the surface of the great furnace. Qin Yu bitterly smiled, but he threw down the jade slip without hesitation and walked out.

He also didn't expect that the timing would be so coincidental, so coincidental that it wouldn't give him a chance to leave behind a few words.

Bang -

Wild strength surged in from all directions, crazily flooding into his body and trying to completely annihilate his vitality. As he looked at the giant translucent furnace in front of him and Peachy unconscious inside, he sighed inwardly. Perhaps this was destiny.

Or perhaps it was the endless punishment the vast brightness world sentenced him to for slaying two Saints.

Old Turtle still didn't speak and Qin Yu was left speechless. Just what thing could make Old Turtle not even care about dying? This time, he really was going to play himself to death. They were both grasshoppers on the same string, so if he died, no one would be better off.

Finally, he gave Old Turtle a stern warning that they were going to die soon. Qin Yu closed his eyes, preparing to either welcome Old Turtle's wild efforts to turn the tide, or the embrace of death.

But the final outcome was different from what he imagined. Old Turtle didn't need to do anything, and Qin Yu didn't need to die here.

This was because the 'great firecracker' that he thought was endless punishment, started to finally dissipate after wreaking havoc for such a long time.

Qin Yu was keenly aware of this. His heart beat vigorously. If he couldn't see hope then he could only wait for death, but now that he saw hope, if he died like this it really would be a loss!

He clenched his teeth, doing his best to stubbornly hold on and not give up…of course, all of this could be summed up in a single sentence - Qin Yu did his best to live and finally survived.

The destructive force finally vanished into thin air!

The skies were blue and clear, the sunlight warm and bright.

His surroundings were extremely quiet. If he didn't look around and see that everything around him had been wiped clean, he would have thought it had all been an illusion.

Now, Qin Yu was no longer in the mood to feel sad about how many lives had died in this catastrophe.

He only thought that it was great to survive. And in the depths of his heart, he warned himself that he could never fall into such a distressed and hopeless state again.

Sure enough, people were fickle and selfish creatures.

But Qin Yu didn't deny this.

His body ached all over and his vision flashed black. He very much wanted to sleep like this. But after laying down for a moment and catching his breath, he forced himself up and started staggering over to the great furnace.

The one pursuing them had been a powerful Half-Saint. Even if that person's true goal had been Peachy, there wasn't a high chance he had contingencies prepared.

But Qin Yu had done his best and only managed to survive with a bit of luck on his side. Even if it was just a tiny chance, he didn't want to take the risk.

Moreover, he couldn't forget that there was a terrifying life form here who had fought with the Half-Saint for an entire night and didn't lose. If it decided to run over and take a look, he really would be left crying.

So, it was better to leave this place first.