In the vast cosmos of Renegade Immortal (仙逆), cultivation is typically a path of harmony. Most practitioners seek alignment with the natural order, drawing upon the world's energy to ascend toward immortality. Yet, scattered across this universe are those who refuse this ordained path. They are the Defiers, rebels who challenge the very rules of existence. Their journey is not one of acceptance but of relentless opposition.
From primordial instinct to conscious choice, the evolution of the Defier reveals a profound struggle for autonomy against an omnipotent system, culminating in the most unlikely hero: Wang Lin (王林).
1. The Primal Roar
The first Defiers were not rebels by choice, but by nature. They were the Ancient Clan, beings as old as the Heavenly Dao itself. Born from primordial chaos, their power stemmed directly from the universe's raw essence. Their defiance was a primal, instinctual roar against the constraints of newly established cosmic laws. They possessed no cultivation manuals or systematic techniques. Instead, they relied on indomitable physical bodies and chaotic force to shatter what they deemed an unacceptable cage. For them, the principle that "Heaven's Will is inviolable" was not a truth, but a chain to be broken by sheer, overwhelming might.
This instinctual rebellion, however powerful, was ultimately unsustainable. The Ancient Clan, while formidable, lacked unity, a collective purpose, or a method to pass on their legacy. Their resistance was scattered, like a storm without direction. Over eons of conflict with the Heavenly Dao, this pioneering race dwindled, pushed to the brink of extinction. Their near-eradication was not a final defeat, but a vital sacrifice. Within their fading bloodline, they planted the first, crucial seed of a revolutionary idea: the Heavenly Dao could be resisted.
Their legacy was one of tragic grandeur. They proved a fundamental point through their downfall—the rules of the world were not absolute. Though they fell, the echo of their rebellion lingered, setting the stage for a more structured form of defiance to emerge from the ashes of their existence.
2. The Fractured Legacy
From the fading embers of the Ancient Clan arose the second category of Defiers: the Three Ancient Races. As the original clan fractured, its residual power and bloodline splintered into three distinct lineages: the Ancient Gods, Ancient Demons, and Ancient Devils. Each inherited the defiant spirit of their progenitors but forged a unique philosophical and practical path to channel it, creating the first true systems of rebellious cultivation.
The Ancient Gods pursued the pinnacle of physical power, tempering their flesh to an indestructible state. Their creed was simple—absolute force could smash all techniques and laws. The Ancient Demons sought a more subtle route, mastering the fusion of soul and nature. They used artistic conception and illusory realms to circumvent Heavenly restrictions indirectly. The Ancient Devils embraced a path of ultimate destruction, devouring all things with demonic energy, using raw annihilation to confront the established order.
This division was both their strength and their fatal flaw. By systematizing defiance, they allowed it to be taught and perpetuated, transforming individual instinct into a shared cultural practice. Yet, the very specialization that empowered them also sowed discord. The three races turned inward, often competing rather than uniting. Without the singular, focused will of their ancestors, they could not mount a cohesive front. Eventually, they were either suppressed by the dominant immortal world or forced into hiding, surviving in forgotten realms but failing to achieve a decisive breakthrough.
3. The Mortal's Choice
The third and final category of Defier is defined not by bloodline, but by will. This is the path walked by Wang Lin. His rebellion did not begin with a grand destiny or an ancient inheritance. It started with a profoundly human choice. At a critical juncture in his cultivation, the Heavenly Dao demanded he erase all mortal emotion to advance. To preserve his memories and love for Li Muwang (李慕婉), he shattered the gateway to that ascension. This act was not instinct or duty; it was a conscious, personal refusal.
Wang Lin’s journey became an unprecedented synthesis. He absorbed the strengths of the Three Ancient Races but was enslaved by none of their doctrines. He forged his own Daos of Slaughter, Thunder, and Karma, yet always governed them with the heart of an ordinary mortal. While the ancient races relied on the privilege of heritage, he demonstrated that true power originates from an unwavering belief in self-determination. His will became his greatest weapon.
His ultimate achievement, stepping into the Tread Heaven Realm, accomplished what his predecessors could not. Wang Lin's path redefines the essence of defiance. It shows that rebellion is not about the method of opposition or the source of one's power. It is about the purity of one's resolve and the courage to protect what makes one human. From the Ancient Clan's instinctual roar to the systemic struggles of the Three Races, and finally to Wang Lin's transcendent will, the arc of the Defier completes itself. It proves that the potential to carve one's own fate exists not in special blood, but in every conscious heart.
