Several beings trailed silently behind, convinced of their impeccable stealth, intending to follow into the immortal realm.
They were indeed formidable, hailing from sacred lands—divine islands and pure realms that had once fallen from beyond the boundaries, rich with undying essence. These isolated lineages had thrived in seclusion.
Only such places could birth beings at the pinnacle of human cultivation.
Shi Hao did not turn back, his steps unsteady, his body seemingly on the verge of collapse as he staggered toward the final steps into the immortal domain.
**Thud!**
He fell, appearing weakened and powerless.
Behind him, the lurking beings’ eyes gleamed with malice as they exchanged silent messages. Then, as one, they struck, eager to plunder the fortunes upon Shi Hao’s body.
Yet, as their artifacts descended, weaving together laws of destruction, the fallen man rose once more, his gaze icy as it swept over them.
**”Hiss!”**
They saw a single hand seize all their treasures, crushing them effortlessly into dust. The sight sent tremors through their very souls, filling them with terror!
“With hearts as ruthless and ungrateful as yours, you dare dream of borrowing my power for immortality?” Shi Hao’s voice was frigid. This had been but the simplest test, yet the allure of the immortal path had blinded them, revealing their true nature.
Their faces twisted in realization—Shi Hao had been testing them. A trial so simple, yet in their arrogance, they had failed even the most basic judgment.
“I didn’t strike!” one of them cried out.
**”Splat!”**
Shi Hao’s palm descended, reducing the others to mist. Only the one who had spoken remained. With a wave of his hand, Shi Hao condensed the essence of heaven and earth into divine source liquid, sealing the being within it.
“You were merely a step slower, but your killing intent was no different from theirs,” Shi Hao stated.
Yet, since this one had not acted, Shi Hao spared his life, imprisoning him upon the immortal path.
“No!” the being wailed. Eternal imprisonment here, able to see the immortal realm but never enter—it was a torment beyond measure.
Shi Hao turned and strode into the immortal domain!
He had “ascended,” yet felt no particular thrill or excitement. It had been effortless, almost mundane.
To those of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, he had become immortal.
In truth, his physical form had matched the Ten Fiends half a million years ago. When he had once challenged the Immortal King realm, his only weakness had been his soul!
Thus, entering the immortal domain through the correct spatial node was no marvel—hardly what one would call “ascension.”
His monstrous physique alone could achieve this. Even back then, when he had pushed for Immortal King, his body had already rivaled theirs.
Otherwise, Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, and Yuan Chu would not have united to annihilate his soul.
Yet Shi Hao himself remained unaware. Though unexcited, the novelty of the immortal realm stirred his curiosity, his eyes alight with wonder.
Within the ten reincarnation marks, his true soul awakened. The figures seated within the cycles of rebirth opened their eyes, waiting, yearning to break free.
The time had come. All they needed was the right stimulus to shatter the reincarnation seals, merge into one, and emerge as an invincible Immortal King.
This was Shi Hao’s true confidence in entering the immortal domain!
Upon arrival, he grasped the severity of the situation. The immortal realm was unstable, ravaged by endless war, with peerless experts clashing frequently.
How many Immortal Kings had fallen? None could say.
A portion of the immortal domain had already been seized by beings from beyond!
Shi Hao journeyed across cosmos after cosmos, traversing territories ruled by various Immortal Kings, learning of this fractured world.
The immortal domain was an amalgamation of ancient universes, vast beyond imagination.
The Great Cleansing was but a prelude. True clashes of supreme beings occurred often, leaving parts of the immortal domain in ruins.
For decades, Shi Hao wandered, witnessing countless horrors.
In one universe, he scaled battlements, engaging in bloody close combat with enemies from beyond the boundaries—a searing experience.
“Beings from the Boundary Sea… and the dark substance… they have arrived!”
The immortal realm was anything but peaceful. Every conflict now brought cataclysms, the battles of recent years chilling to the bone.
“Shi Zhongtian, do you admit your crimes? Assaulting the descendants of Immortal King Yuan Chu—do you think you can escape?”
A host of warriors, banners fluttering, pursued an elderly man through the cosmos. Their pursuit was relentless, their intent murderous.
“Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, Yuan Chu—they took my grandson from me. All these years, I’ve had but one goal: to bury them all.”
The old man, bloodied and missing an arm, fled toward the edge of the universe, desperate to escape.
“Shi Zhongtian, you cannot run! Do you think a mere taboo being from the Boundary Sea can shield you?” a voice roared.
“Ha! This is but a clone of mine,” Shi Zhongtian replied, his form fading into mist.
The pursuers cursed, unleashing a barrage of artifacts. The fading figure exploded into motes of light, vanishing entirely.
It had indeed been a mere avatar.
Shi Hao’s eyes burned crimson. His soul, now awakened, had witnessed his grandfather hunted like prey. Even as a clone, the sight was unbearable.
**”Hum!”**
The ten reincarnation marks trembled violently, on the verge of shattering. The external stimulus had triggered his imminent breakthrough.
“Who are you?”
The pursuing force spotted Shi Hao and advanced, demanding answers.
**”Boom!”**
Light erupted from Shi Hao’s body as the reincarnation marks dimmed, retracting inward.
With a single motion, his palm eclipsed the stars, crushing the entire host beneath its weight before annihilating them utterly.
**”Splat!”**
They burst into bloody mist, obliterated by Shi Hao’s fist.
Now transformed, his gaze profound and aura unfathomable, his power surged uncontrollably.
“I have returned,” he murmured.
The sight of his grandfather’s persecution had ignited a fire within him, his emotions a tempestuous catalyst.
Shi Hao broke free, shedding the reincarnation marks, truly rising at last!
Above him, divine radiance erupted—a natural reaction to his soul’s unification.
“I feel stronger than ever before,” he declared, brimming with confidence. Were those who once sought his life to face him now, would they dare?
His soul, once his weakness, was now indomitable. The ten souls had merged into one, flooding his mind with overwhelming power, manifesting as luminous brilliance.
“Yet… I sense further transformation is possible.”
Channeling his full might, his divine energy surged, his soul’s essence condensing and bursting forth from his skull.
Without delay, he set out to find Shi Zhongtian, longing for reunion.
After so many eons, to see his kin again—his grandfather—was nothing short of a miracle.
Years later, he arrived at a secluded region, the domain of a being returned from the Boundary Sea, a radiant stretch of cosmos few dared trespass.
Not only was the Fifteenth Grandfather there, but A’Man as well. Over the years, they had repeatedly ambushed the descendants of Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, and Yuan Chu—all to avenge Shi Hao.
When hunted, they retreated here, safe from pursuit, for A’Man was the disciple of a formidable figure.
“Grandfather! A’Man!”
Shi Hao had never imagined his first reunion in the immortal realm would be with them.
Though years had passed since his arrival, his true self had remained dormant within the reincarnation marks until now.
“You…” Shi Zhongtian stared, stunned, unable to believe his eyes.
Then, with a heart-wrenching cry, he gasped, “Why… why do you look exactly like my Hao’er?!”
A’Man, ethereal and beautiful, murmured in shock, “How can this be?”
“Grandfather, A’Man, it’s me! I’ve returned!” Shi Hao’s eyes stung, tears threatening to fall. He proclaimed loudly that he had not died, that he lived.
“What? Alive?” Shi Zhongtian’s eyes widened in fury. “The Ao and Tai Shi families—do you think to deceive me?!” His Heavenly Eye flared open.
Simultaneously, A’Man’s gaze intensified, scrutinizing Shi Hao until, with a gasp, she cried, “It really is Little Hao!”
“Shi Zhongtian, witch, where will you flee now?”
From all directions, countless figures emerged, surrounding the region, sealing the cosmos.
“Hao’er!”
“Little Hao!”
Who else in this era would call him thus? Shi Hao’s heart ached. After hundreds of millennia, through the shifts of time and fate, his soul’s return had brought him straight to them.
Shi Zhongtian and A’Man, overwhelmed with shock, joy, and emotion, forgot the encircling foes, their eyes only on Shi Hao.
“Fools courting death!” a voice sneered—a True Immortal among the host.
This was no small force, led by genuine powerhouses, immortal-tier beings.
Shi Hao lifted his head. “Grandfather, A’Man, wait but a moment.”
Facing the horde, he raised a single hand and brought it down upon the starry expanse.
**”Boom!”**
The cosmos shattered. The vast army, countless in number, was erased in an instant, not a trace remaining.
Shi Zhongtian and A’Man stood dumbfounded.
“Child, you… good, good, good!” The Fifteenth Grandfather trembled with elation, overjoyed at his grandson’s staggering display.
“Well slain!” A’Man cheered.
“Who dares commit such annihilation, slaughtering thousands in a single stroke? Is this not excessively cruel?” a voice intoned from the depths of space.
Without a word, Shi Hao, with his grandfather and A’Man, advanced. Whoever this was, if they opposed him, they would be crushed.
“Fellow Daoist, your cultivation is profound, your Dao immeasurable. Why harm the descendants of Ao Sheng and Tai Shi? In these times, unity against the dark tide is paramount. With your power, you should face the dark beings or the foes emerging from the Boundary Sea.”
“If unity means standing with Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, and Yuan Chu, then I choose opposition. I will never stand with them!” Shi Hao’s voice was steel.
“Brother, you are too extreme. What grudge cannot be resolved? Such isolation is unwise as the Great Cleansing looms.”
“My choice? Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, and Yuan Chu deserve their doom.” Shi Hao paused, then added coldly, “If opposing them means isolation, so be it. I will embrace the chaos—I **am** the Great Cleansing!”
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