Refining the Mountains and Rivers

His voice was calm but one could feel the cruel resolve in his words. He was like a towering divine mountain, unshakeable by anyone.

Zhou Buyi revealed a trace of hesitation. But, time wouldn't stand still. After a moment he continued to revolve the Great Revelation Art. As a result, he withstood the oppression and dove deeper into the source of Qin Yu's aura.

Beyond the infinite distance, in a towering grand palace, a man sat on a throne with closed eyes. He suddenly opened his eyes and thunder sparkled within them. They contained a horrifying prestige capable of extinguishing the world.

"Insolence!"

The shout was like a thunderclap. As the voice billowed and shook, an invisible aura fused into the heavens and earth.

It was like a raging sea, immediately setting off turbulent waves. Like hundreds of millions of gallons of seawater being poured into a river, they rumbled and roared upstream.

Bang -

The starsea black jade altar suffered a heavy strike. The cracks on its surface grew by over a hundred times.

Zhou Buyi spat out a mouthful of blood. The projection of the starry skies in his pupils fell into chaos. They wavered as if they would break apart at any moment.

This aura…

The East Zhou Patriarch's eyes lit up. He took a step forward and appeared above the altar. He lifted his hands and pressed down.

Bang -

Boundless and majestic power surged out from nothingness in an instant. It spread out in all directions, suppressing and confining everything within.

Strongest beneath a Ruler!

He wouldn't misread this aura, because he himself was already infinitely close to this boundary.

If he had a lucky chance and could take a single step forward, he could reach this level.

At that time, the East Zhou Family would be able to take a step forward too and transform, becoming a super existence comparable to a Holy Land.

Zhou Buyi was deathly pale. "I thank the Patriarch for saving me."

He was sure that if the Patriarch didn't meddle, even if he didn't die he would have lost several dozen layers of skin.

The East Zhou Patriarch was without expression. "Don't thank me, because I want you to continue."

Zhou Buyi shivered and his eyes became as wide as full moons. The gratitude that just appeared in his heart immediately vanished. If he didn't already know that cursing out loud would lead to his own death, he would surely jump a thousand feet up and curse out loud until the skies turned black.

Things had already reached this step and it was clear that Qin Yu's background was so large that it left one feeling desperate. He had just perceived a little bit of it without any ill intent and he ended up in such a state.

If he continued, how was that different from courting death?

The East Zhou Patriarch lightly said, "I know what you are thinking, but a difference still exists. For instance, if you continue then you will have my protection and you won't necessarily die. But if you refuse, I guarantee you that you will die here. If you don't believe me, you can try."

Zhou Buyi gulped. With the status of the East Zhou Patriarch, his words were undoubtable.

He clenched his teeth and suddenly shouted out loud. Cracking sounds came from the turtle shell above his head. Then, it shattered into countless pieces.

A moment later, an incomparably vast aura crashed down from above, pouring into Zhou Buyi's body. It caused his eyes to violently vibrate. At the same time, the nearly collapsed projection of the starry skies also stabilized.

Rumble rumble -

Driven by this force, his eyes continued to move forward to explore deeper into Qin Yu's secrets.

Suddenly, the entire hall fell silent. All sounds vanished as everyone was caught in their previous movement.

As if the air had frozen.

A vague figure appeared in the projection of the starry skies above the broken starsea black jade altar. Perhaps because the altar had shattered, her figure was blurry.

Then, the figure opened her eyes. No one could describe the beauty of these eyes, because it seemed to represent the vast and boundless world.

"Ruler!" The East Zhou Patriarch shouted out loud. Without any hesitation, the aura inside him erupted like a volcano. Images of rolling mountains and rivers appeared from nothingness and wrapped around him, making him seem like the master of this vast world.

But a moment later, the world phantom trembled. A terrifying crack silently appeared in it. Starting from one end and going to the other, it penetrated through the entire world phantom, carrying with it a cold and uncontestable will that split it in half.

The flesh and blood between the East Zhou Patriarch's eyebrows cracked open and blood flowed out. The blood dripped into his eyes, turning them red. Soon his entire face was drenched in blood, giving him a distressed appearance.

The East Zhou Patriarch's cultivation was infinitely close to the strongest below a Ruler and as a result his physical vitality was incomparably terrifying. Not to mention a wound, but even if his entire body was cut in half he could immediately regenerate and join back together. To be more extreme, even if half of his body was burnt to ashes, he would soon be able to restore the full integrity of his mortal body.

But the wound between his eyebrows right now was different. Even with his cultivation he still couldn't repair it! Because of his shaking heart, the East Zhou Patriarch blurted out the identity of this phantom above the shattered altar.

"Ruler…"

This was a simple word but it seemed to contain an impossible weight that pressed down on everyone's hearts, making them subconsciously hold their breath, even causing their heartbeats to stop.

The heavens and earth were vast and beyond understanding. Within the endless realms and myriad worlds scattered in all directions, there were countless billions of lives that composed this majestic and wonderful world. Among them, there were those that stepped onto the road of cultivation and continuously transformed themselves as they climbed up the Great Dao. And only those who reached the highest point were qualified to be called Rulers.

Why Ruler?

Simply put, they dominated a part of the heavens and earth and were the belief of innumerable lives. With a thought they could change the color of the world, and if their killing intent was stirred then rivers of blood would flow…

By raising their hand they could cover yin and yang, by lowering their foot they could destroy the world!

This was a Ruler!

This was an existence that surpassed a Holy Land and could use the endless realms and myriad worlds as a chessboard.

Compared to a Ruler, the trivial East Zhou Family was nothing but a large ant. Even if it was a relatively strong ant, a single finger was still enough to grind them to dust.

This was a disparity of strength that surpassed any description!

The hall was deathly silent. Everyone froze like metal statues. Their backs streamed with sweat as horror and fear overcame their minds.

A Ruler! It was actually a Ruler!

Even if the rumors said that Qin Yu had a transcendent teacher behind him, no one ever considered anything in the realm of a Ruler.

Because this was no longer transcendent, but standing above the heavens and looking down at everything else.

In other words, when Qin Yu expressed his position before, he was still being very humble. It was just that no one realized it.

But now, what everyone wanted to say was that if you possessed such a background, why did you have to be so modest? Did you want us all to die?

To be straightforward, if even the slightest rumor of the truth had been revealed, none of them would have dared to try this.

Ruler, this was an unsurpassed Ruler…perhaps today's events might seem minor and not worth mentioning, but it could actually cause the total annihilation of the East Zhou Family!

Because the dignity of a Ruler allowed no provocation.

This was the cruelty and cold indifference of the world. Everyone needed to pay a corresponding price for their mistakes.

East Zhou Duly was one of those extremely shocked people. The Patriarch's blurted word kept ringing in her ears.

Ruler…Ruler…

With the Patriarch's cultivation, there was no way he would be mistaken. In other words, because of the East Zhou Family's attempts to trace back the source of Qin Yu's origin, they had alarmed a terrifying existence that dominated the endless realms and myriad worlds.

Just from that existence opening her eyes and doing nothing else, the Patriarch had been severely wounded. If she really did do something, then perhaps just a wave of her hand would be enough to extinguish everyone in this hall.

In just one day, the entire East Zhou Family would survive in name only. They would be doomed to complete ruin with all their resources carved up by others.

It was no wonder that Qin Yu said he couldn't explain his teacher's status without permission.

East Zhou Duly had once heard about this. It was said that the status of a Ruler involved the karmic ties of the world. Once someone became their disciple, that person would also become a part of this cause and effect.

However, these karmic ties were far too great. If one didn't have enough strength and was recklessly fused within, this would only cause them harm and reduce their luck. They might even perish because of it.

So every Ruler's disciple had to overcome many tests and trials. Only after obtaining permission could they publicly reveal themselves.

So Qin Yu had already given me a vague reminder. But how could I have known that this was in the territory of a Ruler?

Moreover, she had only heard some vague information that came from the high-level figures of the family. She was never sure about it.

But no matter what she thought, it was far too late. A Ruler had been alarmed and the East Zhou Family's fate was just a thought away.

If medicine for regret truly existed in this world, East Zhou Duly believed that all the high-level figures of the family here today would buy pots of them and scarf them down.

Everything was going great, so why commit suicide? East Zhou Duly bitterly smiled. She was helpless to do anything about this.

As for regret, if there was anyone feeling the most regret, it was certainly the East Zhou Patriarch. He was a super powerhouse who had lived for countless years.

That's right, this super powerhouse deserved to be called that. There was no ridicule or taunting to this title.

But enormous disparities still existed in the level of a super powerhouse. For instance, the strongest below a Ruler. Even though there was just a single thread separating him from this level, if he were to fight someone of that boundary then he could at most exchange a few moves before having to flee.

But facing a Ruler…hoho, the distance was like the starry skies to hell. Let alone fighting, just a single glance was enough to kill him.

This was not an exaggeration. Because the level of a Ruler exceeded the limit of what could be seen by the common people. They were in harmony with the heavens and earth, or to be more precise, had become a part of the world. By raising their hands they could pluck down the stars!

Zhou Buyi had tried to stop again and again, but he forcibly made him continue, leading to this current situation. If the East Zhou Family's destruction came about because of his actions, then he would be condemned by the family as a sinner for all of time.

But who knew that he also had his own reason for doing this? Because just as Zhou Buyi peered into Qin Yu's aura and the altar shivered, he felt a different sensation.

It was incredibly thin but it caused the East Zhou Patriarch's heart to beat vigorously, as if he was going to burn up.

While he had no idea what the source of this aura was, there was one thing he was sure of. This was the turning point that he had waited for through the countless years.

As long as he could obtain a part of this aura, he was confident he could take another step further and ascend into the level of the strongest below a Ruler. At that time, the entire East Zhou Family would experience a monumental change. Their strength would rise by a hundred times over!

Everything I did was for myself but also for the family.

However, just like East Zhou Duly, everything he thought now was meaningless.

The East Zhou Patriarch's thoughts raced. Then, in the darkness of despair, he seemed to grasp a singular bright light. With the strength of a Ruler, since she had been alarmed and had opened her honored eyes, just a single look would have been enough to kill him.

In comparison, the flesh between his eyebrows had cracked open and his soul had been fiercely shaken. This couldn't even be considered an injury in relation to what could have happened.

What did this mean?

Although he wasn't sure, even if there was only the slightest thread of hope, he couldn't let go of it.

He crawled onto the ground and revealed his most respectful manner. "Oh respected and unsurpassed Ruler, because of our ignorance, the East Zhou Family has angered your will. We are willing to offer a high enough price to calm the flames of your anger. We hope that the great Ruler can forgive our ignorance."

Above the altar, the phantom had been silent ever since she opened her eyes. When she heard this, she had no expression. Then, just like how she appeared, she faded away into nothingness.

The terrifying pressure that flooded the hall was extinguished, as if everything that happened just now was an illusion.

Hu -

The East Zhou Family decision makers let out deep breaths. When they exhaled together, it formed an astonishing wave of air.

One person might see illusions in the daytime, but for dozens of them to experience it together…it was clearly impossible.