Chapter 3975: Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor
The landmass where the Darkness Temple was located trembled, the resulting sound waves and force causing countless cultivators outside the temple to collapse to the ground.
"Swish! Swish! Swish..."
The temple doors were shattered by a scorching, blinding force. Six streaks of divine light shot out from the darkness.
The six beings wrapped within the divine light were all humanoid, but the auras they emitted were distinct from one another.
They were six old clan emperors of the Twelve Ancient Clans, originally sealed within stone skin. When the formation over the Wuding Divine Sea was damaged, the power of the Dark Hand had seeped in along the shattered space.
Just like the battle at the Sword God Temple back then, sensing the power of the Dark Hand, even sealed within stone skin, they were stimulated. It was this stimulation that helped them completely break free from their stone skin.
"Ten eons have passed. We have arrived in a new era of the future."
"This place... is the Upper Realm..."
...
The six stood above the Darkness Temple, the aura they released pressing down on the Sword Realm gods stationed there, forcing them to prostrate on the ground, blood flowing from their seven orifices.
"Such a powerful aura fluctuation. We are still weak; we must leave quickly."
The six old clan emperors sensed the terrifying spiritual power fluctuation rising from the direction of the Bronze Divine Tree. They dared not linger at the Darkness Temple and immediately left the Sword Realm, following the spatial cracks to scatter and flee towards Lihentian and the Void World.
At that moment, Yunshen Daozhu sensed the upheaval at the Darkness Temple, but he couldn't spare them any attention. His gaze was fixed firmly on the dark hand in the starry sky.
In his pupils, he clearly saw a tall humanoid shadow standing behind the dark hand.
The humanoid shadow possessed the might to devour star rivers, but it was fused with the "Dao," embodying the form of the dark, aberrant entity.
However, those with insufficient cultivation could not see this image at all.
It was composed of rules, of order, and it stared back at Yunshen Daozhu.
Beneath Yunshen Daozhu, countless light paths, each trillions of miles long, were individual formations, containing endless formation inscriptions. They instantly repaired the shattered defensive formations above the Wuding Divine Sea, restoring space to its original state.
"Whoosh——"
He pointed a finger, gathering the power of all living beings from a thousand realms through the formations, and clashed with the Thunder God Hammer swung by the dark hand.
It must be understood that the power of all living beings gathered from over a thousand major worlds on the Wuding Divine Sea was by no means inferior to that of the Heavenly Court.
Although the Heavenly Court Universe, including the Ancient Civilization factions, had ten thousand realms, only cultivators above the Saint realm could enter. Moreover, it only included a portion of the Saint realm cultivators from those ten thousand realms.
But the over a thousand major worlds on the Wuding Divine Sea included all living beings, even including the World Spirits, spiritual veins, and sacred veins of those major worlds.
The Heavenly Court's desire to gather the ten thousand realms and form the Ten Thousand Realms Grand Formation to counter the Ancestor calamity was precisely for this reason.
The light paths beneath Yunshen Daozhu completely condensed the power of all the major worlds together, achieving perfect utilization.
The power of the formation instantly rose to a higher level.
"Boom!"
With a single clash, the humanoid shadow behind the dark hand actually shattered and collapsed.
The dark hand, carrying the Thunder God Hammer, was sent flying and then disappeared into the depths of the universe.
Zhang Ruochen, Void Heaven, and the Starry Sea Fisherman, controlling the Heaven and Earth Grand Formation, chased across three star domains before finally losing track of the dark hand.
Yunshen Daozhu's voice rang out within the Heaven and Earth Grand Formation: "Do not pursue further. It has been wounded and will likely not show itself again for some time. The six stone figures have escaped. Recovering them is the most important matter."
"It wounded the dark hand?"
Void Heaven felt a complex mix of emotions.
Earlier, when the spiritual power fluctuation erupted from Yunshen Daozhu, Void Heaven had already suspected something.
But he still couldn't believe that an old man imprisoned in the Destiny Temple for a hundred thousand years had not only failed to die from spiritual exhaustion but had instead advanced his spiritual power to a height that all spiritual power cultivators dreamed of.
It was truly infuriating.
"This old man senses the aura of one of the escapees. I must go in pursuit now, so I won't return to the Wuding Divine Sea with you. Zhang Ruochen, if you want the Abyssal Ancient Sword, you know what to do—come find me in the Hell Realm."
Void Heaven didn't want to see Yunshen Daozhu. Perhaps he really had sensed the aura of an escapee, or perhaps he just made up an excuse, but he vanished from the Heaven and Earth Grand Formation.
Panyuan Ancient God and Qinglu God King also departed one after another, chasing towards Lihentian and the Void World respectively.
...
Yama Heaven Beyond Heaven.
Yama Tai Shang, clad in a gray-white robe, his figure aloof and gaunt, walked out of Tai Shang Qingyun Hall. Gazing towards the direction of the Wuding Divine Sea, he sighed with deep emotion: "Imprisoned in the Destiny Temple for a hundred thousand years, yet he still walks ahead of everyone else."
"Ah well, in this chaotic age, it is indeed time for a Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor to emerge. Only then can the path of spiritual power cultivation keep pace with martial arts."
"He stands as a banner against the wind!"
An old man with eighty-eighth level spiritual power came behind Yama Tai Shang and bowed: "Master, the power of the dark hand is enough to destroy any realm in the universe. Now that it has fled, it will surely bring endless calamity. What path should our Yama Clan take?"
In the battle at the Wuding Divine Sea, although the Sword Realm repelled the dark hand, enough to let all cultivators watching this battle in the starry sky breathe a sigh of relief, it also made many more cultivators anxious.
The Sword Realm had the Dragon Nest, the Heaven Cauldron, the Earth Cauldron, the Thousand Realms Grand Formation, and even a Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor emerging, all of which allowed them to drive back the dark hand.
How could other forces and other major worlds resist?
Yama Tai Shang said: "Since the Sword Realm has a Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor and multiple Indestructible Infinite-level powerhouses stationed there, they will naturally confront the dark hand."
"But what if the Sword Realm stands idly by?"
Yama Tai Shang said: "Anyone in the world might stand idly by, but Zhang Ruochen will not."
That old man with eighty-eighth level spiritual power was Yama Tai Shang's third disciple. He had dealt with Zhang Ruochen before and knew that Zhang Ruochen was indeed a rare figure in the world with great responsibility.
Not to mention the crisis of the Yama Clan back then, or the several major upheavals in the Hell Realm, which were originally unrelated to him, yet he could face the difficulties head-on, fearing no danger.
If it weren't for this, Void Heaven, Qinglu God King, and Panyuan Ancient God wouldn't have sold him such a huge favor this time, daring to clash head-on with the dark hand.
The gains and losses were all tied to their past understanding of Zhang Ruochen.
Yama Tai Shang said: "Moreover, Fengdu Dadi, Wen Tianjun, and Huanyu Clan Leader are only one step away from the Half-Ancestor realm. Within the next few tens of thousands of years, someone will surely break through. By then, the dark hand will no longer be a threat."
"And what about the legendary Ancestor calamity?" the old man asked.
"That is not something we need to worry about."
Yama Tai Shang's gaze was distant, and he said: "After today's battle, the Sword Realm's influence in the universe can rival that of the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm Universe. Many gods will surely bring their major worlds to seek refuge. Zhe Xian and Ying Er are over there, right?"
"They went to the Kunlun Realm," the third disciple said.
Yama Tai Shang said: "When you have time, take Yu Er and Huang Tu to visit them. In this perilous chaotic era, the emergence of a Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor is a great joy for the entire universe. Prepare a generous gift and represent the Yama Clan in offering congratulations."
...
White Clothes Valley, Abyss of Darkness.
Several Heaven-level powerhouses had gathered here, all sensing the heavenly mechanism fluctuations coming from the direction of the Wuding Divine Sea.
That newly born, formidable spiritual power had even caused subtle changes in the rules of heaven and earth.
In fact, historically, whenever an Ancestor-level figure emerged, their immense power and aura would, to some extent, alter the rules of heaven and earth.
Shi Tian, seeing that no one had spoken for a long time, said: "The crisis at the Wuding Divine Sea has passed."
Qing Tian, his eyes as bright as blue gems, said: "But the crisis in the Abyss of Darkness is imminent. The dark hand will surely attack White Clothes Valley to seize the other dark hand suppressed within the Nine Heavens Celestial World. As for the six ancient malevolent beings that escaped from the Wuding Divine Sea, everyone should be able to sense their auras, right? They belong to the Primordial Beings. If they return to the Abyss of Darkness, they will have to pass through our territory."
"Feng Tian and Nutian Shenzun, you have another problem to worry about."
"Back then, Huaying Cangjie was imprisoned in the Destiny Temple, subjected to torture, and nearly obliterated. This hatred and grievance, he could endure before, but now that he has broken into the ninety-fourth level, there is no force in the world to restrain him. Will he truly not seek revenge?"
"Even if Huaying Cangjie is broad-minded and can set aside personal grudges for the greater good, how many cultivators from the Kunlun Realm died back then? The Destiny Temple and our Death Clan were the main war factions. Of course, this main war faction also includes your Stone Clan."
"Everyone cannot naively believe that the Sword Realm will be our friend. The ones we can truly rely on are ourselves."
Shi Tian said: "Although Qing Tian's words are harsh, they contain much truth and serve as a warning. In the battle an eon ago, Void Heaven did not participate, so he could swagger over to the Wuding Divine Sea to help. But those of us here, who can claim to be completely uninvolved?"
Feng Tian remained silent, lost in thought.
Nutian Shenzun was recalling the events of an eon ago. Although, as a member of the main war faction, he had not directly participated in the war against the Kunlun Realm, how could he have had no indirect influence?
At this moment, a deep voice sounded. Huang Tian Dian Zhu said: "Void Heaven and Fengdu Dadi's intervention was precisely to resolve past grievances. Facing the dark hand and the impending Ancestor calamity, we must all unite against a common enemy. I believe Zhang Ruochen will also make efforts towards this."
Er Da Ren said: "The younger generation can't help but be naive."
Huang Tian Dian Zhu said: "Is Tiannan Shengsi Xu afraid, wanting to bind the entire Upper Three Clans and the Destiny Temple to its own chariot?"
Er Da Ren narrowed his eyes deeply but did not speak further.
Huang Tian Dian Zhu continued: "The grievances between the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm, between the Kunlun Realm and all of us here, are indeed deep. But I believe that Wen Tianjun and Yunshen Daozhu are not people who act without considering the consequences or hold grudges. In the face of survival and life and death, only cooperation can get us through the difficulties. At least, until there is a conclusion at the Nether Prison, everyone need not worry."
Er Da Ren asked: "And after that? The current Sword Realm has over a thousand major worlds. Will they be content to remain confined to the Wuding Divine Sea? To support the vigorous development of over a thousand major worlds, they need a vast starry sky. Where will this starry sky come from?"
"Planning ahead is never a bad thing. If there is an opportunity to weaken the Sword Realm in the future... Hmph, this seat is not saying we should do something to disrupt the unity Huang Tian Dian Zhu mentioned, but we can consider whether we should stand idly by? Haha, that still sounds too harsh. Let's call it acting within our means. We must act within our means."
Huang Tian Dian Zhu said: "With hearts divided, how can we face a common enemy?"
Er Da Ren said: "Is Huang Tian Dian Zhu reserving a way out for himself? Could it be that seeing the Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor emerge, you want to go and pledge allegiance? That is only human nature."
Nutian Shenzun tapped the table and said: "Is there any point in arguing like this? Shouldn't the next step be for us to worry about the Sword Realm standing idly by?"
Er Da Ren met Nutian Shenzun's gaze, then turned his head slightly away.
Nutian Shenzun said: "Jue Miao, prepare a generous gift and go to the Wuding Divine Sea to congratulate Yunshen Daozhu on ascending to the ranks of the Half-Ancestor. This feat will surely be remembered for eternity."
Feng Tian also transmitted a message: "You Ruo, you make the trip on behalf of the Destiny Temple. You can go see Zhang Ruochen first and ask him for advice. Regardless of past grievances or future directions, such a great joy is beneficial to the entire universe."
Shi Tian seemed lost in thought, his gaze fixed on Huang Tian.
Huang Tian, as if not sensing his gaze, remained motionless as a mountain, showing no intention of going to the Wuding Divine Sea.
...
Compared to the Hell Realm, Yunshen Daozhu's breakthrough to the Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor had a much greater impact on the Heavenly Court Universe.
After all, there were many major worlds that had once been close to the Kunlun Realm, the Dragon Realm, and the Thousand Star Civilization. The cultivators with intricate connections to the gods of those major worlds that had moved to the Wuding Divine Sea were countless.
Most of them had no enmity with the Kunlun Realm and didn't have as many concerns as the various clans of the Hell Realm.
Even if there were some conflicts, they hadn't reached the point of relentless enmity and could be resolved.
"The Wuding Divine Sea even repelled the dark hand. Such strength is enough to rival the Heavenly Court."
"Hmph, Yunshen Daozhu has advanced to Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor. With him presiding over the formations, it won't be long before they can contend with the Ancestor. When the prophesied Ancestor calamity arrives, the Wuding Divine Sea will be the only place of peace."
"Perhaps you're right. The current Sword Realm has at least four Tianyuan Wuque-level spiritual power cultivators. Who can compare to the defensive power they've arranged? Although the Heavenly Court is also forming the Ten Thousand Realms Grand Formation to ensure safety, they are far behind the Sword Realm in terms of spiritual power cultivator lineup. They may not truly be able to condense the power of ten thousand realms."
"The Sword Realm's cohesion was forged through this battle! In contrast, the Heavenly Court has far more Saint realm cultivators and gods than the Sword Realm, and it has the Heavenly Punishment Divine Light and Heavenly Order, but its responses to the two battles against the Nether Sea and the Dark Aberration always seem slow and chaotic in command."
"Before the ten thousand realms have moved here, it's already like this. When they do move, the number of cultivators will be ten thousand times greater. How chaotic will it be then?"
"Anyway, before Hao Tian Heavenly Venerable returns, this god is skeptical about the Heavenly Court's Ten Thousand Realms Grand Formation."
...
The turmoil in the Kunlun Realm and the Wuding Divine Sea had not yet fully subsided when various forces began dispatching gods to the Sword Realm to offer congratulations.
A change of situation spreading across the entire universe was taking place subtly and imperceptibly.
(End of Chapter)