Void Demon Ancestor

After half a day of stealthy travel through the mountains and forests, the setting sun cast its orange-red afterglow through the sparse branches, leaving dappled shadows on the ground. Ren Xiaoyao sat cross-legged on a branch of an ancient tree, his Emperor Power slowly circulating within his dantian. After half a day of recuperation, his Emperor Power had barely recovered to thirty percent, but the lingering stinging pain in his meridians still reminded him of the fierce battle he had just fought. He opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them, and was about to urge his Emperor Power to speed up his journey to the Boundary Sealing Gate when he suddenly sensed an anomaly in the Spirit Vein ahead. The pale golden energy that had been flowing gently like a stream... The Spirit Vein's light band seemed to have been brutally torn apart by an invisible blade. The Spiritual Qi at the break point was chaotic and disordered, replaced by a cold and deathly aura that swept in from the front like a biting winter wind, making the hairs on his body stand on end instantly. "Hmm? This is..." Ren Xiaoyao frowned, his mind stirred, and his Soul Perception extended forward like an invisible net. Just as it touched the void in front of him, it was bounced back by a solid Space Barrier. Behind the barrier, the faint outline of a heavy city could be heard, and a faint energy fluctuation floated within it.

Ren Xiaoyao leaped down from the tree branch and cautiously explored several miles along the Space Barrier. Finally, behind a mountain wall covered with withered vines and dark green moss, he discovered a crack just wide enough for one person to pass sideways. The crack's edges shimmered with a faint light of spatial distortion, its interior pitch black, exuding a decaying aura completely different from the outside world, mixed with a very faint trace of demonic energy. "Could it be a hidden Secret Realm?" Ren Xiaoyao was filled with doubt. Although the pursuers sent by the Ancestral Demon Yougu had temporarily lost track of him, he knew they would not give up easily. Secret Realm might be the perfect place to temporarily escape danger, and Secret Realm often contained rich Spiritual Qi, which would allow him to recover from his injuries. Without hesitation, he straightened his robes and slipped into the crack. After passing through layers of spatial distortion that rippled like water, the scene before him made his pupils shrink, and his breath catch in his throat for a moment.

This is a desolate city. Its walls, over thirty zhang high, are constructed of massive, dark blue-green stones, each about ten zhang square. The stones are covered with spiderweb-like cracks, as if they might collapse at any moment. Dark green moss crawls through the cracks, and beneath it, faint, mottled dark red marks are visible—upon closer inspection, they are traces of blood dried for a thousand years, emanating a faint, fishy stench. The banners atop the city walls have long since decayed to ash, leaving only bare flagpoles swaying in the breeze, emitting a piercing "creak-creak-" sound, like the whispers of ghosts. Fragments of the flag drift in the air, slowly falling like black ashes. The streets within the city are wide and clean, clearly indicating its former prosperity, but now they are deserted. Most of the houses on either side have collapsed, leaving only ruins. Overgrown with weeds, some reaching several feet in height, their leaves a strange purplish-black, with a faint black sap flowing from their veins, emitting a weak toxicity. A thick, rotten stench permeated the air, a mixture of dust and mildew, yet also carried a faint, sinister, and malevolent aura. This aura, though extremely faint, possessed incredible penetrating power, seemingly able to seep into one's very bones, sending chills down one's spine. "Dead City... what exactly happened?" Ren Xiaoyao muttered to himself, his steps slow and deliberate as he entered the city. Each step on the thick layer of dust produced a soft, rustling sound, echoing and amplifying in the empty streets, sounding particularly eerie, as if countless unseen beings were secretly watching his every move, making him feel uneasy all over.

He proceeded cautiously along the street, his eyes scanning every shadowy ruin like a hawk's. His right index and middle fingers were held together, maintaining a subtle connection with the Profound Suppression Emperor Formation, a faint golden Emperor Power swirling around his fingertips, ready to respond to any unexpected situation. Suddenly, an extremely subtle tremor came from the ground beneath his feet, as if something was moving rapidly underground. Ren Xiaoyao's heart tightened, his body instantly tensing like a cheetah poised to pounce. His Soul Perception spread out to its fullest extent, covering a hundred feet around him. The next second, a black shadow darted out from the nearby ruins like a ghost. The shadow rapidly condensed and shaped in the air, like ink dripping into water, transforming into a ten-foot-long, jet-black spear. The shaft was rough like old tree bark, wrapped with fine, dark red Demonic Runes, from Demonic Runes flowed Black Demonic Qi like venomous snakes, emanating a chilling aura. The spearhead was triangular, gleaming with a ghostly green light, radiating a corrosive aura that sent shivers down one's spine. Like a venomous snake striking, it stabbed fiercely towards his vital chest, its sharp tip... The spear tip sliced through the air with a piercing "whoosh," even pushing aside the surrounding dust and creating a small vacuum. "Hmph!" Ren Xiaoyao snorted coldly. Although his Emperor Power hadn't fully recovered, his fighting instincts were already ingrained in his bones. With a thought, the Emperor Crystal in his dantian slightly rotated, and the illusory Profound Suppression Emperor Formation instantly unfolded before him. Within the Emperor Array, which was about ten feet in diameter, purple-gold Emperor Mark flowed rapidly like living things, weaving into a semi-transparent Golden Shield. The runes on the surface of the shield flickered, radiating a heavy Emperor's Might, colliding with the demonic energy. "Clang!" "!" The spear slammed heavily against the protective shield, producing a deafening roar. The Golden Shield trembled violently, rippling like the surface of a lake tossed with pebbles. The spear was also thrown back three feet, the eerie green light on its tip dimming slightly, and the demonic energy within the Demonic Runes dissipating somewhat, becoming thinner. Ren Xiaoyao felt his arm go numb, his blood surging, and a dull pain in his chest. He forcibly circulated his qi to suppress the churning blood, his feet leaving two shallow marks on the ground before he could barely steady himself and avoid retreating. His gaze grew increasingly solemn.

A figure slowly emerged from the ruins, clad in tattered black armor. Many plates were broken and torn, their edges rusted, revealing skin covered in dense black scales. The scales were covered in tiny barbs, gleaming with a metallic sheen and reflecting a ghostly green light. The helmet completely obscured his face, leaving only two slits around his eyes. Through these slits, a pair of eyes gleamed with a scarlet light, filled with undisguised ferocity and greed, like a beast starved for centuries finally spotting its prey, its gaze fixed intently on Ren Xiaoyao. "I never expected a human cultivator to intrude into this ' Demon Meteor City.' Perfect nourishment for me to recover my peak cultivation!" The figure's voice was hoarse, like the scraping of a broken gong, each word dripping with malice, making one feel irritated. He brandished his spear once more, his arm twisting, countless black spear shadows coalescing in the air, each shadow indistinguishable from a solid spear. Clad in dense demonic energy, the spears rained down on Ren Xiaoyao's vital points like a torrential downpour, densely packed and leaving no gaps. Wherever the spear shadows passed, the air was torn apart, emitting a continuous "sizzle-sizzle-" sound, accompanied by a pungent, nauseating stench, like that of a rotting corpse. Ren Xiaoyao dared not be careless, manipulating the Profound Suppression Emperor Formation into a golden streak of light. His figure moved like a nimble dragon, swiftly weaving through the dense spear shadows, his toes barely touching the ground... Its form shifted unpredictably; simultaneously, with a thought, several condensed golden Emperor Mark Emperor Mark flew out from the Emperor Array. The runes transformed into three-inch-long swords in the air, piercing towards the major acupoints on the black figure's body with a sharp whistling sound, attempting to force the opponent back. The human and the demon instantly clashed, the golden Emperor Power and the black demonic energy constantly colliding, erupting into Energy Impact that shattered the surrounding ruins. Debris and dust filled the sky, obscuring half the sky, and the entire dead city echoed with the roar of battle.

The shadowy figure's strength far surpassed any of the previous Demon Chess Pieces, possessing the peak cultivation of the Late Heavenly Immortal realm, only a step away from the Golden Immortal Realm. His aura was powerful and domineering. As he wielded his spear, demonic energy surged, forming black tornadoes several meters in diameter. These tornadoes carried away rubble and broken wood, spinning at incredible speeds, carving deep trenches into the ground wherever they passed—their destructive power was astonishing. Each move contained World-Destroying Power, each strike aimed directly at Ren Xiaoyao's vital points, giving him no chance to breathe. His offensive... Like a relentless tide, the attacks continued. Ren Xiaoyao's Emperor Power had only recovered to 30%, the Emperor Crystal within his dantian was spinning sluggishly, and the output of his Emperor Power was intermittent. He could only rely on the formidable defense of the Profound Suppression Emperor Formation to barely hold on, and his occasional counterattacks seemed powerless, teetering on the brink of collapse like a candle in the wind. "Boom!" The dark figure seized a weakness in Ren Xiaoyao's Emperor Power connection, stomping his foot hard on the ground. The ground instantly collapsed, creating a deep crater, and his body shot up like a cannonball. Using the recoil, the spear in his hand carried a thousand pounds of force. The force slammed into the Emperor Array shield. "Crack!" The shield trembled violently, its golden light flickering like a candle in the wind, fine, spiderweb-like cracks appearing on its surface. The flow of the Emperor Mark slowed, and the light dimmed. Ren Xiaoyao could no longer hold back; a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood turned into specks of mist in the air, staining his robes crimson—a horrifying sight. His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a crumbling city wall. Already decayed beyond repair, the body collapsed with a deafening roar after the heavy blow, burying most of him in rubble. He struggled to crawl out of the rubble, his face ashen, his lips bloodless, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, his breath utterly feeble. The Emperor Crystal within his dantian spun increasingly slowly, and the light of the Emperor Array grew fainter and fainter, like an oil lamp about to go out. Even maintaining his illusory image was extremely difficult; he could only barely condense a thin layer of golden Light Membrane in front of him, greatly reducing his defensive capabilities.

"Hahaha! Nothing special! This so-called successor of the Profound Suppression Emperor Formation dares to block my path! What a disappointment!" The dark figure laughed wildly, the sound echoing through the empty, dead city, causing dust to fall from the ruins and the surrounding weeds to sway. He approached step by step, spear in hand, each step making a thud on the ground. The eerie green light from the spear tip reflected on Ren Xiaoyao's face, and the shadow of death instantly enveloped him, making him feel suffocated. Just as the spear was about to pierce Ren Xiaoyao's brow, a gentle, spring-like voice suddenly rang out. "Stop." The voice was not loud. Yet, it carried a penetrating majesty, like the descent of Heavenly Regulation, instantly freezing the shadowy figure in mid-air, its demonic energy momentarily halting. The shadowy figure trembled, as if all its strength had been drained, and slowly turned around. There, at the end of the street, walked a figure clad in a moon-white Daoist robe. His face was refined and elegant, his hair and beard white yet his complexion ruddy. He held a jade whisk, and a faint golden aura surrounded him. His extraordinary bearing was none other than the revered Alliance Leader of the Immortal Alliance — True Human Lingxu! His appearance, like a ray of light in the darkness, instantly drew everyone's attention.

Ren Xiaoyao's eyes lit up with surprise, like a drowning man grasping at a straw. His despair was replaced by this sudden hope. "Alliance Leader! How did you get here?" He struggled to get up, but due to his depleted Emperor Power and severe injuries, he collapsed back down as soon as he managed to prop himself up, waves of pain shooting through his body. He was filled with relief at surviving, completely oblivious to the fleeting, eerie smile on True Human Lingxu's lips, and unaware of the cold indifference hidden deep within the other's eyes. Meanwhile, the dark figure in the Late Heavenly Immortal, upon seeing True Human Lingxu, instantly lost all traces of ferocity and greed in his eyes. Instead, a deep-seated awe filled him. Like a mouse before a cat, he knelt down on one knee with a thud, his head bowed low beneath his helmet, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Your subordinate... Your subordinate greets Your Lord! I was unaware of Your Lord's arrival in Demon Meteor City. I have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive Lord!" "Your Lord?!" These two words exploded in Ren Xiaoyao's ears like a bolt from the blue. The smile on his face froze instantly, as if frozen in time. A chill ran from his feet to the top of his head, making his blood feel as if it had frozen. A strong sense of foreboding welled up in his heart, like a dark cloud hanging over his mind.

True Human Lingxu slowly walked up to Ren Xiaoyao. His steps were light yet carried an invisible pressure. With each step, the dust on the ground parted as if encountering an invisible barrier, leaving clean footprints, as if even dust dared not touch his robes. He looked down at the disheveled, blood-covered Ren Xiaoyao, his gaze calm yet scrutinizing, as if observing an interesting toy, devoid of pity. With a gentle flick of his jade whisk, the white fluff on the whisk trembled slightly, and an invisible binding force instantly enveloped Ren Xiaoyao's entire body. This force, like thousands of steel chains, tightly bound his limbs and bones, rendering him unable to move, even breathing extremely difficult. His chest felt as if a huge boulder was pressing down on it, making it hard for his blood and qi to circulate. "Ren Xiaoyao, you are indeed an unexpected Variables," True Human Lingxu's voice said. His voice remained gentle and melodious, like a clear mountain spring, soothing the soul, but his eyes were like a bottomless, icy pool, devoid of any warmth. "You managed to obtain the Profound Suppression Emperor Formation from the Two Forms Boundary Gap, destroyed the Incarnation of my Ancestral Demon Yougu that had been condensed over a hundred years with Demonic Source, and almost exposed Elder Ying, a pawn used to deceive others... You've disrupted my plans time and time again, it's quite amusing." "Plans? What plans?" Ren Xiaoyao spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse and dry, his mind a jumble of questions, countless doubts churning within him, like a tangled mess, impossible to unravel. "You... how could you be his Lord? Could it be that you... are colluding with the Demon Realm?" He dared not voice that terrifying suspicion, and could only stare intently into True Human Lingxu's eyes, hoping to see a trace of denial, even if it was feigned, but the other's gaze only fueled his despair.

"Colluding with the Demon Realm?" True Human Lingxu chuckled, his laughter no longer gentle, but carrying a chilling sneer, as sinister as a viper's hiss. "You underestimate me, the Void Demon Ancestor." Before his words were finished, the golden aura surrounding him receded rapidly like a tide, as if swallowed by darkness, replaced by an intensely dense, impenetrable Black Demonic Qi. Mixed within this energy were Void gray mists, which seemed to writhe with life, distorting and wrinkling the surrounding space wherever they passed, as if kneaded and deformed by an invisible hand. Even light refracted within them, becoming incredibly eerie. His figure subtly shifted within the demonic energy; his once refined and slender face gradually blurred and distorted, the muscles beneath his skin twitching. When it regained its clarity, while still retaining the general outline of True Human Lingxu, it exuded a chilling, sinister aura—his pupils had turned into elongated, dark black ones, devoid of any spirit. Cai was surrounded by endless Void, seemingly capable of devouring one's soul; beneath his skin, faint black Demonic Runes flowed, moving across his body like living creatures, emanating a chilling aura; the light emanating from him was no longer the warm glow of the spirit, but Void pressure that eclipsed the very heavens and earth, a pressure as solid as a mountain, making the surrounding air thick and difficult to breathe. "I am not in league with the Demon Realm," he spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and cold, carrying a thousand years of accumulated resentment and hatred, as if it came from the Nine Nether Hell, each word filled with dark power, "I am the head of the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm, the Void Demon Ancestor! This True Human Lingxu is merely an Incarnation I painstakingly infiltrated in the Immortal Alliance over a thousand years. Elder Ying? He barely qualifies as a pawn of mine, merely a discarded piece I placed in the Elder Council to divert the Immortal Alliance's attention and incidentally deal with those disobedient dissidents and clear obstacles for me."

Ren Xiaoyao was struck dumb, his mind blank, his ears ringing as if countless bees were buzzing around him. He stared intently at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure before him, his faith shattering like a collapsing mountain, completely destroyed. The Immortal Alliance Leader, the one he had revered since childhood, the backbone of the Immortal Realm, the spiritual pillar of countless cultivators, was actually the Incarnation of the leader of the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm! This truth, like the sharpest blade, pierced his heart, causing him excruciating pain. No wonder Elder Ying could control the Elder Council with absolute power and act with impunity; no wonder the Demon Realm could plant countless Demon Chess Pieces in the Immortal Realm without being detected. He had been lying in wait for a century; no wonder the Defense Deployment of the Boundary Sealing Gate had been repeatedly breached, causing heavy losses to the Immortal Realm cultivators... All the suspicious points now connected, forming a despairing truth that made him feel dizzy. "You... why did you do this?" Ren Xiaoyao's voice trembled, filled with anger, deep confusion, and heartache, as helpless as a wounded cub. "The Immortal Alliance treated you well, giving you supreme status and glory. Billions of cultivators in the Immortal Realm revered you and held you in the highest esteem. Why did you betray all of this? Why did you betray everyone who trusted you?"

"Betrayal?" The Void Demon Ancestor's voice suddenly rose, his demonic energy surging violently, forming black tornadoes that swept up the surrounding ruins, swirling and colliding in the air with deafening roars. "A thousand years ago, Immortal Realm cultivators, under the guise of 'eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path,' and under the pretense of justice, joined forces to invade the Demon Realm Abyss, destroying my Demon Ancestor Hall, killing billions of my people, pushing us to the brink of extinction, leaving us to eke out a living in the abyss! I have remembered this blood debt for a thousand years! For a thousand years, I have infiltrated the Immortal Alliance, rising from an outer disciple who suffered endless bullying and trampling to the position of Alliance Leader, enduring the hypocrisy and indifference of the Immortal Realm cultivators. I have endured it for a thousand years!" His eyes flashed with a crazed killing intent, like burning hellfire. "Three days later, the Demon Realm... " The army will breach the Boundary Sealing Gate on time, and the Immortal Alliance's defensive array and troop deployment have already been modified by me to be riddled with loopholes and utterly vulnerable! At that time, the Immortal Realm will become the hunting ground of my Demon Realm, all cultivators will become nourishment for my people, and all living beings will become our slaves, suffering endless torment! As for you," he looked at Ren Xiaoyao, a greedy glint in his eyes, as if he had seen a rare treasure, " the Profound Suppression Emperor Formation is the core of the five High Antiquity Five Directions Emperor Formation, crucial for my fusion of the other four arrays and the achievement of supreme Devil Cultivation Method. I will extract your soul and refine you into the most loyal puppet, making you watch as the Immortal Realm you protect is turned into Purgatory, making you personally experience the pain and despair I endured back then. This is the consequence of you ruining my plans!"

As the words fell, the Void Demon Ancestor slowly extended his right hand, palm facing upward. A ball of jet-black energy rapidly condensed in his palm, tiny gray arcs of electricity crackling across its surface. These arcs left Void traces as they passed through the void, as if even space itself was being swallowed up. This ball of energy emitted an incredibly terrifying suction force, distorting the surrounding air into vortexes. Even the rubble and broken wood from the distant ruins were drawn into the air, slowly rising towards the energy ball, only to be crushed into powder by the Invisible Power along the way. Even light was completely absorbed, and the area around the energy ball... A small, dark area appeared, terrifying like Miniature Black Hole. Ren Xiaoyao felt his soul being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, constantly being pulled outwards. A tearing pain shot through his sea of consciousness, as if he were being ripped in two. Blurred illusions began to appear before him; countless Demonic Soul howled and struggled, stretching out withered arms to drag him into endless darkness. He struggled desperately, his teeth grinding, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat soaking his hair, yet he couldn't move a single finger. His Emperor Power was firmly imprisoned within his dantian, like a sleeping dragon, powerless... The Dharma Awakening technique failed him, and the Profound Suppression Emperor Formation, weakened by his loss of focus, dimmed to a mere flicker of light, like a candle in the wind, threatening to be extinguished at any moment. Despair washed over him like a cold tide. Was the belief he had pursued throughout his life destined to protect to end in such a humiliating and tragic way? He was unwilling to accept it. He hadn't yet told Zhao Lie about the Void Demon Ancestor's earth-shattering conspiracy, hadn't yet warned the guards of the Boundary Sealing Gate to prepare for battle, hadn't yet let the millions of cultivators in the Immortal Realm know that their revered Alliance Leader of a thousand years was actually a lurking demon! Just as his soul was about to be torn from his body and his consciousness was about to vanish... The instant the light dissipated, the Profound Suppression Emperor Formation within his dantian suddenly erupted with a dazzling purple-gold light. This light, as brilliant as the rising sun, pierced through his limbs and bones, enveloping him entirely and dispelling all the cold and darkness. A condensed, almost tangible purple-gold Emperor Mark flew out from the array, inscribed with Ancient Runes Emperor Mark. As if possessing its own consciousness, it carried a vast and powerful High Antiquity Emperor's Might, abruptly merging into his soul. A warm and powerful force instantly awakened within him, the intense pain in his sea of consciousness vanished instantly, and his blurred consciousness became clear...