Chapter 1187: Reunion

The Desolation has arrived, stirring up a storm across these mountains!

Everyone who wasn’t in seclusion heard the news. Many beings who cultivated the laws of the present era were shocked, causing a massive uproar.

Amid the rustling of pine trees, Feng Wu’s dwelling was crowded with people eager to see what the Desolation looked like. Those who had witnessed the earlier battle were surrounded and questioned about what had happened.

However, Shi Hao had already vanished from the scene. He had no intention of being gawked at like a spectacle. Instead, he went with Qing Yi and Feng Wu to reunite with old friends.

“Wahahaha, I knew you weren’t dead!” came the triumphant and boisterous laughter of the Moon Rabbit, who had just emerged from seclusion. She was bouncing around, clutching a snow-white young beast in her arms as she dashed out of an ancient cave.

She was still the same carefree spirit as before—waist-length silver hair gleaming like a mirror, delicate features, and large ruby-like eyes. She flitted about joyfully like a bird.

The young Qilin in her arms whined pitifully, protesting the rough treatment. It was a tragic sight—a divine beast being manhandled like this.

The elders of the Heavenly Deity Academy were deeply displeased and distressed by this. They had spoken to the Moon Rabbit several times, but she simply ignored them.

If not for the fact that the little Qilin was clingy and refused to leave her side, the academy elders would have long since snatched it away with dark expressions and punished her severely.

Because of this, the Moon Rabbit held a somewhat special and transcendent status. No one dared to provoke her, not even Jin Yun and her ilk, who deliberately avoided disturbing her during her seclusion.

“What? Sister Feng Wu was bullied? Why didn’t you come find me? I’d have smashed them to pieces!” The Moon Rabbit widened her crimson eyes and shouted fiercely.

This naturally made the little Qilin in her arms shrink its neck in fear. If she really intended to smash someone, it would undoubtedly serve as the “brick” and be hurled at the target—something that had happened every single time without fail.

“I knew it! That person had to be you!” the Moon Rabbit declared, staring at Shi Hao. She had long suspected the identity of the person by Wang Xi’s side, and now it was confirmed.

Soon, other cultivators from the three thousand provinces emerged from seclusion and gathered here—such as Zhen Gu from the Spirit Clan and Teng Yi from the Fire Gold Clan.

Unfortunately, Cao Yusheng, Chang Gongyan, and others couldn’t appear immediately, as they were in deep seclusion. That area was relatively safe, guarded by elders.

Those who entered seclusion there were not to be disturbed unless they emerged on their own.

Eventually, Shi Hao went to meet with the elder in charge. After a long discussion, he managed to call Cao Yusheng and Chang Gongyan out of seclusion.

“Hahaha… I never expected that even after being targeted by that old bastard Yuan Qing, you’d still swagger in here and cause such a commotion!” The chubby Cao Yusheng laughed heartily.

Though he had always believed Shi Hao was alive, hearing the full story still left him dumbfounded.

A group of them gathered around a bonfire in the mountains, drinking fine wine and chatting. When the recent events were brought up, many grew indignant.

Some cultivators from the Nine Heavens had targeted them, leaving many injured—a fact that infuriated everyone.

Cao Yusheng howled, vowing revenge. Others who had just emerged from seclusion, like Chang Gongyan and the Dragon Maiden, were equally incensed and ready to fight back.

“There’s no need for that now. Shi Hao has already taken action, subduing four experts in one go. No one will dare target us anymore,” Feng Wu said with a smile.

She had been the primary victim, but she had already vented her anger and didn’t want the situation to escalate further, lest it lead to outright hostility.

“The world is on the brink of great upheaval. The creatures from the other realm could invade at any moment. Obsessing over petty grudges between the Nine Heavens and the Ten Earths is pointless,” the Dragon Maiden remarked.

A heavy silence fell over the group. Everyone knew the future was terrifying, with few likely to survive. The topic was too grim.

“Brother, what did you find in the Primordial Ancient Mine? How did you escape?” Qin Hao, now clad in silver armor and grown tall, had also arrived.

Though he still harbored some lingering rivalry with Shi Hao, striving to catch up to him, he was no longer as obsessively fixated as before.

Still, a trace of complex emotions lingered in his heart.

The Primordial Ancient Mine was a mysterious place, ancient beyond measure—existing even before the Immortal Ancient Era.

Last time, though Shi Hao had entered, he hadn’t reached the deepest parts. The mine was too enigmatic, filled with unknowns that defied full exploration.

His greatest gain then had been obtaining the inheritance of the ancient Heavenly Art—Six Paths Reincarnation.

Shi Hao selectively recounted his experiences, leaving everyone spellbound.

“Hahaha… Last time, many from the academy entered the mine, only for dozens to be captured and then released. So it was your doing!” Many burst into laughter.

“Now that Shi Hao’s identity is revealed, those people will soon realize what happened—especially since Yuan Qing had exiled him into the mine.”

Some couldn’t help but smile. The incident had caused a huge stir back then, with a group of experts being taken captive before narrowly escaping, sparking an uproar.

In fact, others in the area had already brought it up earlier, realizing who had been behind the events in the Primordial Ancient Mine.

“Yuan Qing is a major problem. Brother Shi, you must be careful,” Chang Gongyan warned.

No one needed to be told—everyone understood that as long as Yuan Qing lived, he posed a threat to Shi Hao. Having dared to target him before, he would surely scheme again now that Shi Hao had survived.

“His descendant, Yuan Feng, died in the Immortal Battlefield. Could that have been your doing?” The chubby Cao Yusheng voiced his suspicion.

Hearing this, the others were shocked. If true, the consequences would be dire.

Shi Hao remained silent. He had indeed killed Yuan Feng personally. Though he had acted under a different guise, a careful analysis would reveal the truth.

The mere fact that he was the Desolation, alive and present at the Immortal Battlefield, was evidence enough.

Everyone knew of his feud with Yuan Qing. As a young supreme being who had even slain a Three-Headed King, how could he have spared Yuan Feng?

“This is bad. Yuan Qing won’t let this go. I heard he doted on that descendant. With him dead, Yuan Qing will be furious!” Feng Wu sighed.

“He won’t dare act recklessly,” Shi Hao said. Under the Great Elder’s protection, he believed Yuan Qing wouldn’t dare cause trouble within the academy.

Still, he frowned, troubled by another concern. Yuan Feng wasn’t the only one he had killed—there was also Feng Xingtian, the young supreme being of the Feng Clan.

Worse still, Feng Xingtian’s sixth uncle, Feng Zhao, a supreme expert, had also perished in the Immortal Battlefield due to the Golden Butterfly. These were major karmic debts.

If the Feng Clan learned of this, they would surely go berserk!

In fact, they were likely already enraged upon hearing of Shi Hao’s appearance at the Heavenly Deity Academy.

Shi Hao felt no regret. He had deliberately killed Feng Xingtian to make the Feng Clan suffer. After all, Yuan Qing’s suppression and exile of him had been orchestrated by the Feng Clan.

The Feng Clan was a behemoth—the third oldest immortal family. Few dared to oppose them.

“With chaos looming, there’s no time for infighting. If those people refuse to abide by the rules, the Great Elder and others will surely take decisive action to eliminate them,” Qing Yi said.

Shi Hao chuckled, choosing not to dwell on the matter. Instead, he turned to the Moon Rabbit. “What’s the story with this little Qilin?”

He had many questions. He had heard that this Qilin had once been close to Ning Chuan. More importantly, during his dream journey to the Immortal Ancient Era, Shi Hao had seen this very snow-white Qilin.

“This little traitor almost defected, but my charm won out in the end. It stopped paying attention to that insufferably pretty Ning Chuan,” the Moon Rabbit grumbled.

Some said Ning Chuan possessed Qilin blood, nearly achieving ancestral reversion, which had drawn the young Qilin to him. Others speculated that Ning Chuan might be the reincarnation of a White Qilin.

One thing was certain—Ning Chuan had mastered the treasure art of one of the Ten Fierce, the Qilin!

“Do you still remember me?” Shi Hao sighed, gazing at the snow-white Qilin. At this moment, memories of his divine journey to the end of the Immortal Ancient Era flooded back.

So many brilliant talents had withered too soon, perishing one after another before his eyes. The thought still pained him.

“You feel familiar… I think I saw you in a dream. Back then, another pure-hearted girl held me…” the Qilin transmitted silently.

Shi Hao’s nose stung, his heart trembling violently.

This little Qilin was indeed the same one from back then—not a reincarnation, not a rebirth, but one who had narrowly escaped death and been sealed away.

He still remembered its former owner, cradling it with a helpless smile as she collapsed in a pool of blood—a scene of tragic beauty.

Eyes burning, Shi Hao asked hoarsely, “Who else do you remember?”

“There was the Phoenix Maiden, the youth who carried the Immortal Gold Sword, and many others… but my memories are hazy. I… I want to cry!” The snow-white Qilin suddenly burst into loud, sorrowful wails, its grief overwhelming.

Shi Hao stroked it gently, hoping to learn more about the past through it.