Chapter 1710: The Mastermind

Yuan Qing was nothing short of a mortal enemy to Shi Hao.

Many of the trials and tribulations Shi Hao had endured were tied to this man. The moment he set foot in the Nine Heavens, Yuan Qing had suppressed him, and if not for intervention, he might have fallen victim to his schemes right then. Even so, Shi Hao was sent into the Primordial Ancient Mine, where he was forcibly enslaved by the Wang Family.

One could say that without Yuan Qing, none of the subsequent events would have unfolded.

Later, Yuan Qing even dispatched his descendants to target Shi Hao at the Celestial Academy, seeking to eradicate him root and stem. Fortunately, the Celestial Academy meted out severe punishment—Yuan Qing’s son was crippled, and his grandson was slain by Shi Hao in the Immortal Ancient Battlefield.

Years had passed, and Yuan Qing looked even more youthful than before, his black hair thick and cascading, his eyes sharp and piercing as they locked onto Shi Hao.

Shi Hao didn’t recognize the others accompanying Yuan Qing, but they exuded an aura of immense danger, as if they carried something fearsome within them.

“You little bastard, your luck is truly astounding—surviving the war at the Borderlands, and now advancing so swiftly. You cannot be allowed to live!” Yuan Qing spoke, his words causing Shi Hao’s eyes to blaze with killing intent.

During the Borderlands War, Yuan Qing had never shown his face, never contributed a single effort to reinforce the Emperor’s Pass. Yet now, here he was, speaking with such arrogance.

Shi Hao had fought tooth and nail at the Borderlands, risking life and limb, only to return and find this man leaping out to kill him!

“You fake Supreme Being, here to make a fool of yourself? With your half-baked cultivation, you’ve barely made progress—are you here to die?!” Shi Hao retorted coldly.

In an era where true Supreme Beings were absent, those at the Dunyi Realm were sometimes privately revered as such, though everyone knew it was merely an honorary title—a hope that one day, such powerhouses would advance further.

As for Yuan Qing, back then, he had been just a step away from the Dunyi Realm. Now, he had finally broken through, shattering that barrier to become a Dunyi cultivator. With his entourage in tow, he had come to intercept Shi Hao.

“You’re courting death!” Shi Hao declared.

He had every reason to be confident. At his age, reaching the Dunyi Realm was extraordinary—given time, he could sweep aside all adversaries.

“Arrogant brat, what can you do now? We won’t give you the chance. Your life ends here—dreaming of the Supreme Realm is pure delusion!” Yuan Qing was blunt.

He had brought his forces to cut Shi Hao down before he could ascend further, ensuring he never reached the Supreme Realm.

Yuan Qing himself might not be capable, but the power behind him was more than enough to crush a genius, to smother a youth of boundless potential before he could rise.

In truth, their hasty departure from the Nine Heavens, their reckless urgency, stemmed from fear.

Shi Hao’s performance at the Borderlands had sent chills down the spines of certain individuals. To them, his potential was too vast—if he truly became a Supreme Being, he could dominate the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Who could stop him then?

Once he sought retribution, entire bloodlines would be doomed. Even with immortal artifacts and the full might of their ancient lineages, it wouldn’t be enough!

“While we fought to the death at the Borderlands, you cowered in safety, enjoying peace. Now that the war is over, you leap out like rabid dogs, brandishing your blades at us. Where was your courage, your valor, your might when facing the foreign realm? How strange—now you’re all ferocity, like tailless curs, fierce only among your own!”

Shi Hao’s words were scathing, fueled by the icy fury in his heart. These people were despicable, shameless—they deserved death!

“Ah—”

In the distance, agonized screams still echoed.

Those were the creatures who had hidden in the depths of the Lunar River, now suffering under its curse—some humanoid, others monstrous, all in unbearable torment.

*Thud!*

Some turned to bleached bones, collapsing into the black river, their souls utterly corroded. Others had their eyes split open, skulls bleeding, organs rotting, souls aflame—even if they survived, their lifespans would be halved, their cultivation ruined.

Of the powerhouses who had hidden in the riverbed, nine out of ten were either crippled or dead. Only a handful endured, but they had lost half their lives.

Such was the tyranny of the Immortal Tomb’s curse—there was no cure, only endurance.

And this time, the curse had been brought out from within the tomb by Shi Hao himself, making it even more devastating, capable of annihilating entire regions.

Nine out of ten ambushers in the river were finished!

Yet, the figures behind Yuan Qing remained unmoved, utterly composed.

“Interesting,” one of them remarked, his tone indifferent, as if everything was under his control.

Clad in a moon-white robe, his hair flowing to his waist, he exuded an air of transcendence—yet his eyes were cold. Though he appeared to be in his thirties, he was undoubtedly an ancient being who had lived for countless years.

“Heh…” A woman in a pale-yellow dress chuckled, her beauty marred by mockery and disdain.

She, too, was formidable—a late-stage Dunyi expert, equally dismissive of Shi Hao.

“Stop pretending to be some grand figure!” Shi Hao snapped, cutting straight to the point.

The group stiffened. They knew Shi Hao was fearless, but his bluntness still rankled.

“Do you even know what force we represent?” the moon-robed man asked coldly.

“A longevity lineage—one that lacked the spine to fight when the foreign realm invaded,” Shi Hao shot back.

It was obvious—only a longevity lineage or imperial dynasty would dare move against him now.

The group’s expressions darkened further.

“I’ve long wondered which clan betrayed us during the Borderlands War, colluding with the enemy. Now I understand,” Shi Hao said.

“Silence! This is personal—it has nothing to do with that!” the yellow-robed woman snapped.

“Oh? I think it’s exactly you,” Shi Hao countered, his gaze piercing.

“Nonsense!” the man hissed.

“Block him—don’t let him escape!” another ordered.

Yuan Qing smirked, his aged face twisted with cold triumph. After all these years, he would finally kill Shi Hao.

Over the years, Shi Hao had become his obsession. Ever since his initial attempt to eliminate the youth failed, news of Shi Hao’s breakthroughs had left Yuan Qing restless.

“Little bastard, today is your end!” he sneered.

Some people were like this—wrongdoers who believed themselves wronged, escalating their vendettas without end.

“What a pity. Your ancestors were heroes, yet your generation is so pathetic,” Shi Hao said, ignoring Yuan Qing to address the others.

He knew Yuan Qing was just a lackey—now, insignificant.

A Dunyi expert? He’d kill him all the same!

“Oh? You’ve confirmed our identities?” the yellow-robed woman asked, still relaxed.

“Aren’t you ashamed before your ancestors, descendants of the Wind Ancestor?” Shi Hao mocked.

A flicker of anger crossed a few faces, their killing intent leaking through cold, depthless eyes.

“I didn’t even need to think—I knew it was you,” Shi Hao said flatly.

Through past clues, he had learned that Yuan Qing took orders from the Wind Clan, a longevity lineage that sought to suppress his rise.

He had pieced together fragments of history.

A Wind Clan ancestor had played a key role in oppressing the Stone Clan, branding them “Sinful Blood.” At the Emperor’s Pass, Shi Hao had learned more—the involvement of fallen immortals, like those from the Immortal Palace, and forces from the Nine Heavens, like the Wind Clan’s forebear.

“Aren’t you ashamed? Your Wind Ancestor stood unyielding in the Immortal Ancient War, earning great merit. Yet you, his descendants, are so vile—colluding with the foreign realm. Disgraceful!” Shi Hao roared.

“I repeat—this is personal. Don’t slander us!” someone snarled.

Shi Hao smirked, dropping the subject. He had no proof—only suspicion.

Back at the Emperor’s Pass, traitors had hunted him alongside foreign cultivators in the Heavenly Beast Forest, yet their identities remained hidden.

But he was certain it was a longevity lineage—if not the Wang or Jin Clans, who else?

Moreover, he had clashed with Wind Clan elites before and knew their stance. Now, his suspicions were confirmed.

“Feng Xingtian—our clan’s strongest heir, who cultivated three strands of immortal energy, destined for a flawless seed—was cut down by you first!” The yellow-robed woman’s face twisted with fury.

“What’s your relation to him?” Shi Hao asked.

He remembered Feng Xingtian’s prowess—master of the Dark Ancient Arts and the Cross Divine Path. They had battled fiercely in the Immortal Ancient Battlefield, where Shi Hao slew him.

“I am his grand-aunt, Feng Bailing!” she spat, her dress flaring with killing intent, her demeanor now vicious.

Clearly, she had been biding her time—now was the moment to strike.

“And my grandnephew, Feng Zhao—his death is also on your hands!” the moon-robed man said icily.

He was Feng Qiang, an ancient powerhouse.

“Feng Zhao wasn’t killed by me. He died by the Ancient Emperor Butterfly’s hand,” Shi Hao said calmly.

In that ancient battlefield, they had discovered a cave where a deceased Emperor Butterfly emitted immortal light, killing Feng Zhao.

Back then, Feng Zhao had declared that even if all three-immortal-energy geniuses of the Nine Heavens perished, it mattered not—so long as the Wind Clan survived, let the world burn.

He cared not for the consequences when the foreign realm invaded.

As a longevity lineage, they had survived the Immortal Ancient era—they would endure again.

That was when Shi Hao understood their stance—even if they didn’t side with the enemy, they would remain aloof, like the forbidden zones.

“Feng Zhao was strong, titled Wind Marquis. His death must have been a blow. But to die by the Emperor Butterfly’s light—he got what he deserved,” Shi Hao laughed.

“Now that everything’s laid bare, you can die enlightened,” Feng Bailing said.

“Alive. Remember, the ancestor wants to see him,” another reminded.

“You think you can take me?” Shi Hao laughed.

Even if their clan’s Supreme Being came, he might not die.

“We came prepared to kill you,” Feng Qiang said coldly.

“It’s time. The formation is active,” Feng Bailing said.

In that instant, the mountains and valleys erupted with radiant light, sealing heaven and earth!

“How extravagant. What a waste,” Shi Hao mused, unfazed.