Chapter 796: Lord Luo

Luo Hai immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him, his tension easing significantly. He even began watching the unfolding events with a detached amusement, thinking to himself, *Hmph, Tian Ku, enjoy your moment of triumph while you can. Soon enough, you’ll be the one crying instead of your so-called ‘Heavenly Wail Sect.’*

Dongbo Xueying, however, couldn’t afford to relax. Despite the formidable presence of the Demon Ancestor, their opponents were no pushovers—Tian Ku, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Wail Sect, and a legendary incarnation of the Bone Ancestor, both beings of Chaos-level power.

…

The Demon Ancestor stood with his six incarnations, his battle intent surging like a tempest.

The resplendent elder in white robes merely shook his head with a faint smile and casually took a seat. Behind him, countless bones coalesced naturally into a throne. Resting his left hand on the smooth, polished armrest, he gazed at the distant Demon Ancestor with an enigmatic expression. “Demon Ancestor of the Tai Xu Heavenly Palace,” he said, “I’ve known Tian Yu of your sect for ages. Since I’ve personally come to mediate, shouldn’t you show some respect to this old man? So what if I’ve gathered some fear and resentment to nurture treasures? The strong survive, the weak perish. If they were weak, they deserved to die.”

“Humph. If there were no laws, I wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters,” the Demon Ancestor’s voice reverberated through the endless sea of bones. Deep down, he truly believed in the survival of the fittest—hence his creation of the Dark Abyss. His tone remained icy as he continued, “But the Tai Xu Heavenly Palace, the Void Temple, and other factions have long established laws. As the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall in the Tai Xu Heavenly Palace, I must uphold them. According to these laws, Tian Ku must face punishment!”

“Laws? Those are *your* laws. I never agreed to them,” the white-robed elder replied with a smile. “And yet, I’ve still shown your Tai Xu Heavenly Palace face by allowing you to leave with your people. Otherwise, if you insist on interfering with my disciples’ affairs here, you won’t be leaving at all.”

“Won’t be leaving?” The Demon Ancestor’s gaze swept toward Tian Ku.

Tian Ku sneered in response. “That’s right. If you don’t leave now, you won’t get another chance. I suggest you scram while you still can—if you value your life.”

“One last chance,” the white-robed elder said with a smile. “Take your people and get lost.”

The Demon Ancestor’s eyes turned frosty. “Oh? And who’s going to stop me?”

“You’re really asking for death.”

The elder tapped the armrest lightly with his left hand, his body flickering momentarily before solidifying again. His aura surged dramatically. The vast expanse of bones around them began to transform—each one turning jade-like, while an overwhelming, palpable force of rules manifested in the surroundings. These were the frigid, tyrannical laws of the universe, no less supreme than the cosmos itself.

The Demon Ancestor’s expression darkened as he stared at the elder. “Your true form?”

At his level of perception, he could now sense that the Bone Ancestor’s presence had completely shifted—no longer an incarnation, but his actual self!

“Too late,” the Bone Ancestor said calmly, extending a hand. A savage black great-axe materialized in his grip, its blade adorned with simple golden patterns. The edge seemed to slice through the void itself with every subtle movement. With a casual flick of his wrist, the axe flew toward Tian Ku.

“The Bone Ancestor’s true form is here?” Dongbo Xueying, despite his weaker strength, quickly pieced it together.

From the records left by his master, the Voidwalker Gu Qi, he knew of every Ultimate Being. The Bone Ancestor had once forged a terrifying weapon—the Black Vine Axe—using two of his own ribs as the core, supplemented by countless rare materials. Though it appeared brutal, it was in fact an insidious Ultimate Divine Weapon.

Ultimate Divine Weapons were also known as Cosmic-level artifacts—the pinnacle of treasures.

While the Bone Ancestor ranked among the weakest of the Ultimate Beings, his Black Vine Axe was infamous, standing among the top-tier of such weapons. Since its core was forged from his own bones, only he could unleash its full might.

If the axe had appeared, his true form must be present as well!

“Stop!” the Demon Ancestor suddenly roared.

Tian Ku, now gripping the Black Vine Axe, was exhilarated. He could feel the boundless, unfathomable power within the weapon—though in truth, the axe’s might was entirely controlled by the Bone Ancestor, merely channeled through Tian Ku’s hands.

“You had your chance to leave, and you refused. Now, even if you wanted to, it’s too late. And you dare tell *me* to stop?” Tian Ku scoffed.

Even as the Demon Ancestor shouted for him to halt, he sent a mental message to Dongbo Xueying. *Dongbo Xueying, I know you’re from the Primordial Universe—my homeland. That’s why I took this mission, to see how my fellow descendant was faring. I never expected to uncover Tian Ku’s schemes. Now, things have taken a dire turn. With the Bone Ancestor’s true form here, I won’t be escaping. I’ll use a secret art to send you away. The Bone Ancestor will focus on me—he won’t stoop to attacking you.*

“Ancestor…” Dongbo Xueying felt a pang of urgency.

*Don’t worry. Even if he captures me, the worst I’ll suffer is some torment. That old skeleton wouldn’t dare kill a Chaos-level expert from the Tai Xu Heavenly Palace,* the Demon Ancestor reassured. *I’ll distract Tian Ku and get you out. The Bone Ancestor won’t lower himself to intervene, but Tian Ku will try to stop me.*

“Understood.” Dongbo Xueying knew the situation was critical.

“And you, young friend,” the Demon Ancestor turned to Luo Hai. “Shall I send you away with Dongbo Xueying?”

“No need. I have my own means of survival,” Luo Hai replied confidently via telepathy.

The Demon Ancestor was taken aback.

*Such confidence at a time like this? Just who is he?*

In truth, the Demon Ancestor had long noticed Luo Hai’s composure—more unshaken than even Dongbo Xueying’s. Such calm in the face of danger could only mean one of two things: either he had already accepted death, or he possessed absolute confidence in his survival.

…

While secretly communicating with Dongbo Xueying, the Demon Ancestor sneered at Tian Ku. “Tian Ku, even with the Black Vine Axe, you’re no match for me! Try defeating my six incarnations first!” With that, the six figures around him shot forth like streaks of light, encircling Tian Ku in an instant.

Tian Ku, gripping the axe, curled his lips in disdain. With a single sweeping motion of the weapon—

*Swish!*

A thin black arc of light sliced through the air, passing through all six incarnations. As the crescent-shaped shadow swept past, the Demon Ancestor was stunned to find his incarnations bound by an invisible force—like countless ropes coiling around them, drastically slowing their movements.

*Pffft!* Four of the six incarnations dissipated instantly upon contact, leaving only two—one a shadowy crimson figure, the other a liquid-black form, the most resilient of the six.

“What?!” The Demon Ancestor was aghast.

Though the Tai Xu Heavenly Palace possessed Ultimate Divine Weapons, when Tian Yu or the Island Master sparred with him, they always held back—never using such artifacts.

While he had experienced the might of Ultimate Divine Weapons before, the Black Vine Axe was far more terrifying than he’d anticipated.

“You can’t escape. Neither can the two brats behind you,” Tian Ku said, ignoring the remaining incarnations and charging straight for the Demon Ancestor’s true form. “Soon, you’ll all learn what true agony feels like.”

Then—time froze.

Tian Ku, mid-swing with the Black Vine Axe, hung motionless in the air. The Demon Ancestor, in the midst of activating a secret art, was equally immobilized. Luo Hai’s smirk was frozen in place, while Dongbo Xueying’s anxious expression remained etched on his face.

In truth, affecting beings of Tian Ku and the Demon Ancestor’s level with temporal manipulation was near-impossible—halting their time entirely, even more so.

Dongbo Xueying and Luo Hai couldn’t even think; their consciousness was suspended in absolute stasis.

Tian Ku and the Demon Ancestor fared slightly better—their souls could still process thoughts, albeit at a glacial pace.

*Who… who could do this?!*

Both were filled with dread and awe.

Even a Cosmic God’s incarnation wouldn’t intimidate them. If a Cosmic God’s true form arrived, they’d be crushed by sheer power disparity—not rendered helpless by mere temporal control. This was beyond terrifying.

Then, a figure emerged from the bone-laden earth—a young man in loose, deep-blue robes, strolling forward with effortless grace.

“City Lord… Luo?” Tian Ku and the Demon Ancestor realized at once.

Cosmic Gods drew power from an entire universe, making them invincible. Yet ‘City Lord Luo’ was merely at the Chaos level—his comprehension of the Dao, however, surpassed even Tian Yu and the Island Master. His understanding of the fundamental laws had reached an inconceivable height.

In terms of pure insight, even the most formidable beings across the Five Great Sacred Realms—including the Voidwalker Gu Qi—acknowledged that City Lord Luo might very well be the most profound existence in existence.

“Old skeleton,” the robed youth—City Lord Luo—addressed the Bone Ancestor, who sat upon his bone throne in the distance.

The Bone Ancestor’s expression soured. Reluctantly, he rose from his seat.

“Now,” City Lord Luo said coolly, “explain yourself.”