Chapter 3865: The Legend of the Life Ancestor
Zhang Ruochen had ample evidence to prove that there was an extremely close connection between Xuanyuan Xuan Emperor, Hei Qi, Kasyapa Ancestor, and Nether Ancestor, and it was highly likely that they were different identities of the same person across different eras.
As for the dark strangeness of Sword Soul Tarn, it should be connected to another disciple of the Space-Time Human Ancestor, "Bai Yuan," belonging to a different faction. The Qishier Pin Lian, the mysterious sword cultivator, Luo Tong Luo, including the remnant soul of the ancient Hall Master who descended from the Space Divine Temple, must all belong to the Sword Soul Tarn faction.
According to Renhuan Heavenly Venerable's speculation, ten eons ago, the old clan leader of the Yama Clan was threatened by the Nether Ancestor, which was why he brought Bone Yama back to the Yama Clan and placed him in the Lihentian Yama Clan.
If this were true, then the Nether Ancestor, who had never shown himself, was undoubtedly a far greater threat than the Sword Soul Tarn faction.
And the Space-Time Human Ancestor mentioned by the Second Confucian Ancestor had left not a single trace behind. The more traceless, the more terrifying.
Standing at his current height, Zhang Ruochen could already vaguely see the outline of the world. The more he understood, the deeper his wariness grew, and the better he could comprehend the pressure faced by Hao Tian and the others. Many things were not as simple as wanting to do them; there were too many factors to consider.
Yan Jun did not answer Zhang Ruochen's second question, only casting him a meaningful smile. "You can go ask Hao Tian!"
"Since you won't speak, I'll just use your flesh and blood to refine blood pills and indestructible substance, to strengthen my indestructible dharma body." Zhang Ruochen sliced off Yan Jun's flesh piece by piece with his blade and placed it into the Earth Cauldron.
On the Human Ancestor Banner, only a bloody skeleton remained.
"Zhang Ruochen, I will repay this grudge tenfold!" Yan Jun said.
"I'm waiting." Zhang Ruochen took the Earth Cauldron and headed to the Tai Shang Qingyun Hall. Yan Jun's realm was too high; even though Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power had reached the ninetieth rank, he still could not perform a soul search.
He went to the Tai Shang Qingyun Hall to enter the Yama Clan's library, searching for texts related to the Nether Ancestor, the Great Demon God, the Life Ancestor, and Primordial Beings.
As the most ancient of the supreme clans, their library was vast as an ocean, recording all kinds of secrets in the universe. Perhaps he could find clues there.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen needed to read extensively, expanding his knowledge and understanding of the Dao, preparing to break through to the Indestructible Infinite.
With his spiritual power reaching the ninetieth rank, the last shortcoming for breaking through to the Indestructible Infinite was filled. Using spiritual power, he should be able to stabilize the Minor Derivation Central Palace.
However, according to the "River Diagram" and "Luo Writing," cultivating the Minor Derivation Central Palace carried great risk. If he failed, he might even fall.
Zhang Ruochen had to put himself in the best state and make thorough preparations. Refining Yan Jun's flesh and blood into blood pills and indestructible substance could enhance Zhang Ruochen's indestructible dharma body, making his physical body more resilient when assaulting the realm.
The "Five Yangs" of cultivating the Minor Derivation Central Palace involved learning from Luo Tong Luo, refining the "Five Yangs" into the body, so physical strength was especially important. Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen had suppressed a large number of Infinite Realm powerhouses, so there was no shortage of blood qi and indestructible substance.
Days passed one by one... Zhang Ruochen had been in the Yama Clan's library for thirty years. Over a dozen ancient Hall Masters of the Space Divine Temple, including Fei Ma Wang, Wu Mu Jin Chong, and Wan Zunzhe, were all refined and killed by Zhang Ruochen using the Earth Cauldron, turning into Origin Divine Pills.
Some of these divine pills were given to Ji Fanxin to help her restore her origin and life qi. Some were given to Chi Kongle, Yan Zhexian, Yan Yu, and Yan Huangtu to help them improve their cultivation and divine souls.
Some were given to Wu Yue and her disciples to help them enhance their spiritual power. Of course, most were refined and absorbed by Zhang Ruochen himself.
Now, his injuries were fully healed, and the strength of his indestructible dharma body far surpassed that of an ordinary Indestructible Infinite initial stage. In terms of indestructible substance alone, the amount within Zhang Ruochen's body was already comparable to cultivators at the Indestructible Infinite middle stage.
Ji Fanxin and Wu Yue, like twin lotuses, came together to the seventh floor of the library's Wisdom Tower. Zhang Ruochen put down the ancient scroll in his hand, revealing a smile. "Both of you coming together means something major has happened. Is there a result?"
The dark starry sky region where the Sword God Temple was located had further expanded over the past thirty years, swallowing hundreds of light-years around it.
However, the confrontation between the three half-ancestors and the dark strangeness had yet to yield any results. This was normal; in certain special eras, dharma battles between Indestructible Infinite cultivators of the same realm could last for decades or even centuries.
Over these thirty years, the great upheaval that had swept the entire universe had gradually subsided. The news that Bei Xi had been captured and imprisoned in the Heavenly Palace had been confirmed and spread.
Additionally, with Yan Jun suppressed, and Indestructible Infinite cultivators like Wu Mu Jin Chong and Fei Ma Wang refined and killed, the top powerhouses were all deterred, not daring to act rashly.
After all, cultivation was not easy, and life was only once. At times like this, strategic composure was needed.
The less one did, the fewer mistakes one made. As long as no mistakes were made, there would be no danger to one's life. Even Zhang Ruochen himself could only stay in the Yama Heaven Beyond Heaven to heal, not daring to go out.
"Perfect Round Without Flaw is nothing special." A Fuya's voice came from below the tower. Then, she and Bai Qinger walked up the stairs to the seventh floor.
The four women stood together, their beauty eclipsing the moon and shaming flowers, like a gathering of blooming beauties, yet each had their own unique charm. No one could overshadow the others in appearance.
Moon God was the most beautiful under heaven, and Wu Yue, who was almost identical to Moon God, naturally surpassed the other three by a slight margin.
Ji Fanxin was as light as an orchid, with an ethereal aura. Bai Qinger was cold and jade-like, with the sharpest gaze, as if she had endless energy and spirit.
A Fuya possessed a remnant soul of an ancestor, and her eyes and expressions all revealed a cold superiority, looking at everyone as if they were mere mortals.
Zhang Ruochen rose to greet them, smiling. "The First Queen's qi-concealment technique is superb; it fooled my perception. The ancestor's methods are unfathomable."
Regarding A Fuya, because he had gone through life-and-death trials time and again, Zhang Ruochen trusted her to a considerable extent.
But he always had to keep one hand hidden, unable to trust her completely as he did Bai Qinger and Ji Fanxin. Just now, Zhang Ruochen had indeed not sensed the arrival of A Fuya and Bai Qinger, but not because A Fuya's qi-concealment technique was truly too profound to perceive.
Rather, he had been deeply immersed in the ancient scroll he was reading, shocked by the information recorded on it.
Bai Qinger said, "Not long ago, I met with a messenger sent by Qiangu Nüdi and learned a major piece of news. I had to come personally to the Yama Heaven Beyond Heaven to inform you."
"What is it?"
"Hao Tian returned to the Heavenly Palace twenty years ago."
Zhang Ruochen was visibly moved. His gaze involuntarily looked out the window toward the Heavenly Court Continent on the other side of the Starry Sky Battlefield, and he let out a heartfelt sigh. "Impressive! When they move, it's a thunderous strike. When they are still, they hide in secret without a trace. These figures who have lived for millions of years and experienced countless great eras are truly remarkable. I am not their equal! This time, they have taught me a lesson."
All cultivators in the world, including Zhang Ruochen, had guessed that Hao Tian, Heavenly Mother, and Lady Shiji were still locked in dharma combat with the dark strangeness.
But who knew the dharma combat had ended twenty years ago? Logically, once the combat ended, Hao Tian and Heavenly Mother should have appeared immediately to stabilize the situation and morale in the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm.
Bai Qinger said, "Tai Shang recently went to the Heavenly Palace in person and saw Hao Tian's true body. After learning the news, he immediately sent the Nüdi to inform you."
Heavenly secrets could not be leaked, and messages could not be transmitted, so someone had to deliver the news in person.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Grandmaster understands Hao Tian and Heavenly Mother better than I do. He probably guessed they were waiting for prey, which is why he went to the Heavenly Palace to confirm."
Wu Yue said, "Husband, why feel disappointed? You are young and vigorous, with a sharp edge, so naturally you move like a dragon. Hao Tian, Heavenly Mother, and the others all went through a state like yours when they were young, and they might not have been as good as you."
"Your words are too euphemistic!" Zhang Ruochen had a clear understanding of himself. "What is too hard is easily broken; being able to retract and release freely is the true achievement. People like Ba Er, Bone Yama, and the Qishier Pin Lian are indeed calm enough to not show themselves for thirty years. They watched me refine and kill Indestructible Infinite cultivators like Wu Mu Jin Chong and Fei Ma Wang without any reaction."
Zhang Ruochen even suspected that Heavenly Mother was already in the Yama Heaven Beyond Heaven.
After all, Bei Xi in the Heavenly Palace was bait, and Yan Jun in the Yama Heaven Beyond Heaven was also bait.
Bai Qinger noticed the ancient scroll Zhang Ruochen had been reading. She picked it up and, as she read, her brows furrowed slightly. "The Life Ancestor was the Nether Ancestor's adopted son! This conclusion is too absurd..."
Bai Qinger's voice stopped there because she saw that the person who wrote this inferential conclusion was Ancestor Yama.
One of the greatest ancestors in history, his inference would not be made without reason.
Zhang Ruochen had also been shocked by this conclusion earlier, but after reading Ancestor Yama's reasoning in the "Yama Manuscript," he felt it was likely the truth.
The manuscript recorded that the victory in the Primate War had ushered in the Primordial Era. But the Primate War had only trapped the Primordial Beings in the Abyss of Darkness, not completely eliminated them.
The various clans could only use the Ancient Desolate Ruins City for defense! After that, over the long years, the primate clans, including humans, Phoenix Clan, Dragon Clan, undead, all demons, and all beasts, produced powerful figures who marched into the Abyss of Darkness one after another, but none succeeded, and countless fell.
Some ancestors even died inside. It was not until the Nether Ancestor emerged that he led the strong of all clans, killing all the way to the deepest part of the Abyss of Darkness, stepping over the corpses of Primordial Beings, and at the Great Dark Mountain, accepted the kneeling of the twelve Primordial Clan Emperors.
According to Ancestor Yama's analysis, among those kneeling to the Nether Ancestor at that time was the young Life Ancestor.
Yunshen Daozhu had also told Zhang Ruochen that he had heard a secret: the Life Ancestor was likely a Primordial Being who emerged from the Abyss of Darkness, born from the most powerful Hongmeng Clan.
Zhang Ruochen was searching for information about the Life Ancestor because he had heard more than once that a mysterious giant had reserved his body.
If the Life Ancestor was born from the Hongmeng Clan, he was most likely the ancestor of Ling Yanzi, and thus naturally Zhang Ruochen's ancestor.
This provided the basis for a possession!
Bai Qinger put down the ancient scroll and sighed emotionally. "The Life Ancestor was such a monumental figure, influencing this era even after countless eons. But who would have thought that even he had to suffer humiliation, calling an enemy 'father' to survive? I wonder what kind of past the Life Ancestor and the Nether Ancestor shared."