The Stone Man's Legacy

The Daoist did not hesitate in the slightest. A Primordial Demonic City, one that concerned the final step, he gave away as easily as a casual gift—decisive and forthright.

Xiao Chen could not help but ponder. Was the Divine Diagram truly so important? In the eyes of the powerful beings of the Death World, it seemed to hold extraordinary significance.

"What, you don't believe me?" The Daoist's entire body was covered in stone armor as he stood in the sky, and above him, the Primordial Demonic City stood towering, suppressing all below as leaden clouds roiled around it.

"First, tell me the secret method for rushing the Stone Man realm." Xiao Chen stood in the void, facing the Daoist.

"Are you certain you truly wish to know this secret method?"

"What harm could there be?" Xiao Chen asked.

"If you are not at the corresponding realm and recklessly charge into the Stone Man realm, you may face the danger of instantaneous fall."

"My self-control is not that poor." Though Xiao Chen's face was calm, he was indeed curious in his heart. What secrets lay hidden in the Stone Man realm?

The Daoist looked at him and said, "My Stone Man path is here!" As he spoke, two beams of yellow light flew from his eyes, shooting straight toward Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen intercepted the two rainbow beams with a War Sword, then pointed a finger at them. Specks of hazy radiance rippled forth, flowing like water into his sea of consciousness. He began to refine the knowledge with his divine sense—the mysterious and terrifying Stone Man path gradually unfolded before his eyes.

Even nine deaths and one life could not describe it. The Stone Man path was nearly a path of self-destruction. The myriad perils and tribulations within stood like a heavenly moat cutting off the way forward.

There was simply no road ahead! Only a faint glimmer of light flickered at the distant end of the hazy horizon, indicating a higher realm existed there.

But where was the path? It could scarcely be seen.

Xiao Chen committed it all to memory. Perhaps it could not become his own cultivation canon, but it was an extremely precious reference. Looking across all the worlds, Stone Men were virtually invisible; their cultivation methods were too valuable.

"Everyone has their own path. My Stone Man path may differ from others' and may even be completely unsuitable for you." The Daoist in the sky reminded Xiao Chen.

"I know that naturally." Xiao Chen nodded, then asked, "But how can I be sure this is the true Stone Man method?"

"I would not deceive you. If you want to verify it, the only way is to walk the Stone Man path right now."

"That is impossible." Xiao Chen shook his head. The Stone Man path was too arduous. The experience of predecessors was extremely important. He wanted to collect enough Stone Man methods before truly reaching that realm—provided the methods were correct.

"Then use this for an initial experience." With that, the Daoist hurled the stone spear in his hand toward Xiao Chen. The ancient, unadorned spear pierced through the void in an instant, appearing right in front of Xiao Chen, hanging there silently.

"Try activating this spear with the Stone Man method and see what power it has. But I warn you not to overdo it, or you may petrify on the spot and have all your vitality snuffed out."

It was a dangerous attempt, but Xiao Chen was not afraid. He grasped the ancient war spear with both hands and, following the Stone Man method, vibrated his divine power slightly.

"Boom!" At that moment, a heaven-shaking aura exploded from the center of Xiao Chen's body. The land of death beneath him cracked with a grinding sound, splitting open terrifying chasms. The stone spear emitted a hazy yellow light, and Xiao Chen's arms stiffened, a layer of stone skin appearing on the surface of his hands, about to petrify.

"Bang!" Xiao Chen shook his hands, and specks of yellow radiance rippled out. His hands were freed from the petrified state, and the stone spear became ancient and unadorned once more.

"I want to add another condition now. It's hard for me to truly confirm whether this Stone Man method is real or false. I want this stone spear as compensation." Xiao Chen made this request.

"You truly have a lion's mouth wide open. I have already told you the method for rushing the Stone Man realm, and I even gave you my original Primordial Demonic City without hesitation. Are you still not satisfied?" The Daoist in the sky darkened his face.

Xiao Chen remained very calm. "It is already a stretch for me to wage war against Ancestral Gods. If I were to be drawn into the conflicts of your level, wouldn't it be a death sentence? Without a corresponding temptation, it is hard for me to risk myself."

"That is impossible!" The Daoist's expression grew gloomy. "Your request is too excessive." Now that Xiao Chen had obtained the Stone Man method, the Daoist obviously could not just let him leave.

The Primordial Demonic City above rumbled, as if millions of demon mountains pressed down from above, the oppressive, domineering aura growing ever more fierce.

"You were willing to give away even a Primordial Demonic City. Why do you value a stone weapon so highly?" Xiao Chen had long suspected that this stone spear might be the weapon left behind by a Stone Man who had successfully completed the final step. Otherwise, how could a powerful being of the Death World value it so much?

"At present, it is my greatest reliance. I cannot give it to you." The Daoist's face darkened. "You may have already guessed—this stone spear has an extraordinary origin. It is a perfectly complete stone weapon."

"So that's how it is." Xiao Chen knew that pressing further would not make the other party yield, and might very well provoke an attack. He gazed at the Primordial Demonic City and said, "You said this is a second city used for nirvana. What exactly does that mean?"

"Since I can successfully split off part of my divine consciousness, I can naturally reshape a new self and seize the ancient cities of dying Stone Men." The Daoist's answer was very calm, as if speaking of something trivial.

Xiao Chen was quite shocked. That would mean possessing a second life! The Stone Man path was hopelessly slim; doing this was equivalent to establishing another foundation for oneself.

"I know what you are thinking, but unfortunately, I must tell you: if you want to rush the final step, all your divine consciousness must return to one, and only then do you have a glimmer of hope. I do this only to control the external world, so as not to remain in ignorance for eons, unaware of the changes in heaven and earth." The Daoist's words shattered the faint hope in Xiao Chen's heart.

"Living in this world, unless you have reached perfection, you cannot neglect the changes of heaven and earth for even a single day. Otherwise, even if you are only a thread short, you may eventually turn into a handful of yellow earth." The Daoist seemed touched by some sentiment, speaking casually.

"I have obtained your Stone Man method, but you are unwilling to give me the stone spear. If I simply walk away, I would indeed be failing you. However, I do not wish to be drawn into your conflicts too early. If I am involved too deeply, I fear I may be annihilated at any moment. I can agree to cooperate with you, but I must wait until I reach the Ninth Heaven of the Ancestral God realm before I can join forces with you."

"I never expected you to act now." The Daoist shook his head again. "But I cannot wait until you reach the Ninth Heaven of Ancestral God. I believe that when you reach the Sixth Heaven, you will be able to shake experts at the Ninth Heaven." His gaze suddenly sharpened, as if trying to see through everything about Xiao Chen.

"But what we face are Stone Men. I will not act before I reach the Ninth Heaven!" Xiao Chen was very firm, unwilling to put himself in mortal danger.

"The Seventh Heaven. I can only wait until the Seventh Heaven!" The Daoist's tone was extremely resolute.

"Let me take a step back: the Eighth Heaven. I will absolutely not act before reaching the Eighth Heaven." Xiao Chen did not regard this Daoist as a benevolent being. The other party would not have given him such gifts for nothing. He was definitely not a kind person and might turn hostile at any time in the future.

"Fine! The Eighth Heaven it is. I will wait for you!" The Daoist seemed very confident, his gaze as sharp as a blade. "Soon, your world will cease to exist. Even if you want to avoid it, you can only return to this world of the dead!"

"Stop the nonsense. Give me the Primordial Demonic City!" Xiao Chen stared at the Daoist and the giant city in the sky.

"I will give it to you in three thousand years!" The Daoist said this.

"Impossible. Does a being at your level also haggle like a mortal?" Xiao Chen sneered.

"Fine! I will give it to you!" The Daoist's aura suddenly became fierce. "If you think you can take the benefits and walk away, never to be involved with me again, you are gravely mistaken. If you break today's pact, do not blame me for being ruthless. Anyone connected to you, I will erase from this world one by one!"

"Boom!" The Primordial Demonic City trembled, descending from above the Daoist's head to the ground. A heaven-rushing yellow radiance flooded the world, drowning everything. The ancient city shook violently, and the life essence within surged upward like a great waterfall, condensing toward the Daoist.

"I do not want a ruined city!" Xiao Chen shouted from a distance.

"Rest assured, I am only taking what belongs to me. Everything original to the city will be preserved." The Daoist was shrouded in yellow radiance, like a black hole, ceaselessly absorbing that life force.

"Boom!" With a final great sound, the Primordial Demonic City stopped shaking and fell completely silent. The yellow radiance around the Daoist slowly merged into his body. His overall aura became even more oppressive. He formed a hand seal toward the giant city below.

"Rumble..." From within the Primordial Demonic City, a broken Stone Man was drawn out. But its life fire was nearly extinguished, and at this moment it seemed to still be in a deep, unending sleep. Its body was shattered and decayed; only a section of leg bone and its skull had petrified, while the rest was nearly rotted through, with rotten flesh clinging to the white bones.

"This is the original master of the ancient city. But its life fire cannot sustain more than a few years." The Daoist proved to Xiao Chen that he had not touched anything belonging to the Primordial Demonic City. Then he sent the Stone Man, which could no longer revive, back into the city.

"A once-in-an-age genius, yet now reduced to such a state." Xiao Chen was deeply moved. How could one who had walked the Stone Man path be mediocre? In their day, they must have been a peerless hero who looked down upon the world and dominated the age.

But what was the result? Striving for a higher step, they ended up decaying and returning to dust. A hero who was once invincible, but in the end, was dragged out like a dead dog—truly pitiable and lamentable. No wonder the three Otherworld Supreme Ancestral Gods would rather sit motionless like bedrock, guarding the Eternal Unknown, than walk the Stone Man path. The fate of this once-legendary master before them was too tragic.

The Daoist in the sky continuously formed hand seals, displaying profound techniques Xiao Chen had never seen before. Beams of yellow light struck the Primordial Demonic City.

"In the past, I already refined this city. Now, transferring it to you, I believe you can take control of it quite easily."

As the yellow light struck, the Primordial Demonic City rapidly shrank. Eventually, it hung in the void like a great seal. Finally, the Primordial Demonic City was refined down to the size of a palm, which the Daoist held in his hand.

"Refine this city using the Divine Diagram. Incidentally, I want to see if the Divine Diagram has changed." The Daoist hurled the palm-sized Primordial Demonic City toward Xiao Chen.

Rolling mist surged. Although the ancient city was very small, its presence did not diminish. It still gave a heavy, oppressive feeling, weighing on one's mind.

Xiao Chen summoned the Divine Diagram. It slowly rotated, suppressing the ancient city, and began to refine it. Hazy mist billowed, and divine power surged here like terrifying waves crashing against the shore, shaking the heavens.

Time passed. It lasted a full three days. Xiao Chen completely took control of this Primordial Demonic City.

"In the future, if you want to walk the Stone Man path, having such a ready-made ancient city will save you a great deal of life essence." The Daoist said this.

"A divine city not condensed from one's own life is probably nothing more than a castle of sand." Xiao Chen sneered. The refined Primordial Demonic City was stowed into the Divine Diagram. With a flash of light, the Diagram and the War Swords merged into his body.

"Hm?" At that moment, the Daoist seemed startled. "Wait! Summon the Divine Diagram and the War Swords again!"

Xiao Chen stared at him. "What, have you changed your mind?"

"It has nothing to do with me. It concerns your safety!" The Daoist shouted. "There is a problem with the War Swords!" Hearing this, Xiao Chen was instantly alarmed. Seventeen years ago, when he left the Nine Provinces, the Human Demon Ge Qian had helped him repair the divine city. When he returned and shattered the city, three War Swords had burst forth, which he had collected and refined. He had always harbored great doubt about this matter, unsure whether Ge Qian was deliberately helping him or scheming something.

In an instant, Xiao Chen summoned the War Swords. Thirty-three War Swords hung in the void, each shining brilliantly, radiating divine radiance that dimmed even the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers. The Daoist in the sky, holding the stone spear, appeared right before him in a flash, pointing at three of the War Swords. "These three have a problem!"

Xiao Chen's heart sank. They were precisely the three War Swords from the Human Demon Ge Qian.

"Put away the other War Swords. Let me examine them closely." The Daoist showed a hint of solemnity. With a clang, Xiao Chen sheathed the other War Swords and retreated, keeping the Divine Diagram defensively in front at all times. He had always been on guard against this Daoist.

"Someone has left an imprint on these three War Swords." The Daoist pressed down on the three swords with his stone spear, his expression grave. "This person is not simple. In fact, they are extremely formidable!"

"Impossible!" Xiao Chen did not believe it. "I had already inspected and refined them long ago. How could there be someone else's imprint?"

"This person is very powerful. They managed to simulate the divine power rules of the War Swords, carving a very faint imprint within the sword's divine power itself, becoming part of those very rules. It is truly hard to detect. This person's divine sense is terrifyingly strong." The Daoist gave such a high evaluation to the Human Demon Ge Qian.

Xiao Chen's expression darkened. He had not expected that Ge Qian had nearly deceived him—truly a master of misdirection. He said in a deep voice, "Could he use this to turn against me at any moment?"

"Not quite. After all, it is only a faint imprint. Once you discover it, you can wipe it out at any time." With that, the Daoist's voice turned stern. "This person is indeed not simple. He wants to simulate everything about the War Swords, to assimilate with them, slowly growing his divine sense until he fully grasps all their secrets, and ultimately even tries to forcibly simulate the Divine Diagram. However, he probably does not know that the Divine Diagram cannot be simulated. He will not succeed." Finally, the Daoist looked at Xiao Chen. "I didn't expect someone like this to have set his sights on you. He is a troublesome fellow, a hard person to deal with—and his strength is quite considerable."

"He has only petrified one arm." Xiao Chen drew a line in the void, and the figure of the Human Demon Ge Qian appeared, his stone arm especially conspicuous.

The Daoist cast only a faint glance. "The amount of petrification does not absolutely determine a person's combat ability. Some are merely a thread away from the final step, seemingly at ultimate power, sweeping through all enemies. But ultimately, they are failures—they have exhausted too much life essence. They may not be a match for those who, with abundant vitality and life force, walked out of the Primordial Demonic City on their own."

"What?!" Xiao Chen was greatly shocked. It was the first time he had heard such a secret about the Stone Man path: the degree of petrification was not the sole criterion for combat ability.

"That person, the Human Demon Ge Qian—he seems to have walked out of the divine city on his own. Because he once said that neither he nor many others had expected his life fire not to go out, and in the end, his essence blood remained vigorous, allowing him to survive. He left the divine city on his own!"

Xiao Chen's heart suddenly chilled. "With these imprints, can he spy on my location? Or even tear through the barriers of the Death World and cross over here with his overwhelming divine power?"

"Not quite." The Daoist sneered. "The Death World bears too many secrets. It is not as easy to descend upon as other worlds. However..." The Daoist frowned slightly. "If there were several experts of this level, it would be hard to say."

Xiao Chen broke out in a cold sweat. He acted instantly, enveloping the three War Swords with the Divine Diagram, carefully sensing those imprints that had been disguised as the War Swords' own divine power, and wiped them out in a flash!

At the same time, on the seas outside the Nine Provinces, a middle-aged man of complex temperament—somewhat dejected, somewhat melancholic, somewhat ethereal—sat on a small boat. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes shooting two extremely sharp beams of light. His finger, which had been plucking at a zither, snapped a string with a sharp ‘ding.’ The vast ocean instantly roared with towering waves, which shot straight into the sky and scattered the clouds overhead.

"Haaah..." He let out a soft sigh. It was the Human Demon, Ge Qian.

In the Death World, the Daoist left. Xiao Chen sat in place, cultivating quietly for over three months. He fully took control of the Primordial Demonic City he had obtained, and also completely melted the shattered remains of Ge Qian's divine city into the Primordial Demonic City, fusing the two into one.

"I wonder how the Nine Provinces are doing." Xiao Chen decided to return to the Nine Provinces to see.

As Xiao Chen made this decision, on the seas outside the Nine Provinces, a patch of auspicious clouds and colorful mist appeared. Four Otherworld Ancestral Gods led a mysterious cultivator to the sea region where Ge Qian was.

Ge Qian sat cross-legged on a small boat, tranquil as a lotus, his temperament otherworldly. He gave a faint glance at the mysterious cultivator in the sky. "A visitor from the Celestial Realm—truly a fine method. The Seven Demon Diagrams sealed the heavenly path, yet you still found a way down."

The person on the auspicious clouds was a middle-aged woman, dignified and elegantly beautiful, with an otherworldly, saintly bearing. She slowly descended and said, "I have come only to deliver a command."

"A command?" Ge Qian smiled faintly. "Does the Celestial Realm truly believe itself to be above all?"

The dignified, saintly middle-aged woman's expression did not change. She descended to the sea surface, stopping about a hundred zhang from the small boat.

Ge Qian's lips curled into a slight sneer. "Are you representing the Neutral Faction, the Otherworld Faction, or the Nine Provinces Faction?"

"I have always been in a neutral position."

"Haha!" Ge Qian laughed loudly, almost wildly, very disrespectfully, even insolently. "The Neutral Faction is nothing but a fence-sitter. It leans toward whichever side is stronger."

"You!" The middle-aged woman's expression turned cold. "What right do you have to mock others? Are you not yourself merely a traitor?"

"What are you saying?!" Ge Qian's expression gradually turned icy.

The middle-aged woman flicked her wrist and tossed a letter to Ge Qian, then said coldly, "Have you done it and now fear others speaking of it?" With that, she rose into the air on her colorful clouds, preparing to leave.

Ge Qian read the letter, his face calm as he stared at the middle-aged woman about to depart. His words were as cold as demonic sound from an ice cave, echoing across the entire overseas region: "Since you are here, do not leave."

His words were very simple, but they seemed to carry a dreadful demonic power that shook the souls of Ancestral God-level experts.

"You want to make a move against me?!" The middle-aged woman spun around abruptly. "Do you want to start a war with the Celestial Realm?"

"Sigh..."

Ge Qian let out a soft sigh, not even looking at the sky. He sat quietly on the small boat, seeming somewhat lost in thought.

The middle-aged woman cast a cold glance downward, then turned again to fly away.

"Did I say you could leave?" Ge Qian's icy voice rang out once more.

The four Otherworld Ancestral Gods around them felt a great tremor in their hearts, a deep dread surging within. They were clearly afraid of the Human Demon Ge Qian, but still reminded him, "My lord, she is..."

"I know she is from the Celestial Realm. So what?!" Ge Qian's words were freezing cold, utterly emotionless. "A moment ago, I recalled some past events, and my mood is rather unsettled."

The four Otherworld Ancestral Gods broke out in cold sweat. This was not the first time Ge Qian had spoken such words. There were rumors among the stronger beings of the Otherworld: whenever he said things like this, even several sect ancestors would be deeply troubled for a long time.

And indeed, Ge Qian's temperament changed dramatically in an instant. It was as if a drawn butcher's knife had been unsheathed. Though no bloody scene appeared, this world had already become more sinister and terrifying than a slaughterhouse!

"Do you truly intend to act?" The middle-aged woman's expression solidified. She prepared fully for battle.

"Wrong. I am going to kill you." Ge Qian's expression shifted violently, becoming incomparably ferocious in an instant. Though he had not yet moved, the sleeve of his left arm suddenly burst apart, and the surrounding heavens and earth shattered instantly. It was that stone arm—though ancient and unadorned, it radiated an aura that made even Ancestral God-level experts tremble in fear, sealing this entire sea region.

"You are inviting a great calamity!" The middle-aged woman struck out with an ocean of divine power while attempting to break through.

"A great calamity? I have always thought of myself as a great calamity. If there is more, let it come!"

Ge Qian rose to his feet. His stone arm swelled, swinging as he shouted, "Die!" The enormous arm instantly thickened to the size of a mountain range, spanning the sky. Nothing could stop it. The four Otherworld Ancestral Gods were sent tumbling by the shockwave.

His stone arm shattered everything, crushing all in its path like dry twigs!

The middle-aged woman was horrified to realize she could not block it at all. It was too terrifying. Her defensive shield and several supreme treasures shattered instantly. Even the life divine light protecting her body was broken. The stone fist directly pierced through the middle-aged woman's head!