20: Chapter 20 World Tree Dharma Image

In an instant, the Void Realm seemed to be violently torn open by an invisible giant hand, and a dazzling light burst forth from the crack!

Wherever the light passed, clouds surged and all things bowed—as if heaven and earth were making way for the entity about to descend.

Subsequently, an old man with white hair stepped out slowly with steady strides.

His posture was as upright as a pine, his temperament ethereal and otherworldly, as if an Immortal who did not eat the food of mortals had descended to the world.

With every step he took, a golden lotus quietly bloomed beneath his feet—this golden lotus was not an illusion; the runes flowing on the petals were clearly visible, and a soft, holy light spread out like a veil, illuminating the surroundings as if in a dream.

Judging from the Aura emanating from him—he was undoubtedly a Mahayana Stage Cultivator!

This pressure was like a mountain and an ocean, weighing heavily on everyone's heart, making them unable to help but want to kneel and prostrate in worship.

"I am Patriarch Tian Yuanzi, finally—"

Before he could finish speaking!

Chu Changsheng sneered.

In an instant, his figure flashed like a phantom, appearing above Patriarch Tian Yuanzi like a sudden storm!

Fast!

Fast to the extreme!

So fast that even Patriarch Tian Yuanzi, this Mahayana Stage Old Ancestor, could not react in time!

Chu Changsheng's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and he swung a punch down fiercely without hesitation.

This punch condensed the strength of his entire body, as if it could shatter the Void Realm to pieces!

Under the violent compression of the fist wind, the air emitted a sharp, ear-piercing whistle—this sound was like thousands of fierce ghosts shrieking in unison, making one's scalp tingle!

"Grand Elder Chu, stop! Quickly stop!"

In the moment Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao in the distance saw the face of the person who had arrived, his face turned as pale as paper in a "whoosh".

His pupils contracted violently, and a strong sense of horror surged in his heart, as if he had seen the most incredible thing in the world.

He hurriedly called out to stop him, his voice filled with heart-wrenching anxiety and panic:

"Stop——!!!"

However, Chu Changsheng's fist had already struck out with an unstoppable, forward-surging Aura!

The fist force was just like a surging, rushing torrent; wherever it passed, all things would be washed away, crushed, and turned into nothingness!

"Boom——!!!"

This punch collided violently with a simple, ancient bronze mirror that Patriarch Tian Yuanzi had hastily summoned!

What kind of bronze mirror was that?

The mirror surface was simple and mottled, exuding the Aura of time, as if it had existed for billions of years.

Mysterious runes flowed on the mirror surface, each one containing earth-shattering power!

However, at this moment, ripples appeared on the mirror surface, as if it were trying its best to resist this earth-shaking blow.

The ripples spread faster and more violently—as if a massive boulder had been thrown into a calm lake!

"Crack——"

"Crack, crack——"

Chu Changsheng's fist force was too fierce!

Wherever it passed, the bronze mirror instantly emitted a mournful sound of shattering—this mourning was like a dying giant beast, filled with unwillingness and despair!

Immediately after—

"Crash!!!"

The bronze mirror shattered upon impact!

Countless fragments scattered in the air like snowflakes, each piece refracting the sunlight, like stars falling from the sky—beautiful and shocking!

And Patriarch Tian Yuanzi himself flew backwards like a kite with a broken string!

He drew a long, breathtaking arc in the air, crashing through several mountain peaks before barely stopping!

"Boom!"

"Boom! Boom!"

Those few mountain peaks instantly collapsed under his impact!

Rubble splashed like rain, and dust covered the sky!

The roaring sound was deafening, and the earth was trembling—as if the end of the world had arrived!

"Puff——!"

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi spat out a mouthful of golden Dao blood!

The blood drew a strange arc in the air, appearing particularly glaring—this was the Origin essence blood of a Mahayana Stage Cultivator, each drop containing Dao laws, but now it was sprayed across the sky!

He roared angrily, his voice filled with unbelievable shock and fury:

"Who?! Who dares to ambush me—"

Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao hurriedly flew forward, like a black bolt of lightning, instantly blocking the space between the two.

His expression was extremely anxious, bean-sized beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, his clothes on his back already soaked with cold sweat.

He hurriedly said, his voice trembling:

"Grand Elder Chu, wait! This is—"

"I don't care who he is."

Chu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, his expression as cold as ice, cold light flickering in his eyes like two unsheathed blades.

His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty, each word like a judgment:

"Anyone who dares to interrupt my Disciple recruitment must pay the price."

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi climbed out of the ruins with difficulty.

His figure was slightly disheveled, his clothes tattered, his hair messy; where was any of the Immortal-like grace he had just displayed?

Golden blood still hung from the corner of his mouth, and his chest heaved violently—clearly, this punch had caused him significant injury.

However—

He wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, but there was not a trace of anger on his face; instead, a smile gradually appeared!

The smile spread from his mouth to his eyes, from his eyes to his entire face, finally turning into a hearty laugh:

"Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!!!"

The laughter was like thunder, shaking the clouds!

"Unexpected, truly unexpected!" Patriarch Tian Yuanzi laughed until his beard trembled, his eyes flashing with pleasant surprise, "I haven't been back in thousands of years, and my Xuantian Sect has actually produced such a young Mahayana Stage expert!"

His laughter carried undisguised surprise, gratification—and a hint of... appreciation?

Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao hurriedly bowed respectfully to Patriarch Tian Yuanzi, his body almost bent at ninety degrees, his tone respectful to the point of being devout:

"The fifty-ninth generation Sect Master of Xuantian, Ling Jiuxiao, pays respects to the Old Ancestor."

"Old Ancestor?!"

These two words exploded like thunder, roaring in everyone's ears!

All the Disciples gasped—the sound of gasping gathered into one, like a wild wind sweeping across the prairie!

The looks they directed at Patriarch Tian Yuanzi changed instantly: the eyes that had originally held doubt and shock were now filled with awe and reverence, as if they were looking at a supreme god!

So this Mahayana Stage mighty figure was actually the Old Ancestor of the Xuantian Sect?!

No wonder Sect Master Ling was so distraught!

No wonder he had shouted so heart-wrenchingly just now!

Heavens!

What had they just seen?

Their Grand Elder Chu had punched their own Old Ancestor away?!

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi waved his hand, signaling that Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao need not be so formal.

He stared intently at Chu Changsheng, his eyes flashing with excitement:

"No matter, no matter."

He said repeatedly, his tone actually carrying a bit of impatience, "This kid is arrogant enough, strong enough, I like him!"

His eyes revealed a heartfelt appreciation and admiration for the strong—and a kind of excitement at finding a worthy opponent!

Chu Changsheng frowned slightly, and the powerful Aura around him subsided slightly.

He looked at Patriarch Tian Yuanzi with a puzzled gaze, his voice still indifferent:

"You are..."

"I am Patriarch Tian Yuanzi, the third generation Sect Master of the Xuantian Sect."

As Patriarch Tian Yuanzi spoke, a bright light exploded in his eyes, like two shining stars, illuminating the surrounding space.

He looked Chu Changsheng up and down, the more he looked, the more shocked and delighted he became, exclaiming:

"Kid, you are clearly only in the Early Stage of the Mahayana Stage, yet you were able to injure me—the younger generation is truly formidable!"

The whole scene was in an uproar!

The noise of discussion surged like a tide, wave after wave, as if it would never stop!

"Early Stage Mahayana? Injured a Late Stage Mahayana?!"

"How is this possible?!"

"So that means Grand Elder Chu is in the Mahayana Stage!!"

They looked at Chu Changsheng in disbelief, their hearts filled with even more shock and admiration for his strength.

Worship and awe were almost overflowing from their eyes!

Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao hurriedly stepped forward to explain: "Grand Elder Chu, Patriarch Tian Yuanzi was already a great Void Refining Cultivator a thousand years ago. He left the Sect to travel the world in search of a Breakthrough. Unexpectedly, he has returned today—"

"Wait!"

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi suddenly raised his hand, rudely interrupting Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao.

His gaze was fixed firmly on the Void Realm behind Chu Changsheng.

There, a phantom of a World Tree was standing quietly.

The giant tree was rooted in the Void Realm, its canopy covering the sky—each leaf carried the prototype of a world, and between the veins, Dao runes flowed and extinguished like a galaxy.

Each branch was entwined with the Aura of Chaos, exuding the supreme majesty of creating the world and wielding the rules!

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi's eyes were full of shock and excitement!

"This is... a World Tree Manifestation?!"

His voice was trembling.

"Junior! How did you do it?!"

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi was so excited that his beard was sticking up!

His voice trembled slightly from excitement, as if he were trying to suppress the ecstasy in his heart, but could not!

He circled Chu Changsheng twice, his eyes unblinking, looking as if he were observing some rare treasure—his gaze was greedy yet devout, fanatical yet full of awe!

He kept muttering:

"I have lived for tens of thousands of years! I have traveled across the four seas and the vast wilderness, and I have seen countless Prodigies and geniuses—but this is the first time, the first time I have seen someone able to condense a complete World Tree Manifestation!"

"Do you know what this means?! Do you know how Heaven-Defying this is?!"

His voice grew louder and louder, almost screaming!

Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao and the Elders looked at each other in confusion, completely unable to understand why the Old Ancestor was so distraught.

How could they know what a World Tree Manifestation meant?

This was—the foundation for becoming an Emperor!

It was—the path to transcendence!

"Ahem..."

Patriarch Tian Yuanzi suddenly realized his lack of composure, coughed twice, and tried hard to calm himself down.

He straightened his messy robes and composed his expression—however, the eagerness in his eyes could not be hidden.

He said seriously, but his tone carried a hint of undisguised impatience:

"That... Junior, why don't we go somewhere else to chat?"

The impatience revealed in his eyes was just like someone who had been hungry for three days seeing a grand banquet—he was afraid that Chu Changsheng would refuse!

Chu Changsheng glanced at the dumbfounded crowd below and said indifferently:

"Old Ancestor, the Sect is in the middle of its Disciple recruitment ceremony."

His voice was unhurried, carrying a kind of composure and calmness, as if nothing in the world could disturb his state of mind.

Even though he was facing his own Old Ancestor, and even though this Old Ancestor was in the Late Mahayana Stage—he still maintained this indifferent appearance.

"Hmm? Disciple recruitment ceremony?"

Only then did Patriarch Tian Yuanzi notice the dense crowd below.

He woke up as if from a dream, as if he had just been awakened from a beautiful dream, and turned to shout at Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao:

"What are you standing there for?! Continue the test!"

While speaking, he had already pulled Chu Changsheng and appeared on the Sect Master's throne as if teleporting—the speed was so fast that people didn't have time to blink! It was as if the person who had just been punched and sent crashing through several mountain peaks was not him at all!

Sect Master Ling Jiuxiao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead—the cold sweat had already soaked his clothes, sticking to his skin on his chest and back, feeling sticky.

He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and announced loudly:

"The Disciple recruitment ceremony continues! Next—"

However, at this moment, all the Disciples' minds were no longer on the test.

They all looked longingly at Chu Changsheng and Patriarch Tian Yuanzi on the high platform, their hearts filled with endless curiosity and awe.

These two—one was the terrifying existence who had just punched the Old Ancestor away, and the other was the eccentric Old Ancestor who had been punched away but was laughing from ear to ear—what on earth were they going to chat about together?

And in the distance, the broken mountain peaks were still emitting smoke and dust, and the rubble was still falling down in abundance, as if silently recounting the terror of that punch just now...

The entire Xuantian Sect was destined to be sleepless today.