Chapter 1950: Leave

“Chongyin, have you truly become this weak?”

Compared to the powerful assistance from the Sacred Ancestor and the Medicine Ancestor, Chongyin's "wisps of cooking smoke" brought outright amusement to the people of the Five Regions.

Surely, he wasn't trying to be funny?

But recalling how Chongyin, upon his revival in the God's Remains, had been intercepted by Shenyi, Lord Shou, and others, and then, after entering the Sacred Continent, was tricked more than once by Emperor Cangsheng and Lord Shou, one could only conclude that his combat power must have dwindled to less than a tenth of its original. He truly seemed to be the weakest of the Three Ancestors.

But was that truly the case?

Baxun An didn't think so.

If any of the Three Ancestors had genuinely been good-natured, they would have been eliminated by the other two long ago, and he wouldn't have been forced to take this final "reset" step.

He looked back at Kong Yuhen, who was devouring various projections of himself from the River of Time, merging their power to strengthen his own being. Indeed, after borrowing the power of the Time Ancestor, all Kong Yuhen projections were powerless to resist the call of Kong Yuhen, the Jade-faced Scholar, and could only sacrifice themselves.

However, this move, while seemingly ingenious, concealed hidden dangers. Previously, Baxun An might not have fully discerned it, but after resetting, re-examining the countless Kong Yuhen projections from different eras in the River of Time clearly revealed traces of the Three Ancestors' preparations.

Of course, some, like King Yama Huangquan, had the mission to search for the Tear Clan's pupil but were intercepted halfway by Kong Yuhen. These were considered to be less corrupted. Most appeared normal at first glance, but after resisting the guiding influence that masked their true state, it was clear they were terminally ill:

Some had refined spiritual cultivation to produce uncontrolled sacred power, wielding divine abilities; some had failed in their enlightenment, fallen into depravity, and were entangled in demonic flames from which they couldn't escape… Some, while being absorbed into Kong Yuhen's body, were still murmuring incantations and studying spells, their arms covered in purple eyes; others, with three heads and six arms, formed hand seals and chanted, constantly exhaling the power of evil sacrifices and prayers to gods…

Even more brazenly, relying on the fact that no ancestral god had "reset" in the Five Regions before, they had a layer of guidance plastered on the surface, not even bothering to hide it. For instance, the Kong Yuhen drawn from the Dead Sea location no longer had a human head, but was replaced by a grimacing sunflower. The most surging power deep within him wasn't even the power of time or space, but dense life force — the power of the Medicine Ancestor!

"Ah, ah..."

"Don't swallow me, I don't want to come out, no..."

The grimacing sunflower Kong Yuhen was filled with despair, possessing the most potent life energy and spiritual essence. When summoned, he could even struggle and shout, and was aware of what was happening. Yet, half-resisting and half-yielding, with a "bang," he too crashed into Kong Yuhen's body.

Crucially, the sunflower seed within him, which had accumulated immense life power, didn't provide much benefit to Kong Yuhen. It only made his complexion slightly rosier, no different from the other miscellaneous Kong Yuhen projections.

Where did the remaining pure power go?

"No longer bothering to hide it?" A frosty grimace immediately appeared between Baxun An's brows.

He knew that the Three Ancestors were aware of his impending ascension and that he wouldn't have much time to deal with them, nor could he completely eradicate their influence. But he hadn't left yet! To dare do this right in front of him, wasn't that showing blatant disrespect?

"Not enough." Baxun An turned and roared.

The Sacred Continent immediately fell silent. Everyone felt the heavy anger, knowing it was directed at Chongyin. The other two had at least contributed a third of their strength. Chongyin's "cooking smoke" was so feeble that the fire would die out before the rice could even turn into porridge!

The three beams of light helping to maintain the time rift trembled, and the Three Ancestors found themselves in an unspeakable predicament. Baxun An's "reset" was something they still had ways to counter. But before this, no one had truly imagined that such a "wild boar" — one capable of achieving a "reset" in a single step and disregarding even lions and tigers — could emerge from their "pigsty." Now look what happened. Had they known this, they would have added at least another layer or two of concealment to the preparations they left on Kong Yuhen over the years. Now, seeing the Kong Yuhen projections being openly "summoned" away, the Three Ancestors themselves felt a strong sense of provocation.

It truly wasn't! They truly didn't mean it! You've reset, now just ascend! No one wants to fight you!

The Demonic Ancestor and the Medicine Ancestor remained silent. In a way, they were genuinely exerting themselves. The time rift was on too high a level; maintaining it consumed a considerable amount of energy. Since Baxun An's words were so difficult to respond to, whoever contributed less should step forward and take the blame.

Chongyin remained silent for a moment, secretly cursing the other two ancestors for their shamelessness, but could only helplessly gather his voice from various parts of the Southern Region: "Baxun An, it's truly not that Chongyin doesn't wish to exert more effort, but rather that he's incapable of providing further assistance. In the God's Remains, my true body was shattered, and in the Sacred Continent, my remaining power was stripped away..."

So pitiful! Chongyin's tone sounded as if he were about to cry. Not only did he not exert more effort, but after a pause, he even, in front of the Five Regions, began discussing what he believed could be better solutions: "For the re-creation of the time realm, Chongyin offers his full support. If we could borrow Shenyi's physical body and then release the power of the puppet in Xu Xiaoshou's hand... For the time realm passage, Chongyin can issue a divine decree, and with my own power, I can protect the passage's stability for at least a hundred years!"

A clamor immediately arose in the Five Regions. Chongyin, after being unleashed, could he be this powerful? If one person could sustain it for a hundred years, then it seemed the Demonic Ancestor and Medicine Ancestor were actually hiding much more; their conditions were clearly better!

"Old foxes..." Many perceptive individuals, after a moment's thought, realized that this was the true master of passing the buck. Shenyi and Xu Xiaoshou — how could Baxun An possibly touch them? But Chongyin said so; was he truly "negotiating"? No! With just a few words, he directly shifted the blame to the Demonic and Medicine Ancestors, subtly hinting that he wasn't the one holding back, but someone else was.

He didn't know. Chongyin only promised a hundred years of stability once he was unsealed; as for anything else, Chongyin knew nothing.

The sky suddenly darkened, as if distant muffled thunder was exploding beyond the borders. For no apparent reason, the Five Regions felt a sense of suppression, as if someone was enraged but dared not show too much.

"Mr. Baxun An..." Kong Yuhen turned his head, beginning a secret transmission. He likely understood the Three Ancestors' calculations, but since the time realm was already initiated, his current focus was solely on the future: "Once the time realm is stable, I should be able to alter the flow of time. Ten times? A hundred times? I don't know yet, but it should be within that range. If, after you enter the time realm, the Three Ancestors can still provide fragmented assistance from behind, I can even attempt to divide the River of Time into nine, running nine parallel timelines within the time realm, to help you trace back to the Heavenly Realm faster."

How to stabilize the rear battlefield was something Baxun An and Xu Xiaoshou should consider in their cooperation. Kong Yuhen merely offered everything within his capabilities, and according to calculations, even if everything went by the lowest estimate: A time flow rate of one to ten-plus, combined with the River of Time split into nine, would result in nearly a hundred times the acceleration. A hundred years in the Sacred Continent would equate to ten thousand years in the time realm. With Baxun An's abilities, if his luck held, ten thousand years would be enough time to trace back to the Heavenly Realm. And this was still calculated at the lowest multiplier. If a time flow rate of one to one hundred could be achieved, then ten thousand years in the time realm would equate to only ten years in the Sacred Continent.

If the Demonic Ancestor and Medicine Ancestor could also immediately provide "a hundred years" of power, the River of Time couldn't be expanded further, as too much would risk Baxun An losing himself. If that power were immediately assimilated, the time flow rate could theoretically be accelerated to a maximum of three hundred times, which meant...

"Three years, ten thousand years!" Baxun An's heartstrings suddenly resonated, his gaze fixed, but his thoughts unconsciously drifted to Yue Gongnu beneath Fusan City.

Too tempting. Ten thousand years, he could not possibly promise that, for oceans would turn into mulberry fields. But if it were only three years, if she only had to wait three years in the Sacred Continent, what did it matter if he had to endure ten thousand years of solitude in the time realm?

But... Would the Three Ancestors grant three years? Even from their perspective, after ten thousand or a hundred thousand years, he might not necessarily find his way back to the Heavenly Realm. This place was constantly changing; three years in the Sacred Continent was no longer an insignificant period as in the past, as too many things could happen.

"Kong Yuhen, I trust you, but I don't trust those three." Baxun An sighed deeply.

Kong Yuhen's eyes immediately dimmed. Three years was already the most extreme possibility; he couldn't guarantee more. He thought of something: indeed, if Baxun An left, the Three Ancestors might immediately retaliate, but after all, that person was still in the Five Regions, and there were still variables: "Lord Shou..."

The words were still on his lips. Baxun An decisively cut off the transmission: "I may not even be able to withstand the three 'reset' ancestral gods; how can all the pressure fall upon Xu Xiaoshou alone? Forget three years, the moment I leave, they won't even wait three days!"

The Five Regions fell into dead silence. Baxun An gazed into the void, his expression indifferent. After Chongyin's words fell, everyone could see that the Eight Ancestor was thinking and weighing his options.

"How about it?" A voice rose again from the Southern Region, tinged with a bit of expectation. Chongyin's original intention was certainly to pass the buck, but he hadn't expected Baxun An to actually consider it. Could it be that if Shenyi's body couldn't be obtained, the Chongyin puppet in Xu Xiaoshou's hand could still be acquired ahead of time? This would be a pleasant surprise!

"Heh." Under everyone's gaze, a low chuckle came from high in the sky. Immediately, Baxun An's broken sword, Qingju, was raised diagonally in his hand, and his eyes glinted with a cold, star-like chill: "I've given you too much leeway."

No sooner had he spoken than with a roar, from the Mourning Emperor Realm's Grand World Locust Tree, brilliant silver sword energy shot forth, piercing it from top to bottom. In the Cold Palace Emperor Realm, Cold Palace Grotto-heaven, at the location of the stone hall, towering sword energy also erupted, instantly shattering the barrier. At the crossroads, beneath the inverted Buddha pagoda, the black coffin was also locked onto by sword energy; everything became a sword. At the old site of the time rift in the Northern Region, amid the fragmented temporal flows, the Sword Pagoda, climbing up along the chain of principles, was also locked on, even though it hadn't fully descended.

On the back of the Starlight Dao Tortoise, Dao Peipei suddenly retreated explosively, not even daring to continue his game of chess. He saw sword energy burst forth from Xu Xiaoshou opposite him. "Wait, he's so ruthless he'll kill his own people?" Dao Peipei was momentarily stunned until a cloth doll slowly emerged from Xu Xiaoshou's body, and he realized Baxun An had locked onto the Chongyin puppet.

The people of the Five Regions were terrified. In an instant, the Sacred Continent shook violently, showing signs of collapse once more. The sudden sword energy was a clear marking, directly pointing out where the Three Ancestors' most crucial preparations were hidden.

And high in the sky, Baxun An held Qingju diagonally across his chest, without a single superfluous word: "I'll count to three breaths. Remove the Grand World Locust Tree, the Sword Pagoda, and the Chongyin puppet. That's fair."

Everyone gasped. Was he really going to strike? Had Baxun An lost his temper? But what about the Five Regions? What about us? We are innocent!

"Baxun An!" The Demonic Ancestor's voice boomed from beyond the heavens, filled with uncontrollable fury and completely unthreatened: "If you draw your sword, the Sacred Continent will surely collapse!"

"Three." Baxun An took a step, and the pupils of the Five Regions' inhabitants constricted violently. But he had vanished! He wouldn't strike the Five Regions with a sword from beyond the heavens, would he?

Even more terrified than the people of the Five Regions were the Three Ancestors: "He wouldn't be coming for us, would he?" The coffin beneath the pagoda, the spirit of the Sword Pagoda, and the will of the stone hall all trembled simultaneously, as if poised to emerge prematurely. In the Mourning Emperor Realm, the Grand World Locust Tree swayed violently, casting out endless life force, trying its best to scatter its "eggs" and not put them all in one basket. In the Four Symbols Secret Realm, Yue Gongli instantly fainted, and the manifestation of Chongyin behind her solidified, leaping up and shouting loudly: "Baxun An, are you truly willing to let the fish die and the net..."

He stopped abruptly. The Three Ancestors saw that Baxun An had not appeared before any of them. Instead, he was far from everyone, holding Qingju diagonally, appearing directly in the Thirty-third Heaven of the God's Remains, his demeanor ethereal and graceful.

"Two." Terrifying! The Three Ancestors were no fools; they immediately understood Baxun An's intention. The Sacred Continent wouldn't explode. Because the God's Remains could at least be exchanged for one strike from Baxun An. He truly could make good on his word!

"Stop!" "Wait!" Two voices from beyond the border echoed, one after the other. Chongyin, who had been abruptly cut off, had appeared with a threatening tone, but as his gaze met Baxun An's cold eyes...

"Hmph!" Without another word, Chongyin slid his fingers, forming a hand seal. The power hidden within Yue Gongli, which he desperately wanted to keep concealed, gushed entirely towards the time realm passage.

"Baxun An!" Chongyin's three eyes and six arms all seemed to be straining: "Chongyin! I come with sincerity!"

The purple light pillar was immeasurably stronger than the previous "wisps of cooking smoke" from the Southern Region. Even compared to the power of the Sacred Ancestor and the Medicine Ancestor, it surpassed them by no less than a hundredfold!

Kong Yuhen, who had been struggling alone, suddenly felt as if he had been liberated; the heavy pressure on his shoulders vanished instantly. "Ah?" He was bewildered. The Five Regions were also bewildered. Was this the dying Chongyin? How much had he hidden, and how much more did he still possess?

"That's all of it!" "Baxun An, this is all of Chongyin's power! I've given it all to you!" Chongyin glanced over, seeing that the madman hadn't stopped, and the sharpness on Qingju intensified, causing the entire God's Remains to begin disintegrating. He was going crazy. He immediately let out a heartbroken roar: "Holy Xin!" "Shennong's Hundred Herbs!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the light pillars of the Sacred Ancestor's power and the Medicine Ancestor's power also swelled a hundredfold, standing equally strong in a triangle formation. Kong Yuhen silently released his grip, completely liberated. He only needed to balance this corner of the time realm and keep it stable; the Three Ancestors were too powerful.

Baxun An... Gazing at the white-clad figure in the God's Remains, Kong Yuhen suddenly realized that reason was futile. Truth resided only where the sword pointed!

"We've done our best!" "Baxun An, we have all done our utmost. Do you truly want to stake everything?"

In the God's Remains, the Water Ghost looked up in confusion. It was strange; he had been watching the battle through Zhang Xing, but for some reason, the Three Ancestors' voices suddenly echoed directly within the God's Remains. So clear... "Wait." Cen Qiaofu is still here! I haven't left yet! Baxun An, what are you doing? Am I dispensable too? I shouldn't have been kicked out of the Holy Servants yet, right? At least, notify us first! In a panic, the Water Ghost packed his belongings, intending to flee to the Apricot World; he couldn't grasp Baxun An's intentions anymore.

"Should I strike?" To be honest, this sword could indeed be unleashed. This was originally the second planned strike, intended to eliminate all of the Ghost Ancestor's preparations on the Reaper's Scythe. But... his thoughts were tied to Fusan City. The Reaper's Scythe was still suspended before Wuji, not yet thrown. Before his "reset," Baxun An might have been deceived, but now that he could even dissect and kill Hua Changdeng into four layers of body, spirit, will, and self, how could he not see through this? On the seemingly perfect Wuji, Xu Xiaoshou, representing the "will" aspect, was gone, replaced by a cluster of life energy that screamed its presence. "The Medicine Ancestor has acted..."

Baxun An could see it. Yet he knew that the Three Ancestors, who couldn't cultivate body, spirit, will, and self, didn't know whether he could see it or not. He hesitated for a moment, withdrew Qingju, and did not unleash that strike. Since he was still there, the Medicine Ancestor wouldn't dare act. If he truly acted, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't be subdued so quickly. And so far, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't called for help, indicating he had other plans. Not releasing the Reaper's Scythe might just be perfect for luring out the Medicine Ancestor...

Taking a step, he returned to Lingyu. Baxun An sheathed his sword, clasped his hands behind his back, and strode confidently towards the time realm passage: "Three of you, I know what you're trying to do. But remember, one day, I will return. Do not be too presumptuous."

Under everyone's gaze, Baxun An passed Kong Yuhen. With a casual grasp, he took a projection of Kong Yuhen from the River of Time. And just before being swallowed by the time realm passage, that arrogant white-clad figure paused for a fleeting moment, but ultimately did not look back.

Beneath Fusan City, Yue Gongnu closed her eyes, tears streaming down. The lingering echoes in her ears faded, yet they were resolute, each word a vow: "In as little as three days, or as long as three months, successful or not, I will return. During this time, I leave everything to Xu Xiaoshou."

She pulled her hand into her sleeve, continuously stroking the object that had suddenly appeared in her grasp. It was a token, once a protective charm, which had successively protected important figures like the Storyteller and Xu Xiaoshou during her absence. An unremarkable token, simply marked with the character "Eight."