"Immortal Venerable Realm?!"
For the first time, a hint of astonishment appeared on Xuanyuan Hong's face, which had always been indifferent to everything.
"Rumble——!!!!"
At this moment, it seemed as though the earth had been given life, shaking violently.
Countless roots as thick as dragons surged into the sky with an unstoppable momentum, bringing soil and rubble with them.
Immediately afterward, an enormous tree, large enough to cover the entire Thunder City, burst out of the earth amidst brilliant emerald green light!
"Tree... Tree Ancestor?!"
At this moment, Lin Chen, sheltered under the giant tree, looked up at the familiar tree crown. His eyes instantly reddened, and his voice trembled.
In the distance, the Great Elder, who had been forced to one knee by Xuanyuan Hong's pressure, was now crying unrestrainedly, his voice choked with emotion and nearly inaudible:
"Tree Ancestor... it really is you... you've returned..."
At this moment, all the teachers and students of the Spirit Academy, who remembered the Tree Ancestor that sacrificed for its protection, wept with joy, overwhelmed by a surge of inexplicable excitement and hope.
The Tree Ancestor, the guardian deity of the Spirit Academy, had truly risen from the ashes and returned!
Moreover,
Lin Chen acutely sensed that the aura emanating from the Tree Ancestor at this moment was actually comparable to that of Xuanyuan Hong in the sky!
This could only mean one thing...
"Immortal Venerable..."
Lin Chen murmured, his eyes gleaming with shock and joy:
"The Tree Ancestor... has truly taken that step!"
Break to build anew, withered wood sees spring.
The Tree Ancestor seized the opportunity of death to finally break through that layer of shackle, ascending to the Immortal Venerable Realm as a spirit beast!
At this moment, when the Tree Ancestor reappeared, it had already taken human form, looking very young.
He looked at Xuanyuan Hong, then descended beside Lin Chen and the others.
This time, he had almost perished, but indeed met with fortune amidst disaster. In this rebirth, the Tree Ancestor finally understood why it had been unable to break through the last layer of shackle for so long.
However, the reason he could break through so quickly was greatly due to Qin Shaoshao's Celestial Spirit Body eruption, providing a vast Spiritual Forbidden Area.
Otherwise, in his previous state, it would have taken at least hundreds of years to be reborn!
....
"Oh?"
In the sky, Xuanyuan Hong quickly concealed his astonishment. His star-like eyes showed a hint of interest, as if discovering a new toy:
"Interesting."
"Withered wood sees spring, nirvana to Venerable."
"Who would have thought that such a barren human world could give birth to a level one hundred spiritual plant."
"But it's merely somewhat interesting."
Xuanyuan Hong's tone remained aloof, full of absolute confidence in his own strength.
There are distinctions even among Immortal Venerables.
The foundation he had accumulated over countless eras was not something a newly ascended 'new god' could compare with?
"Since you wish to stand out, I shall fulfill your wish."
"Come out, old friend."
With Xuanyuan Hong's soft call, the void behind him split open once more.
"Roar——!!!!"
A primeval dragon roar, capable of freezing souls, resounded through the heavens and earth.
A divine dragon, over a thousand Zhang in length, covered entirely in purple-gold scales, with nine claws and magnificent twin horns on its head, slowly emerged.
Nine-Clawed Purple-Gold Divine Dragon!
Upon its appearance, it seemed as though the very laws of heaven and earth were under its command.
The pressure it exuded was a hundred times stronger than Xuanyuan Cang's golden dragon from before!
This is a true Immortal Venerable Realm spirit beast!
"Roar——!!!"
The Tree Ancestor below sensed the threat, and its massive crown shuddered violently, countless branches and leaves letting out an enraged roar.
Both sides demonstrated their strengths, making the entire battlefield feel suffocating, as breathing became difficult.
"Two... two Immortal Venerable level ones?"
"Wasn't it said that there haven't been any Immortal Venerables in the world for a long time?"
"Our Human Race actually has an Immortal Venerable?"
At this moment, shock and fear intertwined.
This level of Immortal Venerable battle was something they had only heard of in legends, now happening right before their eyes.
The two did not engage immediately, seemingly aware that if they clash, more than ninety percent of those nearby would be impacted and ultimately die.
"Retreat." Lin Chen glanced at the Tree Ancestor, waving his hand to signal the Human Race army to fall back.
The same was true for the Divine Race's side.
....
Once everyone had more or less retreated, Xuanyuan Hong looked at the Tree Ancestor and said:
"You have cultivated the grand path for so long, yet you only achieved success by chance at the brink of death."
"Have you considered that once you strike, a millennium of cultivation might be destroyed in an instant?"
The Tree Ancestor did not immediately respond to Xuanyuan Hong but stared at him for a long while before finally saying:
"The grand path is complete, time to slay enemies and honor the heavens!"
"Hahaha." Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Hong laughed heartily, "A fine 'slay enemies and honor the heavens'!"
"Today, I shall let you understand that even among Immortal Venerables, there are differences."
No sooner had the words fallen, Xuanyuan Hong casually ordered, then formed a hand seal.
The Purple-Gold Divine Dragon twisted its body, transforming into a purple-golden comet of destruction, with world-ending momentum, charging directly at the Tree Ancestor below!
"Tree Realm Descent · All Things in the Universe!"
The Tree Ancestor was not to be outdone, countless roots as thick as mountains rose from the ground, transforming into green giant pythons, mobilizing to strangle the purple-gold divine dragon!
Rumble——!!!!!!!
The two Immortal Venerable Realm spirit beasts collided ferociously in mid-air!
In that instant, heaven and earth lost their colors, sun and moon dimmed.
The terrifying energy storm swept across the battlefield like a level twelve hurricane.
The cloud layers within a thousand miles around evaporated instantly, and space shattered inch by inch like a broken mirror, revealing the pitch-black chaotic temporal currents of the void.
This is a true "godly battle"!
Thunder City's defensive array was completely shattered in the first wave of impact.
If not for the Tree Ancestor diverting some of its power to protect the city and the Human Race army below, merely the aftermath of the clash would have leveled Thunder City to the ground!
Lin Chen and the others, in the face of this terrifying power, were like small boats struggling amidst raging waves, barely able to stabilize themselves, their eyes fixed intently on the epic battle in the sky.
"The Tree Ancestor has just returned from cultivation, it won't...." The Great Elder was very worried.
The power of the Tree Ancestor need not be overstated, but the opponent was, after all, a Hidden Immortal.
The Tree Ancestor had just broken through, and it was highly unlikely to be a match for the opponent.
At this moment, the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon swung its claws, each swipe tearing apart large swathes of branches and roots, the path of its purple-golden dragon flame, rendering all life extinct.
But the Tree Ancestor's life force was equally terrifying in its tenacity.
The destroyed branches and leaves would regenerate at an even faster rate in the next second, countless roots advancing fearlessly, tightly entwining around the divine dragon's body, trying to siphon its divine power.
For a time, the two colossal beings were locked in a stalemate in mid-air, fighting with enough intensity to rend the heavens and tear the earth.
This scene profoundly shocked every person present.
They had never imagined that the power of spirit beasts could reach such a terrifying level!
This is the Immortal Venerable!
The pinnacle of Beast Taming World's combat power!
