Chapter 422: The Rebirth of the Ancestral Sovereign
"It is a pity, but no matter how extraordinary a genius may be, once dead, they are worthless," the silver-armored youth carrying a blade said gravely. "You've seen the projection. The chances are slim. If you take the Absolute Celestial Pill and your cultivation drops for a time, we may not hold back the Kui Demon King even with our army and celestial treasures. The risk is too great. Is it truly worth it?"
The red-tasseled spearwoman replied softly, "I promised him. If I leave without confirming the outcome myself, I will find no peace. Besides, with his talent, to cultivate to this level in a pseudo-realm like this… unless aided by the Celestial Emperor's Dao legacy, he could likely be measured as a King-tier Chosen!"
She paused before continuing, "Bringing back a King-tier Chosen is worth more celestial merit than slaying 100,000 True Immortal-grade ancient demons. If successful, the celestial merit will be split equally between us. What do you say?"
The mention of a "King-tier Chosen" made the silver-armored youth's eyes waver with hesitation.
"Very well," he finally relented. "You have the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. Be quick."
The red-tasseled spearwoman had been waiting for this. Her expression softened into a rare smile, so dazzling it momentarily brightened the desolate canyon with its radiance. Without delay, she swiftly retrieved an Absolute Celestial Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.
"You're really not worried about yourself…" The silver-armored youth shook his head with a sigh.
"My spear will protect me."
She smiled faintly, her expression once more returning to its usual icy calm. Inside her body, her celestial energy rapidly condensed, drawn toward a specific point like a sponge soaking up water. Her aura shifted, growing restrained yet far more potent. Turning to her soldiers, she commanded, "Follow me!"
Without hesitation, she led the way into the Xuanpin Gate. The ten silver-armored warriors followed closely, their hearts secretly filled with excitement. This was a rare chance to accompany their commander so closely, an opportunity to prove their worth.
As they disappeared into the gate, the Saints left behind exchanged glances, their thoughts full of unease and curiosity. It was clear that this powerful woman deeply cared for Hao Tian and was willing to take great risks to confirm his fate.
When the red-tasseled spearwoman and her troops entered the Xuanpin Gate, the silver-armored youth turned to the Saints. His cold gaze swept over them as they timidly expressed their desire to join the Heavenly Palace.
"Fine," he said with a nod. "I can bring you to the Heavenly Palace, but whether you gain cultivation or favor depends on your talents. If you are mediocre, don't blame anyone but yourselves."
The Saints hastily expressed their confidence. Despite Hao Tian's brilliance overshadowing them, they had all been geniuses in their respective realms, confident in their abilities.
Meanwhile, inside the Xuanpin Gate's ancient hall, the red-tasseled spearwoman led her soldiers forward. Around them lay the corpses of ancient demons, bearing clear signs of being slain by her forces. She scanned the area with sharp eyes before expanding her spiritual sense.
"This appears to have been the palace of an Immortal King…" she murmured, her tone serious. Such figures were renowned even in the True Realm, ruling vast territories with unparalleled power.
Yet the hall seemed to have been abandoned for countless ages. Aside from faint traces of grandeur, no treasures remained, perhaps already plundered by others in this realm.
Satisfied that nothing of value remained, she quickly led her troops out of the hall, crossing through the void to arrive at a small world. Here, the various factions had returned to their cities. Approaching a Half-Saint, she used a celestial technique to search his memories.
"So that's the story…"
After gleaning the truth, her expression softened briefly, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions.
From the Half-Saint's memories, she learned of the extraordinary rise of a youth two decades ago. That youth, the one she sought, had risen meteorically, his name echoing across the myriad worlds. During the recent calamity, while the other Saints had hidden in fear, he had boldly stepped forth to face the True Immortal-grade ancient demon in a life-and-death battle.
The memories painted a picture of a pure-hearted, radiant prodigy. His talent and character had inspired reverence and admiration across the realms.
Her heart stirred. Such a genius, if born in the Heavenly Palace, would never have been sent into such a perilous situation. He would have been protected, nurtured, and celebrated.
What shocked her even more was that he had only been a Saint for less than twenty years. In the True Realm, such a span was barely a blink of an eye—time enough only to grasp the basics of a single celestial technique.
To her, he was little more than a child. Yet this child had borne the weight of his world and saved it.
With a flash, she vanished, speeding toward the Twin Rift Abyss.
By the time she arrived, the myriad worlds were basking in newfound joy. Peace had returned, and gratitude filled the air. But amidst the celebratory atmosphere, a colossal palace stood silent and foreboding in a forbidden zone.
Suddenly, the palace doors creaked open, and a figure stepped out hesitantly. It was none other than the youthful form of Yuanzu, the Ancestral Sovereign.
His original Dao body, crafted with immense effort using an ancient celestial art passed down from his lineage, had been consumed by the ancient demon. Yet it had served its purpose, shielding him from an otherwise certain death.
"Hao Tian… you're truly something else. Even that True Immortal-grade ancient demon couldn't withstand you."
Yuanzu muttered to himself, his gaze piercing through the desolate forbidden zone. His other puppet body, crafted through advanced marionette techniques, had already relayed the situation outside.
He had never expected that the apocalyptic catastrophe would be resolved by Li Hao alone.
"Now that the Saints are fortifying the Immortal Gate, they seem to have learned their lesson. It's time I made my move. Should another True Immortal-grade ancient demon arrive, no one will be left to stop it."
Yuanzu sighed, his expression mixed with relief and regret. Turning to the palace behind him, he hesitated. This was his ancestral home, where his forebears' celestial remains had transformed into a forbidden zone.
Only his unique bloodline allowed him to remain here, protected from the dangers of the celestial corpse. It was a sanctuary no one else could enter.
With a flash, he soared into the void, heading toward the Immortal Gate, carefully contemplating what he would say to the gathered Saints.
Elsewhere, in the depths of the Nine Hells, a spectral figure drifted through the gloom. Its movements were erratic, as though searching for something.
Suddenly, it paused, its ghostly eyes widening in shock.
"That boy…"
It had glimpsed through hidden means that Hao Tian had perished alongside the ancient demon. The spectral figure trembled in disbelief. This was a True Immortal-grade ancient demon—a feat beyond imagination.
"I never thought I'd live to see someone so foolishly bold."
"If he had emerged alongside me in the past, perhaps we could have been friends. But now… our paths diverge too greatly."
Though its tone carried mockery, there was a hint of admiration. The figure, one of the most ambitious beings of the myriad worlds, had seen in Li Hao a kindred spirit—a rival who could have stood alongside it in another life.
With a cold hum, it surged forward, exiting the Nine Hells. Its target was the Immortal Gate, now the focal point of all forces.
Meanwhile, at the Twin Rift Abyss, the red-tasseled spearwoman stood before the forbidding void. Around her, pilgrims gathered, paying respects to Hao Tian. Their voices rose in lamentation, praising him as the savior of the worlds.
"This is the most dangerous forbidden zone of this realm," she murmured, her gaze unwavering as she took a step forward.
The scene around her was filled with sorrow, gratitude, and awe. And deep within her, a resolve burned as brightly as the flames of her crimson spear.
The red-tasseled spearwoman stared intently at the fissure, sensing the unusual power emanating from within. These were celestial laws—something only a Celestial Sovereign could wield—yet they lingered here persistently, an anomaly in this world.
Her eyes flickered with a trace of intrigue as she moved swiftly toward the forbidden zone.
"Celestial Sovereign!"
The silver-armored commander and his team gasped, alarmed by her actions. They could feel the ominous aura radiating from the fissure, a warning of extreme danger. Yet the spearwoman approached without hesitation. Even under the effects of the Absolute Celestial Pill, which suppressed her cultivation, she continued forward with determination.
"She's approaching the rift! Doesn't she know how perilous it is?"
"Stop her! If she falls in, she won't return!"
Meanwhile, numerous Half-Saints stationed nearby to guard the fissure also noticed her movements. Alarmed, they surged forward to intercept her.
But the red-tasseled spearwoman was too quick. In the blink of an eye, she traversed the distance, arriving directly before the ominous rift.
The silver-armored warriors followed closely behind but were immediately ensnared by a powerful pull emanating from the void. The suction was overwhelming, threatening to drag their bodies and souls into the abyss.
"This… this strength! Is she a Saint?"
"To cross such vast distances in an instant… only a Saint's spatial mastery could achieve this."
"Yet I've never seen her before. Who is she?"
Amid the murmurs of the onlookers, the spearwoman stood at the precipice of the forbidden zone. The sheer weight of the celestial laws bore down upon her, and she momentarily faltered.
No wonder neither the True Immortal-grade ancient demon nor the youth had returned. Only a Celestial Sovereign could resist the devouring power of these laws.
Given time, she could have waited for the Absolute Celestial Pill's effects to dissipate and her cultivation to recover. Then, she might have entered safely. But time was a luxury she did not have.
"Everyone, get inside."
Without hesitation, she summoned her soldiers into her celestial domain. The suction that had threatened to consume them ceased as they vanished into her controlled space.
Gripping her red-tasseled spear tightly, she infused it with celestial power. The weapon trembled and unleashed a destructive force that shattered the constraints of the celestial laws. She moved against the current, breaking free from the suction and retreating from the rift.
The spectators were left speechless.
It was the first time anyone had witnessed someone escape the grasp of the forbidden zone, and they stared in awe.
"Who… who is she?"
"She's no Saint I've ever heard of. Could she be a new arrival?"
In the midst of their astonished discussions, the spearwoman cast one last glance at the rift. She sighed inwardly, acknowledging the danger. Even her spear couldn't pierce the unknown depths of this place. The youth was unlikely to have survived.
She lingered for a moment longer before disappearing into the void, leaving behind a sea of shocked murmurs.
Shortly after, the red-tasseled spearwoman arrived at another void. Here, a strange palace loomed, ethereal and grand. It radiated an ancient aura and emanated celestial laws that wrapped around her like a curse.
"An Immortal King's palace… and it still retains some power," she murmured, her gaze sharpening.
This was the second forbidden zone, as gleaned from the Half-Saint's memories. After visiting the first, she was curious to see the secrets of the second.
She stepped forward, her spear vibrating slightly as it shattered the lingering celestial laws. Yet, as her power disrupted the energy, the palace began to fade. Its structure turned into an illusion, slipping out of reality.
She darted forward, her spear slashing toward the ethereal palace. But her strikes couldn't touch the retreating figure, which fully disappeared before her eyes.
"Such power… a treasure palace imbued with celestial energy."
She frowned but quickly shook her head. "If fate denies me, so be it."
Deciding not to waste more time, she returned to the Xuanpin Gate. Her mastery over spatial travel allowed her to navigate the cracks between realms effortlessly, quickly arriving back at the ancient hall.
At the same moment, two other figures appeared in the void, their arrivals near-simultaneous.
The red-tasseled spearwoman sensed their presence immediately. Both radiated power far beyond ordinary Saints, their strength approaching divine levels. Though each had mastered only one divine path, such prowess in a Saint was extraordinary.
Pausing, she turned to observe the two.
The newcomers—Yuanzu and the God King—noticed one another first. A fleeting smile of familiarity crossed their faces, akin to old rivals meeting once more. But then, both turned their attention to the spearwoman.
Her presence was suffocating. Even though she concealed her aura, her mere existence sent chills down their spines.
Yuanzu and the God King exchanged uneasy glances. Could this be Hao Tian, somehow resurrected? They had never felt such oppressive power from him before, but in the myriad worlds, only he could inspire such dread.
As their thoughts raced, both realized they had been detected. A probing divine sense brushed against them, precise and deliberate.
When they materialized fully, their eyes fell on the spearwoman. She was stunning, her beauty almost otherworldly, but her expression was icy, her demeanor exuding authority and lethality.
Yuanzu's sharp eyes caught the design of her armor. It was unlike anything he had ever seen in the myriad worlds. His heart skipped a beat.
This wasn't from their world.
It must be the celestial army Hao Tian had mentioned—the reinforcements from the True Realm.
"May I ask," Yuanzu transmitted telepathically, "if you are from the True Realm?"
The spearwoman's cold gaze swept over the two, her divine sense carrying her thoughts directly to theirs, bypassing language barriers.
"Are you the strongest in this realm? Why did you not join the battle?"
Her tone was laced with reproach.
Yuanzu's heart clenched. How did she know?
But Yuanzu didn't directly address the red-tasseled spearwoman's question. Instead, his mind raced as he replied with a faint smile:
"You misunderstand. Our prior incarnations were all destroyed during the earlier battles. In the final confrontation, Hao Tian Zun fought alone, and there was no assurance of victory. He insisted we remain to preserve the spark of hope, saying reinforcements from the True Realm would arrive. Could it be that you are those reinforcements?"
Yuanzu's words served a dual purpose: responding to her query and subtly shifting focus back to the spearwoman.
The God King, observing from the side, silently marveled at Yuanzu's cunning. This old fox, he thought. Only he could weave such a convenient lie without batting an eye.
As he reflected, his thoughts returned to the "honest man" Hao Tian. The God King had always seen a version of himself in Hao Tian—a once-earnest individual. Such honesty had made him an easy target for Yuanzu's schemes, leading to his near obliteration and centuries of isolation.
The red-tasseled spearwoman's gaze lingered on Yuanzu briefly. His composed expression and fluent response, tinged with an appropriate measure of sorrow, disarmed her irritation. However, one detail pricked her mind. The young man, Hao Tian, had spoken of reinforcements to his companions?
In her mind's eye, she envisioned the bleak scene where the True Immortal-grade ancient demon had pushed everyone to the brink. She imagined the youth standing tall, delivering words of unwavering conviction about incoming reinforcements before charging into battle without hesitation.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her spear. She had arrived too late.
After a moment of silence, she cast a glance at Yuanzu and the God King before turning to leave.
"Fairy, please wait!" Yuanzu called out, his tone almost pleading.
The red-tasseled spearwoman paused, tilting her head slightly to acknowledge him with a questioning look.
Yuanzu forced a smile and continued, "Since you hail from the True Realm, might you allow us to accompany you there? We've learned that the True Realm is besieged by ancient demons. My companion and I would gladly lend our strength to eliminate them."
Her expression remained calm, though she clearly caught the underlying request. "The ancient demons in the True Realm are endless. Two more of you will make no difference. You are this realm's strongest combatants and should remain here as sentinels."
Yuanzu's face stiffened, his carefully crafted persona teetering on collapse.
However, he quickly recovered, letting grief shadow his features. "Fairy, you may not know this, but countless lives have already been lost to these demons. My companion and I have cultivated in this realm for countless years, yet we've reached insurmountable bottlenecks. If we could learn celestial arts in the True Realm, we would dedicate ourselves to eradicating the ancient demons."
The God King nodded in agreement, adding, "That's right. We seek vengeance for all who've perished!"
The spearwoman's sharp gaze flickered between them. Though she suspected their motives, she chose not to press. Her memories from the Half-Saint's mind had left a deep impression of Hao Tian—a figure maligned by the saints and burdened with undeserved blame, yet still willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
That youth, with his unparalleled strength and indomitable spirit, had carved an indelible mark on her heart. Such individuals deserved better. Yet, tragically, he was gone.
"Follow me, then," she finally said, her tone neutral.
Yuanzu's heart leapt with joy, though he maintained a facade of composure. "Thank you, Fairy," he said earnestly.
She gestured briefly, her celestial domain enveloping the two men and drawing them into her realm. Both Yuanzu and the God King froze momentarily, taken aback by the sheer pressure within her domain.
They had presumed her to be a Saint, but now they realized she was far more powerful than they had imagined—perhaps even stronger than Hao Tian himself.
"How is this possible?" the God King murmured to himself.
Without another word, the red-tasseled spearwoman made her way back to the ancient hall, effortlessly stepping through the True Realm's gateway.
In the True Realm's celestial roads, numerous saints had gathered, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief when Yuanzu and the God King emerged alongside the spearwoman.
"Yuanzu? God King?!" exclaimed the Saint of Names.
Few among the saints had ever seen Yuanzu in his youthful form, but the Saint of Names and others who had witnessed his true visage stared in bewilderment.
Yuanzu greeted them calmly. "It has been a long time, friends. My companion and I narrowly escaped death at the hands of the ancient demons. It is good to see you all again."
The Saint of Names and the other saints exchanged uneasy glances. The implications of his words were clear: while the rest of them had fought valiantly, he and the God King had schemed their survival.
"You're fortunate, indeed," the Saint of Names remarked, his tone laced with sarcasm.
The ink-saint followed, his expression cold. "Hao Tian Zun perished alongside the True Immortal-grade ancient demon. Were you aware of this?"
Yuanzu's face darkened. "We've heard. But tell me—did any of you aid him?"
His retort struck a nerve. The saints' expressions twisted in frustration, their anger mingled with shame. No one had the right to speak.
At that moment, the silver-armored youth turned to the spearwoman and asked, "Is it confirmed?"
Her silence spoke volumes.
She glanced at Yuanzu and the God King. Their celestial power far surpassed ordinary Saints, possessing the qualities of a godly transformation.
"They're both quite promising," the youth remarked. "Losing Hao Tian is a great misfortune, but the two of them might make up for it."
The spearwoman said nothing. In her heart, no one could compare to Hao Tian. His name might have faded from this world, but she would carry its weight.
"Let's go," she said curtly.
The youth nodded, his mood improving. The expedition had exceeded his expectations. Although the youth was gone, the discovery of these two prodigies made up for the loss. He could already foresee the acclaim their return would bring.
The celestial flying vessel shimmered into existence, enveloping Yuanzu and the God King. The two glanced at one another, each feeling a flicker of hope.
"Where are we going, senior?" Yuanzu asked cautiously.
"To the Celestial Palace," the youth replied. "There, you'll begin your training and accumulate celestial merit. In the True Realm, strength is everything. With your potential, you might even rise to command True Immortals."
Yuanzu's eyes gleamed. Commanding True Immortals… the future I've always dreamed of is finally within reach.
But amidst his growing ambition, a shadow lingered. The memory of Hao Tian loomed like a specter, his brilliance eclipsing all.
"The truly strong," Yuanzu murmured to himself, "are those who survive, no matter what."