The True Art Reaches Perfection, Heavenly Tribulation Descends

Divine light shimmered in Ao Chen's eyes. His analysis and understanding of the Ancestor Witches' immortal bodies and their unique use of laws were deepening at an astonishing rate.

The trace of temporal truth he had glimpsed while fighting Zhu Jiuyin had especially clarified his ideas for the art of Sever Three-Life Body!

Every clash was like a sudden revelation, worth thousands of years of secluded cultivation!

Bang!

Another heavy punch, imbued with the power of Star Nirvana, struck Zhu Rong squarely in the chest as he charged in once more.

Zhu Rong's massive body flew backward again like a broken sack. The flames around him dimmed further, and even his recovery had noticeably slowed.

"Damn it!"

Xuan Ming summoned an endless downpour of ice, trying to freeze Ao Chen in place. But the Star River aura naturally radiating from Ao Chen's body easily scattered it. Worse, the Nirvana within that aura even ground away part of Xuan Ming's essence!

Ru Shou's Golden Spear was caught barehanded and knocked aside time and again. Its indestructible Geng Metal sharpness couldn't leave so much as a mark on Ao Chen's seemingly jade-like fists!

"Roar!"

The other Ancestor Witches were also repeatedly thwarted. Their proud divine abilities and formidable bodies seemed to have lost all their power before this mysterious Dragon!

If they hadn't been standing on the earth, able to draw strength from it without end and rapidly recover from their injuries, they might already have been gravely wounded like Gong Gong and Qiang Liang, and lost the ability to fight!

"That's enough!"

Just as Zhu Rong, Gong Gong, and the other hot-tempered Ancestor Witches were about to charge in again, heedless of the consequences, a steady voice filled with authority rang out.

Dijiang, the Space Ancestor Witch, blurred into motion and blocked the way before his siblings. As his six feet and four wings stirred gently, the turbulent laws around them strangely quieted.

Zhu Jiuyin, the Time Ancestor Witch, also appeared. His crimson dragon eyes fixed on Ao Chen, filled with wariness.

Hou Tu sighed softly as the weighty Earth laws stirred around her, signaling for everyone to stop.

"Big Brother? Second Brother? Little Sister? What are you doing? That brat hasn't been defeated yet!" Gong Gong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and roared in frustration.

"We've lost." Dijiang's voice was calm, but allowed no argument.

He looked at Ao Chen, who was still brimming with fighting spirit, with a hint of lingering eagerness in his eyes, and spoke slowly.

"Your strength reaches the heavens, fellow Daoist. Even with all of us joining forces, we're no match for you. Continuing would be futile."

Zhu Jiuyin added, "If we weren't standing on Buzhou Mountain, sheltered by Father God's legacy, we would likely have already fallen beneath your fists. The Wu Clan has lost this battle."

Hou Tu nodded slightly as well. "Your body is stronger, and your mastery of the laws more profound, than ours. We were reckless today."

The three calmest and strongest Ancestor Witches clearly understood the gap between them.

Continuing the fight would only drain their essence while letting their opponent learn more about the secrets of the Wu Clan. It would serve no purpose.

Even their near-undying recovery was little more than a desperate struggle in the face of such an overwhelming difference in strength.

"This..."

The other Ancestor Witches were unwilling to accept it, but fell silent.

They might not be clever, but they weren't fools. After such a fierce battle, they understood that this Dragon was simply beyond their ability to defeat.

Ao Chen's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The excitement in his eyes dimmed a little, giving way to clear disappointment.

It's over already? he thought.

What a pity. I've only just started to grasp the laws of time and the meaning of immortality...

This fight had helped him immensely with refining the Mythical True Immortal Chapter. Every second brought a new insight, its value equal to thousands of years of his past secluded cultivation.

He had wanted to keep pushing them and draw out the full potential of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

But since they had conceded, he couldn't very well force them to continue.

After all, he still needed to stay among the Witch Tribes for a while longer to observe and study them.

"So be it." Ao Chen reined in his aura, and the Star River Universe within him gradually settled. His expression returned to calm.

"Since you have no wish to continue, let's put an end to this here."

Seeing Ao Chen stand down, Dijiang, Zhu Jiuyin, Hou Tu, and the other Ancestor Witches all secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This Dragon had put them under tremendous pressure. His Daoist bearing seemed to set him apart from the Primordial World itself, and his unfathomable strength had made them feel helpless for the first time in their lives.

"Thank you for showing mercy, fellow Daoist." Dijiang cupped his hands to Ao Chen, his tone far more sincere.

"May I ask your name and what force you come from?"

"My name is Ao Chen. I'm just a wandering cultivator." Ao Chen waved a hand casually.

At Ao Chen's introduction, Dijiang, Zhu Jiuyin, and the other Ancestor Witches exchanged thoughtful looks, apparently searching their memories for anyone of that name in the Primordial Wilderness. Naturally, they found nothing.

That did nothing to diminish their respect for the strong.

The Wu Clan was straightforward by nature and admired strength. Ao Chen had stood alone against all Twelve Ancestral Witches and suppressed them. His strength had won their respect and admiration.

"So you're Fellow Daoist Ao Chen!"

Gong Gong was the first to approach. He had long since forgotten his earlier frustration, and enthusiastically thumped his chest.

"Your body is peerless, and your strength unmatched! I was reckless earlier! If you have time, you must visit my Gonggong Tribe and stay a few days. I'll treat you to the finest food and wine!"

"Indeed! Fellow Daoist Ao Chen, I, Qiang Liang, admire the strong! I offended you earlier, so I hope you'll forgive me. You're welcome to visit my Gonggong Tribe!"

Qiang Liang, whom Ao Chen had badly injured with a single punch, had recovered considerably by now. Though his face was still somewhat pale, his gaze was full of admiration.

"Our Tian Wu Tribe welcomes you too!"

"And so does my Ru Shou Tribe!"

"The Gou Mang Tribe awaits your visit at any time!"

In an instant, all the Ancestor Witches except the more reserved Dijiang and Zhu Jiuyin warmly invited Ao Chen to visit their tribes. Even Hou Tu joined in.

The sudden warmth caught Ao Chen off guard, but he quickly understood the Wu Clan's nature.

He had been worrying that once these Ancestor Witches left, he would lose the chance to study their immortal bodies and unique uses of the laws up close.

Now they were inviting him of their own accord. How could he refuse?

"Hahaha, you're all too kind, fellow Daoists. I hardly deserve it." Ao Chen smiled and cupped his hands to the Ancestor Witches.

"If the opportunity arises, I'll visit each of you and discuss the Dao."

Zhu Rong, Gong Gong, and the others were even more delighted at Ao Chen's acceptance. The atmosphere quickly turned warm and cheerful.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Dijiang, Zhu Jiuyin, and the other Ancestor Witches had matters to attend to within their tribes, so they took their leave.

Before leaving, Dijiang specifically instructed Zhu Rong to take good care of Ao Chen and not neglect him.

Soon, only Ao Chen and Zhu Rong remained in the plaza.

"Fellow Daoist Ao Chen, this way! Come with me to the Ancestral Witch Hall!" Zhu Rong said, eagerly leading the way.

In the days that followed, Ao Chen naturally settled for a time in Zhu Rong's Flame Tribe.

He didn't rush things. Instead, as a "guest," he observed the Wu Clan's daily life.

Chapter 30: The True Art Reaches Perfection, Heavenly Tribulation Descends

Ao Chen had remained among the Wu Clan to comprehend the Dao. Before long, seasons had passed.

The sun rose and the moon set; spring passed and autumn came. Eight thousand years vanished in the blink of an eye.

Over those thousands of years, he hadn't stayed in Zhu Rong's Flame Tribe the entire time. In keeping with his promise and his own pursuit of the mysteries of the Great Dao, he had visited the tribes of the other eleven Ancestor Witches one by one.

In Gou Mang's Wood Tribe, he witnessed the proliferation and decline of life, sensing the truth of flourishing and withering within its vitality. This refined his understanding of life's cycles.

In Ru Shou's Metal Tribe, he clashed with countless waves of sharp metal energy and comprehended the indestructible Geng Metal laws. He honed his Kunwu Sword intent and tested the principle of "hardness" required for an immortal body.

In Gong Gong's Water Tribe, he observed the raging floods and comprehended the water's flexibility and capacity to contain all things, as well as the endless changes hidden beneath its fury.

In Hou Tu's Earth Tribe, he stood upon the solid earth and comprehended the Kun Earth Great Dao that bore all things and nurtured everything. He gained a deeper understanding of how to stabilize his True Self Domain and support his Three-Life Body.

In Dijiang's Space Tribe, he exchanged techniques of spatial movement with Dijiang and experienced firsthand the marvels of ignoring distance and folding space. This laid the groundwork for roaming through space and time in the True Immortal Realm.

He devoted the most effort to Zhu Jiuyin's Time Tribe. Zhu Jiuyin controlled the power of time. Though his path differed from Ao Chen's "Unique True Self Imprint," which anchored the past and future, his ability to manipulate the passage of time and the changes of the years gave Ao Chen immense inspiration!

In particular, Zhu Jiuyin's seemingly similar yet subtly different use of the laws of time to sense, draw forth, and ultimately condense the "past, present, and future" selves was like a lamp being lit. Ao Chen's vague ideas suddenly became crystal clear!

Every time Ao Chen visited, the Ancestor Witches gave him the highest honors.

The Wu Clan might be rough around the edges, but their respect for the strong came from the heart. Ao Chen's terrifying strength—enough to easily suppress any one of them and even remain at ease against all Twelve Ancestral Witches together—had won them over completely.

When discussing the Dao, Ao Chen's Heaven-Defying Comprehension often let him pinpoint the obstacles in their use of the laws with a single remark. The Ancestor Witches were enlightened and greatly benefited.

And when sparring, Ao Chen was the perfect "training partner." He always applied just the right amount of pressure, allowing the Ancestor Witches to fight with all their might without truly harming their foundations. At the same time, he drew the Daoist bearing and insights into the laws that he needed from their counterattacks.

Thus, through his continuous discussions and sparring with the Twelve Ancestral Witches, as well as his close observation and analysis of the Wu Clan's unique immortal bodies and system of laws, the <Great Dao Origin Scripture: Mythical True Immortal Chapter> was filled out and refined at an astonishing pace!

Every obscure section and missing key fragment was completed one by one through thousands of years of testing and insight!

At the same time, his own cultivation steadily advanced.

Every day, he absorbed the abundant Innate Spiritual Qi of Buzhou Mountain, supplemented by the pure Five Elements essence supplied by the Five Elements Pine Needle Tree. Sparring with the Ancestor Witches also continually pushed and awakened his potential.

His Mythical Heavenly Immortal mid-stage cultivation had reached its true peak. He was only one final step away from the late stage.