Primordial Era: At the beginning, the Desolate Heavenly Emperor invited me to drink beast milk, and

A moment later, the light dissipated, and the old man looked at the bone mirror with a relieved smile on his face: "He...did not lie. He is a member of our clan and came with goodwill."

Inside the city walls, the other Stone Clan members all showed expressions of joy upon hearing the elder's confirmation.

The children cheered with joy. They hadn't seen outsiders for a long time, and this long-lost sense of kinship thrilled them.

With a flash of divine light, the one-armed old man instantly withdrew his defenses and appeared in front of Qin Yuan.

He looked at Qin Yuan before him, his excitement overflowing: "Outside... how are the clansmen?"

Qin Yuan felt a lump in his throat; these Stone Clan people had been fighting alone here for so many years.

The first thing he said to his fellow tribesmen was not to complain about years of loneliness or to lament the lack of resources, but to show concern for his tribesmen outside the tribe.

This sentiment stirred an indescribable emotion within Qin Yuan.

However, Qin Yuan hesitated, unsure how to describe the situation outside to the old man.

He didn't want these people who fought so hard to know about the misunderstandings and slanders they faced from the outside world.

The old man noticed Qin Yuan's hesitation and sensed something bad: "Is... something bad happening?"

Qin Yuan sighed, but he still needed to tell the old man the truth he knew. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to the Stone Clan ancestors who sacrificed themselves to protect the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

He told the old man in detail about the current situation of the Stone Clan, as well as the slander and persecution they suffered from outside.

Upon hearing Qin Yuan's account, the old man's expression changed drastically. His previously calm face instantly became ferocious, and a surge of overwhelming rage erupted from within him.

"What?! They...they actually dare to slander my Stone Clan like this?! They actually dare to regard my Stone Clan as criminals?!"

The old man's roar shook the entire Primitive Imperial City. His originally withered hands clenched into fists, veins bulging, as if he wanted to unleash all his endless rage.

He never imagined that he and his people would fight a bloody battle here, protecting the peace of the heavens and the earth.

Meanwhile, the tribespeople outside suffered such unfair treatment and were branded with the infamous name of "sinful blood."

He looked at Qin Yuan, his eyes filled with grief and helplessness: "For so many years, we've struggled here, and outside... such a thing has happened outside..."

The old man remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh: "Alas... Back then, among the Seven Kings, several, including the Stone King, had killed some important figures in the Nine Heavens... Perhaps it is because of this that the misunderstanding has arisen today."

He slowly explained, "Those great figures, corrupted by darkness, have lost their minds and are causing harm to the entire world."

"Shi Wang and his men had no choice but to kill him to prevent future troubles."

"But this matter was not a secret at the time, and many people knew about it... It should not be misunderstood like this."

The old man frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

After a moment, he asked urgently, "But... I remember there were still True Immortals in the Nine Heavens at that time. Why didn't they come forward to explain? Why did they allow this misunderstanding to spread?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan couldn't help but sneer: "Those so-called true immortals? When have they ever made a move for the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?"

"Have they ever uttered a single word for my Stone Clan? The only time they ever attacked me was to deal with me!"

The old man was taken aback: "Attacking you? Who is it? Is it the Demon Dragon Sect? Or those people from Sword Valley?"

Qin Yuan's tone was calm, yet carried a hint of coldness: "They all have it. In fact, it was they who fueled the flames that slandered the Stone Clan as sinful blood!"

"They used all sorts of means to spread rumors, smear the Stone Clan, and pin all the blame on us!"

The old man's face turned ashen instantly. He gripped the broken battle axe tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Where are the true immortals of the Celestial Palace? Didn't they intervene?"

Qin Yuan's answer was like a thunderclap, exploding in the old man's ears.

"It was the Immortal Palace that led the way!"

At that moment, the old man felt as if a raging fire was burning in his chest, and his anger soared to the sky!

He fought valiantly here, battling against powerful foreign warriors, until only the old, weak, sick, and disabled remained.

Meanwhile, the tribespeople outside were slandered, persecuted, and branded with the infamous name of "sinful blood"!

Those so-called true immortals not only failed to lend a helping hand, but instead took advantage of the situation and fueled the flames!

This is an absolute irony! An immense humiliation!

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the anger in his heart, but his trembling body betrayed the shock in his heart.

He couldn't accept or understand why those powerful figures in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would be so cold-blooded and ruthless, so indifferent to everything!

Why would they allow the Stone Clan to suffer such an injustice?

After a long silence, the old man slowly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with grief and resentment: "They...they actually treated my Stone Clan like this..."

The old man's tone was tinged with sorrow and helplessness: "If the Vermilion Bird King hadn't died so young... with his fiery temper, he would have gone back long ago and crushed those people to dust!"

Qin Yuan was slightly taken aback when he heard the words "Vermilion Bird King".

He instantly thought of the ancestors of the Fire Kingdom. It turned out that the Vermilion Bird bloodline that the Fire Kingdom had always referred to was the Vermilion Bird King, not the Vermilion Bird, a rare species from the Great Wilderness.

So, Huo Ling'er and Shi Hao really are well-matched family friends from different backgrounds...

"Senior, how many people are left in the city?"

Qin Yuan asked in a deep voice, wanting to know what price this isolated city had paid to hold out until now.

The old man gave a bitter smile: "How many more can there be? Even old men like myself and the children have gone up to the city walls. How many strong soldiers are left?"

"This imperial city is now an isolated city, fighting alone... No matter how powerful it was in the past, it could not withstand such a long period of attrition."

"Look at the bloodstains on this city wall, they're not just from the enemy, but mostly from our own people..."

The one-armed old man's tone was full of loneliness and sorrow.

He pointed to the mottled bloodstains on the city wall. Some of the bloodstains had dried, while others still retained dark red traces, telling the story of the fierce battle that had taken place here.

As Qin Yuan looked at the bloodstains, he could almost hear the sounds of the battle, traveling through time and space from the ancient battlefield to reach his ears.

The old man hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking: "Back then, some of the kings in the city killed some great figures from the Nine Heavens and also released some creatures to go to other realms... Perhaps, this is the source of the misunderstanding."

Qin Yuan understood perfectly; he was well aware of the Seventh Prince's actions back then.

They didn't truly betray us; rather, they released some spies to lay the groundwork for a backup plan, such as Gu Zu, who would later play a crucial role.

However, who could have imagined that for an entire era, not a single true immortal, let alone an immortal king, would be born in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?