Shi Hao had not even truly begun his seclusion, yet he was already the center of attention!
“I’m waiting for you to emerge. Will you still be as formidable? Don’t fall behind, or you’ll suffer a miserable fate—experience the humiliation of being crushed with a mere flick of someone’s hand!” someone gritted their teeth and spat.
“Fang, you have no supreme ancient seed, no world-shaking Heavenly Horned Ant blood. What will you rely on to compete? Let’s see how you maintain your glory!”
“Hahaha, I’ve finally waited for this day! Once we surpass the Heavenly Deity realm, we’ll meet at the Sect Master level. Let’s see who laughs last. I can’t wait!”
Those who harbored hostility toward Shi Hao were all eagerly awaiting the outcome. In the Heavenly Deity realm, Shi Hao loomed like an insurmountable mountain over their hearts, with few able to rival him. They hoped for a reversal in higher realms.
By then, it would no longer be Shi Hao’s era. Perhaps they would be the ones looking down on him. Everyone knew his seclusion was fraught with peril.
In truth, many were also deeply curious—how could Fang dare to attempt a breakthrough without a supreme ancient seed? Was he not afraid of ruining his own path?
After all, once the arrow was loosed, there was no turning back. Once he made his choice, there would be no retreat—only success, crippling failure, or even death!
“Shi Hao, what path have you chosen? I hope you remain safe!”
Some, like Qing Yi, were worried for Shi Hao. They fretted over his abrupt seclusion—without an ancient seed, how could he advance?
“He won’t perish. I can’t help but feel he resembles the person my perpetually drowsy, slumbering master once spoke of,” Cao Yusheng murmured softly.
Outside, rumors swirled, but within the Heavenly Deity Academy, all was serene.
Shi Hao had long prepared himself, refining his body to its current peak condition. Every inch of his skin glowed with crystalline radiance, exhaling auspicious mist.
His spirit brimmed with vitality, his primordial soul’s blazing life force manifesting as silver flames erupting from his brow, so intense they coalesced into a miniature figure hovering before him.
The Grand Elder was astonished. “The life flames emanating from your primordial soul have reached such a level—it’s as if you could forge another one!”
At this moment, ripples stirred in several medicinal pools nearby, each filled with rare divine herbs and precious minerals—Heavenly Deity Tree leaves, Eight Treasures Qilin, Immortal Blood Star Sand…
Any one of these was priceless. If they leaked into the outside world, they would drive men mad with greed, sparking life-and-death battles among the strongest.
“Enter the first medicinal pool!” the Grand Elder commanded.
Shi Hao stepped in, the fragrant aroma of herbs flooding his senses. Every pore in his body opened wide as the scalding medicinal liquid sent tremors through his flesh. This was no ordinary heat—it was like molten metal, forcing Shi Hao to grit his teeth.
Given his current physical resilience, even divine weapons could hardly harm him.
“It’s Immortal Blood Star Sand!” Shi Hao felt dizzy.
This was no ordinary medicinal liquid. It was the melted remains of sand, cascading over him with a temperature surpassing even lava!
Legend held that this star sand was exceedingly rare in the world, formed from the blood of fallen immortals staining shattered celestial fragments. Over time, only the purest essence remained, crystallizing into translucent grains.
The Grand Elder had melted these grains in a massive azure cauldron, now pouring the “soup” over Shi Hao’s head. The sheer brutality of it left him speechless!
An ordinary deity would have been incinerated instantly, reduced to bones.
The melted sand transformed into crimson liquid, emitting a radiant glow as if immortal blood truly flowed. It carried a faint metallic scent, yet also an intoxicating fragrance.
“It seems the legends are true. This sand was indeed steeped in immortal blood,” the Grand Elder mused.
Shi Hao grimaced—this was no pleasant experience. Being drenched in liquid hotter than lava was nothing short of torture.
Yet it proved just how resilient his physique was. Not even his hair was singed, shimmering as it absorbed the essence of the Immortal Blood Star Sand.
“If this were true immortal blood, it would have reduced you to nothing but pus. Fortunately, the star sand tempered its lethality over eons, leaving only the purest essence for your use.”
The Grand Elder sighed. This treasure was far too precious, dwindling with each use. There was little left in the universe.
Strangely, despite its extreme heat, the crimson star sand liquid did not destroy the other medicinal ingredients in the pool. Instead, they fused, intensifying the fragrance.
Shi Hao suspected it wasn’t the heat causing his agony, but the lingering immortal essence carving into his flesh!
Thus, he endured the torment, submerging himself in the first pool. His body felt as if it were being sliced apart, continuously tempered. Eventually, the Grand Elder even took up a massive blade and struck him.
Shi Hao’s face turned ashen. With the Grand Elder’s power, a single slash could annihilate him body and soul!
“Relax, I’ll control the force. Focus on the Bone-Forging Art!” the Grand Elder reminded.
*Crack!*
In the next instant, Shi Hao learned the meaning of bone-deep pain. The Grand Elder’s blade descended, its energy vast and resplendent like a falling galaxy—yet it spared his skin, slicing directly into his bones.
The precision and skill were awe-inspiring.
Shi Hao groaned. The pain was unbearable. Countless bones split open, exposing marrow, drenching him in cold sweat. The agony he’d endured at the Divine Bamboo Forest returned.
“I’m testing your progress, ensuring your gains from the Immortal Mound are sufficient. We’ll refine you to perfection!” the Grand Elder declared.
How could he not be perfect? With Heavenly Deity Tree leaves, Eight Treasures Qilin, and Immortal Blood Star Sand tempering his body, his resilience was unparalleled.
Thus began Shi Hao’s ordeal. His body was reforged. At first, he endured in silence. But as the Grand Elder’s blade energy cleaved his marrow, severed his sinews, and subjected him to relentless torment—constantly tempered by medicinal baths—he finally let out a low roar.
This lasted ten days.
Then, the Grand Elder had him sit cross-legged in a cauldron, sprinkled with Divine Bamboo liquid. After a day and night, Shi Hao emerged revitalized, his physique stronger than ever.
Was this preparation to battle Sect Masters as a Heavenly Deity? Shi Hao brimmed with confidence. Though still in the Heavenly Deity realm, he now burned with the urge to challenge stronger foes.
“Enter the second medicinal pool,” the Grand Elder commanded without pause, pointing to a shimmering pool veiled in white mist.
Shi Hao stepped in—and immediately shuddered.
This pool held not just herbs, but countless venomous creatures, all primordial aberrations of terrifying toxicity!
Beneath the mist, the liquid glittered ominously, far from sacred. Its riotous colors and pungent stench accompanied a writhing mass of insects that chilled the soul.
Nearby, a cauldron boiled violently, its contents splashing—more rare divine insects, some still alive, being refined within.
Shi Hao’s scalp prickled, but he silently submerged himself.
With a splash, the Grand Elder poured the cauldron’s contents—liquid and insects alike—over him, into the second pool.
“They’re alive!”
Shi Hao felt it immediately. None of the insects were dead. They clung to him, biting and stinging.
Opening his eyes, he saw his body covered in white scorpions, their venomous tails stabbing into his skin—their stingers sharper than divine weapons.
The Grand Elder barked, “Don’t resist! Let them pierce you. Don’t you dare kill them! These are Jade Scorpions—precious, rare, and of noble bloodline!”
Speechless, Shi Hao complied, allowing the scorpions to sting him.
He relaxed his body; otherwise, his Heavenly Deity physique might have crushed them. Though many were at the deity level, they’d shatter against his flesh.
“Ah—!” Shi Hao screamed.
The venom was excruciating. His entire body, save his eyes, was covered in scorpions. Countless stingers pierced his skin.
The sight was horrifying—his body draped in writhing scorpions!
A woman would have shrieked or vomited. But Shi Hao, ever thick-skinned, barely cared—he’d eaten scorpion meat before.
Yet the pain and the unsettling sensation of countless creatures crawling over him were unbearable.
The venom alone could kill an ordinary Heavenly Deity. These were divine-grade toxic insects, their collective horror undeniable.
Soon, the white scorpions turned crimson—stained by Shi Hao’s blood. The venom flowed back into his body, and he convulsed, groaning.
“Ah—!”
He screamed again. Being impaled by myriad venomous creatures was intolerable. The returning poison corroded his organs, flesh, and blood.
He activated the Bone-Forging Art. His bones crackled like frying beans, regenerating blood to cleanse his meridians. Even his skull resonated, reforging Heavenly Deity blood!
After a day and night, the torment ended. All the scorpions perished, their toxic essence dissipated.
But then, Shi Hao’s vision darkened—a swarm of golden-winged centipedes poured from the cauldron, blanketing his body.
Their squirming legs covered every inch of him, sending chills down his spine before agony struck anew.
“Elder, is this truly necessary for tempering the body?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“Absolutely. To forge true gold, one must endure all trials. The real world is ten thousand times crueler than this,” the Grand Elder replied flatly.
Thus, for ten days and nights, Shi Hao suffered under ten of the deadliest venomous creatures, dying and reviving repeatedly before being restored in divine medicinal baths.
The results were astounding. These creatures were nature’s rarest treasures—supreme materials for body tempering. Combined with divine herbs, their effects were miraculous.
“Elder, when can I begin the Seed Within?” Shi Hao felt ready for his metamorphosis.
“You’re already on the path. The Seed Within demands peak perfection in all aspects—only then can you hope to succeed,” the Grand Elder said gravely.
Over these twenty-odd days, shocking events unfolded outside.
“Major news! A peerless genius from the Immortal Academy has broken through, fusing with a flawless ancient seed! He achieved a nirvana of life, hailed as a perfect evolution—flawless, his invincible aura shaking the world!”
“Word is, the Sacred Academy also succeeded—fusing the Heavenly Horned Ant’s ultimate strength bloodline with Phoenix rebirth essence. Unprecedentedly, they merged ten heavenly passages into one, engraving an innate primordial chaos killing array within, elevating their life essence!”
Rumors spread of others surpassing the Heavenly Deity realm, achieving flawless evolution, astounding the world.
And what of Fang now? The world waited.
Many sneered. Without a supreme ancient seed, how could he compare? He was doomed to taste bitter defeat!
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