Chapter 886: Thank You

Although he had no top-grade Dao Veins, Ding Huan took ten superior-grade Dao Veins, five middle-grade Dao Veins, and six inferior-grade Dao Veins from Xie Kun's world.

From the qi fluctuations of these Dao Vains, Ding Huan was certain none of them originated from Ling Zhuzhen—they were all pulled from the Ten Thousand Dao Mountains.

Ling Zhuzhen's Dao Vains should have been completely used up by this Xie Kun fellow already.

This guy is truly pathetic—he used so many of Ling Zhuzhen's Dao Vains and still didn't even reach the Seventh Step of the Great Dao.

This also reveals just how well Qingsha Dao Ancestor treated her lover.

One of her lovers had over a dozen Dao Vains, while Xie Kun, a single Dao Ancestor, had only twenty-one.

Not only that, this woman let her lover freely plunder the Ten Thousand Dao Mountains.

She must have dared to let her male favorite amass wealth because she saw Tianzi Dao Ancestor Feng Pu and Yi Qi Dao Ancestor injured, and Feng Yu Dao Ancestor was a coward.

Otherwise, Feng Pu and Yi Qi Dao Ancestors would never have allowed it.

Seeing Ding Huan burn Xie Hun into ashes with a burst of flame, even Feng Pu Dao Ancestor, who had intended to approach Ding Huan and speak a few words, hesitated and did not move forward.

This Ding Huan is not only deeply calculating, his methods are terrifyingly ruthless.

His earlier innocent and selfless demeanor even fooled me.

Xie Sheng was, after all, a regional Dao Ancestor, yet Ding Huan dispatched a Sixth Step Great Dao Ancestor in mere moments, tore open his world, and swept away everything inside.

It was simply horrifyingly brutal.

For an Immortal Saint, being killed is not the most terrifying thing—the most terrifying is having one's own Great Dao world opened before death.

Feng Pu sighed inwardly, wondering whether Ding Huan would even remember that he had once helped him out of a bind.

Ding Huan did not look at Feng Pu and the others; instead, he turned his gaze to Ling Zhuzhen and Qingsha Dao Ancestor, who were locked in battle.

Watching their duel, Ding Huan believed Ling Zhuzhen's words.

Qingsha Dao Ancestor's Seventh Step was indeed hollow.

Her Great Dao had not transcended the boundaries of the Sixth Step.

In other words, her strength was not much greater than Xie Kun's.

No wonder Xie Kun, a Sixth Step cultivator, became a Dao Ancestor—his Great Dao was indeed slightly stronger than the other Dao Ancestors'.

As he thought this, Ding Huan did not doubt that Ling Zhuzhen could defeat

Qingsha Dao Ancestor.

As for Qingsha Dao Ancestor, Ding Huan truly did not take her seriously.

Right now, Ling Zhuzhen's Break-Domain Banner clearly held the upper hand; their battle space was nearly sealed off by Ling Zhuzhen's Break-Domain Banner's domain.

Meanwhile, Qingsha Dao Ancestor's Chaos Banner could barely sustain a defensive space—Ling Zhuzhen's victory over her was merely a matter of time.

The aura of Ling Zhuzhen's Break-Domain Banner continued to surge wildly, ready at any moment to tear open the domain space upheld by Qingsha Dao Ancestor's Chaos Banner.

Once the Chaos Banner's domain space was torn open, Qingsha Dao Ancestor would be completely suppressed by Ling Zhuzhen.

Ding Huan silently praised and was about to speak when his spirit suddenly jolted.

This doesn't make sense.

Ling Zhuzhen clearly held the upper hand—why was he still frantically boosting the aura of his Break-Domain Banner?

He could simply unleash a killing technique right now.

A seasoned veteran like Ling Zhuzhen would surely understand this.

If he continues like this, Ling Zhuzhen himself will fall into a passive position.

Ding Huan immediately understood.

Ling Zhuzhen continuously drove the aura of his Break-Domain Banner's domain because he had no other choice.

If he stopped, the next instant, Qingsha Dao Ancestor's Chaos Banner would lock him down and swallow him and his banner whole.

Ling Zhuzhen was frantically stacking the spiritual resonance of his domain to resist the Chaos Banner's pull.

Meanwhile, Qingsha Dao Ancestor merely controlled her Chaos Banner's domain space calmly and leisurely, letting Ling Zhuzhen exhaust himself.

With Qingsha's methods, this required almost no effort.

Moreover, the Chaos Banner's rank seemed to be one level higher than the Break-Domain Banner.

Qingsha must have obtained this level of treasure from some unknown place.

If this state continues, Ling Zhuzhen will not last long.

Once Qingsha Dao Ancestor locks Ling Zhuzhen, she can simply flee—no one can catch her.

Old Ling has capsized in a ditch.

A seasoned veteran, yet outmaneuvered by a greenhorn.

Cultivation level is one thing, but more importantly, Ling Zhuzhen underestimated Qingsha Dao Ancestor.

Ding Huan did not continue watching the battle; he unhesitatingly summoned

Mu Drum.

Dong!

As soon as Mu Drum was summoned, a drumbeat exploded like a spring thunderclap, crashing into everyone's heart.

Unlike others, Qingsha Dao Ancestor was affected far more deeply.

Because Ding Huan's Mu Drum spiritual tone was specifically aimed at her.

When this drumbeat sounded, others merely felt its influence—but it struck directly into the deepest recesses of Qingsha Dao Ancestor's soul.

Qingsha Dao Ancestor trembled violently, frantically swirling her Great Dao domain, trying to expel this invading spiritual tone.

Yet the tone clung to her marrow like a parasite, impossible to remove.

Her heart turned icy—how had Ding Huan torn through her Great Dao domain with the drumbeat and penetrated so deeply into her soul?

Quickly, Qingsha Dao Ancestor discarded the thought—she had to flee immediately.

She still retained control over her domain and her movements.

Once she falls into a passive position, it's over…

Ling Zhuzhen, though suppressed by Qing Sha Daozu, was still an old hand.

He had frantically boosted the domain aura of his Break-Domain Banner precisely because if he let his guard down even slightly, Qing Sha Daozu's Chaos Banner's space would lock him down completely.

Even amid the struggle, he couldn't help but reflect deeply on the years he had spent within Chaos.

His Dao being devoured by Chaos was real; his understanding of Chaos had indeed risen several levels was also real.

Now that his cultivation had declined, his comprehension and control over Chaos's laws remained intact.

Otherwise, he would have long been seized and slaughtered by the Chaos laws within the Banner's space—how could he have had the chance to keep driving the Break-Domain Banner's domain aura in resistance?

At this moment, Ding Huan's Dusk Drum suddenly sounded, causing Qing Sha Daozu's suppression of his Chaos Banner aura to violently fluctuate—how could Ling Zhuzhen not understand?

At this moment, Ding Huan's Evening Drum suddenly sounded, and the aura of the Chaos Banner that Dao Ancestor Qingsha had been suppressing him with began to fluctuate violently—how could Ling Zhuzhen fail to understand?

When Ding Huan acted, Qing Sha Daozu felt fear and sought to immediately withdraw her Chaos Banner and flee.

Even if Ling Zhuzhen had fallen, he had once been a Daozu of the Eighth Step of the Dao—how could he miss this chance and still have the face to call Ding Huan brother?

Almost the instant Qing Sha Daozu decided to withdraw her Chaos Banner, Ling Zhuzhen's Break-Domain Banner aura surged violently.

In an instant, he once again held firm against the Chaos Banner.

Qing Sha Daozu's heart sank—how could she not know Ling Zhuzhen's intent to trap her?

Even now, she could still abandon the Chaos Banner and escape.

But the place the Chaos Banner held in her heart was no less than Zihé's place in Xie Gǔn's heart.

To make her abandon the Chaos Banner and flee was no different than cutting off her hands and feet.

Qing Sha Daozu was about to furiously burn her essence blood—even burn her own Dao—to take the Chaos Banner with her.

Dao Ancestor Qingsha was about to madly burn her essence blood, even burn her own great Dao, just to take the Chaos Banner away with her.

Three consecutive drumbeats exploded, as if the vast cosmic void was filled with this endless drumming.

At this moment, everything fell silent.

Qing Sha Daozu's frenzied aura instantly calmed considerably.

Time reversed—she stopped her cultivation and suddenly turned back at the sect's exit.

There stood a figure in blue robes.

She did not wish to leave him far behind, yet she had to leave him far behind.

For beyond him, deeper within her heart lay an unyielding desire to stand atop the cosmos.

When she was very young, her parents and sisters could scold her; later, as she grew, her schoolteachers could scold her.

Then, when she entered the sect, her master could scold her, the elders could scold her, senior disciples stronger than her could scold her, the Enforcement Hall could scold her…

She would control her own fate, and make those hypocrites who claimed to care for her go to hell.

Later, she achieved it.

But it was far from enough—she must also control the cosmos, control the boundless…

She seemed on the verge of achieving it too—yet his blue robe slowly faded.

After that, she had many men, one concubine after another.

Yet none could replace the figure in blue robes within her heart…

Boom boom boom boom!

The drumbeats continued without end…

Qing Sha Daozu looked up and saw the figure streaming with tears.

oco

That figure stood on the shaded path outside the sect gate.

Though the figure said not a single word, she understood—he wished her to stay, to remain beside him.

A strange emotion surged in her heart—Qing Sha Daozu shook her head. This was not what she wanted; what she wanted, he could not give.

She suddenly turned and walked away.

At that time, the autumn wind was crisp, the autumn moon bright; birds deep in the shaded path awoke from his call—but she knew that once she left, their meeting would be uncertain forever.

Ling Zhuzhen sensed Qing Sha Daozu's stunned state, his heart reeled with shock—Ding Huan's Dusk Drum's terrifying realm was undeniable, and this was absolutely the best moment to kill Qing Sha Daozu.

The Break-Domain Banner transformed into a gray blade of slaughter, hurtling toward Qing Sha Daozu's third eye.

As Ling Zhuzhen moved, Ding Huan rolled boundless Dao rhythms with both hands and slammed them onto the Dusk Drum!

The terrifying aura of Ding Huan's Evening Drum—he also knew this was absolutely the best moment to slay Dao Ancestor Qingsha.

A drumbeat that shook the soul shattered louder than all previous drum sounds.

Grief and despair filled this space.

Qing Sha Daozu suddenly snapped awake.

But the Dao rhythm of the drum had locked her soul.

Dusk Drum, burying new souls, bones dissolving; I dwell in mortal world, hair white with snow—look: dusk drizzles, drum drizzles!

The Dao rhythm gently dispersed…

Yet the drum's sound and Dao rhythm locked down her heart and soul.

A blood arrow exploded from her third eye—yet she stared blankly at Ding Huan, as if unaware.

At this moment, she allowed the Dusk Drum's Dao rhythm to swirl around her, made no move to reclaim the Chaos Banner, nor thought of fleeing immediately.

Perhaps she knew—she was locked by Ding Huan's Dusk Drum Dao rhythm, and could not escape.

A streak of blood burst open at her brow, yet she seemed not to notice at all, staring blankly at Ding Huan.

At this moment she let the twilight drum's Dao resonance swirl around her; she did not try to seize the Chaos Banner, nor did she think of fleeing immediately.

Perhaps she knew that, locked down by Ding Huan's twilight drum Dao resonance, she could not escape at all.

"Thank you…"

Ding Huan raised his hand and flung out several spatial law dao patterns, wanting to tear open Light Sha the Ancestral's great dao world.

This woman definitely has a pile of dao veins on her.

Hearing those two words "thank you," Ding Huan was also a little stunned.

Is this woman crazy? He had joined forces with Ling Zhuzhen to kill her, and she still says thank you?

"Thank you for helping me kill Yu Xing. Otherwise I would have felt so dirty, so dirty. I let him down…"

From beginning to end, that Yu Xing was only a substitute in her heart for that figure in a blue robe.

Yet a substitute is, after all, only a substitute—not that blue-robed figure deep within her heart.