Domain Envoy maintained an emotionless expression, his eyes sharp as blades. He was no stranger to Shi Hao, a youth previously expelled from Xūshén Jiè and infamous for damaging a divine-level arena.
“There is no answer to that question. You must seek it yourself,” he said, before his figure blurred and vanished.
Xūshén Jiè remained unchanged, bustling with numerous cultivators daily—especially after the great calamity, when the fervor for cultivation intensified.
This was the Starting Ground, the lowest tier and the beginning of Xūshén Jiè.
“Do you even know who I am? Little Shi was personally taught by me; he is my disciple. You young people refuse to believe it? Go and ask around—the entire Xūshén Jiè knows!” An old man had set up a makeshift stall and was surrounded by a group of newcomers.
“That old fool’s just trying to swindle essence coins again—what nonsense!” sneered one youth.
“How dare you speak like that! Would I, an elder, ever try to defraud anyone?” the old man retorted indignantly. “Wander across Xūshén Jiè, investigate thoroughly. Whether it’s where Little Shi rose to fame or the site of his ultimate battle, all shine with my most glorious presence!”
“Could it really be true?” a skeptic murmured.
“Those are all exaggerated tales—nothing but stories they’ve concocted themselves until others believe them!” an elder nearby explained.
“One hundred essence coins for the secret methods of Little Shi’s trials! Grab yours quickly if you want!” Another old man shouted from the sidelines, with a bird perched on his shoulder.
“Another one again?” newcomers were perplexed.
“How could the ‘Shameless Duo’ possibly be missing? It’d be strange if only one showed up!” people whispered among themselves.
Despite the elders’ disclosures, a large number of youths still gathered around, and some even spent essence coins to buy the manuals.
“This book is very detailed, documenting every step and process of Little Shi’s trials in Xūshén Jiè. If you wish to rise like him, hurry and buy it!” A few others chimed in.
“Unbelievable! These two old frauds have hired decoys now! They’ve escalated their scams, forming a gang. It’s unacceptable how shamelessly they swindle and deceive people—and yet, surprisingly, there are actually believers!”
“It can’t be helped. Who else could spark such a craze but Shi Hao himself? At merely fifteen, he shook heaven and earth, sweeping all challengers aside. Indeed, he once interacted with these two, making their con much easier.”
…
Standing at a distance, Shi Hao watched the scene with a mixture of disbelief. Those two old scoundrels were truly incorrigible—still the same after all these years, persisting in their deceit.
“You old fraud! You tricked me. The very first lesson in this manual told us to destroy a stele, leading to my expulsion from Xūshén Jiè for two years. What a shoddy manual is this?” A young buyer shouted angrily, feeling thoroughly cheated.
“Ah, young man, you’re too impetuous,” the old man scolded. “You must address me properly—call me Master Coin, not ‘old fraud’! Young Shi was always polite to me. Listen carefully; let me explain. Telling you to break a stele had a deep meaning. Tell me, could you really do it? This is just meant to motivate you—set a goal, improve your combat power. Don’t believe me? Ask them—wasn’t that what Young Shi did back then? He was pretty ordinary at first, until he shattered the stele with his punches, leading to his expulsion. Young people, if you don’t understand something, you should ask, not rush in blindly—it’s not proper! Come, hand me another hundred essence coins, and I’ll explain it in detail for you.”
Hesitant at first, the youth eventually paid another hundred essence coins and leaned closer to receive a “private lesson.”
“This old guy’s swindling skills have truly reached mastery. I can’t even—”
“Yet, truthfully, that’s exactly how he was back then—half-truths and outright lies. You simply couldn’t do anything about him!” a middle-aged man remarked.
Pushing through the crowd, a faint smile on his face, Shi Hao said, “I’d also like to buy one of those manuals.”
“One hundred essence coins,” the Bird Elder replied without looking up, too absorbed in business. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed out a bone script inscribed with some text.
“I don’t need that book,” Shi Hao shook his head.
“Then the deluxe version and advanced guide, which cost many times that price. Are you certain you want them?” Bird Elder was still busy when the strange bird on his shoulder suddenly cried out in panic.
“Here comes the arsonist-murderer!”
In the past, Shi Hao had once attacked the bird, burning its feathers until it was bald, suffering a serious defeat.
“I wish to obtain the Bronze Divine Book of Xūshén Jiè. Can you guide me?” Shi Hao finally asked.
At this, Bird Elder’s head snapped up sharply, a forced chuckle escaping his lips. “Nothing more to sell today. Time to pack up.”
At the same moment, Master Coin also sprang up nimbly, swiftly rolling up his stall and making off.
“That youth looks so familiar. Who is he?”
“Are you blind? That’s Little Shi himself, the Emperor of Stone Kingdom nowadays. He came here?!”
“Indeed, it’s Emperor Shi! Oh my, he’s actually appeared!”
“No wonder those two old frauds are fleeing. The real deal has arrived. Who told them to keep swindling and deceiving people all this time? Now they’ve finally met their end.”
Shi Hao’s sudden reappearance stirred a massive uproar. Everyone was stunned. After more than two years apart, he was back—so close, many couldn’t help but grow excited.
He was incredibly youthful, merely a boy of fifteen or sixteen, yet already capable of dominating the world and terrifying the eight directions. It was simply astonishing.
Master Coin and Bird Elder were caught by Shi Hao. At first, they laughed nervously, then composed themselves, acting as if they were meeting an old friend and greeting him warmly.
“See! I told the truth. Little Shi is here to see us in person—solid proof! Who else wants a trial manuscript? Buy now! Although, the price has now risen to one thousand essence coins each!”
“Unbelievable! These two are beyond shameless!”
Yet, many youths actually bought into their claims, eagerly purchasing the manuals, making for booming sales.
Shi Hao’s forehead vein throbbed with frustration. He never imagined two people could be so brazenly shameless.
“Old men, don’t push your luck!” He grabbed both by the collars and dragged them away.
“Save us, Emperor Shi! These two deceivers deserve punishment!” someone shouted.
At that moment, several elders approached and stood behind the crowd. One shook his head and said, “Don’t provoke them. These two aren’t ordinary. My grandfather saw them in their youth; they looked exactly the same many years ago. No one paid much attention until the rise of Little Shi. When the elders revisited the Starting Ground, they were shocked.”
Upon hearing this, Shi Hao’s heart stirred. He recalled similar rumors from years ago—now it seemed they were true.
“Don’t be rash,” Bird Elder cried. The bird on his shoulder had already flapped its wings and escaped into the sky. “We are neither young nor strong anymore—how can you possibly bully us oldies?”
“I’m not here to settle old scores—I need your guidance,” Shi Hao replied, loosening his grip.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ve got the ‘Ultimate Guide’ right here—five million essence coins a copy. Interested?”
Seeing the murderous gleam in Shi Hao’s eyes, Master Coin chuckled nervously. “Okay, okay—free gift!”
“I seek the Bronze Divine Book and have already collected eight pages. How can I complete the set?” Shi Hao questioned.
“That’s simple. With your current achievements, go ahead and break all records—you’ll naturally obtain the remaining pages,” Bird Elder proclaimed confidently.
On this day, Xūshén Jiè trembled, Shaking rippling across all realms.
Little Shi had returned, unleashing divine might within Xūshén Jiè. Beginning at the Starting Ground, he surged forward unchecked, invincible and mighty, breaking numerous records and sending shockwaves through all present.
“Hurry, seniors and juniors, quickly enter Xūshén Jiè—something of incredible magnitude is unfolding!”
“What’s the panic? Compose yourself—where’s your dignity?”
“Little Shi has struck! Xūshén Jiè is about to be turned upside down!”
This was the reaction from one sect.
“Everyone, enter Xūshén Jiè immediately—rush to witness this spectacle. Shi Hao has returned, unwavering and invincible, shattering one record after another.”
“What?! Hurry—enter now!”
Across all lands, people rushed to alert their companions, urging them to witness this great phenomenon.
Xūshén Jiè became a whirlwind of activity, crowded beyond imagination.
No one could recall such a crowded influx for years. The population density was so immense it was nearly impossible to move.
“Quick, look! The record stele has appeared again—could he be defying the heavens again?”
“I’ve counted—without stopping, he’s already shattered dozens of records in a row!”
Each shattered record caused a stele to emerge throughout Xūshén Jiè, notifying all of the feat. Since the beginning, steles had continuously appeared—radiant and crystal-clear, shaking the world.
Never before had anyone advanced like this—unstoppable, sweeping through all records with unmatched vigor.
Perhaps ancient times had seen such geniuses, but by their age, even such prodigies would have long entered cultivation’s later stages, not bothering with such record-breaking anymore. Today, the world bore witness, left trembling with awe.
Was this truly defying heaven’s will?
“Heavenly! The record of Ya Yue has been broken! Held for a millennium—utterly shattered!”
This announcement triggered an uproar. Ya Yue was a powerful figure from a thousand years ago in Xūshén Jiè—immensely vigorous, dominating in both Blood-Lifting and Divine Realm cultivation.
This was a record of immense weight—one representing profound vitality, indicating boundless potential and deep-rooted power. And today, it was shattered by Shi Hao.
Truly incomparable to minor records!
“Another record broken—the flesh-body record of the Six Dao has fallen. Little Shi truly swallows mountains and rivers, smashing one major record after another!”
Three thousand five hundred years ago, the Six Dao reigned supreme in physical might, peerless even among the Formation Array Kings. His record shook an entire era.
This was an achievement of immense historical significance—yet Shi Hao surged through, establishing himself on a higher plane.
This day was destined to be a day of great commotion—a celestial quake across Xūshén Jiè.
And in the real world, cultivators from every realm also gazed in awe—this was utterly beyond belief, even terrifyingly impressive!
On this day, countless beings rushed into Xūshén Jiè, eager to witness with their own eyes just how far Shi Hao would go, how many records he would break.
Shi Hao marched forth with unwavering vigor, though weary, he pressed on without pause, forging ahead bravely.
Of course, there were certain records he simply could not surpass—for instance, that of Huo Yun Xian from several ten thousand years ago, whose fire-controlling skills remained unrivaled, retaining an unsurpassed position.
Though Shi Hao had studied the art of fire techniques, he had not mastered them to their peak, so naturally, he couldn’t surpass such a record.
These were domain-specific achievements. Without dedicated cultivation and deep immersion in a given field, mastery could never be achieved.
The records he broke reflected more his limitless potential and the overwhelming momentum he carried—unrelenting, superhuman!
Throughout this process, Bird Elder and Master Coin’s eyes grew increasingly profound, as if they had transformed. With the emergence of each record, it was as if they drew strength from it. Following behind Shi Hao, they gradually exuded an overwhelming and terrifying aura!
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