Prologue

In the grand hall stood a man of remarkable appearance, his face akin to a fallen immortal, with long white hair cascading over his white robes. Before him knelt two of his most trusted confidants and also his disciples: Mo Cai, a muscular man with a stern face, and Li Yang, a short-haired woman with a fierce determination in her eyes. The faces of these two were pale as out of concern and worry. The muscular man pleaded in a trembling voice "Your Majesty, there must be another way. We can buy more time, just a decade, no, five more years, until we successfully acquire their cultivation techniques, and Your Majesty can achieve the breakthrough"

His plea was cut short as the white-haired man interjected "Time has never been on our side, Mo Cai. If I delay now, there will be no one left besides me to face them. What value does victory hold if all my people perish? Our wish to give everyone the chance to become stronger will be in vain. Moreover, I am confident I can refine it amidst the clash...the Heavenly Dao Sutra, a technique accessible to all life forms, whether plant, animal, or human, offering them a chance to become stronger, even if the world views them as waste with no spritual roots"

As he spoke, his eyes gleamed, then sighed with pity "Mere cultivation techniques won't bridge the gap between the talented and the talentless. That is the law of the universe, they can only rely on fortuitous opportunities and hard work to surpass their limits"

He placed his hands on the shoulders of the two, who remained kneeling "And do you lack faith in me? In case something goes wrong, I can escape once you've evacuated the people from the capital, giving me the time to recover before reengaging. I'm sure those old dogs will cough up blood from anger" the man said as he burst out laughing.

"Your Majesty, it is too risky" the short-haired woman persisted.

With a wave, the man indicated his determination, giving them a crystalline object. "Enough, Li Yang. This is the Mind Crystal. It connects with the host's consciousness, recording in real-time. In case of worst case scenario" the faces of the two kneeling drained of blood as they realized what the worst-case scenario entailed. It was when His Majesty thought there was no escape and decided to detonate his dantian, taking all enemies with him but preserving the perfected Heavenly Dao Sutra in the crystals.

With that, the man left the hall trembling, not trembling from fear but from fury that he had been keeping in for a while. He whistled, summoning a colossal white crow, spanning 20 meters in length and 5 in width, which descended and landed before him. "Kraa" it screeched. Gently stroking the bird's head, he said heavily "Old friend, are you ready? This may be our final flight together"

In truth, the man harbored little confidence in escaping from this fight. He was, after all, merely a Half-Step Martial God, while his enemies were full-fledged Martial Gods for centuries. Hence, he left behind the Mind Crystal, preparing to perish alongside them. "Kraaak" the crow croaked softly, as if sensing Sheng Jun's mood.

His resolve solidified, as he jumped onto the crow's back in a single motion. "GO!"

...

Upon arrival above the desolated city, Sheng Jun seethed with anger and sorrow. These were his subjects, who had placed their faith in him, who had helped build this kingdom. Amplifying his voice with qi, he bellowed "Bastards! Where has your martial integrity gone, resorting to such tactics? Can you call yourself the leaders of the righteous sects?!"

Laughter echoed, and an elder dressed in crimson robes, adorned with flame insignia, appeared atop the tallest structure. "Sheng Jun" the elder in crimson robes taunted, his eyes ablaze with malice. "I never though you would walk willingly into your own demise"

Sheng Jun sneered "You alone? Old dog, has old age made you stupid? What makes you bold enough to face me alone? Where are your masters?"

The elder's face darkened. Several figures materialized behind him. "Ignore him, Old Hui. He's just a dying dog barking" one taunted.

Surveying the group, Sheng Jun smirked. "Indeed, how honored I am to entertain the so-called 'esteemed' Martial Gods in this meeting. Yet, a few more dogs together still make a larger dog"

"Arrogance! You treacherous criminal, deserving of death. Not only did you steal our techniques, but you also spread them all over the world! Today is the you die!" declared the elder dressed in azure, conjuring countless water spears that could penetrate a huge steel wall with ease, and fired them at Sheng Jun.

Using qi to erect a shield, he repelled the attack, then whispered to the crow beneath him "Old friend, our time is up. Try to flee while you still can. This is my final order. Live your life, find a mate, pursue your desires" He chuckled faintly. "After all, you've remained single all this time. Are you unwilling or simply unable?" "Kriek?!" protested the crow, as if retorting "Aren't you in a similar situation?" Ignoring the comment, Sheng Jun dismounted, entering battle. He blocked all of them until not even a shadow of Xiao Niao remained. Turning back to face dozens of Martial Gods, he smirked and attacked. Thus, they fought for thirty days. (You guys aren't expecting me to write a 30-day-long battle scene, are you?)

"Agh!" a scream sounded from the elder clad in green as his life was extinguished by Sheng Jun's hand. At this point, all present, including Sheng Jun, were either heavily injured or dead. His face was pale, his body on the brink of collapse. Over the past month, he had analyzed their techniques and qi patterns, eventually assimilating their skills into the Heavenly Dao Sutra, refining and perfecting it. Prepared to trigger his dantian's detonation and perish alongside his enemies, at that moment his old friend Xiao Niao returned, forcibly grabbing him and enduring all attacks to take him to safety.

Xiao Niao flew dozens of kilometers in a few seconds until eventually Wind Martial God, Gong Yong, caught up with them. Xiao Niao sacrificed itself protecting Sheng Jun, who gathered his qi or rather, blood qi, depleting his latent potential and life force to muster a sneak attack, killing him. Even if Sheng Jun survived, ascending to Martial God was unlikely in this lifetime; that was the price to pay for using blood qi. Observing the bloodied mound nearby, the final resting place of his faithful crow, he murmured "Xiao Niao, you should have left without me" Grief filled his voice, though he had little time for mourning, sensing a faint qi behind him. Both sides were gravely wounded after thirty days of battle, making survival impossible if they engaged again. Escape was necessary, lest Xiao Niao's sacrifice be in vain.

"Thirty days have passed. Mo Cai and Li Yang will have evacuated the capital. It is time to retreat" Sheng Jun decided. Yet, sensing a huge qi fluctuation and the scent of blood a hundred kilometers away, halted his steps. His gaze narrowed as the space split above him, revealing a colossal Pagoda. Sheng Jun's face lost all color and he was frozen in place. "Soul Suppressing Pagoda?" As its name implied, it suppressed the souls, and if successful, all bodily attributes would be locked. Furthermore, it spatially isolated its victim and the area around him, preventing escape until death.

Normally ineffective against those beyond the Martial King realm like himself, but Sheng Jun had a secret he never told anyone, not even his closest confidantes: his soul was incomplete, a mere third of the norm that humans are supposed to be born with. He never suspected they would use this thing, as activating the Soul Suppressing Pagoda required prolonged preparation and plentiful blood offerings, making it an impractical move. Paralyzed by its power, he heard a rasping chuckle as the Flame Martial God, Old Hui, led his surviving comrades towards him.

"This unexpected turn, Sheng Jun, did you foresee it? Did you think we would remain unaware of the assassination of our soul-specialized masters? After long investigations, we found the trace of your involvement. So we deduced your vulnerability: your soul. Otherwise, with your power, you would have overwhelmed them outright. Take pride, Sheng Jun; you are the first to bring such shame upon us. As compensation, we shall eliminate your loyalists with our own hands, especially your disciples, Mo Cai and Li Yang. A tragic waste of talent. With time, they might have become Martial Gods. Alas, they chose to follow the wrong person"

Approaching, Old Hui whispered mockingly "Soul Suppressing Pagoda has locked your attributes and qi origin. You lack the means to even destroy your dantian with blood qi. Kneel, and perhaps we'll spare you" He laughed, joined by his allies.

Yet, a surge of qi from Sheng Jun caused panic. "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DO YOU HAVE QI?!" they shouted. Sheng Jun, coughing blood, replied "Old dog, you might have taken blood qi into consideration but there is an alternative energy for qi generation" Old Hui's eyes widened, his anger exploding. "YOU LUNATIC! BURNING YOUR SOUL SPELLS ETERNAL DAMNATION. YOU'RE INSANE!" he bellowed as Old Hui tore Sheng Jun's heart apart, others tried to flee, but to no avail. A deafening explosion shook the air killing everyone within.

"Xiao Niao... forgive me, I have wasted the opportunity you have created for me" Sheng Jun regretted. "At least the perfected Heavenly Dao Sutra will remain in the crystal. Mo Cai and Li Yang...my disciples...I'm sorry, but it seems I will be leaving first. Now that all Martial Gods in the world have perished, I'm sure you will have time to change the world... I'm leaving the rest to you" As his last thought sounded, he was engulfed into the darkness.

 ....

"KRAAA!!!" As Sheng Jun's soul was on the brink of dissolving, a piercing shriek cut through the darkness. "Xiao Niao, what are you doing here?" he exclaimed, startled by the unexpected presence.

Beside him, a young boy about 12 years old, similar to Sheng Jun's own appearance when he was young, stood clad in unfamiliar yet strangely familiar attire. "A kid?" Sheng Jun's brows furrowed in confusion as he stared at the boy.

The trio stared at each other, their souls drawn together by an inexplicable force. As their essences intertwined, a surge of energy pulsed through Sheng Jun's being, knitting his fragmented soul back together.

"I see...so that's how it is. You guys are...me" Sheng Jun murmured, his realization dawning like a ray of light in the darkness.

But before he could dwell further on this revelation, the darkness enveloped him once more, dragging him into a state of unconsciousness as he awaited his next reincarnation...this time, as a complete soul.