The Foremost Under Ancestor Fu

A flicker of reminiscence passed through Cang Wu's eyes, and after a long moment, he let out a faint sigh.

His gaze fell once more upon Lin Dong. Cang Wu raised his hand and beckoned, and Lin Dong's Life Spirit Talisman flew over.

The next instant, Lin Dong and Little Marten both widened their eyes in shock as the runes on the Life Spirit Talisman began to writhe and twist.

One by one, forks appeared on the originally uncomplicated runes. As these forks emerged, the runes on the Life Spirit Talisman grew profound and intricate.

"Th-this, this, this..."

Little Marten stammered, repeating the same word over and over. His eyes, no bigger than mung beans, nearly bulged into red beans—pure, unadulterated envy.

As everyone knew, a talisman master's Life Spirit Talisman was called "life" because it was cultivated entirely by the talisman master themselves, tied to their very existence. To later switch to another Seal Condensation Method would be fraught with difficulty.

Yet now, someone had casually upgraded Lin Dong's Life Spirit Talisman with a wave of the hand. Was this the kind of overwhelming fortune an ancient supreme powerhouse could bestow at will? How enviable!

In just a few moments, Lin Dong's Life Spirit Talisman had been transformed beyond recognition, its profundity far surpassing what it had been before.

"Here. This talisman, though not equal to the Devouring Ancestral Talisman, possesses three-tenths of its might. Now, young one, you won't be scheming against This Seat anymore, will you?"

Cang Wu tossed the Life Spirit Talisman back to Lin Dong with a light chuckle, his tone carrying a hint of weariness.

He had just awakened from slumber, having burned his reincarnation, leaving him frail and weak. On top of that, he was merely a remnant soul. Bestowing this fortune upon Lin Dong was already the limit of his ability.

That he could achieve even this was only because, in his final moments, Cang Wu had forcibly taken a step forward, breaking through to the Divine Palace Realm in soul cultivation.

Lin Dong, teased openly by Cang Wu, scratched his head in embarrassment. But then, sensing the fatigue in Cang Wu's voice, he started and quickly asked.

"Senior Cang Wu, are you alright?"

"No trouble. It's just that this remnant soul of mine is too weak and will need a long period of recuperation."

Cang Wu chuckled lightly, but his words stunned Little Marten, who stared at him blankly before exclaiming in surprise.

"Huh? You're still just a remnant soul?"

"Do you think that just because This Seat is but a remnant soul, you can bully me?"

Faced with Cang Wu's teasing, Little Marten waved his claws and shook his head, quickly forcing a placating smile.

"Wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare. How could I, Little Marten, dare to offend you, venerable one? I'm just shocked that even as a remnant soul, you possess such power. What must you have been like at your peak?"

"At my peak? This Seat could glare a few thousand of you to death with a single look—ten thousand or eight thousand might be a stretch, but a thousand or eight hundred? No problem."

Little Marten stiffened at that, forcing an awkward smile. Lin Dong, on the other hand, felt a surge of vindication. Serves Little Marten right for always putting on airs in front of him!

After his jest, Cang Wu let out a long sigh, a note of regret in his voice.

"This Seat was at my peak second only to my master. A pity, though—I only took that final step at the very end."

Lin Dong nodded silently, awed by what he didn't fully understand, thinking that this Lord of Devourment was truly formidable—worthy of being an ancient supreme powerhouse.

But Little Marten grew more and more alarmed. He had thought he was already holding this famed Lord of Devourment in high enough regard, only to realize he might have still underestimated this great one!

"By then, the great war was already over. I was gravely wounded. After my breakthrough, I could only burn my reincarnation, using my last strength to escort more people into the cycle of rebirth."

Cang Wu's tone carried a hint of regret. If he had broken through earlier, the outcome of that great battle between heaven and earth could have been rewritten.

Though the system had not been of much help to Cang Wu since his transmigration, it had granted him an extraordinary talent for combat. At the same cultivation level, he could unleash one hundred percent of his strength.

It was precisely because of this talent that, when Ancestor Fu took him as a disciple, Cang Wu chose the Devouring Ancestral Talisman—the first of the Eight Great Ancestral Talismans to emerge, and the most mysterious and domineering.

In that final battle, when Ancestor Fu burned his reincarnation to seal the Demon Empress and used his remaining power to escort his junior sister into reincarnation, Cang Wu single-handedly held off the four great powerhouses of the Heavenly King Hall, Second King's Hall, Third King's Hall, and the Great Heavenly Demon King, ensuring the Ice Master escaped safely into reincarnation.

It was in that final battle that Cang Wu finally took that step, severely wounding all four. Though the three King Halls managed to flee, he left them gravely injured and kept the Great Heavenly Demon King pinned down.

Of course, under the desperate assault of the four top powerhouses of the Demon Race, Cang Wu was also mortally wounded and on the verge of death.

Just as Cang Wu was weighing whether to enter reincarnation and gamble on a slim chance, or to burn his reincarnation and escort others, the system suddenly awakened.

Due to the intrusion of Space-Time Power, the system collapsed, barely managing to send Cang Wu's soul through time and space to ten thousand years later.

Cang Wu did not hesitate. He burned his reincarnation on the spot. Having stepped into the Divine Palace Realm, the power he unleashed sent even more people into the cycle of rebirth.

In the end, his remnant soul survived under the system's protection. But since only a remnant remained, the system could only place him within the Ancestral Stone, using its power to slowly nourish his soul.

Had he not broken through at the last moment, with how desperately he had saved others, his soul would have dissipated long ago. Burning reincarnation was no different from utter annihilation; only his breakthrough to the Divine Palace Realm had given him a final breath.

Though only fragments were spoken, Lin Dong's heart surged with emotion, and his eyes held a trace of reverence.

Little Marten frowned, then, hearing Cang Wu speak of ancient times, couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Senior, what exactly happened in the ancient era?"

"I'll tell you another time. Or perhaps, if the opportunity arises, you can ask your ancestor."

Cang Wu chuckled lightly but revealed no further information. These matters were beyond Little Marten and Lin Dong's current strength; they weren't qualified to know. If others were to pry it out of them, it would only invite trouble.

"Young one, remember this: do not reveal that you possess the Ancestral Stone. Otherwise, this Little Sky Demon Sable here is a cautionary tale. If This Seat hadn't saved his life back then, his demonic spirit would have long since been lost."

"The Ancestral Stone? Senior means this mysterious stone talisman?"

Lin Dong was taken aback for a moment before it clicked. Cang Wu nodded gently in response.