The slap was thunderous, crisp, shaking the heavens as if a bolt of lightning had struck.
Mainly because that face was enormous, like a towering mountain, and the slap Shi Hao delivered naturally magnified to match, blotting out the sky and earth as it landed. The sound was deafening.
On the ground, the great calamity ceased, the floods receded, and everyone looked up at the sky, witnessing this scene.
For a moment, the crowd was stunned—mostly mortals, with a few cultivators among them—all gaping in disbelief.
Not long ago, the world had been plunged into darkness, with torrential rain as if the apocalypse had arrived. All of it had been caused by that terrifying face. Yet now, it had been struck by a slap—so crisp and resounding!
“By the heavens!”
“A god among men!”
The common folk below couldn’t help but exclaim, their hearts trembling even more. Some muttered prayers, others kowtowed, overwhelmed with awe.
Of course, many others, though they dared not cheer openly, felt immense satisfaction in their hearts, wishing they could roar in approval. It was cathartic.
They knew this disaster had been caused by that “face”—a being of unimaginable power, seeking to punish the people of the Stone Country in retaliation against the Stone Emperor.
Those who had suffered on the ground naturally seethed with resentment. In the end, it was the Stone Emperor who had saved them. Who was good, who was evil—wasn’t it clear?
“Is it really the Stone Emperor?”
“Yes, it’s the young Human Emperor from back then!”
…
Many cultivators had arrived, confirming Shi Hao’s identity and answering the questions of those below.
“I knew it! For so many years, the Stone Country has flourished under divine protection, thriving in peace and prosperity. How could it have provoked divine retribution? That was a demon causing chaos!”
“Human Emperor, slay the demon and purge the evil!”
By the end, people below were shouting without fear, as more and more cultivators appeared in the sky, forming arrays and radiating light to shield the land.
The War King, the Roc King, and other experts of the Stone Country had arrived. The Golden Lion, needless to say, was flamboyant, its fur dazzling as it shook its head and tail, charging toward the “giant face” with its maw wide open.
In the heavens, the colossal human face was furious—and panicked.
Shi Hao’s slap had left it seeing stars, unable to escape. It was horrifying. This was a projection across realms, a crossing of boundaries—how could it be trapped here?
It couldn’t leave. Countless chains of order bound it, dense and unyielding, locking it in place.
Shi Hao studied it carefully. After that slap, he had gleaned some understanding of this being—strong, truly formidable, but not its true body. This was a manifestation of divine will!
The so-called projection was merely the casting of divine intent and power from another realm, materializing in this world.
“Speak. What kind of world is that?” Shi Hao demanded.
Regarding the ancient figures and the Rain Clan’s god, Shi Hao was certain they hadn’t entered the Three Thousand Provinces. He had investigated and found no trace of them there.
“You wouldn’t understand,” the Rain Clan’s god replied arrogantly, laced with disdain.
“Talking to people like you is exhausting. You think you’re extraordinary, but what are you, really?” Shi Hao was brutally direct. *Slap!* Another resounding strike landed.
Below, the people of the Stone Country exchanged glances. This was a battle at the divine level—gods fighting like this?
They realized Little Stone hadn’t changed. He had been a prodigy back then and remained one now, treating an ancient god with such casual brutality, slapping it without hesitation.
Who was truly arrogant? Who was looking down on whom? The Rain Clan’s god now had the most direct understanding.
His face flushed crimson, flames of rage nearly erupting from his skin. He was the Rain God, yet now steam rose from his head—he was livid!
An ancient god, manifesting with such might, had been humiliated by a mere youth, publicly slapped twice. All dignity, all prestige—gone in those strikes!
“You brat—!” The Rain God’s heart and lungs felt ready to explode.
Shi Hao stared coldly, pondering. From what he knew of the Rain Clan’s past struggles, the Rain God’s situation had once been dire.
He remembered how the Rain Clan had barely managed to communicate with their god back then—a weak, flickering shadow on the verge of dissipating.
Even the Rain Clan had speculated that the Rain God, after eons of time, might be nearing his end, unable to hold on.
Later, they learned the Rain God was in another realm, his weakness due to dire circumstances, barely clinging to survival.
Shi Hao had learned all this during his clashes with the Rain Clan. He had even “ferociously” bitten through a fragment of the Rain God’s decree left with the clan.
“Your world was perilous back then, but now it seems things have changed. Your situation has improved,” Shi Hao observed.
The implication was clear. Otherwise, how could the Rain God manifest so powerfully now, unleashing such widespread calamity?
Without waiting for a response, Shi Hao delivered another barrage of slaps to that giant face—pure vengeance.
This Rain God had acted without restraint, without morality, harming even mortals. Did he intend to wipe out an entire nation?
So Shi Hao held nothing back, humiliating a god in public.
“Are you truly the Rain Clan’s ancient god?” Shi Hao asked mildly between strikes.
The Rain God was on the verge of madness. This was an unprecedented humiliation, a level of suffering he had never imagined. Trapped in a projection, subjected to relentless slaps—this was sheer torment.
“He is the Rain Clan’s god!” the War King declared below. He had once seen the Rain Clan’s enshrined idol, identical to this face.
“You old fool, do you even know decency? You once walked this land, yet this is how you repay it—by slaughtering millions?” Shi Hao struck harder, his slaps fiercer.
The crowd below was dumbfounded. Not just the common folk, but even the cultivators were stunned.
What had been a grave matter—the Rain God nearly annihilating countless lives—had turned almost farcical under the Stone Emperor’s hands.
Publicly slapping a god? And with such irreverence? It shattered all conventional understanding.
“Brat, this humiliation will cost you dearly! The might of my Rain Clan is beyond your comprehension!” the ancient god roared, dazed by the blows.
But that giant face remained immobilized, unable to break free.
Shi Hao’s interest was piqued. What kind of world was that? Was the Rain Clan truly so powerful there? Did such an extraordinary ancient land exist?
Among the ancient gods, a small group had gone to the Three Thousand Provinces, but many others had vanished without a trace. Were they all there?
“Last chance. Tell me everything,” Shi Hao pressed, eager to learn of that realm.
“Dream on!” the Rain God spat.
Shi Hao said no more. After another round of slaps, he prepared to scour the god’s consciousness.
*Boom!*
At that moment, the heavens trembled. The chains binding the Rain God strained, on the verge of snapping.
“Barrier force?” Shi Hao frowned. It wasn’t the Rain God’s strength but the influence of the other realm.
This place bordered another world, with a spatial node allowing limited passage—only for divine will.
As the Rain God was pulled back by a tremendous force, Shi Hao sat cross-legged in the void, ordering the Golden Lion to guard him.
His soul emerged, wielding a sword, and charged forward.
“Heavens, no!”
“Stone Emperor!”
Many cried out in shock. They never imagined Little Stone would dare do this!
Shi Hao was crossing realms—or rather, projecting into another world.
It was always higher realms projecting downward. Now, it was the reverse—a perilous, unpredictable act.
Moreover, Shi Hao’s soul had left his body entirely. This wasn’t a mere wisp of divine will but his full soul crossing over!
“Fear not!” Shi Hao was unperturbed. He had the Golden Lion guard his body and feared nothing else.
He had braved the Foreign Realm and the Immortal Domain. This ancient world held no terror for him. He was merely exploiting a time gap, chasing the Rain God’s soul to slay his true form before swiftly retreating.
*Boom!*
With the Great Luo Sword in hand, Shi Hao surged through the spatial node.
He saw an altar where an elderly man sat, blood trickling from his lips as his eyes snapped open. The Rain God’s divine will merged into his skull.
“You dare?!” The Rain God was aghast. This youth had the audacity to counter-project and attack him directly!
Shi Hao sensed an overwhelming density of spiritual energy—far richer than the Three Thousand Provinces. This was no ordinary place!
“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Shi Hao replied coldly, unleashing his full power.
The Rain God fought back, but despite his ancient divinity and profound cultivation, he was no match.
Shi Hao subdued him instantly, pressing the sword to his brow.
*Rumble!*
Suddenly, radiant light surged in the distance, shaking the cosmos.
A vast divine will swept forth, approaching rapidly.
Shi Hao saw clearly—it was a wisp of divine intent from a supreme expert, drifting through the stars toward them.
He felt no fear. This was merely a wandering strand of consciousness from a distant powerhouse.
Though formidable, it couldn’t suppress him. Shi Hao raised the Great Luo Sword.
“Hmm, unexpected. You must be that ‘Desolate One,’” the divine will mused.
At the same time, Shi Hao glimpsed a sealed region in the cosmos, shimmering with radiant hues.
An ancient gateway, sealed within the starry void.
Shi Hao frowned, startled. It resembled the path he had once seen in the Three Thousand Provinces’ Immortal Tomb.
He inhaled sharply. In the future, unimaginable beings would return along that path to exact retribution.
Was this gateway another such path? A route for another forbidden existence’s return?
“If not for the Immortal Domain’s gates reopening, this place would have become a death zone. Not easy. This Rain Clan cultivator has contributed somewhat, guarding alongside others for so long.”
The divine will transmitted amid the radiant light.
“A pity you’re afflicted with the Immortal-Severing Curse. Otherwise, with your talent, you might have entered the Immortal Domain. The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are selecting peerless seeds now.”
Shi Hao was stunned. This was news to him.
“You’ve missed a great opportunity. Unharmed, you could have followed a young master, reaping boundless benefits if your temper aligned.”
Shi Hao’s expression hardened. Even now, someone dared suggest he become a follower? He met the words with icy silence.
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