The two Ancient Clans remained at swords drawn, but both sides were waiting for Mu Chen, the fuse, to emerge from the Ancient Tower.
What no one expected was that this wait would last half a year.
Well, except for Liu Bai.
During these six months, many people who feared being caught in the crossfire left, but numerous others who had heard the news and considered themselves sufficiently powerful arrived one after another.
After all, even watching a spectacle required strength!
Liu Bai did not find the past six months boring. Instead, using his clone, he continued researching and perfecting his Arrays. In particular, after obtaining the Great Wheel Bright King Array from Great Spirit Mountain, he thoroughly comprehended it and further developed it, directly elevating it into the Five Great Bright King Arrays.
The Five Great Bright Kings consisted of the following.
At the center was Acala Bright King, whose appearance was that of a wrathful deity with one face and eight arms. In his right hand he held a sword, while his left grasped a rope. Unmoving as a mountain.
The second was Trailokyavijaya Bright King of the east, representing the suppression of the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, as well as the Three Realms. Aside from Acala Bright King, he was the supreme demon suppressor.
The third was Kundali Bright King of the south, whose entire body burned with white flames capable of incinerating all sinister and evil powers.
The fourth was Yamantaka Bright King of the west, enveloped in golden radiance. Possessing immense might and virtue, he inspired awe without anger. His appearance featured six faces, six arms, and six legs. In his six hands he wielded a sword, halberd, staff, rope, bow, and arrow.
The final one was Vajrayaksha Bright King. Of the five eyes on his face, two pairs were arranged vertically on the left and right, while the fifth eye sat in the center of his forehead. These five eyes could emit five colored divine rays, and anyone struck by them would instantly dissolve into blood.
The power of the Five Great Bright King Arrays far surpassed that of the Great Wheel Bright King Array. Each Bright King possessed the strength of an Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign. When all five combined, they rivaled a Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign. Thus, the Five Great Bright King Arrays had become a genuine Saint Grade Array!
In addition, Liu Bai's strongest trump card, the Twelve AllHeaven Deities Fiend Array, had also undergone tremendous improvement after refining the origin essence of dozens of Heavenly Sovereign corpses.
If he were to face the Black Corpse Heavenly Demon Emperor again, Liu Bai was confident that the Ancient God formed by his Array could split him in half with a single axe strike!
With this, Liu Bai now possessed battle power comparable to a Saint Grade Late Phase expert even under normal conditions. If he unleashed all of his methods, he should be capable of standing alongside the two supreme figures, the Flame Emperor and the Martial Ancestor.
This gave Liu Bai far greater confidence when facing the upcoming Great Thousand Covenant.
Half a year later, Mu Chen finally finished completely assimilating the legacy left behind by the Immortal Emperor.
On this day, a rolling howl shook heaven and earth like thunder, erupting from within the Ancient Tower.
The sudden roar instantly drew the attention of all the experts outside the Ancient Tower. Every person became alert as burning gazes focused upon the solitary stone tower atop the mountain peak.
At the same moment the howl sounded, the atmosphere between the Maha Ancient Clan and the Buddha Ancient Clan instantly tightened, with terrifying killing intent flowing invisibly through the air.
"It seems that Mu Chen can no longer hide."
Someone could not help speaking mockingly.
In their eyes, Mu Chen had remained inside the Ancient Tower for so long after obtaining the Primordial Immortal Body because he was hiding, afraid of facing the questioning and pressure of the Maha Ancient Clan.
This was the opinion of most people.
Or rather, the opinion of everyone except Liu Bai.
"There is no helping it. He hid for six months, but he cannot stay hidden forever. Judging by the Maha Ancient Clan's stance, they clearly have no intention of letting this matter go easily."
"He is young and hot blooded. He does not realize the storm of bloodshed his appearance will trigger. The Buddha Ancient Clan is powerful, but this is still the territory of the Maha Ancient Clan. If they truly clash, the Buddha Ancient Clan will likely suffer a disadvantage. By then, the Primordial Immortal Body may really be taken back by the Maha Ancient Clan."
"..."
Everyone was enjoying the situation at Mu Chen's expense.
Although they had no personal grudges against Mu Chen or the Buddha Ancient Clan, he had obtained the Primordial Immortal Body.
The five Primitive Celestial Bodies had all remained hidden from the world. Yet Mu Chen had acquired one of them. The number of people who envied him was unimaginable.
They would never admit how outstanding Mu Chen truly was. Instead, they simply regarded him as an outrageously lucky fellow.
A faint smile hung on Liu Bai's lips as he watched these people from above, detached from worldly concerns.
Meanwhile, both the Maha Ancient Clan and the Buddha Ancient Clan stared fixedly at the Ancient Tower. Neither side dared blink.
Buzz! Buzz!
Under countless gazes, the Ancient Tower began to tremble.
Layers of profound halos spread outward from it. Then a beam of light suddenly shot from the top of the tower into the heavens, piercing through the clouds.
Maha Tian raised his head expressionlessly, his eyes fixed upon the tower summit.
Within the dense pillar of light, a slender figure slowly appeared before everyone's eyes.
Golden light shimmered faintly from every pore on his body. His handsome features radiated a jade like glow. Golden light flowed deep within his black eyes, giving him an indescribably mysterious aura.
That figure was naturally Mu Chen, who had secluded himself within the Ancient Tower for half a year.
No.
For Mu Chen himself, the period had actually been five years!
Indeed, during his seclusion, the flow of time within the Violet Gold World where he resided had been completely different from that of the outside world.
Such a feat could only be accomplished by the Immortal Emperor.
After all, Heavenly Sovereigns could only control spatial power. Even Saint Grade experts were no exception. To manipulate time itself required drawing upon the power of the Great Thousand World's World Will.
And among all beings, only the Immortal Emperor, whose name had been inscribed upon the Firmament Board, could wield such power.
At this moment, Mu Chen also sensed the oppressive and terrifying pressure filling heaven and earth, yet his expression remained calm.
Clearly, the increase in his strength had given him tremendous confidence.
"What an impressive reception. Although I was fortunate enough to obtain the recognition of the Primordial Immortal Body, receiving such a grand welcome from the Maha Ancient Clan truly leaves me somewhat flattered."
Mu Chen looked at Maha Tian and Maha You beside him and spoke with a faint smile.
His words instantly caused Maha You to break down internally. He wished he could rush forward and bite Mu Chen to death.
If the Maha Ancient Clan had not expended several precious heavenly treasures to preserve his cultivation, he might not even be a Heavenly Sovereign anymore.
Even so, it had taken him six months to recover. He had rushed over the moment he regained his strength because he wanted to watch Mu Chen kneel and beg for mercy before his elder brother.
Unfortunately, things were not developing the way he had imagined.
Mu Chen had shattered his composure the instant he appeared.
"Little brat, let's see whether you can enjoy it!"
Unable to restrain himself, Maha You spoke first, his face twisted with ferocity and murderous intent.
At this moment, the spectators outside the city all looked speechlessly at the figure atop the stone tower.
Anyone with eyes could see the hostility of the Maha Ancient Clan. Yet Mu Chen still spoke in such a manner, openly slapping the Maha Ancient Clan across the face.
This kid truly had guts.
Maha Tian frowned as he looked at Mu Chen standing atop the tower, his thoughts unreadable.
If the person standing there were not Mu Chen, and if the Buddha Ancient Clan were not backing him, then with Maha Tian's temperament, he would have long since taken action and captured him. There was no way he would allow a junior to act so arrogantly before him.
But now, Qing Yanjing, Buddha Xuan, and dozens of Heavenly Sovereigns from the Buddha Ancient Clan were all watching from the side like tigers eyeing their prey. That forced him to consider many more factors.
Of course, if that were all, Maha Tian would not have had too many reservations for the sake of the Primordial Immortal Body.
After all, the hidden strength of the Maha Ancient Clan was not something the Buddha Ancient Clan could compare to.
But if one added Liu Bai, who had once defeated a Heavenly Demon Emperor, then the situation became completely different.
Taking a deep breath, Maha Tian did not directly attack Mu Chen as Maha You had imagined. Instead, he even spoke to him with a pleasant expression.
"Little Friend Mu Chen truly possesses extraordinary talent. To actually gain the recognition of the Primordial Immortal Body is something that has shocked the entire world."
The moment these words were spoken, Maha You's eyes widened. He stared at his elder brother in utter disbelief.
Even Qing Yanjing and Buddha Xuan frowned, unable to figure out what the Maha Clan Leader intended to do.
Mu Chen felt the same, but he remained calm and prepared to respond to every change by remaining unchanged.
"Clan Leader Maha flatters me. If Maha You had been a bit more careful and identified that dark golden figure as a fake, perhaps none of this would have had anything to do with me."
The veins on Maha You's forehead bulged violently.
He felt that Mu Chen was deliberately mocking him.
Unfortunately, Maha Tian seemed completely unmoved and even nodded in agreement, causing Maha You to feel as though he had been struck by lightning once again.
"Little Friend Mu Chen should also know that my Maha Ancient Clan has safeguarded the Primordial Immortal Body for tens of thousands of years. We have invested countless efforts and resources into it. Yet now, Little Friend Mu Chen intends to take it away so easily. That seems somewhat inappropriate."
Mu Chen sneered inwardly.
His eyes lowered slightly, clearly showing that he had no interest in listening to such nonsense.
"The Primordial Immortal Body was left behind by the Immortal Emperor. Its purpose was to choose a suitable master. What does that have to do with your Maha Ancient Clan?"
"Furthermore, the Immortal Emperor already left the complete cultivation methods of the Great Solar Undying Body and the Immortal Golden Body to your Maha Ancient Clan. That should already count as sufficient compensation."
"If you had obtained the Primordial Immortal Body yourselves, then presumably even the Immortal Emperor would have had no objections."
"Unfortunately, for so many years, the Primordial Immortal Body stood right before your doorstep, yet you never managed to seize the opportunity. Who can you blame for that?"
These words infuriated not only Maha You and the elders of the Maha Ancient Clan, but even the previously cordial Maha Tian could no longer maintain his composure.
His expression darkened as he said,"I will not waste more words with you. As long as you leave the Primordial Immortal Body within my Maha Ancient Clan for one hundred years, then after one hundred years, I swear that my Maha Ancient Clan will not interfere when you come to reclaim it."
"If you refuse, then do not blame me for disregarding all courtesy!"
Now that everything had been laid bare, the atmosphere instantly became tense once more.
Qing Yanjing immediately stepped forward to support her son.
"What? Is the dignified Clan Leader of the Maha Ancient Clan planning to bully the young with his seniority?"
"If you want to fight, then I will accompany you!"
"It seems words are useless after all..."
A cold light flashed through Maha Tian's eyes.
The next moment.
Boom!
An indescribable Saint Grade pressure erupted like a storm.
Its overwhelming might spread across the heavens and directly enveloped Mu Chen's location.
Wherever the pressure passed, space itself froze.
The air and Spiritual Energy within it solidified instantly.
Mu Chen himself seemed like an insect trapped within amber.
"Maha Tian, how dare you!"
Seeing Maha Tian make his move, Qing Yanjing immediately flew into a rage.
With a sweep of her sleeve, countless spiritual lights shot forth and transformed into a grand Array that descended upon Maha Tian.
However, before the Array could reach him, a vast white stream of Spiritual Energy surged across heaven and earth and shattered the Array instantly.
"What?!"
The spectators were all shocked.
They quickly looked over and saw that an old man holding a white staff had stepped forward from behind Maha Tian.
"If your Buddha Ancient Clan wishes to fight, then this old man will accompany you!"
At the same time, the old man holding the black staff also stepped forward and confronted Buddha Xuan directly.
As long as Buddha Xuan made the slightest movement, he would immediately face a fierce attack.
This scene left everyone utterly stunned.
"Two more Saint Grade experts..."
"The Maha Ancient Clan truly deserves its title as the strongest of the Five Ancient Clans. Their strength is actually this terrifying!"
"Exactly. The Buddha Ancient Clan only has two Saint Grade experts, while the Maha Ancient Clan has three. Furthermore, the Buddha Ancient Clan only brought a little over twenty Heavenly Sovereigns, while the Maha Ancient Clan has nearly forty. The difference in strength is enormous!"
At this moment, many people's gazes shifted toward Liu Bai.
Quite a few knew about his relationship with the Buddha Ancient Clan and were wondering when he would make his move.
Otherwise, the Buddha Ancient Clan stood no chance against the Maha Ancient Clan.
Yet to everyone's surprise, Liu Bai showed no intention of acting.
Instead, he watched Maha Tian with great interest.
Or more accurately, he was looking toward Mu Chen atop the tower.
Only then did everyone realize something.
The central figure whom they had all but ignored had actually endured Maha Tian's terrifying Saint Grade pressure for this long.
Moreover, judging from his appearance, he did not seem to have suffered much at all!
"Wait that's a Saint Grade physical body?!"
Very quickly, Qing Yanjing, Maha Tian, and all the Saint Grade experts present discovered the truth.
The aura emanating from Mu Chen's body was unmistakably Saint Grade.
And it was a Saint Grade physical body, one of the most difficult paths to cultivate!
One must know that among all the Saint Grade experts present, including Liu Bai, none had reached the level of a Saint Grade physical body.
That alone was enough to show just how extraordinary Mu Chen appeared in everyone's eyes at this moment.
Only now did everyone understand that Mu Chen had not spent the past six months hiding.
He had truly obtained an enormous opportunity.
No wonder he remained so calm even when facing a Saint Grade expert.
"So this is your confidence?"
Maha Tian's voice was low and heavy.
At this moment, he regretted not eliminating Mu Chen while he was still insignificant.
If he had done so, then everything Mu Chen possessed would have become property of the Maha Ancient Clan.
If Mu Chen continued growing, and if his Spiritual Energy cultivation one day also reached Saint Grade, then the Maha Ancient Clan might even lose its position as the foremost of the Five Ancient Clans.
"The Primordial Immortal Body absolutely cannot be allowed to leave with him!"
At this moment, Maha Tian had completely made up his mind.