Chapter 1624: Steady Progress in Small Matters, Thanks to Ancestral Grace and Shield of Treasure

Everything turned dark.

Dragging his weary spirit back to the Divine Relic, he happened to hear the person whom Bazun An had described as even more terrifying than the Malevolent Yin Evil God speaking:"Why waste words on him?"

During the Ancestral Gods' quarrel, the insignificant Xu Xiaoshou dared to interrupt, which was already incredibly audacious.And this person, who didn't even belong to either side, nor relied on another Ancestral God for support, dared to speak?The Eye of the Heavenly Ancestor couldn't help but lower itself, gazing."Who is that?"

It was hard to recall, but this person had also made an appearance on Void Island.At that time, Dao Qiongcang had been unremarkable, a half-saint with some hidden abilities but otherwise ordinary.Even Xu Xiaoshou had underestimated Dao Qiongcang after that battle; in short, he was too weak.So weak that he was even less memorable than Rao Yaoyao, unable to leave an impression on the Gods!But now...

Setting aside his disheveled appearance,Dao Qiongcang stared intensely at Malevolent Yin Ranming, his expression radiating confidence, as if saying, "When I meet Malevolent Yin, I'll devour Malevolent Yin!""Where did you get that confidence from? You were quite cowardly just now..." Xu Xiaoshou frowned inwardly. Surely, that flamboyant old Daoist wouldn't be shooting blanks?

Dao Qiongcang quickly adopted his previous air of profound foresight, calmly looking towards Malevolent Yin Ranming, and said:"If my calculations are correct, the fact that the Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit could cross over from Void Island indicates that your control over the Divine Relic is not absolute, is it?"

Malevolent Yin Ranming's eyes darkened silently, then he glanced at the Eye of the Heavenly Ancestor, his expression seeming to ask:"Aren't you going to rein in your subordinate?"

As fellow Ancestral Gods, they could quarrel like children without either feeling it was inappropriate.However, for this young man to underestimate him so greatly, wasn't it tantamount to underestimating the Heavenly Ancestor? Truly ignorant of hierarchy!He was with Xu Xiaoshou.The latter was the Heavenly Ancestor's inheritor, and no matter what, the former also had some connection to the Heavenly Ancestor.Even a mere subordinate, not even a divine envoy, behaved this way. This could truly be considered "lack of proper discipline," couldn't it?

Dao Qiongcang, however, ignored such expressions and continued on his own:"Furthermore, judging by your inability to resist and your resort to mere verbal sparring in the previous situation, it seems the Ranming Dao Embryo isn't so easy to control, and the Star River Divine Court isn't easy to maintain, is it?"

This time, before Malevolent Yin Ranming could even offer a mocking expression, the Eye of the Heavenly Ancestor's gaze already showed a hint of displeasure upon hearing this.Setting aside their positions, words like "nonsense," "Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit," "you," "Ranming Dao Embryo," and so on...No reverence due to an Ancestral God was heard from that mortal's mouth!

Back on Void Island, it was acceptable that there was an arrogant Bazun An, as he indeed had something to rely on.But now, another one has popped up?One such individual emerges only once in a hundred generations or ten thousand years; who do you think you are?

"Don't interrupt, just let him talk his trash."Sensing the Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit's slight displeasure, Xu Xiaoshou preemptively intervened, stifling the internal conflict in its infancy.

Mouthing off in front of two Ancestral Gods?He had never seen Dao Qiongcang act so presumptuously!Either this guy was at the end of his life and wanted to die, or he had absolute confidence in the current situation...But what kind of confidence would make him so fearless now, after having been so afraid of Malevolent Yin previously?

Dao Qiongcang pointed to the Star River beneath his feet:"Is this Divine Court primarily sustained by the Thirty-Six Divine Punishment Soul-Extraction Formation, supplemented by the power of the Divine Relic, and barely maintained?"

No sooner had these words left his mouth than Malevolent Yin Ranming showed no reaction, but Xu Xiaoshou's heart first tightened.Dao Qiongcang had guessed correctly!He himself had only just learned the details by utilizing the power of the Heavenly Ancestor's Eye and stepping outside the situation.He hadn't even had time to tell the flamboyant old Daoist, yet he, being within the situation, had figured it out on his own?

Dao Qiongcang gazed at Malevolent Yin Ranming again, his tone completely blunt:"This body, the Ranming Dao Embryo, seems to be your host, but in reality, it binds your power — as fellow Ancestral Gods, your Dao paths clash, preventing you from even fully unleashing your own Malevolent Yin power.""Is that why you brought out the God-Slaying Axe, unleashing its God-Slaying power to seek a quick resolution and make an example of others?""Little did you know..."

Dao Qiongcang chuckled, casting a glance towards the Eye of the Heavenly Ancestor.Little did you know that killing Xu Xiaoshou, combined with the Dragon Pearl and an Ancestral God's fate, would summon another Ancestor.Now, instead of making an example of anyone, you've ended up tying your own hands.

Malevolent Yin Ranming's expression turned grim.Firstly, Dao Qiongcang's earlier analysis had indeed touched upon his sore spots.Secondly, he no longer wanted to listen to that ant's chatter, yet he truly felt somewhat constrained, just as the other party had said, reluctant to act before the Heavenly Ancestor and expose his current state.Finally, everything this human said was once again spot on!

"With the Heavenly Ancestor here, is it your place to speak such nonsense?"Malevolent Yin Ranming's gaze shifted between the insignificant speck within the Heavenly Ancestor's massive eyeball and the mortal beneath the Star River Divine Court.His words had no direct target, but their underlying meaning was clearly a warning to the Heavenly Ancestor: If you don't act, I will.

The Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit truly wanted to act!However, before it could even speak, Xu Xiaoshou, merely an insignificant inheritor, presumptuously interjected, nodding vigorously as he said:"It is my place."

"Impudent!"The Heavenly Ancestor also cared about its dignity.Xu Xiaoshou repeatedly treated it as a mere tool, showing no reverence, which greatly angered it.

But just then..."Impudent!"Malevolent Yin Ranming roared, his fury clearly no joke.As soon as Xu Xiaoshou finished speaking, he fiercely flicked his sleeve, and the God-Slaying Axe soared skyward, carrying endless God-Slaying power, and viciously cleaved down towards Dao Qiongcang.

"How dare you!"The Heavenly Ancestor echoed."Though my subordinate may be rude, I can discipline him myself. How dare you meddle in my internal affairs?""Even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner.""This Dao Qiongcang follows Xu Xiaoshou, and Xu Xiaoshou is my inheritor.""It's one thing for you to use my friend Ranming's Dao Embryo, but to even use its abilities and the God-Slaying Axe to attack my subordinate?"

With a thunderous crash, the God-Slaying Axe cleaved down from the peak of the Star River.The Eye of the Heavenly Ancestor gathered its power and condensed a silver, high-wall-like shield apparition in front of Dao Qiongcang."You cleave, I block!"

The moment they collided, before the respective spellcasters could even suffer backlash, the Star River Divine Court already split open with a celestial chasm down the middle.The residual waves of the majestic Ancestral Source power swept outwards, flinging the unrestrained Dao Qiongcang below into the chaotic currents of a black hole, sending him sprawling upside down.

"Buzz..."Almost simultaneously, however, that vast God-Slaying power did not erupt but was entirely absorbed and assimilated by the Heavenly Ancestor's power."Good!""A splendid block!"

Xu Xiaoshou was within the Eye of the Heavenly Ancestor, witnessing the entire strike from a god's-eye view.Under the Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit's protection, he was completely unharmed.Since he was fine and enjoyed a good spectacle, he no longer cared about Dao Qiongcang's fate. Pointing to the fleeting shield apparition, he shook his head and sighed to the Heavenly Ancestor:"Their God-Slaying Axe is tangible.""Our shield is illusory.""As fellow Ancestral Gods, a tangible weapon striking an illusory one, yet we only fought to a draw... How lamentable! Truly lamentable!"

Xu Xiaoshou sighed repeatedly, clasping his wrist in regret.These few sentences provoked dissatisfaction even in the Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit."Attacked me?""It was clearly I who intercepted their attack!""Moreover, this was merely a standard countermeasure, meeting force with force...""What is there to lament?"The Heavenly Ancestor couldn't suppress its curiosity and inquired.

Seeing the fish take the bait, Xu Xiaoshou's lips curved upwards like a fishing rod, and he slapped his thigh, lamenting with feigned regret:"It's lamentable that our shield is illusory! Illusory, Heavenly Ancestor!""If only we had a shield right now that could reach the sky, magnificent, and ideally, one we'd retrieved from that old scoundrel Malevolent Yin's lair, which would inherently still belong to us... a shield! Or any other defensive weapon, for that matter!""Then how could that God-Slaying Axe have reached this point?""This mere Ranming Dao Embryo, Heavenly Ancestor, if you smashed it with a shield, it would surely be sent scrambling and begging for mercy!"

"Impudent!"Malevolent Yin Ranming flew into a rage.One Dao Qiongcang was already absurd; how could this young man also speak so wildly?

"Impudent!"The Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit was even more astonished."How could such vulgar words be directed at an Ancestral God?""It's one thing to insult the Ranming Dao Embryo, that's fine, it deserves to be smashed until it begs for mercy.""But Malevolent Yin is also an Ancestral God... even if disrespectful, out of respect for the Art Ancestor, you should at least consider your choice of words, shouldn't you?"

"Impudent!"However, this time, the one who sternly roared "Impudent!" was Dao Qiongcang, who had clambered out of the black hole in disarray, his clothes torn.He had been blasted away.Yet he actually felt annoyed.In front of two Ancestral Gods, before even the high-ranking beings had let slip such insolence, he had dared to be insolent first?

"Shut up!"Xu Xiaoshou furiously pointed at Dao Qiongcang, then, with a gentlemanly air, broke off one of his fingers and fiercely hurled it at Dao Qiongcang's head.There was the sound of metal.

Xu Xiaoshou knew Dao Qiongcang had a plan.But at this moment, no one's plan was more important than his own!In this situation where everything was a priority except himself, Xu Xiaoshou's face took on a fawning expression as he forcibly steered the conversation off-topic again:"Heavenly Ancestor, don't you think what I said makes a lot of sense?"

The Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit's thoughts were no longer on that "illusory" or "real" shield, but upon hearing him, they were truly yanked back.It actually managed to dig up something from its dusty memories.The Shattered Jun Shield, one of the Nine Supreme Divine Artifacts, seemed to have been taken by Ranming with an axe back then, falling into the Fate Temple?

"There is indeed a shield that can be used...""Then what are we waiting for? Let's quickly summon it! This is my... bah, your shield!"

The Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit fell silent.Perhaps it found humans of this era somewhat incomprehensible.As the saying goes in the mortal world, "The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is." Wasn't this inheritor a bit too concerned on its behalf?

"So be it..."No matter how much it wished to avoid conflict.It had come this far, words had reached this point, and the hints were completely understood and well-received.The Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit did not wish to wield the Shattered Jun Shield.Because once it bore a weapon, it would appear as though it intended to fight Malevolent Yin to the death, and it absolutely did not want that.Its existence was merely to preserve the Void Island's legacy.Its purpose in coming here was solely to save the life of this Heavenly Ancestor's inheritor, who had encountered an Ancestral God's calamity.It was not an Ancestor who sought trouble.

"Shattered Jun, return!""Boom—"The Star River Divine Court shook in response.It was as if a heavy object had plummeted from beyond the cosmos, causing the starlight to dim and black holes to collapse.

"Come!""Hurry, come!""Baby, come quick!"Xu Xiaoshou gazed at the distant sky, his fists clenched, his eyes filled with excitement.Perhaps due to his passive abilities, he hadn't been so excited even when he acquired the offensive divine artifact, the Dragon-Painting Halberd; he had merely considered it a handy weapon.But this time, facing a "passive," "defensive" shield-type divine artifact, certain instincts within Xu Xiaoshou were activated, making his face flush red.

Through the Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit's enhanced perception, he could already see the Shattered Jun Shield—which had previously been unresponsive to communication, perfectly embodying the adage "silence is golden"—now, upon being summoned by the Heavenly Ancestor, eager to rush forth as if the Four Swords had met Bazun An, practically wishing it had wings to fly!

"Boom—"The Star River Divine Court shook once more.Malevolent Yin Ranming's eyes flashed with anger, as if questioning the Heavenly Ancestor: Did it truly intend to fight to the death here?"You won't be able to protect your legacy, and I'll sever my foundation for recovery — a Pyrrhic victory where neither of us gains anything!"

"You may take one person and depart."Malevolent Yin Ranming rejected the Shattered Jun Shield's intrusion, yielding a step and offering a compromise.An Ancestral God's promise was as heavy as the Shattered Jun itself.

The Heavenly Ancestor was overjoyed, as this solution was the safest; it could immediately return to slumber, and even if its inheritor died, the legacy would endure.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoshou burst into laughter and preemptively retorted:"Malevolent Yin, do you really think our Heavenly Ancestor is a fool?"

With a single sentence, he ruined the expressions of both Ancestral Gods.Before either Ancestor could speak, the arrogant young man continued:"The Heavenly Ancestor could inherently bring me home; whether it wants to or not is merely a thought away.""What are you, anyway? Are you more noble than our Heavenly Ancestor? What exactly are you bestowing upon us?""Oh, are you bestowing upon us what is already ours, granting the Heavenly Ancestor permission to quickly scram?"

"Impudent!"Malevolent Yin Ranming was furious."That's not what I meant!"

"Impudent!"The Heavenly Ancestor's Spirit was enraged."Heavenly Ancestor, scram? How can such words be linked together?""It's one thing to insult the Ranming Dao Embryo, that's fine, it deserves to be smashed until it begs for mercy.""But Malevolent Yin is also an Ancestral God... even if disrespectful, out of respect for the Art Ancestor, you should at least consider your choice of words, shouldn't you?"

"Truly..." Xu Xiaoshou spat forcefully, scolding on behalf of his own Ancestral God, "How utterly impudent!"

The Heavenly Ancestor fell silent, yet again.What its inheritor said was not without reason.Some things, if you don't say them, everyone can pretend not to know.But once they've been said, and words have reached this point, with outsiders watching and listening...To truly leave like that would indeed feel like slinking away with one's tail between one's legs!

At this moment, the Heavenly Ancestor was caught between a rock and a hard place.It realized for the first time that this "Heavenly Ancestor's inheritor" it had promised, at Bazun An's suggestion, was actually more troublesome than expected.Bazun An was troublesome in the present.Xu Xiaoshou, troublesome in the future?

The troublesome Xu Xiaoshou, acting beyond his authority, pushed his Heavenly Ancestor's power to its limit and abruptly transformed into a Void Giant!He wielded the Dragon-Painting Halberd, borrowing a fraction of the Heavenly Ancestor's power, and forcefully jabbed at the Star River Divine Court."Bang—"The Star River trembled.This God-Slaying Official Divine Court was pierced and torn open for the first time, connecting to the Fate Temple and the eighteenth heaven of the Divine Relic.

A silver glow blossomed, shimmering indistinctly like flowing moonlight, then quickly solidified into a form as massive and weighty as a mountain."Thud..."When the Shattered Jun Shield descended, the entire Divine Court was shaken to its core by the residual force, appearing on the verge of complete collapse.

Xu Xiaoshou, transformed into the ultimate giant, acted before the Eye of the Heavenly Ancestor, forcibly lifting the shield artifact from the Heavy Weapons List with immense power.The Heavy Weapons List!On the Saint God Continent, compared to the Five Chaos Divine Artifacts, the Nine Supreme Divine Artifacts, the Ten Anomalous Weapons, the Twenty-One Famous Swords, and others, it rarely appeared, but it was the list with the "heaviest" items by far.

As far as Xu Xiaoshou knew, there were only three weapons on the Heavy Weapons List:The Overlord, the Shattered Jun Shield, and the Blood-Soaked Papal Cross, which caused the rule anomalies in the City of Floating Death and the Crossroads.The latter also belonged to the Ten Anomalous Weapons.Weapons on the Heavy Weapons List were all renowned for their immense weight.Their exact weight was indescribable with quantifiable concepts; it was only known that without the weapon recognizing its owner, wielding a Heavy Weapons List item was harder than carrying the sky itself.

In the past, the Evil God Yi, with the power of the Five Ancestors perfected and a perfect Divine Yi Dao Embryo body, could not move the Overlord on his first pull, nor on his second; it was only on the third attempt that he forcibly pulled the Overlord after much strenuous effort.

Now, the ultimate giant, hating the Shattered Jun Shield for its "lightness," attempted to shoulder it, only to have his spine instantly crushed, sending him collapsing into the Divine Court, as if the giant had shouldered a silver turtle shell:"Pfft..."He vomited mouthfuls of blood.

Xu Xiaoshou was completely numb from the pressure, so he simply gave up resisting.At that moment, blood burst from the giant's seven orifices, and to the Heavenly Ancestor's eye, he appeared even more pitiful, with tears welling up in his bloodshot eyes:"Hea... venly... Ancestor... wah!""How lamentable... that I, noble... Heavenly! Ancestor's! Inheritor!""In battle... can only... wield... a Dragon Ancestor's spear...""If only there were... *pfft*... a treasure... bestowed by... the Heavenly Ancestor..."

The Eye of the Heavenly Ancestor slowly closed.It neither heard nor saw.

The Malevolent Yin Evil God stared blankly.This was a calculated move, definitely not the first time!

In the end, the Heavenly Ancestor knew everything, but said nothing.As if by not pointing it out, everyone could pretend not to know what kind of character its inheritor was.It merely said, with a heavy tone, to the Shattered Jun Shield: "This is this Ancestor's inheritor. From now on, assist this scoundrel... this child."

The Shattered Jun Shield stiffened perceptibly.Immediately, Xu Xiaoshou, in his ultimate giant form, felt the endless gravitational pressure on his body vanish as if it had turned into a feather.As his spiritual sense stirred, he detected a wisp of ancient, weighty will cautiously probing, seeking a contract.

"Shield Treasure!"How could Xu Xiaoshou refuse?His ultimate giant form sprang up with a thud, grabbed the shield from his back—which was taller than the giant itself—and held it upright in front of him.

Perfect, a perfect match!Its weight, size, and color were all appropriate!Malevolent Yin Evil God and everything else were immediately blocked!

He released his right hand into the air, lowered the Dragon-Painting Halberd diagonally, and then fiercely raised the Shattered Jun Shield high, as if this gesture implied "heaven is higher than the dragon."After fondling the Shattered Jun Shield for a while, Xu Xiaoshou finally couldn't help but raise his voice and shriek:"Xiaoshou thanks the Ancestor for your immense grace!"