Chapter 3377: The True Ancestor-Level Existence Appears
In the sky, black demonic clouds churned, with Qiangshake's figure flickering in and out of visibility.
The former Supreme Four Pillars, even if only remnants of their souls remained, still exuded a formidable aura. The power erupting from the chains was such that even ordinary King-Enthroned Venerables could not withstand it.
However, the Sword Source Divine Tree once again radiated brilliance, with sword cries ringing out sharply and sharp light shooting in all directions.
Zhang Ruochen stood beneath the divine tree, his palm pressed against the stone disk. He felt the rain of light flowing into his body like a stream of water, no longer carrying the previous stabbing pain, but instead feeling like strands of warm currents.
His divine soul, sword soul, and sword spirit grew rapidly.
Zhang Ruochen sensed another exceptionally powerful life fluctuation. These strands of warm currents seemed like its roots, taking hold within his body.
The two merged into one.
Zhang Ruochen's divine soul intensity instantly broke through the ten-percent Boundless level, and it continued to grow...
The changes in the Sword Source Divine Tree alarmed all parties.
The sinister entities within the Sword Soul Swamp, wrapped in black mist, flew over recklessly. These included Xiang Fata, the black silhouettes of a woman and a large bird, two deep-pool-like sinister eyes... each exuding an overwhelmingly powerful aura.
But the radiance of the Sword Source Divine Tree suppressed them.
The closer they got, the stronger the suppression.
"Swoosh!"
The Sword Source Divine Tree underwent another transformation.
The carvings on the tree trunk came to life, floating in midair like soul shadows, drifting toward the ground.
Each of them held a sword, their sharpness fully exposed, their spirit and energy brimming.
"These are... the spiritual imprints left by the Three Thousand Sword Gods, preserved by the Sword Source Divine Tree..."
Zhang Ruochen realized that the spiritual will of the Three Thousand Sword Gods had been bestowed upon him. His arm slowly lifted, and at his fingertips, a three-zhang-long light sword automatically condensed.
The Three Thousand Sword Gods gathered, their spirits united into one, their battle intent surging to the heavens.
Zhang Ruochen felt his divine soul trembling, his sword soul and sword spirit expanding to their limits as three thousand forces surged into him.
"Swish!"
He swung his arm, and the light sword slashed out.
The dazzling sword light severed the falling chains, broke through the black clouds in the sky, and fully revealed Qiangshake's soul form—a human body with a goat's head, clad in soul armor.
Qiangshake unleashed a peerless divine ability, conjuring the Reincarnation Demon Wheel, turning the entire sky into a vortex.
"Boom!"
The Reincarnation Demon Wheel shattered.
The sword light was unstoppable, wounding Qiangshake.
Zhang Ruochen could hardly believe that this unparalleled sword strike was delivered by his own hand, injuring the legendary Supreme Four Pillars.
Around him, the Three Thousand Sword Gods stood tall, their sharpness overwhelming, as if recreating the glory of the Sword Realm of yore. And Zhang Ruochen was their master, like the Sword Ancestor's incarnation in a later era.
A large number of sinister entities arrived, surrounding the Sword Source Divine Tree.
Black mist coiled like a giant dragon around the tree trunk, clashing with the rain of light.
"The Sword Seal has appeared; the Sword Source will bloom eternally."
"It seems that one's speculation was correct—the Sword God Temple is destined to emerge, and we will all descend into the real world."
"To control the Sword Seal and the Sword God Temple, we must first slay this child."
...
Xiang Fata stood in the black mist, unleashing his divine ability. Ten thousand divine elephants materialized, wrapped in a surging nether river, diving downward.
The elephant roars shook heaven and earth.
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands above his head, and behind him, three thousand light swords appeared, his aura soaring, his battle intent rivaling the ancient All Heavens.
"Boom, rumble."
All the divine elephants were slain.
Xiang Fata was forced back, a transparent crack split across the chest of his soul form.
Zhang Ruochen had initially merged with the Sword Source Divine Tree, gaining control over the entire Sword God Temple. He could clearly feel that the temple could not withstand the battle of multiple King-Enthroned Venerables and was about to collapse!
This ancient relic left by an Ancestor, the crystallization of the universe's most advanced civilization, was on the verge of destruction.
Zhang Ruochen felt a myriad of emotions. He took the initiative, slashing out thirteen consecutive swords, wounding the sinister entities hidden in the black mist one after another. In particular, Qiangshake's remnant soul was cleaved in two by the sword light.
His soul power plummeted!
Qiangshake was furious. As a Supreme Four Pillar, in some eras he could be a Heavenly Venerable, yet he was wounded by a Great God who split his divine soul.
"Youngster, I remember you. We met briefly in Lihentian. With talent like yours, in the Luan Gu era, you could rival the young Great Demon God. When my true body returns, I will surely eliminate you first to avert future trouble." Despite his rage, Qiangshake's tone remained calm, his emotions under control.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God was extremely excited, saying, "We must keep him here. If I can absorb his remnant soul, I might comprehend the Indestructible realm, which would greatly help me in breaking through to Indestructible Infinite."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God acted, manifesting the Time Divine Sea, enveloping the wounded Qiangshake.
Bearing the spiritual will of the Three Thousand Sword Gods was no easy task. The series of attacks just now had left Zhang Ruochen overwhelming the sinister entities in the sky, but his own divine soul, sword soul, and sword spirit had also cracked under the strain.
However, Xiu Chen Heavenly God was right—Qiangshake must be kept here.
If Qiangshake's true body awakened at the North Marsh Great Wall, it would indeed be a terrifying threat. Anyone targeted by him would find no peace.
By completely severing his remnant soul, perhaps the hatred between them could be cut off, and the true body might not sense it.
Enduring the pain in his divine soul, Zhang Ruochen pursued Qiangshake within the Time Divine Sea, slashing out seven swords, blasting his remnant soul form apart.
The Earth Cauldron flew out, absorbing the soul mist.
In an instant, all the sinister entities were stunned.
With the support of the Sword Source Divine Tree and the spiritual will of the Three Thousand Sword Gods, Zhang Ruochen was like a natural enemy to these sinister entities. He possessed the power of the light rain that suppressed them and specialized in severing souls.
If they were not afraid of the Sword Source's light rain or had physical bodies, they would not be so passive.
Zhang Ruochen's vision began to darken, and he could barely maintain this state. But he put on a calm demeanor, his gaze filled with contempt, and said, "You also want to control the Sword Seal and become the master of the Sword God Temple? Today, in the name of the Sword Realm's master, I will slay you all. Who will step forward to die first?"
Xiang Fata said, "Young man, you are getting a bit carried away. An Ancestor-level existence is about to descend. When that happens, even with the support of the Sword Source Divine Tree and the spiritual will of the Three Thousand Sword Gods, you will become the Ancestor's new vessel, a bridge for the Ancestor to descend into the world."
"What Ancestor? Xiang Fata, don't try to scare us here. Even if an Ancestor truly descends, it's just a remnant soul from ancient times. We are the Divine Venerables of this era—what do we have to fear?" Xiu Chen Heavenly God said.
"Boom!"
A massive earthquake erupted within the Sword God Temple.
The epicenter was deep within the Sword Soul Swamp.
There, the blood light grew even more dazzling and dense. A suffocating aura emanated, freezing space and halting time.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God immediately retreated to the Sundial and urgently transmitted to Zhang Ruochen, "This aura is indeed terrifying. Even if it's not an Ancestor, it's at least a Half-Ancestor. We need to escape immediately. Even a Half-Ancestor's remnant soul is beyond our ability to handle."
Heavy footsteps echoed from within the Sword Soul Swamp.
Each step made the temple tremble.
At the end of the darkness, a figure approached, its features indistinct and blurry.
But every movement triggered the laws of heaven and earth, generating violent power.
The sinister entities in the black mist all became active, once again surrounding the Sword Source Divine Tree, leaving Zhang Ruochen and Xiu Chen Heavenly God no chance to escape.
The battle in the Blood Mud City had stopped.
Thunder Ancestor looked toward the Sword Soul Swamp, piercing through the boundless darkness to see the figure's features. After a moment of thought, he vanished, retreating outside the Sword God Temple.
He did not leave.
As a clan Ancestor of this era, how could he fear a mere remnant soul?
Choosing to temporarily withdraw was to watch the tigers fight from the mountain, then clean up the aftermath.
Taiqing Ancestor and Yuqing Ancestor were both wounded, their physical bodies scorched black in many places.
Yuqing Ancestor's abdomen had been pierced by lightning, his internal organs destroyed. The power of Thunder Ancestor had invaded his body, making recovery difficult in the short term.
Ji Fanxin's condition was very unstable. Though she tried to control it, her heartbeat was like thunder, her body bloody, unable to withstand the impact of the powerful spiritual force within her.
Even Taiqing Ancestor and Yuqing Ancestor dared not approach her, fearing she might suddenly explode from divine heart rupture.
"Can you hold on?" Taiqing Ancestor asked her.
For now, only Ji Fanxin could block the figure in the Sword Soul Swamp.
Ji Fanxin struggled to raise her arm, lifting the Black Water Divine Staff, her gaze sharp, saying, "I'll hold him off. You two Ancestors, take Ruochen and leave."
Leaving was no easy task, with Thunder Ancestor still waiting outside.
But there was no other choice now. They had to give it their all and fight a bloody path.
The moment Ji Fanxin moved, her body shattered, reverting to her original form as the Divine Illumination Lotus. Even so, she flew toward the Sword Soul Swamp, hovering at the entrance, using her spiritual power to contend with the figure trying to emerge.
The powerful energy fluctuations instantly tore the Sword God Temple apart.
All the buildings in the temple collapsed, walls crumbling into rubble, the earth splitting into continental plates.
Even space was riddled with cracks, gray deathly mist seeping through the fissures.
"Boom!"
Another violent collision sent the Divine Illumination Lotus and the black shadow both retreating.
Three terrifying cracks spread from the center of their clash, tearing through billions of miles of space, causing the entire Dark Night Star Gate to begin splitting apart.
The Heavenly Ladder and Blood Mud Man, who had first escaped the Dark Night Star Gate, looked at this collapsing world and let out a long sigh.
After all these years of struggle, the Sword God Temple was ultimately destroyed.
Thunder Ancestor stood outside the Sword God Temple, steady as a rock, a faint smile on his face.
Everything was going as expected. Once those inside had worn each other out, he would step in to reap the final rewards.
But a strange event made Thunder Ancestor narrow his eyes.
He saw that beneath the Sword Source Divine Tree, faint traces of blood energy gathered around the Great Elder of the God-Defying Clan. Then, a heavy and vast aura surged from his aged body.
"Lei Wanjue, long time no see. How have you been?"
The voice was long and penetrating, breaking through the chaotic space, piercing Thunder Ancestor's defenses, and stabbing straight into his Sea of Consciousness.
"He didn't die?"
Thunder Ancestor sensed something was wrong. The situation in the Sword God Temple was too bizarre, hiding a tremendous crisis.
Not only did the Great Elder of the God-Defying Clan seem to have risen from the dead, but the Sword Soul Swamp also shocked him. Because even though the Sword God Temple had been shattered and space torn apart, the Sword Soul Swamp remained intact.
Was it even more mysterious than the Ancestor's temple?
The depths of the Sword Soul Swamp were far too deep.
Figures who should have long since passed away were appearing one after another, which itself indicated that something was very wrong here.
The more Thunder Ancestor thought about it, the more his hair stood on end. He suspected that a terrifying giant lurked deep within the Sword Soul Swamp. What level of existence could command the remnant souls of All Heavens and the Supreme Four Pillars?
He acted with exceptional decisiveness, immediately fleeing.