Chapter: 3988 - Besieging Gai Mie

Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head and said, "We've known each other for so many years. Why not be a bit more candid?"

Yan Wushen did not avoid Zhang Ruochen's gaze and replied, "I am absolutely candid with you."

Zhang Ruochen refilled his cup again, took a small sip, and asked, "Isn't the one behind you the Nether Ancestor?"

Yan Wushen did not give a clear answer. "How could someone like us be willing to remain a pawn forever? Even if that person is an Immortal."

Zhang Ruochen had been waiting for him to say this. His eyes brightened slightly. "Ten Eons ago, after that shocking war, the Immortals were all severely injured and dared not reveal themselves in the world. Only the Dark Weirdness was wounded the most, the weakest, and thus able to remain active on the surface."

"The other Immortals are all supporting him. Whether it's the God Realm or the Nether Ancestor, they all hope the Dark Weirdness will grow stronger to counterbalance their opponents, and even want to pull him into their own camp."

"Now, the Dark Weirdness, who has not yet recovered the power of an Ancestor, is already this important. One can imagine the significance of the Great Demon God as an Ancestor."

Yan Wushen said, "If the Great Demon God were to emerge, his first act would be to use the cruelty of the demonic path to devour all living beings, nourish his own vitality, and restore his peak cultivation."

"An Ancestor can mobilize all the Heavenly and Earthly Rules in the universe, devouring star rivers with his breath and altering the cosmos with his will."

"I don't know how powerful a peak Immortal is. But a fully restored Ancestor can definitely restrain them. Because everyone can mobilize the Heavenly and Earthly Rules of the entire universe, just with differences in quantity and difficulty. Moreover, if an Ancestor self-detonates his Divine Source, even an Immortal would be torn apart and suffer unimaginable damage."

"So, the Great Demon God's emergence would be a disaster for all cultivators in the world. For me, it's even more of a disaster, because in the Nether Ancestor's eyes, I would be replaced by him, losing all meaning of my existence."

"If a person loses their value of existence, they are not far from death."

"Even if the Nether Ancestor doesn't kill me, he will never value me as before. All the resources I now control could cease to belong to me in an instant. And without the absolute protection of an Immortal, how long can I live?"

"Now, Brother Ruochen, do you understand why the Great Demon God must die?"

Zhang Ruochen could understand Yan Wushen's words, especially his description of the relationship between Ancestors and Immortals.

Reaching the Ancestor realm means cultivation is complete, the pinnacle of the universe.

It's like a person growing from a fetus to the peak of physical strength; their height will be fixed, with no further breakthroughs possible.

In other words, once cultivation reaches the Ancestor realm, even if there are higher realms, the difference is only between adults and adults, not between infants and adults.

Of course, the gap between people can sometimes be greater than the gap between a person and a dog, reaching a level that makes one despair.

Zhang Ruochen seemed thoughtful. "Brother Wushen, how do you plan to help me?"

"I naturally cannot act personally, and I might even have to attack you at a critical moment. But I can tell you a secret!" Yan Wushen said.

Zhang Ruochen stared at him.

Yan Wushen lowered his voice. "Chao Tian Que has fallen into your hands. I guess you will definitely refine the Heaven and Earth Chess Platform into it to control the killing patterns and formations left by the powerful figures of past eras. But your control over it can at most reach thirty percent!"

"By mastering Huang Yue and the Five-Colored Glass Cover, you can fully control all the killing patterns and formations in Chao Tian Que. With Chao Tian Que, you might be able to suppress the Great Demon God again. Of course, the key depends on how weakened he is."

Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Brother Wushen, are you trying to sow discord between Gai Mie and me?"

Huang Yue had been floating eternally above the Ancient Desolate Ruins City. After Gai Mie emerged, he swallowed it into his belly.

Yan Wushen laughed heartily. "Gai Mie is a Supreme Pillar, once a follower of the Great Demon God. He himself is an uncertain factor. Before the Great Demon God emerges, why not eliminate him? If you don't want to be the villain, I can do it for you."

"There's no need for that!"

Zhang Ruochen said, "Fifty thousand years ago, Di helped the Qishier Pin Lian to contain Wen Tianjun and Fengdu Dadi. I'm very curious, what was his purpose in doing that?"

"Brother Ruochen, what you really want to ask is his relationship with us, right?"

Yan Wushen said, "I can tell you clearly that although he has profound attainments in the Way of Time, he is not of the Nether Ancestor faction. I guess the Qishier Pin Lian must have promised him Time Esoterica, which is why he acted. After all, all the Time Esoterica of the Time Divine Temple fell into the hands of the Qishier Pin Lian."

Zhang Ruochen said, "So, he is closer to the Dark Weirdness."

"Isn't that better? It shows that Di came to this star domain with the intention of killing the Great Demon God. Even if he has ulterior motives, at least on this matter, our goals align." Yan Wushen said.

Zhang Ruochen smiled. "It seems everyone thinks this era doesn't need an Ancestor."

"Not only does it not need an Ancestor, the more chaotic, the better. In chaos, we have room to grow."

"I disagree with that."

"It doesn't matter. Let's agree to disagree!"

Yan Wushen raised his glass and drank with Zhang Ruochen, signaling a consensus.

"Actually, the fact that Brother Wushen took the initiative to say that you might attack me at a critical moment has already made this trip worthwhile for me." Zhang Ruochen paused, then said, "Now, I'm just curious about one thing: what kind of person is the Nether Ancestor?"

Yan Wushen's body emitted interwoven light and dark Yama Qi, his expression turning serious. "My Six Paths Reincarnation and Brother Ruochen's Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal can both isolate Heaven and Earth, so I'm not afraid of the Nether Ancestor sensing our conversation at this moment."

"Brother Ruochen might not believe me, but I tell you with the most sincere emotion that I have never seen the Nether Ancestor's true form. Every time, he transmits his will through a spatial-temporal hole."

"But I don't believe the Immortals are really hiding in some uninhabited otherworld. Since they are orchestrating the world, how can they be detached from it? They must be influencing us and the cosmic situation in some way."

"I have a strong premonition that I have seen the Nether Ancestor. He is right beside us. Perhaps Brother Ruochen has seen him too."

...

After leaving the Life and Death Hall, Zhang Ruochen was still pondering Yan Wushen's earlier words.

As adversaries, Zhang Ruochen naturally wouldn't believe everything he said. But at least he had confirmed that the Nether Ancestor truly exists and that it is indeed He who is cultivating Yan Wushen.

Xu Tian's voice sounded. "That kid Yan Wushen made a good point. Gai Mie was once under the Great Demon God's command. If he enters the Nether Prison, we must first eliminate the hidden danger."

Zhang Ruochen's mind seemed elsewhere. Suddenly, he said, "If the Great Demon God is really still alive, how does Xu Tian think we can kill him?"

"Impossible to kill!"

Xu Tian said directly.

Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Yes, impossible to kill! The Heavenly Demon couldn't kill him, and neither could the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable. What makes us think we can?"

Chan Bing had seen the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable and held his cultivation and strength in high regard. "The Immovable Bright King Great Venerable must have had the strength to kill an imprisoned Great Demon God. There are only three reasons why he didn't succeed."

"First, an Immortal stopped him."

"Second, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable himself didn't want to kill him and had other plans."

"Third, the Great Demon God died long ago, and the Ancestor calamity is not about him."

"Among these three reasons, I believe the second is more likely."

Xu Tian said, "The Immovable Bright King Great Venerable himself didn't want to kill him? Why keep such a huge threat?"

"Perhaps for the same reason the twelve old clan emperors of the twelve ancient clans were kept alive." Chan Bing said.

Zhang Ruochen's gaze was deep. "Even if the Great Demon God was an Ancestor, he couldn't have lived to this era. Either an Immortal extended his life, or he found his own path to immortality, or he lived a new life."

Jiusi Yitianhuang had lived nine lives through his Nine Lives Nine Deaths Yin-Yang Dao.

This Dao originated from the Great Demon God.

How could the Great Demon God not be proficient in it?

Jiusi Yitianhuang had nine heads, each belonging to one of his nine lives.

The Great Demon God had eight heads, meaning he had likely lived eight lives, becoming an Ancestor in the eighth. So, he would have the chance to live a ninth.

Nine is the ultimate number.

Although very few memories are retained from each life, being able to live nine lives is already a form of incomplete immortality.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Xu Tian said.

Zhang Ruochen said, "I think the Great Demon God is what the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable left for us, to counterbalance the Immortals."

Xu Tian, who prided himself on his intelligence, found this hard to understand. "If the Great Demon God emerges, things will definitely develop as Yan Wushen predicted. That doesn't seem like something that can counterbalance the Immortals."

Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "Jiusi Yitianhuang is the ninth life of the Great Demon God's heart. Gu Yanluo is the reincarnation of the Great Demon God's remnant soul. Gai Mie obtained and refined the Great Demon God's Ancestor heart. Ba Er and Heavenly Mother are even Demonic Path Half-Ancestors."

"To kill the Great Demon God, the demons must devour their ancestor. Just like when the four sons dismembered the Heavenly Venerable back then."

In the Divine Realm World, even Xu Tian and Chan Bing were shocked.

Chan Bing said, "You mean the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable had already calculated this outcome back in the ancient era? The Great Demon God was left for Jiusi Yitianhuang, Heavenly Mother, Ba Er, Gai Mie, and Gu Yanluo? To use the demons to counterbalance the severely injured Immortals?"

Xu Tian sneered. "Devouring an ancestor is not that easy. If it goes wrong, everything is lost."

"All the mysteries will be solved once we enter the Nether Prison. There must be a reason why the three Half-Ancestors held back the Great Demon God for fifty thousand years." Zhang Ruochen said.

Xu Tian said, "After all this talk, you're just trying to tell me that Gai Mie can't be killed?"

"Who said that? Kill him. I'll go kill him now."

As Zhang Ruochen finished speaking, his figure had already crossed space, appearing on the seventh-level main star not far from the Nether Prison, entering the luxurious garden where Gai Mie lived.

"Gai Mie, come out and die."

"Boom!"

...

The earth trembled.

With every step Zhang Ruochen took, space became more stable. Divine light spread across the ground, enveloping the entire garden.

In an instant, this garden was pulled into Zhang Ruochen's Divine Realm World.

Gai Mie looked at the furious Zhang Ruochen approaching. Before he could understand the reason, he felt space pressing in from all directions. The ground beneath his feet was collapsing, trying to bury him.

"Imperial Dust, what is the meaning of this..."

Under Gai Mie's feet, a billion-mile demonic land manifested, interwoven with countless demonic rules, containing the power of order, blocking Zhang Ruochen's spatial suppression.

But just as he stabilized his form, Zhang Ruochen's overwhelmingly powerful fist was already upon him.

"Like the Sun at High Noon."

A Qilin phantom appeared, accompanied by four rivers of lightning. A ten-billion-fold spatial gravity and fist force descended together.

Gai Mie mobilized all his strength, his muscles and bones exploding, and threw a punch as well.

"Boom!"

Gai Mie was sent flying back a hundred thousand miles, carving a hundred-thousand-mile deep valley into the demonic land.

Zhang Ruochen landed where Gai Mie had stood, lightning covering his body, condensing the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal, and descended heavily from the sky, pressing down toward Gai Mie at the bottom of the deep valley.

Gai Mie had refined the Great Demon God's Ancestor heart, possessing Ancestor blood and qi. His physical body was incredibly powerful. If he hadn't been caught off guard by Zhang Ruochen, he wouldn't have lost so much in terms of power.

Even so, he was not injured. He escaped first, breaking free from the range of the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal.

But what awaited him was a sword of nothingness prepared by Xu Tian.

The invisible sword, dangerously close, grazed the edge of his neck, breaking through his demonic body and leaving a bloody mark.

Before Gai Mie could breathe a sigh of relief, he felt the flow of time rapidly slow down. Cold air came from all directions, as if trying to freeze time to a standstill.

Gai Mie knew Chan Bing had arrived.

Since Chan Bing was here, the Snow Domain Star Sea Divine Army must be with her.

Zhang Ruochen, Xu Tian, plus the Snow Domain Star Sea Divine Army—today, he had no chance of survival.

Gai Mie summoned the Xiong Xiao Demon God Hall to protect himself while shouting, "Imperial Dust wants to kill me, at least give me a reason!"

"Fine, I'll give you a reason. You leaked my whereabouts to the Nether Ancestor's people."

Zhang Ruochen's voice came from the top of the Xiong Xiao Demon God Hall.

Gai Mie stood under the eaves of the Demon God Hall, glancing upward. He could sense that Zhang Ruochen had somehow already stood on the roof.

Chan Bing led the Snow Domain Star Sea Divine Army, their banners covering the sky, standing in the sun "Extinction Star Sea" that Zhang Ruochen had cultivated, surrounding the Xiong Xiao Demon God Hall.

And Xu Tian remained hidden in nothingness, ready to strike again at any moment.

Gai Mie felt immense pressure, as if his life and death were no longer in his hands. "There's a misunderstanding here. It was definitely not me who leaked Imperial Dust's whereabouts."

"If not you, then was it Di Zu?" Zhang Ruochen said.

Di had not left this garden where Gai Mie lived. He had been watching coldly from the sidelines. Seeing the fire turn on him, he said, "Imperial Dust, Supreme Pillar, you're missing one person. The Peacock Heavenly Empress left earlier!"

Gai Mie said, "That's right, it must be her. Imperial Dust, weren't you suspicious of her earlier? This woman deliberately approached me, which is indeed suspicious."

Chan Bing said, "In my life, I despise men who shift the blame to their women. Imperial Dust, let's act. Better to kill the wrong person than let the guilty go free."

Gai Mie looked at Di, who was sitting in the garden outside the space.

But Di sat calmly, showing no intention of intervening.

Suddenly, Gai Mie thought of something. "A crime can be fabricated without proof. The reason Imperial Dust wants to kill me is definitely not because of the leaked whereabouts, but because of the instigation of the Nether Ancestor faction's cultivators. Imperial Dust, you must not fall for this!"

"Oh! You figured it out. The Nether Ancestor faction's cultivators told me that you have already joined the Dark Weirdness's camp, conspiring with Di to use the Divine Martial Envoy to scheme against me, thereby provoking a conflict between the Sword Realm and the God Realm." Zhang Ruochen said.

This time, Di could no longer sit still. His expression changed repeatedly.

Gai Mie had been through countless battles and was extremely shrewd. He keenly sensed Zhang Ruochen's intention and said in a deep voice, "Di Zu, are you using me?"