Dear Readers,
Thank you for walking beside me as the veil lifts on the legacy of the stars.
Together with Xiao Qing Xuan, we've glimpsed the might of the Giant Tribe… and the stirring mystery of Qimen Dunjia now beckons us deeper.
If that ancient power calls to your soul, let your support manifest.
Unleash your Power Stones, not just as votes, but as echoes of fate that shape our journey.
Share this path with your fellow cultivators. The road ahead is long, but with your strength…
We just might touch the heavens.
-----------------------------------------
Xiao Qing Xuan, a genius forged in blood and hardship, had trained in perilous forbidden zones and encountered countless strange phenomena and objects. She'd lost track of how many had died by her hand. What could terrify her so?
A skeleton.
Human in shape, but far from ordinary thousands of times larger than a human's.
Its bones gleamed like ancient tree trunks, its spine straight as a heavenly pillar, its colossal skull with menacing eye sockets.
Lan An and Xiao Qing Xuan felt utterly insignificant before it.
Like an emperor of supreme nobility, the skeleton shimmered with translucent jade-like luster. A tattered, massive robe draped its form, and it clutched a shattered war axe planted in the ship's deck, exuding heroic majesty.
Yue Long Planet's space healed rapidly, preventing even Void Refinement cultivators from shattering it. Yet around this skeleton, spiderweb-like void cracks continuously formed and closed, its aura too overwhelming for space to bear.
Gulp
Xiao Qing Xuan swallowed hard, her face grave. Her master confirmed she knew nothing of this skeleton's origin.
Indeed, no human race on Yue Long Planet matched such a terrifying size.
Lan An's expression turned odd. A casual Zhang Yu hunt had led to this staggering discovery.
Endless years had rotted the ship to ruin, its original form impossible to discern. But this skeleton alone suggested the warship's once-immense scale.
"Tian Er, what race is this?" Lan An asked solemnly, both wary of approaching too closely, fearing unforeseen events.
"I don't know. Even my master doesn't," Xiao Qing Xuan replied, unconsciously gripping his hand tighter. "But its structure suggests a male, with immeasurable strength when alive."
The unknown always stirred such unease.
"Jin Ni, give me some answers," Lan An pleaded inwardly, out of options.
"It's the skeleton of the Giant Tribe, a race not native to Yue Long Planet. I don't know why it's here. The ship is crafted from Star-Voyaging Wood, a tree capable of traversing the cosmos, but time and some catastrophic battle have decayed it," Jin Ni answered promptly, her tone tinged with confusion, clearly puzzled by the Giant Tribe's remains at Lan Zhou Continent's ocean floor.
"Tian Er, it's a Giant Tribe skeleton," Lan An relayed.
"Giant Tribe?" Xiao Qing Xuan and her master murmured, unfamiliar with the name.
"Stay here. I'll take a closer look," Lan An said, concerned for her safety.
"No! We go together," Xiao Qing Xuan insisted, clinging to his arm.
"Alright, together then," Lan An agreed after a moment's thought. With so much time passed, no mishaps should occur.
They approached cautiously, their bodies cloaked in Strange Flames to guard against surprises.
The closer they got, the skeleton's oppressive aura grew palpable, so dense it explained the absence of even moss in the cabin.
"Jin Ni, what was his cultivation when alive?" Lan An asked warily.
"Beyond Half-Immortal," Jin Ni replied calmly.
Gulp
Lan An swallowed. Beyond Half-Immortal meant Immortal, didn't it? Even Immortals could become mere bones? The universe was terrifying yet thrilling.
Finally, they reached it.
No anomalies occurred, and they sighed in relief.
Exchanging glances, they shielded themselves with Strange Flames and spiritual energy, floating onto the skeleton's massive shoulder.
Lan An tapped a rib, then roared, "Gentleman's Demon-Suppressing Fist!"
Channeling his full body cultivation, he struck with a punch that shook space, its force capable of subduing demons, slamming into the bone.
Boom
The skeleton toppled, shaking the ocean floor, but remained unmarred, not a crack visible.
Lan An was flung back by the recoil. Xiao Qing Xuan caught him, her beautiful face annoyed. "Grown man, still acting childish?"
"Heh, this skeleton's terrifying," Lan An said sheepishly, rubbing his bloodied fist, amazed at its durability.
"The Giant Tribe are natural body cultivators. The stronger they are, the larger their bodies. Based on these bones, his body cultivation surpassed Ninth Revolution. Don't embarrass yourself, Young Master," Jin Ni chuckled at his plight.
"That strong… even surpassing Master," Lan An marveled.
"These bones are prime refining material, comparable to Spirit-grade. With high-grade materials, they could forge a True-grade artifact," Xiao Qing Xuan relayed her master's words.
Lan An pondered, then shook his head. "I don't lack high-grade artifacts, and I'll get more eventually. Using a Giant Tribe expert's bones risks making enemies of this terrifying race more harm than good."
"Fair. Let's bury him then," Xiao Qing Xuan agreed, finding the idea of using bones for artifacts too sinister, distinct from forging a body. It felt wrong.
Lan An nodded. Wielding the Dragon King Halberd, he pierced a massive hole in the ship's deck, striking the ocean floor.
A pit formed, but it wasn't enough. Burying this skeleton required a valley's depth.
He dug relentlessly, carving a thousand-meter-deep chasm in the seabed.
"Someone's found me…?"
A low, questioning voice suddenly chilled their spines.
Xiao Qing Xuan gripped Lan An's hand, staring at the source.
Beneath the mud Lan An had dug, a glowing jade flickered the voice's origin.
"Image-Recording Jade?" Lan An exclaimed, picking it up.
The jade was larger than his body.
Truly, giants played with grand things.
An image appeared a towering man, majestic, muscular, clad in tattered robes, covered in gruesome wounds, blood staining the space around him.
He sat in a ruined cabin underwater, exactly where Lan An and Xiao Qing Xuan stood.
"No matter who you are, if you've dug this deep and found this Image-Recording Jade, you have a vast heart, worthy of trust," the giant man's deep voice resonated, clear despite the crushing sea pressure, brimming with masculine valor. He was the skeleton's owner in life.
Lan An sensed the man was gravely wounded, filled with death's resolve.
"I am Ju Ba Tian, Sixth Vice-Chief of the Giant Tribe. While exploring and mining in the cosmos with many clansmen, we were ambushed by Star Beasts and caught in a Void Turbulence, accidentally teleported here. My fate is sealed," the giant, Ju Ba Tian, spoke to the jade, his voice heavy with sorrow, heedless of listeners.
"In that great battle, tens of thousands of clansmen fell gloriously. I, too, am mortally wounded. The Void Turbulence carried our Star-Voyaging Ship through space to this place."
"All mined resources and treasures were crushed by the void."
"But I've left a few things for a fated one with an extraordinary heart, willing to forgo claiming my body and bones, choosing to bury them."
"The Giant Tribe resides on Man Huang Planet. If you, fated one, visit, please inform my clansmen."
With his last strength, he removed a heavy ring and the Image-Recording Jade, his mighty arm piercing the seabed, burying them.
The Image-Recording Jade in Lan An's hand shattered.
Xiao Qing Xuan swiftly knelt, her delicate hands digging through the mud, uncovering a massive jade storage ring, Ju Ba Tian's, buried with the jade.
The ring was larger than her body, making Lan An laugh wryly.
His unintentional act had unearthed treasure. Had he coveted Ju Ba Tian's bones, he'd have missed the jade and ring.
Recalling Ju Ba Tian's words, Lan An's curiosity burned. He asked Jin Ni, "What are Star Beasts and Void Turbulence? They forced even a peak expert like Ju Ba Tian to his death."
Jin Ni appeared on his shoulder, sighing. "Star Beasts are cosmic monsters, natural enemies of all races. Their strength is terrifying, their intelligence low, attacking anything in sight. With your current power, a drop of their saliva could dissolve you."
Lan An's mouth twitched. Did this girl enjoy mocking him?
Ignoring his expression, Jin Ni continued, "Void Turbulence is like the black holes of your past life's universe. Its pull is immense, devouring or randomly teleporting victims to unknown spaces."
Lan An nodded, sharing this with Xiao Qing Xuan.
"So Ju Ba Tian was brought here by Void Turbulence. What a cruel fate, dying in a foreign land," Xiao Qing Xuan sighed.
"Indeed. From his words, Man Huang Planet seems a higher realm than Yue Long Planet. Fascinating," Lan An's eyes gleamed, yearning to explore the cosmos.
"Conquer Bing Tian Continent first," Jin Ni doused him with cold water.
Lan An gritted his teeth, ignoring the cheeky girl, and examined the heavy ring, engraved with "Ju Ba."
"Claim it," Xiao Qing Xuan smiled.
Lan An didn't hesitate. What was hers was his.
A drop of blood bound the ring, shrinking it to fit his finger. Its space spanned nearly a hundred zhang, vast and spacious.
Few items remained likely used by Ju Ba Tian in the Star Beast battle, or a ring of such an expert wouldn't be so sparse.
Lan An retrieved an item.
Boom
Space shattered, the sea quaked, and Lan An and Xiao Qing Xuan were flung back, blood trickling from their mouths.
"Peak True-grade artifact?" Xiao Qing Xuan's master screamed, her voice trembling.
A pair of diamond-like gauntlets radiated an aura that fractured space.
"Ba Tian Gauntlets Peak True-grade artifact, suited for high-level body cultivators. One punch shatters the heavens, one grasp seizes the sky," Jin Ni identified the gauntlets.
Lan An and Xiao Qing Xuan exchanged wry smiles. With their current strength, wielding this artifact was a pipe dream.
He quickly stored it, envisioning his master's imposing figure. "This suits an Eighth Revolution body cultivator like her."
The oppressive aura vanished. Xiao Qing Xuan sighed, marveling, "Why didn't Ju Ba Tian use such a terrifying artifact in battle?"
Jin Ni scoffed, "This was just his spare. It's far too weak to harm Star Beasts."
Lan An nearly spat blood. A Peak True-grade artifact was insufficient?
Why did he feel poorer by the moment?
Taking a deep breath to suppress Jin Ni's jab he was only Nascent Soul, far from such concerns he retrieved the remaining items.
Two towering stone steles, nearly piercing the ship's ceiling, were engraved with mystical scripts.
"Ow!" Xiao Qing Xuan cried, shutting her eyes.
"Tian Er, what's wrong?" Lan An asked, holding her tightly.
"I don't know… some force blocks me from reading the scripts," she said, turning away, the stinging sensation fading.
"The steles are sealed with Giant Tribe techniques, viewable only by body cultivators," Jin Ni explained.
"Only body cultivators can read them. Don't look," Lan An soothed Xiao Qing Xuan.
"Fine, read and tell me," she pouted.
Lan An smiled, focusing on the first stele.
"Giant Tribe Chronicles: Man Huang Planet formed at the universe's dawn, devoted solely to body cultivation. On Man Huang, body cultivators reign supreme, uninterested in other powers. Over eons, countless tribes vied for glory, weaker ones buried in history's river. The Giant Tribe stands as an eternal, glorious race. Born body cultivators, their strength grows with their size. The Giant Tribe's ancestor ascended to the Immortal Realm, joining the Heavenly Court as the Giant King…"
"So it's the Giant Tribe's history. Ju Ba Tian was loyal, carrying his race's epic tales," Lan An read aloud for Xiao Qing Xuan.
Her eyes sparkled, enthralled by the new knowledge.
After finding no further details, Lan An stored the stele and focused on the second.
A line of text struck his eyes.
"Body Cultivation Secret Art—Qimen Dunjia…"