The Great Ruler (Web Novel)

The raging voice shook the sky like thunder, reverberating between the heavens and the earth. Then, a spiritual energy fluctuation rushed forth violently.

As the spiritual energy fluctuation ravage the sky, a huge withered hand covered the entire area where Mu Chen was standing. This sudden change scared Mu Chen out of his wits. Then, without hesitation, he rolled up the crystal pagoda and took it as he retreated frantically.

As he fled, his mind entered the pagoda, activating it. Instantly, a crystallite light shone out from the pagoda. The light seemed holy and pure. It then gathered to form a spatial vortex.

Once the vortex was fully formed, Mu Chen invoked the crystal pagoda once again. He was about to enter it and leave...

"You rat! Are trying to run away?" At this moment, the raging voice echoed once more.

Immediately, countless stars appeared in the ancient sky. If one looked carefully, he would notice that these stars were actually a hundred million spiritual seals. The seals connected and formed a spiritual superarray!

When the superarray appeared, Mu Chen could feel the ancient world falling under the control of the one who had just come. As this awareness washed over him, an uneasy alarm sounded in his heart.

"Lock him up!" A chilling hum echoed from afar.

In the next moment, Mu Chen surprisingly discovered that the spatial vortex behind him had suddenly become deathly silent. The pagoda he had hidden within his mind was also static.

He felt as if time and space had been frozen, and he became like a mosquito in the amber, seemingly alive, yet unable to move. Facing this situation, even with Mu Chen's composure, he could not help despair.

But, he was not a normal person, so he clenched his jaws and made a plan. He was determined to destruct the hard-earned crystal pagoda, thus self-destructing its piece of mind.

But, this would obviously cause an overwhelming loss. Remembering the difficulty that was involved in cultivating the crystal pagoda, Mu Chen estimated that if he missed this chance, he could never cultivate this crystal pagoda in the future.

More importantly, if he did not self-destruct its piece of mind, the power individuals from the Budur Ancient Clan may track him down, thus exposing him to even more danger. In order to prevent this, Mu Chen had only one option...

Mu Chen clenched his teeth, determined to execute the self-destruction, even though it would be painful. However, at that very moment, he sensed the appearance of many spiritual seals within the area. Although the seals were a part of the superarray, they seemed to be free from its controls, as if they'd suddenly lost their connection to it.

This situation caused the entire area to be released immediately. Mu Chen could once again control the crystal pagoda with his mind!

This happened so suddenly, Mu Chen was taken aback a bit. Thankfully, his reaction time was rather quick. Without thinking, he invoked the crystal pagoda and entered the spatial vortex.

"How could there be a loophole in the Ancestor Protection Spiritual Array?" At that moment, the attacker let out a shout of horror.

Then, when he saw that Mu Chen was about to escape into the spatial vortex, he bellowed with rage, "Stay there!"

BOOM!

In the sky, the withered hand slammed downward, causing the entire sky to instantly crumble. An indescribable horrifying force filled the air and enveloped the sky above Mu Chen.

The destructive power slammed down again and again, sending chills up Mu Chen's spine. In three more breathes, Mu Chen could enter the spatial vortex and escape!

But, the attacker was fast and furious, not giving him a single opportunity. It seemed that those three quick breaths would be the difference between Mu Chen's life and death.

Mu Chen could only watch in horror as the destructive power rushed out in a roar. However, at this moment, another change of events occurred.

Buzzzz.

Countless spiritual seals appeared in the space around Mu Chen. The seals activated the Ancestor Protection Spiritual Array, forming a thin veil of protection above him.

Bam!

Although the veil of protection was broken quickly, it was able to hold out for exactly three breaths. During that time, while he was controlling the pagoda, Mu Chen slipped into the spatial vortex.

Then, he was able to catch a glimpse of the spiritual seals. Faintly, he could smell a familiar scent. He then became suddenly aware, his thoughts rolling over him like waves.

"Mother, did you help me?" Mu Chen murmured, his eyes filling with tears. The sudden help that he had just received at the brink of death had come from his mother! It had to be her, as within the Budur Ancient Clan, the only one who could help him was his mother!

Mother, wait for me! I will save you and be reunited with you!

The vortex darkened quickly, and the ancient space dissipated swiftly, all while Mu Chen silently prayed in his heart. When Mu Chen's mind and pagoda entered the vortex, the destructive waves in the ancient world disappeared as well.

After several breaths, an elderly man who was emitting an air of rot and decay descended from above, appearing where the vortex had just been. With his outstretched arm, he felt the air around him, trying to find the destination of the vortex from the aura it had left behind.

When the retracted his arm, his face was gloomy. This was because he found out that the spatial traces had been wiped clean. Hence, even with his capabilities, he could not feel a single thing. The elder raised his head and stared at the ancient sky with a sullen face.

Back within the dark and silent tower, a beautiful figure was sitting cross-legged. After a moment, her eyes suddenly opened wide. As she stared into the void, a faint smile floated upon her lips. But within a few breaths, the smiled faded away, leaving her face peaceful and expressionless.

Buzzzz.

The dark space within the tower suddenly twisted, and an aged face emerged from the darkness. The old face stared at the beautiful figure, shaking in anger.

"Qing Yanjing, what have you done?" The old face spat out the words angrily.

The figure looked up at the old face and replied indifferently, "I don't know what you are talking about, great elder."

The old face bellowed with rage, "Some thief snuck into the ancestors' land, stealing our ancestors' aura. At the last moment, the Ancestor Protection Spiritual Array backfired on us, as it covered the thief's escape route!"

"What does that have to do with me?" she asked with a coy smile.

"Hmph, what does this have to do with you? You were one of the builders of the protection array, so it would be easy for you to do something to it. You really think I am that senile? The thief that came to steal our ancestors' aura is probably the son that you left outside, right?" The old man scoffed at her.

"Really, you think so?" Qing Yanjing spoke ambiguously.

The great elder said coldly, "It seems like I have underestimated this kid. In just a few years, he has become so powerful, even condensing the holy pagoda! It seems like he has really inherited your genes. So, we must take him seriously. I will send some elders to capture him!"

Qing Yanjing's calm face changed when she heard this. She stared at the great elder with sharpened eyes and said, "If you send the elders, don't blame me for being heartless in my retaliation!"

The elders of the Budur Ancient Clan had immense statuses and capabilities, as they were all Heavenly Sovereigns. As such, they would surely pose a significant threat to Mu Chen once they were sent after him.

"What can you do?" the elder asked with a sullen face, obviously unhappy with Qing Yanjing's threat.

She looked at the elder faintly, then shut her eyes gently. When she did that, the black tower started to shake. The elder was shocked to realize that the seals that were keeping her in place were starting to crumble one by one!

At the same moment, he could feel a great commotion among the Budur Ancient Clan. His expression turned grave. This was because the protective array above the Budur Ancient Clan, which was supposedly controlled by the elder academy, had activated all by itself!

"You!" The great elder looked at Qing Yanjing furiously and fearfully. "Has your control over the spiritual array grown so much that you are even able to control the protective array of our clan?"

As she stood up, countless flickering spiritual seals that looked like stars surrounded her. With a calm expression in her eyes, she said to the great elder, "Great elder, I chose to relent then, not because I feared you, but because I was worried that my child would be endangered. If you now want to threaten my child, you should consider the price you will be paying."

Qing Yanjing lost her usual calm and bared her fangs. She was like a lioness protecting her cub.

Looking at Qing Yanjing, who was extremely dangerous now, the great elder's face turned grave. He could feel her determination. If he sent out any Heavenly Sovereigns, she would definitely rebel immediately and they would suffer a heavy price.

After a moment of silence, the elder slowly said, "I can refrain from sending the Heavenly Sovereigns, but your child must be captured."

His voice, while low, was undeniably clear. He would not send any Heavenly Sovereigns, but he could send anyone beneath them.

Hearing this, Qing Yanjing calmed down. She understood the stubbornness of this ancient clan. Forcing them a step back was good enough for now. She would not want to break their relationship entirely, as she still had the blood of the Budur Ancient Clan flowing in her veins.

Although she was worried about the powerful people who would be sent after her son, she could accept it. Since Mu Chen had condensed the holy pagoda, it meant that he had become an Earthly Sovereign. With that strength, he could protect himself. Even if he could not fight his pursuers, he could at least escape.

She looked up into emptiness, as if her sight had traveled to a faraway space, to the figure she missed the most. A relieved smile appeared on her face, while she silently sighed in her heart.

My child, I have done all that I could. Now, it's all up to you.