Chapter 1959: Leaving Ancestors

In the Four Symbols Secret Realm, just as Wuyin's roar subsided, Dao Qiongcang immediately appeared."Lord Wuyin, what happened?" he inquired.

But Wuyin seemed deranged, too enraged to explain anything to what he considered an ant. He simply bellowed, unable to contain his fury:"This is an outrage!""Shennong Baicao, this is an utter outrage!"

The violent sound waves ripped through the earth, tearing plants to shreds, as if intent on obliterating all life in the area.Yue Gongli stood with his hands by his sides, his eyes slightly unfocused.

In a forgotten corner, he, too, had been elevated to Saint Emperor — an ordinary, unremarkable Ten-Realm Saint Emperor.It was expected, yet felt like a dream.Just days ago, the title "Saint Emperor" seemed impossibly distant, but now, almost by accident, he had attained it.

This change caused no ripples whatsoever.It was as if Yue Gongli's role in life had long been marked as insignificant.The Saint God Continent didn't even receive a hint of his elevation to Saint Emperor, as Wuyin had completely sealed his Saint Emperor aura within the Four Symbols Secret Realm.It was a closed cage.

"Whoosh."A gust of wind stirred.Yue Gongli's Saint Sense perceived a large rock nearby cracking open.Above it, Heavenly Mystery Dao patterns materialized, and a translucent Dao Qiongcang quickly solidified his form.He was only a Half-Saint.

Half-Saint Dao Qiongcang didn't even glance at Yue Gongli. Upon appearing, he looked directly at the sky, at the raging madness."Lord Wuyin, are you looking for trouble with the Shennong clan?" he asked.

With a booming sound, the sky exploded. Wuyin's image coalesced, three eyes glaring downwards, radiating immense pressure."I, the Ancestor, will kill Him!" Wuyin declared.

"Lord Wuyin, have you forgotten our plan? If you act now, all our efforts will be in vain.""I, the Ancestor, will refine Him into a Spirit Seed!""But can Lord Wuyin's current state sustain that? My suggestion is to endure!""How can this be endured?! What cannot be endured?!""Enduring doesn't mean inaction, but rather a temporary delay. Once the war between the Demons and Medicine Masters begins, that's when we..."

"Dao! Qiong! Cang!"Wuyin's long roar cut off the ant's chatter.

Then, all myriad emotions subsided into nothingness. Wuyin's lips parted slightly, a hint of mockery in his tone: "Someone is pulling hairs from your head; can you tolerate that?"

A cool breeze wafted by.Yue Gongli's eyes were dull, lost in thought as he gazed at the emptiness in the distance.

Dao Qiongcang shook his head, then nodded, saying, "Lord Wuyin, I fear there's a trick. In my opinion, this matter..."

The atmosphere suddenly solidified.Dao Qiongcang abruptly stopped speaking.

Wuyin's lips curled into an evil smile as he stared at Dao Qiongcang. "I don't recall mentioning what exactly happened. Where did you get the idea of a 'trick'?"

As an outsider, Yue Gongli felt a chill just listening from the side.Wuyin's silence was more terrifying than his fury, like the calm before a storm.

But Dao Qiongcang, whether truly unconcerned or simply audacious, responded with complete candor:"Lord Wuyin, I have ways of hearing what you hear. And with Young Master Xu's deliberate instigation, can't you discern the underlying meaning?"

Wuyin bared his teeth, smiling soundlessly.Was Xu Xiaoshou sowing discord?Yes, anyone could tell!But could Wuyin not discern whether what he said was true?

Spirit Seed Origin, Spirit Seed Nurturing, Spirit Seed Myriad Transformations—following these steps, wasn't what the Medicine Ancestor intended to do a variation of what Wuyin himself was doing now?Sacrificing Yue Gongli would preserve the Four Symbols Secret Realm, elevating it permanently to a Saint Emperor's Law land.Similarly, implanting a Spirit Seed and sacrificing Wuyin would raise the Saint God Continent's Dao Laws to the Heavenly Realm level, making it permanent.Could Wuyin truly not see all of this?

Now, the Medicine Ancestor was in peak condition, while Wuyin was in decline. Their plan was complete, and Wuyin was caught off guard.Had Xu Xiaoshou not exposed it, after a little more time, the Demon Ancestor and Medicine Ancestor would have appeared together, not for battle, but to jointly sacrifice Wuyin.Knowing all this, for Dao Qiongcang to still urge him to wait and endure—how could Wuyin not see his ulterior motives?

"The Shennong clan's dog is certainly loyal!"Wuyin closed his eyes, disinclined to speak further. With a hand seal formed by two fingers, the Four Symbols Secret Realm rumbled, rapidly collapsing.

Dao Qiongcang didn't resist at all. He spread his hands, seemingly ready to sacrifice himself for Wuyin. He declared:"Lord Wuyin, kill me, then rush out of the Four Symbols Secret Realm to help the Nian Ancestor fight the Shennong clan, fulfilling Xu Xiaoshou's desires.""Afterward, Cao Bai and Xu retreat, hiding in the background. Lord Wuyin takes on the Shennong clan alone, gets captured due to your poor state, and is then sacrificed as planned to establish the Saint God Continent, forming a new Heavenly Realm.""When the Demon Ancestor emerges and the Medicine Ancestor departs, one or both might succeed, but Lord Wuyin will gain nothing. You will only watch yourself turn to dust.""Is this what Lord Wuyin truly wants?!"

The Four Symbols Secret Realm suddenly fell silent. Wuyin's eyes snapped open, blazing with fury.It was as if a raw wound had been mercilessly exposed, bleeding and agonizing.Yes, Wuyin saw no hope of success.His condition was too dire. If he left now, he truly couldn't stand against the Medicine Ancestor. At best, he could use "Reverse Taboo Rebirth" to drag the Medicine Ancestor down with him.The true beneficiaries would still be Xu Xiaoshou, the Demon Ancestor, and the Nian Ancestor.So, what Dao Qiongcang said was indeed correct!

Wuyin lowered his hand, which had been forming the seal, took a deep breath, and asked, "What do you propose?"Dao Qiongcang's lips curved into a smile. "Lord Wuyin, proceeding with the original plan is the most appropriate course."

He said no more.Turning, he looked at Yue Gongli.In the distance, the Four Symbols Secret Realm rumbled. This world, shattered by the Saint Emperor's emergence and Wuyin's rage, was accelerating its collapse, threatening complete disintegration.

Yue Gongli's inner world was also crumbling.He met Dao Qiongcang's gaze, and his mind was flooded with countless humorous childhood memories from the Sacred Land Secret Realm.Memories of playing with fire and wetting the bed...Of assembling Heavenly Machine Stone Golems together...Of kneeling in rows with their pants down, receiving whiplashes for their mistakes...

Among his old friends, Bei Huai's personality was the first to drastically change. Rao Yaoyao later perished in Yunlun, and Hua Changdeng met his end in Lingyu Mountain.

Yue Gongli felt a jolt.He seemed to possess a peculiar ability: always sensing beforehand when a farewell would be the last.Once, in the Cloud Mountain Imperial Realm, he had reminisced with Hua Changdeng about their childhood and had tried to dissuade him from his path.What a pity.Fate, it seemed, could not be altered.

Dao Qiongcang, what is your fate?And what kind of destiny do you intend to change for me?

"Long time no see," Yue Gongli said with a soft smile, his foxy eyes narrowing into slits, making him appear exceptionally handsome.Although they had just met at the Han Palace Saint Emperor's Rain-Listening Pavilion, as he spoke, his mind fixed on the scene of his own inauguration at Mount Guizhe.Back then...Yue Gongli, the Red-Clothed Enforcer and Master, was exceptionally graceful.Dao Qiongcang was still the Dao Hall Master, strategizing effectively, not yet condemned to the Dead Sea, nor had he betrayed the Sacred Mountain.Hua Changdeng was still hidden in Pingfeng Candleland, not yet having emerged, intent on remaining secluded, so as not to be forced to become a Saint Emperor, then an Ancestor God, and thus not be compelled by the Three Ancestors to face death alone.Ai Cangsheng, the greatest of the Three Emperors, was still silently guarding the Five Regions with his Eye of the Great Dao, wielding the Evil Sin Bow to suppress evil and eradicate wickedness, living for a singular wish.

If time had only stopped then, how beautiful everything would have been?Alas, that cursed woman emerged...

Yue Gongli swore that if time could rewind, the moment he assumed the role of Red-Clothed Enforcer and Master, he would, with the most inflammatory tone, publicly expose the Tear Clan tragedy.He would then incite Ai Cangsheng, even by kidnapping him, to draw the Evil Sin Bow and shoot Dao Xuanji three times, ensuring her burial in an unmarked grave.In doing so, the larger situation would have stabilized.And most likely, all the subsequent events would never have occurred.Then Dao Qiongcang, upon returning after leaving the Sacred Mountain, would not have stood against him in such a capacity, speaking with such sarcastic insinuation:"Congratulations, Young Master Li, congratulations, Saint Emperor Li! A day apart feels like three autumns. It truly fills one with endless lamentation!"

Yue Gongli gazed at the translucent Dao Qiongcang, observing his theatrical act, and felt an urge to laugh.Suddenly, his eyes flickered, and he lifted his chin, adopting a commanding tone:"Half-Saint Dao Qiongcang, since you have seen this Emperor, why do you not bow?"

Dao Qiongcang was stunned.He remained motionless for a full three breaths.Then, with deep reverence, he clasped his hands high, knelt on both knees, and kowtowed repeatedly:"Long live, long live, long long live!"

Yue Gongli's foxy eyes narrowed, his nose prickling slightly, and his gaze, usually surveying the world, blurred.In a trance, he could see Rao Yaoyao, with two long braids, holding her sword and stepping out from the side with long strides. Her voice seemed distant:"What about this Empress then...?"Next, his older sister would rush over, fiercely wielding a whip, scattering Bei Huai and Hua Changdeng who, though unspoken, also wished to take turns as Saint Emperor. She would crack the whip against a large rock:"What mischief are you up to now...?"

Above them, Wuyin slightly furrowed his brow.However, it was understandable for a Half-Saint to kneel before a Saint Emperor.But weren't Yue Gongli and Dao Qiongcang close? Why this kneeling formality?

Yue Gongli blinked, letting go of the past and returning to reality. His tone was cold and direct:"Dao Qiongcang, do you wish for this Emperor to die?"

With a lift of his hand, Dao Qiongcang was raised from the ground.The eloquent, silver-tongued, and calculating old Daoist, usually capable of devising strategies a thousand miles ahead, was now frozen in place, lost in thought.It took him great effort to raise his head, and then he suddenly chuckled, "Saint Emperor, I am merely a Half-Saint, how could I..."

"Dao Qiongcang, do you wish for this Emperor to die?" Yue Gongli interrupted him, his face expressionless.Dao Qiongcang smiled, returning to his usual demeanor, and nodded softly:"Yes."

"Do you want this Emperor to die for Wuyin?""Yes.""Do you want this Emperor to cultivate Ai Cangsheng's 'Spirit Seed Nurturing'?""Yes.""And then devour the remnants of the Four Symbols Secret Realm, combine with Wuyin's power, undergo boundless Virtual Ancestor transformation until I lose my mind, until I reach the Ancestor God realm?""Yes.""Finally, to belong entirely to Wuyin?""Yes."

Rumble!The Four Symbols Secret Realm began to collapse from a distance. Cracks in the earth snaked like lightning beneath Yue Gongli and Dao Qiongcang's feet.Yue Gongli opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to ask something more.Yet, it was as if he realized the answers would all be meaningless "yes"es, so he decided to forgo the last question.

He suddenly spoke, "Are these truly your thoughts?""Yes."Predictably, there was no surprise.

Yue Gongli withdrew his gaze from Dao Qiongcang's forced smile, closed his eyes deeply, and after a deep breath, looked upwards:"Lord Wuyin, I am ready. I will cooperate fully."

Wuyin was astonished.Such obedience was completely unexpected.While Yue Gongli's fate was sealed, if a Ten-Realm Saint Emperor truly resisted, even if his combat power wasn't as outrageous as Ba Zun'an or Kui Leihan, he would still cause Wuyin considerable trouble.Furthermore, during the subsequent process of Spirit Seed refinement, merging, swallowing, and self-strengthening, as long as Yue Gongli's will resisted, Wuyin would have to expend more than ten times the effort.So obedient...It certainly saved trouble!And it saved so much time!

"Good."Wuyin formed a hand seal, pressing two fingers together, his eyes indifferent.He didn't need to concern himself with the negotiations between Dao Qiongcang and Yue Gongli; as long as the outcome was what he desired, he would accept it."Forbidden Art: Spirit Seed Origin!"

A malevolent light descended from the sky, enveloping Yue Gongli and thoroughly transforming him.The myriad Dao Laws of the collapsing Four Symbols Secret Realm, and even Wuyin himself, separated into streams of light that poured into Yue Gongli's body.Soon, a "Spirit Seed," resembling an Ancestor God's destiny, materialized above Yue Gongli's head, ceaselessly drawing power and vitality from within him, continually growing.From ethereal to solid.From empty to real.Step by step, the process progressed rapidly.

Dao Qiongcang watched silently, a smile still fixed on his lips—an unchanging smile, as if his muscles had stiffened, or as if he were completely indifferent.

"Ugh!"Yue Gongli convulsed in pain.With limited time and a critical task, Wuyin used the most forceful, growth-accelerating method, incomparable to the gentle approach cultivated by Ai Cangsheng.Yue Gongli was like the Four Symbols Secret Realm itself: used up and then discarded.He suddenly became the target of Spirit Seed Origin, abruptly began Spirit Seed Nurturing, forced to become "fat" in one bite.He needed to be continuously nourished, nourished, and further nourished until his life and consciousness completely drained away, ultimately becoming a great pill to restore Wuyin's state, to be consumed by Him.

"Split Seed."Wuyin formed another hand seal.A fissure opened in the Spirit Seed above Yue Gongli's head.From it, pure Wuyin power erupted, each surge seemingly elevating Wuyin's essence, spirit, and energy a notch.However, this was not for consumption, but for traction.

"Forbidden Art: Spirit Dog's Grand Feast."Wuyin performed the spell methodically, his voice as calm as before.The commotion, however, was significant. A burst of power erupted within the Spirit Seed.Beneath the crumbling Four Symbols Secret Realm, a gaping maw, as if surging from the abyss, bit down on everything and snapped shut.The entire world was swallowed.Even sound vanished in an instant.

On the Saint God Continent, in the Southern Domain Sin Lands, strands of Wuyin's dark energy rose into the sky from Spirit Cultivators and from the earth itself, flowing into the unknown.Amidst the war between the Medicine and Nian Ancestors, this inevitably drew glances.But it was only a fleeting curiosity; few had the desire to delve into the details, and soon their attention returned to the main battlefield.

Deep within the unnoticed temporal-spatial fragmentation.The residual energy of the Four Symbols Secret Realm, consumed by the Spirit Dog's Grand Feast, flowed into the Spirit Seed.The influence of the Ancestor of Arts, lingering in the Saint God Continent's Southern Domain Sin Lands, also flowed into the Spirit Seed.Wuyin, positioned above Yue Gongli's head, formed a decisive hand seal and, just before the Spirit Seed's fissure could heal, plunged into the Spirit Seed as well.

His mind reeled.The Spirit Seed sank into his body, also consuming the divine husk that was on the verge of shedding.Yue Gongli's eyes opened, shining with an eerie purple light. Invisible pressure swept across myriad worlds.In that instant, Ancestor Li was born!

With a gentle release of his divine sense, he could encompass everything from the Saint Emperor Secret Realm above, to the distant Divine Ruins, down to the Saint God Continent below...The most beautiful scenery in the world could all be taken in at a glance.If only this power could last forever, if only it could entirely belong to him...

"Ugh!"An instant later.Yue Gongli's body convulsed, and the divine radiance in his eyes dimmed.He sank.He didn't know where he was sinking.Perhaps into the abyss, perhaps into the past, perhaps into an imagined perfect life.

Just before his consciousness completely vanished, he heard a voice, devoid of emotion, utterly calm, like a bestowal and also an exchange:"Yue Gongli, Wuyin will remember your name. You shall have a final moment of glory.""Tha... thanks...""Below the Ancestor Gods, there is one individual I name, including Dao Qiongcang, whom Wuyin will send through reincarnation, ensuring they have no burial place. This is Wuyin's promise.""No... need...""Yue Gongli, Wuyin does not give second chances! If you give up, all rights will be fully reclaimed. Do you have any last wishes?""...None."

Wuyin fell silent.To take without giving anything at the end was not Wuyin's nature.He proactively released the restrictions, granting Yue Gongli control over the reshaped Ancestor God body and all forbidden arts Wuyin commanded."For fifteen minutes, do as you please.""Wuyin will bear all consequences."