That lifetime was far too lonely!
How could he bear such an ending? Shi Hao’s eyes stung as he gazed at the heavens, unable to accept it—refusing to accept it!
The entire world lay in ruins, leaving only him standing alone at the pinnacle of divinity, enduring endless epochs of desolation and solitude. Everything was gone.
“I will never allow this to happen!” Shi Hao swore to the heavens, his hair whipping wildly, his eyes bloodshot. That was an outcome he could not face.
He would overturn it all, prevent such tragedy. If that day truly came, and he was the only one left—what meaning would there be?
“What did you see?” the Willow God asked.
Though it was the one performing the grand art, different people saw different visions. Shi Hao had glimpsed the future, while the Willow God itself remained unaware.
Yet, it had a premonition, able to guess some of it. “In your world… am I no longer there? Are there no others?”
The Undying Being also approached, having caught glimpses of blurred images, though indistinct. The Willow God’s art was directed at Shi Hao, not him or Qi Daolin.
“What will the future hold?” Qi Daolin asked.
Shi Hao’s eyes reddened, his nose stinging as he looked at them, terrified he might never see them again. In that world, he was alone—everything had vanished.
Even the mighty Willow God was reduced to a charred stump, accompanying the desolation of eternity, never to reappear in the world.
“Nothing. A grand era will come, prosperous and flourishing. Everyone I’ve met will still be there—a golden age, a world united in joy,” Shi Hao said.
The Willow God sighed. How could it not understand Shi Hao? It had watched him grow. His sorrow spoke volumes.
Softly, it murmured, “The future must be vast… yet silent. Many will cease to exist. No wonder the prophecy foretold the world’s withering—an eternity of sorrow and solitude.”
Suddenly, the weight of it all pressed heavily on Shi Hao. He would change this fate, swear to prevent it—though he did not know if he could succeed.
“The future is uncertain, full of variables. What you see may not come to pass. There is always a sliver of hope,” the Willow God said.
“Truly?” Shi Hao, like a drowning man in a stormy sea, suddenly saw a lighthouse—a glimmer of salvation.
“Yes. Everything can be changed!” the Willow God reassured, though inwardly it sighed. How could it be so easy? A sliver of hope was not so easily grasped.
“I will be that variable! I will seize that glimmer and change everything!” Shi Hao roared.
By now, the river of time had vanished, and the other version of himself he had seen was gone. Yet, when he closed his eyes, he could still see that shattered, charred world.
How could he tolerate such desolation?
“I must go,” the Willow God said simply. It could hold on no longer. Its body began to disintegrate, dissolving into strands of light that merged into the mountains and rivers, nourishing the world.
“Mastering many treasure arts does not guarantee becoming the strongest. Beyond the borderlands, they have long deciphered this world’s laws and truths. You must forge your own path!” These were the Willow God’s final words before fading away.
It still possessed treasure arts, but it did not pass them to Shi Hao.
Because the Willow God believed Shi Hao could now walk his own path. Too many techniques at this stage might hinder rather than help. He could observe and comprehend them in time.
“Young one, the road is long. Do not panic,” the scruffy old man from Kun Sect said, patting Shi Hao’s shoulder before walking away without even glancing at the Undying Being’s true form.
Qi Daolin approached, speaking at length with Shi Hao before announcing he would venture deeper into the untamed wilds—to seek the Supreme Hall. Clearly, he was doing so for Shi Hao.
The Undying Being patted Shi Hao’s other shoulder, then departed as well.
With the great experts gone, the place fell into silence.
Shi Hao stood motionless, lost in thought. Too much had happened today—a true upheaval.
He left with a heavy heart, walking for a long time before suddenly lifting his head. He was at the edge of the untamed wilds, soon to leave them behind.
He was silent. The glimpse of the future he had seen weighed heavily on him.
As he walked, he pondered—how could he change the future? Only by growing stronger could he hope to alter fate. Without strength, what hope or dawn could there be?
Aimless, he journeyed on, distancing himself from this land of strife, heading toward the three thousand provinces. Though his heart was heavy, the road stretched ahead, and he must look forward.
Days later, Shi Hao regained his composure. The road was long, time abundant. Worrying now was futile. Better to relax and face what came.
Optimistic by nature, though shadows lingered in his heart, he gradually adjusted his mood, no longer brooding.
“Tomorrow, the sun will rise again. This land will not sink!” Shi Hao declared.
That night, he stormed into a cliffside, driving off a fierce bird and commandeering its nest. There, he slept soundly until dawn, golden sunlight bathing him as he awoke refreshed.
“Onward!”
Shi Hao had shaken off his melancholy, facing the world anew.
Along the way, he heard countless rumors.
“Huang, the terror of Immortal Ancient, unmatched in battle, reigning supreme in that forsaken land—the undisputed champion!”
“Wrong! He shared the title with the Ten Crown King, the Banished Immortal, and others!” someone corrected.
“You’re mistaken. Though their strength may be comparable, in the arena, Huang truly stood alone, with the most consecutive victories!”
The battles of Immortal Ancient had concluded, and tales of its events spread like wildfire across the world.
Though Shi Hao had not appeared, his name now resounded across the three thousand provinces, the subject of fervent discussion among cultivators.
Of course, others like the Banished Immortal, Chang Gongyan, and the Dragon Girl also became focal points—any who shone brightly were now the talk of the realm.
For as long as these individuals survived, they were destined to become the future rulers of the upper realm—the mightiest of their generation.
Immortal Ancient had birthed many legends. Over the years, countless had seized great opportunities there, returning as heroes sung of by bards.
These days, the upper realm was abuzz with tales of adventure and glory.
Naturally, the Willow God’s descent from the heavens to rescue Shi Hao after Immortal Ancient’s collapse had also spread, causing a massive stir.
For a time, the upper realm was awash with legends and upheaval.
Using massive teleportation arrays, Shi Hao quietly arrived in Demon Province to see his grandfather.
The volcanoes still roared, magma bubbling, red liquid boiling.
Near his grandfather’s secluded retreat, clusters of volcanoes spewed thick, sulfurous fumes—though such things hardly troubled cultivators.
**Boom!**
A volcano split open, and the Great Demonic God strode forth atop the magma, vigorous and radiant, his hair jet-black, his vitality stronger than ever.
“Hao’er, is it truly you… returned?”
The fifteenth grandfather was overjoyed. He had sensed Shi Hao’s aura but hardly dared believe it. His heart swelled with happiness.
“Grandfather, it’s me. I’ve returned!” Shi Hao rushed forward, his nose stinging. In the future he had glimpsed, his grandfather was long gone.
Though his vision had been brief, it had felt like a lifetime—an experience that now filled him with sorrow.
“Hahaha! My precious grandson, returned from Immortal Ancient! What rank did you achieve in the battles?” The Great Demonic God laughed heartily, eager to lighten the mood.
Having lived in seclusion for years, he knew nothing of the outside world’s frenzy over Immortal Ancient’s legends—only now learning of them.
“First place!” Shi Hao declared, smiling.
“What? My grandson is the world’s number one?!” This time, the Great Demonic God was stunned, scarcely able to believe it.
The two embraced warmly.
Though the fifteenth grandfather laughed, his eyes glistened with unshed tears. For years, he had feared for Shi Hao’s safety in Immortal Ancient.
Now, not only had his grandson returned, but he brought such glory—how could he not be moved?
“Grandfather, I’ve brought you treasures!” After their joy subsided, Shi Hao produced sacred medicines, demi-god fruits, and other divine items.
“I can’t take these! Keep them. My body is strong now—my arm regrown, nourished by the Demon Island’s blood. I grow stronger by the day, robust as a savage dragon. I don’t need these!” The Great Demonic God refused, insisting Shi Hao keep them.
He knew these were things his grandson had risked his life for. How could he, as an elder, take them?
“I should be giving you gifts!”
“Grandfather, must we stand on ceremony?” Shi Hao retrieved a bone cauldron filled with World Soil, within which grew a Heavenly Deity Tree.
Plucking a Heavenly Deity Fruit, he pressed it into his grandfather’s hand.
“This is… a Heavenly Deity Fruit?!” The Great Demonic God was astounded. Such a legendary item, obtained by his grandson—truly heaven-defying!
“Grandfather, whether you consume it now or not, you must take it!”
Outside, the world grew ever more restless. Across the three thousand provinces, tales of Immortal Ancient’s battles and secrets spread like wildfire.
Shi Hao’s slaughter of numerous Heavenly Deities, his unmatched valor, became the stuff of legend, shocking disciples of all sects.
“Oh? Finally, a worthy opponent? Let him come and fight me. Let’s see if he’s truly unmatched or just overhyped,” sneered a young outsider, challenging the strongest from Immortal Ancient to battle.
For the great alliance of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was forming, establishing the Sacred Academy and the Heavenly Deity Institute—only the strongest would enter.
The outsiders sought to test whether the three thousand provinces’ prodigies were worthy.
After several days with his grandfather, Shi Hao set out again. To grow stronger, he could not remain idle—he must travel the world.
Next, he headed to Fire Province, toward a land of fiery mulberry trees.
Years had passed, but the trees remained. Only, he wondered—was the one he knew still there?
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