At the exit, the crowd waited, knowing that the battles deep within the secret realm were nearing their conclusion. Soon, there would be a final outcome.
Without a doubt, many believed the Qin Clan would emerge as the greatest victors. Several of their deities had entered, and not a single one had fallen in battle or been forced to return wrapped in a life-preserving talisman. Their gains were destined to be immense.
Even the old sect masters showed unusual interest, engaging Qin Changsheng in conversation, hoping to glimpse the legacy of the ancient supreme beings through the Qin Clan.
All previous tensions vanished as these figures spoke amicably, waiting calmly for the expedition to conclude.
Deep within the minor world, the battle on the arena continued, but the outcome was no longer in doubt. Shi Hao, his black hair wild and eyes blazing like divine lanterns, dominated the field.
From the moment he stepped onto the arena, he had slain several experts at the Divine Flame Realm, bathing in their blood like a demon god, his presence intimidating all.
“Young brat, I’ll fight you to the death!” A Qin Clan expert, disheveled and bloodied, charged forward. Cornered with no hope of survival, he had no choice but to gamble everything.
Around him, runes bloomed as bone swords of various colors hovered in the air, gleaming brilliantly. Seven or eight treasures unleashed their power, transforming into divine rainbows that surged toward Shi Hao.
“I’ll grant your wish—go to your death!” Shi Hao sneered, his eyes flashing with brilliance. His tall frame was enveloped in azure light, forming a vast lake.
Upon closer inspection, it was thunder—transformed into a breathtaking blue lake, mesmerizingly beautiful, crystalline and dreamlike.
“Die!”
The blue lake erupted. In an instant, thunderous waterfalls surged, weaving into the most terrifying lightning that filled every inch of space.
The bone swords and other treasures were struck down, exploding amidst symbols and fireworks-like sparks.
Even a Divine Flame expert couldn’t refine every treasure into a divine artifact. Having one was already rare, and these were only possible because they had been entrusted with clan treasures for their mission.
The azure thunder exploded with boundless power, shattering the treasures and engulfing the man.
“Ah—!”
A single scream escaped him before he was sent flying, pierced by the terrifying arcs of lightning. His skull was torn away, charred black, and his body soon crumbled into ashes, exploding midair.
This was the might of the fourth level of the Thunder Dao, leaving all onlookers pale. It was a force that could threaten even the first-generation geniuses, let alone other experts at the Divine Flame Realm.
“Ah—!”
On the sixth sacred mountain, Qin Clan cultivators wailed in despair. The brutal scene was unbearable—their clan’s expert had been slain so easily.
The arena was a mess. Qin Clan members lay fallen, several of them utterly destroyed.
“Hmm, you’re still alive. Quite the survivor,” Shi Hao remarked mockingly, fixing his gaze on one man who lay in a pool of blood, feigning death.
“I remember you. Not long ago, you barged into my sacred mountain palace, disrupting my enlightenment, even trying to kill me to prevent me from entering the supreme legacy hall of Yuan Tian. Why are you playing dead now? Where’s your former arrogance?”
His words were like a slap to the Qin Clan’s face.
The man, face dark with rage, climbed out from the pile of corpses and hissed, “I’ll fight you to the death, you damned brat!”
“You’re not even worthy of a fight. If you want to die, I’ll oblige.” Shi Hao’s tone was indifferent as he picked up a bone blade from the ground.
“Whoosh!”
A flash of white light—the blade sliced through the man’s skull, splitting him in two. Blood sprayed as Shi Hao dashed past the collapsing halves, killing another powerful foe in an instant.
The man had already been grievously wounded, his combat power diminished. Against Shi Hao, who was peerless in his realm and could dominate even first-generation geniuses, he stood no chance.
Across the nine sacred mountains, everyone was shaken.
Even the young supremes and the mightiest deities watched with solemn expressions. The young demon lord, Shi Hao, was ruthless and decisive—a formidable future rival.
“You two are quite composed. Your allies are dead, yet you stand there calmly. Impressive restraint,” Shi Hao taunted, eyeing the two remaining experts from the Fire Devil Palace.
Chi Lingkong’s face was pale. He never expected things to escalate so suddenly. A Divine Flame expert, he now felt fear before a mere junior.
Shi Hao strode forward, bone blade in hand. When not in battle, his refined features and jade-like demeanor made him seem transcendent. But now, that very aura made him all the more terrifying—a demonic figure cloaked in grace.
“Fight to the death!” the other Fire Devil Palace expert roared, knowing retreat was impossible.
Who could have predicted this outcome? The Fire Devil Palace was on the verge of annihilation. Only two Divine Flame experts remained; the rest had been slaughtered by Shi Hao or the Demon Blood Ghost God Tree.
“I’ve never eaten a deity before,” Shi Hao mused, licking his lips—an incongruous gesture for his ethereal appearance.
In the air, petals swirled, and plants took root, flourishing with vitality around him. The scene brimmed with life.
Others were puzzled, but the Lightning Child gasped in realization. Shi Hao had comprehended the Thunder Dao to such an extent that he could manifest the essence of life within its destructive laws. As a master of lightning, he knew how terrifying this achievement was.
“Chaos Shakes the Heavens!” the Fire Devil Palace expert bellowed. Crimson feathers materialized, transforming into divine arrows that rained toward Shi Hao.
The arrows clanged and roared, but it was futile. Deprived of his Divine Flame Realm strength, he was no match for Shi Hao.
The lush vegetation expanded, blocking the arrows as thunderbolts shattered the crimson feathers into dust.
“Time to die!”
A colossal ancient tree descended, crushing the expert and taking root within his body.
“Ah—!” His agonized screams echoed as the Thunder Treasure Tree drained him, reducing him to a charred husk.
“Pity. I didn’t control it well—ruined the deity’s flesh,” Shi Hao lamented before turning to Chi Lingkong.
Chi Lingkong’s eyes burned with fury. Once, he had hunted Shi Hao, even entering the grand palace to mock and threaten him. Now, the tables had turned—he was the prey, and Shi Hao the predator.
“This time, I’ll be careful,” Shi Hao murmured, advancing step by step.
“You—!” Chi Lingkong seethed, realizing Shi Hao saw him as nothing more than food.
Clang! Clang!
Their treasures clashed in a fierce duel.
Shi Hao’s bone blade, a spoil of war, proved extraordinary, cleaving Chi Lingkong’s divine artifact into fragments.
The battle was one-sided. With a final slash, Chi Lingkong’s head flew, his dying roar of defiance cut short as his body collapsed.
With a boom, his true form emerged—a crimson-feathered crane, a pure-blooded divine beast.
The battle was over. Only Shi Hao remained standing on the arena, victorious.
He stored the glowing crane carcass in his Qiankun Bag, eager to taste the flesh of a Divine Flame beast—a delicacy and potent medicinal treasure.
“Ah—!” Qin Clan members howled in disbelief.
In a flash of light, Shi Hao was teleported back to the sixth sacred mountain, leaving the arena.
“Grandfather!” Shi Hao transmitted silently, his gaze turning icy.
The Qin Clan had targeted the Great Demon God, but without Divine Flame experts, they were no match. Qin Hao, though formidable, had been pulled away.
Swoosh!
A white arc of the bone blade bisected two Qin Clan experts. The rest fled in terror.
Silence fell over the grand palace. None dared approach the grandfather and grandson.
At the secret realm’s exit, atop the altar, two figures materialized, their faces ashen.
“Brother Qin, your descendants are impressive. Only two have fallen so far, and none at the Divine Flame Realm,” a sect master remarked.
Qin Changsheng nodded faintly. Barring unforeseen events, the Qin Clan would emerge victorious.
“Who killed you?” a Qin Clan elder demanded.
“Elder, Ancestor—disaster has struck!” they wailed.
“Calm yourselves. Speak clearly,” the elder snapped. “What happened?”
“The young demon lord—Shi Hao!” one choked out, clutching his hair.
“Him again!” The crowd exchanged glances. This young demon truly had no fear, daring to kill even Qin Clan members.
“No matter. With multiple deities present, he won’t cause trouble. Don’t blame yourselves—he’ll be dealt with,” the elder reassured.
The sect masters nodded in agreement. Qin Changsheng remained composed. He acknowledged Shi Hao’s strength but doubted he could defeat multiple deities alone. Even the heir of the Immortal Palace couldn’t achieve such a feat.
The proof? None of their Divine Flame experts had been forced back by life-preserving talismans. Together, they should be invincible.
“That’s not what happened… the adults… they…” the two stammered.
“What about them?” a sect master pressed.
“They’re all dead! Slain by the young demon lord! None survived!” they sobbed, collapsing onto the altar.
“What?!” The crowd erupted in shock.
Even Qin Changsheng’s faint smile froze, his face stiffening as if petrified by a curse.
“Is this true?” a sect master demanded.
“Yes!” they confirmed weakly.
A deafening uproar swept through the crowd outside the secret realm. This feat was beyond legendary—it seemed unreal.
“Heavens! How did the young demon lord accomplish this? It’s inconceivable!”
“His glory shines like the sun—a heaven-shaking achievement!”
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