After the battle, Shi Hao swept through this side of the Boundary Sea, quelling the great dark upheaval and resolving the calamity.
It was time for him to leave, to return to the Immortal Domain.
Before departing, he scoured the Ultimate Ancient Land, ventured into the dark territories, and combed through this end of the Boundary Sea, ensuring no lingering anomalies remained.
Then, he opened all the remaining Summoning Ancient Halls and shattered the void, revealing rows upon rows of dark cages.
Though many cages were empty, some still imprisoned souls.
Even within certain Summoning Ancient Halls, there were figures as remarkable as the Grand Elders, their physical bodies intact.
After being imprisoned for endless ages, many had gone mad or become senile—scars of time. Some had even devoured one another, a horrifying sight.
Shi Hao released all the imprisoned cultivators, casting divine light with his supreme imperial techniques. The dazed gradually revived, and the souls that had consumed each other were separated.
“Hmm?”
He spotted a familiar face—a woman in gray robes within a Summoning Ancient Hall. Her beauty was unparalleled, her demeanor captivating, her eyes brimming with the weight of ages. She was a being who had lived through countless eons.
She gazed back at Shi Hao, her pupils revealing a double-pupil pattern.
“It truly is you. You trampled the darkness, shattered the cages, and eradicated the calamity on this side of the Boundary Sea,” she murmured, her voice filled with endless emotion.
Shi Hao’s thoughts surged, recalling the past, the people and events of yore. How could he not recognize her? She was the Double-Pupiled Woman.
Back then, it was she who had rescued and revived Shi Yi, for they both bore the double-pupil lineage.
Moreover, she had crossed paths with Shi Hao, even jesting about borrowing his Emperor Butterfly one day. But later, she vanished, never to be seen again.
“So many heroes have fallen into darkness,” Shi Hao said.
“The tides of fate are unpredictable. I never imagined you would surpass the Immortal King realm,” the Double-Pupiled Woman sighed.
Shi Hao gazed into the void, then cleaved it open, departing to retrieve Meng Tianzheng, the Willow God, and Huo Ling’er.
“Shi Hao!” Huo Ling’er laughed and wept, tears streaming down her face. She had waited over a hundred thousand years this time, her worry unbearable.
Shi Hao wiped her tears away gently. “Don’t cry. I’m taking you home.”
“Yes, home!” Huo Ling’er sobbed uncontrollably.
Trapped for so long, she had yearned endlessly for her homeland and the people of the past. Yet she knew the world had changed beyond recognition—some faces she would never see again.
The passage of time was merciless, and such losses were inevitable.
But she wasn’t entirely afraid, for Shi Hao was still by her side, a companion through it all.
“Let’s go back,” she wept, her heart aching with sorrow. She knew her parents were likely gone, and the grief overwhelmed her.
At that moment, Meng Tianzheng patted Shi Hao’s shoulder, repeating “good” several times. Seeing his most accomplished disciple again filled him with joy. Even after enduring the dark calamity, he was content.
Shi Hao, too, was overjoyed. Though now an Immortal Emperor, he still cherished the bonds of the past and paid his respects to the Grand Elder with deep reverence.
But when he saw the Willow God again, he fell silent, his heart heavy. All that remained was a charred stump, devoid of life. How could it be revived?
“Willow God, I swear I will bring you back to this world!” Shi Hao vowed.
The Willow God had shaped his life. Without it, there would be no present-day Emperor of the Wilderness. He held a special affection for the Willow God.
That day, the Boundary Sea buzzed with activity. Only a handful of Immortal Kings remained alive—figures like the Butcher and the Burial Master—though they far surpassed ordinary Kings in strength.
Yet they had not stepped into the Quasi-Emperor realm, remaining Kings.
“You… you’re the Emperor of the Wilderness! You’ve returned alive!”
Even the Butcher, renowned as the coldest and fiercest of men, widened his eyes in shock.
He had once sensed the terror from the other side of the Boundary Sea. Even across infinite distance, he had trembled, feeling a power surpassing that of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor.
He and the Burial Master had agreed: a true Immortal Emperor had emerged. Shi Hao, who had crossed the sea alone, was likely doomed.
“I’m well,” Shi Hao nodded to them.
With a flick of his sleeve, he released a multitude of beings, asking the Butcher and the Burial Master to help return them to their homelands.
These were the souls rescued from the dark cages.
As for the dark armies, Shi Hao had already annihilated most of them long ago.
That day, the world erupted in celebration.
The Immortal Domain had fractured into countless pieces, drifting into different regions of chaos. Ordinary True Immortals could no longer locate them—only Kings could.
The Butcher and the Burial Master’s actions shook the remnants of the Immortal Domain.
Even as the fragments drifted apart, cheers erupted simultaneously, countless voices crying out the name of the Emperor of the Wilderness.
“The dark upheaval on the other side of the Boundary Sea has been quelled! Can it truly be?”
“Emperor of the Wilderness!”
Many shouted, proclaiming it an eternal achievement, a feat worthy of universal praise and reverence.
Shi Hao’s return sent shockwaves through the world.
All rejoiced, cultivators everywhere celebrating.
The dark scourge had been eradicated, its roots torn out. How could they not be overjoyed?
For countless epochs, the dark calamity had loomed large, leaving even Kings helpless. Death had claimed most, leaving only a handful.
The Immortal Domain lay in ruins, shattered into countless fragments, with countless lives lost. Now, with this news, excitement surged—it meant no more dark upheavals threatening extinction.
Amid the global jubilation, Shi Hao returned to the ruins of the Heavenly Court, paying respects at the graves of the fallen. He carried sorrow, nostalgia, and regret.
“I will find a way. Rest for now.”
He placed the Willow God’s charred stump there, sitting beneath it daily in silence, gazing at the nearby gravestones with grief.
One marked the resting place of his own child.
Besides Little Stone, there were too many others—the Cenotaph of the Forbidden Zone Master, the graves of Bird Grandpa, Fine Jade Grandpa, Mu Qing, Qin Hao, Chang Gongyan, Shi Yi, and more.
Family, friends—all buried here. Some had died tragically, and at the time, he had been powerless to stop it.
“Little Stone… was your child?” Huo Ling’er approached, her voice trembling.
“Yes,” Shi Hao nodded.
Huo Ling’er fell silent, her heart aching with sorrow and bitterness. Yet she bore no resentment. Separated for so long, there were many things beyond their control.
Had they not parted, perhaps Little Stone would have been her child.
“He sacrificed himself, giving his life for me,” Shi Hao said calmly.
Huo Ling’er covered her mouth, tears falling. Learning how Little Stone had died, she couldn’t help but weep with grief.
“Such a pitiful child, such a loss,” she murmured, worried for Shi Hao. The pain of losing a son—how deeply must it wound him?
Especially since Little Stone had chosen this path, offering his life for his father.
“Shi Hao, if you’re grieving, cry. Don’t hold it in,” Huo Ling’er urged.
“I can’t cry,” Shi Hao shook his head, tracing the inscription on Little Stone’s grave over and over, unwilling to let go.
Though Huo Ling’er knew Shi Hao had reached unparalleled heights, she still saw him as the youth he once was. Seeing him like this pained her.
An Emperor, yet unable to weep—his heart bore too much sorrow. She understood, she sympathized. Was their own story not also a tragedy?
Once meant to be together, yet separated for so long.
“This is my younger brother’s grave,” Shi Hao finally left Little Stone’s side, standing before Qin Hao’s tombstone for a long time.
“He, too, sacrificed himself. And Shi Yi—the rival I vowed to defeat in my youth. In the end, he repaid me with blood and life, ending things like a true man. I… truly couldn’t bear it.”
Shi Hao grieved. The Shi bloodline had withered away.
“This is the grave of the Second Under Heaven—Bird Grandpa. Those two old men will never appear again.”
Shi Hao walked on, introducing each grave with profound melancholy, his heart aching.
“And the Forbidden Zone Master—mentor and friend. How could I forget?” He stood before another grand tomb, filled with nostalgia.
“This is the Cenotaph of the Eight Hundred Veterans. These soldiers followed me through the Age of Decay, living their lives, only to emerge once more, protecting my child with their lives in the final battle.”
Shi Hao spoke softly.
Nearby, dozens of surviving veterans wept, remembering their fallen comrades.
“You’ve become an Emperor, yet lost so much. No wonder I see no smile on your face—you’re no longer the mischievous youth I once knew,” Huo Ling’er said.
She knew Shi Hao’s heart must ache unbearably. He had lost too much.
Few of those close to him remained.
“Xiao Hao!” A’Man approached. She had waited here all this time, worried for Shi Hao’s return.
Soon, the Heavenly Horned Ant and the Red Dragon appeared—old friends who had survived.
“I just returned from the Burial Land, paying respects to Cao Yushan,” the Heavenly Horned Ant said.
“Buried in the earth once more,” Shi Hao nodded, his heart hollow. The past was gone—no more drinking contests with Fatty Cao and Little Rabbit.
“Shi Hao, even as an Immortal Emperor, cry if you need to,” the Heavenly Horned Ant urged. They had all seen how Shi Hao had sat in silence since his return, speaking little unless approached.
“I truly can’t cry,” Shi Hao shook his head.
“Child!” The Grand Elder approached, patting his shoulder.
Time was merciless, cutting away too much.
Shi Hao had returned, but he did not immediately unseal Stone Village. On the other side of the Boundary Sea, a terrifying hole still gaped in the sky—its mysteries yet unexplored.
He kept its horrors from his companions, sparing them worry.
Huo Ling’er fell into slumber, having merged with her dark counterpart. The changes of time weighed on her—the world had shifted, and even Little Stone had a child.
For now, she chose to remain asleep, dreaming of the past. In her dreams, she returned to the season of fire mulberry blossoms, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes.
Seeing her thus, Shi Hao’s heart trembled with pain.
In the years that followed, Shi Hao wandered the world. He returned to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, retracing old paths alone, seeking echoes of past joys and laughter.
Some faces were gone forever, and on this journey, he reminisced.
Finally, wielding supreme magic, he walked the River of Time, returning to the past—to his youth.
He drew close, arriving at that tranquil Stone Village.
From afar, he saw a charred willow tree, a single tender sprout emitting a gentle light, guarding the village in the wilderness.
He saw his younger self, Da Zhuang, Er Meng, the village chief, and the long-departed uncles and aunts of the village.
He watched his childhood self running wildly, laughing carefree.
For some reason, the present him wept. An Emperor shedding tears.
As a child, when sad, he would cry until he laughed. Now, smiling at the past, he wished to weep.
“I am the Emperor of the Wilderness. Why do I weep?”
Shi Hao wiped his tears, gazing at the villagers. Only a few had been sealed away—most of the elders were gone.
He turned and left. Here, he was both happy and sorrowful, compelled to depart.
So much could never return. Looking back, perhaps those days had been his happiest—carefree and mischievous.
Shi Hao journeyed along the River of Time, seeing Qingfeng, then visiting the Heaven Mending Pavilion.
In his youth, he had been brash, boasting with a hammer in hand, leaving Xiao Tian with bumps and “prominent horns.”
Then he witnessed the fall of the Heaven Mending Pavilion, the elders’ tragic last stand.
Shi Hao moved on, entering the Hundred Shattered Mountains, where he had befriended the Nine-Headed Lion. But where was that sworn brother now? Buried for over two million years.
There, too, he had first met Huo Ling’er and Yun Xi.
Watching his younger self from afar, Shi Hao stood motionless.
Then he saw the Seven Gods descend, his younger self falling in battle after a hundred fights…
Shi Hao traveled along the River of Time, leaving the Wilderness for the Three Thousand Provinces. Seeing Cao Yushan, the Lunar Grace, and his teenage self again, he smiled. They had fought side by side, and afterward, he had wrestled with Fatty Cao and Little Rabbit for meat and wine.
The laughter, the bonds forged in life-and-death struggles.
Soon, he went to the Sin Province, seeing the fire mulberry grove once more.
He saw Huo Ling’er, returning with mulberry leaves under the sunset.
Standing in the River of Time, Shi Hao wondered: had he stayed that year, what might have been?
Back then, he had been young and reckless, dreaming of soaring like a roc, rising ninety thousand miles to carve out his own sky.
At that time, when he left, he didn’t even notice how lonely and desolate Huo Ling’er was, standing alone by the sunset at the edge of the fire mulberry forest, her eyes filled with reluctance.
And by then, he was already far away, his heart set on soaring ambitions, striding boldly toward distant horizons.
Now, standing in the river of time, he felt a pang of melancholy and sorrow—grieving for Huo Ling’er, burdened by guilt for her.
Later, had An Lan not seized the Sin Province, perhaps they could have had a chance to stay together, to never part. But in the end, that irreversible stretch of time unfolded as it was destined to.
Shi Hao moved like a ghost, walking alone through the river of time, gazing upon those once-vibrant faces.
Treading through the ages, he visited the Burial Grounds, where he saw San Zang and You Ming—but now, like Cao Yusheng, they lay buried in the earth.
He went to see the Banished Immortal, to see Shi Yi, to the Imperial Pass where he beheld the Four Phoenixes of the Wei Family, Tuo Gu Yu Long, Qi Hong, and others. He ascended to the Nine Heavens to meet Da Xu Tuo, Princess Yao Yue, and more.
Yet, in the end, he was but a ghost, watching silently from afar, powerless to act. He could only reminisce about those bygone days, the emotions once shared, the experiences they had lived through together.
Now, those people lay in cold graves, and some had not even left behind bones.
In the river of time, Shi Hao laughed and wept, again and again. He was the Heavenly Emperor Huang—yet no one saw his tears fall, his emotions laid bare.
In reality, he could no longer cry.
But here, drifting through the currents of time, it was as if he walked alongside them once more—joy and sorrow intertwined.
Yet, those were but memories of the past, flowing away like water, never to return.
Shi Hao sighed, wiped away his tears, and stepped out of the river of time, returning to the present.
Here, he gazed upon the great tombs, tracing his fingers over their gravestones, his heart heavy with sorrow—but the tears would no longer come.
“I’ve become an Emperor… yet I can no longer weep.”
Upon his return, Shi Hao secluded himself, refusing all visitors. He began refining artifacts, drawing forth several quasi-Immortal Emperor weapons. Indeed, the weapons of the Feather Emperor and the World-Ending Elder were forged from unimaginable materials.
They had lived through countless epochs, ruling the heavens, and had fused countless treasures into their weapons.
In truth, they had only lacked the final step to becoming true Immortal Emperors. Had they ascended, they could have inscribed the Great Dao Glyphs directly, elevating their weapons further. The materials alone were already peerless!
This time, Shi Hao forged his own Immortal Emperor weapon!
Aside from the God-Slaying Spear, he melted down all other quasi-Immortal Emperor weapons into his own artifact, refining them endlessly—an unimaginable feat!
All the rarest materials in existence were fused into a single crucible.
Since the components of the God-Slaying Spear were already encompassed by the other three quasi-Emperor weapons, Shi Hao spared it, leaving it behind for the Immortal Realm.
Yet, he erased all traces of its previous masters, ensuring it would never turn against its wielder.
Next, he fused the Great Luo Sword Embryo into his weapon.
From then on, his Law Pool and Immortal Sword became terrifyingly powerful, surpassing even the Great Luo Sword Embryo upon ascending to Emperor-grade.
There was also a coffin—one that had fallen from the Great Luo Sword Embryo.
He had considered refining it but ultimately chose not to.
For he had used it to seal the eerie cave beyond the Boundary Sea, and now his Emperor weapon already contained all the supreme materials of the world.
Moreover, he sensed something unique about that coffin—its indestructible nature made it perfect as a defensive artifact.
“Is it connected to the Three-Life Copper Coffin?”
Shi Hao pondered deeply.
The Three-Life Copper Coffin contained a smaller coffin within. By size alone, the coffin from the sword embryo could fit inside the smaller one.
“Three-Life Copper Coffin… three coffins in total. Is that it?” Shi Hao frowned.
Shi Hao set out, carrying his Immortal Emperor weapon and the third coffin, traveling alone in silence. He crossed the Boundary Sea once more, arriving at the Ultimate Ancient Land.
Above the Ultimate Ancient Land, the cave was sealed, emanating an eerie glow.
Shi Hao retrieved the coffin and studied it for a long time. It was incredibly sturdy, seemingly at the Emperor level—truly an exceptional defensive artifact!
At the same time, he was certain he could easily destroy the Three-Life Copper Coffin—those two layers were not as durable as this one.
“If they are truly connected, this is the third and innermost coffin—the most extraordinary, the most unbreakable,” Shi Hao murmured.
In the sky above, there was a hole, from which dripped crystalline liquid tainted with black blood, along with golden and silver blood… an eerie sight, where order intertwined in terrifying ways.
Had the Corpse Immortal Emperor’s calamity been caused solely by that black blood?
Shi Hao gripped his Emperor weapon and prepared to venture inside.
He was deeply concerned with this place, for it spoke of reincarnation—he wished to revive the Willow God and the others.
“Above the Heavens, eternal and unchanging, beyond the reach of reincarnation—the Supreme Domain.”
These words hinted at something utterly transcendent.
Perhaps this was a realm of higher existence.
Shi Hao, armed with his Emperor weapon, charged in. Even if it meant a battle against the heavens, he would seize something of value!
Laws clashed, striking at him with deadly force. He knew that even ordinary Immortal Kings might not survive here—this place was terrifying.
With a thunderous crash, Shi Hao broke through, ascending along the passage until he found himself standing on a small island, barely ten feet wide.
At its center was a hole, leading back to the Ultimate Ancient Land.
“Where is this?”
Shi Hao looked around in shock. The land was silent, bathed in crimson blood that flowed slowly like rivers, lakes, and seas.
Some great tombs stood upon the bloody waters, not yet fully submerged.
Under the bloody dusk, the scene was all too familiar—wasn’t this one of the visions reflected by the Great Luo Sword Embryo?
More precisely, it was one of the visions from the small coffin within the sword embryo.
Shi Hao’s expression turned grave. He had encountered it in reality.
In the end, Shi Hao placed the copper coffin into the crimson blood. He sat upon it as the ancient coffin floated, carrying him swiftly into the depths of this world.
And so, he vanished.
Ten thousand years, twenty thousand, thirty thousand…
The Heavenly Emperor Huang disappeared for eighty thousand years. When he finally returned, the Immortal Realm trembled. The Butcher, the Burial Master, and others could no longer restrain themselves—they came to seek his counsel.
“I went to a place vast beyond measure, fraught with extreme danger. You cannot go there. I only traversed a fraction of it. The source of the darkness from back then fell from that place.”
Shi Hao spoke these words and said no more.
Yet, the most shocking revelation was that the Heavenly Emperor Huang had returned with something—he had revived some of those who had left behind remnants.
Mu Qing, the Jade Rabbit of the Moon, the Enchantress, the Imperial Butterfly, the God-Slaying Stone…
Even the Willow God’s withered stump showed signs of green life.
“I will revive Little Stone. I will revive the Willow God. I will revive Shi Yi, Qin Hao, and the others. Even if some have left no remains, I will shatter those shackles and bring you back to this world!”
This was the oath of the Heavenly Emperor Huang.
He prepared to depart once more, but before leaving, he lifted the seal on Stone Village, awakening all its inhabitants. With the essence of his Emperor’s blood, he granted them extended life.
That day, the Heavenly Court was alive with celebration, as was Stone Village. Many long-lost faces reappeared.
Even the Five-Colored Sparrow, defying all odds, returned—it had somehow survived the ancient calamity.
There was laughter and tears, reunions and farewells. How could they not grieve at parting?
Yet Shi Hao was resolved to leave.
This time, he took the Willow God with him. And Huo Ling’er, refusing to be left behind, insisted on accompanying him.
“I’ve already missed one great era. Even if it’s dangerous, take me with you. I want to see it—to walk beside you!”
She was unwavering.
In the end, the Heavenly Emperor Huang vanished once more, not returning for countless ages.
Yet, in later eras, some beings of the Heavenly Court were revived—a sight that shook the world.
They knew it was the work of the Heavenly Emperor Huang.
“It’s the Heavenly Emperor Huang!”
“Though he severed the ages, he still left behind a way…”
“A battle against the heavens—who can cross over? Take me with you! I must see my brother again!” the Horned Ant roared.
With a single sword strike, he split the eons, severing the realms below the heavens, isolating an eternity.
It was the power of time, the shifting of space, the transformation of epochs—a supreme force spanning countless ages.
And deep within the realms above the heavens, Huang was no longer alone. He was surrounded by countless followers, all supreme powerhouses. Here, amidst terrifying battles, he shone with unparalleled brilliance—a legend befitting the peerless Heavenly Emperor Huang!
(The End)
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