Four Great Ancestors

"Li Chongshan's words hadn't even finished, 'Hmph!' 'Hmph!' 'Hmph!' 'Hmph!'"

"Four cold snorts, almost simultaneous, yet each carrying a distinct flavor: one as chilling as a viper's flick, another alluring yet hiding a killing intent, a third ferocious like a burning heart, and the last heavy as a mountain pressing down. They suddenly echoed through the heavens and earth!"

"These sounds didn't travel through the air but exploded directly within the minds of all living beings! Accompanying the sounds, the space before the city wall seemed like water disturbed by a thrown stone, distorting and rippling violently!"

"Four blurry figures, emanating a suffocating aura, stepped out from ripples in the distant void. Their movements, though seemingly slow, were actually too fast for the eye to follow. With each step, they seemed to shrink the world, their forms flickering between reality and illusion, instantly crossing vast distances."

"With every step they took, the air in the entire battlefield region turned into thick, viscous jelly, completely solidifying! The wails of the fleeing monsters, the heavy breaths of the defenders, even the crackling of burning torches, all vanished. Light began to warp, and everything in sight was overlaid with an unreal ripple. An indescribable, terrifying pressure, like four invisible divine mountains, converged from all directions, crushing down fiercely!"

"When the four figures fully solidified, completely revealing themselves beneath the city wall..."

"'Plop!' 'Plop!'"

"On the city wall, defenders with weaker cultivation collapsed to the ground one after another like dumplings being dropped into water. Their faces turned a bruised purple, blood seeped from their noses and mouths. They couldn't even remain standing under this pressure! Even skilled individuals like Shi Zhu felt their bones creaking, their true qi completely frozen, making it incredibly difficult to even move their eyeballs, as if countless invisible hands were choking their throats and every inch of their flesh!"

"The entire battlefield, whether the ferocious monsters from before or the defenders on the wall, at this moment, were utterly stripped of sound and mobility by this combined, terrifying aura that could eclipse the heavens and earth, falling into a deathly silence and rigidity! Only the four figures, like the center of the world, exuded an aura of dominance."

"What met everyone's eyes was:"

"One was an elder. He was hunched, draped in a dark green, scale-patterned cloak. His exposed skin was a sickly grayish-white, covered in fine snake scales. His face was withered, his eye sockets deep, and his pair of vertical pupils were pure dark gold. When he looked at someone, his pupils would slightly contract, sending shivers down one's spine. He leaned on a twisted dark jade snake staff, its head carved into a ferocious snake's maw, slightly open, with faint dark green poisonous mist swirling within. Where he stood, the ground within thirty feet withered, blackened, and turned to scorched earth. This was the Snake Ancestor, known as Withered Bone, at the peak of Core Condensation, ruling the 'Ten Thousand Snakes Den' to the south."

"The second was a beautiful woman. She had a graceful figure, dressed in a dark purple gauze dress as thin as cicada wings, her alluring body faintly visible beneath. Yet, no one dared to harbor any lustful thoughts. This was because her exposed shoulders, arms, and even half of her face were adorned with bizarre spider tattoos that seemed alive, their compound eyes subtly shifting. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, but its ends strangely split into eight strands, each tipped with a metallic, ethereal blue glow, moving without wind. Most chilling were her eyes—not a pair, but a slightly bulging area in the center of her forehead, as if a third vertical eye was about to open. Wherever her gaze fell, the air rippled subtly. This was the Spider Ancestor, known as Hundred Eyes, at the peak of Core Condensation, residing in the western Thousand Threads Cave."

"The third was powerfully built and agile. He appeared to be a lean man in his thirties, but his skin was a strange dark red, as if he had been flayed and regrown. His fingernails were long, curved, and black as ink, glinting with metallic coldness. His face was handsome yet sinister, his lips always curved in a cruel smile. Most peculiar were his eyes—the whites were a murky yellow, while his pupils were like flickering candle flames, orange-red. As his gaze swept over, it felt like waves of scorching heat washed over you. Behind him, a blurry, indistinct phantom, neither entirely leopard nor not, flickered, exuding a bloodthirsty, savage aura. This was the Human Candle Leopard Ancestor, known as Burning Blood, at the peak of Core Condensation, dominating the eastern Burning Heart Ridge."

"The fourth was a more colossal figure who had appeared beside the Earth Splitter Ox Demon, who had just been repelled by Li Chongshan and was now being supported. This was a terrifying Ox Demon that had completely maintained its giant bull form, but was a full size larger than Earth Splitter. Its fur was not pure black, but a dense, dark bronze color, like ancient bronze weathered by endless years. Its pair of curved horns were not spiral but pointed straight upwards, their surfaces covered in naturally formed, complex patterns resembling ancient runes, with faint lightning entwining their tips. It did not stand on its hind legs like Earth Splitter but stood with all four hooves planted, its every step shaking the ground. Its massive bull eyes were not crimson but a deep, dark gold, filled with the majesty and indifference of ages. This was the Ox Ancestor, known as Town Mountain, at the peak of Core Condensation, the true ruler of the northern Black Wind Cave, and the grandfather of the Earth Splitter Ox Demon."

"As soon as the four Demon Race Ancestors appeared, they didn't deliberately exude pressure, but their peak Core Condensation realm, combined with their long-held positions and countless killings, had already formed a desperate field of power. The ordinary soldiers on the city wall felt as if a mountain of immense weight was pressing down on their hearts, their blood qi stagnating. Those with weaker cultivation collapsed directly to the ground, blood seeping from their noses and mouths. Even skilled individuals like Shi Zhu felt their true qi circulation become sluggish and their breathing difficult."

"'What big talk, Lord Li,' the first to speak was the Spider Ancestor Hundred Eyes. Her voice was alluring and soft, yet carried a bone-chilling coldness. Her gaze swept over Li Chongshan, whose face was pale on the city wall. 'It hasn't been long since we last met, and you've become so imposing? You don't even put the four of us old guys in your eyes anymore?'"

"The air seemed to completely solidify, even the sound of the wind vanished."

"Li Chongshan's cold smile remained unchanged. He bowed slightly, his tone surprisingly 'respectful,' yet beneath that respect lay an unfathomable indifference. 'Spider Ancestor, you jest. How could that be? This junior was simply enraged by this ill-mannered foolish bull and lost his composure for a moment.'"

"He raised a finger, pointing to Commander Chen beside him, who was heavily injured, coughing blood, and barely being supported. He continued in that eerily level tone, 'Furthermore, esteemed Ancestors can see that you are bullying my junior brother Chen like this. If I, as his senior brother, do not step forward, will outsiders not laugh? If Master were to find out and blame me for not taking good care of my junior brother, I would be in grave trouble. If I have offended you just now, this junior offers my apologies to all esteemed Ancestors.'"

"His words were spoken slowly and deliberately, but their content stunned everyone who heard them, both above and below the city wall."

"'Senior brother? Junior brother? Master?'"

"'Commander Chen is Li Chongshan's junior brother? They have the same Master?'"

"Commander Chen opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but it aggravated his injuries, and he coughed out another mouthful of blood."

"'Alright,' the Human Candle Leopard Ancestor Burning Blood waved his hand. The cruel smile on his lips deepened, and his candle-flame-like eyes fixed on Li Chongshan. 'We can discuss matters of kinship and sect later. Li Chongshan, my useless little grandson went missing near your territory a few days ago, and we later discovered... he was killed by your people.'"

"He paused, his tone calm, yet carrying a chilling scent of blood. 'Youngsters fighting, if they die, they die. It's just their own fault for being less skilled. I have that much magnanimity. However...'"

"His tone shifted abruptly, his gaze sharpening like a knife, and the temperature in the air rose sharply. 'The groups of our kin who came to inquire about this matter last time were ambushed on their way back! Not a single survivor was left! Li Chongshan, you owe us an explanation for this, don't you?'"

"The Snake Ancestor Withered Bone interjected with a hoarse voice like rubbing snakes, his golden vertical pupils slowly sweeping over the city wall. 'Indeed. Once is an accident, twice... is unacceptable. We tacitly allowed you to manage the Anping County area, not for you to slaughter my kin's descendants at will.'"

"The pressure surged towards the city wall, towards Li Chongshan, like tangible waves."

"Li Chongshan maintained his eerily calm expression and nodded. 'Ancestor Burning Blood speaks the truth, Ancestor Withered Bone's reprimand is correct. We were indeed unaware of this matter. However, since it occurred within Anping County, and your subordinates suffered losses, it is our fault for inadequate patrols. We bear responsibility.'"

"He looked up, meeting the gaze of the four Ancestors. 'Then, what kind of explanation do the esteemed Ancestors desire? Feel free to speak frankly.'"

"The Ox Ancestor Town Mountain, who had been silent until now, let out a low grunt. The sound was like giant stones rolling through a valley, making one's eardrums ache. 'An explanation? We don't need those empty words. Li Chongshan, I'll ask you one thing: what stage is that experiment you've been conducting for so many years at now? What are the results?'"

"Its dark golden bull eyes stared intently at Li Chongshan, as if trying to see through him. 'Hand over the results of the experiment and let us see. If it truly has value, we can overlook the previous matters for now. As for the rest...'"

"Town Mountain Ox Ancestor paused, its massive head slowly turning. Its gaze swept over the silhouettes of the dwellings faintly visible behind the Anping County city wall, its voice as cold as ice that had frozen for ten thousand years. 'Take half the people in your city to be buried with my deceased kin. One life for one life, it's very fair. Otherwise, we cannot give an explanation to the fallen brothers, nor can we convince our people. Li Chongshan, do you... agree?'"

"As these words were spoken, the defenders still standing on the city wall, including Shi Zhu, turned pale with despair and anger. Half the citizens! That was how many lives! In the mouths of these Demon Race Ancestors, they were like grass and livestock, to be slaughtered at will to make up the numbers!"

"Upon hearing this, Commander Chen's eyes blazed with fury. He forced a surge of true qi, using his saber to support himself, struggling to straighten his hunched back, and roared hoarsely. Though his voice was weak, it carried an undeniable resolve. 'No! Impossible!'"

"He stared fiercely at the four Ancestors below the city, then at the expressionless Li Chongshan, and said word by word, 'What sin have the citizens of the city committed? They have nothing to do with this matter! You want an explanation? Fine! The death row inmates and major offenders locked up in the county jail can be handed over to you for disposal! But wantonly slaughtering innocent citizens is absolutely impossible! This is my bottom line, Chen Qingzhi's, and also the bottom line of the Anping County Garrison!'"

"'Oh?'"

"Before Commander Chen could finish speaking, the Spider Ancestor Hundred Eyes let out a soft hum, tinged with amusement and displeasure. She didn't even look at Commander Chen, but casually raised her right hand. Her slender, jade-like fingers lightly flicked in the direction of Commander Chen."

"No, it wasn't a flick of her finger, but a strand of her hair, glowing with an ethereal blue light, suddenly straightened at a speed beyond visual perception, like the sharpest rapier, thrusting towards Commander Chen from a distance!"

"There was no grand display of power, only a barely perceptible thin blue line slicing through the air."

"Commander Chen, though heavily injured, still possessed combat instincts. The sense of danger made the hairs on his body stand on end. Without thinking, he swung his dark black saber with all his might, blocking in front of him!"

"'Clang!'"

"A faint, yet incredibly sharp collision sound. The ethereal blue line struck the saber. Commander Chen felt an icy, penetrating force accompanied by a strange vibration. His already strained arm went numb, his tiger's mouth split open, and the dark black saber almost flew out of his hand! He himself was struck with immense force, grunted, his feet left the ground, and he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily against the stone wall of the city tower behind him!"

"'Boom!'"

"The stone wall cracked like a spiderweb. Commander Chen slid to the ground, spitting out another mouthful of blood mixed with internal organ fragments. The saber clattered to the ground, his aura completely depleted, rendering him utterly incapable of fighting. He could only lean against the wall, using his last bit of strength to stare fixedly at the scene below the city."

"'A dying man, barely clinging to life, is fit to talk about bottom lines?' the Spider Ancestor Hundred Eyes retracted her hair strand, as if merely dusting off her hands. Her alluring voice was filled with disdain. 'We are not negotiating with you. Speak one more word, and you'll be the first to be dealt with. Perhaps your body, which is still somewhat decent 'material,' can be used to nourish my children in the cave.'"

On the city wall, there was dead silence. Shi Zhu and the others gripped their weapons, their teeth grinding, but no one dared to move, nor could they. In front of the four Demon Race ancestors at the peak of Core Condensation, any resistance they offered seemed so pale and powerless.

All eyes turned to Li Chongshan. Under the gaze of countless people, Li Chongshan slowly turned around. He no longer looked at the four ancestors below the city, nor at the heavily injured and dying Commander Chen. Instead, he spoke calmly to the shadows behind him, "Mr. Yin, please bring out Subject Number One for the ancestors to see the results."

His voice was calm and unwavering, as if he were merely giving a trivial instruction.

"As you command, my lord." From the shadows, Mr. Yin's hunched figure emerged. He bowed respectfully, then slid down the city wall like a phantom, disappearing into the city.

Above and below the city walls, an eerie wait ensued. The four Demon Race ancestors were at leisure, their demonic energy churning. The defending soldiers on the wall were filled with despair, a sense of hopelessness spreading amongst them.

Commander Chen leaned against the cold stone wall, gazing at Li Chongshan's indifferent back, then at the ferocious Great Demons below the city. The last flicker of light in his eyes gradually dimmed, leaving only endless exhaustion and sorrow. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something to Shi Zhu, but no sound came out. He merely gestured with his eyes... Leave quickly.

Shi Zhu understood. He tightly gripped the hilt of his saber, his knuckles turning white, but he stubbornly shook his head, standing guard in front of Commander Chen, not an inch away.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, in the depths of Burning Heart Ridge, where the land was scorched earth and heatwaves distorted vision.

Wang Quan slowly straightened up from the wreckage of a battlefield still emitting smoke, littered with charred leopard corpses. A deep claw mark marred his chest and abdomen, the flesh rolled back, its edges blackened, but the bleeding had been forcibly stopped by Chaos True Qi. The muscles deep within the wound writhed, slowly healing. The malevolent aura and the smell of blood surrounding him were more than ten times stronger than when he had left Black Stone Town.

Beneath his feet lay the severed body of the Burning Heart Ridge's guardian Great Demon, the Burning Heart Leopard Marshal, his ferocious leopard head still frozen in disbelief and horror. This was the fourth Demonic Creature territory, and the last.

The insidious cunning of the Ten Thousand Snakes Den, the ensnaring illusion nets of the Thousand Threads Cave, and then the explosive ferocity of this Burning Heart Ridge... As he fought his way through, treading on countless demon corpses, drinking the Essence Blood and souls of Demonic Creatures, Wang Quan could clearly feel the Chaos Demon Emperor Scripture circulating within him becoming more violent and smooth. The True Qi in his Dantian surged like mercury, like paste. His newly comprehended saber intent, tempered in continuous life-and-death battles, had its sharpness hidden, yet it could cleave anything. The Skill Points and various demon materials he had gained were also abundant.

But at this moment, there was little joy on his face. Instead, his brows were tightly furrowed.

It was too smooth, abnormally smooth.

The strongholds of the four Demon Ancestors, where they had resided for years, were not without their defenses, but they were practically empty compared to his expectations. It was as if... the elite forces had long been withdrawn.

"Search!"

He suppressed the growing unease in his heart and, enduring his injuries, meticulously searched the deepest part of the Leopard Marshal's lair, which had already become a sea of fire and ruins. Beneath the charred wood and broken beams, a hidden compartment, sealed with demonic power, was broken open by his brute force.

Inside, there were no treasures as he had imagined, only a few scrolls of beast skin and a strange, dark red scale, cold to the touch, emitting faint fluctuations.

Wang Quan grabbed the beast skins and quickly scanned them. They were written in demonic script, mostly detailing material exchanges and territorial trivialities. Until the last scroll, the handwriting was clearly different, more hurried and messy, and more... crucial.

"... 'Moon Covenant' is approaching. We secretly rendezvoused in Anping County a month ago..."

"... We who remain must guard the gate, waiting for our Lord to succeed and return with a feast of Blood Food..."

These few words, however, were like a bloody lightning bolt, cleaving through all the fog in Wang Quan's heart!

Anping County! Moon Covenant! Blood Food?!

"Pfft!"

Overwhelmed by anger, Wang Quan suddenly spat out a small mouthful of clotted blood. The old wound in his chest throbbed with tearing pain, but it was far less than the terror and regret in his heart.

"Go back! Immediately! Now!"

"Wait for me... you must wait for me!"

His low roar shattered in the scorching wind of Burning Heart Ridge. The next moment, the True Qi around him erupted. Ignoring the stinging pain in his meridians, he activated Shadow Step to an unprecedented limit, even vaguely overdrawing his vital energy and blood essence. He transformed into a blur, too fast for the naked eye to catch, tearing through the air, heading towards Anping County.

Within Anping County, Mr. Yin returned.

Behind him followed two black-robed figures with numb eyes and cold auras. The two of them jointly carried a heavy cage made of an unknown metal. The cage was completely covered with black cloth, so its contents were hidden, but one could hear heavy, pained gasps from within, as well as... the clatter of chains being rattled.

Mr. Yin carried the cage to the parapet of the city wall and bowed to the four Demon Race ancestors and Li Chongshan, "My lord, ancestors, Subject Number One has been brought."

Li Chongshan nodded slightly.

Mr. Yin stepped forward, reached out, and removed the black cloth covering the cage.

Instantly, a chaotic, violent, and ferocious aura filled with pain and struggle surged from the cage! This aura was a mixture of human blood and qi, demonic brutality, and a sinister, evil soul power that was both nauseating and heart-pounding.

Inside the cage, a person was curled up.

No, perhaps they could no longer be called entirely human.

It was Wei Dayong.

He was completely naked, his skin a sickly grayish-blue, covered in dark red, spiderweb-like veins. His once burly physique now had abnormally bulging muscles in some places and strangely shriveled in others, making him appear distorted and uncoordinated. On his left chest, where his heart was, a large, slowly pulsating bulge was visible beneath the skin. With each beat, it emitted a potent tiger demon aura.

Most horrifying were his face and some details of his body. His face still vaguely retained its original contours, but his eyes were a chaotic crimson, with no whites or pupils visible, only endless pain and madness. His canine teeth had become sharp and protruded slightly beyond his lips. His fingernails had turned black and sharp. And on his forehead, between his eyebrows, a twisted, black mark, wriggling slightly like a living creature, emanated a soul-disturbing, chilling aura. It was the brand of Nightmare.

His limbs and neck were bound by steel shackles engraved with runes, the shackles deeply embedded in his flesh, clearly to prevent him from going berserk.

Seeing Wei Dayong in the cage, Commander Chen trembled violently. His already ashen face turned even more deathly pale. He stared intently at his once simple and loyal subordinate, now neither human nor demon, his chest heaving, but he no longer had the strength to be angry, only heart-wrenching pain.

The eyes of the four Demon Race ancestors also fell upon Wei Dayong. Their gazes revealed complex emotions such as scrutiny, surprise, and greed.

"Melded demon blood, implanted Nightmare Soul, exchanged demon heart... forcibly fused, yet the form remains intact, and the intellect is not completely extinguished?" Snake Ancestor Withered Bone rasped, a strange light flickering in his golden vertical pupils. "Quite interesting. However, it appears extremely unstable and agonizing, pure torture."

"The pain itself indicates that the fusion is not yet complete, and there is still potential for exploitation," Human Candle Leopard Ancestor Burning Blood licked his lips, his candle-like pupils fixed on the pulsating bulge on Wei Dayong's chest. "The heart of a Soul Sculpting Realm tiger demon? Tsk, tsk, Li Chongshan, you've spared no expense. But the foundation of this body itself is a bit lacking, limiting his potential."

Ox Ancestor Town Mountain's enormous nostrils expelled a puff of white air, his voice rumbling, "The aura is mixed and conflicting violently. It's still far from being a perfect vessel. Li Chongshan, is this the result you've spent years on? It seems... not impressive enough."

Facing the ancestors' doubts, Li Chongshan's expression remained unchanged. He merely said calmly, "This is a preliminary fusion body, intended to verify the feasibility of heterogeneous symbiosis and transcendent transformation. Stability and potential indeed require further refinement. However..."

He changed the subject and looked at Mr. Yin.

Mr. Yin understood. He took a metal syringe from his pocket, containing a boiling, strangely intertwined scarlet and dark green liquid. He opened the cage and unhesitatingly plunged the needle into a vein in Wei Dayong's neck, injecting all the liquid.

"Ugh... Ah--!!!"

The moment the injection entered his body, Wei Dayong in the cage let out a non-human, piercingly shrill scream! His body stiffened abruptly, struggling wildly, the chains rattling loudly, sparks flying! The veins beneath his skin instantly turned black and red, bulging like red-hot iron wires! The Nightmare brand on his forehead blazed with dark light!

A more powerful, more chaotic wave of destructive energy erupted from him!

He suddenly raised his head. Those blood-red, chaotic eyes seemed to regain a sliver of the extremely faint clarity that belonged to Wei Dayong, but this clarity was instantly drowned out by boundless pain, ferocity, and a deep sadness. He let out beast-like growls from his throat, his gaze sweeping unconsciously across the city walls, across the heavily wounded Commander Chen, across Shi Zhu...

Then, he saw the four Demon Race ancestors below the city walls, exuding overwhelming malevolence.

"ROAR--!!!"

A terrifying roar, a mixture of a tiger's roar, a human's cry, and a Nightmare's wail, erupted from Wei Dayong's mouth! The steel bars of the cage were forcibly bent by him! Under the catalyst of the injection, his aura actually broke through some kind of restraint for a brief moment, reaching a terrifying level comparable to the late stage of Core Condensation! Although chaotic, the destructive power was undeniable!

The expressions of the four Demon Race ancestors finally changed.

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