Xu Ying stood on the tiered ship. The vessel had already arrived at the border of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, on the verge of entering it.
Looking back, he saw the brilliance of various divine abilities and magic treasures blossoming from the Emerald Rock—some razor-sharp, others ponderous and heavy. Even from so great a distance, he could still see the terrifying shockwaves generated by the Far Ancestor's strikes, as though they threatened to shake both the Heavenly Immortal Realm and the Earth Immortal Realm to their cores!
As he watched, he saw figures falling, perishing in that unimaginably brutal slaughter!
He saw the Holy Venerable driving nine great cave abysses, Jun Wudao unleashing nine Dao fruits, and the dreadful scene of Useless Qingxuan mobilizing the Ten Great Void Dao Sceneries.
Evidently, for this voyage, Useless Qingxuan had made a trip to the Realm of the Great Void to reclaim the Ten Great Void Dao Sceneries that belonged to Emperor Qingxuan.
Ten-Defects Heavenly Monarch Liu Guanyi's coffins were shattered one after another. Every time one Liu Guanyi died, a new Liu Guanyi leapt from the next coffin—even stronger, fearless and heedless of death—shielding Old Ancestor Boshan and the others, taking the brunt of the onslaught for them.
"That's the ninth coffin," Xu Ying murmured softly.
Dao Venerable Lü wielded his immortal sword in crisscrossing sweeps, executing *Looking Back at Wangxiang Terrace* to trap enemies within their gaze back to their homelands, while Dao Lord Kuyang seized the chance to deal merciless, lethal blows.
Under the suffocating pressure of impending death, Old Ancestor Boshan let out a furious howl, fighting desperately to break through into the Supreme Realm. His Supreme cave abyss was already forming, and every star across the boundless starry sky flared with brilliant light, channeling limitless astral power into laser-like beams that shot toward him.
Suddenly, a powerful dragon immortal tore through his cave abyss, charged forward, and impaled his physical body with razor-sharp claws.
Spitting mouthfuls of fresh blood, Old Ancestor Boshan gripped the dragon immortal and plunged with him directly into the gelatinous zone.
Vaguely, Xu Ying could still see Old Ancestor Boshan's face—teeth clenched tightly, eyes wide open in sheer determination.
Throughout this vicious battle, others broke through at the brink of life and death, reaching the threshold of the Supreme Realm, yet they remained unable to contend against the enemy head-on.
At that moment, the Far Ancestor and the Ancestral God struck simultaneously, blasting several fearsome opponents backward and hurling them into the gelatinous zone, thereby relieving the pressure on the others. Yet the experts of the Heavenly Immortal Realm were simply too numerous; even the Far Ancestor and Ancestral God were wounded.
Those dragon clan powerhouses blasted into the gelatinous zone struggled furiously. Some managed to drag themselves out, while others were battered deeper and deeper into it by divine abilities launched by Liu Guanyi and the rest.
"Smart!" Xu Ying let out a breath of relief.
The strength of the Earth Immortal Realm faction was far weaker than that of their opponents—especially among the Twelve Wondrous, some of whom had not cultivated the new Dao, while others had only reached the Dao Scenery stage without attaining the Supreme Realm.
In a straight frontal clash, more than half of them would have been killed or maimed in mere moments.
The Far Ancestor Big Dragon and the Ancestral God were undeniably peerless in strength, but the enemy simply had too many experts and sheer numbers on their side. If a few of their strongest figures held them back together, everyone else would be plunged into despair.
Therefore, the Far Ancestor and the Ancestral God did not aim to kill their foes. So long as they knocked the enemy into the gelatinous zone, their opponents would be trapped and unable to escape in the short term. Only in this way did their side stand a chance of victory.
Fearsome experts abounded among the dragon immortals. Several of them were on par with the Holy Venerable, and as they besieged the Far Ancestor and the Ancestral God, they made things exceptionally grueling for the two. The Ancestral God, in particular, was in an even worse condition; he had already been severely injured, and now fresh wounds were piled upon the old!
In ordinary times, battles between beings of their caliber often spanned ten thousand li in an instant. Sometimes a single duel could traverse dozens of worlds without deciding a victor.
This Emerald Rock, in comparison, was far too small for them. Meeting in such cramped confines was truly a clash on a narrow path where only the boldest and those with supreme strength could survive!
However, with the Far Ancestor and Ancestral God altering their tactics—no longer seeking to execute their foes, but merely knocking them into the gelatinous zone so they were trapped in frozen spacetime—the pressure on the others diminished significantly.
"Lord Dragon and the Ancestral God chose the right strategy. The outcome of this battle is settled!"
Xu Ying withdrew his gaze. As the tiered ship sailed out of the gelatinous zone, he leapt off the deck, his sleeves and robes fluttering. With a flick of his finger, a River of Time abruptly materialized mid-voyage, sweeping up the tiered ship and sailing it toward the past.
At last, the tiered ship vanished along with the River of Time.
Stamping his foot, he vanished from the breach into the Heavenly Immortal Realm as well.
Not long after he departed, several overwhelmingly powerful auras from within the Heavenly Immortal Realm pulverized space itself as they surged toward the location.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Towering figures descended one after another, their gazes like lightning sweeping over the Emerald Rock. Chao Yuandao was among them.
His cultivation was unfathomably deep. Though he had not stepped into the Indestructible Realm, he was remarkably close to it; his strength was definitely on par with beings like the Holy Venerable and the Ancestral God.
And beside him stood six or seven equally formidable figures!
Yet even an expert of his caliber dared not lightly set foot into the gelatinous zone. Should one's cultivation deplete within it, one would be trapped inside for all eternity!
Right at that moment, an aura as deep as an abyss suddenly emerged. The space beside them cracked open, and a middle-aged dragon clan man stepped forth.
"Your Majesty!" Chao Yuandao and the others bowed in succession.
"No need for formalities."
The middle-aged man was none other than the master of the Heavenly Immortal Realm's Dragon Court, the reigning Dragon Emperor, Emperor Mingdao. Alerted by the aura of the Far Ancestor Big Dragon, he had strode to the breach and now looked toward the battle upon the Emerald Rock.
"The fiercest dragon-headed god-man on that Emerald Rock is my forebear," the Dragon Emperor said with a smile. "I can feel the power of his bloodline calling out to the bloodline within me."
The Dragon Emperor continued, "He is the ancestor of our entire dragon race. In those days, his cultivation penetrated heaven and earth, and he was the sole existence to break through the Three Realms and attain the Indestructible. Later, he discovered the Abyss Sea—a realm of higher order—and thus cast off his physical form and ascended thither, hoping to achieve ultimate freedom."
Chao Yuandao knew of the Far Ancestor Big Dragon, but the other dragon clan experts did not. Because they cultivated arts from the other shore, their dragon bloodlines could not awaken naturally, leaving them unable to sense the heritage of the Far Ancestor.
One dragon powerhouse asked puzzledly, "Could the ancient heritage of our dragon race also reach the Indestructible Realm? Were the old arts of the dragon race really that strong?"
Dragon Emperor Mingdao said, "They could. But very few could manage it. Even though our ancestral heritage could lead to the Indestructible Realm, that form of immortality was a false immortality. In the past, the dragon race possessed the strongest bloodline, the greatest heritage, and the most vast dominion across the Three Realms. Yet when a mere few Emerald Rocks flew over, the Three Realms were entirely destroyed. What immortality? In the face of the Emerald Rocks, it was all an illusion."
He shook his head with profound emotion.
Back then, he had been an Imperial Son. While aboard one of the World-Crossing Golden Ships leaving the Three Realms to search for the other shore, he had witnessed the strike of the three Emerald Rocks.
Under the onslaught of the Emerald Rocks, the Three Realms were obliterated, and the ancient civilization of the Dragon Court Era was reduced to ash in an instant.
The dragon immortals could not help but sigh. "Only the heritage of the other shore is the true method leading straight to the Indestructible. If the dragon race had possessed the heritage of the other shore back then, the Great Extinction would never have occurred."
Dragon Emperor Mingdao smiled. "It is not too late even now. The Far Ancestor is stubborn and incorrigible, clinging obstinately to the traditional methods, which is why he opposes our Heavenly Immortal Realm. But when he sees just how vast the disparity is between his so-called immortality and true immortality, he will certainly change his mind."
Chao Yuandao asked, "And if he persists in his obstinate ways?"
Dragon Emperor Mingdao smiled faintly. "He will change his mind. He will witness my might—might that surpasses his own—and realize what true immortality is!"
Suddenly, the Great Dao filled the void behind him as ancient cave abysses manifested one after another. Dragon Emperor Mingdao let out a long cry and shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, plunging straight into the gelatinous zone outside the Heavenly Immortal Realm!
Chao Yuandao and the others were not surprised in the least. Dragon Emperor Mingdao's physical body underwent Zangification, growing tremendously powerful. Striking with fists and kicks, he advanced through the gelatinous zone with unstoppable momentum, blasting apart the gelatinous matter as he closed in on the Emerald Rock!
His strength was peerlessly terrifying. Even as the pressure exerted by the gelatinous zone mounted steadily, he endured it with ease, his speed not slowing in the slightest!
Sensing something amiss, the Far Ancestor Big Dragon looked up. With a grim expression, he attacked the remaining dragon race experts with even greater ferocity.
By the time the last dragon race expert was knocked into the gelatinous zone, the surviving experts of the Earth Immortal Realm could not help but cheer, tears filling their eyes.
In this short span of time, more than half had been killed or wounded, yet they had finally secured the Emerald Rock.
"Everyone, board the ship and leave with this Emerald Rock!" the Big Dragon shouted, his eyes fixed on the expanse above.
Startled, everyone followed his gaze and beheld the terrifying spectacle of the Zangified Dragon Emperor Mingdao fighting his way down.
"Board the ship and leave!" the Holy Venerable barked.
Useless Qingxuan said in a deep voice, "Board the ship!"
The survivors boarded the emerald rock tiered ship one after another, hurling out chains to bind the hill-like Emerald Rock.
"Holy Venerable, board the ship!" Jun Wudao yelled.
"Zangification!"
The Holy Venerable roared. Gray mist swirled about him as his body swelled section by section, turning towering and ferocious with a green face and protruding fangs. He stomped down with tremendous force, sending the Emerald Rock and the tiered ship hurtling back toward the Earth Immortal Realm.
The Emerald Rock and tiered ship sailed toward the Earth Immortal Realm, yet the Ancestral God stayed behind, standing alongside the two of them. To beings like them, the gelatinous zone was exceptionally viscous, making movement arduous, but it did not leave them entirely immobilized.
They still possessed the ability to act, albeit many times slower than normal.
The Far Ancestor Big Dragon paused in surprise and glanced at the two.
Catching his breath, the Ancestral God chuckled. "I still have strength left in me. I won't hold you back."
The Holy Venerable said, "After Zangification, my strength surpasses the Ancestral God's! I can lend you a hand."
The Far Ancestor Big Dragon turned back, his expression solemn as he stared at Dragon Emperor Mingdao closing in on them. "I have never seen such a powerful descendant..." he murmured.
*Boom!*
Dragon Emperor Mingdao pierced through the gelatinous zone. Though his energy had waned slightly, he was still overwhelmingly formidable as he bore down on the three of them!
The Holy Venerable, the Ancestral God, and the Far Ancestor Big Dragon roared, lunging at Dragon Emperor Mingdao from three different directions!
In this seemingly empty expanse of frozen spacetime, the disparity in cultivation was magnified many times over. The moment they engaged, all three realized that their attack speeds were far slower than Dragon Emperor Mingdao's!
Their movement speeds were also vastly inferior to his!
Their hearts sank. In a mere two exchanges, the Ancestral God was grievously wounded and immobilized, bound by branching patterns of light. The Holy Venerable spat a great mouthful of blood, his vitality scattered and his ten cave abysses shattered and embedded in the gelatinous zone before a follow-up blow knocked him unconscious!
The Far Ancestor Big Dragon possessed the greatest cultivation and strength, yet after ten exchanges, he suffered ten solid strikes from the emperor, which blasted his physical body and primordial spirit apart!
Taking the Far Ancestor Big Dragon's physical body in one hand and primordial spirit in the other, Dragon Emperor Mingdao extended the sharp talons on his feet to seize the Ancestral God and the Holy Venerable. He surged upward along the corridor he had blasted open, and within moments, landed at the breach of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
Dragon Emperor Mingdao set down the Ancestral God, the Holy Venerable, and the Big Dragon, instructing, "Seal their cultivation completely and lock them away. Zhen has depleted too much strength and must rest for a few days before seeing them again."
With a casual wave of his hand, space tore open. He slipped inside, and the tear sealed shut behind him.
Chao Yuandao and the others hurriedly acted, sealing and suppressing the Holy Venerable, the Ancestral God, and the Far Ancestor Big Dragon.
A dragon elder asked, "The Emerald Rock has been taken by them. What should we do now?"
Chao Yuandao pondered for a moment before saying, "Now, we have no choice but to take action ourselves. We must chisel through the gelatinous zone bit by bit along the passage opened by His Majesty!"
This was coolie work, agonizingly slow and far inferior to using an Emerald Rock. Beings of such high standing in the dragon race would normally never deign to do such vulgar labor.
Yet since Dragon Emperor Mingdao had personally taken action, they had to brace themselves and carry on. So long as they chiseled away systematically, they would eventually pierce through the gelatinous zone one day!
***
Within the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
Xu Ying channeled the Martial Extremity Dao Attainment and underwent Zangification, arriving at the Dragon City he had visited during his ascension.
This immense immortal city housed a colosseum where Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, the Big Dragon, and the others had previously rescued the ascenders of the Earth Immortal Realm.
Xu Ying faced no obstacles along the way as he made his way to this colosseum. The ruined walls and debris left after the World-Crossing Golden Ship crashed into it had already been cleared away, and the dragon race had rebuilt the site, making it even more magnificent and opulent.
However, there seemed to be no gladiatorial matches lately; the place was quiet, watched over by only a few dragon immortal guards.
Seeing that he bore the form of an outlander rather than a dragon, the guards dared not show disrespect and allowed him to enter.
Xu Ying stood at the highest point. With a slight shift of intent, seven great cave abysses emerged revolving behind him.
He withdrew his Zangified form, returning to his human body.
The guards froze in bewilderment, then marched toward him immediately, barking, "Who are you?"
Xu Ying's aura erupted abruptly. A horrifying presence swept in all directions, and thunderous booms rang out continuously as the newly constructed buildings all around collapsed under the sheer pressure of his aura!
The dragon immortal guards could not maintain their footing; crushed to the ground, they lay flat on their stomachs, unable to budge!
"I am Xu Ying of the Earth Immortal Realm. Having heard that the Heavenly Immortal Realm is rich in wonders and blessed with extraordinary talents, I have come today specifically to pay a visit!"
Behind Xu Ying, his imposing Indestructible Primordial Spirit drew out from within his body in a hunched posture, then slowly straightened up. Radiant spiritual light shone brilliantly, clashing against the Heavenly Dao of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. His voice rolled like thunder, resounding throughout this Dragon City and echoing in all directions.
At these words, the entire city erupted into an uproar.
Dragon immortals took to the skies one after another, flying toward the colosseum. Someone recognized Xu Ying and shouted aloud, "He is that Xu Ying who killed Young Master Qixuan of the other shore! The barbarian from the Earth Immortal Realm!"
"He and that woman rammed and killed who knows how many dragon immortals!"
For a time, outrage surged through the crowd as they swarmed toward him.
Yet as soon as they approached the colosseum, still several li away from Xu Ying, continuous thuds resounded. One dragon immortal after another was crushed by Xu Ying's aura, unable to sustain flight, crashing to the ground and pinned flat, powerless to move!
Some dragon immortals possessed powerful cultivation and deployed layers of bodhimandas, straining to fly forward. But even those of the Sixth Dao Realm could not draw near Xu Ying before being crushed out of the sky!
Several Seventh Dao Realm experts landed and struggled to advance on foot, but while still dozens of paces from Xu Ying, the pressure forced blood to pour incessantly from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.
*Crack!*
Both legs of one expert snapped simultaneously, forcing him to his knees as he moaned incoherently, blood gushing from his mouth.
"I, Xu Ying, am a barbarian!"
With eyes half-open and half-closed, the voice of the Indestructible Primordial Spirit behind him grew ever more resonant, shouting in the Dao language of the other shore: "I invite all fellow Daoists of the Heavenly Immortal Realm to educate and civilize me with the Dao methods of the other shore! Xu Ying is here to debate the heights of the Dao with every Dao friend of the Heavenly Immortal Realm!"
Chapter 679