The altar entwined with the Mystic Bird Totem, the gaze behind the bronze mask penetrated the curling sandalwood incense. Li Qing looked toward the center of the altar, where an old man with white hair wore plain hemp robes. Though his pipa bone was pierced by nine bronze chains, his back remained as upright as a pillar of heaven—he was Ji Chang, the ruler of the Western Zhou.

This man was different from the Zhou Wenwang that Xu Qing's past life recognized. Through the memories of his current identity, Li Qing understood: whether it was King Yin or King Zhou, each had ruled their respective countries for tens of thousands of years, their cultivation unfathomable.

"King Zhou, did you ever anticipate such an end when you snuck into Chao Ge alone to steal the 'Gui Zang Yi'?" The Yin Shang State Preceptor, Bi Gan, ascended the altar with a turtle shell in hand, the jade pearls on his Nine-tasselled Crown producing a crisp sound as they collided.

Behind him, twelve witches beat the Kui Ox Drum, each beat causing the phantom of the Mystic Bird to spread its wings and circle in the sky above the altar.

Ji Chang lifted his head, his eyes flowing with the light and shadow of star destruction and rebirth: "Lord Bi Gan, this is the 129,599th time I have sat on this altar. In every cycle, I come with the 'Lianshan Yi,' merely to seek a sliver of life…"

Before he finished speaking, a deafening roar suddenly came from the sky.

Li Qing looked up to see blinding light burst from the direction of the Ziwei Constellation, a giant star entwined with Purple Qi deviated from its orbit, falling towards the altar with the might to burn the heavens and boil the seas. As the starlight passed, clouds surged like an angry sea, and seventy-two golden chains emerged from the void to try and block it, but shattered with a touch of starlight.

"The Ziwei Emperor Star!" Bi Gan's face turned ashen, bloodless like paper. The turtle shell in his hand seemed unable to withstand the immense pressure, suddenly covered in countless cracks, resembling a shattered spider web.

He shouted, "Quick, activate the Nine Tripod Array!"

In an instant, thirty-six priests swiftly took action. Their faces were resolute, eyes filled with determination as they simultaneously slit their wrists without hesitation. The crimson blood flowed like a trickle, slowly dripping from their arms, seeping into the grooves of the altar.

The blood seemed to have a life of its own, instantly activating the Mountain and River Array inscribed on the ground. Nine bronze giant tripods rose slowly from the earth; towering and magnificent, they were akin to ancient giants, with inscriptions on their bodies flashing a scarlet light like burning flames.

These lights intertwined, forming a massive Vision of a Mystic Bird spreading its wings above the altar. The bird appeared vivid, its wings spread wide, as if ready to soar through the skies at any moment.

However, the momentum of the falling Ziwei Star showed no signs of slowing. Under the powerful impact of starlight, the Taotie Pattern on the tripod ears slowly twisted and deformed, its originally ferocious and terrifying appearance becoming indistinct.

Finally, with an earth-shattering explosion, the bronze giant tripods shattered, scattering into countless fragments.

"Crack—"

With this crisp sound, the barrier of the altar shattered like broken glass. Instantly, the spiritual energy in heaven and earth surged recklessly like a breached flood, descended into chaos.

The bamboo slips in Ji Chang's arms seemed to sense their master's crisis and suddenly radiated a brilliant blue light. Li Qing focused his gaze, seeing three ancient seal characters on the slip bursting with light, transforming into three vivid Azure Dragons.

The three dragons roared towards the sky, shaking the heavens with their cries. Surrounded by dense azure spiritual energy, they exuded extraordinary momentum, fiercely coiling around Ji Chang, attempting to help him break the chains' shackles.

At this moment, a Coiling Dragon Golden Mace suddenly protruded from the void. The shadow of a divine dragon was faintly visible on the mace, with eyes like torches, glowing fiercely as it opened its jaws wide, seemingly ready to devour everything.

The Coiling Dragon Golden Mace, carrying fierce momentum, pierced straight through Ji Chang's left shoulder. He groaned, a thread of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Enduring the intense pain, he quickly formed a mudra with his right hand, pressing heavily on the bamboo slips. The slips, stained with blood, unfurled instantly, with the three blood-red characters "Heavenly Dao" emerging strikingly, each imbued with mighty righteousness, as if embodying the presence of an Ancient Great Saint.

A faint sigh echoed amidst the distant clouds. Following it, a gray-robed Daoist with a Coiling Dragon Mace slowly manifested.

His face shrouded in shadow, leaving his expression concealed, but his voice carried a hint of helplessness and lamentation: "Why persist, Wenwang? This Yin Ruins Space-Time was always…"

However, before he could finish speaking, a golden light, like lightning, shot from beyond the heavens.

Li Qing's eyes were sharp, instantly recognizing it: the Golden Cloth Rope mentioned by True Monarch Changchun from the Supreme Dao Sect. The rope's head tied with a Purple Gold Bell shone brightly, vibrating gently to unfold layers of Dao Rhyme, forming ripples that momentarily froze the space-time within a hundred-mile radius.

Seizing this gap, the Golden Cloth Rope, like a lively snake, swiftly coiled around Ji Chang's waist, transforming him into a stream of light, racing toward the direction of Xiqi and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The gray-robed Daoist vanished shortly thereafter.

"Chase!" Seeing this, Bi Gan's eyes widened with rage, shouting angrily. He swiftly brandished the Seven-Star Treasure Sword at his waist, the blade gleaming coldly with a fierce killing intent.

However, just as everyone planned to ride the clouds in pursuit, a sudden transformation occurred.

The fragments of the Ziwei Star, fallen in the ruins of the altar, lit up like a powder keg, bursting with dazzling light. Among them, a fist-sized star core shone most brightly, resembling a meteor with a long tail of light, embedding directly into Li Qing's forehead.

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