The ancestor's gaze fell upon the mural, filled with profound remembrance.
"Do you still remember the battle three thousand years ago between Taizu and the Blood Demon Ancestor of the Nine Nether Demonic Sect?"
"Though Taizu severely wounded the Blood Demon Ancestor in that battle, he vanished without a trace afterward."
Gan Tian's pupils contracted sharply. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of disbelief.
Ignoring their shock, the ancestor continued:
"The rumors circulating in the Imperial Capital over the years that 'Taizu is holding the fort' were merely a smokescreen laid by This Seat."
"I used my Spiritual Energy to imitate Taizu's aura and painted his phantom image."
"It was all to make those restless powers believe that Taizu was still here and that the Gan Family's foundations remained unshaken, thereby intimidating petty villains."
These words exploded beside Gan Tian's ears like thunder.
He opened his mouth, only to realize that he could not even utter a complete sentence.
The reason Da Gan could still maintain its position as overlord of the Eastern Region was not solely due to its own strength. More importantly, it was because of Taizu's myth-like deterrence.
So many powers still dared not act rashly because they feared that Taizu—the legendary figure capable of clashing head-on with the Blood Demon Ancestor—was watching.
But now, the ancestor was saying that Taizu had vanished three thousand years ago?
"Ancestor... you mean Taizu..." Gan Tian's voice was dry as sandpaper scraping together.
"He disappeared three thousand years ago? Then... is he alive or dead?"
The ancestor shook his head, a trace of melancholy flashing through his eyes. "His fate is unknown."
"But deep within the Ancestor Temple, Taizu's Soul Lamp has yet to go out. He should still be somewhere in this world."
"Yet in these three