The words “World Annihilation” echoed, shaking the Immortal Domain and causing tremors across all factions. Even Immortal Kings paled at their utterance.
“Stop!”
Someone shouted, attempting to intervene.
But the immortal flames spewed from the half-skull of the Forbidden Lord were too terrifying, already illuminating vast stretches of the starry sea. It was too late.
In an instant, a pervasive fragrance filled the air. The source of the incense was unknown—it did not emanate from the Forbidden Lord’s side. As if in a trance, the entire starry sea was suffused with the scent of sandalwood.
“I am an Immortal King—how dare you threaten me!”
These were the words of Immortal King Ao Sheng, cold and merciless, descending like the will of heaven to annihilate all things.
A dazzling law, radiant as a rainbow, descended upon the starry sea, bypassing all living beings to envelop Shi Hao alone, seeking to obliterate him in body and soul.
Immortal King Tai Shi did not act, but Ao Sheng was determined to kill.
Even as the words “World Annihilation” reverberated through the cosmos, he struck.
At the same time, a terrifying aura surged—the power of the incense stick, ignited by immortal flames, triggered an unimaginable event.
This universe seemed to be burning, extraordinarily resplendent, with fragrance permeating every corner.
“Disaster! This will truly invoke great karma! Ao Sheng, stop this at once!”
“Immortal King Ao Sheng, cease!”
Several furious shouts rang out, and some unleashed laws to block Ao Sheng’s devastating strike.
The Immortal Domain underwent a bizarre transformation. The boundless starry sky turned transparent, revealing scenes from beyond the boundary.
“That is…” All beings with great divine abilities were stunned, witnessing an inconceivable sight.
It was a sea—vast and boundless, each wave containing shattered realms, rising and falling with fragments of time. Within the sea floated immortal corpses and undying bones, drifting endlessly.
And there were living beings standing upon the waves formed from these shattered realms, crossing the sea.
“The Boundary Sea!” someone in the Immortal Domain cried out.
At the same time, the living beings in the Boundary Sea seemed to perceive this side as well, gazing upon the radiant Immortal Domain as if it were a lighthouse illuminating their path.
Boom!
One of them launched an attack, wielding a war spear in the sea, thrusting toward this side—seeking to pierce through the vast Immortal Domain and force their way in.
Shi Hao was stunned. That was the sea beyond the embankment world.
The ignition of “World Annihilation” was guiding those beings, many of whom were now attacking, attempting to breach the Immortal Domain.
“Pfft!”
A blood-red war spear pierced through this universe, its colossal tip crimson as blood, already penetrating inward. One massive celestial body after another exploded in succession.
Was this the true meaning of “World Annihilation”?
Not only Shi Hao was shaken—cultivators of all races stood dumbfounded, their souls trembling at the horrifying sight.
There was a sea, and within it, living beings were crossing, launching the most terrifying assault upon the Immortal Domain. Those creatures were immensely powerful—some were Immortal Kings, others undying. If they all descended, they would surely destroy this world.
The incense stick was akin to a lighthouse. Once ignited, it could summon beings from the Boundary Sea, guiding them forward. If they arrived, they would annihilate this realm.
“Stop! We swear to protect the Wilderness unharmed!”
“Cease!”
Those furious shouts came from the most ancient Immortal Kings, their hearts pounding with dread.
None understood the true horror of the Boundary Sea better than they. During the Great Reckoning, beings from there would return!
Clang!
Someone struck, deflecting the blood-red war spear and repelling it.
Boom!
Despite the swift response and promises from the Immortal Domain’s titans, catastrophe still unfolded.
First, Shi Hao was grazed by the residual force of a law, instantly exploding—his body and soul shattered.
This was the result of intervention—some Immortal Kings had obstructed Ao Sheng, mitigating his strike. Otherwise, the devastation would have been far worse.
“Ao Sheng!” An Immortal King roared in fury.
“I do not yield to threats!” Ao Sheng replied coldly.
“Do you wish for us to suppress you together?!” Immortal King Hun Yuan spoke sharply.
The consequences of igniting “World Annihilation” were too dire. Even Immortal Kings, mighty as they were, paled at the thought. If this place became the first landing point for beings from the Boundary Sea, the Immortal Domain would be doomed.
It would be utterly shattered!
Some Immortal Kings searched for the incense stick but found nothing—it was too late.
The Forbidden Lord had prepared well. Knowing his remaining power was limited after death, he had employed a secret technique to conceal the incense.
“Roar!”
The Forbidden Lord let out a long cry. His snow-white skull spewed forth a torrent of immortal runes, and a drop of Immortal King’s essence blood emerged, enveloping the place where Shi Hao’s body had been obliterated.
At the same time, the crystal skull, the golden bone palm, and the bleeding eyeball all radiated light, unleashing blinding runes that coiled around the site.
“Fortunately, a drop of Immortal King’s essence blood can serve as a substitute for death!” someone in the depths of the starry sky remarked.
Even so, Shi Hao had experienced death. In that moment, his indestructible body had been shattered, his bones reduced to dust. Under an Immortal King’s strike, he could not withstand it.
And this was with the interference of other supreme beings. Otherwise, he would have been reduced to ashes, leaving nothing behind.
The drop of Immortal King’s essence blood was the Forbidden Lord’s means of substituting death for him.
Escaping an Immortal King’s lethal strike was no easy feat. Only Immortal King’s essence blood could bear such immense karma!
Both Shi Hao’s soul and flesh had been annihilated moments ago. By all logic, he should have perished utterly. Yet, he reassembled instantly.
“Ao Sheng!” Shi Hao growled through clenched teeth.
Veins bulged on his forehead. This time, he had been utterly powerless. Under an Immortal King’s strike, he had nearly met true annihilation.
The name of an Immortal King should not be invoked lightly, especially with such hatred. Ao Sheng’s manifestation appeared, radiating even more terrifying killing intent.
“Enough, Ao Sheng! You have struck multiple times, yet failed to kill the Wilderness. It is time to stop!” Pan King declared.
For an Immortal King to repeatedly attack a being who had not yet attained immortality was already excessive. His repeated failures seemed like the will of heaven.
“If fate decrees he shall not perish, then cease! If you wish to incur great karma, strike again!” Immortal King Hun Yuan said coldly.
Pan King and Immortal King Hun Yuan were clearly shielding Shi Hao.
In the cosmos, the fragrance dissipated—the incense stick had burned out. The Forbidden Lord had exercised restraint and ceased.
Shi Hao’s face was pale, his vitality severely depleted, his foundation shattered.
Near him lingered a dense, unyielding vitality—the remnants of the Immortality Peach. It, too, had been destroyed, leaving behind only its life force.
Pan King, from across the endless starry sky, pointed, and that wisp of pure energy merged into Shi Hao’s body.
The Forbidden Lord exhaled a beam of immortal light, igniting Shi Hao’s body.
Shi Hao’s foundation healed, his flesh and soul restored, his vitality replenished. But the excess energy of the Immortality Peach was forcibly expelled by the Forbidden Lord.
He did not wish Shi Hao to seize this opportunity for a breakthrough, as that would only make him the weakest of immortals, incapable of surviving future upheavals.
Silence fell upon the place. Immortal King Ao Sheng did not strike again, and the other Immortal Kings withdrew.
“When I become an Immortal King, I will sweep clean…” Shi Hao’s hair whipped wildly, his eyes icy to the extreme. He left the rest unsaid.
The Forbidden Lord shook his head. Shi Hao had not yet attained immortality. Any oath he made, especially one invoking that name, would be sensed by those supreme beings—no matter how far apart they were, across countless starry seas.
“Let us go. That day will not be long. I shall bestow upon you a great opportunity—the most profound gift I can secure for you,” the Forbidden Lord said.
Silently, Shi Hao bowed deeply to him, the crystal skull, the golden bone palm, and the bleeding eyeball. Without them, he would have perished today.
“Burn away all traces!”
The Forbidden Lord chanted an ancient incantation. Before him, the drop of Immortal King’s essence blood ignited, transforming into streams of light that enveloped them.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, they pierced through the universe, vanishing from that place.
Along the way, they traversed countless starry seas, crossing one expanse of the cosmos after another—an endless journey!
Multiple times, they tore through the fabric of the universe, shifting locations.
Finally, they arrived in a desolate stretch of the starry sky, descending upon an ancient, withered star.
Once a vibrant world, it was now lifeless.
“Many have come, but none have entered,” the Forbidden Lord sighed. He did not know if Shi Hao would have the fortune to pass through.
At the very least, some Immortal Kings had sought this place, only to leave empty-handed.
“For countless epochs, none have succeeded,” the crystal skull added.
“Immortal King’s essence blood as sacrifice!” the Forbidden Lord declared, beginning the ritual to offer the drop of blood to the void.
“Hmm?” Shi Hao was startled. The sacrifice had barely begun, yet a strange sound emanated from within him.
“The ‘Self-Derived Freedom Great Technique’…” How could he not be shocked? During the battle at the border, this technique had manifested, stunning the creatures of the Other Side.
Now, here, an inexplicable resonance occurred—scriptures echoed in the air.
Soon, a crack appeared in midair, widening as light poured forth.
“It worked! The entrance has appeared!” The Forbidden Lord was astonished. Even he had not expected it to manifest so swiftly.
For countless years, peerless experts had sought this place, only to depart in failure.
The three old monsters—the crystal skull and the others—were equally stunned.
Was this the legendary Transcendent Land, the Land of Fortune, the Mysterious Land? Shi Hao surveyed the scene.
“Go!”
This was an exceedingly rare opportunity, one that might not open again for millennia. Few could enter, and fewer still could gain anything. It was but a legend.
Even the Forbidden Lord’s composure wavered. He urged Shi Hao forward, charging inward.
Beyond the crack lay a path leading to a hazy ancient cave, spewing forth chaos and immortal energy.
“Wuu…”
The moment they stepped onto the path, they heard weeping—heart-wrenching sobs from multiple beings.
The Forbidden Lord, now in the form of a white-robed man, stiffened, halting abruptly.
The three old monsters also froze in shock.
Shi Hao was stunned. He sensed a familiar aura—and then he saw them.
Thunder Spirits.
Hundreds of them, wailing inside the cave.
He had seen them before.
Years ago, he, along with San Zang and Shen Ming, had encountered this group of Thunder Spirits carrying a corpse wrapped in straw matting, entering the Immortal Domain from the outside world!
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