Chapter 81: Lost Paradise: The Fall of the False God Half-Ancestor

On the Devil's Plain.

One after another, sword qi rose like mountains, twenty-four in total, piercing heaven and earth, like twenty-four heavenly pillars standing between heaven and earth.

A vast, boundless killing intent rose from the mountain-like sword qi, seeming substantive, instantly sweeping the entire Devil's Plain.

All over the Devil's Plain, the numerous cultivators drawn by rumors of the peerless divine treasure turned deathly pale as they watched those mountain-like sword qi, their minds and spirits trembling uncontrollably.

At a certain spot on the Devil's Plain, Xiao Chen, who had come here with the many cultivators, also wore a solemn expression as he gazed at the mighty sword-qi pillar, feeling his very soul tremble under the palpable killing intent.

"Wasn't it said that a peerless divine treasure would appear here? Why does this feel off? Will Brother Feng come here?"

Having this thought, Xiao Chen instantly felt the urge to retreat.

This terrifying lineup was clearly beyond what a minor cultivator like him could join, and the so-called peerless divine treasure held no interest for him.

But just then, Xiao Chen's heart stirred, feeling an inexplicable palpitation, as if something was calling him.

Boom

The next moment, his Heavenly Stele Mystic Technique ran wild beyond his control, and a blurry image of a heavenly stele appeared in his mind.

"Not the heavenly stele of the Yellow River and Dragon Island Dead City, but the third heavenly stele!"

This thought rose unbidden in his mind, and Xiao Chen's face showed undisguised shock: "The third heavenly stele is actually here—could this be the so-called peerless divine treasure?"

Recalling that the first heavenly stele suppresses the Yellow River transformed from the primordial dragon, and the second seals an ancient city formed from an existence above the ancestral gods, Xiao Chen immediately realized the third heavenly stele likely seals something tremendous.

"Brother Feng seems to have been searching for the heavenly stele's whereabouts; now that the third heavenly stele is here, with his divination skills, he might also appear."

With that, Xiao Chen instantly abandoned the thought of leaving, circulating his Heavenly Stele Mystic Technique to sense the summons of heaven and earth, probing where the heavenly stele might lie, while carefully observing the distant horizon.

Boom

After an unknown time, celestial music rang, flower petals drifted down from the sky, and a magnificent palace loomed faintly, clearly signaling the arrival of a great figure.

Before Xiao Chen could regain his senses, a shout came from the nearby crowd: "The Primordial Heavenly Venerable has actually appeared!"

Following the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's appearance, other great figures appeared one after another.

"Primordial Heavenly Venerable, Buddha, Kong Xuan, Heavenly Demon Palace Master, White Tiger Holy Emperor, Sun Supreme God. Even Laozi and Sun Wu."

Watching the great figures appear one after another in the sky, Xiao Chen's mouth twitched slightly, feeling that the third heavenly stele had nothing to do with him.

His thoughts turning, he sighed and whispered:

"I never expected these legendary figures to all come here; it seems this treasure is indeed extraordinary."

"What great figures? Most are merely a bunch of false gods!"

At that moment, a familiar voice sounded, startling Xiao Chen; he instinctively looked sideways and saw a familiar figure in dark robes standing beside him, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Brother Feng!"

Xiao Chen's face lit up with surprise and joy as he blurted, "You really came!"

Feng Yi's face bore a faint smile as he softly said, "Brother Xiao, long time no see."

"Ee-ya ee-ya"

A childish voice rang out; the little beast Keke leapt onto Xiao Chen's shoulder, its tiny claws gripping his clothes, and its big eyes shone with delight.

"Keke, long time no see."

After greeting the little beast Keke, Xiao Chen turned to Feng Yi and asked, "Brother Feng, what did you mean by false gods just now?"

Glancing at Xiao Chen, Feng Yi spoke calmly: "So-called false gods are beings born from the collective thoughts of sentient beings."

Explaining the origin of these false gods in a way Xiao Chen could understand, Feng Yi continued: "Take figures like Sui Ren and Shennong, human ancestral gods—they were real people whose traces can be found in the long river of time; but for beings like the Primordial and the Lord of Heaven, can you find any trace of their actual existence in history?"

"When the false is made real, the real becomes false; where there is nothing, something appears. Even false gods, when worshipped by many, have nearly become true gods in people's hearts!"

"This"

After hearing Feng Yi's explanation, Xiao Chen's expression grew dazed, as if shocked by the information.

After a long while, he finally came to himself, muttering: "False gods, so that's how it is—such powerful beings can arise from illusion, what a terrifying trial!"

As the two spoke, the distant heaven and earth underwent a tremendous change: the twenty-four sword qi shattered, revealing a mysterious space into which the great figures entered one after another.

In the end, even ordinary cultivators curiously stepped inside, wanting to witness the rumored peerless treasure.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen was about to speak when a gentle voice sounded in his ear: "Brother Xiao, would you like to, like a true protagonist, undertake a great deed that shakes the Immortal Realm and earn fame throughout it?"

Instinctively turning his head, he saw the warm smile of the figure in dark robes before him, yet for some reason he felt a chill run through his whole body.

He forced out a trembling smile and said, "Brother Feng, can I refuse?"

Feng Yi remained gentle, murmuring softly: "What do you say?"

Clenching his teeth, Xiao Chen set his face in heroic resolve and said, "Brother Feng, tell me—what do you want me to do?"

"Actually, it's nothing much—go kill a few false god half-ancestors."

"Ah?"

Xiao Chen, who had been worried, now wore a bewildered expression and instinctively pointed at himself: "Me? Kill a half-ancestor?"

"It's you."

As his words fell, a soft flash of fire flickered, and both figures vanished at once.

"Lost Paradise, a mysterious world where any being below the ancestral gods loses its mana and supernatural powers upon entry, becoming nearly an ordinary person."

And within the space beneath the Devil's Plain lies the legendary, utterly mysterious Lost Paradise world.

This space boasts beautiful scenery, brimming with vibrant life, like a fairyland.

Yet upon entering, the many cultivators whose powers have vanished have no mood to appreciate such beauty.

The crowd followed numerous half-ancestor masters into the deepest part of this space, where they saw a colossal heavenly stele towering into the clouds, imbued with a mighty aura that shakes the soul.

Boundless black mist enveloped the heavenly stele, obscuring its form from view.

Beyond the heavenly stele lay a hazy divine garden, with drifting clouds and mist, like a separate world.

"That is the true Lost Paradise; I never expected it to be suppressed by the heavenly stele."

Watching many half-ancestors enter that mysterious Lost Paradise world, some cultivators also wished to go in, but were instantly crushed by an overwhelming force.

Seeing this, everyone immediately understood; probably only those who had reached the Half Ancestor level or were close to it could safely enter the true Paradise Lost world beyond the Heavenly Stele.

The deepest part of Paradise Lost.

Three thatched huts stood in the picturesque Fragrant Grass Garden, exuding a sense of harmony with nature.

Inside the thatched hut, two human-shaped white bones emitted a soft glow, like a loving couple.

Ee-ya

Standing before the two white bones, the little beast Keke wore a bewildered expression.

He rubbed the little beast Keke's head, Feng Yi said with a smile: "Don't worry, I didn't lie to you; your parents aren't dead, this is just a blindfold trick. Didn't they just leave a spiritual fluctuation saying that death isn't an end, but a new beginning?"

Ee-ya

Having confirmed that Feng Yi hadn't deceived him, the little beast Keke put away his recent sorrow, and his big eyes narrowed again.

Glancing at Xiao Chen beside him, Feng Yi casually handed over the Dragon Clan Sacred Tree and said gently: "Go on; this is your moment to make a name on the Eternal Life Continent, and you will become a prominent figure who shakes the entire Eternal Life Realm."

I

Looking at the holy tree and battle sword in his hands, Xiao Chen felt a urge to cry but had no tears.

He didn't want to achieve fame in this way!

"Ah, forget it, let death come."

With this thought in mind, Xiao Chen gritted his teeth, turned, and headed toward the distant part of Paradise Lost, where many false god Half Ancestors resided.

Seeing this, Feng Yi's heart stirred, and a somewhat illusory ancient book appeared before him.

He wasn't worried that Xiao Chen would fail; in this Paradise Lost, unless one attained the Ancestral God realm, even a Half Ancestor-level expert was no different from an ordinary person.

The Dragon Clan Sacred Tree originally belonged to Keke's mother; it could unleash divine powers in Paradise Lost to seal everything, and the battle sword was one of the sharpest weapons in the world, able to cleave through anything with ease.

One controlled, the other attacked; both suited Xiao Chen, who had cultivated the Heavenly Stele Mysterious Art, making it easy to slay a few Half Ancestors who had lost their divine powers.

Moreover, Zhuang Zhou, whose mental realm rivaled that of an Ancestral God, watched from the shadows, guarding against accidents.

It can be said that from the moment this group of false god Half Ancestors entered Paradise Lost driven by their own greed, they had already been drawn into the scheme.

With thoughts turning, Feng Yi looked at little beast Keke and said softly: "Keke, according to the permission obtained from the spiritual fluctuation left by your parents just now, empower this book with the power of Paradise Lost."

Ee-ya

The obedient little beast Keke nodded, stretched out his tiny paw, and pointed at the book before Feng Yi.

In an instant, the book seemed to merge with a special power, blending with the qi of the entire Paradise Lost, as if becoming a true world.

Hum

After an unknown amount of time, a strong qi scattered across the heaven and earth of Paradise Lost, and, following Paradise Lost's rules, gathered onto the book.

Threads of qi continually gathered, carrying the power of all beings' thoughts; though seemingly illusory, they felt almost real.

Seeing this, Feng Yi's heart stirred; an unadorned brush appeared in his hand, using this qi as ink, and following his inner sense, he continuously sketched a figure on the book.

That was a dignified figure wearing a Jade Lotus Crown, clad in a Jade Thread Gold Silk Rainbow Robe, and holding a Three Treasures Jade Ruyi—the very image of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable known to the outside world.

As the sketching proceeded, the scattered qi in Paradise Lost continually gathered onto the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's image on the book, making his qi increasingly real, even giving a sense of the illusory turning substantial.

(End of Chapter)