Chapter 11: The Painted-Skin Scholar

Lin Jiufeng picked up a book that chronicled the history of the human race.

As he flipped open the first page, he read that after the Dimensional Battlefield was established, the human race had entered early on and was one of its oldest inhabitants.

"If they were one of the oldest races here, then why are they in such a dire state now?" Lin Jiufeng wondered, continuing to read.

The book detailed how, in the beginning, the human race occupied vast territories in the Dimensional Battlefield, thriving and multiplying. Although humans lacked the innate power of other races, they had one significant advantage—rapid reproduction.

The balance of nature is fair. The stronger a species is at birth, the rarer it tends to be.

Take the Qilin, for instance—born with immense power and a noble bloodline, they start life at a level most beings could never reach. They are admired and envied.

But how many Qilin have emerged throughout the countless ages of the Dimensional Battlefield?

The same applied to dragons. Like the Qilin, they were formidable yet struggled to reproduce. Some dragon couples spent tens of thousands of years together and still only managed to have one offspring.

The phoenix was another example—an exalted creature, revered yet extremely rare.

These supreme divine and sacred beasts were few in number because their very rarity made them precious.

In contrast, the human race proliferated at an astonishing rate.

At the dawn of the Dimensional Battlefield, when there were only a few races, humanity swiftly claimed large swathes of land, developed civilizations, and nurtured powerful individuals.

During this era, humans were a mighty force. Even though they lacked racial advantages in raw power, their overwhelming numbers made up for it. If necessary, they could drown their enemies in sheer numbers alone.

With ample territory and resources, they cultivated their prodigies, elevating them to greatness.

At its peak, the human race dominated the battlefield, reigning supreme over all other races.

Lin Jiufeng was astonished as he read on. "I never imagined that humanity had such a glorious past."

But soon, a question arose in his mind. "If they were so powerful, how did they end up in their current state?"

He continued reading.

The book explained that as humanity thrived, the battlefield saw an influx of new races, each establishing its own foothold.

For generations, human leaders oversaw an era of prosperity, with ninety-nine grand cities under their command. They boasted an army of unparalleled warriors, standing unchallenged as the dominant race.

Then, the Celestial Dao Source of the Dimensional Battlefield suddenly descended, unveiling the "Heavenly Dao Ranking"—a celestial decree that ranked the hundred strongest races, rewarding those at the top with Dao Source energy.

News of this proclamation spread like wildfire, igniting a frenzied struggle among all races.

To secure a place on the ranking, every race schemed relentlessly—forming alliances, waging wars, and eliminating competitors.

At that moment, the human race became the prime target of all others.

Their rapid growth had made them a threat. If they received a substantial share of the Dao Source energy, they would grow even stronger, making it impossible for other races to compete.

United by a common enemy, the various races waged an all-out war against humanity.

Ambushes, assassinations, direct assaults, city massacres—every method imaginable was employed to bring them down.

Caught off guard and spread too thinly across their vast territories, humanity struggled to defend itself.

In just fourteen years, they lost eighty-nine of their ninety-nine grand cities.

Some were conquered by enemies. Others were abandoned in desperation.

In the face of this relentless onslaught, they had no choice but to retreat, sacrificing their lands and suffering heavy casualties.

Only after losing nearly everything did the attacks finally cease.

When the Heavenly Dao Ranking was finalized, the once-dominant human race had plummeted to the 90th position.

The Dao Source granted them some meager energy, preserving their last ten cities.

A decree was issued—so long as their cities remained standing, the human race would endure.

But if their final city fell, they would be erased from the ranking, replaced by another race.

Lin Jiufeng let out a heavy sigh. "From first place to ninetieth... from ninety-nine cities to just ten... all in a mere fourteen years."

The words on the page seemed simple, but he could feel the bloodshed, the screams of the fallen, and the sorrow of an entire race behind them.

"This so-called Heavenly Dao Ranking is nothing but a curse. If it had never existed, humanity might have continued to prosper. But the moment it appeared, they were thrown into a storm of destruction."

"And now, the situation has only worsened. Not only have they failed to reclaim their former glory, but even those ten cities have dwindled to just one."

Bitterness filled Lin Jiufeng's heart.

"If not for Gu Baili sacrificing his life, this last city would have fallen, and the human race would have vanished from the ranking."

His thoughts turned to the present. "Who leads the human race now?"

Flipping through the pages, he found no mention of their current leader.

Determined to learn more, he searched through other books.

Finally, he uncovered a record of a defining moment in recent history—the battle where the Giant King led ten thousand warriors to eradicate humanity's last city.

According to the book, humanity had long ceased producing top-tier warriors. It was as if a curse had weakened their bloodline, making them unworthy of even being ranked among the hundred races.

The young Giant King, filled with ambition, had a wife from a small tribe. Her greatest wish was to see her people rise to prominence.

To grant her desire, the Giant King set out with an army, aiming to wipe out the last human stronghold and gift its place on the ranking to his wife's people.

With his racial superiority and power beyond the Eighteen Forbidden Stages, victory seemed certain.

No one expected what happened next.

Just as humanity stood on the brink of annihilation, Gu Baili emerged.

With divine might, he wielded the legendary Heaven-Flipping Seal, annihilating the Giant King and his entire army.

The battlefield was left in stunned silence.

The Giant Race, never anticipating such a devastating loss, was outraged.

Several of their elders, enraged beyond reason, vowed to avenge the fallen Giant King.

Once again, humanity faced extinction.

But this time, Gu Baili was gone.

With no hero left to protect them, everyone believed the end had come.

Then, a painting unfurled above the city.

From within its brushstrokes emerged a world.

A scholarly figure, elegant yet eerie, sat within the painting.

Facing the furious elders of the Giant Race, this lone scholar stood his ground.

With unimaginable power, he slaughtered one elder and terrified the rest into retreating.

Humanity was saved once more.

From that day onward, the world remembered his name—

The Painted-Skin Scholar.