He naturally entered the Severing Self Realm and was on the verge of fully consolidating it.
Originally, Shi Hao had planned to wait until matters here were settled before stepping into this realm, as he could enter it at any time—especially after enduring the Ancient Monk’s Eighteen Strikes, which had already tempered him thoroughly.
His foundation was solid. As long as he willed it, he could immediately ascend to a higher level of attainment.
His earlier hesitation stemmed from caution. He feared that if he had an epiphany during the breakthrough, he might be interrupted, wasting his own opportunity.
At this moment, Shi Hao was selfless, devoid of joy or sorrow. In his eyes, scenes of life and death, cycles of reincarnation, all flowed between existence and annihilation. Before him, it was as if there was a sea of life and death, shimmering with ripples.
Severing the self—was it about cutting away the shackles of the self, or was it about severing attachments? For a moment, Shi Hao was lost in confusion, but he quickly gained clarity. Indeed, he had fallen into a state of enlightenment!
That ancient true dragon, now exhaling spiritual essence, illuminated the land of destruction, reviving all plants in an instant. Mountains rose from the earth, giving him immense inspiration.
Rebirth upon ruins of destruction, towering peaks emerging from the abyss—this transformation, from death to prosperity, flowing between existence and annihilation, embodied one of the most fundamental yet profound mysteries of heaven and earth.
Shi Hao was enlightened. Was he breaking the shackles of the flesh, the bonds of the spirit, or the attachments of the heart? It was difficult to say, complex beyond words.
In the lake, the Golden Lion stared at Shi Hao, its eyes blazing with ferocity. It was about to strike, but it held back.
Because it truly had psychological scars. Ever since encountering Shi Hao, it had suffered nothing but misery. It feared that Shi Hao might be testing it now.
Thus, it did not act rashly!
*”He’s not faking it—he’s truly in an epiphany. No, I must strike, ending his opportunity in one blow, sending him from heaven straight to hell!”* The Golden Lion gritted its teeth, its decision bordering on madness.
But its strength was severely diminished, nearly crippled by Shi Hao. It feared that if its strike failed to kill, it would only invite disaster.
*”Wait. Strike at his most critical moment!”* The Golden Lion steeled itself, preparing to ambush Shi Hao.
At this moment, Shi Hao wandered between life and death, between withering and flourishing, grasping at the profound traces of the Dao, capturing them within his heart.
**Boom!**
His body radiated light, as if bathed in divine illumination, like sacred rings reinforcing his flesh. To cultivate the self as the seed was ultimately about unlocking the doors within, not relying on the greater cosmos.
One could see Shi Hao’s solemn, sacred demeanor. Layer upon layer of divine rings manifested around him, as if an immortal monk had reincarnated or a true immortal descended to the mortal world.
At this moment, he was sacred, transcendent—unmoved by material joys, unafraid of the hardships of the Dao. The world he saw was boundless, his heart capable of encompassing rivers and mountains for thousands of miles.
Upon his body, chains of order coiled around him, layer upon layer. These were shackles, now visible at this level.
**Clang!**
As Shi Hao’s eyes blazed with radiant light, countless sword beams erupted from his skin, severing the shackles!
*”How could it be so fast?”* The Golden Lion was shocked. It narrowed its eyes, preparing to attack, for Shi Hao’s soul would surely manifest shackles as well, waiting to be severed.
It decided to strike the fatal blow at that moment.
*”It’s coming!”* The Golden Lion felt its heartbeat quicken, tense lest it miss this perfect opportunity for a counterattack.
At this moment, Shi Hao’s state was incredibly peculiar—as if he had transcended, observing himself, looking down upon all things, emotionless and indifferent, silently watching everything.
His soul was within his skull, yet he could keenly perceive all things, everything around him reflected in his heart.
*”Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things as straw dogs.”* And he seemed to be that heaven and earth—a bizarre mentality, cold, detached, indifferent, shocking even himself.
No emotional fluctuations, no ripples of thought—excessively calm and indifferent, devoid of personal sentiment, observing everything with detached composure.
His soul was clearly within his body, yet he felt as if he were above the heavens, looking down upon it all with cold indifference.
Even the Golden Lion’s hostility did not stir anger or killing intent in him. He merely watched, uncaring.
At this moment, he felt that the Golden Lion and even his own flesh were equal—he did not wish to interfere, devoid of emotion.
It was utterly bizarre!
**Boom!**
Suddenly, from the deepest recesses of his heart, a furious roar erupted, shattering some kind of trance, breaking the shackles of indifference.
*”Ah, so that’s it!”* Shi Hao understood. This so-called transcendent, detached mentality was itself a shackle to be broken.
For a moment, he had nearly been assimilated by the Great Dao of heaven and earth, becoming a part of it, nearly obliterating his own existence.
It was terrifying. Had things continued that way, Shi Hao might have dissolved into the Dao, abandoning everything to merge with heaven and earth, bowing beneath the Great Dao.
This contradicted his path of cultivating the self as the seed!
Perhaps precisely because his path was unique, such a thing had occurred—even the Great Dao of heaven and earth descended, wrapping him in chains of order.
Shi Hao broke out in a cold sweat. He had thought stepping into the Severing Self Realm would be effortless, yet it had been so perilous—he had nearly been ensnared!
Now, he had broken free from that emotionless, detached state.
Yet, upon his soul, many chains of order remained, as if scorching him, grinding away his sharpness and his relentless drive.
But he had awakened, revived, no longer indifferent to it all.
Moreover, these shackles upon his soul were external, not from the depths of his heart. Having shattered the earlier “will of heaven,” these could now be melted away.
Thus, when he saw the Golden Lion raising its massive paw to strike at him, Shi Hao, expressionless, slapped it back!
**Smack!**
*”Ah—!”*
A crisp sound rang out, followed by the Golden Lion’s agonized scream. Its bones shattered, its body tumbling away, a bloody mess, nearly reduced to pulp.
*”Did you not know? The slightest hostility toward me means your death!”* Shi Hao said coldly, looking down upon it. *”This strike was to save you!”*
The Golden Lion struggled to maintain its form, resisting the terrifying force within its body. Hearing this, its golden pupils contracted, filled with humiliation and fury.
It realized—it was true. Shi Hao had long since placed some kind of restriction upon it. Had he not struck first, it would have died from the backlash!
*”Become a servant, obediently serve as my mount, and ride with me to battle in the future—that is your only path to survival. Otherwise, annihilation awaits.”* Shi Hao spoke indifferently.
Then, he ignored it, focusing on comprehending the Dao, experiencing the wonders of the Severing Self Realm.
The Golden Lion’s expression darkened, its thick mane trembling like flames. But it could only endure—it did not wish to die so ignobly. It still sought revenge, and now was not the time to resist.
At the same time, it was shocked. Shi Hao was truly monstrous—advancing into the Severing Self Realm in such a state, clearly in deep enlightenment, yet still able to coldly observe it, unaffected.
**Whoosh!**
At this moment, it witnessed a scene that made its heart tremble—a streak of azure light shot from Shi Hao’s crown, slashing toward the heavens, piercing through the supreme Dao’s resonance!
*”Severing the heart of heaven, defying the will of heaven?!”* The Golden Lion was stunned, its entire body shaking. It had heard legends of this but had never seen it before.
For since ancient times, it knew of no one who had experienced this—no actual proof, no one who had walked this path.
*”Cultivating the self as the seed, then defying the will of heaven upon entering the Severing Self Realm?”* The Golden Lion felt its scalp tingle.
Its ancestors hailed from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, so it naturally knew of the various experts’ theories about cultivating the self as the seed. But the ancients had all failed—no one had ever taken that step.
**Boom!**
Lightning and thunder raged around Shi Hao, radiance surging to the heavens. Blades of heavenly will descended, while sword energy erupted from Shi Hao, clashing against them.
The will of heaven sought to strike him down!
And his own will sought to shatter the will of heaven.
*”Severing the self is a process. I understand now—this is only the beginning. What else will happen?”* Shi Hao murmured.
At this moment, the endless blades of intent and boundless lightning vanished abruptly, leaving the Golden Lion dumbfounded.
It had expected this to last much longer, for something even more terrifying to occur. Yet, in an instant, all was calm.
This was not what it had anticipated.
As Shi Hao had said, the path of cultivating the self as the seed was destined to be fraught with trials. This was merely the beginning. As his cultivation advanced, there would be much more to sever.
Now, it was only the first glimpse!
**Boom!**
Infinite multicolored light swirled, chaos surged from all directions, immortal energy filled his body, and the flowers of the Great Dao bloomed. Shi Hao shone brilliantly, like a Buddha or a battle immortal, standing at the center of a sacred halo, radiant beyond measure.
He had officially entered the Severing Self Realm, fully consolidated, and could advance further at any time!
Powerful energy flowed within him. Shi Hao was confident he could handle anything.
*”This is a good place. Let the armies of the other realm surround us—I shall meditate in the Reincarnation Pool and break through here!”* Shi Hao said to himself.
With the dazed Golden Lion in tow, he charged toward the lake’s depths. Now that he had slain all the besieging cultivators, no one knew he was here—the perfect opportunity to seclude himself and grow stronger.
This time, as Shi Hao sank into the lake’s depths, he sensed something unusual. Faintly, he heard a voice.
*”The cycle of reincarnation opens, the gates of the Dao swing wide!”* It was no illusion—a grand voice truly resounded, as if someone were reciting a supreme decree.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage