My Dreams Connect to Ancient Times

Chapter 493: Chapter 109: Houtu Falls, the Goddess is Struck, the Curtain Falls

"Primordial, Spirit Treasure, Haotian, and the Goddess are all here in person..."

Above the River of Time, Amitabha Buddha gazed upon the scene and sighed softly.

’This is a death trap...’

Supreme smiled but did not reply. Instead, his gaze shifted toward a deep, dark abyss, his expression turning serious.

"Demon Ancestor..." he murmured. He pressed a hand forward, pushing back a graceful woman who was on her way.

"There’s no need for you to interfere in this game, is there, Fellow Daoist?"

The Demon Ancestor took Supreme’s blow head-on, completely unruffled. She spoke coolly.

"Supreme Daoist Venerable, I never take part in your schemes. I have come only for the Goddess."

The two Great Buddhas glanced over at this, their expressions hardening.

Supreme, however, spoke with a smile.

"I am more curious about who you truly are. You are not a Dao Fruit, yet your Cultivation defies all reason and logic. The sheer depth of your Magical Power is something even I cannot match..."

As he spoke, he casually rewrote the rules of reality. Advancing became retreating, and retreating also became retreating. For every step the Demon Ancestor took toward the Great Heaven and Earth, she was moved one step farther away.

She stopped in her tracks and said coolly,

"Supreme, I have never caused trouble for The Three Pristine Ones. Why must you oppose me?"

Supreme lowered his eyes.

"I have already said, not today."

The Demon Ancestor’s Ni Chang robes fluttered. Her fair, slender hand pointed forward, unleashing a heaven-shattering blow that defied imagination, smashing apart the so-called rules and concepts!

Brute force conquers all.

She stepped forward and said calmly,

"I owe you a favor. Hand the Goddess over to me, and afterward, I will give you the Great Secret of Transcendence. What do you say?"

The two Buddhas’ faces fell.

Supreme replied with a smile.

"Transcendence is not what I desire... Please, Fellow Daoist, return. Just return."

The Demon Ancestor stared deadly at Supreme, her absurdly terrifying Great Magical Power surging. But in the end, she turned back and departed.

As she left, she threw one last sentence behind her:

"Supreme Daoist Venerable, this is the last time."

With that, the woman’s graceful figure disappeared into the depths of Chaos.

Once she was completely gone,

Supreme turned back, asking pensively,

"Do you two Fellow Daoists happen to know her origins?"

The two Great Buddhas, knowing they had already lost this round, let their expressions soften. They cast a pitying glance at Houtu within the Great Heaven and Earth, then replied in unison,

"How could we possibly know?"

Amitabha Buddha casually placed a stone on the board, continuing their game as he said,

"Her origins are a mystery, but she is definitely connected to the Goddess. They once fought each other, and their battle carved a great chasm across the ages."

Ancient Bodhi Buddha also nodded, musing,

"The Goddess is the physical body Wa Huang left behind after her Transcendence. I suspect the Demon Ancestor is also related to Wa Huang. The Goddess can contend with a Dao Fruit with nothing but her physical body,"

"and that Demon Ancestor, who is definitely not a Dao Fruit, has a Cultivation so unbelievably profound that even you, Supreme, would struggle to harm her..."

Supreme fell into deep thought.

"Interesting," he remarked, but then his head snapped to the side. "How dare you?" he barked.

Wielding the Eight Trigrams Furnace, Supreme struck out, knocking back the Demon Ancestor who was trying to hurl a pitch-black long spear into the Great Heaven and Earth. The blow shattered her body!

But her Heaven-Reaching Cultivation instantly reformed her physical shell. The Demon Ancestor let out a flirtatious laugh, then withdrew, taking the Maitreya Buddha Mother with her.

"This..." The two Buddhas stared at the scene within the Great Heaven and Earth, then turned to look in the direction the Demon Ancestor had fled, their expressions a mixture of shock and suspicion.

...

Within the Great Heaven and Earth, inside the Immortal Slaying Sword Array.

The Blind Daoist, wielding the Three-Bejeweled Ruyi, forced Lu Ya back, while the Lame Daoist, with the Qing Ping Sword in hand, pinned Houtu in place.

Lu Ya seemed to have accepted his fate by now. His expression was calm as he stared at the half-torso that had forced its way up from the lower reaches of the River of Time.

"Goddess," he asked, "is our agreement now void?"

"Of course it still counts."

The stunningly beautiful woman scrutinized Lu Ya as if trying to perceive something. After a long moment, she spoke coolly.

"However, you were the one who tampered with the [Process] first. You are not supposed to be the Celestial Emperor at this moment. Therefore, I must strike you down from your high perch."

As she spoke,

the Goddess struck out with her bare hand. A terrifying and pure physical force erupted, blasting through the Central Celestial Court and slamming into Lu Ya!

DONG!!

Lu Ya coughed up blood as his body caved in. Having already lost the Four Extremes Celestial Court, his Central Celestial Court now suffered a grievous blow, and his Illusory Dao Fruit scattered completely!

He fell from the level of a Complete Dao Fruit to that of an Ancient One. The half [Taiyi Dao Fruit] that had taken root inside him escaped, and Lu Ya’s Cultivation dropped once more, leaving him as a peak Daluo!

"And now, it is your turn."

The Goddess glanced aside at Houtu, staring at her for a long moment before finally speaking.

"Houtu, being stripped of the Six Paths of Reincarnation may not be a bad thing for you. You carry the weight of too many dead souls’ thoughts and have strayed from the true path."

"Hah!"

Houtu laughed coldly and tried to escape the Immortal Slaying Sword Array, but she was beaten back by the combined might of the Lame Daoist and the Blind Daoist.

She changed tactics, shouting to those above the River of Time for the two Great Buddhas to descend and help her, but received no response!

Houtu’s expression grew dark. She shot a cold glare at Lu Xuan, who was observing quietly from the side, then turned her gaze to the stunning woman.

"I know your eyes possess Transcendent Traits and can see everything, but let me make one thing clear: if you dare to strip me of my Reincarnation, I swear I will hunt down this Profound Yellow and kill him. It will be a battle to the death."

The expressions of the Blind Daoist and the Lame Daoist darkened, a dangerous glint appearing in their eyes.

Lu Xuan, however, simply adjusted the Small Pagoda on his head and advised,

"Lady Houtu, why bother with threats at a time like this? What will you gain, aside from bringing more trouble upon yourself?"

Houtu ground her teeth so hard they audibly creaked, glaring death at Lu Xuan.

"Such a fine Profound Yellow, such a grand scheme. You were even willing to destroy a Supreme Profound Clarity just to plot against me. Supreme is so easy to bully, isn’t he..."

Lu Xuan chuckled.

"I won’t hide it from you, Lady Houtu..."

With a mere thought, a figure of Supreme Profound Clarity slowly emerged from his consciousness.

"My name is Lu Xuan."

Houtu’s head spun, and then she ground her teeth in fury.

"Fine, just fine! One Qi Transforms into the Three Pristine Ones. How truly wonderful..."

She suddenly lashed out, pouring all her strength into hurling the Six Paths of Reincarnation straight at Lu Xuan!

VMMMM!

The Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda trembled violently, but it managed to withstand the blow.

"Innate Invincibility..."

Houtu snarled, her brows furrowed in a cold glare. Just as she was about to recall the Six Paths of Reincarnation, she saw the Goddess suddenly reach out and snatch it from the air!

"Hm??"

Houtu’s expression changed dramatically. Driven by her will, the Six Paths of Reincarnation began to vibrate frantically in the stunning woman’s palm, looking as if it would break free at any moment.

Just then, Lu Xuan channeled the sliver of Reincarnation Origin from within his own body and transferred it to the stunning woman!

In the next instant,

the stunning woman let out a soft laugh.

"Suppress."

An infinite physical strength erupted from her hand, squeezing the Six Paths of Reincarnation so hard that cracks began to appear on its surface. Combined with that wisp of Reincarnation Origin, she brought this realm’s Six Paths of Reincarnation completely under her control!

Houtu flew into a rage, trying to reclaim the Six Paths. But with the Six Paths out of her grasp and its power of Reincarnation no longer augmenting her, she had already fallen to the level of an [Ancient One]. Haotian struck her, sending her flying back as she coughed up blood!

"My Lady is magnificent! My Lady is magnificent!"

Ben Bo’Erba, perched on the stunning woman’s shoulder, clapped his fins and cheered, only to be glared at by both Lu Ya and Houtu at the same time. He instantly ducked his head and dared not make another sound.

"What are you afraid of?"

The stunning woman smiled, casually grabbing Lu Ya, and said imperiously,

"Hit him."

"Huh? Me??" Ben Bo’Erba pointed to himself, forcing a smile that was uglier than tears.

"Yes, you."

Under the stunning woman’s gaze, Ben Bo’Erba’s face fell. He trembled as he hopped down and reluctantly shuffled forward.

He stuck out a finger and, under Lu Ya’s frigid glare, gave Lu Ya a light flick on the forehead. He immediately let out a wail and scurried back in a panic.

"You silly little fish." The stunning woman shook her head and admonished, "Watch closely. I’ll only show you once."

As she spoke, she held up two fingers, blew a puff of air on them, placed them before Lu Ya’s forehead, and gave a gentle flick.

THWACK!!!

Lu Ya was sent flying by that single flick, his body disintegrating in midair and exploding into a mist of blood!!

"Did you learn how?" the stunning woman asked with a smile.

Ben Bo’Erba nodded numbly, clambered back onto the stunning woman’s shoulder, and said meekly,

"My Lady, next time you’re beating someone up, I think I’ll just stick to cheering you on..."

"You silly fish."

The stunning woman shook her head, chuckling, then looked toward Houtu’s hate-filled face and sighed softly.

"Houtu, have you still not come to your senses? I suppose not. With the thoughts of the dead accumulating for so many years, it will probably take quite some time for them to fade..."

As she spoke,

she reached out, cradling the Six Paths of Reincarnation in her arms, her expression suddenly turning sharp.

"Help me!"

The Blind Daoist, the Lame Daoist, and Haotian all struck at once with immense power, combining their might with the stunning woman’s unquantifiable physical strength and that sliver of Reincarnation Origin.

The entire Six Paths of Reincarnation groaned as its connection to Houtu was severed!

Houtu let out a wail of grief as she fell completely back to the level of an Ancient One. Her aura plummeted, and she lost the aura of perfection and completeness that had surrounded her!

"It is done. It is done."

The stunning woman smiled, tossing the Six Paths of Reincarnation into the depths of the Nine Nether. The Lame Daoist dropped the Qing Ping Sword down after it, sealing it away and extinguishing any hope other beings might have of approaching or controlling it.

Houtu was still crying out in grief. She gave Lu Xuan one last deep, sorrowful look, then turned and departed. The Immortal Slaying Sword Array parted to let her leave.

"Goddess," the Lame Daoist said, glancing over curiously. "You mentioned there was a problem with Houtu. What was it?"

The stunning woman shook her head and said softly,

"Every day, the Six Paths of Reincarnation processes the reincarnation of infinite beings from across the Celestial Myriad Realms. Every single moment, it accumulates a heavy burden of thoughts from the souls of the dead."

She paused for a moment before continuing,

"I could see that Houtu’s true nature is one of universal love. She was once the Emperor Earth Deity, protector of all living things. But after shouldering the Six Paths of Reincarnation for countless eons, she was gradually corroded by the infinite thoughts of the dead, to the point that her very temperament became warped..."

"So that’s how it was." The three Dao Fruit holders came to a sudden understanding.

The Blind Daoist shot a meaningful glance at the Lame Daoist. Understanding at once, the Lame Daoist closed the Immortal Slaying Sword Array, once again shielding them from outside observation.

Or, to be more precise, shielding them from the gaze of a certain old Daoist.

Once that was done, the Blind Daoist finally looked over at Lu Xuan and said with a gentle smile,

"Now that matters here are concluded, the [Dao] you have been cultivating is about to manifest. Find a quiet place to let it properly mature. Afterward, you can begin to attempt your entry into the [Celestial Realms] level."

Lu Xuan bowed respectfully.

"Yes, Second Master. However..."

He smiled wryly.

"Lu Ya took the Bronze Fragment I relied on to traverse the River of Time. I fear I may be trapped in this world now..."

"What, did you expect your Third Master and I to solve every little thing for you?"

The Blind Daoist smiled warmly.

"The Path of Time is one of the traits of the Daluo realm. And since it is a trait, it can be acquired ahead of time. You should go and ponder it yourself!"

Lu Xuan recalled the moment Houtu had used his body to tear open the River of Time. Lost in thought, he simply bowed again and said no more.

The Lame Daoist was about to say something when he suddenly glanced aside, chuckling.

"A little fellow has arrived. It looks like he wants to join you in attacking the heavens..."

Lu Xuan followed his gaze and saw Liu Bang circling outside the Immortal Slaying Sword Array, a grim and tragic expression on his face, as if he were a hero marching to his doom.

He was about to laugh at the sight, but his heart suddenly sank.

’Only Liu Bang is here?’

’Where are Uncle Yan and the others?’

’Where is Senior Brother Zhang??’

"Alright, everyone, let’s disperse," the stunning woman said with a soft laugh. "Xiaoxuan, I can see that you are very close to the Path of Time. Study that move of Houtu’s carefully, and you will surely be able to pioneer your own path through time..."

Lu Xuan suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed to the stunning woman.

"I understand, my Lady."

He spoke for a few moments more with his Second and Third Masters and paid his respects to Emperor Haotian. Just as all the Dao Fruit holders were preparing to depart and the stunning woman was about to return to the [Current World] as well,

Suddenly,

"Hm?"

The Blind Daoist looked up.

A pitch-black long spear fell from the sky, crashed through the Immortal Slaying Sword Array, and, unerringly, impaled the Goddess.

It pierced through the Goddess’s physical body—a body that even a Dao Fruit couldn’t budge—the long spear plunging deep into her chest!!

"My Lady!!" Ben Bo’Erba let out a piercing shriek. Lu Xuan’s head whipped around, and his heart stopped!

The Goddess let out a muffled grunt. No blood flowed from the wound. She abruptly retreated back into the River of Time.

"Demon Ancestor..."

the stunning woman whispered wearily.