Ling Xiao was quite surprised. Ru Shou had been decapitated, yet he managed to use his lingering, unspent vitality to complete the array.
At this moment, twelve pillars of black Evil Qi had completely fused together. A world-shaking roar erupted, sounding like the collective weeping of ghosts and the howling of gods. A boundless gale swept through heaven and earth, churning the four seas and eight directions into a violent frenzy.
In a daze, the living beings of the world looked toward the horizon and saw a phantom—immeasurably tall and infinitely magnificent—slowly solidifying. This Aura was supreme and vast, surpassing all imagination. The entire Primordial World seemed to resonate, vibrating in response to this silhouette.
"The Pangu phantom is complete! Ling Xiao is finished!" The observing great powers gasped. The pressure radiating from the phantom was like the wrath of heaven itself—far too terrifying.
"A pity. The Wu Clan wins again. Aside from the Saints, no force left in the world can restrain them."
"I'm tired. Just let it all be destroyed."
The world was in an uproar. Great powers hidden in every corner of the Honghuang World felt suffocated. If the Witches grew even stronger, they didn't know how they could survive. No one wanted the ruthless, unreasonable Wu Clan to rule the Primordial Great Earth.
"Ling Xiao, against the will of our Father, what do you have to resist?"
The Twelve Ancestral Witches were encased within the divine pillars of the array, immune to all magic, as they trapped Ling Xiao within the formation. This pocket of the world had turned into a zone of Chaos—countless Lightning Tribulations and celestial fires raged, while black Evil Qi saturated the space between heaven and earth.
The Pangu phantom stood at the center, surrounded by indescribable anomalies. Chaos Qi coiled around its form, radiating the momentum of the one who carved out the universe.
Ling Xiao gazed at the phantom, the light in his eyes growing more intense. "Wait until I take the final step, then you'll see what I have to resist!"
He spoke with a smile, his Battle Intent piercing through the Nine Heavens. The Twelve Ancestral Witches had disappointed him; their individual strength wasn't enough to act as a whetstone to break his barrier. But this Pangu phantom—formed by the ultimate array—possessed a power comparable to a Saint's Physical Body. While still far from a true Saint, it was a target worth striking.
"If you don't kill me today, then I shall certainly attain the Primordial Chaos!"
Ling Xiao's fighting spirit boiled over. Laws flickered and vanished within his pupils, blooming with eternal celestial light. The Grandmist Cauldron (Hongmeng Cauldron) appeared above his head, spilling strands of purple Qi as Ling Xiao stepped forward, his presence seeking to swallow the heavens.
He chose to attack. His Laws and Dao had reached their absolute peak, and his belief in his own invincibility was firmer than ever.
"I will use the power of this Pangu phantom to blast my way into the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm!"
Ling Xiao formed a law-seal, fusing multiple Laws together. Every gesture he made was grand and open, carrying a majestic spirit—the spirit of one who stands alone across all worlds.
At that moment, the Pangu phantom turned. The stars shifted and immeasurable Divine Power cleared the Chaos. A hand as vast as a world rose and slowly descended toward Ling Xiao. It was a boundless, infinite pressure. In a trance, one could see the phantom's eyes—as brilliant as the sun and moon.
Ling Xiao saw Pangu's face clearly—expressionless, like a sculpture. The Creator God was currently nothing more than an empty shell.
Rumble!
A cataclysmic collision occurred. Beams of eternal, destructive light pierced the heavens and earth, illuminating infinite space-time. All living beings lost their vision; there was only a mass of blinding light that threatened to sear their eyes.
The firmament was split in two. The order of Law was thrown into chaos, evolving into various horrifying anomalies. A great sun fell from the deep void with a world-destroying power, looking like the end of days.
This was Ling Xiao's Dharma Body. His mouth was stained with blood, and his Grandmist Robe was tattered with cracks. Had it not been for the Grandmist Cauldron protecting him, his body might have shattered entirely. The Divine Power of the Pangu phantom was too horrifying; in a head-on clash, the gap was indeed significant.
"Excellent! Again!"
Ling Xiao's eyes were brilliant. Though that palm had wounded him, he could feel the barrier to Grand Unity Golden Immortal loosening even further. At this rate, he wasn't far from his breakthrough.
"Haha! Ling Xiao, do you see our Father's power now?" the Witches cried out in joy. Seeing Ling Xiao sent flying made them feel immensely satisfied. Even with his blood flowing, the God of Fire continued to boast, his face savage and hideous.
"Imagining you can rival Father Pangu—how absurd!" Di Jiang mocked, his face full of contempt. He found Ling Xiao's actions foolish. In their hearts, Father Pangu was invincible; any rival was merely a mayfly trying to shake a tree.
"Father, kill him!" Gonggong roared, attempting to manipulate the phantom to deliver a lethal blow. The thrill of imminent revenge drove him to the brink of madness. He was one of the Witches who had suffered most at Ling Xiao's hands, starting from the Three Immortals Island. The only ones who had it worse were likely Ru Shou and Zhu Rong—both were currently clinging to life.
The Pangu phantom moved again. It looked at Ling Xiao with an expressionless face and raised its hand once more, divine power condensing in its palm as the galaxies around it grew dim.
"Come! Bring it on!" Ling Xiao's Battle Intent was high. His true blood was burning, and the power of the inner-worlds within him filled his limbs. In this moment, he felt he had the strength to hold up the heavens.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened. The Pangu phantom slowly withdrew its hand. Those cold, wooden eyes seemed to flicker with a trace of sentience.
After a brief pause, the mountain-high silhouette began to fade, slowly thinning until it vanished entirely.
"That look..." Ling Xiao froze, falling into deep thought. His heart was a churning sea of shock. For a split second, the Pangu phantom seemed to have come alive. That gaze was incredibly real—indescribable and mysterious. Even though it lasted only an instant, he had sensed a profound meaning within it.
"What did that mean?" Ling Xiao's gaze shifted. That look felt as if it were trying to tell him something. It was abrupt and eerie. Could I have seen it wrong? Was I overthinking it?
"What's going on? Why did Father disappear?" The Witches were stunned as they watched the phantom vanish. It was inconceivable. Why had it gone so quickly? It was fine just a second ago, and then it left after a single strike.
"Big Brother, could it be that the Evil Qi was insufficient, causing Father to leave?" one Witch asked in shock.
Di Jiang was also dumbfounded. Even if the Evil Qi was low, it shouldn't have only lasted for one palm strike. Compared to the last time, the difference was night and day. What had caused Father to be so... "short-lived"?
"Could it be..."
Di Jiang looked toward Ru Shou. He was lying there like a dead celestial body, his vitality faint and his heartbeat almost inaudible. His worsening injuries had almost sent him to the afterlife.
"It must be because of Ru Shou that the formation collapsed," Di Jiang said with a serious face. "What are you all staring at? Save Ru Shou, quickly!"
With a roar, the Witches scrambled into action.
Ling Xiao's eyes flickered with the order of Law. He stopped thinking about that gaze for now; he was deducing the final thread of his opportunity to attain the Primordial Chaos.
A moment later, he suddenly turned his head to look toward the Southern Honghuang, far in the distance.
"So, it's there..."
Ling Xiao whispered to himself. His eyes were clear, and his heart understood. But before he left, he was going to make the Ancestral Witches pay a price!