The Heaven-Defying Clan

The Primordial Celestial Realm, as its name suggested, retained the most pristine features of antiquity: ancient trees that scraped the heavens, rivers like seas, and towering peaks that pierced the clouds. This realm was vast beyond measure, without end or boundary, and even many Ancestral Gods did not know its true expanse.

Yet its population was exceedingly sparse. Often, regions spanning hundreds of thousands of li were uninhabited, with scarce traces of human presence. Many of its mysterious forbidden lands were unknown even to the powerful beings who had lived in the Celestial Realm for countless ages.

Deep within an Otherworld stronghold, the Supreme Ancestral God who had been raging moments before suddenly seemed to recall something. His expression changed drastically. “At first, no one knew what had happened—only that a beam of blood-light had shot into the sky?”

“That is correct.”

“Quickly, tell me in which region!” The Supreme Ancestral God, enthroned upon a divine platform high above, could no longer maintain his composure. His demeanor, normally so majestic and unfathomable, was completely overturned.

A nearby Ancestral God stepped forward, swept his hand across the void, and a vast, hazy range of primordial mountains materialized. He pointed at that misty, mysterious land. “It is this region. For ninety thousand li around, there are few people—a wild, ancient land.”

“It truly is that place. Disaster!” The Supreme Ancestral God’s face turned ashen. “Have any experts been sent there? Call them back at once! They must not enter under any circumstances!”

“It is likely too late. They have already set out and should have arrived in that region by now.” The Ancestral God beside him was deeply puzzled. “Sir, why are you so unsettled? Although a white beastly silhouette appeared later, it had already departed. Our clan’s experts should not be in danger; they were merely going to investigate the area, not recklessly hunt down the members of that Heaven-Defying Clan.”

“You are mistaken. The danger lies in that very place, for no member of the true Heaven-Defying Clan has appeared there.” The Supreme Ancestral God’s authoritative voice shook the entire sacred mountain range as he issued a command. “Contact them immediately! Have them withdraw from that region!”

“Sir, what are you saying?” Several Ancestral Gods nearby were bewildered, gazing up at the Supreme Ancestral God on his high platform. “Sir, do you mean…”

“That Heaven-Defying Clan was cursed in ages long past. Now, throughout heaven and earth, there are no more than five of them at most. In this Primordial Celestial Realm, there should be one or two, but they are all in critical stages of cultivation and will not emerge lightly.”

He paused, his expression darkening. “You were born in later ages, so you may not know the history of that region. It holds an earth-shattering past.”

Every Ancestral God present had lived for tens of thousands of years or more, yet hearing the Supreme Ancestral God’s words, they all changed color.

“In the distant past, that Heaven-Defying Clan suffered a great calamity. All its members were cursed, nearly wiped out. The few survivors lost their human forms and were transformed into beasts.” The Supreme Ancestral God brushed his hand across the void, pointing at that mysterious, wild ancient land. “Later, right here, a blood-soaked war of shocking magnitude erupted, shaking the entire Celestial Realm.”

“Among the survivors, one person recultivated a divine body and successfully regained human form, becoming a peerless Stone-Man King. In that primordial wilderness, he confronted a host of his ancient enemies. The battle was earth-shattering—ghosts wailed and gods wept, divine blood drenched the sacred land, and the blood-light completely drowned the region. No one could approach.”

As the Supreme Ancestral God spoke, the assembled Ancestral Gods were all astounded. One man fighting against a group of powerful enemies—this was a depth of strength beyond imagination.

“It is said that a Celestial Realm giant, who had slumbered for endless ages, was awakened to finally end that battle. But he paid a tremendous price. After the battle, he vanished completely and has not reappeared to this day. Some even suspect that that Celestial Realm giant has already fallen.”

Below the divine platform, several Otherworld Ancestral Gods drew in sharp breaths. That Heaven-Defying Clan was truly heaven-defying indeed. A single person had stirred up such a storm in the Celestial Realm—it was utterly astounding.

“Indeed, it is terrifying…” The Otherworld Supreme Ancestral God’s voice was calm, but his expression was grave. “Legend has it that the origins of that Celestial Realm giant are shockingly vast. It is very possible he was already a renowned powerhouse during the age of the chaotic wastelands. Yet even he was severely wounded. One can imagine how extraordinary the Heaven-Defying Clan must be.”

“Who was it that placed the curse on that Heaven-Defying Clan? Was it not among their enemies when their strongmen were slaughtering in all directions? Could it be…”

“It is best not to speculate recklessly.” The Supreme Ancestral God glanced at them, cutting off their urge to ask further.

“So you mean, the disappearance of our Eighth Heaven expert in a beam of blood-light occurred in that very ancient, mysterious land—the very place where the Heaven-Defying Clan’s powerhouse once fought in all directions?”

“That is the place. That beam of blood-light is far from simple…” The Supreme Ancestral God answered thus.

“Was that Heaven-Defying Clan member who transformed from beast form into a Stone Man not killed by the Celestial Realm giant? Could he still be alive in that mysterious ancient land?”

“He should have been slain. But his resentment may not have dissipated, and his Nirvana-era divine city may have shattered beneath that earth. In the endless ages since, two tragedies have already occurred there. On one occasion, it involved an expert of our clan, who was ground into nothingness there, vanishing as a beam of blood-light.”

“Though only three to five members of this clan remain, they are indeed a threat. The one or two in the Celestial Realm should be eliminated as early as possible,” suggested an Eighth Heaven Ancestral God beside him.

The Supreme Ancestral God on the divine platform glanced at him. “The Celestial Realm values balance. No one can rule with an iron fist. Moreover, that Heaven-Defying Clan likely already has a Stone Man overseeing them. Add to that the one or two Celestial Realm giants who are on good terms with their ancestors, and moving against them would likely provoke a great upheaval.”

A Seventh Heaven Super-Ancestral God below frowned. “What is the origin of this Heaven-Defying Clan? I always feel they are a great threat. Could they be the sworn enemies of our world, perhaps from a billion years ago…”

“Do not make wild guesses,” the Supreme Ancestral God on the platform cut him off. “Such matters cannot be spoken of carelessly, or they will invite trouble!”

Just then, a figure rushed over from the distance, transmitting urgently, “Disaster! Two of our clan’s experts went to investigate that mysterious ancient land and have both fallen there!”

An Ancestral God reached the front as he spoke. He was famed for his speed, but he had still arrived too late to convey the Supreme Ancestral God’s command in time.

The Supreme Ancestral God on the platform was silent for a moment before saying, “Tell me what you saw.”

That Ancestral God waved his hands through space, and a hazy world materialized. In it were ancient forests, jagged peaks, and bizarre rocks, the land exceptionally wild. Giant vines covered ravines, yet there was not a single bird or beast.

Suddenly, two agonized screams rang out. Two beams of blood-light shot into the sky, and then all fell into complete silence.

“Two experts…” The Supreme Ancestral God’s eyes shot out two beams of cold light. “The man has long been slain, yet his resentment has not dispersed. Is he trying to force us to destroy it?”

“Give the order, sir! Let us go and raze that place to the ground!” A nearby Ancestral God volunteered for battle.

But the Supreme Ancestral God quickly calmed down. “Do not act rashly. You are not suited to act. When our clan’s Stone Man awakens and emerges, he will reduce that place to ashes!”

While the Otherworld powers debated, Xiao Chen was crawling out from beneath a collapsed rock mountain in that mysterious ancient land spanning ninety thousand li.

Strictly speaking, the Eighth Heaven Ancestral God had not been killed by him. The pursuit battle had raged for days, and despite holding several supreme killing weapons, he had been unable to do much to the Eighth Heaven Ancestral God—he could not even land a hit.

Such was the gap in absolute power. His divine sense was still far too lacking, and even wielding heaven-defying treasures, he could not kill a Super-Ancestral God a full major realm above him. This made him all the more desperate to increase his strength.

The day before, when they had entered this region, a terrifying power had suddenly erupted, flooding the entire area.

If not for the divine diagram protecting him and the Primordial Demon City shielding his body, Xiao Chen would have shared the fate of that Eighth Heaven Super-Ancestral God.

Even so, he had been severely shaken by that blood-light. Adding to the accumulated exhaustion of days of battle, he had sat cross-legged beneath the collapsed stone mountain for most of the night before recovering.

The next day, when he emerged, another beam of blood-light had shot into the sky, and he had personally witnessed two more Otherworld experts fall. This time, due to his careful preparation, he had not been impacted. But he was even more shaken—what kind of place was this, that it could grind away even Ancestral Gods?

He surveyed the surrounding scenery. Ancient trees towered over mountains like colossal umbrellas. Dragon-like ancient vines stretched across entire mountain ranges. For tens of thousands of li, all was like this—the very essence of primordial wildness.

“What forbidden land is this? Could it be the pure land of some Celestial Realm giant?” Xiao Chen felt a sense of unease.

Suddenly, he sensed something pulling at his pant leg. Startled, he looked down. As powerful as he was, he had not sensed a living creature approaching. This defied all reason.

When he lowered his gaze, he was so surprised he nearly cried out.

A pure white little beast, half a foot long, stood silently on the ground, blinking its large, innocent eyes with long, fluttering lashes. It was one of its small paws that was tugging at Xiao Chen’s pant leg.

“Keke… is that you?” Xiao Chen was utterly astonished. How had he encountered Keke here? But he quickly noticed something unusual. This little beast closely resembled Keke, yet there were differences. It seemed even smaller than Keke, and most importantly… it was sucking on a pacifier, its big eyes blinking curiously at him. This was an extremely young creature.

Xiao Chen suspected that this little one might be Keke’s younger sibling. Keke’s parents had likely entered the Celestial Realm long ago.

This little creature was very quiet, making no sound. It tilted its head, studied Xiao Chen for a while, a flicker of doubt in its bright eyes, and then gently swept a paw toward him. A puff of energy wafted out from Xiao Chen’s body.

Misty light coalesced and instantly formed into another small white beast—the innocent, playful Keke.

Xiao Chen understood at once. This quiet little creature had sensed the aura of its own kind on him and had directly extracted Keke’s image. Such a technique was remarkable.

The little white beast still said nothing. It simply tugged at Xiao Chen’s pant leg, then turned and walked away, as if inviting him to follow.

Xiao Chen was thoroughly amazed today. He had encountered a kin of Keke’s, and so young and tender at that. Could its adult family members be nearby?

The little creature led the way directly to an ancient tree. That towering giant reached into the clouds, its enormous crown pressing down on the surrounding peaks. Its branches and leaves were lush, and the divine leaves shimmered with a faint radiance, rustling in the wind.

When they reached the tree, the little creature entered along a dry hollow in the roots. Xiao Chen followed without hesitation.

The passage twisted and turned, spiraling downward in a general sense. This tree hollow extended deep into the earth, clearly a natural cavity formed by the withered giant roots. When they emerged from the root hollow, an underground chamber spread out before them—chaotic and disordered, with crisscrossing passages branching off into countless caverns, as complex as an underground maze.

Gradually, Xiao Chen grew more solemn. What he saw along the way shocked him. Scattered fragments of bone dotted the ground—sporadic half-bones, all gleaming with a mysterious luster. These were unquestionably the remains of Ancestral God-level experts.

The little white beast ahead was truly quiet, making no sound at all. It looked fragile and delicate, inspiring pity, as it took small steps forward.

Xiao Chen was very curious, wondering where this little creature was leading him.

Along the way, he found more Ancestral God remains, which was deeply unsettling. It seemed a bloody battle had once taken place here.

When they passed through a vast cavern, the space opened up abruptly, as if a different world had appeared. The underground world was vast, with ever-larger boulders scattered about, as if many stone mountains had once collapsed, piled up in all directions.

Xiao Chen gradually realized that something was unusual. The boulders radiated a tremendous energy, seemingly containing terrifying divine power.

“These are the boulders of a Primordial Divine City… Could there be a shattered Primordial Divine City ahead?”

The little white beast, still sucking on its pacifier like a well-behaved child, turned its head to give him a curious look, then continued walking quietly forward.

Half a quarter of an hour later, a ruined city appeared before them. Xiao Chen was truly shaken. Here indeed lay an ancient divine city. Though it was a broken wreck, it was still grand and towering, far surpassing ordinary Primordial Demon Cities.

“Could this be the remnants of a Stone Man who once took the final step?” Xiao Chen extended his divine sense, sweeping through the region to investigate everything around him.

But the surroundings were shrouded in a hazy chaos. Though the divine city was shattered, it still seemed to hold a mysterious power that blocked divine sense probing.

The young little beast, quiet and docile, walked straight into the ruined city. Seeing this, Xiao Chen followed.

The road was very still. The city’s ruined buildings covered a vast area, leaving behind indelible divine power fluctuations. When he reached the central district, Xiao Chen was stunned. What he saw before him was unbelievable.

Right at the city center stood a complete, miniature divine city. Though it was no larger than a palace, in appearance it closely resembled the ruined city, clearly modeled exactly after it.

Why was such a miniature divine city standing in the center of a ruined one? Could it be newly grown? Xiao Chen looked suspiciously at the young beast ahead, feeling that it was connected to this phenomenon.

Whoosh!

At that moment, the quiet, obedient little creature, still sucking on its pacifier, transformed into a puff of white mist. Its body dispersed, and all that mist surged into the miniature divine city before him, disappearing into it.

“This…” Xiao Chen was utterly astounded. A wild, almost absurd conjecture formed in his mind. He muttered to himself, “Could it mean—divine city begets divine city…”

Suddenly, his mind trembled violently. Five Dao imprints manifested before him, revealing five towering figures radiating the profound essence of five great Daos, slowly revolving above the miniature divine city.

“This is… a display of Dao essence?” Xiao Chen was astonished. Since obtaining these five imprints, he had never fully comprehended them, and the five Dao essences had never favored him particularly.

But now, they were manifesting the imprint of the law of the Dao for the existence within the miniature divine city. What was the origin of this Heaven-Defying Clan? Why did even the imprints of five invincible Stone-Man Kings favor them so? Could the two be connected?