Without any surprise, this terrifying great battle erupted once more.
Horrifying, heaven-surging fluctuations swept through and shook this entire Spacetime Sea, stirring boundless waves. Even the bright moon at the edge of the celestial curtain trembled along, continuously battered by the great waves, as if about to plummet down.
A full five Ancestral God-level Innate Deities had appeared, intent on seizing that portion of the Taixuan Ancestral God's origin.
Such a situation could be said to be exceptionally rare, especially in this current era of turmoil and unrest.
Every Ancestral God was deeply hidden, never easily revealing Themselves, worried about attracting karma and calamity.
However, for that portion of origin, these five Ancestral Gods, even knowing full well this was an open scheme, bait, would spare no effort.
Of course, They were also confident in Their own strength, fearing no enemy whatsoever, especially now with five existences of the same level appearing together, completely unbridled.
"You want my Divine Authority? Then come and take it. Although I am no longer at my peak, I can still fight with all my means to severely wound one of you. When that happens, let's see if you follow in my footsteps, your Divine Authority coveted by the others..."
The Taixuan Ancestral God stood amidst the boundless waves, divine rings spreading out behind Her, one encircling another.
A full three thousand Divine Kingdoms shone and reflected light, dazzling and radiant, stirring boundless might.
Her gaze was icy, a cold smile at the corner of Her mouth, containing indifference as well as disdain and mockery.
Vast divine power filled the space around Her, as if heavenly bodies of all worlds orbited Her. Every gesture, every movement carried a terrifying force that swept everything along, striking back against the several Ancestral Gods charging towards Her.
Between the colliding impacts of Their palms and fingers, worlds were born and destroyed, chaotic qi erupted, as if opening one universe after another. Billions of rays of divine power and multicolored light gushed forth, then spread towards the surrounding spacetime.
"Given your current state, to think you can severely wound one of us is sheer delusion. Taixuan, don't think you can shake our resolve with mere words. The Divine Dao has already reached a dead end. You might as well obediently embrace death and contribute your strength to the continuation of the Divine Dao, sparing yourself some pain along the way."
The nine-headed, nine-winged Ancestral God sneered. The eyes in each of His heads were as cold as ice frozen since time immemorial.
His true form was incomparably vast, shrouded in infinite shadowy mist, so immense that even the great waves surging towards the heavens could hardly shake Him in the slightest, appearing utterly terrifying.
As His wings beat, it seemed as if the universe and all worlds collapsed and were annihilated along with them. On every wing, countless Divine Dao runes were engraved.
Each one was massive and resplendent, rumbling and revolving like black holes, causing all approaching matter to collapse, sink, and be destroyed, turning into dust.
Whether universes or Great Thousand Worlds, they were nothing more than bubbles bursting at the mere brush of His swinging wings.
The ripples of spacetime quaked outward, layer linked upon layer, continuously impacting and destroying the phantom images of Divine Kingdoms around the Taixuan Ancestral God, grinding away those divine rings.
This was an incomparably terrifying power, capable of easily grinding away even the true Great Dao.
At this moment, His nine wings beat together, and boundless great storms appeared here.
All sorts of ancient, terrifying phenomena emerged one after another: the River of Time submerged by a sea of blood, black blood dripping from the edge of the firmament, the blood-stained corpse of an emperor falling from the heavens...
These were all divine forms branded and left upon His wings, witnessed by His own eyes or verified personally—all true events that had once occurred between heaven and earth.
Even in various spacetime universes, records of these strange and taboo events still remained.
Even though the Divine Dao was now in decline and retreat, its name not prominent in the Vast Expanse, in many realms and universes, one could still hear many records and rumors related to this ancient deity, and even see some shrines and temples enshrining His divine image.
From all this, one could still see the terror and power of these Ancestral Gods.
"Utterly laughable. Let Me see what abilities you possess."
The Taixuan Ancestral God spoke indifferently. The true words from Her mouth transformed into grand divine sound that swirled around Her, turning into thousands of giant swords of divine punishment, whistling and slashing forward.
At this moment, She resembled a sovereign descending upon all worlds, about to deliver punishment on behalf of heaven. Her spoken words became law, the Great Dao roaring in response, condensing terrifying symbols in the void, bombarding forward.
This momentum was overwhelmingly powerful. Facing five Ancestral Gods of the same level alone, She showed not the slightest fear.
"Those who understand the times are wise. Having reached this point today, Taixuan, you should be well aware that the Divine Dao has reached a dead end, on the verge of collapse. We have all halted here, stagnating for who knows how many ages. Since you wish for the Divine Dao to reclaim its glorious golden age, why not be generous just this once and fulfill Our desires?"
The nine-headed, nine-winged Ancestral God's cold laughter echoed across the entire Spacetime Sea, causing every cosmic timeline to tremble unceasingly, manifesting various terrifying phenomena. It also made cultivators and beings of profound cultivation in many realms tremble in fear, their hearts filled with terror and shock.
Though this place was in a dimension beyond the world, it would still affect various great universes and the present world of spacetimes.
At the same time, His wings beat forward, as if rolling all worlds to crush over, accompanied by a Great Dao storm, blocking the Taixuan Ancestral God's attack.
The other four Ancestral Gods strode forward, treading the waves across the Spacetime Sea.
Their expressions were indifferent. They employed Their own different methods, striking forward from different positions, surrounding the Taixuan Ancestral God in a wolves-hunting-a-tiger formation, intending to completely trap Her here, giving Her no chance to turn the tables.
As for the words just spoken, They were utterly unmoved. They could not affect Their state of mind or decisions in the slightest, let alone shake Their goals and desires.
Between the Jiu'ao Ancestral God and the Taixuan Ancestral God, there existed an irreconcilable great enmity.
This time, the Jiu'ao Ancestral God had seized the moment of the Taixuan Ancestral God's weakness to attack Her—a notion He had long harbored.
The few among Them had not been swayed by the Jiu'ao Ancestral God's words.
They had such intentions Themselves. Whose heart did not burn with covetous desire for an Ancestral God's Divine Authority?
The demise of an Ancestral God inevitably meant a new generation of deities would inherit Their Divine Authority, Divine Kingdoms, and subjects. This was the fate of the Innate Gods.
Unless that Ancestral God completely dissipated and disappeared from all worlds, leaving behind not a single trace or karmic connection.
But an existence capable of utterly grinding away an Ancestral God—how terrifying would that be?
That was not something They could even consider now.
"Back then, I should not have shown mercy and spared you for the sake of the legacy of the previous Jiu'ao Deity. If I had eradicated the root, there wouldn't be so much trouble today. Let Me see, then, if you've made any progress across so many epochs?"
The Taixuan Ancestral God responded equally coldly, showing no great emotional fluctuation from these words.
The nine-headed, nine-winged Ancestral God was precisely named Jiu'ao. Of course, He was not a true Innate Deity in the strictest sense. Even His current name was inherited from the previous deity, Jiu'ao.
The Divine Dao system had many methods of legacy transmission. Inheriting the divine name of the previous deity was not a rare occurrence.
But the enmity between the Taixuan Ancestral God and Him went back to before the current Jiu'ao Ancestral God had inherited this divine name.
That the two would instantly erupt into such a great battle of life-and-death slaughter was expected by the other Ancestral Gods.
"Ridiculous. That time, You relied on the fact that I had not yet inherited the divine name and completely mastered this power, intending to defile the power left by the previous Jiu'ao Deity. Had the Taisu Ancestral God not intervened, Taixuan, You would have long since snatched and devoured it. Yet now, from Your mouth, it sounds righteous. You deserve the fate You suffer today."
Hearing this, the Jiu'ao Ancestral God's face darkened, and His tone grew even more hostile.
His nine pairs of wings swept, sending vast, majestic power surging forth. All surrounding matter boiled, then erupted violently, and then silently annihilated. He transformed as if into a black hole, swallowing and devouring all matter that approached Him completely.
This power was simply inconceivable. It swept over, instantly blotting out the Spacetime Sea.
The Taixuan Ancestral God's brow bore no other expression now, only utter coldness. She stretched out a slender, jade-like hand, simply patting forward. It was utterly plain, without the slightest worldly aura, yet that single palm blocked all of the Jiu'ao Ancestral God's power outside.
Around Her form, a layer of hazy radiance emerged. Upon closer inspection, one would find it composed of reflections of three thousand divine flames, like a domain impervious to all laws, inherently invincible.
Moreover, within Her hand, ancient symbols condensed, the power of reincarnation interpreted and alternated, driving the sun and moon, the rotation of the stars, all rumbling forward together.
At the instant these two terrifying forces collided, this place was instantly evaporated. Even the Spacetime Sea sank considerably. Many strange and mysterious creatures living within it screamed and were instantly reduced to ash, leaving nothing behind.
It was unimaginable—if such power descended upon the mortal world, it would stir boundless chaos and catastrophe.
Even an Ancestral Dao Realm existence who had survived seven Heavenly Decline Tribulations would feel dread and terror before Their power.
"It seems Your power is indeed far from what it used to be," the Jiu'ao Ancestral God sneered.
"Stronger than before, but that is not reason for you to act recklessly before Me," the Taixuan Ancestral God still said coldly.
"Taixuan, You should know who left You with that wound. Since the other party has such audacity—not refining that portion of Your origin but instead using it as bait—they must certainly want to draw You out."
"Among the Ancestral Gods I know, including some of Your enemies, none are qualified to force You into such a miserable state. I am now curious: exactly which existence have You offended?"
"Having offended so many foes, yet You still dare to show Yourself knowing full well this is a trap. Should I say You are confident, or foolish beyond measure?"
Watching the Taixuan Ancestral God and Jiu'ao Ancestral God clash, the three-headed, six-armed Ancestral God named Taisu, who had maintained an indifferent expression all along, suddenly revealed a subtly unusual change.
The expressions of the other three Ancestral Gods also shifted slightly upon hearing these words.
The existence of the Taixuan Ancestral God was rather special even among the Innate Gods. She counted as one of the very few most ancient Ancestral Gods still surviving in the world.
After the Innate Era ended, the era of immortals and gods coexisting had also thoroughly reached its end.
Later, many Innate Gods gradually retreated into hiding, concealing Themselves across various spacetime dimensions. The number of Innate Gods decreased, and among Them, Ancestral Gods were even rarer—so few they could be counted on one's fingers.
The group of Ancestral Gods present, in terms of foundation and origin, all fell far short of the Taixuan Ancestral God. This was also precisely why They coveted and thirsted for Her Divine Authority.
The Taixuan Divine Realm founded by the Taixuan Ancestral God was also a famously colossal Divine Kingdom within the entire Divine Dao Civilization system, with a foundation and power absolutely no less than those Supreme True Worlds.
"In the present Vast Expanse, those who can force Taixuan into such a miserable state, to the point of severing Her own arm and abandoning part of Her origin to flee... are likely very few..."
"This place is the Spacetime Sea, its coordinates ethereal and ever-changing, constantly shifting. But since the other party has the means to lower the bait and fish, They must also have the means to descend at any moment."
"When that time comes, there will be one more competitor. We must resolve this quickly, lest there be trouble if this drags on..."
The three Ancestral Gods exchanged glances and quickly reached a decision. One among them even acted first, vast divine power surging, blotting the sky and covering the earth, charging towards the Taixuan Ancestral God.
Only that Ancestral God named Taisu did not act, a thoughtful glint flickering in His eyes, as if weighing something, occasionally glancing at that cluster of Ancestral God origin wrapped in dense Divine Essence in the distance.
"Taixuan is no fool. Knowing clearly this is bait, an open scheme, She still chose to show Herself. In Her current wounded state, Her strength is no longer what it was. But why would She do this?" He gazed at the Taixuan Ancestral God, somewhat perplexed, then turned His eyes toward that portion of origin.
Within the hazy radiance, that jade arm enveloped by divine substance was crystalline, translucent, pure, and white, like heaven's most perfect masterpiece, simply hovering silently within that void.
No matter how fiercely the several Ancestral Gods here slaughtered and battled, it did not waver in the slightest, as if situated at the center of a storm yet receiving no impact or disturbance whatsoever.
And deep within the firmament, upon that abnormally dim lunar crescent, a crystalline fishing line simply dangled straight down, completely undisguised.
To use an Ancestral God's origin as bait, fishing so openly and brazenly—this act could no longer be described as merely arrogant. It was sheer unbridled, reckless abandon.
"Is it truly confidence that no one can snatch the bait away? Or is it simply not caring about this bait at all? Who on earth is behind this?" The Taisu Ancestral God's gaze was deep and profound.
And just as He was pondering, the situation of the battle that had been raging fiercely with slaughter suddenly changed drastically.
An Ancestral God, radiant like a blazing sun, suddenly abandoned the Taixuan Ancestral God, His opponent, and turned to head for that portion of Ancestral God origin, adopting a stance that He would seize it at all costs.
Beside Him, another Ancestral God acted simultaneously. It seemed the two had conspired beforehand, finding the opportune moment to act together immediately, completely disregarding the Taixuan Ancestral God who was battling several others.
The Taixuan Ancestral God was pinned down by the Jiu'ao Ancestral God, unable to attend to other matters, even more unable to stop them, and could only watch helplessly as this scene unfolded, Her eyes growing ever colder, like ice.
"Chu Wu, Hao Jin, what is the meaning of this?" The Jiu'ao Ancestral God's expression also shifted, looking extremely grim. He was unwilling to pin down the Taixuan Ancestral God alone while others reaped the benefits.
Who knew if these two would snatch that portion of origin and flee far away, abandoning the rest of Them?
"The one behind the fishing will likely descend soon. If We don't snatch the bait early, it will be too late when They arrive. Brother Jiu'ao, we hope you can hold down the Taixuan Ancestral God for Us. In the future, We will certainly richly repay you!" The Ancestral God named Chu Wu laughed aloud. His great hand stretched across the void, grabbing forward, wanting to take the fishhook, the fishing line, and that piece of bait all at once.
"Trying to use me to stall Her for you? Utterly laughable."
The Jiu'ao Ancestral God's face was livid. He roared in anger and directly abandoned the Taixuan Ancestral God, turning to likewise charge towards that portion of origin.
He had never imagined that those who had agreed beforehand to deal with the Taixuan Ancestral God together and later evenly divide Her Divine Authority would suddenly betray the agreement at this moment, turning to snatch that portion of origin.
Perhaps in Their view, the difficulty of killing the Taixuan Ancestral God and seizing Her Divine Authority far exceeded the difficulty of taking that portion of origin.
Terrifying mist emerged around Him, as if the true Nine Nether had descended upon all worlds.
"You dare." The Taixuan Ancestral God's eyes grew even colder, seeming not to expect that these opponents would instantly abandon Her and turn to fight over Her portion of origin.
Her robes billowed, even the sash at Her waist fluttering along, as She rushed forward swiftly. Her sole remaining jade hand formed an ancient seal, booming forth to attack.
The entire Spacetime Sea quaked and wailed. The firmament seemed about to crack open; even the void was splitting.
The two Ancestral Gods who had just been about to seize that portion of origin cursed angrily and dodged away, unwilling to take the Taixuan Ancestral God's palm head-on.
"In that case, I shall take this origin with a smile. What a bunch of shortsighted fools..."
Seizing this opportunity, the Jiu'ao Ancestral God thrust His great hand over, about to grab the fishing line and snatch it away.
But it was precisely in this instant that, without a sound, a great hand stretched out from behind the dim lunar crescent, boundless and majestic. Terrifying aura like a torrent swirled around it. The Spacetime Sea, previously quaking and churning violently, instantly fell deathly still and silent. It was as if time itself had been frozen at this moment.
That great hand descended. To be precise, it did not descend, but directly clenched down, as if about to snatch away an insect or an ant.
The Jiu'ao Ancestral God's face instantly turned white, full of terror and disbelief. His nine pairs of wings beat frantically, trying to dodge, to flee.