Chapter 4089: Joining Forces Against an Ancestor
Zu Shen, Immortal Musician, and the Ancient Dao Clan Emperor retreated back into the Divine Wood Nest, activating the formation. Even within the formation, they could not block the ancestral pressure of the Starry Sea Angler, and their divine souls trembled.
Fear, despair, cowardice, grief… all kinds of negative emotions involuntarily arose within them, impossible to suppress.
Between a Half-Ancestor and a Heavenly Venerable-level being, there was a vast difference. But a Half-Ancestor could absolutely not, by mere might alone, intimidate them into such an uncontrollable state.
Just how powerful was an Ancestor?
And Zhang Ruochen, at the center of the Ancestor's pressure, what kind of terrifying burden was he bearing?
"Swoosh!"
"Swoosh!"
...
A series of twenty-seven layers of celestial worlds manifested above Zhang Ruochen's head, then enveloped the Nether City, resisting the ancestral aura of the Starry Sea Angler.
"Ruochen, you should know the Five Breaks Clear Spirit Hand, right?"
As the Starry Sea Angler's voice rang out, a shimmering hand seal shot forth. It was not aimed at Zhang Ruochen and the twenty-seven layers of celestial worlds, but at the Divine Wood Nest.
With the Five Breaks Clear Spirit Hand, the Starry Sea Angler had nearly wiped out Wen Tianjun in a single strike. How could Zhang Ruochen not know of it?
The moment the hand seal descended, the formation outside the Divine Wood Nest was ignited by cyan flames and rapidly collapsed.
Even the physical bodies of Zu Shen, Immortal Musician, and the Ancient Dao Clan Emperor caught fire, turning into three torches.
Standing within the twenty-seven layers of celestial worlds, Zhang Ruochen held his sword with both hands, drew a bright circle, and raised it above his head.
"He's going to strike at an Ancestor?"
A Fuya, trapped within the celestial worlds, looked at Zhang Ruochen's back in disbelief.
A vast and boundless sword intent rose within Zhang Ruochen.
The next moment, the ancestral aura within the twenty-seven layers of celestial worlds surged towards him endlessly.
"Swoosh!"
One sword strike cleaved out, shaking the entire starry sea.
All sword weapons in the universe trembled, emitting a piercing ring.
The sword light spanned the cosmos, reaching past and future.
Even the Starry Sea Angler was startled. How could he have imagined Zhang Ruochen could unleash such a sword strike?
A fishing rod flew out from his sleeve, the fishing line winding like a swimming dragon.
"Boom!"
The corpse aura on the Starry Sea Angler exploded, his ancestral divine cloud shining like a nebula, clashing with the sword strike Zhang Ruochen had delivered.
Space completely collapsed, stars falling like rain.
Even the Heavenly Venerable-level powerhouses were all injured, not lightly wounded by the aftermath.
The formation of the Divine Wood Nest completely dissipated. Immortal Musician and the Ancient Dao Clan Emperor lay on the ground, barely breathing. Zu Shen's branches and leaves had all turned to ash, leaving only a charred trunk.
Besides these, all matter in the star domain had been reduced to nothing.
Even the laws of heaven and earth were cleared away.
The fishing rod in the Starry Sea Angler's hand snapped in the middle, the cut clean and neat.
He lowered his head to look. The robe at his right shoulder was torn, and a three-inch-long bloody gash appeared on his skin.
How could this not be shocking?
This sword strike had broken through all of the Ancestor's protective Dao techniques. Ancestral rules and ancestral order could not block it; the power of the sword Dao pierced into his body. Even if the injury was not severe, it was enough to be recorded in history.
Because this was a strike from a lower realm against a higher one, wounding an Ancestor.
"I nurtured this sword strike for eighty thousand years, pouring all my sword intent and power into the Sword Ancestor's Sword Heart. What a pity, even with all my strength, I only managed to cut your fishing rod."
As Zhang Ruochen spoke these words, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Clearly, in the clash just now, he was far more injured than the Starry Sea Angler.
"Ruochen, if you can unleash such a terrifying sword strike today, given a few more tens of thousands of years, I will no longer have the confidence to suppress you," the Starry Sea Angler said.
Zhang Ruochen secretly healed his injuries and asked, "Senior, do you intend to kill me?"
"Power that cannot be controlled naturally must be killed."
The Starry Sea Angler raised his hand above his head, palm facing upward, as if holding up the sky.
In the starry sky, the light of all the stars gathered towards his palm, strand by strand.
Time and space began to warp. The origin of heaven and earth vanished. Light and darkness flickered alternately.
"Oh?"
Zhang Ruochen's body uncontrollably flew towards the Starry Sea Angler's palm.
It was not a spatial movement towards his palm; it was simply inescapable, as if the entire starry sky had always been within the Starry Sea Angler's palm.
"Chen Ge!"
Chi Yao rode the Zangjin Baihu, charging at the Starry Sea Angler. The tiger's paws crushed space with each step.
With just a thought from the Starry Sea Angler, she and the Zangjin Baihu were swept up, flying towards his palm along with the flowing light in the starry sky.
The Ancestor's divine abilities, techniques, and application of rules filled Immortal Musician, the Ancient Dao Clan Emperor, and Zu Shen with despair. Such power meant that even if they self-destructed their divine sources, they might not inflict severe injuries on him.
Could they really self-destruct their divine sources before an Ancestor?
Suddenly.
The sound of bells rang out loudly.
Billions of miles of starry sky were covered by blood clouds, as if dyed into a painting.
The Starry Sea Angler was slightly surprised and looked towards one direction of the blood clouds.
There, Heavenly Mother, wearing the Houtu Wedding Garb, with youthful face and white hair, had thirty-six Heavenly Demon Tableaux revolving around her, with the Blood Fiend Bell suspended above her head.
She pushed her hands forward, unleashing the "Thousand Spirit Blood Fiend," and the Blood Fiend Bell flew out with it.
The bell sound grew louder.
The blood clouds surged, condensing into divine beings and demons. Some wore armor, towering tens of thousands of feet tall; some were skeletal bodies with ox heads; some resembled flood dragons, their roars deafening.
As early as the secret meeting of the Undying Blood Clan, Zhang Ruochen had deduced that the Nether Ancestor Faction and the Divine Realm would certainly test whether the Great Venerable was still alive, and attacking the Ancient Divine Nest was inevitable.
Coincidentally, Heavenly Mother was very concerned about the Great Venerable's affairs and wished to meet Ling Yanzi.
So, before arriving at the Ancient Divine Nest, Zhang Ruochen had notified Heavenly Mother.
Heavenly Mother's cultivation had reached the quasi-ancestor level. With the Houtu Wedding Garb and the Blood Fiend Bell enhancing her power, her combat strength was elevated further. Even an Ancestor had to be cautious and not take her lightly.
The Starry Sea Angler unleashed the Five Breaks Clear Spirit Hand. His five fingers stretched for billions of miles, like the hand of the Heavenly Lord, smashing the surging Thousand Spirit Blood Fiend one by one.
The screams of divine beings and demons echoed through the starry sky.
Taking advantage of the Starry Sea Angler's distraction, Zhang Ruochen released the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal. It spun rapidly beneath his feet, like a black hole, continuously absorbing the power that bound him.
Not only light, space, and time, but everything in the universe warped.
At the same time, he raised the Myriad Forms Formless Seal above his head, continuously tearing apart the ancestral rules.
Heavenly Mother moved at incredible speed, somehow bypassing the Five Breaks Clear Spirit Hand and reaching the Starry Sea Angler.
Her gaze was sharp and cold, unyielding even when facing an Ancestor.
A Demon God Stone Pillar struck out heavily, aimed directly at the Starry Sea Angler's chest.
The Starry Sea Angler maintained his single-handed sky-holding posture to suppress Zhang Ruochen, who was constantly challenging the ancestral rules, while his other hand slowly reached out to catch the Demon God Stone Pillar.
Even though Heavenly Mother's cultivation was supreme, capable of destroying a great world with a flick of her finger, her full-force strike could not budge the Starry Sea Angler in the slightest; it was easily caught.
"Crack!"
The Starry Sea Angler crushed the Demon God Stone Pillar like tofu, then struck a heavy palm towards Heavenly Mother.
Heavenly Mother's white hair flew wildly. She did not dodge or evade, showing no fear or panic. She gathered all her strength, carrying the thirty-six Heavenly Demon Tableaux, and also struck out with a palm.
"Boom!"
As if the power of the nine heavens and ten earths had all landed on her, Heavenly Mother's entire body trembled. The Houtu Wedding Garb flickered incessantly. Her body flew backward like an arrow from a string.
It was not on the same power level; she could not resist.
This time, it was the Starry Sea Angler's turn to be surprised.
Since ancient times, an Ancestor could crush a Half-Ancestor, deciding victory or even life or death in a single move. But first there was Zhang Ruochen, and now Heavenly Mother.
After taking his palm strike, she did not seem severely injured.
"It must be the Houtu Wedding Garb."
The Starry Sea Angler rarely took interest in the treasures of the universe. Even the Universe Cauldron did not tempt him to claim it.
Because an Ancestor's body was stronger than any divine artifact; he could shatter one with a single punch.
A single Universe Cauldron, when facing an Ancestor-level opponent, could not create much of an advantage. Against cultivators below Ancestor level, it was unnecessary.
Only when all nine cauldrons were gathered would it be different.
But now, the Starry Sea Angler had taken an interest in the Houtu Wedding Garb. Just the boost in defense and speed alone was enough to significantly enhance his strength.
Moreover, as the sole remaining treasure of Houtu Empress, how could the Houtu Wedding Garb only increase defense and speed?
Thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
The Starry Sea Angler gave Heavenly Mother no time to catch her breath. In an instant, he caught up, his arm like a blade, tracing a heavenly Dao trajectory to sever her head.
"Swoosh!"
A Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal appeared beside Heavenly Mother.
Zhang Ruochen stepped out from the diagram seal. The Victory Crown on his head blazed a hundred times brighter. Blood flowed within him like tens of thousands of great rivers. He struck out with the Myriad Forms Formless Seal from his palm, blocking the Starry Sea Angler's deadly hand blade.
Heavenly Mother also struck, unleashing the Immovable Wisdom King Fist.
"Boom! Boom!"
The Starry Sea Angler fought one against two, using no divine abilities, only palm strikes.
The three figures shifted rapidly, their palm strikes and fist winds interweaving.
Corpse aura, demonic aura, divine light... all kinds of power erupted, throwing the entire star domain into chaos.
After dozens of exchanges, Zhang Ruochen and Heavenly Mother were sent flying backward, crashing into the twenty-seven layers of celestial worlds and the Divine Wood Nest respectively. Both bled from their seven orifices, severely injured.
The Kirin Fist Gloves on Zhang Ruochen's hand were completely ruined. His entire arm dripped black blood, then rotted, growing corpse hair.
He had been invaded by the Starry Sea Angler's ancestral corpse aura. The injury could not heal, and corpse poison spread to his five organs and six viscera.
Protected by the Houtu Wedding Garb, Heavenly Mother was not invaded by corpse aura or poison, but the bones in both her arms were shattered. Her internal injuries were severe. Her left shoulder collapsed, and her body was badly deformed.
In contrast, the Starry Sea Angler remained calm and composed, his aura swallowing the starry river, his eyes like divine torches. Only his hair was slightly disheveled.
Countless people drew in cold breaths, deeply realizing the terror of an Ancestor.
When the two strongest beings of the present age joined forces, they could only resist for a few dozen exchanges, unable to harm him.
Was self-destructing their divine sources, destroying both sides, truly the only way to restrain an Ancestor?
Zhang Ruochen flew up from the great crater, landing in the twenty-seventh layer of celestial worlds. He drew circles with both hands, activating forty clusters of Dao light within his body to refine the corpse poison. The corpse hair on his arm burned away, and the wound healed quickly.
"Everyone, lend me your strength! Let us fight the Ancestor again!"
Zhang Ruochen roared, recalling the four cauldrons, suspending them above his head.
The Sundial, the No-Self Lamp, and the Zangjin Baihu appeared in three different celestial worlds. Chi Yao stood atop a divine mountain behind Zhang Ruochen.
She burned her divine blood, supporting the twenty-five layers of celestial worlds she had cultivated, merging them with the twenty-seven layers left by the Great Venerable.
Using the Wuji Divine Dao, Zhang Ruochen gathered all the power from the fifty-two layers of celestial worlds onto himself and flew once more towards the Starry Sea Angler.
After Heavenly Mother's injuries healed, she immediately released the Witch Hall, attacking from the Divine Wood Nest.
This time, she held a divine artifact war weapon in her hand—the Yellow Spring Seal, which she had taken from Immortal Musician.
The Starry Sea Angler became completely serious. As his physical body clashed with Zhang Ruochen and Heavenly Mother, he unleashed an Ancestor-level curse, intending to kill them on another plane.
But beyond his expectations, Zhang Ruochen possessed the Mani Pearl, and Heavenly Mother's Houtu Wedding Garb could also resist curses.
The curse's effect on the two was not significant.
This clash lasted nearly an hour, with thousands of exchanges.
Half-Ancestors from both the Hell Realm and the Sword Realm arrived, but Yan Wushen, the Chaos Clan Elder, A Fuya, and others blocked them, preventing them from approaching the battlefield.
A Fuya had escaped the twenty-seven layers of celestial worlds when Zhang Ruochen first clashed with the Starry Sea Angler.
As a Half-Ancestor, she was difficult to trap.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen took seven consecutive palm strikes from the Ancestor. His physical body exploded, turning into a mist of particles.
Chi Yao's twenty-five layers of celestial worlds collapsed. Her body exploded, turning into a cloud of blood like Zhang Ruochen.
The Witch Hall was shattered. Heavenly Mother lay like a lump of bloody mud before the broken gate of the Witch Hall, the Houtu Wedding Garb even more vivid.
Her gaze remained sharp, filled with resolute will. She entertained the thought of self-destructing her divine source.
In the previous battle, the Starry Sea Angler's crown had been cut off by the Abyssal Divine Sword. His hair was completely loose, and his sleeves were tattered. There were bloodstains on his arms, making him look quite disheveled.
Though he had severely wounded Zhang Ruochen and Heavenly Mother, this was by no means a battle to boast about.
As an Ancestor, the victory was too ugly.
In the starry sky, the mist of particles rapidly gathered, trying to reform the bodies of Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao.
Having fought to this point, the Starry Sea Angler would not give Zhang Ruochen another chance to fight. He immediately drew upon the starlight in the starry sky, intending to use the power of the stars to grind away Zhang Ruochen's indestructible and divine substances.
After all, the self-destruction of divine sources by experts of Zhang Ruochen and Heavenly Mother's level was what the Starry Sea Angler feared most.
Facing one of them, the Starry Sea Angler was confident in suppressing their self-destruction.
But facing both at once, he found it difficult to manage, with a high possibility of being taken down in a mutual destruction.
The sound of a zither rose, melodious and ethereal like mist.
The Starry Sea Angler found that the starlight could no longer be mobilized. In the universe, it seemed as if infinite strings had appeared.
These strings were hidden within the laws of heaven and earth, surrounding him, omnipresent.
The Starry Sea Angler withdrew his ancestral divine aura, tied up his disheveled white hair, and looked towards the Divine Wood Nest, at the ancient zither floating above the secret realm gate.
It seemed as if two invisible hands were playing on the strings.
The zither sound was soothing, like rain on banana leaves, drop by drop, stirring endless thoughts.
Divine Musician and Immortal Musician both blurted out almost simultaneously: "Origin Cause Zither!"
The difference was that the former's face showed shock, full of disbelief.
The latter seemed to have expected it, with longing and tears in his eyes.
Yan Wushen was momentarily stunned, then laughed: "She really is alive, and hiding in the Ancient Divine Nest. With such cultivation, has she stepped into the Ancestor realm?"
Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao's physical bodies reformed. Both had slightly pale faces, their strength greatly diminished.
Heavenly Mother stood up again before the broken gate of the Witch Hall. On the surface, her physical injuries seemed fully healed. But only she knew the extent of her internal injuries.
The Starry Sea Angler laughed loudly: "Since the Origin Cause Zither has appeared, Great Venerable, Ling Yanzi, shouldn't you two show yourselves?"
Hearing these two names, countless people held their breath.