Chapter 1961: Big Meal

"Is this guy crazy?"

Everyone could tell that Yuegong Li's emotions were off, and Yaozu was no exception.

The sudden attack by Chiyin could only mean that something had gone wrong with either Mozu or Xu Xiaoshou.

Most likely, it was the latter.

After all, the matter of the "Cultivation Seed" had just been mentioned.

But was Chiyin's outburst unpredictable? Not at all!

A cornered dog will jump over the wall; such is the nature of Chiyin.

Yaozu didn't care that Xu Xiaoshou wanted to do Chiyin a favor.

This also allowed Yaozu to gauge that Mingzu likely still didn't favor the "New Heaven Realm" plan in his heart. Instead, he probably put more faith in his friend Shizu, the Eight Ancestors he had promoted, and Xu Xiaoshou's backup plan.

Again, this was only natural.

Yaozu didn't dwell on these trifles.

He held both preparations in his hands: he wanted the New Heaven Realm, and he also wanted Chiyin.

Even if Chiyin flew into a rage upon learning everything, it still couldn't overcome the fact that his condition was poor.

Trash was trash; as long as Chiyin wanted to live and still wished to communicate, Yaozu had many ways to control him.

In his plan, he even intended to leverage Chiyin to influence Mozu.

But!

This is where the problem lay.

Chiyin wasn't stupid; he knew there was no chance of winning against Mozu and Yaozu head-on. Despite having recovered half of his strength, he forcefully concealed himself.

He chose to unleash a mad dog that barked at everyone, bit anyone it could, even attacking the otherwise friendly Kuilei Han, acting utterly unreasonable.

A cornered dog bites people, but can a person bite a dog?

Yaozu naturally chose to step back, but he hadn't expected to be targeted even during this retreat, with the excuse that he was too "noisy"?

"Yuegong Li, the one you should be looking for is not me!"

Yaozu was extremely calm, his mind reaching out, attempting to restore some sanity to this mad dog:

"Chiyin used you as a weapon, and you are actually grateful?"

"While the Cultivation Seed will certainly destroy you, why not consider the possibility of me refining Chiyin and rescuing you from reincarnation?"

With a few concise words, he hit the nail on the head.

It was like a divine hand, pressing on Yuegong Li's most painful spot, causing his frenzied thoughts to freeze.

Feigning madness!

As Yuegong Li's movements paused, Yaozu already discerned something.

Feigning madness meant he could be reasoned with.

And compared to the immortal Chiyin, Yuegong Li was easier to manipulate. Perhaps the plan could even continue, and he could leverage this to influence Mozu.

A bloody battle between Mozu and Chiyin, with both suffering heavy losses, was something Yaozu would gladly see.

"Think about Hancheng Dijing, think about your past, think about why you cultivated the Dao, and why you ultimately walked the path of Chiyin?"

"Who is your enemy, who can be your ally, who is worth your help, and who can ultimately assist you?"

"All of Chiyin's techniques are self-serving. The Cultivation Seed, once planted, benefits the long term. Who should you lean towards?"

"Setting aside all that, your father is used by Mozu, you are used by Chiyin. Who is truly orchestrating things in Hancheng Dijing, who do you need to target? Can you not see it, are you lost?"

Yaozu patiently guided him, but still operated on two fronts simultaneously.

As Yuegong Li pondered, the life energy in the central region split into two large parts, flowing into the unknown simultaneously, becoming untraceable.

Surprisingly, Yaozu truly hit the mark!

At the last moment of his life, Yuegong Li didn't really want to keep thinking; he just wanted to go crazy.

But before he could turn around, Xu Xiaoshou's encrypted voice transmission reached his ear.

Unlike Yaozu's lengthy discourse, Xu Xiaoshou's was very short, giving only two coordinates:

"Huaxiang Guli."

"Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, Pinghu."

Halfway across the single-plank bridge, he suddenly got stuck.

Yuegong Li couldn't advance or retreat; he truly didn't know whom to trust.

He had trusted Dao Qiongcang, and Dao Qiongcang had deceived him.

He had trusted Xu Xiaoshou, yet Yaozu's words were also very true.

He wanted to trust Yaozu, but Xu Xiaoshou's earlier words, "at least Bazun An believes me," echoed in his ears again...

Yuegong Li, of course, knew he was merely a gun, useful to anyone, then discarded once used, utterly废.

So, in these final moments, for whom would his splendor bloom?

For Dao?

For Xu?

For Yao?

"Heh heh..."

In the void, Yuegong Li lowered his head and gave a bitter laugh.

Finally, he lifted his face, his expression returning to indifference, and without hesitation, he formed a hand seal with his fingers.

Sorry, none of you are worthy.

Yuegong Li's fireworks would bloom only for his sister.

"Forbidden Art: Doggy Feast!"

"He's made his move!"

"Good, good, Lizu is performing steadily, so strong!"

"Avenging Nianzu, sending Yaozu fleeing in disarray. Who will he strike at this time? Could it be Mozu's turn?"

"Haha, no matter who he strikes, the battlefield won't transfer to our Northern Region, and certainly not beneath our feet..."

Northern Region, Huaxiang Guli.

This place, notorious as the "Pinnacle of Illusion" among the Qiduan Jin, was truly perilous yet an excellent cultivation ground for illusion techniques.

Illusion Sword Arts, Illusion Arrays, Spirit Cultivation, Intent Cultivation, Mental Forging, Herb Gathering and Alchemy...

The existence of Qiduan Jin's Huaxiang Guli sustained a multitude of cultivators who walked this path, illuminating their way forward.

But even the boldest madmen dared not venture too deep into Qiduan Jin; at most, they lingered in the outer reaches.

More often, they gathered outside Qiduan Jin, exchanging ideas, improving together, and occasionally assassinating each other.

Previously, the elderly Yaozu had left, burying a nearby market in flowers, becoming a local legend.

Many curious individuals in the spiritual cultivation world, especially idlers in the Northern Region, rushed to the scene just to witness the spectacle.

After all, to behold the place where an Ancestor God emerged, even if that elder was merely a clone, one would surely gain much insight.

Suddenly!

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

The earth began to tremble violently.

Centered on Huaxiang Guli, covering the inner and outer circles of Qiduan Jin, and even further out to various human markets and cities—where Huaxiang Guli's spiritual herbs circulated.

Huge cracks suddenly appeared on the ground, like a natural disaster, and many people stumbled and fell into them.

"Ah—"

Screams immediately erupted, one after another.

Some were panicked, some helpless, and some, sensing something amiss, immediately cast escape techniques, wanting to flee.

"Roar!"

A roar like that of a primordial beast instantly shattered the consciousness of all living beings within the earthquake's affected area.

The earth seemed to lose its support, and cities, mountains, rivers, and even the entire Qiduan Jin, collapsed and fell downwards.

"What is that..."

No one had yet grasped the full picture or realized what was truly happening.

Beneath the deep abyss, a gaping maw, like a blood-stained basin, tore open, covering several realms. It was like a monstrous Taotie beast leaping up, ravenously hungry, wanting only to devour.

One bite!

It swallowed the entire Qiduan Jin, along with all nearby living beings!

"Rumble..."

Aftershocks rolled, echoing in all directions.

The Northern Region's territory was suddenly swallowed up by a full seven realms out of nowhere, an external Huaxiang Guli.

"What a lively scene, truly lively!"

"First Huazu, then Bazun, then Nianzu, and Lizu, not to mention the three Ancestors out of the Ten Ancestors: Mozu, Yaozu, and Chiyin... What kind of era is this? Are we witnessing history, an age of apotheosis and ancestral ascension?"

"It doesn't matter, they can't all erupt, all go crazy, and finally smash through and shatter the entire Five Regions, can they?"

"Indeed, our Sheng Futu zhi Cheng is detached from the world; though in the central region, the flames of war are destined not to spread here. Those who should refine pills can refine pills, those who should cultivate arrays can cultivate arrays, those who should forge artifacts can forge artifacts. Just live your own life well."

"Have you not seen, the headquarters of the major associations are all in Sheng Futu zhi Cheng? Our connections are spread throughout the Five Regions, not like the dead Futu zhi Cheng or the dirty gathering place of the Crossroads. Those who can enter Shengcheng are all elites of the Five Regions, people of distinguished status and prominence..."

"Huh? Was that an earthquake?"

"Illusion! Pinghu's water hasn't even moved!"

Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, with its towering buildings, stood in dense rows.

If Yujing Wenrouxiang was a place of drunken revelry for aristocratic families and great sects, then Sheng Futu zhi Cheng was a high-end exchange platform for ambitious individuals in various fields of knowledge, Dao techniques, and craftsmanship.

And so, no matter how lively things got outside, it was irrelevant to this paradise, irrelevant to the academic exchanges of the old men.

The annual exchange conference of the Alchemist Association Headquarters had just concluded.

Just half a day ago, one could still see the grand masters of the Five Regions' alchemy world, usually hard to meet, emerging from the Dan Pagoda's main gate in small groups, chatting and laughing like ordinary old men.

"President Shi Ti, how did you feel about this exchange?"

At the west gate of Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, Dong Ling stopped and glanced at the white-haired old man beside her, asking with a smile.

This time, the Eastern Region's Dongtian Realm, represented by Dongtian Wangcheng, had a total of two slots for the exchange group.

Besides her, the rightful president, the second slot was given to Shi Ti of Tiansang Cheng.

Shi Ti was a prominent figure.

Although his techniques were still somewhat lacking compared to the grandmasters of Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, he hailed from "Tiansang Cheng"!

Tiansang Cheng used to be a small town, but now it was renowned throughout the Five Regions.

Because this place had a "Tiansang Linggong," a small spiritual palace teeming with hidden masters.

First, there was Lord Xu, then Wu Xiu, the second-in-command of the Holy Servants, followed by Half-Saint Ye Xiaotian, and finally, even the obscure Elder Qiao from the LingShi Ge also achieved Sainthood...

Even the strongest Half-Saint families in the Five Regions wouldn't dare claim such a production rate, cultivating Half-Saints as if raising pigs, capable of mass production.

Shi Ti was practically hand-picked to be brought along.

During the Alchemy Conference at the headquarters, he was asked countless questions by countless old men.

They all asked about his relationship with Xu Xiaoshou, to which he replied, "How could I have a relationship? I'm only destined to have my Dan Pagoda bombed; I can't claim any connection..." Shi Ti hurried his steps, trembling:

"President Dong Ling, please don't tease this old man anymore."

"Shengcheng, only the green flowers in Pinghu are growing well, just as they were when I was young. The rest... Eek!"

Having stayed in a corner for too long, Shi Ti was too lazy to gossip with those pretentious old immortals anymore. He pointed at the city gate:

"Let's hurry back to the Eastern Region and hide away. The Central Region is a place of trouble; who knows when it might explode."

Although Xu Xiaoshou wasn't in Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, he was in the Central Region.

With his current power, bombing a Dan Pagoda was too minor; bombing a whole realm was quite normal.

The world changes...

Shi Ti could only sigh.

The little devil who once bombed the Dan Pagoda was now a prominent figure in the Five Regions.

His good friend, Sang Qiye, also transformed from a proper alchemist into the second-in-command of the Holy Servants, finally becoming the Ghost Buddha himself, which was simply absurd.

Indeed, live long enough, and you'll encounter all sorts of bizarre things. He just hoped bad luck wouldn't come his way.

"Explode?"

"That's unlikely."

Dong Ling followed the old man out of the city, glancing back at the vibrant, majestic city with a hint of melancholy.

Compared to the widespread prosperity in the Central Region, even the most prosperous Dongtian Wangcheng in the Eastern Region couldn't compare to a third of this place.

The disparity between the two regions was evident.

It wasn't that Dongyu Jian Shen Tian had lost much, but rather that region emphasized the Sword Dao, enjoying conflict, and the status of alchemists wasn't as high as here.

Unlike Shi Ti, Dong Ling was still relatively young and still wanted to make a push upwards. Her main goal wasn't to enter Shengcheng and scheme with those old men.

The key was that only by settling here could she possibly advance further and gain the occasional opportunity to ascend the Silingshan.

"Next year!"

Dong Ling clenched her fists slightly, her gaze resolute.

This time, she had obtained an opportunity for promotion. She just had to wait until the same day next year, when she would return to Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, and she would then hope to use this stepping stone to ascend Silingshan and meet her master, Mu Lin, again.

"Let's go."

The two headed west, soaring through the sky, not towards the trans-regional teleportation array, but towards Tiaoshengshan.

Tiaoshengshan, also known as Tiaoshengshan, was located west of Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, towering into the clouds, making it the best viewing spot.

From here, one could look down and, with good eyesight, take in the vast expanse of Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, which covered half a realm.

Every spiritual master who entered Sheng Futu zhi Cheng would go to Tiaoshengshan to observe after emerging, either writing poems, leaving paintings, or comprehending the Dao.

Indeed, some people here, by seeing a grain of sand obscuring a giant city or picking a green leaf to observe life, subsequently broke through to Sainthood, leaving behind the legend of "Tiaosheng."

"Absolutely breathtaking."

Dong Ling ascended to an unoccupied spot on Tiaoshengshan.

It wasn't her first time seeing it, yet each time she was awestruck.

Floating clouds swirled, immortal mists drifted, Sheng Futu zhi Cheng was truly a place of spiritual essence, worthy of being one of the Five Regions' sacred lands.

Shi Ti sat on a rock, and looking back, he too was moved by the scenery he had seen decades ago.

However, having experienced the unpredictable changes of life and time, he recovered his composure and thought of the widespread disaster caused by the Ancestor Gods in the Five Regions, feeling only melancholy:

"The prosperity of the fleeting world is but fleeting smoke. I hope Sheng Futu zhi Cheng can be spared this calamity..."

Tiaoshengshan trembled, as if the world itself did.

"The mountain, it shook?"

"No, it didn't?"

"It seemed to..."

"An illusion?"

The two exchanged glances, their brows furrowed, then looked towards Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, their pupils suddenly dilating.

They saw that outside the giant city, a dark light suddenly shot up from beneath the earth, soaring into the sky, enveloping the entire boundless Sheng Futu zhi Cheng.

With a rumbling sound, the city's great protective array lit up instantly, Half-Saint and Saint Emperor powers flashing consecutively, activating to their highest level in an instant.

However, in just the blink of an eye, the towering dark light transformed into a blood-colored Taotie beast with skin tinged red, its head resembling a canine rhinoceros, ferocious and terrifying.

Its bloody maw opened, its fangs clashing, and the protective array instantly shattered. All the Saints in the city rose up, unleashing their full power, yet they were like ants trying to shake a tree; the monstrous beast remained unmoved.

"Boom!"

It bit down, swallowing everything.

The blood-colored monstrous beast plummeted back into the abyss.

It came and went in a hurry, as if completing an insignificant task, but...

"Gulp!"

Shi Ti's Adam's apple bobbed, and he took a sharp, cold breath.

He shook his head, wanting to part his lips and say something, but when his mouth opened, only trembling remained, an insane tremor.

He closed his mouth, blinked fiercely, and when he opened his eyes again, he looked intently, his face turning pale.

He rubbed his eyes again, rubbing them repeatedly, and looked a third time, refusing to believe. Then his entire body began to tremble violently, his back drenched in cold sweat.

"Sheng Futu zhi Cheng, it's gone..."

Dong Ling's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, her entire body shaking, filled with lingering fear.

One breath ago, the giant city was prosperous, eternally unchanging.

One breath later, the giant city vanished, like fleeting smoke.

Looking again, below Tiaoshengshan, the Dao laws were clearly severed. Forget the city, not even a single brick or tile remained, only a vast "blackness" and "nothingness."

"It's just, gone?!"

Shi Ti's scalp tingled, and he clutched his head in disbelief.

This was a hundred times? Ten thousand times? A hundred million times more serious than the Dan Pagoda being bombed?

There was simply no comparison!

How could the world's turmoil affect Sheng Futu zhi Cheng? What happened?

It could only be a clash of Ancestor Gods!

Earlier, the Ancestor God war seemed unrelated to the low-level spiritual masters.

He hadn't expected it to be so closely related. If he had been half a step slower today, or if he had stayed one more day in the city as Elder Zhao had suggested...

Shi Ti's teeth ached with fright, and his legs lost their strength.

How, how could this...

This couldn't even be described in words. Was this... real or fake?

"Am I dreaming?" Shi Ti froze, pinching the flesh of his thigh.

"Stop pinching, run!" Dong Ling grabbed Shi Ti and fled wildly into the distance, spitting out essence blood, not daring to look back even for a moment.

"Don't panic, don't panic, President Dong Ling, I can't breathe, let me catch my breath first..."

"Shut up, old man!"

"President Dong Ling, where are we... going?"

"Silingshan! Only Silingshan! The trans-regional array is no longer safe!"

"Don't rush, don't rush, President Dong Ling, take it slow..."

Shi Ti was someone who had seen big scenes. He still had Sang Qiye's letter talisman to ward off evil and ensure safety.

He firmly believed that "after surviving a great calamity, there will surely be good fortune."

Just then, a heartbreaking roar exploded from behind:

"Chiyin!!!"

Wow...

Shi Ti's pupils constricted, and he took a deep breath, screaming:

"President Dong Ling, please go faster!"

"Shut up, you old fool, I'm already going as fast as I can, don't distract me!" Dong Ling had even used her Blood Escape.

But...

No matter how fast, how could it compare to an Ancestor God?

From above the black hole behind them, a giant maw suddenly split open, instantly crossing the sky and reaching above Dong Ling.

Like spiders breaking out of eggs, dense roots shot out from within, climbing in all directions across the sky, then taking root.

"The world..."

"What?"

"President Dong Ling, have you ever seen an extra-dimensional space world..."

"Shut up!"

Shi Ti had lived his entire life and never dared approach an extra-dimensional space, nor had he ever seen one emerge.

He heard that they usually came with ghost beasts, starting at the Throne Dao Realm, requiring red-clothed cultivators to suppress them.

But this time, he didn't see ghost beasts, yet his eyes lit up with brilliant light, as if he had seen the most desired thing in his life.

"President Dong Ling!"

"What?"

"Cangqiong Divine Tree! Heavenly Fire!"

"Ah?"

"Heavenly Fire, so much Heavenly Fire, one, two, three... So beautiful! Wait, wait, it's all coming down on us!"