Defying Heaven as a Slave

Core Story Setup (Hidden Threads): World: This continent is called the Daoyan Realm. All who cultivate must follow the laws of the Heavenly Dao. Thirty thousand years ago, a group of cultivators tried to overthrow the Heavenly Dao and establish laws of their own. They were known as the Dao Defiers. In the end, the Heavenly Dao crushed them, and their legacies and treasures were declared forbidden. The Burial Daoist who unexpectedly formed a bond with Ye Qingxuan is one of the last surviving members of that generation of Dao Defiers. Cultivation System: Seven Realms of Following the Dao: Body Tempering → Qi Condensation → Foundation Establishment → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Deification → Tribulation Crossing. All require following the Heavenly Dao. Five Tribulations of Defying the Dao: Each time a heaven-defying artifact is collected, one level of the Dao-Defying Tribulation Realm can be unlocked. Its combat strength equals that of the corresponding realm of Following the Dao, but its cultivation method is completely opposite and requires defying common sense. For example, the first tribulation, the Severed Dao Realm, requires cutting off part of one's connection to the existing Heavenly Dao. The process is incredibly dangerous. Key Foreshadowing: The truth behind Ye Qingxuan's unusual soul is that he transmigrated from Earth in 2026. This is the fundamental reason the Burial Daoist chose him: his soul was never subject to the Heavenly Dao of this world. The woman in white is actually one of the Heavenly Dao's agents who took part in suppressing the Dao Defiers three thousand years ago. For some reason, she defected, and is now secretly searching for the legacy of the Dao Defiers. Each of the five heaven-defying artifacts holds a secret: the Dao-Severing Sword can cut through the shackles of the Heavenly Dao; the World-Burning Flame can destroy predetermined fate; the Time-Shattering Sand can reveal branches in the flow of time; the Fate-Rewriting Talisman can alter another person's destiny; and the God-Slaying Blood... is tied to the secret of the Heavenly Dao's origin. Main Plot of Volume One: Guided by a beggar in an abandoned temple who is actually a reclusive Dao Defier, Ye Qingxuan ventures into the Wind and Thunder Forbidden Zone. At the brink of death, memories of his past life begin to awaken and shatter