Chapter 1791: Dawn of Darkness

Shi Hao felt that returning to the lower realm was not a mistake at all—it was a blessing!

Now, he had mastered both the True Phoenix Treasure Art and the Grass-Word Sword Technique, each of which was earth-shattering, supreme divine abilities capable of dominating the world.

And now, he had inherited the legacy of the Chaos Ape—another peerless art renowned throughout history, absolutely domineering and breathtaking. After all, the secret techniques of a being who once wreaked havoc in the Immortal Domain must be extraordinary.

In the past, despite enduring countless life-and-death trials, he had only learned a handful of techniques—such as those of the Thunder Emperor, the Kun Peng, and the Willow God. Yet, after returning to the lower realm for just over a month, he had already acquired an equivalent number of new arts.

If he were to return to the upper realm now, he wouldn’t even need to rely on his previous techniques. The new abilities he had learned were more than enough, allowing him to reappear under a completely different identity.

Within the Cosmic Lake, starlight shimmered, sometimes clear, sometimes profound.

Before the thatched cottage, tranquility reigned. The master of the forbidden land sipped tea as a gentle breeze brushed past, carrying the fragrance of divine and longevity herbs from afar—harmonious and serene.

“Actually, the common ancestor of the Vermilion Bird and the Chaos Ape is closely related to humans. Learning their treasure arts isn’t particularly difficult, relatively speaking,” the master of the forbidden land remarked.

“Humans are related to them?” Shi Hao was stunned.

But soon, he calmed down—there was no need to dwell on it.

“What do you wish to learn first? The Seventy-Two Transformations, the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art, or something else?” the master asked.

“I’ve studied some of the Seventy-Two Transformations before, and another version of the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art. I wonder if they’re connected to the Chaos Ape’s lineage,” Shi Hao replied.

Regarding abilities like Three Heads and Six Arms or the Seventy-Two Transformations, he had learned them from the Vermilion Bird. As for the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art, he had studied it under Qi Daolin.

“Demonstrate them for me,” the master instructed.

Shi Hao proceeded to showcase each technique. The Three Heads and Six Arms and the Seventy-Two Transformations were passable—the general approach was correct, but they lacked precision and key details.

As for the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art, according to the master, it was far too rudimentary. The creator of this technique must have obtained only fragments before incorporating many other methods, resulting in a hodgepodge that paled in comparison to the true heavenly art.

Shi Hao understood. When Qi Daolin created this technique, he had intended it as a substitute for the Six Paths Reincarnation, as the legacy of the Supreme Hall had been lost.

The old man had stolen techniques from various sects, piecing together his own version of the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art.

Shi Hao began studying earnestly, listening to the master’s teachings and gaining deep insights. He quickly grasped why the Chaos Ape’s legacy was so formidable.

“Strictly speaking, techniques like Three Heads and Six Arms and the Seventy-Two Transformations are all encompassed within the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art,” the master explained.

The so-called Eight-Nine Heavenly Art contained scriptures for wielding treasure arts, but it focused more on the Chaos Ape’s unique combat methods—a battle scripture tailored for humanoid beings.

The more Shi Hao learned, the more he felt it suited him perfectly.

He immersed himself in it, intoxicated by its profundity, forgetting all else. By the end, a humanoid figure appeared behind him—wild-haired and roaring, as if ready to tear the heavens apart.

He resembled both a frenzied ape and an enraged human, disdainful of the world, eager to slaughter all enemies in his path!

**Battle-hungry!**

After cultivating this technique, one’s fighting spirit would surge, craving battle, yearning to clash with every opponent to the bitter end.

Shi Hao realized why the Chaos Ape lineage was so notorious. With this technique, a peaceful life was impossible—strength could only be forged in the crucible of combat.

This art thrived in chaos. The greater the turmoil, the more it tempered the practitioner, allowing continuous evolution—the stronger the battle, the stronger the warrior.

When he asked the master, the answer aligned with his suspicions: the Chaos Ape lineage always rose to prominence in times of upheaval, reaching their peak amidst chaos.

Shi Hao contemplated deeply. As the saying went, “Master one technique, master ten thousand.” Having studied the Kun Peng’s methods, the Thunder Emperor’s arts, and other supreme divine abilities, mastering another top-tier legacy shouldn’t be too difficult.

Of course, this was mainly because he seemed born for cultivation, possessing unparalleled talent. For ordinary cultivators, mastering even one legacy could take countless years.

During this process, Shi Hao attempted to merge his techniques—combining various treasure arts, refining the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art and the Six Paths Reincarnation by complementing each other’s strengths.

But he soon found it nearly impossible!

These were supreme techniques, flawless in their own right—the pinnacle of heavenly arts. Attempting to fuse them was harder than ascending to the heavens.

The master noticed his struggle and said, “If you truly wish to merge them, it’s not impossible—but by then, you’d likely already stand at the peak of the Immortal Dao.”

Shi Hao nodded. Not everything needed to be forcibly combined. He wasn’t at that level yet. The True Phoenix, Kun Peng, Thunder Emperor, Chaos Ape, Willow God—none were weak.

Attempting to alter their treasure arts would be as difficult as slaying an immortal now!

But if he were to restructure techniques like the Suan Ni’s or the Pi Xiu’s, that would be feasible—their levels were different.

“While top-tier treasure arts can’t be merged, combining them in battle is entirely possible.”

For instance, Shi Hao now manifested three pairs of wings—Thunder Wings, Kun Peng Wings, and True Phoenix Wings. The result was terrifying.

With a mere flutter of his Thunder Wings, lightning surged like an ocean, thunder roaring violently. The Kun Peng Wings allowed him to soar ninety thousand miles in an instant, collapsing the void. The True Phoenix Wings shattered the vacuum, unstoppable, while also bathing him in flames of vitality, instantly restoring his energy to its peak.

Adding the Grass-Word Sword Technique made it even more extraordinary. Around him, blades of grass took root in the void, each with nine sword-like leaves. With a mere rustle, sword energy crisscrossed the skies!

When he incorporated the Chaos Ape’s legacy, Three Heads and Six Arms emerged, amplifying all attacks—not just his limbs, but even his wings underwent corresponding transformations.

…

Shi Hao was growing stronger, laying the foundation of a supreme being!

Over the next ten-plus days, he fully mastered the Chaos Ape’s legacy. When he returned to the upper realm, he would do so with a new identity and arsenal.

The Grass-Word Sword Technique, the True Phoenix Treasure Art, and the Chaos Ape’s inheritance—these alone would allow him to dominate the world!

Meanwhile, the upper realm had undergone drastic changes.

At first, divine rainbows occasionally streaked across the skies, manifesting in both the Nine Heavens and the Ten Earths.

But eventually, they all converged into the Three Thousand Provinces, ultimately entering the Spirit Realm—triggering a cataclysmic upheaval in that spiritual world!

“Ah—!”

The first scream echoed, shaking the upper realm.

In one region of the Spirit Realm, purity turned to darkness, serenity to rolling malevolence.

There, people collapsed instantly, their souls scattering into nothingness.

Before many could react, black mist surged, engulfing the area. Screams rose and fell, drowning everything.

Soon, that part of the Spirit Realm fell into deathly silence. Only darkness remained, spreading relentlessly.

“The beginning of darkness… in the end, we couldn’t stop it.”

Faintly, the voice of Cao Yusheng’s master echoed from that place—filled with regret, pain, and unwillingness.

This incident naturally caused an uproar. The Three Thousand Provinces were thrown into chaos, and even the great clans of the Nine Heavens felt as if facing an unprecedented calamity.

That region of the Spirit Realm became a land of death, inaccessible to all. Sinister black mist spread like the gates of hell swinging open.

Then, something even more terrifying occurred.

That part of the Spirit Realm collapsed, leaking dark matter into the real world—an inexplicable, horrifying phenomenon that left many trembling in fear.

“What is this?!”

“Darkness encroaches—touch it, and you die!”

Panicked cries rang out.

The affected area lay at the edge of the Three Thousand Provinces, within the uninhabited lands.

Fortunately, few lived there, or the casualties would have been catastrophic.

But the erosion was swift, like a black tidal wave crashing ashore, swallowing the nearby regions within a single day.

Wherever the darkness touched, all life fell silent.

“They’re dead—all dead! None escaped!” a survivor wailed. Though he had fled, his forehead soon turned ashen, and he plummeted from the sky, lifeless.

Examinations revealed his soul had dissipated—completely erased—while his body remained unharmed, without a single wound.

The disaster worsened. A wisp of black energy rose from the corpse, spreading an eerie aura before the darkness expanded anew.

“Ah—!”

Screams erupted as nearby beings perished one after another.

This demonic transformation was horrifying, spreading like a plague—an unprecedented catastrophe!

“The beginning of darkness… a new era has arrived,” someone lamented, their voice aged and powerless, filled with grief and regret.

In just one day, two entire provinces had fallen—consumed by darkness, devoid of life.

And the calamity continued to spread at an alarming rate!

The Three Thousand Provinces descended into utter chaos—a world-ending disaster!

Every sect fled in desperation, for resistance was futile.

Even the clans of the Nine Heavens panicked, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Though the darkness hadn’t reached them yet, they prepared frantically, all seeking refuge in the Immortal Domain.

“Have the envoys and generals from the Immortal Domain left yet? Hurry, beg them to take our clan with them!”

“Impossible. Only those chosen as seeds of invincibility have the right to enter the Immortal Domain.”

…

The Nine Heavens were in turmoil. Even eternal families like the Bu Dao Sect, the Xu Clan, and the Wang Clan couldn’t remain calm—all sought ways to enter the Immortal Domain and escape this doomed world.

“Our ancestors came from the Immortal Domain. The Wang Clan may have deep roots there. Last time, we tried contacting our main family through the envoys. We await their reply!”

“Rumor has it our clan has a vast foundation in the Immortal Domain. We’re merely a branch left in this realm. Fear not—we may all ascend together!” an elder from another eternal family declared, revealing a long-held secret.

Every faction scrambled for solutions, desperate to flee the impending doom.

As for prodigies like Yue Chan, Jin Zhan, Princess Yao Yue, the Double-Pupiled One, and the Banished Immortal—they became coveted assets. With an invincible seed in hand, a clan could bring additional members into the Immortal Domain.