The Fall of Semi-Ancestors

Tongtian, Laozi, the Buddha, Allah, the Sun Sovereign—all of them heard that voice, and in that instant, shock seized them. Who would dare incite Xiao Chen to kill a Semi-Ancestor? Such words were filled with confidence and arrogance. What manner of being could this be?

Once they entered the Lost Paradise, they lost their divine abilities entirely. They could no longer sense the profound and mysterious currents of heaven and earth—neither perception nor prediction was possible.

Since the Ancestral Gods had vanished one by one, there was almost no one left in heaven and earth who could threaten them. Yet this person spoke so disdainfully, as if killing a Semi-Ancestor were a trivial matter.

Could it be that he was unaffected by the Lost Paradise and retained his divine power? This suspicion struck the experts within the Lost Paradise with a premonition of doom. In unison, they turned their gazes toward the snow-white little beast impaled on the war sword that the Original held aloft.

Drops of blood fell, one after another. Keke was barely breathing, its body on the verge of collapse. That little beast alone could freely enter and leave the Lost Paradise without any hindrance. Could the hidden figure be connected to it?

"Who are you?" The White Tiger demanded first.

"I am the self that is about to fade away," an aged voice replied.

"Stop playing games. Who are you?"

"Heh. I am a mark, a martial mark—nothing more."

"A mark of the Great Dao?!" The crowd in the Lost Paradise drew in sharp breaths. Everyone looked toward the Heavenly Stele. They knew that the so-called mark must be an inscription upon its surface.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Xiao Chen, wielding his war swords, had already begun a fierce battle with the Original, repeatedly clashing against his iron sleeves. With his divine abilities dissipated, the Original had lost the power to obliterate Xiao Chen with a wave of his hand. On any other day, a mere glance might have been enough to kill Xiao Chen, but now the situation was vastly different.

Laozi, the Buddha, and Tongtian all frowned. A grave question occurred to them: how had Xiao Chen managed to enter? In this world, aside from the snow-white little beast, only those approaching the realm of Semi-Ancestors could gain entry. Anyone else who tried would find their bodies collapsing after a short time. Yet some time had passed, and Xiao Chen not only remained unharmed but was locked in fierce combat with the Original. Could the martial mark be protecting him? Was it truly using him to kill a Semi-Ancestor?

But that seemed impossible. Even the marks on the Heavenly Stele should not be capable of such a thing. The Lost Paradise was sealed by the Stele and Twenty-Four War Swords, and that sealing power was gradually failing—how could there be surplus power to shield Xiao Chen and allow him entry?

Xiao Chen leapt into the air and executed a backward kick, his body arcing like a dragon. He flipped a hundred and eighty degrees, head downward, and drove his foot viciously toward the Original's skull. At the same time, he crossed his war swords to slash at the Original's legs.

By now, the Original finally grasped the severity of the situation: Xiao Chen's fleshly body was completely unaffected within the Lost Paradise. It had not shattered as expected but moved with full flexibility—something that should only be possible for a Semi-Ancestor. The Original's deep-set eyes shot out two beams of light. He retreated like a fleeting shadow, evading Xiao Chen's vicious strike.

After all, he was a Semi-Ancestor. Even without divine power or magic, his martial skill alone was terrifyingly formidable.

Whoosh. The Original left an afterimage and appeared before Xiao Chen, moving at incredible speed. His iron sleeve swept like a cloud toward Xiao Chen's throat. Even though Xiao Chen dodged at the last moment, a blast of wind grazed his neck, drawing blood and nearly severing his windpipe. Startled, he retreated.

A Semi-Ancestor was truly heaven-defying. Without mana or divine abilities, he was still overwhelmingly powerful.

The Original gave a cold snort and advanced on Xiao Chen. "I know a bit of martial technique as well. I'll use it to kill you," he said with chilling indifference. As he spoke, he raised his long sword and angled it toward Xiao Chen's throat. On the blade, the snow-white little beast was impaled, blood streaming down incessantly.

Xiao Chen's eyes blazed with fury. He wished he could cleave the Original in two on the spot. He wanted to raise his swords to parry, but the little beast was pinned to the blade, making it impossible for him to commit to a decisive blow. He could only dodge and retreat passively. Worse still, the Original was extremely fast. In a few exchanges, he had left five sword wounds on Xiao Chen's body. Though the war sword carried no energy fluctuations and no terrifying power, the wounds still hurt, and blood poured from them.

Outside the Lost Paradise, many cultivators had gathered. Some tried to enter, but after walking barely a hundred meters, their bodies suddenly shattered, deterring everyone else from crossing that threshold. The crowd outside grew larger and larger. They stared in shock at the fierce battle within, never imagining that Xiao Chen would dare fight the Original to the death. It seemed utterly absurd: that was a Semi-Ancestor, and a junior who had not even reached the Demigod realm dared to lay hands on such a being? Unfathomable.

To provoke a Semi-Ancestor—did Xiao Chen no longer want to return to the Eternal Continent? Once he left this place, there would be no refuge for him anywhere in the world.

A faint cry came from the snow-white little beast speared on the war sword. With every swing of the Original's blade, blood was flung away, filling Xiao Chen with anguish and pain, yet he was powerless to change it.

Then, with another soft cry, the little beast's body suddenly split open. A weakened soul swiftly fled and vanished into Xiao Chen's body. Seven-colored radiance flashed, and the Sacred Tree slowly emerged. Though it remained within Xiao Chen, it could be clearly seen from outside. Keke's soul had merged with the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree.

"So that's it," the White Tiger Saint Emperor murmured from not far away. The other experts nearing the Semi-Ancestor realm finally understood how Xiao Chen had entered the Lost Paradise. It was all because of the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree—a power that shared the same origin as Keke, and more precisely, had a profound connection to the Lost Paradise itself.

"Original…" Xiao Chen ground his teeth. With no more constraints, he leaped into the air. Though he could not truly fly, he could still glide briefly. He drove his foot toward the Original's head, his killing intent sharp and relentless.

The Original retreated swiftly, angling his war sword upward to stab at Xiao Chen's sole. But with a clang, Xiao Chen's twin swords struck together and knocked the blade away. His second step came down directly at the Original's chest. The space around them seemed to warp from the sheer force—pure physical power, without a trace of magic.

The Original retreated again, his long sword slicing upward. Clang! Clang! Xiao Chen's war swords violently deflected that strike. Since he was not flying, each step brought him lower. His third step was vicious, aimed straight at the Original's abdomen.

By now, many old masters had discerned the technique. The Original himself knew it well. A voice muttered, "Is that the Dragon Clan's Reverse Dragon Seven Steps?"

"It's an ancient Dragon Clan battle art!"

Xiao Chen had never expected to use the Dragon Clan's ancient techniques. He had learned the secret method from the Little Defiant Dragon but never mastered it. Today, driven by necessity, he had no choice, and the result was unexpectedly powerful. By the fourth step, space itself was nearly distorted; the force was immense—a product of pure martial skill, with not a trace of magic.

The fourth step landed on the Original's war sword, forcing him back a dozen paces. At the same time, sword-light flashed as Xiao Chen's twin blades struck out in crosswise slashes and vertical chops. A flash of light sheared off a lock of the Original's beard.

But Xiao Chen could only execute four of the Reverse Dragon Seven Steps, and those four were completed in the span of a single leap and descent—happening in the blink of an eye.

Outside the Lost Paradise, Yaoyao's mouth had dropped into an 'O' shape. Yizhen, Juedao, Xuanxuan, Samo and the others were equally stunned. Everyone else was dumbfounded. This was the Original! Yet a junior had actually cut off half his beard. If word spread to the Eternal Continent, no one would believe it.

The Original's eyes shot out two beams of cold light. Outside the Lost Paradise, the crowd of cultivators grew larger and larger, and all of them had seen Xiao Chen sever his beard. Even a Semi-Ancestor with a lofty state of mind felt a tinge of shame. "Today, I will cut you down!" He said only four words before lifting his war sword and advancing, murderous aura soaring to the heavens.

This was a peculiar battle—no divine abilities, no magic. Even a Semi-Ancestor could only fight with true steel and flesh. The sight boggled the minds of the cultivators outside.

Blood splattered as the Original pierced Xiao Chen's left side. But in the same moment, Xiao Chen's right-hand war sword slashed into the Original's left arm, sending blood spurting. A clamor erupted outside the Lost Paradise. Could it be that today… a Semi-Ancestor would be slain? Many people grew excited. If this were true, it would shake the entire World of Immortality. Some even wished they could charge in and seize the rare opportunity to challenge a Semi-Ancestor, but the fate of those who had tried before kept everyone back. Only those approaching the Semi-Ancestor realm could enter the Lost Paradise; anyone else would simply die.

"Let me assist the Original in killing this junior, so he does not disrupt our plans." The White Tiger Saint Emperor strode forward, advancing on Xiao Chen. The crowd outside was utterly dumbfounded. The White Tiger Saint Emperor, a being bordering the Semi-Ancestor realm, was actually planning to join the Original in attacking a junior. This revealed just how dire the situation was for the Semi-Ancestors. Otherwise, why resort to such measures?

A soft cry came from Keke. Seven-colored light flashed, and the Sacred Tree slowly materialized above Xiao Chen's head. In that instant, the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree shook out thousands of rays of light, sweeping toward the Original with a whoosh. Even though the Original's body was as tough as refined steel and could only be wounded by weapons like the Twenty-Four War Swords, the blow still sent him tumbling backward.

"Not good. Everyone together—use the war swords to destroy that little beast's soul!" the White Tiger Saint Emperor cried out in alarm. Even the Original changed color. The little beast's weakened soul, merged with the Sacred Tree, could now use divine abilities. In this Lost Paradise, it posed an enormous threat to them. This was no longer the outside mysterious world, where Semi-Ancestors could still use some of their powers. Once inside the Lost Paradise, they could not use even a shred.

Seven-colored light flashed again. The Sacred Tree swept out a ray of multicolored radiance and instantly immobilized the Original. Xiao Chen did not hesitate for an instant. He swung his sword. Blood sprayed as one of the Original's arms was severed by Xiao Chen's war sword. If not for the Original's immensely tough physique and his desperate struggle at the last moment, diverting the blow from his vital throat, his head would have been taken.

The crowd outside could hardly believe their eyes. The Original—the Original!—had lost an arm today. It was like a fairy tale, dreamlike and unreal.

A soft cry came from within the Sacred Tree. Light appeared again, and a seven-colored radiance swept toward the Original. With the second immobilization technique, the Original was completely frozen, unable to move a single inch. Xiao Chen's face was expressionless. Without hesitation, he drove both war swords forward: one pierced through the Original's heart, and the other slashed across his throat.

Blood burst forth, gushing in torrents. When the two war swords were pulled free, a blood hole appeared in the Original's chest, transparent front to back—his heart had been shattered. His throat was cut, his windpipe clearly severed. Blood sprayed into the air.

Outside the Lost Paradise, chaos erupted. A Semi-Ancestor had been killed!

In that moment, Xiao Chen was ice-cold. He swung his war sword, impaling the Original's body and lifting it into the air. Then, with another stroke of his blade, he cut the body in two at the waist. Blood drenched the sky, staining the war sword crimson. The Original fell in two halves. Another slice, and the head was separated from the already-falling torso. Xiao Chen had beheaded the Original!

The crowd outside the Lost Paradise nearly went mad. Everyone cried out. Many roared in fury. That was a Semi-Ancestor—had he really been killed like that? It felt like a dream.

In that same moment, a world-shaking thunderclap rang out across the Eternal Continent, spreading to every corner of the land. Even many recluses cried out in alarm.

"Could it be that some great figure has perished?"

"The Ancestral Gods vanished long ago. It must be… a Semi-Ancestor has fallen!"

"The heavens and earth tremble. A supreme being must have perished."

Within the Lost Paradise, the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree blazed with light. Rays of multicolored radiance swept out, immobilizing the White Tiger Saint Emperor, who had been trying to flee. Without a trace of emotion, Xiao Chen strode forward coldly. He raised his sword and brought it down. The war sword cleaved the White Tiger Saint Emperor's head from his body. A fountain of blood shot seven or eight meters into the air. With unwillingness and terror, the White Tiger's head fell to the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

Within the Lost Paradise, even a Semi-Ancestor could no longer remain calm. The Sun Sovereign was the first to move, rushing toward the exit. But the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree hovering above Xiao Chen's head would not give him the chance. Seven-colored light flickered, and beams of radiance shot out. The Sun Sovereign was frozen in place.

Xiao Chen did not hesitate for a moment. He closed the distance with a few quick steps and brought his sword down. A golden head flew sideways, and another geyser of blood rose into the air. The Sun Sovereign had been slain—another Semi-Ancestor had perished!

The crowd outside felt as though they were going mad. Such a scene was unthinkable in even the wildest dreams. Three great figures, two Semi-Ancestors—had been killed so simply, so easily.

Across the Eternal Continent, the heaven-shaking thunder boomed again, stunning every cultivator. Another Semi-Ancestor had fallen. Those who had not gone to the Demon Plain or entered the underworld had no idea what was happening; it felt like the end of days.

Within the Lost Paradise, the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree shone brilliantly. One after another, radiant beams shot out, freezing every great figure who tried to flee the Lost Paradise. Not one of them could move an inch. In that moment, Xiao Chen seemed to have become a god of slaughter. Feeling no fear whatsoever, he strode forward with his bloodstained war sword.

Blood sprayed. Lord Tongtian was beheaded. His headless body crumpled to the ground. The crowd outside the Lost Paradise went berserk. This was too unreal—how did Xiao Chen dare? How could he? He was absolutely mad. Did he not know the consequences? After this, there would be no place for him in heaven or earth. The disciples and followers of the Semi-Ancestors would never let him go. Once he left this place, the entire world would be his enemy.

By now, Xiao Chen had nothing left to fear. Killing one Semi-Ancestor was the same as killing three, four, five… the consequences were identical. Since he had already crossed that line, he decided to annihilate them all.

Without a moment's delay, he strode toward Laozi and the Buddha. He would cleanse heaven and earth of every last Semi-Ancestor.