Dao Ancestor Burning Bone, who had once faced the Desolate Emperor's Sword Light head-on, sat slumped on the ground. His joints made a teeth-grating crack, crack as his trembling body shook beyond his control.
He stared at his quivering hands. The aftershock of the Sword Light had swept over them; though they looked unscathed, within they were riddled with wounds. A glimmer bearing supreme sword intent was branded deep into his soul, and every memory of it felt like ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart.
The others who had witnessed it firsthand fared no better. Some frowned in silence; others paced back and forth. That terrifying Sword Light had become a nightmare they could not erase.
Jiang Yun descended from the sky and landed steadily beside Hou Ming.
His gaze swept across the gathering like lightning, then his pupils contracted—Netherworld Prison Dao Ancestor had vanished!
Before he could ask, a pitch-black fissure split the air. Netherworld Prison Dao Ancestor emerged from it with overwhelming pressure surging around him. Even the weird aura surrounding him seemed somewhat subdued.
"Cease hostilities!" Netherworld Prison Dao Ancestor's voice was low and cold, like a judgment from the deepest reaches of the Nine Serenities Abyss. Every word struck the Dao Ancestors' hearts like a heavy hammer.
The command came without explanation, yet brooked no argument. For a moment, the Underworld fell silent save for the wail of wind through the Abyss.
As the Underworld's second-strongest figure in the public eye, Dao Ancestor Ditian steeled himself and stepped forward. He cupped his hands. "Do you mean a ceasefire with Heaven?"
He tried to keep his voice steady, but could not conceal his unease.
Netherworld Prison Dao Ancestor had grown ever more formidable over the years. Perhaps he was not far from that realm. If he