"Boom!"
A piercing whine emanated from the transmission disk. Xu Yi and Ji Buwang exchanged a glance and, in unison, quickened their pace.
The Xuan Qing Sect members had already been attacked; they had to reach them as soon as possible.
...
Within the space rift outside the secret realm.
Ancestor Wu Gan frowned, deep in thought, as he gazed at the colossal entity before him.
Now sharing his existence with this skull, he could feel the terrifying pressure it exuded even more intensely.
Having served as the Sect Master of Xuan Qing Sect for over six hundred years and cultivated for a millennium, Ancestor Wu Gan was privy to countless secrets of the Kyushu Continent.
Yet, regarding this skull, he knew absolutely nothing.
Judging by its form, it was undoubtedly the skull of a demonic beast, at least a Great Ascension late-stage powerful demon. The possibility of it being an even higher existence was not out of the question.
A thousand years ago, the most powerful demonic beasts in the Kyushu Continent were sealed within Shenzhou; they couldn't possibly have ended up outside. Therefore, the owner of this skull must be an even more ancient being.
However, he could recall the time of demise or ascension for almost all the great demons of renown throughout history.
The owner of this skull seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
Ancestor Wu Gan's mind stirred, and he appeared less than an arm's length in front of the skull.
He observed the peculiar patterns on the skull, a deep, profound light flashing in his eyes.
To verify his conjecture, he channeled his spiritual energy into his palm and gently pressed it against the skull.
"Roar!"
A world-shattering beast roar stirred a tempestuous wave within Ancestor Wu Gan's sea of consciousness. His hair and robes fluttered as if caught in a wind, yet his eyes remained as tranquil as a deep, abyssal pool.
After the beast roar gradually subsided, he once again immersed his spiritual energy into the beast bone.
Then, fragmented and blurry images began to flash through his mind.
These images differed, yet they all featured the same protagonist.
Ancestor Wu Gan could only vaguely discern that the demonic beast stood a hundred zhang tall, its legs like two colossal pillars supporting the sky, its long tail trailing behind, and wings sprouting from its back.
What kind of demonic beast was this? He had never seen one like it.
Ancestor Wu Gan's heart filled with surprise as he concentrated his mental energy further.
This unknown demonic beast seemed to be searching for something. It crossed mountains, traversed rivers, never stopping, until…
Just as Ancestor Wu Gan felt the answer was about to be revealed, the scene in his mind abruptly vanished.
Only a faint sorrow lingered in his heart.
Ancestor Wu Gan knew this was the emotion the owner of the skull experienced at the very end of its life.
Why was it sorrowful?
Looking at the empty socket of the skull now, Ancestor Wu Gan no longer harbored the same apprehension or fear.
The owner of this skull bore no ill will towards him.
Ancestor Wu Gan narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling upon the strange runes etched onto the skull.
These runes had already intertwined with the skull's aura, yet he could still sense that the runes and the skull were absolutely not of the same origin.
This meant that the runes had been carved onto the skull later.
As for the purpose…
Ancestor Wu Gan recalled the Soul-Unraveling Bell within the secret realm. It seemed he had found a piece of the puzzle, awaiting revelation.
"Esteemed fellow Daoist, you were a mighty being in life, and surely do not wish to be controlled in death. Today, fate has brought us together, and I shall lend you a hand."
Ancestor Wu Gan bowed solemnly towards the skull, muttering incantations.
The instant he bowed, he seemed to hear a long, resonant beast roar echo from the depths of his mind once more.
Ancestor Wu Gan calmly raised his head and began to move his palms gently through the air, his movements slow and imbued with a special rhythm.
A strange aura spread through the void, and the runes on the skull trembled slightly.
Ancestor Wu Gan's lips curved upwards slightly as he increased the speed of his hand movements.
Ripples appeared in the void, spreading outwards at an extreme pace, emitting a long and peculiar whistling sound.
After a few more breaths, the runes on the skull trembled heavily, as if coming alive and wriggling restlessly.
The moment the runes moved, a surge of overwhelming demonic energy instantly transformed into a massive hand, ferociously reaching out to seize Ancestor Wu Gan.
"As expected."
A cold, sharp glint erupted in Ancestor Wu Gan's eyes.
He had dealt with demons before, making him highly sensitive to their aura.
Upon seeing the runes, he had suspected they were related to the demonic race.
Now, a slight probe had fully exposed their true nature.
Demons were cunning and brutal; they acted only for profit. If they had etched these runes onto this skull, there must be a benefit to be gained.
Ancestor Wu Gan let out a cold laugh. He did not know the demons' objective, but he firmly believed that disrupting their plan would undoubtedly bring immense benefits to humanity.
Furthermore, the demons had been restless of late, and this action of his was merely collecting some interest.
Ancestor Wu Gan neither dodged nor evaded, pushing out a palm.
"Rumble!"
The sound of his palm strike was like thunder, reverberating through the void, and then it fiercely collided with the demonic palm.
Even more violent sounds followed in succession, merging with the preceding palm strike.
The void, unable to withstand the fierce impact, tore open, revealing numerous rifts.
Chilling winds poured madly from the cracks, forming violent whirlwinds.
However, neither Ancestor Wu Gan, at the center of the vortex, nor the skull, showing no signs of life, moved an inch.
Ancestor Wu Gan's eyes flickered, and he unleashed a second palm strike.
The palm strike, almost in the blink of an eye, pierced through all obstacles, carrying ripples upon ripples as it slammed onto the skull.
"Crack, crack."
Faint cracking sounds, accompanied by even more astonishing demonic energy, surged from the top of the skull, transforming into new demonic entities that charged towards Ancestor Wu Gan.
"Rumble."
Another round of collisions ensued.
Ancestor Wu Gan had been in seclusion for many years. Both his spiritual energy reserves and combat experience had reached the pinnacle of the Kyushu Continent.
Yet, the demonic energy hidden within this skull could contend with him on equal footing.
While inwardly astonished, Ancestor Wu Gan's resolve grew even stronger.
He was determined to break this demonic inscription.
"Yin-Yang Finger!"
Ancestor Wu Gan roared, channeling all his spiritual energy into his right index finger, unleashing a dazzling, resplendent light.
The howling wind and explosion sounds that had dominated the scene now subsided, as if the void contained only this single beam of light.
The demonic energy, which had been clawing and writhing on the skull, sensed danger and trembled.
Ancestor Wu Gan, his expression calm, pointed his finger forward.
The spiritual energy from his fingertip instantly broke free, striking the skull with tremendous force.
To protect the skull, the demonic energy was forced to transform into a thick demonic shield, blocking the skull's path.
However, in almost the blink of an eye, the demonic shield shattered inch by inch, dissipating completely, leaving behind a mournful wail echoing in the air.
The Yin-Yang Finger, its power undiminished, continued its trajectory towards the skull.
A faint smile flickered in Ancestor Wu Gan's eyes; he had already anticipated the outcome.
But at that very moment, disaster struck.
Ancestor Wu Gan felt an overwhelming sense of crisis engulf his entire body. He looked up in terror at the spatial rift that had appeared overhead, a feeling of mortal dread gripping his consciousness tightly.
What is this…