TL: Etude

“An Invincible Dao Ancestor has fallen.”

When Ye Tian heard this news, he was utterly incredulous. This was an Invincible Dao Ancestor—a being above Pinnacle Dao Ancestors, second only to Half-Step Domain Ancestors. How could someone like that fall so easily? Unless they encountered a lord-level forbidden insect, it seemed almost impossible for an Invincible Dao Ancestor to perish.

And yet, lord-level forbidden insects never concealed their presence. If one appeared, the Half-Step Domain Ancestors would surely intercept it. How could an Invincible Dao Ancestor fall under such circumstances?

Before long, Ye Tian learned the full details.

The fallen Invincible Dao Ancestor was Dao Ancestor Blazing Fire of the Myriad Domains Divine Hall. Dao Ancestor Blazing Fire had been surrounded by ten commander-level forbidden insects and trapped within a domain, unable to escape. With no time for the Half-Step Domain Ancestors to rescue him, he was brutally slain.

By all logic, even under siege by ten commander-level forbidden insects, Dao Ancestor Blazing Fire should have lasted long enough for a Half-Step Domain Ancestor to intervene. However, after careful speculation by the Half-Step Domain Ancestors, it was concluded that Dao Ancestor Blazing Fire had been slain by an exceptionally powerful commander-level insect. This opponent surpassed ordinary commander-level forbidden insects in strength and even possessed a certain degree of intelligence. It had devised a strategy to encircle Dao Ancestor Blazing Fire, ultimately leading to his death.

Dao Ancestor Blazing Fire’s body had been taken, leaving the Half-Step Domain Ancestors unable to retrieve it.

It was clear that if Dao Ancestor Blazing Fire’s corpse were delivered to the forbidden insects’ nest, it could potentially lead to the birth of a lord-level forbidden insect. Such an event would place immense pressure on the Dao Mountain Domain.

That day,

The Wind King informed Ye Tian that the major forces were preparing to initiate an all-out war. If they won this war, it would deal a devastating blow to the insects and force them to retreat for an extended period.

Ye Tian knew very well that Dao Ancestor Blazing Fire’s death was merely a trigger. The Half-Step Domain Ancestors didn’t necessarily care deeply about this loss, but they could no longer afford to delay. They intended to deliver a severe blow to the forbidden insects. Without this decisive action, the continual shifting of forces between battlefields would leave the Dao Ancestors spread too thin to make any lasting impact.

On some battlefields, the forbidden insects had already gained the upper hand, seizing more corpses to bolster their strength and expand their numbers.

Thus, the plan was set: assemble all the Dao Ancestors from the various bases, recruit additional Dao Ancestors from the Profound Void Archaic Realm, and launch an all-out assault. This concentrated effort would suppress the forbidden insects and deal them a devastating blow.

Orders were quickly issued across the bases. Dao Ancestors withdrew from battlefields to rest and regroup. Once all forces were assembled, the full-scale war would commence.

Before long, a large contingent of Dao Ancestors arrived from the Profound Void Archaic Realm. Most were affiliated with major forces, and even the Heavenly Emperor Palace had dispatched several Imperial Monarchs.

…

Blackwind Mountain Base.

A staggering number of Dao Ancestors gathered. This time, Blackwind Mountain even dispatched six Invincible Dao Ancestors, a stark contrast to their earlier deployment of just one—Dao Ancestor Flowing Fire.

“Six Invincible Dao Ancestors!”

Ye Tian was astonished by Blackwind Mountain’s reserves. Clearly, this was not the full extent of their power.

These six Invincible Dao Ancestors had once been among the Ten Kings but had long since retired from their titles.

Now, Blackwind Mountain had dispatched six Invincible Dao Ancestors, ten Pinnacle Dao Ancestors, and several rogue Invincible Dao Ancestors. Together with the Invincible Dao Ancestors from the Three Ninth Heaven Forces, there were about twenty Invincible Dao Ancestors in total from the Profound Void Archaic Realm.

Even so, their numbers still fell short of the forbidden insects, which boasted over fifty Invincible Dao Ancestors.

The only advantage held by the allied forces was in the number of Half-Step Domain Ancestors. This time, the battlefield would feature eight Half-Step Domain Ancestors, including Palace Master White Tiger of the Heavenly Emperor Palace.

As for the forbidden insects, their lord-level participants numbered only six—at least, as far as the other forces were aware. Blackwind Mountain, however, had intelligence revealing that the forbidden insects’ nest contained two additional lord-level creatures. For strategic reasons, this information was withheld.

Moreover, Blackwind Mountain was confident that those two lord-level forbidden insects would not emerge for battle.

As such, at the level of Half-Step Domain Ancestors, the major forces held the advantage. They could dispatch a Half-Step Domain Ancestor to slaughter commander-level forbidden insects, effectively compensating for the disadvantage in the numbers of Invincible Dao Ancestors.

On that day.

The Dao Ancestors were ready. Nearly two million Dao Ancestors from the Profound Void Archaic Realm set off, their grand army advancing towards the Dark Forbidden Domain, marching to assault the forbidden insects’ nest.

Before long, some scattered, roaming forbidden insects encountered the Dao Ancestor army of the Profound Void Archaic Realm. They were ruthlessly suppressed and slain. Even several elite-level forbidden insects were instantly annihilated.

At the start, the forbidden insects were clearly unprepared. Over a hundred thousand of them were swept away and exterminated.

However, it didn’t take long before the forbidden insects began to regroup. This indicated that intelligent insects within their ranks were directing the battle.

“Be cautious! Dao Ancestors, spread out! The main army of the forbidden insects is approaching!”

The voices of the Half-Step Domain Ancestors rang in the ears of every Dao Ancestor.

Immediately, the Dao Ancestors scattered to avoid being caught in the fierce clashes of the Half-Step Domain Ancestors.

The first wave of combat began between six lord-level forbidden insects and seven Half-Step Domain Ancestors. The strongest among them, Palace Master Azure Dragon, did not engage but remained concealed.

Only Palace Master Azure Dragon was confident in being able to kill a commander-level forbidden insect in a single strike. The other Half-Step Domain Ancestors lacked such capability. Commander-level forbidden insects were exceedingly difficult to kill.

The second wave belonged to the battlefield of the Invincible Dao Ancestors, while the third wave was the domain of the Pinnacle Dao Ancestors.

Meanwhile, the other Dao Ancestors and a large number of ordinary forbidden insects quickly became embroiled in chaotic combat, their battle spreading across the vast expanse of the Dark Forbidden Domain.

Ye Tian’s copy body fought alongside the Dao Ancestors of Blackwind Mountain against the forbidden insects, while his true body remained close to his family, ensuring their safety. As long as they didn’t encounter elite-level or stronger forbidden insects, he was fully capable of protecting his family from harm.

…

In the battlefield of the Invincible Dao Ancestors.

More than twenty Invincible Dao Ancestors were engaged in fierce combat with fifty commander-level forbidden insects. The Dao Ancestors were utterly outmatched and overwhelmed.

Abruptly.

Palace Master Azure Dragon appeared. With a single strike, he obliterated one of the commander-level forbidden insects.

Thereafter, wielding a Forbidden Weapon, Palace Master Azure Dragon continued to hunt down the commander-level forbidden insects. Even the strongest among them struggled to withstand his blows, a testament to the unparalleled power of Palace Master Azure Dragon.

As one after another of the commander-level forbidden insects fell, the six lord-level forbidden insects grew enraged and sought to come to their aid.

However, Dao Ancestor Eternal Perpetuity and his allies would never allow these six lord-level forbidden insects to provide support. They exerted every ounce of their strength to block them, ensuring they could not intervene.