"In the boundless Ancient Times, when the first people were born, they were proud and self-sufficient, embracing simplicity and truth…"
The celestial sound of the Great Dao echoed between heaven and earth. A massive stone platform rose into the clouds, its vast, archaic aura of the Vast Wilderness permeating every corner of the boundless world.
Ning Xuan awoke upon the stone platform, his gaze immediately falling upon a huge Blood Pond in the center. Above the Blood Pond, the energy of Chaos surged. Within it, terrifying creatures exuding an aura of world-destruction rose and fell.
Upon closer inspection, they were the legendary twelve Divine Beasts of antiquity: Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, Chaos, Taowu, Qiongqi, Taotie, Zhu Yin, Kunpeng, Qilin, and Bai Ze!
"Enter my Dragon Transformation Pond and resurrect the Ancestral Dragon Blood! Do you dare? Do you dare?!"
The majestic sound, like the toll of a great bell, shook heaven and earth. Chaos billowed, and the terror was boundless.
"What is there not to dare?!" Ning Xuan roared. In this mythic scene, he was as insignificant as an ant, yet utterly fearless.
As he leaped into the Dragon Transformation Pond without hesitation, brilliant Divine Patterns flared to life around the Blood Pond. The Divine Patterns transformed into tendrils, reaching straight into the Chaos. The twelve Divine Beasts roared and bellowed, shaking the High Heavens, but it was to no avail. They were mercilessly dragged toward the Blood Pond.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sound was like cracking thunder, a terrifying din caused by drops of Divine Beast Essence Blood being refined and dripping into the pond. Inside the Blood Pond, the blood churned violently, its waves surging to the sky. Divine Patterns sealed off the area, containing everything.
Only Ning Xuan, immersed within, endured the inhuman pain, madly absorbing the nutrients from the Blood Pond.
Amidst flashing lightning, thunder, and an endless sea of blood, the twelve meridians in Ning Xuan's body, previously shattered, were being reformed one by one. Each corresponded to the body of one of the Divine Beasts.
His twelve meridians were no more; in their place were twelve Divine Veins! Each one was as robust as a flood dragon, flowing with terrifying divinity. Their resilience and other qualities had improved more than a hundredfold.
The moment the Divine Veins were perfected, a single drop of golden True Blood formed within his previously empty dantian. Vaguely, it seemed as if a terrifying golden dragon had burst through the Vast Wilderness and Chaos, its Majestic Pressure bearing down on all ages and heavens.
The Ancestral Dragon Blood was reborn!
Ning Xuan rose from the nearly-dry Blood Pond. A golden light erupted from him, instantly filling heaven and earth. Nothing else could be seen, only him. He was like a golden sun, illuminating the vast cosmos, his power dominating the heavens above and the earth below, suppressing the nine heavens and ten lands.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The stone platform shattered, and Ning Xuan's body plummeted downward. Profound and inscrutable Runes took flight, one after another, burrowing into his body.
As his feet touched the ground, he murmured, "Chaos Ancestral Dragon Scripture!"
"Stop faking dead!"
A harsh voice cut through the air, abruptly yanking Ning Xuan from his reverie. He opened his eyes. The mythical scene had vanished. He was still in the Wan Family's backyard.
Above him, a man sat sprawled imposingly, the foot that had just kicked him now resting nearby. This was Wan Qiang, the man responsible for his daily care. Despite possessing the strength of the Bright Realm Third Layer Heavens, he had always been polite to Ning Xuan. Now, his true colors were showing.
A golden light flashed in Ning Xuan's eyes. A violent shiver ran down Wan Qiang's spine, as if he had been targeted by an ancient Divine Beast. He shook his head, dismissing it as an illusion, and immediately snapped, "What are you looking at?! Get a move on! Do you really need me to handle you personally?!"
Sensing the changes in his body and realizing his previous experience was no dream, Ning Xuan's voice turned cold. "Are you telling me to crawl under your legs to get into the house?"
"What else? You still think you're the young master of the Ning Family? I'm actually a reasonable guy. If you could stand, you'd be free to walk past. Unfortunately…"
Before he could finish his taunt, Wan Qiang looked as if he had seen a ghost.
Ning Xuan rose gracefully, staring at him with an indifferent expression.
Wan Qiang, who had fallen over along with his chair, scrambled to his feet. Embarrassed and enraged, he shouted, "Damn it! You piece of trash, you scared the hell out of me! So what if you can stand? I'll beat you until you're back on the ground!"
He threw a slap, so fast it whistled through the air.
The Bright Realm was the initial realm of Martial Arts, focusing on training the exterior: sinews, bones, and skin. At the Third Layer Heavens, a single strike could carry the force of three hundred catties. If this slap landed true on Ning Xuan's previously battered body, he would have a brush with death even if it didn't kill him outright.
But now…
"You'll be the perfect test for my fist!" Ning Xuan said with a low shout as he threw a punch.
He felt the surging Divine Power within him find an outlet. Amidst a terrifying sonic boom, the very air seemed to tremble and roar. Wan Qiang's expression changed drastically. He wanted to retreat, but it was far too late.
BOOM!
With an explosive sound, Wan Qiang's arm shattered like plaster. Amidst a spray of blood mist, the force of Ning Xuan's punch continued undiminished.
Wan Qiang's one-hundred-plus-catty body was sent flying as if struck by a heavy truck, crashing into a pillar several meters away. The massive column, so thick it would take two hands to encircle, creaked and then shattered. A corner of the building lost its support and instantly collapsed, burying Wan Qiang beneath the rubble.
Ning Xuan stared, stunned. He muttered to himself, "I barely used any strength."
Such incredible power! And this is before I've even started to cultivate! If I practiced a Cultivation Technique, how strong would I become?!
At this thought, Ning Xuan's excitement surged.
The Wan Family, and Ning Yang… It won't be long before I, Ning Xuan, settle the score with every one of you!
From atop the courtyard wall, Ning Xuan took one last look back, then leaped down and vanished.
Outside Qingyang Town lay the Fumu Mountain Range, stretching a hundred thousand li across the Yuan Ling Continent. Both Wan Zhongshan and his son were masters of the Dark Realm, and Wan Zhongshan himself was infinitely close to the Spiritual Realm. Staying at the Wan residence was a death sentence. Only by escaping into the Fumu Mountain Range could he cultivate in peace and return for his revenge as quickly as possible.
Not long after Ning Xuan left, the huge commotion attracted Wan Zhongshan and his son. Seeing the collapsed corner of the building and finding no trace of Ning Xuan, Wan Qianhe said gravely, "Father, Ning Xuan is gone!"
Staring at the man-sized gap in the nearby courtyard wall, Wan Qianhe's face was filled with resentment as he grumbled, "I told you we shouldn't have touched him! All those Spiritual Medicines and Strange Herbs we've found on the outskirts of the mountains these years must have been prepared for Ning Xuan by someone!"
"That old bastard Ning Baizhan clearly doesn't trust me! He entrusted Ning Xuan to my care, yet he secretly had people watching! Quickly, gather our men and head into the mountains. We must intercept and kill them before they get too deep!" As he spoke, Wan Zhongshan had already shot through the gap to lead the chase.
Before long, a large contingent of men followed in hot pursuit.
「In another direction.」
A bunch of fools. I'll deal with you in a few days!
Ning Xuan, who had been hiding for some time, watched the departing figures. He calmly took a detour and entered the Fumu Mountain Range without issue. Relying on his formidable Physical Body, Ning Xuan pushed deeper into the range. He captured a black bear and used its rampage to penetrate a hundred li into the mountains. He finally stopped at the edge of a long, narrow fissure.
The black bear dared not approach it. Ning Xuan peered into the fissure but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He chose a spot that seemed safe enough and settled down. Without any delay, he adjusted his breathing, submerged his consciousness, and began to cultivate the Chaos Ancestral Dragon Scripture.
The very instant he began, a violent upheaval occurred. The surrounding leaves disintegrated. Nearby rubble bounced and was instantly crushed by the raging aura, then ground into dust.
BOOM!
Directly above him, a giant vortex suddenly formed in the sky over the fissure. The scattered Element Qi converged and solidified at an unimaginable speed. The raging qi swirled like a tornado, obliterating everything in its path as it pierced directly into Ning Xuan's Baihui acupoint.