Chapter 1690: Peerless Expert
A low, rumbling roar came forth, as if a primordial beast sealed until now was howling, shaking people's souls to the point of leaving their bodies, their entire frames on the verge of splitting apart.
This sound was like muffled thunder, causing everyone's ears to ring, their blood nearly bursting through their vessels, thunder rumbling throughout their bodies.
What kind of expert was this? Before even appearing, just this low roar possessed such penetrating power, making one's primordial spirit feel like it was about to explode—truly terrifying.
The saints retreated, not daring to observe the battle from close range.
As for the ghost soldiers and ghost generals, they too retreated like a tidal wave, clearing a vast open space.
Beneath the starry sky sat a war chariot, atop which was a cage, its entire body bright red like blood, as if cast from Phoenix Blood Red Gold, because blood phoenixes could be seen emerging and coiling around it.
But upon closer inspection, it was actually a terrifying type of wood. Someone recognized it as a divine wood controlled by the Underworld.
"Nether Phoenix Blood Wood."
Everyone's hearts trembled. This divine wood served as a supreme shackle for yin spirits; once trapped within, escape was nearly impossible.
Legend had it that this was a death seed formed after an immortal died and transformed into a nether demon, then watered with phoenix blood to grow into a strange wood, specifically designed to restrain yin gods.
It had an extraordinary origin—only one such tree existed in the world, with no second, just like the Immortality Elixir, each one unique.
This Nether Phoenix Blood Wood had been circulated before, said to be usable for forging various evil artifacts, incredibly fearsome, leaving indelible wounds on the gods of the past.
Inside the cage, iron chains clinked, striking against the Nether Phoenix Blood Wood and sending out sparks, showing how sturdy it was—divine weapons and sharp tools could hardly damage it in the slightest.
Within was an old man, his white hair disheveled, heavy shackles on his hands and feet connected to the Nether Phoenix Blood Wood cage, and numerous divine needles pierced into his body.
These needles were nothing else but shavings of Nether Phoenix Blood Wood, over half a foot long, all deeply embedded in this person's body. This was a form of restraint, ensuring he could not break free or launch an attack.
Who was this person? Everyone speculated. A prisoner whom the Underworld would go to such lengths, mobilizing so many troops to escort, must have an extraordinary origin.
Moreover, since the Underworld declared they would use this person to eliminate Ye Tong and the others, they must have great confidence.
Everyone knew the Underworld collected the strongest corpses from all ages. Being treated this way, this person might have an incredibly heaven-defying identity, a legendary figure renowned in cultivation history.
"War slave, kill him!" the Ghost Marshal shouted. He held a magical artifact in his hand, gleaming brightly like a compass. He gently turned it, and all the divine needles on the white-haired man inside the cage bounced out, disappearing into the compass.
Crack!
The iron chains on the war slave snapped apart directly, and a powerful aura surged out like a boiling sea of stars, shaking the starry sky. Everyone trembled.
No one expected him to be this powerful. The moment he was unsealed, such an aura surged forth—not the fluctuation of laws, but a release of the primal force of his physical body.
Overwhelming, like monstrous waves, it sent the distant sages tumbling away, unable to approach. This was a great display of might.
Clatter, clatter...
He still wore shackles on his hands and feet, not truly opened, extremely heavy, but the parts connecting to the cage had broken.
This man stood up, his stature surprisingly tall. He walked out of the cage, his white hair disheveled, standing in the starry sky like a monument, exuding an immortal aura.
"Ah, roar..."
Suddenly, he looked up and let out a long howl, his white hair wildly flying, revealing his true face. In this process, countless sages spat out large mouthfuls of blood, their bodies shaking violently.
They had already retreated far enough, yet they were still affected. Everyone was astonished—this person's origin and power might be even more terrifying than they had imagined.
The face beneath the snow-white, disheveled hair was covered in wrinkles, yet one could still discern the outline of his younger self—resolute, cold, proud, and transcendent!
In his youth, he must have been a tall, heroic man, and even in old age, his majestic bearing remained undiminished.
"An ancient corpse not fully awakened, his blood energy not yet decayed—how strange. How was it preserved?" the crowd marveled.
The tall old man's eyes held a mist of blood, a haze, not very clear, more like intertwining blood lightning—chaotic, violent, carrying an aura of world destruction.
The compass in the Ghost Marshal's hand emitted blazing light. He shouted, "Kill him!" and then vanished from the spot.
Everyone was moved. Just how strong was this white-haired ancient man? No one could say for sure; they simply couldn't see through him!
There was no fluctuation of magical power, only the most essential primal force of the physical body, just like Ye Fan back in the day, relying on this instinct to battle the heroes of this era.
Dong!
He stepped forward, cracking the universe, causing the ten directions' stars to tremble. He fixed his gaze on Little Pine and walked forward.
"Youngster, flee quickly! This person is clearly stronger than you in cultivation, likely an ancient supreme bloodline, already greatly accomplished, standing at the peak!" someone behind shouted.
Many had a favorable impression of this shy, bashful youth and couldn't bear to see him come to harm, urging him to retreat.
Little Pine did not retreat. His brow shone with great brilliance, revealing a precious wheel that radiated astonishing light. He softly called out, "Uncle, what's wrong with you? Wake up quickly."
Many showed puzzled expressions. That seemed like a special secret art that could stir one's soul, making many feel as if their souls were about to leave their bodies.
The Underworld crowd was startled, then showed shock. This youth was truly extraordinary—just what scriptures and secret arts had he mastered?
Everyone involuntarily looked at his Dao tower. At this moment, the fifth layer was especially radiant, flowing with immortal light, blooming with auspicious colors. Inside sat a figure cross-legged, chanting scriptures, empowering Little Pine, making the precious wheel before his brow even more dazzling, emitting dragon roars.
"This is... Fuxi Great Emperor's Dragon Roar Dao Chant!"
The Ghost Marshal was shocked, hardly believing his eyes, his face somewhat pale. This had a tremendous effect on the ancient corpse, especially on this war slave who was on the verge of awakening yet still dazed—like a guiding lamp beckoning him.
Everyone was astonished.
Some powerful cultivators looked at the Divine Mark Violet Gold Tower with fervent eyes. This was truly a heaven-defying item, having inscribed far more than just a single incomplete scripture.
The fifth layer of the tower shone, scriptures gleaming, filling the void, while the other eight layers also had phantom figures seated cross-legged, presumably also incomplete scriptures.
Where did this little one come from? What ancient sites had he visited? To have obtained so many scriptures through this spirit- and immortal-connecting Dao tower was truly astonishing.
Boom!
The white-haired old man charged forward. With every step, the heavens collapsed, splitting into endless large gaps, like a god descending to the mortal world, nothing in the world could stop him.
"Uncle, wake up quickly." Little Pine's youthful voice echoed. The precious wheel on his brow shone even brighter, and the fifth layer of the Violet Gold Dao Tower connected with him, its descending beams turning into flowing rays of light, making his brow even more resplendent.
The blood lightning in the old man's eyes receded somewhat. He slowed his pace, a look of confusion on his face, showing a hint of doubt, then couldn't help but look up and roar again.
The precious tower responded. All nine layers ignited simultaneously, purple vapor rising. It trembled, wailed, and called out, having an inexplicable connection with the old man ahead.
"My tower!"
Suddenly, the old man uttered these three words. Though his speech was slurred, it was still heard by others.
Everyone couldn't help but shudder. Even all the ghost soldiers and ghost generals sensed something was wrong, retreating like a tidal wave. Who was this person?
Little Pine chanted scriptures, emitting the Dragon Roar Dao Chant, mixed with Buddhist meditation chants. Several layers of the ancient tower shone simultaneously. He used multiple astonishing great divine abilities to awaken the old man.
There was no killing intent, no sharpness, only a childlike heart, full of sincerity. Pure and flawless emotions spread, like spring rain moistening things silently.
Points of light rain scattered, entering the old man's head, dissipating his violence and anger, gradually calming him down.
"I fought alone across the horizon, a hero for a lifetime... I lost..."
His eyes held confusion, but also relief, complex emotions, briefly settling into tranquility.
These few words were not many, but they were enough to spark associations. One old sage cried out, "I know who he is! Only he could be this powerful—he is Gu Xin'ao!"
At these words, the place erupted.
Many knew this name, once famous across the universe, having earned a fearsome reputation. He had only one defeat in his life, but it was not disgraceful.
Because he was known as the only one on the Imperial Path who could bloody battle with the Green Emperor, having carved the most brilliant radiance in the historical sky of ten to twenty thousand years ago.
How domineering was the Green Emperor, shaking the past and present, undefeated in life, sweeping through all opponents he encountered. The only stumbling block was Gu Xin'ao, with whom he had a great battle.
If Ye Fan were here, he would definitely not be unfamiliar with this name. Gu Xin'ao was a legendary figure in the Eternal Star Domain, and he had heard of him.
He was once raised as a war slave by the Eternal Star Domain, intended to extract the strongest blood from his body, but Gu Xin'ao fought his way out, causing terrible losses to Eternal, and they eventually bowed their heads to him.
Some had said Ye Fan might become the second Gu Xin'ao, and now this figure from long ago had reappeared!
"He fought against the Green Emperor before he attained the Dao, lost, but did not die. He went to cultivate again, said to have created a method of transformation through a remnant body, but after retiring, he never appeared again," someone sighed.
Past events surfaced in people's minds. Everyone lamented—this was the Gu Xin'ao of yesteryear, a resolute, confident, and invincible man, an opponent the Green Emperor had to take seriously on the Imperial Path.
No wonder he was so strong, so terrifying, so that just releasing the primal force of his physical body caused such terrifying fluctuations, shaking the starry river.
"The tower... I left it to my descendants." Clearly, the Gu Xin'ao of now was no longer who he once was. Even the Green Emperor had died, and he himself had passed away many years ago, only fragments of residual divine consciousness drifting through his blank sea of consciousness.
It was these fragmented old memories that made his gaze toward Little Pine soft and full of closeness.
"Uncle, I found this tower. It was left by a deceased Quasi-Emperor," Little Pine said softly, not deceiving this old man whose divine consciousness was chaotic, acting only on instinct.
Gu Xin'ao had now developed partial intelligence, not as impossible to communicate with as outsiders imagined. Occasionally, flashes of insight would occur.
"A childlike heart, worldly dust cannot bind it. Approaching immortality means letting the dust settle and light emerge."
The old man's gaze grew even softer, but tears also fell, whether for himself or for the fate of his descendants, no one knew.
The crowd was shaken. This was the Gu Xin'ao of yesteryear, who could battle the Green Emperor. Had he truly regained his memory? He seemed more and more human, his flashes of insight growing stronger.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, Gu Xin'ao turned around, facing the hundreds of thousands of ghost soldiers and ghost generals. He raised his hand and pressed forward.
"War slave, return to your position!" the Ghost Marshal shouted in terror.
Little Pine sat cross-legged in the void, the precious wheel on his brow flickering, the Dragon Roar Dao Chant echoing as he recited incantations.
Gu Xin'ao plunged into the Underworld army. In that place, heaven and earth split apart, and the hundreds of thousands of Underworld troops were completely annihilated, slaughtered clean!
That day, the starry sky shook greatly!
A simple, pure youth who blushed when speaking led Gu Xin'ao toward the Heavenly Court. All parties across the universe were shocked upon learning this, triggering a great earthquake.
Little Pine returned. Mid-month, he asks all great emperors for monthly votes. The distance to those above is truly close; just a few dozen more votes could burst through a string. Please help!