Chapter 691 - 9: Fu Xi Falls, Demon Ancestor Perishes, Taiyi is Shattered, the Terrifying Supreme

Chapter 691: Chapter 9: Fu Xi Falls, Demon Ancestor Perishes, Taiyi is Shattered, the Terrifying Supreme

THUMP!

A single, dull thud.

THUMP! THUMP!

It was like rolling thunder, like the drums of heaven, like the clang of a million blade shields clashing at the Beginning of Ancient Times!

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

The Great Chaos was torn asunder by the reverberations. The Celestial Myriad Realms teetered on the brink of collapse. All beings, mortal and divine, grew faint and dizzy. The Daluo who spied upon this place bled from their ears, their minds thrown into disarray!

Within the Eight Trigrams Furnace, a heartbeat began to sound. With each beat, it was as if the final calamity had arrived, shaking the very foundation of the Era!

The Supreme Beings all ceased their battles, their gazes turning incomparably grave. The Lame Daoist sighed.

"The old bastard just couldn’t hold it in any longer..."

As his voice fell, a withered figure slowly emerged from the Eight Trigrams Furnace. It staggered with every step, appearing decayed and near its end, its skin desiccated to the extreme.

This was not an injury. It was the manifestation of the Era approaching its final calamity, embodied in this very form.

Or rather, this body...

...was the Era itself.

"How can this be?" Taiyi’s eyes went wide, as if he had just witnessed the impossible.

Fu Xi’s brow furrowed. He retreated step by step, his gaze darting about as if searching for an escape.

"So old, so very old..."

The Taiqing Supreme Taoist Venerable who had emerged from the Eight Trigrams Furnace spoke with the weariness of a dying man, seemingly at death’s door. Yet with every breath he took, Chaos collapsed and myriad universes shattered!

THWACK!

The twilight being brought a palm down—not too far left, not too far right, but as fate would have it, landing squarely on the Lame Daoist’s forehead.

And so the Lame Daoist—in this age nearing its final calamity, approaching the level of a Perfect Dao Fruit, wielding the Qing Ping Sword, and at the strongest moment of his entire existence—was slapped flat onto the floor of Chaos.

He was utterly powerless to resist.

"Supreme!!!"

The Lame Daoist roared.

"Are you blind?!"

The twilight being chuckled, his voice like the most resonant celestial bell from across millions of years.

"Who told you to be so disrespectful? Who were you calling an ’old bastard’?"

As he spoke, the twilight being stretched lazily and thrust a palm forward. The attack struck not only from this present moment but from all of time, all of space, all worlds, and from all that came before and all that would come after.

Although he was the one who threw the palm strike, at a glance, it looked more like...

...the Era itself was falling.

"This is not right!!"

The Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s expression changed, alarm bells screaming in his mind. He let out a panicked cry, trying to flee, to dodge, to evade this strike, but it was all useless!

This palm strike was delivered by the decaying twilight being, but it was also delivered by the Era itself, which was nearing its final calamity, its appointed end.

Whether it was the Great Heaven and Earth, the Beginning of Ancient Times, or even the Hongmeng, all were encompassed within the Era.

Whether it was The Three Pristine Ones, Bodhi, Amitabha, or even the supposedly Transcendent Wa Huang—all were born from this Era.

At this very moment, the Taiqing Supreme Taoist Venerable *was* the Era.

Where could they possibly flee? Where could they possibly hide?

"A fine strike!"

The Demon Ancestor’s voice boomed as she faced the all-encompassing palm, her expression cold.

"I’d like to see for myself just what power a Perfect Dao Fruit truly holds!"

As she finished, her Ni Chang robes fluttered and danced. Like the first coming of spring, she gracefully unleashed a chilling killing intent, summoning all her being as her Infinite Magical Power manifested in an instant!

"There’s no dodging it... We must go all out! The Supreme True Form is out, but he can’t maintain this state for long. It’s unsustainable. We just have to hold on!"

The Ancient Bodhi Buddha roared, desperately channeling the Bodhi Miaoshu—or rather, the Seven Treasures Miaoshu—which had only seven branches remaining...

This First Patriarch of Buddhism radiated Infinite Pure Light and Infinite Wisdom Light as a vast Buddha Land materialized behind him.

Lu Xuan instinctively looked over and saw within that Buddha Land the origin of the Buddhist Path, the apex of the Buddhist Path, and the decline of the Buddhist Path...

The beginning, the peak, and the fall of Buddhism—its past, present, and future—all unfolded within that Buddha Land.

Lu Xuan’s eyes narrowed. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. ’Bodhi... he’s going for broke, too.’

Beside them, Fu Xi wore a solemn expression, unleashing a power even greater than what he had used to suppress the Supreme moments before.

Taiyi’s face still bore a trace of shock, but he was comparatively the most composed. All manner of great powers swirled around him as his Complete Dao Fruit shone and his Transcendent Traits surged...

And in front of Lu Xuan’s stunned and then dawning gaze, all of these elements fused together in perfect harmony.

Those powers clearly originated from him, yet in Taiyi’s hands, they erupted with a might that far surpassed Lu Xuan’s own!

"The Perfect Dao Fruit... a state I, too, can enter," Taiyi stated calmly.

Before the horrified eyes of the Supreme Beings, Taiyi seemed to sublimate, erupting with a power that transcended imagination and defied comprehension, briefly rivaling that of a Perfect Dao Fruit!

"We are safe..." The Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s expression relaxed, though a hint of shock remained. ’This Fellow Daoist Taiyi was hiding his power so deeply, to be able to briefly unleash the might of a Perfect Dao Fruit!’

’It seems this battle is about to be settled...’

The Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s train of thought came to a screeching halt.

Because the twilight being’s withered palm had fallen.

CRACK!

More than half of the Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s body was annihilated, leaving him on the verge of death. His form lay sprawled across Chaos, Buddha Blood gushing out as if it were free.

The Demon Ancestor’s Infinite Magical Power was shattered. Her beautiful, cold face was torn, and her head was smashed into her own chest cavity, making her look like a headless person.

Fu Xi suffered the worst fate, seemingly having been singled out for special attention. Though he was a cut above Bodhi and the Demon Ancestor, at this moment he was swatted like a fly by that great hand, crushed into a paper-thin sheet with no thickness, and scattered to the winds.

As for Taiyi, who had briefly possessed the might of a Perfect Dao Fruit and should have been a match for the twilight being,

one moment he was majestic and imposing, occupying all of time, his very existence transcending the comprehension of an ordinary Dao Fruit;

the next, he too was pierced through, his consciousness nearly obliterated. Even the Complete Dao Fruit he had forcibly bound within himself was almost shattered!

And all this came from a single, casual slap from the twilight being, as if he were shooing away a mosquito.

That was all.

"Brother!!"

The Demon Ancestor forced her head out of her chest cavity and let out a wretched wail. She stared blankly at the dead Fu Xi, tears mixed with blood streaming down her face.

Bodhi said nothing, lying in the Great Chaos as if dead, drifting with the chaotic winds. But it seemed he was intentionally, or perhaps unintentionally, moving farther and farther from the battlefield.

Taiyi coughed up mouthfuls of blood, staring at the aged Supreme True Form in awe.

"The Era... You’ve touched the threshold of Transcendence? No, that’s not right..."

His eyes darted around frantically, his expression one of pure shock.

"You were once just a single step away from Transcendence, and then... you shattered the Door of Transcendence? Are you insane??"

The twilight being glanced sideways, his gaze fixed on Taiyi. The Demon Ancestor’s bloody tears stopped, because another Fu Xi was cautiously approaching from the depths of Chaos.

Lu Xuan shifted slightly to stand with the Lady and his Three Masters, watching the scene unfold in silence.

The Ancient Bodhi Buddha was still playing dead, inching farther and farther away from the battlefield...

After a long moment.

Staring at Taiyi, the twilight being slowly exhaled. He seemed to be in a daze, yet also enlightened, as he murmured to himself:

"So that’s how it is."

It was as if he had seen right through Taiyi.

THUMP!

The twilight being took a step forward, looking down calmly at the Demon Ancestor, Fu Xi, and Taiyi. He spoke with composure:

"Taiyi, abandon your plans, or I will suppress you."

Taiyi’s expression was more solemn than ever before. The confidence of ’having everything under control’ was gone, replaced by disbelief as he spoke:

"You truly are insane. The Door of Transcendence was right in front of you, just a step away. All you had to do was push it open... Why did you give up?"

"Heh..."

The twilight being gave a carefree laugh.

"Transcendence? It’s not what I desire. Besides, is that truly Transcendence? To become a thing like you?"

At these words, the Demon Ancestor and Fu Xi’s eyes went wide. Lu Xuan was stunned, the Goddess was bewildered, and the Lame Daoist sucked in a sharp breath.

’What did the Supreme mean by that?!’

’This Taiyi...’

At that moment, Taiyi managed to regain his composure, his gaze fixed on the twilight being with extreme wariness.

"You are even stronger than I imagined... Worthy of being the Leader of the Sanqing. What did you see?"

The twilight being smiled.

"I caught a glimpse of your origins. A grand schemer, the sole survivor of the last Era’s final calamity..."

He paused, his eyes radiating a brilliant light that contained the entire Era.

Wherever the twilight being looked, the Great Era looked.

After a long moment, he calmly described:

"I saw you enter the wrong Door of Transcendence, clinging to a wretched existence. I saw you interfere at the very instant of Wa Huang’s Transcendence, attacking her and causing her efforts to fail..."

The entire Great Chaos fell into a dead silence as the Supreme Beings mulled over the twilight being’s words.

’Entered the wrong Door of Transcendence?’

’The last final calamity?’

’Attacked Wa Huang??’

Everyone was bewildered. ’What does all this mean...?’

’Just how powerful is the Supreme now? What exactly did he see?’

’Those eyes of his seem to... surpass even the Goddess?’

In the midst of the silence, a clueless voice broke the stillness.

"Huh???"

The Goddess’s round eyes were filled with immense confusion. She glanced at Lu Xuan and asked blankly:

"Aren’t I fine? When did Taiyi attack me?"

Lu Xuan was taken aback. He could only offer a wry smile, unsure of how to explain.

Taiyi retreated nine solemn steps, but then suddenly burst out laughing.

"What a pity. The final calamity is upon us, and you are decaying along with this Era. Perhaps you’ll fall from your current state in the very next instant. Otherwise, I would truly be in deep trouble..."

The twilight being ignored him, instead glancing over at the horrified Demon Ancestor and Fu Xi, a thoughtful look on his face.

"So that’s how it is."

He remarked once more.

As his voice fell, a wisp of his aura pressed down, causing the bodies of the Demon Ancestor, Fu Xi, and Taiyi to crack. All three were dying simultaneously!

"Supreme!!!"

The Demon Ancestor shrieked.

"You’re trying to kill us, putting us in a state of death to pave the way for Lu Xuan? I’m telling you... dream on!"

Her body began to glow as she employed a hidden technique, her expression savage.

"Lu Xuan... must die, too!"

After she spoke, a being seemed to awaken and also began to glow, as if preparing to self-destruct and drag Lu Xuan down with it.

But the light wasn’t coming from Lu Xuan. It was coming from...

...the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Demon Ancestor: ?

The twilight being laughed heartily and snapped his fingers. Flames erupted beneath the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Immediately, the wails of the Demon Ancestor’s Incarnation echoed from within the furnace, accompanied by the squeaks of a monkey leaping up and down...

"Brother!"

The Demon Ancestor coughed up mouthfuls of blood. Although she didn’t understand how her incarnation had ended up in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, she knew there was no room for hesitation.

Though she possessed Infinite Magical Power and was comparable to an Enlightened One, she was ultimately not a Dao Fruit and lacked its traits. If she died, it would be a true and final demise!

The Demon Ancestor glanced sideways and threw herself at Fu Xi without a second thought.

"Brother..."

Fu Xi seemed to be shedding tears, seemingly resisting, yet he moved to meet her, whispering softly:

"Little sister, I will live on for you."

The two of them began to merge, nearly becoming one. Beside them, Taiyi also made his decision. If he died now, who knew how long it would take to revive? The final calamity might have already descended by then, and all his plans would be ruined!

Infinite Light began to radiate from within him as his Complete Dao Fruit erupted with majestic power, attempting to achieve ultimate sublimation!

Immense power swept across the whole of Chaos. The Lame Daoist and the Goddess swayed on their feet, while Lu Xuan retreated violently, nearly unable to stand. But the twilight being merely chuckled.

"Such clever scheming, such clever scheming."

He casually pointed a finger. The merging Fu Xi and Demon Ancestor were interrupted. The former was killed once again, while the latter was beheaded, her soul collapsing as she died.

"Brother..." Before her consciousness faded, the Demon Ancestor looked at Fu Xi, her gaze hazy. With a final sigh, she perished completely. Her Transcendence Origin fled, leaving behind only a single wisp of her True Spirit, which drifted away.

Nearby, Taiyi was in no better state. He was heavily struck, and though he wasn’t killed...

...the Complete Dao Fruit within him was shattered.

The Complete Dao Fruit split apart, one half becoming Emperor Jun and the other half becoming Xi He. The former was covered in wounds and on the verge of death, while the latter had a vacant gaze, seemingly devoid of consciousness.

Lu Xuan froze, then his eyes widened as if they would tear apart.

A certain Ancient Buddha’s ’corpse’ also climbed up from the Chaos and took to its heels.