Shi Hao took out an object—a pitch-black stone that appeared utterly unremarkable, devoid of any extraordinary qualities.
This stone had been retrieved from the cave abode of the Seven-Colored Immortal and once belonged to a supreme Immortal King. It was hailed as the pinnacle of forging materials, yet for the longest time, Shi Hao had been unable to discern its true nature.
It wasn’t until later, after he attained the rank of Immortal King and scoured through countless ancient texts, that he faintly surmised it to be a rare and priceless treasure.
This material wasn’t meant to be used alone in forging; it required combination with other substances.
“This should be it,” Shi Hao murmured.
He stood atop the Boundary Sea, the Law Pool floating above his head, shrouded in mist as if capable of suppressing all eras. In his hand, the sword embryo gleamed brilliantly, its mere tremble unleashing countless sword rays that sent shivers down the spines of even Immortal Kings.
This was a Quasi-Immortal Emperor artifact—he had truly succeeded in forging it!
The immortal sword descended into the pool, bobbing alongside him.
With a thunderous roar, the flames of the Great Dao reignited, radiating boundless light. Symbols flickered like stars, densely packed, illuminating the surroundings.
The Law Pool once again nurtured the sword embryo, engulfed in flames.
Shi Hao tossed the black stone into the pool, using the Quasi-Immortal Emperor-level flames of the Great Dao to refine it, causing the heavens and earth to tremble.
Whoosh!
Eventually, a flame within his body, no longer dormant, surged forth—a mere fist-sized ember, yet it blazed with dazzling radiance, merging with his Dao flames.
“No wonder… This is at least a Quasi-Immortal Emperor-level flame!”
Shi Hao sighed softly. This mysterious ancient flame had an enigmatic origin. He had discovered it beside the Three-Life Bronze Coffin, and it had followed him ever since, residing within his body.
Yet, he had never been able to command it—until today, when it fused with his Dao flames, aiding him in forging.
A Quasi-Immortal Emperor flame!
It had imprinted countless Great Dao principles and infinite laws of the universe, making it perfectly suited for Shi Hao. Its synergy with his Law Pool was unparalleled, and the refining process yielded immense benefits.
Sizzle!
The black stone melted, seeping into the pool before merging with the sword embryo. This mysterious substance, in an instant, seemed to ignite both Quasi-Immortal Emperor artifacts.
Boom!
The waves of the Boundary Sea surged to the heavens, growing increasingly terrifying. The Quasi-Immortal Emperor artifact trembled, its blazing flames sweeping across the sea, capable of submerging entire worlds.
When the chaos finally subsided, the Law Pool appeared even more ancient, exuding chaotic energy, with starlight flickering within as if containing the essence of the most powerful cosmos.
As for the sword embryo, its once razor-sharp edge gradually turned inward, its killing intent concealed. In stillness, it resembled a placid lake, but once unleashed, its sword light could rend the heavens and split the earth—a weapon of unparalleled ferocity.
This sword embryo made even the mightiest kings tremble, too fearful to gaze upon it directly, for they sensed its terrifying power—capable of slaying them with ease.
Without a doubt, both artifacts had ascended to new heights, surpassing their previous states.
As if tempered over millions of years, they had become extensions of Shi Hao’s flesh and blood, responding to his will as effortlessly as his own limbs. He could feel their overwhelming might.
Were it not for the insurmountable gap of the Emperor-level, this stone might have elevated weapons by an entire tier in other realms or stages.
The weapon refinement was complete!
Shi Hao felt an unprecedented surge of power!
Yet, he did not rely solely on weapons. Since his youth, his greatest strength had been his own hands. Weapons were merely an added advantage.
If one day, the heavens were shattered, the world destroyed, and all weapons lost, what would he rely on? Only himself.
“And then there’s the Great Luo Sword Embryo…”
Shi Hao murmured to himself, but he refrained from melting it down.
Whether in the past or present, he had always regarded this sword embryo as extraordinary, its creator beyond comprehension. The weapon grew stronger with its wielder, shrouded in mystery.
He had every reason to believe that this sword embryo held an immense origin!
Its master might not be dead!
He even suspected that the sword embryo’s creator had transcended the Immortal King level.
After all, he had once used this sword embryo to strike the Origin Ancient Artifact, repelling it without suffering harm.
In the end, Shi Hao returned to the Immortal Domain, causing all kings to tremble. A Quasi-Immortal Emperor—once they truly grasped his strength, all clans could only revere him in awe.
Since the Fall of Emperors era, this was the first recorded instance of a being ascending to the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level, standing above all eras, unrivaled under the heavens.
Shi Hao returned to the Heavenly Court, presiding for a century and settling many affairs.
Then, he prepared to depart.
With the Five Feathers Fan, the Primordial Chaos Gourd, and the Five Elements Banner, it was as if he had left behind several Immortal Kings. Coupled with the likes of the Second Under Heaven, the Immortal Gold Daoist, the Dark Willow Deity, and the Heavenly Horned Ant, the Heavenly Court was well-protected.
Calculating carefully, this was an overwhelmingly formidable force.
Yet, despite such might, Shi Hao had never formally established the Heavenly Court in the Immortal Domain—never uttered those two words.
The organization existed, the forces were in place, but the proclamation of the “Heavenly Court” had never been made.
Shi Hao himself feared nothing, but he worried for his followers. If the ancient legends held truth, invoking such a name might invite calamity and bloodshed.
That would be his greatest regret.
He feared nothing for himself, but the thought of his comrades falling one by one haunted him.
After traversing the Immortal Domain, Shi Hao finally departed—this time vanishing for over a hundred thousand years without a trace.
He ventured into the Boundary Sea, healing his wounds while exploring its depths, sometimes boarding islands, other times diving into its abyss.
In recent years, the dark storms of the sea had grown increasingly violent, capable of annihilating even Immortal King-level experts.
He did not rush forward, focusing instead on recovery.
Time flowed endlessly, and Quasi-Immortal Emperor Shi Hao became a legend even among the mortals of the Immortal Domain.
For another hundred thousand years had passed in the blink of an eye.
How many years had Shi Hao lived by now? Sealed within the Ten Reincarnation Seals for five hundred thousand years, eighty years in the Immortal Domain, and over two hundred thousand years traversing the Boundary Sea.
In the last two hundred thousand years, the world had enjoyed an unprecedented peace.
Powerful beings returned from the Boundary Sea, but most resided on the dam or retreated to broken ancient realms. None dared attack the Immortal Domain.
All because of one man—Huang, the Quasi-Immortal Emperor, who lurked somewhere in the Boundary Sea, his whereabouts unknown.
The great upheaval seemed to have been quelled. For over two hundred thousand years, not a single Immortal King had fallen—a peace so profound it defied belief.
In the Immortal Domain, the clans stood firm, their hearts steady, their kings composed.
Before his departure, Shi Hao had confided in them: his journey into the Boundary Sea was to block its enemies. Any fallen Immortal Kings harboring murderous intent would be stopped by him.
And true to his word, no great turmoil had erupted in all these years, earning him the reverence of all clans.
The members of the Heavenly Court missed him dearly.
In the Boundary Sea, a black ancient ship drifted like a ghost, slow yet traversing shattered worlds one after another.
The blood-stained vessel was colossal.
Shi Hao sat cross-legged on the deck, silent and still, immersed in cultivation. After two to three hundred thousand years of recuperation, his wounds had fully healed.
On this day, his cultivation reached perfection. The last trace of injury vanished, and with a resounding boom, his vitality surged, his Great Dao aura permeating the Boundary Sea.
“Were they truly waiting for me to cross the Boundary Sea?” Shi Hao rose to his feet. After guarding the outer regions for so long, he had yet to encounter the beings he sought.
Thousands of years later, Shi Hao frowned as the black ship beneath him halted. He sensed an unusual tension in the air.
Shadows loomed in the Boundary Sea—colossal beings like ancient demonic mountains emerged, their crimson eyes filled with madness, gathering in numbers.
“After so many years of peace, someone finally couldn’t resist?” Shi Hao mused.
Roar!
An ancient beast roared, charging forward with towering waves in its wake.
“Pfft!”
Yet Shi Hao did not move. With a mere exhale of chaotic essence, he reduced the mountainous creature to splinters.
Such was the might of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor.
Now fully healed, Shi Hao was stronger than ever, his combat prowess unimaginable.
Simultaneously, calamity struck the Heavenly Court!
“Hmm?!”
Even across immeasurable distances, Shi Hao sensed it—a pang of unease, a foreboding that jolted him to full alertness.
Here, powerful beings continued to assail him, but with a flick of his finger, they met their demise.
Whoosh!
Shi Hao departed, steering the blood-stained black ship through all obstacles, racing toward the dam at breakneck speed.
“The Immortal Domain is in peril!” Having made his judgment, Shi Hao charged forth with frenzied determination.
For an Immortal King, returning after so many years would have been impossible in time. But Shi Hao was a Quasi-Immortal Emperor. His journey had not been one of haste but of recovery, lingering near the sea’s edge.
Thus, upon sensing danger, his speed terrified even Immortal Kings—defying the heavens, as if reversing the river of time itself.
Boom!
Shi Hao breached the dam world, tore through the void, and in a single step, returned to the Immortal Domain.
“Kill!”
The battlefield was a frenzy of slaughter, the Immortal Domain torn asunder, its lands ravaged beyond recognition.
What had happened?
Shi Hao’s eyes turned icy. Was there still a great calamity within the Immortal Domain?
Soon, he understood. High in the sky, an ancient palace materialized, unleashing hordes of powerful beings who slaughtered the clans’ elites.
Fallen Immortal Kings—corrupted by darkness—descended through this palace.
This Summoning Ancient Palace was far grander than the ruined one belonging to the Nine-Headed Monster.
In this battle, some Immortal Kings had perished, erased from existence.
Boom!
Shi Hao threw a single punch, eclipsing all light in heaven and earth, leaving only his towering figure.
Crack!
Figures in the sky exploded, their bones reduced to ash as they rained down.
A single strike from a Quasi-Immortal Emperor dimmed the world.
Shi Hao arrived at the Heavenly Court’s location in an instant, finding it the epicenter of battle. Countless dark beings descended, their oppressive aura blotting out the sky as they besieged the stronghold.
Fortunately, he had forged the Five Feathers Fan and the Primordial Chaos Gourd in the past.
Otherwise, the Heavenly Court would have been doomed.
Even so, the losses were staggering. The grand palace lay in ruins, flames licking the sky, the cacophony of battle deafening.
The Second Under Heaven, the Immortal Gold Daoist—all fought desperately, drenched in blood. Even the Dark Willow Deity had lost many branches in the brutal struggle.
The Heavenly Horned Ant, wielding an immortal gold staff, raged with crimson eyes, fully berserk. Above him hovered the Primordial Mother Cauldron, his father’s weapon.
The battle was ferocious!
Whoosh!
At that moment, a dazzling radiance erupted, illuminating the entire Immortal Domain. Enraged, Shi Hao unleashed his Quasi-Immortal Emperor sword, sweeping across the heavens.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Every assailant surrounding the Heavenly Court was annihilated, their terror extinguished by his overwhelming killing intent.
“Be sealed!”
Shi Hao roared, summoning the Law Pool. It devoured the Summoning Ancient Palace in the sky, forcibly suppressing it within.
Had he not wished to study it, he would have shattered the palace with a single slash.
“Seal again!”
Shi Hao commanded. The Law Pool glowed, distorting space and time, its power akin to a black hole as it sucked in all invading beings. None could escape its overwhelming might.
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