An Alliance with the Otherworld Ancestral God

The myriad heavens and countless worlds held too many secrets, but as time wore on, they would gradually be understood. The ancient scroll made from Ancestral Dragon skin bore secrets that might not yet be fully grasped, but the day of revelation was not far off—Xiao Chen believed this. Many of the artifacts depicted on the scroll had already manifested.

Inside the Kai Fu International Nightclub, Sha Polang had adapted to the rules of the mortal world. In the hazy, dimly lit private room, he threw back his head and howled, a dry, grating, piercing sound, yet the seductive women beside him clapped and praised him without end. Of course, Sha Polang knew his own limits; his welcome came from his lavish spending, not his singing.

Once, he had found a Heavenly Stele from the mortal world, which had deeply moved Xiao Chen. He decided to intensify the search to see if more could be uncovered, and naturally, this task fell to Sha Polang. These days, he had been living it up. He wandered between cities, never stinting himself, every night drowning in hedonism and debauchery.

The woman beside him was beautiful, with fair, delicate skin. She dutifully raised a crystal glass to the parched lips of Sha Polang, who gulped it down without hesitation.

Bang! The door burst open. A pale young man strode in, possessed of a sickly beauty, as though he had not seen sunlight in an age. A powerful cultivator! Sha Polang sensed his aura at once and froze. In this age after the destruction of the divine and demonic civilizations, such a figure was unexpected.

"All of you, leave..." Sha Polang dismissed the women while clutching the divine talisman Xiao Chen had given him. If anything went wrong, he could alert Xiao Chen instantly, for he sensed danger—he could not even gauge the man's depth. Yet in that moment, he caught a glint of contempt in the other's eyes, as if the man had already seen through his little trick.

"Who are you?" Sha Polang grew more cautious.

"The time for you to ask questions has not come. It is my turn," the pale young man said, shaking his head. He fixed his gaze on Sha Polang like a venomous snake. "Speak. Who are you?" His pupils shone with an eerie light, chillingly captivating in the dim room.

"To put it another way, I might have some history with your ancestors," Sha Polang hedged, not daring to claim direct descent, for he sensed the man's power and could not be sure he could suppress the pale youth. Still, displeasure rankled in his heart, so he phrased it delicately.

"You court death..." The pale youth shook his head. "If this were the old days, by the time you finished those words, you would already have turned to ash."

Bang! Sha Polang struck without warning. The Domain of White Bones manifested, a void-like space enveloping the man. Countless bone spears thrust forward to pierce him. In the absolute void, the youth did not move. He let the spears, which could shatter mountains and ridges, strike his body. Bone dust cascaded down as all the spear points crumbled to ash.

"Merely the Half-Ancestor realm? Far too weak." The pale youth shook his head gently, then pointed a finger. A blaze of radiance lashed out, binding Sha Polang tight.

"You... who are you? Which Ancestral God?"

The youth sat down and poured himself a glass of wine, looking down at Sha Polang lying on the carpet. "You ask only now? It's not too late. To be honest, I have been an enemy of your ancestors."

"Our ancestors... You... you are an Otherworld Ancestral God?" Sha Polang gasped.

"I was, but no longer." The youth sipped his wine. "Now then, little fellow, tell me your origins, the forces behind you, and how you survived. I know you are a cultivator of the Nine Provinces; I sense familiar energy fluctuations." He paused, then added coldly, "If you refuse to speak, I will simply search your soul myself." Eight ancient spears sprouted from his sides like spider legs, jabbing toward Sha Polang.

"Wait! I'll talk! You damned biscuit-head, at least give me a moment..." Sha Polang yelled.

The eight spears stopped just short of him. Cold sweat streamed down his face; he had not expected the other party to be so powerful. "I think we can have a proper discussion..."

His heart thundering, the youth grabbed him and flew directly out to sea, far from the nightclub. Even if Xiao Chen tried to find them, he would have no trail.

"Come, let us have a good talk."

Above the Kai Fu International Nightclub, Xiao Chen frowned. He sensed a familiar aura. "Who is that?"

Half an hour later, Sha Polang and the pale youth returned to the city, the former looking cocky and triumphant.

With a flash of light, Xiao Chen materialized in front of them, barring their way.

"Ha ha... Xiao Chen, you're here! Let me introduce a powerful ally," Sha Polang said, in excellent spirits, apparently having forgotten his capture earlier. "This is the Otherworld Ancestral God Babra—though now he stands on the same side as us."

"You..." Xiao Chen's eyes shot out twin beams of cold lightning.

The young man in the suit and leather shoes thrust eight long spears from his sides, and a scorpion tail curved upward behind him, tearing through his clothes. "Yes, it's me."

In the past, Xiao Chen had fought a bitter battle with the man in the Corpse River. Now, over a hundred thousand years later, Babra had long recovered his Ancestral God cultivation and had even broken through further.

"Find a place to talk," Xiao Chen said, and descended toward the city below.

In a private room, after setting up multiple layers of barriers, Xiao Chen finally sat down with Babra to speak. "I recall you were taken away by the Ancestral God Yan Huang in the Corpse Sea."

"That's right. He controlled me and left a brand on my spiritual sea, intending to use me against the Otherworld. But never once did he appear after the final battle."

What followed did not surprise Xiao Chen. Babra was cruel by nature, but he also had a vulnerable side. When he saw his wife's body desecrated and used by the Otherworld, his rage burned to take revenge. But he had kept silent for a full hundred thousand years, knowing that even if he recovered to the Ancestral God realm, he could never exact revenge against the Otherworld alone. Only an alliance offered hope.

A thousand-li dike can be destroyed by an ant's nest. Powers that are scorned can sometimes produce consequences beyond all reckoning—cataclysmic and unavoidable.

Babra decided to take Xiao Chen into the Otherworld itself, striking deep into its heartland to assassinate key powerhouses. He listed several strong opponents, some of whom had condensed ancient demonic cities and were currently in a deathly stillness. If they could slip inside now, it would be the perfect opportunity.

Xiao Chen was tempted. Eliminating the Otherworld's mid-rank strength had always been his goal. But he shook his head. "I've heard that the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps have descended over the Otherworld's home soil, guarded by the several Supreme Ancestral Gods. I would be a moth flying into the flame."

"Those fellows are all asleep and won't awaken anytime soon," Babra said, a cold light shimmering in his eyes. He was eager for Xiao Chen to go to the Otherworld to kill the strong, primarily for revenge—to eliminate those Ancestral Gods who had used his wife's body.

"Then tell me in detail about the Eternal King Mengdegang and the Reborn Female Saint King Zhenmu."

"You want to go after those two?" Babra sucked in a cold breath. "I'd advise you to save your strength. Those two are among the most powerful beneath the Supreme Ancestral Gods. Even if your cultivation has advanced greatly, I doubt you can do anything to them."

"That doesn't matter. Tell me everything about them."

At Xiao Chen's insistence, Babra described the two in detail, especially noting their fearsome abilities. "Fine..." Xiao Chen nodded as he listened. At last, he said, "I want to destroy the foundations of Female Saint King Zhenmu. Killing her would be very difficult, but preventing her from taking the final step seems very possible."

"You..." Babra felt that Xiao Chen was utterly mad. The peerless Female Saint King, undefeated beneath the Supreme Ancestral Gods, hailed as a Supreme Ancestral God reborn, and Xiao Chen thought to assassinate such a powerhouse? Truly insane.

"That woman deserves death!" Sha Polang ground his teeth, thinking of the Ancestral Gods' corpses left hanging from the Primordial Demonic City—an unbearable provocation.

Soon, the Little Defiant Dragon and the Nine-Headed Serpent arrived. After several rounds of secret discussion, Xiao Chen learned all he needed to know. "On the night of the full moon, her power is at its lowest... We must make good use of that."

"You really want to go against her? I have no desire to die," Babra said. He saw no hope of success.

"A reborn Supreme Ancestral God, a Female Saint King—she is not so fearsome. What I worry about is reinforcements arriving in the middle, someone like the Eternal King Mengdegang," Xiao Chen admitted.

Babra shook his head. "You really think you can overcome Female Saint King Zhenmu? If you truly have that kind of power, there's no need to worry. As long as you dare enter the space she has created, she will seal it to destroy you utterly. She wants your War Swords and won't let anyone else share the spoils."

"That would indeed be risky. If we enter her own world and cannot defeat her, breaking through the world barrier would be rather troublesome." Xiao Chen reconsidered.

"If you're not certain, don't gamble. That's my motto, and I give it to you as well." Babra did not claim to have affection for Xiao Chen; he simply did not want him to die now, because they needed each other.

Xiao Chen seemed to hesitate, then raised his head sharply, fixing his gaze on Babra. "I need your help."

"Hmph, I have no intention of throwing my life away. Don't even think about it." Babra refused at once. Having already survived one apocalypse, he cherished his current life. Only by living could he take revenge—he would never take an unnecessary risk.

"I'm not asking you to fight in person. I only... want to borrow half your divine soul."

"What?!" Babra's eyes shot open. He overturned the table; crystal bottles shattered, fine wine spilled across the floor, gleaming in the dim light and releasing a rich fragrance. "You want to move against me? Do you really think I'm so easy to kill?"

Eight ancient spears thrust out from his sides, and his scorpion tail rose high. He was ready to fight or flee.

"Don't misunderstand." Xiao Chen stayed relaxed, lounging on the sofa, waving a hand. "That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" Babra's eyes glinted coldly.

"Sit down and talk. Rest assured, I won't make an enemy of a powerful ally like you. You should know that in the future, when we enter the Otherworld's homeland, I still need you to guide me." As he spoke, a sparkling crystalline city appeared in Xiao Chen's palm, gleaming with dark light, like a beautiful work of art. "I need half your divine soul—or rather, your source power. You can withdraw your consciousness first, and I will return it afterward. In the meantime, I will leave this demonic city with you as a pledge. Back then, with only a wisp of divine awareness, you could restore yourself to the Ancestral God realm. Now I am only borrowing half your source power. I will mortgage this city, almost comparable to a king's divine city, in your hands. What do you have to fear? Frankly, you won't come out the loser in such an exchange."

Babra's gaze flickered. "Why do you need my source power?"

"That, I cannot reveal."

Half an hour later, Xiao Chen left satisfied, having placed the demonic city as collateral and taken half of Babra's source power.

The moment he had first seen Babra, Xiao Chen sensed an abnormal reaction from the Otherworld Dao imprint within his body. At his current realm, he had almost let the brand burst forth. There was no doubt: Babra was a direct descendant of that Great Dao. But Babra was a chess piece left by Yan Huang, perhaps of great use in the future. For now, Xiao Chen did not want to break openly with him, so he did not resort to force.

Deep in the Underground Ancestral Vein of Jinling City, Xiao Chen began to refine Babra's half of the source power, merging it with the Otherworld Dao brand to gain control over that Great Dao.

Ten days later, the moon was full and high, hanging like a white jade disc, bright and clean, scattering its rays over the sea like misty white light.

Xiao Chen, the Little Defiant Dragon, Sha Polang, and the Nine-Headed Serpent had come once more to the seas beyond the shore. This time, they meant to make a great move. Fully prepared, Xiao Chen did not want to return empty-handed.

The vast billows heaved; the moon's reflection shattered on the water's surface into a thousand pieces. In this gentle night, killing intent lurked in the shadows... Ahead, a stretch of space had formed a world of its own, seamlessly merging with the boundless sea and the bright moon.

There, a Primordial Demonic City towered. Black clouds rolled, killing intent shot up to the heavens. The gigantic city seemed to float on the sea, as majestic as a colossal mountain peak. Dark mist surged into the sky, blotting out the moon.

At each of the four city gates hung a War Sword. The great demonic city radiated overwhelming might. Inside dwelt the Reborn Female Saint King Zhenmu.

From afar, Xiao Chen handed the remnants of the Ancestral Lord Warship to Sha Polang and the Nine-Headed Serpent, instructing them not to approach but to stand by outside. Xiao Chen's imprint had been left on the Ancestral Lord Warship; it was a treasure for crossing the great world barriers. Should they encounter danger inside the sealed world, it would serve as a coordinate guiding their return. He also left the Pangu Stone Token with them to help conceal their auras. After all, their opponent was hailed as a reborn Supreme Ancestral God and Female Saint King; Xiao Chen had to be cautious and prepare thoroughly.

Then, Xiao Chen and the Little Defiant Dragon made no attempt to hide their auras. They strode directly toward the massive demonic city on the sea, treading the waves as though on solid ground. In the moonlight, the two appeared transcendent and otherworldly.

"So this time you appear openly, meaning you have prepared. But you are doomed to perish." The voice of Female Saint King Zhenmu rang out coldly from within the demonic city. In an instant, towering demonic clouds rushed up, completely swallowing the bright moon in the sky. An oppressive weight pressed down over the vast sea.

Inside the demonic city, corpses floated and sank. The old farmer's eyes remained wide open in death; Xiao Chen gazed from afar at the aged face, those eyes still unclosed. Mo Xiaowang and the stone statues were also lifelike. These fallen powerhouses had been hung here, their corpses desecrated—it touched a nerve of fury within Xiao Chen. But he held back, saying calmly, "Speak when you are truly capable of killing me."

Boom! The world lost its color, the wind and clouds shifted. The vast sea vanished. The Reborn Female Saint King had used her own world to seal everything, trapping Xiao Chen and his companion within.

"Impulse is a demon. Your momentary passion will only bring you eternal death."

From within the massive demonic city, a stone statue slowly grew, rising hundreds of feet above the city walls—a stone woman who, had she been flesh and blood, would certainly have been the most beautiful under heaven. The corpses of the old farmer, Mo Xiaowang, and others floated around her, slowly revolving, starkly contrasting with her transcendent, peerless bearing, creating a bizarrely eerie scene.

"It is too early to say who will live and who will die tonight," the Little Defiant Dragon said. He stamped out the Reverse Dragon Seven Steps, shaking the heavens. Beneath his feet, terrifying black fissures split open, stretching for dozens of li, spreading toward the demonic city before them.

"Dragon Clan battle technique—not bad. But you are still far from it..." The voice of Female Saint King Zhenmu, hailed as a reborn Supreme Ancestral God, was calm as an ancient well yet struck fear into the soul. "Let me teach you the true essence of the Dragon Clan."

With that, she gave a gentle tap. The corpse of Mo Xiaowang, one of the Twelve Zodiac War Ancestors, shot out from the city. His eyes suddenly flew open, shooting out two beams of green light. "Watch closely—this is true Dragon Clan battle technique..." Zhenmu's voice was cold and detached.

Mo Xiaowang stomped out the Reverse Dragon Seven Steps, charging forward. The sky split under his feet, mountains and rivers trembled, and the sealed space showed signs of collapse.

The ancient scroll rustled. Xiao Chen flicked it, and it cut across the heavens, blocking Mo Xiaowang's corpse.

"The essence of Dragon Clan battle techniques needs no explanation from you. You are nothing but plagiarizers. You have grown powerful simply by cultivating for eons, but in terms of Dragon Clan heart-method, even if you stole it long ago, you are far inferior to true dragons." Xiao Chen knew that the corpse of Mo Xiaowang was now possessed by Female Saint King Zhenmu, effectively her incarnation.

"The dead are already gone, yet they cannot rest in peace..." The Little Defiant Dragon's eyes blazed with cold light; he was genuinely angered.

Bang! At that moment, the corpse of the old farmer also flew out, its eyes wide with fury, facing Xiao Chen and his companion.

"Angry? They are merely corpses I am using. I am only making use of what would otherwise go to waste." Female Saint King Zhenmu's voice was clear and cold, composed and steady.

"Very well. There is nothing more to say. Today, I will tear out your foundations!" Xiao Chen shouted. Seeing the old farmer so defiled filled him with rage.

"Seal the four directions!"

Three Heavenly Marks burst forth, transforming into three colossal Heavenly Steles. Together with the ancient scroll, they shot forward, sealing the four quarters and surrounding the demonic city. Simultaneously, the Divine Diagram appeared, hazy above Xiao Chen's head. Then a sharp light flashed in his eyes. He gripped a stone jar the size of a palm, rubbing it slowly.