Chapter 971

: The Hardest Trial
Translator: Lordbluefire Editor: Lordbluefire
The demonic bird immediately disintegrated, returning to the void. It was originally formed from the void, but it possessed a terrifying strength. It was as though it hailed from the primordial era, with an overwhelming power that could easily slaughter peak ascendants. Its deadly aura towered up into the sky, and there was no need to say how terrifyingly tough its body was. However, Qin Wentian had managed to forcibly tear it in half. From this, one could very well imagine Qin Wentian’s current level of raw strength.
At present, Qin Wentian’s hands were in the shape of a wind roc. His indomitable talons clutched forth with crushing force, shining with a terrifying blood-colored light as demonic qi gushed out from him in waves, able to destroy everything. Fearsome terrifying runes covered his talons, granting Qin Wentian an inconceivable amount of power. Right now if he were to fight against ordinary peak-level ascendants, a single palm strike would be enough to shatter them apart. Even ‘normal-tier’ geniuses, wouldn’t be able to defend against a single strike from him.
The light ahead flashed as another astral gate appeared above him. The Ancient Path of Stars led upwards, higher and higher until one could reach the heavens and pay their respects to the divine.
Qin Wentian’s eyes gleamed sharply. He didn’t hesitate and immediately stepped towards the gate. After all, since they’d managed to encounter a divine ruin here, how could he not explore it to his heart’s content? If it turned out that he wasn’t strong enough and then expelled from the ancient path, his heart would have neither regrets nor grievances. But if he didn’t even have the guts to forge ahead, then why even bother pursuing the peak of cultivation?
Following the Ancient Path of Stars, Qin Wentian moved towards the astral gate and stepped through it. He reappeared in another illusory world, and in the sky, there was another ancient demon in the form of an ape waiting for him. Exuding a towering killing intent, the ape had a huge cudgel in its hand and looked like it could sweep across anything in the heavens and earth.
This ancient demon instantly smashed its cudgel down right where Qin Wentian stood, instantly causing the space itself to churn and vibrate violently. The smashing down of the cudgel could even shatter mountains, let alone mere ascendants. Its supreme attack power even made Qin Wentian feel his heart shudder. This desolate beast was much more savage and powerful compared to the demonic bird from earlier. Even for the geniuses here in the City of Ancient Emperors, Qin Wentian was sure that no one was strong enough to resist against that kind of overwhelming attack prowess.
Rumbling sounds rang out, and Qin Wentian’s body expanded to 100 meters in height, becoming the same size as his opponent. The boundless astral energy within him transformed into mountain-type divine energy, and he blasted out with a palm strike infused with the pure-white light from his bloodline. A thunderous explosive sound rang out, and numerous ancient mountains manifested in the air, capable of suppressing everything around them. The suppressive might swept over this entire realm, and the rumbling sounds continued endlessly as one after another the mountains exploded as if to shatter apart this world.
Qin Wentian’s Suppression Constellation shone brilliantly, cascading its glow onto him. There seemed to be a towering divinity on his back as countless golden figures of suppression descended from the skies, all smashing towards that demonic ape. The ape roared in anger and swung wildly with its gigantic cudgel, but the golden figures of suppression rained down ceaselessly, exploding one after another with no end to them.
At the same time, Qin Wentian blasted out an immense palm imprint directly onto that demonic ape, a volley that was able to shatter the sun, moon, and stars, annihilating all in existence.

ROAR!
A heaven-shaking roar thundered out, rocking everything. Humming sounds emitted from the gigantic palm, and at the point of impact, it only managed to injure the ape. However, there was no change in Qin Wentian’s expression. A pair of wind roc wings appeared behind him. He stepped out and transformed into a shadow before launching out a flurry of palm strikes. The demonic ape frenziedly tried to defend itself as it cried out endlessly in pain and agony. Finally, with a deafening blast, Qin Wentian shattered its body apart, and it vanished into the void.
The Ancient Path of Stars appeared once more, manifesting an astral gate. Qin Wentian’s eyes were like lightning as he stepped through it. He wanted to see how many trials this path had, and what could possibly obstruct him from advancing.
Qin Wentian fought in combat again and again, against the most dangerous primordial demonic beasts that ever existed. The demonic beasts naturally grew stronger with every gate, and at the end, he could only manage to kill them if he activated his God’s Hand.
This continued for a total of eight times. And once again, he entered another illusory world for the ninth time, waiting for the desolate beast of this stage to emerge.
Such a trial caused Qin Wentian to sigh. Most probably, not many people in the entire immortal realms would be able to pass this. If it was an immortal king or emperor character that entered the Ancient Path of Stars, would the desolate beast be at the immortal king/emperor level? How terrifying would that be?
At this moment in the sky of the illusory world, a terrifying light flashed as the baleful aura of a desolate beast descended. Terrifying runes blasted down like lightning as a fearsome desolate annihilative pressure swept across Qin Wentian, causing him to feel an impending sense of doom.
Nine was the ultimate number. This was the ninth trial. Was this the final test for the Ancient Path of Stars? If this was it, how terrifying would the test be?
The devastating might brewing earlier bore down on Qin Wentian completely, causing his expression to turn incomparably solemn. The entirety of the energy in his body circulated as he activated the God’s Hand. At present, his gigantic body emitted a heaven-shaking rumbling sound, and it was as if he himself had transformed into a terrifying desolate ferocious beast that exuded enough power to startle the heavens.
Qin Wentian inclined his head, only to see that the sky was now painted a scorching shade of red. This seemed to be an indication of a heavenly tribulation as destructive bolts of lightning blasted down endlessly. A vortex appeared in the sky—a desolate ancient demonic beast from the primordial era was about to spawn from there.
Blinding golden rays cascaded down, and a more terrifyingly threatening pressure enveloped Qin Wentian. After which, Qin Wentian saw an immense shadow shuttling through the sky like a bolt of golden lightning, instantly appearing before him and attacking with such speed that Qin Wentian couldn’t even catch its movements.
It was too swift, excessively so.
Qin Wentian could only blast out with the God’s Hand based on instinct, and a terrifying collision sound rang out as his body was flung through the air. Groaning in pain, he discovered his God’s Hand was about to be shattered. Such power caused him to feel more than just fear. Another brilliant light flashed as that supreme primordial demon rushed at him again. It moved so fast that Qin Wentian practically didn’t have time to react.
Qin Wentian roared, unleashing boundless strength. He explosively blasted out with his God’s Hand, as it shimmered with a pure-white glow akin to candle flames. Another heaven-rumbling sound thundered out as Qin Wentian was flung through the air once more. However this time, that supreme greater demon was also similarly forced back to retreat. It floated in the air, finally giving Qin Wentian a clear view of what species it was.
Its entire body seemed to be cast from gold, radiating a bright, pure-gold luster. Its wings glimmered with golden rays of light, and each feather seemed even sharper than swords, able to lacerate anything. And just by staying in the air, the flapping of its wings had already generated a windstorm so powerful it was equivalent to the sharpness exuded from countless swords.
Only its eyes were black in color, so deep that it could stir a person’s soul. It emitted a baleful aura so strong that it towered up into the sky.

Golden-Winged Great Roc!

Qin Wentian’s heart trembled. The Golden-Winged Great Roc was the strongest of all roc species. Qin Wentian had cultivated wind roc techniques, but that was merely derived from the movements of a real roc. But even so, the roc-type innate techniques were already extremely formidable. One could very well imagine how powerful a real great roc was.
The golden roc in front of him was none other than a Golden-Winged Great Roc. It had the purest bloodline, inheriting the divine talent and might of the roc species.
Qin Wentian’s constellations gleamed with a resplendent light, exuding a supreme pressure that crushed downwards. However, the Golden-Winged Great Roc shot forth powerful beams of golden light, enveloping itself with it and easily mitigating the pressure. Those baleful eyes had no change in expression. The attack Qin Wentian unleashed, one that could easily destroy peak-level ascendants, couldn’t even touch it.
In the cold eyes of the golden-winged roc, gleams of sharpness shot out. It blasted out another attack, forcing Qin Wentian to utilize his wind roc techniques to their limits, but it was impossible for him to win against his opponent in speed. A swishing sound rang out as the wings of the golden-winged roc directly slashed towards Qin Wentian. Its terrifying golden light sundered the area directly in half. Qin Wentian explosively retreated while simultaneously blasting out with the God’s Hand in a frenzied attempt to obstruct the roc’s attacks.
However, in the next moment, the golden-winged roc transformed into a whirlpool of wind, spiraling gracefully in an incomparably swift manner. The golden shadow spun around like a tornado, causing rays of golden light to blast out in all directions. Qin Wentian frantically retreated, staring at the spiraling great roc as his countenance turned incredibly unsightly to behold. Such an attack could continue without end, unless he could somehow break the wings of the great roc…but it would most likely be an impossible feat.
The sword qi gushing from Qin Wentian towered into the sky. The God’s Hand shone with a resplendent boundless light, materializing countless sharp swords that pierced towards the supremely sharp wings, but one-by-one, the swords only ended up being ground into dust. The shrill sound of clashing metal rang out endlessly, and Qin Wentian felt that his God’s Hand was about to be crushed into nonexistence. Recoiling from the force of the impact, he retreated once more. Under such lacerating might, even if his body were made of divine steel, he would still be sliced into pieces.
Comparing the sharpness of their attacks, he was inferior to his opponent. There was no need to even talk about speed. The only method available to him was to use the strongest force he could muster to launch an overwhelming attack.
Qin Wentian’s blood thrummed, circulating the power of two bloodlines. His God’s Hand materialized a long spear as the power of his bloodlines infused it. All the divine energy in his body erupted forth and coated the spear, creating a level of power sufficient enough to cause all the geniuses in the City of Ancient Emperors to grovel before it.
The Golden-Winged Great Roc’s spiral killing technique was exceedingly resplendent and beautiful; it clearly contained a supreme slaughtering might within.
—BOOM!— Qin Wentian’s body erupted forth with a power that originated from the primordial era as overwhelming amounts of demonic qi gushed forth from him, sweeping across the realm. At the same time, he radiated the pure-white light of his second bloodline as he channeled all its destructive might into his spear.

DIE!
A thunderous roar sounded out, Qin Wentian’s spear stabbed towards the golden-winged roc spinning its way towards him. The entire power of the God’s Hand erupted forth completely in this strike, piercing towards the roc’s wings. This time, the spear didn’t shatter. Piercing sounds rang out, a surge of divine might permeated the atmosphere as the long spear penetrated the roc. The golden-winged roc abruptly stopped its movement—the spear stabbed all the way through its wings, right into its body.
Qin Wentian’s God’s Hand disintegrated completely. By unleashing that earlier attack, he’d exhausted all the energy within the God’s Hand. It was the strongest level of destructive might he could muster.
The roc’s intensely cold black eyes stared at Qin Wentian, flashing with astonishment. Its mouth opened as two words rang out…

God’s blood…
As the sound of its voice faded, the long spear shattered and the golden-winged roc vanished into the void, disappearing completely from sight!