Chapter 963: Breaking Through To Sainthood

As he spoke, Qin Nan casually glanced at the spatula Yi Feng had gifted him, intending to put it away properly.

However, that one glance froze him in place.

His pupils dilated, his eyes widened, and an expression of utter disbelief spread across his face. His entire body trembled violently.

"This... this is..."

His gaze was locked onto the spatula before him, and his words became incoherent.

The feeling this spatula gave him was all too familiar—so familiar that he could dream of it. It was the same ladle that the Qin family ancestor, Qin Nan, had shown him during their last meeting.

Back then, just one look at that ladle, with its intricate design and the profound aura it emitted, had left an indelible mark on his mind.

Although this spatula looked slightly different from the ladle, the feeling it evoked was identical to the one he had experienced when Qin Lan had presented the ladle.

The sword trembled.

All things bowed in reverence.

"This was given to me by Brother Yi. How could Brother Yi possess such a spatula?"

"After all, the ladle that the ancestor brought out was crafted by that mysterious senior. Could it be that Brother Yi is also connected to that senior?"

Qin Nan was utterly baffled.

But in the next moment, a thought struck him, and his entire body stiffened. His eyes widened like those of a bull.

"Brother Yi... could Brother Yi be... the one the ancestor spoke of?!"

The moment this possibility crossed his mind, Qin Nan staggered backward in shock, only stopping when his hand found support against the cabin wall.

At this moment, his mind was completely blank.

He found his own thoughts hard to believe.

But the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

In fact, the more he considered it, the more certain he became.

Because this explanation tied together all the puzzling and illogical aspects that had troubled Qin Nan.

For instance, Qin Nan had always found Yi Feng enigmatic, sensing an air of mystery around him. He couldn't discern Yi Feng's cultivation level or his origins.

If Yi Feng were indeed that senior, it would make perfect sense that Qin Nan couldn't see through him.

Moreover, Qin Nan had often wondered how Yi Feng could remain so composed, showing no signs of panic even when faced with danger, and no joy upon escaping it.

It was clear that Yi Feng didn't regard the so-called spatial prison as a threat at all.

If he didn't see it as a threat, how could there be any talk of being in danger or escaping it?

"Now everything makes sense."

"Yes, it must be so."

Trembling, tears welling up in his eyes, Qin Nan murmured to himself, "Brother Yi is the senior that the ancestor instructed me to find, the one who will lead our Qin family to glory!"

"He must have known that we were in danger while searching for him and came to rescue us."

"Yes, that's it. Because now that I think about it, the mysterious force that was draining our cultivation and vitality disappeared precisely when the senior arrived."

"This also explains why the spatial prison that had trapped us, along with the mysterious force that drained our cultivation and vitality, vanished without warning."

"It seems that even after a hundred thousand years, the senior has not forgotten our Qin family! On the contrary, he has been watching over us in secret, saving us in our time of need, and even gifting me such a precious item before leaving."

With this realization, Qin Nan cradled the spatula in his arms and rushed toward the direction Yi Feng had left. He reached the deck and knelt heavily, facing the direction Yi Feng had gone, kowtowing three times.

Recalling how he had been disrespectful to Yi Feng during this time, even addressing him as "Brother Yi" in a presumptuous manner, Qin Nan felt a deep sense of remorse.

He also regretted not recognizing Yi Feng's true identity sooner.

The great benefactor of their Qin family had been right before his eyes, yet Qin Nan, blind as a dog, had failed to recognize him until he was gone. As a result, he had completely failed to fulfill the duties and etiquette expected of a junior of the Qin family.

"Senior."

"Please rest assured, our Qin family will remain loyal and fulfill our duties. I, Qin Nan, will not disappoint you. I will hone my culinary skills, and when we meet again, I will prepare dishes that you will surely enjoy."

Qin Nan's voice was firm and sincere as he gently caressed the spatula in his hands, his eyes gleaming with admiration and affection.

*Thud!*

At that moment, Qin Nan's entire body shuddered.

As someone at the peak of the Dao Realm, he realized that his breakthrough was imminent.

"Is this... am I about to become a Demi-Saint?"

Qin Nan looked up in excitement, staring at the dense clouds gathering above him, his face filled with disbelief.

He had never imagined that his breakthrough would trigger such a celestial phenomenon.

"Thank you, thank you, Senior."

Overwhelmed with emotion, he kowtowed several more times.

He understood deeply that, although he was the top figure in the Heavenly Domain, he was still far from reaching the level of a Demi-Saint.

This breakthrough was undoubtedly connected to Yi Feng's appearance.

And it wasn't just about his cultivation.

The greater gain was the transformation of his mindset.

Especially during the time when he thought he was doomed, his emotions had shifted from resentment to fear, and finally to acceptance. This process had greatly elevated his mental state.

That was why his current breakthrough felt so natural.

No wonder.

No wonder the senior had already freed us from the spatial prison and the draining force but didn't tell me, choosing instead to stay on the ship with me for sixteen days.

He was cultivating my mindset.

He was pushing me to grow...

Tears of gratitude streamed down Qin Nan's face as he wished he could offer his life to Yi Feng on the spot.

"How could I, Qin Nan, be worthy of such grace?"

"For the senior to spend his precious time nurturing my mindset..."

"How can I ever repay this debt?"

*Boom!*

The celestial phenomenon grew more intense. Within the dense clouds, flashes of lightning crackled.

Moreover, specks of light began to scatter across the sky, stretching for tens of thousands of miles.

"What is this?"

"Someone is breaking through to Sainthood?"

"Heavens, someone in the Heavenly Domain is about to become a Saint!"

"Which old monster is it?"

"Quick, find out who it is!"

The grand celestial phenomenon immediately caused a stir across the entire Heavenly Domain, and numerous forces began to take action.

The emergence of a Saint often led to significant shifts in power dynamics within certain regions.

Meanwhile, on Heaven and Earth Island, the Qin family's stronghold.

Qin Lan, accompanied by several Demi-Saint experts from the family, appeared in the sky above the island, gazing in astonishment at the gathering clouds.

"Which fellow cultivator is about to ascend to Sainthood?"

Qin Lan couldn't help but murmur.

His eyes betrayed a mix of shock and envy.

Those who achieved Sainthood through cultivation couldn't compare to natural-born Saints.

However, their breakthroughs still triggered celestial phenomena.

The scale of these phenomena often indicated the potential of the new Saint. The more grandiose the phenomenon, the greater the Saint's future achievements, and vice versa.

When Qin Lan himself had broken through to Sainthood, it had also caused a celestial phenomenon.

But the one he had triggered paled in comparison to what he was witnessing now.

At that moment, he noticed with alarm that the celestial phenomenon was rapidly moving toward Heaven and Earth Island.

In other words, the individual about to ascend to Sainthood was heading straight for their location.

What's going on? What does this mean?

Qin Lan's expression darkened.

Was this person so proud of their grand celestial phenomenon that they felt the need to flaunt it in front of him?

Because, aside from that, Qin Lan couldn't think of any other reason why someone on the verge of Sainthood would rush to Heaven and Earth Island instead of finding a safe place to complete their breakthrough.

Didn't they fear that he might strike them down?

After all, no matter how impressive the celestial phenomenon, the individual was still in the process of breaking through and hadn't fully become a Saint yet.

Historically, the emergence of a new Saint often led to fierce battles.

Once the identity of the breakthrough individual was known, rival forces would spare no effort to eliminate them before they could fully ascend, as allowing a new Saint to rise would spell doom for their own prospects.

On the other hand, allied forces would go to great lengths to protect the breakthrough individual.

Additionally, many neutral parties would also offer protection, seeking to curry favor with the future Saint, as offering help in times of need was far more valuable than offering it after the fact.

It was precisely because Qin Nan understood this that he was rushing back to the Qin family with all his might.

He had initially thought he was only breaking through to the Demi-Saint level, but now he was ascending directly to Sainthood.

However, he had no time to revel in this surprise. His only priority was to return to Heaven and Earth Island and complete his breakthrough under the protection of his family. That was the only way to ensure success.