The Rebel Celestial Treasure

The stone box was barely a foot long, seemingly carved from ordinary stone. The patterns etched upon its surface were worn and blurred by the passage of ages.

Shadows flickered as numerous cultivators suddenly appeared within the Pure Land. All eyes were fixed on the towering mountain ridge that had erupted from the earth. The Stone Corpse, the Sharpening Stone Beast, and the Lotus King had each manifested in different territories, the three great giants apparently seeking to avoid direct confrontation.

Then, a vast palace materialized atop the Hundred-Vein Ancestral Root, piercing into the heavens. Immortal mist swirled around it, chaotic light flowing and churning. The vermilion main gate groaned open with an ear-splitting creak, then slammed wide with a thunderous crash.

A resonant chime rang out, shaking the entire Pure Land. A drumbeat followed, trembling through the firmament. The bell and drum towers within the palace of the primal king's star palace rang endlessly, proclaiming the complete unsealing of the ancient stronghold—the Rebel Celestial Treasure was about to appear.

A nether wind howled. Corpse aura flooded the sky. Endless black mist surged like a dark tide as night descended. The Stone Corpse was the first to charge into the palace.

"Old corpse, do not be too impatient, lest you lie here in eternal stillness." Though the Sharpening Stone Beast appeared childlike, his voice was cold and pierced all ten directions, suffocating those who heard. He did not use the main gate, but instead shattered a side hall and descended from the heavens.

A stone lotus bloomed, surrounded by hazy mist. The Lotus King cleaved through space, her divine light shrouding the rear half of the celestial palace.

Far off, other powerhouses watched silently. The three giants of the Heavenly Realm had taken the stage; none dared to contend with them at this moment. They could only bide their time, for the celestial palace had been wholly divided among the three.

No one expected what happened next. A colossal hand descended from the sky, covering the entire celestial palace as if to seize it in one grasp. Even the incarnations of the three giants lay within that hand's shadow—all three were attacked simultaneously.

The Pure Land quaked like an earthquake. Though the Hundred-Vein Ancestral Root was sturdy, cracks now appeared upon it. The palace atop it swayed like a reed in a storm.

"Has a Rebel War Ancestor from eons past truly returned?" The Sharpening Stone Beast bellowed as he struck first, sending a rainbow beam tearing through the sky toward the giant hand.

The stone lotus trembled, as if ten thousand divine soldiers had clashed. Petals flew forth, streaking toward the colossal palm.

Corpse aura filled the heavens. Endless black light surged skyward as the Stone Corpse struck timely. Dark mist roiled, plunging heaven and earth into darkness.

All the powerhouses in the distance fell back in shock. Not only had the three giants of the Heavenly Realm descended, but now a Rebel War Ancestor from billions of years past had arrived. This was a monumental event that would shake the Heavenly Realm to its core.

Yet no one retreated. Every cultivator watched from afar, their eyes gleaming. The temptation of the Rebel Celestial Treasure was too great.

None of the giants nor the Rebel War Ancestor had dispatched their true bodies; they seemed reluctant to fight to the death. This was the opportunity for the rest. But for the awe the giants inspired, some among the onlookers could indeed rival their incarnations.

All were restraining themselves. The moment the treasure truly appeared, madness would erupt.

Under the collision of four supreme powerhouses, the Pure Land began to shake violently. The Solar Star Palace outside trembled as well. The Solar Star blazed with blinding radiance, and divine rainbows shot into the sky as the king's star palace and the Pure Land exploded with dazzling light.

The Rebel Celestial Treasure finally emerged, shrouded in chaotic light. It was hazy and mysterious—no one could see its true form.

A disheveled, wild-haired man wielding a stone sword charged forward with a battle cry. He was the first to dare join the fray between the giants and the Rebel War Ancestor. Others followed, several figures soaring directly toward the treasure gleaming with chaotic radiance, all fighting to claim it.

The Pure Land was torn apart. The star palace trembled. The Solar Star quaked. The aura of this battle diffused across the Heavenly Realm, instantly sensed by countless powerhouses.

Those who had hesitated could no longer resist temptation. Many powerful divine senses probed toward the Solar Star.

Then, a beam of blood light shot up from the ancient Heavenly Realm battlefield of billions of years ago, illuminating the entire Heavenly Realm and stirring the passage of ages. Many cried out in shock.

"Another Rebel War Ancestor!"

"The legends speak true! A handful always survive to return!"

The blood light pierced from the ancient battlefield directly into the Solar Star Palace, intensifying the already chaotic and bitter treasure war.

War drums rumbled in the distance, and a floating giant island rushed from the depths of the Heavenly Realm toward the Solar Star Palace. Cultivators on the ground gasped in astonishment once more.

"In the last great war, the armies of the Hanging Isle were utterly crushed, self-destructing in despair. Now they emerge again—could their progenitor have survived back then? Or are they staking everything, clan and all, in a suicidal charge for the Rebel Celestial Treasure?"

In the short time since the treasure's appearance, many places in the Heavenly Realm were no longer at peace. The Solar Star had become the focal point of all powerhouses. Every cultivator looked skyward, watching this extraordinary battle for the treasure.

Over a death marsh on the Heavenly Realm's earth, bubbling water vapor spiraled upward toward the fiery Solar Star. The vapor condensed within the star, dimming even the blazing sun.

"Who is that?" Another powerhouse manifested within the Solar Star, drawing cries of surprise from all across the Heavenly Realm.

At the same time, many rogue cultivators soared skyward. Unable to resist temptation, they too sought their luck.

At this moment, the Solar Star welcomed its most turbulent day—and the most dangerous. It could collapse at any moment.

Within the depths of a major sect of the Heavenly Realm, after intense discussion, they too could no longer remain passive. A colossal divine city slowly rose and drifted toward the Solar Star Palace. This was the city left behind by a Stone Man sovereign—the one slain by Pangu in ancient times.

The Solar Star gathered the powers of the eight directions. Had not all the powerhouses entered the Pure Land—the world founded by the fallen king—the star would have shattered long ago.

Now, in the Pure Land, heaven and earth were splitting apart as the powerhouses battled for the Rebel Celestial Treasure.

The treasure blazed with chaotic light, surrounded by the crowd. No one could claim it alone.

Within the great formation outside the Pure Land, the old goat paced frantically, hopping with anxiety. Matters had exceeded his expectations. His vaunted formation, even when fully activated, could not restrain the treasure—it showed no reaction at all.

"Such a waste of feeling! Can you do this or not?" Xiao Chen was at a loss. With his current cultivation, he could not hope to compete in the Heavenly Realm.

"Too many have come! The giants, the Rebel War Ancestors, and those reckless rogue cultivators all joined in. This has completely disrupted my peerless formation! It cannot unleash its full power. And that Rebel Celestial Treasure is no ordinary thing—it seems innately difficult to trap."

The old goat paced back and forth, anxious and frowning, rubbing his hands together. "No, we need an extraordinary solution."

He stopped suddenly and looked at Xiao Chen. "Boy... do you dare take a risk?"

"What risk?" Xiao Chen eyed him warily. This old fiend had never offered a good suggestion.

"I will channel the might of this peerless formation into you. You will merge with the Divine Diagram and snatch that Rebel Celestial Treasure."

"You old scoundrel, you never have any good ideas. Are you trying to sacrifice me? Do it yourself." Xiao Chen refused outright.

The old goat wrung his hands anxiously. "How could I sacrifice you? Risky, yes, but it's the only way. If we had a Rebel War Ancestor here, it would be simple."

"Nonsense. If a Rebel War Ancestor were here, he wouldn't need to cooperate with you. He would act on his own." Speaking thus, Xiao Chen thought of the Great Dao Imprint within him. Could he use it now? Especially that Otherworldly power.

Just then, the old goat's eyes flashed with a sly light. "I have an idea! There's a lot of miscellaneous junk inside you—we can use it!".

"What are you babbling about?" Xiao Chen watched him warily. This old wretch was full of bad ideas; he had to be on guard.

"I sense something unusual within you," the old goat said. "Show me everything you've got, and maybe I'll come up with a brilliant plan."

"You're nothing but a backwoods strategist. Your only ideas are bad ones." Xiao Chen had no intention of revealing his secrets to this untrustworthy creature.

But the old goat was too mysterious. In that moment, a strange light shone from his eyes, distorting space itself as if he could see through all the secrets of the world. When he gazed at Xiao Chen, he exclaimed in shock: "Heavens! Boy, what incredible luck! Could you have an Otherworldly Great Dao Imprint within you? Impossible!"

Xiao Chen was inwardly shocked, but kept his face calm. "If I had mastered the Great Dao and condensed an imprint, I would have gone after the Rebel Celestial Treasure myself instead of following you."

"No, there is definitely something strange inside you. I can sense a very special aura." The old goat's eyes became hollow, as if they could see through Xiao Chen's flesh. "Boy, don't hold back. Show it all. If we join forces, we can certainly seize the Rebel Celestial Treasure!"

After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Chen released the Otherworldly Great Dao Imprint. A hazy figure stood in the center of the formation.

"So powerful! This is indeed a Great Dao—a being of peerless talent, an invincible figure in their day!" The old goat was amazed, exclaiming endlessly.

"But this imprint is peculiar. Only its descendants can inherit it. I've studied it for a long time without understanding its method," Xiao Chen said.

"Heh, that's no obstacle. With this old man here, we can temporarily borrow its fundamental laws." A mysterious light appeared in the old goat's eyes, as if he had come back to life, rejuvenated. At that moment, he exuded an aura of supreme dominance, his expression one of a man who looked down on the world. "If we join forces, we will be the equal of a Rebel War Ancestor!"

"Didn't you claim to be a Rebel War Ancestor yourself? Why do you need to join with me?"

"A small problem has arisen. Only by uniting can we manifest the power of a Rebel War Ancestor." The old goat was unabashed, full of confidence. "The Great Dao Imprint merges into me, I merge into the Divine Diagram, and the Divine Diagram merges into you. With our unity, drawing upon the supreme might of this greatest formation of all ages, we shall temporarily become a Rebel War Ancestor!"

"You old scoundrel, you've never been reliable."

"I speak the truth! If my body were not damaged, I would not need such trouble. Come, try it with me, and you will see." The old goat was unusually serious. "The Divine Diagram is fully within your control. You need not worry."

"Very well, I trust you this once. But if anything goes wrong, don't blame me for using the Divine Diagram to grind you to dust!" Xiao Chen warned. He feared this old wretch might do something reckless.

In mere moments, at the edge of the Pure Land within the Solar Star, an aura erupted that made every cultivator's heart tremble—a divine flame that shook the six directions and eight wastelands!

"Another Rebel War Ancestor! How is this possible?!"

"How can so many Rebel War Ancestors from billions of years ago return? Impossible!"

At this instant, whether in the Pure Land or across the Heavenly Realm, countless powerhouses were struck dumb with shock.