Refining the Mountains and Rivers

This was the seed he had obtained from You Ya when he was staying at Ying Capital's military compound. He thought that the strange impulse he felt was related to this object, so he had the little blue lamp appraise it for him.

This is indeed a seed. It's shell can only be broken in a place of extreme yin and extreme yang, and also where the two forces meet together…

Before the little blue lamp could finish speaking, the Chu Emperor's divine sense had swept over. Still, Qin Yu kept these words firm in his mind.

This was why he suddenly thought of this when he saw the confrontation of black and red, two attributes that stood on extreme opposites.

Right in front of him, wasn't there where extreme yin and extreme yang met? Qin Yu looked down at the seed in his palm, his eyes becoming increasingly bright. No wonder he had completely and unexpectedly been motivated by a sudden impulse…

Although he hadn't yet confirmed it, Qin Yu had a sudden intuition that if they really were going to survive this disaster, it would depend on this seed.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Yu lifted a hand and pressed forward. When the seed bumped into the barrier it was like a stone falling into water, directly exposing itself to the line between black and red.

Like cold water being splashed in boiling oil, there was a fierce response. That peaceful extreme yin and yang strength turned violently and stormy.

Bang -

A vortex appeared. The core was the seed. The violent yin and yang strength wildly spun around the seed, finally fusing into it.

Cracks began to appear on its gray surface. They were small and faint, but they caused Qin Yu's mind to tighten. Luckily, it was only a false alarm. The surface of the seed shattered, turning into fine dust that sprinkled away to reveal its true appearance.

The purple and cold surface had textures winding all around it. It was originally dark and dim, but now it was activated and started to slowly erupt with radiant divine light.

When the gray surface of the seed vanished completely, although it had become a little bit smaller, it had also become blindingly bright. In particular, the aura and light released by its textures were vast and boundless, as if they contained a trillion changes, a limitless number of cause and effects, capable of covering everything and accommodating everything in the world.

"Dao spirit!"

Shen Yuanyin widened her eyes, a look of obvious shock on her normally faint face.

Qin Yu quickly said, "Palace Master recognizes this thing?"

Shen Yuanyin didn't reply immediately. She looked deeply and earnestly at the seed for a long time before she let out a deep breath, "That's right, it is dao spirit." Her eyes fell on Qin Yu. "Because of my cultivation, I once inadvertently learned that there existed a spirit fruit in this world, called the Great Dao Fruit. It takes a hundred years to break its shell, a hundred years to bloom, and a hundred years to come to fruition. It contains the profound rules of the world. After swallowing it, one can become a Calamity Immortal."

"The Great Dao Fruit isn't something that can be planted by man. Its seed is called a dao spirit and is something bred from the world, a supreme treasure of the heavens and earth. It takes an innumerable amount of years to form. And, it is said that the dao spirit looks ordinary and common and also doesn't release any aura. Even if someone obtains it, they might not discover the good fortune they hold in their hands."

"And a dao spirit needs to be planted in a place of extreme yin and yang to break through its shell and brow. Although the world is vast and there are several areas that can fulfill this condition…all sorts of difficulties and requirements had defined the impossible difficulty of a Great Dao Fruit appearing in the world. This is why it only needs a mere 300 years to form…breeding it isn't difficult, because all of the difficulties are concentrated into the time before the dao spirit breaks free from its shell."

This was the most she had ever spoken since they met each other. One could imagine how fierce her emotions were fluctuation at the moment.

Even Qin Yu never imagined that this seed would possess such an astonishing background. Great Dao Fruit, capable of transforming someone into a Calamity Immortal by swallowing it….there was no need to say anything else, this alone was sufficient to make all cultivators in this world go crazy.

The great dao was heartless and emotionless. When a cultivator walked towards the peak, every additional step he took became increasingly difficult. Looking at the entire world and the countless trillions of cultivators that struggled, how many were able to become a Calamity Immortal and stand at the pinnacle of society?

As Qin Yu' was shocked, his complexion slowly changed. He didn't discover that Shen Yuanyin's complexion grew increasingly pale and transparent. He only noticed when she spat out a mouthful of blood and a terrifying cold energy erupted from her.

"Palace Master!"

Shen Yuanyin's eyes darkened. "To obtain the dao spirit and smoothly activate it in such a desperate life or death situation….you truly possess a great destiny. But, we cannot last here for 300 years…I really am sorry…"

She fell backwards. A layer of frost appeared across the surface of her body, covering her lashes and hair.

Qin Yu's heart violently shrank. What Great Dao Fruit? All thoughts were thrown into the back of his mind at this moment. He took a step forward and held her in his arms.

The bone-piercing chill erupted from her body, continuously attack her from within. Qin Yu disregarded it all as he searched her body.

Shen Yuanyin's voice was weak, "Due to my cultivation method, my seven emotions and six desires should have long since been extinguished. Yet, the fear and awe of death still remains. The only reason I was so calm before this was because I knew that whether or not I was trapped here, I would still die."

As she looked at Qin Yu's gloomy expression, her face darkened over. "It is because of me that your immense lucky chance has been ruined. Otherwise, if you did obtain the Great Dao Fruit, you might have been able to escape here…in my life, I have never owed anyone anything. Only you…"

Qin Yu shouted out loud, "Shut up! I won't let you die! Listen clearly, I won't let you die!"

There was anxiousness in his voice without any anger at all. Shen Yuanyin was startled for a moment. She sighed and said, "I really do feel as if I've seen you before…you are so familiar to me…"

Before she finished speaking, her eyes closed. She completely lost control of the storm of strength in her body.

In an instant, snow and ice spread out and covered Qin Yu. His complexion paled. He looked at Shen Yuanyin's face. This woman's lips were curved up…was she smiling? She was actually smiling? This ice cold and indifferent woman was actually smiling as she was about to die?

Qin Yu's heart fiercely shrank, as if gripped by a large hand. He found it difficult to even take another breath.

"I haven't told you this, but I also feel as if we've seen each other before…Shen Yuanyin, I still haven't figured out who you are and why you can shake my heart so easily…how can you die…you cannot die!"

He held her tight in both hands and hugged her in his chest. The Demon Body erupted, billowing heat swirling around him.

At the same time, Qin Yu clenched his teeth and roared, "Little blue lamp!"

He could no longer care about anything else. All that remained in his mind was a single thought - he couldn't allow Shen Yuanyin to die.

The Great Dao Fruit could transform one into a Calamity Immortal. It contained a great good fortune of the heavens and earth and could definitely save her. He could not wait for the full 300 years, but he had a way to reduce the amount of time required.

Space between the black and crimson colors suddenly collapsed inward as the phantom of a great sun appeared. But, it didn't do anything. It was silent, as if looking at Qin Yu.

"I know that this place contains a great secret and calling you out isn't appropriate, but I have no other choice." Qin Yu pleaded, "I must save her. Please consider this as me begging you!"

The great sun phantom emitted a thought fluctuation. "I will try my best. But whether or not she can last until the Great Dao Fruit becomes mature, that will depend on her own good fortune."

Shua -

The great sun phantom appeared in the vortex where the dao spirit was. Light sprinkled down upon it. The textures on its surface became increasingly bright, as if cheering out in joy. The vortex formed of extreme yin and yang suddenly quickened.

It grew circle after circle.

The vortex wildly expanded outwards. After several breaths of time, it flooded Qin Yu's field of vision, a hundred times larger than it was at the start.

This meant that the growth speed of the Great Dao Fruit had risen by a hundred times…he only needed three years!

This speed was already incredible, but Qin Yu had no joy on his face. With Shen Yuanyin's current condition, how could she last for three years?

As if sensing Qin Yu's thoughts, the little blue lamp sent out another thought fluctuation, "Right now, this is the limit of what I can accomplish."

Qin Yu said in a deep voice, "Is there any other way?"

After a brief silence, "There is. But you must understand that extreme results require extreme methods. If you want to save others, you must place yourself in danger."

"Even if the barrier shatters, I have methods of guaranteeing your safety for three years….Qin Yu, you must consider this clearly."

If he abandoned Shen Yuanyin, he would be able to obtain the Great Dao Fruit in three years and become a Calamity Immortal. He might even have the chance to escape the Sea of Purgatory.

One side was an infinitely bright future, and the other side was a perilous danger full of potential death.

Qin Yu was decisive, "I must save her!"

The feeling that this woman gave him was increasingly different.

He didn't know why, but his intuition told him that if he allowed her to die here, he would lament and regret it for the rest of his life.