A vast crowd of creatures gathered, representing various races, their cultivation levels ranging from Heavenly Deity Realm to Dunyi Realm, distributed across all tiers.
The reason was simple—Huang had returned, causing a massive uproar that naturally spread here. Seeing him engaged in a dispute, it was impossible not to draw attention.
Among them, a group stood together, united in hostility, faintly opposing Shi Hao.
Those who directly confronted and berated Shi Hao stood at the center, sneering at him.
“Who are these people? So annoying!” the Lunar Grace muttered under her breath.
A group of young cultivators had followed, frowning at the dark mass of opponents. Were they looking for a fight? This could easily escalate into conflict!
Those who frequented the training grounds were typically battle-hungry. Few came here to cultivate in seclusion—most engaged in combat.
After all, those who truly sought to cultivate in peace would choose quieter locations. Every clan had their own sacred training grounds.
Thus, the creatures gathered here were undoubtedly troublemakers, all eager for battle and prone to stirring up trouble.
“The spectators come from various clans, but those gathered together, radiating hostility and sneering, are mostly followers of the Jin Clan, the Wang Clan, and other major factions—or even members of those clans themselves.”
Someone recognized their identities and warned Shi Hao and the Lunar Grace.
“Hey, why hesitate? Show us your battle merit token. Let’s see how many enemies you’ve slain to warrant such arrogance,” one of them mocked.
The so-called battle merit token was a bone plaque that recorded the number of enemies slain by warriors of Imperial Pass.
Shi Hao still remembered clearly—when he first stepped onto the battlefield, an old cultivator in the desert had given him one. At the time, he hadn’t understood its purpose, only realizing its function after slaying foes.
“How shallow. Killing a few enemies and already acting so smug, rushing here to claim merit—how laughable,” another sneered.
Shi Hao’s gaze turned icy as he faced them. Upon realizing these were followers of the Jin and Wang factions—those hostile to him—his demeanor shifted from calm to frigid.
Were these so-called followers and their clansmen truly so relentless? Did they intend to keep opposing him?
However, this group was indeed formidable. Among them were cultivators at the Slayer Realm and even Dunyi Realm experts, watching him coldly.
Of course, the true powerhouses maintained their dignity, no longer leading the charge but instead smirking as they observed the situation unfold.
Yet, it was clear that those provoking him now were emboldened by their presence. With these experts backing them, they had no fear.
If Shi Hao retaliated, they were certain the Dunyi Realm experts would seize the opportunity to strike and teach him a lesson.
This was exactly what some scheming individuals hoped for—a legitimate excuse to crush Shi Hao’s spirit and humiliate him, something certain factions would relish.
“You’ve gone too far!” Chang Gongyan shouted.
“Scram back to the Jin Clan, crawl back to the Wang Clan, and grovel before your masters!” The Heavenly Horned Ant, though small in stature, roared with deafening fury.
A wave of cold hostility surged toward it.
“What? You want to fight me?” The ant refused to back down, glaring back.
Shi Hao stopped it. “I’ll claim my merits. Let them spew their nonsense—facts speak louder than words.”
He strode toward a nearby palace where battle merits were verified.
Hearing this, the opposing group exchanged glances. Some immediately realized that Shi Hao must have achieved something significant this time.
“A mere young cultivator—how many enemies could he have slain? When we killed Dunyi Realm experts, we didn’t rush here in such haste. We waited until we had two heads before claiming merit. Youth these days… so impatient,” remarked a Dunyi Realm expert named Luo Han, a middle-aged man with flowing hair, smiling faintly.
In their eyes, even if Shi Hao was a prodigy, his cultivation was still too low for his merits to be earth-shattering.
Of course, this was also a test—an attempt to gauge Shi Hao’s reaction and deduce his actual achievements.
“You are you, I am I. You cling to your hypocrisy—I embrace my sincerity,” Shi Hao retorted coldly.
Luo Han’s expression darkened. Few among the younger generation dared speak so boldly to a Dunyi Realm expert.
“Some people must think their tails have reached the heavens, daring to defy Dunyi Realm experts. Do you believe your merits can rival those of your elders?” Another middle-aged cultivator, clad in a purple-gold crown and chainmail, sneered.
This was Qi Lin, a Dunyi Realm expert and follower of the Jin Clan.
It was increasingly clear to them that Shi Hao couldn’t have achieved anything extraordinary—he was simply too young.
Of course, they deliberately ignored the possibility of the Rotten Wooden Chest, as that would render any comparison meaningless—its merit was beyond measure.
“Young people nowadays are too impulsive, lacking stability. A minor achievement, and they act as if they’ve conquered the heavens,” Luo Han nodded in agreement.
With two Dunyi Realm experts openly targeting Shi Hao, the opposing group grew bolder.
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?” Qing Yi spoke up, her usually gentle temper flaring.
“Looking for a fight? Bring it on!” the battle-crazed Heavenly Horned Ant shouted.
“Damn it, if you’ve got the guts, fight me on the Supreme Arena—where cultivation is restricted, and we battle on equal footing! I’ll take on eight of you!” Cao Yusheng yelled.
The rotund youth, though furious, had no desire to be crushed by a Dunyi expert and thus demanded a fair fight.
“Pfft!”
Luo Han and Qi Lin scoffed, shaking their heads. Their conviction that Shi Hao couldn’t have achieved much only grew stronger.
“How naive. Do you think enemies on the battlefield will suppress their cultivation to fight you fairly? Ridiculous!” they mocked.
“Do you think being a Dunyi expert makes you invincible?” Shi Hao’s voice turned icy. Their repeated provocations had crossed the line—it was time to teach them a lesson.
Just then, a few more figures approached—familiar faces led by Jin Kun and Jin Yi, both Dunyi Realm experts from the Jin Clan.
Accompanying them were others, including members of the Wang Clan.
“Strike now. Wounding him is acceptable. Reliable sources say the soul lamp outside Meng Tianzheng’s secluded palace is flickering—he won’t last much longer!”
Before even arriving, they secretly transmitted their intentions, urging Luo Han and Qi Lin to seize this opportunity to publicly humiliate Shi Hao.
They also brought news of Meng Tianzheng’s impending demise, emboldening their allies. Without this, they wouldn’t have dared act so brazenly.
Jin Kun and Jin Yi had come precisely because they refused to accept defeat. They suspected Shi Hao might have achieved something noteworthy, something that would earn widespread admiration.
If they could tarnish his glory before he claimed his merits—by provoking him into a confrontation where he was “rightfully” disciplined by experts—it would diminish his achievements.
This was a deliberate attempt to undermine Shi Hao’s brilliance. The Jin Clan had never relented, always seeking ways to suppress him.
Especially after Jin Zhan’s crushing defeat, their resentment had only deepened. They longed to personally crush Shi Hao.
“Young man, since you’re so arrogant as to disrespect Dunyi experts, allow me to teach you a lesson,” Luo Han declared, now authorized to act.
“Does being a lapdog for an immortal clan truly bring you honor?” Shi Hao’s anger flared. Since his return, these people had done nothing but obstruct him. Was defeating Jin Zhan not enough?
His words were scathing, turning the faces of his opponents livid.
Qi Lin’s voice dripped with frost. “We’ve taken the heads of Dunyi experts ourselves, yet never flaunted our merits so shamelessly. Today, we’ll test your worth, junior.”
He avoided calling it a duel—that would be too blatantly unfair—instead framing it as an “evaluation” to justify their actions.
“You, you, you, and you—come here!” Shi Hao pointed at Luo Han, Qi Lin, Jin Kun, and Jin Yi, his expression unreadable.
“Junior, one evaluator is enough. You don’t get to choose your teacher,” Qi Lin sneered.
Shi Hao replied coldly, “If this is an evaluation, then I’ll evaluate all of you. Let’s see if you Dunyi experts are truly worthy of respect—or if you’re just frauds. I suspect your so-called battle merits are inflated, not earned through individual effort.”
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