A desolate universe, cold and dark, had remained silent for countless eons—until today, when everything changed.
A mutilated corpse suddenly opened its eyes, releasing beams of light that pierced through the cosmos. Those two rays were more terrifying than immortal swords, unbearably sharp.
From afar, they looked like two bolts of lightning erupting in the darkness, shattering the stillness.
After uttering those four words, the corpse slowly rose, its hollow gaze fixed in one direction. Its withered body gradually regained vitality, signs of life flickering back into existence.
It had only one leg, the other missing a foot, and only a single arm. Its body was incomplete, its hair as dry and yellow as wild grass. The entire figure exuded an ancient aura, as if it had endured the weight of countless ages.
**Boom!**
It raised its sole remaining arm, shaking the universe, then pointed in a direction.
With a deafening roar, deep within the dark expanse, a blood-soaked ancient land stirred. An arm suddenly shot into the sky, tearing through the barriers of space and appearing before the corpse.
Then—**crack!**—the withered arm fused with the old man’s body, completing its reconstruction.
At the same time, from the depths of the Boundary Sea, monstrous waves surged as a severed leg, dripping with blood, tore through the heavens before vanishing. The sight sent a chill down Shi Hao’s spine.
**Boom!**
In this lifeless universe, the old man reattached his severed leg.
Then, the boundless void shattered, forming terrifying black fissures that stretched into the unknown. With another thunderous crash, a foot flew from the abyss and merged with his broken form. Now, his body was whole once more.
Clad in tattered black robes—despite his body’s decay, despite drifting through this universe for untold epochs—the garment remained.
Stained with blood and riddled with holes, the ancient robe fluttered as his body revived, then erupted with a surge of black mist.
In an instant, the cosmos was shrouded in darkness.
It was the essence of darkness itself, so thick it could not be dispersed.
Within the blackness, his figure became nearly invisible—only a gaunt, elongated silhouette remained. Yet his eyes burned brighter, like twin suns in the void, blinding and horrifying.
The next moment, he took a step, piercing through space, shattering dimensional barriers, and descended upon the Boundary Sea with overwhelming might.
Instantly, the sea boiled, waves surging into the heavens.
Where the old man landed, the waters exploded, forced outward in all directions. The area dried up, the sea vanishing entirely as his black robes billowed, tearing through all obstacles.
A dark aura coiled around him, his presence unbearably terrifying.
Because of this, nothing could exist near him—even the Boundary Sea beneath him was on the verge of evaporating!
The old man had arrived, his might suppressing all realms!
His sudden appearance forced Shi Hao to remain vigilant. He sensed that this elder harbored an immeasurable force of darkness within him, a power beyond comprehension.
Meanwhile, Feather Emperor, Hong Emperor, and Cang Emperor were in dire straits. Shi Hao had repeatedly shattered their bodies and even cleaved their souls, seeking to erase them entirely.
Upon seeing the old man, the three emperors staggered back, dragging their broken forms as they rushed toward him.
“Elder!”
Cang Emperor spoke first, addressing him with reverence.
Hong Emperor, too, was deferential, greeting him as an elder.
Feather Emperor, proud as ever, merely clasped his hands in salute, refusing to call him “elder.” Yet even he could not deny the newcomer’s terrifying status—one that even three Quasi-Immortal Emperors treated with utmost respect.
“We are peers. There is no need for such formalities,” the old man said with a nod.
His presence was overwhelming. His mere arrival destabilized the Boundary Sea, sending monstrous waves crashing against the heavens. Darkness permeated the cosmos, staining the sea black.
Yet the elder remained amiable, treating Hong Emperor and Cang Emperor as equals, as if they stood on the same level.
“Elder, you are the First Emperor since the dawn of creation. We, who came after, must pay our respects,” Cang Emperor said.
Shi Hao heard every word. In fact, even the Immortal Kings beyond the dam, within the Immortal Domain, caught his words—and they gasped in shock.
**The First Emperor since the dawn of creation?** Such an origin was terrifying.
“We are all Quasi-Immortal Emperors. We are peers,” the old man replied.
Then, he turned to Shi Hao. “Why cling to such trivialities? At your level, what is there left to hold onto? For the sake of mere ants—is it worth it? You and I are the same. There are so few Quasi-Immortal Emperors—why must we slaughter one another?”
“You have already forsaken your humanity, believing yourself above all. I have nothing to say to you!” Shi Hao retorted coldly.
“If you live long enough, you will learn to let go. Emotions, nostalgia, hatred, madness—they all fade into laughter. The Great Dao is merciless. In the end, we are all beings who must sever attachments. You cling because you are still young. When time wears you down, when your heart grows weary, everything you once cherished will turn to dust. Then, you will understand—only the Dao is eternal,” the elder said calmly.
“That is you—not me!” Shi Hao glared at him, sensing the elder’s terrifying nature.
The old man shook his head. “You and I are the same. Like Cang Emperor, Hong Emperor, and Feather Emperor, only we can walk this path together, seeking the way to Immortal Emperor.”
“In the past, Feather Emperor, Hong Emperor, and Cang Emperor all had countless descendants, mighty clans, and legacies that spanned eternity. And what became of them? All was but a fleeting dream—dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Some were even destroyed by their own hands!” the elder said.
These words unsettled Shi Hao, his expression growing colder. He had no desire to argue further.
“Elder, he is about to break through,” Hong Emperor warned.
“He will not succeed. He is merely undergoing nirvana, birthing an immortal embryo. Perhaps he has grown more complete—perhaps he has taken a step forward, one foot into the Immortal Emperor realm. But in the end, it is futile. Just as it was for me,” the elder said.
“Like you in the past?” Cang Emperor was stunned.
His reverence stemmed from knowing just how terrifying this elder was—rumored to have nearly become an Immortal Emperor.
This was why Hong Emperor and the others feared him.
Legends said this elder had once attempted a breakthrough, only to nearly perish, forcing him to seal himself away.
Moreover, he had been their “guide,” leading them to embrace darkness in pursuit of the Immortal Emperor’s throne.
For they had exhausted all paths, finding no way forward.
Only the dark origin had granted them slight evolution, offering a glimmer of hope on their severed road.
“Gazing at light from within the darkness is easier,” the elder had once said.
“You claim I cannot break through—but who are you to decide that?!” Shi Hao refused to believe it. The old skin on his body sloughed away, revealing a radiant immortal form.
Within him, immortal blood flowed—crimson and dazzling. Not only had he recovered, but his power had grown even more immense, his aura overwhelming. Even his hair gleamed like divine metal.
When his eyes opened, a soul-shaking force surged forth, making even Cang Emperor pale in shock.
“You have reached the end of your path. If you force your way further, you will only perish,” the black-robed elder said solemnly, his gaze profound.
Shi Hao ignored him. No external force could shake his resolve. His momentum surged, his killing intent boiling—he would still slay Feather Emperor and the others.
**Boom!**
Shi Hao struck, his fist imprint sweeping across the world. Even against this unfathomable elder, he advanced without hesitation, attacking Feather Emperor, Hong Emperor, and Cang Emperor.
In an instant, the Boundary Sea shattered. Vast stretches of water evaporated.
Under Shi Hao’s fist, entire realms were obliterated—waves and shattered worlds reduced to nothingness, returning to chaos.
His radiant fist illuminated past, present, and future!
Feather Emperor, Hong Emperor, and Cang Emperor were aghast. In their current state, how could they resist?!
“Young man, let me show you the path I once walked—just as far as yours, yet ultimately a dead end,” the elder sighed.
**Boom!**
He struck out with a palm, black as ink, blocking Shi Hao.
Within it lay his Dao, his laws, his peerless combat power. With a single motion, the heavens themselves seemed on the verge of collapse!
Within that strike was a vision—a glimpse of the past.
The elder had indeed undergone a transformation, but he had relied on the power of darkness. His origin had turned pitch-black, just like Shi Hao’s, evolving into a body of darkness.
Though their paths differed, their destination was the same.
In the end, when he sought to break through to Immortal Emperor, his body shattered, piece by piece. His soul, too, fractured inexplicably, hurtling toward destruction.
Shi Hao watched coldly, unmoved. “You are you. I am I. You have forsaken your humanity, resorting to any means for the sake of the Dao. But I remain flesh and blood, unwavering.”
These words made Feather Emperor, Cang Emperor, and Hong Emperor flinch simultaneously.
“Youth is a blessing—full of passion, unyielding spirit, the capacity for tears. But in the end, it is all for naught,” the elder lamented. “The Great Dao has always been merciless. If you do not draw near to it, how can you become one with it, ascending to Immortal Emperor?”
“The Great Dao is merciless—yet also compassionate. It depends on one’s choices. You have your path; I have mine!” Shi Hao retorted icily. “Besides, you never became an Immortal Emperor. What right do you have to lecture me? I am not like those three!” He pointed at Cang Emperor and the others.
Shi Hao’s fist imprint did not stop. He struck again.
**Rumble!**
Dark power surged as the elder retaliated, unleashing strength equal to Shi Hao’s. His aged skin cracked, revealing a dark embryo beneath.
The collision was catastrophic. The Boundary Sea churned with gray mist, its waters boiling away, exposing the dried seabed below.
There lay reefs, chaos, and the bones of immortals that had sunk for eons.
“Fellow Daoist, you remain obstinate. Do you not realize that by doing this, you obstruct our path? The more dark subjects there are, the stronger the dark origin becomes—and the greater our chance of breaking through. In the end, you are one of us. Why resist? You will understand in time,” the elder advised.
Yet his palm strike was merciless—world-destroying, domineering. His power was overwhelming, a match even for the now-strengthened Shi Hao!
“Since that is the case, Fellow Daoist, we shall help you make up your mind—by annihilating this realm!” the elder declared.
**Boom!**
He struck toward the Immortal Domain, aiming to reduce it to a wasteland, extinguishing all life.
“You dare?!” Shi Hao roared.
“I am the World-Ending Elder. Countless realms have fallen by my hand,” the elder said flatly.
From the start, Shi Hao had sensed something eerie and unfathomable about this elder—his origins likely far more terrifying than he let on.
But Shi Hao did not fear him. He met the challenge head-on.
“These are three Emperor Pills I refined with my life’s essence. Consume them swiftly, restore your bodies, and annihilate the Immortal Domain. Sever this Fellow Daoist’s attachments. In the end, he will understand,” the World-Ending Elder said.
He tossed three pills toward the three Quasi-Immortal Emperors. Crafted from dark immortal metal, they shimmered with an eerie luster, exuding an intoxicating fragrance.
The three emperors caught the pills, their killing intent surging as they advanced.
“You dare?!”
Shi Hao bellowed, intercepting all four experts, barring them from the world beyond the dam.
“Hmm? Someone is coming!” Feather Emperor frowned.
The World-Ending Elder suddenly turned, gazing into the river of time—and his expression shifted.
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