Severing the Foundations of a Saint

The stone jar in Xiao Chen's hand flickered with baleful light. The mark imprinted upon it suddenly bulged, and a stone body stepped forth, appearing before Xiao Chen.

This was the result of his many days studying the stone jar—the key to controlling the Stone Man King puppet. It was his greatest reliance in coming here to kill the Truewood Female Saint.

With a thunderous rumble, the mighty Stone Man King puppet soared into the sky, hanging over the Primordial Demon City like a war demon, like an invincible War King surveying the world.

Shadows shot upward from below. The corpses of the Old Farmer and Mo Xiaowang, controlled by the Truewood Female Saint, charged up as well. At the same time, the stone statues within the Primordial Demon City trembled and rose into the air. If all these incarnations were unleashed at once, Xiao Chen and the Little Defiant Dragon would be overwhelmed, and the battle would become extremely troublesome.

The powerful Stone Man King puppet was unmatched in divine might. It directly extended a great hand, blotting out half the sky.

The supreme combat fluctuations instantly twisted this world, nearly causing it to collapse. Every shadow that charged up was brutally knocked down.

Overwhelming and irresistible! Not a single corpse could ascend. The Stone Man King puppet sealed the heavens, its formidable power covering the entire sky above the demon city.

At the same time, three colossal Heavenly Steles soared into the clouds, and the ancient scroll rustled as it sealed one direction. All four sides were locked down, cutting off the Truewood Female Saint's connection to other worlds. She was greatly shocked.

"Break!"

The Primordial Demon City shook, trying to pull itself free from this place.

Divine light swirled, mist gathered. The divine diagram above Xiao Chen's head vanished instantly and reappeared beneath the foundation of the majestic city. Overwhelming pressure surged upward, sealing the space below the giant city.

All of this happened in an instant, too fast for thought.

Xiao Chen had no intention of personally confronting the Truewood Female Saint. Therefore, he sealed the space as quickly as possible, locking down the Primordial Demon City.

"Sweep the six directions, trample the eight wastelands! Heaven collapses, earth splits, all four quarters shattered—break for me!"

The Truewood Female Saint's voice rang clearly from within the sealed space. The majestic city shook violently, trying to break free from its predicament.

The Heavenly Steles trembled. The ancient scroll resounded. The divine diagram turned. The Stone Man King puppet quaked.

One could imagine how powerful the Truewood Female Saint was. The colossal Primordial Demon City showed signs of breaking free.

The first to strike was not the Heavenly Steles or the ancient scroll, but the Stone Man King puppet. It must be said that this was a formidable killing machine. Though it had lost its consciousness, it was born for battle. Its War King domain emerged, and a single punch hammered down, causing the demon city below to rumble as if it might shatter.

This was the greatest threat to the Truewood Female Saint. The other sacred objects only sealed the area and could not yet unleash their full terrifying divine power, but the Stone Man King puppet was different—it posed an extreme threat to her.

Divine light shot into the sky. A beam of Eternal Light surged from the body of the stone woman within the city. Her consciousness attached itself to it, trying to break through and deal with the divine consciousness within the Stone Man King puppet.

A heavy thud sounded. The Stone Man King puppet's Battle King domain covered the sky, annihilating all laws. It completely suppressed the Eternal Light that charged upward, then punched, shattering it.

Below, the Truewood Female Saint's divine consciousness trembled, spiraling down with dazzling brilliance. She had not expected this living corpse to be so terrifying. Originally, she thought that even against the Stone Man King puppet, her powerful divine consciousness could cunningly overcome it. But she had underestimated the puppet.

This was simply a War God. The combat power contained within that stone body stunned her.

"Who refined such a king into a puppet? Truly terrifying." Even someone as powerful as the Truewood Female Saint could only mutter this.

"Universe, primordial, heaven and earth, dark and profound! Ten thousand methods, ancient divine laws—kill! Great annihilation!"

The Truewood Female Saint no longer focused on the Stone Man King puppet. Instead, she directly attacked the four Heavenly Steles and the ancient scroll, trying to break out.

A thousand divine laws, ten thousand divine arts, swept in all directions. The Truewood Female Saint, known as the reincarnated Ancestral Mother and Saint King, was naturally supremely powerful—undefeated beneath the level of Ancestral Gods.

In that moment, vast divine power surged like the Milky Way cascading down, like stars falling, sweeping through ten thousand ages.

The great demon city shook violently. Tens of thousands of black rays shot out. The three Heavenly Steles rumbled as if about to descend. The ancient scroll trembled incessantly, like a river of ages, as if it might flow away forever.

Xiao Chen, who had been sitting cross-legged in the void, jolted and nearly fell. But he quickly stabilized himself. Beside him, the Little Defiant Dragon extended a hand, channeling endless divine power into Xiao Chen's body to help steady his consciousness.

Fortunately, Xiao Chen had not directly exchanged blows with the Truewood Female Saint. This scene showed everything—this Saint King's power had reached an astonishing level.

It must be noted that the Heavenly Marks, ancient scroll, and other treasures were practically heaven-defying war treasures. Even if Xiao Chen could not wield them to their fullest, they held astonishing divine power. That so many ancient treasures could not fully suppress the Truewood Female Saint showed how terrifying this female stone being was.

At this moment, with the Little Defiant Dragon's help, Xiao Chen finally stabilized his consciousness. His entire body blazed with light, like a jade carving. The Heavenly Stele Profound Art operated rapidly, and the three Heavenly Marks stabilized, guarding the three directions.

At the same time, the five great Dao imprints within the ancient scroll seemed to awaken, slowly emerging and pressing down toward the city.

Then, the divine diagram beneath the foundations of the Primordial Demon City shook without cease. Terrifying power tried to tear the demon city apart, making the majestic city tremble like a volcano about to erupt.

Even more terrifying was that the Stone Man King puppet above the sky drove its Battle King domain downward, slowly descending, wanting to enter the city and destroy everything!

Above and below, in all four directions—unimaginable power. If this were an ordinary Stone Man's city, it would have already split apart under such pressure.

But the Truewood Female Saint had surpassed the ordinary among Stone Men, finding no equal beneath the level of Ancestral Gods. She firmly withstood the immense pressure. Though the demon city shook, it glowed with hazy light, growing stronger and hard to shatter.

She displayed methods that shook the ages, resisting so many sacred objects and powers without showing signs of defeat. In fact, she was gathering strength, preparing to counterattack.

Xiao Chen and the Little Defiant Dragon both drew in cold air. This woman was too terrifying. The rumors had not exaggerated her strength.

This world shook without cease. The Truewood Female Saint's Primordial Demon City bore enormous pressure, yet grew more solid and radiant. She unleashed her full potential.

It was a shocking scene—a Stone Man who had not taken the final step withstood the fierce assault of sacred items, including the Stone Man King puppet. Such methods were astonishing!

However, very few people knew what was happening at this moment.

Someone was indeed shocked, but not by the Truewood Female Saint's methods—rather by Xiao Chen's strength.

Babra stood on the moonlit sea, staring at the sealed space ahead. From such a close distance, he could feel the terrifying energy fluctuations within the world's barrier.

"He can actually contend with the Truewood Female Saint…" Babra was stunned. For a moment, he seemed to experience ten thousand years, recalling many past events.

Within the world created by the Truewood Female Saint, the battle had reached a fever pitch. Even the Saint King had not expected this outcome—she was actually trapped.

All four directions and above and below were sealed. It was very difficult to break through. Each of the Heavenly Steles, the ancient scroll, the divine diagram, and the Stone Man King puppet had the power to suppress a world.

However, though the majestic demon city was sealed, the battle was far from over.

The Truewood Female Saint began a powerful counterattack. The four War Swords hanging at the four gates of the city shook violently, shooting out four beams of astonishing light.

"Slay, Extinguish, Trap, Immortal-Slaying!"

As the four cold words were uttered, the four War Swords transformed into four Ancestral Dragons, shaking the four directions.

Xiao Chen sat cross-legged in the void, motionless, his divine consciousness immersed in the Heavenly Steles, ancient scroll, and divine diagram. He carefully controlled them, continuously channeling divine power to contend with the Truewood Female Saint.

Boom, boom, boom!

The Heavenly Steles shook. The ancient scroll trembled. The divine diagram grew hazy. This world was on the verge of collapse. The powerful divine force, passing through the sealing power, shattered the great world's barriers.

"Not good!" the Little Defiant Dragon exclaimed in alarm. "This way, the Otherworld Ancestral Gods will soon learn of this and come to rescue her!"

In that instant, the world the Truewood Female Saint had created completely collapsed. The sealed Primordial Demon City, Xiao Chen, and the others all appeared. The overwhelming aura instantly spread across the Nine Provinces.

In that moment, the bustling cities fell silent, as if struck mute. Everyone felt a soul-shuddering terror. The world became utterly still, everyone like clay statues, experiencing a great dread.

Babra, standing in the distant sky, gazed at the massive silhouette that had emerged. He was deeply shaken. The Truewood Female Saint's demon city had actually been sealed inside! He felt this was unreal.

At the same time, the Otherworld Ancestral Gods walking in the Nine Provinces all sensed the aura here. Even a Supreme Ancestral God opened his eyes and charged over in an instant.

"Open!"

At that moment, Xiao Chen pressed toward Sha Polang and the Nine-Headed Serpent with the sacred items suppressing the demon city. The Ancestral Lord Warship still bore his spiritual imprint. In a flash, he opened the great world's barrier, wrapped them up, along with the temporarily sealed majestic city, and entered the Death World.

Sealing the Truewood Female Saint's demon city and then bringing it to the Death World had been Xiao Chen's plan all along. Waging such a massive war in the Nine Provinces was far too dangerous.

Boom!

The Death World shook as the demon city descended. The disturbance spread far and wide. Besides Xiao Chen and the others, Babra also followed, because just now he had sensed a Supreme Ancestral God from the Otherworld rushing toward that sea region. If he did not follow, it would be hard to evade.

The Truewood Female Saint was in a difficult position. Having not taken the final step, she could not leave the giant city. Bound and constrained, she could not unleash her ultimate strength.

She was genuinely enraged. Xiao Chen's methods had exceeded her expectations. The little War Ancestor from before had become a Ninth Heaven Ancestral God and grasped such means.

But what surprised her most was the Stone Man King puppet, which posed a grave threat.

At this moment, the Stone Man King puppet had fully descended into the demon city, wreaking havoc, destroying the ancient city, trying to force her out.

Clang!

The four War Swords under the Truewood Female Saint's control shook simultaneously and flew out of the city. The great divine diagram was summoning them. Though the Truewood Female Saint had left some imprints on the swords with secret techniques, she could no longer control them.

"Xiao Chen, I will kill you!"

Within the Primordial Demon City, the Truewood Female Saint's eyes shot out two fierce beams of light. It was her divine consciousness, not attacking Xiao Chen, but sweeping toward the Stone Man King puppet.

She wanted to seize it. Using her powerful divine awareness, she would take control of the Stone Man King puppet's body and turn it against Xiao Chen.

The Stone Man King puppet was indeed powerful, but its only weakness was that it had no consciousness, making it easy to possess. The Truewood Female Saint, at great cost to her vitality, forcefully broke through the Battle King domain around the Stone Man King puppet and charged in, trying to seize control of the corpse.

Xiao Chen was still sitting in the sky. He lightly said: "Suppress!"

In his hand appeared a stone jar a span high, covered in countless patterns. It blazed with light, buzzing as it shook violently.

Inside the Primordial Demon City, the Truewood Female Saint, who was fighting for control of the stone body, was startled. She sensed how terrifying this stone body was.

Though it had no consciousness, its instinctive rejection was extremely strong. Pure combat power flowed within the stone body like a river of annihilation, forcibly blasting her consciousness out.

The Stone Man King puppet repelled the Truewood Female Saint's consciousness and continued its destruction within the city, unstoppable!

"No!" the Truewood Female Saint cried out. She tried to resist, but her feet could not leave the ground. She could only use various divine laws and curse techniques to counter.

But the Stone Man King puppet's Battle King domain was too powerful. No divine law or curse could approach it, and it was difficult to harm.

Boom!

The ancient scroll, the divine diagram, and the Heavenly Marks all rushed into the demon city. Now there was no need to seal—the Stone Man King had already entered. The power of the several sacred items rampaged within the city.

At last, the Primordial Demon City could no longer bear it. Cracking sounds rang out as violent fissures appeared.

The Truewood Female Saint could not accept this result. Her eyes shot out two fierce beams that pierced through the Death World. But she was a decisive person. At this moment, she acted without hesitation. She directly pulled herself up, abandoning the Primordial Demon City.

"Even without the Stone Man path, I will continue on the path of supreme Ancestral God. I will still be unrivaled under heaven!" the Truewood Female Saint said, her voice cold enough to make one shiver. Once she left the demon city, she was like a trapped dragon returning to the sea. A thousand methods, ten thousand divine arts—she could now display them all, without any restraint.

"Now that you are unbound, you can die!"

The Truewood Female Saint transformed into a beam of light and charged toward Xiao Chen.

The Heavenly Marks, the ancient scroll, and the divine diagram were all closely connected to Xiao Chen. With a thought, they all flew back, guarding beside him. The Stone Man King puppet also flew back swiftly to block the Truewood Female Saint.

"Now that I am a dragon returned to the sea, no one can stop me from killing you!"

Her stone foundation had been destroyed. Even someone as powerful as she could no longer remain calm.

With a thunderous crash, she descended and exchanged a palm with the Stone Man King puppet. Her eyes shot out two fierce beams—her incomparably powerful divine thoughts—piercing directly toward Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes and rose into the air. At this moment, he merged the essence he had obtained from Babra into the Otherworld Dao, integrating it with himself, representing the origin of the Dao. He swung the divine diagram and the ancient scroll, sweeping toward the ocean-like divine thoughts.

A great collision shook the Death World. The Truewood Female Saint, known as the reincarnated Ancestral Mother and Saint King, blazed with fury. She shook off the Stone Man King puppet and attacked Xiao Chen.

Hum!

Just then, the stone jar on Xiao Chen's body flew up on its own, light swirling. The powerful divine thoughts the Truewood Female Saint had sent to kill Xiao Chen were drawn toward the strange jar like into a black hole.

"This is…" the Truewood Female Saint's expression changed. Even facing the Stone Man King puppet, the Heavenly Marks, and the ancient scroll, she had not flinched. But now her heart shook. She felt as if her divine consciousness was being devoured. That strange stone jar was actually trying to absorb her divine thoughts!

"Sever!"

Bearing the pain, she cut off a small portion of her divine consciousness, letting the stone jar absorb it, then quickly withdrew the vast remainder of her divine power.

"I'll spare your life today. Another day, I will refine your soul!" the Truewood Female Saint shouted in fury, then without looking back, she soared into the sky and fled.

"It's not certain who will refine whom!" Xiao Chen called out lightly, but did not pursue. Having severed the Truewood Female Saint's stone foundation today was already achieving his objective.

In the distance, Babra stood dumbstruck. He had never imagined such an outcome.

The mighty Truewood Female Saint had actually had her stone foundation cut away and had to abandon her own demon city. This was truly unimaginable.

"Did you… actually succeed?" Babra looked at Xiao Chen, then at the demon city covered in huge cracks, and was speechless for a long time.

"Haha!" Sha Polang laughed loudly. "What of the reincarnated Ancestral Mother and Saint King? She still lost her city and fled!"

"In the end, we succeeded in removing a major threat. If she had become a Stone Man King, the consequences would have been disastrous," the Nine-Headed Serpent said, also brimming with excitement.

Babra came to his senses and frowned. "I'm afraid it may not change anything. The title 'reincarnated Ancestral Mother and Saint King' was not earned lightly. In the civilization epochs before she condensed her demon city, she walked the path of the Supreme Ancestral God. Now she will probably return to that path."

"Today we cut off her foundation, nullifying the efforts of several civilization epochs. She returns to the path of Supreme Ancestral God, but we are also advancing. We are not afraid of her," the Little Defiant Dragon said, full of confidence.

Xiao Chen nodded. Having severed the foundation of one who could have become a Stone Man King at any moment was achievement enough.

"Return the essence to me." Babra stared at Xiao Chen, deeply afraid that he would turn hostile now.

"You may have it." Xiao Chen generously returned it, but left a small mark, planning to slowly cultivate it himself. Babra naturally sensed this, but only frowned slightly.

Xiao Chen took control of the Primordial Demon City and began to refine the now nearly king-tier foundation of the majestic city.

Black light blazed, divine power surged. The shattered Primordial Demon City was continuously refined. The demon city between Xiao Chen's fingers grew more brilliant, until finally it burst forth with power that suppressed heaven and earth.

After completely refining the Primordial Demon City, the dark-jade-like treasure in Xiao Chen's hand was, in a sense, already a King-tier divine city.

A King-tier divine city without a Stone Man who had taken the final step!

The few of them stared at the palm-sized King City, all feeling incomparable shock.

"Which path should I take? Perhaps it is time to choose." Xiao Chen said this to himself.