The assembled crowd listened silently as Gu Qing recounted the tale. These were secrets to them, matters they had never had the opportunity to learn about.
Li Xiaotian's eyes flickered, and the truth of the pre-ancient era became clear in his mind.
The demon race had engaged in internecine warfare, while the human race had secretly risen. By the time the demons realized the humans had become a great threat, they no longer possessed the strength to annihilate them.
Many legendary races had perished in their civil strife, leaving the remaining demons locked in a fierce battle against the humans, evenly matched.
Yet, even so, the human race's strength at that time was still somewhat insufficient, merely allowing them to defend themselves.
In such circumstances, the human race produced pioneer after pioneer who cared deeply for their people.
Ancestor Qiong of the Tian family was one such figure; he had fought for humanity with all his heart in those days.
However, a single person's aptitude was ultimately limited. Watching the birth of one unparalleled expert after another among humanity, Qiong found himself perpetually stuck at the peak of the Celestial rank, and his heart began to grow anxious.
“At that time, Qiong sought an alternative path, exploring a way to become invincible from the Sea of Blood.”
Gu Qing spoke at a measured pace, then frowned slightly.
Hearing the mention of the Sea of Blood, everyone present felt a tremor of surprise. The Sea of Blood, had it existed even before the pre-ancient era?
“Qiong wished to fuse the bloodlines of all the invincible experts of the human race to forge his own path to invincibility!”
“However, his path to invincibility was merely his conjecture, and furthermore, it was inspired by the Sea of Blood. Therefore, the invincible ones forbade it, fearing a conspiracy of the Sea of Blood.”
“But Qiong not only disregarded the counsel of the human invincible experts, he harbored resentment and secretly plotted for himself.”
At this point, everyone present understood. Qiong desired the bloodline power of the invincible, but they forbade it. He could only obtain the bloodlines of the invincible through other means, such as their descendants!
“Precisely, the descendants of the invincible. Much like the current Tian family, Qiong assassinated several descendants of the invincible, extracting their bloodlines to attempt fusion.”
“But at that time, humanity was locked in continuous warfare with the demon race. The descendants of the invincible Qiong murdered were the backbone of the human race. After their deaths, while the top echelons of human power were not affected, countless ordinary humans suffered immense casualties.”
Gu Qing gritted his teeth. In those days, the demon race was powerful. With the human race’s backbone weakened by the loss of strong individuals, humanity lacked anyone capable of dealing with the demon race's Emperor-tier and Celestial-tier demonic beasts. Consequently, innumerable humans perished.
“Despicable! Qiong deserves to die!” someone roared. A hero who protected humanity had ultimately caused heavy losses to their people for his selfish desires. Did such a person still deserve to be called a hero?
“Eventually, the human invincible experts discovered Qiong's deeds. Based on his crimes, they could have justly killed him on the spot.”
“However, the human powerhouses, remembering his great contributions to humanity, did not kill him. Instead, they offered him a chance to die fighting against the demon race.”
Speaking to this point, Gu Qing clenched his teeth, a flicker of anger in his eyes, and then continued.
“It is hateful that Qiong had already become consumed by demonic energy and actually colluded with the demon race, attempting to trap and kill the human invincible experts. This enraged the human powerhouses. The foremost invincible, Yuan, my ancestor Gu, and other invincible experts joined forces to annihilate Qiong, and they placed a curse upon his descendants, forbidding any of Qiong’s progeny from reaching the Celestial rank!”
“Unexpectedly, Qiong’s descendants secretly reawakened Qiong’s long-vanished consciousness, bringing him back to life.”
After Gu Qing finished, those around him began to curse Qiong and the Tian family. Meanwhile, Li Xiaotian was filled with shock, his mind roaring with disbelief.
Qiong had been annihilated by the invincible, yet tens of thousands of years later, he was revived by his descendants? Could a person truly die and then be resurrected?
“Senior Gu, wasn't Qiong annihilated by the invincible? How could he be resurrected?”
Li Xiaotian could not help but ask, his heart filled with trepidation.
“He was annihilated. Logically, a dead person cannot be resurrected.”
Gu Qing replied, then frowned again. After a moment’s thought, he continued speaking.
“Based on my conjecture, Qiong had likely touched upon the realm of invincibility at that time, nearing success. Invincible experts are immortal and indestructible. Even if they die temporarily, as long as there are traces of their existence in this world, and as long as someone remembers them, there is a possibility of their revival.”
“However, this is merely speculation, and I am not entirely certain. This matter involves concepts far too profound; even Celestial-tier experts cannot grasp them. Furthermore, there were other invincible experts in the human race who died but did not truly return to life like Qiong.”
After hearing Gu Qing’s explanation, Li Xiaotian’s heart remained unsettled, a strong sense of crisis overwhelming him.
After all, the Demon Lord had also been at the peak of the Celestial rank when he died. Moreover, Li Xiaotian had inherited the Demon Lord’s legacy and possessed a black pearl within him, formed from the Demon Lord’s power.
Had the Demon Lord prepared so many contingencies, perhaps for his own revival?
Could the Demon Lord, like Qiong, be resurrected?
Li Xiaotian frowned deeply. The Demon Lord had no friends or family throughout his life, nor any disciples. The Demon Sect he established consisted entirely of demon soldiers, with no one else besides him.
Would such a person leave a legacy for an unknown junior upon his death? Would he bequeath his two supreme treasures to a successor?
The more he pondered, the more Li Xiaotian felt a chill run down his spine. If the Demon Lord truly had a contingency plan, then he himself would be a crucial piece in the Demon Lord’s revival!
If the Demon Lord were truly resurrected, how would he be treated then?
The more he contemplated, the more chaotic Li Xiaotian’s thoughts became. He felt as though he had stepped into an unimaginably vast and terrifying conspiracy.
“However, I surmise that even if the invincible can be resurrected, the conditions required must be extremely stringent, and the time needed would be considerable. Qiong had merely touched the threshold of invincibility. The Tian family had plotted from the pre-ancient era until now to revive him. If a truly invincible expert were to be resurrected, it would likely require even more time.”
Gu Qing added a crucial point. Above the Celestial rank was the Saint rank, also known as invincible. Such beings were far too high for him and everyone present; they could not even begin to comprehend that level.
Li Xiaotian forced himself to calm down. He was currently only at the late stage of the Emperor rank. Frankly speaking, at this current juncture, he was considered a formidable expert. However, as the Celestial-tier powerhouses gradually awakened from their slumber, his current strength would be utterly insignificant.
Therefore, even if the Demon Lord had a contingency, it would likely require him to break through to the Celestial rank before it could be enacted. He was still too weak at the moment.
With this thought, Li Xiaotian’s heart settled. Ultimately, strength was paramount. If his own power were sufficient, akin to beings like those within the bronze ancient coffin, then even if the Demon Lord successfully revived by his means, he would not fear the Demon Lord.
In the end, everyone present eagerly questioned Gu Qing about the hidden secrets of the pre-ancient era.
Concurrently, Li Xiaotian also learned about the origins of the Sea of Blood. It was even more ancient and had existed all along.
Furthermore, the Sea of Blood did not belong to either the demon or human factions. Or rather, it was a third faction, an enemy to both humanity and the demon race.