Chapter 4247: One Arm, One Battle Soul
Earlier, the Eternal Divine Sea had shattered to help the Destiny Temple army withstand the destructive storm caused by the Ancestor Divine Source's explosion, breaking apart along with time and space, transforming into a chaotic temporal rift zone.
But the word "Eternal" was no mere title; it truly contained the Dao charm of eternity.
It was reassembling!
At this moment, the vortex formed by the Eternal Divine Sea grew increasingly powerful and stable, with chaotic force and Heavenly Dao divine glow flowing within it.
The vortex was even larger than the Eternal Existence Divine Sea's diameter of one light-year, containing even more surging energy, an extremely awe-inspiring sight.
Fumu Zhuzai breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had misunderstood, thinking it was Feng Caiyi's step that had shaken the entire chaotic temporal rift zone.
See, it wasn't that easy to prove the Dao as an Ancestor.
...
Fumu Zhuzai, locked within the Eternal Divine Sea, raised both arms and released the World Tree.
The World Tree's roots and branches stretched in all directions, not of wood, but of stone.
Each root and branch was tens of millions of miles long, like countless long, narrow stone worlds, helping him stabilize his form within the Eternal Divine Sea's vortex.
"No wonder Zhang Ruochen wasn't worried about the time reversal being interrupted—he had a backup plan. Trying to use the Eternal Divine Sea to repair the River of Time? Unfortunately, with me here, his clever scheme is doomed to fail."
Fumu Zhuzai secretly laughed at Zhang Ruochen's lack of wisdom and strategy, unaware that without Baiyu Shenhuang guarding the Eternal Existence Divine Sea, it could be taken by Xu Fengjin. Without Zhang Ruochen himself guarding the Eternal Divine Sea, wasn't it equivalent to leaving him a tremendous opportunity?
"Chi chi!"
Ancestor-level spiritual power tentacles extended along the World Tree's roots and branches, stretching over ten trillion miles into the divine sea vortex.
Fumu Zhuzai probed the energy intensity of every part of the Eternal Divine Sea, analyzed Zhang Ruochen's Dao, refined the rules and order within the vortex, intending to refine the Eternal Divine Sea into his divine heart, thus building the foundation for his future breakthrough to the ninety-sixth level of spiritual power.
Only by breaking through to the ninety-sixth level could he replace Yan Tingqiu's position beside the Time-Space Ancestor.
"Is this the might of an Ancestor? Such a strong spiritual pressure."
Within the Fate River behind the Destiny Temple, a god from the Fierce Divine Palace trembled, nearly forced to kneel by the aura emanating from Fumu Zhuzai.
"An Ancestor, so what? Didn't you see the Great Emperor instantly kill an Ancestor? Stand straight—the Fierce Divine Palace can't afford to lose face."
As the Palace Master of the Fierce Divine Palace, Xue Tu showed a cold, fierce expression, glancing back at the gods of the Fierce Divine Palace behind him.
Xue Tu released the Gate of Destiny and the order and rules of the Indestructible Infinite realm, blocking most of the Ancestor's spiritual power pressure for the gods behind him, but he himself struggled greatly.
It felt as if the entire heaven and earth were collapsing from all directions, crushing his divine soul and spirit.
If he couldn't hold on and his spirit shattered, not only would he be unable to face Fumu Zhuzai, but his battle will would instantly dissolve, forcing him to kneel at his feet, obeying his every command, becoming an Ancestor's slave.
He knew that ahead of him, the three half-ancestors—Void Heaven, Feng Tian, and Chan Bing—were blocking the vast majority of the Ancestor's spiritual power pressure for them, the Indestructible Infinite realm gods and divine kings.
The strong always stand at the front; followers never retreat.
Only then did this army have the qualification to fight an Ancestor.
If they were scattered like sand, the Ancestor wouldn't even need to act, just by his presence, he could erode the battle will of these so-called peak experts.
At this moment, Xue Tu finally understood how strong those who dared to face an Ancestor alone, even able to self-destruct their divine sources before an Ancestor, truly were. He was still far from that level.
...
Void Heaven again felt countless burning gazes from behind. Without looking back, he knew the army of cultivators on the Fate River must be filled with reverence and expectation for him.
Don't look back.
Absolutely don't look back.
Gripping the golden war sword tightly, Void Heaven looked at Feng Tian one step ahead: "Feng Caiyi, go ahead. I will lead the cultivators of the Destiny Temple to help you sacrifice yourself for righteousness. As long as you severely wound that old scoundrel, I will not let him off easy."
Chan Bing said, "If Feng Tian self-destructs her divine source, she can severely wound Fumu Zhuzai. If Void Heaven then self-destructs, even if Fumu Zhuzai doesn't die, he certainly won't be able to maintain his ninety-fifth-level spiritual power state. Then, I will lead the Destiny Temple army to slay the Ancestor, avenge you, and then push the time reversal forward to help Emperor Chen complete the feat of reversing the future."
Void Heaven gritted his teeth behind his lips and looked at Chan Bing.
Chan Bing met his gaze: "I have only just entered the half-ancestor realm; I absolutely cannot have the ability to self-destruct my divine source before a spiritual power Ancestor. But my true body is the Time Ice Butterfly, possessing advantages on the River of Time that you lack."
"When it truly comes to the worst, I can lead the Destiny Temple army and the Fate River to build a long bridge across the chaotic temporal rift zone. You, Xu Fengjin, can't do that, can you?"
The Time Ice Silkworm had long transformed into a butterfly.
"Stop arguing. Fumu Zhuzai has run into big trouble."
Feng Tian stared ahead at the Eternal Divine Sea vortex.
An arm emerged from the chaotic qi, surrounded by countless Divine Martial Marks, numbering in the billions, evolving into an infinite sea of stars.
The five fingers spread out, like a new world being born.
Palm lines turned into mountain ranges, vast and indistinct.
A blood moon rose from the palm, dyeing the Eternal Divine Sea with a mysterious red light.
It was the blood moon above the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm, in other words, the other side of He Luohai.
Fumu Zhuzai had naturally long discovered this arm, and a cold, heavy look appeared in his eyes: "Do you really think an arm can rival an Ancestor? Zhang Ruochen, you are too arrogant."
Fumu Zhuzai was naturally furious.
Earlier, Zhang Ruochen had used just one arm to slash his spiritual power dharma body apart.
How could an Ancestor endure such humiliation?
"It might be a bit arrogant! But if we add the destructive energy of two half-ancestor peak divine sources, it should be enough," Chan Bing murmured.
The cultivators of the Destiny Temple did not know about the battle that had occurred on the River of Time earlier, so naturally, they didn't know about Zhang Ruochen's feat of chasing Fumu Zhuzai's spiritual power dharma body with one arm.
Chan Bing only knew that with this arm restraining Fumu Zhuzai, the success rate of Feng Caiyi and Void Heaven self-destructing their divine sources would greatly increase.
"Boom!"
This arm, with the Mani Pearl hanging on the back of its hand and the Myriad Forms Formless Seal appearing in the palm, struck out fiercely, colliding with Fumu Zhuzai. It actually sent Fumu Zhuzai flying backward, tumbling several times in the vortex.
The entire Eternal Divine Sea shook from the impact.
"Good! Good! What a Heavenly Dao Great Emperor—one arm is enough to suppress an Ancestor. Throughout history, who can compare?"
Void Heaven was more excited than anyone, looking at Chan Bing: "You do have strength, but your insight is too shallow. Zhang Tiandao's methods have already reached the transcendent and profound. An Ancestor can't withstand one of his arms. As for you... one of his fingers would make you cry out in pain, unable to live, unable to die."
Chan Bing's forehead darkened with veins. That old ghost Void Heaven was too excited, spouting nonsense, daring to joke with her.
Of course, Void Heaven was excited!
If Zhang Ruochen's arm hadn't appeared, he would have been forced by Chan Bing and the Destiny Temple cultivators to self-destruct his divine source.
Fumu Zhuzai immediately abandoned the idea of seizing the Eternal Divine Sea, propped up the World Tree, and activated his talisman techniques.
Instantly, a sea of talismans surged from beneath his feet, with talisman waves rising ten thousand miles high.
"Chi!"
The Mani Pearl emitted Brahma fire, causing the entire arm to ignite.
A punch struck out, and the talisman waves caught fire, turning into a sea of flames that surged back.
"In the past, the Immortal Bai Yuan's single palm strike was only at the half-ancestor level. Do you think one arm and one Eternal Divine Sea can suppress an Ancestor?"
Fumu Zhuzai retreated rapidly, snorted coldly, and launched a spiritual power attack from the spiritual dimension, aiming to erase Zhang Ruochen's spirit and consciousness within that arm.
No matter how strong an arm was, it certainly didn't contain much spiritual consciousness or soul.
Attack the enemy's weakness with one's strength.
"Hua!"
Behind that arm, within the chaotic cloud mass, the Nuwa Palace appeared, radiating brilliant five-colored glow.
A battle soul, dozens of feet tall, with three heads and six arms, holding the Pure Yang Divine Sword, walked out of the Nuwa Palace.
It stood with heroic grace, its soul like mist, filled with destructive energy.
It was the battle soul Nuwa had forged to "level the ground."
The battle soul swung its sword, cutting through the spiritual dimension and breaking Fumu Zhuzai's spiritual power attack.
At the same time, countless blood overflowed from the wound on the shoulder of Zhang Ruochen's arm.
This blood turned into a dense network of blood vessels, connecting with the arm of the three-headed, six-armed battle soul that held the Pure Yang Divine Sword. From then on, the two forces combined.
At this moment, Fumu Zhuzai finally felt the pressure.
"The methods of Nuwa and the Heavenly Dao Great Emperor have combined—one ancient, one present—the strongest of their eras. Even an Ancestor would find it troublesome, I suppose," Que said.
Hai Shang You Ruo also secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "This hurdle of Fumu Zhuzai, we don't have to deal with it ourselves. It's a blessing in disguise. But time is very tight. If we don't push the river of time to flow backward soon, it will be too late."
The time and space of the entire Sword Realm star domain had already been erased by the sacrificial calamity light.
This River of Time was a tributary that Ji Fanxin had opened up.
Only when this tributary of the River of Time flowed backward would time appear in the Sword Realm star domain, allowing the destroyed space to gradually reappear.
"The River of Time has already been severed. How can we push the river of time to flow backward? Do we have to wait until Fumu Zhuzai is defeated..." Xiu Chen Heavenly God frowned deeply.
Void Heaven looked at Chan Bing: "Time is tight. Zhang Tiandao's arm probably can't defeat Fumu Zhuzai in a short time. Next, it's up to you, the Time Ice Butterfly, to spread your wings and build a long bridge of time for the river of time and the Fate River, helping us cross the chaotic temporal rift zone."
Feng Tian had already acted, using the Fate Esoterica to attract countless fate rules, weaving a long bridge in the chaotic temporal rift zone.
Two of the twelve phases of fate were "past" and "future."
The Past Divine Palace and the Future Divine Palace became the two pillars of the long bridge of time.
But the backward-flowing river of time, carrying the entire Sword Realm star domain, was too much for the long bridge of time Feng Tian had built.
As soon as the Fate River carried the river of time into it, the long bridge cracked, becoming precarious.
The fate rules couldn't hold!
"I will support the long bridge of time."
Chan Bing, with a disdainful and sarcastic look at Void Heaven, crossed the Future Divine Palace and flew along the long bridge of time toward the chaotic temporal rift zone.
"Hua la!"
The time imprint light spots full of cold air on her body grew more numerous and brighter. Finally, at the brightest point, a pair of infinitely huge butterfly wings spread out.
The butterfly wings were magnificent and resplendent, stretching for who knows how many billions of miles, propping up the crumbling long bridge of time.
"This river of time cannot be supported by her alone. I will help her."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God also gave Void Heaven a sarcastic look, then leaped onto the long bridge of time, evolving a sea of time beneath her feet.
She was originally the Time Divine Jade, later becoming the artifact spirit of the Sundial. Her mastery of the Way of Time was unmatched by few in the world.
"What kind of look is that? Is this moral blackmail? Feng Caiyi, do you think they're trying to morally blackmail me? Oh, it's You Ruo... what were you saying..."
Void Heaven was burning with anger, only then realizing that the person walking past him was not Feng Tian, but Hai Shang You Ruo.
Hai Shang You Ruo said nothing, charging toward the long bridge of time.
She had long cultivated in the Past Divine Palace and the Future Divine Palace, possessing the ability to fish for He Luo fish, with extraordinary mastery of the Way of Time.
They all knew very well that even if time did not flow backward, Emperor Chen would definitely go to the past to destroy the main altar of the Sword Realm and stop the doomsday sacrifice.
If they didn't fight and simply retreated to the future, they could win without lifting a finger.
But Emperor Chen would never return.
So.
They risked their lives to support the long bridge of time, pushing the time reversal, not for the sake of all living beings, but only to welcome Emperor Chen back.
"All cultivators of the Destiny Temple, listen to my command. Use your Gates of Destiny to build the long bridge of time, guide the tributary of time to flow backward, and welcome Emperor Chen back."
Feng Tian was decisive, her gaze firm. She was the first to release her Gate of Destiny.
"Shua shua!"
On the Fate River behind the Destiny Temple, one Gate of Destiny after another flew out, forming a bright and wide long bridge of time between the Past Divine Palace and the Future Divine Palace.
Feng Tian landed on the top of the Future Divine Palace to support this end of the bridge.
"Hua la la!"
Que and Xue Tu led the Destiny Temple army, pushing the river of time to flow backward within the Fate River.
Their bodies carried the spatial matter and causal rules of the entire Sword Realm star domain. With every step forward, large numbers of cultivators fell into the Fate River, stained red with blood.
"Pa pa!"
The long bridge of time continuously cracked, unable to bear the river of time, as if a gust of wind would cause it to collapse.
But no matter how shaky it was, it held on in the end.
"Cultivators below the Ancestor level also dare to try to reconnect the River of Time?"
While battling Zhang Ruochen's arm, Fumu Zhuzai hurled his staff.
Countless Ancestor talisman patterns flowed on the surface of the staff as it flew rapidly, leaping through the chaotic temporal rift, triggering a terrifying temporal storm that surged toward the long bridge of time.
"At the critical moment, it's still up to me!"
Void Heaven deliberately roared like this, his form flickering and disappearing from the Destiny Temple.
"Zheng!"
The sword hummed, dense and piercing.
Entering the chaotic temporal rift, Void Heaven grew the Sword Source Divine Tree within his body, drawing upon the billions of war swords from the self-cultivated Sword Realm, forming a river of swords that struck the flying staff.
"Bang bang!"
The staff contained Fumu Zhuzai's full-force strike. The war swords Void Heaven released melted before even making contact.
Having lost the Void Exhaustive Sea, Void Heaven's combat power had indeed greatly diminished.
Seeing the staff about to fly past him, Void Heaven's scalp tightened. He took a deep breath and directly turned his body into a sword, transforming into a sharp, human-shaped sword light that crashed into it.
After a resounding clang of metal and stone.
"Puchi!"
The staff pierced through Void Heaven's head and entered his chest cavity.
Even the Sword Source Divine Tree refined into his body was shattered countless times, unable to withstand the Ancestor's full-force strike.
But Void Heaven held on, wedging the staff inside his body, spinning and flying past the top of the long bridge of time along with the staff.
"Is that Void Heaven? Why does he have a stick growing out of his head?"
"What? That's Void Heaven? Isn't it a stick with a person skewered on it?"
Everything just now happened in the blink of an eye. The vast majority of gods couldn't even see how Void Heaven blocked Fumu Zhuzai's staff. They only felt the Ancestor-level energy collision—very shocking, very spectacular.
"Boom!"
The temporal storm triggered by the staff arrived a step later, crashing into the long bridge of time.
The bridge shook violently, and Feng Tian couldn't stabilize it.
The next moment, the already precarious long bridge of time shattered with a loud crash.
Chan Bing, Hai Shang You Ruo, and Xiu Chen Heavenly God, who were supporting the long bridge of time, all had their physical bodies explode, turning into three patches of blood-red material particle clouds that flew out with the temporal storm, all suffering severe injuries.
The backlash of time continuously eroded their lifespans.
The three patches of blood-red material particle clouds, in the storm, found it difficult to recondense their physical forms, becoming more and more dispersed.
It was worth mentioning that although Xiu Chen Heavenly God was the artifact spirit of the Sundial, she had cultivated a physical body.
Her name was Miao Li!
The long bridge of time shattered, and the Fate River flowing on it lost its carrier, surging into the chaotic temporal rift.
In an instant, endless screams erupted from the Fate River, and countless Destiny Temple cultivators exploded and died.
Standing atop the Future Divine Palace, Feng Tian faced a difficult choice. If she didn't give the order to retreat, all the cultivators of the Destiny Temple would be buried in the temporal chaos.
Her gaze looked toward the other end of the chaotic temporal rift zone, but Zhang Ruochen and the Time-Space Ancestor were no longer visible. She could only feel the Ancestor-level battle fluctuations coming from the depths of time and space.
"Can't we bring him back?"
Just as Feng Tian was in agony, a blood-red light spot appeared in her pupils.
That blood-red light spot...
It was the blood moon that had once hung above the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm. It flew toward the broken long bridge of time, getting closer and closer.
The Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm had been destroyed, but it still remained.
...
One more chapter to come!