This was a member of the Immortal Mountain, a powerhouse at the Array Formation realm, yet his right arm had been severed by a single sword beam. The scene instantly silenced all the mighty figures present!
“Is the Nine-Headed Lion this strong? Wielding a broken sword, it can actually wound an Array Formation King?” someone exclaimed in disbelief.
“No, that sword beam clearly emerged from the void. Though its trajectory aligned with the broken sword, it couldn’t have been unleashed by the Nine-Headed Lion,” an elder murmured.
In truth, he wasn’t the only one who noticed the anomaly. All those who had reached the Array Formation realm were unsettled—that sword strike was too sharp. If it had been aimed at them, could they have blocked it?
In the distance, Shi Hao lowered his hand. It was he who had unleashed those two transcendent sword beams, derived from the sword intent of an ancient supreme being he had comprehended from a beast hide.
A blade of grass could sever the sun, moon, and stars—such a profound and terrifying realm, just the thought of it made one’s heart tremble!
This was the first time he had displayed such sword intent, and its sharpness was indeed unparalleled. He didn’t strike again; teaching this middle-aged man a lesson was enough, as they might share distant blood ties.
Without full clarity, he didn’t want to spill blood recklessly. He feared unnecessary trouble when he eventually ventured to the Profound Domain. If he truly killed a few from his maternal lineage, chaos might ensue.
The middle-aged man from the Immortal Mountain paled, staring incredulously at the void. That sword beam was too eerie—rootless and sourceless. How had it been unleashed?
Most crucially, its power was overwhelming. He couldn’t defend against it at all. One slash nearly cleaved him in half at the waist—a clear warning. The other severed his arm, blood gushing—a punishment.
Who dared treat him like this? The man seethed with hatred, his gaze terrifying. He hailed from the Immortal Mountain, representing one of the world’s supreme orthodoxies!
“Bold indeed, to make an enemy of the Immortal Mountain…” he gritted through clenched teeth, flames of fury burning in his eyes.
The Nine-Headed Lion roared, its golden pupils gleaming as it spewed dazzling golden flames, enveloping the broken sword as it prepared to strike again.
“So fierce!” the crowd gasped. Many hadn’t noticed the anomaly and still believed the Nine-Headed Lion had severed the man’s arm.
*Thud!* The middle-aged man had just stepped onto the arena when, at close range, he failed to dodge in time. The sword light grazed him, leaving a horrific wound as blood gushed forth.
He hastily retreated, stumbling back. Today, he had suffered repeated injuries—a humiliation unlike any before.
Frustration gnawed at him. Normally, who would dare provoke a being from the Immortal Mountain? Yet today, not only had someone defied him, they had nearly killed him. His heart burned with rage.
But it was clear he couldn’t continue fighting. He knew that pressing the attack might cost him his life—that mysterious sword beam was too terrifying.
“No, I must retrieve a sacred artifact!” Resolute, he clutched his severed arm, descended to the ground, and fled.
The foul-mouthed Crimson Bird called out mockingly, “Hey, Brother Immortal Mountain, leaving so soon? Weren’t you just strutting around like the heavens’ second grandson?”
“Beast, don’t push your luck!” The man glared at it before vanishing from the courtyard with a flick of his sleeve.
Who would dare stop a fleeing King?
A few others from the Immortal Mountain remained, their faces dark with shame as they quickly departed. Thus, the storm temporarily subsided.
In truth, the Nine-Headed Lion was eager to fight. It was fierce, its broken black sword already summoned, but it was stopped by Princess Huo Ling’er’s uncle.
The old prince was troubled. Though displeased with the Immortal Mountain, he dared not provoke them too severely—after all, they were an ancient sect that could overlook entire domains.
Before Shi Hao could even approach the Nine-Headed Lion, a clamor erupted nearby.
“Who are you fooling? A worthless rock, and you dare call it Sun Stone? Expecting us to trade sacred artifacts for it? Why not just rob us outright?” someone fumed angrily.
The gathering spanned multiple courtyards, with attendees mingling freely, enjoying fine wine and delicacies wherever they went.
However, the jade table in this particular courtyard held no food—only artifacts and materials, surrounded by curious and bartering cultivators.
“Hurry, go trade for that stone!” The little pagoda nestled in Shi Hao’s hair trembled, transmitting its urgency. Clearly, it had spotted something valuable.
Shi Hao’s heart stirred. Though this little thing was often a scammer, it had proven its worth in critical moments—even blocking a Chaos artifact. It was worth investing in this “bottomless pit.”
He swiftly made his way to the courtyard, fearing someone else might snatch the treasure first.
“That’s the stone!” the pagoda directed, insisting Shi Hao secure the unremarkable black rock.
“How many times will you act for this stone?” Shi Hao asked covertly, not rushing to buy.
“Once!” the pagoda replied bluntly.
“Who are you kidding? That stone is extraordinary. At least three times,” he bargained.
“Can it compare to Chaos Soil?” the pagoda countered flatly.
Shi Hao fell silent. He realized he’d been shortchanged in past deals—this little cheat was utterly shameless.
“That divine disk I opposed for you in the Void God Realm—do you know what it was? If I told you, no amount of heavenly treasures would suffice for me to face it even once,” the pagoda said, sensing his reluctance.
“Fine, once it is,” Shi Hao conceded softly before pushing forward.
The white jade table was littered with fragments of ancient artifacts, weathered by time yet some still exuding astonishing auras. Among them, the black stone sat prominently.
“Fine treasures indeed. This was surely a sacred artifact, though now broken,” someone sighed, picking up a bronze fragment and caressing it.
Shi Hao’s heart raced. Every item on this table was extraordinary—relics of ancient supreme beings, though all were damaged.
“The artifacts may be broken, but this Sun Stone is intact,” declared the owner, a shrewd-looking old man with a goat’s beard.
“Don’t lie. This is just a Fire Stone, and you dare pass it off as a Sun Stone? Think we’re all fools?” someone sneered.
The old man chuckled dryly. “Friend, don’t speak carelessly. This was unearthed from ruins alongside these artifacts—some are even fragments of sacred artifacts from an ancient supreme being’s abode. How could it be mere Fire Stone?”
“If it were truly a Sun Stone, would you sell it? That’s a genuine ‘heavenly material.’ Stop deceiving people.”
The old man forced a smile but inwardly sighed. The stone had indeed come from that abode, but upon inspection, it was just Fire Stone.
Shi Hao picked up the black stone. It felt warm but otherwise unremarkable—just Fire Stone.
The old man perked up. “Young man, you’ve got a keen eye! This is indeed a heavenly material from beyond our realm. No need for a sacred artifact—just an Array Formation artifact will suffice.”
“Since when did Fire Stone become so expensive?” Shi Hao retorted, drawing laughter from the crowd and embarrassing the old man.
Shi Hao secretly activated his dual-pupil vision and stiffened. At the stone’s core was a searing crimson light that nearly scorched his eyes.
He sighed inwardly. Without true dual pupils, he’d have to cultivate Heavenly Eyes in the future—or miss countless treasures.
“This is a precious pearl from the North Sea. A fair trade for your Fire Stone, no?” Shi Hao offered, presenting the pearl.
“Barely acceptable,” the old man smirked slyly, quickly accepting the overvalued pearl and handing over the stone.
“Is this truly a Sun Stone?” Shi Hao asked the pagoda.
“Indeed. This is a sun severed from the heavens—a top-tier divine sun at that,” the crystalline pagoda transmitted.
Shi Hao’s heart quaked. What peerless combat prowess could cleave a sun from the sky? The ancients were truly awe-inspiring!
Holding the black stone, he noticed a mark—as if left by a sharp weapon. Closing his eyes to sense it, his brow twitched. It contained a terrifying sword intent!
“Don’t devour it yet. Let me study it first!” Shi Hao said.
“Eh, it’s you?!” Several youths halted in shock—they’d seen Shi Hao days ago in the floating palace.
“He might be… Little Shi?!” a female cultivator gasped.
The exclamation drew stares. Through hushed whispers, the crowd realized this youth might be Shi Hao, who’d lain low for over a year.
“What? The ‘Little Shi’ from the Twin Shi Battle has reappeared?!”
The announcement sent ripples through the estate, drawing swarms of curious onlookers.
Dark clouds gathered as the Black Cloud Clan’s youths returned with reinforcements—an elder in tow.
“Is it him?” the elder asked.
“Yes! Days ago, he humiliated our clansmen, and today he let the Nine-Headed Lion run amok,” a youth said venomously.
Without a word, the elder reached out, his massive hand enveloping Shi Hao.
Simultaneously, a fiery crimson bull descended from the skies, its flaming hooves shaking the earth—a King had arrived.
“Scram!”
Facing a King’s assault, Shi Hao had but one word—such audacity!
The Black Cloud elder raged. Though he was an Array Formation expert, he knew that in a fair fight, even a hundred of him wouldn’t stand a chance against this youth.
Yet sensing no Array Formation fluctuations from the boy, he pressed on, his crushing palm descending.
*Crack!*
Shi Hao swatted the massive hand aside. A crisp sound, followed by a *splat*—blood sprayed as the elder’s palm exploded.
The crowd was stunned. A King had arrived with overwhelming force, only to lose a hand in the first exchange. Was this youth truly Little Shi?
“It must be him! Who else could overpower a veteran King while still a youth?”
The courtyard erupted. After a year and a half, Little Shi had returned, leaving all in awe.
With his identity exposed, Shi Hao stood tall, unafraid of the foreign beings surrounding him.
“It’s really him!” someone shrieked.
Chaos spread from the courtyard to the entire estate as cultivators flocked to witness the spectacle.
“Was it you who slew my clan’s genius in the Fire Nation’s ancestral land?!” A serpent-bodied man from the Flame Python Clan arrived, standing beside the Kingly Fire Bull, his voice thunderous.
“Scram if you value your lives!” Shi Hao retorted coldly—he never spared hostility.
“Arrogant Little Shi! Whether you’re the Wilderness’s young supreme or not, offending the Immortal Mountain has sealed your fate,” the one-armed man from the Immortal Mountain returned, an elder in tow.
“What did you say?!” Shi Hao’s emotions flared at the mention of the Immortal Mountain. In a single step, he loomed over the man.
The man recoiled in shock, but Shi Hao hovered just a meter away, his gaze icy and oppressive.
*Cough!*
Blood sprayed from the man’s mouth as the sheer pressure struck his chest like lightning, nearly felling him.
The crowd was stunned. Without lifting a finger, Shi Hao’s aura alone had forced an Immortal Mountain King to his knees, bloodied and broken.
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