The Martial Imprint's Sorrow, Keke's Slumbering Ascension

The Martial Imprint murmured to himself, his expression agitated, as he paced forward step by step.

"Impossible! I don't believe it!" the Martial Imprint bellowed. "The Martial Ancestor's flesh was as tough as an Ancestral God's weapon—tougher, even! How could it have turned to bone powder?!"

But no matter how he raged, the truth before him would not change.

He could not bear this result. He screamed and howled without cease.

From the Martial Imprint's cries, Xiao Chen and Bai Qi gleaned many hidden secrets.

In that ancient age, the Martial Ancestor had indeed fallen in battle, but his legend was far more terrifying than the tales told. Ambushed by a conspiracy, he had been lured into a devastating killing formation where he faced four Otherworld Ancestral Gods—and had slain two of them before his own end.

The Burial Valley was an exceedingly mysterious place, a site where divine weapons could mature. The Martial Imprint had exhausted every means to resurrect the Martial Ancestor.

The Martial Ancestor's corpse was so sturdy that it surpassed even Ancestral God weapons. The Martial Imprint decided to treat it as a divine weapon, burying it in the Burial Valley to let it recover and grow.

To this end, he had even abandoned his own original body—that colossal divine tree—placing the Martial Ancestor's corpse within it so that the two would merge, making it even more like an Ancestral God weapon.

Though the Martial Imprint was on the verge of madness and his shouts were fragmented, Xiao Chen and Bai Qi gradually pieced together a rough picture.

They could feel the Martial Imprint's painstaking efforts—they were nothing short of insane. Yet after countless ages, the results now revealed seemed to have wasted all that time and toil.

"Why? Why did all my efforts come to nothing?…"

When the Martial Imprint finally calmed down, he seemed utterly lost, the blow too heavy to bear.

"I wrestled with the Heavenly Stele for endless years, and when I finally broke free, this was what awaited me…"

"The Burial Valley… what secrets are you hiding? Why did you grind the Martial Ancestor's body—harder than an Ancestral God weapon—into bone powder?"

Xiao Chen and Bai Qi learned more secrets: the Burial Valley drifted freely through the spatial currents, changing its coordinates every five hundred years, making it nearly impossible to find.

The last time the Martial Imprint had entered, it had been pure coincidence, not through the World Gate like other divine weapons.

After the Martial Ancestor fell countless ages ago, the Martial Imprint had recovered his body, but that had also drawn the pursuit of Otherworld Ancestral Gods. Several Ancestral Gods had shattered space itself, blasting him from thousands of miles away, and by accident he had been cast into the Burial Valley.

In those days, his rampage through the Burial Valley had made him the undisputed foremost divine weapon, for none of the other Ancestral God weapons in the valley had yet awakened their own souls.

"Could it be that an Ancestral God weapon from another valley destroyed the Martial Ancestor's body?" Xiao Chen proposed.

"Impossible. Unless my core was completely annihilated, no one except me could open the secret chamber," the Martial Imprint shook his head.

The towering divine tree before them, intact and untouched, already proved that.

It would indeed be extremely difficult to destroy—no single Ancestral God weapon could shatter it.

Just then, Bai Qi, who had been standing nearby in his oppressive aura, seemed to notice something. He stared intently at the enormous divine tree.

"There appears to be a line of writing here…"

Hearing this, the Martial Imprint shot over in a flash.

Xiao Chen also moved closer, but he found that he could not recognize the ancient script—too primitive, like scrawled talismans.

Moreover, the characters were crooked and twisted, as if left as a prank.

This line of sloppy, uneven glyphs was almost as bad as Little Keke's handwriting—truly appalling.

"What does it say?"

Both Bai Qi and Xiao Chen were eager to know.

Though the Martial Imprint was a formless mass of cyan light, it gave the impression of a face turning green with rage. His nose seemed almost twisted with fury as he ground out: "XXXX was here!" The so-called "XXXX" was, of course, meaningless symbols, leaving no real name behind.

He felt immensely frustrated—someone had left a mocking inscription like this, treating the place as if it were a tourist attraction.

His main body was one of the toughest things in the world, and having such words carved into it made him want to tear his hair out.

"Damn it… if I ever catch you, you bastard!" he cursed furiously.

The Martial Imprint squatted there, his face dark, studying the characters for a long time. Finally, he seemed to understand something, and said with bitter resentment: "Don't think I don't know who you are. I can't afford to mess with you, but I'll take it out on your precious little treasure!"

After seeing those carved words on his body, though the Martial Imprint was still grim, he no longer seemed so grief-stricken. He pondered for a long time, as if many things had become clear.

Half an hour later, he became as carefree as ever, fully recovered.

"Heh heh…"

His laugh was exaggerated and ill-intentioned, sending a chill down Xiao Chen's spine.

"Boy, I'll collect some interest from you first!"

The Martial Imprint flexed his limbs and approached. With a thud, he sent Xiao Chen flying.

"You mad old shaman, have you lost your mind?!" Xiao Chen cried out, caught off guard by the blow that left his whole body aching.

"I haven't lost anything. I'm just beating you. First installment of interest," the Martial Imprint said, advancing again with malicious intent.

"Burnstick, don't think I'm afraid of you!" Xiao Chen's face darkened. Without another word, he hurled out the Six Heavenly Steles and then slashed with the Twenty-Seven War Swords.

But the gap was immeasurable. Xiao Chen was utterly defeated, pummeled not lightly nor heavily, but just enough.

Bai Qi did not step in, knowing that the Martial Imprint was not truly trying to harm Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen grimaced and groaned. Being beaten by an old monster comparable to a Ninth Heaven Half-Ancestor was no pleasant experience. He spat angrily: "Just wait, Burnstick. One day I'll get my revenge!"

"I am the Martial Imprint, the sole heir to the Martial Ancestor's true teachings. Call me the Martial Imprint," he corrected. "Don't make up other names."

Bang!

Just then, the depths of this dark valley trembled, as if some enormous creature was turning over. The Martial Imprint's expression instantly changed.

This second valley was normally so dangerous that even Ancestral God weapons dared not enter lightly. Strange things had happened—an Ancestral God weapon had once gotten lost inside.

Strange as it was, the valley had always been silent—a dead place. Today, it felt deeply wrong.

At the same time, the narrow, one-person-wide crevice in the cliff face that led to another valley suddenly burst with dazzling yellow light.

The voice of the Fuxi Eight Trigram came through: "Shaman, come out and die!"

Though the Ancestral God weapon that had transformed into a tortoise-dragon was bound in another valley, it could still condense a powerful killing thought and project it out.

A radiant copper eight trigram diagram blocked the entrance to this second valley, but its fierce killing intent did not surge in—it seemed wary of the place.

"Eight Gua, you long-tongued ghost, do you really think I'm afraid of you?" the Martial Imprint shot back without flinching.

"Then come out and fight, and we'll settle who is supreme," the copper eight trigram said, its voice utterly cold, just as the Martial Imprint had said—it had become a world-shaking murderous artifact.

Boom, boom, boom! The earth shook, and beast roars shook the heavens.

The black kylin beast also charged over, blocking the entrance to the second valley.

And the woman's light laugh drifted in: "We know your main body is here. But this time, you've awakened quite a few Ancestral God weapon souls. Even if you merge soul and body, you won't have a way out."

She was right. If the copper eight trigram had not been bound, it alone would have been enough—once it had a true soul, it was equivalent to an Ancestral God-level existence.

"Don't wander around no matter what. Stay put," the Martial Imprint instructed Xiao Chen and Bai Qi. "No matter what sounds come from inside the valley, don't give in to curiosity. Otherwise, even if you were Half-Ancestors, trespassing rashly could reduce you to ashes in an instant."

Having said this, he walked toward the giant divine tree to merge with it.

Outside the Nine Provinces, the vast ocean stretched endlessly. Islands dotted the sea like pearls scattered across the boundless expanse.

On Dragon Island, lush greenery covered the landscape. Savage beasts roared, and ferocious dragons bellowed. Giant flying centipedes over ten meters long, and scorpions as large as houses, could match these savage dragons in battle.

Of course, the dominant race was still the dragons.

Since Dragon Island's seal was broken, all the savage dragons had recovered their divine abilities. Among the hundred races, few could rival them.

Now, in the inner sanctum of Dragon Island's palace, the Dragon Clan War God King—nearly unmatched among Half-Ancestors—was in secluded cultivation.

Just then, an urgent dragon cry jolted him awake.

"What is it? Has another Half-Ancestor come to the Dragon Clan's sacred mountain seeking the Eternal Light?"

"No, no outsiders. It's… that little beast on the sacred mountain…"

The Dragon Clan War God King rose to his feet with a whoosh, strode out of his cultivation chamber, and addressed the dragon who had taken human form and was kneeling on the ground. "What happened to that little beast? Wasn't it always sleeping?" He looked very tense.

"It was sleeping, but today, for some reason, its whole body began to emit auspicious light, drawing in endless clouds of colored radiance."

"Oh? Something like that? I'll go see." The Dragon Clan War God King walked out of the great hall, and with a flash of light, he transformed into his massive Lion King Dragon form, his whole body blazing with golden light. A mighty dragon aura shot straight into the sky. In an instant, he arrived at the Dragon Clan's sacred mountain.

Indeed, the summit of the Dragon Clan's sacred mountain was blanketed in vast swaths of auspicious multicolored clouds. Radiance pressed down from all directions, suffusing the place with a divine aura.

In the past, many parts of the sacred mountain had been bare, but now green covered everything. At the peak, on an ancient tree, a supremely luxurious soft nest had been woven from all kinds of rare spiritual treasures—dragon-tongue grass, wind-attuned x, and several-leafed divine orchids, all dotted with light—and inside it, a little snow-white beast slept peacefully.

"Could it be…" The Dragon Clan War God King showed a flicker of surprise.

Boom! Just then, thunder roared in the sky, shaking the heavens.

"It really is!"

"King, what is it?" some dragons asked, bewildered.

"The little one may be about to break through to the Half-Ancestor realm," the Dragon Clan War God King said.

Hearing this, the other dragons' jaws nearly hit the ground. They could hardly accept it.

"This… impossible, right?!" It was utterly absurd.

In their eyes, the little white beast was a lazy little pig, sleeping for over a hundred years and still not awake. It was lazy to the extreme—"a complete mess"—and they had never seen it cultivate.

And this hopeless little layabout was going to become a Half-Ancestor?!

Many dragons felt so ashamed they wanted to kill themselves.

They were one of the most powerful races in the world, yet none of them had seen a dragon become a Half-Ancestor so quickly.

"No way! This lazy little thing that's been sleeping for over a hundred years is going to become a Half-Ancestor?!" Many dragons felt extremely indignant.

"Why not? It'll be clear soon enough," the War God King glanced at the group of dragons.

Boom!

As if to confirm the Dragon Clan War God King's words, streaks of terrifying lightning began to appear in the sky, each as thick as a mountain, roaring like surging rivers.

All the dragons were stunned speechless.

Now they had to believe what was before their eyes. But this was too unjust!

A little beast so lazy that it only ever slept, and they had never seen it exert itself.

For over a century, this snoring little beast had become the most peculiar sight on Dragon Island. Whenever a dragon parent taught their children, they would use it as a negative example, earnestly saying, "Never end up like that little lazy beast, or you'll be good for nothing your whole life."

And now this!

The hopelessly lazy snow-white beast was about to break into the Half-Ancestor realm!

It left jaws dropping and made everyone feel like cursing.

Boom!

The thunder grew even more deafening, the lightning more terrifying, ready to strike down on the Dragon Clan's sacred mountain at any moment.

"Hurry and wake it up! The heavenly thunder is about to come down, and it hasn't prepared at all!" a dragon nearby urged.

Though many dragons were dissatisfied with the little beast's laziness, they had come to see it as one of their own and did not want it to meet with an accident.

"Let it suffer a little first," the Dragon Clan War God King replied, then added, "It's just too lazy." Even he found it annoying that the little thing was still sound asleep with heavenly thunder about to fall.

Boom!

The radiance over Dragon Island grew more intense, the thunder more terrifying. The powerful divine energy ripples surprised even many dragon experts.

All ten of the dragon clan's great elders were roused and flew here, along with many savage dragons, all staring dumbfounded at the sleeping little beast.

At the same time, many powerhouses across the Nine Provinces sensed the unusual aura. Countless cultivators flew out to sea.

Among the overseas tribes, everyone sensed the extraordinary energy fluctuations from Dragon Island in an instant, and they were all astonished. They thought the dragon clan was about to produce another Half-Ancestor—which was expected; the dragons' talent was unmatched by few races.

At this moment, the mortal world was shaken. Countless experts converged on Dragon Island, wanting to witness the birth of this Half-Ancestor with their own eyes.

It had not been long since Lan Nuo had ascended to Half-Ancestor, and now another would break through in quick succession—truly astonishing.

No one could remember how many ages it had been since something like this had happened.

The dragon clan, full of pride, allowed everyone to watch. They were unafraid of anyone using foul play. The mighty dragon clan feared no challenge.

Some Half-Ancestors had already gone to the Soul World and not yet returned, but some still remained in the mortal world. Nearly all of them came to Dragon Island, along with experts of other realms. On this day, Dragon Island was thronged with figures.

When the assembled experts arrived with reverence and saw the protagonist about to become a Half-Ancestor, they were all stunned.

First, the protagonist was not a dragon. Second, its size was absurdly small. And its attitude left everyone speechless.

At this critical juncture, it was still fast asleep—and under the gaze of so many! Its nerves were… too… tough!

"Is this for real? The heavenly thunder is about to strike, and it's sleeping?!"

"It didn't fall asleep now. It's been asleep for over a hundred years," a dragon beside him corrected him very seriously.

"To be precise, it's been asleep for a hundred and fifty-five years," added a young dragon, counting on its fingers.

Spurt!

All the cultivators nearby felt like spitting blood.

This was too unjust!

Let the heavenly thunder strike it dead! Heaven was… blind!

Some old-timers naturally recognized Keke, but they still could not accept this reality.

No one had ever seen a little beast so infuriating. It was lazy to the core, lazy enough to make people lose all patience, lazy enough to defy the heavens…

Boom!

Just then, the heavenly thunder finally fell. It was like a river of colors cascading down from the sky, terrifying in the extreme, all blasting toward the little beast sleeping in its nest on the summit of the Dragon Clan's sacred mountain.

The Dragon Clan War God King had intended to let the little thing suffer a bit and learn a lesson, but he was shocked to find that his plan seemed to have failed.

Boom!

When the dreadful heavenly thunder crashed down, Keke's body instantly erupted with a seven-colored divine light that scattered all the thunder at once. The lightning scattered across the sky, leaving even the ancient trees on the sacred mountain unharmed.

The onlookers were practically petrified. Every single watcher stood dumbfounded.

"Heaven is unjust…" someone finally choked out, spitting blood.

Boom!

Just then, another dozen bolts of heavenly thunder struck, dazzling and blinding, covering the entire Dragon Clan sacred mountain.

Seemingly disturbed by the noise, the little beast muttered a drowsy complaint: "Don't bother me while I'm sleeping…"

Then it turned over comfortably and went back to snoring.

This was truly maddening! At such a critical moment, this was its reaction!

Everyone was speechless, looking up to the heavens and crying out: "Heavens! Earth! You have no eyes!"