Shi Hao was utterly exhausted, battling against his own tribulation as he strove to break through to the Immortal King realm. At any moment, he could fall, and to make matters worse, Ao Sheng Immortal King loomed nearby, ready to strike him down!
How could he possibly overcome this? It was far too difficult!
In this lifetime, though he had mentors and powerful allies, none could stand against an Immortal King. Even with his unparalleled brilliance, he couldn’t break free from this deadlock!
At this moment, any other considerations were meaningless. Before an Immortal King, all preparations and schemes were futile—they could be shattered with a single palm strike, utterly crushed!
The gap was simply too vast. At that level, no matter how many divine abilities or techniques one possessed, a single punch could annihilate them all. No stratagem would make a difference!
“Seniors, you must retreat!” Shi Hao urged.
He knew that the Lord of the Forbidden Land and the others were prepared to sacrifice themselves to buy him time, but it wouldn’t be enough.
He had only just begun enduring this great tribulation. The barrier to becoming an Immortal King was not something easily broken. Even if no one interfered and he had all the time in the world, success was far from guaranteed.
It was simply too difficult!
Shi Hao reflected on his life, realizing that he had always been struggling against fate. It was indeed bitter, but no one else could help him—this was a trial he had to face alone.
With a furious roar, Shi Hao refused to accept his fate. His heart burned with rage. He had once been so confident that, given a peaceful world to grow in, he would one day stand unrivaled beneath the heavens.
By then, he would sweep through all realms, ensuring no one dared claim supremacy, crushing all enemies in his path!
But such an environment had never been granted to him.
The Lord of the Forbidden Land did not retreat. Instead, he transformed into a man clad in white robes, radiant as jade, transcendent and peerless. He stood firm, blocking the earthen-yellow giant hand.
At the same time, the golden skeletal palm expanded, radiating boundless divine might as it cut off the path forward.
The crystal skull and the bleeding eyeball were no exception, hovering in the void, ready for battle.
“It’s you. I’ve seen you all before. Had you been at your peak, I wouldn’t be surprised by your resistance. But now? What’s the point?” Ao Sheng’s voice was cold, devoid of warmth, as if it could freeze the entire cosmos.
“Since there’s no choice, let this be our final blaze of glory!” Though the Lord of the Forbidden Land appeared refined, his spirit was unyielding. Knowing the outcome would be dire, he still chose to fight!
He had already perished once—now, he was but half a skull and a lingering will. What did it matter if he vanished completely? He had no regrets. But to see his final disciple besieged—how could he bear it?
“Hahaha…” Ao Sheng’s laughter shook the cosmos, threatening to tear it apart!
His mirth soon twisted into boundless killing intent, and he prepared to strike.
“Fellow Daoist, must you be so ruthless? Your killing intent is overwhelming.” Suddenly, a celestial gate opened, and the voice of Pan King echoed forth.
Though he claimed to have repaid past favors, witnessing the Lord of the Forbidden Land on the verge of annihilation stirred something within him, compelling him to intervene.
“Pan King, stay out of this!” Ao Sheng commanded.
“And if I refuse?” Pan King challenged.
“Fellow Daoist, why not share a game with me instead?” Another voice interjected.
Yuanchu Immortal King appeared, carrying a chessboard to Pan King’s abode. He sat cross-legged, blocking Pan King’s path and engaging him in a standoff.
“Fine, fine, fine!” Pan King’s voice turned icy.
Just as he prepared to act, Taishi Immortal King arrived, standing before his residence before extending a hand toward the celestial gate.
“Fellow Daoists, since you share history with Pan King, why not join us for a discussion?” Taishi Immortal King’s voice resonated as his massive hand, wreathed in chaotic energy, descended upon the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, blocking the Lord of the Forbidden Land, the crystal skull, and the golden skeletal palm.
The ancient beings were helpless. Even if they fought with their lives, it would change nothing. With multiple Immortal Kings poised to strike, despair weighed heavily upon them.
“Now, I can finally kill you,” Ao Sheng Immortal King declared, his voice colder than ever.
“Ao Sheng, you old bastard! Come at me! Today, I’ll fight you to the death!” Shi Hao roared, his fury and unyielding battle spirit erupting. He had gone mad.
Facing the likelihood of his demise, he abandoned all restraint.
At this moment, Shi Hao was in agony, enduring the crushing weight of infinite Dao laws while preparing to battle Ao Sheng.
“If you somehow survive this tribulation, even if you don’t become an Immortal King, reaching a level comparable to the Ten Fiends would grant you the right to challenge me. But now? Do you even have the strength to fight back?” Ao Sheng sneered.
Boom!
A massive hand descended, aiming to crush Shi Hao in a single strike.
“You think I have no means to resist?” Shi Hao’s hair stood on end as if aflame, his body wreathed in blazing Dao symbols. Enduring the torment of his ascension, he threw a desperate punch forward.
His physical body was formidable enough, but his cultivation and soul had yet to fully temper.
Bang!
Ao Sheng Immortal King’s eyes darkened as he unleashed not only his Immortal King physique but also his supreme Dao power, bearing down upon Shi Hao.
Dang!
At that moment, a resonant bell toll shook the heavens and earth. A radiant light surged forth, clashing with Ao Sheng’s hand as it joined Shi Hao’s assault.
Meanwhile, the Lord of the Forbidden Land fought desperately against Taishi Immortal King, striving to rescue his disciple from peril.
“Hmm?” Many were startled, including Ao Sheng Immortal King, who frowned at the unexpected interference.
Boom!
A brilliant explosion of light erupted. Ao Sheng’s palm strike failed to annihilate Shi Hao.
For one, Shi Hao’s frenzied resistance and his near-Immortal King physique—though bloodied—could not be so easily destroyed.
Moreover, the radiant light played a crucial role.
A woman appeared, her beauty transcendent, clad in snow-white robes. A mark glowed on her forehead, and before her hovered a luminous orb, its bell-like chimes unceasing!
Ye Qingxian!
To everyone’s shock, she had arrived.
Even Shi Hao’s eyes flickered with surprise before he sighed softly. “Leave quickly. Don’t involve yourself.”
He knew none of his allies could withstand an Immortal King’s killing intent. They were no match.
“How intriguing. The spirit of the Bell of Endless resides within you, yet your existence is shrouded in chaos, as if you don’t belong to this era or this world!” Ao Sheng Immortal King observed.
Shi Hao’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at Ye Qingxian.
With a sigh, she met his gaze. “I wished to witness your journey, to see your miracles unfold. But I arrived too early… and now, I must depart.”
“Who are you? Where do you come from?” Shi Hao demanded sternly.
“I don’t belong to your time. I sought to witness events tied to you—events of great significance to my era. But it seems I won’t get to see them.” Her voice was laced with regret.
“Those who disrupt the river of time meet bitter ends. They change nothing and perish all the same,” Ao Sheng sneered.
“You…” Shi Hao’s eyes widened in shock.
“It’s not so dire. I’m but a wisp of consciousness, a fleeting imprint. Even if I fade, it matters not. I fear nothing!” Ye Qingxian smiled, radiant yet tearful. She had longed to witness the legend of “Huang,” but time had run out. She had lingered too long in this era—one she did not belong to.
“Whoever stands in my way, regardless of origin or identity, shall perish!” Ao Sheng declared, raising his hand to strike.
“Immortal King, stay your hand. Leave her to me. The Bell of Endless’s spirit is tied to my fate.”
Dang!
A deep bell toll resounded as a colossal bell materialized above, summoned by a terrifying expert from a forbidden zone in the Nine Heavens. It shimmered with immortal radiance, seeking to reclaim the spirit within Ye Qingxian’s grasp.
This bell was the very weapon of the Endless Immortal King, now bereft of its spirit—known as the Bell Corpse—and housed within a forbidden land.
Boom!
A cataclysmic battle erupted. The Lord of the Forbidden Land and the crystal skull clashed violently against Taishi Immortal King’s grasp, striving to tear through his dominion.
Meanwhile, the expert from the forbidden land activated the great bell, joining the fray to seize the spirit.
At the same time, Ao Sheng Immortal King struck, his palm descending to annihilate Shi Hao once and for all!
Chaos reigned, the scene utterly terrifying.
“His Self Incarnation!” Shi Hao bellowed, his eyes bloodshot. Ignoring the tribulation’s onslaught, he allowed the Dao laws to slash at him relentlessly as he fought with reckless abandon.
He had seen the Lord of the Forbidden Land reduced to a cracked, half-shattered skull, the golden skeletal palm’s bones splintering under pressure.
The bleeding eyeball had dried up, and the crystal skull bore finger-sized holes in its crown, teetering on the brink of annihilation.
“Ahhh—!”
Shi Hao howled, unleashing power rivaling the Ten Fiends. He manifested the Willow Deity, the Kun Peng, the Thunder Emperor, and the True Phoenix, merging their forms into his own.
With crimson eyes, he charged at Ao Sheng Immortal King before turning toward Taishi Immortal King.
His Self Incarnation was a profound technique, allowing him to borrow the forms of others. But in his current state—enduring the Immortal King tribulation while battling Ao Sheng—he was stretched beyond his limits.
Even with these manifestations, he stood no chance!
“He’s reached the level of the Ten Fiends. That technique of his is bizarre. Fortunately, he’s in no condition to wield it properly, or he might’ve been troublesome.”
Within the Burial Immortal Ridge, a voice remarked coldly.
Dang!
As the bell tolled once more, Ye Qingxian sighed. Her form grew translucent—the spirit of the Bell of Endless had been reclaimed, absorbed by the great bell above.
Her reliance, the immortal weapon’s spirit, was gone.
“Those who obstruct my path shall die!” Ao Sheng’s hand pierced through Ye Qingxian’s body effortlessly, scattering her into motes of light.
“Nooo!” Shi Hao screamed.
“Don’t grieve. Don’t mourn. I was meant to fade. This wasn’t my true form—just a wisp of consciousness. Perhaps, in the future… we’ll meet again.”
Ye Qingxian’s voice lingered, tinged with sorrow and regret, before vanishing entirely.
Crack!
Suddenly, a ring on Shi Hao’s finger shattered—a gift from the Great Elder long ago.
Boom!
From it emerged a withered figure, golden-skinned and exuding overwhelming pressure, with vast wings spread behind him.
A humanoid being, yet his wings blotted out the heavens!
He blocked Ao Sheng Immortal King, his voice hoarse and low. “To slaughter a seedling of the Nine Heavens’ shared origin—have you no shame?”
This sudden intervention stunned all.
Who was this?
Only Shi Hao knew. During his path of “using the body as a seed,” the Great Elder had taken him to ancient sites in search of fortune. This being had been unearthed from beneath a pile of bones in an ancient cave—a relic of a bygone era.
Yet, even Shi Hao didn’t know his origins.
He had sensed this withered figure still clung to life but never intended to call upon him. Against an Immortal King’s wrath, no one could intervene.
Just as he hadn’t wanted the Lord of the Forbidden Land to sacrifice himself, he didn’t wish this being to throw his life away.
“The Kun Peng King from two epochs ago?” Ao Sheng’s gaze turned icy. Even he was taken aback.
Shi Hao was stunned. This desiccated golden figure had such a background? Stronger than the Kun Peng of the Ten Fiends?
“Ao Sheng, you’ve gone too far,” the Kun Peng King intoned.
“Ha! Who dares say I’ve gone too far? Even if you were at your peak, you couldn’t stop me!” Ao Sheng’s laughter was domineering, his killing intent undisguised.
Others exchanged glances. Had the Kun Peng King fallen?
Indeed, legends spoke of his demise long ago.
With a sigh, the Kun Peng King ceased hiding the truth. He was but a lingering will, his body riddled with wounds, barely held together.
A will was merely an unvanquished imprint—it could never truly revive or return to its former glory.
“Those who stand in my way shall perish without mercy!”
Ao Sheng struck with overwhelming force, his dominance unchallenged. As he’d declared, even the Kun Peng King at his peak might not have stopped him.
Bang!
The Kun Peng King’s body split apart, old wounds reopening. He could no longer maintain his form.
Simultaneously, the Lord of the Forbidden Land, the golden skeletal palm, and the others fought desperately—only to shatter and fall.
“No!”
Shi Hao’s cry was anguished, his eyes blood-red.
Crack!
The crystal skull fragmented, and the bleeding eyeball withered away.
None could withstand Ao Sheng Immortal King and Taishi Immortal King. They were invincible!
“Ahhh—!”
Shi Hao wailed as the Kun Peng King disintegrated, the Lord of the Forbidden Land shattered, and Ye Qingxian dissolved into light. Like a wounded beast, he roared in fury.
His hair stood on end as a surging power erupted within him, propelling him toward a higher realm.
“Stop him! How interesting—to erupt with such force in dire straits. Is he about to break through?” Taishi Immortal King mused.
At that moment, Ao Sheng’s palm descended, Taishi’s fist struck, and Yuanchu Immortal King joined the assault, his finger-sword unleashing endless immortal radiance!
From the Burial Immortal Ridge, its master gazed coldly before stepping forth, a broken pagoda in hand. “Since karma binds us, let it end today.”
He, too, attacked, determined to prevent Shi Hao’s success.
Boom!
The shattered pagoda hurtled toward Shi Hao, its jade-white surface reminiscent of the little pagoda from his past—indeed, it was a missing fragment of it.
Boom!
The heavens split, the earth quaked!
Shi Hao fought with everything he had, but mortal strength had its limits. Amid his tribulation, defying the heavens was impossible.
Not yet an Immortal King, how could he withstand the combined might of Ao Sheng, Taishi, and Yuanchu—let alone the master of the Burial Immortal Ridge?
Bloodied and battered, Shi Hao soared through the cosmos, locked in desperate combat. Yet, escape eluded him.
The three Immortal Kings’ strikes pursued him relentlessly, hammering his soul loose from his body.
The shattered pagoda smashed into him repeatedly, sending him tumbling, coughing blood.
Like a bird with broken wings, Shi Hao struggled alone, but his strength waned. The three Immortal Kings’ blows sent him crashing down, the pagoda’s final strike sealing his fate.
His soul was forcibly ejected—his body, near-Immortal King in resilience, remained intact, but his soul was vulnerable.
Thud!
The three Immortal Kings and the pagoda annihilated Shi Hao’s disembodied soul!
On this day, the heavens wept blood. The cosmos was drenched in crimson rain—a celestial lament, the Dao’s mourning for the fall of a peerless genius.
Shi Hao had failed to overcome his tribulation.
The world grieved as blood poured from the skies.
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