“Emperor Tianye, for a ruler of your stature, an Acquired Ancient Ancestor no less, to spend an intimate night with a mere Myriad Phase Realm cultivator like Liu Ruyan, only to be trapped in an illusion and lose a Dragon Vein… I’m genuinely embarrassed for you. In the Star Sea, she’s had countless lovers, probably tens of thousands, if not more. Who would’ve thought you’d join their ranks?”
The words hung in the air, thick with mockery. All the Ancient Ancestors turned peculiar looks on Tianye. Tianzhao burst into booming laughter. The others—Dao Kuang, Banshan Ape, and Master Kongwu—found themselves unable to hold back. Dao Kuang was the first to let loose, a guffaw tearing through the silence. Then, a chorus of laughter erupted, echoing across the void. Every gaze fixed on Tianye, brimming with open derision.
Even if Liu Ruyan’s past life was Mei, in this current incarnation, she was still just a Myriad Phase Realm cultivator. Yet, Tianye, an Ancient Ancestor, had been played like a puppet by her. Liu Ruyan had pulled off a grand scheme, not only securing a Dragon Vein but also gaining control of Yun Zeng’s entire legion. Considering this, it was clear that her past manipulation of Ju Shou had been equally masterful; his defeat was no surprise. If even the sagacious and formidable Emperor Tianye could be so thoroughly outmaneuvered by Liu Ruyan, then Ju Shou’s defeat was no surprise. Tianye’s face twisted into an ugly mask. He was speechless, utterly humiliated, reduced to a cosmic joke. Damn it!
A momentary silence fell, broken only by the rasp of Tianye’s breath. His eyes, bulging with rage, fixed on Tamamo-no-Mae. “Were you monitoring Liu Ruyan?” Tamamo-no-Mae tilted her snow-white neck slightly, shaking her head. “Not directly. Liu Ruyan journeyed to the Qianhuan Sect and obtained an Ancient Ancestor Inheritance—the power of the Illusion Dao. From that moment, her every move fell under my observation.” With that, Tamamo-no-Mae’s will stirred, and endless Dao patterns surged in her hand, manifesting a vivid projection of Liu Ruyan. All eyes turned to the unfolding scene.
Liu Ruyan, now an Eight-star Myriad Phase Realm cultivator, traversed the void to a star in the First Star Ring. Her divine sense swept over it, and she stepped directly into a city. There, a one-eyed, gray-robed old man was tending a stall, displaying an array of ordinary Star Venerate-tier ancient artifacts. “Lie Yuan,” Liu Ruyan said, her voice flat, “do you intend to peddle trinkets here for the rest of your life? Now that your Innate Ancient Ancestor consciousness has awakened, it’s time you joined forces with me.” The one-eyed old man slowly rose, letting out a sigh. “In this life,” he declared, “we shall make a glorious comeback!” Whoosh! A terrifying power surged around him, instantly washing away the aura of death and decay. The old man vanished, replaced by a vibrant young man. Only his blind eye remained, a stark reminder. Lie Yuan touched the sightless orb. “Sir blinded this eye of mine so long ago,” he mused, “and even after endless ages, it remains unhealed.” “It’s time to find the others,” Liu Ruyan stated, her voice devoid of emotion. Boom! Their figures vanished from the spot.
Witnessing this, Tianye gasped, “Innate Ancient Ancestor Lie Yuan! The Innate Ancient Ancestor renowned as the Ancient Epoch’s foremost attacker, second only to Sir! And he’s already reached the Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm; his breakthrough to Ancient Ancestor is merely a matter of time!” Banshan Ape, too, felt a surge of pressure. “At this rate, Liu Ruyan has likely already pinpointed the locations of other Innate Ancient Ancestors! They are about to fully awaken!” The solemnity on the faces of the assembled Ancient Ancestors swept away all traces of their earlier mockery of Tianye. These were Innate Ancient Ancestors! Their power far surpassed others of the same realm! It was a stark reminder that even among Ancient Ancestors, vast disparities existed. Back then, if Sir hadn’t personally intervened and annihilated the other Innate Ancient Ancestors, this current era would never have belonged to them. Yet, to their utter shock, these Innate Ancient Ancestors hadn’t truly died! They had returned, reincarnated for another life! In the Ancient Epoch, these Innate Ancient Ancestors had allied with them, alongside the Eerie Plateau, to target Sir. But this time, their ambitions were far grander; they sought dominion over the entire Star Sea!
Tianye, his face contorted with rage, glared at Tianzhao. “What in the blazes is going on? These Innate Ancient Ancestors grew to Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm right under the Star River Alliance’s nose, and no one even noticed!” Tianzhao merely shrugged. “The Star River Alliance no longer exists.” At that moment, Master Kongwu turned to Tamamo-no-Mae. “Is this why you chose now to open the Fox Fortune Holy Land? You knew Ancient Ancestor Mei was seeking her allies, so you seized this opportunity.”
Tamamo-no-Mae’s voice remained calm. “These Ancient Ancestors have revived, so can Sir’s own resurgence be far off? Since you insist on targeting my Supreme Fox Clan, I might as well stir the pot! However, don’t forget the Eerie Plateau, lurking behind us, eyeing us like a tiger. Strictly speaking, their Eerie race doesn’t even belong to this Star Sea.” As her words faded, Guixuan’s eerie voice resonated through the space. “Heh heh heh… you’re overthinking it. Our enemy is singular: Sir. Until he appears, it’s not our Eerie race’s turn to act.”
At that moment, Tianye abruptly flicked his sleeve, letting out a cold snort. “Those with different Daos cannot walk together! Tianzhao, since you insist on siding with Sir, then today, we settle this with our lives!” The instant these words left his lips, a heaven-shaking battle intent erupted from the other Ancient Ancestors. Killing intent surged, permeating the entire Star Sea. For a moment, the oppressive power of countless Ancient Ancestors manifested across billions of miles, causing the Myriad Phase Realm experts secretly observing to feel their scalps tingle and their hearts tremble. The Ancient Ancestor War was about to begin!
Tianzhao looked at Tamamo-no-Mae. “Just the two of us?” “There are others,” Tamamo-no-Mae replied. Tianzhao nodded, his will stirring. From his star-embroidered robes, countless starlights bloomed, transforming into a terrifying map of the cosmos. Rich Dao韵 continuously poured forth. This was Tianzhao’s ‘Aura’! The Dao of the Starry Sky! A path derived directly from Sir’s teachings. Tianzhao’s feet seemed to meld with the starry void, forming a profound resonance with the heavens and earth, his Great Dao perfectly aligned with the cosmos itself. As he raised his hand, endless, vast divine light shot forth from the starry sky, coalescing into a torrential flow.龐大 and intricate Dao patterns evolved into a colossal palm print that struck across the sky, its brilliance illuminating the entire Star River!
Tamamo-no-Mae’s will stirred, and her colossal Dharma Manifestation began to shift, directly revealing her true form. Boom! A gigantic Nine-tailed Demon Fox materialized above the starry sky, her body rivaling the size of several stars. Her pristine white fur billowed in the void’s fierce gales, and the demon power within her surged like an endless ocean. Her nine immense tails, each like a divine weapon, unfurled, radiating heaven-reaching Dao patterns. Her two eyes glowed with an enchanting light as she uttered a single word: “Illusion!” Instantly, the surrounding heavens and earth began to warp, overlapping with the starry sky Tianzhao had manifested. Her nine tails, like ancient divine weapons, bloomed open, resembling magnificent, deadly flowers, their killing intent surging to the heavens.
On the other side, a dozen Ancient Ancestors attacked almost simultaneously. Slice! Ancient Ancestor Dao Kuang brought his blade down, a single strike annihilating endless Star Rivers as it hurtled towards Tianzhao’s colossal palm print. “Tianzhao, die!”