“What? He’s engaged in a fierce battle against the young heir of the Immortal Palace?”
“Truly underestimated him! We thought he was formidable, but never imagined he’d dare challenge the young successor of the Immortal Palace!”
“Wrong—it wasn’t a challenge. They clashed unexpectedly, and he didn’t retreat an inch!”
The exit of the secret realm buzzed with excitement as everyone discussed the astonishing news, stirring the emotions of countless powerful figures who watched with bated breath.
In their eyes, the “Young Demon King” was an unstoppable force, rising with terrifying speed, each battle more shocking than the last. Just how high was his limit?
If he could contend with the first-generation prodigies, even triumphing over the best of his peers, people might still rationalize it. After all, the world had more than one first-generation genius—perhaps he was a hidden divine heir from some ancient sect, secretly infiltrating the battlefield, hence his dazzling achievements.
But now, he was facing off against the young lord of the Immortal Palace—this was unprecedented!
Among the known young elites, the Immortal Palace’s heir was an invincible existence, an absolute force without equal, towering above his generation, undefeatable.
Thus, this news sent shockwaves through the crowd, leaving them dumbfounded.
“Could it be one of those legendary geniuses, hidden away by the ancient sects, has finally emerged?” muttered an elder, his expression grave, for such rumors had long circulated.
“Likely so. There’s also that youth wielding a golden lantern—he must hail from a similar background.”
Some speculated, believing they were close to the truth.
Otherwise, how could one explain the sudden appearance of this “Young Demon King”? He had never been heard of before—only those deliberately concealed could remain so unknown.
By now, countless cultivators outside the secret realm were abuzz with excitement, eagerly anticipating what could become an epochal battle!
Several sect masters sat cross-legged in the void, murmuring among themselves, their expressions solemn. Even mentioning those legendary ancient sects demanded caution.
“Truthfully, I’d prefer if he were a rogue cultivator. That would shatter an undefeated myth,” one sect master remarked.
If Shi Hao were truly a rogue cultivator, unaffiliated with any ancient sect, the shockwaves would be even greater. Many major sects would likely rush to recruit him as a disciple.
“Let’s hope he’s a ‘wild’ one, heh…” An old sect master chuckled, his eyes gleaming with peculiar interest. He yearned to take such a disciple under his wing.
But he also knew—if Shi Hao truly had no master, he wouldn’t be the one to claim him. More formidable old monsters would surely enter the fray.
Of course, if the crowd learned Shi Hao’s true identity, most would be stunned—few would dare take him in.
After all, in the lower realm, he had crushed several immortal sects and slain the Seven Gods sent by upper-realm overlords, ruining their grand schemes.
At that moment, a hazy figure materialized on the sacrificial altar—another casualty, forcibly ejected.
“I was killed by the aftershocks of their battle…” the man muttered in shame when questioned. He hailed from a major sect in the Five Elements Province, though not a first-generation prodigy.
Yet, this was shocking enough. Whether it was the Imperishable Mountain or the Flame Demon Palace, their disciples were no weaklings.
He brought news: the young lord of the Immortal Palace had yet to unleash his boundless mana, engaging only in physical combat. Thus, dozens of exchanges had passed without a decisive outcome.
“So that’s it. The Immortal Palace is renowned for its secret arts and overwhelming mana. He hasn’t even used his trump card yet,” sighed an elder.
But this alone was astounding—the Young Demon King’s physique could rival the Immortal Palace’s heir! How terrifying was that?
For those from the Immortal Palace had no weaknesses. Even their bodies stood peerless among their generation, their golden forms indestructible, as if blessed with an immortal physique!
“I suspect the Young Demon King’s mana cultivation is still lacking. He likely isn’t from any ancient sect and may fall short,” murmured a renowned elder.
“Pity. I thought one of those hidden geniuses had emerged, but it seems not,” echoed an old sect master.
Even so, the crowd outside the secret realm watched eagerly, wondering just how strong the Young Demon King was—how many moves he could last against the Immortal Palace’s heir.
Though they acknowledged his strength, none believed he could survive this ordeal. Most expected him to perish.
Deep within the secret realm, the clang of metal reverberated as the two clashed fiercely.
The crimson furnace lid shimmered, a radiant phoenix dancing atop it, its feathers dazzling with immortal light. Shi Hao fought with unmatched ferocity, wielding the furnace in one hand and its lid in the other, locked in combat with his formidable foe.
Between them, surges of divine power erupted, only to be neutralized by their weapons.
The metallic clashes shook the heavens. Sixty exchanges had passed—a rarity for the Immortal Palace’s heir, who typically felled opponents in mere dozens of moves.
Initially, many assumed the heir would swiftly execute his foe. None expected to encounter such an unfathomable adversary.
Yet some discerned the truth—both had yet to unleash their full secret arts and mana, focusing instead on physical combat.
Even so, the spectacle was breathtaking, leaving the onlookers spellbound!
With a hum, the void trembled. The great halberd vanished, slicing through space to reappear at Shi Hao’s shoulder, aiming to sever his arm.
Clang!
The scarlet-gold phoenix soared, intercepting the strike and deflecting the lethal blow.
Whoosh!
Divine light erupted anew as the halberd flipped, unleashing countless radiant beams, transforming into an eternal sun that descended with crushing force.
Shi Hao’s gaze sharpened. With his left hand, he raised the furnace, allowing the radiant deluge to pour into its maw, attempting to swallow the halberd whole.
The Immortal Palace’s heir, his hair whipping like a deity’s, let out a fierce cry and thrust the halberd deeper into the furnace, seeking to detonate it in a cataclysmic explosion.
“By the heavens!”
“That’s the Void Sundering Slash!”
The crowd gasped in horror, retreating as if fleeing primordial beasts.
The Void Halberd’s true terror lay in its ability to rend space, triggering devastating explosions capable of annihilating deities and reducing artifacts to dust.
None believed Shi Hao could survive. Though his furnace seemed extraordinary, it surely couldn’t withstand a spatial rupture.
Countless divine artifacts had met their end beneath this halberd, their runes erased, reduced to scrap.
“Yes! My lord will slay him!” roared a man—Chen Qing, one of the heir’s attendants, previously slain by Shi Hao. Having lost his life talisman, he had returned, seething with vengeance.
To him, the Void Sundering Slash was unstoppable.
Indeed, barring miracles, this technique was inescapable—even the mightiest first-generation prodigies would perish.
The translucent, radiant halberd plunged into the furnace, and with a violent tremor, space split apart, heralding a catastrophic blast!
The crowd scattered, fearing the collapsing void would claim them.
Yet, to their astonishment, though space fractured, the explosion never came. Instead, a blinding lightning storm erupted from within the furnace.
“Hmm?”
This outcome stunned many. The furnace contained thunder—far more potent than imagined!
Boom!
Bolts of lightning surged like golden serpents and violet phoenixes, a chaotic storm of electricity bursting forth.
This was no ordinary lightning—it carried traces of immortal energy, harvested from the Celestial River atop the Immortal Tomb. Even Shi Hao had nearly died retrieving it.
Now, with the halberd stirring the river’s depths, the thunder was unleashed.
“Ah—!”
Even distant observers, too slow to retreat, were struck, their bodies charred as they plummeted.
“Fall back!”
The crowd recoiled in terror. A thunder furnace? How horrifying!
“My lord!” Chen Qing cried out. Such dreadful lightning! He had expected a swift victory, never anticipating this twist.
The lightning surged along the halberd, coursing into the heir’s body. His form shuddered violently as countless runes erupted, forming divine armor to resist the onslaught.
Shi Hao’s heart pounded. This man was truly formidable—his mana oceanic, his armor possibly rivaling the Cicada Wing Robe. Slaying him would be no easy feat.
“Break!” The heir’s voice was low, commanding like a divine king’s. He sought to shatter the furnace, reducing both it and Shi Hao to nothingness.
The halberd trembled violently, space tearing as a cross-shaped fissure appeared—the Void Sundering Slash unleashed!
Boom!
Destructive energy surged as spatial forces erupted, threatening to annihilate everything.
“Good! How dare you oppose my lord? You deserve to be crushed!” Chen Qing roared, as if he himself were in the fray.
The terrifying force chilled distant spectators, their souls trembling as if doomsday had arrived.
The void split into intersecting fissures, forming a cross that exploded violently.
Infinite light surged, dreadful energy boiling—nothing would remain. Even god-ignited beings would perish within!
Yet, to everyone’s shock, the furnace glowed, emitting a dragon’s roar. A faint true dragon materialized, coiling around it, its cry refining the void and sealing the rampant energy!
Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed with realization. The furnace was indeed mystical—as he had suspected, it could counter the Void Halberd. A treasure beyond measure!
Though space ruptured, it was contained, unable to spread or destroy the furnace—nor harm Shi Hao.
The heir, sensing not only the thunder’s fury but also a sinister curse, swiftly withdrew the halberd and retreated, his brow furrowed.
“Die!”
Shi Hao bellowed, hurling the furnace at the halberd while keeping the lid above his head for defense. His body transformed into a bolt of lightning as he closed in, fists crashing toward the heir’s body.
Clang!
The heir parried the furnace with his halberd while meeting Shi Hao’s fists with his own, his expression icy.
He had absolute confidence—no, arrogance—believing none of his generation could best him. How else could he dare challenge the forbidden zones?
Boom!
Their fists collided, divine light erupting. Beneath them, a mountain peak shattered from the sheer force of their clash.
Blood sprayed, staining the sky.
Shi Hao’s fists were mangled, his tiger mouths split open.
The heir, too, paled—his hands cracked, blood dripping.
“What? My lord… injured? For the first time in his life! Just who is this Young Demon King?” Chen Qing muttered, trembling. “He must be one of those hidden geniuses!”
His face drained of color.
In the distance, the Lunar Grace Fairy’s luminous eyes shimmered with shock. Her breathtaking features tightened as she stared ahead. This man’s physique… could rival the Immortal Palace’s heir? And why did he seem familiar?
Elsewhere, the Enchantress had arrived, her jade-like skin glowing. Mischievous and sharp-witted, she blinked. “I feel like I’ve seen him before.”
Soon, word spread beyond the secret realm. Those who had predicted Shi Hao’s demise were stunned, their faces aghast.
“A demon sovereign rises, capable of rivaling the Immortal Palace’s heir!”
The old sect masters narrowed their eyes, their hearts quaking with disbelief.
The legend of the Young Demon King had only just begun.
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