Chapter 4021: Six Old Clan Emperors
The six elderly figures at the "well opening" were precisely the six old clan emperors of the Primordial Beings who had escaped from the Wuding Divine Sea.
They were not all of Heavenly Venerable rank; Zhang Ruochen clearly sensed the aura of a Half-Ancestor among them. Whether it was an illusion or someone had truly stepped into the Half-Ancestor realm remained uncertain.
This caused Zhang Ruochen's heart to sink uncontrollably.
Although Di was also a Half-Ancestor, without his true body's head, his strength was already greatly diminished. Later, in Tiannan, he was ambushed and severely injured by Lady Shiji, leaving his combat power far from its peak.
If one of the six old clan emperors had truly entered the Half-Ancestor realm, the situation would be entirely different.
Zhang Ruochen communicated with the four old clan emperors of Metal, Water, Fire, and Earth, but they were equally bewildered and could provide no answer.
Ten epochs ago, after being afflicted with the consciousness curse, they had fallen into a dazed state, unable to control their own minds, their memories blurred.
They couldn't even recall exactly what method the Nether Ancestor had used to collectively propel their cultivation to their current level.
Zhang Ruochen analyzed calmly, saying, "I believe we have not truly fallen into the Zhenyi Mirror. The Zhenyi Mirror, after all, is an artifact that requires an external force to activate and draw people inside."
"I'm not boasting, but given my vigilance and perception of danger, Old Clan Emperor Zhenyi might be able to use his profound spiritual power to make me unknowingly walk into a pre-laid illusion. However, it is absolutely impossible for him to make me enter the Zhenyi Mirror without any alertness."
"Just now, their active appearance further confirmed this for me."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God asked, "What do you mean?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at her and said, "If you've already trapped the enemy inside the Zhenyi Mirror, why reveal the opening and let the enemy see you standing outside? For an illusion-type divine artifact, this is a major taboo."
"It can only mean one thing: they want to mislead us into believing we are already inside the Zhenyi Mirror, essentially building a psychological cage around us, trapping ourselves."
"The Water Clan old clan emperor said that once inside the Zhenyi Mirror, no matter how high one's cultivation, they cannot break out. But what if we are not inside the mirror?"
The Water Clan old clan emperor pondered for a moment, then struck out with his palm toward the empty void ahead.
In front of his hand, space trembled, then shattered inch by inch.
"Whoosh!"
A vast divine river flew from his palm. After traveling a short distance, it quickly froze, forming countless ice spikes that extended millions of miles away.
The scene before them did not change.
The Water Clan old clan emperor frowned.
"Let me try."
"Primordial Heavenly Fire, Supreme Wings."
The Fire Clan old clan emperor crossed his arms before his chest, his chest turning crimson, releasing heat capable of boiling the seas and burning the sky.
With a loud roar, he spread his arms like wings, bones cracking, connecting his arms, shoulders, and neck.
A pair of flaming wings flew from his arms and spine, charging into the pitch-black void.
The flaming wings grew increasingly massive and faster, soon flying billions of miles away. Wherever they passed, space shattered.
The flaming wings had not yet extinguished and continued flying into the distance, but the Fire Clan old clan emperor already knew they could not break the illusion here.
Because even if Old Clan Emperor Zhenyi were incredibly powerful, he could not create an illusion spanning billions of miles.
"Impressive. With such an illusion, it would be enough to trap several Heavenly Venerables."
Zhang Ruochen offered a sincere compliment.
The Fire Clan old clan emperor said, "If we were not inside the Zhenyi Mirror, with the strength of the four of us, it would take at most a few days to break it."
"That's still incredibly formidable. Truly, there is always a sky beyond the sky, and people beyond the people." Xiu Chen Heavenly God remarked.
"A few days? In a few days, the defenses of the Abyss of Darkness will likely be breached, plunging the Hell Realm and the Primordial Beings army into a devastating mutual destruction. Can we afford to wait?"
The Wuwo Lamp's voice was proud and arrogant, continuing, "All things have their counters, and clearly, I am the nemesis of the Zhenyi Mirror. Don't look at me like that. While I am indeed invincible among artifact spirits, I am still just a spirit and cannot unleash the full power of the Wuwo Lamp. Zhang Ruochen, you activate me and let them witness the true might of the Wuwo Lamp!"
Zhang Ruochen seemed not to hear the Wuwo Lamp's voice. He took out the Abyssal Divine Sword and, with a wave of his hand, plunged it into the Ancient God Path.
"Clang!"
A sword cry rang out as the blade trembled.
The Abyssal Divine Sword grew a hundred times larger.
"Clang! Clang! Clang..."
The sword cries continued.
The Abyssal Divine Sword's blade grew increasingly massive—mountain-sized, planet-sized, star-sized...
Finally, the sword body resembled seven stars linked together, so colossal it seemed capable of splitting the universe with a single slash.
The heat it released caused the world's rules to ignite.
No, not the world's rules—the inscriptions.
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, "As long as it's an illusion, inscriptions must be laid down, though illusion inscriptions are harder to detect. Fortunately, this divine sword of mine possesses the special ability to erase all inscriptions and rules in the world. I believe it won't be long before this illusion dissipates into nothing."
Following that, Zhang Ruochen summoned the Truth Cauldron—the Hong Cauldron.
The Hong Cauldron stood a hundred meters tall, with five legs and five ears.
On the bronze cauldron's body was a massive eye pattern, its eyelids spiral-shaped, its pupil a copper bead several meters in diameter.
Zhang Ruochen had always used the cauldrons as war tools, and they had never failed him.
In reality, the Nine Cauldrons were ranked first in the "Taibai Divine Artifact Chapter" not just because they were war tools.
But because each cauldron possessed unique and extraordinary special uses.
The uses of the Earth Cauldron and the Witch Cauldron needed no further mention.
The Hong Cauldron's special use had already been researched by Zhang Ruochen, and the key lay in the word "Truth."
Zhang Ruochen pressed his hand onto the cauldron's leg, channeling divine energy, and intoned, "Truth Cauldron, tame all world rules, returning them to their proper order."
"The rule divine patterns cultivated by cultivators, and the inscriptions drawn by spiritual power cultivators, all fall within the scope of world rules, existing as deviations from the natural order of heaven and earth."
The four old clan emperors were all startled by Zhang Ruochen's words.
What did it mean to tame all world rules and return them to their proper order?
Xiu Chen Heavenly God said, "Isn't this the same as the God-Defying Stele material?"
"No. The God-Defying Stele material causes all rules in the world to disappear, but it's not fast; there's a digestion process." Zhang Ruochen said, "The Hong Cauldron is different. It doesn't make these rules and inscriptions disappear but instead makes them no longer belong to you, returning them to heaven and earth. Most importantly, it can tame them on a large scale."
"Boom!"
The Hong Cauldron shook violently, forming a ripple of Truth Divine Light.
Instantly, the illusion inscriptions in the space around the Hong Cauldron became visible, their light rapidly fading, turning into strands of world rules.
A corner of the real world appeared, about a few hundred meters.
It could be seen that they were standing by the Santu River, with reality and illusion coexisting.
Everyone present, except the Wuwo Lamp, felt a surge of excitement.
A crisis erupted!
A heavenly axe, radiant with ten thousand beams of light, came crashing down from above their heads, unleashing a power that could destroy heaven and earth.
"It's the Hongmeng Battle Axe of the Hongmeng Clan."
"The Hongmeng Old Clan Emperor has made his move!"
The Metal Clan old clan emperor spat out a rain of swords from his mouth, sending billions of war swords flying into the void to clash with the Hongmeng Battle Axe.
On another side, an ancient and mysterious war banner flew out from the illusion mist, as large as a cloud, embroidered with strange beasts, emitting bizarre sounds of ten thousand beasts roaring.
"The Totem Clan's divine artifact, the Totem Banner."
The Water Clan old clan emperor used the same tactic, channeling a divine river from his palm, transforming it into countless ice spikes.
"The Taichu Clan's Taichu Sword!"
"The Tianji Clan's Tianji Scroll!"
The Fire Clan and Earth Clan old clan emperors each employed their divine abilities and great techniques to fend off the divine artifact war tools flying from the illusion. They struggled, pushed back repeatedly, needing to support each other just to barely hold the line.
Clearly, the six old clan emperors hidden in the illusion had been forced to act by Zhang Ruochen's displayed methods.
If they didn't stop him now, and Zhang Ruochen truly broke the illusion, the difficulty of keeping them all would skyrocket.
Conversely, if they could severely wound a few before the illusion completely shattered, the ensuing battle would be much easier.
Zhang Ruochen did not lend a hand, instead observing the illusion with his Truth Divine Eye, saying, "I'm curious—all of you were sealed old clan emperors, yet they wield the divine artifacts of their respective clans. Why don't you have any?"
The Water Clan old clan emperor dodged and weaved, casting divine techniques as he spoke, "They must have already made contact with the Nether Ancestor or the Corpse Demon. It's no surprise they obtained the divine artifacts."
The Earth Clan old clan emperor said, "The twelve Primordial Clans also have a hierarchy. The Hongmeng, Hundun, and Taichu clans were born in the Primordial Era, holding the most prominent status. Next are the Yuandao, Zhenyi, Tianji, and Totem clans, born in the early Primordial Era. The Five Elements clans were only born in the mid-Primordial Era."
"The earlier a clan was born, the more war tools and treasures it naturally preserved."
"Countless ages have passed, and the strength gap between the twelve clans is no longer as vast. They can all surpass each other, and they can no longer be ranked by the seven-star hierarchy. However, the gap in heritage between clans has always existed."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God asked, "So how do we fight? Is there really a Half-Ancestor-level existence hiding in the shadows?"
The Water Clan old clan emperor said, "If there is a Half-Ancestor, it must be the Hundun Old Clan Emperor. In our era, she ranked first in cultivation among all clan emperors."
The Wuwo Lamp said, "Impossible. The strongest in the Abyss of Darkness can only come from the Hongmeng Clan. The Hongmeng Clan's transcendent status cannot be shaken by the other eleven clans."
The Water Clan old clan emperor said, "What you say is certainly not false! In our era, the Hongmeng Clan had many strong experts, and the Hongmeng Old Clan Emperor was not the strongest in the Hongmeng Clan. Ling Yanzi's strength far surpassed hers."
Zhang Ruochen let out a soft exclamation, once again sensing that faint Half-Ancestor aura, knowing he had been locked onto by the other's divine thought.
"Let's stick to the old plan. I'll leave the Five-Colored Glass Cover to you for now. I'll break the illusion."
Fearless and undaunted, Zhang Ruochen tossed out the Five-Colored Glass Cover, unfolded the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal, and transformed into a beam of light shooting into the sky.
The Wuwo Lamp and Xiu Chen Heavenly God stood in the Shaoyin Divine Sea and Shaoyang Divine Mountain, respectively.
Facing a possible Half-Ancestor opponent, Zhang Ruochen dared not be careless in the slightest.
Flying to the top of the Abyssal Divine Sword, Zhang Ruochen grabbed the hilt and swung the blazing, burning giant sword, slashing through the air.
With a thunderous crash, the already precarious illusion shattered into pieces.
As he had guessed, the Zhenyi Mirror hovered above the Ancient God Path; they had never been inside it.
Old Clan Emperor Zhenyi and Old Clan Emperor Hundun both appeared as old women, with white hair and hoary heads. The difference was that the former was withered and gaunt, her face full of wrinkles, her skin sallow.
The latter was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with bulging muscles and a face full of fierce flesh, clearly walking the path of body cultivation.
Old Clan Emperor Zhenyi stood beside the lake-sized Zhenyi Mirror, her form like a black silhouette, and said hoarsely, "To be able to break the illusion cast by the Zhenyi Mirror, you are a man of skill. It seems the nemesis of the Zhenyi Mirror is indeed the Truth Cauldron."
"What nonsense are you spouting? Where do you put me?"
The Wuwo Lamp was indignant, once again urging Zhang Ruochen to activate it with divine energy, wanting to compete with the Zhenyi Mirror.
"You and the Gate of Fate, use the power of fate to protect me from spiritual attacks."
Zhang Ruochen, well aware of the danger of facing a spiritual power expert, held the Mani Pearl in his hand but still wasn't reassured, having the Wuwo Lamp and the Gate of Fate construct a second layer of spiritual defense.
Almost the moment the Gate of Fate manifested, a spiritual storm struck across time and space.
Old Clan Emperor Zhenyi's entire body blazed brightly, the five stars on her brow manifesting outside her body, accompanying the spiritual storm to directly attack Zhang Ruochen's spirit and divine soul.
Zhang Ruochen used his own spiritual power to build a third layer of spiritual defense, yet still found it difficult, feeling pain and splitting agony, his vision turning dark and blurry.
In the daze between light and dark, Zhang Ruochen saw Old Clan Emperor Hundun's robust form, stepping on a patch of chaotic cloud mist, approaching him step by step.
Each time his vision recovered, Old Clan Emperor Hundun was significantly closer.
In the blink of an eye, Old Clan Emperor Hundun had reached him. Her flesh and skin seemed forged from chaotic divine iron, her pores spewing divine radiance, and she threw a punch directly at Zhang Ruochen's chest.
The power fluctuation and domineering aura brought an infinite sense of suffocation, far stronger than any Heavenly Venerable Zhang Ruochen had encountered before.
"Boom!"
Old Clan Emperor Hundun's punch did not land on Zhang Ruochen; it was blocked by his hand.
The fist glove on his hand erupted with countless thunder dragons, shuttling through the cosmic starry sky.
Old Clan Emperor Hundun clearly hadn't expected this outcome, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Zhang Ruochen crushed Old Clan Emperor Hundun's fist to pieces, saying in a low voice, "You are not Old Clan Emperor Hundun at all. You are still just an illusion conjured by the Zhenyi Mirror."
"Bang!"
Old Clan Emperor Hundun's entire body was shattered by Zhang Ruochen's palm, turning into a rain of light that vanished on the Ancient God Path.
Though it was just an illusion, it had still been extremely dangerous.
If Zhang Ruochen hadn't seen through the illusion and been struck by Old Clan Emperor Hundun's punch, his spirit and divine soul would have been breached by Old Clan Emperor Zhenyi, with unimaginable consequences.
Zhang Ruochen had the Gate of Fate on his back, the Sundial and Mani Pearl flying above his head, the Time Divine Sea and Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal beneath his feet, and the Abyssal Divine Sword in his hand. He fully withstood Old Clan Emperor Zhenyi's spiritual attack, walking forward step by step, saying, "You are no match for me. Where is Old Clan Emperor Hundun's true body? Ask him to show himself!"
"He is currently breaking through to the Half-Ancestor realm. Why would he bother with such trivial matters? Just because you can see through my illusions doesn't mean you can defeat me. A ninety-third-level spiritual power cultivator is not as simple as you think."
Old Clan Emperor Zhenyi was clearly extremely confident in her own strength.