Alabama, January 1, 2024 AD!
Three million years ago — on a planet then known as Earth, in a small, cozy living room, Julia and Michael sat curled up on the couch.
Michael's arm was wrapped protectively around Julia, whose hand rested gently on her visibly pregnant belly.
The room was filled with soft laughter and the low murmur of the television.
"Do you think she'll have your eyes?" Julia asked, her voice laced with a blend of excitement and wonder, her eyes twinkling like star.
"I hope she inherits your smile," Michael replied, pressing a tender kiss to Julia's forehead.
Their eyes met, a silent conversation of love and dreams for the future passing between them.
The baby kicked lightly, as if in agreement, and they both laughed, the sound warm and full of hope.
As they turned their attention back to the TV, a family sitcom playing, the screen suddenly went black. They exchanged puzzled glances.
"What happened?" Michael reached for the remote, but before he could press a button, the screen flickered to life with a breaking news alert.
"This just in: An unprecedented phenomenon over Antarctica... a massive crack has appeared in the sky," the news anchor's voice trembled with a mix of awe and fear.
The camera cut to a live feed showing a gigantic fissure in the sky, an eerie, pulsating light emanating from it.
Julia's hand tightened over her belly.
"It... It must be some kind of a bizarre prank," Michael stammered, trying to keep his voice steady.
But the laughter they had shared moments ago was now a distant memory.
Their eyes were locked on the screen, witnessing what seemed impossible. The news anchor continued, his voice growing increasingly panicked.
"Reports are coming in of... of strange energy emanating from the crack. Early indications suggest it's causing..."
Suddenly, the broadcast was interrupted by static, then cut off entirely.
The room plunged into an uneasy silence, broken only by a distant, animalistic growl that seemed too close for comfort.
Julia's heart raced. "Michael, did you hear that?"
Michael stood up, a protective instinct taking over. He moved cautiously towards the window. The once peaceful neighborhood was now a scene of chaos.
People were running in the streets, screaming in terror.
"Michael, what's happening?" Julia's voice was laced with fear.
He didn't answer, his eyes fixed on a sight he couldn't comprehend.
!!
The television abruptly woke again, showing the surreal sight of —people collapsing, overcome by some unknown radiation, pets and animals transforming into monstrous versions of themselves, chaos spreading like wildfire.
"This can't be real," Michael whispered, more to himself than to Julia.
But reality had shifted in a way they couldn't have imagined. The world they knew, the future they had envisioned, was crumbling before their eyes.
Roar!
The growls outside their door escalated into a thunderous roar, freezing their blood.
!!
Michael and Julia exchanged one last look, a silent farewell charged with love and unspoken regrets.
Then, with a splintering crash, the door burst open.
Boom!
"Grrrrr!" A monstrous dog, with its four glowing eyes and massive frame, stood in the doorway. Its eyes burned with a feral, otherworldly hunger as it fixed its gaze on them.
His face as if turned into a evil grin, a mocking laugher the moment it spotted, Michelle and Julia.
Michael instinctively stepped in front of Julia, a futile gesture of protection. "Stay behind me," he whispered, his voice a blend of fear and determination.
Julia, her heart pounding against her chest, clutched her belly. "I love you," she managed to say, her voice trembling. "I love you both."
The scene blurred, the shadows showing the beast lunging with a ferocious roar, its massive body a blur of shadow and fury. Michael braced himself, a desperate cry escaping his lips.
The room plunged into chaos. The beast's shadow danced wildly against the walls, accompanied by the horrifying sound of tearing and growling. Michael's shouts mingled with Julia's screams, a symphony of terror and pain that filled the room.
In the midst of the nightmare, as Julia was being torn apart , her thoughts spiraled in. 'Our dreams, our future, our little girl... it's all ending. This can't be how our story ends...'
The beast's growl grew louder, more ferocious.
The couple's cries echoed, gradually becoming weaker, their hope fading into the encroaching darkness..
Outside, the world continued to change, unrecognizable and unforgiving.
The crack in the sky marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new, merciless reality.
As the years passed, humanity continued to shrink.
The beasts, merciless in their attacks, ravaged the lands, while those humans corrupted by the Qi transformed into hunters, preying on their own kind.
Era after era unfolded, each spanning thousands of years. Gradually, humans began to adapt to the sacred energy emanating from the crack in the sky.
They harnessed this power to strengthen their bodies and minds, launching desperate counterattacks against their relentless foes.
Yet, this deadly game of hunter and hunted persisted across epochs, with no clear victor in sight.
There were times when humanity reclaimed control, only to be overpowered again by beasts and hunters a few centuries later.
The population of humanity fluctuated wildly throughout these times.
Three million years after the initial cataclysm, as if by a stroke of heavenly mercy, an asteroid fragment plummeted to Earth.
Any human who touched it gained a unique—Innate ability
This newfound power, coupled with their understanding of the Dao and sacred Qi, enabled them to finally erect massive fortifications they named Heaven's Shield.
Within these walls, they established a sanctuary, a place where people could once again live normal lives, safe from the relentless assaults of beasts and hunters.
The planet, now known as White Cloud Star, entered a new epoch - the Era of Reckoning.
The Star Guardians were established with a singular purpose: to guard Heaven's Shield and protect the inhabitants of the Immortal Cloud Continent.
Huxia Province emerged as the heart of this newfound haven, offering shelter and hope to humanity's remnants.
With the advent of Innate Skills and newfound stability, humans began to thrive within the sanctuary of Heaven's Shield.
Each year, the Star Guardians tournament was held, a vital event to replenish fallen guardians and select new warriors to defend the bastion of humanity.
Innate abilities became humanity's ultimate trump card. However, as the early founders of Heaven's Shield passed away, growth once more stagnated.
Nonetheless, their efforts had secured a safe haven for the residents of the Immortal Cloud Continent.
The year 9999 of the Era of Reckoning marked its end, ushering in the Dawn Age.
Fast forward to the year 5024 DA, the asteroid, now revered within the Institute of Science as the sacred Immortal Tianlong Spirit, continued to bestow humans with Innate abilities.
One such ability, the Invincible Body, was unheard of among the Seven Heavens and considered the most powerful—
"Huh?"
"What's going on there?"
Outside the protection of Heaven's Shield, at the summit of the Stormpeak Mountains, stood a young man with a charming face and long, white hair that cascaded down his back, offering a semblance of dignity.
He was shirtless, his pants — the last protector of his dignity, having already succumbed to gravity, pooled around his ankles.
His name was Su Xiaobai, a 27-year-old with a defiant gaze, surveying the commotion below the mountain peak. Standing at the peak, he presented his family jewels unabashedly to the world, his posture unashamed and bold.
Below the rugged summit of Stormpeak Mountains, a lively group of five adventurers celebrated, their laughter echoing through the valley.
At the center of this jubilant assembly was a slightly muscular man with spiky blonde hair and a roguishly charming face. His companions, a mix of rugged and elegant figures, clapped him on the back, their voices filled with admiration.
"You've outdone yourself this time, Boss Jian!" exclaimed a tall woman with sharp eyes, her hand resting on the hilt of a sheathed sword.
"Truly, the way you took down that Shadow Lynx, incredible!" added a wiry man with a mischievous grin, raising his mug in salute.
Li Jian, basking in the glow of their praise, was about to respond when something unexpected happened.
Tap!
A droplet landed on his head, followed by another on his face.
"Ah?" He glanced upwards, puzzled, only for more of the strange liquid to splash across his face.
Touching his cheek, his initial shock quickly transformed into an expression of sheer delight.
"It's... it's holy water!" he exclaimed, stretching into a wide smile.
With a whoop of excitement, he began to jump and bathe in the falling liquid, shouting at the top of his lungs, "The heavens have chosen to bless me! My time as the young master has come!"
"The harem of beauties will be mine.... Hahaha!"
His party members looked on, a mixture of amusement and bewilderment on their faces, as Li Jian bathed himself in what he believed to be a divine anointment.
Above them, pretending to be oblivious to the scene he had inadvertently created, Su Xiaobai remained focused on the commotion below, his own thoughts momentarily forgotten before he pulled up his pants and whispered.
"Who are these peasants... Oh, whatever. So where were we?... Yeah, the invincible body..."