TL: Etude

“How can this be so powerful?”

Dao Ancestor Lin’an couldn’t believe it. The speed of the Forbidden Spear was too fast, and it had locked onto him. He had no way to dodge.

Clang! A top-tier Dao Artifact armor appeared on his body, and he activated a Pinnacle Dao Technique for defense.

As a rogue cultivator, he was not particularly wealthy and didn’t possess any Forbidden Weapons. This was one of the many sorrows of being a rogue cultivator.

Pfft!!! The Forbidden Spear instantly pierced through his defenses, penetrating even the top-tier Dao Artifact armor.

With this strike, Dao Ancestor Lin’an was severely wounded.

“One strike… and I’m heavily injured!!!”

Fear filled Dao Ancestor Lin’an’s gaze as he looked at Ye Tian. This was his first encounter with such a terrifying Dao Ancestor.

In his memory, only the likes of Flame Ancestor and Dao Ancestor Blackguard from the Heavenly Emperor Palace could possibly strike him down so devastatingly in one move. Even Dao Ancestor Heavenly Scales, Dao Ancestor Devoid Sky, and Dao Ancestor Kunxing might not achieve this.

Run! Dao Ancestor Lin’an was utterly defeated and filled with terror.

Boom!!!

Two Forbidden Domains descended, followed by the execution of the Grand Thousand Dao Technique Ten-Directions Space-Fixing Technique.

Although the Grand Thousand Dao Technique wasn’t particularly powerful, it worked in tandem with the Forbidden Domains to effectively bind Dao Ancestor Lin’an.

“Dao Ancestor Lin’an, since I became a Pinnacle Dao Ancestor, I’ve never used the Forbidden Dao Technique I created on anyone. Today, you’ll be its first target,” Ye Tian murmured.

Forbidden Dao Technique! The moment Dao Ancestor Lin’an heard those words, his pupils constricted sharply.

He pleaded, “Dark King, don’t kill me! I truly didn’t mean to compete with you for this forbidden supreme treasure. It’s yours!”

However, Ye Tian ignored his pleas and unleashed the Dark Limit Dao Spear.

Pitch-black and infused with the terrifying rules of forbidden power, the Dark Limit Dao Spear condensed in an instant, carrying an overwhelming force as it pierced forward.

“No!” Dao Ancestor Lin’an screamed in terror.

With a single strike, Dao Ancestor Lin’an’s body exploded, and he perished completely.

“To think that even a top-tier Pinnacle Dao Ancestor like Lin’an couldn’t withstand one strike from my Forbidden Dao Technique!” Ye Tian murmured.

Of course, this was partly because Dao Ancestor Lin’an lacked any Forbidden defensive weapons. If he had possessed one and cultivated a Pinnacle Dao Technique to the limit, Ye Tian’s attack might not have been lethal.

Nevertheless, Ye Tian gained a clearer understanding of his own strength.

At the very least, ordinary top-tier Dao Ancestors were no match for him. He could kill them in two or three moves, sometimes even in a single strike.

Ye Tian casually collected Dao Ancestor Lin’an’s belongings, including the forbidden supreme treasure orb. Without pausing to examine the orb’s properties, he swiftly left, continuing his search for forbidden wondrous objects and forbidden supreme treasures.

As time passed, many forbidden wondrous objects fell into the hands of the Pinnacle Dao Ancestors. Each one reaped substantial rewards. Though some weaker Pinnacle Dao Ancestors fell and perished, the numbers were relatively small.

After all, most were preoccupied with seeking forbidden wondrous objects and forbidden treasures. Unless there was a significant disparity in strength, fights rarely broke out. Engaging in a battle would waste time, and failing to kill one’s opponent meant other forbidden wondrous objects would be snatched by another Pinnacle Dao Ancestor.

Only in situations like the one between Ye Tian and Dao Ancestor Lin’an, where the strength gap was vast, would a confrontation occur.

Several days passed quickly.

At this moment, the majority of forbidden wondrous objects in this medium Forbidden Void Realm had fallen into the hands of Pinnacle Dao Ancestors.

“Over ten thousand forbidden objects!”

This was Ye Tian’s harvest in just three days. After all, the collection speed in this situation, akin to simply picking up forbidden wondrous objects, was naturally swift. Among them were a significant number of top-grade forbidden wondrous objects, and he even obtained eight pieces of forbidden supreme treasures.

In a small Forbidden Void Realm, forbidden supreme treasures were scarce, but in a medium Forbidden Void Realm, they were far more abundant.

Now, although there were still some forbidden wondrous objects left in this Forbidden Void Realm, their numbers were undoubtedly dwindling.

“It’s time to attempt refining the Forbidden Void Realm.” Ye Tian muttered to himself.

With that, he began summoning the Dao Ancestors of Blackwind Mountain.

Soon, numerous Pinnacle Dao Ancestors of Blackwind Mountain gathered around him.

On a towering forbidden giant mountain, over 100 Pinnacle Dao Ancestors of Blackwind Mountain had arrived. Only one had fallen, likely due to misfortune—encountering a Pinnacle Dao Ancestor like Flame Ancestor, who had gravely injured or even instantly killed them.

“I am preparing to refine the Forbidden Void Realm. You will stand guard here. If an enemy proves too powerful for you to handle, I will intervene,” Ye Tian commanded.

At this moment, Dao Ancestor Nirvana Sky, who rarely spoke, voiced his concerns: “Dark King, if we proceed to refine the Forbidden Void Realm like this, the Pinnacle Dao Ancestors of the Heavenly Emperor Palace, Heavenly Sea Sect, Limitless Sky Sect, and Myriad Domains Divine Hall will all come to attack us. We won’t be able to hold them off! I suggest we let other forces attempt to refine the Forbidden Void Realm first. Once they exhaust themselves in battle, we can move in to refine the Forbidden Void Realm ourselves. This way, our chances of success will be much higher.”

Ye Tian replied coldly, “Dao Ancestor Nirvana Sky, do you think the other forces haven’t considered such a plan? If we wait like this, how long will we have to wait? Furthermore, if other forces dare to refine the Forbidden Void Realm, it means they are extremely confident in their chances.”

“Similarly, since I dare to refine the Forbidden Void Realm, I naturally have substantial confidence as well!”

Dao Ancestor Nirvana Sky did not argue further. Arguing would serve no purpose.

At that moment, Ye Tian took out the Realm-Suppressing Stele and placed it atop the mountain peak.

Boom!

As soon as the stele emerged, under Ye Tian’s activation, it began to suppress the forbidden rules of this section of void space, even extending its influence into the essence of the medium Forbidden Void Realm, slowly invading its core.

Simultaneously, a portion of Ye Tian’s power, along with the Realm-Suppressing Stele, began refining the essence of the Forbidden Void Realm.

When Dao Ancestor Nirvana Sky and the other Pinnacle Dao Ancestors saw the Realm-Suppressing Stele, they were instantly astounded. They could clearly tell that this stele was undoubtedly the best supreme treasure for refining a world.

“Could it have been bestowed upon him by Blackwind Mountain’s two Half-Step Domain Ancestors?” Dao Ancestor Nirvana Sky asked in doubt.

However, upon further thought, it didn’t seem plausible. While Blackwind Mountain’s rules weren’t overly strict, they wouldn’t casually bestow treasures, especially not such a rare and valuable one.

For instance, when he had served under the Space King, he hadn’t been granted any treasures, let alone something of this caliber. Hence, it was unlikely that such a supreme treasure had been given to Ye Tian.

Dao Ancestor Nirvana Sky ceased pondering and instead focused entirely on scanning the surrounding void, guarding against any surprise attacks from other Pinnacle Dao Ancestors.

At the same time…

The Pinnacle Dao Ancestors of the Heavenly Emperor Palace, Heavenly Sea Sect, Limitless Sky Sect, and Myriad Domains Divine Hall had also learned that someone was refining the medium Forbidden Void Realm. One by one, they converged toward Ye Tian’s location.

Many rogue cultivators and Pinnacle Dao Ancestors from Eighth Heaven forces were also intrigued. They began to gather, intending to observe the impending battle.

If an opportunity to profit presented itself, they wouldn’t hesitate to take action and seize it.