Chapter 1582: The Origin of Fetal Toxin

"As soon as they awaken, it's a battle, a fierce struggle, and severe injury... but as long as they can protect humanity and ensure the flame of civilization continues, they are willing to sacrifice anything!" Xing Jiansheng's eyes reddened slightly. "It is precisely because of the protection of these individuals that our human race has been able to develop steadily, with everyone in major cities living in peace, free from the threat of becoming slaves again or facing unknown fates!"

"According to the information I have, there was an ancient saint at that time who was only a little over five hundred years old, with more than a thousand years of life still ahead of him. Crucially, he had just become a dao-companion with another ancient saint. However, upon realizing that no new ancient saints could emerge on the continent, he resolutely used a secret technique to enter a deep sleep. For the next ten thousand years, he could only meet his wife during each major war, and sometimes not even exchange a single word. Even more heartbreaking, in a great war five thousand years ago, his dao-companion was besieged by three Demon Realm emperors and perished. To save her, he also burned his life, departing with his beloved. Had he not chosen this path, he could have lived for over a thousand years, freely roaming the world, leading a life like an immortal, and even nurturing a large number of disciples. Alas, for the sake of humanity's prolonged survival, he sacrificed everything!"

"There was also another ancient saint whose daughter had just been born when he made his decision. His daughter's talent wasn't exceptional; she didn't even reach the Saint Realm. She was injured in battle and passed away before reaching one hundred years old. During that time, there was no war, so the ancient saint remained in a deep sleep, never seeing his daughter before her death. When he awoke again and learned his daughter had passed away decades ago, he remained silent for half a day. Then, without a word, he charged back onto the battlefield. Sadly, he never returned."

Veins bulged on Xing Jiansheng's fists, and he trembled involuntarily as he thought of these ancestors who had sacrificed everything for humanity.

"Does the secret technique for ancient saints' slumber allow them to live forever, or do they still age?" Zhang Xuan asked after a moment of silence. These secret slumber techniques were very similar to cryogenics from his previous life; while they allowed for a longer lifespan, they also inflicted indelible damage on one's life force. Even if they were revived later, they certainly wouldn't be the same as before.

"The secret technique for ancient saints can extend life, but life force still drains away. This means they still age while in slumber, just at a slower rate. In fact, while these secret techniques sound complex, they are quite simple to explain. It's just that the flow of time in the places where they slumber is different from here; it's slower! One year inside is ten years outside. However, even with a one-to-ten ratio, life still ages. Ten thousand years have passed, which means they've effectively lived for over a thousand years. The young individuals who entered slumber back then are now in their twilight years. What's more, constantly facing fierce battles and having the Demonic Tribulation's insane killing aura invade their bodies only accelerates their aging!"

Xing Jiansheng continued, "Therefore, almost all of the ancient saints who survived back then have reached the end of their lifespans. Although the Demonic Tribulation still cannot break through the seal and launch a full-scale invasion in the short term, once humanity loses the power of its ancient saints, it will be wiped out at any moment!"

Zhang Xuan nodded. Ancient saints were, in essence, similar to nuclear bombs from his previous life; their mere existence, even if they didn't appear, represented profound strength and deterrence. Without them, humanity would simply await its destruction at any moment. The Demonic Tribulation had coveted the Human Realm Continent for an unknown duration, lurking and likely waiting for precisely such an opportunity. After all, the Demonic Tribulation inherently lived longer than humans; even if they didn't enter slumber, they could outlive and effectively 'kill' the slumbering human ancient saints. This was a racial difference that could not be overcome.

"Twenty years ago, Qufu was in turmoil. The Temple of Confucius appeared and disappeared intermittently, inciting unrest among the Demonic Tribulation, who were ready to attack at any moment. Great battles erupted everywhere in the catacombs, and the remaining number of human ancient saints was already very small!"

Xing Jiansheng continued, "The last ancient saint of my Zhang Clan entered the battle!"

"The last one? The Zhang Clan... how many such slumbering ancient saints did you have?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

"There were a total of nine, but over years of war, one after another, they either fell or entered a sleep from which they could no longer awaken. Now, only this one remains: the twenty-seventh Clan Head of my Zhang Clan, Zhang Hongtian!"

"One?" Zhang Xuan nodded. With nine ancient saints reduced to one, the Zhang Clan had indeed made a significant contribution to humanity.

"Indeed. The war twenty years ago was extremely brutal. Ancestor Zhang Hongtian was severely wounded and on the verge of death. To keep him alive and fighting for humanity, there was only one way: to infuse him with a more purified Zhang Clan bloodline!" As Xing Jiansheng spoke of this, the muscles on his face tightened, and his eyes began to redden. "At that time, no one in the clan had a bloodline pure enough to meet the standard. Only you, still in your mother's womb, passed the test!"

"Me?" Zhang Xuan's body trembled, and he finally understood why the other party had brought him here.

"There were two options then. First, not use your bloodline, in which case Ancestor Zhang Hongtian would die directly, and humanity would lose a crucial defender against the Demonic Tribulation. Second, use your bloodline to save him, but you hadn't even been born yet, and your life would be in danger, with death possible at any moment..." He paused, and after a long moment, Xing Jiansheng sighed, "I chose the second option!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan fell silent. This was indeed the most difficult dilemma, especially for a new father like Xing Jiansheng. Choosing the first option meant humanity would lose an ancient saint and could be wiped out at any moment; when the nest is overturned, no eggs remain intact. If humanity perished, the Zhang Clan would naturally cease to exist. But choosing the second option was like personally ending the life of his unborn child—the pain in his heart was unimaginable. However, the fact that he could choose the second option showed that this newly recognized father, though unreliable in speech, unreliable in naming, and a bit afraid of his wife, was truly irreproachable in his actions.

"For a person to have their bloodline stripped, there is only one path: death. But I was unwilling to accept that! I found Master Yang, and with the aid of a legendary secret technique, I had a poison master plant a special, potent poison in your mother's womb. This poison mimicked the bloodline, ensuring that even if your bloodline was stripped, there would be a slim chance of survival. After you were born, Master Yang personally intervened. It was ultimately successful. Ancestor Zhang Hongtian was finally saved and entered slumber again. However, you were also severely wounded and on the verge of death. To ensure your survival, we had no choice but to use a teleportation array to send you to an unknown ancient land, hoping that one day your bloodline could regenerate." At this point, Xing Jiansheng looked over, his face filled with apology. "It seems... it was a success! My child, your father was incompetent, and he made you suffer!"