Chapter 1732: Fallen Myth

"That... that's..."

"The Grand Ancestor... of the Eternal Heaven Realm?" a high-ranking Realm King asked in shock.

"That's impossible, isn't it? How could she still be alive? Is it just someone who looks like her?"

"Looking at her, she resembles the Eternal Heaven Pearl spirit so much. Could it be that she's still alive because..."

The crowd had not yet recovered from the shocking reality of the Eternal Heaven Pearl changing masters when the appearance of this ancient woman once again stirred immense waves across the Eastern Divine Region.

"Grand... Ancestor?" Outside the Eternal Heaven Realm, a guardian looked up at the sky, utterly bewildered.

"My Lord, is she... is she really the Grand Ancestor?" another guardian asked with a tremble in his voice.

Zhou Xuzi closed his eyes, his voice like a dream, "Back then, when the Old Ancestor gained recognition from the Eternal Heaven Pearl, its spirit was already on the verge of fading."

Towards the end of the ancient war between gods and devils, after the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's Myriad Tribulation Astrolabe seized the Heaven Wounding Toxin Pearl and unleashed "Myriad Tribulations Extinction" to wipe out various races, countless living beings were annihilated, as were many artifact spirits. The Heaven Wounding Toxin Pearl's origin spirit died out, and it only began to regain its divine toxin power a few years ago when He Ling became its new spirit. The Eternal Heaven Pearl's origin spirit was also tainted by the terrifying Myriad Tribulations Extinction. Although not immediately destroyed, it was in a constant state of dissipation and was extremely weak when it recognized the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor as its master.

"The Old Ancestor spent her life alongside the Eternal Heaven Pearl. When her lifespan neared its end, the Eternal Heaven Pearl's origin spirit was also on the brink of perishing. Therefore, to preserve the Pearl's divine power and the Ancestor's consciousness, the Eternal Heaven Pearl's origin spirit opened its will-space to the Old Ancestor, accepting her soul. Using the Old Ancestor's Glazed Heart as a unique 'binding' medium, it transformed into the Eternal Heaven Pearl's new spirit."

This secret was known only to the Eternal Heaven God Emperor and one or two of the most trusted guardians in each generation of the Eternal Heaven Realm. The spirit of the Eternal Heaven Pearl was no ordinary artifact spirit. For a mortal soul to become the Eternal Heaven Pearl's spirit was, in Zhou Xuzi's eyes, an unrepeatable miracle, achievable only by the Old Ancestor with her Glazed Heart. Thus, he could not comprehend what heaven-defying technique Yun Che had used to seize the Eternal Heaven Pearl from the Old Ancestor's will, and so quickly and easily at that.

Zhou Xuzi continued, his gaze becoming increasingly unfocused, "Everyone thought that after the Old Ancestor ascended, the Eternal Heaven Pearl continued to serve our Eternal Heaven Realm out of sentiment for its former master. In reality... within the Eternal Heaven Pearl was the Old Ancestor's will, the will of our Eternal Heaven!"

If the Eternal Heaven Pearl's spirit was the soul of the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor, then the Eternal Heaven Pearl would undoubtedly forever belong to and guard the Eternal Heaven. Why did it suddenly... Where would this nightmare end?

All the guardians' eyes trembled violently, their hearts churning with shock. "So, the one who has appeared now... is truly the Grand Ancestor?"

"..." Zhou Xuzi didn't answer. His unfocused eyes saw no trace of color.

The Grand Ancestor's soul was expelled from the Eternal Heaven Pearl and returned to her original body, which had been sealed beneath the Eternal Heaven Pagoda. However, her true body was already at the end of its lifespan. Now, with her body and soul reuniting after hundreds of thousands of years apart, a significant degree of incompatibility was inevitable. Not only would controlling her power be difficult, but... she would inevitably perish within an hour. This final appearance was like a fleeting epiphyllum in bloom.

*Boom—*

The continuous sound of collapse, like countless waves crashing against the shore, caused even the star regions outside the Eternal Heaven Realm to tremble repeatedly. Amidst the apocalyptic scene of destruction, the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor slowly opened her eyes. Her pale eyes seemed to contain endless divine light and the vast ancientness of ages past.

"Devil Master Yun Che," she declared, standing proudly in the air, her divine voice sweeping across the world, "You have brought disaster upon my descendants and seized my Eternal Heaven. Even if my body perishes and my soul scatters, I will still—"

"Yan One, Yan Two, destroy her!" Yun Che impatiently waved his hand. "Where's all this nonsense coming from?"

As Yun Che's voice fell, Yan One and Yan Two transformed into two streaks of black, tearing through the air, directly attacking the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor, who had barely finished half of her grand declaration. Facing the charging Yan One and Yan Two, the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor clasped her hands together, her lips moving slightly. As her palms turned downward, a massive palm print, imbued with world-destroying divine might, crashed straight down. However, the palm print had barely formed when it was pierced through by a streak of black light, and then directly ripped into two halves. Behind the shattered palm print was Yan One's withered old hand, glowing with black light, and his face filled with savage brutality.

The Founding Grand Ancestor of the Eternal Heaven God Realm, she was undeniably the foremost figure in the Eastern Divine Region back then. In terms of both her life's achievements and her profound cultivation, almost no one in later generations of the Eastern Region could match her. But the current her was, after all, not the her of old. Her own body and soul had been separated for hundreds of thousands of years; it was impossible for them to achieve sufficient compatibility immediately. More cruelly, as the Grand Ancestor of Eternal Heaven, in terms of seniority compared to the three Yama Ancestors, she didn't even count as a great-grandchild. In terms of cultivation, even in her peak state back then, she would have been no match for Yan One... let alone with Yan Two added!

Earlier, against the guardians, Yan One had no interest in using his full power. Now, facing the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor who had suddenly appeared, his withered hand gleamed with a terrifying black light, capable of making even true Yama devils of hell tremble.

*Rip!*

One claw tore through the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's palm print, and the second directly pierced the white light surrounding her. Beneath the black streak, an indescribably harsh tearing sound erupted. The Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's protective divine power and white robes instantly ripped open, and a string of blood beads spurted out. In a single exchange, the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor was directly wounded.

The return of the Eternal Heaven's Founding Grand Ancestor to the world should have been an astonishing miracle. The Eternal Heaven Pearl recognized her as its master, and the Eastern Divine Region gained the Eternal Heaven God Realm, which stood for hundreds of thousands of years because of her... In the eyes of countless profound practitioners in the Eastern Divine Region, she was undoubtedly an ancient deity-like existence. Yet, with one claw from Yan One, her myth was utterly shattered.

After Yan One, Yan Two's devilish claw struck like thunder. As space shattered, the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor was instantly forced back over ten miles. Before she could catch her breath, Yan One's Yama Devil power surged, a terrifying and unparalleled Yama Devil might, as if a true hell descended upon her from the sky. In her peak era, the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor had faced countless opponents throughout her life, but never one as terrifying as Yan One and Yan Two. Even a Divine Master's battle was a terrifying calamity... let alone a fierce battle at the Divine Emperor level! The incomparably robust Divine Realm space was torn apart, again and again, like fragile cloth under the power of the two Yama Ancestors. Every moment, black streaks filled the sky, and every instant, large spatial black holes burst open.

To prevent their power from affecting Yun Che, they swiftly moved the battle far away from the start. All of the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's killing intent was focused on Yun Che. However, under the far greater than expected might of the two Yama Ancestors, she was forced back instantly. After that... apart from the initial divine palm print she unleashed, she was steadily pushed back by the combined assault of the two Yama Devils, with no chance to retaliate.

Watching the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor being beaten further and further away, almost in disarray, the Eternal Heaven disciples were stunned, and all the Realm Kings and profound practitioners of the Eastern Divine Region were also frozen in place... If the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor had truly ascended hundreds of thousands of years ago, then even if Eternal Heaven were to be annihilated today, she would still be an eternal myth. But her appearance today, after the initial shock, presented them with the complete and utter shattering of legend and myth.

"Hmph," Yun Che sneered, "If she had obediently fled, she might not have been stopped. But she just had to jump out and shout slogans, seeking death!"

"She wouldn't have fled," Qianye Ying'er said. "Without the Eternal Heaven Pearl, her existence is merely a final, fleeting moment. Within an hour, her body will wither, and her soul will dissipate."

"Is that so?" Yun Che said with a faint look of pity. "Then let's just make her die faster."

Not far away, Yan Three was chattering and howling, "You two old devils are ganging up to bully an old woman! Have you no shame?!"

"Yan Three," Yun Che commanded, "You go too."

"Yes, Master!" Yan Three let out a strange cry, shot up with a whoosh, and his pitch-black devil claw, tearing through space, fiercely struck towards the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's back.

Yan Three's addition was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor. The arrogance she displayed upon her appearance had completely turned into shock. Although she hadn't appeared in the world for years, she had clearly perceived everything that happened, yet she had never known of such a third figure.

Her white robes gradually became stained with blood, and her Eternal Heaven divine power grew increasingly powerless against the Yama Devil power of the three Yama Ancestors. At this moment, a dark rumor surfaced in her memory. She said in a low voice, "You are... the Founding Ancestors of the Northern Region's Yama Devil Realm!?"

A black streak pierced through ten miles of space, mercilessly impaling her body. Behind the black streak was Yan Two's grim, demonic face. "You know too much!"

A white light burst forth from the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's body, forcefully shattering Yan Two's power, but blood flowed profusely from her. Behind her, Yan One's devil claw struck directly at her heart.

*Boom!!*

A clear claw print appeared on her back, and three bursts of dark black light exploded from her chest. The Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor staggered, spitting out several gouts of blood. When she raised her head again, the divine light in her eyes was incredibly dim. She murmured, "Why... why can you escape the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea... and why do you obey... such a junior?"

As expected of the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor and the Eternal Heaven Pearl spirit of hundreds of thousands of years, she knew too many secrets. Yet, she alone could not comprehend Yun Che's existence. And no matter how much she knew, it was destined not to change the fate of Eternal Heaven or her own today. Under the combined assault of the three Yama Ancestors, she was already covered in wounds. Every time she unleashed power, it placed an immense burden on her decaying body, and the sensation of life draining away and her soul flickering was incredibly clear.

With a long sigh, an unusual white light suddenly appeared in her ancient eyes. Dimensions shattered. The three Yama Ancestors were instantly forced far back. The Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor placed a hand over her heart, gazing at Yun Che, and uttered the most resolute, and final, words of her life: "Devil Master Yun Che, even if I turn to dust, I will drag you into the abyss of death!"

Qianye Ying'er frowned, then said in a low voice, "She's going to self-detonate her profound veins!"

"Seal her!" Yun Che roared.

But it was already too late. As the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's voice fell, her body suddenly shone with an extraordinarily dazzling white light. Her entire being, including her eyes, turned completely pale. Subsequently, cracks spread across her skin. Beneath the cracks, her body transformed into specks of dust, scattering and drifting away... Simultaneously, a colossal pressure, like the sky falling, enveloped the Eternal Heaven disciples and the devil people, covering most of the Eternal Heaven Realm. Under this despairing divine might, countless devil people... and her countless Eternal Heaven descendants could be annihilated.

However, the three Yama Ancestors were no ordinary individuals. When it was too late to stop her from self-detonating her profound veins, they all made the exact same move in that instant. Black light erupted from their bodies, and their powers quickly connected, forming an immense and unparalleled Yama Devil barrier, tightly sealing the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor within. The Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's body burst open in a flash of white light, unleashing a tragic roar that shook the heavens and earth, trembling the entire Eastern Region... But the despairing power, bought with the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's final life and will, was firmly confined within the Yama Devil barrier created by the combined efforts of the three Yama Ancestors.

The eyes of the three Yama Ancestors widened, their faces twisted into grimaces, and the black light on their bodies reached its deepest intensity. Inside the barrier, it was as if thousands of storms raged... yet not a single wisp of power escaped.

One breath... two breaths... three breaths... ten breaths...

Finally, after ten breaths, the Yama Devil barrier of the three Yama Ancestors shattered. But what poured forth was not the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's despairing power, but merely a surge of... a sand-whipping storm. Amidst the storm, Yan Three plunged down, crashing heavily at Yun Che's feet, then instantly bounced back up, leaning forward as he deferentially asked Yun Che, "Master, you weren't hurt, were you?"

Yun Che glanced at him, saying coldly, "Just a mere Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor, and you actually let her have a chance to self-detonate her profound veins? Aren't you three ashamed?!"

All three Yama Ancestors simultaneously bowed their heads, not daring to speak. Yun Che was undoubtedly the only person in this world who would use "mere" to describe the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor.

Witnessing the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's appearance and then her destruction... And then witnessing those three terrifying old men, who had utterly shattered the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor's myth, acting so tremulously and subserviently before Yun Che... In the hearts of the Eastern Region's profound practitioners, countless colossal waves surged wildly, filling every corner of their bodies with extreme horror.