mtl008 Chapter 1158 Breakout
Chapter 1158 Breakout
"Cough cough cough..." Ancestor Tianyun coughed violently, the intense tremors causing his purple-gold Daoist robe to flutter slightly, the folds shimmering with tiny starlight, yet unable to conceal the deep-seated decay within him. A mouthful of golden blood spurted from the corner of his mouth, landing on the jade table before him, splashing up tiny specks of light like falling meteors before fading and disappearing. He slowly raised his hand, his withered fingers trembling slightly, as if he were almost exhausted even to lift it, his voice hoarse as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, carrying a dying rasping quality: "The Immortal Realm Array... it can't hold for much longer, at most it can last another ten thousand years."
Everyone in the hall froze, their already heavy breathing becoming even more labored. The air itself seemed to freeze solid from those words, chilling to the bone. Some clenched their fists instinctively, their knuckles turning white as frost, but ultimately they helplessly released them—faced with the threat of their clan's annihilation, any struggle seemed so futile.
"Ancestor, as for Tianchen..." A fourth-rank Golden Immortal, missing his left arm, spoke with difficulty, his empty sleeve swaying in the wind, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "There has been no news from him yet. That Hongmeng Immortal Lord is probably... probably really unwilling to help our clan."
Instantly, the hall fell into a deathly silence once more; you could hear a pin drop. Even the last hope seemed so faint, and despair, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed everyone's hearts, leaving them almost breathless. Even their immortal souls trembled slightly in this heavy atmosphere.
Ancestor Tianyun closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. The last trace of hesitation in his eyes was replaced by resolute determination, and bloodshot veins spread across the whites of his eyes: "The rescue has been delayed, there's no need to wait any longer. The only option now is to find a way to break through!" His gaze swept over everyone in the hall like a sharp sword, and his voice suddenly rose several decibels, carrying an undeniable majesty, "Our clan has been passed down for nearly eight million cosmic eras, and we absolutely cannot let it end in our hands!"
“Ancestor…” A weakened fifth-rank Golden Immortal struggled to his feet, golden blood seeping from the bone marks on his immortal body as he moved. He bowed and said, “The entire Immortal Realm has been completely surrounded by the Nether Demon Clan scum. Even the Chaos Void has been sealed off by their Ten Thousand Bones Formation, leaving no way out. Can we really… still break through?”
If it were a million years ago, before the nine defensive lines had completely collapsed, and the clan's protective formation could still barely hold on, they might have had a 30% chance of breaking through. But now, the formation is riddled with cracks, and the clan has less than half of its Immortal Golden Immortals at its disposal. Breaking through now would be almost certain death, if not certain.
Ancestor Tianyun did not answer directly, but slowly stood up. Although he staggered, and the star map on his immortal robe was dimmed due to the loss of its essence, he still stood tall, like an ancient pine tree that would not fall in a storm, exuding an unyielding pride. "No matter what, we must try." His voice was filled with a do-or-die determination, and every word struck the hearts of everyone present. "This is our only choice, our last chance to survive."
If they stay, and wait until the Immortal Realm's grand formation is completely broken and the Tianyun Immortal Realm's origin is severely damaged, losing its geographical advantage, they won't even have a chance to fight to the death, and will only become food for the Nether Demons.
As he spoke, Ancestor Tianyun shifted his gaze, landing on the three most powerful Golden Immortals in the hall—Ancestor Tianquan, another sixth-rank Golden Immortal from their Tianyun clan, and Ancestors Tianyin and Tianyuan, both fifth-rank perfect Golden Immortals. He said in a deep voice, "Next, we will split into four groups. I, Tianquan, Tianyin, and Tianyuan will each lead one group of men to break through from the four directions: east, south, west, and north. Remember, do not act rashly. Every person who can escape is a success. As long as someone can escape alive, our clan still has hope for revival."
"Yes, ancestor!"
The three Golden Immortals bowed in unison. Although their voices were weary, they carried a resolute determination, as if they had already disregarded life and death.
"If there's nothing else, go and gather the young men." Ancestor Tianyun waved his hand, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness. "Three thousand years from now, we will begin our breakout!"
"Yes! We will obey the ancestral decree!" the crowd replied respectfully, dragging their wounded bodies and walking heavily out of the Immortal Palace. Every step seemed to tread on the edge of life and death for their clansmen. The palace doors slowly closed behind them, separating the heaviness inside from the deathly silence outside.
Soon, only Ancestor Tianyun remained in the hall. He gazed at the ever-spreading death aura outside the hall, slowly raised his hand, and stroked the dim star map on his Daoist robe, murmuring softly, "I hope everything will go smoothly three thousand years from now."
"Damn you, Youyun!" Tianyun Ancestor clenched his fists. "My clan has already ceded our ancestral land and hidden in this remote place on the edge of Moying Abyss, yet you still refuse to let us go... If this grudge can be avenged, I will surely grind your Youmo clan to dust!"
......
Time flies, and three thousand years have passed in a flash.
Within the Tianyun Immortal Realm, all members of the Tianyun Immortal Clan, except for some impure collateral descendants who were left behind as cover, were basically gathered together and taken into the natal immortal realms of the immortal golden immortals—their last remaining spark.
Inside the Heavenly Palace, the atmosphere was heavy as lead.
Ancestor Tianyun sat in the main seat, and below him were the immortal golden immortals of the Tianyun Immortal Clan. However, their numbers were less than half of what they had been three thousand years ago, with only twenty-one people. But without exception, they were all golden immortals of the fourth rank or above.
In the upcoming battle, the low-grade Golden Immortals of the third rank and below are not much better off than those half-step Golden Immortals and True Immortals. The aftershocks of the battle alone will be enough to give them a hard time, so they might as well stay in their natal Immortal Realm.
"Whether we can successfully break through now depends on our individual luck!" Ancestor Tianyun's gaze swept over each of the twenty-one Immortal Golden Immortals, his eyes like the last glance of a falling star, carrying a heavy entrustment. His voice was calm yet carried immense power, causing everyone in the hall to hold their breath. Before Ancestor Tianquan and the others could speak, his expression hardened, and he slowly raised his hands, palms facing each other. He began to chant an obscure and ancient incantation, as if it came from the very beginning of the Immortal Realm, each syllable carrying the tremor of stars: "With the blood of my ancestor as the catalyst, I question the origin of the stars... Tianyun will not perish, the Immortal Realm will be the sacrifice, burning billions of years of foundation, exchanging for a sliver of life... Arise!"
The incantation, deep and resonant like ancient thunder, echoed endlessly within the hall. Each syllable seemed to contain the rhythm of the stars' movement, stirring the very essence of the entire Tianyun Immortal Realm. As the incantation flowed, the star mark between Tianyun Ancestor's brows suddenly lit up, shooting out a dazzling beam of light that shot straight to the top of the hall, piercing through the dome and creating a powerful resonance with the "Zhou Tian Xing Luo Grand Array" that enveloped the Immortal Realm—the cracks on the array began to flicker with their final light, like a final burst of life before death, carrying a tragic beauty.
......
After tea time.
The entire Tianyun Immortal Realm began to tremble violently, as if a slumbering ancient beast was awakening. The earth cracked, and scorching magma spewed from bottomless ravines; mountains collapsed, and once majestic peaks turned into torrents of rubble that swept across the land; the Immortal River reversed course, its waters rushing toward the sky, then turning into torrential rain that fell with the sorrow of lost essence.
At the edge of the Immortal Realm, vast swathes of void collapsed rapidly like shattered glass, transforming into a chaotic void filled with an apocalyptic pressure. The primal energy of the entire Immortal Realm boiled rapidly, like boiling water, yet carrying a desolate sense of impending doom—a sign of burning their primal essence, their last reliance.
Almost simultaneously, twenty-two dazzling beams of immortal light burst forth from the depths of the Immortal Realm's origin, like twenty-two star pillars piercing through heaven and earth, tearing through the dark sky and landing precisely on Ancestor Tianyun and twenty-one Immortal Golden Immortals of the fourth rank or above.
"Om..."
The moment the immortal light entered their bodies, the auras surrounding Ancestor Tianyun and the others surged at an alarming rate, forming a visible energy storm. Ancestor Tianyun's already nearly depleted peak sixth-grade aura suddenly surged, the dim star map on his purple-gold robe lit up again, flowing with almost tangible starlight, and the broken primordial Dao healed and reshaped at a visible speed. His originally pale face flushed with an unusual red, and the immortal power within him surged like a tsunami, directly surpassing his peak period and leaping into the seventh-grade Golden Immortal realm. The star rules surrounding him became profound and terrifying.
The sixth-grade Golden Immortal, Ancestor Tianquan, also unleashed an astonishing aura. Stars surrounded his body, and the wounds on his immortal body instantly scabbed over and fell off. The cultivation barrier of a mid-sixth-grade Golden Immortal shattered, and he was forcibly pushed to the quasi-seventh-grade Golden Immortal realm by the Immortal Domain Origin. Every move he made carried the power to tear apart chaos, and his aura was far stronger than that of Ancestor Tianyun in the past.
Tianyin and Tianyuan, both fifth-grade perfected Golden Immortals, underwent a complete transformation. Surrounded by immortal light, their cultivation broke through the shackles and stepped into the sixth-grade Golden Immortal realm. The star rules surrounding them became increasingly condensed, and their originally weak aura became violent and scorching. Their eyes shone with an unprecedented light.
The remaining fourth-rank Golden Immortals also broke through their bottlenecks and entered the fifth-rank realm. Each of them was burning with an almost insane fighting spirit—this was a brief peak achieved by burning the origin of the Immortal Realm, and a breakthrough opportunity obtained by sacrificing the foundation of the entire clan.
Ancestor Tianyun felt the surging power within him, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes, but even more so, a resolute determination. He raised his hand and waved his hand, his voice piercing through the tremors of the Immortal Realm, reaching everyone's ears: "The Immortal Realm's essence can only sustain us for three days. After three days, its power will decline, and we will be at the mercy of others. Now, on the breakout, remember this: do not linger in battle; escape is your top priority!"
"Yes, ancestor!"
The crowd responded in unison, their voices filled with a resolute determination, echoing throughout the palace and trembling through the celestial realm.
"After successfully breaking through, we will head to the Primordial Immortal Realm," Ancestor Tianyun added, his gaze sweeping over everyone with a glimmer of last hope. "Although the Primordial Immortal Lord is unwilling to help our clan, once we reach the Primordial Immortal Realm, that old man Youyun will likely give him some face and not dare to act recklessly within his domain. Perhaps that place can become a temporary refuge for our clan, preserving a spark of revival."
"Ancestor, we understand!"
"Good! There's no time to lose!" Ancestor Tianyun suddenly stood up, his purple-gold Daoist robe fluttering without wind, and the pressure of a seventh-grade Golden Immortal spread out like a tsunami. "Tianquan, Tianyin, Tianyuan, proceed according to plan! Tianyun, the five of you, come with me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of purple-gold light, carrying the terrifying pressure of a seventh-grade Golden Immortal. He was the first to rush out of the Immortal Palace and headed straight for the blockade line of the Netherworld Demon Clan in the east. Wherever he passed, the void trembled, and the rules of the stars moved with him.
"My fellow clansmen, take care!" Ancestor Tianquan clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like a bell, filled with a tragic and resolute tone, "My lads, follow me and fight our way out!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already led a group of Golden Immortals, transforming into streaks of light and rushing south. Immediately afterward, Tianyin and Tianyuan also led their respective teams, speeding off to the west and north respectively. The four streaks of light, like four shooting stars, tore through the dark sky of Tianyun Immortal Realm, rushing towards the edge shrouded in death.
"You scum of the Netherworld Clan, die!"
......