Huang descended upon the Celestial City once more, his cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds. Even his mount was a mighty Fearless Lion, shocking all who beheld them.
A golden steed carried the young man as he gazed down upon the world, his oppressive aura weighing heavily over the Celestial City. He had come to settle a score!
It was clear—this was about old grievances, a reckoning with the Celestial Clan.
Many frowned, sensing trouble. The higher-ups had already heard of his unparalleled strength, how he had survived countless battles in the Borderlands and returned unscathed. Who would dare provoke such a monster?
This was no mere rumor. Their clan had elders who had fought in the Borderlands, witnessing Huang’s prowess firsthand.
“Back then, he was just a youth. How could his cultivation have soared to such terrifying heights in just a few years?” someone murmured in disbelief.
Huang was still in his twenties, at the prime of his life, his golden years just beginning!
Yet here he was, having already stepped into the Dunyi Realm, defying all logic and creating a myth among myths—unprecedented in this era!
A heaven-defying prodigy, his brilliance unreplicable, his existence unique.
And now, this terrifyingly young powerhouse had come knocking, a harbinger of the future where they would all live under his shadow.
How long would his golden age last? Unimaginable!
Many foresaw that his era of dominance had only just begun, his glory likely to span an entire epoch!
How were they to endure such a long stretch of time? If he held enmity toward the Celestial Clan, he would have countless opportunities to annihilate them entirely, leaving none alive.
The mere thought sent chills down the spines of some elders.
The prospect was too horrifying to contemplate!
“Young friend, there were misunderstandings in the past. We are willing to make amends,” an elder spoke, his tone conciliatory.
The thought of what might come to pass filled them with dread.
“A single, flimsy sentence, and you think past grievances can be wiped away just like that?” Shi Hao scoffed.
His words darkened many faces—Huang had no intention of reconciliation.
Yet, recalling the past, many fell silent, while those directly involved felt only regret and frustration.
Had they handled their relationship with Huang properly back then, they would never have become enemies.
Huang had protected Yun Xi on her return. Had they not harbored ill intentions, leading to an irreversible chain of events, none of this would have happened.
In truth, had they not schemed against him, coveting his treasures and techniques, things would have been different.
Some things didn’t need deep reflection—had events unfolded naturally, Huang would have been their ally, even a potential son-in-law of the Celestial Clan.
Some stole glances at Yun Xi. Back then, Shi Hao had protected her on their journey back. They had known each other since the Lower Realm, their bond unbreakable, and had faced life-and-death trials together in the Upper Realm.
Yet, no one could have predicted the tragedies that followed.
Yun Xi’s expression was complex, her eyes filled with sorrow and regret. The Celestial Clan had pushed Shi Hao to the brink, nearly executing him, leaving him no way back.
She sighed inwardly. Had she stood firm back then, resisting with all her might, perhaps Shi Hao’s fate would have been less dire.
But once events unfolded, there was no turning back. The Celestial Clan had acted too ruthlessly, leaving her with nothing but sighs.
Many in the Celestial Clan now regretted their actions. Such a formidable young genius should have been their ally, their comrade.
Instead, he had become their enemy, looming over them, his golden years likely to be spent eradicating their clan.
The contrast was so stark that some felt their guts twist with regret.
“Huang, don’t push us too far!”
A voice rang out from among the younger generation, filled with anger. Though they knew Huang’s strength, no one had ever dared to be so brazen—a single man and his mount, blocking the Celestial City’s gates, challenging an entire clan!
At these words, many paled, especially the elders, who shot the speaker a cold glare, silencing him before he could provoke disaster.
“Roar!”
Shi Hao remained silent, but his mount—the Golden Lion—let out a deafening roar, its golden radiance blazing as it thundered, “Enough talk! Who dares to fight? Step out, and I’ll send you all to your graves!”
Such arrogance, from a mere mount! Yet none dared retort.
This was a lineage that had once dared to challenge the Immortal Monk King, its bloodline rare and mighty.
The elder who had fought in the Borderlands knew all too well the Golden Lion’s status in the Foreign Lands and sighed deeply.
Even in the Immortal Ancient Era, this lineage had walked unopposed!
“Is he really that strong? Our Celestial Clan has countless experts. Why fear him? Activate the grand formation and crush him where he stands!” someone muttered.
Though many were wary, some warmongers remained defiant.
“Senior Brother You Yu, you once fought Huang. Is he truly that terrifying?” a younger clansman asked.
You Yu, once hailed as the Celestial Clan’s top genius, had been unmatched among his peers, a prodigy even across the Three Thousand Provinces.
Yet after a bloody battle, he had been left half-crippled, his fused Destiny Stone seized, rendering him nearly useless.
The only solace was that the clan had eventually healed him, and in recent years, he had forged his own path, exuding an air of returning to simplicity.
Some said he was even more fearsome than before!
You Yu sighed softly. “Back then, we fought fiercely, evenly matched, until I narrowly lost. All these years, I’ve been in seclusion, comprehending the Dao, carving my own path. I thought, upon meeting him again, I could fight him once more, settle the score. But now, seeing him, I know—he’s already beyond my reach, beyond any hope of catching up.”
There was no bitterness in his tone, no frustration—just calm acceptance, as if stating a simple fact.
This shocked many. This was You Yu, once so proud and unrivaled, now so composed, having lost all desire to fight Huang.
In his eyes, among the younger generation, Huang was already invincible!
“It seems the Borderlands truly tempered him. What did he experience there?” some murmured.
Huang was destined to be unrivaled, unstoppable—this became the consensus.
“What about him? Could he defeat Huang?” someone whispered, glancing toward a certain direction.
There stood a youth known as the Three Stones Heavenly Monarch, the strongest inheritor in the Celestial Clan’s history—at least, within the same realm.
He was not of this era, having slumbered for ages, his body preserved in youth.
Yet the Three Stones Heavenly Monarch remained utterly calm, showing no intention of stepping forward.
“Even if we fought, I would ultimately lose,” he stated plainly, unashamed.
His words sent tremors through the crowd.
“Young friend, let bygones be bygones. Your golden age has just begun. We are willing to reconcile,” the elder spoke again, his tone humble, signaling surrender—a sight that stunned the entire clan.
Shi Hao was taken aback. The Celestial Clan was yielding so quickly? He had expected a battle, not this swift submission.
“Wrongdoings demand retribution. I’ve come to collect a debt, not to leave empty-handed,” Shi Hao said, his gaze sweeping over everyone on the walls.
“Very well. Name your price,” the elder replied, glancing at the higher-ups and then at Yun Xi.
This made Yun Xi freeze.
Shi Hao smiled. “Simple. I wish to borrow the Celestial City’s Flying Immortal Stone.”
The moment these words left his lips, many hearts sank. Some elders turned livid, barely suppressing their fury.
The Flying Immortal Stone—their clan’s supreme treasure!
There was no way they would lend it out. Huang had come with ill intentions.
The elder hesitated. “Choose something else. Even our ancient scriptures are open to you.”
The crowd stirred. Such a concession, just for reconciliation? Offering their scriptures?
Yet Shi Hao shook his head. “I have enough scriptures already. More would only clutter my path. I don’t need them.”
The crowd was speechless. Who would reject a priceless ancient scripture?
But then they recalled the rumors from the Borderlands, the terrifying techniques Huang possessed, and fell silent.
For it was said he wielded several Ten Calamities techniques and even true immortal scriptures. He truly had no need for theirs.
“I want only the Flying Immortal Stone,” Shi Hao declared.
Back when he had been trapped in the Celestial Clan, he had seen that stone and, defying all odds, lifted it.
Before him, no one at the Noble Realm had ever managed it.
That day, the stone had shone, its inner patterns intertwining with him, completing his innate Supreme Technique.
In his youth, his bone had been gouged out, leaving his first Supreme Technique incomplete. Yet the Flying Immortal Stone had restored it.
What kind of heaven-defying treasure was this?
Thus, Shi Hao had never forgotten it.
The stone contained the “Immortal Spirit Jade,” ever-changing. If nourished by immortal energy, it could compose peerless scriptures.
“Young friend, this is too much to ask. How about this—we’ll bring the Flying Immortal Stone to the city walls. You may observe it up close,” the elder proposed.
He left, personally retrieving the stone.
Soon, he returned, placing the peculiar stone atop the walls.
Normally dull and unremarkable, the stone now emitted radiant immortal light, dazzling and mysterious.
Those below the Noble Realm couldn’t even budge it.
“Young friend, come and see,” the elder invited.
Many stepped back warily.
Shi Hao remained composed, not approaching the city. He knew the Celestial City was no ordinary place—caution was necessary.
After all, this was the birthplace of the Ancient Six Celestials!
From his time in the Borderlands, he had learned of their true might. The Celestial Clan’s past was indeed glorious—and terrifying.
Among the Six Celestials, one had become a Supreme, another a Quasi-Supreme, just a step away.
Such heritage, such power—utterly horrifying.
Some said the strongest two were of an older generation, true survivors of the Immortal Ancient Era.
Others claimed the Six Celestials spanned three generations, with the current elder being the weakest and youngest.
The Celestial Clan had once been among the strongest in the Three Thousand Provinces, unrivaled in the human realm during ancient times.
Thus, Shi Hao had no intention of stepping into the city lightly.
Not that he feared them entirely—he simply saw no need for a life-or-death struggle.
He held the advantage, blockading the city, cutting off their escape.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, Shi Hao stiffened. Something on his person was heating up, emitting light.
He reached into his palm, revealing an object—the Void Immortal Gold Book, gifted to him by the Golden Burial Guardian San Zang as thanks for his aid.
This wordless tome, hailing from the Era of the Fall, was reacting!
Boom!
Over the Celestial City’s walls, light erupted, a shocking transformation unfolding.
“Ah! What’s happening?”
“No!”
Screams rang out.
For the Flying Immortal Stone had moved—suddenly, inexplicably—soaring through the air, leaving the Celestial City behind!
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