Burial of the Nine Provinces

An age had ended. A civilization had come to a close. The cycle was complete.

All that was, was now dust, scattered across the boundless heavens. The cruel reality did not weep.

Xiao Chen looked on, cold and nearly numb, at the rotting corpses, at the blood-stained cherry blossoms falling. It was over.

There was no suspense. Strength crushed all. No matter how hard one struggled, how bitterly one refused, it changed nothing.

History could not be rewritten. Life could not begin anew. The final curtain had fallen.

How could one tell who was who among the piled bones? In a thousand years, who would know where each had lain? A stone beneath the earth? A handful of soil on a high plateau?

Old friends were no more. They had gathered into blood and scattered across the desolate heavens and earth.

Rumble—

The shattered cliff beneath his feet could no longer bear the crushing weight. It fractured, sending rocks tumbling. The last cherry blossom tree vanished beneath the dust and stone.

In the fleeting chaos, Xiao Chen seemed to see a jade-white body among the falling boulders.

He walked aimlessly across the broken land. No miracle came. What he saw, beyond shattered corpses, was only shattered corpses.

When he saw the broken Great Annihilation War Spear on the battlefield, despair took him utterly. At last he stopped before the fragmented hull of the Ancestral Lord Warship. Upon it there were several small, blood-colored paw prints—Keke's.

In a trance, he once again heard her childish ya-ya.

Now, nearly senseless, Xiao Chen walked step by step into the depths of the blood-soaked land. He did not look back. His figure grew hazy, blurred, and finally vanished completely.

Xiao Chen walked for seven years. In those years he had despaired, grieved, and become utterly disheartened. But in the end, he lapsed into numbness.

It was a blow beyond imagining. No tears came. No words of complaint could be spoken. He wandered in near ruin, walking ceaselessly, trekking without end. He was afraid that if he stopped, he would collapse on the earth, buried in this world of death, turned to decay.

In the eighth year, a chill wind blew against him, and he gradually awoke. He did not know when he had arrived at the depths of the Death Continent.

"Is this the beginning of the cycle? Or its end?"

How similar it was. In ages past, the same had happened in the Death World. Life began and ended in endless cycles.

Slowly, Xiao Chen grew calm... He began to walk back along the same path. Another seven whole years passed. He felt as if he had lived seven thousand years, as if he had undergone a hundred cycles of reincarnation.

When he returned to the blood-soaked battlefield and stood before the shattered God Village, his divine sense seemed to shatter—then suddenly reforge. In an instant, it burst forth with a billion zhang of divine light, illuminating the entire outer region of the Death Continent.

Dazzling holy light blazed from his flesh. He was like a blazing sun breaking through the endless deathly clouds, allowing the hidden sun, moon, and stars to once again cast down their radiance.

Joy and sorrow were as water to Xiao Chen. Even as his divine consciousness sublimated, breaking through its fetters and ascending to the Ancestral God realm, he felt no happiness or sense of achievement.

Expressionless, he tried to recognize his old friends amid the blood-colored ruins. But in the end, he found nothing.

Because the bones were shattered, the flesh rotted, all ground together, impossible to distinguish.

He could only see, from the collapsed cliff, a jade body, and on the broken Ancestral Lord Warship, a few intact bloody paw prints. Nothing else could be told apart.

Chi—

With his hand like a blade, Xiao Chen cut into the earth, cleaving away this blood-colored battlefield.

Leaving only the shattered Ancestral Lord Warship, he raised the entire battlefield with one hand, tore open the barrier between worlds, and returned to the Nine Provinces.

He walked across the deathly land, constantly shattering the sky above the battlefield, letting the blood-soaked earth and the shattered remains scatter across the Nine Provinces.

The Nine Provinces received their dead.

These were all cultivators and heroes of the Nine Provinces. Xiao Chen brought them all back. This was where they should finally rest.

He did not know the names of many of them, but that did not matter. He wished only that they could truly find peace.

The bloody battlefield in his hand was better called a mass of grave-mud. All the old friends were buried within it.

Liu Mu, with his sickly pallor—which part of this bloody grave-soil now holds you?

Niu Ren, with your plump frame and honest smile—how can I forget you? You sleep in which patch of this earth?

Jin Sanyi, stuttering and hiding your true heart behind a lecherous facade—when you died, did you still wear your usual amorous smile? Where are you buried?

Yan Qingcheng, city-toppling beauty beyond compare—was the jade body beneath the crumbling cliff truly you? Pure as fine jade, you had to let go of everything. But can you rest in peace?

Zhao Lin'er, peerless elegance, cunning heart, empress of the world—you refused to be forgotten, but in the end you lay alone in the bloody mud. Is this your homecoming?

Dugu Jianmo, with iron sword crossing the sky, living solely for the sword—your heart was like steel. Now where are you? Have you too returned to dust? Let this blood-stained earth build your grave. Do you still have regrets?

Chen Fang, loyal to love, trapped by feeling, willing to step back for a friend and abandon your own happiness—can you now find peace? In which piece of this grave-soil are you buried?

Wu Ming, ever scheming, with the Undying Imperial Heavenly Bell over your head—need you still scheme? I clearly heard your unwilling roar, saw the bell shatter and your body fall. In the end, you were not dark and cunning, but radiantly protecting your own son. Your blood sprayed across the sky. Was that your final plea for me to avenge you? I hold this lump of grave-soil. I distinctly feel your roar, see history replay. Is this truly your flesh turned to mud?

Keke, ill-fated, innocent and lovely—your pure smile, your clear eyes, your childish ya-ya... can they truly never return? The bloody paw prints... why are you always the one hurt?

Xiao Chen held the battlefield in his hands. Slowly, he shattered it, scattering the grave-soil across the Nine Provinces. Until his hands held nothing at all.

The Nine Provinces buried their dead. All the old friends were interred. Who could bear such agony?

No tears could be shed. No words could be spoken. Xiao Chen could only stand fixedly, staring at this land.

Finally, he looked to Luoyang... there, vitality soared to the heavens. It was the only source of life. Ancestral Gods of the Otherworld sat there, guarding something unknown.

Xiao Chen gazed for a long time, then silently turned. The north wind howled, snowflakes danced, and he walked away alone.

In the end, he tore through space and arrived at the Curse Realm.

Now his divine sense had reached the Ancestral God realm. Although he had not mastered the origin laws of myriad worlds, he had become a true War Ancestor. He opened his divine eye and uncovered the Burial Valley.

He needed to grow stronger. Stronger. Still stronger.

Clang—clang—

Within the Burial Valley, divine weapons sang in unison, bursting with dazzling light as they shot up from the pitch-black depths, slashing at Xiao Chen.

Now at his level, he feared nothing. He stepped along the descending path, shrinking the distance in an instant, descending swiftly.

This time, before he even reached the valley floor, the Ancestral God weapons that had gained sentience below attacked him of their own accord.

Xiao Chen did not overreact. He merely summoned the Divine Diagram and absorbed a beam of resplendent sword light before him.

"You—!" A sharp cry came from below. But Xiao Chen did not pause. He forced his way out, breaking through to escape the Burial Valley.

In the sky, a giant skull descended, and the valley sealed itself completely again.

Within the Burial Valley, there were several divine weapons that had gained sentience, comparable to primary Ancestral Gods. But even if they all came forth together, they could not oppose the Otherworld. Xiao Chen had come only to collect the War Swords.

Now, with thirty-four War Swords gathered, the Divine Diagram had grown once more.

When Xiao Chen returned to the Nine Provinces, he saw a rain of blood falling across heaven and earth, the roar of battle shaking the sky.

The Ancestral Gods of the Otherworld were encircling a single figure. But that man was unstoppable. He killed his way directly from the heavens to the skies above the divine capital, Luoyang.

"You dare kill my child? I will make you regret for ten lifetimes!"

Weng—

Heaven and earth quaked, as if war drums were being beaten. The figure waved his hand, and divine light swept across all directions. Instantly, two Ancestral Gods were cleaved in two at the waist, divine blood splattering—a scene of extreme terror.

No one could intercept him. He charged straight into the radiant divine capital.

At the same time, the sky shattered. A dozen or more figures descended. Clearly, they had all been chasing him moments before.

"Without taking the Final Step in this world, no one can withstand the siege of ten Supreme Ancestral Gods!" The one who spoke was the Supreme Ancestral God from the Eternal Unknown. Through the heavens, he transmitted this voice like ice: "Your Defiant Heaven Family is no exception!"

A dozen figures all charged into the divine capital, Luoyang.

From Luoyang came the cold voice of the earlier figure: "The Defiant Heaven Family stands for defying heaven. Nothing is impossible! Ages ago, I roamed unchecked through your Otherworld. Let alone now!"

"We know the origin of your family." The Supreme Ancestral God from the Eternal Unknown revealed a secret that made Xiao Chen's heart shudder. "You are the sinners of the Chaos Land. Though you hid for many years, you cannot deceive us!"

"Sinner? Who decided that?" The man laughed in fury.

Shua, shua, shua— A dozen figures charged into Luoyang.

The man's voice was anxious and sorrowful. Within Luoyang, he called out again and again: "My child, where are you? I know you cannot truly have perished—"

Beams of light shot skyward. The supreme divine arts of a generation swept across all directions!

"Stand in my way and die!" That was the man's spirit. Though his figure was slender and hazy, he was so majestic that his presence made the heart tremble.

With a casual flick of divine light, he broke eternity, forcing all the gods to retreat. None dared face him head-on; all dodged.

"Kill!"

Among the dozen Ancestral Gods, seven or eight were Supreme Ancestral Gods—a battle force of unimaginable power. The crowd roared, trying to erase the man before them.

But he was like a dream, an illusion, impossible to grasp. His image flickered, appearing and vanishing in the void.

"I have not slaughtered freely in many years. Today, my hands are destined to be drenched in blood." The slender man gave a long cry. His robes fluttered, and he moved like a divine dragon, striking without mercy!

"Six Paths of Reincarnation!"

A casual strike, and such a supreme divine art was unleashed. The Six Paths of Reincarnation erupted, shaking heaven and earth, causing the Nine Provinces to tremble, the skies to shatter, and divine light to blossom across the land.

Six worlds turned. Six kinds of world-force ground everything into dust. Reincarnation opened, and no one could withstand its edge.

Pfft—pfft—

Blood burst. Three Ancestral Gods were crushed on the spot, turned to blood mist. Their bones were not left, nor did even a shred of divine thought escape.

Such a divine art was truly unmatched, beyond the power of any to contest.

From afar, Xiao Chen watched this man. He was too powerful—incomparable.

"All of you deserve to die!" The man's voice was utterly cold.

"Kill him. Not one of this family may be left!" The voice of the Supreme Ancestral God came from beyond the heavens.

"You want to kill me?!" The man laughed in fury. "Return my child's soul, or I will bathe the heavens in blood! In my eyes, you three Supreme Ancestral Gods are nothing but dogs and chickens. Today I will slaughter you first!"

"Arrogant nonsense!" It was the most the Supreme Ancestral God had spoken in a single day. From beyond the heavens, he kept trading words with the man.

"Fine. Today, I am fated to kill freely. First, I'll cut down the three of you. Even if your progenitor leaps out, I will fight to the death!" The man within Luoyang was like an invincible sovereign. He ascended into the sky and vanished, appearing directly beyond the heavens.

That is Keke's father! Xiao Chen made the judgment instantly. He too rose into the air, killing his way toward the heavens.

Before him were more than ten Ancestral Gods, most of them Supreme Ancestral Gods. Xiao Chen's killing intent was ignited by Keke's father's spirit. All the old friends of the Nine Provinces were dead. All living beings were gone. And all of it was because of these people.

He summoned the Primordial Demon City. This city, having absorbed some of the divine city's foundation from the Celestial Realm king, had grown even more unfathomably powerful. It immediately shrouded one Ancestral God.

Rustle—

The ancient scroll unfurled and spread across heaven and earth.

Boom!

The Divine Diagram, formed from thirty-four War Swords, was even more formidable.

Bang!

Two Heavenly Marks were like two true celestial steles, towering high above, suppressing the heavens!

A scream sounded. Two figures were engulfed by the four great killing tools, then shattered into fragments in the sky.

Having ascended to the true War Ancestor realm, Xiao Chen's strength was far greater, allowing him to wield the four great killing tools with enhanced power.

The ancient scroll, hazy and immense, shook violently, absorbing the essence and blood of the two victims.

At that moment, the five majestic figures within the ancient scroll grew clearer than ever, as if on the verge of resurrection.

Xiao Chen's heart stirred. He summoned the five hazy Dao imprints within his mind and pressed them down upon this ancient scroll.

Boom! An earth-shaking sound erupted. The death beams shot at him were all shattered. The five Dao imprints instantly merged with the five majestic figures within the scroll, coalescing into one. Their divine resonance was complete, as if they lived.

The five men seemed to come alive.

Xiao Chen knew that at this moment, this ancient scroll had truly become a Heaven-Defying War Treasure.

When the Supreme Ancestral Gods before him raged and attacked, Xiao Chen used the Pangu Stone Token to conceal his figure, vanishing into the vast heavens. He shot straight toward the sky beyond. At this moment, he had only one thought: kill without restraint.

Boom!

At that moment, a great tremor came from beyond the heavens. Boundless waves of blood surged like a great river, roaring across heaven and earth. The world turned crimson. A rain of blood fell, spattering down upon the Nine Provinces.

"A Supreme Ancestral God!"

"One of our Supreme Ancestral Gods has fallen!"

"A Supreme Ancestral God of ours was killed by a man of the Defiant Heaven Family!"

The gods shook with shock. From the Eternal Unknown, divine blood spilled down endlessly.

"Today I will kill without restraint!"

From the Eternal Unknown, Keke's father's voice was ice-cold, piercing all heavens. With supreme divine arts, he killed across ten directions, battling all the gods.

"All of you deserve to die!"

"Return my child's soul, or I will bathe the heavens in blood!"

"In my eyes, you three Supreme Ancestral Gods are nothing but dogs and chickens. Today I will slaughter you first!"