The sky darkened as an inexplicable aura swept across heaven and earth, instilling dread and trembling.
Countless mountains surrounded the Martial Palace, where ferocious beasts howled, crouching in terror as if the sky were collapsing. Stars beyond the domain quivered. A terrifying palm, vast as the firmament, oppressed all, evoking the sense of impending doom.
"What power is this? Is a saint weapon awakening to sink this place?"
"I don't know. I saw a palm—terrifying! Some great divine ability must be unleashing its might."
Powerful beings in the mountains whispered, spreading the news. They wondered who dared attack the Martial Palace, a霸主(Regional hegemon) of the Mysterious Domain.
Celestial Palm, the Dao Clan's ancestral divine art, had been passed down since ancient times. Its existence alone made the Dao Clan an unshakable force in the Mysterious Domain. As one of the Seventy-Two Great Divine Abilities, Celestial Palm was extraordinarily horrific, said to be created by a Dao Ancestor of the Dao Clan. Mastery allowed mobilizing celestial might to vanquish enemies.
Of course, Dao Xiaotian's strength couldn't fully unleash Celestial Palm's might. Borrowing dragon vein power and逆天 (heaven-defying) methods, he finally unleashed this great divine art.
The Cave Heaven Mirror trembled as if about to explode. Boundless might pressed down, making Wu Wangdong—who had summoned the mirror—tremble and fly back. With a clang, the ancient treasure shook violently, a crack appearing on its surface!
An elder of the Martial Palace roared, his heart bleeding. This was an ancient supreme treasure, a顶尖的 (top-tier) heaven-penetrating spirit treasure. Now cracked, its power would surely diminish, requiring vast divine gold to repair.
"Break!" Dao Xiaotian roared, fingers trembling as he sent the Cave Heaven Mirror flying. Terrifying palm force descended upon the Martial Emperor's head.
All hearts raced. One strike would shatter the Martial Emperor.
A golden shadow on the horizon exhaled chaotic qi, its aura horrific. With a step, mountains and rivers receded. A golden Dao path appeared underfoot like a sky-covering scroll, intercepting the pressure.
"Scared me! Fortunately, the ancestor arrived in time, or Emperor Child would be doomed."
"Yes! The ancestor's cultivation penetrates creation—striking from万里 (thousands of miles) away to save Emperor Child."
"Hmph! He must die! No one can save him!" Wu Wangdong coughed blood on the ground, his disheveled face狰狞 (ferocious) as he roared, "If a hair on Emperor Child's head is harmed, the Dao Clan will陪葬(be buried with the dead)!"
Many relaxed, but Dao Xiaotian冷哼 (snorted coldly). The frozen天地 (heaven-earth) suddenly shattered. He clenched his outstretched palm, and the entire world exploded!
The golden scroll disintegrated. The void around the Martial Emperor collapsed into bottomless chasms. This palm struck into the starry void!
Wu Wangdong's face contorted in a凄厉( Sad and shrill) roar: "Bastard! Vile wretch! Kill him! Kill him now!"
Wu Wangdong was nearly mad, his blood-stained hair flailing. How dare Dao Xiaotian harm a child so brutally? He forgot how they had torn the origin from Dao Ling, a mere one-year-old.
All around went mad. Was the Martial Emperor dead?
The Martial Emperor was the Martial Palace's great hope, named for his destined dominance. Now fused with the origin, he was meant to reach the pinnacle of martial dao.
But now he faced this catastrophe. Hatred surged, and they longed to devour Dao Xiaotian.
"Emperor Child... Emperor Child..." An old crone trembled forward, digging through rubble to reveal a残破的 (ruined) area. The Martial Emperor was nearly torn apart, bleeding profusely, on the verge of complete destruction.
The four-five-year-old's body bled, almost震死 (shocked to death), but his extraordinary potential and dragon-like life force pulled him back from the brink.
Though enraged, they rejoiced. As long as his body remained intact, they could find sacred items to mend his injuries, and he would still rise.
Martial Palace powerhouses rushed to guard the Martial Emperor, their hearts紧绷(taut). He was severely wounded—another disaster would mean even the gods couldn't save him.
Dao Xiaotian roared to the sky, consumed by不甘 (regret). The Fusing Divine Liquid must have deflected most of the blow. His heart ached—it was the treasure he had risked his life to obtain.
"Hmph, still trying to attack? Courting death." The golden shadow arrived. Seeing Dao Xiaotian charge again, he pressed down, making Dao Xiaotian's entire body tremble.
"Scram!" Dao Xiaotian roared, unleashing boundless light. Fighting wildly, he channeled earth dragon veins to charge, intent on destroying heaven and earth.
The golden shadow was terrifying, towering to fill the天地 (heaven-earth), burning like a divine sun, making the苍穹 (sky) tremble.
"Hmph, let's see how long you can last!" The golden shadow disdained. He saw Dao Xiaotian was burning his own essence for this逆天 (heaven-defying) power.
Great power came with great cost. Though Earth Masters could mobilize dragon veins, Dao Xiaotian had borrowed too much dragon vein qi. He couldn't last, and镇压 (suppression) would come naturally.
Around the Martial Palace, unease grew. They saw void channels forming as terrifying powerhouses crossed the void.
Knowing he couldn't defeat this old monster, Dao Xiaotian sent a message to the Dao Clan. Learning the truth, the entire clan raged.
This was a Primordial Saint Physique—an极其恐怖的 (extremely terrifying) saint physique. Once Dao Ling rose, he would lead the Dao Clan back to ancient glory.
But his origin had been brutally stolen. The Dao Clan couldn't accept this. Elders awakened, and great figures arrived with the clan's saint weapon for justice. By the time Ling Yan came, Little Dao Ling had already fallen unconscious.
Ling Yan's eyes reddened, her body shaking with anger. She couldn't fathom the suffering the little one had endured.
Dao Ling's mother silently handed the child to Ling Yan, drew a fairy sword, and burst into恐怖的 (horrific) multicolored divine radiance. Like a celestial being, she joined Dao Xiaotian in attacking the Martial Palace ancestor.
Many powerful figures arrived,威震一方( Rule with might ). The Martial Palace knew this couldn't be resolved peacefully, so it召集 (summoned)大批 (large numbers of)强者(Strong person). But it didn't fear the Dao Clan, which paled in power.
Martial Palace great figures were enraged. The core area was destroyed, treasures in many vaults shattered. They vowed to kill Dao Xiaotian and raze the Dao Clan.
The conflict lasted days. Only a few overlord forces knew the details; others only knew the Martial Palace's core had sunk, dragon veins collapsed, and a martial圣地 (holy land) was destroyed.
Little Dao Ling was forgotten. With his origin stolen, he might never rise, live庸碌(Mediocre)ly, or fade away from injury.
Years later, the Martial Emperor emerged as the Mysterious Domain's top genius, destined to rule as its sovereign. Fusing two origins—already a天之骄子 (son of heaven)—his talent reached a恐怖 (horrific) level, his origin暴涨 (soaring).
In Star Academy's alchemy chamber, Dao Ling sat cross-legged. Perhaps none guessed that the child survived, broke myths, entered the Spirit Pagoda's Tenth Layer, and gained逆天 (heaven-defying) good fortune.
Dao Ling bared his white teeth, biting his lip, body trembling. "Did Lame Father's leg get injured for me?"
He couldn't imagine the proud man reduced to his current state—what suffering had Lame endured?
Holding his head, he cried out in pain. Decades had passed. He didn't know where his mother was, having awakened after three to four months of昏迷 (coma), forgetting much.
Now recalling memories, he saw this scene. He'd always wondered why the Martial Emperor's aura felt familiar—it held Dao Ling's origin.