Chapter 1242: Mysterious Powerhouse (2)

Early Stage Daoist Monarch… Mid Stage Daoist Monarch… Peak Daoist Monarch!

In just a few breaths, his cultivation leapt over a path that countless cultivators need several eras to complete, directly reaching the pinnacle below the Daoist Ancestor Realm!

Moreover, this rising momentum showed no signs of weakening!

“Is he… is he about to break through?!” Tu Feng exclaimed in shock.

From Daoist Monarch to Daoist Ancestor, that is a heavenly chasm! Countless heroes and geniuses have been trapped at this step, unable to advance for life.

Yet this elder before him, does it as simply as eating and drinking?

“It’s not enough.”

Xu Ran’s brows slightly furrowed.

He could feel an invisible barrier standing before him. It was the Heaven and Earth Laws of this cosmos, restricting his breakthrough.

His “Dao” was incompatible with the “Dao” of this world. To prove himself as a Daoist Ancestor here, he must be recognized by this world.

But, does Xu Ran need its recognition?

“Does my Dao require the recognition of heaven and earth?”

A trace of pride flashed in Xu Ran’s eyes.

“I am my own Dao; I am my own heaven!”

With a thought, that “correcting error” Sword Intent soared skyward!

Not to merge with heaven, not to perceive the Great Dao, but… to cut through the Great Dao!

Rumble!

Outside the cave abode, the sky over Broken Star City instantly changed color.

The recently calmed energy turbulence surged again. No, this time, it wasn’t turmoil, it was… mourning!

Visible chains of law manifested in the sky, trembling violently as if confronted by an existence it feared to the extreme.

Clouds gathered, blood-colored thunder rolled within them.

This was not Thunder Tribulation, but… the wrath of the Heavenly Dao!

A being dared to challenge its majesty, seeking to transcend heaven and earth with his own power!

“What’s happening?!”

“Heaven’s wrath! This is the wrath of the Heavenly Dao! Who did something heaven-defying?”

“This aura… it’s coming from that cave abode! It’s that mysterious powerhouse!”

Once again, the experts of Broken Star City were alerted. They looked in shock at the celestial phenomenon, their Divine Souls trembling.

They had seen those who summoned Thunder Tribulations.

But to provoke the ire of the Heavenly Dao so that it descends punishment… that they had never heard of!

Within the cave abode, Xu Ran’s aura had ascended to its peak.

The void behind him began to distort and collapse. Vaguely, a starry sky, ancient and vast, seemed to be projected from the collapsing emptiness.

“Break.”

Xu Ran gently uttered a word.

The invisible barrier shattered accordingly!

An aura far surpassing Daoist Monarch, yet completely different from this world’s Daoist Ancestor, exploded from him!

It was done!

The Daoist Ancestor Realm!

No, perhaps it shouldn’t be called Daoist Ancestor.

Because he was not following that path.

He neither condensed a Dao Fruit nor entrusted his True Spirit to the river of the Great Dao.

With his own “sword,” he cut open a path unique to himself!

If this world’s Daoist Ancestors are those who ride the tide of the Great Dao.

Then Xu Ran is one who opens a path against the Great Dao!

The aura subtly restrained, and the celestial phenomenon slowly dispersed.

Xu Ran opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within himself, nodding in satisfaction.

Though a distant journey remained from his peak, at least in this region of black sands, he now had the capital to protect himself and perhaps even dominate.

“Con… Congratulations, elder, on… no, congratulations on your Dao’s accomplishment!” Tu Feng didn’t know what words to use to describe his feelings, barely able to stammer his congratulations.

Xu Ran glanced at him, and said indifferently, “I merely walked a path I had traversed before.”

Walked… again?

Tu Feng’s mind went completely blank.

…

Meanwhile, Xu Ran’s deeds outside the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower in Broken Star City, of defeating the Twin Ancestors with a finger and imprisoning the Young Master with a flick, spread like a level twelve cosmic storm, sweeping across the black sand region!

When the news first spread, no one believed it.

Blood Elder and Nether Elder were famed veteran Daoist Ancestors in the black sand region, and even a mid-stage Daoist Ancestor needed to retreat in the face of their combined strength.

Blood Wuyai, Young Master of the Blood Prison Star Sea, was of noble status, possessing countless protective magical treasures, who dared provoke him?

But when one after another, Daoist Ancestors who personally witnessed that scene sent the Divine Thought images, filled with fearful emotion, back to their sects and clans, the entire black sand region boiled over!

“One finger! Just one finger! Blood Elder’s ‘Blood Prison Refining Heaven Hand’ was erased from concept! His Dao Foundation was cleaved!”

“Nether Elder suffered worse! His entire being was ‘wiped’ away! I watched as his existence vanished bit by bit, that feeling… I never want to experience it again in this lifetime!”

“What kind of power is it? It doesn’t belong to any Great Dao we know! Tyrannical, eerie, unreasonable!”

“A mysterious powerhouse, background unknown, depth of strength unfathomable, appearing to have an old grudge with Blood Prison Star Sea!”

Countless forces were frantically probing into Xu Ran’s origins.

The black sand region, a lawless land chaotic for countless years, seemed to be ushering in an unprecedented change!

Celestial Blade Mountain.

A towering mountain suspended in the starry sky, the entire mountain, like a Giant Blade piercing the heavens, emanated endless sharp energy.

Atop the mountain, a gaunt elder clad in hemp clothes, holding a Stone Blade, suddenly opened his eyes. In his gaze, it seemed as if billions of blade lights were in birth and demise.

“Severing causality, erasing existence… what a tyrannical ‘sword’. Who exactly is this person? Why has he appeared in the black sand region?”

Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons.

At the depths of the pitch-black abyss, demonic qi roiled, countless demonic creatures roaring within.

In the deepest part of the abyss, a pair of scarlet eyes larger than stars slowly lit up.

“Interesting… so very interesting… that old thing from Blood Prison really hit hard this time. I quite want to see how he resolves this.”

…

At the center of the storm, Blood Prison Star Sea was now ravaged by raging waves.

Within a grand Divine Hall floating at the center of a blood-colored river of stars.

Bang!

A throne forged from Immortal Divine Gold was crushed into powder by a blood-scaled giant hand!

“Trash! Two pieces of trash!”

A voice of majesty and ferocity resounded throughout the Divine Hall.

Beneath the throne, several dozen senior figures of Blood Prison Star Sea were kneeling, shivering in fear, not daring to breathe loudly.

Sitting atop the throne was a shadow.

Shrouded in blood light, his face was unclear, only a pair of eyes seemingly filled with Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, brimming with endless rage and murderous intent.

This was none other than the Master of Blood Prison Star Sea, Master of Blood Prison!

“Wuyai’s life soul lamp has dimmed to the extreme! His Blood Prison Divine Body’s Source was forcibly stripped by someone! Blood Elder’s Dao Foundation was cleaved, and Nether Elder fell completely!”

The voice of the Master of Blood Prison was as icy as if it could freeze space-time.

“Who can tell me, in the black sand region, in this place I regard as my backyard, who has such daringness!”

Below, a peak Daoist Ancestor realm elder stood forth, trembling, reporting the intelligence from Broken Star City truthfully.

After hearing, the air within the Divine Hall almost solidified.

“One finger… erasing?”

For the first time, the voice of the Master of Blood Prison carried a trace of gravity.

He reckoned, he could also defeat the combined force of Blood Elder and Nether Elder, but definitely not with such ease and casualness, much less employing such strange means of erasing “existence”.

“Doomsday Ancient Route… Ancient Navigation Map…”

When he heard these words, the figure enshrouded in blood light quivered violently!

A more terrifying, more violent aura erupted from him than before.

“It’s him! No… it can’t be… could he have… followed here?”

His voice carried a trace of… fear!

Fear originating from the depths of his bloodline, from inherited memory, an indelible terror of a certain existence!