158. The Final Battle—The Yimo Emperor Descends

Upon hearing those words, the atmosphere shifted, and panic overtook everyone present.

What had once seemed a surefire plan—a union of the continent’s top experts with the ancient masters—was now falling apart.

No one had anticipated this outcome.

Not only had the Devil Prison succeeded in using Lin Dong to awaken the Yimo Emperor’s statue, but the Yimo Emperor himself, trapped within the dimensional rift, had leveraged its strange powers to break through the seal!

What’s more, a portion of his energy had been channeled back into the Yimo Emperor’s statue.

What once seemed like a victory was now a nightmare.

It must be remembered: the Yimo Emperor was a threat so formidable that even the Symbol Ancestor had struggled against him.

Now, he had declared that in one year, he would descend upon the Tianxuan Continent, bringing devastation and ruin.

To make matters worse, Lin Dong, housed within the Yimo Emperor’s statue, was also racing toward the Ancestor Realm.

The timeline for both events? One year.

When the time comes, the emergence of two top-tier powerhouses would surely spell the end of the Tianxuan Continent, leaving it as nothing more than a playground for the Devil.

Earlier, when the dimensional seal had held strong, hope lingered. The Ice Master had even proposed the idea of creating an Ancestor Realm expert to counter Lin Dong, igniting a spark of optimism among the group.

But now, despair crept in, spreading like a dark cloud.

Across the heavens, anguished cries echoed—a symphony of fear, hopelessness, and the chilling realization of the world’s impending doom.

Even the Eight Ancient Masters looked grim.

Facing one Yimo Emperor? Difficult but possible. They could potentially create an Ancestor Realm expert to fight back.

But two?

There was no way to win.

Could they run? The Tianxuan Continent was vast, but where could they hide? And for how long?

Paralyzed by despair, some people collapsed to the ground, resigned to their fate. Others, unable to bear the thought of torture at the hands of the Devil, ended their lives on the spot.

The air grew thick with the stench of blood, and an overwhelming sense of dread hung over the land.

“What do we do now?” Even the Life-and-Death Master couldn’t hide her despair.

In the ancient war that raged for years, she had never felt this helpless.

Perhaps it was because, back then, the Symbol Ancestor had been there to guide them.

The Flame Master clenched his fists, his voice filled with defiance: “What else? We fight to the death!”

“Agreed. If we burn through our reincarnation powers, we might still have a chance,” declared the Chaos Master with unyielding determination.

The Dark Master sighed. “Those wretched creatures have schemed for thousands of years and finally found a way.”

They had hoped that by destroying the Devil of the Devil Prison, they would cripple their enemies’ strength and secure a victory in the war to come.

But fate had other plans.

“Is this truly destiny?” Even the Space Master, usually full of life, had succumbed to despair.

Ying Huanhuan looked up at Lin Dong, encased in the Yimo Emperor’s statue, then shifted her gaze to the Yimo Emperor’s eye peering through the dimensional rift.

Clenching her hands tightly, she declared, “We have one year. We cannot give up!”

The Dark Master responded with a bitter tone. “Not give up? What else can we do?”

Ying Huanhuan turned to him with resolute determination. “If we give up, we lose all hope. But if we fight, even a sliver of hope remains!”

“Junior Sister is right. We must not surrender!” The Thunder Master, inspired, regained his resolve.

Ying Huanhuan continued, “Within this year, I will harness all the power of the land, unite the Eight Ancestral Symbol and the Nine Divine Artifacts, and combine it with your strength to help me ascend to the Ancestor Realm!”

Her eyes flicked toward Chen Xuan, who had remained silent throughout.

Biting her lip, she made up her mind.

“Junior Sister, are you certain?” the Life-and-Death Master asked, turning to her.

Ying Huanhuan nodded firmly. “Yes. If we don’t make this gamble, we may never have another chance!”

“Very well, Junior Sister. I’ll help you!”

The Dark Master paused briefly before nodding in agreement.

Rather than await certain death, it was better to take a chance.

The other ancient masters also nodded in unison.

“Alright! Let’s begin preparing for the ascension to the Ancestor Realm!” Ying Huanhuan declared with unwavering resolve.

Her words ignited a spark of hope, and the once-despondent crowd erupted in cheers.

“We can still survive!”

“We won’t die without a fight!”

“But… can one Ancestor Realm expert defeat two?”

“That…”

“It doesn’t matter! At least we’ll have tried!”

“That’s right! I’ll start training now. I’ll aim to take down as many Demons as I can next year!”

“If I kill one, it’s worth it. If I kill two, I’m ahead!”

The sentiment spread like wildfire, reigniting the fighting spirit of the continent’s remaining forces.

As Ying Huanhuan began her preparations, Chen Xuan’s voice rang out.

“Everyone, I may have another way.”

“What is it?” the ancient masters asked, curious.

Chen Xuan hesitated. He wanted to say, “A lucky draw—maybe I’ll get something good.”

But such a flippant response would shake their fragile morale. Instead, he calmly said, “I know a secret method that could potentially help me reach the Ancestor Realm.”

“How likely is it to succeed?” Ying Huanhuan asked, her gaze intense.

“Hard to say. It could work flawlessly, or it might fail entirely,” Chen Xuan admitted honestly.

In truth, if the system rewarded him, he’d have no issue ascending. But without external help, breaking through in such a short time would be nearly impossible.

Reluctantly, Ying Huanhuan proposed, “In that case, let’s work together. Two Ancestor Realm experts are better than one.”

Unable to argue, Chen Xuan agreed. Before leaving, he entrusted the Ancestral Stone and the Dark Holy Scythe to the group for safekeeping.

Though he stayed close by, observing from a nearby mountaintop, he silently vowed to protect the land in his own way.

One day later, everything was ready.

Standing in midair, Ying Huanhuan raised her hand.

“Activate the formation! Eight Ancestral Symbols and Nine Divine Artifacts, help me ascend to the Ancestor Realm!”

Her cold yet determined voice echoed as the talismans and artifacts appeared, forming two radiant circles of light.

Simultaneously, beams of light began to spread across the heavens.


A vast and intricate formation rapidly took shape, its center occupied by Ying Huanhuan.

As the formation activated, immense and boundless energy surged into it. Soon, icy blue patterns resembling snowflakes appeared faintly on her delicate figure.


---

Meanwhile, on a nearby mountain peak, Chen Xuan opened his system interface and began frantically using the lottery function as though it cost nothing.

After numerous attempts, luck finally favored him. Perhaps the system itself didn’t wish for his journey to end here—it rewarded him with gold and exactly the items he desired.

To avoid disrupting Ying Huanhuan's formation with the energy fluctuations from his advancement, Chen Xuan purchased a top-tier aura-concealing formation from the system store and set it up.

Once the formation was in place, he accepted the reward.

In an instant, surging energy from all directions flooded into him like tidal waves. This process continued uninterrupted for months.

Under the concealment of the powerful formation, Chen Xuan silently advanced to the Ancestor Realm.

However, he didn't stop there.

Additionally, he obtained all the fragments of the Dimensional Fetus of the Tianxuan Continent's Plane from the system and fused them.

A radiant light emerged from the depths of chaos, forming a palm-sized spiritual embryo in front of him.

The spiritual embryo hovered closer and settled in Chen Xuan’s hand.

The moment he grasped it, an indescribable sensation filled his being—he felt as though the entire Tianxuan Continent was under his control.

At the same time, he sensed the precise location of the long-missing Yun Yun.


---

“Boom!”

Above the Yimo Emperor’s statue, Lin Dong—seated in a meditative posture—suddenly opened his eyes, which were filled with rolling demonic energy.

Raising a pale hand, he aimed a lethal strike at Ying Huanhuan, now encased in an icy-blue crystal.

“Not good! Block it, quickly!” Life and Death Master shouted.

The Flame Master moved to intercept, conjuring a pillar of fire, only for Lin Dong’s pale demonic claw to pierce through it effortlessly.

Before the Flame Master could retreat, Lin Dong seized his spiritual essence, extinguishing his life force in an instant.

The sheer power of the Ancestor Realm was terrifying—wiping out an ancient master was as effortless as breathing.


---

“Lin Dong, tear apart the seal and bring this emperor to the Tianxuan Continent!”

“Yes, my Emperor.”

Lin Dong respectfully bowed before unleashing a torrent of demonic energy, forming a massive, ominous blade. With a single strike, he shattered the seal that had kept the Yimo Emperor imprisoned.

The seal dissolved into sparkling fragments of energy, some merging with the ice sculpture encasing Ying Huanhuan, while the rest dissipated into the void.

“Finally, after thousands of years, this emperor has returned!”

The Yimo Emperor’s voice echoed across the heavens, filling countless hearts with despair.

Appearing above the Beast Domain, his black, emotionless eyes scanned the land below. Something felt amiss, though he couldn't quite place it after all these millennia.

“Welcome, my Emperor,” Lin Dong said, bowing deeply.

“Well done, Lin Dong. Your actions are befitting of a loyal servant,” the Yimo Emperor replied with satisfaction.


---

As the Yimo Emperor's eyes locked onto the icy aura radiating from Ying Huanhuan, his expression darkened.

“There’s another Ancestor Realm presence here,” he remarked coldly.

“This must be the strongest of this plane. Lin Dong, destroy her,” he ordered.

“Yes, my Emperor.”

Lin Dong turned to Ying Huanhuan, unleashing a monstrous claw of demonic energy. Despite her defenses, the attack shattered through layers of ice shields with ease.

The other masters desperately tried to hold Lin Dong at bay, but his strength was insurmountable. With every strike, countless experts fell, their lives snuffed out like candles in a storm.

“Under the Ancestor Realm, all are ants,” Lin Dong sneered.

Amid the chaos, Ying Huanhuan's ice-encased figure suddenly shattered, revealing her unyielding form. She raised a hand, summoning a brilliant icy-blue light to counter Lin Dong’s assault.

“Junior Sister, you’ve succeeded?” Life and Death Master's voice trembled with hope.

Ying Huanhuan remained silent, her gaze fixed on Lin Dong.

“Only half an Ancestor Realm? You dare to challenge me?” Lin Dong mocked.

He launched another strike, gripping her by the throat despite her best efforts to resist.

His chilling voice echoed across the continent.

“Chen Xuan! If you don’t show yourself, I’ll kill everyone you hold dear!”


---

Atop the mountain, Chen Xuan’s aura surged, blending with the heavens. A terrifying pressure spread across the continent, signaling the arrival of a new power.

A storm was brewing.