One towering mountain after another stretched endlessly, ancient trees beyond count, a wild and primal aura sweeping over the land.
This was the untamed wilderness—dangerous and enigmatic.
Many of the great peaks reached the heavens, shrouded in mist and clouds, while ancient vines as thick as mountain ridges coiled around peak after peak.
At this moment, the Dao Flower of Immortality blazed brilliantly, its three thousand petals shimmering with auspicious light. Each petal was a gateway, connected to the ancient realm of the immortals.
The atmosphere was tense. The prodigies of the three thousand provinces had emerged, returning through the ancient passageways. Not far away, sect masters descended one after another, sealing off the area.
“Where is the Forsaken One?” whispered one of the prodigies. Since the sect masters were here for him, they probably wouldn’t trouble the rest, right?
“Hmm, you are a descendant of my Roc Clan. Come here at once!” A golden-winged Roc beckoned to a young man.
“All descendants of the Ironblood Divine Tree Clan, gather with me!” An ancient tree also spoke, summoning the talents of its lineage.
…
In an instant, many prodigies were led away, returning to the protection of their elders, all breathing sighs of relief.
Of course, during this process, powerful divine senses swept over them, probing and inspecting each one to ensure they were untainted.
Everyone knew these sect masters were primarily here for Shi Hao.
Where was the Forsaken One? People scanned the crowd, searching for him.
Suddenly, a wave of dark mist appeared, followed by an endless tide of undead, flooding the area and shattering the tranquility of the world.
Black fog surged, howling winds of yin energy roared, and the sea of undead raged, drowning the land in an aura of death.
“The Ten Crown King!”
A prodigy gasped, but his voice was abruptly cut off as he was shattered by a single palm strike. The Ten Crown King had struck—he too feared being targeted by the sect masters, for he also possessed scriptures from the Immortal Ancient and had gained great fortune.
He unleashed the ocean of undead he had suppressed within a spatial artifact.
Boom!
The next moment, the earth split, and the void shattered. The Banished Immortal also made his move, wielding the horn of a Heavenly Ant to tear through the void and flee into the distance.
Even though the sect masters had sealed the void, this horn could still rend it apart.
In this chaos, many geniuses seized the opportunity to escape.
Yet, many were doomed to disappointment. Massive hands stretched across the sky, intercepting them, and some were caught immediately.
Shi Hao, gripping the Primordial True Solution in one hand and the Reverse Dragon Scale in the other, remained vigilant, moving cautiously through the black mist, preparing to flee.
This situation was beyond his expectations. He had originally hoped to use the power of the sect masters within the Immortal Ancient to escape, but instead, he had been transported here.
Nearby, a figure with flowing blue hair, a tall and robust frame, and an eerily handsome face moved stealthily, his eyes darting about.
Shi Hao bumped into him, and the two exchanged faint smiles.
But their smiles quickly froze.
“You’re the Forsaken One?”
“You’re that Dragon Dung Guy?”
The moment these words were spoken, both their expressions darkened. They realized the other had cultivated the Heavenly Eye technique and had seen through their true forms.
Shi Hao frowned. At this moment, he truly felt the urge to silence this man to avoid exposure.
Even sect masters rarely mastered the Heavenly Eye technique—it wasn’t about cultivation level but innate talent. That this man had achieved it marked him as extraordinary.
“Greetings, brother favored by the Yinglong,” Shi Hao said, recognizing him. This was a Heavenly Demon, a being of terrifying power.
Any prodigy bearing titles like “Heavenly Demon” or “Heavenly Lord” was undoubtedly peerless—ordinary people wouldn’t dare claim such names.
Back when the Immortal Ancient first opened, this Heavenly Demon, named Ge Qian, had been struck by a pile of dragon dung, buried beneath it. It was impossible for Shi Hao to forget.
In truth, many had been stunned at the time, unable to believe what they’d witnessed.
Across from him, the blue-haired man’s face twisted in fury, veins bulging on his forehead. He nearly cursed aloud, provoked by Shi Hao’s words.
“Shut your mouth!” The blue-haired man’s handsome face was icy with rage.
Ge Qian’s face flushed crimson. That incident had been the height of misfortune—targeted by an Yinglong, buried in dragon dung, he’d wanted to bash his head against the ground in humiliation.
Now, having it thrown in his face again made his blood boil.
“Hand over that Immortal Dao scripture you obtained!” Ge Qian demanded.
“Why should I?”
“If you don’t, I’ll shout right now that the Forsaken One is here!” Ge Qian grinned darkly.
“The Dragon Dung Guy is here, and he has an Immortal Dao scripture!” Shi Hao bellowed, then activated a golden Void-Breaking Talisman, fleeing through the rift the Banished Immortal had torn open.
This talisman had been forged by several sect masters within the Immortal Ancient, far surpassing ordinary ones in power. Even the sect masters’ spatial seals were useless against it.
“Forsaken One, how dare you betray me!” Ge Qian roared in fury.
Instantly, several massive hands descended, their divine might overwhelming, their aura like rolling galaxies.
“Roar!”
A dragon’s cry shook the heavens as a colossal claw reached down from the sky, seeking to seize everything in its grasp.
An Yinglong!
The same terrifying Yinglong from before had reappeared, sending chills down the spines of the sect masters present. This dragon’s blood energy surged like rivers and seas.
Behind it followed other formidable creatures—the Taotie, the Nine-Headed Bird—none of them benevolent, all hailing from the depths of the untamed wilderness.
Boom!
The heavens split, the earth quaked, and the area erupted in chaos. Ge Qian was snatched away, along with several other prodigies caught in the dragon’s claw.
“How dare you! Release my disciple!” a sect master thundered.
The Yinglong had arrived, originally intending to storm the Immortal Ancient. But now it had changed its plan—to seize all the prodigies and plunder their fortunes.
The appearance of these powerful beings from the forbidden zone threw the area into turmoil.
Boom!
A great battle erupted.
Far away, Shi Hao had fled a great distance with the golden Void-Breaking Talisman. But suddenly, the void shattered, and he was forced out.
“Hmm?” His heart skipped a beat. Some mysterious formation had blocked the void, trapping all who sought to escape.
“Hey, this is the Forsaken One!” someone exclaimed, then burst into laughter.
Shi Hao looked up. Dozens of prodigies had been intercepted—those who had been clever and well-equipped with treasures, only to be stopped here.
In truth, this area was layered with dozens of formations, all set up by sect masters to block the fleeing prodigies.
This was the final opening of the Immortal Ancient, and the ultimate fortune had appeared. To seize it, these sect masters had spared no expense, using countless rare materials to set up these formations.
“It really is the Forsaken One! We’ve found him—what incredible luck!” someone crowed with delight.
They didn’t possess the Heavenly Eye technique, but some had keen spiritual perception and recognized Shi Hao’s aura and fluctuations.
“The Forsaken One belongs to my sect. Fellow Daoists, do not interfere,” one declared.
“I spotted him first. Fellow Daoists, step aside and let me take him,” another countered.
Shi Hao’s expression darkened. What did they take him for? They hadn’t even captured him yet, and already they were fighting over him like prey.
“Hmph, you minor sect leaders aren’t much stronger than the Forsaken One. Hand him over to me,” a voice interjected—a massive white tiger.
“The Forsaken One is here! He’s appeared!” an Heavenly God bellowed, his voice carrying far.
Boom!
The void shattered as several massive hands reached down, grasping at those below, their true forms crossing over in an instant.
Bang!
The figures clashed, exchanging blows.
“Hahaha…” A withered old man laughed, his skin like bark, his hair sparse. Though he laughed, his eyes were icy. A pair of black ox horns adorned his head—he was the Heavenly Human Race’s Guardian.
In the past, he had attacked Shi Hao, only to be defeated first by the Peacock Clan’s Divine Lord, then by Qi Daolin, who severed his horns and left him severely wounded.
Now, he had returned!
“Forsaken One, I’ve waited for you. Heaven has eyes, allowing me to eliminate this threat for my clan before I depart!” He laughed maniacally.
Shi Hao hadn’t expected him to be among the first enemies to arrive. His gaze turned frigid as he locked eyes with the old man.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on your deathbed, old wretch? Why aren’t you dead yet?” Shi Hao spat, his words dripping with venom.
Years ago, on the Bloody Plains, he had escorted Yun Xi for hundreds of thousands of miles, battling the War Clan, his robes soaked in blood. He had done the Heavenly Human Race a great kindness, only to be captured and imprisoned in their Heavenly City, slandered, humiliated, and nearly executed in their black dungeon.
Shi Hao had never wronged them—if anything, he had shown them immense grace. Yet they had repaid kindness with enmity. And now, after all these years, they had come for him again.
“Heaven pities me, granting me this chance to rid my clan of you before I depart this world,” the Guardian said.
“Such shameless words! Search your conscience—have I ever wronged your Heavenly Human Race?” Shi Hao retorted.
“Perhaps you once did my race a favor. But now, you must die. If we let you grow, the Heavenly Human Race is doomed! To protect my clan, you must perish. As for conscience and gratitude—discuss them in your next life!” The Guardian’s lips twisted into a cold smile as he transmitted his words secretly.
“Shameless old bastard!” Shi Hao’s blood boiled with rage. He longed to cut the man down on the spot.
“Brother of the Heavenly Human Race, you are too aged for battle. Since you only seek his death, leave him to me,” another voice interjected—the Vice Leader of the Heavenly Kingdom had arrived.
In the distance, a war chariot rumbled, blood flowing as the Heavenly Kingdom’s leader battled the Yinglong, soon to arrive.
Shi Hao’s heart turned cold. The Ghost Grandpa from the lower realm had been ambushed and killed by the Heavenly Kingdom. Now, he too was entangled with them, their enmity irreconcilable.
A chilling aura swept over them as a mountain of white bones descended. Upon it sat a pale-skinned man with ashen hair, his appearance sickly. Yet none dared underestimate him—the Netherworld’s Sovereign had arrived.
“Forsaken One, you’ve drawn the attention of my clan’s master. Even in death, you should be honored,” a Netherworld cultivator sneered.
“Saint Sacrifice Realm at such a young age—your talent is unparalleled. But what does it matter?” the Netherworld Sovereign said flatly. “Unless you reach our level, you are but dust. No matter how peerless your genius, I can erase you with a finger.”
“Brother, you only need his corpse. Leave the living to us first,” someone laughed. Representatives from the Sword Valley, Fire Cloud Cave, and the Dragon Demon Sect stepped forward.
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