Shi Hao gritted his teeth, his face contorted in pain. Though the furnace lid shielded him from ninety percent of the lightning, he was still struck repeatedly, his flesh torn and bloodied.
His hair stood on end as crackling currents surged through his body, making his skin glow with an eerie radiance. Electricity spewed from his pores, nostrils, and mouth.
*To slay another, one must first endure suffering oneself!*
The thunder was ferocious, infused with immortal dao essence, shaking the soul with unimaginable might.
It had taken Shi Hao days to painstakingly gather the waters of the Heavenly River and the cursed soil from the Immortal Grave into the furnace. Even then, the backlash had nearly killed him.
Now, releasing it all at once was unbearable—a true calamity!
The heir of the Immortal Palace was the first to bear the brunt of the lightning. Struck head-on, his body blackened instantly, wisps of smoke rising as he coughed up blood.
Yet, in the next moment, his body shone brilliantly as a suit of armor materialized—gleaming silver feathers overlapping like scales, clinging to his form and shielding him.
The thunder, originally aimed at him like a raging ocean, was now mostly deflected by this divine armor.
“Immortal Feather Battle Armor!” someone gasped in shock.
This was a treasure forged by the Immortal Palace, impossible for outsiders to replicate. It was renowned as armor fit for sect masters, its defensive power unmatched.
A single piece of such divine armor, if auctioned, would tempt even sect masters—its value beyond measure!
Legends claimed the Immortal Palace held secrets of true immortality, its inheritance supreme. Even the methods of refining this armor surpassed mortal comprehension.
The Immortal Feather Battle Armor radiated a dazzling light, as if its wearer could ascend to immortality—its defense defying the heavens!
It stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the famed Heavenly Cicada Robe of the upper realm, both divine treasures beyond mortal trade.
“This guy isn’t just peerless himself—his treasures are terrifying too. Any one of them could cause an uproar in the outside world,” Shi Hao muttered.
**BOOM!**
Yet, the thunder’s might still prevailed, engulfing the Immortal Feather Armor in a storm of crackling electricity, all striking the heir’s body.
The scene was breathtaking—feathers of light scattered like rain, as if he were undergoing ascension.
**SPLAT!**
Still, the young lord of the Immortal Palace coughed blood. The thunder poured down like a waterfall, shaking the void itself.
Worse, the cursed soil from the Immortal Grave dimmed the armor’s radiance, carrying a sinister power.
“Curse!” someone whispered in horror.
The soil’s curse was unnatural—the stronger the victim, the deadlier its effects. Even an elder sect master had once perished from it.
The lightning hammered the heir relentlessly, staining his lips crimson. His expression darkened—he had been tainted by the curse.
“I can’t waste this. He has too many artifacts. Even emptying most of the Heavenly River might not kill him,” Shi Hao realized grimly.
At that moment, the heir recalled his bronze palace, using it to resist the curse and divert the thunder. Gripping his halberd, he sliced through the void, attempting to flee.
Shi Hao swiftly withdrew the furnace, halting the deluge of Heavenly River water and cursed soil. The thunder ceased. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the furnace lid—**CLANG!**—smashing into the void halberd.
Simultaneously, lightning wings sprouted from his back, propelling him forward as he unleashed a flurry of punches.
**SPLATTER!**
Blood sprayed as the two exchanged dozens of blows in an instant. Their fists shattered, flesh torn, glistening blood raining down.
In physical combat, neither gained the upper hand. Both had reached the pinnacle of bodily refinement—indestructible, unyielding.
The heir’s eyes turned icy as he activated runes, preparing a divine technique to crush Shi Hao.
**BOOM!**
But the furnace tilted once more, unleashing another torrent of Heavenly River water and cursed soil. Thunder roared, repeating the earlier devastation.
Lightning filled the void, curses spreading. The heir coughed blood violently, his skin discolored as the curse took hold.
Shi Hao pressed the attack, forcing close-quarters combat. Blood soared high as fists met flesh in brutal exchanges.
**THUD!**
Another collision—their legs clashed, sending blood flying.
Shi Hao sighed inwardly. The Immortal Feather Armor was formidable. Had his own legs not been protected by the Heavenly Cicada Robe, he would have suffered greatly.
The heir’s face darkened. The curse sapped his strength, while Shi Hao’s vitality only grew fiercer.
This battle shackled him. His vast magical power was stifled by the endless thunder.
**BOOM!**
A final exchange sent both flying apart, locking eyes from a distance.
“Another day, another death for you,” the heir said coldly, unwilling to continue. That cursed furnace was too unpredictable.
“After today, you’ll have no chance. Once my cultivation catches up, who can stand against me?” Shi Hao declared with shameless confidence.
Yet no one laughed. The Young Demon King had carved his name in blood. Though he relied on tricks, surviving against the Immortal Palace’s heir was already a miracle.
This feat would shake every sect, reverberating across the land.
The Immortal Palace’s heir had failed to kill his opponent—a monumental event. His rival would now stand in the spotlight.
Yue Chan stood tall, her raven hair cascading, eyes bright with astonishment. This youth had withstood the heir’s assault.
Though their physical prowess was equal, the gap in magic remained vast. Yet his potential was terrifying—once his cultivation rose, he could become an unimaginable young supreme.
“Did you notice? The water he poured out carried thunder—like it came from Demon Island,” someone murmured.
The crowd stirred in realization, faces paling.
“Indeed, it must be from that river!”
“He dared to harvest its waters? Such audacity!”
That place was infamous—the stronger one was, the deadlier the curse. The weak were obliterated by lightning. Countless divine corpses floated in its depths, yet none dared retrieve them.
Yet this youth had collected its waters—unbelievable!
“And that yellow soil… don’t tell me he dug it from the Immortal Grave,” another muttered.
The Immortal Grave was a mythic land. Few in history had reached its heart—perhaps no more than five.
“If he’s this powerful… could he be—*Huang*?”
Gasps erupted. The name on the Demon Emperor’s stele—*Huang*!
The Young Demon King’s origins had long been a mystery. Now, clues pointed to his true identity.
“It must be him!”
Excitement spread. One who braved the Heavenly River and the Immortal Grave, with such battle prowess—only *Huang* fit.
Yue Chan’s eyes gleamed, studying Shi Hao with suspicion. Even if he was *Huang*, his true lineage remained hidden.
The Witch’s fair skin glowed as her eyes sparkled mischievously. “An enemy of my enemy is a friend. This guy’s interesting—I should share a drink with him. But… why does he seem familiar?”
Other prodigies were equally stunned. *He* was *Huang*?
The Immortal Palace heir and Shi Hao stood apart, neither making a move.
**WHOOSH!**
Suddenly, space trembled as a branch lashed out like a divine whip, distorting the void.
**THWACK!**
Though the heir dodged swiftly, the tip still grazed him, sending him flying with a mouthful of blood.
Shock rippled through the crowd. What just happened?
The halberd gleamed as the heir severed space, vanishing instantly.
Nearby, a gnarled black tree sprinted forward on root-like legs—the Demon Blood Ghost God Tree!
Panic erupted. Even those who had ignited their divine flames fled in terror.
Shi Hao’s heart pounded. This tree’s power surpassed the realm’s limits—yet it hadn’t killed the heir.
From this moment, Shi Hao marked the Immortal Palace heir as one of his most dangerous foes.
Even at equal cultivation, their battle’s outcome would be uncertain.
Without delay, Shi Hao signaled his grandfather, unleashing a final wave of Heavenly River water to cover their escape.
Thankfully, the curse’s dread was enough to deter even the Demon Blood Ghost God Tree.
**SWOOSH!**
Shi Hao and the Great Demonic Ancestor vanished in a streak of lightning.
At the secret realm’s exit, chaos reigned as news spread like wildfire.
The Demon Blood Ghost God Tree’s appearance was shocking—why wasn’t it bound by the realm’s laws?
But the greatest revelation was the Young Demon King’s identity—*Huang*!
The one who topped the Demon Emperor’s stele, unrivaled across ten provinces, had revealed himself.
“So it’s *Huang*! No wonder he dominated the secret realm, slaying prodigies. Everything makes sense now!”
“All this time, people speculated about *Huang*—and he was the Young Demon King all along!”
The revelation sent tremors through every sect, drawing the attention of ancient, immortal lineages.
Many turned their gazes toward the Qin Clan. After all, *Huang* had left his mark above Qin Changsheng’s head on the stele.
Now, the man himself had arrived!
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