Chapter 409: Jin Zhu, the Sacred Ancestor

The Eight Wilderness Continent.

When a subordinate reported the discovery of a mysterious star gate, Envoy Ju Zhang did not immediately go to investigate; instead, he sank his mind into the Upper Star Palace, activated the Eight Wilderness Cauldron, and directly stirred the world's primordial essence of the ancestral land's cave heaven.

He used the world's primordial essence of the ancestral land's cave heaven to observe the newly appeared mysterious star gate.

Most beings in any realm live only a few hundred years; those who live over a thousand are exceedingly rare.

But the world's primordial essence has silently recorded everything.

As long as the right method is used, discoveries can be made.

After fifteen minutes, Envoy Ju Zhang suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils blazing with brilliant light.

Finally, it has come.

The Seven Kill Secret Realm!

This world's first ancient secret realm has finally appeared.

If he or his clan members could obtain its legacy, it would be no ordinary thing.

Yet after a moment of quiet reflection, Envoy Ju Zhang revised his objective.

Non-striving is the true striving!

Our Eight Wilderness clan must participate in the Seven Kill Secret Realm.

But the primary goal of participating in the Seven Kill Secret Realm is not to obtain the legacy, but to slay the present-day human elites competing for it.

With this aim, by wiping out most of the human elites vying for the legacy, the Seven Kill True Lord's legacy within the secret realm may naturally fall into the hands of our Eight Wilderness clan.

This is non-striving is the true striving!

Yet the entry conditions for the Seven Kill Secret Realm posed a challenge for Ju Zhang.

Among his subordinates, very few met the criteria.

The Eight Wilderness barbarians' cultivation begins with bloodline growth; all Eight Wilderness clans across the star realms have exceeded the age limit.

Only those Eight Wilderness who inherited powerful bloodlines and rapidly awakened their bloodline star runes could swiftly elevate their cultivation and meet the entry requirements.

Among his subordinates, only seven or eight elite members he brought from his clan met the entry conditions.

Although his cultivation had been unsealed to the eighth rank, he himself did not qualify.

Yet this did not trouble Envoy Ju Zhang.

Because he had backing.

Now that the ancestral land's cave heaven was fully unsealed, the Eight Wilderness Continent had taken shape, connected and fused with countless star realms, and gathered vast quantities of resources.

It was sufficient to support him contacting the Sacred Land once more, to report to the Sacred Ancestor.

Envoy Ju Zhang's operational efficiency was extremely high.

Soon, the altar within the very center of the Eight Wilderness ancestral land was covered with vast quantities of mid- and high-grade star jade tablets.

The instant the Eight Wilderness Cauldron flew out, it immediately activated the altar.

In an instant, countless star jade tablets began surging with immense star power within mere breaths.

Under the Eight Wilderness Cauldron's activation, the world will of the ancestral land's cave heaven, along with the heavenly wills of the fused star realms, were instantly stirred.

Star power from countless earth veins was drawn forth.

Thunder rumbled beneath the earth; vast star power, guided by the Eight Wilderness Cauldron, surged into the altar.

The next instant, a path of pure star power, formed entirely of star energy, shot skyward at light speed toward the outer starry heavens.

Within moments, a colossal shadow with a golden horn atop its head suddenly appeared above the altar path, its enormous eyes opening to gaze down upon the entire Eight Wilderness Continent.

Vast as the Eight Wilderness Continent was, it appeared utterly minuscule beneath the gaze of that colossal eye.

"Hmm. What is it?"

"Ju Zhang pays homage to the Sacred Ancestor!"

Seeing the colossal shadow with the golden horn atop its head, Ju Zhang immediately knelt on both knees and performed a full ceremonial bow within the altar path.

This was Jin Zhu, one of the Ten Great Ancestral Gods of the Sacred Clan, also known as the Sacred Ancestor in Ju Zhang's words; Ju Zhang had been personally sent here by this Sacred Ancestor to seize the destiny of this world.

After completing the ceremonial bow, Ju Zhang placed one hand upon the Eight Wilderness Cauldron; instantly, a beam of starlight carried his intent and shot skyward along the altar path.

Ju Zhang's cultivation was too low to communicate telepathically with Jin Zhu, but he could use the Eight Wilderness Cauldron to communicate with the Sacred Ancestor when the altar path was erected.

After several breaths, Jin Zhu fully understood Ju Zhang's situation.

"Ju Zhang, you've done well. Eight Wilderness King—truly deserving of the title!"

As he spoke, a golden scale on Jin Zhu's massive golden horn flashed and detached, instantly refined by Jin Zhu the Sacred Ancestor into a small seal.

"From this day forth, in my name, I appoint you Eight Wilderness King and bestow upon you the Eight Wilderness Golden Seal, aiding you in completing your unification sooner!"

As Jin Zhu's words ended, the newly forged Eight Wilderness Golden Seal descended from within the altar path.

Moments later, a beam of starlight landed in Ju Zhang's hand, revealing the form of the Eight Wilderness Golden Seal.

The instant Ju Zhang grasped the Eight Wilderness Golden Seal, the Sacred Ancestor Jin Zhu's commanding voice echoed across the entire Eight Wilderness Continent.

Terrifying pressure swept over the continent like stormclouds.

Especially among the Eight Wilderness barbarians, a primal terror surged within their bloodlines as the aura swept across the land.

One by one, they instinctively knelt, shouting Ju Zhang's title as Eight Wilderness King.

As this terrifying aura swept across the entire Eight Wilderness Continent, Fan Kai, Left Protector of the Blood God Cult in Blood Cloud City, was suddenly startled—he tried to rise, but the pressure crushed him to his knees, leaving him utterly immobile.

It lasted for several breaths before dissipating.

"What manner of being is this? How terrifying!" exclaimed Fan Kai, the Left Protector of the Blood God Cult, as he rose again, stunned.

At the same moment, within the altar path of the Eight Wilderness ancestral land, Envoy Ju Zhang raised the newly acquired Eight Wilderness Golden Seal, receiving the thunderous homage of countless barbarians from all directions, his heart surging with emotion!

Today, at last, he, the Eight Wilderness King, was truly legitimate.

With the aid of this Eight Wilderness Golden Seal, he would govern the hundreds of millions of Eight Wilderness folk with even greater ease.

Yet the altar path remained active.

He was waiting.

Jin Zhu the Sacred Ancestor's eyes appeared closed again, yet the pressure upon this world remained undiminished.

He waited for a full hour.

After an hour, a glow flashed upon Jin Zhu's golden horn; his closed eyes suddenly reopened, and waves of starlight poured forth from the horn.

The next instant, clusters of golden starlight descended from above the altar path.

A total of one hundred clusters of golden starlight descended.

Each cluster contained ten to over ten individuals of the Jin Zhu clan, each bearing a horn, with cultivation ranging from the fourth to seventh rank.

The final cluster of golden starlight was extraordinarily immense; as it descended, the entire altar path trembled, as if unable to bear its weight.

The instant this final cluster of golden starlight landed, the altar path began to collapse.

Countless starlights returned to the earth, flowing back into the earth veins.

Yet the hundreds of thousands of fifth- and sixth-rank star jade tablets that had powered the altar path were reduced to ash.

At this moment, Ju Zhang, the Eight Wilderness King, could not help but twitch his lips.

The star jade tablets gathered over three months across countless star realms had been entirely consumed.

Not merely the three months' continuous harvest, but the sum of that and the previous one-time harvest.

The next time he wished to accumulate a similar quantity of star jade tablets, it would take at least half a year, perhaps longer.

That meant the earliest he could reestablish contact with the Sacred Ancestor and receive further support would be half a year from now.

Only by fusing more star realms could he shorten this interval.

The next instant, the final massive cluster of golden starlight—which had caused the altar path's collapse—dissipated, revealing two figures.

The moment they appeared, Ju Zhang's expression turned ecstatic.

"Fourteenth Uncle!"

"Seventeenth Brother!"

The three regarded each other, filled with delight.

Ju Zhang was overjoyed.

His fourteenth uncle, Ju Song, was a veteran eighth-rank elder of the clan; now sent by Jin Zhu the Sacred Ancestor, he was a powerful ally.

But what delighted him most was his seventeenth brother, Ju Xuan.

Ju Xuan was the clan's top genius.

He was under forty years old.

Yet his cultivation had already broken through to the eighth rank.

Currently, he was barely at the early stage of the eighth rank.

Jin Zhu the Sacred Ancestor sending Ju Xuan here meant he approved of Ju Zhang's strategy of non-striving as true striving.

Through this Seven Kill Secret Realm, he would drastically eliminate the elite forces of present-day humanity.

The legacy of the Seven Kill True Lord would merely be a secondary prize, casually claimed.

Among the hundred beams of starlight previously dropped by Jin Zhu the Sacred Ancestor, nearly a thousand individuals had been sent.

Yet among them, only fewer than ten were seventh rank.

Of those seventh-rank clan members who met the age requirement and could fight, there were barely four.

Previously, Ju Zhang had worried about insufficient manpower.

But now that his seventeenth brother Ju Xuan had been sent, Ju Zhang was no longer concerned at all.

With Ju Xuan, an eighth-rank early-stage cultivator, entering the Seven Kill Secret Realm, he might not sweep all before him, but securing ultimate victory was certain.

According to the intelligence Ju Zhang had obtained from the Left and Right Protectors of the Blood God Cult:

Among present-day humans, none had both met the age requirement and reached the eighth rank.

This advantage is far too great!

In the next instant, the King of the Eight Directions, Ju Zhang, again bowed deeply toward the void, utterly devout.

Then, he immediately made arrangements on the spot.

Worship the Dipper Celestial Realm.

The leader of the Worship the Dipper Sect gazed at the sudden star gate, activating his Star Dipper Divine Seal for a long while before slowly opening his eyes.

The Star Dipper Divine Seal of the Worship the Dipper Sect is also an ancient relic, capable of offering him some aid.

The leader of the Worship the Dipper Sect naturally knew the origin of the Seven Killers' Secret Realm.

But after much consideration, the leader of the Worship the Dipper Sect merely sent forth a streak of starlight to seal the star gate of the Seven Killers' Secret Realm.

The legacy of the Seven Killers True Person is powerful.

But they do not need it!

They possess the legacy of the Star Dipper True God; they are His most devout followers. To cultivate any method outside the Star Dipper True God's legacy is to defile Him.

Therefore, they will not compete!

All other ideas were rejected by the leader of the Worship the Dipper Sect.

Including eliminating the elite forces of the current mortal race.

All were rejected by the leader of the Worship the Dipper Sect.

There is no need to take risks!

Their Worship the Dipper Sect has just drawn down the True God's divine will and fully unsealed the sect's celestial realm, integrating it completely into this world.

Now is the time to quietly grow stronger and rapidly enhance their power. There is no need to send people in to deplete the sect's vital forces.

Those qualified to enter are all the sect's geniuses.

Yet the sect's geniuses are few in number.

Sending them in offers no advantage!

Just cultivate in peace!

The Seven Killers' Secret Realm? No involvement!

Wait for time to pass, accumulate sufficient power, then strike decisively to conquer the mortal realm!

Deep within Great Green Mountain.

At the mysterious star gate previously reconnoitered by Mountain Chief Cao Chun, a number of elites had already gathered.

But these elites wore the attire of the Heavenly Yang Star Palace.

There were over a dozen of them.

One sixth-rank powerhouse, five fifth-rank powerhouses, and over ten fourth-rank powerhouses had completely surrounded the star gate.

As these people chatted idly, suddenly a streak of starlight shot across the sky from afar.

It caused Kang Jie, leader of the Yanzhou Branch of the Heavenly Yang Star Palace, and others to change expression.

Someone else has arrived!

But it was certainly not one of their own from the Heavenly Yang Star Palace.

If it were, higher-ups would have notified them.

Instantly, the entire group from the Heavenly Yang Star Palace raised starlight around them, on guard, watching as the starlight drew near.

Yet only three breaths later, Kang Jie, leader of the Yanzhou Branch of the Heavenly Yang Star Palace, suddenly relaxed his tense expression and smiled.

"No problem—a fifth-rank third-layer cultivator. Whoever they are, they're easy to deal with!

If they're sensible, tell them to keep their distance. If not, hmph!"

Kang Jie glanced at the three corpses near the star gate, sneering.

If they're not sensible, send them on their way.

Just like these three.

Still, seeing someone arrive, Kang Jie swept his starlight over the scene and retrieved the three corpses into his own space pouch.

Some things can be done, but must not be spoken of.

It would be bad to give others grounds for accusation.

In the next instant, the starlight descended—the arrival was none other than Xu Jin, sent to investigate the Seven Killers' Secret Realm's star gate.

Upon arriving and seeing the dozen or so people, Xu Jin's brows furrowed the moment his starlight touched the ground.

"You all must also be here for the Seven Killers' Secret Realm's star gate?" Xu Jin asked.

"Correct. May I ask who you are?" Kang Jie asked.

"Chen Guo Dao Academy, Qi Tian Sheng!" Xu Jin bowed.

After answering, Xu Jin suddenly asked, "This star gate of the Seven Killers' Secret Realm was first discovered by our Jinshan Dao Academy. We left three disciples guarding it. Have any of you seen these three Jinshan Dao Academy disciples?"

At these words, Kang Jie's expression flickered slightly, yet he replied calmly, "We haven't seen them. When we arrived here, there was no one around!"

"No one at all? That's impossible!" Xu Jin frowned.

These three Jinshan Dao Academy disciples had been ordered by Mountain Chief Cao Chun to guard this place.

How could they leave without orders?

Instantly, Xu Jin unleashed a torrent of divine soul force, while simultaneously spreading the Mingji Star Pattern in all directions.

In an instant, he detected anomalies!

Bloodstains.

Bloodstains nearly dried.

A battle occurred—an hour ago!

"You killed my Jinshan Dao Academy disciples?" Xu Jin's eyes flared with fury, his deduction complete.

"No! That's absolutely impossible!"

Kang Jie, leader of the Yanzhou Branch, answered with iron certainty, and as he spoke, he waved his hand slightly—dozens of men slowly encircled Xu Jin!

Their intent was crystal clear!

Their actions had already confessed.

Seeing this, Xu Jin laughed.

"Excellent!"

In the next instant, thunderous light appeared on Xu Jin's palm. At the same moment, Kang Jie, leader of the Yanzhou Branch, roared, "Attack! Kill them all!"

BOOM!

Eighteen bolts of thunderlight struck simultaneously—each of the seventeen present was precisely struck by one bolt.

Except for the one fifth-rank ninth-layer and the sixth-rank fifth-layer leader Kang Jie, all others were reduced to charred corpses by these ordinary thunderbolts!

Hiss!

In the instant of shocked gasps, Kang Jie, leader of the Yanzhou Branch of the Heavenly Yang Star Palace, reacted instantly—his terror at its peak, he turned and fled!

"Trying to escape? Not a chance!"

In the next instant, a thunder chain shot out like a serpent, instantly binding Kang Jie and dragging him back!

His expression instantly twisted into utter terror!

As if he had seen a ghost!

(End of Chapter)