These words brought boundless delight to the elder kings, and they all burst into laughter. For an entire year, a lingering resentment had dwelled in their hearts, but now, it was finally swept away like mist in the morning sun.
The surrounding guards were equally stirred, their blood boiling and their hearts surging with excitement. They clenched their fists tightly.
Since the supposed death of Shi Hao, a suppressed rage had lingered in the hearts of all. A shadow of sorrow, impossible to resolve, had hung over them, an unbearable torment that could not be released.
“It is time for this to end. We must demand an explanation, and make them pay the price!” Peng Jiu declared, his eyes gleaming with sharp brilliance, like lightning flashing across the sky.
Shi Hao’s death had been indirectly caused by these great sects, and now, as if that were not enough, they dared to come forth and demand the return of the Murder Weapon—the so-called evil weapons! It was an intolerable insult.
Now Shi Hao had returned, very much alive, his audacity intact, his domineering aura still present. Who, after all, would fear anything when one dares to wage war against gods? At the thought of what was to come, everyone felt their blood surge in excitement.
Someone fetched writing utensils—paper and ink, and also some bone tablets. Shi Hao did not take up the tools himself, but instead, he had the elder kings carve the inscriptions as he dictated. The words were sent back exactly as they had been received, using their own methods turned back upon them.
That night, the palace was illuminated by lanterns, and everyone became intoxicated. Even the guards stationed nearby joined in the revelry, drinking until they collapsed on the ground.
The elder kings, overcome with emotion after drinking, alternated between weeping and laughter. The loss of the Stone Emperor had left them in an unbearable state, a result they could not accept. Now, finally, their grief was fully released.
All were unconscious from drink, save for Shi Hao who sat upright, his gaze burning like torchlight, radiant and brilliant in the night.
“They’ve sent a reply to us?”
Within the capital of the Shi Kingdom, in one of its manors, a man sat cross-legged upon a rush mat. His entire body was wrapped in a dim glow, appearing like a divine being. He took the letter, read it carefully, and wore a countenance of cold indifference.
“The Shi Kingdom still dares to act so arrogantly! Do they truly believe that having a few Venerated Ones means they can dominate the world? Even in this age without gods, they have no right!”
At noon, a palace guard brought the letter into the grand hall. By this time, the elder kings had awakened and were conversing with Shi Hao and Qing Feng, speaking joyfully, their faces alight with smiles.
“Another letter already?” Ming Wang took the letter, read it, and then frowned: “They issue warnings, claiming ominous disasters will accompany bloody calamities, and that our nation will face doom. Is this their final threat?”
“Oho, they dare threaten us with divine punishment upon the palace gates, accompanied by blood rain?” Shi Hao read the letter, chuckling coldly. “Let me wait and see!”
In the afternoon, a crimson cloud drifted across the clear sky, obscuring the heavens and casting a heavy, oppressive shadow as it slowly descended over the imperial palace.
“Here they come, bold indeed to act so brazenly!” Zhan Wang was angered.
“No, this is the malevolent energy from a blood ritual, summoned here to carry out a sacrificial rite over our palace!” Peng Jiu’s gaze was piercing like lightning.
The sky thundered. The crimson cloud was thick, crackling with thunder and streaked with bolts of black lightning—an eerie sight that stunned the ordinary citizens of Stone City.
“What is happening?” Many cried out in alarm. The cloud descended closer to the earth, enshrouding the palace gates as though a disaster were about to strike.
“The Shi Kingdom defies the heavens. Divine punishment descends!” A mighty voice echoed from the blood cloud, awe-inspiring and overwhelming.
Panic erupted in the streets. Mortals feared the unknown most, and trembled in terror.
“Heretical lies! Remain calm, all of you. Watch me slay the demon!” A voice rang forth from deep within the palace, reverberating across the sky.
At the same time, a copper furnace flew forth from the palace, wreathed in fire, emitting radiant divine energy as it surged towards the blood cloud.
However, as the furnace approached, the crimson cloud began to burn even more fiercely, glowing with a more dazzling red light, like blood itself, staining the entire sky.
Ming Wang hesitated, then willed the furnace onward, attempting to cleanse the cloud. Surprisingly, the cloud only became more vividly red, blazing furiously, with glowing runes covering its surface, descending ever lower.
“This is a cursed formation, vast and formidable. Obviously, this one came prepared. It contains boundless malevolent energy, and cannot be dispelled easily,” Peng Jiu remarked.
“He truly dares to enact a blood sacrifice upon the imperial city! Does he wish for the tragedy of Hong Domain to unfold again?” Zhan Wang was furious. The enemy had indeed proven ruthless, setting up a grand formation to bring calamity.
The several revered elders were not afraid, but protecting every soul in the city was another matter. Some could be engulfed by the blood mist and perish instantly.
The venerables were preparing to ascend to unravel the formation and hunt down the culprit.
“No need. I will handle it,” Shi Hao declared.
He raised a palm to the sky, and a Vermilion Bird manifested, engulfed in flames, its form terrifying as it consumed the heavens. It empowered Ming Wang’s copper furnace.
With a sizzling noise, the cursed runes disintegrated, vanishing rapidly. Then, the entire crimson cloud was sucked into the furnace, reduced to ashes within moments.
Outside the city, someone’s body trembled, shock upon his face. He had known the cursed formation could not defeat the revered elders, but he had been certain it would invoke calamity, sacrificing guards and innocents alike. Yet, it had been dismantled far too soon.
“What happened?” Hidden among the clouds, he observed the capital of Shi Kingdom, disbelieving such swiftness.
“Impossible!” He gasped, suddenly realizing someone had locked onto him.
“Who is this? It cannot be!” He was deeply alarmed, realizing the approaching figure was far stronger than the revered ones in Shi Kingdom—his spiritual perception was terrifyingly acute, having spotted him already.
“Heretic, you dare violate the sovereign land of Shi Kingdom. You shall die!” A majestic voice rang through the imperial city. Then, a colossal hand reached high into the sky.
The figure was startled. He knew he could not stand against such might. He scattered the clouds and fled, deeming the pursuer too terrifying.
But it was too late. The hand, yellowish in color, immense in scale, and inscribed with countless runes, closed in like a world within a palm.
“Break!”
The figure was also a revered elder. Though he had recently ascended to this rank, his strength was formidable. Skilled in formations and dark arts, he cast forth dozens of flags that bloomed amidst the storm, their banners fluttering like heaven and earth themselves, attempting to shatter the mighty hand and allow his escape.
Yet, astonishingly, the hand gleamed like a raptor’s talons, its runes denser and more inscrutable as it swiftly closed in, shattering all his banners.
“What in the world…?” He gasped, wanting to shout out the words “Kun Peng Technique,” but it was too late. With a ‘bang,’ the enormous hand seized him, yanking him into the palace from the skies, vanishing in an instant.
The citizens of Stone City were awestruck. What divine might was this? A hand emerged from the palace, piercing the clouds, like myth made real!
In a single strike, a formidable figure was captured, leaving everyone agape, stunned beyond words.
“The fiend has been dealt with. Citizens, no need to worry,” a voice echoed from the palace, quelling the commotion, instilling calm and a deep sense of security. Everyone felt that with such a mighty guardian, the Shi Kingdom was destined to flourish.
“You are…” Within the central hall, the captured figure’s voice trembled. His eyes widened in disbelief.
“Whom have I seen? Impossible!” He shook his head violently, trying to clear his thoughts. This outcome was too absurd to believe.
How could a man who had supposedly died more than a year ago now be alive?
He thought it must be an illusion, a trick conjured by the revered elders of Shi Kingdom, disrupting his mind. There could be no other explanation.
“Crack!”
Shi Hao, seated high upon his throne, gazed down at him. With a single wave of his robe, he sent the figure tumbling backward, crashing into a pillar inscribed with runes, spitting blood.
“You…” The captured man was stunned. He could feel the true Kun Peng strength and saw the youth’s fiery gaze—his voice quivered with terror.
This was truly unfathomable, and its implications were immense.
Shi Hao had returned alive. Then who was the one that had died a year ago? It defied understanding, utterly inconceivable.
“I have not sought out your sects for trouble, and you dare disturb my kingdom?” Shi Hao rebuked, his young appearance belying an immense authority.
The revered elder’s face turned ashen. He knew it was over. With Shi Hao’s might, having once slain a god, who now could possibly stand against him? A united front of sects had thought to pressure the Shi Kingdom, demanding the Void Smelting Furnace. But now, they had struck against an unyielding iron wall—fate would bring them only ruin.
“How… how did you survive?” He found it impossible to believe, his bones chilled with dread. The world would no longer remain quiet. With Shi Hao’s return, a storm was inevitable.
“You are but a prisoner, what right have you to ask?” Ming Wang rebuked.
Shi Hao acted decisively, extending the same mighty hand to seize the elder once more, delving into his consciousness to uncover the factions involved.
“You…” The elder resisted instinctively, his forehead cracking, nearly exploding.
Shi Hao quickly sealed him, halting his disintegration. Alas, the secrets of the elder’s clan’s sacred techniques remained protected by mysterious clan restrictions.
Nonetheless, Shi Hao learned the names of the sects involved and muttered to himself, “More than I expected, but well—we have unfinished karmic debts to settle with them all together!”
“Sching!”
A blade of qi slashed through the air, and the revered elder’s head rolled, severed from his body. His soul tried to flee but was shredded by the same blade—annihilated completely.
Within the palace, the guards were stirred, Blood Boiling with Passion—when the Stone Emperor returned, he beheaded a powerful revered elder so effortlessly. Such mastery commanded awe and admiration.
They knew—greater conflicts were yet to come. The Stone Emperor would soon visit the great immortal sects in person, demanding justice, fulfilling every word he had spoken.
The elder kings clenched their fists tightly. The return of the Stone Emperor was as mighty as expected—a sovereign in every sense. The storm had only just begun, destined to sweep across the land with unstoppable force.
Meanwhile, outside the palace, chaos erupted. The news spread like wildfire.
A mighty hand had emerged from the palace, glowing with runes, tearing through the clouds to seize a formidable cultivator—alive, and in full view of all!
A few could recognize the identity of the captured figure and were deeply alarmed. Suspicion surged—was it truly…
Someone had detected a familiar aura, suspecting it was none other than the Kun Peng force itself. In the entire world, who could possibly wield that technique to such a level?
“Impossible! Shi Hao is gone. There is no one left who can perfect the Kun Peng Divine Art!” someone denied, shaking their head.
The world outside was in uproar.
Though brief, this battle had set off a seismic ripple, for those who knew realized that the captive was a revered elder—one seized in an instant!
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