“The Wall of Gods and Devils, the bane of ancient times.”
Shi Hao murmured softly as he recalled that place—not merely a mysterious wall, but also an ancient path.
Upon that wall were warnings, stating it was extremely perilous. Yet, by passing through one hundred and eight trials, one could step onto a path leading to the farthest reaches.
However, since time immemorial, very few from the lower world had succeeded!
Shi Hao had once discussed this with the Divine Stone, and had studied various bone scrolls. According to his deductions, this path should lead to the Upper Realms, potentially even entering the fabled forbidden zones of ancient lore.
Clearly, the warnings and the words “the bane of ancient times” were not idle threats—there was a hidden truth behind them, hinting at extreme danger.
Shi Hao set off once again, heading toward the Land of Flames, plunging into that ancient domain filled with molten lava and scorching heat. Then, he descended underground, reappearing within the ancient palace of the Holy Emperors.
With his present cultivation, he could naturally proceed deeper. The trials of Dao-Fire and glyphs could no longer hinder him, feeling more like treading upon flat ground than a true challenge.
The colossal palace lay silent, vast and empty. Its immense expanse stretched beyond comprehension. Shi Hao strode forward directly, and once again stood before that ancient wall.
“It is said that there are two divine and devilish walls in the world. One is complete, possessing one hundred and eight gates. The other is a failure, possessing only the appearance of a gate, without its true form.”
Some of the gates here, such as the Dragon Gate and the Phoenix Gate, remained unbroken—mere carvings upon the wall, mere outlines without entrances, devoid of any arena within.
This was not the path he needed to follow.
But through his study with the Divine Stone, they had concluded that to discover the true ancient wall, he must begin here.
For according to the blurred records found in certain ancient bone scrolls, there was a subtle connection between this place and the genuine Wall of Gods and Devils.
“Could this place be the initial trial? Only by passing through here can one glimpse the true wall?”
Upon reaching here, naturally, the only way to find clues was to enter these arenas. Without a doubt, an entire series of great confrontations awaited.
“Very well then. Let this be a form of cultivation, a tempering of my body and will. Let me see just how powerful these divine beasts and ancient monsters truly are.”
One stone gate creaked open. Shi Hao stepped inside, into the dimly lit depths of an arena, where the walls were stained dark red—as though soaked in blood.
“Roar…!”
Accompanied by a beast’s cry, sheets of lightning surged forward with crackling intensity, enveloping the area in blinding brilliance.
It was a Saber-Toothed Dragon-Lion, deliberately chosen by Shi Hao to temper his Lightning Treasure Art. He had chosen this beast precisely because it excelled in this domain, a formidable Sky-Tier beast perfectly suited for his duel.
“Boom!”
Shi Hao threw a punch, accompanied by lightning, showing no deceit or trickery. He struck head-on, wielding the same Treasure Art to rival the beast’s own power.
“Lightning knows no end—it is one of the most terrifying forces in the world,” Shi Hao remarked inwardly as he fought. If he himself were not strong enough, he would have perished instantly upon entering this arena.
Whether Heaven’s Tribulation or Divine Judgment, both manifested as thunder, descending to suppress evil and chaos. This alone testified to the status of this force, closely tied to the forbidden.
A massive purple-gold claw tore through the air, riding atop hundredfold waves of lightning, exuding boundless tyranny. In the outside world, a single strike like this could reduce entire mountains to rubble.
Shi Hao sidestepped, his body radiating with shimmering light. He unleashed a thunderous fist, clashing head-on with the beast, sending countless arcs of electricity surging forth, illuminating the entire place with blinding radiance.
“There are several divine birds and ancient beasts in the world that excel in lightning. If I can learn from them, my Lightning Treasure Art will surely break through to even greater heights—perhaps even becoming a Forbidden Path.”
As he fought, Shi Hao simultaneously meditated. He did not rush to determine victory but instead focused on comparison and comprehension, further refining his own Law and Dao.
“Boom!”
After extensive practice, he exerted all his strength into a single palm strike. Countless bolts of lightning coalesced into the shape of a Saber-Toothed Dragon-Lion, accompanied by stars swirling around it. It surged forward, crashing against the ancient beast of the same kind.
This was a clash of identical Treasure Arts—fierce and intense!
Finally, smoke and dust settled. The beast transformed into a Dao talisman, burning into ashes.
Shi Hao searched the arena thoroughly, examining every carving etched into its depths, analyzing and contemplating, before proceeding to the next gate.
Then, he opened the next stone door.
…
Thus, Shi Hao engaged in continuous combat, moving from one gate to the next. Within only a few days, he was already scarred and bloodied.
For these were all ancient ferocious beings. Without pause, he waged unending battles. Even a body as unbreakable as his bore cracks, and no one could endure unscathed.
For successive fortnights, Shi Hao endured in this manner. When he grew tired, he would rest for a few hours with closed eyes. When his injuries worsened, he would sit on the spot to recover, steadily restoring his strength.
“Indeed, there are some clues—but they are too scattered,” Shi Hao pondered.
He had already cleared dozens of trials, uncovering faint traces. Certain arenas held bone scripts detailing locations where the true Wall of Gods and Devils had once appeared.
He awakened the Divine Stone and discussed these findings with it. They concluded that the places where the Wall of Gods and Devils had emerged in ancient times were all forbidden zones, and likely remained so even now.
Instantly narrowing their search range, they resolved to search in similar regions. With time, they were sure to find it.
“Let’s keep fighting. I shall clear every arena here. There must be further discoveries.”
This time, he pushed open a grand ancient gate, discovering several corpses inside.
“Hmm, someone came here before but was killed,” Shi Hao remarked in surprise. Though there were previous remains in other arenas, none were as numerous as here.
Ahead, a blood-chilling wind surged forth. A mighty entity appeared, its eyes gleaming with eerie light.
It was a Demon Beast of Taigu known as the Tao Tie, with a sheep’s body and a human face, its teeth as gleaming white as jade. Its scales shone radiantly, with thick, coarse hairs sprouting between them. It looked utterly ferocious.
Undoubtedly, it was among the elite of the Taigu Sky-Tier beasts, one of the most formidable races, said to devour all things.
“This beast will not be an easy opponent,” Shi Hao muttered. In ancient times, its ferocity was legendary, shaking the world, capable of toppling the moon with a single roar.
Fortunately, within the arena, the confrontation remained within equal cultivation boundaries.
With a sudden “Hu!” sound, its maw opened wide, engulfing all within the arena. Radiant glyphs and mist swirled outward as the Tao Tie swallowed Shi Hao into a peculiar small world.
This was the Tao Tie—its first move had already ensnared Shi Hao.
“Break!”
Shi Hao let out a sharp cry, transforming into a Vermilion Ape, exuding a powerful and dominating force. With both hands, he tore through the mist, unleashing boundless yang energy, breaking out once more.
He focused his attention, carefully observing—the battle offered immense benefits to him, helping him better understand these races and enhance his combat prowess.
“Whirrr!”
The void trembled faintly. Around the Tao Tie, glyphs surged forth in waves, forming an entire scripture, imprinted into the air. Then, they radiated brilliance, pressing forward together in a single forceful assault.
“What?” Shi Hao exclaimed in astonishment.
The Tao Tie had fully refined its Treasure Art, freely combining glyphs to unleash maximum power. These scripture symbols merged together, eventually taking the form of a grand crucible.
“Boom!”
The Tao Tie suppressed the heavens and earth, the crucible enveloping all.
It was a fierce battle. Shi Hao contended while contemplating, further refining his own Law and Dao, gaining invaluable insight.
“Aoooo…”
The earth shook, the sky trembled. Bloodthirsty aura surged as the Tao Tie roared with mighty power, enough to kill cultivators of equal rank by sound alone. Were other cultivators to face this beast here, even a group would shatter instantly.
Even Shi Hao felt a ringing in his ears, his chest pained, his blood boiling.
No wonder there were ancient rumors that a pure-blooded Tao Tie King’s roar could cause stars to fall. Such immense power indeed existed!
With a tremendous crash, the Tao Tie launched forward, leaving numerous afterimages. In one swift move, it swallowed Shi Hao whole, its might unmatched, instilling awe.
Tragically, no one bore witness. Had the people of the Eight Regions known this, their eyes surely would have widened in disbelief. Such an ancient beast was simply too formidable.
“Bang!”
A muffled sound echoed from within the Tao Tie’s belly, like thunder. Its entire body radiated light, countless symbols flickering, transforming its stomach into a divine furnace, burning with violent intensity to refine Shi Hao.
“It ends now!” Shi Hao unleashed his utmost strength, cutting straight through the Tao Tie’s belly, bursting out.
“Puh!”
Crimson radiance flashed as he emerged, drenched in blood. He leaped upward and pointed a finger, unleashing a sword-like aura that pierced the Tao Tie’s forehead, felling it with a mighty crash.
He sat cross-legged, resting for an hour, before proceeding to the deepest part of the arena. He couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise—there was a major discovery here.
“Unfortunately, I failed… unable to pass even the initial trials, unworthy of proceeding to the true Wall of Gods and Devils.”
There was an inscription like that, beneath which sat a skeleton, its bones gleaming with crystalline luster—clearly an ancient genius.
At this sight, Shi Hao’s mind suddenly brightened. Indeed, just as the bone scrolls vaguely recorded, this place was connected to the true Wall of Gods and Devils. He now had a destination!
Afterward, Shi Hao cleared a few more trials until he reached the end, finding no further path.
But at that moment, radiant symbols flared to life, and a mysterious formation appeared, opening a passage extending into a hidden realm.
After a brief pause, Shi Hao swiftly charged inside.
The next moment, radiant light shimmered. He emerged from the passage and found himself within a dense black forest. The place was eerily silent—every sound seemingly vanished as though swallowed by the void.
“It’s indeed here…”
Shi Hao was astonished. After careful observation and confirmation, he recognized it as the infamous forbidden forest within the Wild Domain—the Black Forest Forbidden Zone.
Long ago, the Fifteenth Uncle of the Great Demon God had been hunted by a Pi Xiu, and had barely escaped by fleeing into this place, remaining trapped for many years before finally emerging.
“This place is filled with countless formations. One misstep, and one may perish within,” Shi Hao muttered cautiously, advancing step by step.
The Divine Stone had also awakened. Together, they discussed and navigated deeper within. With the Divine Stone’s expertise in formations, their progress, though cautious, was relatively safe.
“Hmm, there are ancient caves. It seems some supreme entities once discovered this place,” they speculated, even uncovering a ruined inheritance in one cave—a pity it held little value for Shi Hao.
“This is powerful. Even in its ruined state, this formation is dangerous,” Shi Hao remained vigilant.
Even the Divine Stone had to pause and analyze it carefully. They could not force their way through. They had to study the formation first.
“Hmm, an ancient cauldron?” They discovered another cave, finding a stone cauldron, one with all three legs broken. Yet upon closer examination, it turned out to have once been a Divine artifact.
Unfortunately, now it was damaged—no different from an ordinary stone pot.
Shi Hao claimed it. Though it was broken, it could likely still be used for refining medicinal herbs, clearly an extraordinary cauldron.
“It seems that throughout this long history, some extremely powerful individuals have indeed discovered this place, dwelling here.”
Finally, they delved deeper, reaching the heart of the Black Forest, a place of absolute silence, seemingly untouched by living beings for eons, devoid of even the faintest sound.
“Found it!”
Shi Hao beamed with joy—he saw the ancient wall.
It was tall and majestic, like a mountain range blocking their path. Entirely grayish, it bore no flamboyant colors—only an aura of ancient solemnity. The intricate carvings upon it were lifelike, as though imbued with souls.
“Fight!”
Shi Hao burned with battle intent. He was no stranger to this wall. As it resembled the broken wall within the Fire Nation, he immediately charged into the first gate, beginning the trials anew.
“This is stronger than the creatures in the Fire Nation,” he thought, surprised. He grew serious. Even with his great strength, he did not allow himself distraction, giving it his all with utmost focus.
Thus, a grand battle commenced—an earth-shaking, world-shaking duel. If word of this ever reached the outside world, it would surely shake the entire cultivation realm, causing widespread shock and commotion.
A single individual, challenging wave after wave of the mightiest divine beasts and ancient monsters—this was a myth!
Shi Hao fought through torrential bloodshed, his body accumulating more and more wounds. Exhausted, he faced life-and-death trials. Compared to the creatures within the Fire Nation’s ancestral lands, these beings were far more formidable.
Who knew how long had passed—suddenly, radiant light flashed, and he broke free, surrounded by dazzling glyphs.
“Have I succeeded in passing the trial?” His heart swelled with excitement as he calmed his battling aura, observing the surroundings.
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