Translator: AnubisTL
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven, who was desperately suppressing Chi Ming, now wore a completely grim expression.
Locked firmly in Wen Xing's sights with the nine lives bow, he felt as if thorns were pricking his back. His spiritual perception pulsed frantically, a dire premonition of imminent danger.
"Wen Xing, I never imagined the Shangqing Sect would actually go this far," Ancestor Devourer of Heaven roared, his voice heavy with fury.
He couldn't afford to divert his attention. His opponent was an old demon in the nascent soul realm, whose strength rivaled his own. Maintaining the suppression was already his limit. Any distraction would invite a devastating counterattack.
"Old Ghost Heaven Devourer, blame your own advancement to the nascent soul realm," Wen Xing replied coldly. "The Shangqing Sect has no intention of living in your shadow for the next few centuries. Rest in peace."
Her voice was chillingly emotionless, devoid of any trace of sentiment.
With these words, she casually released the bowstring.
Twang!
The string vibrated, emitting a crisp, resonant sound.
The spiritual light arrow shot forth once more, even faster than the previous one, moving with such blinding speed that it seemed impossible to react.
The Nine Lives Bow was a formidable ancient treasure, passed down through countless ages.
This bow possessed innate dao resonance, its spirit patterns subtly concealed within its seemingly ordinary wooden frame. Crafted from millennial spirit wood, each arrow it fired carried devastating power.
Named "Nine Lives," the bow implied that even nine lives wouldn't suffice to survive its deadly strikes.
Of course, this applied to opponents of equal cultivation realm. Against those of higher cultivation, its power would be somewhat diminished.
After all, the bow used the cultivator's true essence as its arrows, draining their energy with each shot.
The true essence of a core formation realm cultivator posed little threat to a nascent soul realm expert, the difference in quality being vast.
However, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven was currently in a state where he couldn't afford to divert his attention to defend against the arrow.
The arrow pierced the air, this time aimed at the back of Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's head with a particularly cunning angle.
Forced to act, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven condensed a protective spiritual light behind him to block the arrow's power.
Buzz!
The spiritual light materialized instantly, intercepting the arrow aimed at his head.
But the old demon Chi Ming was no pushover. Seizing the opportunity, he channeled demonic qi into his four materialized arms, violently forcing open the black bowl that had been suppressing him.
"How amusing! You humans are truly a fascinating race. Even at a time like this, you turn on each other! Hahahaha!"
"To think our ancestors could have fallen to such a pathetic race! Absurd! Utterly absurd!"
Chi Ming's demonic aura surged skyward as he lunged toward Ancestor Devourer of Heaven, his laughter echoing like the roar of a demon lord bent on annihilating the world.
Truth be told, when the three ancestors from Shangqing Sect arrived, Chi Ming had initially felt a pang of despair. He had assumed they were reinforcements, only to discover that these human cultivators weren't here to subdue him, but to engage in infighting.
Seizing this opportunity, Chi Ming immediately broke free from the black bowl's suppression.
In that instant, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven was driven back, instantly losing the upper hand.
The sight enraged the elders, who erupted in curses at the three core formation ancestors from Shangqing Sect.
"Scum! Shangqing Sect scum!"
"If I ever achieve cultivation success, I'll slaughter every last member of Shangqing Sect!"
"I swear on my life, this debt will be repaid!"
Each voice carried a deep-seated hatred, and everyone present etched the faces of the three Shangqing Sect elders into their memories.
One of the core formation true lords observing the battle frowned slightly.
"Noisy ants," he muttered. "Perhaps I should start by silencing you."
With a flick of his wrist, he casually unleashed a stream of emerald spiritual light, effortlessly killing several Lingyun Sect elders who were engaged in combat with ancient demons.
For a core formation true lord to kill foundation establishment elders—especially when the latter were already locked in a life-or-death struggle—was no more difficult than slaughtering a chicken.
"Ignore these insignificant pawns for now," he said. "Let's seize this opportunity to eliminate Lingyun Sect's core formation ancestors."
With that, the two core formation true lords besides Wen Xing turned their gazes toward True Lord Ziqing and True Lord Bing Yun.
At that very moment, True Lord Ziqing let out a low roar and spat out a mouthful of vital essence blood.
Pfft!
As the crimson mist of blood erupted from his mouth, True Lord Ziqing's face flushed with an unnatural, feverish red.
"Purple Qi Transformation!"
Driven by True Lord Ziqing's will, the fragment of the Water Spirit Pearl finally unleashed its boundless spiritual light.
Boom!
Dozens of pitch-black water rings materialized instantly, binding the Chi Demon Tribe ancestor before him in an inescapable prison.
"Kill!"
With a furious roar, the water rings formed by the Water Spirit Pearl shattered once more.
In an instant, the black water corroded away all the demonic qi surrounding the ancient demon, then crushed the core formation realm demon into fragments.
Having personally slain his opponent, True Lord Ziqing turned without hesitation to confront the three core formation true lords of the Shangqing Sect.
"You cowardly rats! I'll deal with you myself!"
True Lord Ziqing's hair flew wildly, his expression twisted with manic fury, utterly devoid of his usual eccentric demeanor.
In the past, Ancestor Ziqing had always kept his hair meticulously tied up, every strand perfectly in place, no matter the circumstances. Even during his earlier clash with Exquisite True Lord, not a single hair had come loose. Now, with his hair completely disheveled, it was clear just how intense his murderous intent had become.
Among the Shangqing Sect's ancestors, only Wen Xing remained unfazed. The other two showed slight changes in their expressions.
The old hag spoke coldly, "What are you afraid of? He's just relying on a secret technique. Once its effects wear off, he'll be nothing."
"You two just stall him. The Lingyun Sect will be annihilated today, even if a true immortal descends from the heavens."
Hearing this, the other two ancestors suppressed their apprehension and immediately moved to intercept True Lord Ziqing.
The Great War erupted anew, the spiritual energy in the sky instantly becoming chaotic as torrents of spiritual light surged forth.
Wen Xing, however, calmly drew her bowstring again, condensing another spiritual light arrow using the core formation true essence within her.
Twang!
This time, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven, locked in a fierce battle with the ancient demon Chi Ming, had no time to evade the cold arrow shot from behind.
Faced with Ancestor Chi Ming's ferocious counterattack, he couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a moment. Battles in the nascent soul realm were too perilous; the slightest misstep could lead to fatal consequences.
Whoosh!
The arrow struck one of the gluttonous beasts encircling Ancestor Devourer of Heaven. The entire beast exploded, instantly doubling the pressure on the ancestor.
"Heh heh, Old Ghost Heaven Devourer, rest in peace," Wen Xing sneered coldly before drawing the nine lives bowstring repeatedly with both hands.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Three more arrows shot forth in rapid succession, completely shattering the true form of the gluttonous beast that Ancestor Devourer of Heaven had condensed using the Gluttonous Divine Art.
The nine lives bow, this ancient treasure, demonstrated its full might here!
By now, Wen Xing had fired six arrows. Without the gluttonous beasts to protect him, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven was in dire straits. Even if she ceased her attacks, Ancestor Chi Ming could easily finish him off.
"Master!" A sorrowful cry echoed from below.
Wu Chong's face was streaked with tears, his entire being overwhelmed with panic and helplessness.
Hearing the mournful cry, Heaven-Devouring True Monarch sighed deeply, realizing that today's battle was likely beyond saving.
Immediately, he hurled the pitch-black Heaven Devourer Ring at Ancestor Chi Ming once more.
"A decent trinket, but utterly useless now," Ancestor Chi Ming sneered disdainfully, conjuring a massive, sky-obscuring palm of demonic qi to engulf the ring.
But before the palm could fully close, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven roared, "Explode!"
Even before his voice faded, a thunderous explosion shook the heavens!
Boom!
The colossal demonic qi palm shattered instantly, its vast reserves of demonic energy dissipating into the void.
But this was far from over. The self-detonation of a natal magic treasure unleashed a cataclysmic force that could not be easily contained.
Countless black fragments erupted in a circular wave, spreading outward like a dark, rippling tide.
Ancestor Chi Ming had no time to evade. The fragments pierced his demonic body, leaving it riddled with holes from which deep purple blood gushed forth.
Having unleashed this devastating attack, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's face turned deathly pale, his eyes revealing exhaustion and weakness.
In truth, the Heaven Devourer Ring was his natal magic treasure. Having lingered too long in the core formation realm, unable to break through to nascent soul formation, he had refined two natal magic treasures and nourished them simultaneously.
With his natal magic treasure shattered, he naturally suffered a severe backlash. Both his divine soul and true essence trembled violently, as if they were about to dissipate along with the treasure.
"Old Hag Wen Xing, I won't be exorcising demons today. I'll take your dog's life before I die!"
Having temporarily forced back Chi Ming, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven glared fiercely at Wen Xing, who was once again drawing her bow and nocking an arrow. His eyes burned with murderous intent.
Faced with the severely weakened Ancestor Devourer of Heaven, panic finally flickered in the old woman's eyes. She immediately released the string of her nine lives bow.
Another spiritual light arrow shot forth.
This time, however, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven raised his black bowl and directly blocked the arrow.
Just when everyone expected him to strike down Wen Xing, he made an unexpected move.
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's figure flashed above the Lingyun Sect elders, and with a swift wave of his hand, he forcibly gathered dozens of them who were still engaged in fierce combat.
"Master..." Wu Chong, who had been seized, looked up with tearful eyes, wanting to say something, but Ancestor Devourer of Heaven moved too quickly. With another wave of his hand—
Boom!
A colossal giant spirit boat soared into the sky within the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate.
"Go! Live! You must live!"
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven roared, tossing the Lingyun Sect elders he had gathered into the massive giant spirit boat.
But he wasn't finished yet. With a wave of his hand, he drained most of his true essence and poured it into the spirit boat, propelling it into flight.
Everything happened in a flash. Ancestor Devourer of Heaven had already planned his escape route, executing it with unnerving smoothness.
In an instant, the giant spirit boat, now infused with the true essence of a nascent soul realm cultivator, soared into the sky, its speed rapidly increasing.
Wu Chong, still reeling from the sudden turn of events, stared blankly for a moment before realizing his master's plan. He screamed, "No! Master! Don't do it!"
"Live well. I'll hold them back," Ancestor Devourer of Heaven said, turning his back. In that moment, his figure seemed colossal, as if he could shoulder the weight of the collapsing heavens.
With these preparations complete, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven faced Chi Ming, who was charging at him once more.
"Sacrificing your life to stall your enemies, all to ensure the escape of your disciples... Such a heroic act truly deserves admiration."
In the ancient demon worldview, the law of the jungle reigned supreme. It was almost inconceivable that one would sacrifice their own life to secure the survival of the weak.
Yet Chi Ming recalled the days when they were trapped within the demon's den grotto-heaven by the Extreme Ice Demon-Sealing Formation. It was only through the demonic bodies of their ancestors, which served as seeds, that demonic qi was generated, allowing them to survive.
The two situations shared a striking parallel.
"The human race... truly a complex and perplexing species," Chi Ming murmured.
"Still, I admire your actions. I swear to you, after I kill you, I will not pursue the fire seed you seek to protect. Let them depart in peace."
The ancient demon Chi Ming spoke softly, his words carrying an unexpected air of integrity.
"Spare me your empty boasts," Ancestor Devourer of Heaven retorted coldly, facing Chi Ming. "Whether you can kill me today remains to be seen."
The two clashed once more, but this time, the severely weakened Ancestor Devourer of Heaven was clearly at a disadvantage.
While Chi Ming had shown mercy to Wu Chong and the others, another present was far less magnanimous.
The old woman nocked an arrow onto the nine lives bow, her eyes gleaming with venom.
"The inheritor of the Gluttonous Divine Art could indeed bring about a great calamity in the future. Old Ghost Heaven Devourer, your inheritance ends here."
With these words, Wen Xing nocked another arrow and fired it toward the giant spirit boat.
Though the spirit boat moved swiftly, the spiritual light arrow was even faster, overtaking it in mere breaths.
"Old Hag Wen Xing!" Ancestor Devourer of Heaven roared furiously, but he was completely entangled by Ancestor Chi Ming and unable to break free, let alone intercept the arrow hurtling toward the giant spirit boat.
"Still distracted? Demonic Cloud Heart-Devouring Hand!"
Ancestor Chi Ming's eyes turned icy as he unleashed a condensed demonic palm strike that slammed into the ancestor's chest from afar.
Instantly, black veins erupted across Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's chest, his fleshly body rapidly corroded by demonic qi.
Yet even with such grievous wounds, the ancestor's gaze remained fixed on the retreating giant spirit boat, his thoughts still clinging to the disciple who would inherit his legacy.
Just as the spiritual light arrow was about to strike Wu Chong on the spirit boat, a weathered figure shot forth, intercepting the arrow's trajectory.
Whoosh!
"Ah! Senior Brother Chen! No!" Wu Chong cried out in anguish. The man was Elder Chen, who had co-hosted the ascension conference with him and had refined the foundation establishment pill for Li Qing.
As expected, the spiritual light arrow fired by the core formation realm cultivator instantly shattered Elder Chen's fleshly body, causing him to vanish completely into the air, leaving not even calamity ash behind.
At the cost of a foundation establishment elder's life, the arrow was finally blocked, sparing Wu Chong on the spirit boat.
Witnessing this, Wu Chong collapsed onto the deck of the giant spirit boat, powerless to do anything but watch as the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate receded into the distance until it disappeared from view.
The Ancestor Devourer of Heaven smiled bitterly, glancing down at the wound on his chest. He knew his end was near.
The palm strike from the old demon Chi Ming had been merciless. Demonic qi had corroded his fleshly body and even affected the nascent soul he had just condensed.
Now, even attempting to release his nascent soul to escape was futile.
Yet, knowing his direct disciple was safe before his death, he felt little regret.
"My dear disciple, I'll take my leave first."
Buzz!
A suffocating spiritual pressure descended from the high heavens.
"Detonate your nascent soul? Wishful thinking! Now that you've been struck by my demonic palm, even self-destruction is beyond your reach!"
"Let me send you peacefully into reincarnation!"
Ancestor Chi Ming sneered, then channeled the demonic qi he had blasted into Heaven-Devouring True Monarch's body, directly suppressing the nascent soul's self-destruction.
"Something's wrong!" Chi Ming exclaimed, realizing he couldn't completely suppress the nascent soul's self-destruction.
Sensing the danger, Chi Ming immediately retreated. In a few flashes, he left behind only wisps of demonic qi in the air and vanished into the distance.
But the expected nascent soul explosion never came. Ancestor Devourer of Heaven lowered his gaze to the elders and disciples he hadn't managed to evacuate, his eyes filled with regret.
Time had been too short and the situation too urgent. He had only managed to send Wu Chong and a few nearby elders to safety, leaving the rest behind.
"Farewell, Lingyun Sect."
With these words, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's eyes dimmed completely, and his body began to dissolve into spiritual light, scattering into the void.
He had chosen to self-disintegrate, erasing all traces of his existence from the world.
The Lingyun Sect's fate was sealed.
The handful of elders who hadn't been evacuated below were consumed by grief.
Unfortunately, Li Qing was among them.
He watched Ancestor Devourer of Heaven dissipate into the cosmos, then glanced around at the towering ancient demons. A bitter smile crossed his face as he prepared to activate his interdimensional travel technique to escape to the World of Eternal Night.
"Damn them all... Shangqing Sect, Chi Demon Tribe. I won't forget this."
Simultaneously, True Lord Ziqing pushed his secret technique to its limit. He coughed violently, spewing a torrent of blood into the air.
"Come and get me if you dare! If you fail, the Shangqing Sect will pay dearly for this!"
With that, True Lord Ziqing transformed into a streak of purple qi and darted northeast—toward the Shangqing Sect's territory!
The two Shangqing Sect ancestors who had been besieging him were stunned by this maneuver and immediately gave chase.
With True Lord Ziqing drawing away the two core formation realm ancestors, the Lingyun Sect's remaining high-level combat power consisted solely of Ancestor Bing Yun, who was still fiercely battling her own opponent.
Alone and unsupported, she couldn't possibly withstand the combined might of her enemies.
Even without considering Ancestor Chi Ming, she might not be able to defeat Chi Shang, whom she was currently locked in fierce combat with. To make matters worse, a late-stage core formation old woman was watching her like a hawk, ready to strike.
With this realization, Ancestor Bing Yun glanced down at the battlefield below, spoke a few words, and resumed her desperate struggle against the ancient demon.
Below, Li Qing remained locked in a standoff with the unicorn demon.
I have no choice but to seek refuge in the World of Eternal Night. I really didn't want to reveal this secret.
The most critical question is whether this place will be claimed by the Shangqing Sect or the ancient demons in the future. What will I do when I return?
Li Qing's eyes were filled with melancholy, but he couldn't afford to dwell on such concerns now. Staying here meant certain death.
Without hesitation, Li Qing began the process of interdimensional travel.
This process required sixty breaths of uninterrupted concentration. Any interruption would force him to start the entire process anew.
The unicorn demon whose incarnation Li Qing had destroyed clearly had no intention of letting him off easily.
As expected, the unicorn demon snarled, "Ha ha ha! Prepare to die, human! There's no escape for you today!"
Flapping its demonic wings, the unicorn demon lunged at Li Qing once more.
Forced to abandon his interdimensional travel, Li Qing dodged the demon's murderous strike.
He retreated swiftly, attempting to break free from the battlefield entirely.
But the other demonic races, eager to exploit their numerical advantage, swarmed around him.
"Heh heh, let's skin this human alive! He's slaughtered so many of our kin!"
"Kill him! Avenge our fallen comrades!"
"..."
As more and more Chi demons closed in, Li Qing's heart sank. Interdimensional travel was now impossible.
Just as the situation grew desperate, a cool, delicate hand gripped his wrist.
"Senior Brother Li, come with me," a clear, refined voice whispered in his ear.
(End of the Chapter)
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