Paradise Lost: The Fall of the Half-Ancestors

An ancient voice echoed through Paradise Lost, carrying the weariness of ages: "Paradise Lost... the nightmare of the divine ability users."

The Martial Imprint sighed with emotion, and his next words shocked everyone present.

In his eyes, there was no longer a single pure martial artist in this world. Though many had cultivated some battle techniques, they had ultimately walked the path of divine powers. Now, trapped in Paradise Lost, the half-ancestors—even those with martial skills—found their divine abilities suppressed. They had become mortals, possessing only strong bodies and swift reflexes.

The mysterious Paradise Lost was about to become a graveyard for half-ancestors!

Today was destined to be eternally recorded in the annals of the World of Immortality. The beheading of three half-ancestor-level supremacies—Primordial, Tongtian, and the Sun Holy God—was simply inconceivable.

Since the Ancestral Gods had vanished one by one, half-ancestors like Primordial and Tongtian had become the true rulers of this world. Who could threaten them? Who could harm them? There was no one.

But what happened today overturned the understanding of all living beings, shattered the myth of the "undying supreme."

On the Eternal Continent, thunder rolled incessantly, the lightning was blood-red, and torrential rain fell, each drop spattering like a blot of blood on the ground. Terrifying portents appeared in every corner of the Eternal Continent—scenes never before witnessed.

"What is happening?"

"The heavens and earth tremble! A half-ancestor has fallen!"

"The third one! Three half-ancestors have already fallen!"

"A great one is lost, and heaven and earth shake!"

Across the Eternal Continent, countless ancient recluses were utterly shaken. They knew what this meant: the end of an era. The world would surely descend into chaos. The fall of the half-ancestors, who stood at the apex, would trigger unimaginable consequences, and a great storm would sweep across the entire continent.

Paradise Lost—a mysterious space that made all cultivators below the Ancestral God lose their smiles. Today, it truly lived up to its name, revealing its mystery and terror before the world.

Ordinary cultivators who entered would have their form and spirit annihilated. Half-ancestor-level supremacies who entered would have their divine powers completely stripped away. Though their lives were not in immediate danger, they could no longer use any of their magical powers. Not even flight, not a wisp of energy, not even a trace of sword-light could be unleashed.

This was no mere sealing of divine abilities; it was a complete restriction of all power, dragging half-ancestors down to the level of mortals!

Seeing Xiao Chen, his war sword dripping with blood, striding step by step toward Laozi and the Buddha, the crowd outside Paradise Lost nearly went mad. What was happening today was simply too much to bear.

"No!"

"Patriarch!"

Angry shouts erupted from outside. Some people, as if waking from a dream, roared and charged toward Paradise Lost.

Many disciples of Primordial, Tongtian, and others had entered this mysterious space. Now, watching their patriarchs being killed before their eyes, they felt their hearts burst with rage and wished they could slice Xiao Chen into pieces.

But as these people charged into Paradise Lost, before they could go very far, their bodies collapsed with a "puff," dissolving into specks of blood mist, leaving only a pool of bloody mud on the ground.

Dozens of disciples of Primordial and Tongtian died in vain, all turned to blood mud. The later disciples of the Buddha, Laozi, and others suffered even more—over a hundred perished as they rushed in recklessly, unable to change anything. At this moment, Paradise Lost truly made all under heaven lose their smiles.

Except for cultivators nearing the half-ancestor realm, no one could cross the threshold by even half a step.

This was a Paradise Lost that made the gods weep!

The younger generations of the great figures were despondent, but far more people were wildly excited. The feat of killing half-ancestors was happening today! No matter what, Xiao Chen would be recorded in the immortal history of cultivation.

The crowd stared at Xiao Chen, who held a blood-dripping war sword, their emotions exceedingly complex. To raise a blood sword against half-ancestors—how much courage did that require?

"Keke, among these people, has anyone never shown you killing intent?"

"Ya-ya ya-ya..." From the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree floating above Xiao Chen's head came the spiritual fluctuations of the snow-white little beast.

"None? Not even the merciful Buddha had no killing intent..." Xiao Chen slowly raised his war sword and brought it down.

"Puff!"

Blood splattered, a wave of crimson surging more than ten meters into the sky, staining the vision of the onlookers a vivid red.

The Buddha, with his golden body of sixteen feet, was cleaved in two by Xiao Chen. Even a body cast like gold could not withstand the peerless sharpness of the Twenty-Four War Swords.

The Buddha was slain!

"Ah!"

Deafening roars erupted outside Paradise Lost. Several Bodhisattvas had sorrowful expressions, and the five hundred Arhats roared in unison.

But they did not act recklessly again, not taking a single step into Paradise Lost. Only by staying alive could they one day butcher Xiao Chen, this Buddha-killing executioner.

Outside Paradise Lost, everyone was utterly shaken. The Buddha... the Buddha had truly been slain!

Xiao Chen had killed a Buddha!

Countless cultivators were in an uproar.

Xiao Chen knew full well what he had done, and understood the consequences. Primordial, the Buddha, Tongtian, the Sun Holy God—each was a supreme leader of a great faith. With half-ancestors killed, how could their later disciples allow him to exist in the world? Once he stepped out of Paradise Lost, the entire world would be his enemy.

Xiao Chen, holding the blood-dripping war sword, slowly turned to face everyone outside Paradise Lost. "What is Primordial? What is Tongtian? What is the Sun Holy God? And what is the Buddha?"

The rumbling crowd gradually quieted down. Even the disciples of Primordial, the Buddha, and others stared at him coldly, ceasing their roars.

Xiao Chen faced them quietly, without joy or sorrow, and said, "They are merely mortals with heaven-reaching magical powers. Even the Buddha, who is said to be merciful, harbored greed, and when he entered Paradise Lost, he even developed killing intent, wanting to slay an innocent little beast. Are these the ultimate sages in your eyes? To me, they are all worthy of death."

"They are sacred supremacies! Xiao Chen, you butcher! You junior! If you dare step out of Paradise Lost, we will destroy your form and spirit!"

"You have killed half-ancestors! You shall be sealed for ten thousand ages, never to be reborn!"

The disciples of the Sun Holy God, Primordial, and others roared in fury.

Xiao Chen said coldly, without emotion: "What makes them sacred supremacies? Did they, like Suiren, Youchao, Fuxi, and Shennong, lead humanity from ignorance to prosperity? Did they make great contributions to the development of mankind? No! They are merely self-proclaimed god-priests, deceiving the world under false pretenses. They established their own 'doctrines,' spreading their so-called 'teachings,' demanding that people believe in them. Have you ever seen Youchao or Suiren do such things? True sages who changed human history never forced belief upon others, never sang their own praises. Compared to those who create sects to demand faith, their realms are as different as heaven and earth. In my eyes, the Sun Holy God, Primordial, the Buddha, and Tongtian are no more than charlatans."

"Nonsense! You vile wretch, you speak blasphemy! The Buddha's compassion teaches people to do good; he gathers endless merit across ten thousand ages!"

"Blasphemer! The Sun Holy God is the one true god of the universe! You cannot defile him! Where there is light, there is the grace of the Sun Holy God!"

Xiao Chen, his war sword still dripping with blood, said expressionlessly: "Today, I will be the ultimate villain. I will kill every half-ancestor in this world so that there will be no more false gods. I will not claim to be breaking the religious shackles in people's hearts—I am not that great. I am merely an ordinary man. I kill them only so that I can live right now. Whether the future makes me an enemy of the whole world or not, at this moment, I say this: every half-ancestor here deserves to die!"

With that, Xiao Chen raised his war sword. The blade gleamed brightly, but under the crimson bloodstains, it appeared particularly terrifying.

He walked around Laozi, and with a swing of his sword, with a "puff," the first palace lord of the Demon Heaven Palace, the Great Demon of Heaven, was beheaded. Blood gushed forth, flowing and staining the ground of Paradise Lost red.

Like the White Tiger Saint Emperor, the Great Demon of Heaven was not a half-ancestor but was extremely close. Yet he was killed like this. Outside Paradise Lost, the enchanting woman cried out in shock, her beautiful eyes turning red as she stared fixedly at Xiao Chen.

"Puff!"

Blood splattered again. Xiao Chen swung his war sword once more, cutting off the head of the founder of the Cihang Sword Hall. Her black hair flew wildly, her beautiful face untainted by any worldly aura. A peerless beauty lay decapitated, her head and body separated. It was truly a sight of terrible beauty—her white robes dotted with blood, her headless form like carved jade...

"Ah!"

Outside Paradise Lost, the foremost disciple of the Cihang Sword Hall cried out in grief and weeping.

Another great figure had fallen—and a legendary woman who had once captivated the entire continent, the goddess of many old recluses. Killing her was as terrible in consequence as slaying Primordial, Tongtian, or the Buddha.

Who was next?

This was the unspoken thought of everyone outside Paradise Lost. At this moment, nearly all hearts were pounding wildly. What they were witnessing was like a waking nightmare, so unreal and fantastical.

Xiao Chen's robes were already stained red by the blood of half-ancestors. The war sword ceaselessly dripped blood. He strode forward and came before the Daoist holding the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree.

"Puff!"

A spray of blood shot into the air. With a single swing, Xiao Chen cut off his head. The headless Daoist corpse toppled into a pool of blood, staining the exotic flowers and grasses beneath. The Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree fell to the ground.

This was the legendary Zhunti Daoist, a figure equal in stature to Primordial, Tongtian, and the Buddha—a true half-ancestor. And he had been killed...

"No!"

"Xiao Chen, you deserve to die ten thousand times over!"

Curses and angry shouts rained down from outside Paradise Lost. Xiao Chen showed no emotional fluctuation, coldly and mechanically continuing forward.

"Puff!"

With another swing, the supreme demon Satan, who had swept the Western lands invincible in the ancient war, was beheaded. Black demon blood spurted more than ten meters, and his black wings instantly shattered, fluttering in the wind, stained with fresh gore.

"No!"

"O Dark Lord!"

Despite the cries of the demon's disciples outside, fate could not be changed. Satan was slain!

Amid the shouts, Xiao Chen swung his war sword again. A Western supreme god, called the Only Lord by his followers, was cleaved in two. A wave of blood splashed high.

His disciples were fanatical believers. Hundreds of them, knowing full well they would die, charged into Paradise Lost, only to crumble into blood mud and explode within the garden in an instant.

But even more disciples stared at Xiao Chen with eyes full of hatred. Fanatical believers were far more terrible than the disciples of Primordial and the Buddha. If they ever caught Xiao Chen, even death would be a luxury far beyond their reach.

Amid the endless curses, Xiao Chen walked forward unwaveringly, swinging his war sword in succession. The Three Western Holy Spirits were cut in half in an instant, their corpses falling into pools of blood.

Half-ancestors! These were true half-ancestors! The crowd cried out.

After today, the Eternal Continent would truly have no more half-ancestors! That was the feeling of everyone outside Paradise Lost.

The stench of blood was thick. No fewer than ten half-ancestors had been cut down!

On the Eternal Continent, peal after peal of thunder sounded. Torrents of blood rain poured down, staining the entire continent red. These celestial omens terrified the common people, who knelt and worshipped in their homes.

The entire continent was gripped by panic. Anyone with any insight guessed that supreme beings were falling.

But this was far too terrifying. Thunder roared without end. No one dared to speak of how many great figures had actually fallen. Just thinking about it was frightening, enough to make a person tremble.

The terrifying omens chilled the hearts of all cultivators. The supreme half-ancestors were dying en masse. The future of the Eternal Continent would surely be drenched in blood and howling winds.

Outside, it was impossible to guess what was happening in Paradise Lost. No one knew the truth. Everyone felt as if the end of the world had come.

Those cultivators who had witnessed everything outside Paradise Lost felt their limbs go weak, chills running down their spines, their bodies drenched in cold sweat. Over ten half-ancestors... had fallen like this, like a fleeting dream.

Perhaps... the half-ancestors of the Eternal Continent were nearly extinct today!

Those who hated Xiao Chen were going mad. Many had already passed out from rage and grief.

Fear, anger, excitement, panic... All sorts of emotions filled the air outside Paradise Lost.

Finally, Xiao Chen walked back, carrying his blood-soaked war sword. There were only two left. They had once been monuments of the cultivation world, the very targets that drove his progress. But now, he felt no pity. In the end, he raised the dripping war sword.

With a swing, the great sage of the demon clan, Kong Xuan—who swept all things unstoppable with his Five-Colored Divine Light—was cut in half at the waist. Blood flew, staining Paradise Lost red. This man among men had also fallen.

At last, Xiao Chen stood before Laozi, looking at this figure known as the strongest half-ancestor below the Ancestral Gods. Xiao Chen's heart was cold as iron, without a trace of emotion. He said flatly: "I revere the legendary Laozi, but... you are not the legend. Your true body was crushed into meat paste in the Demon Plain by a terrible demonic weapon eight hundred years ago, your soul barely able to reassemble. And now, because the seal on the Demon Plain has broken, I cut you down again..."

"If I appear in the world again, it will truly be me," Laozi suddenly spoke. Shackled as he was, he could still talk, even lifting his head.

But at that moment, Xiao Chen's war sword had already swung. With a "puff" and a flash of blood, Laozi's head flew from his shoulders.

Perhaps others had not heard the sound just now, had not clearly seen Laozi's head turn. But Xiao Chen had truly heard and seen it. Had Laozi briefly broken through Keke's bindings? But then... why was he struck down?

Total annihilation!

All the powerful figures who had entered Paradise Lost were completely wiped out!

Paradise Lost—the graveyard of half-ancestors!

Nearly twenty people, no fewer than ten half-ancestors—such a terrifying number, such shocking slaughter, stunned everyone and would surely shake the entire Eternal Continent.

As the crowd trembled in awe, they knew that Xiao Chen would surely die. He had nearly exterminated all the half-ancestors under heaven and would truly become the enemy of the entire world.

But everyone had to admit that the Xiao Chen before them was truly someone. He had executed all the supremacies locked in Paradise Lost with such decisive ruthlessness—something no ordinary man would dare to do.

Softly, a butterfly fluttered its crystalline wings outside Paradise Lost, sending out waves of spiritual fluctuations: "Sages are not killed; great robbers are not ended. Once half-ancestors are destroyed, heaven and earth will begin anew."