Chapter 4013: Three Days
The Chongming Ancestor had cultivated his spiritual power to the ninety-third rank, so he was naturally no ordinary figure. As his divine robe unfurled, endless runes flew from his collar and sleeves, shining brightly like a sky full of stars.
As a spiritual power cultivator, he understood the importance of preparation—whether it was offensive formations or protective talismans.
Getting close to someone who had achieved the Heaven-Perfecting realm? How could that be easy?
"Boom!"
The runes shattered one after another, bursting like fireworks.
The Chongming Ancestor stepped back repeatedly using the Divine Spirit Step, his chest bleeding from the impact of the fist force, his physical body injured.
Was he really this strong? Had he truly only retained ten to twenty percent of his combat power?
The Chongming Ancestor found it hard to believe, developing an even deeper wariness toward the Half-Ancestor. Even knowing that Wen Tianjun was extremely weakened at the moment, he still retreated quickly.
His hands did not stop. His ten fingers turned into sharp claws as he continuously formed seals, summoning more protective divine formations he had prepared in advance.
"Are you all not making a move? We absolutely cannot let them escape this alternate space-time battlefield." The Chongming Ancestor glanced sideways at Yan Wushen, A Fuya, and the Peacock Heavenly Empress.
He was naturally worried.
Once Wen Tianjun and the Lamp Remnant escaped, he would have no choice but to leave the Heavenly Court Universe—unless he could replace Hao Tian.
But would the gods of the Heavenly Court Universe accept him? Was Hao Tian so easy to kill?
"Chongming, you should never have used Shen Ba to threaten me."
Wen Tianjun's tiger-like eyes blazed with divine flames as he withdrew the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler, channeling Half-Ancestor divine energy to drive it, swinging the ruler in a slash.
Even in his weakened state, his aura and battle intent remained vigorous, intimidating even the Chongming Ancestor, who was comparable to a Heavenly Venerable, into retreating, unwilling to clash with him.
The divine ruler shattered one defensive divine formation after another.
"Bang!"
The sound of a bowstring rang out like a thunderclap.
The Hongtian Arrow arrived through the air.
Arrow Dao order and Arrow Dao essence coexisted, and with the support of Ancestor divine energy, the power of a first-rank divine artifact was pushed to its limit.
Wen Tianjun blocked with the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler, but the force from the arrow was too great, knocking him back several steps. The newly condensed physical body developed many cracks.
A Fuya held the divine bow in her jade hand, the bowstring still vibrating, and murmured softly, "Impressive. Even weakened to this extent, he can still block my full-powered arrow."
The Chongming Ancestor's heart settled slightly, and he stopped retreating. "Yan Wushen, A Fuya, I will use the Myriad Demon Formation to attack from the front. You strike from the left and right flanks. First, destroy his new body."
Dense demonic light flew from the Chongming Ancestor's brow.
It was a host of demonic beasts, roaring one after another—some were demon spirits, others demon corpses.
Clearly, this Myriad Demon Formation was the Chongming Ancestor's true trump card, into which he had poured no small amount of effort.
A Fuya did not obey the Chongming Ancestor's command. After withdrawing the Hongtian Arrow, she turned her gaze to the other side, where the Nether Sea Spirit and the Lamp Remnant were locked in battle.
In her view, Wen Tianjun was already a fish on their chopping board, nothing to fear. The key to deciding the battle still lay with the three Half-Ancestors who were still at their peak.
Yan Wushen remained calm and composed. "The Lamp Remnant's combat power is terrifying. Who would have thought a Buddhist cultivator could fight so fiercely? Fortunately, the Nether Sea Spirit controls the Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison."
"The Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison is the root of the Nether Clan, containing who knows how many profound Daoist techniques of the Nether Ancestor." A Fuya said.
Yan Wushen shook his head gently. "Even the Nether Prison can't suppress the Lamp Remnant. We simply don't have the strength to kill them."
As the number one figure of the Southern Universe, the Chongming Ancestor had always had his words become law. Seeing that Yan Wushen and A Fuya completely ignored his will, discussing matters among themselves and leaving him aside, he was naturally furious.
"If I had brought the Demon Ancestor Ridge and the Parasol Tree Divine Wood inside, why would I need their help?"
The Chongming Ancestor released powerful spiritual power, driving the Myriad Demon Formation to envelop Wen Tianjun, and said in a deep voice, "Do you two know what will happen if the Lamp Remnant and Wen Tianjun escape this alternate space-time battlefield? Once Hao Tian learns of my cooperation with you, will you still have a chance to rescue the suppressed Great Demon God?"
Yan Wushen glanced at the Chongming Ancestor, unshaken by his aura. Unhurriedly, he took out a single-legged bronze cauldron, raised it above his head, and said, "Even if we can't kill them, we can keep them here for a while."
"Swoosh!"
As the Six Paths Reincarnation mark appeared behind Yan Wushen, divine energy continuously poured into the bronze cauldron.
Countless time imprint light points manifested in the alternate space-time battlefield, gathering into a sea, a vast expanse of white.
A Fuya's eyes shone with bright light. "The Zhou Cauldron, the Cauldron of Time."
The Sundial had been damaged before and was limited by its artifact spirit.
But the Zhou Cauldron clearly had no such limitations. Among time divine artifacts, its reputation was even greater than that of the Sundial or the Demon Shrine.
"I shall control time and send all Half-Ancestors to the future."
Yan Wushen's physical body transformed into a golden body, his form expanding continuously, appearing both like a Buddha and a demon, blazing with hellfire.
The Starry Sky Cliff, millions of miles high, slowly emerged from the center of the Six Paths Reincarnation mark, extending outward like a stone bridge.
"Rustle!"
Influenced by the Zhou Cauldron, the mighty River of Time materialized visibly, flowing beneath the Starry Sky Cliff.
The Peacock Heavenly Empress looked on with reverence. "It's the power of an Ancestor."
"Correct. It is the Ancestor power left by my master within the Starry Sky Cliff. To be precise, what I stand on is not the Starry Sky Cliff—it is the Naihe Bridge."
The Starry Sky Cliff was the true Naihe Bridge.
Even though Yan Wushen had mastered the Zhou Cauldron, he still lacked the strength to exile a Half-Ancestor. But with the Ancestor divine energy of the Starry Sea Angler driving it, he could give it a try.
On the Naihe Bridge, red crow trees grew densely.
Flocks of fire crows flew in groups through the forest.
Gray death qi seeped out from the Naihe Bridge, enveloping Yan Wushen and the Zhou Cauldron.
Instantly, the fluctuations of time grew even stronger.
"Let me lend you a hand."
The Mother of Weak Water saw that Yan Wushen could barely withstand the backlash of time power and, with a graceful, dance-like movement, landed on the Naihe Bridge.
Her slender arms traced streaks of light in the void as she released Half-Ancestor divine energy, channeling the Heavenly River to merge with the River of Time, surging toward Wen Tianjun, the Nether Sea Spirit, and the Lamp Remnant.
...
The Nether Sea Spirit, relying on the Nether Sea and the Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison, trapped the Lamp Remnant within the prison world, but he himself was also caught inside.
The two clashed, shattering layer after layer of the prison world.
But the Nether Prison had been refined by the Nether Ancestor, its mysteries endless, as if it had far more than eighteen layers—an infinite number.
"I can only hold him off for three days at most..."
The Nether Sea Spirit's divine voice rang out, but was cut off as the Lamp Remnant struck with his halberd, dispersing his form.
Yet as long as the Nether Sea did not dry up, he would not perish.
He simply could not be killed.
"Three days is enough!"
"Bang!"
Yan Wushen struck the Zhou Cauldron heavily with both palms, golden blood spraying from his mouth, as the power of time erupted further.
Wen Tianjun broke through the Chongming Ancestor's Myriad Demon Formation, raised his ruler, and looked ahead.
He saw the tide of time rolling in, the weight of the entire world seeming to press down on him, sweeping him and the Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison toward the future.
If he were at his peak, he could have used his physical body to transform into a Half-Ancestor divine mountain, standing firm against the River of Time's onslaught.
But now, he could only let out a long sigh and vanish from the alternate space-time battlefield along with the Nether Prison.
...
Dark Abyss Defense Line, Glazed Glass Divine Temple.
Lady Shiji walked down the steps one by one, studying and toying with the Desolate Moon in her hand, her movements elegant and graceful, her demeanor soft and charming. "Because Bai Yuan is an Immortal! He placed the Desolate Moon in the Ancient Desolate Ruins City to continuously absorb the dark power of the Dark Abyss, keeping it ready for emergencies. There is a theory that the Ancient Desolate Ruins City has been Bai Yuan's lair for these countless ages."
"Those who know the Desolate Moon's origins dare not take it. Those who don't and try to take it all die at Bai Yuan's hands."
"Just like the Eighteen Layers of Nether Prison—who doesn't know its value? Yet it floated at the edge of the Santu River region for who knows how many years, and no one dared to take it."
Connecting this to the abnormal traces Zhao Gongming had discovered in Buzhou Mountain, Zhang Ruochen had reason to believe that the "Hongmeng Black Dragon" might indeed exist.
So, was Bai Yuan's immortality closely tied to the Hongmeng Black Dragon and the Undying Dragon Pearl?
The Hongmeng Black Dragon's corpse should have been dug up by Yan Wushen.
What exactly was he planning?
Lady Shiji could tell that Zhang Ruochen seemed to know something. "Now that the Imperial Dust knows the truth, you don't regret it, do you? This Undying Dragon Pearl, I won't be returning it."
Zhang Ruochen was open and straightforward, laughing. "No matter how extraordinary its origins, it's just a dragon pearl. I have the confidence to prove the Ancestor realm on my own—why would I need to borrow it?"
"However, I must still remind the lady. Since Bai Yuan dared to place the Desolate Moon in the Ancient Desolate Ruins City, he must have left some contingency inside it. Don't swallow it lightly."
"Also, if I calculate the time, Bai Yuan will likely soon succeed in condensing his remnant body and restore his Ancestor-level strength. Does the lady have confidence in concealing the Desolate Moon's aura from his perception?"
"After all, if he comes looking for me, I will honestly tell him that the Desolate Moon is with the lady."
Lady Shiji was not angered. She brushed the hair from her forehead with a youthful, maidenly demeanor. "I have three strategies! The upper strategy is, of course, to strike first, denying him the chance to successfully condense his remnant body."
"The middle strategy is for me to go into hiding and slowly refine the Desolate Moon, ignoring whatever storms rage outside."
"The lower strategy is to use the Fate Twelve-Phase Divine Formation and the Twenty-Seven Layers of Heaven left by the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable to resist him. But that would only be passive defense."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I never said I would stay at the Dark Abyss Defense Line to face the enemy with you."
"Will you give me the Five-Colored Glazed Canopy?" Lady Shiji suddenly asked.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Lady Shiji, who was so close, and caught a faint fragrance. "The lady is too greedy. Do you really take me for a charity giver?"
"There you have it! You won't give me the Five-Colored Glazed Canopy, so naturally I won't give you the Destiny Mirror. Without the Destiny Mirror, what will you do back in the Sword Realm?"
Lady Shiji spoke with great seriousness, arguing without logic.
Zhang Ruochen frowned. "Does the lady think my things can be taken for free? If I can't get the Destiny Mirror, I'll first dismantle your Glazed Glass Divine Temple."
"Go ahead and dismantle it. Even if you destroy ten, I won't be angry with you."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's expression grow increasingly serious, Lady Shiji's mood only improved. "Actually, the Destiny Mirror isn't of much use to me. I don't necessarily need the Five-Colored Glazed Canopy in exchange."
"What are your conditions?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Lady Shiji said, "Is there really no room for negotiation? The Five-Colored Glazed Canopy shouldn't be of much use to you, should it? If I can refine it, the Ancestor realm is certainly within reach."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I have always been very patient with beautiful women. But the lady has exhausted my patience."
"Help me suppress Di, and I'll give you the Destiny Mirror first."
Lady Shiji stopped joking, no longer wearing her maidenly demeanor, becoming as majestic and dignified as a Nine Heavens Empress. "I know Di well. He will not willingly submit to the Immortal. Even if he cooperates with the Immortal, it will only be with Bai Yuan. He seeks the Ancestor realm, not to be the Immortal's servant."
"If we find Di, we will surely find Bai Yuan."
"This is the upper strategy I mentioned: strike first—suppress Di and attack Bai Yuan, denying him the chance to condense his remnant body."
One of Zhang Ruochen's purposes in coming to the Dark Abyss Defense Line was to claim Di's head and bring it back to the Wuding Divine Sea, so his grandmaster could divine his hidden location.
"Good. Give me Di's head. Once we find his hiding place, the Sword Realm and the Hell Realm will join forces to suppress him." Zhang Ruochen agreed immediately.
Lady Shiji sensed that Zhang Ruochen's eagerness to suppress Di was even greater than her own, and a subtle feeling of being shortchanged arose. "How about you agree to one more condition? After all, we agreed on three conditions earlier. If not the Five-Colored Glazed Canopy, then something else as compensation?"
Even Bai Qinger and Lian Xi felt that Lady Shiji lacked the boldness and spirit of a Half-Ancestor, being as petty and calculating as most women, with a rather small mind.
"Not good!"
Almost simultaneously, Lady Shiji and Zhang Ruochen rushed out of the Glazed Glass Divine Temple, gazing toward the Southern Universe beyond countless star domains.
"Such intense time fluctuations, felt across ten thousand star domains. Something major has happened in the Demon God Realm." Zhang Ruochen's eyes were filled with worry.
Lady Shiji said, "The aura of the Zhou Cauldron."
Her original body was the Xuan Cauldron, so her perception of the other eight cauldrons was sharper than Zhang Ruochen's.
"It's him!"
Zhang Ruochen thought of Yan Wushen.
Although Yan Wushen's cultivation was very strong, Zhang Ruochen did not believe he had the strength to challenge the Demon God Realm alone, let alone produce such powerful time fluctuations.
"This is bad. It seems an Ancestor has made a move."
Zhang Ruochen used spiritual power to calculate, but the heavenly secrets concerning the Demon God Realm star domain were all blurry. He could only deduce the power fluctuations of the Starry Sea Angler.
Lady Shiji naturally knew which Ancestor Zhang Ruochen was referring to. "The Nether Sea and the Nether Prison—the Nether Ancestor faction's cultivators would never leave them be. I can't believe Hao Tian didn't suppress them in the Heavenly Court."
Zhang Ruochen said, "If an Ancestor makes a move, even the Heavenly Court might not be able to stop them. Besides, the most important part of the Nine-Headed Stone Man is with Hao Tian. How could Hao Tian have the spare strength to suppress the Nether Sea and the Nether Prison?"
Lady Shiji thought of something. "Your Sword Realm had no interest in the Nether Prison?"
"What I'm worried about is exactly that. Wen Tianjun went to the Demon God Realm!" Zhang Ruochen said.
"Worrying is useless. It's too late to go now. I just used the Heavenly Secret Brush and the 'Fate Heavenly Scripture' but couldn't deduce anything. We can only wait for news from the Heavenly Court Universe."
Xu Tian appeared in midair.
Following him, the Heavenly Mother and Fengdu Dadi also arrived at the Glazed Glass Divine Temple.
(Chapter End)