The Saint Ancestor Descends

The blood-red sacrificial altar was built entirely of massive stone blocks, towering thousands of zhang high and rising above the surrounding mountains.

Blood flowed in torrents, streaming down the thousands-of-zhang-high platform—the blood of gods and the plasma of demons. It poured over the altar, dyeing its entire surface red.

The stench of blood was pungent, the sight terrifying.

"A thousand years of calling, a billion years of prayer. Ancient Saint Ancestor, your descendants summon you—descend in your true form!"

"Saint Ancestor who rules all heavens and ten thousand worlds with no equal foe, your most devout descendants call for your return!"

The Four Founding Ancestors were reverent, and the gods knelt, all showing awe and fear before the blood-drenched altar. Everyone prayed, summoning the Saint Ancestor to descend.

The curse-like chant grew louder, the gods' expressions more solemn. Demonic power surged, making hearts tremble.

"Thump!"

The thousand-zhang blood altar shook violently, a beam of blood light shooting into the sky. On the ancient altar, engraved scenes emerged, vivid as if they had souls about to revive.

A terrifying pressure caused trembling. Even the Four Founding Ancestors lowered their heads.

"Shatter!"

All the blood-colored engravings on the great altar burst into light. Those glaring beams coalesced into a massive, blood-colored space gate. A vast, majestic aura surged forth, and the gods were like driftwood in a tidal wave, nearly blown away and crushed.

"Huff—"

A huge, heavy breathing sound came, as if an ancient, colossal savage beast was awakening from deep slumber.

Yes, it was indeed the sound of breathing, but it roared like a hurricane, sending the gods reeling. They fled quickly to avoid the enormous space gate.

"Clang!"

Thunder and lightning crashed; a rain of blood poured down. The blood-colored giant gate was pushed open.

At the same time, the blood altar caught fire. The divine blood that had been poured over it all ignited, turning into blood light that rushed toward the space gate, fueling it with vast divine power. The altar grew ever more brilliant. Dense characters and patterns flew out, arranged neatly around the gate, stabilizing it.

The intricate tangible characters and patterns made the gate indestructible and unbreakable. The blood-colored space gate was translucent and crystal-clear, its demonic power vibrating.

"A billion years have passed. I have finally seen hope again. My body shall return..."

At that moment, a giant black claw—massive as a mountain—reached out menacingly, stirring up endless storms. Even the gods could barely stand nearby. The terrifying aura shook the entire Otherworld.

Everyone showed excitement. The Saint Ancestor was descending—he would be invincible across all heavens and all worlds, sweeping away all enemies! This was the Saint Ancestor from a mysterious world, reached only by the guidance of a holy relic. For billions of years, countless heroes had sought the path but failed to enter. And now, a living ancestor was about to return!

The Otherworld boiled over!

"Rumble!"

The giant black claw was like the devil's extinguish-world talon, pitch-black all over, covered in fine scales that gleamed with eerie light. It contained unimaginable divine power. The moment it extended, everything around it ceased to exist, utterly destroyed! In the end, it was surrounded by chaos, for the real world could not contain it.

"My body cannot stand in this illusory realm. Bring the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps to bear my form. Retrieve the divine city I left behind in ages past to house my primordial spirit."

The vast voice shook the past and stirred the future. All heavens and myriad worlds seemed pierced by that unimaginable sound wave. Demonic tones rumbled and echoed through heaven and earth.

Many Otherworld cultivators were ablaze with fervor—with such a mighty Saint Ancestor, who could oppose him?

But before them lay the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps, occupied by the ancient great power of the First Ancient Capital.

"What is this? Someone has lodged their primordial spirit in my divine city..." The giant black claw flickered with scales, surging with terrifying baleful energy through the chaos.

Though it extended with difficulty, its body seemed unable to pass through the gate. A powerful force blocked its return.

"Report, Saint Ancestor..." Lang Ya stepped forward and spoke of the ancient great power.

"Who dares to usurp my name and occupy my divine city?" The heavenly voice shattered endless mountains and rivers below. The sound wave instantly covered the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps.

As he spoke, the giant black claw reached out, instantly traversing tens of thousands of li.

A cyan beast claw reached out to meet it head-on, accompanied by an ear-splitting roar: "Since you have already entered that world, why return? All heavens and myriad worlds are mine!"

"Bang!"

The two giant claws—one flash of cyan, one pitch-black, both covered in scales—collided. Sparks flew everywhere. Countless strands of order and law wove into nets, destroying all creation.

If they had not carefully controlled themselves, the Otherworld itself would have ceased to exist, utterly annihilated.

Even so, the gods in the distance were all sent flying, all fleeing the scene.

"It is you—the failed exile..." The Otherworld Saint Ancestor seemed to recognize him, letting out a long howl. "So you are still alive. By rights, we could be called allies."

"Unfortunately, back then I was exiled, and you did not come to my rescue. Instead, you entered the Sole True Realm. From that time on, we were no longer allies." When he said this, the head of the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps suddenly shook violently. The First Ancient City burst forth with endless divine light, enveloping the giant black claw.

"I will return—you cannot stop me!" The Otherworld Saint Ancestor's giant claw trembled.

But at that moment, before the blood-colored space gate tens of thousands of li away, a colossal Heavenly Stele suddenly appeared.

"Bang!"

The Heavenly Stele shook, directly pressing down on the divine gate, causing the space gate to collapse.

At the same time, the thousand-zhang blood altar below shattered completely, no longer able to supply energy to the space gate.

"Bold!" The Otherworld Saint Ancestor was furious.

"Indeed, I intended to borrow your help. I have been exiled for many years, my flesh withered. I need power like yours. Your flesh and blood are the supplement I require." The ancient great power roared. He could not allow the Otherworld Saint Ancestor to return in full strength, or else with his current state, he would be unable to deal with it.

The Four Founding Ancestors of the Otherworld were enraged, and the gods changed color, all ready to strike.

But in the next moment, they all restrained themselves, for they heard the Saint Ancestor's telepathic instruction to endure—otherwise they would all be annihilated.

"Very well, old friend. I entrust my descendants to you. I leave one arm for you."

"Bang!"

The giant demon claw in the sky snapped suddenly. Demon blood stained the long sky. At the same time, the space gate officially collapsed.

The Otherworld Saint Ancestor was blocked from returning! The ancient great power sneered: "Well said. If your true body had truly returned, would you still speak thus? But rest assured, for now I will not kill your descendants—I still need them."

"Crack!"

The ancient altar shattered completely, the thousand-zhang stone mountain turning to ash. The space gate in the sky vanished entirely.

Such was the result of summoning the Saint Ancestor—everyone found it hard to accept.

The establishment of this altar had cost the Otherworld gods endless effort and heart's blood, yet it was destroyed in an instant. The Four Founding Ancestors nearly went mad, but they had no choice but to endure.

The cyan beast claw seized the black demon claw and returned to the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps. Then it tore it apart and began to draw out the demonic flame, using the Heavenly Stele as fuel for its refinement.

In the Otherworld's primordial prison zone, the nine lamps blazed, surging with holy light filling the sky. Pangu King and his companions sensed danger and withdrew entirely.

They had breached fifteen of the eighteen layers of the primordial prison, but the deeper they went, the harder it became, and they suffered heavy casualties. The group chose a temporary retreat.

Though unwilling, Pangu King and the Great Emperors Yao and Shun agreed that they must retreat—the nine lamps warned that extreme danger lay ahead.

Whether it was because of an unimaginable being imprisoned in the final layer of the eighteen-level prison, or because of the Otherworld Saint Ancestor and the ancient great power, they could not say.

"Swish!"

The nine lamps shrouded everyone, instantly tearing through the great world barrier and vanishing. The ancient forbidden zone was left to the wrath of the gods.

Facing the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps, they felt a sense of powerlessness.

Yet in the next moment, a shocking change occurred.

"Bang!"

The blood-colored space gate reappeared in the sky.

This time, a towering black demon shadow over ten thousand zhang tall, covered in scales, tore through the space gate in an instant and charged straight out!

"The Saint Ancestor has shown his might!"

"It is our Saint Ancestor—he has returned!"

The gods boiled over. They had never expected such a sudden reversal after their loss.

"You—!"

The Ninety-Nine Stone Steps trembled. For the first time, the ancient great power felt a crisis. He swung the heavenly stele like a blade to smash forward, several order laws weaving into a net that descended upon that demonic form.

"You failed exile! You dared to obstruct my path and ruined my return plan! Today I will grind you to dust!" The Otherworld Saint Ancestor roared with murderous intent. In the chaotic clouds, those demonic eyes were terrifying beyond measure—a light that made even Stone Kings shiver.

"You are not his true body—you are an incarnation!" The ancient great power seemed to exhale a long breath and sneered: "That is good too. It has sent me another surge of divine power."

"Wishful thinking! Several Saint Ancestors joined forces to restore the blood-colored holy gate. This incarnation I have descended is no different from my true body, and its purpose is to kill you and rescue our descendants!"

Hearing this, the ancient great power turned and fled on the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps. He was not what he once was—his flesh was nearly withered. He was in no position to contend with a peer from the same era.

The ancient great power knew that this incarnation of the Otherworld Saint Ancestor could not last long in this world. If he could avoid him for a few hours, the enemy would naturally dissipate on his own. Then it would be his world—no one could stop him! But suddenly, he screamed in terror—the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps were frozen. More precisely, the First Ancient Capital was frozen. His flesh and primordial spirit were lodged within it, unable to move.

"You should never have placed your primordial spirit in the divine city I left behind—it was my place of nirvana!" The Otherworld Saint Ancestor was murderous. His ten-thousand-zhang demonic body surged with overwhelming demonic aura. In that instant, all heavens and myriad worlds trembled. Every Stone King felt this destructive aura.

"No!" The ancient great power cried out, but he could not change any of it. Though the enemy was only an incarnation, he had gathered enough divine power to be equivalent to his true body for a limited time. The First Ancient Capital was under the enemy's control—he was powerless.

"The world's eternal regret—Source Power, Seal the Demon Emperor!"

The Otherworld Saint Ancestor spoke each word with supreme divine power, almost one syllable at a time. With each word uttered, his form dimmed by one degree, drained of endless power, sealing the First Ancient Capital.

"Ah... no!" The ancient great power screamed, but could not change this. The First Ancient Capital seemed to have a lid affixed, completely sealed.

"Borrow power from all heavens and myriad worlds—Destroy the Demon Emperor!"

The Otherworld Saint Ancestor became ten thousand zhang of radiant light. Black holes appeared on his body, instantly connecting to all worlds. He drew immense power from each great world, engulfing the First Ancient Capital.

This astonishing means deeply shocked the gods. Even the Four Founding Ancestors could only sigh—they were utterly incapable of such a feat.

"Boom!"

On the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps, the First Ancient Capital shook violently. The ancient great power, the Demon Emperor Yaohuang, screamed again and again. Despite his heaven-spanning abilities and god-overwhelming might, at this moment he could not change any of it.

Placing his primordial spirit within the earth for rebirth—building the ancient capital—was his greatest error and regret. But who could have imagined that the Otherworld Saint Ancestor would return?! This could only be blamed on Yaohuang's terrible luck.

"Please, Saint Ancestor, kill him utterly!" The Four Founding Ancestors spoke together.

"At his level of strength, he can no longer be killed outright. Only heaven and earth and time itself can naturally grind him away." The black holes on the Otherworld Saint Ancestor's body vanished, cutting off his connection to all worlds. The borrowed divine power was enough—it had completely drowned the First Ancient Capital. He continued: "Now I have sealed him within the divine city, shattered his form, and made him part of the ancient capital. As the ages pass, so long as he does not hide in the void of the myriad worlds or enter the Sole True Realm, his only fate is death."

Hearing this, everyone felt a sense of unreality—the great ancient power had been dealt with?

"He has only himself to blame—he dared to occupy the divine city I left behind!"

"Bang!"

With that, the Otherworld Saint Ancestor grabbed the Seventh Heavenly Stele and pressed it into the First Ancient Capital as well.

"With this divine stele here, it will hasten Yaohuang's destruction. It should not take many years."

All the gods prostrated themselves, kneeling to the ground, hailing the Saint Ancestor as immortal.

"Please, Saint Ancestor, open the seal of the stone gate to relieve our crisis." Lu Zhan made a great bow and offered his advice. Within the stone gate, the demon shadow could not emerge, which was why Yaohuang had been able to run rampant in the Otherworld without restraint.

If the demon shadow could be released, it would suffice to intimidate all the powers under heaven.

"Very well. My time is short. I will first unseal the stone gate."

The Otherworld Saint Ancestor acted, again borrowing the power of the myriad worlds. At that moment, every living being across the realms trembled in fear. Even the Stone Kings felt terror.

"Boom!"

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering crash—the seal of the stone gate was broken.

"Roar!"

A demonic howl rang out, and the demon shadow rushed out instantly, surveying the world with a peerless glance that seemed to pierce all heavens and myriad worlds.

"Brother, you cannot leave the stone steps. Continue to guard this realm." The Otherworld Saint Ancestor spoke thus to the demon shadow.

Hearing this, the demon shadow immediately returned within the stone gate. With a thunderous rumble, the gate closed.

"Please, Saint Ancestor, destroy the sworn enemies of our world!" Lu Zhan knew the Saint Ancestor's incarnation could not last long—it would soon fade and die. He had to make use of the Saint Ancestor to sweep away all obstacles.

"Are the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors all gone?" The Otherworld Saint Ancestor's eyes shot two terrifying beams of light.

"All have decayed and turned to yellow earth!" Lu Zhan replied.

"Impossible. They cannot have died. Even I am still alive. They did not enter the Sole True Realm for a reason..." The Otherworld Saint Ancestor muttered to himself.

"Indeed, they have passed. Yaohuang confirmed that those ancient sovereigns and emperors have all fallen." Several of the three Founding Ancestors spoke thus.

"What happened? They fell? Very well, very well. I will now go and destroy their descendants, annihilate all hope. Lead the way—my time is short!"

Without any further words, Lu Zhan and the other three Founding Ancestors led the way directly into the Primordial Celestial Realm, intending to kill Pangu King and the others.

And at that moment, at the end of the Otherworld's Ninety-Nine Stone Steps, within the First Ancient Capital, the Heavenly Stele was submerged in endless divine power—some from Yaohuang, some from the Otherworld Saint Ancestor, and some from the myriad worlds. Inside the stone prison of the Seventh Heavenly Stele, an astonishing transformation was taking place.

"Boom!"

The Primordial Celestial Realm shook. The Four Founding Ancestors led the Saint Ancestor through the celestial realm, shaking every living being within it! "Pangu King, you are doomed!"

Arriving in the celestial realm, Lu Zhan and the others flew straight in one direction. Though their forces had withdrawn from the celestial realm, they had left many eyes and ears behind—of course they knew where the heroes of the Nine Provinces were.

"Withdraw! Return to the Otherworld..." At that moment, the Otherworld Saint Ancestor suddenly changed color.

"Saint Ancestor, what is it?" Lang Ya asked in surprise and uncertainty.

"An Imperial Sovereign has not perished..." The Otherworld Saint Ancestor said thus, revealing an extremely grave expression. His ten-thousand-zhang demonic body stood there like a monument.

"This place..." Lu Zhan gasped and changed color on the spot. This place was exactly the Ten-Thousand-Li Ancient Ground—the former site of the Little Stone Emperor's tomb.

Just at that moment, at the end of the horizon, a large hand pulled a small figure, approaching from afar, gradually becoming clear.

Finally, the rough, large hand vanished. The small figure walked forward slowly, gradually growing taller, becoming a figure of peerless bearing, majestic and towering.

He stood ahead, no powerful aura emanating, no terrifying divine thought rippling—like an empty shadow. Yet he blocked the Otherworld Saint Ancestor, whose face changed.

Silence. No sound. This heroic, vigorous man was supremely majestic, his black hair like a waterfall flowing in the wind, his deep eyes seeming to pierce through past, present, and future. His towering body stood motionless ahead.

There was a sense that one man alone could stand here and block all the kings of the myriad worlds.

"Little Stone Emperor..." Lu Zhan's face changed in horror. He could not believe that the fallen Little Stone Emperor had been reborn.

"Did he not die? How can he appear in the world again..." Even the Otherworld Founding Ancestor Lang Ya felt a chill. This peerless hero of the ages was unmatched in the ancient times. In such a state, it was likely even the Saint Ancestor's incarnation could not suppress him.

"He is indeed dead. I am gradually understanding." The Otherworld Saint Ancestor muttered to himself: "Past, present, and future—what bold vision!"

"Saint Ancestor..." Lu Zhan and the others did not understand and asked.

"You must return immediately—do not waste time!" The Otherworld Saint Ancestor spoke with solemnity and issued this order.

Obviously, it was all because of the majestic figure before them—the Little Stone Emperor.

"Past, present, and future—so that is how it is!" The Otherworld Saint Ancestor sighed long. "Unfortunately, I cannot send this message back into the Sole True Realm."