Star clouds swirled. Primordial chaos pervaded. This was an ancient domain unknown to any, and since time immemorial the outside world had found it nearly impossible to enter.
Only at the right time, in the right place, could a particularly exceptional person tear through the void and happen upon it. Leaving again was exceedingly difficult — this place was cut off from the outer heavens and earth.
Beyond that, one would have to wait for a particularly special golden great age — perhaps then some would break their way in, and the strongest conflict foreordained since ancient times would play out here, illuminating this place with undying and brilliant light.
Passing through layer upon layer of misty haze and entering a vast and boundless river of stars, this place stretched on without end, with stars blazing brilliantly.
Here there was one great star, teeming with vitality. Looking down from the sky, azure seas, lush and verdant earth — all suffused with a primal, savage aura.
Thud. Thud…
Through the mountain terrain, tyrannical dragons ran. Crimson scales glittered with a cold, fearsome light, thick with the scent of blood — having slaughtered who knew how many living beings.
There were also fire-birds like Vermilion Sparrows rending the sky, sweeping across the heavens, vivid crimson like phoenixes cast from blood-gold, their one long cry causing the vast mountain terrain to tremble.
“Crack!”
Not far off, a mountain range was crushed and collapsed. Magma boiled within, a scorching red flood bursting forth like a torrent. There was a small beast with a coat of golden fur who let out a great cry, causing the four wilds to answer with the roars of countless beasts.
It was a scene from before the age of history — various savage beasts and wild birds prowled everywhere, all of them rare variants seldom seen in the world.
This star harbored many races, every one of them innately powerful. Though they were cut off from the great cosmos and could not break through that layer of haze, they all understood cultivation and were very strong.
This star was large — no less than the Northern Dipper or other great stars — with vast territory. Yet many regions were the domains of savage birds and wild beasts, and other intelligent lifeforms generally would not rashly venture in. To do so would be to become prey.
Here, the territories of different races were clearly defined. Some creatures were simply too powerful, so certain clans could only survive through collective strength.
As for humanity — without question, they performed brilliantly wherever they were, remaining in the upper tier.
On this star there was a considerable and extensive stretch of territory belonging to them. As long as they did not venture to challenge those bloodlines of supremely powerful races from the age of myths, surviving well was not a problem.
In the human domain, beautiful peaks were numerous, and there was no shortage of wild mountains and treacherous waters. Looking down from the sky, one city after another was scattered like stars across the boundless earth — some regions connected, others separated by vast mountain ranges spanning tens of thousands of leagues.
“Dong…”
A bell rang out, shaking the world. It was a peculiar bell, its sound drifting on and on, able to travel across the entire human domain and reach every inch of the land — every person could hear it.
“What has happened?”
Many people looked up in surprise toward the direction the bell-waves came from, uneasy and uncertain. It had been who knew how many years since such bell-waves had surged across heaven and earth.
Yet whenever it rang, there was inevitably a great event that would shake the world!
“Can anyone tell me — what change is coming? Why does the bell sound shake the heavens?”
In that moment, whether it was a farmer in the fields or a cultivator on a lofty mountain, all were startled and unsettled, worried about an unpredictable future.
“Has the Strange Beast of Chaos arrived to kill, or has the Chaos Body truly emerged? Please, not that!”
Many were anxious. Certain variant bloodlines from the age of myths roaming in the great wilds were supremely powerful — even the most top-tier powerful figures of humanity might not necessarily be able to handle them.
“No — it has nothing to do with those races. The news comes from the outside world.” Evidently, some had received advance information.
“Dong…”
The bell-waves drifted on. All other sounds in heaven and earth disappeared. Silence fell, and a passionless sound-wave arrived, reverberating in every person’s ears.
“The Immortal Ascension Battlefield is about to open once more. Let no one ascend the Immortal Platform — lest it invite a calamity of death!”
The moment this voice, devoid of all emotional ripple, rang out, people burst into uproar. The news was astounding. Every person involuntarily looked toward one particular direction.
That direction was the Immortal Platform region — also known as the Immortal Ascension Battlefield. It held far too many secrets and far too many mysteries. Since ancient times, who knew how many peerless figures of their age had shed their blood there.
“At last — is the outside world entering another golden great age? And once again there will be those who come, ascending the Immortal Platform!”
“Our place will be connected to the outside world for a period of time — those people are coming again!”
Many revealed expressions of worry. Those who came were far too powerful — the ancient texts recorded it clearly. They could stand shoulder to shoulder with the most absolute pinnacle figures of this world, and their numbers were far greater.
“Do not fear. As long as we do not enter the Immortal Ascension Battlefield, nothing unforeseen will happen. Do not go seeking advantage — if you do, great calamity will follow.” An elder cultivator said.
As for farmers, footsoldiers, and the like, they quickly grew calm again. All of this was far removed from them — even irrelevant. There was nothing for them to worry about.
As for certain sects and factions, they were all discussing countermeasures. This was a cycle — the outside world had once again reached a brilliant golden great age, and it was worth venturing out to explore.
In the ancient past, people on this star had similarly used such time periods to pass through the devastating haze region and go to the outside world to hone themselves — and when they returned, they were absolute pinnacle figures.
Of course, very few ever returned. Nine in ten outstanding figures lost all news of themselves.
“The Immortal Platform has already begun to glow, and will transform into a battlefield. All manner of unimaginable changes will occur — cultivation and comprehension will be suppressed, cultivation levels cut. It is most dangerous and must on no account be entered.”
On this day, the elders of many sects admonished and instructed with great severity, earnestly urging their disciples to be proper and well-behaved, on no account to go out of curiosity and investigate the unknown, losing their lives for nothing.
That night, heavy rain poured down, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and yin winds howled furiously — as if all manner of demons and monsters were stirring, making the violent night rain seem especially frightening.
From the sky above, a body came falling, struck by lightning, scorched by the fire of thunder — yet it did not disintegrate. Its flesh remained undamaged, only with some additional charring on its surface.
It fell with the downpour, crashing directly into a tall rocky mountain below. The anticipated shattering to pieces and spattering of blood-mud did not occur. It shattered through the stone peak, tumbled down, fell again upon another smaller hill, rolled several times, and finally came to rest.
At the foot of the mountain, there were dozens of households. A young boy had been awakened several times by the night lightning. Just moments ago, through the window, in the instant when a fierce burst of lightning blazed across the sky, he saw a body falling from the dark clouds — and stood there, stunned.
“Grandfather — someone fell from the sky above, crashed into Ox-Head Peak — the main summit is split!” After the shock wore off, the boy called out to his grandfather, with whom he lived alone and depended upon each other. He pointed outside the window, his body trembling slightly.
“Don’t mind it. If it truly were divine beings or demonic spirits, they are not something we could deal with.” After the old man sat up, the murky old eyes caught a thread of light in the flash of lightning, and he admonished the boy.
“But — it was not a demon or monster. I saw clearly — it was a person.” The boy, who was in his teens, said, wanting very much to go and have a look.
“You are not to go. It is deep night. Demons can take human form.” The old man stopped him.
When the sky began to lighten and the heavy rain ceased, the forest was thick with mist. The boy went outside and ran straight toward the low hill.
The old man followed behind, afraid the boy might come to harm — the mountain terrain was slippery, covered in mud and puddles. Yet their movements were not slow, and they quickly reached the hillside.
A young man lay there motionless, half his body soaking in a puddle, having been drenched by rain all night.
Strangely, in the puddle grew a green lotus with three leaves, entwined with faint wisps of mist, rooted in the muddy water, keeping the man company at his side.
“Heavens — his body hasn’t rotted away, even after crashing into Ox-Head Peak! And he didn’t shatter!” The boy cried out in shock, looking upward. Above, the summit of Ox-Head Mountain had cracked and a great chunk had fallen away. What manner of physique did this person possess?
“This is no ordinary person — ten thousand times stronger than any demon or monster.” A thread of alertness flickered in the old man’s eyes, his face showing some unease.
“He… is still alive!” For the boy heard a strong heartbeat. His ears were exceptionally keen, far surpassing that of common people.
“You…” Just as the teenage boy was about to crouch down to examine the man more closely, he gave a sudden start and quickly backed away — for he realized the young man’s eyes had been open all along, and he had never lost consciousness.
The old man quickly explained: “We have no intention of intruding. My grandson has a kind heart and came wishing to help someone. Since you are unharmed, we will take our leave.”
He pulled his grandson and made to leave — but the young man had no reaction whatsoever. Though his eyes were open, they lacked all brilliance, as if living in his own world. His eyes had not blinked even once from beginning to end.
“Grandfather — something is not right with him. Otherwise he would not have been soaking in muddy water half the night. Let us carry him home.” The boy said.
The old man furrowed his brow. He looked at Ox-Head Peak, then at the man on the ground, very hesitant.
But the boy had already acted — directly helping the man on the ground to sit up, about to lift him onto his back. Seeing this, the old man sighed and came over to help.
At that moment, the young man who had not moved at all reached down with one hand and pulled up the small green lotus growing there with its three leaves — the roots and stem without a single drop of muddy water on them. Beyond that, he made no further movement, allowing the boy to carry him on his back. His eyes still lacked all brilliance.
“I have not died…”
In the young man’s mind was boundless blood — scenes of many great Emperor weapons shattering, scenes of an ancient Supreme Being conducting a blood-washing of the cosmos, and scenes of himself fighting with everything he had until his blood splattered across the star sea.
He did not know the outcome of the dark upheaval. By then he had already been exhausted, having fought until his body was in pieces, spilling blood across the outer reaches of the cosmos. His strength had been spent.
Whether the world sang of him or forgot him mattered not. Dying in the outer domain had been his fate.
“I never imagined — I am still alive.”
His mind flickered through many fragmented images — Xiao Nannan lying upon his blood and bones, weeping aloud, many crystalline tears rolling down and landing upon him.
“Don’t cry.” His lips moved lightly. Without realizing it, tears had slid down his own face.
The Void Great Emperor had died. Ji Zi had died. Gai Jiuyou had died. Jiang Taixu had died… It pierced his heart. The world would remember them — wouldn’t it? These outstanding heroes could never come back.
Upon the ruins of blood and bone, a golden age would eventually be built. Whether the world sang of them or gradually grew cold and forgot — the outstanding heroes of those days could not return. They would never be seen again.
His eyes held no brilliance — only a dim blankness. He had awakened many years ago, drifting through the cosmos. He had seen the shattered imperial weapons, companions to blood and bone. He had also glimpsed a remnant corpse — a fleeting glance, yet powerless to recover it. That might have been the last sight of them he would ever have in this lifetime.