Chapter 3: The Ancestor Takes Action (Part 1)

The professionals of the Fire Sect retreated frantically, as the flow of magma surged forward like a flood, reaching the second layer of defensive talisman arrays in moments and crashing against the protective barriers. Although the magma was blocked, the intense heat wave hit them directly. Many professionals activated their defensive talisman armor, while those at the master level flew back desperately—such heat was unbearable for them.

Though frightened, most of them were excited. Experts at the Ancestor’s level rarely appeared, making it extremely difficult for them to fight. The chance to witness such a battle firsthand was truly rare.

Especially the Grand Sage Masters and Sage Masters longed to observe such a high-level fight. A Sage Master might gain only a little insight, but a Grand Sage Master could learn much more. This would be of great help to Guo Shier and Eagle Demon—both of them had inherited knowledge from the Ancient Soul Altar and could grasp more from such battles. The lives of the Ancient Talisman People were dedicated to combat, as they always improved their talisman skills through fighting.

The Ancestor paid no attention to the magma waves raised by the Abnormal Golden Armor. He quickly cast a series of spells. The seven flags on the altar rose slowly, and the Soul Altar ascended above his head. Numerous virtual talismans descended like a curtain, providing solid protection for him.

All the professionals stared wide-eyed, while Guo Shier clenched his fists, watching intently as the Ancestor prepared to attack.

The Abnormal Golden Armor missed two attacks in a row and began to emit flames. Flames surged from its body, and it no longer stayed in place. Its wings trembled slightly before it suddenly took off into the air—its speed astonishing everyone.

Guo Shier’s voice trembled, “Damn, so fast!” He hadn’t expected the Abnormal Golden Armor to be so agile, able to fly into the air in an instant. Its massive body seemed weightless, floating steadily in the air.

Hu Da and the other two didn’t have time to watch. They drove away more than a dozen advanced mutated Golden Armors, trying to force them to leave. With the Abnormal Golden Armor present, those mutated Armors refused to leave. Though a few were killed, the rest continued to fight against Hu Da and his companions.

The seven flags gradually unfurled, and the bead in the center grew larger. Flames shot out from the bead and landed on the flags. Like sparks falling on a torch, with a loud boom, the seven flags caught fire. The flags that had been hanging suddenly fluttered in the wind.

Eagle Demon sighed, “What beautiful flags…”

Luo Zhan was puzzled, “What’s the use of these flags? I can’t understand them…” He hadn’t received the teachings from the Mad Master and only possessed the knowledge of the Great Master, so he couldn’t figure out what was going on, nor did he understand the secrets of combat for those who wielded altars.

Seven fiery red flags fluttered in the wind, with countless bright red runes moving swiftly within them. Even with spells cast over his eyes, Guo Shier didn’t manage to discern what those runes were. As the flames rose, the seven flags stretched to over ten meters in length—massive banners. The flames grew even taller, reaching a hundred meters, and the crimson bead emitted a blinding light like that of the sun.

Guo Shier was confused. The Abnormal Golden Armor, having grown in magma, shouldn’t fear any flames. If the Ancestor’s seven flags and rune bead were both fire-based attacks, how could they possibly deal with this Abnormal Golden Armor?

Before the Ancestor could get ready, the Abnormal Golden Armor launched an attack on its own.

A red beam shot forth, causing all the professionals to widen their eyes. The red beam emitted from the Abnormal Golden Armor was as thick as a water tank, mixed with countless tiny flames, along with large amounts of purple and golden rune flames, which were quickly stretched into thin strands of fire.

Guo Shier, who had considerable experience with rune flames, immediately saw the trick at play and exclaimed in shock, “Amazing! There are so many rune flames… and they’re all advanced ones!”

The Ancestor calmly raised his hand and snapped his fingers, ordering, “Twist!”

The seven flags suddenly sank, blocking the path of the red beam, and spun rapidly, absorbing the flames within moments.

Han Yan smiled and said, “The Ancestor is the most skilled flame controller in our Fire Sect. This kind of rune flame attack is really nothing.”

After absorbing a large amount of rune flames, the seven flags stretched to a terrifying hundred meters in length.

Luo Zhan was stunned, “Damn, what… what is this stuff…?” He truly couldn’t understand; it all exceeded his comprehension. His combat experience consisted of fighting enemies with rune blades—he had never seen such advanced battles using spells.

The Abnormal Golden Armor probably didn’t expect its attack to be deflected so easily either, and it immediately became enraged.

A faint smile appeared on the Ancestor’s face. Insects remain insects. Even though it was a Level 13 Abnormal Golden Armor, its essence was still that of an insect. How could an insect possibly defeat a top-tier spellcaster?

Receiving hundreds of high-grade talisman flames for free, the Ancestor was in an excellent mood. Purple talisman flames were not easy to find, so getting so many at once naturally made him very happy. The seven banners had already formed a talisman array; it was just one step away from completion. Once he infused ice flame into it, this killing talisman array, containing both ice and fire, would be fully formed.

The Abnormal Golden Armor wasn’t foolish either—it understood that this person before it was not easy to deal with. With two of its ultimate tactics neutralized, it was not only angry but also felt a bit fearful. It let out a low growl and, relying on its sturdy body, charged straight at them.

Such a huge Abnormal Golden Armor was like a massive mountain charging forward, its momentum truly terrifying—creating a scene of upheaval. Flames hundreds of meters high erupted from the Abnormal Golden Armor. As it crashed wildly forward, flames formed a huge trail behind it, and the flapping of its wings produced thunderous noises.

None of the professionals on the ground could stand firm; they all retreated in disarray, with some even falling to the ground due to weak legs. The impact of the Abnormal Golden Armor was terrifying, giving the impression that the end of the world had arrived. Guo Shier also kept retreating. He didn’t know how the Ancestor could block it. In his opinion, if the Abnormal Golden Armor struck the defensive talisman array, there was no doubt it would collapse.

The Ancestor said softly, “Do we have to fight to the death?”

In an instant, the Abnormal Golden Armor collided with the banner array.

Boom!

It was as if meteors were hitting Earth. Guo Shier was stunned and dizzy. Even though he was inside the defensive talisman array, he couldn’t avoid being affected. Aside from a few Great Sage Masters, all the other professionals were holding their heads, with most of them collapsed on the ground, unable to stand up.

The immense force caused the defensive talisman array to crack loudly. If not for the banners blocking it head-on, the array would likely have collapsed on the spot.

Even the formidable Ancestor found this head-on collision somewhat overwhelming. His Soul Altar trembled violently, and the talisman array formed by the seven banners became slightly disordered. After the collision, a huge flame shot into the sky.

The Abnormal Golden Armor spun in the air; it was also dizzy. This collision had inflicted minor injuries on it, further fueling its ferocity. It swayed slightly before charging again.

The Ancestor hadn’t expected the Abnormal Golden Armor to use such a clumsy method. This foolish tactic troubled him greatly. He couldn’t dodge, as the defensive talisman array was right behind him. If he avoided, the array would collapse, so he had to withstand the Abnormal Golden Armor’s attack.

The Abnormal Golden Armor seemed to know that no other method could defeat the Ancestor, and although forcing a collision would harm it too, it was the best option. The second collision followed by the third. The continuous attacks enraged the Ancestor greatly; he had to find a way to counter them, leaving him in a state of chaos.

The Ancestor roared, “Reptile! Get away from the Ancestor… now!”

The seven banners trembled slightly before splitting apart, revealing a crimson talisman bead in the center. At the Ancestor’s command, the bead flew out of the banner formation and suddenly transformed into a huge sphere, over sixty to seventy meters in diameter, shooting forward like a cannonball.

The impact was truly earth-shattering. The mountain-like Abnormal Golden Armor was sent flying, rolling through the air twice. Before it could land, the massive talisman bead struck it again. The giant body of the Abnormal Golden Armor tumbled several times in the air before crashing heavily into the swarm of insects, killing countless armored insects.

Only then did the Ancestor vent his anger and reach out to recall the talisman bead. His altar descended from above and expanded rapidly. The Ancestor lightly landed on top of the altar and sat cross-legged there. He pointed at a pile of tiny light blue crystals on the first layer of the altar, and those crystals immediately flew up as he uttered a spell word: “Melt!”

The crystals dispersed and shot swiftly into the banner formation.

Guo Shier felt his mouth drop open in shock. He realized that those light blue crystals contained extreme coldness, likely crafted from countless ice runes and various precious icy materials. A single such ice crystal already held infinite power, yet the Ancestor possessed an entire pile of such extremely cold crystals. In an instant, half of them had merged into the banner formation.

“Damn… such a waste!”

These ice crystals, made from ice flames, were extremely precious, and it wasn’t easy to create even one. The Ancestor had used thousands at once. They were one-time-use items that disappeared completely once used—it was truly a shame. Guo Shier felt heartache just watching it.

Eagle Demon asked in confusion, “Waste? Shier, what do you mean by waste?”

Guo Shier shook his head. He had nothing more to say. He didn’t even have the ability to create such ice crystals. He said, “It’s a pity… so many ice crystals… The cost for the Ancestor to destroy the Abnormal Golden Armor must be huge!”

Eagle Demon pointed at the altar and said, “Are you referring to those light blue ice crystals? Look, there’s also a pile of yellow stones… I don’t know what those white crystals are…”

The altar was rotating slowly, allowing one to see what was on its surface. In addition to the various items on the altar, Guo Shier also saw tiny spirit beasts the size of fists, as well as countless runes—many of which he could already recognize and even write using his soul. Guo Shier was deeply moved; when he first saw the altar, he didn’t understand the ancient runes on it at all, but now he not only recognized them but also understood some of their meanings.