Chapter 583: Ants Shaking the Blue Sky, Fall, Breakthrough

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The first to suffer was Demon Lord Liantian.

In the Chaotic Layer of the Ice Prison Realm, as the area closest to the world barrier, it was the first place the master and disciple of the Void Dao Sect passed through.

Decades passed.

Demon Lord Liantian was still attempting to use the power of chaos to refine the essence of the Demon of Life, then neutralize the risk with world energy obtained through the Dao of Heaven Refinement. He aimed to reach that legendary realm. However, even if he had calculated every step and even considered the rules of immortals, intending to use the power of ancient demons to counteract them, he didn't seek to completely break free from the rules' restraints. He just needed a small opening to accommodate himself, an anomaly. The rules targeted the entire world, not just him.

Therefore, his deduction was logically possible, but the problem was... he didn't understand the rules or the mighty power of immortals. Seeing only a small part, he easily overlooked the true nature of things, which then created a chain reaction. He was stuck at the final step; he believed his demonic energy, spiritual power, and comprehension of space had all met the requirements for a breakthrough. What should have been a smooth breakthrough process was forcefully halted at the very last stage.

Until now, the intensity of the chaotic energy had gradually surpassed the continuously depleting power of the Demon of Life. If he continued, he might be refined by the chaos into world energy instead. Whatever he had taken, he would return entirely to heaven and earth upon death.

Daoist Kongkong swept past the area with his disciple, casually dropping his 'inferior' apprentice, and transmitted a message into his ear: "Deal with Liantian, then Wang Yu. That boy from the East Sea is heading to Jinchancheng. You don't have much time, so make it quick. I need to suppress the ancient demon immediately."

A purple sword light quickly streaked past, without slowing or stopping. Zhong Ying, the current Prison King Spirit Official and the youngest disciple of the Void Dao Sect, nodded gravely. His gaze then met that of Demon Lord Liantian at the edge of the chaos. He grinned.

"Liantian, we meet again."

Liantian, in the midst of his breakthrough, looked displeased. He said with a mix of resignation and helplessness, "Given your abilities, you shouldn't have been able to find me. So... that escape light just now was a Dao Integration expert?"

"My master, the previous Prison King Spirit Official."

"I see." Liantian regained his composure. "You've come to kill me?"

"Naturally."

After performing the Secret Art of Wedding Garment, Zhong Ying's cultivation had dropped to the middle stage of Void Refinement. It wasn't something he could recover from quickly; he would have to cultivate it back up. But this was a true one-on-one, without schemes or calculations, only a direct, physical confrontation. The outcome was clear: Liantian's chances of defeat were nearly one hundred percent.

"This isn't the outcome I envisioned. The Myriad Dao of the Heavens... I also wished to witness them."

"The Immortal Palace has no shortage of geniuses like you."

"Yes... that's right. The Immortal Palace has never truly taken you seriously either. But you have a sect and a master who values you, which is why you can sit high above the clouds and look down on an ant like me."

Zhong Ying listened to Liantian's self-deprecating words, yet he detected a hint of mockery, and a subtle unease crept into his heart. He reached out. The Void Banner's true form appeared in his hand. This top-grade sixth-tier spirit treasure was his fated weapon, and one of its most powerful functions was called the Myriad Void Shadow Divine Banner! Simply put, this treasure possessed the ability to create clones. It could be used to set up formations, slay enemies, seal, manipulate space, and connect different spatial nodes. While its direct offensive power wasn't top-tier, its versatility was extremely comprehensive.

"I sense your unwillingness. What... do you still intend to use the World-Destroying Divine Light of the Chaos Heaven Pivot Warship? With your current power, you can't even activate it."

"—Indeed!" Demon Lord Liantian gave a carefree smile, as if relieved or liberated. He suddenly burst into laughter:

"Though an ant is small, a flap of its wings can stir up a storm. Though the sky is high, firm resolve can eventually reach its peak. Let no one mock the ant's humble form; it dares to prove its mettle against the heavens. A single foot of demonic heart illuminates sun and moon, refining gu, refining humans... and refining the heavens!"

In an instant, chaos surged. Demon Lord Liantian, using his own body as a pivot, frantically absorbed chaotic energy, while the Chaos Heaven Pivot Warship, emerging from his Cosmos Ring, visibly accumulated World-Destroying Divine Light. Having exhausted all his tricks, he could only choose mutual destruction to prove that even an ant's wrath could overturn the heavens!

The quality of his Spirit Transformation power was insufficient. But world energy could, and similarly, high-quality chaotic energy could also serve as an energy source to power the World-Destroying Warship, even if his body would completely decay and perish from the chaotic impact afterward. He would have no regrets. From the moment he set his plan, he had accepted that failure meant sacrifice. If he couldn't break through the rules of immortals, he couldn't possess the strength of the Void Refinement stage. Under the resulting chain reaction, he couldn't contend with Zhong Ying, let alone that troublesome Dao Integration expert. A glorious death was the final outcome he chose for himself. Regardless of his past life, at that moment, he was the most resolute and ambitious hero in the world.

"Damn it." Zhong Ying fiercely struck the Void Banner into the ground. An image of a sub-banner quickly appeared in a distant location. The two communicated, opening a spatial wormhole, and he swiftly darted inside.

"It's useless."

"—Great Annihilation Chaos World-Exterminating Heavenly Light!!!"

Amidst the endless light, Demon Lord Liantian's body rapidly turned to dust, his spirit disintegrating synchronously, finally becoming an invisible speck of light that vanished without a trace. This was the true spirit, the most fundamental essence of life; reincarnation was the transmigration of the true spirit. One of the Ice Prison Realm's two most formidable figures at its peak, he died carelessly in an unknown corner. A generation's Demon Lord had fallen. No one mourned, no one grieved, and no one even knew.

"Ahhhhh!"

In the Ice Prison Realm, Ancient Chaos East Sea.

Zhong Ying lay sprawled on an unnamed desolate island, most of his magic treasures destroyed. His fated spirit treasure, the Void Banner, was also billowing black smoke, with half of its void dao patterns on its surface gone. He was severely weakened. His physical body was even more severely damaged, with half of it reduced to a mixture of bone fragments and flesh, unrecognizable as human. That he survived the Great Annihilation Chaos World-Exterminating Heavenly Light was due to the profound secret arts of the Void Dao Sect. If he had been in the Black Sea World of the World-Suppressing Tortoise... he would have been long dead.

"Damn that world-destroying warship, damn Liantian!" Being attacked by such an overpowered treasure was not his fault. Instead, it was the enemy's unreasonable 'cheat code' that wounded his spirit, making him resent Cangxue Dragon Lord as well. If not for this first Human Emperor from the Demon Prison, he wouldn't have been so unlucky.

After checking his injuries and realizing he could only barely exert the power of the early Void Refinement stage, his headache intensified. Wang Yu was no minor character. He might possess a destiny that surpassed the Ice Prison Realm's standards. Otherwise, it was impossible to explain how he cultivated such combat power. For caution, he endured the pain and took a top-grade sixth-tier Vitality Creation Pill. His body rapidly returned to normal, although the power of the World-Exterminating Heavenly Light still lingered within him. Nevertheless, he could now exert the strength of the fourth layer of Void Refinement. Against Wang Yu, that was enough!

Meanwhile, in the Crimson Kite Domain, Blood Abyss Secret Realm.

After the Demon of Life swallowed the Blood Demon's carcass, its physical body began to proliferate wildly. Unlike the energy structure of a dharma idol, this was a true giant's body, thousands of feet tall. No matter how disgusting or terrifying its appearance was, it genuinely possessed power far exceeding the Spirit Transformation realm. The Blood Demon's carcass transformed into a blood-red rhombus crystal, embedded in the chest of the flesh-and-blood dharma idol. Given that their realms were fundamentally not far apart, even the Demon of Life couldn't instantly digest the Blood Demon's carcass. It could only use a semi-embedded, semi-fused method to absorb the Blood Demon's power, thereby surpassing the limits of Spirit Transformation. This granted it temporary power beyond the rules. The method and Liantian's logic were very similar. However, this was something only ancient demons could achieve. The essence of their power was stronger than chaos, allowing for temporary transcendence to circumvent the rules, so it wasn't entirely without a chance.

Meanwhile, the Blood Demon's attendants—the Spirit-Reversing Blood Sect Master, a Spirit Transformation cultivator self-proclaimed as the Blood Demon Palace Lord, along with Fuling and Miaozhen, two early Spirit Transformation sword cultivators who were similarly twisted and corrupted—stood by. The flesh-and-blood dharma idol, the incarnation of the Ancient Demon of Life, didn't hesitate. It reached out and absorbed the three into its body, fundamentally devouring and extracting them. In just a short moment, the flesh giant's arms transformed into two massive flesh swords. The sea of blood beneath its feet surged into its body, forming a crystal-like crimson armor. Its calm gaze fixed on the sky beyond. There... a streak of purple light was rapidly approaching.

"Demon, how dare you act so presumptuously!"

Boom—

With a loud explosion, the entire Blood Abyss Secret Realm shattered. The flesh giant and Daoist Kongkong escaped into the spatial turbulence, as void sword qi and flesh greatswords clashed, continuously destroying the surrounding environment. The aftermath of the powerful combatants' clash was arguably the most destructive disaster in the world. In less than three rounds, an entire layer of the Blood Abyss Continent was 'peeled off'. The Spirit-Reversing Blood Sect's mountain gate, not far away, collapsed with a crash. What magnificent formation, what sect-protecting grand array? They were utterly meaningless. Everything was being destroyed.

Daoist Kongkong's expression turned slightly grim. He didn't want to refine the spirits of heaven and earth to suppress the ancient demon, as some predecessors in his lineage had done. While such a method could protect the stability within the world, it also put oneself in absolute danger. This time... even if it meant the collapse of heaven and earth, he would subdue his opponent with his strength. And the restrictions imposed by immortal rules on ancient demons were his key to victory.

He took a deep breath. His Void Dharma Sword multiplied into thousands, forming three sword wheels that distorted the surrounding space as they spun rapidly, seemingly drawing even more spatial power from it. All of it became the foundation of the sword wheels, and then, they slashed down towards the flesh giant! A full-power strike from a Dao Integration cultivator naturally caused the flesh giant to disintegrate. Deformed flesh scattered chaotically, blood rained down, and a twisted, aberrant demonic life force dispersed with it.

This enraged the Ancient Demon of Life. From its dismembered carcass, countless slender female arms grew, forming mysterious and eerie demonic seals. Daoist Kongkong's expression stiffened. He felt his body surprisingly producing a sense of rebellion, with new consciousnesses brewing in his flesh. Every piece of his flesh was resisting him, its master.

"What a strange ability..."

"Profound Sword Heart Art, suppress!"

The rustling sounds in his mind faded, and the anomaly in his body began to subside. But the Ancient Demon of Life seized this opportune moment to restore its flesh-and-blood dharma idol to completeness. Its ultra-high-speed regeneration ability was like flesh that could never be entirely cut away. It even grew more deformed flesh, forcibly engulfing the three sword wheels. It intended to devour the opponent's spirit treasures.

"Fool." Daoist Kongkong's sword art shifted. A spatial vortex suddenly opened behind him, from which immense world power surged forth to empower him. This was one of the profound mysteries of a Grotto-Heaven. In this state, a cultivator didn't rely on external sources. His magic power could be considered inexhaustible. He could unleash more powerful divine abilities without restraint.

"Void Sword Scripture—World of Swords!"

An invisible ripple enveloped the Demon of Life. In its perception, everything in the world seemed to have transformed into sharp sword blades, constantly radiating malice towards it. They ferociously and wantonly cut its body. Like a butcher dismembering an ox, in the blink of an eye, only a skeleton remained. Sword blades formed from condensed air still drilled into its joints, intending to completely dismember it.

At the same time, a vast, dark seal appeared overhead. It was the Prison King Seal. This was a symbol of authority personally refined by an immortal, enabling its wielder to bypass the restrictions of immortal rules and also mobilize more rule-based power to suppress ancient demons. It was considered a kind of exclusive artifact of the Ice Prison Realm.

The Demon of Life was unwilling to yield. It roared towards the sky, then actively split its skeletal body. Infinite blood surged from its bones, quickly shielding it from the rule-based immortal light cast by the Prison King Seal. Daoist Kongkong frowned deeply.

"Blood Sea Shrouding Heaven Spell? A Blood Demon's divine ability..."

Before he could devise a counter-strategy, a demonic stele suddenly rose from the sea of blood. The primordial demonic patterns carved on it were the origin of demonic cultivation. This technique... was called the Ancient Demon Heaven-Suppressing Stele! It had once gained fame across the Myriad Worlds in the Human-Demon Battlefield. Its effect was singular: to diminish one's cultivation!

As the demonic stele stood firm, Daoist Kongkong felt his cultivation rapidly decline, quickly falling from the early Dao Integration stage to the peak of Void Refinement. If the opponent had been at full strength, this divine ability would have been enough to reduce him to a mortal.

"This couldn't continue." With a thought, he commanded, "Prison King Seal—Suppress Demon!" The immortal light scattered by the seal suddenly converged into a beam, shining directly onto the demonic stele. A sizzling sound instantly arose, like a red-hot iron falling into ice water.

The moment the demonic stele was suppressed by the immortal light, a bloody light suddenly shot out from the sea of blood. The Blood Demon Soul Extinguishing Needle! Needle-type divine abilities and magic treasures were universally recognized in the cultivation world as the most difficult to master, and their power was naturally among the best of all methods. They were especially effective for surprise attacks. The newly formed consciousness of the Demon of Life, realizing it couldn't win a direct fight, quickly decided to use its superior regenerative abilities for a war of attrition. In fact, both the Demon of Life and the Blood Demon were infamous immortal demons of the demonic race—unbeatable and quick to recover. After these two ancient demons, already skilled in their respective paths, merged into one, their immortality almost reached its peak.

Struck by the surprise attack of the Blood Demon Needle, Daoist Kongkong cried out. A bloody hole appeared on his shoulder, from which dense demonic energy flowed, continuously eroding his dharma body. He appeared significantly injured.

Below the sea of blood, the Demon of Life murmured, "Feigning weakness?" Its nascent consciousness, rapidly growing during the fierce battle, easily saw through the opponent's scheme.

"Hmph, just as planned then."

At the same time, while the battle raged intensely here, Wang Yu had already returned to Jinchancheng, having just finished telling Yan Ling about the Phoenix Clan's racial memories. Whether she would actively enter the Parasol Tree Realm was entirely up to her. Immediately after, he began his breakthrough cultivation. Give him a few days, and reaching the fifth layer of Spirit Transformation would be a natural progression!