"Great Havenlaw Heavenly Sovereign, Zhou Yi?!"
The moment Zhou Yi appeared, carrying Qing Yanjing in his arms, all the powerhouses of the Ancient Buddha Clan were stunned. They never expected Zhou Yi to be so audacious as to trespass into their ancestral land.
Although Zhou Yi was a Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme, he had only just reached the initial stage.
If this were outside, it might be difficult for them to capture a Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme like Zhou Yi if he chose to flee.
But this was the very heart of the Ancient Buddha Clan.
Not only was their clan-protecting grand formation present, but they also possessed their most treasured artifact—the Ancestral Pagoda.
The Ancestral Pagoda was one of the strongest trump cards of the Ancient Buddha Clan. It was precisely because of its existence that the clan had been able to secure its place among the Five Great Ancient Clans, untouched by any external forces.
Control over the Ancestral Pagoda was granted only to the clan leader and the Grand Elder.
Every Grand Elder, upon sensing the approach of their final days, would enter the pagoda to pass away, leaving behind their lifetime of spiritual energy within it. This accumulation was the source of the pagoda's formidable power.
When fully unleashed, even a Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme could be suppressed and slain by it. In the past, it had aided the clan's powerhouses in killing three Nether Demon Emperors from the Outer Realms.
Furthermore, the clan-protecting grand formation was the culmination of countless ancestors' efforts, strengthened over generations. Its might was enough to shield the entire Ancient Buddha Clan. Even a Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme could not hope to break through it.
Zhou Yi, having just entered the ranks of Saint-Grade, had walked into the heart of their clan—an act akin to a lamb entering a tiger's den, his life and death entirely in their hands.
"So, you're that newly ascended Saint-Grade, the Great Havenlaw Heavenly Sovereign, Zhou Yi?"
Futu Xuan narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Zhou Yi.
He had to admit that Zhou Yi had an extraordinary bearing, unmatched by any he had seen before.
If Qing Yanjing had not already been betrothed to Maha Tian of the Maha Ancient Clan, then with Zhou Yi's status as the Lord of Skylaw Continent and his Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme cultivation, he would have been a worthy match for her.
But fate had dictated otherwise.
What Zhou Yi was doing now was nothing less than a blatant humiliation of the Ancient Buddha Clan.
"That's right."
Zhou Yi gave a slight nod, calmly studying the white-haired elder, Futu Xuan. This was the first complete Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme he had ever encountered.
The previous Heavenly Emperor had been at the late Saint-Grade stage but was already dead, leaving behind only a lingering remnant of his will.
And the Devouring Demon Emperor had not been a fully-fledged Demon Emperor either.
As he gazed at the powerhouses of the Ancient Buddha Clan, their eyes filled with murderous intent, Zhou Yi smiled lightly and declared:
"I have not come here today to fight, but to propose a marriage."
"Propose a marriage?"
Futu Guang sneered. With the Grand Elder Futu Xuan present and their home ground advantage, even though Zhou Yi was a Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme, he remained unafraid.
His eyes locked onto Zhou Yi as he spoke in a stern voice:
"Qing Yanjing has long been engaged to the Maha Ancient Clan. Not only did you interfere, but you also spread invitations far and wide without our consent. Now you dare to step into our domain so brazenly. Do you truly believe that achieving Saint-Grade makes you invincible?"
"How noisy."
Zhou Yi's eyes turned cold. Then, before anyone could react, he raised his hand and slapped Futu Guang across his fair face.
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed in all directions as Futu Guang was sent flying. His once pale cheeks swelled visibly at an alarming rate.
He crashed into a distant mountain, stars flashing before his eyes. His mind went completely blank—he had been utterly dazed by the slap.
It wasn't just Futu Guang who was stunned; everyone else was too.
How dare he?
This was the heart of the Ancient Buddha Clan!
Did he really think they wouldn't kill him?
Qing Yanjing's heart pounded violently. Though she despised Futu Guang, Zhou Yi's slap wasn't just a blow to him—it was a direct insult to the Ancient Buddha Clan itself.
"How presumptuous!"
Futu Xuan's expression turned as dark as ink, his cold voice reverberating like thunder. The fury within carried such weight that even the heavens seemed to fall into silence. The aura of a Saint-Grade power was fully revealed.
Boom!
In the next instant, endless spiritual light burst from Futu Xuan's palm, condensing into a colossal black-and-white wheel. The two opposing forces intertwined, radiating an overwhelming power of destruction.
With a deafening roar, the wheel shot toward Zhou Yi like a descending star.
Yet Zhou Yi remained indifferent, raising a single palm. In that instant, it was as though an entire world had condensed within his grasp. The oncoming black-and-white wheel was swallowed by it, vanishing without a trace.
This was one of Zhou Yi's supreme divine abilities—
World in the Palm.
"And what if I am presumptuous?"
Zhou Yi flicked his fingers and looked at Futu Xuan with a smirk of disdain. With an air of absolute confidence, he declared:
"Do you know what it means to be a Saint beyond reproach? A mere trash-tier Immortal-Grade dares to utter such arrogance. Do you think being in the Ancient Buddha Clan makes you untouchable?"
"The fact that I didn't kill him outright is only because of Qing'er. Consider that his lucky break."
Futu Xuan's gaze darkened. He hadn't expected that, despite Zhou Yi's recent ascension to Saint-Grade, his strength was this unfathomable.
Even in this brief clash, he couldn't gauge Zhou Yi's full depth.
Unfathomable.
Yet, no matter how strong Zhou Yi was, the Ancient Buddha Clan was not a place where he could act so recklessly.
"A Saint beyond reproach?"
Futu Xuan's voice deepened, and even the winds seemed to freeze in response.
The surrounding Ancient Buddha Clan powerhouses held their breath, their scalps tingling. They knew that Zhou Yi had thoroughly enraged the Grand Elder.
"So you believe that our Ancient Buddha Clan is beneath your dignity?"
As his final word fell, countless rays of light gathered within his pupils, forming intricate spiritual seals as numerous as the stars.
Boom!
At that moment, in the boundless sky above the Ancient Buddha (Futu) Realm, the celestial bodies themselves seemed to manifest, coalescing into a grand formation that engulfed the entire space.
Powerhouses across the entire realm sensed the shift, their faces changing drastically.
Because this formation was none other than their Clan-Protecting Grand Formation!
"The Grand Formation!"
Qing Yan Jing's face turned deathly pale as she looked up. The moment she recognized it, a deep terror seized her.
She knew Zhou Yi was powerful—immensely so—but the might of the Clan-Protecting Grand Formation had been ingrained in her very soul. For the first time, she truly feared for him.
Boom!
The heavens trembled. The celestial bodies in the sky aligned, descending in an overwhelming spiritual formation. The sheer pressure sent waves of divine fear rippling through even the strongest powerhouses.
Futu Xuan's aged face was cold as iron. His gaze was piercing, exuding an oppressive force that made the very world seem to tremble.
"Today, even if you are a Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme, you will leave your life here!"
He stepped forward, his presence surging like an immovable mountain. The entire sky was suffused with an overwhelming killing intent.
"Die!"
Boom!
As Futuo Xuan's deep voice fell, the heavens and earth roared in turmoil. Winds howled, thunder raged—an apocalyptic scene as if divine calamity had descended, shaking the very fabric of existence.
The wrath of a Saint-Grade Heavenly Supreme—enough to annihilate the sky itself.
In that instant, Xuan Guang, Mo Tong, and the other Heavenly Supremes of the Ancient Buddha Clan felt an overwhelming pressure surging toward them. Their expressions turned grave, filled with awe.
Saint-Grade—this was the pinnacle of the Great Thousand World. And when one at the peak unleashed their might, the heavens themselves trembled.
Futu Xuan reached out to the grand formation surrounding them. Instantly, endless spiritual radiance gathered within, and with a deafening rumble, the formation materialized over a dozen towering spiritual peaks, each spanning ten thousand feet.
These peaks shimmered like divine treasures, their weight immeasurable, pressing against space itself, causing distortions and fractures in the void.
Boom!
With a flick of Futu Xuan's sleeve, the dozen mountainous peaks crashed downward, obliterating space in their wake, descending upon Zhou Yi with the force of an unyielding decree.
"Is this all you've got?"
Zhou Yi cradled Qing Yanjing in his left arm and sneered. Raising his right fist, he punched forward, reducing the spiritual peaks to dust in an instant.
The punch did not lose momentum. It struck the protective formation of the Ancient Buddha Clan, shaking the heavens with an earth-shattering roar. The entire clan trembled under its force.
Futu Xuan's pupils contracted in shock. His heart pounded—he was the master of this grand formation, and yet, he could feel it wavering under that single punch.
"This boy only recently ascended to Saint-Grade… How can he be this terrifying?"
A storm raged within Futu Xuan's mind. Though the grand formation had yet to fully unleash its potential, he now realized—even at its peak, it could never suppress Zhou Yi.
This man was too strong.
But Zhou Yi had come to their Ancient Buddha Clan seeking trouble. He had to be subdued.
"Summon the Ancestral Pagoda!"
Futu Xuan's gaze turned cold. No matter what, Zhou Yi had to be suppressed today.
"Be careful! The Grand Elder is summoning the Ancestral Pagoda!"
Qing Yanjing hastily warned.
Futu Xuan let out a low snort. His hands swiftly formed seals, and at that moment, the entire Futu Realm quaked.
From the distant, boundless sky, it was as if the world itself had been torn apart. A colossal, ancient stone pagoda slowly descended, its end nowhere in sight, exuding an aura of unfathomable antiquity.
As the pagoda descended, a crushing pressure blanketed the heavens and earth.
Even the Heavenly Supremes trembled. Their spiritual power instinctively surged to protect their bodies against the sheer force emanating from the pagoda.
All the Heavenly Supremes paled in horror.
They could feel it—if that ancient pagoda descended upon them, they would have no chance of escape.
"The Grand Elder has summoned the Ancestral Pagoda! He's dead for sure!"
Xuan Guang's eyes burned with fanaticism and reverence. He rubbed his swollen face—now resembling a pig's head—his heart brimming with delight.
This man had dared to strike him in the Ancient Buddha Clan.
He must die!
No matter how strong Zhou Yi was, he could never withstand the Ancestral Pagoda.
This was the Ancient Buddha Clan's ultimate pillar of strength—countless powerful foes had perished beneath it.
Zhou Yi would be no exception.
Rumble!
The ancient stone pagoda continued its descent, aiming to suppress Zhou Yi once and for all. Xuan Guang, Mo Tong, and the other clan members watched with eager anticipation.
But Zhou Yi remained unmoved. His expression was calm, his demeanor unshaken. Instead, he turned toward them and smiled.
"Since you've taken out your treasured artifact… it would be rude of me not to do the same."
"Let me show you mine!"
"Heh… heh…"
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