The legacy left behind by the three Grand Emperors had once elevated the True Martial Sacred Ground to an unprecedented golden age.
But everything in this world follows its own cycle, what flourishes must eventually fade.
For tens of thousands of years afterward, no new Grand Emperor ever emerged from the sect.
Though still a giant, the True Martial Sacred Ground inevitably began a slow decline from its former glory.
That is, until three thousand years ago, when the appearance of a single girl shattered that long stagnation.
She was born in a remote village, tucked away in the ten-thousand-mile territory ruled by the True Martial Sacred Ground.
For fifteen years, she lived a simple, ordinary life, until one day, she witnessed a battle between two Desolate Meridian Realm cultivators in the skies above her village.
That single moment planted a seed in her young heart, a glimpse into another world.
Drawn by awe and longing, she journeyed to the True Martial Sacred Ground, hoping to join. But during the aptitude tests, she was rejected for having average spiritual roots.
Still, the girl refused to give up. She knelt at the stone steps outside the sect's gate, and remained there for seven full days.
Wind and rain beat her down. The scorching sun blazed overhead. She drank not a drop of water, ate not a single bite.
She was just a powerless mortal then, but she endured it all. Though her consciousness blurred, she never lost it entirely. Her sheer willpower moved those who saw her.
Eventually, an outer court elder took pity on her and accepted her as a registered disciple.
She was like a frog trapped at the bottom of a well, desperate to escape. Like an ant crawling across the earth, always crawling… always pushing forward.
Until one day, that ant stood tall, and only then did people realize: Somehow, at some point, she had grown to match the heavens themselves.
Her era was filled with dazzling geniuses, countless prodigies.
Yet no one ever imagined that a girl of such ordinary talent would sweep through her entire generation.
They called her Grand Empress Hong Tian.
Among all the Grand Emperors in the endless history of time, Grand Empress Hong Tian shone as one of the most brilliant stars.
Her light not only illuminated her own era, but profoundly influenced many Emperors who came after her.
She led the True Martial Sacred Ground into a second golden age.
As Xu Zimo reflected on the sect’s long history, his gaze turned solemn.
One day, he too wanted his name to shine among the countless stars of this epic legacy.
He made his way to the Scripture Vault, located at the heart of the sect.
It housed every technique and martial art collected since the founding of the True Martial Sacred Ground.
Unlike the towering majesty one might expect, the area around the vault had a peaceful, almost relaxing atmosphere.
Ancient trees reached skyward. Spirit herbs carpeted the ground. Dao Flowers bloomed in vibrant color, and brilliant butterflies danced around them.
Rare alchemy fowls patrolled the area, tending the herbs and flowers, loosening soil, fertilizing, and picking off pests.
The Scripture Vault had eighteen floors. As Xu Zimo stood at the entrance, the air felt ancient and profound. The building stood quietly, as though telling the tale of tens of thousands of years of history.
Its color was a blend of green and pale gold, with jade platforms, turquoise tiles, and vermillion eaves.
Exotic beasts were carved into both sides of the roof, eagles spreading their wings, birds soaring, leopards roaring, wild lions baring their teeth.
There were no guards at the front door, yet Xu Zimo could clearly sense a dangerous energy in the surroundings.
High-level formations were hidden all around. If anyone tried to break in, they would activate. Even a Paragon Meridian Realm cultivator might not escape easily.
Xu Zimo placed his father’s token in the slot at the door. A hidden elder responsible for guarding the vault would verify the token and assign access permissions.
A shimmering barrier vanished, and Xu Zimo walked inside.
The first floor was simple in layout. Tens of thousands of bookshelves were neatly arranged.
Each shelf held various meridian techniques and cultivation methods, protected by faint glowing barriers.
At the front of each shelf, a small plaque listed the title, purpose, and grade of the techniques stored there.
Xu Zimo didn’t linger. He went straight to the top, the eighteenth floor.
The lighting there was dim. The space held only four statues.
Each statue seemed to exist in its own isolated pocket of space.
Xu Zimo stood before them and looked from left to right.
The first statue was of a man with long hair draped over his shoulders. His presence was commanding, his gaze vast and deep. He radiated the aura of a sovereign above all others.
This was a man who stood with mountains beneath his feet and the sky on his back.
The second statue was also male, but gave off an extreme, obsessesive energy, someone who had abandoned everything for the sake of one pursuit.
Proud and wild, he carried three strange long sabers on his back.
The moment you looked at the blades, you knew, this was a man wholly devoted to the way of the blade. He had lived and died by the saber.
“Born beneath the saber, die beneath the saber.”
The third statue showed only a silhouette. It felt ephemeral, like it was right in front of you, and at the same time, impossibly far away.
He moved between reality and void, searching only for the ultimate truth of speed.
The fourth statue was of a woman with long hair cascading down her back, her face hidden by a thin veil.
Her style shifted with every glance. At first, she seemed pure and lively, like the girl next door, someone you'd fall in love with on a quiet afternoon.
Then in another look, she seemed seductive, enchanting.
In the next, she became a fearless warrior, a goddess of war who didn’t flinch at bloodshed, firm in her beliefs, unmatched in strength.
And finally, she became something else entirely, an Empress above all. A supreme ruler. In her gaze, all living things were ants. The glories of the world seemed meaningless under her power.
Xu Zimo looked upon the statues of the four Grand Emperors in the sect’s history, his heart filled with respect.
In truth, he didn’t plan on cultivating someone else’s technique. In his past life, he had already walked his own martial path.
But to avoid suspicion and hide his secret, he chose Grand Emperor San Dao’s technique.
He actually admired the Grand Emperor’s pure, extreme path of the saber, it would serve as a good transitional method.
Xu Zimo placed his hand on the statue and closed his eyes, emptying his thoughts, trying to connect with it.
A thick white mist surrounded everything. He could feel a stream of memory entering his mind.
This was the technique cultivated by the Grand Emperor San Dao, Annihilation Codex.
All begins in annihilation. All ends in annihilation. Born from annihilation. Perish in annihilation.
With the technique in hand, Xu Zimo prepared to leave.
Just before he turned to go, he instinctively glanced toward the corner of the vault, then smiled faintly to himself and walked away, carefree.