The morning sun cast its golden glow, illuminating a group of silent children who burst into tears as they departed, their grimy faces streaked with glistening teardrops.
Shi Hao led them away from the Imperial City.
In his hand, he held a bone token—only by carrying it could one enter or leave this place.
Shen Ming and San Zang, astonished, swiftly approached from afar. They never expected him to emerge with such a large group of children, numbering in the hundreds.
“You… went to claim kin?!” Shen Ming teased.
“Yes!” Shi Hao replied solemnly, for it was indeed the truth.
The two Burial Kings were stunned. Had he truly gone to claim kin? Just what was the origin of this “Huang”? Was he truly of the same bloodline as the beings of the Primordial Imperial City, with ties so close even now?
“How do we leave this place? We’ve tried many times but couldn’t break the barrier,” San Zang said.
This floating land was encased in an impenetrable barrier, blocking all passage. Even the two Golden Burial Kings had been powerless against it.
“Let’s go,” Shi Hao said simply. With the bone token in his possession, he led the children through effortlessly.
*Whoosh!*
A serene mist swirled around them, gently carrying the hundreds of children as they descended onto the vast desert, landing softly upon the earth.
Though tearstains still marked their faces, the children trembled with emotion. They had finally left the Imperial City that had nurtured them, stepping onto unfamiliar soil.
This land—they had gazed upon it, yearned for it, dreamed of one day setting foot upon it to live in peace and tranquility. Now their feet had touched it, but what did the future hold?
“Not easy, is it? We’ve come full circle!” Shen Ming lazily stretched her slender waist, gazing into the distance.
Their journey had been extraordinary—starting from the Sea Waterfall of the Foreign Realm, encountering bizarre sights along the way, only to finally return to the Borderlands.
“Kid Huang, why not come with us to the Burial Land? Let us show you what true purity is—a sanctity surpassing even the Immortal Domain!” Shen Ming tempted.
“Do you really think I’ve never been to the Burial Land? Aside from the darkness beneath and ancient coffins buried for ages, what else is there?” Shi Hao retorted.
Shen Ming rolled her eyes. “That’s because you’ve seen nothing. The true dwelling of the Golden Burial Kings is nothing like that. The abodes of the Burial Kings are worlds apart—planted with immortal herbs of longevity, purer than the Immortal Domain, where even True Phoenixes are kept like chickens at the gates!”
Shi Hao had indeed heard of such legends—the Burial Lands were unique, home to sacred and flawless paradises.
“Forget it. I should return to the Imperial Pass first and bring these clansmen back,” Shi Hao said, wary of unforeseen dangers. He needed to return to the Imperial Pass and warn them—the Foreign Realm was preparing for a major move.
Perhaps the Celestial Abyss could no longer hold them back. The old Imperial Pass might soon be destroyed.
And what of the current Imperial Pass? Would it too fall under siege?
The thought weighed heavily on Shi Hao’s heart. Time was pressing; there was no room for delay.
“We’ll return to the Burial Lands first. Something might be happening—we need to gather information,” San Zang said.
The morning sun blazed brilliantly, casting a golden hue over the desert.
It was a radiant morning.
Upon the towering walls of the Imperial Pass, a designated area allowed guards to survey the vast desert beyond. Every day, armored warriors patrolled its length.
“Enemies approach!”
Soon, an alarm was raised. A group of several hundred figures had been spotted on the horizon.
Compared to the usual armies numbering in the tens of thousands, this was a small force—yet its significance was immense. Someone was attacking the Imperial Pass!
*Woo—*
The sound of ox-horn trumpets echoed. The guards stood solemnly, clad in armor, weapons at the ready, their cold gazes fixed upon the desert.
The tension within the Imperial Pass had been palpable—a calm before the storm, as if a cataclysmic event loomed.
“Only a few hundred… and they’re… children?!” someone exclaimed upon closer inspection.
“Wait—who is that? Huang! It’s Huang, walking among them!” another shouted in disbelief.
The guards on the wall froze like statues. How had Huang, captured and imprisoned in the Foreign Realm, returned?
Rumors had swirled about him—tales of his exploits in the Foreign Realm, even whispers of him escaping that ancient world.
And now… he had reappeared!
It was surreal. How could someone believed lost forever return?
“Huang has returned!” The cry spread like wildfire, shaking the defenders.
The news swept through the region like a hurricane, racing toward the heart of the city.
It was astonishing—many cultivators were left speechless.
That youth… how had he come back?
“Hold! Do not let him enter! Block him!” someone roared, fearing an immediate breach.
“Stand firm! Remain vigilant!” another voice commanded.
Chaos erupted in the area.
“Who dares stop Shi Hao’s return?” another voice thundered in response.
“How can we be sure it’s truly him? He was taken away—how could he escape? What if a Foreign Realm powerhouse has possessed him? It would spell disaster!” a cold voice countered.
The area buzzed with debate.
Indeed, how had Huang escaped? It was a mystery.
And why had he returned with a horde of children?
The children wore tattered hides, their clothes stained with blood. Where had they come from? The Foreign Realm?
Shi Hao stood before the towering gates, gazing up at the seemingly endless walls.
“Are you… Huang?” someone above asked.
“Yes,” Shi Hao replied simply, requesting entry.
“We cannot open the gates. His identity remains unverified,” someone objected.
Shi Hao remained calm—this was standard procedure. Letting in a potential spy would be reckless.
“Examine me thoroughly,” he offered.
Before entry, divine light would scan his entire being. He welcomed it.
“Proceed!” came the order from above, as messengers rushed to alert the highest authorities—including Meng Tianzheng.
“What? Huang… he’s alive? He’s back? Oh—!” The Lunar Grace Fairy overturned her alchemy furnace in her haste to reach the gates.
“You… you’re alive. You’ve returned,” Qing Yi murmured, rushing toward the scene.
“Am I hearing right? You came back on your own? I even woke my master to settle scores with Jin Taijun!” Cao Yusheng laughed, though his expression was one of utter disbelief.
“Huang has returned?” Qi Hong, Zhe Xian, Shi Yi, the Wei Family’s Four Phoenixes—young elites and elders alike—were stunned.
The news was like thunder, exploding in their ears.
Shi Hao, sent away as a prisoner to the Foreign Realm, had escaped and returned?
A crowd surged toward the gates!
Beneath the walls, Shi Hao was enveloped in light as the city’s defenses scrutinized him for any signs of possession.
Every entrant to the Imperial Pass was recorded by their life imprint. Shi Hao had entered before—this was confirmed to be his true self.
The revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd.
It was truly Huang—he had returned alive!
Now, the city gates glowed, scanning him for threats.
“Shi Hao, is it really you? I never thought I’d see you alive again!” the Lunar Grace Fairy shouted, her words far from ladylike.
“Ha! If it’s really you, brother, I’ll treat you to wine once you’re inside!” Tuo Gu Yulong of the younger generation laughed.
Many sympathized with Shi Hao—a hero betrayed, sent to the Foreign Realm. His return defied all expectations.
Cheers erupted from the walls, many genuinely relieved at his safe return.
Yet some—like members of the Wang and Jin Families—paled. Jin Taijun’s faction, in particular, wore uneasy expressions. They had been the ones to advocate sending Shi Hao away.
“No anomalies detected. He may enter!”
The inspection was complete. Under the array’s scrutiny, Shi Hao was cleared.
“They come with me,” Shi Hao said, gesturing to the silent, ragged children behind him.
“Who are they? From the Foreign Realm? They cannot enter!” someone objected.
“Their forebears were heroes—warriors who held the line against the Foreign Realm’s advance, from the city in the sky…”
Shi Hao spoke with deep emotion.
“That city still stands?”
“There are still living beings there?”
Clearly, many in the Imperial Pass knew of that city.
“What proof do you have?” someone demanded urgently.
“Many of them bear the same mark as I do—the imprint of our bloodline!” Shi Hao said, urging the children to channel their power, revealing the sigils on their foreheads.
*Boom!*
Light erupted as the children’s foreheads blazed with fiery runes.
“The Sinful Bloodline!” someone gasped.
“Descendants of Sin!” others exclaimed.
“Silence!” Shi Hao roared. “Their ancestors stood on the front lines, fighting to the last to protect the Nine Heavens! If they are ‘sinful,’ then what does that make the rest of you?”
But he quickly reined in his anger, thinking of the children’s parents and ancestors—tragic figures who had defended the realm, only to be forgotten and labeled as sinners.
“I swear to you, these are the descendants of heroes—great figures whose deeds have been twisted. Who branded them ‘sinful’? This injustice must be rectified!” Shi Hao declared.
He briefly recounted the plight of the Primordial Imperial City’s last defenders.
“Now, only the weak and wounded remain—yet they still hold the line. Who dares call them ‘sinful’ now?” Shi Hao challenged.
The crowd on the walls stood in stunned silence.
“But… where is the evidence?” a hesitant voice asked.
“I believe him.”
Meng Tianzheng had arrived, standing tall as a mountain.
“Activate the Bone Mirror. Let divine light inspect them. If no anomalies are found, welcome them inside!” Meng Tianzheng commanded.
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