37: Chapter 37 True Martial Ancestor

The aftermath of their battle had long since turned into a destructive storm, sweeping crazily in all directions with the battlefield as its center.

The violent energy was like an invisible grim reaper's scythe, wantonly reaping any life that dared to approach.

Some Cultivators who relied on their deep cultivation and were hiding in the distance, or those unlucky Mortals who could not escape in time, were lightly brushed by the stray turbulent spiritual energy—merely lightly brushed—and they instantly disintegrated like fragile porcelain, turning into a mist of blood. Even their remaining Souls could not escape, dissipating completely into the violent energy tide.

Leaving only a few dark red stains on the ground that quickly evaporated, as well as an increasingly heavy Aura of death, as if silently proclaiming: "This is a Forbidden Ground; those who approach will die."

At the center of the battlefield, Chu Changsheng's eyes were like lightning, and his Divine Sense had long since turned into an invisible web, enveloping the entire battlefield.

Amidst the seemingly chaotic and violent energy collision, he acutely captured the subtle stagnation in the combined Aura of the four Mahayana Old Ancestors—this was a "gap" that, while insignificant, truly existed, caused by the differences in individual Cultivation Technique and uneven instantaneous spiritual energy output during the circulation and connection of their power.

It was like the almost non-existent momentary gap when precise gears mesh.

But for a true powerhouse, this was a flaw!

This was an opportunity!

Now!

A fierce look flashed in his eyes, and his figure shifted from extreme stillness to extreme motion without warning!

"Swish—!"

Leaving only a slowly dissipating afterimage that had absorbed some of the attacks behind, his true body had already turned into an emerald-gold thin line that was difficult for the naked eye to capture. With a speed that surpassed the understanding of ordinary Mahayana Cultivators, he pierced through the aftermath of the halberd light, bypassed the barrage of ice shards, and flashed through the gaps in the destructive thunder flames!

At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

The target was directed straight at the ice-controlling Old Ancestor who had just finished casting "Xuanming Ten Thousand Blades." His Aura was at a point where his old power was exhausted and new power had not yet been generated, and because he was maintaining the extremely cold Spell, there was a momentary fluctuation in his connection with the other three's Auras!

"What?!"

The ice-controlling Old Ancestor's hair stood on end, and a chill of death that froze his Soul instantly seized his mind!

He saw the emerald-gold thin line tearing through the energy frenzy, and at the front of the line, he saw that fist burning with cold emerald-gold flames, a fist that seemed capable of crushing stars!

That punch, in his eyes, had already obscured the heavens and the earth!

"Wutu Divine Mountain, Suppress!"

In terror, he roared hoarsely, ignoring the burning pain in his Meridians, and forcibly urged his nearly exhausted spiritual energy. The phantom of the Wutu Divine Mountain above his head, already covered in cracks, crashed down, attempting to block in front of him, while his body retreated violently!

However, it was too late.

Chu Changsheng's speed was faster than the speed at which his Divine Thought could operate.

That fist burning with emerald-gold flames ignored the distance of space, as if from the very beginning, it had been imprinted on the very center of that Wutu Divine Mountain phantom.

"Break."

A soft shout, like a Heavenly God pronouncing judgment.

"Boom—!"

The Wutu Divine Mountain phantom, along with the seven or eight layers of spiritual energy shields that the Old Ancestor had hastily set up behind it, exploded like a sandcastle hit head-on by an extraterrestrial meteorite!

The thick Xuanhuang Qi was instantly ignited and dispersed by the emerald-gold flames. The shields shattered layer by layer, unable to block it for even a tenth of an instant—no, they couldn't even slow down the momentum of the punch by half!

The fist, its momentum undiminished, struck solidly against the Old Ancestor's arms, which he had hurriedly crossed in front of his chest to block, as well as the last bit of spiritual light triggered by his protective treasure garment.

"Crack! Pfft—!"

The clear sound of bone cracking and the dull sound of the impact rang out almost simultaneously.

The Old Ancestor's arms bent at an eerie angle, and the light of his protective treasure garment extinguished like a candle in the wind.

His whole body, as if hit head-on by a prehistoric behemoth, turned into a blurred afterimage and flew backward at an astonishing speed!

Blood spewed from his mouth as if it were free, drawing a tragic blood rainbow a hundred zhang long in the air!

Within the blood rainbow, there were even fragments of internal organs!

The Aura on his body, like a deflating leather bag, plummeted crazily. His Mahayana Stage Spiritual Pressure instantly withered to almost nothing. It was clear he was heavily injured and dying, his Dao Foundation damaged!

His flying body smashed through three remaining palace buildings along the way, plowed a hundred-zhang gully in the ruins, and finally crashed into a rockery, kicking up dust that filled the sky!

"Third Brother!" The Old Ancestor wielding the halberd's eyes split, and he let out a painful roar, the roar filled with endless grief and Killing Intent.

"Bastard!" Emperor and the other two Old Ancestors were deeply shaken, both shocked and angry!

They never imagined that, with five people joining forces and the assistance of a killing formation, the opponent could still so accurately and ruthlessly find a fleeting opportunity in battle and heavily injure one person with thunderous momentum!

This insight into the battle situation, this decisiveness, this explosive power, was simply shocking and beyond their imagination!

"Form the Three Talents Formation, trap him to death! Avenge Third Brother!" Emperor roared sternly, the Killing Intent in his eyes boiling to the extreme, and in that roar, there was even a trace of fear that he himself had not noticed.

He knew that he must never again give Chu Changsheng the opportunity to break them one by one! Otherwise, today, the ten-thousand-year Foundation of the Zhenwu Dynasty would truly be destroyed!

The remaining Old Ancestor wielding the halberd and the fire-breathing Old Ancestor instantly reconnected their Auras with Emperor. Although they could not restore the Perfection of the Four Symbols Formation because one person was heavily injured, the three of them still formed a triangular formation with even stronger Killing Intent and more determination, like three drawn fierce blades, rushing desperately toward Chu Changsheng from three directions!

The halberd light reappeared, tearing through the sky; the sea of fire reignited, burning everything in the eight directions; the Imperial golden Dragon roared, carrying the fortune of a nation, suppressing downward! The offensive was even crazier than before, a completely desperate, life-for-life style of fighting!

Chu Changsheng snorted coldly, his figure turning into afterimages that were hard to distinguish between real and fake amidst the sky-filling attacks.

He no longer fought head-on, but instead pushed his ghostly movement technique to the extreme, like a grim reaper walking on the tip of a knife, weaving and flickering through the gaps between the halberd light, the sea of fire, and the Dragon shadows.

Every time he appeared, there was bound to be a punch, a palm, or a finger pointed accurately, aimed directly at the weak points of the three's combined force and the nodes where their old power converted, forcing their offensive to be repeatedly frustrated, their formation to shake, and making them roar with anger yet remain helpless.

Close-quarters combat was extremely dangerous. The muffled sounds of spiritual energy collisions and the crisp sounds of weapons, fists, and palms clashing were continuous, each collision bursting out with blinding light and ripples that tore through space.

This light illuminated half of the Imperial capital, and the loud noise shook countless people to their cores.

In the distance, within the emerald-gold ring of light tightly protected by the Thunder Cloud Beast, Chu Zhanxiao floated, staring intently through the soft yet resilient light screen at the earth-shattering battle outside that exceeded the limits of his imagination.

His eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets.

Inside them reflected the crumbling mountains and rivers, the intertwined Divine Abilities, and that figure in green robes who, under the siege of five Mahayana Cultivators, remained calm and composed, and even faintly held the initiative.

Shock, horror, disbelief... all kinds of emotions washed over his mind like raging waves.

But then, an unspeakable heat, like volcanic magma, surged from the deepest part of his heart! It was not temperature, but a flame called "desire"!

Power!

This is true power!

To look down on Imperial power, to disdain the heroes, and with the power of one person, to fight alone against the Peak of a nation!

What style!

What domineering might!

How... exhilarating!

His broken limbs were in excruciating pain, but the flame in his heart burned even more fiercely than the emerald-gold flames!

A seed called "Heart of the Strong" was, at this moment, smashed into the deepest part of his Soul by the earth-destroying battle outside, heavily and irresistibly, and it began to take root and sprout crazily!

I want to become strong!

I want to possess such power!

I want to make everyone who bullied me, humiliated me, and harmed me pay in blood!

I want to... stand at his height!

However, Chu Changsheng, in the midst of the fierce battle, had a heart as clear as an ice mirror.

This is the Zhenwu Imperial capital, it is the opponent's home turf.

Although it seemed that he had the upper hand in the entanglement with the three, and even heavily injured one, Emperor, as the Imperial Lord, must have backup plans, and the Foundation of the Imperial Dynasty could not possibly be just this.

In the distance, the heavily injured Old Ancestor had already been rescued by a few figures that appeared quietly, and more Auras were rising from all over the Imperial capital. Although they were temporarily deterred by the battle pressure here and dared not approach, they were undoubtedly gathering, waiting, and watching like tigers.

Time was not on his side.

A prolonged battle would surely lead to variables.

Must... finish the battle quickly!

With this thought, the last trace of gentleness in Chu Changsheng's eyes completely disappeared, replaced by a coldness and determination that could freeze eternity.

That kind of coldness was not anger, not Killing Intent, but a condescending indifference stemming from the suppression of life levels.

He feinted a move, forcing back the fierce halberd strike from the Old Ancestor wielding the halberd, and his figure borrowed the force to float back a hundred zhang, temporarily escaping the tightest encirclement of the three.

"Are mere ants worthy of entangling with this Seat until now?"

He hovered in mid-air, his green shirt flapping in the aftermath of the energy; his voice was low, yet it clearly spread across the battlefield, carrying a deep-seated indifference and impatience from the depths of his Soul.

This voice fell into the ears of Emperor and the others like the sharpest blade, stabbing fiercely into their self-esteem.

They were Mahayana Stage Cultivators!

They were the Foundation of the Imperial Dynasty! They were above ten thousand people! Yet in the other party's mouth, they were merely... ants?

"The game should end now."

Before the words even faded, the Aura he had been restraining around him changed abruptly!

It was no longer human-like, but seemed to have transformed into the Origin of the Universe, a vortex of a sea of stars!

An ancient, vast, and supremely domineering terrifying Aura, like a Supreme who had slept for eternity, slowly awakened!

Spiritual power, so immense it was unimaginable, burst forth from every cell in his body, gathering and evolving wildly behind him!

The Void Realm twisted, the sound of the Dao roared, and vaguely, a world of primordial Chaos seemed to emerge; a massive, boundless phantom of a god-demon, looking like both fish and bird, carrying the blue sky, rolled and roared within it!

Kunpeng Treasure Technique—Manifestation of Heaven and Earth, True Form of the Kunpeng!

Although it was only a rudimentary phantom, the wisps of Aura it emitted already made the Laws of this world tremble and wail!

This was a pressure originating from the primordial era, an absolute dominion over all living things!

The charging figures of Emperor and the other two suddenly stiffened, their faces simultaneously revealing extreme horror, as if they had seen some forbidden image that should not exist in this world!

Their Souls were trembling, their Dao Hearts were wavering!

"That... that is..."

"Stop him!!!"

Emperor let out a distorted scream, a sound as sharp as the cry of a chicken with its throat choked. A fear stemming from the instinct of life made his whole body turn cold, his blood seemingly frozen.

No longer caring about anything, he bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of essence blood into the Void Realm in front of him. His hands formed countless afterimages, about to unleash some forbidden secret technique of the Imperial Dynasty!

The other two Elders were also terrified, burning their lifelong cultivation without reservation, unleashing their ultimate life-risking Divine Ability, and blasting it toward Chu Changsheng, who was evolving the True Form of the Kunpeng!

At this moment, they forgot their status, forgot their dignity, and had only one thought in their hearts: Do not let him unleash it! Absolutely not!

However, at this critical moment, just as an even more terrifying collision was about to erupt—

"Clang~~~~"

A melodious, heavy, and peaceful bell toll, which seemed capable of cleansing the Divine Soul and soothing all restlessness, came without warning from the extremely high and distant clouds.

The bell toll was not loud, but it strangely overwhelmed all the roars, growls, and energy screams on the battlefield, ringing clearly in everyone's ears, and even... in the depths of their minds.

The bell toll seemed to contain a strange magic, causing the skyrocketing Aura and life-risking actions of Emperor and the other two to involuntarily pause.

Even the Kunpeng phantom evolving behind Chu Changsheng saw its boiling Aura freeze for an instant.

Everyone, without exception, looked in the direction of the sound.

They saw that in the eastern sky, the clouds, which had been stirred up by the aftermath of the battle, had been smoothed out by some gentle and vast power.

A piece of pure white auspicious cloud, carrying a figure, was slowly drifting over.

The person who arrived was an old man dressed in a simple white Daoist robe, with hair as white as snow, a gaunt face, and three long strands of beard hanging over his chest. His eyes were clear and peaceful, as if they contained endless wisdom and the vicissitudes of time.

In his hand, he held a small, ancient bell, no more than a foot high, neither gold nor jade, with a dark golden color. The body of the bell was covered in natural Dao patterns; the bell toll that had just cleansed their minds originated from it.

The old man stepped on the auspicious cloud, his pace not fast, but it seemed as if he were shrinking the earth into inches. Within a few steps, he had arrived at the edge of this devastated battlefield.

His gaze calmly swept over the Imperial City area below, which had turned into scorched earth and was crisscrossed with gullies. He paused slightly at the spot where the ice-controlling Elder lay severely injured and unconscious, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Immediately, he lifted his eyelids, his gaze falling on Emperor, whose expression was shifting uncertainly.

"Emperor."

The old man spoke, his voice peaceful, but carrying a kind of indifference born from long-standing high status and insight into worldly affairs, as well as a trace of... imperceptible mild reproach.

"What exactly is the matter, to cause such a commotion, disturbing the common people and damaging the Foundation of the Imperial Dynasty?"

As this voice entered his ears, Emperor's agitated mind strangely calmed down a bit, but this was immediately followed by a deeper sense of awe and... a trace of embarrassment.

He hurriedly bowed in mid-air, his posture extremely respectful:

"Old Ancestor Qingfeng, may you be well! For disturbing Old Ancestor's peaceful cultivation, Emperor deserves death!"

He took a deep breath, his face revealing an expression intertwined with grief, indignation, and grievance. He pointed at Chu Changsheng and said urgently:

"Old Ancestor, please see clearly! It is not that Emperor acted rashly, but that this villain is too rampant!"

"He killed our Imperial Dynasty's guest Elder without reason, crippled the cultivation of the twelve Golden Armored Guards, destroyed a large part of the Royal City, and even spoke rudely to me and the various Imperial Dynasty veterans, humiliating us in every way, treating our Zhenwu Dynasty as if it were nothing!"

"My grandson and the ministers could bear it no longer, so we took action to suppress him. However, this villain's cultivation is bizarre and his Divine Ability is powerful, leading to this disaster..."

"I ask Old Ancestor to make the decision for me, suppress and kill this villain, to uphold the national Law and serve as a warning to others!"

Emperor's words were earnest, pushing all the blame onto Chu Changsheng, placing himself in the position of a victim and defender who was forced to counterattack to maintain the dignity of the Imperial Dynasty.

This expression of grief and indignation, this tone of grievance, made it seem as if he were the one who had been bullied.

And this white-robed old man, known as "Old Ancestor Qingfeng," frowned even deeper after hearing Emperor's words.

He slowly turned his head, and those peaceful eyes, which seemed able to see through people's hearts, for the first time, truly and earnestly fell upon Chu Changsheng.

Their gazes met.

At this moment, the world seemed to have quieted down.

There was no violent Killing Intent in Old Ancestor Qingfeng's eyes like that of Emperor and the others, only a deep scrutiny and a heavy Aura that had been accumulated over ten thousand years.

This Aura was not deliberately released, but natural, coexisting with heaven and earth.

"Fellow Daoist."

He spoke, his voice still peaceful, but it seemed to carry the weight of thousands of mountains and rivers, slowly pressing down toward Chu Changsheng.

"In my place, to strike such a heavy blow, injuring my Imperial Dynasty's pillar, destroying the Foundation of my Imperial City... do you really think that my Zhenwu Dynasty has no one left?"

When the last sentence was asked, the peaceful and restrained Aura of Old Ancestor Qingfeng was released slightly.

Just a slight release.

"Boom——!!!"

A terrifying pressure, far more vast, pure, and close to the Dao of the Origin of the world than Emperor's, like the entire blue sky collapsing, silently yet irresistibly enveloped the entire world!

Late Mahayana Stage!

And it was definitely not just entering this realm; the Aura was so complete and heavy, like an abyss or a mountain, unfathomable!

Under this pressure, even space seemed to have solidified into metal and stone. Emperor and the other two Elders felt their breathing hitch and involuntarily took another half step back, their eyes revealing awe.

In the Imperial City, countless living beings trembled under this pressure, prostrating themselves on the ground, not daring to look up.

But Chu Changsheng, facing this monstrous pressure, remained as still as a reef rooted in the void.

The slightly frozen Kunpeng phantom behind him seemed to be stimulated, letting out a silent roar, the Dao Rhyme flowing, quietly dissolving the pressing might into nothingness.

He looked up at this true Foundation of the Zhenwu Dynasty who had suddenly appeared, and at the small bell in the other's hand that seemed ancient but made his spiritual sense stir slightly. Instead of fear, a cold and arrogant curve slowly appeared on his face.

That curve was full of undisguised mockery and... Battle Intent.

"I, this seat, have determined that your Zhenwu has no one."

He said word by word, the voice not loud, but like a thunderclap, echoing between heaven and earth.

"You, what can you do to me?"

Before the words even faded, he joined his fingers like a sword and held them to his brow. The ancient and vast Aura around him, which was boiling due to the appearance of the Kunpeng phantom, did not subside, but instead, like a raging fire thrown into boiling oil, exploded and shot straight into the sky!

"If you want to fight, then fight; why so much nonsense!"

"Today, I will let you, old fellow, weigh it for yourself, whether your Zhenwu Dynasty's 'Foundation' is... enough to look at!"

The emerald golden divine light, mixed with the Chaos Aura of the Kunpeng phantom, erupted like a volcano, clashing fiercely with the majestic pressure of Old Ancestor Qingfeng that was like the sky covering them!

"Boom——!!!"

The invisible contest had already begun the moment the words fell!

The Void Realm trembled, and heaven and earth lost their color!

A true, life-and-death Peak battle was on the verge of breaking out!