Chapter 4045: Ancestral Flame
The sundial hovered above Xiu Chen Heavenly God's head, evolving a sea of time imprints. Particles of imprint light spread throughout the area around Wind Pavilion, even surging into Demon Ancestor Ridge.
Rivers of time wound swiftly through the sea of imprints like meandering streams.
The massive Stone God Star flickered in and out of view in the space behind Xiu Chen Heavenly God. The Heavenly Demon Stone Knife in her hand was stained with corpse blood, dark red and sinister.
"Whoosh!"
She swung the blade, demonic qi churning as she slashed through one formation after another.
Teng Zu, who had been struck by the Heavenly Demon Stone Knife earlier, was severely wounded. He retreated in disgrace, forced to rely on formations to block Xiu Chen Heavenly God's advance.
"With strength like this, you dare call yourself an ancestor?"
Xiu Chen Heavenly God radiated Shura battle qi, killing intent thick in her eyes. With a flick of her sleeve, rivers of time shot forth.
They surged like great rivers, producing the tangible sound of flowing water.
Teng Zu burned with fury. The artifact spirit before him was at the same cultivation level as himself. Yet she carried a Stone God Star from the Stone Clan, allowing her to continuously draw upon its power and the collective strength of billions of Stone Clan cultivators upon it.
Even more frustrating, both the sundial and the Heavenly Demon Stone Knife were supreme divine artifacts.
The former rendered her invincible.
The latter was a god-slaying weapon of mass destruction.
After being cut once, Teng Zu's corpse qi drained away endlessly. His wounds refused to heal, and his injuries grew increasingly severe.
"Boom!"
Teng Zu was sent flying again. One of the time rivers pierced through his body, draining vast amounts of his lifespan.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God was in high spirits, sweeping away her usual frustrations. She swung the Heavenly Demon Stone Knife without pause. Before long, Teng Zu was drenched in blood, even his tail severed.
"I, Xiu Chen, have never been inferior to anyone in my life. Remember this: the one who kills you is not the sundial's artifact spirit, but the Shura Clan's chieftain, the master of the Stone Clan's Peacock God Star."
With a wave of her hand, the sea of time imprints trembled violently. The sundial flew forth.
Countless Divine Throne Planets also emerged from Xiu Chen Heavenly God's divine realm world, all crashing down upon Teng Zu.
These Divine Throne Planets belonged to the Stone Clan gods on Peacock God Star.
Teng Zu had already revealed his true form, becoming a thousand-mile-long winged serpent, fleeing desperately into Demon Ancestor Ridge.
"Boom! Boom!"
Under the assault of the sundial and countless Divine Throne Planets, his indestructible divine body exploded midair, turning into foul, rotting blood rain.
Vast territories were corroded and tainted, turning dark red.
An Indestructible Infinite was not so easily killed. His spiritual will existed in every drop of blood.
The blood on the ground pulsed, forming liquid winged serpents the size of earthworms, all converging toward Demon Ancestor Ridge.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God sent a sheet of divine flame covering tens of thousands of miles toward the blood rain, then ignored Teng Zu.
No matter how strong Teng Zu was, after this series of heavy blows, his combat power had plummeted. He could no longer threaten her. But completely killing the winged serpent would take time.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."
Beams of nether fire shot up from nether towers across the Nether Kingdom.
As they entered the clouds, the dense formation inscriptions within the clouds lit up. Thunder roared, and fierce winds howled.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God's expression changed drastically. She retreated rapidly, sending a telepathic message: "The formations in the Nether Kingdom have been activated! Zhang Ruochen, finish this quickly, or we won't be able to leave!"
The activation of the Nether Kingdom's eighty-thousand-tower formation was no match for a single Wind Pavilion. It could absolutely kill any being below the Ancestor level.
"No need to panic. Go collect Demon Ancestor Ridge. I'll be there shortly."
Zhang Ruochen's voice came from within Wind Pavilion.
...
Chongming Ancestor had already thrown Seventh Master aside. He cut his wrist, using his divine blood to condense divine talismans.
It wasn't that he didn't want to directly swallow Seventh Master. Rather, Seventh Master was already showing signs of breaking the seal. Swallowing him while focusing on Zhang Ruochen would introduce too many variables.
One drop of divine blood, one talisman.
The talisman inscriptions were complex and bright, growing in number. They floated in the space between Chongming Ancestor and Zhang Ruochen, blocking Zhang Ruochen's advance.
Zhang Ruochen stepped forward step by step. Blood talismans exploded against his body, like gods self-destructing their divine sources. The destructive power was astonishing, but it couldn't harm him.
Chongming Ancestor said, "The Nether Kingdom's formations have already activated. Nether soldiers and generals are on their way. Zhang Ruochen, if you don't leave now, you won't make it out!"
"The Nether Kingdom's eighty-thousand-tower formation is indeed fearsome. But with such fearsome power, how could the Nether Sea Spirit allow anyone else to control it? So before the Nether Sea Spirit returns, I have plenty of time to kill you."
Zhang Ruochen thrust his sword forward. The sword light traced a blinding "one" stroke, breaking through Chongming Ancestor's spiritual power domain.
All the blood talismans exploded at once.
Chongming Ancestor's four pupils all contracted sharply. He could only curse the fact that this was the Nether Kingdom, inside Wind Pavilion, where space could not be broken. Otherwise, he would have already fled into the Void World or Lihentian.
There was no retreat.
Just as the sword tip was inches away, Chongming Ancestor could no longer hesitate. He summoned the Parasol Tree Divine Tree.
The divine tree, originally only a few meters tall, was struck forward with his palm. It immediately began to grow wildly, its trunk filling the space, blocking the fatal sword strike.
"Pfft!"
The Abyssal Divine Sword pierced into the trunk, its power steadily diminishing. It failed to penetrate the Parasol Tree Divine Tree.
The Parasol Tree Divine Tree released its ancestral essence, growing at an astonishing rate. Its branches and leaves spread to every corner of Wind Pavilion. One by one, the Gates of Destiny were pierced through by the trunk. The gods of the Destiny Temple sealed within them all broke free.
Among them, Zhang Ruochen spotted Xue Tu, Hai Shang Youruo, Qing Feiwei, and others.
But their cultivation was sealed, making them unable to participate in battle.
Instead of being pleased, Zhang Ruochen grew worried. Clearly, Chongming Ancestor had deliberately released them to make Zhang Ruochen hesitate, preventing him from going all out.
The shockwaves of battle within the pavilion were not something ordinary gods could withstand.
"Demon Ancestor Soul, Phoenix Cry Soul-Stealing Sound." Chongming Ancestor's divine voice rang out.
A demon ancestor's soul appeared atop the Parasol Tree Divine Tree, its feathers resplendent, carrying an almost real ancestral aura.
Many gods were shaken by this ancestral aura. Their souls trembled, their consciousness clouded. They knelt to the ground, as if the Demon Ancestor had crossed the river of time to descend upon this era.
Only Zhang Ruochen knew this was Chongming Ancestor's technique.
It was the remnant demon ancestor soul that Chongming Ancestor had once refined.
"Not good."
Zhang Ruochen's brow tightened. The Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal manifested behind him. With a wave of his hand, the diagram flew forth, enveloping the Destiny Temple gods and protecting them.
A sharp phoenix cry erupted from the demon ancestor soul.
It contained both spiritual power attacks and soul attacks.
With Chongming Ancestor's ninety-third-level spiritual power, using such a divine technique could kill all life in an entire star domain with a single sound wave, leaving the starry sky dead and countless planets' souls scattered.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Mani Pearl, holding it in his hand and raising it above his head as he stood within the phoenix cry's sound waves.
Buddhist light enveloped his entire body, as if a golden bell protected him.
"This old fellow... still has such terrifying techniques..."
Xu Kun War God, who had just recovered from his injuries, was shaken by the phoenix cry until blood flowed from his seven orifices. His head felt like it was being torn apart. Fortunately, the Mani Pearl's radiance reached him, allowing him to barely hold on.
The Four-Unlike was not so lucky. Amid screams, its soul decomposed layer by layer until it collapsed limply to the ground, silent.
A peak Great Unbound Infinite powerhouse had fallen just like that.
"Shua!"
Zhang Ruochen vanished from his spot. Following the trunk of the Parasol Tree Divine Tree like a soaring dragon or swimming snake, he quickly reached the demon ancestor soul's shadow and threw a punch.
A Qilin roared from his fist glove.
A claw covered in lightning struck out, blasting the demon ancestor soul apart into a cloud of mist.
Chongming Ancestor, standing behind the demon ancestor soul's shadow, was injured. He immediately spread his wings and flew higher.
He was filled with regret. He had never imagined that, with every advantage of time and place, he still couldn't fight Zhang Ruochen. How could this child be so powerful?
If only he hadn't entered Wind Pavilion.
If he had controlled the formations from outside Wind Pavilion, Chongming Ancestor was at least seventy percent confident he could trap Zhang Ruochen inside until the Nether Sea Spirit returned.
Even if Zhang Ruochen's combat power was heaven-defying and he broke out of Wind Pavilion, Chongming Ancestor could still retreat to Demon Ancestor Ridge.
Demon Ancestor Ridge was his true strongest trump card. There, Chongming Ancestor was confident he could fight Zhang Ruochen on equal footing.
As a spiritual power cultivator engaging in close combat with a martial cultivator, he had committed a grave error.
"Whoosh!"
Chongming Ancestor only felt a blur before his eyes. When he focused again, Zhang Ruochen's face was right in front of him.
"Pfft!"
Zhang Ruochen struck his palm against the top of his head. Amid the feathers, countless talisman lights scattered.
A huge bloody hole appeared in Chongming Ancestor's head. His consciousness nearly shattered. His head felt heavy, and his body plummeted downward.
"Earth Cauldron!"
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Earth Cauldron. With a flick of his finger, the cauldron flew forth. A primordial world manifested on its surface as it chased after Chongming Ancestor.
With Chongming Ancestor's spiritual power, completely refining and killing him would be no easy task.
He could only be suppressed into the Earth Cauldron first.
Chongming Ancestor knew well that once he was taken into the Earth Cauldron, he would have no way out. A mad, ferocious expression appeared on his face as he charged headfirst into the Parasol Tree Divine Tree.
"Whoosh!"
Chongming Ancestor's body merged into the trunk and disappeared.
Zhang Ruochen let out a soft exclamation. Fearing complications, he had no choice but to pursue into the Parasol Tree Divine Tree.
Inside the divine tree, the space was vast.
The inner space of a single leaf stretched for thousands of miles. Within the trunk's inner space, wood-attribute divine qi filled the air. Ancestral rules flowed everywhere, vast and mysterious, making it an excellent cultivation realm.
Where Chongming Ancestor fled, flames flickered, and heat rose sharply.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Ancestor, I told you long ago, you shouldn't have entered Wind Pavilion. What difference is there between you and a cornered beast now? Outside Wind Pavilion, there is vast heaven and earth, freedom to flee anywhere. How could you be as panicked as you are now?"
"Zhang Ruochen, don't be so smug. Who lives and who dies is still unknown!"
Chongming Ancestor stopped beside a blazing, bright fire cloud, not daring to go further. "Do you know where Demon Ancestor Ridge and the Parasol Tree Divine Tree descended into this era?"
Zhang Ruochen observed the flames, sensing an extremely dangerous aura. "This is the flame left by the Demon Ancestor?"
"This is the Ancestral Flame, and also the intelligence of the Parasol Tree Divine Tree."
Chongming Ancestor said, "Demon Ancestor Ridge and the Parasol Tree Divine Tree were sent to this era by the Demon Ancestor, along with the Demon Ancestor's power. This cluster of Ancestral Flame is enough to turn you to ashes!"
Chongming Ancestor released strands of the demon ancestor's remnant soul, communicating with the Ancestral Flame to awaken the Parasol Tree Divine Tree's intelligence.
"Whoosh!"
The Abyssal Divine Sword dragged a long stream of light, shooting straight toward Chongming Ancestor.
The Ancestral Flame fire cloud dispersed, condensing into the Parasol Tree Divine Tree's light shadow. It actually blocked the Abyssal Divine Sword.
Seeing this, Chongming Ancestor finally had confidence. His worries dissipated, and he laughed. "Zhang Ruochen, your power is nothing before the Demon Ancestor. Now, let me show you the might of the Ancestral Flame..."
Chongming Ancestor raised his divine staff high, using the demon ancestor's remnant soul to draw the Ancestral Flame. Strands of flame, brilliant and dazzling, flew around his body.
"This is... Fortune Flame..."
Zhang Ruochen sensed the power of fate within the Ancestral Flame. It seemed the Heaven Cauldron was indeed refined by the Demon Ancestor. The Demon Ancestor's attainment in the Path of Fate was certainly not low.
"Correct. The Ancestral Flame and the Parasol Tree Divine Tree are the blessings the Demon Ancestor left for his descendants."
The Ancestral Flame gathering above Chongming Ancestor's head grew denser and denser. Its radiance surpassed that of ordinary stars by a thousand or ten thousand times.
One could imagine the terrifying destruction these Ancestral Flames would cause if released.
Zhang Ruochen unleashed his ancestral blood wings, using the Earth Cauldron to protect himself, preparing to retreat.
His main purpose in coming to the Nether Kingdom was to rescue people. Since the goal was achieved, there was no need to take risks.
"Ah... Ancestral Flame... Demon Ancestor... why... ah..."
Chongming Ancestor suddenly screamed in agony. In an instant, his body was burned to ashes by the Ancestral Flame.
His spiritual power thoughts turned into rivers, fleeing in all directions.
The destruction of his physical body was nothing.
As long as his spiritual power was not extinguished, he could easily reshape his body.
But once tainted by the Ancestral Flame, even his spiritual power could not escape. Soon, all of Chongming Ancestor's spiritual power rivers rapidly weakened within the Ancestral Flame.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the world fell silent.
Not even a single thread of Chongming Ancestor's spiritual power thoughts could be found. It was as if he had never existed in this world.
Zhang Ruochen sucked in a breath of cold air, his scalp tingling.
This was too terrifying. A ninety-third-level existence had been burned to death just like that, unable to escape.
And this was merely a cluster of Ancestral Flame left by the Demon Ancestor. How powerful must the Demon Ancestor have been when alive?
The Ancestral Flame did not continue its attack. It returned to that fire cloud and fell silent.
"Blessing or curse? This Ancestral Flame is both a flame of fortune and a flame of disaster. Chongming Ancestor devoured the demon ancestor's remnant soul, thinking he could control the Ancestral Flame, but in the end, he paid the price."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a bitter smile, showing no joy.
Chongming Ancestor had once been the ruler of the entire Southern Universe, the supreme being of all demons, worshipped by cultivators from all demon realms. How glorious and majestic he was. Yet his death came in an instant.
Before the power of an Ancestor, perhaps he himself was just as insignificant.
Flying out of the Parasol Tree Divine Tree's inner space, Zhang Ruochen was pondering how to collect this divine tree when Xue Tu's exclamation reached his ears: "Isn't that Gong Nanfeng?"
Zhang Ruochen glanced over and saw a human-shaped relief on the wall. Its form and appearance were virtually identical to Gong Nanfeng.
Could the Fate Ancestor from the ancient era actually look like Gong Nanfeng?
Thinking of the Fate Bone, Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head.
The bone structure was completely different.
This was very strange.
Could this relief have been left by Gong Nanfeng in this era?
That possibility was not impossible.
Zhang Ruochen did not continue pondering this question. He immediately mobilized his divine qi, releasing strands to undo the seals on the Destiny Temple gods present.
"Thank you, Imperial Dust, for saving our lives. May I ask if Chongming Ancestor has been suppressed?"
Seventh Master bowed to Zhang Ruochen, his expression cold as ice.
"Chongming Ancestor no longer exists in this world. There may still be remnant souls. You can use Death Thought Power to cut through space and kill them," Zhang Ruochen said.
...
The college entrance exams are coming soon. I wish all senior high school readers the best results.
(Chapter End)