The changes in the beast ancestor statues caught Lu completely off guard.

  His original plan had been to fuse the Five Elements Indestructible Demon Body into one, but instead, it felt as though he'd unwittingly turned a key in some ancient lock.

  Brilliant radiance surged forth, erupting from the statues and shooting out in beams of light that pierced deep into the starry sky.

  Immense waves of profound mysteries rolled out from the five comprehension stars, leaving countless cultivators stunned in awe.

  Tonggu Daoist and the other human Quasi-Saints were horrified. From the Azure Planet, they watched this breathtaking scene unfold.

  They quickly realized the anomalies stemmed from the beast ancestor statues. Did these five statues hold secrets none of them knew about?

  In truth, the human experts understood little about the statues. They only knew each contained profound mystery fluctuations—supreme treasures of the starry sky, perfect for comprehension.

  Mastering those mysteries could help the human race produce more Heavenly Emperor-level experts.

  As for the statues' origins and deeper secrets, few had bothered to investigate. Even the Elemental Gods who once controlled them seemed to know little.

  It wasn't a lack of interest—it was a lack of ability.

  Thus, this sudden event delivered a tremendous shock to everyone.

  Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

  Figures streaked through the air, tearing across the Five Phoenixes starry sky.

  More and more experts gathered outside the five comprehension stars, hovering in the void.

  Before the five beast ancestor statues stood five figures—the Indestructible Demon Body avatars that had fully mastered their respective mysteries. Each seemed to resonate uniquely with its corresponding statue.

  The beast ancestors were among the most ancient beings in the Primordial Starry Sky, on par with the Black-White Queen, brimming with endless secrets and wonders.

  Their statues naturally possessed extraordinary power, and now, something within them had clearly been triggered.

  On the lake island, Lu's brows furrowed deeply, his expression grave.

  "The beast ancestor statues..."

  Lu took a deep breath.

  Before this, his knowledge of them had been limited. He hadn't delved deeply, partly because the system had always referred to them cutely as "little beast ancestor statues," lulling his caution.

  But thinking carefully now, too many coincidences piled up.

  "The five beast ancestor statues represent the sources of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth... the origins of the five elements. And the Indestructible Demon Body is also rooted in those same five origins..."

  "What connection exists between the Indestructible Demon Body and the beast ancestor statues?"

  "And what about the system—how is it tied to the statues?"

  Leaning back in his Thousand-Bladed Chair, Lu's brows knitted tightly.

  He wasn't sure if the statues' activation would harm the Five Phoenixes starry sky.

  Through the perspectives of his five avatars, his primordial spirit watched the transformations closely.

  The statues seemed to come alive, releasing terrifying auras that threatened to burst the entire Five Phoenixes apart.

  An inexplicable, oppressive pressure spread from them.

  Boom!

  On the lake island, Lu's eyes narrowed sharply.

  In the next instant, he vanished, reappearing in the starry sky after tearing through the void.

  The Spiritual Pressure Chessboard materialized. Lu placed five pieces in rapid succession, each unleashing heaven-shaking power in an attempt to contain the beams.

  Yet even at the peak of the thirteenth Qi Refining layer—peak Quasi-Saint strength—he couldn't suppress them.

  Boom!

  The five beams broke free, punching five massive holes through the Five Phoenixes starry sky.

  But that wasn't Lu's focus.

  Raising his head, white robes fluttering, he sensed the pure, overwhelming pressure emanating from the statues—Saint-level pressure, or perhaps that of chaos-tier beings.

  Every living creature in the Five Phoenixes felt suffocated in that moment, even Quasi-Saints struggling to breathe.

  It felt like doomsday.

  The five elemental origin energies collided in the starry sky, soon forming a twisting mass of purple qi.

  Staring at it, Lu faintly discerned an ancient gate taking shape within.

  An aura of primordial antiquity washed over him, evoking the dawn of creation.

  Tap... tap... tap...

  Silence enveloped Lu's ears, broken only by clear footsteps approaching from beyond the gate.

  His eyes tightened.

  He sensed great terror lurking behind it.

  The purple mass twisted like initial chaos, as if collapsing the starry sky itself.

  With solemn eyes, Lu sat in his Thousand-Bladed Chair and drifted toward the gate in the purple chaos.

  Soon, he hovered before the enormous, closed portal.

  He didn't push it open—just observed quietly from this side.

  Suddenly, the footsteps stopped.

  All sounds in the world seemed to cease.

  Only Lu's breathing remained.

  After a long pause, thunder seemed to crack in the silence.

  Knock...

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Something on the other side rapped on the gate!

  The sound resonated like the sky collapsing, making Lu's heart skip.

  As the knocking faded, a faint, somewhat familiar chuckle gradually vanished.

  Then the scene before Lu shifted.

  It felt as though he traversed endless time and space, through collapsing stellar eras.

  He saw...

  Five mighty beings, radiating pressure that could casually annihilate stars and tear space into devastating black holes, joining forces to release towering auras. In the hazy purple chaos, they suppressed the gate.

  The five beast ancestors?!

  Lu's eyes narrowed. This was an illusion, yet it felt utterly real, as if he were truly there.

  Then, a more shocking scene unfolded.

  The gate they suppressed suddenly burst open.

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  An unremarkable hand reached out from the endless darkness and destruction beyond.

  With a casual grasp—irresistible—the five beast ancestors were seized and slowly dragged back through the gate.

  The starry sky began to crumble; countless beings perished.

  The five beast ancestors roared in fury.

  "Our inheritance shall await the fated one!"

  "Shatter the darkness, restore the light!"

  Their roars echoed from beyond the gate. Then, the five beast ancestor statues shot out from within.

  The vision vanished.

  Everything faded.

  Clarity returned to Lu's eyes.

  The radiance from the statues dimmed and retracted.

  The purple chaotic mist dispersed.

  The gate disappeared.

  Yet the five holes punched by the beams remained in the Five Phoenixes starry sky, forming unique spatial realms.

  Powerful mystery fluctuations emanated from them.

  Lu hovered, recalling that familiar yet spine-chilling chuckle.

  Someone behind the gate?

  Who?

  And the illusory apocalyptic vision he'd glimpsed...

  Even the five beast ancestors combined couldn't withstand a single move from whatever lay beyond?

  The statues were linked to the Indestructible Demon Body, and the gate had formed from their converged energy—essentially demonstrating "five elements unity" for Lu in vivid fashion.

  "Is the existence behind the gate connected to the system?"

  "Or is the system tied to the five beast ancestors?"

  Lu fell deep into thought.

  Tonggu Daoist, Xuan Cang Elder, and many other human Quasi-Saints—including Luo Yang, Lu Jiulian, and Chai Feng—soon appeared beside him.

  "Brother Lu, what just happened?"

  Tonggu Daoist asked gravely. As a peak Quasi-Saint, he needed only further soul accumulation to become a Saint.

  Yet moments ago, he'd felt bone-chilling terror.

  The statues' secrets shocked him.

  Lu glanced at them in surprise. Hadn't they seen the vision of the beast ancestors battling the entity beyond the gate?

  Perhaps only he had.

  "I'm not sure. Maybe a deeper secret of the beast ancestor statues was unlocked."

  Lu shook his head.

  He looked up at the five unique spaces radiating mystery fluctuations.

  Spaces opened by the statues.

  Having witnessed the vision, Lu knew what lay within: the inheritances of the five beast ancestors.

  Others noticed too.

  Luo Yang gripped his fire-tipped spear, Quasi-Saint aura flaring warily as he approached one space to investigate.

  After all, these were legacies of the beast ancestors—ancient, supreme beings of the Primordial Starry Sky.

  No barriers blocked entry.

  Luo Yang stepped smoothly into the fiery sea-like realm.

  His presence vanished.

  After a long while, he emerged, expression dazed yet brimming with barely contained excitement.

  "Inheritance..."

  "Beyond this sea of flames... lies a beast ancestor inheritance!"

  Luo Yang declared, voice trembling.

  Beast ancestor inheritance—the equivalent of a Saint's legacy!

  The entire Five Phoenixes starry sky fell deathly silent, everyone reeling from the unbelievable news.

  Beast ancestor inheritance?!

  Legacies from the mightiest beings of the Primordial Starry Sky!

  Though the beast ancestors had perished long ago in a previous era, their power was unquestionable.

  The allure was irresistible—even peak Quasi-Saints like Tonggu Daoist felt tempted.

  "Could obtaining a beast ancestor inheritance grant instant Sainthood?!"

  Once the thought took root, it spread uncontrollably.

  Sainthood—how distant and unattainable.

  Across the vast human race, with billions upon billions of beings and countless experts, only two Saints had ever emerged throughout history.

  How difficult it was.

  "Beast ancestor inheritance..."

  Hearing this, Lu thought: as expected.

  His eyes brightened slightly.

  "If someone obtains a beast ancestor inheritance... would I get a cut of their spiritual energy?"

  Lu pondered.

  "If so, five beast ancestor-level beings would mean five human Saints... How far could that push my Qi Refining layers?"

  His breathing quickened.

  A Saint-level spiritual energy cut would be astronomical.

  Saints were immensely powerful.

  Crossing realms to fight one was virtually impossible.

  Even now, with the complete Five Elements Indestructible Demon Body and the destructive Five Phoenixes Bow, Lu had little confidence against a true Saint.

  He'd noticed that higher realms made cross-realm battles harder.

  At the twelfth Qi Refining layer, comparable to a Heavenly Emperor, he could still spar with Quasi-Saints.

  But now, at the thirteenth—Quasi-Saint equivalent—he had zero confidence against a Saint.

  A fight with the Black-White Queen would likely end in him being crushed.

  After the initial shock, the Five Phoenixes starry sky erupted in joy.

  Soon, it boiled over. Countless cultivators on the comprehension stars went mad with excitement.

  Obtaining a beast ancestor inheritance meant soaring to the heavens overnight—instant Sainthood. What greater temptation?

  Swarm after swarm rose into the void, crossing the starry sky.

  Cultivators from both the Five Phoenixes and Primordial Immortal Domain converged before the five unique spaces.

  Faced with such absolute allure, no one could control their emotions.

  Yet disappointment followed.

  Entry required at least Heavenly Emperor cultivation.

  Countless experts were repelled, retreating in frustration and regret.

  As expected, beast ancestor inheritances weren't easily claimed.

  Lu didn't linger in the starry sky.

  Even human Quasi-Saints were deeply interested, but Lu wasn't particularly drawn.

  Tonggu Daoist didn't join the rush either. At his level, he walked his own path—space mysteries, incompatible with the beast ancestors' elemental origins. He returned to the Azure Planet to continue his research.

  Back on the lake island, space tore open.

  The five avatars, having fully mastered their mysteries, appeared beside him.

  A gentle breeze stirred.

  Recalling the mystery fluctuations released by the statues, Lu felt a spark of insight.

  Five elements unity... seemed within reach at last.

  ...

  In the Primordial Starry Sky.

  Deep in chaos.

  The purple chaotic mass shuddered violently.

  Terrifying auras intertwined.

  Fuzzy silhouettes emerged one by one within the purple qi.

  "Did you sense it?"

  "The 'gate's' position... has shifted!"

  A cold voice rang out, laced with surprise and disbelief.

  "It seems tied to the beast ancestors. Someone unlocked the inheritance secrets of the beast ancestor statues?"

  The figures varied—some vast and boundless, others human-sized. Though shrouded in purple qi, their auras were all immensely powerful and terrifying.

  "Black-White, you stole the Wood Origin beast ancestor statue from me... Where did you send it? Who did you give it to?"

  "We suspect the statues' activation relates to the gate's new position!"

  A willow-like figure swayed its branches, addressing the alluring silhouette shrouded in purple.

  The Wood Emperor's words drew attention from the others.

  Oppressive gazes fell on the alluring figure.

  It was the Black-White Queen, who had only just arrived.

  Seated on her throne, legs crossed and idly swinging, she smirked.

  "Heh..."

  "Stole? I took it fair and square. What makes you call it stealing?"

  "As for who got the Wood Origin statue—that's my business. Do I need your permission to handle my own things? Who do you think you are?"

  The Wood Emperor's branches whipped furiously, as if enraged enough to shatter the void.

  The Black-White Queen merely scoffed, disdainful. If you have the guts, come fight—instead of throwing a tantrum like a sulking child.

  "Black-White Queen, this is gravely serious. As a survivor from an ancient era, you know full well the catastrophe a shifting gate position could bring."

  The Fire Emperor spoke up.

  Several god-demon emperors chimed in. They feared her, but the stakes demanded they speak.

  The two seated human Saints remained silent, watching as if enjoying the show.

  The Black-White Queen shrugged it off. "Honestly, whether the gate shifts or not won't change the outcome much..."

  "Truth be told, experts in today's Primordial Starry Sky are growing weaker. You five, plus the humans' two—do you really think the seven of you combined could match the five beast ancestors from the dawn of that era? No, any two beast ancestors could thrash all seven of you."

  "You're not even on their level—yet you dream of altering fate?"

  She seemed to know far more than she let on.

  Ripples exploded through the purple chaos.

  "Don't you dare insult us..."

  The Gold Emperor, newly arrived and presiding over chaos, spoke up.

  The Black-White Queen glanced at him with growing disgust. "You—shut up. A coward who won't even fight, afraid of a little insult?"

  "Then why are you here?"

  "If you know there's no hope, why come deep into chaos?"

  The Earth Emperor snapped, unable to hold back.

  "I'm here to die. I definitely can't beat that thing anyway..."

  Her blunt honesty left the five god-demon emperors speechless.

  After a long silence, the Gold Emperor spoke. "If my guess is correct—and the gate's position ties to the activated beast ancestor inheritances—then the gate is likely now in the human ancestral land."

  As a recent arrival, he knew the current state of the Primordial Starry Sky.

  All five beast ancestor statues had been seized by the humans.

  It wasn't hard to deduce their location.

  "Bullshit!"

  "Gold Emperor, one more word and I'll whip you to death with the Wood Emperor's branches!"

  The two human Saints, who had been enjoying the drama, finally couldn't sit still.

  One cursed outright.

  "The god-demon race oppressed humans for countless ages—now you dare slander us? At least cook up a better lie if you're going to accuse us of hiding the gate in our ancestral land. Dreaming of destroying it? Keep dreaming!"

  The other Saint exploded in temper, leaving the Gold Emperor fuming.

  The Black-White Queen burst into laughter.

  Only she knew the truth.

  The Gold Emperor's face darkened further. "Get lost!"

  "Nowadays, humans dominate the Primordial Starry Sky. All our Elemental Gods were slain by humans—the five beast ancestor statues seized by them too! Do you think I'd lie about something like this?!"

  His words stunned the gathered experts in the purple chaos.

  Even the hot-tempered human Saint paused in shock.

  The Gold Emperor's furious tone didn't sound fabricated.

  Had the human race truly become overlords of the starry sky?

  Seized all five beast ancestor statues?

  Since when had the human race become this dominant?

  "Really?"

  The Saint asked uncertainly.

  "Believe it or don't."

  The Gold Emperor replied coldly.

  "I can confirm—everything the Gold Emperor said is true. The Elemental Gods are all dead. Very peacefully, too."

  The Black-White Queen added with a smile.

  "Oh dear, looks like it's real. How embarrassing—one moment we're weak, the next we've accidentally become starry sky hegemons. Caught us all off guard."

  The human Saint roared with laughter.

  He wouldn't trust the Gold Emperor, but the Black-White Queen? Definitely.

  Unless she'd colluded with the god-demon emperors—which was unlikely.

  She'd thrashed the Wood Emperor, after all.

  "Hmph... The five beast ancestor statues must be in the human ancestral land. Enjoy your glee—when the gate opens, humans will suffer first."

  The Gold Emperor said coldly.

  The god-demon emperors couldn't hide their schadenfreude.

  The two human Saints grew solemn.

  "So why not open your ancestral land to us? Otherwise, if the gate opens, the two of you alone might not hold it back."

  The Fire Emperor suggested.

  The Saints hesitated.

  "Perhaps this is all a trap. The gate's position might not have truly changed—a diversion to lure us away. If we leave and the real gate opens, it'll spell the end of the era!"

  One Saint replied calmly.

  The Black-White Queen watched the verbal sparring coldly.

  She knew the god-demon emperors' true aim but saw no reason to expose it—or bother.

  The human Saints' potential deaths meant nothing to her.

  She was just here for the show.

  Still, she had sensed this gate shift.

  Over countless eras, it wasn't her first.

  So she remained unconcerned.

  No matter how the position changed, the final outcome stayed the same. She'd even noticed a pattern—or lack thereof.

  It all depended on the whim of whoever was behind the gate.

  Suddenly, the Black-White Queen thought of Lu.

  Recalling the aura on him, she narrowed her eyes.

  This shift, the beast ancestor inheritances unlocking... Could that kid really be behind it?