“Ah Li, no time for hesitation, step inside now!”
No sooner had Tamamo-no-Mae's urgent command echoed than a veritable legion of cultivators swarmed the entrance to the Fox Fortune Holy Land. Every single one was below the Ancient Ancestor realm, drawn from the myriad factions of the Second Star Ring. These were mere vassals, blades wielded by the true powers – the Ancient Ancestor-level forces of the First Star Ring. Their masters, still en route, had dispatched them as vanguards, cannon fodder to breach the Holy Land's defenses and secure a foothold. The Second Star Ring existed solely as a weapon in the hands of the First.
Boom! Boom! Boom! A fleet of cloud ships, each emblazoned with intricate Dao Diagrams and radiating blinding divine light, tore through the heavens, turning the very air incandescent. Myriad Phase Realm experts, countless in number, stood poised on their decks, their gazes fixed on the Holy Land's entrance. They noted the Supreme Fox Clan's presence, but dismissed it with utter indifference. Their singular obsession, their only prize, was the legendary Bronze Ancient Palace hidden within the Fox Fortune Holy Land.
Then, a thunderous CRACK ripped through the fabric of space itself. The void twisted, then tore open, and from the shimmering rift, a woman in a simple, plain skirt stepped forth. A torrent of sword qi, sharp enough to cleave the cosmos, surged around her, making her seem like a living blade plunged into reality. “The Sword Wielder, Lady Qingqiu!” a collective gasp rippled through the crowd, quickly followed by reverent bows. The Supreme Fox Clan elders' faces paled, their expressions grim. Qingqiu! Even she had arrived! The sheer number of dominant forces descending was staggering, and the Ancient Ancestors themselves were still on their way. Could the Supreme Fox Clan possibly endure such a siege?
Just then, Tamamo-no-Mae's voice resonated directly in Ah Li's mind. “Ah Li, once inside the Holy Land, make straight for the ancestral grounds. My Ancient Ancestor inheritance awaits you there!” A blinding flash of divine light surged into Ah Li's consciousness, imprinting upon her the Fox Fortune Holy Land Dao Diagram. Ah Li gasped, a wave of shock and understanding washing over her. Ancient Ancestor Tamamo-no-Mae had, long ago, refined the entire Holy Land! Now, with the Dao Diagram, Ah Li would become its sole sovereign, a true goddess within its bounds, capable of commanding everything. This revelation brought a profound sense of calm to Ah Li. Without it, facing the sheer multitude of Second Star Ring powerhouses, let alone the Sword Wielder Qingqiu, would have been an impossible task. Tamamo-no-Mae's voice continued, “Qingqiu is the only wild card. But fear not, she will not harm you. She is also a disciple of Sir.” Ah Li nodded, her resolve hardening. “Go!”
With a cosmic BOOM, a colossal jade hand materialized above the void, radiating an Ancient Ancestor's terrifying aura that sent ripples through the very star sea. With an almost delicate flick, the hand descended, gently tapping the entrance to the Fox Fortune Holy Land. Instantly, a river of brilliant Dao patterns erupted, swirling like a celestial current. The sight sent shivers down everyone's spines. This was it – the Ancient Ancestor of the Supreme Fox Clan, Tamamo-no-Mae! She was alive!
With a decisive WHOOSH, Ah Li shot forward, her body ablaze with surging demonic power. The Dao Diagram within her pulsed, manifesting as a streak of pure light that vanished into the Fox Fortune Holy Land. She was the first! A mere heartbeat later, a second, equally swift streak of light followed – Qingqiu. Witnessing this, the hordes of Second Star Ring cultivators frantically activated their spatial arrays, desperate to follow. But it was too late. As the two figures crossed the threshold, Tamamo-no-Mae's colossal jade hand shifted, her spiritual seals weaving intricate patterns of starlight that began to rapidly close off the Holy Land's entrance.
“Tamamo-no-Mae, you dare!” A thunderous, ancient voice ripped through the cosmos from an unimaginable distance. WHOOSH! A towering blade qi, a river of pure white destruction, erupted billions of miles away, blazing a path through the void and illuminating countless stars in its wake. This was the terrifying, signature strike of Ancient Ancestor Dao Kuang from the Blade Saint Sect! The blade qi, a phantom of his true power, locked onto Tamamo-no-Mae's jade hand, slicing down with an ethereal yet absolute force. The man hadn't even arrived, but his blade had already struck! Such was the terrifying might of an Ancient Ancestor! In an instant, the immense sealing power Tamamo-no-Mae had just unleashed over the Fox Fortune Holy Land was utterly obliterated, dissolving into countless fading motes of light.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Seizing the fleeting moment of chaos, the Myriad Phase Realm and Star Venerate experts from the Second Star Ring surged forward like a ravenous tide, pouring into the Fox Fortune Holy Land! This was a sacred ground of an Ancient Ancestor-level power! Even if the Bronze Ancient Palace remained out of reach, the sheer wealth of heaven-defying opportunities within would be enough to reshape their destinies.
The onlookers turned, only to witness Tamamo-no-Mae's colossal jade hand directly clash with the incoming blade qi. A boundless, sky-shattering surge of demonic power, like an endless ocean, swept across the heavens. The very bloodline of the demon race thrummed with the force, beating like a primordial drum in the chest of every cultivator present. For a terrifying instant, their own bloodlines ignited, threatening to burst from their seven orifices. The sheer, unadulterated terror of an Ancient Ancestor's might was simply too overwhelming!
Drip. Drip. A crimson line appeared on Tamamo-no-Mae's jade hand, blood beginning to well. Yet, Dao Kuang's fearsome blade qi was already dissolving into nothingness. But the onslaught from the distant cosmos was far from over.
Then, another earth-shattering BOOM reverberated. Above Tamamo-no-Mae's bleeding hand, intricate Dao patterns began to weave, tearing open a corner of reality. Endless, blinding light, like ten suns exploding simultaneously, illuminated the firmament. A colossal, spectral mountain began to coalesce, its shadow stretching across the stars! This was the work of Yang Zhengshan, Mountain-Moving Ape, who, from billions of miles away on Yangzheng Mountain, was channeling the very Starry Sky Power of this region through supreme Dao patterns. It was a well-known, terrifying fact that the Second Star Ring, being so close, bore the imprints of two Ancient Ancestors – Dao Kuang of the Blade Saint Sect and Yang Zhengshan. They could, at will, draw upon the Star Ring's power to fuel their cosmic assaults!
In the next breathtaking moment, Tamamo-no-Mae's jade hand ripped through the starry sky, unleashing a torrent of intricate, boundless Dao patterns that churned within the newly formed chasm. Every single observer froze, their minds reeling. From the widening cosmic tear, Tamamo-no-Mae's snow-white arm emerged, followed by her impossibly vast form. She had manifested her Dharma Body – a colossal, star-sized entity of breathtaking beauty. Her exquisite features, framed by waist-length hair (streaked with hints of silver amidst the black), reflected the endless cosmos in her eyes. Her long gown, a cascade of silk, trailed for hundreds of thousands of miles, her perfect, statuesque legs like twin pillars holding up the very firmament. This was the true form of an Ancient Ancestor – a terrifying blend of alluring charm and absolute divinity! The powerhouses of the Second Star Ring, even with a fleeting glance, instantly bled from their mouths and noses, their bodies convulsing as if their very flesh would explode. “Don't look!” someone shrieked, “One more glance and you'll detonate!” “Tamamo-no-Mae hasn't even revealed her true body, and she's already this terrifying! She truly lives up to her legend, the one who once defied multiple Ancient Ancestors alone!” The cries of terror and awe echoed. This was an Ancient Ancestor! To gaze upon her was blasphemy, a death sentence!
Unperturbed, Tamamo-no-Mae gazed at the colossal, spectral mountain looming above her. Her jade hand, impossibly delicate despite its size, formed an elegant orchid gesture, and from her lips, a single, potent word escaped: “Illusion!” The word, imbued with the terrifying Dao Rhyme of the Supreme Fox Clan, warped reality. The surrounding cosmos began to unravel like a painted scroll, stars vanishing, the starry sky itself shattering, until a vast, pristine world of mountains and rivers unfurled. Tamamo-no-Mae stood at its heart, and with a gentle clench of her hand, the colossal mountain above her shattered into dust! Yang Zhengshan's intricate Dao patterns, the very essence of his attack, dissolved into nothingness. CRACK! CRACK! With another thought, Tamamo-no-Mae unleashed a colossal 'Seal' character, which exploded into a shower of starlight, slamming shut the entrance to the Fox Fortune Holy Land! But a crucial detail remained: a substantial number of Second Star Ring powerhouses had already slipped inside!
From the unfathomable distance, Ancient Ancestor Dao Kuang's aged voice boomed, laced with a chilling taunt. “Tamamo-no-Mae, you were defeated by us before. Do you truly intend to gamble everything on a losing hand once more?”