The Demon Ancestor and the Tian Ku Sect Master were now completely immobilized, unable to hear any sound. They could only see in the distance how the Bone Ancestor seemed to lower his posture before Lord Luo. They both knew that Lord Luo was far stronger than the Bone Ancestor—even surpassing Ancestor Tianyu and the Void Primogenitor.
Still, as Ultimate Existences, even if they couldn’t defeat him, they could at least preserve their lives. Why be so cautious?
At least they could still observe the situation. Where Dongbo Xueying and Luo Hai stood, time had come to a complete standstill.
…
The Bone Ancestor rose from his skeletal throne, forcing a smile. “Haha, Lord Luo, what a coincidence! I never expected to encounter you in such a remote place. What could possibly have drawn you here? The Demon Ancestor? Those two youngsters? Surely you didn’t come specifically for me and Tian Ku.”
“I’m asking you—how do you plan to account for this?” Lord Luo stared at him.
The Bone Ancestor’s expression darkened.
“When I agreed to let you enter the Donglin Sacred Realm and receive its protection, I set clear conditions,” Lord Luo continued. “If not for Yuan’s request, would you have ever been allowed in? Now that you’re within the Donglin Sacred Realm, you dare disregard my rules?”
“Lord Luo,” the Bone Ancestor quickly interjected, “first, I haven’t violated your rules. The occupation of over two hundred Chaos Lands by void creatures, the slaughter and terror they spread—none of that was my doing! You can even inspect the timeline yourself. I truly had no prior knowledge. This was all Tian Ku Sect Master’s own scheme.”
“Second, even if Tian Ku did these things, those Chaos Lands are in the void, not within the Donglin Sacred Realm! You can forbid large-scale slaughter within the Sacred Realm, but in other realms or the void… that’s hardly enforceable.”
Lord Luo regarded him coldly. “Fine. I’ll concede you didn’t know beforehand. But when Tian Ku called for your aid just now, your avatar descended. You knew then, didn’t you?”
“You knew, yet instead of handling it, you aided Tian Ku?” Lord Luo’s eyes glinted with frost. “If you seek shelter in the Donglin Sacred Realm, you’d better behave. Forget those old demonic methods of yours.”
The Bone Ancestor shifted uncomfortably.
Even Cosmic Gods weren’t invincible.
The Voidwalker Gu Qi had once been hunted to the brink, with even the Void Primogenitor unable to shield him. The original Ancient Sacred Realm was the origin of all things—vast beyond measure. The current Ancient Sacred Realm, immense as it is, is merely one percent of its predecessor.
Yet even that realm, with its unparalleled stability and supreme laws, was shattered beyond repair!
The progenitor of the Dao of Rules and Mysteries perished long ago.
Someone like the Bone Ancestor, among Cosmic Gods, was among the weakest. That he could escape his enemies and find refuge in the Donglin Sacred Realm was sheer luck.
“I only just learned of it,” the Bone Ancestor insisted.
He couldn’t help but resent Tian Ku.
What a fool! If his underlings couldn’t handle two youngsters, why intervene at all? Just let them escape! But Tian Ku had to step in personally—and worse, drew the attention of the Demon Ancestor from the Heavenly Void Palace!
When the Demon Ancestor refused to leave, Tian Ku had begged the Bone Ancestor for help. The Bone Ancestor’s secluded cultivation site lay in the void beyond the Donglin Sacred Realm, not too far from here—precisely why Tian Ku had chosen this region.
The Bone Ancestor had acted out of loyalty to his subordinate, but also with a sliver of hope. How could Lord Luo possibly monitor everything? If he could just conceal this incident, no evidence would remain.
But—
Lord Luo had appeared anyway!
The Donglin Sacred Realm was boundless. How had Lord Luo arrived here so swiftly, at this precise moment?
“I only just learned of it and acted instinctively to protect my subordinate,” the Bone Ancestor explained.
“What do you propose?” Lord Luo asked.
The Bone Ancestor met his gaze, recalling Yuan’s past advice: “Do not oppose Lord Luo, but neither should you fear him excessively. He does not kill lightly. Though he has the power to slay Cosmic Gods, doing so would cost him dearly. As long as you avoid enraging him, he won’t strike.”
He trusted Yuan implicitly.
“I offer one thousand Source World Stones… and the robe crafted by Tian Ku,” the Bone Ancestor said.
“Five thousand Source World Stones, and the robe. Do this, and the matter ends,” Lord Luo countered.
The Bone Ancestor winced.
Source World Stones were remnants of the original Ancient Sacred Realm’s primal essence, scattered after its cataclysmic destruction. Each was priceless. A treasure like Dongbo Xueying’s Black Gourd, far surpassing an ordinary Chaos airship, was worth merely five hundred stones!
Gu Qi had struggled to forge such treasures, embedding within them celestial bodies rivaling suns.
Yet Lord Luo demanded five thousand—equivalent to ten such treasures! Even for a Cosmic God, this was painful.
“Agreed,” the Bone Ancestor relented.
…
Soon, time resumed its flow.
Dongbo Xueying, Luo Hai, the Demon Ancestor, and Tian Ku Sect Master regained their freedom.
“Hand over your Tian Ku Sacred Robe to Lord Luo,” the Bone Ancestor commanded. The five thousand stones would be given discreetly—to do so openly would be humiliating.
Tian Ku Sect Master’s eyes bulged. “Ancestor!” he protested via mental transmission. “Why yield to Lord Luo? With you here, even if we can’t win, we can escape!”
“I might escape, but he could obliterate you with a thought before I could intervene! That he only demands your robe is already a concession I begged for,” the Bone Ancestor replied.
Tian Ku had to admit the logic. Before Lord Luo, he couldn’t even twitch.
“But… my sacrifice…” Tian Ku seethed.
“I warned you to conduct these affairs far from the Donglin Sacred Realm. You chose to linger nearby. Blame your own misfortune for encountering Lord Luo,” the Bone Ancestor chided.
Tian Ku sighed.
Why now?
His operations had been covert—even the Demon Ancestor had needed extensive investigation to uncover them. Yet the moment he showed himself, Lord Luo appeared?
“Survival comes first. I’ll help you forge another treasure later. Next time, operate farther from the Donglin Sacred Realm,” the Bone Ancestor advised.
“Fine.” Tian Ku acquiesced. He’d stayed close to the Ancestor’s retreat for security, never anticipating Lord Luo’s intervention. Though his life was spared, the cost was steep.
…
Soon, Tian Ku surrendered the gray robe, saturated with endless resentment and dread, before departing swiftly with the Bone Ancestor.
Lord Luo stowed the garment casually.
“Boy, you called for me rather quickly,” Lord Luo remarked to Luo Hai with a chuckle. “Come, let’s return.”
“So he’s your junior,” the Demon Ancestor mused. “No wonder you appeared so conveniently.”
Luo Hai grinned at Dongbo Xueying. “See? I didn’t lie. He’s my father. I summoned him earlier—he’s been here all along, just waiting.”
“I wanted to observe the new Punishment Hall Master of the Heavenly Void Palace, but then the Bone Ancestor lent his Black Vine Axe to his subordinate,” Lord Luo said, shaking his head. “Last time the Swordmaster visited, he spoke highly of you.”
The Demon Ancestor offered only a faint smile. The Swordmaster? His lifelong rival.
“Dongbo Xueying, we return to the Heavenly Void Palace,” the Demon Ancestor declared.
“Senior Demon Ancestor, I’d like to ask Lord Luo a question first,” Dongbo Xueying interjected.
Lord Luo blinked at the white-robed youth. “Oh? What is it?”
“I wish to know—are there treasures that can help a Fourth Heaven God-Spirit transcend?” Dongbo Xueying asked earnestly. Lord Luo’s status and insight far surpassed his own. He wouldn’t presume to request treasures, but seeking knowledge was harmless.
“Transcendence?” Lord Luo paused, then smiled. “For a loved one?”
“Yes,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage