“Tianzhao, prepare to die!”
Dao Kuang’s blade flashed with endless, chilling light, a direct cleave that tore open the very fabric of heaven and earth. His Blade Qi, imbued with the supreme Blade Dao, slammed head-on into Tianzhao’s palm print. But in the very next instant, that formidable Blade Qi shattered into utter nothingness.
Dao Kuang, momentarily stunned, muttered, “Tianzhao, your power…”
Tianzhao’s expression remained utterly placid. He had merged with this entire expanse of heaven and earth, and with the added boost of Tamamo-no-Mae’s Illusion Dao Rhyme, his battle prowess surged to unimaginable heights. While other Ancient Ancestors wielded Starry Sky Power in battle, Tianzhao had ascended to the Ancient Ancestor realm through the Starry Sky itself. The disparity in their strength was simply incomparable!
Tianzhao stepped into the void, a peerless overlord whose aura seemed to swallow tens of thousands of miles. His palms, shimmering with boundless, magnificent Starry Sky Power, unleashed several more strikes, each imbued with a vast, crashing wave of energy.
Banshan Ape let out a furious roar, pounding his chest with both fists before charging through the void, intent on slaughter! With every thunderous step, a hundred thousand zhang of the Starry Sky seemed to shrink, pulling him closer. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! As Banshan Ape advanced, he continuously unleashed a barrage of devastating fist-prints. Each fist-print blazed like an endless, burning sun, unleashing terrifying power that instantly annihilated nearby stars, reducing them to dust. His colossal body, bristling with golden, shimmering fur, was an indestructible fortress of pure physical might, akin to an ancient Chaos Demon God. These stellar fist-prints hurtled towards Tianzhao like a volley of celestial bodies.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the cosmic battlefield, Tamamo-no-Mae’s nine fox tails stretched endlessly, manifesting phantom extensions a hundred thousand li long, each imbued with powerful Dao Patterns. They slammed down upon the distant Ancient Ancestors. BOOM! Each fox tail acted as an Ancient Ancestor-level spirit weapon, morphing into various forms. Terrifying Dao Diagrams swelled and expanded, some resembling towering mountain peaks, others vast, churning seas, and still others, grand, ethereal palaces. With every strike, the very fabric of the Starry Sky seemed on the verge of tearing asunder. Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! A weaker Ancient Ancestor instantly coughed up a mouthful of essence blood, his body violently flung backward.
Master Kongwu strode through the void, a dense, profound river of golden Buddhist Script forming an ancient path beneath his feet as he charged directly at Tamamo-no-Mae. “Amitabha!” he intoned, “I shall intervene!” With a sweep of his sleeve, his monk’s robe transformed, manifesting a profound Starry Sky Buddhist Diagram. Heaven-shaking power coalesced into a colossal palm print, descending as if from beyond the Star Sea itself, shaking the entire Second Star Ring to its core. This was the Dao of Self! This was Master Kongwu’s unique Dao! As the colossal palm descended, it relentlessly eroded the momentum of both Tamamo-no-Mae and Tianzhao, causing a noticeable dip in their offensive power. This was a clash and struggle between fundamental Great Daos!
Simultaneously, Banshan Ape and Ancient Ancestor Dao Kuang unleashed their frenzied attacks. Banshan Ape’s eyes blazed like twin suns, radiating an incomparably brilliant light. He directly siphoned power from the Second Star Ring, his body shimmering with essence light as he continuously conjured colossal mountain ranges, hurling them at Tamamo-no-Mae. Dao Kuang, meanwhile, unleashed strike after strike, each blade-light cutting through the void as if severing water, his Blade Intent surging like an unstoppable river. Pfft! Pfft!
Tamamo-no-Mae and Tianzhao exchanged a look, then, with a sudden, synchronized movement, both launched an attack directly at the Second Star Ring. Over countless eons, the Second Star Ring had absorbed an immense amount of Starry Sky Power, making the energy contained within it far denser than that of the Third or Fourth Star Rings. Their enemies not only outnumbered them, but also held a significant geographical advantage!
Then, abruptly! One of Tamamo-no-Mae’s fox tails lashed out, striking directly at the colossal Second Star Ring. At the same instant, Tianzhao stomped his foot with immense force, causing billions of li of the Starry Sky to tremble. A massive surge of Starry Sky Power coalesced into a colossal Starry Sky Fist, which then slammed into the Second Star Ring.
“You dare!” Dao Kuang and Banshan Ape roared in unison. But it was useless! As the Alliance Leader of the Star River Alliance, Tianzhao naturally possessed an intimate understanding of the Star Ring’s Dao Pattern structure. His single, sweeping attack struck directly at the Second Star Ring’s fatal flaw. BOOM! CRACK! The Second Star Ring began to shatter relentlessly. Endless fragments of the Starry Sky, like a collapsing cosmic domain, dimmed and fell away as a colossal Starry Sky storm erupted with devastating force.
Witnessing this cataclysm, the countless major powers of the Starry Sky were utterly dumbfounded. This battle of Ancient Ancestors was simply too terrifying! They had actually shattered the Second Star Ring! Of the Four Star Rings, only the First Star Ring now remained! A tidal wave of shock surged through the hearts of all observers. These were Star Rings that had endured for eternity, yet three of them had been shattered in such a short span of time!
All eyes turned back to the chaotic battlefield. The scene was nothing short of an absolute free-for-all! Over a dozen Ancient Ancestors were ganging up on just Tamamo-no-Mae and Tianzhao. The onlookers were utterly spellbound.
“As expected of Alliance Leader Tianzhao of the Star River Alliance, he’s simply terrifying!” one cultivator gasped. “In this Starry Sky, if he were to fight any Ancient Ancestor alone, he would surely be invincible!”
“Tianzhao ascended to the Ancient Ancestor realm through the Starry Sky itself; this entire cosmic expanse is his domain!”
“Tamamo-no-Mae is equally terrifying! Even powerful figures like Shenwu Emperor Tianye or Banshan Ape of Yangzheng Mountain would likely be no match for her if they faced her alone!”
“It seems Tamamo-no-Mae’s strength has advanced even further over these countless years! Her nine fox tails are practically Ancient Ancestor-level spirit weapons!”
This monumental battle raged for a full three days and three nights. Not only was the entire Second Star Ring shattered, but every single star within billions of li of this cosmic expanse was utterly annihilated. The vast Starry Sky Power transformed into an endless, raging storm, turning the entire region into a truly terrifying battlefield. The onlookers gazed at the scene, their shock beyond words.
After three days and three nights of horrific combat, Shenwu Emperor Tianye’s faction had actually lost an Ancient Ancestor! Three more Ancient Ancestors were severely wounded! This was over a dozen Ancient Ancestors ganging up on just two! It was undeniable: Tianzhao and Tamamo-no-Mae were simply too powerful!
However! Tianzhao and Tamamo-no-Mae had paid a heavy price themselves! Tianzhao’s star-emblazoned robe was shredded, several deep blade marks gashed his shoulder, and blood splattered from wounds that had nearly decapitated him. Beneath his tattered robes, his physical body was a mass of scars and lacerations. His Starry Sky Great Dao had also been severely eroded, its power significantly diminished! His killing power plummeted!
Beside him, Tamamo-no-Mae was also gravely wounded. One of her fox tails had been brutally severed, leaving her with only eight. Her colossal demonic form was drenched in blood, making it impossible to discern her own crimson lifeblood from that of her enemies. Her once-unbreakable illusions now wavered precariously.
Just then, Shenwu Emperor Tianye, clutching one of Tamamo-no-Mae’s severed fox tails, wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, his face a mask of savage glee. He snarled, “Tianzhao, Tamamo-no-Mae, after all these years, I never would have thought you two would still be the ones to have absorbed the most of Sir’s Dao Rhyme!”
Banshan Ape of Yangzheng Mountain abruptly twisted his left arm, a sickening ‘CRACK’ echoing as he reset a dislocated bone. Gritting his teeth, he spat, “Don’t give me that nonsense about Sir being selfless! It’s obvious he taught you two more than anyone else! Good thing the Ancient Ancestors of the Qianhuan Sect, Boulder Sect, One Sword Sect, and Blazeforce Sect have all fallen! Otherwise, this battle wouldn’t have been so easy to win!”
As his words faded, Tianye tossed the enormous fox tail he held to a grey-robed Ancient Ancestor. “Teng Yuan,” he commanded, “use the Ancient Ancestor Bloodline Power to pinpoint the Fox Fortune Holy Land. You and the others will proceed there, suppress Qingqiu – she’s only one person, after all – and retrieve the Bronze Ancient Palace!”