Chapter 1612: Beyond the Heavenly Realm, I Lead; One Punch to Slay the God and Ancestral Slayer

"What?"

In his state of Isolation, Xu Xiaoshou was about to step forward, having conceived a good plan to resolve the situation. Upon hearing the voice, his expression drastically changed, and he retreated a thousand miles in an instant. So, this was the real hidden trump card of Yue Gongli?

"Sacred Ancestor?" Cen Qiaofu and Bai Zhou had also followed Yue Gongli once he succeeded, and now, hearing the voice, they too revealed expressions of shock. They had thought this "Moon Fox" who only begged for mercy was just a useless half-saint, like them, unable to help with anything. They never expected him to transform into a high-tier existence capable of summoning the Sacred Ancestor. If you could summon the Sacred Ancestor, why did you wait so long? You should have called him out earlier! If you had called him out earlier, so many people wouldn't have died here!

Cen Qiaofu looked up; the Restricted Life Zone had truly become a death zone, with no survivors, just like other parts of the First Heaven. "Whoosh!" Even the Heretic God, who had been about to strike forward with his staff, retreated upon hearing the voice, waiting with narrowed eyes. The power of the Sacred Ancestor... In that instant, the power that erupted from this person was indeed the primordial power of that being. Did he truly possess the qualification and ability to summon him?

"Rumble, rumble, rumble." The crowd didn't have to wait long before the Nine Heavens began to shift. Holy light descended from the sky, healing the dilapidated battlefield space and restoring countless mountains and rivers. Dead trees came back to life, and sprouts emerged from rock crevices, presenting a scene of vibrant vitality. But the dead were gone! Those killed by the Heretic God's power could not return.

Suddenly, a pillar of holy light descended from an unknown space. Inside, a sacred figure with light wings on its back, a halo above its head, and a scepter in hand could be seen. He was as insurmountable as a high mountain, and his aura was like a vast ocean encompassing all eternity. Light obscured his true face, but when everyone looked up, they felt that this celestial being had myriad forms and no fixed shape. Beasts, stray dogs, bright moons, gentle breezes, ants, giants… Just this segment of light and shadow descending from the sky filled Cen Qiaofu and Bai Zhou with awe; they saw countless forms. And the Ancestral God, originally, had no fixed form!

"Is that really the Sacred Ancestor?" Xu Xiaoshou's brows furrowed tightly; he still felt a little pessimistic. If Yue Gongli could truly summon the Sacred Ancestor, he should have counterattacked back in the Eighteenth Heaven when he was controlled by the Heretic God. The fact that he waited until now—was it because the Sacred Ancestor he summoned also had flaws, couldn't necessarily defeat the Heretic God, and could only wait for the Heretic God to weaken? In that case, what was the use of summoning this Sacred Ancestor?

"My sins, my sins!" "I didn't have any blasphemous thoughts just now..." Xu Xiaoshou quickly came to his senses. If it really was the Sacred Ancestor, it was not impossible that he could see through Xu Xiaoshou's Isolation state, and mind-reading was also not entirely out of the question. Some things, just thinking about them... no, not even thinking about them was allowed!

"Enough." The holy light descended, bathing the angelic figure within. Its voice, like that of the Heretic God, had no fixed form, drifting from all directions, delighting all who heard it. Except for the Heretic God.

The Heretic God's face showed wariness. He gripped the Overlord staff tightly in his hand and gazed up at the Nine Heavens: "What do you mean by 'enough'?"

The Sacred Ancestor remained aloft, not descending, his voice like a great bell, awe-inspiring: "The Heavenly Realm has come to this, and the blame lies with you. Had there been no divine war, the four seas would be at peace. This triangular Heavenly Realm originally belonged to Ranming, and the Ancestral Tree's creation of infants originally belonged to Shennong. Since they have all fallen under your name, the past will not be pursued. Yet the path of the Sacred, having been transmitted to the Great Thousand, means the wronged souls and resentments here are all descendants of this Ancestor. You must know that no act of killing is more grievous than that of a demon. You may have suppressed the pagoda and brought forth the Dragon Lord, but you also fell into the Sea of Death. I, residing above the Divine Realm, do not wish to break through the realms to come. This thought-body serves only as a warning: open a gate within this triangular Heavenly Realm, allow my descendants to return to their origin in the Great Thousand Worlds, and all matters can be settled. Otherwise..."

At this point, the Sacred Ancestor's thought-body flared with immense light. Overwhelming pressure crushed Yue Gongli, Cen Qiaofu, Bai Zhou, and the others to their knees. However, he restrained his power in time, letting out a faint sigh: "The distinction between art and evil is difficult to discern. Uphold righteousness and return to unity. I hope you will act with self-control."

Was it truly the Sacred Ancestor? Xu Xiaoshou's head spun from what he heard. This status... The Sacred Ancestor resided above the Divine Realm, and now only a thought-incarnation had descended? He listed a series of the Heretic God's crimes but didn't intend to eliminate him, merely to open a life passage to allow Yue Gongli and the others to return to the Sacred God Continent? "The distinction between art and evil is difficult to discern; uphold righteousness and return to unity..." Xu Xiaoshou felt he had received too much information at once. From the Sacred Ancestor's perspective, was it possible for the Evil Heretic God to remove his malevolence and return to his true self as the Ancestor of Art, which is why he forgave everything? If so, would the Heretic God, also one of the Ten Ancestors, allow the Sacred Ancestor to lecture him with such a condescending attitude and tone?

Everyone looked at the large bald man, whose body was adorned with semi-saintly statuses. The Heretic God also seemed to be in a difficult position, his expression very displeased. On one hand, he was indeed one of the Ten Ancestors and couldn't tolerate the other's arrogant tone. On the other hand, he had only just recovered, his power was limited, and he was even unaware of some things implied by the Sacred Ancestor's thought-body.

"Above the Divine Realm?" he asked. The Sacred Ancestor replied, "Above the Heavenly Realm, there is the Divine Realm."

The Heretic God remained silent for a long time. Were his memories not fully recovered? Everyone waited expectantly for a long time. Finally, the Heretic God put aside his impulse to continue attacking and waved a hand. "Hiss, hiss, hiss..." From high above the First Heaven, countless branches of the Ancestral Tree descended, intertwining into a vortex of strange light, spreading purple malevolent energy, yet truly opening a giant tree gate. Rumble. The gate pushed open, revealing a light screen within. The scene behind it was unclear, but there was no doubt it led only to the Sacred God Continent!

"Good." The Sacred Ancestor's light gradually dimmed, and he nodded slightly, showing an intention to leave. "Quick, quick, quick..." Yue Gongli dared not wait for the Sacred Ancestor to leave before going. Who knew if the Heretic God would go back on his word? He quickly took a step, about to rush into the large purple gate. Suddenly stopping, he remembered something and pointed a finger at Cen Qiaofu: "You! Go!"

Cen Qiaofu grew furious upon hearing this. "Alright, Yue Gongli, when the Sacred Ancestor wasn't here, you groveled before the Heretic God. Now that he's here, you're using his authority to treat me as cannon fodder, aren't you?" With a "thud," Cen Qiaofu knelt directly on the ground and said devoutly: "Sacred Ancestor above, I am also your descendant. I practice the orthodox path of spirit refinement and have already been titled a half-saint. I am your child, just like Yue Gongli." "Him!" He pointed at Bai Zhou, "This is a 'Ghost Beast,' an extraterrestrial demon! He doesn't revere any of the righteous gods among the Ten Ancestors. He can test whether this gate is real and if it leads to the Sacred God Continent!"

The Heretic God's eyes turned cold, his patience seemingly wearing thin. Bai Zhou, however, completely lost his composure on the spot, trembling violently and almost collapsing to the ground. "I, I, I..." With a thud, he also knelt down, "I am also your child..." Bai Zhou truly didn't know which plane the origin of the Xu Beast came from; the Xu Yue Gray Palace had no record of this history, only the original Six Xu. But everyone was coming towards the Sacred God Continent, which should mean that they were the seeds left by the Sacred Ancestor outside, right? With these two "children" kneeling, it seemed to bewilder the Sacred Ancestor as well, who remained silent for a long time.

Yue Gongli was furious and kicked both of them. "Get up! Go through that gate! Are you just standing here waiting to die?" "Sacred Ancestor above..." Cen Qiaofu remained unmoved despite being kicked and punched, swaying precariously: "Anyway, I am also your child. He's the direct lineage, and I'm merely illegitimate." "As you can see, this is the treatment for illegitimate children; they should be beaten, right?" Yue Gongli's raised leg froze in mid-air, his face twitching. No! Are you all sick?! Go test it! If you don't go now, there's no time left, and you'll all perish here!

"Anyway, I'm not going either..." Bai Zhou's idea was simple. He would rather be killed under the Sacred Ancestor's protection than enter that gate and die mysteriously the moment the Sacred Ancestor couldn't see him.

In Isolation, Xu Xiaoshou frowned at the sight. Something was very wrong... According to Bei Huai, it was the soul boiling, not Yue Gongli and the others, but the Heretic God... Did he feel insulted by everyone's distrust? "Buzz!" At the critical moment, the Sacred Ancestor raised a sleeve, sending down a mysterious light that enveloped Cen Qiaofu: "With this thought-essence upon you, fear no evil. Go." Cen Qiaofu immediately felt refreshed. After checking himself, he found nothing extra on his body. But this was the Sacred Ancestor's thought-essence; it was normal not to detect its presence. In any case, with it attached, passing through that gate would be easy. He now had confidence. He stood up and bowed: "Yes!" Then he flew towards the ominous tree gate.

"No!" "This is very wrong!" Xu Xiaoshou felt that the Heretic God's soul fluctuations were utterly abnormal, and even Cen Qiaofu's state was outrageous. Even the Sacred Ancestor... The Sacred Ancestor's soul was also boiling! That mysterious light that had just enveloped Cen Qiaofu—why did it also feel a bit like Heavenly Secret Art? Was it the inherent purifying power of the Sacred Ancestor? Or the Great Purification Art within Heavenly Secret Art? Did the Sacred Ancestor also cultivate Heavenly Secret Art? Wait, could it be... "Frightened, Passive Point, 1."

Just as Cen Qiaofu was flying through the gate, the tree gate slammed shut. The Heretic God arrived with his staff and struck down. "Presumptuous!" The Sacred Ancestor's angry voice descended just in time. However, Cen Qiaofu was unprepared and was directly smashed into a pulp by the staff. "You Heretic God, how dare you be so presumptuous!" The Sacred Ancestor hadn't even made a move, but seeing this, Yue Gongli pointed a condemning finger from afar: "Who gave you the gall to act recklessly in front of His Holiness the Sacred Ancestor?" He then quickly turned to face the holy light in the sky: "Sacred Ancestor, please calm your wrath, please calm your wrath. The divine war has already shattered the Heavenly Realm, leading to these divine ruins." "The two of you must not start a second divine war in this mere triangular Heavenly Realm; it would be bad for both you and the Heretic God." These words seemed reasonable, and the Sacred Ancestor calmed down. The Heretic God, however, could not calm down at all!

Yue Gongli then turned back to him: "Cen Qiaofu was a Sacred Slave, a traitor to the Sacred Ancestor. If you kill him, we won't pursue it. Do not act recklessly; open that gate again and let us out. All matters here will not be investigated." "Hahahahaha..." The Heretic God burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face. After laughing, he held the Overlord staff with one hand and pointed towards the holy light in the sky with the other: "You are not the Sacred Ancestor!"

The entire world fell silent. No explanation was needed. When Elder Sang, the Water Ghost, Cen Qiaofu's soul body, Xu Xiaoshou, Bai Zhou, and others looked back, they saw the Sacred Ancestor's body suddenly stiffen after being pointed at. Everyone seemed to understand something... Xu Xiaoshou's face turned green. How dare they play such a game?

"Presumptuous!" Yue Gongli stomped his foot in anger. "How dare you disrespect the Sacred Ancestor? How dare you..." The Heretic God couldn't even be bothered to respond to that shattered being. Enraged, he brought his staff directly to the face of the "Sacred Ancestor" bathed in holy light, whose special effects were grand but whose true form remained hidden, and struck. "Presumptuous!" The Sacred Ancestor seemed to be indignant. "This Ancestor considers your cultivation difficult. As long as your thoughts are clear, you can return to the Divine Realm to see me..."

One strike. The Sacred Ancestor was directly smacked out of the holy light. His chest was completely caved in, and he opened his mouth to spit out a gratuitous mouthful of Sacred Ancestor blood. He angrily flung his sleeves in exasperation: "Although this is but this Ancestor's thought-body, it can still suppress your evil. If you continue to disrespect me, this Ancestor shall shatter a realm and personally arrive here to list your three thousand crimes and slay you before..."

Another strike. The Sacred Ancestor's entire set of teeth flew out, including two false teeth. "Presumptuous! Presumptuous! Presumptuous..." The Sacred Ancestor seemed to have lost the ability to speak, left only with ceaseless declarations of "presumptuous."

"Presumptuous, presumptuous, presu..." Yue Gongli, standing on the ground, also began to gesticulate and stomp his feet. However, upon seeing the "Sacred Ancestor" battered so badly that even his false teeth flew out, his voice and demeanor both weakened: "How about we stop pretending, Brother Nitian..." "I told you this method probably wouldn't work..." The Sacred Ancestor... Oh no, the "Sacred Ancestor" in flowing white robes, turned out to be Dao Qiongcang—what a surprise!

The Overlord staff kept striking. Dao Qiongcang's body violently caved in. His arm was broken, his thigh snapped, his spine shattered by a knee strike, forcing the bald man to bow the "Ancestral God's" waist... The Heretic God was enraged! He was truly enraged! Where did this brat borrow the guts to impersonate an Ancestral God in front of an Ancestral God? The key was that he had actually been suppressed by him just now! That power belonging to the Sacred Ancestor wasn't only mastered by Yue Gongli; this guy also wielded it, and furthermore... "This shouldn't be happening, absolutely not!" No matter what "furthermore" it was, it couldn't stop the Heretic God's current vexation. There were originally many flaws in this ant's words. "The Divine Realm is above the Heavenly Realm" and all that was utter nonsense! The Heavenly Realm *is* the Divine Realm; if the Heavenly Realm is shattered, how could there be anything "residing above the Divine Realm"? He had actually thought that after sleeping for so long, he had fallen far behind the other Ancestors among the Ten. So it turned out... This was a fake Ancestor! The true Sacred Ancestor had long since been suppressed, lord knew where!

"Die—" The Overlord staff struck through, directly piercing the fake Sacred Ancestor's skull. In Dao Qiongcang's mind, amidst countless chaotic alarm sounds, three branches appeared: "Beep! Release Six Paths Qiongcang Form?" "Beep! Detected aura of Shen Yi's power. Trace?" "Beep! Xu Xiaoshou..." Xu Xiaoshou, who was that? Even now, Dao Qiongcang still hadn't recalled that lost memory, but he knew this was someone who could make him wary. At the very least, he must be a high-level Sacred Emperor, right? Dao Qiongcang didn't hesitate, choosing variables and the unknown, just as he explored heavenly secrets and respected the impermanence of fate. He looked up and yelled: "Xu Xiaoshou, save this Ancestor!"

"Unseal." As the black-clad young man slowly walked out of the void, within this world, everyone's mind gained a piece of memory. It was memory returning! Cen Qiaofu no longer cared about the humiliation of having knelt and bowed to Dao Qiongcang, considering himself his child; he stared blankly, turning his head: "Hedgehog?" Bai Zhou dared not recall the fact that the Lord of the Xu Yue Gray Palace had just prostrated himself and called the former Head of the Sacred God Temple his son: "Master Shou?" Elder Sang finally remembered he had another disciple: "Xu Xiaoshou?" The Water Ghost recalled the shame of having his underwear pulled down deep in the sea: "It's you!" Dao Qiongcang stared blankly as that person appeared behind the Heretic God. He clearly had a fierce sword, four swords, the renowned sword Yanmang, and the supernatural weapon Painted Dragon Halberd... He was covered in treasures. He could turn into a giant. He was an ancient sword cultivator, a spirit refiner; he knew everything!

"Human Path!" This guy had become extremely taciturn; he did nothing but activate the Human Path of the Six Paths of Ancient Martial Arts. The Heretic God pulled out the Overlord staff and drew back, something recalling in his mind, "Dao Qiong..." "Passive Fist!" In his ears, only this sound remained. Passive Fist. One punch. The Heretic God's eyes widened. Dao Qiongcang looked terrified, "Wait..." Vacuum! Xu Xiaoshou himself began to shatter, starting from his fist. Waves of power exploded outwards, instantly engulfing the Heretic God, and even Dao Qiongcang, who was taking a step back to flee behind him, couldn't escape. When the limit is reached, there's no need to endure further. Let all conspiracies and tricks die; absolute power shall strike down absolute brutes. Everyone die. "God Slayer, never changing my name, never changing my surname... Your grandpa Shou, Xu Xiaoshou, is here!"