Demon Province, the Flame Plateau.
An ancient powerhouse exhaled a breath of flames, scorching the land for hundreds of thousands of miles, turning it into a lifeless wasteland.
Even after countless years, the place remained desolate, with sparse vegetation and few living creatures.
Across this barren plateau, a lone figure moved with astonishing speed, traversing thousands of feet in a single step—shrinking the earth beneath his feet. His movement was like a fleeting glimmer of light. It was Shi Hao.
Having parted ways with his grandfather, he now sought to carve his own path in the world, competing for the grand opportunities reserved for the geniuses of this era. Rumors had long spread of a gathering of talents, a convergence of countless rivers into a sea, heralding an earth-shattering battle.
As he journeyed, Shi Hao meditated on the profound human technique of “Shrinking the Earth to an Inch,” a treasure art he had obtained from the Yuan Heaven Secret Realm. Through continuous refinement and study, his understanding deepened.
Yellow sand swirled in the wind, a majestic and desolate sight.
From afar, it looked as though dozens of golden dragons roared and swept across the land. Shi Hao raced through the storm of sand, having already crossed hundreds of thousands of miles. He was on the verge of leaving this vast plain.
“I wonder when I’ll see the Divine Striking Stone and the Emperor Butterfly again,” Shi Hao murmured to himself.
First, he needed to leave this desolate region and ascertain when the grand gathering of geniuses would begin. He hadn’t participated in any preliminary selections—would he still be allowed to join the final battle?
Then, he would attempt to traverse dozens of provinces to reunite with the Divine Striking Stone and the Emperor Butterfly.
“That silver phoenix should have awakened by now, right?” Shi Hao’s heart burned with anticipation. That bird was likely the silver-haired woman, harboring immense secrets.
Demon Province was truly chaotic.
Shortly after leaving the wasteland, as he entered mountainous terrain teeming with life, Shi Hao encountered bloodshed—various demonic beasts and roaming bandits lurked everywhere.
Days later, having gathered much information, he entered a lush, verdant region. Yet, demonic cultivators and outlaws remained rampant.
“Roar… Kid, if you have any spirit herbs or treasures on you, hand them over, and I might let you pass!” A black tiger emerged, blocking his path with a thunderous roar.
“Ah—!” A pained scream echoed as the tiger’s roar shook the heavens.
Half an hour later, the scent of roasted meat wafted by the riverside. Shi Hao had skewered the black tiger—a creature at the Array Formation realm—over a fire, its golden-brown flesh glistening as he indulged in the feast.
“So, this gathering of geniuses is even more significant than I thought—it’s connected to the Immortal Ancient Era!” Shi Hao murmured.
A pile of ashes lay beside him. After devouring half the tiger and brewing a pot of bone broth, he slowly digested both the meal and the information he had gathered.
The so-called Immortal Ancient Era was, in fact, an entire epoch!
This revelation stunned him. What had happened? Why had it vanished?
And if the world he lived in—this very era—were to meet its end one day, would it too be remembered as the conclusion of an epoch?
Perhaps only then would a name be given to define the significance of their own era.
Whether it was the Immortal Ancient Era or the current one, both could be divided into prehistoric, ancient, archaic, recent, and present times—such an unfathomably long stretch of history.
“What kind of opportunity could drive all the geniuses of the Upper Realm to madness, making even the great sects covet it?”
The more Shi Hao learned, the more astonished he became. Many who should have long ignited their divine flames had suppressed their breakthroughs just to participate in this grand struggle.
It was said that only those at the Supreme Being realm could enter that realm and reap its rewards.
Whispers circulated that the victor of this battle among heroes and first-generation prodigies would shine for eternity, rewriting history itself!
“At least there’s no need for preliminary selections. As long as one is strong enough, they can still tread that path and seize the opportunities of the Immortal Ancient Era.”
Half a month later, having learned more, Shi Hao wandered through Demon Province, searching for a massive teleportation array to reunite with the Divine Striking Stone and the Emperor Butterfly.
“Hmm? What’s going on?”
Shi Hao’s sharp instincts detected something amiss—even a sense of danger—preventing him from approaching the teleportation arrays.
Demon Province was chaotic by nature, a land where demons ran rampant and bloodshed was constant.
But he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. Visiting two major cities, both equipped with super teleportation arrays capable of crossing provinces, he found each guarded by hidden assassins.
“Something’s wrong!”
Soon, he sensed an unusual tension in Demon Province.
These super teleportation arrays, numbering only four or five per province, were all under heavy surveillance. Had he not used his dual-pupil vision to foresee the danger, he would have been thoroughly interrogated upon approach.
Shi Hao inwardly cursed. Had his presence in Demon Province been exposed? Were nets being laid to capture him?
Without these teleportation arrays, crossing dozens—or even hundreds—of provinces was impossible. Even flying for a century wouldn’t get him there.
“Perhaps I should head to the neighboring Celestial Province.”
Shi Hao muttered to himself. He wasn’t far from Demon Province’s border—just a few hundred thousand miles more, and he’d enter Celestial Province. Maybe he could find passage there.
Celestial Province, the ancestral land of the Celestial Race, was one of the Upper Realm’s most powerful provinces, home to several ancient and prestigious sects.
Soon, he confirmed this.
“Good. Demon Province is too chaotic, and with the Demon Sunflower Garden as an enemy, it’s not safe for me here.”
Shi Hao prepared to cross provinces. It wasn’t far now. Yet, he wondered—were those teleportation arrays guarded by deities truly meant for him?
Logically, it shouldn’t be.
His presence here shouldn’t have been exposed.
The Bloody Plains—one of the borderlands between Demon Province and Celestial Province—spanned hundreds of thousands of miles. Vast as it was, it was insignificant compared to the two provinces.
In ancient times, this had been a battlefield where countless races clashed, demons warred, and gods perished. Rivers of blood had flowed, staining the land forever.
“After all these years, it’s still a den of demons and outlaws?” Shi Hao nearly groaned.
Since entering the Bloody Plains, he had been ambushed at least eight or nine times. This hellish place teemed with killers and mercenaries, a veritable paradise for criminals.
The plains, stretching hundreds of thousands of miles, were dyed crimson—said to be stained by the blood of ancient warriors, never fading.
Among them were the ancestors of the Gluttonous Fiend and the True Hou clans—one devouring sect masters, the other capable of roaring down the moon and stars.
Yet even they hadn’t been the most fearsome demons of that era. Legends spoke of even greater horrors.
Having traveled just ten thousand miles into the plains, Shi Hao had already faced multiple ambushes. The danger here was palpable.
His gains were substantial. Against those who sought to kill and plunder, he turned the tables, seizing their spoils for himself.
Yet there were times he had to combine the Kun Peng Art with Shrinking the Earth to an Inch, pushing his speed to the limit to escape.
Some foes were terrifying deities, their power beyond imagination!
Without his unparalleled speed, he would have died instantly—a single strike from such beings could obliterate him.
“This is insane. Just a stretch of bloody plains, yet so many powerful beings lurk here. It’s absolute chaos.” Shi Hao couldn’t comprehend it.
Even the territories ruled by immortal orthodoxies couldn’t compare—this place was crawling with experts, an unnerving sight.
Two days later, a resonant hum echoed across the plains. The sky above the central region shimmered with mysterious runes, faint traces of chaotic energy swirling within.
“Heavens, what’s happening?” people cried out in alarm.
In this central area stood a massive city—a den of demons, beasts, and all manner of creatures, infamous for its lawlessness.
“The Void-Sealing Grand Array has been activated! No one can traverse space now!”
An ancient formation had been triggered, sealing the entire region. Clearly, something monumental was afoot.
Shi Hao grew even more uneasy. Had he truly been discovered?
“How many years has it been since something like this happened? To get all twelve Demon Kings of the Bloody Plains to agree and activate the Void-Sealing Grand Array—who has such influence? What are they planning?”
The Bloody Plains were now jointly controlled by twelve Demon Kings!
“Everyone, be cautious. Forget about ambushes and plunder—this place might no longer be a criminal’s paradise, but a blood-soaked battlefield!”
“Leopard Six, have you heard something? Spit it out!”
Among the twelve great cities of sin, this was one. Inside a bustling tavern, all manner of beings whispered in hushed tones.
“A sworn brother of mine heard from his uncle—a core member of the Samsara Mercenary Corps—that we should stay put. The heavens are about to change!”
“Change how?”
“Don’t ask. I don’t know either. But if even the Samsara Mercenary Corps is involved, you can imagine how serious this is!”
Gasps filled the room. The Samsara Mercenary Corps was infamous—not just in the Bloody Plains, but across Demon Province.
Their leader was nearly at the Heavenly Deity realm!
And they weren’t the only such group hired for this operation. Whatever was coming would be catastrophic.
“There might even be battles between Heavenly Deities, clashes of sect masters. Be careful!”
The news shook even Shi Hao. A storm was brewing—the Bloody Plains would soon be drenched in blood.
He realized this likely had nothing to do with him. He was overthinking.
“Hmm?” Suddenly, Shi Hao’s heart skipped a beat.
On the street, he caught sight of a familiar silhouette—a graceful, slender figure with lustrous hair. A beauty, and one he felt he’d seen before.
Who was she? Shi Hao frowned, trusting his instincts. He activated his dual-pupil vision, scrutinizing her true form.
The city was vast, its streets wide and bustling with all manner of beings—though violence was never far.
Keeping a low profile, Shi Hao observed carefully. His pupils gleamed, revealing the girl’s identity.
“It’s her!”
He stiffened in shock. After years apart, he never expected to see her here.
The Upper Realm’s three thousand provinces were unimaginably vast. Even traversing a single one was difficult, let alone finding a specific person among countless races and sects.
“Is this ‘heavenly change’ related to her clan?” Shi Hao’s heart pounded.
This girl had left an indelible mark on his memories. Should he approach her? His gaze deepened with contemplation.
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