The Law Pool shimmered brilliantly, radiating dazzling light that illuminated the entire immortal domain.
At the same time, it was terrifying—devouring enemies from all directions as one dark creature after another shrank in size and swiftly plummeted into its depths.
The entire immortal domain was thrown into madness!
This artifact was too horrifying. Suspended high in the heavens, it drew in all invaders uncontrollably, pulling them toward the pool like tiny insects falling into a blazing fire.
Shi Hao stood in the void, gazing down upon the immortal domain as if he had existed since time immemorial, coldly watching his enemies being captured.
“Roar!”
Among them was an ancient beast of immense size, struggling violently, trampling mountains and rivers, leaping into the sky—larger than celestial bodies—attempting to flee the immortal domain.
This beast was a powerful fallen Immortal King, roaring as it shattered stars and tore through the cosmos, on the verge of complete escape.
Yet, under Shi Hao’s icy gaze, a mere flick of his sleeve caused the beast to explode instantly, reduced to a mist of blood.
The onlookers were horrified—was this the true power of the Desolate One?
Unbelievably strong! That was an Immortal King, yet he had ended its life with a single motion of his sleeve!
It could be said that a Quasi-Immortal Emperor surpassed all imagination. Now fully healed, Shi Hao stood at the pinnacle of the Great Dao, overlooking all living beings, unmatched by any foe.
“Darkness is the final destination—even Immortal Kings are no exception!”
A figure roared, disheveled and towering like a colossus, his massive form struggling free from the vortex in the distance, seeking to wreak havoc and escape this realm.
Yet, with a single shout from Shi Hao, a golden symbol descended like a mountain, crushing the figure and obliterating him completely.
The power was staggering, dazzlingly radiant as the vivid blood of a king burned, shaking the heavens and earth.
“Flee!”
Even the dark creatures, despite their formidable origins, lost all will to fight. None dared to stay and battle—all sought escape.
But how could they flee?
Above, the Law Pool shimmered with an ethereal glow, enveloped in mist, drawing all invaders inward.
Those who slipped through the net were too distant, yet Shi Hao annihilated them with a flick of his fingers, reducing them to blood and bone before they could escape.
“Darkness is eternal—this day will come!”
Some fearless souls roared, struggling violently, attacking those nearby and even attempting to strike at Shi Hao.
Boom!
The next moment, the Law Pool descended closer to the earth, accelerating the capture of invaders across the battlefield, pulling them in with resounding crashes.
Hum!
Finally, the Law Pool began to rotate, hovering above the immortal domain. Moving at incomprehensible speed—crossing millions of miles in an instant—it gathered every last invader, leaving none behind.
Apart from a few powerful beings Shi Hao spared for interrogation, he gave the Law Pool a fierce shake, instantly reducing them to bloody mist.
A flame burned within the pool, absorbing the creatures’ law imprints before shaking their ashen remains out.
This was a weapon of mass destruction!
Even the Immortal Kings of the domain paled at the sight—such terror was unprecedented.
Some of these creatures had been locked in fierce battle with them, peers in strength, yet they were annihilated so effortlessly. What kind of godly power was this?
Boom!
At the site where the Guiding Ancient Temple once stood, the void split open, releasing a terrifying aura—black mist surged as if something sought to cross over.
Shi Hao, unafraid, ascended to block the passage, peering inside.
“Die!”
With a thunderous roar, he drew his immortal sword, its brilliance so dazzling that even Immortal Kings averted their eyes.
Swoosh!
Shi Hao cleaved through the void, widening the passage—he wanted to see what creature dared approach.
“Roar!”
A deafening bellow shook the immortal domain. Had Shi Hao not sealed the area, countless would have been torn apart by the shockwave.
Shi Hao saw it—a monstrous entity with nineteen heads, each covered in azure scales, grotesque and horrifying.
Each head was unique, its body serpentine like a dragon, coiling and writhing. Its size was beyond comprehension, its smallest scales rivaling the moon, its eyes as vast as planets.
Its aura was terrifying—besides the central dragon head, there were tiger, pixiu, and glutton heads…
The sight was horrifying, its presence overwhelming.
Shi Hao knew this monster was formidable—even Kun Di and Qu Chong were no match. Few beings could rival it.
In the past, a nine-headed monster had been fearsome enough to battle Shi Hao before his breakthrough. This one, with nineteen heads, was even more terrifying.
“Nineteen kings, devouring and merging to form this body?” Shi Hao mused.
Undoubtedly, this creature stood at the peak of Immortal Kings. If it broke through its final shackles, it would be unstoppable.
But those shackles were near impossible to overcome.
No matter how strong, it had not yet reached that level.
Since ancient times, how many had attained such heights? Presently, only the Desolate One had.
“A top-tier Immortal King, surpassing Kun Di. I wonder how it compares to that ancient monster who ventured into the depths of the Realm Sea and never returned?”
“Roar!”
The monster roared, charging forth with an aura that would crush lesser kings.
But to Shi Hao, it was insignificant. With a single slash, all nineteen heads fell, blood mist spraying wildly.
“Speak—what is your origin?” Shi Hao demanded.
Though he already knew—these were creatures from the Dark Prison, like the nine-headed monster before, only stronger.
Merging the souls of nineteen kings—what a terrifying feat!
Among Immortal Kings, it was nearly invincible, capable of sweeping through all foes.
“What is there to say? We fell into darkness, devoured one another, and now seized this chance to lead an assault against the light,” one head replied.
“Worship darkness, bow eternally,” another murmured, eyes filled with madness, confusion, and frenzy—utterly deranged.
Shi Hao’s expression darkened. These beings, imprisoned for eons, were beyond reason.
One by one, he seized their heads, probing their minds.
Finally, with a cold snort, he declared, “I’ll send you on your way—be free!”
Swoosh!
A single sword stroke reduced all nineteen heads to dust, annihilating them completely.
These creatures knew only slaughter and destruction. Keeping them alive would invite disaster.
What lay in the dark lands? Why create such monsters to lead an invasion, posing such a dire threat to the immortal domain?
Clang!
Shi Hao swung his sword again, wishing to cleave through eternity, shatter the darkness, and tear open the so-called prison.
Regrettably, his strike found nothing—the passage had already collapsed, vanishing without a trace.
“The Guiding Ancient Temple connects to the dark lands—is it summoning prisoners back?” Shi Hao murmured.
Holding the Law Pool, he studied the remnants of the temple, extracting a few preserved strong beings to scour their memories.
Yet he found little. They knew nothing of the dark lands, having been imprisoned for ages.
Only recently had a voice promised them freedom, commanding them to return and kill.
“Even the mightiest, imprisoned for eons, would be broken by such silence and darkness,” Shi Hao sighed.
The battle was over.
Shi Hao had returned in time, but the immortal domain had suffered greatly.
The Guiding Ancient Temple had appeared abruptly, unleashing a horde of strong beings who slaughtered without warning.
All had believed Shi Hao’s presence in the Realm Sea made the domain safe—and for two to three hundred millennia, it had been.
Who could have foreseen such calamity?
Even the Heavenly Court had lost many—veteran generals who had followed from the lower realm, brought here by Pan King, perished in the conflict.
Despite treasures like the Five Feathers Fan, the Primordial Chaos Gourd, and the Five Elements Banner, the chaos of Immortal King battles had taken its toll.
The Dark Willow Deity had been ambushed, nearly meeting disaster, its branches shattered.
Though the crisis had passed, new graves dotted the Heavenly Court’s grounds—fallen veterans of old.
Shi Hao was silent. He had watched the Realm Sea, yet still failed to prevent this. The Guiding Ancient Temple had breached their defenses.
He remained in the immortal domain, observing dawn’s golden splendor and dusk’s bloody hues, standing motionless for years at a time.
He contemplated his path, refining his techniques, striving to grow stronger—to become a true Emperor!
During this time, he reunited with old friends, reminiscing and discussing the future. All were somber, knowing the dark lands held unimaginable horrors.
Qing Yi visited often. Her relationship with Shi Hao was peaceful, though complicated by the presence of Dark Fire Spirit.
For now, Shi Hao avoided such matters—the world was in turmoil, and personal affairs had to wait until the dark upheaval was quelled.
Yet, when that time came, with Yun Xi, Fire Spirit, and Qing Yi in the picture, he found himself at a loss.
Even the Heavenly Horned Ant teased him—the mighty Desolate One, a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, flustered by matters of the heart?
Even his grandfather, Shi Zhongtian, joked that the invincible Little Stone feared nothing—why not marry them all?
Shi Hao could only smile bitterly.
Time was merciless. Over the years, he had gained much and lost much—regrets and satisfactions intertwined.
And so, the days passed.
Boom!
One day, the heavens and earth quaked violently. The immortal domain split apart, engulfed in catastrophe.
Shi Hao’s eyes snapped open, his overwhelming aura stabilizing the Heavenly Court’s territory and shielding the surroundings.
“I hadn’t sought you out, yet you come to me!” Shi Hao roared.
He saw a chest—the Origin Ancient Artifact of the Foreign Land, which he had once sealed and banished into the void.
Having recovered, Shi Hao had yet to investigate it. Now, it had returned on its own, descending upon the immortal domain.
As it neared Shi Hao, the artifact opened—unleashing disaster.
“Suppress!”
Shi Hao’s roar shook the heavens. His Law Pool surged upward to intercept the chest.
Crack!
The chest split open, revealing a bone staff—pale as jade yet wreathed in dark essence—slashing toward Shi Hao.
Now, Shi Hao understood—this was power of the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level!
“You dare strike at me?”
Shi Hao bellowed, shaking the Law Pool to draw the staff inside.
He repelled its force, driving it beyond the domain, seeking to battle in the void.
Yet as he departed, another chest appeared—the Origin Ancient Artifact of the Burial Ground!
“You dare!”
Shi Hao roared, hurling his sword to blast it into the void.
A bone crown emerged, resembling an emperor’s diadem—sometimes shifting into a pale skull, surreal and chilling.
For the immortal domain, this was catastrophe.
Though Shi Hao had forced both chests away, their radiance still scorched vast regions.
Countless perished, strong beings turned to ash.
Even two Immortal Kings, caught too close, fell—their blood staining their sanctuaries.
The Heavenly Court suffered grievously—its halls ruined, soldiers and generals reduced to dust under the Quasi-Immortal Emperor’s annihilating light.
In the void, Shi Hao raged, dragging both chests into the Realm Sea for a cataclysmic battle.
These were no mere artifacts.
The bone crown took human form, wielding the staff against Shi Hao.
This was the first Quasi-Immortal Emperor battle since the fall of emperors—shaking the ages, terrifying all under heaven.
“Those who dare establish a Heavenly Court shall die!” the bone-crown entity intoned coldly.
Shi Hao seethed. Since arriving in the immortal domain, he had avoided the title, fearing retribution against his loved ones.
“With your power, you would inevitably declare an immortal court,” the creature sneered.
Long ago, the woman on the World Tree had warned him—in the lower realm, it was inconsequential, but in the immortal world, it invited doom.
Her ancestors, founders of the immortal system, had established a Heavenly Court—only for their clans to be wiped out by calamity.
Only she and the Butcher had survived.
“So it was you behind it all!” Shi Hao growled.
“Worse than you imagine. Darkness is eternal—all is but a cycle!” the creature replied icily.
“Die!”
The battle was apocalyptic, sundering the Realm Sea, shaking the cosmos.
In the end, Shi Hao triumphed, sealing both artifacts for later resolution.
Returning to the immortal domain, he beheld the devastation—bloodstains, ruins—and let out a furious roar.
The Heavenly Court had suffered immensely—veterans gone, generals reduced to ash.
Many clung to life, their bodies half-destroyed by corrosive energy.
Roaring, Shi Hao unleashed his Quasi-Immortal Emperor blood, purging the corruption and saving some from death’s brink.
Cradling the broken bodies of his oldest comrades, his eyes reddened—these were the men who had followed him from the lower realm.
“Ahhh!”
Shi Hao howled at the heavens.
More losses surfaced—comrades from the border wars, brothers who had feasted and fought beside him.
“Heh… haha…” His laughter was bitter, his voice hoarse with grief. “I avoided declaring a Heavenly Court, yet still this disaster came.”
“Grandfather, A’Man, Chang Gongyan, Mu Qing, Qing Yi… sleep now.”
He resolved to seal the entire Heavenly Court, as he had once sealed Stone Village.
Alone, he would march forward—unburdened, unleashing his wrath.
“From this day forth, none shall remain.”
“Only I remain!”
“Henceforth, the Heavenly Court rises!”
“The Heavenly Court exists because I exist—a court of one shall stand!” Shi Hao roared, his aura erupting, shaking the firmament.
“Come forth! If you do not, I will come for you!”
This was a declaration of war—a lone Heavenly Court, defying the dark lands.
Only the Desolate One stood against the abyss.
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