Chapter 4202: Stabilizing the Star Sea
No one had expected that the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable could break through the order field of a ninety-sixth-order spiritual power Primordial Ancestor so effortlessly, with the halberd tip reaching the true body directly.
How powerful must that strike have been?
How profound a Dao method must have been employed?
No one understood the realm of the Second Confucian Ancestor, and no one had ever fought a ninety-sixth-order spiritual power Primordial Ancestor, so naturally, they could not comprehend the might of Zhang Ruochen's halberd strike.
Only astonishment remained.
"Boom!"
A square chessboard, tens of miles in length and width, manifested before the Second Confucian Ancestor.
Countless light traces crisscrossed it.
It resembled a formation, yet did not, as profound chess Dao symbols danced upon the board.
The halberd strike Zhang Ruochen had delivered with full force was blocked by the chessboard's patterns and Primordial Ancestor symbols.
The next moment, terrifying Primordial Ancestor divine light poured forth, piercing through the real world and then shattering the void world, forming a spatial hole billions of miles in diameter in the universe.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
...
Then came a second spatial hole, a third...
Each collapse of the three-realm space was a clash of power between Zhang Ruochen and the Second Confucian Ancestor.
The battle fluctuations of the Primordial Ancestors triggered upheavals in the rules of heaven and earth, causing the star sea to rise and fall, light and darkness to flicker. Top-tier cultivators from various star domains all sensed it, and none were not horrified.
Of course, only those at the Heavenly Venerable level and Half-Ancestors roughly knew that the ones fighting were not Heavenly Mother and Overlord Murong, but the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable and the Second Confucian Ancestor.
Other deities could only gaze into the Lihentian from afar, seeing Primordial Ancestor divine light and energy ripples.
They did not see with their physical eyes, but through feedback formed by divine thoughts and the rules of heaven and earth—a glimpse across spatial boundaries. Those who had not reached the Divine Realm did not even know a Primordial Ancestor duel was happening before the energy ripples arrived.
The seven top experts of the Hell Realm, who had been sent flying, crashed into the Santu River basin, creating seven giant craters.
They had just sent out messages to gather the most top-tier of the Heavenly Venerables and Divine Venerables to form the "Fate Twelve-Phase Divine Formation" when the Primordial Ancestor duel in the Lihentian erupted.
Ice Emperor looked up, his pupils reflecting the vast star sea and the enormous spatial holes. "It's the aura of Xuanhuang Divine Qi and the chessboard light. Could it be that the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable and the Second Confucian Ancestor are fighting?"
Even with his level of cultivation, he could not see the true bodies of the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable and the Second Confucian Ancestor at this moment.
He could only judge by the power aura and Dao method characteristics.
"My mother, so fierce? Going head-to-head with a ninety-sixth-order spiritual power Primordial Ancestor?"
Undying War God naturally knew that the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable had sent them back to the Hell Realm to protect them, but he was, after all, the supreme powerhouse of his clan, a Half-Ancestor-level existence, and felt somewhat displeased.
But now, all displeasure vanished.
A ninety-sixth-order spiritual power was an absolute legend throughout the long river of eternity, representing the most top-tier of Primordial Ancestors. If such a level of duel erupted, could they withstand even a single blow if they were still in the Lihentian?
"So they've already clashed? The situation seems more severe than we imagined." Nutian Shenzun's brows were tightly furrowed.
In his view, Heavenly Mother and the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable going to the Lihentian together was more like going to negotiate with the Divine Realm, seeking to uphold the dignity and interests of the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court Universe through peaceful means.
If a real war broke out, where was the slightest chance of victory?
Just a single Seventy-Two Layer Tower had suppressed the strong of the entire universe for thirty thousand years, daring none to show their heads.
The fall of the two Primordial Ancestors, the Nether Ancestor and the Primal Chaos Black Dragon, had pushed the Seventy-Two Layer Tower's deterrent power to the absolute peak in history, even surpassing the Nine Cauldrons.
This was an Ancestor-Killing Weapon!
Having consecutively suppressed and killed two Primordial Ancestors, the Seventy-Two Layer Tower's own malevolent aura and momentum had surged dramatically.
At the same time, the influence of a ninety-sixth-order spiritual power Primordial Ancestor emerging was no less than that of the peak-era Life Ancestor, Yellow Spring Great Emperor, or Yama descending upon this era.
Colliding with such an existence—whoever went would be no different from seeking death.
Void Heaven said, "Without showing a death-defying resolve, would the Divine Realm negotiate with them? Only by self-destructing their Primordial Ancestor Divine Source, like Ksitigarbha King, could Heavenly Mother and the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable force Eternal True Ruler to back down. This Primordial Ancestor duel is far more perilous than we imagine—it's a last desperate counterattack forced by necessity, too tragic!"
Feng Tian held the Blazing Halberd, her battle intent thick, having long returned to her original form. "The Divine Realm wants to continuously weaken the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm, weaken us until we have no strength to counterattack, then launch a Minor Calamity to harvest. What the Divine Realm fears has never been us, but the Great Calamity."
"Since that's the case, even if we die in battle today, we will wound them to the point where they must die under the Great Calamity tomorrow. If we die, we die together."
Facing the invincible, they advanced even in death.
Cultivators from the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm were all gathering, forming mighty armies and rushing to the Heaven-Earth Altars built across the universe.
The death declaration of "If we die, we die together" resounded through countless great worlds and main stars.
Not to mention the cultivators below the Primordial Ancestor level, even Heavenly Mother, who was in the Lihentian, was caught off guard by the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable's sudden initiation of the Primordial Ancestor duel.
Originally, like other cultivators, she had thought the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable was Xuan Yuan Taihao.
But now, she completely dismissed that guess.
Overlord Murong retreated to the Fate Divine Domain and ascended Fate Divine Mountain, appearing extremely steady and leisurely, not at all worried that Heavenly Mother would attack him again.
With the Divine Talisman Army and the World Tree aiding him, if Heavenly Mother dared to strike, Overlord Murong was confident he could severely wound her and seize the Houtu Wedding Garment.
Of course, if he took the initiative to attack Heavenly Mother, even with the help of two divine armies, it would certainly be in vain. It might even cost him casualties.
When their cultivation reached this level, whoever underestimated their opponent, whoever made the first mistake, would pay the price.
The clash between the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable and the Second Confucian Ancestor was the scenario Overlord Murong most wanted to see, and the joy in his heart had already spilled into his eyes.
First, no matter who the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable was—even if it was the severely wounded Nether Ancestor—clashing with an existence like the Second Confucian Ancestor would surely force him to reveal his true form; he could not possibly hide it.
Second, if the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable was not the Nether Ancestor, then he absolutely could not be the Second Confucian Ancestor's opponent. Once he was defeated, Heavenly Mother would certainly have to act.
At that point, Overlord Murong could lead the two divine armies, waiting at ease for the exhausted enemy, and deliver a crushing blow to Heavenly Mother.
This was the opportunity!
He had not thought of being able to kill the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable and Heavenly Mother in the Lihentian, nor did he want to force these two to self-destruct their Primordial Ancestor Divine Sources. Defeating them would be enough to shatter the faith of the current era's cultivators.
From then on, there would be no need to worry about their rebellion; they would be like livestock raised in a pen.
To truly kill the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable and Heavenly Mother, he would have to see the attitude of "that one," as well as the reactions of hidden Primordial Ancestors like Corpse Nightmare, White Jade Divine Emperor, Dark Sovereign, and Heavenly Demon.
"Overlord!"
Talisman Marshal saluted Overlord Murong.
Overlord Murong nodded and casually said, "You step down from the commander position. Hidden Corpse will take over, and you will be his deputy."
"Yes!"
Talisman Marshal removed the jade talisman from his forehead, showing no dissatisfaction, and presented it to Hidden Corpse, who stood behind Overlord Murong.
Then, Talisman Marshal reported, "Those below the Great Saint level in the Fate Divine Temple can be made to submit obediently with a single thought, to activate the formations in the various worlds of the World Tree for the Divine Talisman Army. But those above the Great Saint level, especially those above the Great God level, are mostly very stubborn. Should we kill them all, or control their souls?"
Overlord Murong looked at the Fate Divine Temple, where Que, Hai Shang You Ruo, Hai Shang Ming Gong, Yan Ju, Yin Yang Divine Teacher, Qing Fei Wei... a large number of deities lay in pools of blood, all bound by Half-Ancestor order divine chains, their bodies covered in wounds, some with only half a remnant body left.
"No rush! The true giant figures of Heavenly Mother and the Fate Divine Temple have not yet been captured. These people might still be of some use."
"Bang!"
A loud explosion came from Overlord Murong's body, and billions of light particles flew out from within.
Each light particle was a human-shaped Primordial Ancestor thought, flying to all parts of the World Tree and various dimensions, sketching Primordial Ancestor inscription patterns.
Some dimensions transcended space, and the Primordial Ancestor inscription patterns sketched there could mobilize the void power of the void world, also preventing the World Tree from being breached from the void world.
Some dimensions transcended time, able to mobilize the cosmic energy of the past and future, also preventing Primordial Ancestors from attacking from the past and future.
Some dimensions entered the level of divine soul and consciousness, able to withstand Primordial Ancestor divine soul attacks and consciousness invasions. They could also launch divine soul attacks and consciousness attacks through the Primordial Ancestor formation.
...
The duel between Zhang Ruochen and the Second Confucian Ancestor did not end as quickly as all parties had anticipated.
They fought from the Lihentian to the real world, and from the real world to the Heavenly Desolate.
From the Heavenly Desolate, they fought into the past, faintly seeing the light shadow of the Nether Ancestor from thirty thousand years ago on the River of Time, before the two immediately turned back.
They fought along the River of Time, going downstream, crossing the present, and entering the future.
The River of Time in the future was extremely turbulent. Due to their intrusion, the space and heavenly mechanisms in the river were constantly changing, with the threads of heavenly mechanisms extending into countless directions.
Except for the eternal River of Time, the heavenly mechanisms of the future were completely uncertain.
The changes in heavenly mechanisms caused by their intrusion were rapidly collapsing, and the River of Time was also getting narrower.
Signs of time interruption appeared.
This meant that because they had intruded into the future, the Great Calamity might arrive early, and time would completely disappear at that moment, turning into nothingness.
And they had only gone a few thousand years into the future.
From beginning to end, the Second Confucian Ancestor had responded with extreme ease, handling everything with skill.
He stood on the River of Time, his white hair radiant, his feet square, his head round, black and white qi evolving day and night.
While executing his techniques, he said, "After the Entropy Epoch, the River of Time lost its meaning. The future is constantly changing. Whoever goes to the future, that segment of the future will collapse and will not appear in the real evolution."
"But it consumes the time energy of the future, causing the Great Calamity to descend early."
"Are you not going to reveal your true form yet? With the combat power you have shown now, it is far from enough to challenge the Divine Realm."
The Second Confucian Ancestor was very clear that this Life-Death Heavenly Venerable had not used his full strength, nor had he even used his most fundamental power, which greatly piqued his curiosity.
It was evident that the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable's strength had exceeded his expectations.
"Heavenly Intent Art, Severing Human Intent."
The Second Confucian Ancestor finally unleashed his most fundamental spiritual power Dao.
Heavenly Intent!
Spiritual power transformed into Heavenly Intent, and Heavenly Intent transformed into the imprint of heaven and earth, like the incarnation of the fundamental Dao of the universe.
In an instant, the future world behind him continuously shattered. In layer upon layer of space, the energy of rotating stars, the brilliance of stars, the coldness of darkness, the vastness of space, the passage of time...
All energy merged into the Heavenly Intent, crossing time and space, directly attacking Zhang Ruochen's consciousness and soul.
Heavenly Intent crushed everything.
The first step was to dismantle the cultivator's consciousness, turning them into objects.
"Boom!"
The moment his consciousness ignited within his body, Zhang Ruochen stepped on a time imprint and retreated explosively back to the original time and space.
Only six days had passed in the original time and space.
Heavenly Mother, waiting in the Lihentian, was staring across the void at Overlord Murong, keeping him pinned.
Sensing the time fluctuation, she waved her red sleeve, and rolling demonic qi turned into a patch of purple-black clouds, helping the flying-back Life-Death Heavenly Venerable dissolve the invisible Heavenly Intent.
Heavenly Mother frowned with some concern. "How is it?"
"No matter!"
Zhang Ruochen walked out from the demon clouds and looked at the Xuanhuang Halberd in his hand, which had been corroded dim by Heavenly Intent and time.
Cracks appeared on the halberd shaft, unable to withstand this level of Primordial Ancestor clash.
That it had lasted this long was enough to show its extraordinary nature, having the potential to become a first-rank divine artifact.
The halberd tip had rusted, as if it had endured millions of years.
Zhang Ruochen put away the Xuanhuang Halberd. After all, it was crafted with Hao Tian's full effort and could not be completely destroyed. He said, "The Second Confucian Ancestor has indeed broken through to the ninety-sixth order, comparable to those legends in history."
"Heavenly Intent is very difficult to deal with. It can cross the boundaries of space and time, and rules, divine qi, and order cannot block it. When facing him, you must be careful to protect your consciousness and soul. But... with the Houtu Wedding Garment, it should not be easy for Heavenly Intent to harm you."
Heavenly Mother did not care whether the opponent was at the ninety-sixth order. "Then, let me fight him next."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "Although Heavenly Intent is strong, I am not without a way to deal with it. This battle is not over yet."
Seeing that his confidence had not diminished at all, Heavenly Mother showed a strange expression and asked, "Has the Heavenly Venerable reached the state of 'Consistency from Start to Finish'?"
Her earlier suggestion was actually to use the "inferior horse against the superior horse"—she would pin down the Second Confucian Ancestor, while the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable, as the superior horse, would deal with the inferior horse, Overlord Murong, to achieve the goal of retaking the World Tree.
But it seemed the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable preferred to use the superior horse to defeat the opponent's superior horse to achieve his goal.
She could only guess towards "Consistency from Start to Finish."
Having reached the Primordial Ancestor realm, they had already grasped part of the fundamental Dao of heaven, knowing that the Primordial Ancestor was not the end of cultivation.
Just as Murong Buhuo recorded in the "Primordial Ancestor Codex":
The ninety-fifth order of spiritual power was called "Having a Beginning and an End," corresponding to the martial cultivation's "Having an End," "Having Action," "Having Limit"...
When spiritual power reached the ninety-sixth order, it was called "Consistency from Start to Finish," representing the perfection of the realm. Within the body, life and death cycled, greatly increasing lifespan, allowing one to live for dozens of eons.
Reaching this realm, the Primordial Ancestor could choose to detach from the divine source and divine heart, or merge with them, allowing the divine soul, spirit, and divine qi to integrate into the physical body. This would prevent the divine source and divine heart from becoming their weakness or shackle.
The "Primordial Ancestor Codex" only recorded up to this step.
This was also why later cultivators knew that Murong Buhuo's spiritual power had reached the ninety-sixth order.
Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head. "Realm is certainly important, but combat power is not entirely limited by realm. Both are Primordial Ancestors. Ksitigarbha King could fight the Nether Ancestor to the death. We can't be worse than Ksitigarbha King, can we?"
"Well said! Realm does have an advantage in combat. But winning or losing is determined by many factors. Back then, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable had only cultivated for a few years, yet he made the Immortal, who had lived for over a hundred million years, suffer greatly. I think you are not much worse than the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable of that time."
Space trembled, and the Second Confucian Ancestor returned from the future time and space, his sleeves fluttering. Although he smiled, his aura was overwhelming.
Heavenly Mother immediately assumed a battle stance.
The Second Confucian Ancestor said, "You two, let's end this here. Continuing to fight serves no purpose. The Divine Realm will not return the two World Trees. If we truly fight until the heavens collapse and the earth shatters, it will benefit no one."
From afar, a clear and loud voice came: "Confucian Ancestor, you should still return the two World Trees. Otherwise, the Heaven-Earth Altars in the universe will not be safe!"
In the distant void, Chi Yao stood atop the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable's twenty-seven layers of Heavenly Realm World, holding the divine artifact, the Heaven-Earth Chess Platform.
In each layer of the Heavenly Realm World sat a top-tier powerhouse: Golden Lion Ancestor, Zangjin Baihu, Yunshen Daozhu, Jie Tian, Qiangu Nüdi, Five Dragon Divine Emperor, Xiu Chen Heavenly God, Bai Qinger, Wu Yue, Moon God, Zhang Gushen, Zhang Beize, Zhang Su'e, Blood Spirit Immortal, Xu Kun War God, Yu Taizhen, Yu Chenjing, Xiao Hei, A Le...
Some had not come.
For example, Wen Tianjun, Ji Fanxin, Chi Xingtian, Shen Ba Princess, Eight-Winged Night Dragon, Yin Yuanchen, etc., all remained in the Sword Realm, guarding the Heaven-Earth Altars there.
Undoubtedly, the twenty-seven layers of Heavenly Realm left by the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable now absolutely had the qualification to clash head-on with a Primordial Ancestor.
The Second Confucian Ancestor glanced at the divine artifact he had once refined, the "Heaven-Earth Chess Platform," and then looked down at the vast star sea of the real world.
One hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred Heaven-Earth Altars, some already completed, some half-built. Without exception, they had all been captured by various armies.
The main altars in various locations were at least guarded by a Half-Ancestor.
The Second Confucian Ancestor appeared very calm, as if everything was within his expectations. "Do you think this can force the Divine Realm to back down? Do you know the true significance of the Heaven-Earth Altars?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor's calmness made all cultivators watching in this direction feel a jolt in their hearts.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then please, Confucian Ancestor, enlighten us."
Overlord Murong stood on Fate Divine Mountain, laughing. "Since the True Ruler chose to take the World Tree, he naturally thought of how to counter all your counterattack methods. Do you really think you can threaten the Heaven-Earth Altars?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor stopped turning the two chess pieces in his hand and clapped his palms together.
With a "crack," the stars in the entire universe trembled slightly, like waves.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
...
The altar closest to the Second Confucian Ancestor began to rotate, shooting out a beam of light.
This beam of light pierced through the spatial passage between the real world and the Divine Realm, connecting the two realms.
A corner of the Divine Realm appeared at the other end of the light pillar.
Invisible spiritual power spread further, spreading at an extremely fast speed.
Wherever it went, the Heaven-Earth Altars were activated one after another, shooting out beams of light that connected to the Divine Realm.
Blood Butcher was sitting on a Heaven-Earth Altar on a main star in the Hell Realm. He looked up at the end of the light beam and found that the Divine Realm was sinking. It seemed as if the Divine Realm was about to descend into the real universe, or perhaps devour the real universe.
"This is for real... Could the Heaven-Earth Altars be pillars of heaven and earth connecting to the Divine Realm, meant to overlap the two spaces?"
Blood Butcher had managed this main star for many years and had left a backup plan when building the Heaven-Earth Altar.
Within the altar's core, he had arranged a method of destruction.
The moment he had the thought to activate the destruction method, a phantom of the Heaven-Earth Altar appeared in his mind.
Suddenly, the Divine Martial Mark on his forehead ignited, out of his control, and flew into the beam of light at the top of the altar.
The Divine Martial Mark was taken away!
If his cultivation were not high enough, even his Divine Sea and Divine Source would have been sucked into the beam.
Blood Butcher's face turned pale, and he roared, "Do not think about destroying the Heaven-Earth Altars! The Heaven-Earth Altars contain Heavenly Intent, which will take away the Divine Martial Mark, Divine Sea, and Divine Source."
A spiritual power cultivator stepped forward, intending to cast a technique.
But the moment he had the thought, a heavenly thunderbolt fell from the Divine Realm, striking him until his divine form was annihilated.
"Not good! The Heaven-Earth Altars have locked onto our thoughts and can use the power of the Divine Realm to kill us." Blood Butcher was terrified, cursing several famous and powerful figures from the Divine Realm one by one.
Strangely enough, cursing these people had no effect at all.
Blood Butcher secretly guessed that the Second Confucian Ancestor had only imbued the Heaven-Earth Altars with a counterattack thought.
Only cultivators who thought of destroying the altars would be counterattacked.
This might be because the Heaven-Earth Altars were not yet fully completed. Or it might be because the Second Confucian Ancestor's spiritual power was not yet strong enough.
After all, the one controlling the Seventy-Two Layer Tower was the truly most terrifying figure in the Divine Realm.
...
The Second Confucian Ancestor's spiritual power continued to spread outward, activating over ten thousand Heaven-Earth Altars in no time.
Such an activation speed was faster than Zhang Ruochen and the others' order to destroy the altars.
Even Heavenly Mother could not see through the essential meaning of the Heaven-Earth Altars at this moment.
But just the tip of the iceberg that had been revealed was already terrifying enough: it could potentially take away the Divine Martial Marks of all cultivators in the universe, or the Divine Realm might devour the real universe, or all living beings in the universe might be sacrificed.
The flaw of the Divine Martial Mark existed in every martial cultivator, and no one knew what the Divine Realm intended to do with it.
Having the Divine Martial Mark taken away might be the lightest consequence.
After all, the Heaven-Earth Altars were not yet fully completed, so the power they could unleash was limited.
"Move!"
Heavenly Mother turned into a red streak of light, using the Blood Fiend Bell to clear the way, charging at the Second Confucian Ancestor to stop him from fully activating the Heaven-Earth Altars.
The Second Confucian Ancestor smiled slightly and took a step back.
Instantly, space folded rapidly, and his body reached an infinitely distant space.
He raised his right hand, his white beard fluttering, like a peerless divine sage summoning the wind and rain.
The next moment, a scene that shocked the living beings of all clans in the universe occurred.
Half of the Yellow Spring Star River, like a yellow dragon, raised its head and surged in the universe, crashing into Heavenly Mother, who was flying towards the Second Confucian Ancestor.
All the cosmic energy seemed to converge and erupt at this moment, sending Heavenly Mother flying back.
It must be known that the Yellow Spring Star River was over a hundred thousand light-years long, an immeasurable distance. After the Entropy Epoch, space became extremely unstable and misaligned, causing the Yellow Spring Star River to show signs of breaking.
The Second Confucian Ancestor grabbed half of the Yellow Spring Star River with his illusory hand, extracting part of its power to attack Heavenly Mother. This was a supreme great divine ability, terrifying all cultivators in the world.
It was not truly grabbing it—that would be too heaven-defying—but rather manipulating the qi of heaven and earth and the rules of heaven and earth to alter the path of the stars.
In that instant of the attack, a million stars in the Yellow Spring Star River exploded in the impact, triggering further destruction storms.
It could be said that before a Primordial Ancestor, the saying "Deities are like grass and trees, living beings like ants" was not at all exaggerated.
"Stabilize!"
Zhang Ruochen's long hair moved without wind, the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram imprint appearing in his pupils. He pointed a finger forward.
The forces of time and space, light and darkness, swept across a hundred thousand star domains.
A jade tree and ink moon, thousands of billions of miles high, rapidly grew at the "dragon head" position of the Yellow Spring Star River, sprouting branches and leaves, pressing the "dragon head" down.
The jade tree was condensed from the power of time, and the ink moon was gathered from the power of darkness.
At the same time, the Illusory-Real Star Sea, formed from the power of space and light, completely suppressed and calmed the space of half the Yellow Spring Star River. Even the broken spaces were repaired.
At this moment, the entire universe fell into silence!
Countless eyes looked at the extraordinary figure of the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable, his Daoist robe fluttering, his sleeves billowing.
Between heaven and earth, there was a flag, fluttering in the wind, dazzling and brilliant. (Chapter End)