Shi Hao was severely injured, with cracks on his chest and blood gushing out. He activated his bone inscriptions to quickly stop the bleeding and seal the wounds. Although his Supreme Bone had begun to awaken, it was still in the phase of rebirth through nirvana—far from fully comprehended, let alone mastering its terrifying divine power.
After a long while, Shi Hao finally exhaled deeply as his essence and vitality surged through his body, mending his injuries. He hadn’t expected to suffer such wounds here after dominating the strongest disciples of the three sects in the imperial palace, sweeping through all challengers unscathed. Yet, here he was, bleeding heavily.
The strength of the Lunar Grace Goddess was beyond imagination. In the capital, she had never truly unleashed her full power, and here, she had laid so many traps—the grand formation alone was enough to slay the mightiest of this world. Had he been even slightly careless, he might have perished. The thought sent a chill down his spine. After crushing the three sects, he had suffered a setback here.
But soon, a faint smile curled his lips—one of delight and cold amusement. The sacred maiden of the Heaven Mending Sect, the Lunar Grace Goddess, had been captured by him. If this news spread, it would shake the world! No matter how one looked at it, this was an explosive revelation that would send tremors through the Eight Domains, drawing the attention of all factions and stirring a storm.
Lunar Grace, hailed as a goddess—how many in this world could claim such a title and be universally acknowledged? Her name was renowned across all sects. To the younger generation, she was untouchable, pure and flawless. To the elders, her talent was peerless, unmatched by any. Within the Heaven Mending Sect, none could rival her, and in this era where supreme experts lay dormant, she stood among the strongest in the Eight Domains.
Now, such a prodigious goddess had been captured. The repercussions would likely be even more shocking than Shi Hao anticipated. He rubbed his nose and stood up, temporarily setting aside these thoughts. He focused on healing, channeling divine radiance and runes, every inch of his flesh glowing as it absorbed the essence of heaven and earth to mend his wounds.
Night had fallen, and starlight cascaded down, silver brilliance from the heavens absorbed by Shi Hao’s acupoints, encasing him in a cocoon of silver radiance. He drew in the essence of the world, healing rapidly. Normally, wounds inflicted by something as heaven-defying as the Supreme Bone would take much longer to recover, but now, they were visibly improving.
Silver light cascaded like a waterfall, purifying his flesh and erasing his injuries, restoring his body to full vitality. Along the way, he drank some Monkey Wine and consumed a few spirit herbs, recovering most of his strength and replenishing his blood and divine energy.
By deep night, Shi Hao ceased his cultivation—his wounds would soon heal naturally. After all, his physique was extraordinary, his flesh peerlessly strong, capable of expelling tainted blood and regenerating flesh and bone.
Alone in the scorched wasteland, Shi Hao walked with clear eyes, studying the terrain with a cold smirk. The Lunar Grace Goddess was truly formidable, setting up such deadly traps that nearly ended him.
“Courtesy demands reciprocity!” Though she had been captured, the Heaven Mending Sect still had hidden experts—perhaps even supreme beings lying in wait. If he kept her, the sect would surely panic, searching frantically for their celestial maiden. Given her unparalleled talent and her origins from the Upper Realm, her status within the sect was extraordinary. Their search would be thorough, and they would likely come here for clues.
“Little Pagoda, help me set up a killing formation—one that can slay supreme experts. No matter how many come, let none escape,” Shi Hao said.
“The karma is too great. Prepare more heavenly treasures,” the pagoda replied lazily.
“You’re extorting me? I’m just asking for a formation, not your direct intervention,” Shi Hao glared.
“Normally, I don’t meddle in mortal affairs,” the pagoda retorted.
Shi Hao sighed—this thing was as shady as they came. He decided against relying on it; dealing with it was too costly. He resolved to return to the palace immediately. Perhaps the treasury held divine formations he could use here to slaughter any who came searching.
“Big brother, beg me, and I’ll help too,” the Divine Striking Stone in his hair suddenly spoke, its tone teasing.
“You dare extort me too?” Shi Hao was amused. Why were all these shiny little things hanging from his hair so greedy?
“Not at all, big brother! I just have one condition—place me near that imperial jade seal, and I’ll teach you a formation that’ll crush your enemies,” the stone said humbly.
Shi Hao agreed, though he kept a wary eye on it. “When we first met, you claimed to be just an ordinary rock, enlightened by chance. Now you’re practically a demon.”
“People change. Stones grow smoother. I’m just evolving meaningfully,” it quipped.
Shi Hao didn’t press further. This stone was no ordinary relic—perhaps a famed artifact from ancient times, hiding in the Hundred Shattered Mountains until now.
Soon, the stone transmitted a formation diagram. Studying it, Shi Hao was stunned—this was a terrifying killing array, possibly capable of slaying ancient supreme beings. However, the materials required were excessive, even wasteful for this purpose.
“Just set up part of it. No need to waste precious resources,” the stone suggested proudly.
Shi Hao nodded. He couldn’t squander rare materials here—the palace needed them too. He was setting a trap, waiting for the three sects to retaliate.
“One more thing—I want the formation to activate only for supreme experts and above. No need to waste it on lesser foes,” Shi Hao said.
“Big brother, you’re ruthless! I like it,” the stone laughed. “My formation can even account for their intentions—the more important the target, the deadlier the trap.”
The pagoda scoffed. “You’re not bad material yourself. Swallowing you might be beneficial.”
“Big brother, no offense meant! Just this once!” the stone yelped, hastily appeasing the pagoda.
Shi Hao soared through the night like a golden comet, his aura terrifying the beasts below. He didn’t linger—he lacked the materials for the formation.
By dawn, as golden sunlight bathed the capital, Shi Hao reappeared on the horizon. The city had been tense all night, its factions restless. The young emperor’s one-man domination of the three sects had stunned the world, but his disappearance afterward had cast a pall over the capital.
“That’s… the new emperor!” a guard on the city walls shouted, spotting Shi Hao.
The news spread like wildfire, igniting cheers and roars of “Long live the emperor!” as crowds knelt, their reverence manifesting as dragon-like energy coiling around Shi Hao. He felt it—the imperial destiny, the fortune of the realm, shielding him from calamity.
“Your Majesty!” War King and others rushed forward, awed by his feats. A mere youth, yet he had crushed the three sects single-handedly—a legend in the making.
“And the Lunar Grace Goddess…?” a marquis cautiously inquired.
Shi Hao merely hummed, keeping the truth hidden for now. “Were my orders carried out?”
“Yes! The disciples of those sects are confined under our watch. The palace treasury was partially destroyed but sealed,” War King reported.
“Good.” Shi Hao nodded, instructing the marquises to maintain vigilance before heading to the treasury with War King.
His heart raced—here lay supreme techniques, divine artifacts, and the kingdom’s most guarded secrets!
“Fetch me these materials,” he whispered to War King. Soon, a large bundle was delivered. Shi Hao vanished into the void, instructing War King to claim he had entered the treasury.
In a flash, he returned to the wasteland miles away, meticulously setting up the formation.
“If I don’t slaughter the Heaven Mending Sect’s experts here, it’ll be a waste of my effort,” he muttered.
By midday, he erased all traces, leaving only misleading clues before transforming into a golden streak, racing back to the capital.
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