The Blade of Heaven's Will fell. Shi Hao struck back at Heaven, his Divine Ability supreme and his Supreme body indestructible.
Heaven's Will struck at people, but people could fight back. They did not have to stand there and take it.
Heaven struck at man; man defied Heaven.
Shi Hao weathered the first wave of Heaven's Will Slays People. He drove back the Blade of Heaven's Will without suffering a scratch.
Everyone in Stone Village was at the peak of life, their Blood Essence vigorous. Even without Longevity Substance, they still had many years left to live.
So the people of Stone Village weathered this wave of the Blade of Heaven's Will too. Unlike Shi Hao, they did not emerge unscathed, but their injuries were not serious.
Those who suffered most when Heaven's Will struck were the Cultivators who had already lived a very long time.
Especially those who had lived far beyond their natural Lifespan.
Old Fossils, for instance, who had lived a million years without reaching the Supreme Realm.
Cultivators lived between Heaven and Earth. Besides relying on Longevity Substance, they absorbed Heaven and Earth Essence. Of course, they also contributed to Heaven and Earth.
But after living so many years, their negative impact on Heaven and Earth far outweighed their positive contributions.
Cultivators spent their lives absorbing Heaven and Earth's Origin essence. If they achieved Transcendence before this moment arrived—if they ascended to immortality—then all was well.
If they could not become Immortals, they had to "repay their debts."
However much they had received before, they now had to give back. Unseen Laws and measures weighed the balance.
Under the Blade of Heaven's Will, these people were the first to suffer.
Some Cultivators were killed outright by the Blade of Heaven's Will.
Others lost much of their