Chapter 642: A False Alarm

Shi Hao’s figure flickered like a gust of wind as he rushed forward, wielding his demon-subduing mace.

Ssssh!

Bolts of lightning rained down, striking the old woman. Her remaining half-body split open, turning charred and blackened, revealing white bones marred with cracks.

Her eyes glowed coldly as she roared furiously, summoning divine flames for a counterattack.

“I have some questions,” Shi Hao said calmly, towering over her with his treasure mace.

“Young whelp… you’re dreaming!” the old woman spat back, defiant and ferocious.

“If that’s the case, then off you go,” Shi Hao replied decisively, releasing his radiant, ivory-white demon-subduing mace. With a thunderous boom, it struck her down.

Letting out one final roar, the old woman’s hair bristled, but nothing could change her fate. The True God artifact shattered her broken body into pieces, extinguishing her divine fire.

At the same time, Shi Hao turned, dashing like a ghost toward the six Zunzhe, using his palm as a blade to cut them down.

“Wait! We’ll talk!”

“We are from the Qin Clan, walking in darkness, handling thorny and complex matters that must remain hidden.”

“We act under the orders of Guardian Qin Kunlun, aiming to kill your grandfather to prevent him from meeting Qin Hao in the future, which might interfere with the Dual-Bone Supreme.”

Before Shi Hao could ask further, several of them began blurting out information. Shi Hao’s decisiveness in slaying a divine-level old woman had terrified them.

Shi Hao shook his head. These words held no value—he could have guessed them himself. He revealed a killing intent, making the Zunzhe shiver in fear, prompting them to add more.

“Besides us, another team is hunting your grandfather, led by a Light Angel.”

Shi Hao paused. What was a Light Angel? He had never heard of such a being.

“They come from Heaven…” one Zunzhe explained.

Heaven’s envoys walk in darkness, hunting targets on command. Those who ignite divine flames and radiate light are known as Light Angels.

Upon hearing this, Shi Hao’s gaze burned fiercely. The Qin Clan had truly gone all out, enlisting Heaven’s hunters to kill his grandfather.

He would never forget the “Heaven Blood Sacrifice” in the lower world, holding deep hatred for that sect. Ghost Elder had died centuries ago because of a goddess from that very sect.

“You’ve betrayed the Qin Clan, and the Celestial Sovereign’s power is boundless—he will surely destroy you all!”

“You lack honor, leaking clan secrets like this. You will all be executed by clan law!”

Not everyone surrendered. Two of them, eyes bloodshot, shouted threats and warnings, their voices fierce.

Ssssh!

Shi Hao swung his palm. A slash of blade energy flew past, sending two bloodied heads flying sideways. The headless corpses collapsed to the ground. He had no mercy for his enemies.

The remaining men were terrified, falling silent in fear.

Shi Hao continued his interrogation. Besides this, he wanted to know about A Man and the current state of his parents.

Unfortunately, these men knew nothing. They were hidden agents of the Immortal Mountain, not trained in the Qin Clan’s holy land, but in a different secret realm.

“Do you have anything to say?” Shi Hao asked the old man in the purple robe, whose head was now all that remained.

“Victors rule, losers perish. I lost this time, but don’t think you’ll learn any secrets from me. That’s a fool’s dream.” He remained defiant.

“Buzz!” Suddenly, the old man’s head radiated light, infinite glyphs appearing like raging celestial fire.

Shi Hao quickly pulled his grandfather back, distancing them from the area.

With a deafening roar, the head exploded, sending a surge of radiant energy skyward, forming a storm of power that flattened everything within a thousand feet, turning mountains and stones into dust.

The remaining Zunzhe cried out in agony, torn apart and reduced to ashes.

“Grandfather… what’s wrong?” Shi Hao supported the old man, trying to prepare a treasure herb for him, but noticed the elder’s spirit rapidly fading. He was about to collapse.

It was too sudden. Just moments ago, the old man had been laughing. Now, his vitality was gone. Shi Hao was seized by fear, his face turning pale.

He cried out, “Grandfather, hold on!”

He quickly retrieved a Saint Herb—Purple Moon. Over a foot tall, it shimmered with purple light, exuding misty Spiritual Energy, each leaf glowing like a purple moon.

“Grandfather, I’ll help you refine it. Hold on!” Shi Hao’s tears fell as he rushed. They had just reunited, how could such a tragedy occur?

The elder’s life flame flickered weakly, his breath fading. He was like a dying lamp, on the verge of passing.

To Shi Hao, it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Entering the Upper Realm, his greatest wish had been to find his grandfather. Now, after a joyful reunion filled with emotion, was he to face another tragedy?

“Child, don’t cry. Grandfather is fine.” The Fifteenth Elder was weak, his face gray, but he held Shi Hao’s hand and tried to smile. “Who am I? I am the Great Demon God. How could I die?”

“Grandfather, please be okay!” Shi Hao was frantic, preparing to refine the Saint Herb for his grandfather, helping him absorb its essence.

At this moment, the Fifteenth Elder grew even weaker. The wound on his back split open, running from head to spine, exuding a terrifying killing aura.

It had been slashed by a blade, the mark of a Heaven Light Angel. Earlier, the Fifteenth Elder had sealed the wound, but now he could no longer hold on.

“Heaven’s hunters are indeed formidable. This body may not last much longer,” the Fifteenth Elder sighed.

“Grandfather, don’t worry. I won’t let you die!” Shi Hao radiated light, sitting cross-legged, wrapping the Saint Herb and the Fifteenth Elder in glyphs, trying to channel its essence into the elder.

But he had little hope. The Fifteenth Elder had been nearly cut in half, his vitality nearly drained.

Yet, the Fifteenth Elder did not look like a dying man. Laughing like a demon god, he said, “Child, don’t panic. You listen—Grandfather is fine. At most, I’ve just lost one spiritual body. Though my origin is damaged, I can recover.”

“Ahh?” Shi Hao was stunned. He suddenly realized how much he resembled his grandfather—both had that “bear-like stubbornness”—and had been needlessly frightened.

“Who am I? The Great Demon God. Do you think I’d wait for my grandson to rescue me? I told you, those fools couldn’t do anything to me.” The Demon God laughed heartily.

This was only one of the Fifteenth Elder’s spiritual bodies. Shi Hao suddenly understood why the Qin Clan men had whispered doubts about whether it was his true form.

“Heaven’s hunters are no simple foes. Their techniques are strange,” the Fifteenth Elder said. This fatal wound had been left by a Heaven Light Angel wielding a blood sword.

“I’ll visit Heaven one day,” Shi Hao clenched his fists, then his face darkened. “Grandfather, where is your true body? Is it safe?”

“It should be leaving the island soon,” the Fifteenth Elder said, gazing in a certain direction. He sighed, “I do regret it a little. If I had stayed in my true body, it would have been better.”

“Grandfather, I’ll chase after you soon. We’ll meet again,” Shi Hao said.

Reunited, grandfather and grandson shared immense joy and emotion, their eyes brimming with tears, each recounting their experiences over the years, filled with awe and nostalgia.

“Grandfather, have you broken through recently? Even divine flame warriors couldn’t catch you.”

“The Qin Clan sent me into the most cursed ancient mine, trying to strangle me alive. But I was lucky—Idug up a strange crystal.”

Inside the mine, the Fifteenth Elder had unearthed a crimson crystal glowing with brilliant Twilight glow. It contained “Forbidden True Blood,” exuding a rich medicinal fragrance. He had swallowed it, unleashing its power and escaping with his life.

“It might have been the blood left behind by the Demon Lord. The medicinal power was too strong—I barely refined a portion before nearly being overwhelmed,” the Fifteenth Elder sighed. He had also gained insight into a set of glyphs from it.

The Fifteenth Elder was nearly ready to ignite his divine flame, just needing that final push. But he had been relentlessly pursued, unable to cultivate or break through.

“Grandfather!” Shi Hao whispered.

The Fifteenth Elder’s time was short. His light dimmed rapidly, nearing disintegration. Shi Hao felt deep sorrow, even knowing this was only a spiritual body.

“Pity, this body won’t last. Otherwise, we could travel together,” the Fifteenth Elder said regretfully, patting Shi Hao’s head. Then, with a final “Peng!” his form scattered into a dazzling rain of light and vanished.

Shi Hao felt a pang of loss, soon tightening his fists. His grandfather was ahead—he must hurry.

Demon Island was shrouded in thick fog, dark and perilous, teeming with strange creatures, including divine-grade beasts.

Shi Hao followed the direction given by the Fifteenth Elder’s spiritual body, dashing like lightning. He summoned the Emperor Butterfly to call forth swarms of insects to aid in the search.

Two days later, he reached the outer regions of Demon Island, nearing escape, and received a piece of news.

There was a swarm of insects here called Black Crystal Worms, known for devouring underground Spirit Stone. Each was as long as a chopstick, swift as lightning, moving like the wind.

Some Black Crystal Worms had seen the Fifteenth Elder, who had already left Demon Island.

“He left…” Shi Hao frowned. His grandfather’s true body didn’t know he was following. With the spiritual body now gone, he couldn’t send any message back.

This was tricky. Once he left Demon Island, Shi Hao couldn’t openly deploy his insect swarms, or he would draw the attention of major sects.

That would surely bring disaster!

Such power would make many sects wary, and the young Emperor Butterfly larva could not be exposed, lest it attract covetous eyes.

“Any other clues?” Shi Hao wanted more information to determine where his grandfather had gone.

The Black Crystal Worms numbered in the tens of thousands, having hollowed out an entire mountain as their nest.

Many were still outside. When they returned, a small group brought a valuable but ominous piece of news.

Some Black Crystal Worms had seen a group of people conversing.

“Please tell me everything,” Shi Hao said gravely.

A leader of the Black Crystal Worms flew over. It was as long as a chopstick, radiating a dark luster like carved jade, its body hard enough to pierce stone and metal.

It projected mental waves, communicating with Shi Hao through divine consciousness, showing him vivid scenes as if they were real.

In the vision stood a middle-aged man in gray robes, appearing ordinary, but his eyes occasionally flickered with blazing light, revealing him as a divine flame warrior.

“Light Angel!” Shi Hao was startled. He immediately recognized this must be the “hunter” from Heaven.

Beside him were two young people, a man and a woman, both in their early twenties, possessing extraordinary talent and immense power.

The Light Angel was teaching them the art of hunting, explaining how to track targets by analyzing traces on the ground and connecting them to the surrounding terrain and creatures.

“Hmm, he’s left the island. That’s both good and troublesome. Do you know how to hunt him next?” the Light Angel asked.

“Based on what we know, this man is filled with sorrow, deeply attached to his grandson who died in the lower world. During his escape, if he encounters youths or orphans, we can exploit that.”

“If he feels grief, he will be moved by scenes, making it easier to expose his location in special environments.”

The two young geniuses each shared their views, earning a nod of approval from the Light Angel, who further commented.

“You’ve connected human nature with hunting techniques well, but it’s still passive. If you can create a deadly trap, then you’ll be truly mature,” the Light Angel said.

The two Heaven geniuses listened humbly.

“He’s grieving and missing his grandson. We’ll create situations to lure him in, drawing him into our snare.”

Through the Black Crystal Worms’ memory, Shi Hao witnessed these scenes, frowning with concern. But he remained silent, watching carefully.

Geniuses would clash, rivers converging into the sea. A grand gathering was about to begin—the Genius Selection Battle was in full swing. The young Supreme of the Three Thousand Continents would soon rise for an epoch-defining showdown.

The Immortal Heaven Sovereign of the Five Elements State held it in high regard. Their clan’s Qin Hao possessed two Immortal Bones, aiming to rise in the Three Thousand Continents’ struggle and seize the ultimate destiny.

To this end, the Immortal Mountain invited talents from various sects to spar with Qin Hao, including “Firstborn” from other State, making it a miniature version of the “Final Grand Gathering.”

This was done solely to hone and challenge Qin Hao, allowing him to witness the true transcendence of the Upper Realm’s elites before the great battle.

Most “Firstborn” came from immortal sects, rarely accepting such invitations, protected by the supreme forces of their State.

However, a secret realm in the Five Elements State was about to open. The Immortal Mountain had negotiated with various sects, holding the next “Prefecture-Level” Genius Selection Battle within that secret realm.

What did this mean? Tremendous fortune awaited!

This secret realm was unique, said to be a small world left behind by an ancient Supreme who failed to Nirvana, containing various treasures, including Saint Herbs, Supreme Blood, and inheritances.

But this realm was special—it could only open once every few thousand years, and only for a limited time, rejecting exploration by powerful figures like Sect Masters.

Each time it opened, sects from the Five Elements State would rush in, sending their disciples, for the realm belonged to all of them.

This time, the Immortal Mountain had paid a great price to convince the sects of the State to allow the Genius Selection Battle to be held in this secret realm.

Clearly, the sects would gather there.

“Regardless, Qin Hao is his grandson. We can spread rumors and create hype, claiming this will be Qin Hao’s debut battle—competing with the Firstborn of various State in the secret realm, his glory soaring, rising in a single battle. I believe he will come.”