"The Eye of the Heavenly Dao? Impossible! What heaven-defying act has the Lan Clan committed to summon the Eye of the Heavenly Dao?"
As the colossal eye loomed over the Lan Clan's territory, powerhouses across the Bing Tian Continent watching from afar were struck with abject horror.
No one knew when the Bing Tian Continent was formed, its history lost in the mists of time. Even Tribulation Crossing cultivators, with their vast lifespans, couldn't endure the countless eons of change to grasp the continent's full chronicle.
Yet, ancient texts recorded that the Eye of the Heavenly Dao had appeared only a handful of times on the Bing Tian Continent. One instance was documented in vivid detail.
According to the records, countless years ago, an ancient demonic cultivator named Xue Sha Demon Lord, a Peak Tribulation Crossing powerhouse, secretly abducted over a billion mortals from twelve Seventh-Tier cultivation factions.
Seventh-Tier factions, capped at Peak Spirit Transformation cultivators, were defenseless against a Peak Tribulation Crossing titan like Xue Sha. He drained their blood to fuel his breakthrough, aiming to ascend to the Immortal Realm.
This atrocity enraged the righteous sects across the Bing Tian Continent. The two Ninth-Tier powers, Bing Xuan Empire and Tian Shan Immortal Realm, set aside their rivalry to form the Demon Slaying Alliance, rallying countless factions from Eighth-Tier and below to hunt and destroy Xue Sha. Unfortunately, Xue Sha had planned his scheme meticulously, hiding in an obscure location. Despite the Alliance scouring the continent, his whereabouts remained elusive.
In the end, Xue Sha successfully refined the blood of over a billion lives, advancing to the Half-Immortal realm. He initiated his final step—crossing the Immortal Tribulation to ascend to the Immortal Realm.
His hideout was a secretive mystic realm he had stumbled upon in his youth, where he had begun plotting his inhumane scheme as a mere Golden Core cultivator.
As Xue Sha began his tribulation, top powerhouses across the Bing Tian Continent sensed it and converged on his location.
But it was too late. Over a billion lives had been reduced to desiccated husks, their resentful aura blanketing the continent. Even Spirit Transformation cultivators vomited blood under its weight, while weaker cultivators succumbed, their bodies exploding from the怨气's invasion.
No one dared interfere with his tribulation.
Under the resentful gazes of countless powerhouses, Xue Sha laughed maniacally, sneering at the righteous cultivators as he progressed toward ascension.
It seemed a demon like him would succeed.
Then, the Eye of the Heavenly Dao appeared.
Xue Sha's tribulation lightning surged exponentially, culminating in the legendary Three-Colored Tribulation Lightning. Thousands of bolts rained down mercilessly, targeting him alone.
Despite his near-Half-Immortal prowess, Xue Sha withstood only a hundred bolts before his body and soul were annihilated, his final scream echoing his unwillingness.
The Eye of the Heavenly Dao closed indifferently, as if crushing a supreme demon like Xue Sha was no more significant than squashing an ant.
This history fueled the incredulity of those now staring at the Lan Clan. They speculated what heinous act the clan had committed to provoke the Heavenly Dao's wrath.
"If I knew what we did, I'd curse your ancestors!" Lan Po Lei thought furiously, though outwardly he maintained a facade of calm to steady his clan. Unbeknownst to him, the calamity he faced was orchestrated by the "cripple" he dismissed.
Sensing the terror in his clansmen's eyes, Lan Po Lei knew he had to project composure.
"Elders, personally oversee the Clan Protection Array," he commanded, taking a deep breath.
The elders, grasping the gravity of the situation, nodded and dispersed swiftly.
The Nine Frost Unyielding Array was typically managed by nine Spirit Transformation guardians, but this time, the elders themselves would take charge. Their foe was the Heavenly Dao—failure was not an option.
Though it seemed protracted, from the moment dark clouds enveloped the Lan Clan to the Eye of the Heavenly Dao's appearance, only ten breaths had passed. This showcased Lan Po Lei's and the Lan Clan's astonishing decisiveness, befitting an Eighth-Tier powerhouse.
Lesser factions would have already fled in panic.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As if losing patience, countless lightning bolts converged into a heaven-piercing pillar of tribulation, hurtling toward the Lan Clan.
The nine elders, faces grim, unleashed torrents of Ice spiritual energy. With the synchronized efforts of countless clansmen, they powered the Nine Frost Unyielding Array to counter the tribulation.
Above the array, three colossal ice mountains coalesced, standing resolute before the clan's territory.
CRASH!
A deafening collision reverberated, leaving ears ringing. The three ice mountains dimmed slightly, but the terrifying tribulation pillar dissipated.
"We blocked it! Cheers!"
"Haha, before our invincible Nine Frost Unyielding Array, even heavenly tribulation is powerless!"
Clansmen roared in triumph, their eyes gleaming with pride.
But Lan Po Lei and the elders remained uneasy.
BOOM!
As expected, a Three-Colored Tribulation Lightning began to form, descending without warning toward the Lan Clan.
"Switch to Six-Mountain Defense!" Lan Po Lei bellowed, his heart sinking. He knew tribulation lightning varied in potency, from single-colored to five-colored, with vast differences in power. A Three-Colored bolt was exponentially stronger than the single-colored ones before.
"Understood!" The clansmen responded in unison.
They surged their Ice spiritual energy, and three more ice mountains materialized above the array.
CRASH!
Another earth-shaking impact resounded. Low-tier clansmen spat blood from the shockwave, and the nine elders paled. Their expressions grew grave as the Three-Colored bolt persisted. Beside the Eye of the Heavenly Dao, two more Three-Colored bolts were forming.
Witnessing this, onlookers' pupils constricted. Ancient texts recorded that Xue Sha's annihilation required only five Three-Colored bolts, yet the Lan Clan now faced three.
"Damn it, what did our Lan Clan do to deserve this?" Lan Po Lei cursed inwardly, seething with injustice. He vowed to uncover the truth behind this calamity.
"Father, what's happening?"
A steady voice interrupted. A youth in golden robes approached Lan Po Lei, his long black hair flowing, exuding a noble air. His starry eyes—once Lan An's—sparkled with intrigue at the sky's wrath. This was Lan Wu, the Lan Clan's Young Master and top genius, a prodigy even among the Bing Tian Continent's elite.
"Wu'er, you're close to a breakthrough," Lan Po Lei noted, pleased to see his son nearing Mid-Stage Golden Core. His mood lightened despite the crisis.
"Yes, I was about to break through, but this commotion worried me," Lan Wu replied calmly.
"Well done, my only true son," Lan Po Lei praised, his words dripping with pride. The "cripple" was beneath his notice.
"Thank you, Father, but I'm still far from your greatness," Lan Wu said humbly, though a glint of smugness flashed in his eyes.
Lan Po Lei said nothing. A young man's pride was natural, especially one as talented as his son.
CRASH!
A thunderous roar cut their conversation short. The two newly formed Three-Colored bolts merged with the first, forming a singular, devastating strike.
"Activate the Nine-Mountain Formation!" Lan Po Lei and Lan Qing Lie shouted, their faces darkening. Lan Wu, sensing the severity, stood silently beside them.
The array roared to life, fueled by torrents of Ice spiritual energy. Nine colossal ice mountains rose, dominating the heavens and earth. Their chilling aura plunged the Lan Clan's territory into a blizzard. The nine elders, now deathly pale, had expended two-thirds of their spiritual energy, while countless clansmen grew ashen from the strain.
Throughout, the Eye of the Heavenly Dao gazed coldly at the Lan Clan's territory. Had an Immortal Realm expert been present, they might have noticed its focus on Lan An's small room, where it had sensed the Forbidden aura.
Yet, beyond that faint wisp, it detected no further anomalies, and the aura was now fading.
CRASH!
The climax erupted. The merged Three-Colored bolt collided with the nine ice mountains, while countless single-colored bolts relentlessly assailed them.
Silence.
An eerie silence followed.
Unlike before, no ear-splitting crash resounded. The top powerhouses watching saw the Three-Colored bolt entangle with the ice mountains, both sides grinding against each other in a prolonged struggle rather than a violent clash. The single-colored bolts continued their relentless assault, intent on eroding the array.
"Patriarch, our territory is too vast. The Nine Frost Unyielding Array can't protect everything!" a guardian reported gravely.
"Shrink the array's range. Protect only the core areas. The servant quarters and dungeons are expendable," Lan Po Lei ordered coldly.
The guardian nodded. The patriarch prioritized the main clan lineage. The loss of servants was negligible, but Lan Po Lei overlooked one detail: the "cripple" bearing his bloodline, meant to be the clan's eldest young master, resided in those quarters.
Beside Lan Po Lei, Lan Wu's lips curled into a smug smile. Heaven itself aids me. Farewell, dear brother. Let's meet in the next life, haha! he thought gleefully.
Moments passed. The nine ice mountains trembled violently, dimming rapidly.
The array contracted, but the ice mountains grew denser, strong enough to withstand the Three-Colored bolt. Unprotected areas, including Lan An's room, were obliterated by lightning, reduced to nothing. The massive Three-Colored bolt shrank, and the single-colored bolts faded.
Some clansmen, their spiritual energy depleted, vomited blood and collapsed. One, two, hundreds, thousands fell unconscious. The nine elders foamed at the mouth, drenched in cold sweat, barely holding on. Each second felt like an eternity of torment.
Hiss!
The nine ice mountains melted rapidly, and the elders collapsed, exhausted. Countless clansmen lay unconscious. The Three-Colored bolt finally dissipated, but the Eye of the Heavenly Dao remained.
Lan Po Lei surveyed the devastation, his resolve hardening. He channeled his full spiritual energy, Ice and Lightning elements surging, his aura shaking the surrounding space like a raging sea. He prepared to face the next tribulation himself.
The remaining elders, who hadn't powered the array, rallied beside him, their eyes blazing with fury at the Eye of the Heavenly Dao.
Yet, no further tribulation came. The dark clouds and lightning enveloping the Lan Clan dispersed abruptly.
The Eye of the Heavenly Dao closed and vanished, unable to sense the Forbidden aura any longer.
The wisp had completely dissipated.
The Lan Clan lay in ruins. Nine elders were gravely injured, countless clansmen incapacitated. Powerhouses across the continent watched, some with schadenfreude. Lan Po Lei's eyes burned with rage. His voice, laced with boundless hatred, echoed across the Bing Tian Continent, tearing through the heavens:
"I swear, I'll pay any price to find the one who schemed against the Lan Clan! You'll suffer a fate a million times worse than death!"
"Wait for me!"
Lan Po Lei, ever the astute patriarch, used his outburst strategically. Beneath the rage, he declared to the continent: The Lan Clan is the victim. The Heavenly Dao's scrutiny was a setup. We committed no crime akin to Xue Sha Demon Lord's.
The continent's powerhouses fell silent. The Lan Clan's heavy losses presented a rare opportunity for invasion, especially for rival factions, their eyes glinting with greed. Yet, reason held them back. The incident was too sudden, and without preparation, no one dared challenge an Eighth-Tier titan, especially one now as volatile as a rabid beast.
Sensing the continent's restraint, Lan Po Lei snorted coldly, his gambit successful.
With regal authority, he commanded, "The Lan Clan will seal itself for three years to recover. We'll ignore external affairs."
Though eager to hunt the mastermind, Lan Po Lei knew rebuilding strength was paramount. Three years was a blink for cultivators. Pausing, he turned to Lan Wu with a stern gaze.
"Wu'er, train at your maternal clan. Within two years, you must enter the Holy Spirit Academy. Also, find your two sisters—they're already there."
"As you command, Father," Lan Wu replied, bowing, his joy barely concealed.
He knew the Holy Spirit Academy was the crucible for the continent's overlords. His father, Lan Po Lei, was a graduate, as were generations of Bing Tian's mightiest.