The metallic war chariot sped swiftly through the mountain forests, its form blurred like a faint shadow merging into the terrain, making it nearly impossible to detect.
As the chariot’s occupants had claimed, this was no ordinary treasure—it possessed not only incredible speed but also the ability to move undetected.
“Little friend, might you allow this old man to examine that chest?” The elderly man, who had already introduced himself as Yi Chuan, a great cultivator of the Dunyi Realm from the Imperial Pass, made his request.
Shi Hao nodded and handed over the wooden chest. At that moment, everyone on the chariot perked up, their gazes fixed intently on it.
Yi Chuan ran his hands over the chest, carefully sensing it. Yet, whether he channeled divine power or spiritual perception, the chest remained unresponsive.
Frowning, the old man tried repeatedly, but to no avail.
“Is this truly a treasure unearthed from that forbidden land?” a young man questioned skeptically.
Yi Chuan’s fingers glowed as he exerted force, attempting to pry open the chest. The others watched nervously, but despite his efforts, nothing changed.
As a Dunyi Realm cultivator, he was already sweating profusely, his body burning as if aflame. Yet, the chest remained sealed.
Shi Hao remained calm, having anticipated this outcome.
“Shameful. This old man was overjoyed at the thought of the chest returning to the Imperial Pass and acted rashly in his eagerness to uncover its secrets. But this is, after all, your possession,” Yi Chuan said apologetically, returning the chest to Shi Hao with both hands.
“How can this nearly rotted chest be so sturdy? Even a Dunyi Realm cultivator can’t open it?” another young man asked.
“Indeed, it is incredibly resilient,” Shi Hao confirmed.
“This supreme treasure has been buried for at least one or two epochs, yet the chest hasn’t fully decayed—proof of its extraordinary nature!” Yi Chuan sighed.
“Brother, you must have witnessed the opening of the dark-red tomb. When the chest emerged, was there anything unusual?” a man in his thirties inquired.
Yi Chuan nodded and turned to Shi Hao. “This chest cannot be opened by ordinary means. Surely, when it emerged, there must have been some revelation?”
“No, or perhaps I didn’t notice. I still haven’t found a way to open it,” Shi Hao replied, shaking his head.
“Nothing else at all?” someone pressed further.
“Nothing,” Shi Hao sighed.
“Brother, you’re being dishonest. Such a heaven-defying treasure would surely be accompanied by auspicious signs, with glyphs swirling around it—perhaps the key to opening it,” a young man suddenly interjected.
“What do you mean? Do you think I wouldn’t know what I experienced?” Shi Hao’s expression darkened.
“Who knows? Maybe you’re being selfish, hiding the treasure’s secrets, unwilling to offer it to the Imperial Pass, keeping all the fortune for yourself,” the young man accused aggressively.
Shi Hao’s face turned cold. “If this relic could turn the tide for the Imperial Pass, I would naturally entrust it to the elders. And this is something I risked my life to obtain—it belongs to me. Your judgment is unwarranted.”
“You’re clearly hoarding it! There must be a method to open it, and you’re hiding it. Such treasures always come with inherited techniques for unlocking them,” the young man persisted.
“What are you implying?” Shi Hao ignored him, instead scanning the others.
“Cough, little friend, don’t misunderstand. He’s just reckless—pay him no mind,” Yi Chuan intervened, scolding the young man for his rudeness.
Shi Hao narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
“Little friend, don’t blame him. We’re all anxious for the Imperial Pass, hoping this divine artifact can repel the foreign invaders,” the middle-aged man said.
“Indeed, we fought our way here to rescue you, breaking into the Heavenly Beast Forest at great cost. Some of us perished along the way,” Yi Chuan added with a sigh.
The previously scolded young man chimed in, “Exactly! We fought tooth and nail to reach you, losing comrades along the way. Yet you show no gratitude, hiding secrets—it’s disheartening.”
Shi Hao sighed. “I’ve concealed nothing. This is the truth.”
The young men smirked in disbelief, while the middle-aged men frowned pensively.
Yi Chuan’s gaze deepened as he silently studied Shi Hao.
At that moment, though no overwhelming divine power surged, Shi Hao’s instincts screamed danger.
Ordinary people might dismiss such a chill, but Shi Hao’s intuition had saved him countless times before.
“This old man and his group mean me harm!” Shi Hao’s mind raced.
From the start, he had been wary. The Heavenly Beast Forest was perilous, its key routes blocked by foreign forces. How had they slipped in so easily?
Even with a sentient war chariot, it was implausible.
He had been on guard, but with his retreat cut off, he had no choice but to board the chariot.
“Could they be the traitors of the Imperial Pass?” Shi Hao seethed with anger.
During his journey to the Divine Medicine Mountain Range, a Dunyi Realm cultivator had hunted him, exposing his whereabouts to the enemy.
Now, these very traitors stood before him, feigning goodwill. Had they not sought the chest’s secrets, they would have struck already.
In an instant, Shi Hao made his decision.
The charade was over—they would attack soon.
“Perhaps…” Shi Hao frowned, feigning sudden realization.
“Oh? Has the little friend remembered something?” Yi Chuan asked eagerly.
“Could this be it?” Shi Hao murmured.
The group’s eyes lit up with anticipation.
“Speak!” a middle-aged expert urged.
“Elder, look here…” Shi Hao lifted the chest, pointing to a spot.
“What about it? I’ve studied it thoroughly and found nothing,” Yi Chuan said.
“Here—strange glyphs flashed briefly. I didn’t pay much attention at the time,” Shi Hao explained.
“What kind of glyphs?” several voices demanded urgently.
“Show us! Perhaps we can decipher them!” Yi Chuan urged.
“Very well.” Shi Hao set the chest down and traced symbols in the air before the elder.
Everyone leaned in, transfixed.
“Fwoosh!”
A dark-red beam erupted from Shi Hao’s finger—swift, ruthless, unstoppable!
“Brat, you dare?!” Yi Chuan roared.
The others froze, then sneered. How could a junior harm their elder?
Yet, against all odds, the beam pierced Yi Chuan’s divine shield, spearing through his forehead and annihilating his soul!
A Dunyi Realm master, slain by a youth!
The chariot erupted in chaos.
Shi Hao had bided his time, waiting for this moment.
The dark-red beam was the remnant of the Immortal-Slaying Guillotine’s crimson light, fused into his finger during his last tribulation. He had saved it for this dire moment.
Normally, such an attack would be dodged or deflected by a veteran like Yi Chuan.
But at point-blank range, under the guise of revelation, it struck true.
The guillotine’s light was terrifying—even a Dunyi cultivator’s defenses shattered before it.
Yi Chuan, a mighty expert, had died pathetically, outmaneuvered by his own deceit.
“Fwoosh!”
In the blink of an eye, Shi Hao struck again, felling another elder.
Pandemonium ensued.
The chariot became a battleground, divine arts clashing at close quarters.
Shi Hao fought desperately, relieved that only Yi Chuan had been a Dunyi expert.
But then he paled, sensing a formidable presence approaching.
Grabbing the chest and a hostage, he bolted from the chariot.
“Tell me, which clan of the Imperial Pass do you serve?” Shi Hao demanded as he fled.
“Wretch, you won’t escape!” Voices thundered behind him—more elders of Yi Chuan’s clan, previously trailing the chariot.
Worse, Shi Hao spotted the foreign expert Yi Chuan had supposedly killed earlier.
“So you’ve colluded with the enemy!” Shi Hao gritted his teeth.
“Forsaken, where are you? Face me!” A golden radiance flared in the distance—He Ziming had arrived, radiant and imperious.
“He’s mine,” another voice countered coolly—a young Imperial Clan expert.
“Then let’s see who kills him first!” The Gu Clan’s heir had also arrived.
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