The garden was eerily silent, with no one daring to speak recklessly. Shi Hao was simply too domineering, openly rebuking the king of Mount Bulao without a shred of fear. Speaking out now might offend Mount Bulao and invite unwarranted calamity.
“Young man, always leave room for reconciliation. If you push things to the extreme, you’ll find not only others’ paths cut off, but your own as well,” Qin Shoucheng said, his expression dark. As an elder of Mount Bulao in the mortal realm, who dared defy him? Let alone being scolded like this—what did they take him for?
“Leave room? You bully others, slaughter at will, and when they resist, you call it pushing things to the extreme? You’re not confused—you’re just used to tyranny,” Shi Hao retorted coldly, his dissatisfaction palpable.
Qin Shoucheng’s face darkened further. “From the moment you entered this garden, you’ve recklessly spilled blood, slaying our comrades. Such savagery—whether or not you’ve offended Mount Bulao—cannot be tolerated!”
“Enough empty words. Stop pretending to be righteous. If you want a fight, bring it on. Let’s see who can stop me!” Shi Hao stood firm in the center, his imposing figure radiating an aura of defiance. Though only fifteen, his tall frame, jet-black hair, and piercing gaze made him seem like a young deity, disdainfully surveying the crowd.
“Truly a young hero!” murmured an old prince of the Fire Nation, nodding in admiration. Such brilliance—given time, he would surely rise to dominate the world.
Qin Shoucheng’s expression turned thunderous. “Fine, fine! You truly are extraordinary. Few in history have dared provoke Mount Bulao. Even if you share some ties with our clan, such defiance cannot go unpunished. For your blasphemy, your cultivation shall be severed!”
He then turned to the gathered elites. “Are there any here willing to join Mount Bulao in subduing this demon?”
A chill ran through the crowd. Qin Shoucheng had raised the banner of Mount Bulao—a grave matter with immense influence.
Sure enough, the elder of the Black Cloud Clan stepped forward, his hatred burning after Shi Hao had shattered his palm. A deep *moo* echoed as a fiery red ox, an ancient bull king, strode forth, its intent clear. Others stirred, their faith in Mount Bulao’s power unshaken.
“If you wish to challenge me, weigh your strength first. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Shi Hao declared, his purple robes fluttering like a young war god, his eyes flashing with cold lightning.
The crowd hesitated. This was the youth who had slain a Venerable—albeit in the Void God Realm—proof of his boundless potential.
Qin Shoucheng smiled faintly, as if dismissing the earlier tension. “Two allies will suffice.”
In an instant, he spat out a tiny, radiant orb that expanded rapidly—a treasure ring, neither metal nor stone, pulsing with strange energy.
Panic erupted as the entire courtyard froze, everyone trapped as if in quicksand.
“What’s happening? I can’t move!”
“My body is bound—my true essence won’t circulate!”
Terror gripped them as they realized the ring’s power.
“Elder, we’re not involved! Why are we restrained?”
“Elder of Mount Bulao, this has nothing to do with us!”
The artifact’s might was undeniable, locking down the entire area.
“Fear not,” Qin Shoucheng said calmly. “This treasure’s aura is simply too strong. I’ll release you.”
It was a display of dominance—a mere replica of Mount Bulao’s treasure could seal an entire space, suppressing all within.
With a flash of light, the five-colored ring swept the bystanders out, freeing them. Even kings shuddered at Mount Bulao’s terrifying depth of power.
Only a few remained: Shi Hao, the Nine-Headed Lion, the Crimson Bird, the Fire Ox King, the Black Cloud elder, and Qin Shoucheng.
Outside, the one-armed man sneered. “Trapped under the Five Elements Ring, let’s see you defy heaven now!”
Qin Chao, his face half-smashed and cultivation ruined, hissed venomously, “Elder Qin, crush the Nine-Headed Lion—I’ll ride it as it watches its sworn brother die!”
Inside the ring’s domain, the golden lion struggled futilely, the pressure only tightening with each movement. The Crimson Bird, too, sensed impending doom.
“That’s the Five Elements Ring—one of Mount Bulao’s most famed treasures!” Princess Qianqian gasped.
Shock rippled through the crowd. The ring’s legend was vast—forged from the primal bones of five celestial beasts, it embodied the five elements, creating a world of its own.
“A replica,” an elder muttered. “And an incomplete one at that—only four elements shine brightly.”
Yet even this flawed copy exuded overwhelming power.
“Now, fellow Daoists, you may act,” Qin Shoucheng said coolly. “Sever his cultivation—justice for our fallen.”
Confident in the ring’s might, he knew no king could resist it.
“I’ll watch his downfall with my own eyes!” Qin Chao clenched his fists outside.
The Black Cloud elder lunged first, aiming to drain Shi Hao’s essence—his body, rivaling even the Western Sect’s diamond form, was a treasure itself.
But Shi Hao spat a sword beam, piercing the elder’s chest. The wound refused to heal, blood gushing as the elder recoiled in shock.
The Fire Ox King attacked next, horns blazing with sword light from afar.
Shi Hao’s body erupted with sword qi from every meridian, even striking at the ring above.
The crowd marveled—even trapped, Shi Hao fought back fiercely.
“Let’s see you overturn the heavens now!” Qin Shoucheng sneered, intensifying the ring’s pressure. The four radiant elements solidified the space like frozen ice.
He raised his hand, a thunder rune forming to strip Shi Hao’s cultivation.
“Uncle, can the ring be broken? Otherwise, Shi Hao is doomed!” Princess Huoling whispered anxiously.
The old prince shook his head. “Impossible. Any force or artifact used against it only feeds its power. That’s why it’s called invincible—it devours the five elements, the foundation of all things.”
“Young man, even if you were a supreme being, Mount Bulao is beyond your reach,” Qin Shoucheng said coldly, unleashing the thunder rune.
Shi Hao’s body blazed with arcane symbols. “Then I’ll show you how I shake it!”
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