The city was vast, akin to the outer city, constructed from the stars themselves, with the sun and moon suspended in the sky and countless colossal stars rumbling as they orbited beyond the walls.
Boundless and majestic—the greatest city in the mortal realm!
At the very least, it was the largest city Shi Hao had ever seen, towering into the heavens.
Yet, he had no mood to marvel at its grandeur. Targeted by Jiade, his heart burned with fury and a suffocating sense of humiliation.
The man had simply wielded his power to oppress him, subjecting him to inexplicable scorn.
The Thunder Emperor Armor on his body still glowed, but it was a dark, ink-like radiance, as if even Shi Hao’s heart had been tainted by its cold aura.
Entering the city this time still required effort. No single individual could pass through alone. Both Jiade and the man beside Shi Hao each produced a bone fragment, while someone inside the city also offered one. Merged together, they formed an altar that guided them inside.
The colossal city exuded an ancient, primal aura.
Only now did Shi Hao realize—he had stepped into the most sacred place of the Imperial City!
This was no outer city. It was a domain accessible only to those bound by the ancient covenants. And yet… he had been allowed inside.
In truth, the outside world had long speculated—how many experts remained within these walls? Were there still ancient beings alive? No one knew, for the place seemed lifeless, its aura undetectable from beyond.
And yet today, Shi Hao had the fortune to tread upon this hallowed ground!
The city was truly immense. Even now, Shi Hao felt like an ant stepping into the palace of a celestial emperor, unable to grasp the full splendor of its wonders.
Only by opening his Heavenly Eye could he glimpse fragments of its majesty.
Above, rivers of stars spanned the void, flowing through the city, while imperial stars rotated, casting terrifying rays of light.
Yet even this radiance could not illuminate the entire city. Vast stretches remained shrouded in darkness, swallowed by shadows.
Silence still reigned. Shi Hao searched the dimness, hoping to catch sight of the city’s legendary experts. What did they look like?
Among the Six Heavenly Sovereigns of the Ancient Era, the last one should have arrived. Where was he now?
And what of Ye Qingxian? Where was she? That woman had left an indelible mark on Shi Hao’s memory.
But the place was eerily quiet, like a city of the dead, devoid of sound.
Shi Hao followed forward, awestruck. The ground was littered with massive stars—not refined artifacts, but genuine celestial bodies spanning thousands, even tens of thousands of miles in diameter.
They had been severed from the heavens and cast down, cratering the earth, yet neither the stars nor the ground had shattered, preserved by ancient runes.
The stars remained unbroken, the earth unyielding.
As Shi Hao traversed this desolate expanse of scattered stars, he felt a profound sense of antiquity, of raw, boundless grandeur.
Soon, he spotted structures floating in the air, accompanied by shattered stars and ruined star rivers.
These buildings were enormous, clearly relics of an age long past, now uninhabited.
How many people still remained in this city?
That was Shi Hao’s question. He had finally arrived at the most sacred place, yet none of the supreme experts he had imagined were in sight.
Only two figures accompanied him—one of whom had openly targeted him. Where were the others?
**”You’ve arrived.”**
A voice spoke from the roadside.
In the dim light, an elder sat cross-legged atop a boulder.
Looking further, Shi Hao saw others—some seated on stars, others on stone slabs, all motionless, silent as if extinct.
Their attire was ancient, their races varied. They neither interacted nor drew near, each occupying their own solitary space.
Some were thick with dust, as if they hadn’t moved for millennia, their bodies fused with the earth and stone beneath them.
One particularly exaggerated sight was a giant buried in dirt, atop whose head a fierce bird had built its nest.
To Shi Hao, it was like unfolding an ancient scroll, its surface etched with the marks of time, exuding a weighty aura of history.
**”The Thunder Emperor Armor has returned… yet it drifts toward darkness.”**
The first elder opened his eyes and spoke.
His voice was strange, an archaic tongue Shi Hao couldn’t comprehend, but the elder’s divine sense conveyed the meaning.
This man was not from the Three Thousand Dao Provinces. He hailed from distant lands.
In that moment, Shi Hao understood—this Imperial City held immense significance. Forces from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, even other ancient realms, had stationed their champions here.
**”Jiade, your cultivation has faltered. At your level, external matters should not shake your core. Beware—lest you fall.”**
The elder’s white hair draped over his shoulders, his bare torso revealing a robust physique. A spiked mace rested beside him.
**”How could I lose control? I am at my peak. I merely sought to search the boy’s soul for answers.”** Jiade retorted.
**”Young man, where have you been?”** The elder turned to Shi Hao.
Shi Hao hesitated. Revealing the truth would implicate the cauldron, yet he couldn’t outright lie about the other world.
Frowning, he said, **”I did enter a strange space, where I saw many stone carvings depicting a mysterious realm—one with an undying mountain…”**
He spun his experiences into tales of ancient inscriptions, sharing them with the gathered experts.
**”Then why didn’t you say so earlier?!”** Jiade barked, his expression darkening.
**”Why should I tell you when you’ve targeted me?”** Shi Hao shot back.
**”You’re withholding information! I’ll uncover the truth!”** Jiade’s aura flared as he stepped forward, his palm radiating terrifying energy.
**”Before these supreme experts, you still dare to humiliate me?”** Shi Hao challenged.
**”A mere Saint Sacrifice cultivator dares to question me? Searching your mind is for the sake of future battles. Someone like you isn’t worthy of my attention otherwise!”** Jiade sneered.
Shi Hao seethed. This was pure oppression—the man’s strength allowed him to speak with such arrogance and disdain.
**”Jiade, you go too far. Will you push the Thunder Emperor Armor into darkness? Drive a genius into the arms of our enemies?”** the elder interjected.
**”We can refine the armor together. A minor Saint Sacrifice cultivator isn’t worth my respect. What harm is there in searching his mind?”** Jiade scoffed.
At this, several figures atop distant boulders and stars opened their eyes—their gazes like prehistoric beasts, chilling to the bone.
**”Audacious! You truly have lost your way.”**
The elder stood abruptly and, to everyone’s shock, swung his hand—slapping Jiade across the face.
Jiade’s expression twisted. He was swift, a supreme expert capable of entering the Imperial City, yet he couldn’t evade the strike.
**”Smack!”**
The crisp sound echoed as Jiade was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth.
No one had expected the elder to act so decisively, striking down a supreme expert with a single blow.
Shi Hao’s heart raced. What terrifying power! Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of vindication.
**”You—!”** Jiade roared, stabilizing himself midair, his eyes blazing with fury.
A supreme expert like him hadn’t suffered such humiliation in centuries.
**”A mere junior, and you strike me?!”** he bellowed, rousing others from their slumber.
**”Now you know anger? That’s how he felt when you bullied him,”** the elder said coldly.
**”He is nothing compared to me!”** Jiade raged.
**”And you are nothing compared to me.”**
The elder struck again, sending Jiade crashing through a star on the ground.
Jiade howled, teetering on madness.
**”Your demonic cultivation has corrupted your mind. Heed this warning, or you will perish!”** the elder thundered.
**”Nonsense! My mind is clear. Searching his soul was justified!”**
**”His future may surpass yours. Your actions could drive him to the enemy!”**
This time, the elder didn’t slap him—he hefted the spiked mace.
**”Boom!”**
Despite Jiade’s desperate resistance, he was powerless against the elder’s might.
The mace shattered his techniques, erased his runes, and descended like a primordial mountain, crushing all opposition.
**”Crack!”**
Jiade’s body was half-shattered, blood gushing as he was sent flying into the distance.
A supreme expert, rendered helpless before a single strike!
Shi Hao was stunned. The events had unfolded too swiftly.
Jiade was a pinnacle expert, a guardian of the city. In the outside world, he would reign supreme. Yet here, he was utterly subdued.
**”Go into seclusion. Reflect on your actions.”**
The elder flicked a finger, encasing Jiade in light and hurling him into the darkness.
Shi Hao bowed in gratitude.
The elder sighed, summoning others to cleanse and refine the Thunder Emperor Armor.
Clearly, the armor held a tragic history. The elders gazed upon it with sorrow and regret.
**”Once, a peerless genius wore this armor and never returned… likely lost to the darkness forever.”**
**”Go now to Boundless Heaven. Grow stronger, and return to guard this city—to vanquish all foes!”**
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