The beam of light opened a passage, slicing through the void and leading to the outside world. In an instant, they vanished from the ancient hall, escaping the Burial Abyss.
Throughout the journey, the void continuously shattered, filled with dazzling radiance and extreme danger. The passage was unstable, with massive void fissures occasionally descending like blades.
Had these struck an ordinary person, their body would have been severed in half!
Shi Hao took refuge inside the Dark Immortal Gold Cauldron, standing guard and remaining vigilant.
The other two remained unconscious, their eyes still closed, yet they were fortunate—none of the void rifts touched them, leaving them unscathed.
**Boom!**
A deafening crash echoed as they burst out of the passage, eliciting gasps of shock from onlookers.
“They made it out!”
“They actually escaped unscathed… This… This is truly a heaven-defying opportunity. Could they have the potential to become Burial Kings?”
Clearly, they had emerged above the Burial Abyss. A group of Golden Burial Knights, who had not yet departed, stood dumbfounded at the sight of the trio’s escape, utterly stunned.
However, the passage they had traversed was anything but ordinary. Lingering radiance from the ancient hall accompanied them, piercing through the earth and ascending toward the surface.
This underground cavern was no ordinary place—its rocks were exceptionally hard, so much so that even a Longevity Medicine could not burrow through them. Otherwise, Shi Hao wouldn’t have been trapped and threatened earlier. Yet now, the light effortlessly shattered the stone.
**Whoosh!**
A streak of brilliance flashed as the Longevity Immortal Medicine fled, escaping Shi Hao’s grasp and vanishing into the dust.
Everything happened too quickly!
Just moments ago, Shi Hao had been inside the ancient cave, standing in the hall, facing mortal peril and struggling to survive. Who could have predicted that he would escape danger in the blink of an eye?
He gave chase immediately. Though he had obtained the Rotten Wooden Box, the Longevity Tree was also his target. If he could acquire it, it might resolve the greatest problem Grand Elder Meng Tianzheng currently faced!
A single Longevity Medicine could forge a true immortal, even in this era where the laws of heaven no longer permitted ascension!
Alas, the medicine was far too slippery. Having lived for countless years, it had long gained sentience. The moment it escaped the ancient hall, it seized its only chance to flee.
Shi Hao burst out from the underground burial veins onto the surface, greeted by lush vegetation—but no trace of the ancient medicine.
He was filled with regret. He had been so close! The medicine had been right beside him, yet it still managed to slip away.
Sunlight bathed the land, warming his skin. Shi Hao glanced back at the underground depths—cold and gloomy. Though his time below had been brief, it felt like an eternity. The dark Burial Abyss was akin to the underworld.
“Below lies the world of the Burial Knights,” Shi Hao murmured before swiftly departing, vanishing like a streak of light.
The moment he left, several Burial Knights emerged onto the surface. Shen Ming and San Zang also awoke, their gazes fixed on the distant mountain range.
“What do you think? Was he truly one of our Golden Burial Knights?” Shen Ming asked.
“Unlikely. We’ll meet him again… Haha…” San Zang chuckled, his golden hair swaying without wind.
“What are your plans now?” Shen Ming inquired.
“To venture into the outside world. If outsiders can enter our Burial Domain, then we can certainly enter theirs!” San Zang declared.
The other Golden Burial Knights observed the pair, sensing an indescribable change in them. Had they gained some profound enlightenment within the Burial Abyss?
“It’s like returning from the underworld!” Shi Hao muttered to himself as he traversed the divine mountains. Dealing with the Burial Knights had been exhausting.
What kind of race were they? Most resembled ancient corpses, buried in coffins underground, while a rare few appeared no different from living beings—some even more sacred, indistinguishable from divine beings.
The Burial Domain was shrouded in mystery. None dared to venture into its deepest reaches, let alone disturb its tombs!
“This thing is too troublesome. I can’t store it away,” Shi Hao grumbled, holding the Rotten Wooden Box. It couldn’t be absorbed into his body, nor could it be placed inside any spatial artifact.
Carrying it openly was far too conspicuous. If the warriors of the Foreign Realm spotted it, they would chase him across tens of thousands of miles without hesitation.
And if An Lan or Yu Tuo learned of it, they would likely cross realms just to slay him and seize the box!
Shi Hao’s head throbbed with worry. If the Fearless Lion, the Gu Clan, or the young masters of the Imperial Clan leaked the news, he would be in grave danger.
He had to return to Imperial Pass as soon as possible—otherwise, death could come for him at any moment.
**Clang!**
In a secluded spot, Shi Hao struck the Rotten Wooden Box with all his might, hoping to uncover its secrets. Brilliant light erupted, and deafening echoes resounded—yet the box remained unscathed!
He even unsheathed the Great Luo Sword Embryo and slashed at it, but to no avail. The wooden box was absurdly sturdy, impossible to open.
“Pity. This sword has always been passive, never attacking on its own. Next time it’s fully awakened, I’ll try using it to cleave this box open,” Shi Hao muttered, unwilling to give up.
He looked up at the sky, then at the verdant forests around him. Where was he?
He needed to head back—but certainly not through the Burial Knights’ territory. That path likely led to the Ancient Burial Grounds, a place of no return!
“The place where the Rotten Wooden Box was hidden lies between the Divine Medicine Mountain Range, the Burial Domain, and the Heavenly Beast Forest. The Burial Domain is off-limits, and the Heavenly Beast Forest is just as perilous. Do I have to return through the Divine Medicine Mountain Range?”
Shi Hao’s head ached at the thought. Were the Foreign Realm’s forces still blocking the way? The journey back to Imperial Pass seemed fraught with danger.
The Divine Medicine Mountain Range, the Burial Domain, and the Heavenly Beast Forest were all bizarre regions with inexplicable spatial distortions, making it nearly impossible to open stable spatial passages. That was why they were considered forbidden lands.
These areas acted as natural barriers, preventing ordinary cultivators from traversing them freely.
“No, I need another route. Otherwise, those Foreign Realm bastards are probably lying in wait, ready to ambush me!” Shi Hao muttered.
Though uneasy, he reassured himself—Yu Tuo and An Lan likely couldn’t act against him now.
After all, they had spent countless years preparing for a single cross-realm strike, only to fail when a Burial King intervened. Another attempt would be unimaginably difficult, requiring further waiting.
However, Shi Hao knew the Foreign Realm’s other forces would soon mobilize en masse.
In truth, the outside world was far more chaotic and terrifying than he imagined. News of his pursuit of the Rotten Wooden Box had triggered an earthquake!
Even if it was uncertain whether he could catch the immortal medicine, the mere possibility had sent shockwaves through both realms.
For the Foreign Realm, the emergence of an ancient artifact was a cataclysmic event!
At the very least, every cultivator in the Divine Medicine Mountain Range had gone mad. Orders had been issued—dig three feet into the ground if necessary, but find “Huang” at all costs!
And, of course, the medicine as well.
Though the Longevity Medicine was precious, its value paled in comparison to the Rotten Wooden Box. The only reason it was being sought was its connection to the box.
“I refuse to believe Huang could catch that immortal medicine. That thing is far too slippery—it can fly and burrow, with innate advantages!” This was the consensus among ninety percent of the observers.
Yet despite this, the Foreign Realm refused to relent. They demanded to see the body if not the man—any being who had come into contact with the box must be captured!
Especially now, with Huang in pursuit of the medicine. If he somehow succeeded, the consequences would be dire.
“Damn it! Since when does a medicine meddle in such affairs? Why is it also after that box?” someone from the Foreign Realm cursed.
Many experts were speechless. A mere plant, yet so audacious as to compete with them—what could they even say?
The situation was far worse than Shi Hao realized. The Foreign Realm’s forces had gone berserk, dispatching armies to turn the world upside down.
“Why not ask Ancestors An Lan and Yu Tuo to perform divination? They could surely locate the box!” someone suggested.
“Do you think we haven’t tried? Unfortunately, that box cannot be divined. Any attempt yields only chaos,” another sighed in frustration.
Even Yu Tuo and An Lan were powerless, separated by the Heavenly Abyss. Moreover, the box was no ordinary artifact.
The Foreign Realm had only found that cursed land by following an ancient map, not through the The Immortal King’s divinations.
“Report! A supreme expert from the Gu Clan has arrived—and one from the Imperial Clan as well! The situation has escalated. The most powerful beings permitted in this realm have come in person!”
A great commotion erupted near the Divine Medicine Mountain Range. The appearance of a Gu Clan supreme—a lineage said to rival immortal kings—and an Imperial Clan expert signaled unprecedented stakes.
Clearly, the highest echelons of the Foreign Realm had been alerted. If the Immortal could cross over, they would have descended en masse!
Outside the Divine Medicine Mountain Range, chaos reigned. What had begun as a disturbance had rapidly escalated into a storm.
Thanks to Shi Hao’s warning—delivered through the female Burial Knight, who had sent skeletal messengers into the desert—Grand Elder Meng Tianzheng had halted his advance, avoiding the trap.
In truth, Meng Tianzheng had been prepared to risk his life to save Shi Hao.
Upon learning that Shi Hao was safe and had even sent a cryptic message of reassurance, the Grand Elder temporarily stood down, steering clear of the brewing catastrophe.
Now, the region had become the epicenter of turmoil, far exceeding initial expectations—all because of the Rotten Wooden Box’s emergence.
“Huang might have obtained that artifact? We must act swiftly and seize it!”
Not only the Foreign Realm but even Imperial Pass was in upheaval, waves of shock rippling through its ranks.
“Huang, your luck is astounding—not only did you survive, but you may have also claimed that ancient relic. But it will never belong to you!”
…
Shi Hao had no idea that his actions—like the flap of a butterfly’s wings—had stirred a tempest across both realms. A great storm was brewing, and the tides of fate were shifting.
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