"Past, future, and the present are all illusions. With a single thought of mine, I can reach any era. Death and rebirth are of the same origin, the same law. To die is also to revive…!"
The lingering sound faded away once more.
Heaven and earth resonated, and all realms hummed gently as if bidding farewell to the Ancestral God Ling's departure, or perhaps welcoming his return.
Once the Ancestral God Ling completed the ritual of self-sacrifice, the void returned to its dead silence, leaving only the churning, pervasive mist and the radiant, blazing form of Mu Changqing standing tall.
"Future, past, present?"
Mu Changqing murmured.
The Ancestral God Ling's method of sacrifice was indeed different from that of the Ancestral God Demon, with certain variations.
This was a more extreme, more forbidden technique.
The Ancestral God Demon had merely sacrificed the myriad beings, sacrificed external things.
But the Ancestral God Ling sacrificed all of his own Dao and Dharma.
This method was too terrifying, too extreme.
Perhaps, this method could break the shackles from the Grey Ancestral Origin and achieve true transcendence.
However, it was obtained at the cost of life.
Even if he truly annihilated Mu Changqing, he himself would find it difficult to revive, and would be completely and eternally extinguished.
Of course, the Ancestral God Ling intended to burn his bridges, leaving no room for retreat.
If he truly defeated Mu Changqing, he would gain everything of Mu Changqing, revive once more, and achieve singular supremacy.
"Not bad ambition, but it seems you've underestimated me!"
Mu Changqing shook his head and spoke calmly to himself.
He did not believe that the great sacrifice method could defeat him.
At this moment, the dead silence of the void stirred with inexplicable ripples once more.
In the endless darkness, beneath the distant ages.
A vague silhouette slowly emerged.
The Ancestral God Ling sacrificed himself and revived once more from annihilation.
The sound of light footsteps echoed, and a vague figure, impossibly vast and endless, stepped through the heavens, walking from the land of silence.
In a flash, he crossed infinite time and space, returning to the present.
"My body has returned, breaking the shackles. This feeling is truly wonderful…!"
His soft words caused all realms to resonate, reaching Mu Changqing's ears, and also the ears of other Ancestral Gods.
Boundless ancestral radiance surged from him to the heavens, illuminating the ancient and modern ages.
His expression was calm, and he met Mu Changqing's gaze peacefully.
Yet, the battle intent within him churned, like clouds constantly steaming below a ten-thousand-zhang peak, rising higher and higher, striking the firmament, and shaking the vast expanse of ages.
"Mu Changqing, this battle is to the death."
The Ancestral God Ling spoke coldly, his voice shaking the Grey Ancestral Origin.
The other Ancestral Gods sensed it, looking towards the unknown regions, but were unable to locate the traces of the two.
"Damn Ling, why isolate all deduction, conceal yourself? Do you wish to devour the method of transcendence alone? Are you not afraid of breaking your teeth?"
"Hmph, that's a funny thing to say. If you were truly facing Mu Changqing, would you choose to reveal your whereabouts? That fellow would surely choose to use his ultimate trump card, seal the heavens and earth, and fight to the death, succeeding or perishing."
Upon hearing this, the blurry figure fell silent.
As Ancestral Gods, they naturally possessed their own pride as the strong.
The strong who had suppressed the myriad realms for endless ages, who had not possessed ultimate trump cards, who would fear death?
They sought transcendence, and on the path of cultivation, they also sought ultimate transformation, to replace the Ancestral Origin and become the singular supreme.
"Alas, that makes sense. The method of singular transcendence is the last opportunity. Who would choose to share it? Otherwise, when the seven ancestors gathered, they would have already moved to kill him.
"We have no other choice either. If I were to face him alone, I would also choose to go all in. After all… time is running out, and he is about to awaken."
As he spoke, another blurry figure looked towards a distant place, or perhaps towards the depths of the Grey Ancestral Origin mist.
His expression held a trace of apprehension.
Upon hearing this, another blurry figure fell silent.
After a long while, he sighed softly and said.
"Enough, why force it? If Ling succeeds, perhaps we too will be unharmed, merely losing the opportunity for transcendence."
"Life and death hold no meaning for us."
Shaking his head, the blurry figure took a step and vanished from his spot.
…
At this moment, the Ancestral God Ling had shed all emotion, his expression exceedingly indifferent.
He slowly raised his hand, the heavens and earth in his palm.
As his palm descended, rolling purple mist surged from heaven and earth, separated by his power that surpassed the Ancestral God level, creating a vacuum.
"Crush the myriad worlds with my palm, suppress them!"
The Ancestral God Ling spoke indifferently, suppressing all realms with one hand.
He attacked Mu Changqing!
Mu Changqing looked up, gazing at the colossal palm that carried the might of all worlds and surpassed the power of an Ancestral God.
The terrifying pressure annihilated all matter in the void, and the myriad realms rose and fell within his palm.
Though it appeared slow, it was fast beyond the concept of time and space.
"Very strong. If I had encountered you before my transformation, perhaps I would have had no way to deal with you."
Mu Changqing spoke, offering a word of praise.
Then, he waved his right hand, his loose sleeves fluttering in the wind.
He swung towards the colossal palm that blotted out the sun and moon.
In an instant, the purple Ancestral Origin trembled, and the dense mist, so thick it seemed to drip, surged outwards, charging towards the heavens.
The mist filled the sky, carrying the might of the new Ancestral Origin.
The colossal palm covered the world but could not escape the essence of the Grey Ancestral Origin.
Upon impact, boundless immortal light erupted, so brilliant it was impossible to look at directly.
The sound of the collision was incredibly powerful, causing all realms and all spaces to fall silent for a moment, losing all sound.
The residual force swept in all directions, and except for the two of them, all derivative things instantly returned to a state of dead silence.
The terrifying storm caused Mu Changqing's thick black hair to fly backward, but his body remained rooted to the spot, unmoved.
"Not powerful enough. Let me add some fire."
Mu Changqing spoke indifferently, flicking his sleeves, his hand forming a claw shape, pointing towards the depths of the purple Ancestral Origin.
Infinite meridians and latitudes sensed it, cutting through the darkness.
The number of lights was incalculable, like shooting stars streaking across the sky, converging into a sword that suppressed all realms and landed in Mu Changqing's hand.
From beginning to end, Mu Changqing's favorite weapon was the sword.
If a reason was needed, it was… coolness!
The Ancestral God Ling sensed it, his expression chilling slightly.
He directly conjured a grand scene of flower and grass plains with his thoughts, majestically suspended above all realms.
"Suppress the world!"
Between these colossal flower and grass plains, whose shores were unseen, streams of ancestral radiance transformed into chains, connecting and converging to form a terrifying killing and suppressing field.
Brilliant ancestral patterns bound all surrounding time and space.
Boundless might, dazzling and colorful, struck Mu Changqing's true form.
Mu Changqing's eyes opened and closed, the power of the Ancestral Origin flowing within him.
Holding his sword, he cut through space, and the endless great mist coiled and followed.
As the sword light grew more distant, the immortal light of all realms erupted, like flowers of time, detonating one after another with a deafening roar.
Boundless might boomed, the most earth-shattering sword light, even a sliver of it could obliterate past and future ages, turning a page of ancient history.
Bizarre substances poured from the sword light, devouring the killing and suppressing field constructed from those flower and grass plains.
The purple Ancestral Origin sensed it and vibrated once more.
Rolling mist surged out, inexhaustible, boundless, and magnificent, never to dry up.
Like a torrent of worlds, it charged against the heavens, making the sword light eternally undying.
"If this is all you have, then it's time to end."
Mu Changqing spoke indifferently, as domineering as ever, looking down upon all realms, a peerless opponent in the eyes of the world.