More and more Ancestral Patriarchs rushed forth from all directions.
Some were Patriarchs of the Great Wilderness colossi, others hailed from the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, their origins varied and diverse.
Some perhaps wished to preserve the lives of the ten Great Dao Heavenly Mandates like North Cauldron Immortal King.
Some perhaps aimed to seize the Mandate Hearts within those Great Dao Heavenly Mandates.
And some perhaps came directly for Gu Qingfeng.
Each harbored their own thoughts, each with their own purpose.
Ancestral Patriarchs, after all, were Ancestral Patriarchs. Even if they were merely incarnations, their strength was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
And under the impact of these Patriarchs, Gu Qingfeng’s Domain also began to waver precariously. The Dark Flame was no longer endless, its burning might growing weaker. The Silent Waters were no longer infinite, their boiling power also diminishing. The roiling Slaughter was no longer boundless, its force likewise fading.
At this moment,
the ten Great Dao Heavenly Mandates were already covered in blood, kneeling in mid-air half-dead, their consciousnesses long lost to oblivion. In contrast, the Heavenly Mandate Guardians bursting from within them—those ten sacred, luminous pillars of light—having lost the suppression of the Domain, seemed to regain vitality, growing ever more vast and mighty.
His ink-black long hair danced wildly amidst the roaring Slaughter.
His snow-white robes billowed freely within the burning Dark Flame.
And Gu Qingfeng stood still within the boiling Silent Waters, hands clasped behind his back, eyes closed, allowing Ancestral Patriarch after Ancestral Patriarch to impact his Domain.
Just at that moment,
the sky above suddenly gathered dark clouds, which swiftly transformed into a violent sea of clouds. This sea descended like rolling, terrifying waves.
Seeing this scene, everyone was first stunned, and then most were overjoyed—especially those Patriarchs who bore a deep hatred for Gu Qingfeng, who wanted to execute him and seize his fortune. Their hearts were practically bursting with delight.
Because they all knew: this was a Heavenly Omen.
Originally, when the sacred guardians of the ten Great Dao Heavenly Mandates had appeared and the Heavenly Dao remained silent, those colossal Patriarchs had already completely given up hope, deciding to abandon the operation to execute Gu Qingfeng.
After all, the stance of the Nine Heavens Immortal Path was already clear, and the Heavenly Dao had chosen silence. Even if they were unwilling, they had no choice but to abandon the endeavor. That was why they had rushed out—to rescue these Great Dao Heavenly Mandates, not wanting to suffer a double loss!
They never imagined that a Heavenly Omen would appear at this moment.
In other words,
the Heavenly Dao had not chosen silence this time.
Where a Heavenly Omen appeared, Heavenly Thunder would sound. Once Heavenly Thunder sounded, Heavenly Retribution would descend!
That meant the Heavenly Dao would pass judgment on Gu Qingfeng today.
Thinking of this,
everyone grew excited. If the Heavenly Dao stepped forward to judge Gu Qingfeng, then the attitude of the Nine Heavens Immortal Path would no longer matter.
Sure enough.
Boom!—Accompanied by the descent of rolling Heavenly Might, a vast thunderous sound rang out from the sea of clouds that resembled terrifying waves.
This sound of Heavenly Thunder was solemn, sacred, luminous, and immensely vast. It seemed to come from the heavens above, yet also from the earth below, ancient and enduring. With a force that crushed everything decaying, it echoed through all realms and worlds, shaking the myriad living beings. It was as if a deity of the heavens was announcing its hegemony to all things under heaven and earth, inspiring awe in all hearts.
Boom!—The vast thunderous sound came again, the Heavenly Might growing even stronger.
And Gu Qingfeng’s Domain was shaken by this Heavenly Thunder sound, becoming increasingly distorted, as if on the verge of collapse at any moment. The Patriarchs who had previously found it difficult to advance now breathed sighs of relief and pressed forward one after another.
And just at that moment, Gu Qingfeng, who had kept his eyes closed all along, opened them. The darkness within his deep, dark eyes was no longer dark, nor silent. Instead, it churned with Jingtao raging waves and flashed with lightning.
Whoosh—In an instant, the previously weakening Dark Flame once again burned wildly. The fading Silent Waters once again boiled fiercely. The Slaughter’s song once again roared forth. Moreover, an extremely terrifying change occurred within his Domain—a change belonging to Death.
Yes.
Death.
An intense aura of Death swept forth overwhelmingly, enveloping the entire Lingluo Realm. Within the realm, a deathly stillness settled, vitality growing weaker and weaker, as if life itself were draining away. And indeed it was so; everyone had this feeling.
On Blackwater Mountain,
the Old Beggar clearly felt that when Death enveloped everything, every inch of his skin, every pore, every acupoint was greatly affected. Vitality was draining away, spirit was decaying.
Drawing a sharp breath, the Old Beggar choked back his words and said in terror, "This damned thing is the Dao of Death!
Has he even comprehended this great forbidden Dao?
Just how many forbidden Great Daos has he comprehended?
And what in the blazes is this Domain anyway? How can it keep changing like this?"
"I told you, you should take some time to carefully study his past,"
Lady Blackwater said, her gaze fixed on Gu Qingfeng at this moment, her voice softly. "Otherwise, today you’ll be scared to death by him, and also shocked to death!"
Boom!
The vast sound of Heavenly Thunder rang out again.
However, this time the Heavenly Thunder sound did not shatter Gu Qingfeng’s Domain.
On the contrary.
Along with the integration of the Dao of Death, the Dark Flame once again burned endlessly, the Silent Waters once again boiled boundlessly, the Slaughter’s song once again roared limitlessly. Within Gu Qingfeng’s mysterious Domain, Death swept through everything like a wind that seeped into every crevice.
Boom!—The vast sound of Heavenly Thunder rang out once more. With each reverberation, the Heavenly Might grew stronger.
And Gu Qingfeng’s mysterious Domain also grew increasingly powerful, seemingly wanting to compete with the might of heaven itself.
"Though the Immortal Path does not emerge, the Heavenly Might has descended!"
Gu Qingfeng stared at the Patriarchs of various colossi within his Domain and said in a grave tone, "Are you all satisfied now?"
No one understood the meaning of his words. The Patriarchs who had rushed over were all trapped within his Domain, not only finding it difficult to advance but sinking deeper and deeper. This Domain was too mysterious, so mysterious that even these Patriarchs did not know how to escape.
Then.
Gu Qingfeng spoke again, "If you’re satisfied, then open your damned eyes wide and watch clearly for me!"
With that,
Gu Qingfeng raised his hand and brought his palm down upon the head of a Great Dao Star Lord. Bang! With that single palm strike, the pillar of light on the Star Lord’s body was shattered into dissipating smoke, and the Heavenly Mandate Guardian was also shattered and scattered. Then, Gu Qingfeng’s hand, clamped onto the Star Lord’s head, gave a fierce pull. A crystal-clear, glowing orb resembling a heart of gold and jade was extracted. The orb was supremely holy.
Seeing this sacred, luminous heart of gold and jade, the eyes of both the Patriarchs of the Nine Heavens Immortal Path and those of the various colossi all turned red. They charged forward recklessly, because they all knew this golden-jade heart was none other than the supreme treasure of heaven and earth—the Mandate Heart.
Unfortunately.
The more they charged, the deeper they sank, the more unable to move forward they became.
"Ancestral Patriarch of True Martial Immortal Realm!
Come out and collect the corpse for me!"
Gu Qingfeng held the Mandate Heart in his hand and kicked out. This Great Dao Star Lord instantly exploded in a shower of flesh and blood flying everywhere, dismembered limbs and flesh raining down upon those colossal Patriarchs.
"Ancestral Patriarch of the Fantasia Clan!
Come out and collect the corpse for me!"
After extracting the Mandate Heart, Bang!
Another kick sent flesh and blood flying everywhere.
"Ancestral Patriarch of the Bright Moon Immortal Realm, come out and collect the corpse for me!"
"Ancestral Patriarch of Dan Ding Valley!
Come out and collect the corpse!
!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The remaining ones from Dan Ding Valley—North Cauldron Immortal King, White Origin Star Lord, Yellow Wind Demon Lord, including Jade Toad Immortal King and Morning Origin Star Lord—all had their Mandate Hearts extracted by Gu Qingfeng before being kicked into a shower of flesh and blood scattering everywhere.