“Your Majesty, you are too conceited. With such an immense world, can you truly suppress it all?” Hou Tianhou sneered with a touch of mockery, his expression growing increasingly cold.
His figure was robust as he sat unmoving atop a black-gold throne, his eyes cold like sword edges, exuding an immense aura of bloodlust, spreading outward like a dormant ferocious beast.
Shi Hao remained calm and his gaze was deep as he replied, “I suppress enemies from all directions, not oppress the world. You, a mere Hou Tianhou, dare speak of ruling the world? You’re but a savage from the far west, a mere chicken or mangy dog—killing you would be no different than mowing down grass.”
“Reckless! You’ve usurped supreme power, ruling with cruelty—this world cannot tolerate you. This is not Shi City, but the Tianhou Mansion; how dare you roar before our Master!” The old servant under the throne barked fiercely, his voice dark and chilling.
“You’re but a servant; step aside. This is not your place to speak,” Shi Hao replied coldly.
The old servant’s face darkened as a black aura surfaced. His gaze turned eerie, and with a breath, he spat forth a storm of black lightning, accompanied by the wailing of ghosts and the shadows of countless souls.
“Lightning forged from living souls?” Shi Hao’s eyes chilled. With a swing of his sleeve, a torrent of golden light surged forth like a river, crashing outward with the weight of ten thousand tons.
The black lightning disintegrated. The elder let out a shriek as half his body was struck by golden light, torn and broken, flying back to crash against a thick pillar. The entire hall nearly collapsed. With agonized howls, he struggled up from the ground, his eyes seething with hatred toward Shi Hao.
“Your Majesty is truly extraordinary; an esteemed King crumbles so easily before you,” Hou Tianhou remarked.
Shi Hao stared at Hou Tianhou. “You practice cultivation using bound souls?”
“It’s not we who slay them,” Hou Tianhou replied indifferently. “He merely incorporates their souls into lightning. It’s a rational usage. Why should Your Majesty be so enraged?”
“You’ve disappointed many,” Shi Hao stated.
“And many have disappointed me as well,” Hou Tianhou sighed, adding with a far-off tone, “Some things once done cannot be undone; there’s no regret.”
A blood-colored gleam flashed within his eyes, exuding a malevolent aura. “Your Majesty, you are a wise man. I dared to lure you here, so I certainly will not let you walk away alive. If you wish an honorable death, end yourself now. But first, leave behind the bone sealed within your body.”
“I truly did underestimate you back then. With the heart of a wolf, cruel to the point of sacrificing countless lives for your own desires,” Shi Hao roared furiously.
“Your Majesty, rest in peace. Under my rule, the Shi Kingdom will become a divine realm upon the earth, dominating all eight regions. All mountains and rivers of the world shall fall under our control!” Hou Tianhou declared coldly.
“There is one thing I must say. Not long ago, King Ming, King Zhan, Peng Jiu, and others unanimously recommended you to inherit the throne after my departure. You have disappointed them!” Shi Hao’s voice was as ice.
Hou Tianhou was momentarily stunned, sitting silently in silence for a long while.
“Heh!”
Finally, he suddenly raised his head, his teeth glistening white beneath a cold smile. “Isn’t that perfect? With the Emperor’s demise, I inherit the empire; the world will flourish even more!”
“You’ve been corrupted by evil. The Hou Tianhou I first met was not like this at all,” Shi Hao sighed deeply. How fickle human hearts could be; their reunion had become so estranged.
“Perhaps. Every heart cages a great demon, connected to a treasure. Many see it as hell. Beyond this, there are greater ambitions. I will open each treasure, seizing the divine treasures across all heavens,” Hou Tianhou replied.
“Die!” Shi Hao strode forward. Around him, countless divine rays erupted into the sky like golden swords planted in the ground, surrounding and protecting him as he charged toward the lofty throne.
“Your Majesty, you persist in delusion? You face certain death and yet refuse to preserve your remains? Should you not end yourself, your corpse shall be torn apart,” Hou Tianhou said with coldness.
“Hmph!”
Shi Hao pointed a finger forward, and a rainbow-like sword energy burst forth in waves, like a tidal surge rushing toward the throne.
“Reckless!”
The grandest statue at the rear of the hall, behind the throne, suddenly spoke. It opened its eyes and extended a massive hand to grab forward.
That hand shone with dazzling golden light, radiating holiness like a divine Buddha, instantly filling the entire hall as it sought to crush Shi Hao within its grasp.
Shi Hao retreated swiftly, his form flickering to reappear high above the city. Yet the enormous hand pursued relentlessly.
Shi Hao retreated further, vanishing into distant skies.
Simultaneously, the hand receded, and the entire hall rose, floating into the sky like a fortress, charging straight toward him.
“A being that has ignited divine fire?” Shi Hao gazed coldly at the flying structure ahead.
An icy chill swept forward, reeking of blood, accompanied by terrifying malevolence. From the hall emerged a flying serpent, ten feet in length, as thick as a water vat, its scales gleaming with a sinister purple luster.
Its massive mouth brimmed with dagger-like teeth, and electric pulses crackled along its body, surrounded by crimson mist entwined with purple flame.
“A flying serpent!” Shi Hao narrowed his eyes.
This monstrous serpent bore a pair of violet wings upon its back, granting it the power of flight through sky and earth.
Even more disturbing was the crimson aura surrounding it—its divine fire had been kindled, dancing fiercely.
“So it’s not the Swallow Tianque after all.” Shi Hao sighed, then fixed his gaze on it. “You aren’t the one who attacked earlier. Have him crawl out.”
“Dare you blaspheme against the divine?” The serpent sneered, its monstrous mouth opening wide, spilling a sea of malevolence—how many countless lives it had taken?
“You dare call yourselves gods? Not even false deities! Did you slaughter the millions of lives across the Western frontier?” Shi Hao asked gravely.
“Indeed,” the serpent sneered. “Such a bounty of spiritual nourishment—it felt so exhilarating! The spiritual essence of twenty million mortals aided me in igniting divine fire. This world is so much more delightful than the Upper Realms, where one can indulge freely, without restraint. Here, my rise to power will be swift.”
“You deserve death!” Shi Hao roared. This serpent had slaughtered without end, seeking only to ascend, transforming the Western frontier into a veritable hell. Not a soul remained within tens of thousands of miles.
“You’re but a crawling insect daring to speak to me thus! Even as an Emperor, you are but a ruler of mundane men. Before me, you amount to nothing!” the serpent hissed. A divine halo erupted around it, encircling its ten-foot-long serpent body, exuding both terror and a divine aura.
“Come forth and die!” Shi Hao commanded.
The serpent’s expression darkened instantly. After igniting divine fire, it had grown immensely confident, and now being spoken to thus—as if it were mere vermin—drove it into madness.
“Die! I shall take only the Supreme Supreme Sovereign bone from you; the rest of your body shall become my feast!” It roared, extending a snake tongue over two meters in length, as it charged forth with blinding speed.
This was a being that had ignited divine fire. It rushed forth on a storm of blood and terrifying purple flames, and in an instant, it arrived, its massive mouth open to swallow the heavens and earth.
Shi Hao sidestepped. A residual afterimage remained as he reappeared atop a distant mountain peak.
“Roar…”
The serpent’s body expanded, filling the skies, though its body remained still, its head had already reached the mountain. With one massive bite, it tore off the summit and swallowed it whole.
Such a sight would send ordinary mortals into unconscious terror.
The serpent was overwhelmingly powerful, exuding savage ferocity. Its massive body loomed like mountains, coiled through the heavens and earth, its form larger than mountains. Its violet scales gleamed beneath a shroud of crimson mist.
Shi Hao had not been devoured and emerged in the far sky.
“Boy, what are you? Daring to command me? What can you do, even if I devoured twenty million lives, or even if I wiped out the entire Shi Kingdom?” The serpent roared, shaking heaven and earth. “The immortal beings ascended to higher realms—what are you but a speck, easily swallowed whole!”
“A bug remains a bug, even after igniting divine fire. Still clinging to beastly instincts; nothing remarkable,” Shi Hao mocked. “Xiao Hong, your snack has arrived.”
“Dare you defy me. I shall tear you apart and swallow every piece!” The serpent bellowed, its giant head swinging wildly, its gaping mouth threatening to swallow the skies themselves.
“Hmph!”
A crimson glow flared beside Shi Hao. A tiny, fiery bird, no larger than a fist, shimmering like crystal, soared into the sky and charged directly toward the serpent.
“A fire-wyrm ignited with divine fire shall aid me in consolidating my path to immortality!”
The crimson bird cried aloud, its call like lightning as it dashed like a crimson bolt, instantly appearing before the serpent’s massive head. With a single peck, it bored a hole through flesh, sending blood spewing.
The serpent howled in pain, its purple radiance surging as it shrank, twisting and contending with the Vermilion Bird. A fearsome battle erupted across the skies as energy raged and boiled.
“Boom!”
After dozens of clashes, the serpent’s body was drenched in blood. Xiao Hong’s might surged. Its body expanded, its twin talons scattering the serpent’s divine flame and shattering its protective glyphs, tearing the serpent’s body in two.
“Ahhh!”
The serpent shrieked, shrinking to a mere foot in length as it fled toward the Palace Hall.
“Boom!”
The statue within the Palace Hall awoke, stepping forth like a golden warrior sculpted by mortals. Yet now, it exuded a living vitality and divine power, radiating a presence like boundless oceanic might.
It strode from the Palace Hall, its body gleaming gold with vibrant life energy, its eyes black and deep, surveying Shi Hao and turning its gaze toward Xiao Hong.
The serpent, now reduced to half a body, rested on its shoulder, reduced to a pet-like size, obediently flicking its tongue.
Hou Tianhou followed behind, the old servant trailing as well.
The serpent hissed, flicking its tongue, its gaze filled with hatred toward Shi Hao and Xiao Hong. “My Master has descended from the Upper Realms; none of you shall escape death!”
“You must be Shi Hao,” the golden figure spoke calmly, devoid of hostility. Around him, petals drifted, glowing with serene holiness.
Shi Hao did not acknowledge him but kept his eyes on Hou Tianhou. “This is the Upper Realm deity you rely upon? A mere statue sculpted from clay and wood dares to call itself divine!”
“Reckless!” the serpent roared.
“Wriggle, behave yourself. I’ll feast on you soon,” Xiao Hong rebuked coldly.
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