The heavens trembled and the Void Realm collapsed. Under Ling Xiao's single punch, the "indestructible" body of the Ancestral Witch of Metal had been shattered, with cracks erupting in plumes of golden light.
It happened too fast. No one expected that in a single exchange, Ru Shou would be defeated so thoroughly. Even the remaining eleven Ancestral Witches failed to react in time. In their minds, even if Ru Shou were outmatched, he shouldn't have fallen this quickly.
The great powers observing from afar felt a sudden sense of realization: so, the Ancestral Witches could be defeated, and quite easily at that.
"Ru Shou!"
The Witches moved in unison, stepping through the Void Realm to reach their fallen brother. Ju Mang immediately activated his Law of Wood, releasing waves of vitality to mend the shattered golden body.
Di Jiang watched this, his eyes piercing as he looked at Ling Xiao. His voice, like a roll of thunder, boomed through the stars: "Ling Xiao! It's been years since we last met; your progress is not small!"
"It's not much of a gain," Ling Xiao replied indifferently, "but it's enough to handle you lot."
It was the truth—his realm hadn't technically increased in millennia, so he didn't count it as "progress." But to Di Jiang's ears, it sounded like the ultimate mockery. The lead Witch sneered coldly.
"It seems you intend to take over the Yao Race after all..."
At these words, Bai Ze and Ji Meng felt a surge of excitement. They looked toward Ling Xiao with faces full of expectation, waiting for his confirmation.
Ling Xiao only shook his head with a faint laugh. "Di Jiang, don't overthink it, and stop with these useless probes."
"This is a debt between us, unrelated to anything else."
"You acted wildly at the Sun Star. For that alone, I will not let you go!"
As his voice fell, Bai Ze and Ji Meng were instantly deflated. They had overthought it; they assumed Ling Xiao had emerged specifically for the sake of the Yao Race. Di Jiang's expression remained unchanged as his gargantuan form loomed over the void.
"It no longer matters. You have repeatedly harmed my brothers; this grudge cannot be resolved. Whether you join the Yao or not, today there is only one path: death."
"Where are your two brothers? Have them come out so we can settle this once and for all!" His cold voice echoed across the four seas and eight directions.
"No need. I am enough!" Ling Xiao responded plainly. Though his words were quiet, they carried a domineering spirit that seemed to reign over all of heaven and earth.
The world was stunned. No one expected Ling Xiao to attempt a one-versus-twelve fight against the entire Wu Clan. Was he joking? Even the Sanqing and the Two Sages of the West had fallen before the Witches.
How could they understand? Was this arrogance born of confidence, or had Ling Xiao been on the Sun Star so long he had lost touch with the reality of the Witches' current power?
"Arrogant! In that case, I'll send you on your way first, then have your brothers join you in the grave!"
Di Jiang was thoroughly incensed. He pointed a finger, and suddenly, order-chains of the Space Law flew out, manifesting a divine power meant to pierce through eternity and shatter the world.
Rumble!
Ling Xiao took a step forward, moving Heaven-Defyingly upward. He raised a hand and struck out, shattering the chains and shifting the stars. In a blink, he had forcibly moved the entire battlefield to the outer void, away from the Sun Star.
"Ling Xiao, the Sun Star was formed from my Father's eye. Do you think I would destroy it?"
Di Jiang barked a rebuke, seeing through Ling Xiao's intent. He felt insulted. What did Ling Xiao take them for? Would they destroy their own Father's eyes? They weren't beasts!
"Big Brother, we'll help you!" Candle Nine Nethers and the others stepped forward, nearly treading through the entire galaxy to aid their leader.
"No! Let me meet him first!" Di Jiang raised a hand to stop them. He saw that Ling Xiao's Space Law had reached an incredibly deep level, and he wanted to test his strength in a one-on-one duel. More importantly, he wanted to save "Face." Had his siblings jumped in without asking, he would have allowed it, but he had to maintain his dignity as the eldest.
With hatred in his heart, Di Jiang struck.
He raised a massive hand. Between his fingers, stars rotated and Chaos was obliterated as if he were recreating the beginning of time. With one hand, he manifested a Boundless Great World, encompassing the stars, the sun, the moon, and even phantoms of Mount Buzhou and Yujing Mountain. All of creation was captured in his palm, releasing an immeasurable Divine Might.
With a flip of his hand, he sought to snatch Ling Xiao into this palm-world and crush him alive.
"Your use of the Space Law... is not refined enough!"
Ling Xiao evaluated coldly. He reached out, and the Boundless Great World instantly shattered. Divine light tore through eternity as the stars within were pulverized. But in Di Jiang's disbelieving eyes, the shattered world suddenly reconstructed itself—the sea of stars and the dust of the universe gathered once more, becoming even more solid than before.
Creation and destruction happened at the whim of Ling Xiao's single thought.
"Ancestral Witch of Space? A mediocre reputation!"
Ling Xiao pressed down with his hand. The Great World descended. This move wasn't just the Space Law; it was infused with the World Law.
"Ah! Break for me!" Di Jiang roared, his hair standing on end. He shook the very galaxy. He had never been so belittled, and the Space Law was his greatest pride!
Infinite Dao rules interlaced as Di Jiang's Dharma Body became translucent and divine, looking like a god-fiend of old. With a roar, he propped up the descending world with his bare hands, striking out frantically to shatter it.
"Kill!" Ling Xiao shouted, his voice swallowing the heavens. His hair danced like crystalline threads, and his eyes were as deep as an abyss as he charged forward with unstoppable force.
Rumble!
Di Jiang broke through the spatial palm-world, charging with a wild fury. This unprecedented, "evenly matched" battle made his blood boil. In an instant, they clashed—a scene of such magnitude it defied the imagination.
Ling Xiao manifested a Dharma Image so tall its head was lost to sight, matching the Ancestral Witch in height. Stars rotated between his hair, the River of Time coiled around him, and space itself flickered in and out of existence around his form. He looked as if he were propping up the heavens to recreate the universe.
This peerless Dharma Body was simply invincible.
In that moment, not only were the observing Ancestral Witches shocked, but every living being on the Primordial Great Earth was dumbfounded. Watching through their Divine Abilities, their souls trembled with fear.
Ling Xiao was actually fighting the strongest Ancestral Witch, Di Jiang, to a standstill?
But just as they thought this, the tide turned.
With every move Ling Xiao made, order-chains of Law interlaced, blooming with billions of rays of eternal celestial light. Each ray could slice through the Chaos of the heavens.
Blood began to rain through the void. Di Jiang's body was broken; his entire arm was stripped to the white bone, looking as if it had been snapped in half.
The fierce battle was horrifying. No living being expected Di Jiang to fall so quickly. Was this really the leader of the Twelve Ancestral Witches?
"Bang!"
Di Jiang let out a final roar, unable to hold on any longer. He turned to his remaining siblings and barked:
"What are you all staring at?! Strike together! End this now!"