Shattering the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps

It was a scene of utter despair. A single Stone Man King was enough to shake the world, yet now three kings had emerged. These were the same peerless kings who had once vied with the Nine Provinces, ancient beings of profound age and unmatched combat experience, true warriors who had fought invincibly across heaven and earth.

In the battle of ages past, even the giants of the Celestial Realm had been shaken. Now, as the Celestial Realm's current kings witnessed these three, their hearts trembled with awe.

"Everything you do is futile—utterly useless," said Lu Zhan, the Stone Man King with an eerie presence, as if delivering a doomsday verdict.

"You are far too arrogant. Remember, in this world, there is no such thing as absolute invincibility." Keke's father strode forward, facing the three kings. "The sun reaches its zenith and then declines; the moon waxes full and then wanes. When things flourish, they inevitably decay—this is the eternal law of heaven and earth. Even heaven and earth are flawed, let alone mortals. You have gone too far; decline is unavoidable!"

"What is heaven and earth? If I wish, I could create nine heavens and ten earths, or destroy a myriad worlds." The cold, ruthless Stone Man King at Lu Zhan's side stepped forward. "Young man, you are impressive, but to us, you are still too green. Today, I shall crush a genius!"

Ge Qian stepped forward as well. He was a man of few words, yet he stood shoulder to shoulder with Keke's father. The divine laws they had each comprehended moments ago fused perfectly, enough to contend with a Stone Man King.

Two peerless geniuses joined forces against this cold, brutal Stone Man King.

Only now did Xiao Chen fully understand what Ge Qian had said before: the more you know, the more despairing it becomes. He also understood how someone as powerful as Ge Qian could fall into ruin, unable to mount a true resistance.

Across endless ages, the Nine Provinces could not have had only the Ancestral Gods that appeared on the surface. Even the Otherworld knew that the Nine Provinces must possess hidden power, but they were utterly unafraid.

They had nothing to fear! With three Ancestral Founders seated in command—no, four—what was there to dread? The ordinary Ancestral Gods might not know that several Stone Man Kings still lived, but the Supreme Ancestral Gods and others of their stature surely knew.

Yet this was not the end of their power. The Ninety-Nine Stone Steps hovering high above were likely the most dreadful of all. It was they that had prevented the four Founders from dying, allowing them to revive.

Bang! Keke's ancestor descended, striding forward. Escape was no longer possible, nor could they flee.

The Ninety-Nine Stone Steps hung overhead like an unstoppable executioner's blade, blocking all paths of retreat.

Dong! The Stone Man King beside Lu Zhan—his pupils constantly flickering and shifting, exuding a mysterious aura—strode forward to block Keke's ancestor.

Xiao Chen merged his body with the fragmented stone man's remains, his combat power surging as if he had boundless divine strength. The ancient scroll draped over his shoulders, and the five great Dao imprints revolved around him as he too strode forward.

At the same time, the old turtle transformed into an imprint, flowing like a hazy mist, merging into Xiao Chen's body. It fused tightly with the stone form, inseparable, becoming one.

The eerie and powerful Lu Zhan, his face covered in piled stone skin, advanced to meet him. "Do you think this combination can stop me? No true king—no matter how many are gathered—can prevail. A flock of sheep can never withstand a lion!"

That was his answer, filled with supreme confidence. With a light swipe of his palm, the world shook, and he reached out toward Xiao Chen.

Now there was nothing for it but to fight. There was no other way. Xiao Chen invoked the broken Great Annihilation War Spear with his stone body. The massive spearhead, like an Ancestral Dragon, pierced forward, the true essence of annihilation reaching its peak. The spearpoint tore through heaven and earth and blocked the razor-sharp grasping hand.

But in an instant, with a crisp crack, the remaining half of the spearhead shattered completely. The mighty divine weapon turned to powder, vanishing without a trace.

All because of Lu Zhan's palm and fingers. This powerful Stone Man King's combat power had reached an appalling level; a mere casual swipe held such strength.

On the other side, Ge Qian and Keke's father joined forces against one Stone Man King. Keke's ancestor faced another Stone Man King alone, and a great battle had already erupted.

The Nine Provinces were already lifeless, now utterly barren. Though the combat was fierce, it would cause no further terrible scenes on this dead land. No one would be accidentally harmed in this wasteland.

The nine ancient lamps had fixed heaven and earth, protecting this world and allowing it to endure.

Xiao Chen, merged with the stone body, had reached an indestructible state. Wrapped in the ancient scroll with the five great Dao imprints revolving around him, he had gained the power of a heaven-defying combatant.

But he was utterly suppressed. He was blasted thousands of miles away, clearly on the verge of collapse.

The powerful Otherworld Founders were truly beings at the pinnacle, invincible at this level.

"So the imprints of those five have been passed down." Seeing the five great Dao imprints revolving around Xiao Chen, Lu Zhan seemed to recall many past events. His voice turned chilling. "But they are fated to be eternally obliterated!"

Shua! Xiao Chen offered up the Divine Diagram, unleashing it in an instant to suppress the Stone Man King.

The radiant Divine Diagram, coalescing over thirty War Swords, exuded a murderous aura. It burst forth with dazzling light, sweeping mightily across the sky.

Bang! The powerful Stone Man King threw a punch and then swiftly retreated. Even he was unwilling to face the blow directly.

Now Xiao Chen was in his stone body state, and the Divine Diagram he offered was incomparably mighty, displaying a portion of its true power—unstoppable.

Lu Zhan's gaze was cold and sinister. He had already been informed that the Divine Diagram had reappeared in the world and knew it was on Xiao Chen, yet he was still shocked.

"Very good. The Divine Diagram has appeared once more. Though still incomplete, it is impressive. This time, I will shatter it completely!"

Lu Zhan dodged another attack, vanishing like a dreamlike phantom. The Divine Diagram swept through empty space.

Lu Zhan moved his hands, and the void collapsed. The Ninety-Nine Stone Steps hanging high in the heavens tore through the barrier of the great world and, with a thunderous roar, cast down a shard of pitch-black light.

This beam of darkness swept across most of the Nine Provinces, shattering mountains and changing river courses. Everything was shrouded in that black light.

At the same time, the Divine Diagram soared heavenward to meet it. Over thirty War Swords clanged and rang, their sword aura piercing the clouds.

A silent, massive collision. The War Swords fell one after another, and the Divine Diagram dimmed considerably, spinning back. The beam of darkness that had crossed the Nine Provinces also collapsed and dissipated.

This terrible fluctuation startled the giants of the Celestial Realm. In that moment, they sensed danger—a power that could threaten even them.

The nine ancient lamps blazed, smoothing the wounds on the earth, slowly restoring everything.

"The growth of the formation diagram impresses me. It must be destroyed." Lu Zhan stood in midair, utterly unafraid of the Divine Diagram, for the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps hung above.

Rustle! Xiao Chen unfurled the ancient scroll. The five great Dao imprints sank into it, and he swept it at Lu Zhan.

"It won't work. You are no king. The power of others—you cannot truly control it." Lu Zhan dodged with ease, appearing in another part of the sky. His voice turned cold as ice. "And I see Dao imprints from our realm as well. Excellent. I was just lacking that lineage's inheritance."

"Oh? Then add me to the mix." At that moment, the old stone turtle's voice emerged from within Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen felt an imprint that perfectly bonded him with the stone man. In the next instant, he seemed to ascend to a higher realm.

The Divine Diagram was offered, the ancient scroll swept across the sky, and the Heavenly Stele imprints emerged. Three great killing implements struck at once. The heavens were a blur of confusion, and this time, Lu Zhan could not dodge.

Though the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps once again sent down a beam of darkness, Lu Zhan was forced to face the three great killing implements.

A silent annihilation. Lu Zhan's figure vanished within.

When all calmed, Xiao Chen swept his gaze around but bitterly discovered that Lu Zhan was completely unharmed. He stood in the distance, coldly surveying the scene.

"I told you. Without being a true king, even if you wield peerless war treasures, you cannot unleash their power. The five great kings of yore could not kill me. How can you contend with me?"

Lu Zhan's words were cold and merciless, but they were the truth. This was the true power of a legendary Stone Man King.

"Now, it is time for me to kill you." He advanced step by step.

"The broken stone man must be fully reassembled," the old turtle's voice sounded within Xiao Chen.

Woo… From the distant sky, an arm and half a stone skull shot forth, reversing spacetime. They arrived in an instant, merging with Xiao Chen.

Boom! Towering combat power shot into the sky. At this moment, the stone body was finally complete.

"Kill me?" Xiao Chen felt boundless power in every gesture. He shouted, "Try it, if you can!"

Wielding the Divine Diagram and the ancient scroll, he charged forward.

Thousands of miles away, Ge Qian and Keke's father had their bodies shattered, suffering unimaginable wounds. Though they were astonishing geniuses with matchless talent, they could not even protect themselves against an undamaged, invincible Stone Man King.

These three Founders were incomparably powerful. Not only Ge Qian and the others, but even the giants of the Celestial Realm felt a chill in their hearts.

On the other side, Keke's ancestor was also sent flying. The pursuing Stone Man King struck him with a single punch, hurling him into the sky. Blood splattered everywhere as he suffered severe injuries.

Pfft! After a prolonged, bitter struggle, Xiao Chen discovered with sorrow that he still could not defeat Lu Zhan. The Otherworld Founder had reached the ultimate extreme of the Dao and could not be overcome.

"Why does the broken stone man have no heart?" Xiao Chen spat out a mouthful of blood and asked the old stone turtle within him.

At this moment, they urgently needed a true Stone Man King to descend, not such a makeshift combination.

"He lost himself. Only his body remains." The old stone turtle seemed melancholy and resigned.

"This is pointless. You cannot compare to the great Founders of yore. Killing you today brings me no sense of accomplishment whatsoever."

Lu Zhan and the other two Stone Man Kings decided to end it all.

The disparity in power was too vast. The battle was one-sided, and they felt no excitement.

"An ant wielding a divine weapon—does it truly think it can kill a giant? It probably cannot even lift the weapon!"

Lu Zhan's voice was cold, but it was a merciless reality.

Xiao Chen stared at the Divine Diagram and the ancient scroll, a bitter ache in his heart. Before absolute power, even if he wielded heaven-defying killing implements, he could not reverse the outcome. He could not even land a blow on his enemy.

The three Otherworld Founders stood side by side. In that moment, they all raised their hands mercilessly, ready to press down and finish everything.

Suddenly, an immensely oppressive aura burst forth. The Ninety-Nine Stone Steps in the sky shook violently.

Everyone looked up in shock. A massive divine palace, breaking through the barrier of the great world, streaked across the sky like a blazing comet crashing into the earth.

In that instant, whether the three Founders or the giants of the Celestial Realm, all were stunned.

"He has come after all!" Lu Zhan shouted, abandoning Xiao Chen and the others as he and the other two Founders charged toward the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps.

Rumble! An earth-shattering roar echoed as a colossal stone axe appeared, slashing at all three Founders at once!

Boom! The divine palace crashed into the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps—unstoppable!

Boom... rumble... Heaven and earth were a blur. The terrifying energy fluctuations surged across the ages and myriad worlds. All heavens trembled, and even the Celestial Realm felt as if an earthquake had struck.

The giants of the Celestial Realm all activated their mightiest divine arts, straining to observe the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps, hoping to glimpse the ultimate secret.

"Pangu King!" the three Founders roared.

The divine palace and the stone steps collided!

Boom! The divine palace shattered into pieces, and the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps also split apart. The Eternal Unknown was utterly destroyed!

Countless fragments of stone fell toward the Nine Provinces.

In that moment, every giant in the Celestial Realm was horrified, for in a fleeting glimpse, they saw the end of the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps!