By this point, the strongest individuals had already ascended the mountain, each entering one of the nine colossal palaces.
The grand hall was ancient and unadorned, its walls and thick pillars inscribed with bone runes—glimmering insights left behind by the Supreme Being.
For Shi Hao, this was invaluable experience, but it was also a treasure trove for everyone else. The Supreme Being’s enlightenment notes were priceless, any single fragment of which would be considered an irreplaceable artifact if revealed to the outside world.
Everyone who entered the great palaces wore expressions of joy, having gained immense benefits.
For a time, the nine sacred mountains fell silent. Once inside the halls, everyone sat in meditation, absorbing the enlightenment scriptures passed down from the ancient times.
Shi Hao studied meticulously, progressing smoothly from the Blood-Moving Realm all the way to the Noble Realm, utterly engrossed. However, when he reached the Divine Flame Realm, the insights abruptly ended—there was nothing further.
“Something’s wrong. The Golden Elephant and the Jade Mantis are still in deep contemplation, their divine flames flickering—they clearly obtained the Divine Flame chapter,” he muttered with a frown.
“Perhaps one can only perceive the insights corresponding to their current cultivation level,” the Great Demonic God remarked.
Shi Hao pondered and found this reasonable. The Primordial Heaven Supreme Being did not intend for others to blindly follow his path but merely offered it as a reference. If one had not yet reached a certain realm, directly attempting to comprehend his Dao would likely interfere with their own original path.
Since there was no Divine Flame chapter, Shi Hao did not force it. Instead, he began carefully examining the insights he had already attained.
In just two hours, he opened his eyes—fully enlightened. Having cross-referenced them with his own Dao, he had grasped everything completely, broadening the path in his heart.
Others who noticed his progress were stunned.
Many had not even begun to grasp the fundamentals, barely comprehending fragments of a single major realm, yet he had already achieved such mastery. What did this signify?
Could it be that Shi Hao, the “Desolate One,” possessed insights comparable to those of the ancient Supreme Beings?
In truth, Shi Hao had already perfected several of his major secret realms, eliminating the need for arduous cultivation. He was merely verifying his own path against the Supreme Being’s, which was why he achieved clarity so swiftly.
Others, however, could not compare to the Primordial Heaven Supreme Being. Their cultivation in each realm still had many deficiencies, requiring further refinement—hence their need for prolonged contemplation.
Unexpectedly, aside from the cessation of the Great Dao’s divine resonance, no anomalies occurred. Shi Hao was not prematurely teleported into the Supreme Hall.
He remained seated, guarding his grandfather while carefully observing the entire hall.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside the great palace—clear and deliberate, ascending the steps and resonating through the vast hall with an eerie, distant quality.
The temperature inside the structure spiked abruptly as three blazing flames surged forth. Three Deity-Flame Realm experts strode in together, blocking the entrance.
Shi Hao’s eyelids twitched—he recognized them all. One was Chi Lingkong from the Flame Demon Palace, while the other two were Divine Flame experts from the Qin Clan. Weren’t they supposed to be on another sacred mountain?
“Heh…” Chi Lingkong chuckled, his crimson hair cascading down, his eyes flickering with ruthless killing intent as he fixed his gaze on Shi Hao.
The two Qin Clan Divine Flame experts also sneered, stepping forward to encircle him.
“What do you want?” Shi Hao asked coldly.
“We think your spot here is quite nice. Move aside,” one of the Qin Clan experts mocked.
Chi Lingkong was even more direct. “Though there are nine sacred mountains and many great palaces, none of them are meant for you to comprehend the Dao. Get out!”
In an instant, his fingers splayed, and crimson divine feathers materialized in the air, poised to strike.
Shi Hao and the Great Demonic God stood simultaneously, summoning the alchemy furnace to confront them. Yet neither side immediately attacked.
The Golden Elephant and the Jade Mantis, disturbed by the commotion, opened their eyes with clear displeasure.
“Heh… Young man, come with us. Don’t disturb the other fellow cultivators here,” one of the Qin Clan Divine Flame experts said.
“You’re sabotaging others without benefiting yourselves! Disturbing me prevents me from comprehending, but you also forfeit your own chance to grasp the Supreme Being’s insights—just to stop me from entering the Supreme Hall?” Shi Hao said calmly.
Indeed, they had no intention of letting Shi Hao succeed in entering the Supreme Hall and obtaining the ultimate inheritance. Their goal was to eliminate him here and now.
“Don’t worry about us. Our companions will record their insights, and we’ll study them in seclusion afterward,” one of them replied.
“Disgraceful!” the Great Demonic God spat. Their actions were despicable—willing to go to such lengths just to hinder Shi Hao.
The main reason was that “Desolate” was simply too terrifying. With enmity already established between them, they could not afford to let him grow unchecked. They were determined to eliminate him within the secret realm.
“Apologies, young man. This old man must nip genius in the bud today,” one of the Qin Clan elders said darkly.
“Heh…” Chi Lingkong chuckled ominously, advancing step by step.
“Wait—there’s more!” The Great Demonic God tensed as a fourth Divine Flame expert appeared at the entrance, sealing off Shi Hao’s escape.
Clearly, they feared the alchemy furnace. This time, they had come prepared—four supreme experts acting in unison. Even if the “Young Devil King” defied the heavens, he would still meet his end here.
“Fellow Daoists, why not join us? Once we deal with them, this place will be peaceful, and you can meditate undisturbed,” the Qin Clan member suggested, inviting the Golden Elephant and the Jade Mantis to join them in eliminating Shi Hao and the Great Demonic God.
Not just the grandfather and grandson, but even the other cultivators in the hall were shaken. If six Divine Flame experts attacked simultaneously, the two would undoubtedly perish!
“Fellow cultivators, why not all join in?” Chi Lingkong smiled, addressing everyone in the hall, urging them to act together.
The Golden Elephant and the Jade Mantis glowed faintly as they considered the offer but ultimately declined. They preferred not to get involved—let these people kill Shi Hao. There was no need to dirty their own hands.
“Let’s go!”
Shi Hao roared, joining forces with his grandfather to activate the alchemy furnace. Thunder surged forth, and a torrent of “Heavenly River” poured out as they forced their way through, breaking free.
“Heh heh heh…” The Qin Clan members laughed coldly, their voices laced with scorn and satisfaction. Forcing Shi Hao out of the great palace meant stripping him of his chance to obtain the inheritance.
They doubted he could have fully comprehended all the Supreme Being’s insights in such a short time.
“Enough delays. Let’s finish this,” Chi Lingkong declared, giving chase.
“Send him to his grave!” the three Qin Clan experts responded.
They saw no chance for Shi Hao to escape. With so many hunting him, even with the mysterious alchemy furnace, his death was assured.
Yet, contrary to their expectations, Shi Hao and the Great Demonic God did not flee. Instead, they charged toward the Sixth Sacred Mountain, storming into the palace occupied by the Qin Clan and the Flame Demon Palace.
“Break it open!” Shi Hao bellowed, channeling the alchemy furnace with his grandfather. Lightning erupted, flooding the area.
“How dare you?!” someone roared in fury. Aside from a few outsiders, most present were Qin Clan elites, all deep in meditation—now forcibly interrupted.
“If you’re going to sabotage others without benefiting yourselves, then let’s make it absolute. No one gets to meditate—let’s fight!” Shi Hao said icily.
The Qin Clan members were enraged. At this critical moment, when the Supreme inheritance was at stake, they would not tolerate interference. Murderous intent surged within them.
Shi Hao sneered. “You disturb me so casually, yet when it happens to you, you can’t handle it?”
“Wretched beast, you seek death!” A Qin Clan Divine Flame expert lunged forward.
But the hall was now filled with thunder. The grandfather and grandson hid behind the alchemy furnace, unleashing lightning and curses that engulfed everyone.
In this enclosed space, the two held a significant advantage.
“Boom!”
Qin Hao, who had been meditating, suddenly stood and threw a punch, his Everlasting Battle Armor resisting the lightning and curses.
Shi Hao’s eyes darkened. Facing his younger brother, he had restrained himself multiple times, but now fury burned within him.
With a sharp cry, he no longer held back. Channeling the Kun Peng’s power, he swung the furnace lid directly at Qin Hao.
“Clang!”
The impact was deafening. The Everlasting Battle Armor flared, releasing dazzling runes to counter Shi Hao’s divine might.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The strikes came in rapid succession, sparks flying everywhere. Shi Hao fought with godlike ferocity, his dissatisfaction with the Qin Clan fueling his strength. After dozens of exchanges, the furnace lid finally smashed into Qin Hao’s head, sending him stumbling backward.
In truth, Qin Hao was still young—his combat instincts paled in comparison to Shi Hao’s. His current strength relied entirely on the Everlasting Battle Armor.
“Clang!”
Shi Hao coldly blocked Qin Hao’s next assault, then swung his leg, kicking him square in the chest and sending him crashing into a thick pillar.
Qin Hao lunged again, his gaze icy, murderous intent overwhelming as he activated his Supreme True Bone.
Shi Hao narrowed his eyes. He knew this was his own Samsara Treasure Technique. Lightning erupted around him, masking his body, but internally, he was already channeling the Samsara power—not to kill his brother, but to neutralize his technique.
Sure enough, Qin Hao was shocked when his Samsara attack failed to repel or age Shi Hao.
“Boom!”
Instead, a bolt of lightning sent him flying.
At the same time, Shi Hao soared through the air, kicking Qin Hao upward before delivering a resounding slap across his face, sending him tumbling away.
“True strength lies in the person, not the technique!” Shi Hao said coldly as he landed gracefully.
Qin Hao, enraged, tried to counterattack but was restrained by a Divine Flame elder.
“You’re still young—three or four years his junior. Your combat instincts aren’t fully developed yet. With the Immortal Bone, you still can’t wield it effectively. In another two years, you’ll be peerless among your generation, cutting him down like grass!” the elder consoled, stopping Qin Hao.
The others moved, summoning their treasures to resist the lightning and curses as they charged at Shi Hao.
The hall erupted in blinding radiance, shaking violently as all the runes within flared to life, reinforcing the structure.
The battle drew the attention of everyone. The prodigies and Divine Flame experts from the other eight sacred mountains opened their eyes, staring in shock.
Yet, at that moment, a majestic voice boomed across the nine sacred mountains like thunder:
“All disputes within the inheritance grounds shall be settled on the arena, in accordance with ancient tradition.”
The voice was so overwhelming it made everyone’s ears ring.
“Is this some unfeeling rule, or is there a spirit overseeing the inheritance?” someone murmured.
With a hum, Shi Hao was teleported away, appearing midair on an enormous stone platform—vast and boundless.
At the same time, Chi Lingkong and the Qin Clan Divine Flame experts who had besieged Shi Hao also materialized there.
This was a battlefield—more precisely, a grand arena suspended in the sky.
From the nine sacred mountains, everyone could clearly observe the proceedings.
“Huh? My Divine Flame is dimming—it’s going out!” Chi Lingkong exclaimed in shock.
The Qin Clan members also paled, their expressions turning grim.
“What’s happening?”
They huddled together uneasily.
“The Primordial Heaven Supreme Being selects inheritors not based on cultivation level, but on talent, combat prowess within the same realm, perseverance, and other qualities,” the cold voice declared.
“This isn’t fair!” they protested, sensing impending doom.
“Elder, may I choose a few more opponents?” Shi Hao grinned, his teeth gleaming white.
“Granted, but only those who instigated the conflict earlier,” the voice replied.
“You, you, and you—come up here!” Shi Hao pointed.
Instantly, three more Divine Flame experts appeared on the platform.
“Heh heh…” Shi Hao chuckled darkly.
“You—!” The Qin Clan experts and Chi Lingkong were both furious and terrified.
“Whoosh!”
In that instant, Shi Hao moved like a human lightning bolt, activating his Singular Heavenly Passage to immobilize one opponent before unleashing a thunderous punch.
“Pop!”
The man exploded into a bloody mist!
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