Chapter 925: The Ancient Sage’s Manifestation

He managed to survive alone for so long, yet died under the protection of the Witch Ancestor?

“This is the truth.” Ancestor Tianyu shook his head lightly with a sigh. “Back then, your master was severely wounded and on the run. The Sacred Master pursued him several times, but each attempt failed. The Sacred Master assumed… given your master’s grave injuries, he wouldn’t survive and would eventually perish, so he didn’t want to expend too much effort. But your master, as a Voidwalker, possessed extraordinary vitality. Over the years of fleeing, he gradually recovered.”

“Though the two great sects had three Cosmos Gods in total, only the Sacred Master truly posed a lethal threat to your master. Your master didn’t want to live in constant vigilance, so he eventually sought the Witch Ancestor’s help.”

Dongbo Xueying listened intently.

Between the two great sects, the Mother Goddess Sect had only one Cosmos God—the Mother Goddess—but she was second only to the Sacred Master, capable of standing against him directly.

The Ancient Sacred Sect, aside from the Sacred Master, had another Cosmos God—the Thunder Godlord. The Thunder Godlord was the only one among the Sacred Master’s countless loyal followers to ascend to the rank of Cosmos God, though only at the third level. His threat to other Cosmos Gods was minimal.

“During his flight, your master was always on guard.”

“The moment he sensed an attack, he would immediately activate his life-preserving treasures and perform an ultra-long-range void shift,” Ancestor Tianyu explained. “Though his strength paled in comparison to the Sacred Master, every Cosmos God possesses one or two life-preserving artifacts. Those who don’t would seek the Witch Ancestor’s help to forge them. Typically, they could withstand a few moments of assault.”

“As a Voidwalker who ascended to Cosmos God, in terms of void manipulation, only the Void Primogenitor surpassed him. Naturally, he was superior to the Sacred Master in this regard.”

“Thus, despite the Sacred Master’s repeated ambushes, your master would resist momentarily and then escape via void shift. In terms of fleeing, he was exceptionally skilled.”

“But living in perpetual vigilance was exhausting,” Ancestor Tianyu sighed.

“Finally, the Witch Ancestor intervened. The Witch Ancestor is unparalleled in formations. The barrier he crafted for your master would take the Sacred Master at least several breaths to breach. And since the Eternal Sacred World was created by the Witch Ancestor, the moment the formation was attacked, he could arrive instantly. With the Witch Ancestor shielding him, the Sacred Master stood no chance of killing your master.”

“By all logic, your master should have been safe.”

“Yet…”

“Your master had provoked the Sacred Master too deeply. The Sacred Master, unwilling to relent, expended the ‘Ancient Sacred Avatar’s’ origin power to forge the ‘Netherjade Spear.’ The spear pierced through the Witch Ancestor’s formation in an instant and struck your master’s body.” Ancestor Tianyu shook his head. “It all happened in a flash. Even with his life-preserving treasures activated, your master was impaled and died on the spot.”

“The Ancient Sacred Avatar? The Netherjade Spear?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

“These involve certain secrets known only to a few at the Chaos Realm level,” Ancestor Tianyu replied. “You should know that the Sacred Master has waged war multiple times. Yet his stronghold, the Ancient Sacred Realm, must be guarded. The Thunder Godlord isn’t strong enough to hold it alone. So, when the Sacred Master’s true form is away, who guards the Ancient Sacred Realm?”

Dongbo Xueying was stunned.

Indeed.

Given the enmity between the Three Sacred Worlds and the two great sects, if the Ancient Sacred Realm lacked a supreme guardian, it would have been destroyed long ago.

“This relates to the Sacred Master’s Ancient Cultivator methods,” Ancestor Tianyu continued. “Ancient Cultivator talents vary in strength. The Sacred Master’s talent allows one of his avatars to become the core of his sect’s faith, converting endless worship into the origin power of the Chaos Void. Origin power is far more terrifying than cosmic divine power. Over eons, countless prayers were transformed, continuously strengthening this avatar, which in turn enhanced his true form. From our battles, we deduced that this avatar matches his true form in strength.”

“This avatar, forged from boundless origin power and serving as the faith core of the Ancient Sacred Sect, is what we call the Ancient Sacred Avatar.”

“The Ancient Sacred Avatar radiates light day and night, illuminating the entire Ancient Sacred Realm, where all life worships it. It has nearly merged with the realm itself, making it even more formidable within its borders. Thus, we cannot destroy the Ancient Sacred Realm.”

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

“The Sacred Master possesses a devastating technique—forging weapons or treasures from the origin power accumulated by the Ancient Sacred Avatar. Of course, these are one-time-use items. Once their origin power is exhausted, they vanish.” Ancestor Tianyu said. “The Netherjade Spear is one such infamous weapon. Crafting a single spear likely consumed ten to twenty percent of the avatar’s origin power. The avatar must retain at least half its origin power to maintain its strength.”

“Gathering that ten to twenty percent took the Sacred Master untold ages.”

“He had no other choice, and his hatred for your master ran deep, so he resorted to this.” Ancestor Tianyu sighed.

“Why such hatred?” Dongbo Xueying couldn’t help but ask.

Ancestor Tianyu hesitated, as this involved too many secrets. He vaguely replied, “It’s complicated. Just know that your master ruined the Sacred Master’s grand scheme. In the past, the Sacred Master would never have squandered origin power. But with his plans shattered, he unleashed the Netherjade Spear purely out of rage, breaking the Witch Ancestor’s formation and killing Gu Qi. Clearly, the Sacred Master is no longer as patient as before.”

“Enough of this. Here’s what your master left for you. Take it.” With a thought, Ancestor Tianyu sent a golden seal floating toward Dongbo Xueying.

Dongbo Xueying grasped the seal and began refining it.

As he did, a voice echoed in his ears:

“Disciple, by now, I am likely dead. Don’t grieve. I hid within the Witch Ancestor’s formation, and for the Sacred Master to kill me, he must have paid a steep price.”

“Remember this—do not seek revenge for me. At your current strength, the Sacred Master could obliterate you with a breath.”

“You are my only disciple, Gu Qi. Cultivate well and bring honor to my name. When you become a Cosmos God of the second level, you may announce to the world that you are my disciple!”

“Until then, keep our master-disciple bond a secret.”

The voice faded.

Dongbo Xueying clutched the seal in silence for a long while.

“That day will come. All cultivators across the Five Sacred Worlds and the Chaos Void will know that I, Dongbo Xueying, am the disciple of the Voidwalker Gu Qi!” he vowed inwardly. “And I *will* avenge you. I know I’m weak now, but I will grow stronger—strong enough to face the Sacred Master.”

Inspecting the seal, he found it was a Cosmos-grade pocket-dimension treasure containing countless rare artifacts—the entire legacy of a Cosmos God. Though Gu Qi was only a third-level Cosmos God, weaker in strength and foundation than Ancestor Tianyu or the Void Primogenitor, the combined value of his treasures was staggering—roughly 360,000 Sourceworld Stones.

“Ancestor,” Dongbo Xueying waved his hand, summoning a pitch-black stone and a fiery-red armor. The stone, palm-sized, caused space to collapse around it, its influence spreading outward until Dongbo Xueying suppressed it with his rule domain. The armor, deceptively ordinary, was impossibly heavy. Even with his Voidwalker physique and Balong lineage training, gripping it made his arm tremble. A fraction heavier, and he wouldn’t have been able to hold it.

“These two are the most precious. Please safeguard them for me. If I perish, I won’t let them fall into enemy hands,” Dongbo Xueying said. As artifacts usable only by Cosmos Gods, carrying them was pointless for him now.

“Very well.”

Ancestor Tianyu nodded. “I’ll hold them for you. These two items are worth 300,000 Sourceworld Stones. If you need to purchase exceedingly rare treasures in the future and cannot do so openly, come to me. The cost will be deducted from this sum.”

“Thank you, Ancestor,” Dongbo Xueying said.

—

That same day, Hall Master Wentian escorted Dongbo Xueying back to Blade Emperor City. As a mentor for the assembly, he still had responsibilities to fulfill.

Within Blade Emperor City, clusters of guest residences dotted the landscape, reserved for esteemed visitors. Chaos Realm experts also resided here, and Dongbo Xueying was assigned one such abode.

As Dongbo Xueying and Hall Master Wentian returned, three Chaos Realm experts drinking atop a small hill called out, “Hall Master Wentian! Elder Dongbo! Join us!”

Unable to ignore them, the two descended.

“Hall Master Wentian, have you heard? A major event just occurred—the Voidwalker Gu Qi has fallen, slain by the Sacred Master!”

“What? Elder Gu Qi is dead?” Hall Master Wentian exclaimed. Though he had accompanied Dongbo Xueying, he was unaware of this development.

“Elder Gu Qi was in the Eternal Sacred World under the Witch Ancestor’s protection. How could he die?”

“Details are scarce. I only just learned of his death. How the Sacred Master accomplished it remains unclear, but the cost must have been immense.”

Hall Master Wentian and the three Chaos Realm experts immediately launched into fervent discussion, speculating wildly.

Dongbo Xueying remained silent, merely listening. The four Chaos Realm experts paid him little mind, assuming that as a short-lived cultivator still at the Unity Realm, he knew little of the conflicts among supreme beings.

They had no idea…

The man standing beside them was Gu Qi’s sole disciple.