Chapter Seventy-Nine: The History of the Titans

Shen Wan distributed the pills at lightning speed, urging everyone not to waste time with thank-yous, as every moment counted. The number of Foundation Establishment Pills dwindled, and the long line finally neared its end. Some had even used voice transmissions to summon a few more fellow disciples, but thankfully, the numbers remained manageable and did not disrupt the process.

When the final cultivator received their pill, fewer than twenty pills remained. “You lot can divide the rest among yourselves,” Shen Wan said, finding the pill jar too bulky to bother keeping in his storage pouch. This reasoning left the group speechless, but after splitting the remaining pills, everyone was still quite pleased—none more so than Zhao Dongsheng, who was beside himself with excitement.

“Uncle Master, shall we go? All the disciples have left the ruins, and Senior Brother has likely reported everything to Master by now,” Lin Bufan remarked, regretting the loss of the jar as he put it away and stepped forward.

Shen Wan waved his hand dismissively. “We’re not leaving yet. Follow me.”

The others exchanged puzzled glances, but Shen Wan didn’t elaborate, only tossing out the word “rescue” before plunging directly into the forest. Seeing their usually nonchalant Uncle Master so serious, no one dared question him further, hastening to keep up.

Retracing their steps, they soon returned to the entrance of the tunnel. Shen Wan led the way, pushing aside the tall weeds and slipping inside with a practiced motion at his waist. The tunnel remained pitch-black, so Lin Bufan produced an oil lamp, its bright flame illuminating the passage.

The entrance was short, and Shen Wan immediately spotted the bend in the tunnel—the very stone slope that had left his forehead covered in lumps. Even now, the bumps throbbed dully at his brow. Fortunately, this time the oil lamp lit their way, and his footing was sure.

Ascending the stone slope, they quickly entered the long corridor once more. Shen Wan glanced at a drying bloodstain on the wall, gauging its height—yes, it matched the nosebleed he’d suffered. He bared his teeth in a grimace and felt another wave of headache. Not wishing to linger in this place of bitter memories, he hurried the group forward into the passage.

With Lin Bufan carrying the lamp at the front, the tunnel was brightly lit; for the first time, they didn’t have to grope their way in the dark. Where before they could see nothing, now the true nature of the tunnel was revealed to Shen Wan. The corridor was seven or eight meters high, and three or four meters wide—a construction befitting the Giant God Clan.

Upon the walls on either side, exquisite murals had been painted. The scenes were vivid, their figures depicted with lifelike realism: children played in a square, peasant women kindled cooking fires, burly men wielded axes and returned home with prey slung over their shoulders. Their faces glowed with joy and happiness.

From simple farming to construction, from nothing to abundance, the once-small tribe grew into a great clan that held an entire city. The tribe’s warriors went to war with the Sea Clan and forged an alliance with the Shadowfiends. Acid rains devastated their farmlands, so the Giant God Clan dug canals and brought water to their fields. When they discovered a vein of spirit-stones, they began crafting weapons, and their military strength soared.

The party walked slowly, entranced by the murals, lingering even over the most trivial scenes. Shen Wan felt a chill in his heart—could this city be the very ruins he’d seen before? The murals continued until a palm-sized figure appeared before the tribe, seemingly offering a seed. The seed was tenderly cultivated, growing into a towering divine tree.

“The Frost Divine Tree?” Shen Wan recognized it instantly as the very tree that had awakened his own Cold Meridian. If so, then that tiny figure… A silhouette flashed through his mind, the shriveled old man seated upon a lotus dais. Secrets long buried began to surface in his thoughts.

Suddenly, the tone of the murals changed. The once-happy life was abruptly broken. A mountain tall enough to pierce the clouds rose up, forming an insurmountable barrier that isolated the Giant God Clan from the outside world. The sky grew dark with storm clouds, sunlight vanished, and even their bitter enemies, the Sea Clan, set aside their grudges to ally with the giants.

A prophet foresaw impending doom. The entire clan worked to activate the World Ring, and all the people fled into it, while the clan’s leaders remained outside, holding back the apocalypse so the others could escape. At last, heavenly fire rained down and the earth split apart. The city of the Giant God Clan was severed by a massive ravine.

In the sky, a black vortex formed, crackling with lightning like the maw of a monstrous beast, ready to devour the world. The altar where the World Ring stood rose up with a roar, leaving a great chasm behind, ascending slowly toward the black vortex. As the people inside the ring faced annihilation, the clan chief and the last of his people braved the heavenly fire, linking seventy-two iron chains to anchor the altar. The altar ceased its ascent, but those who remained were consumed by the flames—few survived.

The apocalypse lasted a hundred days, leaving the city in ruins. At last, the final mural came into view: eight towers were raised to the sky, and the surviving clansmen sacrificed themselves, merging their spirits into the towers. The Grand Prophet, weeping, opened the final seal, and was never seen again.

A stone door appeared before them, but none noticed. They stood in silence, shaken to their cores.

“So this is the history of the Giant God Clan. It’s nothing like the tales told outside,” Lin Bufan murmured, breaking the heavy silence. Ever since seeing the Frost Divine Tree, Shen Wan had begun to sense that his journey was intertwining with the story on the murals—every step he’d taken matched the scenes depicted there.

Floating mountains in the sky, the ruins across the cliffs—each echoed the other, painting a complete picture in his mind.

“Why am I analyzing all this? It doesn’t concern me in the slightest,” Shen Wan thought, smacking his lips and turning to the group. “Alright, enough gawking—follow me, let’s get out through here.”

With that, he squeezed through a gap between the two stone doors, emerging once again in the ruined temple. Lin Bufan’s mind was still swirling with images from the murals, but at his uncle master’s command, he followed through the gap. Zhu Qianqing and Han Yuechan, both slender, slipped through easily with just a twist of their bodies.

Last came Zhao Dongsheng—only for him to get stuck. His rather generous belly was wedged firmly between the stones, and it took considerable effort from the group to pull him free.

“You really need to lose some weight. Not tall, but all belly,” Shen Wan quipped dryly.

Zhao Dongsheng pouted, patting his stomach—he still thought he looked dashing.

Standing in the temple, they glanced about. Aside from the three giant hands clutching weapons, there was nothing remarkable. They strolled out into the courtyard. The six fearsome beast statues that had so unsettled Shen Wan before now seemed to have no effect on the others; they barely spared them a glance.

Shen Wan felt a twinge of embarrassment, but kept a straight face. Finally, they climbed up onto the temple platform.

There, the floating mountains and distant ruined city came into full view. Everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment, for these sights were identical to the murals in the tunnel.

In their mind’s eye, they could almost see the apocalyptic fire raining from above, mercilessly destroying the city. The altar drifted toward the black vortex, dozens of giants chaining it down. The images felt alive, resonating deep within, playing out once more before their eyes.

None could hide their amazement. Seeing this, Shen Wan finally felt a sense of balance restored.

“Hmph,” he snorted, breaking their reverie with a touch of pride. “Alright, let’s head up to the City in the Sky for a little stroll.”