Sudden fluctuations of light filled Su Chen's vision, and a chaotic radiance enveloped the surroundings. He found himself on an ancient and mysterious chaotic continent.
Around him, ancient stars emitted an eternal and immortal radiance.
"What place is this?" Su Chen was shaken.
Before him, on the vast chaotic continent, there were colossal white tigers resembling mountains, black giant pythons stretching for billions of miles, golden lions with nine heads, and three-legged monstrous birds surrounded by endless flames...
However, what was common among these colossal beasts was the absence of any signs of life; they were all dead.
He felt as if he were in a mythical world, and the scene before him was incredibly awe-inspiring.
"This is the Burial Sky Realm!"
At this moment, a woman's voice suddenly echoed.
"Who?" Su Chen was startled.
However, when he looked around, he found no one.
Buzz!
At that moment, a chaotic light filled Su Chen's vision, and a woman in white appeared before him.
She was shrouded in chaotic light, ethereal and otherworldly. Her face was indistinct, but her bright and dazzling eyes seemed to penetrate everything.
"Dried-up bloodline, destroyed dantian, no cultivation whatsoever, such poor talent... and yet, the Burial Sky Ancient Ring chose you?" the woman in white shook her head and said.
Su Chen felt a bit awkward as the woman in white seemed to see through him with just a glance.
"Elder, may I ask what the Burial Sky Ancient Ring is? Why am I here?" Su Chen inquired.
He had a vague guess that during his moment of unconsciousness, he seemed to witness the ring on his hand transforming into light and entering his mind.
The ring was a gift from his father, said to be the only thing left by Su Chen's mother.
"You guessed correctly. The Burial Sky Ancient Ring is the ring you wear. And this place, also known as the Burial Sky Realm, is the world sealed within the Burial Sky Ancient Ring!" the woman in white said casually, as if she had discerned Su Chen's thoughts.
"The Burial Sky Ancient Ring? A sealed world?" Su Chen was shaken.
Looking at the vast and boundless chaotic continent around him, along with those colossal beasts resembling mythical creatures, Su Chen found it hard to imagine who could possess such terrifying divine powers to seal an entire world within a small ring.
Could it be... a legendary deity?
"Elder, who are you..." Su Chen asked.
"Do you wish to cultivate?" the woman in white interrupted.
"Of course, I do! However, my bloodline was devoured by enemies, my dantian was destroyed; I've become a cripple. Can I truly still cultivate?" Su Chen hastily replied, his eyes filled with bitterness.
"Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible. But as the ninth owner of the Burial Sky Ancient Ring, you can," the woman in white explained.
"The ninth owner?" Su Chen was slightly stunned.
At this moment, he noticed not far away there were eight tombstones.
Emperor Devouring Heaven's Tomb!
Alchemy Deity Hunyuan's Tomb!
Heaven-Sealing Venerable's Tomb!
...
In total, there were eight tombstones, adorned with intricate carvings, as if harboring some profound universal truths that shook Su Chen to his core with just one glance.
"Emperor Devouring Heaven? Wasn't he the number one figure in Xuantian Realm a hundred thousand years ago? Hasn't he already transcended and ascended to the Divine Realm? Why would he die here?"
"And Alchemy Deity Hunyuan, the alchemical grandmaster who, two hundred thousand years ago, refined the supreme divine pill with a mortal body?"
"Heaven-Sealing Venerable, the master of array formations who, three hundred thousand years ago, laid down formations capable of harnessing the power of heavenly thunder, able to slaughter gods. How did he also die here?"
Su Chen's eyes were filled with an incredulous expression.
Emperor Devouring Heaven, Alchemy Deity Hunyuan, and Heaven-Sealing Venerable were legendary figures widely known throughout the realms, the supreme powerhouses of Xuantian Realm who had once dazzled an entire era.
As for the other five great powerhouses, Su Chen did not recognize them.
Presumably, they were also formidable figures from ancient times!
"Who are they?" Su Chen asked.
"They are the previous eight owners of the Burial Sky Ancient Ring, and they have all perished," the woman in white said.
Su Chen: "..."
His expression turned somewhat unpleasant. This Burial Sky Ancient Ring seemed to be an ominous object; all eight previous owners had died?
"How did they... die?" Su Chen asked cautiously.
"That's something you, with your current strength... can't comprehend," the woman in white's words made Su Chen feel embarrassed.
"But even though they've died, their legacies remain here. As you cultivate and grow stronger, you can gradually obtain their inheritances!" The next sentence made Su Chen's heart pound with excitement.
These eight individuals were undoubtedly extraordinary and supremely powerful figures from ancient times. If he could gain their legacies, what incredible opportunities and fortunes would that bring?
"Please, teach me, Elder!" Su Chen implored.
This was his only chance to re-enter cultivation, and he had to seize it.
"Now, your bloodline is depleted, and your dantian is destroyed. If you wish to embark on the path of cultivation again, you must revive your bloodline and reshape your dantian. This process will be incredibly painful. Can you endure it?" The woman in white spoke slowly after a moment of silence.
"I... can!" Su Chen's expression was resolute.
"Good! Have you seen the pool behind the tombstones? Jump into it!" The woman in white instructed.
Behind the eight tombstones, there was a stone pool with a radius of about one zhang (3.3 meters). It contained a thin layer of liquid resembling blood, emitting a peculiar, multicolored glow.
"Alright!" Su Chen's eyes flashed, without the slightest hesitation. He jumped directly into the stone pool.
Boom!
Before Su Chen's eyes, the divine light fluctuated, and an overwhelming surge of vitality enveloped him. As he leaped into the stone pool, it seemed like he had stirred up colossal waves. The terrifying force of boundless vitality rushed towards him, shrouding his entire being.
He seemed to be sitting in a vast golden ocean. The formidable force of vitality surged into his body incessantly.
Roar!
Howls echoed as if ancient mythical beasts were enraged. Within the golden expanse, colossal dragons, mountainous tigers, world-incinerating three-legged birds, and devouring giant pythons manifested.
Under the tearing force within the golden expanse, Su Chen felt as if he were being torn apart. The excruciating pain was indescribable. He sensed his bones, flesh, and blood throughout his body shattering inch by inch, as if someone were forcibly extracting his tendons and veins.
The extreme agony made him feel on the verge of madness.
"The blood in this pool can revive your bloodline and reshape your dantian. However, if you can't withstand it, it will backlash against your true spirit, leading to certain death," the woman in white's words echoed in Su Chen's mind.
"I can endure it!" Su Chen roared, his eyes bloodshot, revealing an unwavering determination.
Compared to the humiliation he experienced when Su Qingxue drained his bloodline and destroyed his dantian, what was this pain?
He wanted revenge!
He wanted justice!
Boom!
The boundless vitality surrounding him, accompanied by countless ancient mythical beast illusions, burst apart like a storm, rushing fiercely towards Su Chen!