Chapter 3911: Only Victory
"Zhang Ruochen, you all stay here!"
Shiji Niangniang's divine voice came from within the Liuli Divine Temple.
Shiji Niangniang's true body was the Xuan Ding, and she had clearly already crossed the star sea, arriving at the universe where the Creation Divine Star was located. But why did the aura within the Liuli Divine Temple still feel so profound? Was it truly just a doppelganger left behind?
Heibai Daoren clearly shared the same doubt. He couldn't help but glance at Zhang Ruochen and transmitted a message: "Do you think this Niangniang might also have cultivated the Path of Life and developed a flesh-and-blood body?"
"Discussing a Half-Ancestor recklessly is very dangerous, Clan Leader. It's best to be cautious," Zhang Ruochen said.
Heibai Daoren immediately dared not say more and continued to observe the battle on the other side of the space rift.
Zhang Ruochen understood clearly that Shiji Niangniang had not taken them along to the Creation Divine Star because she feared it might be a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain.
Although Ba'er had appeared, there was still a Gu Yanluo hiding in the shadows.
Both Shiji Divine Star and Feng Tian above the Nether Purgatory were in danger. Even he, Zhang Ruochen, might be a target of Gu Yanluo.
As for other hidden figures, there was no need to worry too much. If they were also in this star domain, they would not stand idly by and watch Kui Huangliang fall, nor would they allow the Ancestor Divine Source to be lost.
Seeing the defensive divine formations of Shiji Divine Star light up one after another, Zhang Ruochen flew with the Wuwo Lamp toward the Nether Purgatory.
At the same time, Shi Tian, who had been as still as stone, stepped out of the Liuli Divine Temple and transformed into a beam of light, shooting straight toward the space rift in the starry sky.
Before Shi Tian could cross the space rift, he saw that on the opposite side of the universe, Ba'er had launched a second strike—a heaven-reaching demonic hand, with a soul-stirring eye mark at its center.
The Creation Divine Star was completely shattered, splitting into pieces.
No sound could be heard.
But the onlookers' faces changed in shock, as if a divine thunderbolt had struck from above their heads.
It was imaginable that the Stone Clan cultivators on that divine star—whether newborn stone spirits, Great Gods, or True Gods—had almost no chance of survival.
No matter how unparalleled their talent, how many calamities they had endured, how they had achieved godhood with countless legendary tales, worshipped by countless cultivators—they might not even know who killed them.
What did brilliance matter? What did effort matter?
Before a Half-Ancestor, all living beings were but ants.
The last time such a great calamity had occurred was at the Rakshasa Divine City.
"Is the Creation Divine Star destroyed just like that?"
"This was formed from the divine body of the Creation Ancestor. Since ancient times, no cultivator has been able to shake it."
"It couldn't be shaken in other eras, but it can in this one. The Rakshasa Divine City was destroyed, the Wuding Divine Sea was pierced through, and countless great worlds have turned to ashes. Nothing is impossible."
"The times are turbulent, the Heavens contend, Half-Ancestors emerge, and ancient powerhouses return one after another. This era is no longer the one we knew. Everything will be rewritten."
...
On Shiji Divine Star, countless cultivators gazed up at the starry sky.
Some were disheartened, feeling their own insignificance. Others were despairing, seeing no future. Yet some were excited, believing that chaotic times brought more opportunities, allowing unimaginable miracles to be born and producing powerhouses rarely seen in millennia.
The chaotic era had arrived, and the foundational resources of each clan would be deployed one after another.
Heibai Daoren's face was as pale as if it had been coated with putty. He muttered, "How could the Creation Divine Star's defenses be so fragile? Shouldn't the World Spirit's self-preservation instinct have activated many formations immediately?"
Huang Tian said calmly, "The Creation Divine Star was left by the Creation Ancestor, but that so-called Creation Ancestor was only at the Heavenly Venerable level. How could it withstand a Half-Ancestor's full-force strike? If not for the World Spirit's self-preservation instinct, the Creation Divine Star would have been destroyed with the first blow."
Lian Xi watched the destruction of the Creation Divine Star, her heart shaken, and couldn't help asking, "If the Creation Divine Star were like Shiji Divine Star now, with all formations activated and billions of cultivators united, could it withstand a Half-Ancestor?"
Heibai Daoren and Huang Tian both fell silent, unable to answer her question.
They already stood at the pinnacle of the universe, comparable to the Heavens, but they were still a universe away from a Half-Ancestor, not even qualified to be a Half-Ancestor's opponent.
Every time Ba'er struck, it was earth-shattering, accompanied by mountains of corpses and seas of blood, changing the cosmic landscape and writing history that made people pale at the mere mention.
This was the Supreme Pillar!
In the chaotic ancient times, only two Ancestors could suppress him.
The only time he had suffered a loss was when facing the End of Days Life Ancestor, losing his divine artifact. Not because his cultivation was inferior to the Life Ancestor's, but because the Life Ancestor was accompanied by the Eon Calamity and Shiji Niangniang.
Zhang Ruochen landed among the shattered mountains where the Wangming White Bone Ridge had once stood. He fully released his spiritual power, transforming it into countless human-shaped thoughts, urgently carving formation inscription patterns to prepare for any eventuality.
At the same time, he kept an eye on the battle on the other side of the space rift.
...
To completely destroy the Creation Divine Star, Ba'er lost his best chance to escape and was intercepted by Shiji Niangniang, who had arrived across time and space.
After several clashes, space over trillions of miles in that star domain collapsed, and countless stars fell into the Void World.
Even from an immeasurable distance, let alone if Zhang Ruochen were near the battlefield, he knew it would be difficult to clearly see how the two Half-Ancestors were fighting.
There, Half-Ancestor divine patterns and the power of order were densely packed, with demonic qi and dark force surging violently.
It was as if heaven and earth had been smashed into a hole, leaving no distinction between the Real World, the Void World, or Lihentian—only endless chaos.
Facing Qishier Pin Lian and Gu Yanluo, Zhang Ruochen could still hold his ground with the help of the Emperor Talisman and the Dark Hand. But against a Half-Ancestor, he feared he wouldn't even have a chance to strike.
Only by self-destructing his divine heart and divine source could he pose a threat to a Half-Ancestor.
The Wuwo Lamp was very excited, saying, "In this battle, Shiji Niangniang will surely win!"
"Can you see through the battle between Half-Ancestors?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The Wuwo Lamp said, "I am the Wuwo Lamp. The light of fate illuminates all falsehoods in the world and resolves all mysteries of the universe. But only when held by a master can this be achieved. Unfortunately... Master..."
It was as if it had said nothing. Zhang Ruochen gave it a disdainful glance.
The Wuwo Lamp said, "What's with that look? Ba'er has lost his divine artifact, while Shiji Niangniang wields the Xuan Ding. With this advantage, how could she not win? That's one of the Nine Cauldrons. Even if it's just one, its boost to a Half-Ancestor's combat power is extraordinary."
Zhang Ruochen agreed with this point.
When one's cultivation reached the Half-Ancestor realm, external forces could hardly enhance combat power.
Ordinary divine artifacts could be shattered by a Half-Ancestor's physical body alone.
Even dominion-level esoterica offered only a very limited boost to a Half-Ancestor's power.
If Shiji Niangniang could truly defeat Ba'er with the Xuan Ding, she could immediately replace Hao Tian as the current number one powerhouse, because she still had a powerful "doppelganger" that had not been deployed.
Zhang Ruochen's thoughts wandered, and he unconsciously muttered, "Is Shiji Niangniang really that strong?"
"Zhang Ruochen, what nonsense are you talking about?" the Wuwo Lamp said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I mean, Shiji Niangniang must not only win this battle but also make Ba'er pay a heavy price. Otherwise, everything will be for nothing. Dismembering the Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable, suppressing Beixi and Yan Jun, and even the deaths of the Life Ancestor and Kui Huangliang—all of that will lose its meaning."
"The cultivators hiding in the shadows will harbor wishful thinking, acting recklessly, and their fear of the current Half-Ancestors will greatly diminish."
"Only if every time they show themselves, they pay a price, will they feel fear."
"Since Shiji Niangniang was already prepared, this battle against Ba'er is the final strike to intimidate the hidden ones. If this victory is decisive enough, the three Half-Ancestors can enter the Nether Prison with peace of mind."
"But the Creation Divine Star has been destroyed. How can they achieve a greater victory?"
...
Soon, Zhang Ruochen got his answer.
On the other side of the space rift, the Wu Hall appeared.
Countless demonic rules turned into rivers, flowing around the Wu Ding and flying into the battlefield of the two Half-Ancestors.
Zhang Ruochen's spirit jolted as he saw Tian Lao amidst the vast star sea.
The universe was vast, and even Half-Ancestors needed time to cross time and space. It was precisely because Shiji Niangniang had arrived first to hold Ba'er back that she bought time for Tian Lao to join the battle.
In another direction, a brilliant and majestic World Tree appeared, with nebulas swirling and divine qi surging.
The "Book of Life and Death" flew out from the Yama Outer Heaven at the top of the World Tree, carrying an incalculable number of characters, striking toward that expanse of Half-Ancestor demonic clouds.
Each character contained energy as terrifying as a star, emitting light that could blind many cultivators.
This was a peerless offensive strike, gathering the power of the entire Yama Clan. In terms of sheer might, it surpassed even the aura of a Half-Ancestor.
Undoubtedly, this battle had to be a great victory. A small victory would be a defeat.
The Stone Clan had paid the price of a divine star.
Tian Lao had gambled the future of the Hell Realm.
The Yama Clan had to emerge from the shadow of the Heavenly Venerable's fall, to restore the glory of the supreme clan and give their people confidence. If they failed, they would never recover.
Zhang Ruochen could no longer focus on that battlefield. He fully released his Truth Heart and Wuji Divine Dao, alert to every subtle change in this star domain.
Since Tian Lao had appeared, Gu Yanluo would have no more scruples.
"Can you truly illuminate all falsehoods in the world?"
Zhang Ruochen placed his hand on the Wuwo Lamp, pouring divine qi into it.
"Who allowed this? Ah, it feels so good. Your divine qi is very special—purer than my master's... no, it's more... I don't know how to describe it. Being able to activate the Nine Cauldrons, you are indeed extraordinary."
The Wuwo Lamp's light grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the void of space.
The rules of fate became increasingly active.
Truth light flickered in Zhang Ruochen's pupils, and amidst the endless fate, he saw a thread of heavenly opportunity.
"Shua!"
A space teleportation array activated beneath his feet, and he crossed space, appearing thirty thousand miles above Feng Tian's true body.
"Boom!"
At that very moment, a ten-thousand-mile-long bone hand shattered space and struck downward.
This was an utterly unexpected palm strike. If Zhang Ruochen had not used the Wuwo Lamp, he would never have detected it in advance.
Zhang Ruochen used the Wuwo Lamp to protect himself and the Emperor Talisman to support an endless expanse of talisman light, but he only blocked the bone hand for an instant before his body plummeted rapidly downward.
He was completely unable to resist.
Feng Tian had also been on guard and immediately unleashed the Gate of Death.
"Pfft!"
The talisman light was shattered, and Zhang Ruochen spat divine blood from his mouth. Together with Feng Tian, he fell into the Nether Purgatory, not stopping until they reached the ninth layer of the Underworld.
Withstanding a Heavenly Venerable-level attack, both were injured by that single palm strike.