Just a young man, clearly in dire straits, yet he carried himself with such composure—utterly unruffled, as if they were mere prey on a chopping block. This was absolutely unnatural!
“Have you lost your mind, pretending to be mad here? It’s useless!” Wang Manglong barked harshly.
Yet, whether it was the three newly arrived powerhouses or the aged elder of the Wang Clan with dwindling lifespan, all remained silent, uneasy, carefully sensing their surroundings.
But they found nothing—unless the intruder was far stronger than them!
“Young man, is playing tricks amusing?” the Wang Clan elder said coldly, his gaze sinister.
“Are you scared?” Shi Hao replied calmly, sweeping his eyes over them, growing even more composed.
In contrast, the golden little ant on his shoulder was extremely nervous. It felt that Shi Hao’s empty-city stratagem wouldn’t solve anything—they’d only meet a gruesome end.
“*Duh!*”
The Wang Clan elder let out a sharp cry, ripples emanating from his mouth, spreading rapidly in all directions. This was akin to the bat lineage’s divine ability, probing for hidden enemies.
Moments later, his expression turned icy. “You little brat, trying to deceive us? Do you seek death?”
He was furious—he had been fooled by a junior! The bat lineage’s divine ability confirmed no powerful figures lurked nearby. The area was tranquil.
If even this divine technique couldn’t detect anything in this desolate expanse of the outer realm, then the intruder would be truly terrifying.
The other three powerhouses also sighed in relief, realizing they had been overly cautious, scaring themselves. This was the outer realm—what supreme expert could possibly appear here?
“Boy, I gave you a chance, but you chose death, daring to deceive us. Now, your life is forfeit!” The Wang Clan elder struck without hesitation.
He reached out, fingers spread, aiming to seize Shi Hao by the neck—as if plucking a chick—to humiliate him mercilessly.
“Damn it!” the golden little ant roared. As a descendant of the Ten Calamities, it had never witnessed such injustice and ugliness. Fellow cultivators of this realm, yet they turned on each other.
It even suspected the Wang Clan of colluding with the foreign realm.
“What genius, what prodigy? Today, this old man will blot out the heavens with a single hand, snuffing out your talent, leaving you with eternal regret!” the Wang Clan elder sneered.
Now that the facade was torn, his expression turned utterly sinister, a far cry from his earlier smiling demeanor.
“Hahaha…” Beside him, Wang Manglong laughed heartily, reveling in delight.
Shi Hao sighed softly. “You’re forcing my hand.”
“Playing tricks!” one of the three bystanders scoffed, unconvinced he could turn the tide.
*Crack!*
In response, Shi Hao crushed an ancient jade, releasing wisps of radiant light—gentle yet imbued with soul power.
“Immortal-Nurturing Jade!” The Wang Clan elder’s face paled as he blurted out in shock.
Though he had never seen it before, he recognized it instantly—a legendary treasure capable of nourishing souls and protecting the spirit.
This was an exceedingly rare artifact, something even mighty Supremes might never lay eyes on!
Such a thing existed only in legends, recorded in bone scriptures.
The other three powerhouses also blanched, one even considering fleeing immediately, unwilling to stay a moment longer.
“Since you’re here, don’t rush to leave,” a serene voice echoed.
As the Immortal-Nurturing Jade shattered, the radiant strands intertwined, forming a figure—ethereal, benevolent, with white hair and a youthful face. It was the Great Elder of the Heavenly Deity Institution!
The Wang Clan elder was terrified out of his wits. His outstretched hand froze mere inches from Shi Hao’s neck.
Never had he imagined encountering this peerless figure here!
Beside him, Wang Manglong was dumbstruck, trembling uncontrollably. How could this be? How was this elder, who dominated the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, accompanying Shi Hao?
*Bang!*
The Great Elder raised his hand, smashing the Wang Clan elder’s outstretched arm into dust, eliciting a howl of agony.
Then, with a flip of his palm, he seized the elder, lifting him like a chick—exactly as the elder had intended to do to Shi Hao.
“Your Wang Clan’s reach is far too long!” the Great Elder said coldly, his fury now palpable.
With a sharp shout, the three powerhouses who had tried to flee shuddered violently, unable to escape.
“Elder!” one stammered in fear.
None had anticipated the Great Elder’s appearance. Clearly, this was a spiritual avatar, not his true form, hidden within the Immortal-Nurturing Jade to protect Shi Hao.
This alone showed how much the Great Elder valued Shi Hao. A figure of such lofty status, unparalleled in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, had humbled himself for a mere youth.
Now, Wang Manglong nearly collapsed, his earlier ferocity gone.
As for the Wang Clan elder, who had been so composed moments ago, he was now deathly pale, speechless. Held by the Great Elder, he couldn’t even struggle—the gap was insurmountable.
Shi Hao had no fear. Before heading to the North Sea, during his private talk with the Great Elder, he had expressed concerns about being targeted. The Great Elder had given him the Immortal-Nurturing Jade, assuring his safety.
The jade was miraculous—spiritual avatars could dissolve within it, undetectable to the outside world, reassembling at critical moments!
*Swoosh!*
The Great Elder flicked his fingers, reducing the three powerhouses’ armor and masks to dust, revealing their true faces—all white-haired elders of prestigious lineages.
“Pity, Yuan Qing isn’t among them,” Shi Hao sighed.
He had initially been wary of Yuan Qing, but it was the Wang Clan who took the lead.
As for these three, Shi Hao didn’t recognize them.
“Your three clans each sent someone. How disappointing,” the Great Elder said, closing his eyes.
“Elder, spare us! We didn’t mean to harm Shi Hao—we merely wanted to see why he rushed to the North Sea,” one pleaded hastily.
Clearly, Shi Hao’s departure from the immortal cave beneath the Heavenly Deity Institution had drawn their attention. Out of curiosity and greed, they had followed.
The Great Elder’s eyes snapped open. “End yourselves, and I’ll act as if nothing happened.”
“What?!” The three cried out in terror and disbelief. They were figures of high status, from ancient and mighty clans.
Yet the Great Elder demanded their deaths!
“Some lines must not be crossed. I won’t feud with your clans, but you must give me an answer!” the Great Elder said icily.
Despair gripped them. The Great Elder’s will was clear—this was a warning, a show of force for Shi Hao’s sake. Three powerhouses would fall!
They were significant figures, even in the Nine Heavens, yet their lives would end here.
“Need me to do it?” the Great Elder asked.
With three soft *pops*, he exhaled a river of stars, shaping it into a divine sword that reduced them to ash!
Swift and merciless, the Great Elder executed them without hesitation.
“You…” The Wang Clan elder’s face was ashen, his wrinkles trembling.
*Bang!*
The Great Elder swatted his hand, turning most of the elder’s body to dust, leaving only a head—his soul already incinerated.
A clean execution, decisive and final!
“Ah—!” Wang Manglong screamed in terror, his body icy with fear. The Great Elder, though serene in appearance, killed without blinking. Four powerhouses had fallen like ants beneath his hand.
Shi Hao stepped forward, throwing a punch that stirred violent winds, shaking the heavens.
Wang Manglong resisted, though he knew it was futile.
*Splat!*
His arms and head exploded like rotten fruit under Shi Hao’s furious strike, leaving only a mangled corpse.
“Let’s go to the Wang Clan,” the Great Elder said.
With a flick of his sleeve, misty light enveloped the two corpses, ready to be delivered to their clan.
“Great Elder!” Shi Hao’s heart pounded. He wanted to speak, but words failed him. The Great Elder had done so much for him—now he would storm the Wang Clan!
“No need for words. Some must learn that certain lines cannot be crossed, and some people cannot be touched!” the Great Elder declared resolutely.
*Whoosh!*
A mighty wind surged as the Great Elder took Shi Hao with him, tearing through the heavens, crossing realms toward that ancient and formidable immortal clan!
Shi Hao burned with emotion—gratitude, fervor, and exhilaration. The Great Elder was standing up for him, challenging an immortal clan!
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