Refining the Mountains and Rivers

…

Qin Yu furrowed his eyebrows. He stared at the face in front of him. If he didn't know that the Spring Master only needed a finger to crush him, he would have grabbed his neck and shaken him around, yelling, "What are you talking about!?"

Peachy was alive and well right in front of him. Even if her injuries had been heavy at the time, the symbiosis was a success and she was fine.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Master, I do not understand what you are trying to say."

His voice was respectful but his eyes were firm. It could be interpreted as - you have to explain this matter to me!

Daring to look at a True Saint with such a disrespectful gaze was simply courting death.

It had been a long time since anyone had dared to be so presumptuous in front of him. The Spring Master subconsciously furrowed his eyebrows together before relaxing them. He lightly said, "Peachy was born with a congenital defect. Her soul was not condensed and her destiny was to die. Even though I did everything in my strength to maintain her, I cannot protect her completely. This was the only reason I had Peachy go and cultivate the Path of 10,000 Souls."

His lips curved up with a bit of disdain, "That path is impossible to pass through; I already knew that. But I had no choice but to borrow the shell of the Path of 10,000 Souls and use it to continue Peachy's life."

He raised his eyes and looked up at Qin Yu, "You are extremely smart, so you should have understood by now. Peachy's soul has long since collapsed. That is why I said she is dead. The reason why she can still be like a normal person is that my dao quintessence is suppressing her, and also that she split out 10,000 souls, using the method of fusing with fragmented souls to supplement her dispersing soul and forcibly continue her existence."

Qin Yu drew in a deep breath.

The Spring Master said, "That's right. The two women you spoke of who suddenly vanished, that is because the soul of the main body was scattered. Their power was absorbed and returned to the main body. Of course, strictly speaking they haven't vanished yet, it is just that their consciousness is dormant and has become a part of Peachy's soul. If Peachy survives, you can find a solution to wake them up again in the future. This is the promise I can give to you. As for whether or not this can be achieved, that will depend on yourself."

Qin Yu was silent.

Although the Spring Master hadn't fully clarified the situation, Qin Yu understood the key points. Ning Ling and You Qi were indeed fragmented souls split off from Peachy, and in order to guarantee her survival, they had returned to the main body.

If he wanted to save them, he had to save Peachy first.

In other words, if Peachy lived, they lived. If Peachy died…they would dissipate with her!

And the Spring Master had given a clear reminder about this. Qin Yu said, "I ask master to please explain to me clearly. If there is even the smallest possibility, I will do my best!"

The Spring Master said, "Even with my cultivation, I cannot guarantee Peachy's safety. Only a Ruler can save her life. They must reverse the course of time and repair her congenital defect."

Hearing this, Qin Yu's heart moved. He was also a little puzzled, "With master's status, you cannot ask for a Ruler to help?"

The Spring Master said, "Reversing the course of time is not common. Even a Ruler of the vast brightness cannot do it lightly…because all things in the world must struggle!

"You should know that before the Western Mountain's Lian Yi, it has been a thousand years since a new Saint appeared. Although the Saint's path is difficult, there are countless amazing geniuses in today's vast brightness, even far surpassing those who managed to become Saints in the past. This is because of a single word - struggle!"

The Spring Master hesitated a little. He suddenly flicked his sleeves and the peach tree behind him swayed in the wind. An invisible aura descended, isolating them from the outside.

For a True Saint to be so cautious even in his own Holy Land, what he was going to say had to be top secret.

And it really was.

The Spring Master spoke slowly, his expression solemn and grim, "Although the vast brightness world is large, there is a limit to what the heavens and earth can accommodate. Or to put it in other words, there is a limit to the number of Saints that the vast brightness world can provide for. The seats will soon be almost filled, and if latecomers want to become Saints, it will become increasingly difficult.

"Unless you can jump out of the vast brightness, the vessel is only that large. To become a Saint, you can only wait, wait until great chaos envelops the world. When Saints perish in large numbers, new spots will open. At that time, a new samsara and replacement will occur."

The Spring Master looked at Qin Yu and said, "Do you find this unbelievable? The Saint's path is known as being immortal and endless, with strength that far surpasses all other things in existence. But this is a fact. I have experienced the samsara and replacement I spoke about just now three times."

Even though Qin Yu's heart was heavy after hearing the truth about Peachy, he was still shocked by this information.

As a Dual Saint Slayer, Qin Yu certainly knew how terrifyingly strong a Saint was. He found it hard to imagine what sort of catastrophe had to occur for a massive number of Saints to perish.

As if seeing through what Qin Yu was thinking, the Spring Master said, "If there is no big change and you are careful enough that you don't die early, you should be able to see the fourth samsara of Saints. So there's no need to be so curious."

He stood up and held his hands behind his back, meandering below the peach tree. He held a leaf between his fingers and said, "The reason I told you this is so that you can prepare yourself ahead of time. The world will soon become chaotic. If you want to survive or save your women, you must grow stronger as soon as possible.

"Another reason is to tell you that Saints must struggle…and Rulers are no exception. Of course, that level is too high and I still don't completely understand, so I won't speak to you about it. Reversing the flow of time would cause heavy losses to a Ruler, so it is impossible that they would agree to this, because it would cause them to fall into a disadvantage at their level of struggle."

Qin Yu felt as if he realized something, but it was a little vague. He subconsciously raised his hands and punched his eyebrows. Then, his fingers froze.

The Spring Master turned, his expression calm and light. "You really are smart. You should have guessed it by now…only a Ruler can save Peachy, and if we cannot ask a Ruler for help, we can only find a way to become a Ruler ourselves. And it just so happens that there is a seat missing amongst the Rulers."

Although he had suspicions, after it was confirmed from the Spring Master's mouth, his mind still buzzed.

Ruler! That was a Ruler!

He had personally experienced the strength of a Saint, and the Spring Master was standing right in front of him. They could be called existences that stood near the peak of the vast brightness, capable of moving all things with a single thought.

Qin Yu knew that if the Spring Master wanted to kill him, just a single finger would be enough.

Then what about a Ruler killing a Saint? Even if it wasn't that simple if it was a True Saint who reached the other shore, it likely wouldn't be hard.

A Light and Dark Body. Space and Time.

Qin Yu knew that even if he was ranked against the people throughout the entire vast brightness, his talent would be amidst the top. He thought that one day, he would become someone like the Spring Master.

But a Ruler…

He had never imagined that!

And now, the Spring Master opened up this question with a calm tone of voice and tossed it directly in front of him.

To save his women, he had to save Peachy.

To save Peachy, he had to become a Ruler.

Qin Yu suddenly thought that the small goal he set for himself before really was a small goal. It was nothing at all compared to the hopes that the Spring Master had for him.

After gulping with effort, Qin Yu said, "Master has reached the pinnacle of a Saint, just a step away from becoming a Ruler…"

The Spring Master shook his head, "I took the wrong path; my current boundary is already the limit of what I can achieve. There is no chance of further advancement." Perhaps thinking that he had put too much pressure on Qin Yu and frightened him, he paused and said, "Strictly speaking, you are the fourth one I chose. Your elder senior-apprentice brother, second senior-apprentice brother, and seventh senior-apprentice sister all have similar hopes of peeping into the path of a Ruler. But, they don't know about Peachy's condition. You understand what I am saying, right?"

Qin Yu bowed, "Master, please rest assured that I will never speak a single word to anyone about senior-apprentice sister Peachy's condition!"

The Spring Master didn't approve or disapprove. "If it wasn't for White Phoenix's background, his hopes wouldn't be small. So at most he is a half. Thus, there are four and a half people in the peach garden who can attack the path of a Ruler. You don't have to feel too much pressure. Just cultivate diligently."

With three and a half companions appearing out of nowhere, this was indeed a bit easier to accept psychologically. But thinking about it, his senior-apprentice brothers and sisters didn't know at all, so did it count? With just a few words he had almost been fooled!

The Spring Master lightly coughed, "That's how the situation is. If you accept this mission, I will do everything in my power to help you."

As for not accepting…the Spring Master didn't say anything, but Qin Yu knew. He had already learned such vital secrets, so what would happen to him if he didn't agree? Hoho, if he didn't, did he want to see whether it would take the Spring Master one finger or two to finish him?

Moreover, Qin Yu had no reason to refuse.