Chương 206: Chapter 95: Nascent Soul Ancestor, Manifest Saint

"Damn it! How could his treasure finish devouring the artifact spirit right now of all times?"

"That earth-attribute Heaven-Turning Seal already possessed the terrifying force of a Top-grade Magic Treasure before this. Now that it has swallowed the artifact spirit of the Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, even if it hasn't fully evolved into a Dao Artifact, its power is far beyond anything we can withstand!"

"Curse it all! If I had known, I never would have let greed blind me! Not only did we fail to gain a single benefit, but we have also turned this monster into a mortal enemy! But regret is useless now. I must escape immediately!"

"Flee! Run now, or today will be our grave!" The moment the Heaven-Turning Seal descended back into Reyn's waiting palm, the pupils of the seven rival sect cultivators shrank to tiny pinpricks. Terror seized their souls. Without a second thought, their escape lights erupted into blinding flashes as they bolted backward. Simultaneously, each cultivator reached frantically into their robes, snatched out their Trial Stones, and slammed their palms shut, shattering the crystals to dust.

Spatial energy surged, and ethereal, glowing projections of ancient teleportation arrays began to unfurl above their heads, shimmering with the promise of salvation. In the span of a single heartbeat, the brutal, life-and-death dynamic had been completely inverted. The hunters had become the desperate prey.

"Little fellow," Reyn muttered with an icy, razor-sharp smile.

"Show me what kind of terrifying might you have gained from this evolution. Do not let a single one of them leave alive. Sweep them all away. Go!" He chanted a brief series of ancient incantations, flicked his wrist, and flung the Heaven-Turning Seal straight into the sky. The moment the artifact left his hand, it expanded violently against the rushing winds. In less than half a breath, its shadow expanded exponentially until it swelled into a massive, ninety-nine-zhang mountain of solid, oppressive stone.

A wave of tyrannical, bloodthirsty intent erupted from its core, suffocating the air around it. Having consumed the artifact spirit of the Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, the seal's newly awakened sentience had grown vastly sharper. It instinctively recognized that the surrounding cultivators harbored intense hostility toward Reyn. In its primitive, unyielding mind, the logic was absolute: anyone who dared harbor malice toward its master deserved nothing less than complete annihilation!

Unleashing its full, terrifying potential in a single instant, the Heaven-Turning Seal cast down a canopy of earthen-yellow divine light, enveloping Wei Qubing, Yin Wuyu, and the seven rival cultivators beneath its absolute domain. The moment this radiant glow washed over them, the faces of the seven cultivators who had shattered their Trial Stones paled dramatically. Shock and sheer disbelief filled their eyes.

The ethereal phantoms of the teleportation arrays floating above them suddenly groaned under an unbearable gravitational pressure. The spatial runes flared wildly with light before violently fracturing, draining of all energy, and dissipating into nothingness under the horrified gazes of the fleeing men. They screamed and thrashed, desperately trying to break free. Yet the surrounding air had solidified into an inescapable, viscous mire.

No matter how wildly they funneled their internal spiritual mana through their meridians, their bodies remained pinned to the spot, unable to move even a single fraction of an inch! Unbridled venom and burning reluctance burned in Wei Qubing's bloodshot eyes. He glared directly at Reyn, staring straight into those dark, frigid eyes that resembled an abyss of ice. Sensing his inescapable doom, Wei Qubing threw his head back and burst into a crazed, hysterical laugh.

"Hahaha! Laugh while you can, Reyn! After today, the Three Thousand Dao Sect will hunt you to the very ends of the earth! I will go on ahead and reserve a spot for you in the underworld!" Yin Wuyu's face twisted into a mask of rage and terror. He had bided his time, enduring humiliation while waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. He had believed he would kill Reyn, wash away his disgrace, and plunder the legendary cultivation secret of the Ultimate Dao Fiend Finger from the Ultimate Fiend Hall.

He had never imagined he would end up trapped like a beast at slaughter! As he looked up at the ninety-nine-zhang mountain of stone crashing down toward his skull, madness consumed him. He slapped his storage bag frantically, hurling out every defensive magic treasure he possessed. Shields, jade plates, and spirit barriers flared into existence as he frantically pumped every drop of his remaining mana into them, praying to survive the apocalyptic strike descending from above. BOOM!

The Heaven-Turning Seal plummeted with the thunderous roar of ten thousand galloping warhorses. The sheer kinetic force warped the surrounding space, causing reality itself to ripple and blur beneath the crushing weight. It was an earth-shattering blow—a strike possessing enough raw destructive power to grind Wei Qubing, Yin Wuyu, and every single cultivator beneath it into fine crimson dust!

Yet, right as annihilation hovered inches above their heads, an impossibly vast, supreme spiritual pressure violently descended upon the Trial Realm. Immediately following that overwhelming aura came a soft, echoing sigh. The sound seemed to originate from the furthest edges of the horizon, yet resonated directly beside every person's ear. Mysterious, transcendent, and incomprehensibly ancient, it instantly struck awe and dread into the depths of every soul present.

As the sigh faded, massive, luminous lotus flowers bloomed out of thin air across the sky. Beneath the cascading petals of light, a sky-propping, colossal arm coalesced from pure spatial energy! The titanic hand stretched at least two hundred zhang across the sky. Dark azure in color, it resembled the severed limb of an ancient god. Its five splayed fingers resembled towering mountain peaks piercing the heavens, reaching down to grab the falling seal in a sweeping, unstoppable motion. BANG!

The ninety-nine-zhang Heaven-Turning Seal, which resembled a colossal mountain, was seized mid-air in the titan's palm. Though the artifact roared with fury, releasing wave after wave of dense, violent earth-attribute energy against the grasp, it could not budge a single inch from the arm's iron grip. The Heaven-Turning Seal was already a Top-grade Magic Treasure to begin with. After consuming the spirit of the Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, its combat power had skyrocketed to absurd heights.

Even if it had not officially crossed the threshold into a Dao Artifact, in a direct, head-on clash, even an ordinary Golden Core cultivator would be utterly crushed by its weight! Yet now, this terrifying treasure was held fast in the clutches of that mysterious hand—rendered utterly helpless, completely unable to break free or fight back! Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Trapped beneath the shadow of the seal, Wei Qubing, Yin Wuyu, and the surviving cultivators stared in stunned disbelief before wildly surging joy erupted in their eyes. Wei Qubing and Yin Wuyu in particular gazed up at the sky-covering arm that moved like a god among mortals, deep fanatical reverence burning within their gazes. Reyn's pupils contracted violently. As he stared at the terrifying azure hand hovering in the sky, tempestuous waves of shock surged through his heart.

After a brief, heavy silence, Reyn suppressed the turbulence in his mind. He lowered his head and bowed in respectful salutation, his voice echoing calmly across the battlefield:"Reyn, cultivator of the Xuanxiao Sect, pays respects to the Mu Family Ancestor, Manifest Saint!" His true body was not even physically present on the battlefield, yet he could strike across a distance of thousands of miles!

With a single, effortless suppression, he had completely immobilized the Heaven-Turning Seal, freezing its massive, mountain-crushing force mid-air. Such terrifying authority and divine power—apart from a supreme cultivator who had reached the legendary Nascent Soul realm, absolutely no one else in the entire world could achieve such a feat! A moment later, the owner of that reverberating sigh let out a gentle laugh, his voice warm and majestic as it echoed through the sky.

"You junior are quite sharp and perceptive." Though he did not explicitly confirm his identity, the distinct timbre and grand resonance of his voice left no doubt in anyone's mind—it was undeniably Mu Daguang! Mu Daguang, the supreme ancestor of the Mu Family, was the sole living cultivator in the entire Zhao Kingdom to have successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul realm.

It was precisely because of his towering, sacred presence that the Mu Family of Huizhou enjoyed its detached, supreme standing today, reigning supreme over every state and sect, reverently acknowledged by all as a holy land.

"We pay our humble respects to the True Monarch!" At this moment, regardless of which state or faction they belonged to, every single cultivator present harbored pure, pious reverence in their eyes. In unison, they bent their waists low, bowing deeply toward the radiant azure giant hand hovering above. To them, a Nascent Soul cultivator possessed divine abilities beyond mortal comprehension.

Apart from those ancient, reclusive monsters of the Soul Transformation stage who remained in secluded meditation for centuries, Nascent Soul experts were virtually invincible beings in the human world. Cultivators of this realm could overturn oceans and collapse mountains with a wave of a sleeve, enjoying a grand lifespan of a thousand years.

The very legends of immortal deities whispered among mortals had originated when ordinary humans chanced to witness a Nascent Soul cultivator unleashing their profound spiritual arts. Reyn bowed with equal reverence. Upon hearing the figure tacitly acknowledge his identity, a glint of relief flashed in his eyes, and the intense tension coiled through his body gradually slacked.

Stepping forward with a calm and dignified posture, he spoke with utmost respect, "Striking from thousands of miles away as if standing right before us, shaping raw spiritual energy into a sacred lotus with a mere gesture—such boundless power matches precisely the ancient records describing a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

"Furthermore, my magic treasure possesses formidable power, obtained through a harrowing ordeal where I nearly lost my life, making it my most precious guardian asset. Yet, your force suppressed it instantly, leaving it incapable of offering even a shred of resistance. Such terrifying dominance is far beyond what any Golden Core Sovereign could ever achieve.

"And lastly, the greatest evidence confirming your honored identity: this realm is none other than the Mu Family's Trial Realm. Aside from Senior True Monarch, I truly cannot fathom who else could command such overwhelming divine abilities."

"Meticulous in thought, unfazed by overwhelming crisis, and possessing such cultivation at such a young age—you are indeed extraordinary." The voice of the Mu Family Ancestor drifted through the air, sounding simultaneously near and impossibly far, bestowing an exceptionally high praise upon Reyn. Upon hearing these words, the surrounding cultivators from various states flashed complex expressions in their eyes—a chaotic mixture of envy, jealousy, indignance, and profound awe.

"Senior True Monarch overpraises me. However, I have a matter of confusion in my heart and humbly request your guidance.

"With a cultivation level as transcendent as yours, Senior is like an immortal deity above the clouds. Why, then, have you personally intervened in the grievances among us juniors today?

"Surely Senior True Monarch is well aware that these fellow Daoists intended to drive me into absolute death. Had my magic treasure not just completed its evolution and surged in power, my life would have been forfeited on the spot. I am by no means a bloodthirsty person, but I was forced to defend myself out of sheer necessity. I humbly beg Senior True Monarch to offer me an explanation." Reyn slowly raised his head, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

He conveyed deep, proper respect without showing a trace of servility or flattery. Yet, as soon as his words fell, the surrounding crowd of sect cultivators gaped in sheer horror. Every gaze locked onto Reyn as though staring at a walking corpse. To dare question a Nascent Soul True Monarch—this brat had to be utterly weary of living! Driven by pure self-preservation, the crowd subconsciously backed away, widening the distance between themselves and Reyn to avoid being swept up in the inevitable wrath.

To their utter astonishment, the expected thunderous, apocalyptic execution did not occur. After a brief pause, the Mu Family Ancestor's voice echoed back with a faint touch of amused laughter.

"Since I formed my Nascent Soul, several centuries have passed where no one has dared to speak to me in such a manner. You little fellow are truly interesting." Pausing for a breath, the transcendent voice spoke once more, "However, two of the young fellows over there share a subtle karma with me. I cannot simply watch them perish by your hand, so I had no choice but to step in and halt your magic treasure."

Although Mu Daguang did not name them explicitly, the eyes of everyone present instinctively shifted toward Wei Qubing and Yin Wuyu. Only those two held the background and stature worthy of compelling a Nascent Soul True Monarch to intervene on their behalf. Reyn's expression remained completely unruffled upon hearing this. He performed another respectful salute and asked, "I have one more question in my heart.

If I were the one driven into a desperate, lethal trap today, would Senior True Monarch likewise intervene to save my life?"

"If you were plunged into a dead end, this old master would similarly step in to save you." Mu Daguang replied without the slightest hesitation. Though his tone was serene and unhurried, the certainty carried within his words convinced everyone that he meant every word.

"A junior with an immeasurable future like yours is someone this old master has not encountered in a very long time. How could I idly watch such potential be extinguished here?" Reyn secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his demeanor becoming genuinely respectful. A supreme existence as mighty as Mu Daguang—a godlike entity—had no reason whatsoever to deceive a mere junior. He could speak his mind freely without deceit. Thus, what he said was undoubtedly his true sentiment.

"Senior True Monarch's benevolence and protection fill me with boundless gratitude." Reyn bowed deeply once more, his demeanor growing even more solemn and sincere. A supreme senior possessing both pinnacle cultivation and grand breadth of mind naturally commanded true respect. Yet after a brief pause, his brows knit together slightly, and his voice turned resolute.

"However... does Senior True Monarch realize that this skeletal companion was painstakingly nurtured by my own hands? It had already birthed its own sentience, no different from a flesh-and-blood child of my own! To shield me from a fatal calamity, it threw itself forward without regard for its own survival, and now it has been destroyed!

"In the eyes of others, it may have been nothing more than a spiritual pet. But to me, it was akin to family! For its destruction, I must demand justice from these people!"