A group of people stood petrified. This delicate, rosy-cheeked little girl’s words were like daggers. She looked as if carved from jade, delicate and adorable, resembling a porcelain doll, yet her words carried such lethal force.
Her remarks left the crowd with ashen faces and eyes blazing with fury.
Unyielding, the little rabbit pressed on, “You, and you, and all of you—are you reincarnated ox spirits? Trying to out-stare me? Your eyes are about to pop out of your heads!”
She even cradled the small white qilin in her arms, poised to hurl it at them like a weapon.
The poor qilin cub let out a panicked “meow” and scrambled onto her shoulder, clutching a strand of her hair tightly, terrified of being flung like a stone again.
Behind them, two elderly men broke into cold sweats. That qilin cub was highly prized by the Celestial Academy, yet it had ended up with such an irresponsible owner!
“I think she’s right. If you disagree, why not venture into the Primordial Ancient Mine yourselves? Dare you?” Cao Yusheng chimed in.
With these two stirring the pot, tensions flared. Many from other ancient realms scowled, especially those who had earlier sneered.
Some nodded, claiming they would indeed enter the mine, but they still scoffed, belittling the Three Thousand Dao Provinces.
Different regions, different cultivators—opposition was inevitable.
On the Primordial Star, many major factions watched with intrigue. Were the disciples of the Celestial Academy truly so at odds that they would clash here?
“Why argue? Senior Brother Lü Tuo once said there’s no value in quarreling over a dead man. Even if that ‘Huang’ were alive, what could he do? If he escapes, let him come to the academy—we’ll suppress him without fail!” a woman interjected.
Clad in violet, her figure graceful and face exquisite, she bore a crystalline white jade horn on her forehead, lending her an otherworldly beauty.
She was a cultivator from the Moon Rhinoceros Clan, clearly having refined a strand of immortal energy. The Lü Tuo she mentioned was none other than the green-haired figure whose voice thundered like divine wrath in the Celestial Academy, his presence shrouded in chaos as he perpetually meditated.
“How could someone like him even be compared to Senior Brother Lü Tuo? He’s just a lower realm cultivator. They’ll never understand the true terror of an immortal bloodline!” someone sneered.
“What do these people know? Do the so-called Three Thousand Dao Provinces have any descendants of immortal blood? Not a single one! They’ll never grasp the horror of a true immortal lineage!”
Their words were a direct rebuttal to the little rabbit’s earlier taunts.
“Enough. Compete if you must, but no hatred or lethal duels. Only controlled sparring,” one of the two elders—both Celestial Academy elders of immense power—declared. No one dared defy their authority.
The dispute subsided, but the undercurrent of rivalry among the prodigies remained, unspoken yet palpable.
Was it worth confronting each other over a dead man? The surrounding factions were baffled by the sudden conflict.
“Elders, are you truly taking them into the ancient mine? That’s no benign place—it’s buried countless peerless heroes. The danger is extreme,” someone from a major faction questioned.
Given how precious these prodigies were, losing even one would be an irreparable loss.
“It’s voluntary. Those who wish to explore may do so. We won’t stop them—we’ll even offer assistance,” an elder explained.
Soon, the area buzzed with excitement as word of the shocking news spread.
Moreover, another revelation surfaced: the Celestial Academy elders had brought the Nine Phoenix Furnace, hailed as the supreme treasure of Boundless Heaven!
The crowd erupted in disbelief. To enter the Primordial Ancient Mine, the academy had gone so far as to bring this chaos artifact?
This was no ordinary artifact forged by mortal hands.
Its origins were shrouded in mystery, rumored to predate this epoch. Its material was extraordinary, radiant like crimson agate, adorned with nine phoenix engravings.
When an elder unveiled the furnace, the crowd gasped in awe.
Only three inches tall, it was exquisite, glowing with a ruby-like luster. A gentle activation sent phoenix cries reverberating through the heavens.
“Is that truly *the* artifact?!”
This treasure belonged to an immortal lineage but was temporarily loaned to the Celestial Academy by one of its most formidable figures.
“They say it was forged from true phoenix bone!”
“No—some claim its material surpasses even phoenix bone!”
Discussions erupted, eyes alight with reverence. None dared covet it, only marveling at its legend.
Yet, upon closer inspection, the furnace bore a tiny puncture—a flaw from an ancient battle beyond the frontier, where an invincible foe had pierced it.
A tragic flaw.
Its spirit was now dormant, if not dead. Yet, its status as Boundless Heaven’s supreme treasure remained unchallenged.
“In the past, someone survived the mine with this artifact. Today, we lend it to you,” an elder declared.
Those entering the mine could jointly wield it for protection.
“Elders, aren’t you afraid of losing it inside?” someone cautioned. The mine was no ordinary place—it had buried even immortal remains.
“Fear not. The mine won’t harm the Nine Phoenix Furnace,” an elder smiled cryptically.
The crowd was baffled.
“Do you know where this furnace originated?”
Silence. This was ancient lore beyond common knowledge.
“It was *excavated* from the Primordial Ancient Mine—buried there long ago.”
The elder’s revelation struck like thunder. Even Boundless Heaven’s supreme treasure had come from the mine. What else lay buried within? The thought was staggering.
“The furnace won’t be damaged—it can return on its own. But people? That’s another matter. Do you dare try?”
Silence fell.
Earlier bravado faded as hesitation set in.
“What happened to your courage? Too scared ‘Huang’ will beat you so badly even your mothers won’t recognize you?” the little rabbit taunted, puffing her cheeks.
No one responded, lost in thought.
“Fine, I’ll go!”
“Me too!”
One by one, over a dozen volunteered.
But the elders refused—too many risks.
“No more than five at a time.”
The first group was chosen: the Moon Rhinoceros Clan’s violet-clad maiden and four others.
The crowd watched intently as the elders solemnly entrusted them with the Nine Phoenix Furnace.
The five nodded. Danger meant opportunity.
The maiden held the furnace as the others channeled their energy, activating its power.
Soon, phoenix cries split the sky. Nine phoenixes emerged, swirling around them in a shield of crimson light and chaos mist.
Step by step, they approached the mine—then leaped in.
“They’ve entered!”
Gasps erupted. All eyes were fixed, awaiting a miracle.
Silence. The mine swallowed them whole, as if devoured by a beast.
Inside, the furnace trembled, its nine phoenixes forming a protective barrier.
Without it, they’d have perished instantly—just like Shi Hao, they encountered the white-haired corpse exuding pressure that could crush deities.
“It’s holding! This treasure lives up to its name!”
“Does this mean we can reach the mine’s depths? Uncover its greatest secret?”
Elated, they pressed on, seeking the Stone of Life and other fortunes.
But then—
“The furnace is shaking! Is something wrong?”
Panic set in. If the furnace failed, they were doomed.
Miraculously, it stabilized, bathing them in gentle crimson light.
“Do you think that ‘Huang’ from the Three Thousand Dao Provinces could still be alive?” one mused.
“Him? Survive?” The violet-clad maiden scoffed.
“A lower realm nobody. A big fish in a small pond, but here? He’s surely dust by now.”
“I hope we find a scrap of his clothing or bone—to shove in that Moon Jade Rabbit’s face. Let her see how insignificant her ‘Huang’ truly was!”
As they advanced, they suddenly froze.
A figure stood before them—vigorous, flawless, emerging from a treasure pool, his gaze sharp and cold.
Shi Hao had heard every word.
And he was *not* smiling.
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