Chapter 601

Chapter 601: Primordial Essence Ancestral Qi

"Dear friends, this place is too eerie. Lives are more important. I take my leave first."

Battle Dao Sovereign’s eyes flashed. He led the disciples of the Immortal Palace of All Laws and flew towards the entrance.

"Scaredy-cat!"

A youth with an aged air from the Black Tortoise clan sneered coldly. He turned his head and said, "The Witch Clan’s ancestral land has undergone an abnormal change. Follow me out to report this matter to the Ancestor."

"……"

The crowd exchanged uncertain glances.

Ye Li found it both hilarious and irritating.

People in the cultivation world truly were, without exception, unique individuals.

"Daoist brother, do you intend to leave?" Feng Wuji asked.

"Unnecessary."

Ye Li replied lightly.

Feng Wuji smiled knowingly; Ye Li’s decision was exactly to his liking.

A short while later, only Huang Yinyue, those of the Ancestral Dragon lineage, Ye Li, and a few others remained. Even the Dao Sovereign from the Heavenly Script lineage did not stay behind.

After all, since the young masters were absent, staying held little significance.

Whoosh!

An instant later, Battle Dao Sovereign and his followers flew out of the ancestral land.

The expressions of the various Celestial Lords were tinged with strangeness.

"Ancestor."

That youth with the aged air from the Black Tortoise clan transmitted a message to Bei Di Xuan Wu: "The Witch Clan’s ancestral land truly no longer has restrictions. At the very least, it does not restrict Celestial Lords."

"And we discovered that the Witch Clan’s ancestral land and the land of the Heaven’s Gap seem to be one and the same."

"Withdraw for now."

A sharp gleam flashed in the old eyes of Bei Di Xuanwu.

At this moment, the atmosphere became subtle.

Wu Qinyun wore a grave expression.

The numerous fissures, once shattered, became perceptible to everyone present. Any who were not idiots understood that the Witch Clan’s ancestral land had encountered a great change.

"Daoist Wu…" Luoshen Dynasty’s Celestial Lord Wen began.

"Daoist friend, do you wish to enter my clan’s ancestral land?" Wu Qinyun inquired coldly.

Celestial Lord Wen’s words stuck in his throat; he could not utter another word for a long moment, his expression awkward and speechless.

Wu Qinyun’s mood was very heavy.

The upheaval in the Witch Clan’s ancestral land was most likely caused by the Witch Master.

He couldn’t help but recall Ye Xu’s warning within his mind.

"Has something truly happened to the Witch Master?" An intense chill gripped Wu Qinyun’s heart. He looked at Wu Tianyue and sent a voice transmission, "This is critical. Notify the Patriarch immediately."

"I shall enter the ancestral land myself to investigate."

"Seven Ancestors, take care."

Wu Tianyue spoke gravely.

Wu Qinyun nodded and flew towards the Witch Clan’s ancestral land. Everyone’s eyes were fixed upon him. When Wu Qinyun flew into the ancestral land, he encountered no suppression by the rules and passed through unimpeded.

"Dao Ancestor Mu, are you interested in venturing inside to uncover the truth?" Bei Di Xuanwu chuckled.

Mu Fanyin remained expressionless. How could she be unaware of the thoughts harbored by this group of old things?

They simply wanted her to take the lead.

"If the Witch Clan Patriarch arrives, this seat offers you no protection," Mu Fanyin stated coldly. "If you wish to enter the Witch Clan’s ancestral land, then prepare to leave your lives inside."

Upon finishing her words, Mu Fanyin surged into the ancestral land.

"Don’t look at me."

The ancestral dragon, feeling Bei Di Xuanwu’s gaze, shook his head repeatedly. "Since my body is fragile, I merely wish to live a few more years."

The others all showed hesitation.

"What is there to fear?"

A bold laugh rang out as Eternal Celestial Lord took a step forward, covering great strides with each one. He, along with another Celestial Lord from the Immortal Palace of All Laws, had already entered the Witch Clan’s ancestral land.

The ancestral dragon sneered.

"Let’s go."

Celestial Lord Wen of the Luoshen Dynasty, Celestial Lord Xinyuan, and others followed closely behind.

Bei Di Xuanwu was tempted to move.

"Brother Turtle," the ancestral dragon murmured, "you’d better consider clearly. Behind them all are Dao Ancestors offering support. Their entrance surely comes with the Dao Ancestors’ consent."

"Daoist Brother Chaos has held back so long, likely unwilling to wade into these muddy waters."

"This…"

Bei Di Xuanwu’s expression became hesitant.

It had to be said, while the ancestral dragon was fearful of death, he perceived matters with clarity.

"If our paths differ, we walk not together."

East Sky Azure Dragon scoffed coldly. "The ancestral dragon has grown old, long ago losing his bold and enterprising spirit. His achievements in this lifetime can advance no further."

"Brother Xuanwu, let us enter together."

Whoosh!

Having spoken, he stepped into the ancestral land alongside South Emperor Vermilion Bird.

"I’ll… wait a bit longer," Bei Di Xuanwu murmured.

…

Witch Clan’s ancestral land.

Wu Shaoyang and the disciples of the Witch Clan walked through the Void.

Even the Void was deathly silent, like stagnant water without a single ripple.

"Big brother Shaoyang, why can’t we sense the Primordial Essence?" asked a young man in black robes, puzzled. "This seems quite different from the Dao Clan’s ancestral land."

"The ancestral Void is riddled with cracks, as if about to collapse. It’s truly strange."

The sole woman among them spoke solemnly.

She wore a white dress, her brows exuding a heroic spirit.

"You’re making a big fuss."

Wu Shaoyang said lightly. "Perhaps our ancestral land has been this way since ancient times."

"Our task is to find the Primordial Essence."

He pointed to his forehead. Strange totems manifested across Wu Shaoyang’s body instantly, as boundless vital energy surged from the totems into his flesh.

His body expanded massively, transforming into a heaven-supporting fiendgod. A third eye opened on his brow, containing infinite chaotic divine light that pierced all illusions.

The Witch Clan disciples beside him watched with awe.

No one in his generation surpassed Wu Shaoyang’s mastery of the Witch Path. Truly, he was the clan’s most promising prodigy.

Boom!

Totems interlaced within his eyes. His physical form crushed the chaos around him—he had nearly pushed his bodily power to its absolute limit.

In both the yang realm and the yin realm, Wu Shaoyang undoubtedly ranked among the zenith of his cultivation level.

This was also why he refused to submit to Ye Li.

Bang!

Wu Shaoyang’s divine power sent faint ripples through the Void. Straining his gaze into the distance, he finally glimpsed an Ancient Temple deep within the chaos.

The temple floated upon the Void.

"Follow me."

Wu Shaoyang strode across the chaos as if walking on flat ground.

His companions scrambled to keep pace.

After a stick of incense…

Wu Shaoyang stood before the temple.

The Ancient Temple was carved with ancient totems—Innate deities and demons, ancient ferocious beasts, primordial ancestors, immortal plants and Spirit Roots—all showcasing the universe’s profound mysteries and vastness.

A timeworn, archaic aura seeped through the temple’s half-open door.

"Wu Shaoyang, ninth-generation disciple of the Witch Clan, bearing my clan’s command, has come to retrieve the Primordial Essence!"

Wu Shaoyang retracted his massive form, knelt, and bowed respectfully.

No response came from within.

"Inside!"

Without another word, Wu Shaoyang charged into the Ancient Temple.

Creak!

The temple doors swung open.

A wave of decay emanated from within.

One seed hovered in the air.

It appeared to be the source of all essence.

The power of essence felt boundless and immense, an inexhaustible ocean that stirred a primal craving deep within the bodies of the Witch Clan disciples gathered.

“Hahaha! The Essence Seed!”

Wu Shaoyang looked deranged, his grin carrying a hint of savage glee.

“Wait!”

The Woman in white gown’s expression tightened. “There’s something wrong with the Essence Seed.”

The seed was veined with countless cracks.

If this truly was the Essence Seed, it proved the Seed itself was grievously wounded, incomplete.

“They say when Luo Qianchen refined the Primordial Qi, she devoured the life force of the entire Dao Clan’s ancestral land,” Wu Shaoyang stated coldly. “To refine this Essence Seed, I would inevitably need to mimic her method.”

Swoosh!

He reached out a massive hand, grasping for the Essence Seed.

“Wu Shaoyang! Do you plan to sacrifice us all as well?” snapped the Woman in white gown.

“Of course not.”

Wu Shaoyang gave a bizarre laugh. “But if you choose to linger after I activate the Essence Seed to consume all essence energy within this ancestral land… you’ll be swept into that tribulation whether you like it or not.”

“Leave now, while you still can.”

“Hmph!”

The Woman in white gown’s face turned dark as water. Without a moment’s hesitation, she whirled around, dashed out of the Ancient Temple, joining several other Witch Clan disciples as they fled the chaos, speeding away from the ancestral land.

“What about Wu Shaoyang?”

Wu Qinyun appeared.

“He’s trying to refine the Essence Seed,” the Woman in white gown replied urgently.

“He mustn’t.”

Wu Qinyun’s expression darkened. “You go ahead. I’ll stop him.”

The ancestral land was changing; their original plan was untenable.

Furthermore.

Numerous Celestial Lords, even the Dao Ancestor from Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, had now entered the land. If they inadvertently revealed the hiding place of the Witch Master… the situation would become impossibly chaotic.

Deep down, Wu Qinyun leaned towards believing the Witch Master had met with misfortune.

He dared not risk exposing the hidden location.

Boom!

Suddenly.

An earth-shattering detonation erupted from the direction of the Ancient Temple.

Boundless chaotic energy surged violently towards the temple like torrents returning to the sea. Wu Shaoyang revealed his true form, a gigantic figure towering heaven and earth, a presence akin to an ancient deity or demon.

His arrogant, maniacal laughter rang out across the sky and earth.

“Disaster,” Wu Qinyun muttered, his face grim.

“Hahaha…”

Just then, led by the Eternal Celestial Lord, a multitude of Celestial Lords and Great Celestial Lords arrived, already offering their congratulations. “Congratulations to the Witch Clan on welcoming a new Celestial Lord!”

“Congratulations, Daoist brother.”

“Impossible…”

“Impossible!”

At that very instant.

A shrill, terrified scream tore from Wu Shaoyang’s throat.

His physical body was swelling uncontrollably, like an overfilled bladder. Endless streams of chaotic energy transformed into raw essence power, violently flooding his very flesh and bones.

That single seed, containing the Essence Seed, plunged deep into the pupil of his third eye.

Instantly.

The entire essence within Wu Shaoyang’s body surged relentlessly towards that single, vertical eye.

A single thread of mysterious light pulsed within it, growing steadily.