# Chapter 4248: Human Ancestor, You Have Lost!
This tributary of the River of Time was opened by Ji Fanxin. However, at the location where Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm was destroyed, the tributary had already been shattered by the Space-Time Human Ancestor's attack.
The time-space turbulence belt caused by the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor Divine Source was located even further in the future compared to this place.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen and the Space-Time Human Ancestor had already passed through the location where Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm was destroyed.
The path continuing toward the past was one that Zhang Ruochen had opened while simultaneously engaging in a battle of techniques.
The space and time of the Sword Realm star domain had been destroyed by the sacrificial calamity light. For Zhang Ruochen to return to the past was equivalent to building a road in an empty void—a narrow path carved only in the time dimension.
Since refining the Divine Illumination Lotus, Zhang Ruochen had not received any further transmissions from Ji Fanxin, so he did not know her current state. Naturally, he could not rely on her to continue opening the River of Time path for him.
Fortunately, this time Zhang Ruochen did not have to bear the burden of the entire Sword Realm star domain and did not need the River of Time. He only needed to open a path in the time dimension.
Because he was going to rewrite the past, not reverse it.
Because he was walking a road of no return—a road that could naturally be traveled more lightly and more freely.
"Boom! Rumble!"
The battle of techniques between Zhang Ruochen and the Space-Time Human Ancestor in the time dimension was getting closer and closer to the moment when Jie Tian self-detonated his Ancestor Divine Source.
Approximately reaching the time node a quarter of an hour after Jie Tian self-detonated his Divine Source, the Space-Time Human Ancestor suddenly pointed a finger, actively tearing apart the boundary between the time dimension and the space dimension.
A crack several thousand miles long opened!
"Boom!"
The destructive storm of the Ancestor Divine Source's self-detonation and the blinding sacrificial calamity light surged out from the crack thousands of miles long, entering the time dimension.
The other side of the crack was precisely the real scene of the Sword Realm star domain at this moment, filled with destructive energy.
This was very dangerous. The Space-Time Human Ancestor might even be severely wounded by the sacrificial calamity light himself.
But this was already the Space-Time Human Ancestor's final resort, willing to fight to mutual destruction with Zhang Ruochen if necessary.
If he allowed Zhang Ruochen to pass through this time node and reach the moment before Jie Tian self-detonated his Divine Source, his many years of planning might truly come to nothing.
"Imperial Dust, even if you have the momentum of no return, rewriting the past is still as difficult as ascending to heaven. I will wait for you in the more distant past!"
The moment he tore open the boundary of time and space, the Space-Time Human Ancestor took a step back, retreating into the gate of the first floor of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower.
Immediately after, beneath the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, a narrow time path condensed from Ancestor Rules appeared, extending toward the more distant past.
The Space-Time Human Ancestor wanted to rush to the past ahead of time to lay his plans, not giving Zhang Ruochen any chance to rewrite the past.
...
Whether it was the destructive energy of the Ancestor Divine Source's self-detonation or the sacrificial calamity light, both could severely wound experts of Zhang Ruochen and the Human Ancestor's caliber. Therefore, Zhang Ruochen did not dare to resist head-on and immediately flashed back behind the Nine Cauldrons.
Zhang Ruochen was very clear about the Human Ancestor's intention—he definitely wanted to return to the past first and notify the Human Ancestor of that era.
If the Human Ancestor of that era was prepared in advance and, relying on his advantage of being in that era, Zhang Ruochen would have no chance to destroy the main altar. He might even die in the past.
In the final analysis, for Zhang Ruochen to rewrite the past, he had to enter the world of that past and endure the suppression of that world's Heaven and Earth Rules. Once he took action, he would also have to endure the backlash of time and the backlash of Heaven and Earth karma.
This was the significance of time reversal.
If Zhang Ruochen had ridden Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm or the Destiny Temple upstream, he would have been in the present time opened on the time tributary. When he reached the moment before Jie Tian self-detonated his Divine Source, he would not have suffered the suppression of Heaven and Earth Rules.
Even if he took action, he would not suffer too strong a backlash of time or Heaven and Earth karma. He would have no need to fear the Human Ancestor of that era and could match him.
Zhang Ruochen used the Nine Cauldrons to stabilize the torn boundary of time and space, causing it to repair, and without hesitation, continued forward.
He had not gone far when the path in the time dimension could no longer be opened ahead.
Time...
Had been cut off in advance by the Space-Time Human Ancestor!
The Space-Time Human Ancestor would not allow Zhang Ruochen to reach the moment before Jie Tian self-detonated his Ancestor Divine Source.
This kind of severance was like when the Nether Ancestor had once cut off the River of Time of the entire universe to trap the Great Venerable in the past. It came at no small cost, completely erasing all time rules at that moment.
The Space-Time Human Ancestor had an easier time doing all this.
Because he had borrowed the destructive energy of Jie Tian's self-detonation of his Ancestor Divine Source and the power of the Heavenly Dao Origin.
Zhang Ruochen had already sensed the power of the Heavenly Dao Origin. He looked up and saw the Seventy-Two Layer Tower slowly rising in the darkness and nothingness.
The tower body was not only shrouded by seventy-two types of rules but also flowed with the power of the Heavenly Dao Origin, its unleashed might far surpassing before.
"Do you still want to continue forward?"
The Space-Time Human Ancestor's voice sounded from within the tower.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I overestimated you. I thought you would cut off the River of Time at some node before Jie Tian self-detonated his Divine Source. That way, the Space-Time Human Ancestor of that era could kill me."
"Cutting off time here, the sacrificial calamity light and the Ancestor Divine Source's self-detonation energy are at their peak. Even if the Space-Time Human Ancestor of this era came, I could completely use this point to drag you all into mutual destruction."
"It can be seen that your rhythm is truly disordered! You care too much about the main altar in Sword Realm, too much about this doomsday sacrifice, so you dare not bear any risk."
"This is the fundamental reason for your mistake!"
Zhang Ruochen spoke with force, wanting to make the Space-Time Human Ancestor fall into self-doubt and further disturb his state of mind.
From within the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, the Space-Time Human Ancestor said, "Do you truly have the ability to simultaneously drag the future me and the present me into mutual destruction? With the power of the Heavenly Dao Origin assisting, you cannot do it."
"Secondly, you would not do this!"
"Because if you did, the doomsday sacrifice would become unstoppable, and the entire universe would be sacrificed."
"You say that I, this old man, care about the doomsday sacrifice—do you not care about it as well? This weakness, we both possess."
Zhang Ruochen could sense that the one hiding in the Seventy-Two Layer Tower was the future Space-Time Human Ancestor who had been fighting him all along. The present Space-Time Human Ancestor was located in the God Realm, watching the time dimension, not daring to descend in true form easily.
One hiding in the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, the other far away in the God Realm—this was indeed very troublesome.
Go to the God Realm?
Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head, not believing that his future self could defeat the present body of the Space-Time Human Ancestor in the God Realm.
The present body of the Space-Time Human Ancestor, his voice came from the God Realm: "Imperial Dust, you can retreat. Attacking the God Realm from your era might still have a chance."
Zhang Ruochen thought secretly, could it be that the future body and present body of the Space-Time Human Ancestor could not appear in the same time and space?
Was this the fundamental reason why the present body of the Space-Time Human Ancestor had not descended?
Logically speaking, the Heaven and Earth Rules would absolutely not allow such a violation of order to occur.
In the final analysis, the realm of Heavenly Beginning Self-End had not completely transcended above the Heaven and Earth Rules; they were still constrained. That was why they needed to initiate Minor Calamities to achieve immortality, and Major Calamities could still kill them.
Zhang Ruochen said, "No hurry. I want to wait a little longer."
From within the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, the Space-Time Human Ancestor said, "You are waiting for the Fate River to surge backward and the years to flow back? Do you think that, with the cultivators of the Destiny Temple, they can cross two time-space turbulence belts?"
"Why can't I have hope?"
Zhang Ruochen countered: "From the very beginning, we had no chance of victory, fighting a war of certain death. Up to now, I have forced you, a Longevity Immortal who has schemed for billions of years, to only dare to hide in the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, forced you to cut off the River of Time. Do you still not realize the power of the strength of all living beings?"
"If you lose today, it will certainly not be a defeat at the hands of me, Zhang Ruochen, but a defeat at the hands of the people of the world!"
The Space-Time Human Ancestor's voice sounded: "I understand. You are waiting for a variable from the future. You believe that the army of ten thousand realms and ten thousand clans can break through the Heavenly Beginning Without End Divine Mountain and release the Heavenly Dao Origin... Eh!"
The Space-Time Human Ancestor perceived something and was somewhat surprised.
Faint sounds of flowing water reached Zhang Ruochen's ears, growing clearer and louder.
He turned to look back.
He saw war flags fluttering on the Fate River, war drums thundering in his ears.
A group of cultivators from the Destiny Temple pushed the rolling torrent of years forward.
"Great Emperor, we have come to receive you!"
"Imperial Dust, if we are to fight, let us fight together!"
"Senior Brother, if we are to die, let us die together. If we are to return, let us return together."
...
The River of Time was being reshaped.
The space, matter, rules, and cultivators of the Sword Realm star domain that had been destroyed were continuously reversing and being reborn.
At the very front, above the Destiny Temple, a blood moon floated.
From within the blood moon, nine-colored and ten-hued Ancestor Divine Qi cascaded down, and a wide chaotic river hung, with countless He Luo Fish diving down along the chaotic river.
The nine-colored and ten-hued Ancestor Divine Qi manifested the phantom scenery of thirty-three layers of heavenly palaces, one layer stacked upon another.
And the River of Time beneath the Fate River was formed by the convergence of the Divine Martial Marks of all cultivators in the universe, casting an indestructible river channel.
"Woof! Woof!"
The Golden Lion Ancestor and the earliest group of Sword Realm gods who had fled were the first to "come back to life" from the reversed time. Then, they all charged into the River of Time, marching together with the Destiny Temple army.
The barking was very loud, and the Golden Lion Ancestor was extremely excited.
Because he had sensed the power of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable.
It was the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, using that blood moon, who had sent his power from the past to this era.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."
More and more Sword Realm cultivators "came back to life" in the time reversal, including Chi Xingtian and the Eight-Winged Night Dragon. They entered the River of Time, bearing the entire Sword Realm star domain, pushing the torrent of years forward.
"Who would have thought that time could flow backward? I, Chi Xingtian, have come back to life!" Chi Xingtian laughed wildly.
"Rip!"
Again, the boundary of time and space was torn open, and Han Xue and the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden were the first to fly into the Fate River.
Behind them.
"Father, Chuanzong is here!"
"Father, Yuyan is not afraid of death."
"Master, this time, you cannot make us flee again. Since it is death either way, why not let us die in battle?"
...
"Coming back to life" were Kong Lanyou, Ling Feiyu, Qingjing, Ao Linglong, Zhang Chuanzong, Zhang Yuyan... hundreds of Sword Realm gods, as well as countless Sword Realm cultivators hiding in their Divine Realm Worlds, entering the time dimension, together pushing the River of Time to flow backward.
The cultivators grew more and more numerous, and the time reversal grew stronger and stronger.
Irresistible!
The sacrificial calamity light was rapidly retreating.
The destroyed starry sky was continuously reappearing.
The Sword Realm cultivators who had turned to ashes were "coming back to life" one after another, summoned by Zhang Ruochen, continuously entering the River of Time.
"Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua!"
The Ming Emperor, Xue Hou, Bore, Mu Lingxi, and Zhang Xingchen successively entered the River of Time.
Because time was flowing backward, they could only roughly deduce what had happened. It did not matter—as long as Imperial Dust was there, as long as it was Imperial Dust's summons, they would naturally follow without hesitation.
Even if they had to die, being buried together as a family was a happy thing.
Gradually.
The sacrificial calamity light retreated to the core area of the Sword Realm star domain.
The great worlds and life planets in the star domain began to reshape. The myriad races of living beings, flowers, birds, fish, and insects on them all "came back to life," becoming full of vitality.
The sacrificial calamity light retreated to the Wuding Divine Sea, retreated to the Kunlun Realm, retreated to the Guixu, retreated to the Sword Realm...
Closer and closer.
When the Destiny Temple and the Fate River reached behind Zhang Ruochen, Chi Yao, Zangjin Baihu, Nutian Shenzun, Ling Yanzi, and the Devouring Cloud Demon Vine, who had been the first to die under the sacrificial calamity light, successively "came back to life," entered the time dimension, and stood again behind Zhang Ruochen.
They only looked back once at the River of Time flowing backward and instantly understood everything.
"This battle... was very difficult, wasn't it?"
Chi Yao looked at Zhang Ruochen with concern and heartache.
"Yes, far too many people died. It was very difficult!" Zhang Ruochen's tone was extremely pained.
The gods of the Sword Realm star domain did not know how tragic the future battlefield had become, but seeing the Fate River stained red with blood gave them a glimpse.
"Next, it is the turn of us Sword Realm star domain cultivators!"
"Face the Longevity Immortal!"
The gods shouted together, their battle intent boiling, their voices shaking the heavens.
Only Ling Yanzi was silent, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked at the phantom of thirty-three layers of heavenly palaces above: "He must have used the He Luo Fish to send his power to this era."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head: "No, the lifespan of a He Luo Fish is only one day, while the Great Venerable's past is hundreds of thousands of years ago."
Ling Yanzi was momentarily stunned, then lost her composure and speech: "You mean... you mean he... he..."
"That's right. There is only one explanation. The Great Venerable has already crossed the River of Time cut off by the Nether Ancestor. If my guess is correct, he is on the opposite side, on the other side of the River of Time cut off by the Human Ancestor."
Zhang Ruochen held one hand behind his back, his gaze filled with unparalleled confidence and sharp imperial might, looking at the Seventy-Two Layer Tower: "Human Ancestor, you have lost!"
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen carried the Nine Cauldrons and disappeared from where he stood, directly crashing toward the blood moon above, causing the blood moon's watery curtain to sink inward.
Behind the watery curtain, he saw Jie Tian standing beneath the main altar.
Zhang Ruochen could not pass through the watery curtain, firmly suppressed and isolated by the Heavenly Dao Origin light curtain descending from the God Realm.
But his hand, separated by the light curtain, caused the light curtain to distort and grabbed Jie Tian's head.
This layer of light curtain represented that he and Jie Tian were separated by a single moment in time.
Jie Tian could sense Zhang Ruochen a moment later, as if he could see him through the light curtain, and shouted: "It hurts, it hurts a lot... gently..."
It was like not seeing a person but knowing it was him.
Zhang Ruochen was very clear that with the isolation of the Heavenly Dao Origin power, he could not get through.
Nor could he rely on the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable on that side, because at this moment, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable must have gone to the God Realm to restrain the present body of the Space-Time Human Ancestor.
There was only this one moment of opportunity.
The Seventy-Two Layer Tower had already flown over.
"It won't hurt. It will be over soon... very soon..."
Zhang Ruochen's hand was so steady, his tone gentler than ever before, as he slowly extracted Jie Tian's Divine Source.
"I sensed the Great Venerable... the Great Venerable's aura... he... he has returned. The Zhang family, the Zhang family really is the number one family in the universe..."
A bloody hole appeared in Jie Tian's brow. His throat let out a gurgling laugh, his voice growing lower and lower, until he collapsed limply beneath the main altar.
Zhang Ruochen directly struck the excavated Divine Source through the light curtain toward the God Realm.
Unable to bring it over, he would leave it to the Great Venerable to destroy.
Then, he suddenly turned around and struck a palm at the flying Seventy-Two Layer Tower. His internal organs were shattered, blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and he roared with grief and hatred: "This is the result you wanted, the result you wanted... You want to fight, do you? I will accompany you to the end! Everyone, listen to my command! The River of Time returns to its proper course, and the tide of time surges toward the future! Let us go to the future and dismember the Human Ancestor!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom..."
The Nine Cauldrons, together with the fifty-four clusters of Dao light, crashed into the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, sending it hurtling toward the future.
...
The final battle is basically over, and congratulations to the high school students who have successfully completed the college entrance exam.
As promised to everyone, I will do a live stream before the novel ends. It is now early morning, so let's set it for today, that is, the 9th at 8 PM.
Interested readers can come at 8 PM to chat with Little Fish and fellow readers about some thoughts before the novel ends. Search "Flying Fish" on Douyin; the account is feitianyu877.