Chapter 1492 — This Debt of Gratitude Is Not Yet Repaid

Obsession can drive a man mad. The Ancestor God King, born of Lord Heaven's desire, had at this moment let loose the desire so long suppressed within him, and it left him frenzied, exhilarated.

He did not even see that Fire Tianzun had already appeared behind him.

In the instant his long-cherished wish was fulfilled, he let down his guard; his vigilance slackened.

If a man spends his whole life dreaming of one achievement, exhausting heart and strength for it, even disguising his own nature — as the Ancestor God King had done for hundreds of thousands of years without a single day's change — then the instant that wish comes true will be the moment he relaxes utterly, and the moment he is weakest. How could Fire Tianzun let such a rare chance slip? Though he, like the Ancestor God King, was called the most straightforward and plainspoken of the Ten Tianzun, he struck without the slightest hesitation or delay! The Ancestor God King, the least scheming of the Ten Tianzun, said one when it was one and two when it was two; Fire Tianzun, the most righteous of the Ten Tianzun, hated evil as his enemy, loathed the ancient gods, and championed the wronged — whenever there was injustice, he was the first to step forward.

These two were the most likely of the Ten Tianzun to become friends; yet, strangely, they never did.

On the contrary, theirs was the strangest relationship among the Ten. They seldom spoke to each other, seldom exchanged words; even when they met, it was usually no more than a greeting or two, each wary of the other.

Perhaps because they were the same kind of men: though each had much to say, each was also wary, precisely because the other so resembled himself.

In an instant Fire Tianzun raised his Heavenly Palace and Heavenly Court to their utmost, and aided by the twenty-four heavens of his Way realm, pressed a palm to the Ancestor God King's back, at the heart — Way fire blazing, surging into the Ancestor God King's body! Way fire burst from the Ancestor God King's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose; even his Heavenly Palace and Heavenly Court were covered in roaring flame, and not even his treasure of heavenly fire could suppress it!

Qiang Tianfei's ancestral God-Slaying Terrace was a testing ground of the Way realm: the number of steps anyone saw when they looked upon it depended on their own attainment in the Way realm. Hong Tianzun saw nine steps; Shi Qiluo saw twelve; but Fire Tianzun saw twenty-four! His attainment in the Way realm ranked among the first or second of the Ten Tianzun; long before the others had even begun to touch the Way realm, he had already made his mark in it, and on the path of Way fire he had gone very far.

Only, he had not known that this was the Way realm; not until Kaihuang established the system of the Way realm did he realize he had already built something upon it. His Way fire Way realm had, after he disposed of the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird, undergone another terrifying advance — which was how he had been able to cultivate to the twenty-four-heaven Way fire Way realm.

He had hidden it deeply enough. The Ancestor God King struggled, straining to rouse the supreme treasure of the Way of Heaven, trying to suppress the Way fire.

Fire Tianzun's eyes flickered; he spread his five fingers, and the Ancestor God King's four limbs suddenly went rigid, pinned in the air, his body spread-eagled. Though his hand still gripped the supreme treasure of the Way of Heaven, he had no strength to resist.

"Ancestor God King, if Moon Tianzun had not exiled me to the Yuan Realm, how would I ever have discovered you skulking in the Tianyin Realm, waiting for your chance to strike? " Fire Tianzun let out a breath.

A flicker of excitement shone in his eyes, but he calmly suppressed it. The Ancestor God King had fulfilled his long-cherished wish and killed Hong Tianzun; Lord Heaven was dead too, and Lord Heaven's mortal body and the Way of Heaven were about to fall into his grasp — hence he had relaxed his vigilance and his guard. Fire Tianzun would not make that mistake. Fire Tianzun crooked his index finger, and with a sudden crack the Ancestor God King's right leg bent as well — though not in the direction a knee bends.

The Ancestor God King's leg folded backward, snapping with a crack! The Ancestor God King grunted, raised his head, and looked at him with a cold smile. "Fire Tianzun, you dare kill me?

The demigods have three leaders, and I am one of them. Kill me, and will Langxuan and Hao Tianzun let you off?

Ah, yes — you think you can seize Lord Heaven's mortal body and take the Way of Heaven. Heh.

You have not the ability.

You do not have Lord Heaven's bloodline.

. . " Fire Tianzun hesitated a moment, then curled his middle finger; the Ancestor God King's left arm snapped with a crack.

The pain sent tears streaming down his face, and the Way fire evaporated them at once! The Ancestor God King endured the pain and laughed.

"You and I are the same kind. Does tormenting me not give you the feeling of one of a kind grieving for its own?

" Fire Tianzun snorted coldly. "With you gone, no one else can contend with me for Lord Heaven, or for the Way of Heaven. " His gaze strange, he curled his third finger; the Ancestor God King's left leg snapped with a crack, and the pain sent tears streaming down his face.

"Once I refine the Way of Heaven, and add to it the cultivation and dharma power I refined from the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird, my strength will rise at a stroke to the pinnacle of the Ten Tianzun, and attaining the Heavenly Court realm will be easy. " Fire Tianzun curled his little finger; the Ancestor God King's right arm broke.

"Once I attain the Heavenly Court, I need no longer rely on the strength of any of you.

On the contrary, you weathercocks will come to kneel to me, to worship me. . . " His thumb was about to curl; once that finger closed, his palm would become a fist, and the Ancestor God King's neck would snap! Just then, the Ancestor God King raised his head and looked past him, smiling a smile that was not quite a smile.

Fire Tianzun's eye twitched. He stepped forward and took the Ancestor God King by the arm, saying with concern, "The God King is wounded?

So Hong Tianzun was Lord Heaven's reincarnation? Damn him, to wound the God King so!

Fortunately Hong Tianzun has already been executed. .

. " The Ancestor God King coughed up blood; the Way fire on his body had, without his noticing, gone out.

He laughed. "Thanks to Fire Tianzun arriving in time to help me slay Hong Tianzun, Lord Heaven did not escape. Brother Hao, when did you arrive?

" Fire Tianzun helped the Ancestor God King to his feet, turned, and saw Hao Tianzun.

Suddenly his eye twitched again; his gaze fell on the space behind Hao Tianzun, and his expression shifted slightly. Hao Tianzun smiled.

"Fire Tianzun, what do you see? " Fire Tianzun withdrew his gaze and said mildly, "Another Hao Tianzun.

" He could not help looking again toward Taisu behind Hao Tianzun; what he saw was not Hao Tianzun, but another youth — a youth of peerless grace, unmatched in all ages.

Yu Tianzun, who had died at the Jade Pool Festival. At that moment Gong Tianzun stepped in. Her gaze fell on Fire Tianzun, then turned to the Ancestor God King, whose four limbs were all broken.

Fire Tianzun's heart tightened. Hao Tianzun looked at him with appreciation. "Worthy of being my most loyal minister.

How could I fail to employ a loyal subject and righteous man like you?

" Fire Tianzun bowed slightly.

"I am willing to serve Brother Hao with all my strength.

" He straightened, and saw that the youth Yu Tianzun behind Hao Tianzun was looking at him with a smile full of meaning.

Fire Tianzun's expression did not change; he stood there steady. Hao Tianzun smiled slightly and said to the Ancestor God King, "The God King's wounds are grave.

I could heal them for you — only, the struggle between us should end as well.