Perhaps, in the eyes of some, this treasure is even more precious than the Thunder Pool!
Yet, those who have witnessed this divine radiance can only gaze with envy—it remains far beyond their reach. Only someone as monstrous as Shi Hao, daring enough to snatch it from the jaws of the heavenly tribulation, could have obtained it by sheer chance.
Within the crystal, that drop of immortal blood gleamed with crystalline brilliance, dazzling and radiant, unmistakably a supreme treasure.
Meanwhile, within the Thunder Pool, that beam of light was truly transcendent, writhing ceaselessly despite the Great Elder’s overwhelming suppression. It refused to submit, struggling fiercely as if it had a will of its own.
It thrashed, desperate to escape!
This thing seemed alive, astonishing everyone. It was clearly a remnant of the Executioner’s Blade from the heavenly tribution, a condensed essence—how could it possess consciousness?
Now, the immortal blood and the divine light shimmered in harmony, their brilliance overwhelming, drawing one irresistibly closer.
“This… is too heaven-defying!” Cao Yusheng was practically drooling, his shock deepening the more he pondered. Both treasures were extraordinary.
A drop of living immortal blood and the essence of the Executioner’s Blade—either one could drive men to madness, sparking bloodshed for possession.
They knew full well that the light from the Thunder Pool had once drawn forth a colossal black hand from the ancestral altar. Even a supreme being of that caliber had sought to capture it.
“What are your plans? How will you refine these two treasures?” the Great Elder asked Shi Hao, first seeking his own opinion.
“This drop of immortal blood could likely propel me straight from the Void Dao Realm into the Severing Realm. But I could already achieve that within the heavenly tribulation—I’ve merely suppressed it for now. I wish to temper myself beyond the Pass first,” Shi Hao said with a frown.
“As for this light, I want to refine it into my body, forging it into an indestructible weapon! Though… it will be difficult.” His gaze fixed on the writhing essence.
“Why not refine it into a weapon? That might be easier,” the Great Elder suddenly suggested, realizing Shi Hao lacked a life-bound treasure that had grown alongside him.
“I have weapons,” Shi Hao explained. He possessed the Great Luo Sword Embryo, had encountered the Little Pagoda, and even owned a True Dragon’s Reverse Scale—all peerless treasures.
Yet, he always felt that weapons were ultimately external. If lost or stolen, they’d become a liability, fostering dependence.
Better to refine his own body, tempering it into a treasure itself!
Thus, though he wielded astonishing weapons, he relied more on himself. No matter where he went, armed or not, he would fear nothing.
He believed that with sufficient personal strength, any treasure or secret armament could be shattered barehanded!
“Hmm, the path is yours to choose. Forgoing weapons is fine. May the day come when you truly fear no artifact, capable of severing them with your hands alone,” the Great Elder said.
This simplified matters. Refining that divine radiance with Shi Hao’s current power was likely impossible.
Not long ago, all had witnessed this light pierce through the treasures of elders and even stab through the palm of a mighty expert, leaving it drenched in blood.
The Great Elder proposed using the immortal blood to temper the light, merging it flawlessly with Shi Hao’s body.
Of course, the Great Elder’s assistance was indispensable—otherwise, the light’s terror remained insurmountable.
“Which part of your body will you fuse it with?” the Great Elder asked.
“His eyes!” Cao Yusheng blurted out.
Both Shi Hao and the Great Elder shook their heads. Such a ferocious entity could never be melded into the eyes—Shi Hao was still too fragile.
“His soul!” the Lunar Jade Rabbit cried.
“Stop fooling around!” The Great Elder couldn’t bear it. This wasn’t divine will—melding it into the soul was pointless and might shred Shi Hao’s consciousness.
“Between his brows, forming a third eye! Then he can kill with a glare!” the little golden Ape Ant snarled fiercely.
“Enough, scram!” The Great Elder, Meng Tianzheng, waved them off, finding their suggestions utterly unreliable.
The tribe’s children watched from afar, awestruck. Even the adults were stunned—the immortal blood and Thunder Pool were breathtaking, and the Great Elder’s presence alone commanded reverence.
Without delay, Shi Hao sought to grow stronger immediately.
The Shi Clan’s tribe lay deep in the wilderness. They ventured into the mountains, finding a secluded cliff where the Great Elder would guard Shi Hao as he refined the light.
Shi Hao’s decision was measured. He chose not to fuse the light elsewhere but with a single finger. The beam wasn’t thick enough for half his body or even an entire arm.
He selected the index finger of his left hand—perfect for sword seals.
Ancient vines draped the cliff, and nearby, thick pythons as wide as barrels coiled, their crimson tongues flicking toward Shi Hao.
But sensing the calm of Shi Hao and the Great Elder, the serpents—on the verge of becoming flood dragons—fled.
Shi Hao sat cross-legged, the Thunder Pool before him.
The Great Elder stood nearby, slightly loosening his suppression. Instantly, the light shot forth, seeking to slice through the void and escape.
Shi Hao struck, channeling bone texts and precious techniques to suppress it. Yet his body quaked violently—the light was too fierce, nearly piercing his defenses to assault his flesh directly.
The Great Elder sighed. This thing was indeed transcendent. He reinforced his suppression, leaving just enough resistance for Shi Hao to manage.
Even so, as Shi Hao tirelessly refined and suppressed it, he suffered terrible impacts, his body wracked with pain.
After an unknowable duration, the divine radiance finally grew docile, its savagery waning enough to approach.
Yet when Shi Hao’s finger neared—before even touching—a searing pain erupted.
The light flared, dark crimson rays like bloody mist searing his finger to the bone, flesh torn and mangled.
“Too brutal!” Cao Yusheng gasped from afar, a chill running down their spines.
Even if peers coveted it, not just anyone could refine this.
Shi Hao sighed. His body, tempered by the Indestructible Scripture, was already formidable—yet here he was, his finger grievously wounded.
But he wouldn’t yield. He pressed on, his palm glowing as a tiny golden Kun Peng emerged, pouncing on the light.
Simultaneously, verdant willows unfurled behind him—the Willow Deity’s techniques manifesting as chains of order to bind and refine the radiance.
Then, his brow shone, a Thunder Pool-shaped mark releasing bolts of lightning that struck the light.
His chest blazed next, countless fragments of time swirling forth—the power of reincarnation—joining the suppression.
Shi Hao mustered all his arts, chanting scriptures as immortal aura billowed. Above him, three Dao Flowers bloomed, one cradling a tiny figure bound by reincarnation seals, aiding the suppression.
Every technique, every ounce of power, surged forth. Shi Hao’s body blazed, wrapped in countless symbols, the scene akin to divine hymns or demonic roars, light piercing the heavens.
*Thud!*
Yet still, Shi Hao faltered. His finger split, flesh reduced to pulp, revealing cracked bone.
The light’s terror was unimaginable—a mere tremor could sunder the sky, annihilating all matter.
“Absolutely monstrous,” the little golden Ape Ant muttered, awed by the light’s ferocity.
The Imperial Butterfly fluttered nearby, golden wings nodding in agreement.
“Use the immortal blood,” the Great Elder urged.
It wasn’t that Shi Hao was weak—this light was simply beyond mortal ken. Even a supreme being of the Great Elder’s rank would covet it.
“That’s the essence of the Executioner’s Blade,” Cao Yusheng mused. “Think about it—that blade could sever all geniuses across eternity. How could its essence be easily refined?”
He spoke truth. This light was peerless.
*Crack!*
The crystal split, spilling crimson radiance. Sacred aura flooded the land, as if the mountains were bathed in twilight—serene yet dazzling.
A drop of living immortal blood!
Shi Hao didn’t pour it all out, letting only a trickle coat his finger. Instantly, divine light erupted, auspicious colors blazing.
*Ssshh!*
The divine radiance reacted violently, sensing the immortal blood. It lunged—seeking to sever it!
Everyone gaped. Was it truly… trying to slay the immortal?!
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