He stood up, and had barely taken a few steps forward when numerous cracks appeared across his body. Blood poured out instantly, staining half his body crimson. His injuries were terribly severe.
It was like a precious porcelain vessel had shattered—though painstakingly pieced back together, a slight tremor could scatter the fragments once more.
Shi Hao’s expression was pale and lifeless, devoid of vitality. Blood dripped from his forehead, his condition dire. How could he possibly embark on a long journey in this state? He might die along the way.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, holding the willow branch, and poured all his strength into absorbing and refining its essence. All the tender buds fell off, sinking into his body. The branch itself grew shorter, turning into green light that nourished his flesh and bones.
Before long, the entire willow branch vanished, and Shi Hao’s complexion gained a faint tinge of ruddiness.
“What a flourishing vitality—was there a Life Rule inside?” he murmured in astonishment, having sensed a mighty force within the branch, not absent after all.
However, the residual laws were limited. Mostly, it was pure life essence from a divine herb, rather than the force of cosmic rules or glyph power.
Even so, Shi Hao felt somewhat better. Many of his wounds healed, and his bones reconnected, slowly mending as though regenerating anew.
He looked within himself once more, remained silent for a long time, and finally sighed quietly. The Xian Hall’s rule still lingered, its destructive power ceaselessly working. At this rate, he would inevitably perish. There was no way to completely heal.
Moreover, he noticed special glyphs emerging on his muscles and bones, resembling oxidized bronze—coarse and mottled with green.
This was a curse glyph created by a senior of the Xian Hall, refined from flakes of rust that had peeled off the Bronze Xian Hall. Mysterious and sinister, once it made contact, ultimate death was unavoidable.
Had it not been for this life-infused willow branch left behind by the Willow God, he would have perished already.
Even so, this fragment could only restore his body and bones, but not cure him completely. If this continued, he was destined to weaken and die miserably.
“The entire willow branch has been refined. My energy has temporarily increased somewhat, but time is short—I must act quickly,” he muttered, staggering forward to search the area and locate the bronze treasure box, as well as some damaged and broken weapons.
This time, the losses were immense!
Such a battle had reached a point where there was no choice—he himself had been crippled. His Supreme Rulerbone had shattered; how could one expect weapons to survive?
Each step forward brought him excruciating pain in his chest, sweat trickling down. His Supreme Rulerbone had shattered and, even now pieced back together, only two-thirds remained.
This was extremely grave. In the past, he had already once lost his Supreme Rulerbone, nearly dying. It was his foundation, the cornerstone of his Dao. Should he lose it again, it would mean severing his very origins.
Thankfully, the Godblood was still present this time—the very blood nourishing the Supreme Rulerbone. Otherwise, should that also be lost, Shi Hao would wither instantly into the most dire circumstances.
He had experienced this in his childhood.
As Shi Hao walked, he pondered and murmured to himself: “The Willow God once said that an extra bone had formed inside my body. When I reach a certain level, it will ultimately become a hindrance.”
He considered whether to redirect that Godblood throughout his body, forsaking the nourishment of this extra bone and instead using it to strengthen every other bone.
It was a bold idea. Doing so would mean abandoning the Supreme Rulerbone, and no one could predict what might happen afterward.
Yet soon, Shi Hao shook his head. He had little time left and could not afford such upheaval—this action might kill him instantly.
After all, the Supreme Rulerbone was of utmost importance, the very root of his being. Tampering with it recklessly and ceasing its nourishment would surely lead to catastrophe.
“Let’s go.”
Shi Hao staggered forward, then soared into the sky and rushed toward the horizon, continuously bleeding from his mouth. As soon as he used divine power, unbearable pain struck every part of his body.
This was a perilous situation. He doubted he could even locate his family before death overtook him—there was no way he could reach his destination.
“Strange, who was that person who left just now? He looks a lot like the Monarch of Stone Nation!”
“There’s news that he engaged in a battle with the last of the Seven Divine Beings, from the Fire Nation all the way beyond its borders. No one knows where he is now—could it be that he… won?!”
A few cultivators passed by the scene, greatly astonished.
They landed upon the Three Lives Mountain, entered its range, and were immediately stunned. The aftermath of the battle was horrifying—many peaks had turned to ash, and countless ridges lay in ruins. It was clearly the aftermath of a divine war!
“Heaven forbid! Could it be that Shi Hao won, slaying the final and mightiest deity? Is he defying Heaven itself?!”
The group was deeply shaken, their faces reflecting disbelief.
Where was Shi Hao rushing off to? He had only just left the Stone Village, having seen his kinsmen again. Now, he longed more than ever to see his parents once more.
After so many years of separation, they hadn’t even spent a few days together. Bound by blood thicker than water, he yearned to stay by their side for just a brief moment before departing to find some remote place to lay himself to rest forever.
He soared through the skies, determined to reach the imperial palace of Stone Nation first. He would use its altar to teleport away—otherwise, how could he possibly cover such an immense distance?
“Your Majesty, you…”
The palace guards were stunned when they saw Shi Hao descend from the heavens, drenched in blood. They trembled, unable to believe that their Monarch was so grievously wounded, his life hanging by a thread.
Everyone rushed forward, calling for healers, desperate to tend to him. For the Monarch himself to be in such a state was truly terrifying and shocking.
“Your Majesty… the last deity…” the guards hesitated to ask.
“I killed him,” Shi Hao replied, handing over the broken Divine War Halberd and the damaged Divine Sword.
He fell silent. He had no time for vengeance now. Otherwise, he would surely go to the Western Sects and other great powers to demand divine weapons to make up for Stone Nation’s losses.
Those sects had sent down warriors from the Upper Realm to kill him, so he had to demand justice.
“Your Majesty, where exactly are you going?!” the guards were shocked when they saw him preparing to leave.
“I must journey far,” Shi Hao replied.
As he stood upon the altar, hesitation gripped him. He felt lost and uncertain. His eyes dimmed, and he murmured to himself: “If I go to see my parents, even though it fulfills my wish, they will be heartbroken… grieving deeply…”
Shi Hao was in anguish. He dearly wanted to see his parents, yet the thought of the sorrow and sorrow they would feel if they saw him this way made it unbearable.
His life was fading. Yet even now, Xiaoshi thought of his parents’ feelings. He hesitated, his expression darkening. Was he really not allowed to see them before the end?
But his yearning burned on. He longed to see them, even just one last time.
“I will just quietly glimpse at them from afar, without them noticing, then leave and find a quiet place to bury myself, keeping my death a secret,” he murmured sadly, bitterness rising in his heart as he gazed into the distance.
He stood silently for a moment, thinking of his parents, and then of Qin Hao, his only younger brother. “I should go see him,” he murmured.
Some things he couldn’t tell his parents, couldn’t face directly, couldn’t bear to make them sad—but he could tell Qin Hao, entrusting him with the care of their father and mother.
“Perhaps I should not go to see my parents. Instead, I should go to the Immortal Mountain to find him!” he decided.
Shi Hao knew that Shi Ziling and his wife were still wandering the Wilderness Domain searching for him. They had not yet returned to the Immortal Mountain.
“I long to see them, yet cannot,” Xiaoshi murmured softly, filled with deep sorrow.
He activated the altar and stepped into a channel, vanishing instantly from the palace of Stone Nation.
“Did you know? Xiaoshi has defied Heaven itself by slaying the last deity!”
“The Stone Emperor, barely fifteen or sixteen years of age, has slain a god, killing the mighty Huang Yu and eliminating all remaining threats!”
The news spread simultaneously from Three Lives Mountain and the palace of Stone Nation, shaking the entire world!
All cultivators in the Wilderness Domain were left speechless. A young boy had killed gods one after another, vanquishing the Seven Deities and destroying every divine being who had ignited their godly flame. What a glorious and unparalleled feat! So brilliant that it made people tremble in awe, almost impossible to believe!
The brilliance of Xiaoshi was beyond comparison, shining across history—how many could measure up?
In an instant, the entire world was rocked. Nations were stunned. Cultivation sects across the land debated the news, which spread far and wide. Even cultivators from other great domains learned of it.
The Immortal Mountain still stood tall, emitting violet qi, exuding a grand and majestic aura—a sacred land of soaring dragons.
Though the Five Elements Mountain was gone, this place remained an immortal holy ground, famed as one of the greatest cultivation locations in existence.
Shi Hao arrived in blood-soaked robes. Cracks ran across his body, blood seeping from them with each passing moment, his condition worsening constantly. It was already a miracle that he could appear here.
“Who are you?!” the gatekeepers roared, quickly opening their eyes wide in shock: “Xiaoshi!?”
The group froze, then staggered backward in fear. This youth had left a deep impression on the Immortal Mountain. Long ago, he had toppled the Five Elements Mountain in a rage, shaking the eight domains!
Within moments, the news reached the holy land deep within the mountain. All the elders were stirred.
“It’s you, Xiaoshi. Dare you come back to cause trouble at my Immortal Mountain again?!” one elder shouted coldly.
Others chimed in, exuding murderous intent, clearly hostile.
Shi Hao wiped the blood from his mouth and said, “I’m not here for war. Summon my younger brother. There’s something I must tell him.”
“Hmm, something’s off. He seems grievously wounded, extremely serious!” someone whispered.
Many elders exchanged glances. They had heard reports that Shi Hao had been fighting gods. Could it be he had suffered a fatal injury, damaging his very origins? Clearly, his aura was feeble, his body riddled with cracks, barely able to remain upright.
Some exchanged glances and stepped forward together, exuding mighty pressure.
“Boom!”
Most threatening was a single elder whose terrifying aura surged like a tidal wave. Shi Hao felt a metallic taste in his throat as blood rose to his mouth.
Though the Immortal Mountain had suffered calamities, there were still hidden Venerable One alive. At this moment, their pressure was immense.
“He’s injured. Perhaps we can eliminate him!” someone whispered, eyes gleaming with excitement.
The Venerable One had already stepped forward, arriving at the gate, watching coldly.
“I said I’m not here for war. Don’t provoke me!” Shi Hao’s voice was heavy with emotion. Just having slain deities, would these people dare seize the opportunity to strike when he was down?
The atmosphere was tense, the situation precarious!
Some at the Immortal Mountain wished to seize the moment and suppress him, faces filled with strange expressions, hearts pounding. Many were eager to act.
“Xiaoshi, your situation looks dire. Are you about to perish?” someone sneered.
“To come this far only to cause trouble at my Immortal Mountain?” The Venerable One’s face grew colder as he took a step forward, radiating formidable pressure, his eyes devoid of kindness, poised to strike.
“A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs,” Shi Hao muttered lowly. In normal circumstances, none of them would dare act against him. His brows furrowed as he growled, “I’ve come to meet my brother. Don’t force my hand!”
“Hmph!” The Venerable One snorted coldly, thinking of the great hatred caused by Shi Hao’s destruction of the Immortal Mountain. His face grew more sinister, with many others following close behind.
They continued to radiate pressure toward Shi Hao, and under the immense force, blood again seeped from his lips.
“He’s truly finished, a dying lamp,” someone whispered, eyes bright with excitement.
“Even injured, I am not someone you fools can bully! I have slain multiple gods—how dare you provoke me!” Shi Hao roared, enduring the pain as he activated his Supreme Rulerbone. With a Boom, waves of glyphs burst outward, engulfing his opponents.
At the same time, blood flowed from his chest, and a faint crack echoed—another piece of the Supreme Rulerbone had broken off.
“Ahh…”
The crowd cried out in terror, their appearances aging rapidly in that moment.
Shi Hao darted forward, seizing the Venerable One and tightening his grip until almost breaking his neck. Blood flowed as the Venerable One nearly fainted.
“I have slain gods—how dare you, a Venerable One, mock my weakness?!” Shi Hao roared, then inhaled deeply and sent his voice inward, shouting: “Brother, come forth! Meet me one last time!”
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