Chapter 193: The Forefather

“Lord of the Spirit Sacrifice!” The people of the Celestial Pavilion cried out in mourning. They were overwhelmed with grief, as their guardian spirit had reached the end of its life, growing old and dying in battle.

In the Pure Land, all disciples were wailing in sorrow, unable to accept the result. The spirit had given them so much, resolving calamities and fighting in ancient wars, but now its divine fire had extinguished, leaving only a scene of melancholy.

While the Celestial Pavilion's people were immersed in deep sorrow, other beings and supreme beings were shaken, filled with doubts and disbelief, their bodies chilled.

Who was that gray-haired old man? It was terrifying that the spirit of the Celestial Pavilion was planted by him. Everyone trembled.

It felt unreal, and somewhat unnerving. Even the Celestial Sparrow, the Qiongqi, and the human-like beings of Yishan were shocked, feeling they were facing a grave danger.

"Living long does not necessarily mean being powerful; it means nothing," the Qiongqi growled cautiously.

"Roar!"

The gray-haired old man roared like a demonic deity. With one hand clenched into a fist and the other holding a broken sword, he stared at the light rain in the sky, watching the divine vine burning, with a hollow, sorrowful gaze.

"You old bastard, daring to ambush me, come for another fight!" The Celestial Sparrow called out angrily, having just had one of its claws severed. Though it had reattached, it was still a great humiliation.

It opened its mouth and sucked in, creating a massive black hole in the void, trying to swallow the old man. As the name “Celestial Sparrow” implied, it possessed formidable divine techniques.

The old man’s hollow eyes remained, but the hand holding the sword began to tremble. He suddenly shook his head violently, emitting a low, mournful roar as his gray hair danced.

"Kill!"

The gray-haired old man shouted, filled with sorrow as the spirit turned into divine rain. It was impossible for it to survive, filling him with hatred and murderous intent. The sword contained boundless killing aura.

With a thunderous roar, the black hole was sliced open. The gray-haired old man charged in like a demonic deity, the broken sword flashing like a rainbow, its black rust falling away, emitting endless divine radiance.

The two engaged in a fierce battle, with runes intertwining and colliding with the strongest impact, emitting incomparable brilliance and dispersing the fog in the black hole.

"Poof!"

Blood spurted out, and the old man's hollow eyes were filled with a chilling killing intent. He appeared with blood stains. The broken sword shone like a sun, and the Celestial Sparrow in the sky screeched in rage, its beak severed, blood streaming.

It was enormous. Even a small part of its beak being severed was astonishing, capable of crushing the distant earth.

Everyone was horrified. The old man was so powerful that after the intense battle, the Celestial Sparrow was severely wounded, a fierce “mess.”

The Celestial Sparrow roared in the heavens, spiraling and suffering deeply. It was in great pain, with a segment of its hardest beak severed, which was unbearable.

Being called the Celestial Sparrow, some of its divine techniques were closely tied to its beak, and now this part was injured, making it extremely aggrieved.

"Buzz"

The runes flickered as the Celestial Sparrow recalled its beak and began to heal its wounds. After evolving into a pure-blooded being, its vitality was like the sea, making it hard to kill, which was its pride.

The human-like beings of Nanyun Divine Mountain, the Qiongqi, and the human-like beings of Yishan were also surprised. The old man’s strength exceeded their expectations and was terrifying, indicating a fierce battle ahead.

"I’m leaving," the final words came, and the spirit’s withered vines and yellow leaves turned to ashes, drifting through the air.

At the same time, a large amount of divine rain fell to the earth, into the waters, and green sprouts grew rapidly in the soil, brimming with vitality.

It grew old and died here, returning to the earth, born from that ancient courtyard and dying here.

Endless divine rain danced. Many people spread their arms and breathed deeply, undergoing a baptism. This was divine rain, a rare occurrence over several lifetimes.

"Lord of the Spirit Sacrifice!"

The people of the Celestial Pavilion clenched their fists, their voices resonating with sorrow, but it did not change the outcome.

"Senior," the Little One murmured. Seeing the end of the spirit made him very uncomfortable, recalling the time spent in enlightenment and cultivation under the old vine.

In the sky, a green-skinned gourd shone, emitting strands of chaotic energy, wrapped in divine rain, floating there. This was the Divine Seed, the only thing left by the spirit.

The Qiongqi was the first to reach out, grabbing at it. They had come to obtain the Divine Seed, and now it was an unclaimed object before them, making it hard not to be tempted.

The Qiongqi, covered in blood-red fur, resembled both a tiger and a bull. With broad fangs, it looked like a fierce tiger, while its eyes and horns resembled a wild bull, extremely fierce.

Its body was covered with spiked, hedgehog-like fur, sharp and dark red, as if bathed in blood and then dried, exuding a heavy murderous aura.

Additionally, it had a pair of wings, resembling demonic wings, red and frightening, capable of shaking the heavens. Its pair of green eyes, like those of a ghost or deity, unsettled anyone who looked into them.

"The spirit should have died long ago. Surviving until now, it couldn't protect this decayed ancient sect. The Divine Seed will belong to me."

Its speed was astonishing. With a flap of its wings, it summoned wind and thunder, striking terror. The runes drowned the heavens, dazzling and blood-red, blocking everyone else out.

"Get lost!"

The gray-haired old man shouted one word and, wielding the broken sword, directly cut through the runes. The Qiongqi’s spiked fur, refined into a treasure, exploded, sending countless crimson divine needles flying, nearly injuring the Celestial Sparrow and others.

In the intense clash, the fierce battle quickly collided, and then with a "poof," the Qiongqi let out a scream, one of its blood-red claws severed and falling to the ground, larger than mountains, with blood gushing out.

People were horrified. Even the greatest supreme beings in the sky changed color, as the old man’s performance was terrifying, causing the Celestial Sparrow to be injured and the Qiongqi’s claw to be severed. It was shockingly incredible.

"Boom!"

The old man embraced the green-skinned gourd, his face filled with endless sadness. "Goodbye, never to be seen again. You did well, making me feel guilty. My Celestial Pavilion, however, needs you to guard it."

These words made everyone’s hearts tremble. Who exactly was he to say such things?

Especially the disciples of the Celestial Pavilion, who were even more shocked. The implication in the old man’s words made their hearts race. Could this truly be the founder?

"Who are you really?" the Celestial Sparrow roared.

The Qiongqi widened its ghostly green eyes, filled with killing intent, and asked, "Who exactly are you?"

Although they could guess, they wanted to confirm. The old man’s identity and status were frightening.

"Who am I?" The gray-haired old man muttered, his gaze slightly confused, then suddenly opened his eyes wide, emitting two divine lights that dispersed the clouds. "I am a discarded disciple who founded the Celestial Pavilion."

"What?" Everyone who heard this was shocked. Their bodies trembled. It was too astonishing; the old man was the founder of the Celestial Pavilion.

"Are you really our founder?" The Pavilion Master of the Celestial Pavilion, Mu Yan, and Elder Liu all spoke with trembling voices. It was truly shocking and hard to believe.

Other beings were gripped by fear. How terrifying must this person be, who personally created this land of purity and still walks among the living? It felt unreal and illusory.

Many beings were terrified, questioning whether attacking this place to seek fortune was a blessing or a curse.

In the skies, the beings from Yishan, Qiongqi, the South Fallen Sacred Mountain, and the Sky Devouring Sparrow were all shocked and then relieved. No wonder the old man was so powerful; he was a founding ancestor of the Sky Mending Pavilion, a legendary figure from ancient times. His level of cultivation was only to be expected.

Below, the people of the Sky Mending Pavilion were extremely excited. The ancestor was still alive? The so-called ancient spirit was indeed him. Many shouted and wept, their tears nearly falling.

"Ancestor, kill them all and avenge Lord Spirit!"

"Don't let any of them escape. They must all be killed!"

Someone cried out.

The little one, standing among the crowd, was equally astonished. The old man was actually the ancestor of the Sky Mending Pavilion. His small face turned slightly pale. He remembered how the old man had always been with him, how he would see him when he woke up in the middle of the night. He had even used the old man as a clothes rack, tossing his discarded clothes onto him.

"He is a discarded disciple. What sect cast him away?" Er Tuozi muttered, feeling a chill and shivering.

"This is too astonishing. The founder of the Sky Mending Pavilion has appeared," the Big Red Bird trembled in fear.

At this moment, the beings from Yishan had divine halos appear behind their heads and were covered in intertwining symbols, as if facing a great enemy. Having served as the spirit of Small Western Heaven, they knew some of the ancient secrets and understood how terrifying such an ancestor could be.

The beings from the South Fallen Sacred Mountain also looked grave. The golden road beneath their feet receded, and they produced a golden artifact, a golden bone banner.

As for the Sky Devouring Sparrow and Qiongqi, they were even more agitated, with their fierce blood boiling. Symbols burned, raising their spirits to the utmost.

The gray-haired old man's condition was unstable, alternating between clarity and confusion. He shook his head violently and then opened his eyes. Seizing the moment of clarity, he suddenly threw out the divine seed from the gourd.

A golden ripple appeared in the void, resembling a passage, carrying the gourd away into the horizon.

"Where you take root, there the future Sky Mending Pavilion will be reborn. The gates may be destroyed, but the inheritance will never end," the gray-haired old man said. His voice was not loud but reverberated through the heavens.

The people of the Sky Mending Pavilion were deeply moved and echoed his words, as if seeing a bright hope.

"Old man, how dare you!" The beings from the South Fallen Sacred Mountain were enraged. Would they truly miss the divine seed?

The Sky Devouring Sparrow spread its wings, ready to chase after it.

Qiongqi and the beings from Yishan also surged forward, pursuing the green-skinned gourd.

The gray-haired old man’s eyes were hollow. He spun the broken sword in his hand, drawing a strange symbol that directly sealed the sky and imprisoned the surroundings, preventing them from leaving.

"Kill this old fiend!"

The most terrifying battle erupted as the four great beings attacked the ancestor of the Sky Mending Pavilion together, aiming to annihilate him.

"Go, we will rebuild the Sky Mending Pavilion another day," the gray-haired old man shouted to the crowd below. His voice carried loneliness, fatigue, and hope, full of meaning.

"Do not let any escape. Kill them all!" Qiongqi, the Sky Devouring Sparrow, and others commanded.

"Leave, we must go," the head of the Sky Mending Pavilion ordered, leading the crowd to break through. He knew the ancestor's condition was unstable, sometimes clear and sometimes confused, which could lead to great trouble. They could not stay long.

The battle in the sky was intense, with blood rain splattering. When a piece of flesh was torn from the gray-haired old man's shoulder, he went completely berserk. Though his eyes were hollow, his killing intent was at its peak.

He swung his broken sword, severing an arm of the Yishan being and piercing through the barriers, causing it to fall.

"Kill!"

The old man, covered in blood, was struck again on his back. His sword became even fiercer, like a sunbeam from another realm, shattering everything.

"Thud, thud," the sounds continued. Qiongqi roared in fury, losing one of its clawed arms, which fell to the ground. The Sky Devouring Sparrow screeched angrily, losing half of its wing, which was cut off. The strong being from the South Fallen Sacred Mountain also had its calf injured, bleeding and falling.

The old man’s might was somewhat terrifying. Despite his injuries, he continued to heavily injure them, his broken sword unstoppable.

"Blood and flesh of pure-blooded beings, I want a bite," the little one said. He loathed the beings in the sky and was greatly tempted by the blood and flesh treasure.

As the Sky Mending Pavilion retreated and began a full withdrawal, the little one wanted to rush over and carry away a severed leg, but he could only wish and dared not act recklessly.

Suddenly, a small, white, jade-like tower, less than an inch high, emitted light. With a swish, it shot out, briefly flashing and consuming the arm of the Yishan being, then flashing again to take the clawed arm of Qiongqi, the wing of the Sky Devouring Sparrow, and the calf of the South Fallen Sacred Mountain being.

The little one’s eyes widened. Looking around, he saw no one noticing. His heart raced as he fled, not daring to approach the area, fearing the beings in the sky might go mad.

With a swish, the white halo flashed, and the tower returned, looking as if it had overindulged. It was swollen and silent, no longer moving.

All this happened in an instant. In the sky, the Sky Devouring Sparrow, Qiongqi, and others, calling for their severed limbs, could not sense them anymore. They turned pale and then went berserk.

They could regenerate their severed parts and were not afraid of being cut, but they never expected that in just a blink, their lost parts had completely disappeared.

"Who?" The four great beings were enraged. It was absurd that their arms, legs, wings, and claws had disappeared. It was beyond their comprehension.

They felt there must be a supreme expert hiding in the dark who had stolen these parts, and they were infuriated.

The gray-haired old man continued his assault, his broken sword unmatched, with divine sounds booming and dazzling.

However, at this moment, the ancient sword embedded in his head trembled slightly, emitting a hazy light that made him stagger. Black blood poured out from his head.

"Go!"

The head of the Sky Mending Pavilion, Mu Yan, Old Liu, and others, with eyes like lightning, saw this scene and finally understood why the ancestor, despite being so powerful, still asked them to retreat. It was because his mind was affected, and the ancient sword in his head was a significant threat.

It was terrifying to think about who had once driven a sword through the ancestor's head. Just thinking about it made one feel cold all over.

"Ah!"

The ancestor of the Sky Mending Pavilion roared in fury, his gray hair flailing wildly. The ancient sword embedded in his head was slowly being pulled out, clanging loudly, with black blood continuously flowing down.

"Kill!" The four great beings, seeing this, charged forward together.

"Roar!"

The old man roared, looking like a demon. With a thunderous sound, the light of the broken sword intensified, like a sun. He merged with his weapon, resisting the ancient sword.

"Kill!"

With a loud roar, a glimmer of light appeared in his hollow eyes as he attacked the four great beings, his broken sword blazing and slashing in all directions.

For a moment, feathers flew, beast claws shattered, and blood splattered everywhere.

The gray-haired old man was mighty, and his siblings were fierce.