The Starfall Ascension Record

Chapter 1: Returning from the Celestial Realm

It was the twelfth lunar month, a frigid winter, and the wind and snow howled. Even the bustling and prosperous Qingyang City felt a touch desolate at this moment.

But just then, amidst the swirling wind and snow, a young man wearing a long black robe slowly stepped into this ancient city.

The youth was around sixteen or seventeen years old, his chest stained with blood, his black robe tattered, and he exuded an air of destitution. Yet, his eyes contained a hidden divine light, filled with a sense of profound depth, as if they could pierce through everything in the world.

He stepped forward, stride by stride, seemingly a bit impatient.

"It is the same world, yet the flow of time is completely different."

"I spent over a thousand years in the Celestial Expanse, but only four years have passed on the Tianxuan Continent. Everything here has not changed. It is just as it was when I left."

Shen Yuan looked at the familiar scenery around him and could not help but sigh, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Four years ago, Shen Yuan went out for experience and coincidentally encountered a Spacetime Storm, a rarity seen only once in billions of years. When he regained his senses, he had already left the Tianxuan Continent and arrived in the boundless Celestial Expanse.

In this vast world, there are three thousand Small Planes like the Tianxuan Continent. They are like the stars of the heavens, constantly orbiting the supreme Celestial Expanse.

Only those who reached the Peak of Martial Dao were qualified to step into the Celestial Expanse.

Inside the Celestial Expanse, experts stood numerous, and geniuses were countless. Every Martial Artist possessed immense strength, capable of flying through the air, escaping into the ground, burning the sky, evaporating the sea, and destroying a city or annihilating a mountain peak with a flick of a finger.

Because of this, the Celestial Expanse revered Martial Arts and upheld strength as law, and no one ever cared about the life or death of the weak.

During the days immediately after arriving in the Celestial Expanse, Shen Yuan witnessed too much bloodshed and cruelty, profoundly learning what the survival of the fittest meant.

To vent his anger, one powerful expert destroyed three cities in a single night, slaughtering tens of millions of lives.

An Alchemist, seeking to refine Medicinal Pills, did not hesitate to seal off cities and regions, wantonly harvesting the hearts of young boys and girls, treating human life as dirt.

A Sect, trying to break an Ancient Formation, directly enslaved a million living beings, using their blood and corpses to forcibly pave a pathway.

These scenes of misery deeply stimulated Shen Yuan's heart, jolting him awake from his confusion.

From then on, Shen Yuan began to force himself to adapt to the Celestial Expanse, growing little by little, slowly becoming powerful, and even creating one astonishing legend after another.

In just over a thousand years, Shen Yuan became one of the absolute strongest experts in the Celestial Expanse, founded the Starfall Palace, ruled the Northern Territory, and was titled Celestial Venerable Starfall.

At this point, he was the most powerful being in the Celestial Expanse. A single word or phrase from him could easily decide the life or death of billions of creatures. Countless experts willingly swore to follow him until death, and tens of thousands of women were driven mad by him.

Even Yao Yue, the Celestial Expanse's Number One Beauty, was willing to remove her veil and stay by Shen Yuan's side.

Even so, deep down in Shen Yuan's heart, he still felt no sense of belonging to the Celestial Expanse.

This was simply because he was born on the Tianxuan Continent and constantly worried about his family.

After establishing the Starfall Palace, Shen Yuan utilized all the resources at his disposal, continuously searching for a way to return to the Tianxuan Continent. Finally, he found a clue within an ancient, mysterious Tomb.

To obtain this mysterious Tomb, Shen Yuan went on a killing spree, consecutively slaying countless experts, shocking the entire Celestial Expanse.

But Shen Yuan never imagined that just as he was about to unravel all the mysteries, the Three Great Celestial Venerables who governed the Eastern, Western, and Southern Territories of the Celestial Expanse would actually launch a joint sneak attack on him.

In the end, Shen Yuan's chest was pierced by a sword, and his cultivation was instantly crippled. He was even powerless to protect the many treasures in his storage ring, which were plundered completely by the Three Great Celestial Venerables.

At that time, Shen Yuan had no chance of victory and could only wait for death to arrive.

However, just as he was about to give up, Yao Yue suddenly rushed into the Tomb, using her own body to block Shen Yuan, forcibly taking the Three Great Celestial Venerables' fatal blow.

In that instant, tears and blood soaked Shen Yuan's face.

He continuously screamed and roared, yet could only watch helplessly as Yao Yue disappeared from his sight, until the last sliver of light was completely enveloped by darkness.

When the darkness gradually faded, the moment Shen Yuan opened his eyes, he found himself back on the Tianxuan Continent, back in the homeland he had longed for.

"Three Great Celestial Venerables, you have lived for tens of thousands of years in the Celestial Expanse, established Sects, Imparted Teachings, and were revered by countless people. I never expected that all of you would be insidious and cunning villains!"

Shen Yuan clenched his fists, his eyes blood-red.

Although Shen Yuan survived and returned to the Tianxuan Continent, the scenes that transpired in the Tomb constantly floated in his mind.

Especially Yao Yue sacrificing herself and the last look she gave him, Shen Yuan would never forget it in this lifetime.

Thinking of this, a flash of brilliant light crossed Shen Yuan's eyes, and he shouted toward the sky: "Three Great Celestial Venerables, you did not expect this, did you? That I, Shen Yuan, am actually not dead."

"I will never forget the blood feud of that day."

"Everything you did to me, I will repay a hundredfold, a thousandfold."

"Starting today, I will become your nightmare."

His words of anger shook the heavens and the earth.

At this moment, Shen Yuan seemed to have transformed into a sword, a bloody Sword of Vengeance.

"Four years is not long, but it is not short either. I wonder what surprised expressions Father and little sister will have when they see me."

At this thought of his family, the hatred in Shen Yuan's heart dissipated, replaced by a smile and excitement.

To his family, Shen Yuan had only been missing for four years, but to Shen Yuan, he had been away from home for over a thousand years.

During the long years in the Celestial Expanse, whenever he woke up from a midnight dream, Shen Yuan would be startled. He feared that when he returned, his family would already be buried, and everything would have changed.

Fortunately, the flow of time between the Celestial Expanse and the three thousand Small Planes was different. Over a thousand years in the Celestial Expanse, only four years had passed on the Tianxuan Continent.

"When I was young, Father was attacked by Primal Beasts. Not only was his right arm severed, but his Dantian was also torn apart, making him unable to Cultivate anymore. Now that I have returned from the Celestial Expanse, I naturally must help Father reconstruct his severed arm and repair his Dantian."

"As for my little sister, she should have just turned fourteen. This little girl has been beautiful since childhood, captivating countless young men. Now, I suppose even more people must be pursuing her."

"And the Disciples and Elders of the Sword Pavilion, as long as I give them a little guidance, they will easily Breakthrough their Realms and greatly enhance the strength of the Sword Pavilion. Father toiled for most of his life just to revitalize the Sword Pavilion, so this counts as fulfilling one of his wishes."

While contemplating, the smile on Shen Yuan's face grew wider, and he subconsciously quickened his pace.

Soon, a ten-zhang tall Ancient Sword Stone Monument appeared in Shen Yuan's vision. Behind the monument was a continuous complex of buildings.

This was the Sword Pavilion, Shen Yuan's home.

"That is strange, why are there no Disciples guarding it?" Shen Yuan looked at the empty gate and frowned slightly.

"Help."

Suddenly, a shrill cry for help rang out.

The gate of the Sword Pavilion was pushed open, and a graceful girl rushed out.

The girl was not old, only fourteen or fifteen, but her appearance was flawless, her long hair dancing in the wind, captivating. She already possessed the beauty of a femme fatale, but her clothes were disheveled, with several obvious tears.

"Xi Yao?" Shen Yuan's heart violently trembled.

This girl was none other than his sister, Shen Xiyao.

Shen Yuan took a large stride, draped his robe over Shen Xiyao, and his eyes erupted with blazing fury: "Xi Yao, what happened? Who did this?"

"You... you are Big Brother." Shen Xiyao naturally saw Shen Yuan, and her expression froze.

Immediately, she threw herself forward, tightly hugging Shen Yuan. Hot tears streamed down her flawless white face, and she said in disbelief: "Brother, you really did not die. I knew you would definitely come back."

Shen Xiyao cried profusely, her tears being tears of emotion. Her dearest Big Brother had been missing for four years without a word, and today, he had finally returned, appearing right before her.

"Brother, hurry and go to the Ancestral Hall to find Adoptive Father. You must stop the Second Elder." At this moment, Shen Xiyao seemed to remember something, and ignoring Shen Yuan's question, she spoke urgently.

"Stop the Second Elder?"

Shen Yuan was stunned.

Before he could ask, Shen Xiyao's body began to tremble, and she said helplessly: "After you disappeared, Adoptive Father contracted a Strange Illness, and his health worsened day by day. Today, the Second Elder convened a Sword Pavilion Assembly, preparing to impeach Adoptive Father from the position of Pavilion Master."

"What?"

Shen Yuan looked as if he had been struck by Divine Lightning, his face filled with shock.

The Sword Pavilion was the lifelong effort of Father Shen. Every blade of grass, every piece of wood, was formed by his painstaking effort.

If not for Father Shen, the Sword Pavilion would not exist.

But today, the Second Elder of the Sword Pavilion was actually going to impeach Father Shen from the position of Pavilion Master, and to impeach him publicly. This was tantamount to trampling on Father Shen's efforts of half a lifetime.

"I just returned to Qingyang City, and Xi Yao was almost assaulted, and now even the Sword Pavilion is about to be seized by others." Shen Yuan clenched his teeth tightly, and a monstrous rage erupted from his body.

Just as he was about to continue asking questions, several figures rushed out from inside the Sword Pavilion ahead.

Moreover, they were accompanied by bursts of lewd laughter.