Stone city was magnificent; the city walls bore a metallic luster, where Glyphs shimmered with grandeur, majestic and imposing, standing tall over the land.
Shi Hao stood before the city for a long time. Facing the certain death awaiting him, he pondered deeply, silent for an eternity, before finally calmly walking through the gates.
Inside the city, life thrived as usual—bustling streets filled with carriages and crowds, shops lined along both sides, thriving and prosperous.
The common folk were unaware of the events in Hong Domain, which only spread among cultivators, thus the world remained immersed in chaos, still vibrant and unaffected.
Remaining tranquil within, Shi Hao came alone before the imperial palace, without the Divine-Smiting Stone, nor the Emperor Butterfly, sending them away to avoid perishing alongside him.
He had also not informed Mao Qiu and Xiao Hong, his two greatest allies, because this mission was too perilous. Seven descending gods were involved; even two mighty experts would meet only death, given their newly kindled divine flames and limited cultivation time.
Shi Hao had learned that several deities had entered the forbidden grounds of the Stone Kingdom, now stationed within the palace.
Morning glow shimmered over Shi Hao, coating his body in a crystalline brilliance, as he approached the inner city, gazing at the vast palatial structures.
“Shi Huang!” gasped the inner palace guards, their faces instantly paling with anxiety and fear, whispering urgently, “Your Majesty, retreat quickly!”
The upheaval had left loyal remnants here, waiting for a chance to counterattack. Seeing Shi Hao return now, how could they not worry? It seemed like willingly stepping into a trap.
“Fear not, I have come to confront them,” Shi Hao declared.
The guards at the gate froze, watching him stride forward. Bathed in the morning light, he bore a pale golden glow, leaving them in complex silence.
Though Shi Hao was young, during the past six months, he had displayed decisiveness and vigour, quelling unrest, vanquishing enemies, and safeguarding the foundation of the Stone Kingdom, gaining immense respect and reputation, before stepping down in glory.
Now, however, divine beings had descended. Although Shi Hao possessed extraordinary talent and formidable strength, how could he possibly resist? Knowing certain death and still choosing to confront the gods—this resolve commanded reverence.
As the sun rose, the entire palace radiated a sanctified luminance, shining with brilliance. The guards parted to let him through, as Shi Hao strode forward, entering the palace directly.
Clearly, a fierce battle had occurred here—the palace bore signs of damage, its great formation having been activated before being breached.
Indeed, these formations were potent, yet without cultivators of matching cultivation to guide them, their full potential could not be unleashed—especially with the attackers including those versed in arrays.
“Ah, you arrived,” a calm, indifferent voice echoed from the central Tian Palace, reverberating and causing ringing in the ears.
“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t have returned!” At the Tian Palace entrance, several unwounded guards remained. Bloodstained and anxious, they secretly transmitted their voices to Shi Hao.
“Stand aside,” Shi Hao commanded.
Still clutching their weapons, their knuckles whitened as silence prevailed. They too knew their presence was futile and that they survived only because those within had not yet turned on them.
Still, each one seethed with injustice—how could their great nation be treated so? The royal sanctuary had been invaded so easily and seized so completely, as if they were nothing.
Shi Hao entered the Tian Palace. Many guards lay on the floor, softly groaning, their blood pooling across the floor.
When the three sects had attacked before, they had not breached the central Tian Palace. Now, it had been utterly conquered.
“You are Shi Hao?” a voice came from within. It was a skeleton of pale gold—every part from head to toe radiating with a serene, holy glow, lacking any aura of death.
Behind him were a pair of white wings, further accentuating his divinity. Undoubtedly, he came from the Netherworld, a god whose soul burned with Dark Flame (Netherflame).
“Youthful indeed—more than I anticipated,” the golden skull spoke telepathically, its jaw clicking, “Alas, the Nether Lord demands your death.”
Shi Hao said nothing, glancing past him toward the throne, growing furious and letting icy coldness flash from his eyes.
A divine being, high above, sat on a dragon-embroidered throne, with a youth named Qing Feng beneath his foot, pale-faced, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
“Release him!” Shi Hao thundered.
“I treat him gently, not desiring to kill. But since he dared to offend me, punishment is inevitable.” This silver-haired young man smiled faintly, his foot resting over Qing Feng’s face.
“Big Brother…” Qing Feng stirred, his expression changing, crying, “Don’t come back!”
“It’s too late. You’re useless—stand aside.” With a light press of his foot, the silver-haired man kicked Qing Feng, sending him tumbling down the stairway, where blood again flowed from his lips. Yet he endured it in silence.
Shi Hao’s eyes grew frigid, locking onto the silver-haired man. “Who are you?”
“I am Yang Li from the Yin Yang Academy,” the man replied calmly, gazing down at Shi Hao with a scrutinizing glint, marveling, “To have achieved such a level of cultivation at this age—even surpassing my abilities back then.”
Frowning, Shi Hao recalled how during the great calamity, the Yin Yang Daoist had been slain by Liu Shen. Two of the shrine’s layers had been reclaimed by the little pagoda—the Daoist must have belonged to the Yin Yang Academy.
“Our dean fell in the lower world. Naturally, someone needed to descend and investigate,” Yang Li explained indifferently.
From a curtain at the side of the hall, a sound of movement and chewing emerged. Shi Hao turned, his eyes wide in outrage, yelling, “Stop!”
His eyes burned red. There, a silver pangolin, white and glistening, was tearing at War Prince’s arm, devouring his essence.
Besides War Prince, there was Peng Jiu and Ming Wang, who had long lost consciousness—bloodied and battered, pitiful to behold.
Upon hearing Shi Hao’s shout, the silver pangolin lifted its head. “They aren’t dead yet—just having a taste of blood,” it smacked its lips.
Shi Hao’s eyes filled with bloodshot fury—this was beyond humiliation. It was sheer arrogance! His companions’ lives hanging in the balance while his enemies stood shamelessly there, gnawing on their life essence before his very eyes.
Yang Li spoke, “Don’t drain their blood; we don’t want to kill them yet. The Stone Kingdom still needs these experts to govern it. We cannot appear ourselves, so of course, we need some proxies. These few aren’t bad choices—they can manage an entire nation, seeking the path to transcendence and whatever fortune may arise.”
“Honestly, boring. Only these experts’ blood is somewhat tasty. A few guards’ blood tastes like chewing wax,” said the silver pangolin slowly, strolling into the palace hall.
“And who are you?” Shi Hao asked, his eyes bloodshot.
“I am from the Beast Sea,” the pangolin said calmly, “Don’t glare at me like that. I have no hostility toward you. I came merely out of curiosity. Your blood smells quite delicious.”
Shi Hao’s heart trembled. He knew of the Beast Sea; during a gathering at He Ming Mountain with Lan Yu, Hong Huang, Bi Gu, and others, he had heard about the Beast Sea’s ancestor observing the forms of beasts and eventually formulating the Hundred Beasts True Sutra, seizing celestial blessings.
The pangolin stared at Shi Hao’s chest. “You’ve cultivated the Supreme Bone. Your blood must be exquisite.”
“Only the three of you?” Shi Hao asked emotionlessly.
“One was sufficient to topple your entire country. Do you think three descending gods are insufficient?” Yang Li gave a faint sneer.
The golden skeleton moved, its joints producing a distinctive, echoing sound through the palace hall, as the Netherkind divine fire-bearer spoke: “Your treasure vault was pitifully meager—we opened one, and barely anything remained.”
Evidently, the priority of the three gods arriving here was to obtain some divine substances, and they had arrived ahead of others.
Unfortunately, most of the Stone Kingdom’s treasures had already been consumed—greatly expended in repairing the palace’s formation.
The golden skeleton continued: “These palace arrays were good, but lacked proper overseers of suitable rank. To us, they are practically nonexistent. Some materials are rare, so they can be removed.”
He approached War Prince, Peng Jiu, and others, continuing: “Their souls smell rather appealing, unfortunately, we cannot feast on them.”
At this, he opened his jaw wide and sucked hard. Instantly, War Prince, Peng Jiu, Ming Wang each exhaled a soul, drifting toward the golden skull.
“Don’t cause trouble; they are still useful,” Yang Li stated.
“I know—I just wanted a whiff,” the netherflame-bearing deity waved his bony hand dismissively, blowing out gently, returning their souls.
Though Shi Hao burned with fury, ready to obliterate them, a small relief stirred inside him—these three deities did not plan to take War Prince, Qing Feng and others’ lives yet, instead wanting to use them to control the Stone Kingdom.
“You…why did you come back?” War Prince, Peng Jiu, and others stirred, pale and astonished.
“You have suffered,” Shi Hao said.
“Big Brother…” Qing Feng opened his mouth, intending to speak, his expression pale. He had not submitted, and thus bore this torment.
“Qing Feng!” Shi Hao glanced at him, then turned back to the three gods. “You seek my death—why not strike directly at San Sheng Mountain? Why involve the innocent? Are gods reduced to such cruelty?”
“Why go to San Sheng Mountain?” Yang Li, his silver hair glowing radiantly, sat tall atop the throne, looking down. “Would I personally travel for a mere Formation-stage cultivator? To kill you, a single word suffices. Surrender willingly and accept your doom.”
With such a tone, such arrogance, not even regarding Shi Hao as worthy!
“Puffed-up deities! Grandpa Shi Hao has returned—let’s see how you kill me!” Shi Hao emanated divine light, a battle armor enveloping him, shimmering with dark brilliance.
“The Immortal Golden Battle Armor?”
“A treasured relic from the Ancient Era, nearly unattainable nowadays. You actually possess one!”
The three gods turned sharply, their eyes ablaze with fervor, stepping forward in unison.
With a flash, Shi Hao vanished from his spot, ascending the imperial palace skies above, gazing down, roaring, “False gods, come forth and meet your demise!”
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