The members of the Wang Clan who had made the bet stood there with flushed faces, their fingers clenched so tightly they turned blue. The outcome left them utterly humiliated, their shame and fury unbearable.
What made it worse was the young man’s cold, cutting remarks, sparing no mercy as his words pierced their hearts like daggers.
How could this have happened?
In truth, the others were even more shocked. A young supreme being had risen unexpectedly, defying all predictions—no one had foreseen such an outcome.
“To forgive is divine. Let it be,” advised the elder from the Celestial Academy, attempting to placate Shi Hao.
Shi Hao remained silent, his gaze fixed on the Wang Clan members, making their expressions twist in discomfort. They were torn between staying and leaving, drowning in humiliation.
After exchanging silent messages with Wang Xi, the group finally mustered the courage to depart, neither admitting defeat nor bowing to Shi Hao as their master.
“Hahaha…” Shi Hao didn’t stop them. Instead, he burst into laughter, the sound reverberating across the sacred land.
He neither hindered nor pursued them, saying nothing—only laughing. Yet, that laughter cut into them like blades.
The onlookers watched with strange expressions before many joined in the laughter.
The Wang Clan members stiffened, their steps faltering. The laughter was a mockery, a blatant disdain and insult. Fleeing under the public eye without fulfilling their “wager” had doomed them to ridicule.
This wasn’t just their personal disgrace—it tarnished the entire Wang Clan. A disaster of the worst kind!
Though not a battle, the Wang Clan members felt more exhausted than if they’d fought a grueling war. Bowed in shame, they trudged away under the weight of laughter.
Wang Xi sighed and turned to leave, escorting her elders. Yet, she cast a fleeting glance back at Shi Hao, her emotions in turmoil.
The scene struck many as bizarre. Once a harmonious and dazzling pair, their relationship had deteriorated to this point.
“Let’s go. Time to disperse.”
Others began to leave as well—lingering served no purpose. Under Shi Hao’s direction, Mo Dao began ushering people out, unleashing three strands of immortal qi to intimidate the crowd.
“Who is he? He feels like that same shameless scoundrel!” muttered the little rabbit in another corner before being dragged away by Qing Yi and Cao Yusheng, preventing her from lingering.
Since Shi Hao hadn’t revealed himself, it was best for acquaintances to stay silent and respect his choice.
News of the events at Wang Xi’s abode spread instantly through the Celestial Academy, leaving many stunned and disbelieving.
“Hey, heard about the Wang Clan’s humiliation? They tried to enslave a young supreme being with three immortal qi and ended up hitting a steel plate.”
The Celestial Academy was vast beyond measure. Disciples like Wang Xi occupied expansive sacred lands with towering peaks and celestial waterfalls like starry rivers—imagine the scale of the entire academy.
Because of this, many were too far away to witness the events firsthand. Hearing about it now was like seeing a ghost.
“Pity for Wang Xi. She was once close to that young man, seeing him as a powerful ally. Now they’ve parted ways.”
“Wang Xi is beyond your pity. She stands aloof, unbothered by such matters. Rumor has it she’s destined to marry a peerless figure.”
“Really? Even knowing the boy’s worth, the Wang Clan would disregard him?”
“What defines a peerless figure? Immortal qi isn’t the sole measure of strength. There are others—another breed entirely!”
…
The news naturally caused an uproar!
Speculations about the young man’s identity ran rampant.
For Shi Hao, revealing his identity in the academy no longer mattered. After settling matters with the Grand Elder, he feared no interference from elders aligned with Yuan Qing.
Shi Hao and Mo Dao left the abode—there was no reason to stay.
Soon, the academy assigned him a vast sacred land, where majestic divine mountains stood one after another, shrouded in purple mist.
“Word is, Wang Xi’s betrothed is a peerless figure. He might come for you,” Mo Dao remarked.
Shi Hao was taken aback. Since when had Mo Dao become so gossipy? It didn’t suit him.
“Overheard it on the way,” Mo Dao replied.
“Tell me about the other side—the world beyond the Immortal Mountain,” Shi Hao pressed, indifferent to his own troubles but keenly interested in the other realm.
Yet Mo Dao remained tight-lipped, refusing to divulge anything—even the academy’s elders had failed to pry answers from him.
Realizing it would take time, Shi Hao advised him to study the ancient texts in the archives to uncover the “truth.”
This wasn’t something to rush—it required gradual influence.
Shi Hao’s new abode was magnificent. An ancient cave exhaled purple mist, serene and radiant, its dense spiritual energy mingling with chaotic qi—an ideal cultivation sanctuary.
Shortly after moving in, before he could visit old friends, a resonant bell tolled.
“Dang…”
The Bell of the Great Dao reverberated in everyone’s hearts, its echoes unending.
All in the Celestial Academy looked up to the clouds, where a hazy, chaotic bell summoned the mighty.
Heroes stirred at once!
“Let’s go see!” Shi Hao strode forth, Mo Dao in tow, heading deep into the academy.
A stone forest emerged, veiled in immortal mist, white vapor coiling around towering rocks. The place exuded an air of mystery, steeped in immortal essence.
Some boulders resembled crouching tigers, others stood like upright swords, and some took the shape of azure oxen—the forest stretched endlessly, shrouded in mist.
Before it stood sheer cliffs, towering like walls of heaven, where solemn elders sat in meditation.
Any one of them was a supreme being—the mightiest of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, rarely seen in this era.
Even the patriarchs of eternal clans would treat them with utmost respect.
“The tide of fate is unstoppable. We need not dwell on it,” one elder declared.
The crowd held their breath, listening intently. All knew the age of chaos was nigh—blood would soon drench the land.
“The academy holds immortal scriptures. It’s time to pass them down,” another elder announced.
Boom!
The place erupted in uproar.
Though their time in the academy had been brief, they knew of its priceless texts—yet none expected them to be revealed so soon.
The elders’ urgency spoke volumes: the era of bloodshed was closer than they’d thought.
“The cultivation systems of the last epoch differed vastly from ours. To learn them, you must master their language and script—else their spells and arts remain beyond reach.”
The elders on the cliffs were solemn, their presence awe-inspiring.
“Yet the world has changed. Mastering ancient arts now is near impossible. Still, studying them yields great insights, complementing modern methods and aiding your path.”
The elders’ words silenced the crowd once more, all ears attuned.
“Human focus is finite. None can master all. Now is the time to choose: stay for the ancient arts, or leave.”
“Ancient or modern—neither is inherently superior. The rarity of immortals today stems from the altered world, not the methods themselves.”
“Know this: even those who follow the modern path can reach heights rivaling those with immortal qi.”
“Indeed, cultivating immortal qi perpetuates the ancient way—it’s not the essence of the modern path.”
One after another, the elders spoke, their words shaking souls as they laid bare the choices of the Great Dao.
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