Chapter 434

The Great Ancestor of Zhou stared at Hong Xuanji with a savage gaze.

At this moment, Hong Xuanji stood unmoved, meeting the Great Ancestor of Zhou’s stare without fear.

The Great Ancestor of Zhou was a shrewd man; he had just solidified an alliance with Yang Pan, and together they had used Yang Pan’s son Yang An’s Discourse of the Primordial Emperor to shatter the Middle World, seeking Yang Shen’s thoughts, and planned to breach the Tang imperial palace to reclaim the Vessel of Creation—but these plans had barely been set when this ceremonial banquet turned into such a catastrophic failure.

“The Great Ancestor of Zhou?”

Gu Qing’s gaze was amused.

“In the past, I was indeed a Great Ancestor.”

The Great Ancestor of Zhou turned to Gu Qing, bowed his head low, for in this world, Gu Qing’s power was the strongest—he had faced off against the ancient clans of the Nine-Ninety Provinces, the Three Sacred Sites like the Great Chan Temple, and all had been humbled; though the Great Ancestor of Zhou was powerful now, he still paled beside the Three Sacred Sites and ancient clans, so he bowed humbly and said: “But now, I am merely a subject of the Tang.”

For a former founding emperor to become a subject in this dynasty—such a thing, if spoken of, would bring great glory to the Tang.

“I further denounce the Great Ancestor of Zhou!”

Hong Xuanji stood firm, locking his gaze on the Great Ancestor of Zhou and declaring: “This Great Ancestor of Zhou bows before the Tang, yet secretly colludes with the secret agents of the Great Qian Dynasty—they conspire together to overthrow the Tang!”

Hong Xuanji’s sudden betrayal severed the Great Ancestor of Zhou’s last lifeline; the Great Ancestor of Zhou roared in fury, his soul transforming into thoughts that lunged at Hong Xuanji.

Hong Xuanji stood his ground, calm and unflinching; his hands spun, blood qi surging into heaven and earth like smoke from a beacon—this blood qi blocked the Great Ancestor of Zhou’s soul force, then Hong Xuanji formed his hands into hammers, channeling the power of the celestial cycle; the vast heavens and earth became a colossal whirlpool, and within it, the Great Ancestor of Zhou’s thoughts and killing intent were trapped.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

Hong Xuanji’s twin fists struck out violently, shattering the Great Ancestor of Zhou’s thoughts into scattered fragments.

When a Wu Saint unleashed his power, the air cracked with sonic booms, arrows left glowing trails and could slay a man a thousand steps away; now, in this banquet hall, Hong Xuanji’s sudden outburst shook the very void, and those around him felt their hearts pound like war drums.

“Hong Xuanji, don’t get too cocky!”

The Great Ancestor of Zhou roared, activating the artifact within his soul; his scattered thoughts reassembled, and from the dark, oppressive clouds, a throne emerged—beneath it lay mountains of corpses and seas of blood, piled with bleached bones; now, with this malevolent energy coalescing, the Great Ancestor of Zhou slammed it directly at Hong Xuanji.

“Rustle… rustle…”

As if a celestial pillar had collapsed, thunder cracked through the air.

The Great Ancestor of Zhou remained standing, but Hong Xuanji staggered backward repeatedly until he reached Gu Qing’s seat—his body jolted to a stop, then he spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Hong Xuanji, you’re still too green!”

The Great Ancestor of Zhou roared, riding the Hell King’s Throne as he fled toward the horizon.

“Wheel of Heaven and Hell!”

Hong Xuanji planted his feet; a colossal whirlpool appeared in the sky, drawing all things within its grasp, and where his fist pointed, thunder cracked—as if he had seized the Great Ancestor of Zhou’s trail, and a fierce battle raged across the heavens.

But as thunder cracked, the whirlpool in the sky tore apart, and the Great Ancestor of Zhou became a streak of light, fleeing toward the horizon.

“Even Meng Shenji couldn’t kill me!”

The Great Ancestor of Zhou roared.

The Supreme Dao oversees the realm; once an emperor becomes a Ghost Immortal, the Supreme Dao must assassinate him. The Great Ancestor of Zhou had once been a Ghost Immortal—indeed, one who had passed the Sixth Thunder Tribulation—and even when Meng Shenji hunted him down, he barely escaped; now, fleeing Chang’an was nothing to him.