Damn, Shi Hao’s eyes were too bright, practically glowing green with excitement as he scanned everyone.
It felt like he was a starving wolf that had spotted prey, ready to pounce—that aggressive, predatory gaze was unmistakable.
The group grew uneasy, their muscles tensing under the scrutiny of someone so unnervingly young.
“Hey, not bad—you got another Dao Comprehension Tea leaf. Hand it over to settle your debt, and we’ll call it even,” Shi Hao said, eyeing one particular faction.
The faces of those noble clan members instantly fell, their bodies going weak as if they might collapse right there. How the hell did Shi Hao spot it? After exhausting themselves to obtain a third leaf, he had somehow noticed it too!
They had paid a steep price, barely managing to secure that third leaf, only to have it snatched away again.
The urge to cry was overwhelming. Three leaves—three chances at enlightenment—gone just like that.
Why had they ever provoked Shi Hao? If they had known it would come to this, they never would’ve listened to Chi Meng Hong’s orders. Just one act of interference, and now they were paying a brutal price.
“Just give it to him. Better than losing our lives. Even Chi Meng Hong got eaten by him—handing over three leaves isn’t that shameful. Starting from the fourth, they’ll truly be ours!” one of them said, trying to justify the compromise.
And so, Shi Hao made another satisfying haul.
Instead of attacking the others, he turned his attention to the earthen altar. After all, he could still seize plenty for himself.
This time, he employed the Kun Peng technique—two massive claws, one golden, the other pitch-black, embodying the duality of yin and yang. They collided with a thunderous crash, tearing through the barrier effortlessly.
With minimal effort, he retrieved a jade jar of Dao Comprehension Tea.
Again and again, he struck, each time retrieving another jar. The second attempt was slightly harder, but he managed.
Five jars later, he stopped. Though he could continue, the mana expenditure wasn’t worth it—especially since he still had battles ahead.
At the very least, he planned to loot everything in sight. This wasn’t going to end peacefully.
“Whoosh!”
The Willow God technique manifested—though altered. Shi Hao’s right arm transformed into a golden divine chain, piercing the barrier like a streak of light and retrieving another jar.
Five more jars, secured.
“Reincarnation!”
The moment the Reincarnation technique appeared, all eyes turned wary. Time-related laws were the most terrifying, especially after Shi Hao had just defeated Chi Meng Hong.
Another five jars.
“Heaven’s Decree!”
Then came the Six Paths Reincarnation Heavenly Art!
With a roar, Shi Hao unleashed a burst of power from his dantian, tearing through the altar’s barrier once more. His mana surged as he seized yet more tea leaves.
He experimented with various techniques, even tapping into his innate potential. This time, the haul was even greater—more than five leaves without any sign of fatigue.
By the end, Shi Hao had collected dozens of jars—an astonishing, jaw-dropping bounty.
After accounting for his expenditures, he still had forty-nine leaves left, all radiant and stored in a single jade vessel, their fragrance intoxicating.
The crowd was dumbstruck. This was beyond absurd. How could one person claim so many leaves? What were the rest supposed to do?
The noble clan youths were speechless. Even working together, each clan had only managed three or four leaves—yet Shi Hao had taken dozens.
They could only curse inwardly. This ruthless bastard was too monstrous, his strength overwhelming. No wonder he had crushed Chi Meng Hong!
Worst of all, his speed was unreal. He hadn’t paused once, just plundered everything in one go.
Now, unease spread.
Because Shi Hao had stopped attacking the altar. Instead, he was now facing them—clearly with ill intent.
“You, you, and your clan—your hostility has been palpable since I arrived. You’ve been leaking killing intent, itching to strike me down. Don’t think I didn’t notice just because you’ve reined it in now. Let’s settle this. Tell me—how have I wronged you?”
He pointed out three clans at once, confronting eight or nine elite youths from powerful noble lineages.
Their hearts sank. They’d been marked.
“A misunderstanding. We’ve had no grievances,” one replied.
“So, I owe you nothing?” Shi Hao pressed.
“Nothing,” the youth confirmed.
“Good. Then it’s you who owe me. Three leaves per clan, and we’re even,” Shi Hao declared.
“You—don’t push it!” a noble clan youth snapped, furious. They had hoped to avoid conflict, but Shi Hao wasn’t having it.
“Shi Hao, don’t overstep. Remember, this is our world. Cause too much trouble, and you’ll regret it!” another threatened boldly.
“I hate being threatened. Since arriving in the foreign realm, I never planned to leave. If you think your clan can intimidate me—try me.”
Then, without hesitation, he struck.
A single punch, shaking heaven and earth.
Lightning Fist—hundreds of electric arcs, each miles long, erupted with terrifying force.
The noble who had threatened him paled. He hadn’t expected Shi Hao to act so decisively.
Despite his defenses, the punch tore through his protective barriers and struck his chest.
“Boom!”
His body exploded into a bloody mist, instantly incinerated by the lightning.
Silence.
Then, chaos.
A noble clan elite—dead in one punch.
“Was that… a noble? Just like that?”
Fear spread. They had seen Shi Hao fight Chi Meng Hong, but this was different. Brutal. Efficient.
“Here! Take the leaves!” someone finally cracked, surrendering three leaves.
All three clans complied, handing over nine leaves in total—their hearts bleeding.
“Much obliged,” Shi Hao said politely, clasping his hands.
The nobles nearly spat blood.
“Ah, only fifty-some leaves. Not enough to drink,” Shi Hao sighed.
Others wanted to scream. Fifty wasn’t enough? They had barely managed three or four!
Then, Shi Hao’s gaze swept over the rest. Many nobles had secured six or seven leaves.
They looked to Yu Yu, Mo Xian, and Wu Kun, hoping the imperial clans would intervene. But the imperial heirs remained silent.
Yu Yu wanted to act, but after seeing Shi Hao advance to the late-stage Severing World Realm, he held back. He wasn’t ready yet.
The others, too, hesitated. With Chi Meng Hong’s defeat fresh in their minds, they prioritized drinking the tea and breaking through.
The nobles despaired, especially when Shi Hao’s predatory gaze locked onto them.
“Don’t fear! He’s just one man! Together, we can crush him!” someone whispered.
Shi Hao’s senses flared. He pinpointed the instigator instantly.
“Whoosh!”
A blur, then—
“Boom!”
Another noble exploded under his fist.
Terror.
More surrendered leaves.
Soon, Shi Hao had over a hundred.
Then, the elders overseeing the ancient tree intervened, halting the chaos.
The battlefield was a mess, littered with the wounded. In that brief moment, everyone had witnessed Shi Hao’s dominance—utterly unstoppable.
“Thank you, everyone. Let me treat you to some Time Beast meat—great nourishment! Roasted to golden perfection, fragrant and delicious. Should make up for your losses.”
Shi Hao smiled warmly, flashing pearly teeth.
Some were tempted—but also furious.
Who dared eat an imperial clan member? Only this madman!
But no one could accept. Doing so would land them on the Chi Clan’s blacklist.
Still, the temptation was real.
“You’re all too polite. Well, if you won’t take the meat, then we’re even for the leaves!” Shi Hao declared righteously.
Damn it all—they wanted to strangle him.
“One pot of Dao Comprehension Tea, and maybe I’ll break through to the Escape Realm. Wouldn’t that be something?” Shi Hao mused.
What he didn’t say aloud was this: once he reached the Escape Realm, he planned to try killing a few Sovereigns in the foreign realm.
That would be truly satisfying.
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