Chapter 1977: Demonic Barrier

In the high skies of the Northern Region, a cracking sound echoed as Daolian chains emerged.

One, two, three... a total of twelve chains appeared one after another, anchoring themselves on the barren wasteland, seemingly pulling at something with great force.

"Boom!"

Soon, the chains' pulling force took effect. The space cracked open, and an ancient, black sword tower slowly emerged from the shattered currents.

Whoosh, whoosh...

The wind howled, and surging resentment transformed into black demonic qi, spreading out furiously and dyeing half the sky. However, the Northern Region is vast and sparsely populated, so few people actually noticed this unusual phenomenon. Most were still focused on the image in their palms: Shen Yi's single strike crushing the head of the Demonic Ancestor's body.

"Defeated!"

"The Demonic Ancestor is defeated!"

Shen Yi, who had temporarily converted to Buddhism, displayed an astonishing burst of power. His combat style, with its extreme visual impact, and the shocking sensation of fist-to-flesh and club-to-flesh blows, made onlookers' hearts pound and their blood boil.

And it was at the moment the lid of the Taiyuan Mucan was sent flying that the sword tower settled in the Northern Region.

Unable to withstand the Demonic Ancestor's embrace, three black shadows shot out from the ancient black sword tower, accompanied by a soft call:

"Go, my children."

"Your era has arrived."

Three black figures landed one after another, each carrying a sword on their back, surrounded by swirling demonic qi. If familiar people were present, they would easily recognize that these three were Gu Qingyi, Xiao Wanfeng, and Lei Shuangxing, who had previously been summoned by the Sword Ancestor. However, they were vastly different from before; demonic flames flickered in their eyes, and even though Lei Shuangxing's eyes were tightly shut, faint black mist seeped from his eyelids.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

The Daolian chains swayed and gradually disappeared. They weren't gone, but rather began to bind with the Dao laws of Shengshén Dalu. The sword tower chose to be stationed in the Northern Region, and from the twelve wooden windows of its highest floor, one could vaguely see huge, monstrous ghost spirits inside, seemingly roaring or dancing. But after the initial few sounds, no more noises emanated from the tower.

Only after the three young figures at the base of the tower stood still, completely reining in their demonic qi, did the sword tower shoot down another beam of black light. This time, it was a scroll.

Gu Qingyi turned and caught it, his eyes, now free of any demonic qi, looking towards the sword tower. "Brother Xiao, Brother Lei..."

With a complex expression, he unrolled the scroll; it was a painting. The painting depicted night, with a silver moon hanging high, a solitary tower standing precariously, and a black figure standing at its peak—precisely the "Guan Yue Tu" that the Sword Ancestor had mentioned earlier. Of course, in the legends of the Five Regions, it had another name, which was also the origin of ancient sword arts: the "Shi Jian Zhen Lou Tu"!

Xiao Wanfeng and Lei Shuangxing merely glanced at the painting, their expressions unfazed. It was as if they had already comprehended the meaning within the painting and understood the profound implication of this bestowed scroll.

Gu Qingyi then put away the "Guan Yue Tu," hugged the "Hui" sword on his back to his chest, and looked south: "It's time to set off."

Xiao Wanfeng tilted his head in thought for a while, his brow slightly furrowed, but ultimately gained nothing. He reached out and summoned the "Shuo" sword, holding it in his hand, and likewise looked towards the Central Region, saying, "I'll lead the charge. Brother Gu, Brother Lei, help me cover the rear."

Lei Shuangxing grasped "Ren," his voice serene: "Please."

In Han Gong Dijìng.

Deep beneath the Han Gong Dongtian, inside the stone hall, a universe had long since formed on its own. The Zúshen Miefa Great Tribulation had reached its final stage. As the last bolt of lightning struck, the Demonic Ancestor's statue in the stone hall cracked and crumbled. Dust piled up before the prayer mat.

Yet, a black light shot out from the stone statue, injecting itself into the center of the forehead of the middle-aged man on the prayer mat who was undergoing tribulation, just as he completed his Dao.

"Buzz!"

Yue Gongqi's eyes snapped open, a black light flashing in them, and demonic qi surged around him. But in the blink of an eye, his consciousness returned to clarity, and there was no trace of demonic qi inside or outside his body, just like a normal person.

Boom!

The high heavens shook, and the tribulation clouds dispersed. The divine light descending from Pìjí Tàilái cleansed Yue Gongqi of mortal dust and shed his divine shell.

"Finally..."

Feeling his self elevate step by step, this freedom and unruliness of achieving Dao transcendence and breaking free from shackles deeply enchanted Yue Gongqi.

"The Ancestor of Han Gong shall be 'Han Zu'!"

Yue Gongqi swept his palm, and frost instantly covered the void. The sacred power on his Qihai Yuánjīng began to transform into Han Zu power, emitting an aura of the same level as the sacred power within the Yuánjīng.

"Done!"

Only at this point did Yue Gongqi rise from the prayer mat with satisfaction. After many years of secluded cultivation, he had finally broken through the shackles at this moment, truly becoming a consecrated ancestor with the Zúshen destiny. Not only had he cultivated his own Han Zu power, but when necessary, he could also draw energy from the sacred power within the already fallen Yuánjīng. Among the present Zúshen, who could rival him?

"Next, it's time for external conquest."

As the first Zúshen in the history of Han Gong Dijìng, he would unify the five great Shengdi families, especially Shengdi Beihuai, who had almost interrupted his consecration as an ancestor. He would then personally visit Shengshén Dalu to eliminate all nuisances, such as Taixu Xu Xiaoshou, who had sneaked into Han Gong Shengdi's Xixin Tan. Afterwards, he would recreate the Qiduan Jin and reshape the Dao laws of the Five Regions. Of course, the most crucial task was to find the remnants of the Sacred Ancestor's power.

"The other half of the Yuánjīng is in the Sheng Palace."

"And of course, the power lost after the Sacred Ancestor's demonization, primarily in the Demonic Ancestor's body. Let's obtain that first."

With one step, he broke through the stone hall.

Han Zu Yue Gongqi arrived in the high skies, only to see a devastated landscape below. More than half of Han Gong Dijìng had been severely damaged and utterly destroyed during the previous clash between Beihuai and Yao Zu.

"Hmph!"

A cold light flashed in Yue Gongqi's eyes; he had no intention of cleaning up the aftermath. Those matters could be issued as tasks later, to be handled by the Han Gong clan members. The immediate priority was to go to Shengshén Dalu and retrieve the Demonic Ancestor's body—this was the highest priority!

With a sweep of his divine sense, everything in the Five Regions entered his view. He hadn't expected the battle situation to change so quickly; the continent now had the bald monk's fighting power as its foremost.

"Yuan? Shen Yi?"

Yue Gongqi frowned, and soon realized it was a merged being, a cold smile playing on his lips as he disdainfully flicked his sleeve: "Hmph! A mere ant."

In the Western Region, the Great Desert.

In the rare desert oasis, where the Buddhist temple was located, a group of young monks were pacing anxiously.

"Abbot!"

"Not done yet? Is this demonic sword so difficult to refine?"

"Try harder, Big-Bellied Abbot, you can do it, you must wake up..."

The big-bellied Abbot Youxi was frowning, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed before a "Lu" sword. Golden wish power circulated around him, its ripples chaotic.

"Stay back, all of you."

There were many gray-robed monks nearby, who saw things more clearly than the young monks. Abbot Youxi's external heart projection was clearly in disarray, and it was evident that he was struggling with the demonic obstacle within the sword, but he was at a disadvantage. The older monks already felt a sense of unease. This sword's origin was unknown, its power terrifyingly strange, and even Abbot Youxi, a Shengdi, couldn't suppress it?

Just then, his external heart projection suddenly stilled, the golden wish power stopped fluctuating, and the wisps of black demonic qi swirling around Abbot Youxi seemed to be completely purified.

"Hoo..."

Abbot Youxi opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

"How is it?" a monk beside him asked. It looked like he had suppressed it, but he had clearly been at a disadvantage just now. How did the situation reverse so suddenly?

"Barely suppressed."

Abbot Youxi rose. He had a kind face, and even though he was somewhat troubled at the moment, he still gave off a cheerful impression. He stepped forward, pulled out the Lu sword, and tied it to his waist. Turning back to the excited young monks who were clapping and celebrating, he said, "You all wait here, don't run around."

"Big-Bellied Abbot, are you going out?" The young monks' joy paused as they realized something.

"Mm." Abbot Youxi nodded heavily, looking east, "I have to go out for a trip..."

"To do what?"

"To clear out remaining obstacles."

The Overlord's Star-Shattering strike shattered the Demonic Ancestor's body's head.

However, a warning bell rang in Shen Yi's heart. He didn't feel relieved; on the contrary, he felt as if a venomous snake was staring at him. Inside the Taiyuan Mucan, the Demonic Ancestor's head exploded into vast black mist—that was the power accumulated since his slumber, but a vital point had been punctured, allowing some qi to leak.

Demonic qi swirled, condensing into an illusory face in the nine heavens, sneering grimly: "Shen Yi, you have no chance."

Before the Overlord's strike, the Demonic Ancestor had wanted to negotiate with Shen Yi; this physical body was truly too perfect, he truly couldn't bear to kill it. After the Overlord's strike, like a dragon's inverse scale touched or a tiger's whiskers pulled, no matter how much the Demonic Ancestor liked it, Shen Yi was now someone who *must* be killed in his eyes.

"Amitābha."

Shen Yi had no mind for idle talk with him. The Overlord flipped in his hand, and with all his might, he slashed horizontally.

Overlord Second Form: Moon Cleaver.

This time, the Taiyuan Mucan shifted in time, even knowing it would be damaged, to block this attack for the Demonic Ancestor's body by positioning itself. With a crack, a fissure also appeared at the bottom of the coffin. Both the Taiyuan Mucan itself and the headless Demonic Ancestor's body within it were sent flying.

Shen Yi stomped his foot, space shattered, and he shot out, intending to follow. But at the same time, as if alerted, he twirled the Overlord at his waist, forcibly stopped his momentum in mid-air, and then raised his left palm to push towards the sky.

The sound arrived before the person. A violent roar exploded from beyond the heavens, like a god's wrath descending, a bolt from the blue: "Insolent wretch, how dare you damage the Sacred Ancestor's Three Weapons?"

This sudden sound struck many cultivators in the Five Regions like five thunders, their eardrums rupturing. When they struggled to look up, they saw vast ancestral power gathering in the high heavens, forming a giant hand that pressed down on Shen Yi from thin air.

"This is..."

This was truly unexpected. Besides the Demonic, Medicine, Calamity, Divine, and Cao Ancestors, were there other Zúshen in the current continent?

"Boom!"

The giant hand of ancestral power came down, and Shen Yi pushed up with one palm. One large and one small, one pure energy, one transformed from a force wave, they met with a gigantic roar, actually evenly matched?

Clearly, Shen Yi had the upper hand! The giant hand, condensed from frosty power, was shattered by Shen Yi's palm; only the residual ancient martial power dissipated as well.

"Hmm?"

A muffled groan came from high in the sky, seemingly in disbelief. Shen Yi, however, took advantage of the situation. After one palm, he leaped into the air, somersaulted, and the Overlord let out a long howl, pointing towards the sky. The force wave tore through space, forming a black light.

"Presumptuous!"

Above the clouds in the high heavens, different ancestral power manifested, this time condensed from pure Sacred Ancestor power. It transformed into a giant finger, striking down from the sky, and this time, it actually withstood the power of Shen Yi's strike.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate, the nine heavens rumbling and shaking. After a long time, in the twisted and shattered space, the two forces finally consumed each other and dissipated.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort came from the void, and a middle-aged man's figure appeared. Dressed in luxurious robes, he stood proudly in mid-air, radiating an ancestral aura that caused the Dao laws to fluctuate. His chin was slightly raised, his eyes holding both disdain and a hint of wariness. His left hand was hidden behind his waist, while his right hand was held before his abdomen, carrying an ice-blue long ruler.

The ruler was half a man's height, about a palm thick, radiating an icy cold qi. Its surface was engraved with dark red Dao patterns, like half-extinguished lava, accompanied by eighteen inlaid holes. However, there were no gems inlaid in the holes; they looked like deep, sunken eyes, and the dark red Dao patterns were the demonic patterns around the eyes.

"This ruler..."

An aura as powerful as the Taiyuan Mucan! If the Overlord didn't have the blessing of its own ancient martial power, it probably wouldn't compare. It was likely another one of the Sacred Ancestor's Three Weapons!

"Who are you?"

Shen Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, forced to halt his offensive. He shifted his gaze from the cold ruler to the middle-aged man, feeling a slight sense of familiarity. Who the person was didn't matter. What mattered was that his power perfectly matched the ruler, almost tailor-made, allowing for an extremely high burst of power. If this person hadn't been so arrogant, insisting on comparing one finger with his Overlord, and then having his finger tremble and hide behind his waist, had he initially revealed this ruler, Shen Yi's previous two attacks might not have gained much advantage.

And with this interruption, the Taiyuan Mucan, along with the Demonic Ancestor's body, had already escaped.

"Go!"

Shen Yi threw out the inverted Buddhist pagoda, using it to suppress the power of the Demonic Ancestor's body's head that he had just shattered. Escaping for a moment was not escaping forever. If the Demonic Ancestor's body had fled, and this person with the cold ruler had come to champion the Demonic Ancestor, it could only be at the Demonic Ancestor's instigation.

"Hmph!"

The middle-aged man suspended in mid-air let out another cold snort. It seemed that because he hadn't gained much advantage just now, he was finally willing to look at the bald man more closely, then glanced around the Five Regions, and declared arrogantly: "I am Han Zu, Yue Gongqi."

The Five Regions immediately erupted in an uproar. Han Zu, who was that? But the name "Yue Gongqi" sounded familiar, wasn't that the Shengdi of Han Gong?

"He, he became an Ancestor?"

"When did this happen? Why was there no Zúshen Miefa Great Tribulation, like Li Zu?"

"Wait, they're both surnamed Yue Gong... Isn't this Han Zu Li Zu's father? Two ancestors from one family, father and son both consecrated as gods? Hiss!"

Shen Yi finally remembered where he had seen that face. He had seen it on Yue Gongli's face.

"Your son is over there."

He gestured towards the direction of the术种, seeing no reaction from the newcomer, he knew his purpose. Looking at the cold ruler in Yue Gongqi's embrace, Shen Yi nodded in acknowledgment: "Nice ruler..."

Han Zu was amused to anger. This ruler, why would it need evaluation from an ant?

"This is one of the Sacred Ancestor's Three Weapons, the Xidao Xuan Ruler. It can extinguish all Dao laws and split a Zúshen's physical body." Yue Gongqi sneered, "You cannot withstand it!"

Shen Yi clearly hadn't finished speaking. After hearing the introduction of the Xuan Ruler, he looked at the newcomer and shook his head in denial: "The person, no."

Yue Gongqi's eyelids twitched violently, but he didn't rush to attack again. In the two previous clashes, the first time he used his newly born Han Zu power, and perhaps because it was newly born, he suffered a bit. The second time, he used Sacred Ancestor power, but unexpectedly, the power from the Yuánjīng could block the other's attack, yet his own body suffered some backlash. How could this brute have such power? His outburst could actually rival the power of the Yuánjīng? Since he wasn't a Zúshen, yet his power was already so formidable, hadn't the ancient martial arts declined? Why would such a freak appear?

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three whooshing sounds came from the north. Soon, three figures settled in the void, and these three faces caused a commotion in the Five Regions.

"Gu Qingyi, Xiao Wanfeng, Lei Shuangxing?"

"Didn't they enter the sword tower? They were summoned by the Sword Ancestor!"

"Are they, returned from cultivation? But how dare they intervene in this Zúshen battlefield? Have their sword cultivation driven them mad? This is Shen Yi!"

The three stood still. Shen Yi looked at the three young figures, thought for a moment, and asked, "Who are you here for?"

The three remained silent, each holding their sword, looking at Shen Yi. Shen Yi then understood their purpose, his gaze falling on the swords in their hands, seeing "Hui," "Shuo," and "Ren," and immediately smiled.

Very good, once again, the people are no good, but they bring divine artifacts.

"Amitābha."

A golden light descended from the west, and a big-bellied monk in a red kasaya appeared, also forming an encirclement, looking at Shen Yi.

"Who is this one again?"

The Five Regions were puzzled; they truly didn't recognize this monk.

Shen Yi turned helplessly, then his gaze suddenly fixed, and he murmured softly, "Senior Brother Youxi..."

"Amitābha."

"Stop with the Amitābha, are you here for me too?" Shen Yi said.

"No." The big-bellied monk shook his head: "This old monk is here to remove a demonic obstacle."

"Who is the demonic obstacle?"

"Benefactor, you are the demonic obstacle."

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