Things like “mouth baldness” would probably just be seen as an excuse if explained. However, the other party shot a cold glance and summoned a familiar-looking cauldron, tossing the unconscious Lóu Yùzhú and Yàn Zhòu inside. In the ancient god realm, life and death are unpredictable, and with the situation unclear, Lín Zhàorén decided he didn’t want to continue being a transparent person, watching others struggle.

To avoid any unnecessary complications, he simply knocked both of them out and entered the fray as a player in a battle royale. This cauldron, used by the monsters to cook soup, had only been in his possession for a short time, but he had already figured out some tricks with it.

Just as he finished all this, he noticed Jiāng Bái Yǔ’s expression and sneered, “What? Are you looking forward to getting hit? Disappointed?”

Jiāng Bái Yǔ shook his head vigorously; he was just a bit surprised. Lín Zhàorén turned around, focusing intently. On one side was the hazy boundary of nothingness, and on the other was a lush forest. When the collapse finally stopped, there was a sense of peace, and no one would have guessed that just moments ago, a catastrophic event had devoured everything.

His brows furrowed, and his expression grew serious as he found the current scene quite tricky. Treasures left behind by ancient gods are rare opportunities, and the dangers behind them can be sensed just from the words. The ultimate goal of cultivators is to ascend to immortality, and after becoming an immortal, there are new realms to explore. The ancient gods have left only fragments of their existence in history for future generations to yearn for, and the distance between them is too vast, making even fantasies feel pale and powerless.

Discovering the forbidden place where the ancient gods fell would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar. The Ascending Immortal Academy, as a powerful force, would certainly have the Emperor of the World give the academy’s head some respect; it was impossible for them to be completely unaware of this matter. Even if the news of the ancient god’s treasure circulated only within a specific circle, outsiders would have no right to touch it, and around this center, a series of chain reactions would inevitably occur.

With the foundation of Chóng Xiāo damaged, they placed their hopes on the Immortal Pool. If they knew about the ancient god’s treasure, they wouldn’t be organizing people to rush toward the Ascending Immortal Academy. It was all a gamble, a last-ditch effort before death; why not be a bit bolder? The family forces rallying together wouldn’t waste manpower, resources, and finances here; isn’t the ancient god’s treasure enticing?

Whether they could make it to the end was one thing; first, they had to break through the crowd to get in. Who knows, they might just get a piece of the pie. Even if they couldn’t eat the meat, drinking some soup would be good enough. A single whale falling can give life to myriad things; the ancient god’s treasure has that kind of effect.

But there was none. Chóng Xiāo didn’t know, the Chén family didn’t know, and even the head of the Ascending Immortal Academy and the elders were unaware. If the Ascending Immortal Academy were to participate in the competition for the ancient god’s treasure, the head would definitely take the lead, bringing along the elders and elite experts to leave the academy. If Chóng Xiāo gave up the competition and chose to take advantage of the situation, it would be a different story.

From any angle, there was no sign of the “ancient god’s treasure.” It was like two worlds; the news from this side simply couldn’t reach the other. As Lín Zhàorén’s thoughts flowed, something unusual happened. A massive and majestic dharma body rose from the ground, shining brightly, radiating colors, and exuding an astonishing aura. Just looking at it made one feel an indescribable sense of majesty approaching, overwhelming and inescapable.

In front of it, one could clearly feel how small they were. Just like how weak he felt when he fled during the great collapse of the ancient god realm. No wonder it suddenly stopped; it turned out a high-level being had intervened.

In an instant, the heavens and earth changed color, and the entire ancient god realm trembled, applying pressure to the towering dharma body. This was a realm formed by the remnants of the ancient gods’ power; even if only a tiny bit of their lingering thoughts remained, they were still rulers beyond the imagination of small beings.

Soon, the sky was filled with dark clouds, and fierce winds howled. Terrifying lightning brewed within the clouds, forming a massive vortex, striking down toward the dharma body with a destructive force. The thunder was deafening, and the lightning instantly illuminated the entire ancient god realm. The magnificent and towering dharma body showed no fear, ready to confront the divine punishment.

This scene was like the apocalypse descending. An inverted cauldron released an energy field to protect Jiāng Bái Yǔ and Lín Zhàorén below. Both of them focused on the grand battle unfolding before them, captivated by this world-shaking clash.

The remaining power of the ancient gods signified past glory, and the dharma body bravely faced the divine punishment, confronting the ancient forces, embodying the realm of the strong. The divine lightning struck the dharma body, being blocked, but some power leaked out, dispersing into the surroundings.

The bolts of lightning and thick divine thunder seemed like mischievous little snakes, falling like raindrops, randomly taking away unfortunate spectators. The remnants of the ancient god realm became a battlefield; although the divine punishment’s power was concentrated in the center, only a small amount scattered elsewhere. For cultivators lacking in realm, it was still a burden too heavy to bear.

The lush and tranquil forest was charred black, igniting wildfires, and the randomly wandering lightning became the most terrifying harbinger of death. A bolt of lightning struck down heavily toward the two, with a loud crack, hitting the cauldron.

This mysterious cauldron was incredibly powerful; while the monsters used it as a cooking tool, in Lín Zhàorén’s hands, it was a rare treasure. Even the lightning formed from the dissipating divine punishment energy could be firmly blocked, just like its reliable, solid exterior.

Jiāng Bái Yǔ watched helplessly as the rain of lightning began to fall around them. The false thunderstorm: flashes of lightning and pouring rain. The real thunderstorm: lightning fell like raindrops, crackling and popping. The ground was scorched bare.

What was even scarier was that this was just the beginning. Martial arts experts could battle for seven days and nights, but this was a fight between the remnants of the ancient gods’ will and powerful beings; it surely wouldn’t lack in grandeur.

Jiāng Bái Yǔ went from being shocked and trembling to gradually becoming numb. Being struck dead by a bolt of lightning wouldn’t be so bad; it would save him from being constantly on edge, counting the lightning strikes and contemplating his death. Because the light showed no change, and there was no clock, he couldn’t confirm the passage of time at all. He only knew that it had been a long time, a continuous onslaught, the ancient god realm being plowed over and over again, like a new forbidden wasteland, except the land was all charred black, a desolate sight.

Jiāng Bái Yǔ confirmed one thing: the forces trying to capture prisoners to offer as live sacrifices to the ancient gods were probably not high-level players. This dharma body, directly confronting the remnants of the ancient gods, was the true apex predator, not engaging in any flashy tricks. If they wanted it, they would just take it.

After all, a dead camel is bigger than a horse; the ancient gods are still the ancient gods, and even a tiny remnant is a peak that we mere mortals must look up to. The dharma body facing the divine punishment gradually showed signs of fatigue, but it did not abandon or give up. The tug-of-war was finally reaching its peak, ready to bring out its true abilities for a decisive battle.

The time for the thunderclouds to brew was longer, clearly indicating that the next wave would be even more terrifying. If they couldn’t withstand it, they would be reduced to ashes, dead and gone. The dharma body formed a seal and summoned a treasure, possibly a pearl, radiating brilliance. The thunderclouds finally brewed to completion, striking toward the spirit pearl in perfect harmony, creating another dazzling flash of light that instantly enveloped the earth, making it impossible to open one’s eyes.

Since the dharma body began to confront the divine punishment, Jiāng Bái Yǔ had been in a state akin to the Eye of the Starry Sky, currently in a passive state, triggered by special circumstances. It had lasted too long, long enough for his eyes to feel painfully swollen.

Lín Zhàorén was also nearing his limit, continuously outputting energy to protect the two with the cauldron, and the consumption was not insignificant. A battle of this magnitude was not easy to watch; there was a constant risk of death, but being trapped in the ancient god realm forced them to watch, with no way to retreat.

His expression didn’t show it, but he was actually on the verge of collapse, his body trembling slightly as he held on. Jiāng Bái Yǔ felt dizzy, and drops of blood tears flowed from his eyes. Finally, he heard a crack.

A small crack appeared in the energy barrier protecting the two. The battle between the divine punishment and the dharma body finally reached a conclusion. The dharma body had won.

The dark clouds and lightning in the sky dimmed, far less active than before. The power of the divine punishment was rapidly weakening, clearly indicating that in this battle, the remnants of the ancient gods had lost. However, the ancient god realm did not disappear; everyone was still within the world formed by the power of the ancient gods.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. After the dharma body had painstakingly defeated the divine punishment, before it could even begin to enjoy the fruits of victory, five others jumped out to snatch it away.

Naturally, a new round of battle began, five against one, a chaotic fight with the dharma body. The lightning from the dissipating divine punishment claimed lives, and the aftermath of the battle among the strong swept across the scorched earth. In terms of danger, the latter far surpassed the former.

The power of divine punishment was highly concentrated; if the strong fought each other and their moves missed, they would fly off to other places. A sword light slashed through the air, shattering the protective barrier around the two, causing the cauldron to tilt and crash to the ground. Lín Zhàorén quickly weakened, collapsing to the ground. Jiāng Bái Yǔ wanted to reach out to help, but to his horror, he found his hand passed right through; he had become so weak that he couldn’t even maintain a solid form, turning into a semi-transparent ghostly figure, like rippling water on a surface, layer upon layer of waves.

The omen of death was right before him; if not this time, then it would be the next. Jiāng Bái Yǔ wiped the blood tears flowing from his Eye of the Starry Sky, but he didn’t clean it up properly, smearing his entire face.

This opportunity was a great one; those daring enough to show up and snatch it were all at this level of strength. For the innocent bystanders caught up in this, it was truly bad luck. But who could have imagined that a casual adventure would lead to such a once-in-a-millennium event? Even if the head of the academy came, he might not be able to handle it.

Indeed, plans never keep up with changes. A fireball flew toward the two, and Jiāng Bái Yǔ decisively summoned the Jīn Wū Ring, unleashing all his power to resist the fireball. The two forces collided, forming an energy field.

The great Jīn Wū flapped its wings within the hollow ring, letting out a high-pitched cry. After a moment of brewing, it suddenly dove into the fireball, and in an instant, flames erupted.

The field formed by the confrontation of the two powers exploded violently, and a powerful airflow sent Jiāng Bái Yǔ flying, crashing through Lín Zhàorén and heavily hitting the cauldron with a loud clang.

The great Jīn Wū returned to the hollow ring, and the Jīn Wū Ring slowly moved in front of Jiāng Bái Yǔ. Blood dripped from his Eye of the Starry Sky, and he felt a tickle in his throat, coughing lightly twice and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He seemed to be losing his sight, reaching out to find Lín Zhàorén, groping around in confusion, unable to touch anything. “Lín Zhàorén… Lín Zhàorén… where are you… cough cough cough…”

A cold hand reached out, and he grasped it tightly. Lín Zhàorén condensed his magical power into that hand, allowing Jiāng Bái Yǔ to make contact.

With a blank expression, he asked, “What are you doing?”

Jiāng Bái Yǔ replied, “It seems like we’re going to die.”

“Hmph!”

“We’re all going to die on the same day, same month, same year… cough cough cough, be a bit nicer.” Jiāng Bái Yǔ complained, “I’ve wanted to say this for a long time; your name is really so perfunctory. Is it derived from ‘radiant’ or ‘the person who reflects light on the water’?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you talking?”

“…You won’t die.”

Lín Zhàorén’s gaze was calm, fixed on the dark clouds in the sky. If the divine punishment had truly weakened completely, the clouds should have dispersed by now, but the sky remained shrouded in darkness, no matter how the six strong ones fought, there was no sign of it disappearing. The ancient god realm was a scorched earth, plowed over and over again; the surface had only suffered a bit of damage, but in terms of the entire space, this little harm hadn’t touched the root.

“Let me borrow a bit of spiritual power.” Jiāng Bái Yǔ was about to say he had healing pills, which he usually didn’t use, saving them for moments like this to extend his life. But the final boss of the dungeon was too powerful; it felt like even taking pills wouldn’t help him survive.

Just as he opened his mouth, before he could say anything, he felt something cold and soft press against him. Jiāng Bái Yǔ: “……………………”

Family, who understands? The cat kissed me!!!!