From ancient times to the present, those who dared to establish a Heavenly Court have all perished, without a single one meeting a good end.
This outcome was hardly unexpected. Even those on the verge of breaking through the King Realm, glimpsing the dawn of becoming an Emperor, ultimately met a tragic demise.
If it were just one generation, it might be dismissed as misfortune. But this fate has repeated across generations—multiple Heavenly Courts collapsing one after another, bringing ruin to their respective races, nearly wiping them out entirely!
“Butcher, residing in the Boundary Sea, is a peerless expert, revered as an unrivaled titan even within those treacherous waters. His ancestors once collaborated to refine the cultivation methods of the Immortal Domain,” Pan King recounted.
Butcher’s ancestors were truly extraordinary, joining forces with a few ancient Immortal Kings to defy the heavens. They even dared to venture into the Boundary Sea and strike down the ancient reception halls descending from above.
Yet, in the end, those ancient Immortal Kings still perished, and the Heavenly Court they co-founded collapsed spectacularly.
Of those clans, only Butcher and one or two others survived the calamity—everyone else fell, their bloodlines extinguished.
“Tsk!”
Shi Hao sucked in a cold breath. This was truly sinister.
He had heard of this before. Five hundred thousand years ago, the golden-winged woman atop the World Tree had warned him against rashly establishing a Heavenly Court.
“What exactly caused it?”
Unable to guess, Shi Hao turned to Pan King for answers. After all, this was an Immortal King who had lived for countless eons—his knowledge far surpassed Shi Hao’s.
“I don’t know. The situation is too complex, with all sorts of rumors…” Pan King shook his head but still shared some insights.
Some ancient Immortal Kings claimed that the Heavenly Court might be cursed. During the Era of Fallen Emperors, certain cataclysmic events had occurred, forbidding its resurgence.
Others said that darkness and ill omens were inherently opposed to the Heavenly Court. Anyone who dared establish it would inevitably be hunted down, leading to total annihilation.
There were also those who believed the Heavenly Court might have once existed in unparalleled glory, only to exhaust its fortune during the Era of Fallen Emperors, thereafter plagued by misfortune. Thus, anyone attempting to revive it would be repaying an immense karmic debt.
The theories varied, each more cryptic than the last.
Shi Hao frowned, skeptical of these claims.
“This matter is truly uncertain. In any case, refrain from recklessly establishing one to avoid inviting disaster,” Pan King cautioned. In the lower realms, it might not matter much, as it didn’t involve higher Immortal Dao principles.
But in this realm, it was different. Many ancient clans coveted the name of the Heavenly Court—establishing one would have immense repercussions.
Yet, who would dare?
“Another theory suggests that the faint footprints on the shore of the Dam World might belong to beings from the Era of Fallen Emperors, linked to the Heavenly Court.”
It was precisely because of those footprints that generations of Immortal Kings had ventured into the Boundary Sea, chasing their trail to uncover the ultimate truth.
“Beyond the dark lands, past the end, lies the ultimate secret,” Pan King sighed.
Shi Hao was astonished. Even the secrets of the Heavenly Court ultimately pointed to the depths of the Boundary Sea?
The dark lands, the reception halls, the Heavenly Court—all seemed to converge toward the same destination!
“Build temples. When the myriad races chant our names, it fortifies the Immortal King’s soul, making it indestructible!” Pan King advised.
For those below the Immortal King realm, statues enshrined in temples might only gather faith. But for Immortal Kings, the benefits were profound—strengthening the soul itself.
“There’s such a distinction?” Shi Hao was surprised.
He had always assumed that constructing grand temples and receiving prayers from all races merely accumulated willpower, shaping divine forms.
Now, it seemed there was more to it.
Chanting a name was akin to empowering the soul, making it impervious to calamities.
Shi Hao delved deeper, even experiencing it firsthand. Having just returned from slaughtering in the foreign realm, many beings were already chanting his name.
“Hmm, there are some benefits.”
Yet, he felt it wouldn’t profoundly impact him. His path was one of self-reliance—seeking the Dao within, not from external forces.
Relying on the power of the masses to nurture his soul? How could it compare to the strength forged through his own cultivation?
Sensing his doubts, Pan King explained, “It’s merely supplementary. No Immortal King relies entirely on external forces—self-cultivation remains paramount. But having such support is still beneficial.”
“The world is balanced. What must an Immortal King give in return?” Shi Hao asked.
“Protection to their followers,” Pan King replied.
If someone chanted an Immortal King’s name devoutly, the King might sense it—especially for the most devoted pilgrims, who would receive protection.
“Some Immortal Kings even engrave their true names, declaring that devout followers may summon a manifestation in times of life and death.”
A true name was one imbued with incantations. Chanting it was akin to reciting a spell, establishing a connection with the Immortal King.
The vast willpower accumulated by the King could manifest an avatar in response.
Of course, chanting a true name came at a cost. Only the most powerful clans dared invoke an Immortal King’s true name, for it demanded a sacrifice afterward—either rare treasures like Immortal Gold or World Stones, or guiding more races to worship the King’s statue.
Shi Hao suddenly understood. He recalled the foreign realm, where invoking the true names of the Undying Kings could bring disaster.
Though the two realms differed, the principles of true names were likely similar.
“If I establish temples, I won’t use them to nurture my soul—only to accumulate willpower for avatars to guard the Heavenly Court in my absence. I could also enshrine divine generals, granting them fortune,” Shi Hao mused.
Pan King’s expression darkened, warning him once more: the Heavenly Court must not be established.
The two conversed at length, with Pan King earnestly guiding him through the intricacies of being an Immortal King, sparing him many detours.
After bidding farewell to Pan King, Shi Hao sought out old friends.
“Shi Hao!”
The Lunar Jade Rabbit shrieked, flailing her limbs as she charged at him. After five hundred thousand years, she remained a petite girl, seemingly frozen in adolescence.
Her slender frame and silver hair cascading to her waist shimmered brilliantly. Her large, coral-red eyes sparkled with vitality.
Others hesitated. Though Shi Hao was still the same person, his reputation as a peerless Immortal King who could rival the mightiest figures of the Immortal Domain—even slaying other Kings—instilled awe.
But the Lunar Jade Rabbit paid no heed, pouncing on him with a scrunched-up face, shouting, “You vanished for five hundred thousand years! Do you know how much we grieved, shedding so many tears for nothing?”
Even as an Immortal King with a heart of steel, Shi Hao felt a pang of sorrow. Five hundred thousand years—so many eras lost, so many friends aged and gone.
Yet warmth also filled him. He ruffled her silvery hair playfully, nearly tangling it into a bird’s nest.
“Ah! I’ll fight you!”
The Lunar Jade Rabbit flailed, while the snow-white Qilin beside her—a descendant of the Ten Fiends—shrank back. Once a tiny creature cradled in her arms, it had now grown into a formidable being.
Others watched in astonishment. Who would dare roughhouse with an Immortal King?
“Don’t fight. I’ll treat you to meat and wine later!” Shi Hao chuckled.
Back then, this rabbit had claimed to be vegetarian—yet she always devoured his roasted delicacies and inevitably got drunk, causing a scene.
“Too bad Cao Yousheng isn’t here,” the Lunar Jade Rabbit suddenly wept.
In the past, the three of them had often feasted together.
“I believe he’s still alive. I’ll bring him to the Immortal Domain,” Shi Hao vowed.
The collapse of the Burial Grounds had shocked him. Who would dare attack that place?
A golden gourd had descended from the heavens, spewing chaotic light, shattering the Burial Grounds’ outskirts.
“Really? He’s alive?!” The Lunar Jade Rabbit’s eyes widened before she cheered, “Good! Bring him here!”
The Ten Crown King arrived, followed by the Banished Immortal, Great Xu Tuo, and others.
Reunited, they reflected on their past rivalries—competing for supremacy in their youth. Now, after five hundred thousand years, the gaps between them had widened.
“Just surviving is enough. When we heard of your demise, we mourned deeply…” Princess Yaoyue said.
With the Lunar Jade Rabbit breaking the ice, others relaxed, shedding their inhibitions.
Shi Hao ordered a grand feast for his old friends, making it a joyous reunion.
The masters of the Five Spirit Chariot, Tuogu Yulong, the last surviving daughter of the Wei Family’s Four Phoenixes, the Little Heavenly King—countless old comrades gathered, including Shi Yi.
Yet Shi Hao frowned. Qin Hao was absent, and no one knew his whereabouts—or even if he still lived.
“Grandfather!”
Shi Zhongtian arrived with A’Man.
Shi Hao had already sent for them, even preparing to fetch them himself, but his guests delayed him.
Now, his grandfather had come on his own.
The two embraced fiercely, laughing through tears.
A’Man smiled, wiping their damp eyes—though her own tears fell freely. These years had been too harsh.
Many approached to pay respects to Shi Zhongtian.
“Surviving is enough,” Chang Gongyan sighed, clinking cups with Shi Hao before embracing him tightly, both recalling past regrets.
The Skyhorned Ant, Mu Qing, the Divine Striking Stone, and others naturally took charge of hosting the guests.
Observing them, Shi Hao noted that the Skyhorned Ant had become a True Immortal, as had the Ten Crown King… He pondered. Among them, the strongest were only True Immortals. Could any ascend to Immortal King? Even if possible, would they be given the time?
The Boundary Sea was too volatile, with titans emerging unpredictably.
In fact, over the past five hundred thousand years, the Immortal Domain had weathered multiple storms.
“We must recruit powerful allies,” Shi Hao resolved.
The Seven-Colored Immortal Gold Being had long departed the Heavenly Court. Of the Three Ghostly Immortals, only one remained, still within the Immortal Dao realm.
Shi Hao recalled the borderlands of the Three Thousand Provinces—home to a dragon known as “Second to None” and a Golden Daoist whose mount was an Immortal Golden Ox.
Could he enlist these two?
This was Pan King’s domain, so Shi Hao directly sought his counsel.
The urgency stemmed from the Heavenly Court’s current weakness—it desperately needed formidable guardians.
“Those two were indeed mighty in their prime—one dared rival the True Dragon, the other was a sentient Immortal Gold who became a King, nigh indestructible!” Pan King praised.
Yet he regretfully informed Shi Hao that both souls were severely damaged, nearly extinguished.
The masters of the forbidden zones, the Crystal Skull, and the Golden Palm Bone also lamented—had they been whole, those two would have been unstoppable.
But if they were whole, they wouldn’t have been trapped there.
“Unless you can concoct a supreme elixir, there might be hope. But the ingredients are nearly impossible to gather,” Pan King added.
The requirements were staggering: at least six Immortal Longevity Medicines, plus an almost mythical herb—Three Lives Herb.
A single Immortal Longevity Medicine could elevate one to immortality. Yet this elixir demanded six!
While the Immortal Domain had such medicines, procuring them would be costly.
But the Three Lives Herb was another matter—exceedingly rare, found only in the Burial Grounds. Throughout history, only one or two had been unearthed, becoming legends.
Moreover, this herb was irresistibly alluring to Burial Kings, aiding their evolution. Extracting it from the Burial Grounds would be harder than ascending to heaven!
Shi Hao’s expression turned peculiar.
He resolved to return to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Then, Qing Yi arrived. Reunited, they had much to say. She had mourned his loss for years—now, she refused to part again, vowing to stay forever.
Yet when another maiden approached, Qing Yi’s heart ached anew.
It was Huo Ling’er, the one who had fallen into darkness. Clad in black, her snow-white skin and profound eyes exuded a cold elegance.
Unlike the Three Ghostly Immortals and the Seven-Colored Immortal Gold Being, she had never left the Heavenly Court.
She believed Shi Hao’s words—that she had a “past life.”
When Shi Hao was slain, she had wept uncontrollably, overwhelmed by grief. That day, she chose to stay.
All these years, she had secluded herself within the Heavenly Court.
Though Shi Hao’s heart stirred, his priority was strengthening the Heavenly Court. Time was pressing—the final battle loomed.
He feared for his friends. If he faltered, none might survive.
In the throes of war, even his own fate would be uncertain.
“To the Immortal King’s treasures!”
That day, Shi Hao led his comrades, accompanied by the masters of the forbidden zones and Pan King, to plunder the vaults of Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, and Yuan Chu.
Mounted on the Golden-Haired Hou, Shi Hao marched the Heavenly Court’s forces forth, drawing widespread attention.
In the past, trespassing on an Immortal King’s domain meant death. But today, none dared oppose him.
All knew of Shi Hao’s vendetta against the three Kings. Now, with his invincible might, who would interfere?
Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, and Yuan Chu had brought this upon themselves.
“The treasures are staggering!”
Even Pan King marveled. The three Kings’ vaults overflowed with divine materials, accumulated over eons.
A single Immortal King’s clan could dominate a universe. Three? The wealth was unimaginable.
“Pity I couldn’t loot Chi King’s vault in the foreign realm,” Shi Hao regretted.
From the three Kings’ hoards, they retrieved five Immortal Longevity Medicines alone!
Weapons, scriptures, and secrets were beyond count.
After perusing the three Kings’ scriptures, Shi Hao distributed them among his allies for study.
“Look—World Stones! They could forge a seal capable of crushing mountains and shattering cosmos!”
“Wow—Five Elements Immortal Gold! Enough to craft any treasure!”
The Lunar Jade Rabbit and the Divine Striking Stone exclaimed in delight.
As the three Kings’ vaults were emptied, countless eyes burned with envy—even other Immortal Kings felt the stir. Yet none dared act.
Shi Hao’s reputation was carved in blood.
Who would challenge the slayer of a titan like Chi King?
The haul was so vast that even the masters of the forbidden zones were awed.
Finally, Shi Hao prepared to depart for the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths—to settle old scores and uncover truths.
“Were the Burial Grounds truly shattered?”
He was determined to find out.
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