Shi Hao moved forward, leaving the place where he had first arrived. His heart was uneasy—had he truly crossed over to the other side of the world?
The vegetation was lush, spiritual springs bubbled, and the cliffs were steep.
As Shi Hao took to the skies, he noticed that the rules of this world were unusual, faintly suppressing him, though it wasn’t a major issue.
“The world has changed. The laws and order of heaven and earth are different. Have I… truly crossed the border wilderness?!” He still couldn’t be sure.
Purple mountains appeared, not few in number. The spiritual energy in this region was exceptionally dense, with some pools formed entirely of spiritual liquid, crystal clear and radiant.
Fragrance filled the air, and many herbs he had never seen or heard of grew in this area, exuding a rich aroma.
“Could I have stumbled into some great expert’s medicinal garden?” Shi Hao muttered to himself, for he distinctly sensed the aura of sacred herbs—perhaps even divine ones.
Sure enough, as he ventured deeper into the purple mountains, he spotted a golden ginseng as thick as an arm, glowing with golden light and swirling with sacred radiance.
“What a fine big radish. If the little rabbit saw this, she’d be squealing with delight.” Shi Hao thought of the Jade Rabbit of the Lunar Yin, who loved gnawing on sacred ginseng.
Thinking of her inevitably brought the young Qilin to mind. What had happened? He still hadn’t had the chance to ask her.
With a soft sound, Shi Hao easily plucked the golden ginseng. Excluding the golden tendrils, the main body alone was over a foot long, bursting with vitality and dazzling golden light.
The rich fragrance permeated the air, seeping into his organs, making him feel extraordinarily refreshed.
“Hmm?!”
Soon, he sensed something amiss. Driven by instinct, he dug into the soil.
“Ah—” Shi Hao gasped in shock—a rare reaction for him.
He immediately dropped the golden ginseng, disgusted and repulsed. He washed his hands in a spiritual spring, utterly revolted by what he had just done.
Beneath the soil lay a corpse. Despite the passage of countless years, the bones remained intact, the flesh withered, and a layer of dried skin clung to the skeleton.
Clearly, this had been a formidable expert—a supreme figure.
With just a glance, Shi Hao discerned that this was a mighty being from the ancient past. Even after so long, its remains had endured, proving its extraordinary nature.
The golden sacred ginseng had taken root in this corpse, growing from it.
Shi Hao found it bizarre and unsettling. Sacred herbs usually grew in spiritually rich lands—how could this one sprout from bones?
The only consolation was that he hadn’t recklessly consumed it. Swallowing it would have been a regretful mistake.
After studying it, Shi Hao confirmed that this golden sacred ginseng was no different from those in the Three Thousand Provinces, equally rich in spiritual energy. Its medicinal effects, he surmised, would be comparable.
Moving deeper into the mountains, Shi Hao froze in shock. Before him stood numerous sacred herbs—some familiar, but most he had never seen before, long extinct in the Three Thousand Provinces!
Upon closer inspection, these were rare, legendary varieties, likely extinct since the Immortal Ancient Era.
Times had changed, the order of the world had shifted, and many creatures had perished—including herbs.
Yet, people still existed here.
He grew increasingly convinced—this might truly be the other side of his world.
“Thud!”
With a light stomp, the earth cracked, and soil scattered. Shi Hao clearly saw another skeleton beneath a sacred herb—ghastly and terrifying.
Was this always the case? It was unnerving!
Indeed, when Shi Hao struck the ground, the mountain split open, revealing countless skeletons beneath, especially beneath the sacred herbs—all withered, skin-clad ancient corpses.
Every sacred herb had taken root in these bodies, drawing nourishment from their essence.
In truth, these corpses had nurtured multiple generations of sacred herbs, continuously exploited.
Examining the ancient corpses, Shi Hao felt a pang of sorrow. These beings had been immensely powerful in life. Even after so many years, traces of their divine energy lingered.
“How cruel—denied even peace in death, exploited like this!”
Shi Hao clenched his fists. He recognized these corpses—they belonged to the races recorded in ancient bone texts, remnants of the Immortal Ancient Era, originally from the Three Thousand Provinces!
Whether captured or fallen in battle in this world, they had been reduced to fertilizer for sacred herbs.
What a tragic fate for such mighty beings.
Leaving the purple mountains, Shi Hao entered a vast plain. Towering ancient trees and colossal vines coiled around mountains.
“Boom!”
Shi Hao struck a mountain, sending rubble flying. His pupils contracted sharply as a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
His suspicions were confirmed—even beneath ordinary mountains lay bones: hundred-zhang-tall giants, foot-long purple-gold rats, all reduced to skeletons.
What kind of place was this, where the earth was filled with bones?
A battlefield of the past?
Shi Hao’s expression darkened. These remains belonged to beings from the Immortal Ancient Era, from his world—yet they lay here now.
Fortunately, no formidable creatures inhabited this area. A single Death Dragon-Mouthed Bird ruled these vast mountains.
Shi Hao continued his investigation, confirming that the mountains were filled with bones.
Then, he set off, darting through the forests like lightning, heading into the distance.
He sought the cities of this world, to see who dwelled here.
Finally, he left the mountains and entered a plain, spotting signs of life—creatures moving about.
Shi Hao’s heart raced. He longed to see the true enemies who had attacked his world. He refused to believe those red-eyed creatures were the main force.
The masterminds!
He wanted to see the real culprits—the so-called strongest foes. What race were they?
“Hmm?” Soon, Shi Hao spotted a figure—a humanoid creature.
He yearned to capture and study it, but a distant sound interrupted him. Eight silver centipedes, each a hundred zhang long, pulled a war chariot across the sky with astonishing momentum.
Shi Hao was stunned. Those centipedes were extraordinary—their hundred-zhang bodies wreathed in toxic mist, silver carapaces gleaming. They were at least Heavenly Gods!
“Incredible!”
Shi Hao was awed. Heavenly Gods as steeds—such extravagance was unheard of in the Three Thousand Provinces!
Thus, he restrained himself, letting them pass.
“Hehe…” A girl’s laughter echoed from the chariot, startling him.
Eight Heavenly Gods as servants, and the chariot’s master was a girl? It was baffling.
“Or is the girl a servant, and someone else the true master?” Shi Hao wondered.
But his instincts told him the girl was the owner—her laughter had been confident, not the fawning of a maid.
“This place has formidable figures—extraordinary ones!”
Shi Hao didn’t linger. Once the chariot vanished, he emerged and sped toward the horizon.
Soon, he saw a massive city looming in the distance.
An ancient city, its style oppressive.
The entire structure was pitch-black, built from an unknown ore, resembling a slumbering black beast—grand and imposing.
“Hmm, what race is this?” Shi Hao narrowed his eyes. Unfamiliar—he had never seen such beings in the Three Thousand Provinces.
They weren’t entirely humanoid—more like insect-people, with lower bodies resembling flood dragons, scaled and clawed, and upper bodies humanoid, with black wings.
These creatures guarded the city. Peering inside, Shi Hao saw many more of their kind.
This was a city belonging to a single race—one Shi Hao didn’t recognize, unrecorded even in ancient bone texts.
“Are these the terrifying enemies we face? They do look fierce,” Shi Hao murmured, observing closely.
Their speech was an ancient tongue, complex and guttural—utterly incomprehensible.
Shi Hao pondered for a long time but didn’t enter the city, choosing instead to leave.
His appearance differed too greatly. Even with shape-shifting abilities, entering recklessly would likely expose him.
Some creatures were too sensitive to outsiders.
Departing the area, Shi Hao crossed the plains and soon encountered another city—larger and more magnificent.
Then, his eyes widened in shock.
The inhabitants were all too familiar—humans, just like him!
No mistake. Even his Heavenly Eye confirmed their identical flesh, bones, and organs.
“Are our enemies… our own kind?”
This city’s humans boasted many experts, stronger overall than the previous race.
Shi Hao was stunned. Moments later, he vanished, swiftly traversing the plains to investigate.
Soon, he discovered over a dozen ancient cities, each ruled by powerful experts from seven or eight races—half under human control.
These cities coexisted peacefully, speaking the same ancient tongue.
Shi Hao frowned. This wasn’t what he had imagined. Were these the enemies? Something felt off.
Later, Shi Hao acted, capturing two weak humans outside a city.
He avoided stronger targets to prevent complications. These lowly figures wouldn’t be missed.
But they knew little of the world’s true nature, offering no valuable insights.
Still, he gained something—by probing their minds, he learned their ancient tongue and some local customs.
Donning local attire, Shi Hao boldly entered a human city, blending seamlessly into the bustling streets.
He settled in, biding his time.
Days later, once familiar with local norms, he began his investigation.
Through subtle conversations, he uncovered shocking truths.
“We will reclaim our lost lands. Those territories now lie in ruins—called the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.”
Hearing this, Shi Hao’s heart chilled.
“Call us demons? Nonsense! They are the invaders—that world was ours!” an elder roared in grief.
Shi Hao was dumbfounded. This was the opposite of what he had believed!
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