The jade coffin was placed on the ground.

The emerald green coffin faintly emitted a silvery-white glow, radiating wisps of ethereal light.

Ning Qi and the other two focused their gazes on the corpse.

The immortal body was extraordinary; even though it was just a corpse, it exuded a terrifying pressure and carried a touch of mystery.

The celestial radiance emanated from the body, like the glow of fireflies, enveloping the entire corpse.

If it weren't for the obvious break at the junction of the mountain ancestor's head and body, he would have looked exactly like he was fast asleep.

The eyes of Haizu and Shengzu flashed.

Looking at their powerful opponent, who had previously suppressed them both, now lying coldly in the jade coffin, the two sighed deeply.

After the Mountain Ancestor became an immortal, they had already departed and did not personally face him.

At this moment, the two felt the pressure emanating from the immortal body, causing them to catch their breath. They could hardly imagine what would have happened if they had encountered the Mountain Ancestor back then; they would probably have been killed by the Mountain Ancestor directly.

Fortunately, Ning Qi's appearance changed the fate of the two of them, as well as the fate of all living beings in both realms.

"Is he really dead?" Haizu asked.

Haizu held his slender, jade-like hand tightly, his expression quite complex.

Shan Zu was once her senior brother, but also her father's killer. Now that she has actually seen his body, Hai Zu still can't quite believe that he is dead.

Severing a head wouldn't necessarily kill even a Nascent Soul cultivator, let alone a cultivator in the Immortal Realm.

The Holy Ancestor also had doubts about this.

Ning Qi said, "He is not completely dead. I only killed his immortal body, but preserved his immortal soul."

Upon hearing this, the two were instantly startled.

"Is his immortal soul still alive?"

Ning Qi nodded and said, "Letting him die like this is too easy for him."

"We will both be taking that step soon. Preserving his immortal body and soul will provide us with a lot of reference material."

He always plans carefully before acting, makes long-term plans, and considers the interests of others.

The Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing gratitude.

Becoming an immortal is the lifelong dream of every cultivator, a dream they have pursued for countless millennia.

Moreover, both of them were already standing in front of the Immortal Gate, just one step away from the finish line.

Now that the Mountain Ancestor has become an immortal, the two, though defeated by him, still have full confidence in becoming immortals.

When the topic of becoming an immortal was brought up, Ning Qi frowned slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face, and many thoughts immediately came to mind.

The Holy Ancestor, with his keen insight into human nature, noticed Ning Qi's expression and asked, "You are stronger than both of us now. If we're talking about becoming immortals, you should be the first to do so. Why do you look so doubtful?"

Ning Qi said, "You told me before that to become an immortal, one must leave the Boundary Sea. This seems to be an inevitable path for cultivators who want to become immortals."

"There is indeed such a tradition..."

"Bringing up the old story again," the Holy Ancestor continued.

“We all witnessed the process of the Mountain Ancestor becoming an immortal, and you should have also discovered that matter.”

Hai Zu hesitated and asked, "You mean the Immortal Sect?"

“That’s right. The Mountain Ancestor activated his own immortal aura and condensed an immortal gate. The immortal gate actually has multiple levels, and this is one of them.”

Secondly, it seems that the immortal sects select those who become immortals.

"Mountain Ancestor clearly opened the Golden Immortal Gate, but because a large amount of Boundary Sea energy was detected within his remnant body from Mount Buzhou, the gate almost closed. If it weren't for his status as a descendant of Mount Buzhou, he probably wouldn't have even been able to enter the gate..."

"He also roared into the immortal gate, as if there were people inside that immortal gate, and those people decided what level of immortal gate you would be given, and whether you could become an immortal."

Ning Qi stated his deductions one after another, causing both the Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor to frown.

If becoming an immortal truly requires leaving the Boundary Sea and dissipating all the Boundary Sea energy within one's body, then Ning Qi and the Sea Ancestor would absolutely be unable to become immortals.

If we add the fact that there are people within the Immortal Sect who are under their control, then whether the Holy Ancestor can become an immortal will also depend on the whims of others.

"Becoming an immortal is difficult!" the Holy Ancestor sighed.

When it comes to becoming an immortal, even someone of the stature of the Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor would feel anxious and uncertain.

The two looked at Ning Qi, who didn't seem to care much.

"Fortunately, we have a ready-made immortal body that we can study."

Ning Qi pointed to the immortal body of the Mountain Ancestor in the jade coffin.

Suddenly, a sword aura flew out from the severed head of the Mountain Ancestor and returned to Ning Qi's body.

After the sword energy was withdrawn, the immortal body miraculously reconnected itself with its head and body right in front of the three of them.

The broken mark vanished in the blink of an eye, and a hazy halo flashed across the entire immortal body. After the halo faded, there were no more marks on it, and it was restored to its original state.

"To lose one's immortal soul and still be able to reassemble one's immortal body, this..."

Ancestor Haizu's face showed shock.

For cultivators like them, things like limb regeneration, possession and rebirth, and even rebirth through bloodshed are all within their grasp.

As long as there is a trace of consciousness remaining and the soul not yet extinguished, it will not perish.

However, if one loses their consciousness and soul, then it cannot be done.

Cultivating immortality is cultivating truth; truth is me.

My consciousness has vanished, my soul has scattered, how can I still be found?

Ning Qi blew a breath toward the immortal body.

He had been analyzing the source of the Mountain Ancestor's power and simulating the Mountain Ancestor's energy, so operating this immortal body was not difficult for him.

Instantly, the immortal body in the coffin emitted even wider rays of immortal light, like a full moon.

Inside the immortal body, the immortal energy began to circulate on its own according to some mysterious trajectory.

This world seemed to be in sync with it, making it seem extraordinary.

The Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor were startled, thinking that the Mountain Ancestor had truly come back to life.

Fortunately, the Mountain Ancestor's immortal body remained in the coffin without making any movement. It was only under Ning Qi's manipulation that the immortal power within its body was revealed, demonstrating its cultivation method.

For cultivators at their level, the corpse of someone who has just achieved immortality is obviously the most precious thing, even surpassing all kinds of supernatural powers and cultivation techniques.

After all, even if they were given a supreme scripture, it would be useless if their cultivation level was too low to practice it.

However, the immortal body of the Mountain Ancestor is different; they can touch it, examine it, and use it to glimpse the path of immortality.

"Cultivators gather immortal essence and cleanse their physical bodies, thus becoming immortals, completing the evolution of life, and achieving immortality."

The Holy Ancestor murmured, his eyes filled with longing.

Hai Zubing's eyes also held longing, but it was quickly replaced by a trace of sorrow.

She has absorbed too much energy from the Boundary Sea; not only her body but even her soul exudes the aura of Boundary Sea energy. It is extremely difficult for her to follow the path of the Mountain Ancestor to become an immortal.

Ning Qi possessed keen spiritual insight and could discern Hai Zu's thoughts and intentions.

He glanced at Haizu's graceful figure and then mentioned it at the opportune moment:

"Now that you are all cultivators of the True Martial Spirit Realm, we should help each other and be of one mind with one another. If you wish to follow the traditional path to immortality, I can help you extract the energy from the Boundary Sea within your body."

Upon hearing this, Hai Zu's icy eyes flashed with a bright light, as if they were the finest icy jadeite after it had been blessed.

"Lord of the Realm, can you really do that?"

The three of them were cultivators of the same realm, and even the Sea Ancestor Saint Ancestor had changed his address to Ning Qi as the Realm Venerable.

Ning Qi called the Sea Ancestor the Sea Venerable, who was in charge of the four seas and all water systems within the True Martial Spirit Realm. He called the Holy Ancestor the Holy Venerable, who, together with the original Spirit Zhili of the Vast Realm, was responsible for educating all living beings.

Ning Qi smiled.

“Before, I might have had to put in a lot of effort, but now…”

Ning Qi suddenly beckoned to Hai Zu.

Without any other special movements from him, a beam of light shot out from his body and enveloped Hai Zu.

"Excuse me!"

In an instant, Hai Zu immediately felt a three-zhang-long strand of Boundary Sea energy being extracted from her body and soul.

Strangely, she felt no pain at all; instead, she experienced a pleasant, tingling sensation throughout her body.

Hai Zu felt a strange sense of shame. Her icy eyes reflected Ning Qi's calm and innocent gaze, and her heart regained its peace.

Haizu even felt an unprecedented tranquility.

In the past, if she were to simultaneously activate the energy of the Boundary Sea within her body and soul, she would inevitably lose her mind and descend into madness.

Because compared to the gentle energy of the spirit realm, the energy of the boundary sea is extremely violent.

She was also subjected to the invasion of the energy of the Boundary Sea, and it was extremely fortunate that she did not completely lose her intelligence.

But now, Ning Qi extracted such a large wisp of energy, and she actually felt incredibly happy, which was completely beyond her expectations.

"What kind of trick are you using now?"

Beside him, the Holy Ancestor spoke with an unreadable expression.

He was skilled in both calligraphy and painting and loved to ponder things. Upon seeing this, he immediately realized that Ning Qi had acquired another skill that he did not understand.

Ning Qi gestured towards the Mountain Ancestor's immortal body with his lip and smiled:

"It's nothing. It's just that when I was fighting that guy, I was forced to merge with a boundless evil energy. Then, I don't know why, I suddenly had a kind of innate control over the energy of the Boundary Sea."

These words naturally caused the Holy Ancestor Haizu to be deeply moved once again.

They had been watching the battle through a projection, and through the projection, they saw Ning Qi unleash a divine power, and then the Mountain Ancestor was defeated.

But they didn't figure out why this was the case.

Ning Qi's words gave them a vague understanding.

The Holy Ancestor touched his face, which was still stiff with shock, and said with a wry smile, "You're really daring, kid!"

Hai Zu's icy eyes widened, and he was filled with admiration.

She made the incredible feat of fusing with the energy of the Boundary Sea, and by sheer luck, she succeeded. From then on, she felt that she was the most daring cultivator in the world.

Ning Qi is doing well, directly merging with boundless evil energy.

If the energy of the Boundary Sea is described as extremely violent and chaotic, then the boundless evil energy is many times more violent and chaotic!

"He truly deserved to lose to you!"

Hai Zu spoke up.

The Holy Ancestor stroked his gray goatee, and the old man reverted to his dignified and condescending saintly demeanor.

"Boundless evil energy can easily manipulate the energy of the Boundary Sea, so it may be the source of the energy of the Boundary Sea."

Ning Qi shrugged.

"How would I know about such things? We'll have to explore that later. For now, let's focus on what's in front of us."

He paused, then said to Hai Zu, "Hai Zun, how about it? Do you want me to help you extract all the Boundary Sea energy from your body? Then you can return to normal, no longer be affected by the Boundary Sea energy, and can also follow the traditional path to immortality."

The ailment that had been troubling Haizu suddenly had a cure, and she should have gladly accepted it.

But thinking of what Ning Qi had said before, she said, "Since the Realm Lord can restore me to normal at any time, then I'll wait and see. If it's really as you say, taking the traditional path to immortality doesn't necessarily seem like a good thing."

Ning Qi snapped his fingers. "Alright, we'll see. Maybe we can open up another path to immortality by studying the Mountain Ancestor's immortal body."

These words, though meaningless to Ning Qi, stirred the hearts of both of them.

"To open up another path to immortality?"

The two exchanged a glance. Okay, enough said. This target is just too damn amazing!

They never even considered it, let alone did it.

However, with Ning Qi, this extraordinary prodigy, around, it's possible that they might actually succeed.

Then they are not only eyewitnesses, but also witnesses.

The Holy Ancestor suddenly looked conflicted and asked, "Should I still follow the traditional path to immortality?"

He was the only one of the three who was not affected by the energy of the Boundary Sea, and was even cleaner than the Mountain Ancestor. He should have been riding high, and if he had continued on his original path, there shouldn't have been any major problems. But now he was extremely conflicted.

“Of course you have to leave!” Ning Qi said decisively.

"Huh? Why?"

Both the Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor were puzzled.

Ning Qi raised his eyes, a hint of inquiry flashing deep within them—curiosity at play.

He said, "If you don't leave, how can we contact the Immortal Sect? Without contacting the Immortal Sect, how can we determine whether our previous understanding was correct?"

Even the Holy Ancestor was dumbfounded.

"What are you going to do?"

Ning Qi chuckled.

"When you condense the Immortal Gate, Hai Zun and I will be there to see if we can blast it open and pull someone out. Then everything will be answered!"

The two stood on either side of the coffin, their legs feeling rather weak.

They suddenly realized what kind of head this kid had, and how he could think things they couldn't and wouldn't dare to think.

Is that even human language?

Having just killed a mountain ancestor who had become an immortal, he actually dared to set his sights on the immortal sects again. He's incredibly audacious!

Ning Qi did indeed think so. His cultivation journey had not been merely about following the established path; he was also seeking the truth.

"I don't believe you're not curious about whether the Immortal Sect is controlled by someone, or about the mysteries of the Immortal Sect?"

A glint of curiosity flashed in the eyes of the Holy Ancestor.

"I'll do as you say!"

Haizu stood to the side, rubbing her forehead. She didn't think anything was wrong, but she couldn't quite suppress the emotions flowing through her body.

"It seems like things are going to get interesting..."

These old Dengs, to be honest, have experienced countless things in their lives, and have almost lost their passion for life, and are hardly interested in anything anymore.

But at this moment, the three met, especially the little guy Ning Qi, and something long forgotten sprouted within them again.

"How should we use this immortal body?"

The Holy Ancestor finally steered the conversation back to the right track.

"Isn't the Immortal Body immortal and indestructible? Then we can use it as we please," Ning Qi said calmly.

"ah?"

Haizu was stunned for a moment.

"This is the body of an immortal! This is an immortal!"

The Holy Ancestor was also slightly surprised that someone would use their immortal body so casually?

Ning Qi glanced at the two men and noticed that they seemed to still hold a sense of awe towards the immortals, much like the attitude of people below when facing them.

This made Ning Qi realize instantly that the two of them were not mentally strong enough.

He continued:

"So what if you're an immortal? Humans can become immortals, but if an immortal doesn't act like a human, then they're not even as good as a human!"

"If you two can't see this point and still believe that immortals should be high and mighty, then you've already lost from the start!" (End of Chapter)