The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 42 The Great Sage's Struggle

In the Heavenly Court Realm, the Realm of Truth, on the Great Sage's Arena, a fierce wind stirred up the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, transforming into visible ripples that spread out in layers.

Xue Renxian's sword swept across the sky, its unparalleled power tearing through the void. The sword light, condensed with the true intent of the third rank, cascaded down like a reversed Milky Way. Murong Jin, the number one Saint Realm expert of the Murong family in this generation, had his Saint Dao rules operating to their limit. His Saint Body radiated ten thousand golden rays, and he exerted all his strength to activate his natal Saint Weapon to resist. However, only a crisp sound that shook the heavens and the sky was heard. The Saint Weapon shattered, and his Saint Body was directly cleaved in two by this sword. Half of his body, like a star with a broken string, was sent flying off the arena with a thud, covered in Saint Blood. He crashed heavily into the outer wind layer, his Saint Source trembling, and he was no longer able to get up.

"clang--"

Two resounding gongs echoed through the heavens and earth. Two golden-armored holy generals stood in the void, their voices like booming bells, resounding throughout the entire Realm of Truth: "Xue Renxian of the Primordial Realm versus Murong Jin of the Heavenly Realm. Xue Renxian of the Primordial Realm wins!"

In the center of the arena, Xue Renxian stood holding the Blood Sword. Clad in snow-white robes, his ink-black hair flowing freely, his face incomparably handsome, his sword aura restrained yet still exuding an otherworldly, ethereal air. Only the longsword stained with holy blood trembled slightly, radiating a terrifying sharpness. The female saints watching from below were all deeply moved by this sight, their faces flushed, and cheers rose and fell, echoing through the heavens, threatening to overturn the firmament of the Realm of Truth.

Several Great Saint Realm disciples of the Temple of Truth stood on the high-altitude viewing platform, their eyes fixed intently on Xue Renxian on the platform, their gazes filled with sincere admiration and without a trace of jealousy.

"Xue Dasheng's swordsmanship has reached a divine level. In addition, he has comprehended the top-level third-grade offensive true meaning. Even if Yan Fuxu, the number one mortal in the underworld, the Yama Clan, were to come, he would definitely not be a match for Xue Dasheng." Feng Xiao, a divine disciple of the Temple of Truth, stared intently with admiration and his words were full of admiration.

He was born into the Wind Clan of the Pangu Great World and was a direct disciple of a great god in the Temple of Truth. His cultivation had reached the peak of demigod, and he controlled more than 20 trillion holy rules. He was already a top powerhouse in the mortal world of the Heavenly Court, yet he still admired Xue Renxian wholeheartedly.

Another disciple nodded in agreement, his voice filled with emotion: "The list of peerless masters in the mortal world has been updated, and many great saints from the primordial world have made it onto the list. Great Saint Xue is even ranked first, and has been given the title of 'Blood Sword God'. Our Divine Venerable Kui once said that Great Saint Xue's talent and combat power are no less than that of the outstanding figure Blood Spirit Immortal from the Kunlun Realm fifty thousand years ago."

"Not only Xue Dasheng, but also Bai Kuotian, Huang Xianlu, Qiu Cangyu and others in the Primordial World are all top-notch Saint Realm geniuses. Their cultivation and combat strength are in no way inferior to Senior Brother Feng and Senior Brother Luo. It seems that the True Universe Divine Lord and the Profound Dao True Buddha's opening of the Primordial World was not a whim. With so many talents emerging in this world, it is not a pipe dream that it will firmly rank among the top 100 of the Myriad Realms Merit List in the future."

"From the Boundless Divine Sea, a battle report just came in a few days ago. True Universe Divine Lord single-handedly defeated several supreme gods from the Bone Clan, Ghost Clan, and Asura Clan, greatly reducing the offensive from the Hell Realm. In addition, the Abbot personally intervened and defeated Ni Xuan Divine Venerable, the Palace Master of the Asura Divine Palace. The battle situation in the Boundless Divine Sea is now as stable as Mount Tai."

Several top-tier Great Saints from the Temple of Truth spoke one after another, all filled with deep emotion. The Primordial World had only been established for a short time, yet so many outstanding individuals had already emerged, with a top-tier powerhouse like the True Universe God Venerable presiding over it. Its future potential was unfathomable, and it had already become a rising star in the Western Universe of the Heavenly Court Realm.

The VIP platform beside the arena was filled with Saint Kings and Great Saints from various realms who had come to watch the battle. Their gazes were all drawn to Xue Renxian on the stage, but many others also focused their attention on a young man in black within the crowd. A Saint King in purple robes stepped forward with cupped hands, his tone both respectful and probing: "Brother Li, I've heard that you also hail from the Primordial Realm, and that your clan has a True God presiding over it?"

Li Zha raised his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd, and said indifferently, "I am indeed a cultivator from the Primordial World, and there is indeed an elder in my family who is a true god."

Upon hearing this, all the cultivators on the platform changed their expressions, and their gazes toward Li Zha instantly became extremely fervent, with many rushing forward to curry favor.

"I knew Brother Li had an extraordinary temperament and a restrained holy aura. He was no ordinary person and must be from a great god clan in the primordial world."

"The moment I saw Brother Li, I knew he was a genius of unparalleled talent. Observing the cultivation method of Brother Li, the demonic energy contained within is extremely pure and of such high quality that it must be one of the top divine skills in the universe."

"Indeed, I have cultivated for a thousand years and read through all the cultivation techniques of the world. Only in the cultivation of the Heavenly Demon Stone Carvings have I seen such pure demonic energy. Brother Li's foundation is truly amazing."

As the compliments and probing remarks reached his ears, Li Zha felt a cold sweat pour down his back. These cultivators from various realms were all sharp-eyed; with just a few words, they seemed to have thoroughly exposed his background. Such insight was truly unbelievable, making him secretly wary.

Unwilling to linger with the crowd, he gave a slight bow and turned to push his way through, seeking a quiet place. However, after only a few steps, he was blocked by two elderly Great Sages with white hair and beards, and several Saint Kings. Leading them was a female Saint King in a green dress, gentle in demeanor, yet her anxiety was palpable. She bowed respectfully, her tone earnest: "Brother Li, I am a cultivator from the Azure Frost Realm, my ancestor being the Azure Inscription God of the Azure Frost Realm. Our entire realm has long revered the True Universe God, yet we have searched in vain for an audience. We have heard that you, Brother Li, come from a True God family of the Primordial Realm. Could you perhaps introduce us to Great Sage Xue? We would be eternally grateful."

Li Zha frowned slightly. He naturally knew the name of the Azure Frost Realm. Fifty thousand years ago, both the Azure Frost Realm and the Purple Lightning Realm were subordinate worlds of the Two Elements Sect of the Kunlun Realm. The world lords of the two worlds, the Azure Frost Sword God and the Purple Lightning Sword God, were both personal disciples of the Shangqing Ancestor of the Two Elements Sect. They were famous throughout the universe and their swordsmanship was unparalleled.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Zha spoke: "I am acquainted with Senior Xue, and I can take you to see him."

"Thank you, Brother Li! Thank you, Brother Li!" Upon hearing Li Zha's reply, everyone from the Azure Frost Realm was overjoyed. The female Saint King in the azure dress was especially delighted and quickly took out a smooth sword radiating a kingly saintly aura from the spatial ring on her finger. She presented it with both hands, saying, "This is a weapon used by an ancient god of my Azure Frost Realm throughout history. Please accept it, Brother Li, as a token of my gratitude."

Xue Renxian is currently ranked first on the Mortal World's Peerless Ranking, a supreme powerhouse in the mortal realm of the Heavenly Court, with a status comparable to a true god. For ordinary Great Saints, even a single meeting is as difficult as ascending to heaven. The Azure Frost Realm is currently in decline, with only two Supreme Great Saints remaining, both fighting valiantly on the Battlefield of Merit. Most of the other Great Saints have been conscripted to the front lines, leaving only these Saint Kings within the realm. With their current level, they can't even enter Xue Renxian's Daoist temple. Desperate, they turned their attention to Li Zha, who hails from a True God family of the Primordial Realm.

Li Zha did not take the King's Holy Sword. His gaze fell on the anxious face of the Holy Queen, and he asked in a deep voice, "What do you want with Senior Xue? Senior Xue is of a peaceful nature and does not like to get involved in the conflicts between the realms. If what you ask for is too troublesome, you will probably be disappointed."

Upon hearing this, the joy on the Holy Queen's face faded, replaced by endless bitterness. She sighed deeply and told Li Zha everything: "Brother Li, you are unaware that my Azure Frost Realm is now facing a life-or-death crisis. In the entire Western Universe, only the Primordial Realm can save my realm from this annihilation."

It turns out that after the death of the Azure Frost Sword God of the Azure Frost Realm, the gods in the realm have fallen one after another in the tens of thousands of years of inter-realm wars and merit wars. Now only one true god remains, struggling to hold on. The Azure Frost Realm's ranking on the list of merits of all realms has plummeted, and it is already on the verge of the bottom. The realm is about to fall and the sect will be destroyed.

Upon hearing this, Li Zha was filled with confusion: "I remember that back then, the Azure Frost Realm and the Purple Lightning Realm were both top-tier subordinate realms of the Kunlun Realm, each containing more than one True God, renowned throughout the universe. How could they have fallen to such a state?"

A trace of sorrow flashed in the eyes of the Holy Queen, and she lamented, "Back then, the Azure Frost Sword God of my realm forged a deadly feud with an ancient god from the Sword God Realm. After the Azure Frost Sword God fell, that ancient god secretly suppressed my realm and targeted us at every turn. In addition, during the divine war thirty thousand years ago, two true gods of my realm died in succession, and the foundation of our holy path was greatly damaged, which is why we have gradually fallen to our current state."

Li Zha nodded slowly, understanding dawning on his mind, and then asked, "If that's the case, what is the current situation of the Purple Lightning Realm?"

"The Purple Lightning Realm... was destroyed ten thousand years ago." The Holy Queen's voice was filled with unbearable pain, and tears glistened in her eyes. "All the gods within the realm perished in battle, with not a single survivor. The Purple Lightning Realm has now become the territory of the Bone Clan, serving as an outpost for the Hell Realm to encroach upon the Heavenly Realm."

Azure Frost and Purple Lightning were originally two interdependent realms, sharing both glory and disgrace. The destruction of the Purple Lightning Realm caused Azure Frost Realm to lose its most important ally, which made the Sword God Realm's suppression even more unscrupulous.

"How could this be..." Li Zha was shocked upon hearing this. The Purple Lightning and Azure Frost Realms were renowned sword realms even in the ancient records of the Kunlun Realm. He never expected that one of them would be destroyed and the other would be on the verge of extinction. It seemed that the cruelty of this War of Merit among the myriad realms was far more tragic than he had anticipated.

He looked up towards the Great Sage Arena and saw that Xue Renxian had already sheathed his sword and left. Knowing that the other party must have returned to the pavilion to rest and reflect on the gains from this battle, he said to the people of Qing Shuang Realm, "Senior Xue should be free at the moment. Let me take you there."

Beside the Great Sage Arena stood an ancient pavilion, a secluded cultivation space prepared by the Realm of Truth specifically for top-tier Saint Realm experts. Xue Renxian, who had achieved a 240-game winning streak, sat upright on the Dao platform in the center of the pavilion, his body surrounded by a faint aura of sword Dao, his eyes closed as he contemplated the gains from his recent battle with Murong Jin. Above his head, the Heavenly Sword Soul slowly manifested, hovering in the void, with a vast amount of sword Dao rules swirling and flowing around him like dragons, constantly being integrated into his own sword Dao.

"Senior Xue, this junior, Li Zha, requests an audience!"

Li Zha's voice reached through the restrictions on the attic.

Xue Renxian suddenly opened his eyes, a dazzling sword light flashing in his pupils, piercing through the void. The sword rules around him instantly subsided, and the Heavenly Sword Soul slowly disappeared. His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable power, penetrating the restrictions: "Since you have arrived, my nephew, please come inside and sit down. Friends from the Azure Frost Realm, please come in as well."

Upon hearing this, Li Zha was slightly surprised. Senior Xue had already sensed the presence of the people from the Azure Frost Realm; this level of perception was truly terrifying. Without further hesitation, he led the people from the Azure Frost Realm into the pavilion.

The moment the cultivators from the Azure Frost Realm stepped into the pavilion, they felt an invisible sword aura envelop them. Although there was no killing intent, it made their minds tremble and their breath catch in their throats. Seeing Xue Renxian sitting upright on the platform, his cultivation unfathomable, none of them dared to be negligent in the slightest. They all knelt down and paid their respects with great ceremony.

Xue Renxian's gaze swept over the people of Qing Shuang Realm. Seeing the worried expressions on their faces, he spoke calmly, revealing their purpose: "I already know your purpose. I will present your request to Lord Zhenyu, but I cannot guarantee whether he will be willing to help Qing Shuang Realm."

"We are already deeply grateful that Great Sage Xue is willing to speak up for our Azure Frost Realm before the Divine Lord!" Upon hearing this, the people of the Azure Frost Realm were all overjoyed and extremely excited. Immortal Xue was the strongest mortal in the Heavenly Court Realm and a representative figure of the Yuanhui level. His status in the Primordial Realm must be extremely high, and he must be able to speak to the True Universe Divine Lord. As long as they could obtain the protection of the Primordial Realm, the Sword God Realm would no longer dare to suppress the Azure Frost Realm recklessly, and the Azure Frost Realm would have a glimmer of hope.

The female saint king in the green dress took out two more treasures from her spatial ring and presented them with both hands. They were two fist-sized green fruits, exuding a rich green wood divine nature, surrounded by spiritual light and flowing with Daoist charm: "Great Saint Xue, these are the divine vine fruits of my Azure Frost Realm's Vine Ancestor. Only nine fruits can be produced in one Yuan Hui, making them extremely precious. They can increase the probability of a Great Saint Realm cultivator breaking through to True God. Please accept them, Great Saint Xue."

Xue Renxian's gaze fell on the two fruits of the Azure Wood Divine Vine, his expression slightly complicated. He naturally knew the preciousness of the Azure Wood Divine Vine Fruit; it was a treasure of the Azure Frost Realm. Now that the Azure Frost Realm was even giving away such a treasure, it seemed that they had reached the end of their rope and were at their wits' end.

When he cultivated in the Sword Pavilion of the Kunlun Realm, he had read the sword dao insights left by the Purple Lightning Sword God and the Azure Frost Sword God. The sword dao attainments of the two sword gods benefited him greatly. Moreover, the decline of the Azure Frost Realm and the Purple Lightning Realm was due to the participation of their main gods in the Kunlun Realm God War fifty thousand years ago. Most of them died on the battlefields of the Kunlun Realm. By right and wrong, the Kunlun Realm should be held responsible for these subordinate great worlds. Now, as a cultivator of the Primordial World, and since all the beings in the Primordial World originated from the Kunlun Realm, this responsibility naturally falls on the Primordial World as well.

Xue Renxian raised his hand and accepted the two fruits of the Azure Wood Divine Vine, saying in a deep voice, "I accept these divine fruits. If any of you from the Azure Frost Realm encounter trouble in the future, please mention my name."

In a single sentence, a promise of protection was made.

Upon hearing this, everyone from the Azure Frost Realm was overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed in gratitude. The weight that had been hanging over their hearts finally lifted, and they thought to themselves that coming here was indeed the right decision.

However, at this moment, a voice transmission from a golden-armored holy general suddenly entered the pavilion, breaking the tranquility: "Reporting to Great Sage Xue, the Heavenly Sunflower Sword Saint of the Sword God Realm requests an audience with Great Sage Xue, and has brought a large number of slaves to offer to Great Sage Xue."

"Heavenly Sunflower Sword Saint!"

Upon hearing those four words, the faces of everyone in the Azure Frost Realm changed drastically, instantly draining of all color from their skin. Their eyes were filled with uncontrollable fear and hatred, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably. The female Saint King in the azure dress was struck dumb; her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes filled with despair.

Upon seeing this, both Xue Renxian and Li Zha looked puzzled and asked the people of Qing Shuang Realm in a deep voice why.

An elderly Great Sage from the Azure Frost Realm slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with sorrow and anger. He sighed deeply and revealed the reason: "The Heavenly Sunflower Sword Saint was the number one mortal in the Sword God Realm. Five hundred years ago, on the Great Sage Merit Battlefield of the Flame Departure Realm, he devised a vicious scheme, killing more than a dozen Great Sages from my Azure Frost Realm, including Qingying's father. Qingying's father was a sword prodigy, a once-in-ten-thousand-years talent in our Azure Frost Realm, and was originally the strongest person in our realm with the greatest hope of breaking through to True God."

A young Saint King of the Azure Frost Realm clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, tears glistening in his eyes, his voice choked with sobs and hatred: "Since then, the Heavenly Sunflower Sword Saint has been targeting the Great Saints of my realm at every turn on the Battlefield of Merit in the Myriad Realms. Senior Zhu was severely injured by his sword, his Saint Source damaged, and he can only remain at the Immortal Realm for the rest of his life, with no further progress."

The Senior Zhu he mentioned was the old Great Sage from earlier. Xue Renxian saw that he was only three thousand years old, but he looked like an old man in his twilight years, because he had been seriously injured.

"If it weren't for the fact that the elders of the Feng family in the Pangu Great World still remembered their past camaraderie with my Realm Sword God and secretly protected him, I'm afraid the Great Saints of my Azure Frost Realm would have been slaughtered long ago!"

"Outrageous!" Li Zha roared in fury, his demonic energy surging, the black lotus mark between his brows flickering, containing boundless demonic flames, revealing the raging fire within him. "The Battle of Merit in the Myriad Realms is a battlefield where the Heavenly Court and all realms join forces against the Hell Realm. Cultivators from all realms are comrades, bound by life and death. How dare he, the Heavenly Sunflower Sword Saint, harm his comrades on the battlefield of merit, disregarding the laws of the Heavenly Court! How can the Heavenly Court's guardian deities overseeing the battlefield of merit remain indifferent?"

Xue Renxian, however, remained calm, his eyes deep and insightful, having seen through the intricacies of the situation. He spoke indifferently, "Most of the law enforcement deities in the Western Universe originate from the Heavenly Realm faction. Tiankui Sword Saint is a direct disciple of Yin Luo Sword God of the Sword God Realm, who has a very deep connection with the Heavenly Realm. With this relationship, those law enforcement deities naturally turn a blind eye and allow him to commit all sorts of evil deeds."

The Heavenly Court appears to be unified, but in reality, it is riddled with factions. The Heavenly Realm, the Pangu Great World, and other ruling worlds each have their own systems, constantly vying for power. Although the law-enforcing deities have the responsibility of supervision, they are not immune to favoritism and corruption, and tend to favor their own factions.

"Senior Xue, we absolutely cannot stand idly by!" Li Zha looked at Xue Renxian, his eyes filled with urgency and anger. The demonic flames and holy power around him intertwined, indicating that he was truly enraged.

Seeing his indignant stance for the Qing Shuang Realm, Xue Renxian's lips curled into a slight smile, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "I didn't expect my nephew to be such a man of character. Duke Wei and Senior Sister Hong have indeed raised a fine son."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Renxian no longer hesitated. He stood up, his sword aura subtly rising, and an unparalleled pressure instantly enveloped the entire pavilion. He raised his hand to send a message to the golden-armored holy general outside, his voice cold and carrying an unquestionable command: "Pass down the word, my next opponent will be the Heavenly Sunflower Sword Saint from the Sword God Realm."

Tiankui Sword Saint is the number one mortal in the Sword God Realm, with the cultivation of a peak demigod, so he is qualified to receive a sword strike from me.

Xue Renxian strode out of the pavilion, his white robes fluttering, his blood-red sword at his side, its aura soaring to the sky. He turned to look at the people of Qing Shuang Realm and Li Zha, and said indifferently, "You, come with me and meet this number one mortal in the Sword God Realm."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure stepped out of the pavilion, transforming into a dazzling sword light, heading straight for the Great Sage Arena. An earth-shattering sword aura erupted from his body, sweeping across the entire Realm of Truth.