The crimson radiance swirled as Shi Hao sat cross-legged amidst a sea of Blood Soul Grass, consuming one stalk after another. His body gleamed like a blood diamond, pulsating with an enigmatic power.
At this moment, his flesh threatened to split apart, his blood glowing, his bones resonating as if about to ignite—his very body teetered on the brink of collapse.
This miraculous herb was indeed unsuitable for other races. Its medicinal properties were tyrannical, forcibly refining it would disrupt the body’s vitality and equilibrium, leading to explosive disintegration.
The fragrance of the Blood Soul Grass was overwhelming. Shi Hao endured the excruciating pain, suppressing the transformation. Every inch of his flesh shimmered with primal bone inscriptions, resisting the tendency to unravel.
Yun Xi stood guard beside him. It was too late for words now, and he was too stubborn to heed warnings.
“Such tyrannical medicinal potency—truly formidable,” Shi Hao muttered through gritted teeth. A scarlet mist rose from his body like flames, his blood qi boiling to the point of igniting his very soul.
Yet he continued to suppress it. Amidst the suffocating medicinal aroma, he sat unmoving, channeling all his strength to stabilize himself, ensuring his flesh remained intact.
“Can you expel the medicinal properties? Don’t push yourself like this—it’s too dangerous,” Yun Xi urged.
“No matter!” Shi Hao clenched his teeth. Including the earlier stalks, he had now consumed over one hundred and fifty Blood Soul Grasses.
His body burned crimson, a mysterious force threatening to dismantle him. His bones creaked, infused with a terrifying demonic energy, on the verge of shattering.
“Endure!” He steeled himself, adapting to this transformation.
Legends spoke of how even the ape demons suffered when consuming Blood Soul Grass, yet their unique constitutions allowed them to fully absorb its properties, undergoing metamorphosis.
Shi Hao’s gaze deepened as he sat trembling, his formidable physique reacting violently—proof of the agony he endured.
In the past, some prodigies had consumed over a hundred stalks before coughing blood, their bodies exploding and souls burning.
Now, he had pushed that limit to one hundred and fifty—an astonishing, earth-shaking feat.
*Pop!*
A soft sound echoed as Shi Hao’s shoulder burst open, a bloody flower blooming in a ghastly display. Fortunately, the wound was small, no larger than an infant’s fist—hardly a severe injury.
Yet it was an ominous sign. As the wound appeared, his arm convulsed, blood blossoms erupting one after another.
“Suppress!”
Shi Hao roared, compressing his sole Heavenly Passage onto his arm. Runes blazed, crystalline and radiant, stabilizing the injury.
“Are you truly trying to emulate the ape demons, bearing the full brunt of the herb’s properties to forcibly alter yourself? Remember, your constitutions are entirely different,” Yun Xi grew increasingly worried.
“My physique surpasses even the ape demons. If they can do it, so can I—I *will* succeed,” Shi Hao muttered, though his lips twisted in pain.
By now, his entire body risked bursting apart. Tendons bulged like serpents beneath his skin, threatening to snap.
*Crack!*
Even his bones groaned, on the verge of breaking, emitting radiant light from within.
A mysterious force surged from his flesh to his bones, intensifying the unbearable agony.
*Cough!*
He spat blood, crimson and vivid, as fissures spread across his body—his condition dire.
Shi Hao bellowed, divine radiance swirling within him. Runes proliferated as miniature cauldrons materialized in his blood, resonating before coalescing into a single massive cauldron.
This was a technique he had grasped in the Spirit Transformation Realm—his flesh could manifest as Dao Bells, Cauldrons, or Divine Swords. Now, as a cauldron, it stabilized him, shielding his body.
Moreover, his flesh-cauldron merged with his external Heavenly Passage, forming an unshakable unity that effectively halted further deterioration.
Yet even so, blood seeped from his pores as he fought desperately to adapt and absorb the terrifying medicinal properties.
Two days and nights passed. Shi Hao endured. The agony began to wane as he assimilated the mysterious essence, acclimating to the ordeal.
“This… is a miracle,” Yun Xi murmured.
Shi Hao had consumed over one hundred and fifty Blood Soul Grasses, surpassing the records of past prodigies—and he had survived unscathed.
He silently contemplated before requesting Yun Xi to test him with runic attacks. The results were undeniable.
“The assault’s power was weakened!”
Though not immunity, it was still astounding. In battle, this would tip the scales—nullifying the first wave of magical attacks granted an overwhelming advantage.
“Not enough refinement yet,” Shi Hao mused, eyeing the remaining hundred or so stalks ahead. Consuming more would be perilous.
Yet he resolved to push further, testing his limits to see how many he could refine.
“One hundred fifty-six, one hundred fifty-seven…”
He counted silently, consuming more Blood Soul Grass, challenging himself in pursuit of true magical immunity.
Yun Xi watched with unease, knowing persuasion was futile. She could only stand guard, protecting her savior.
After another day and night, Shi Hao reached two hundred stalks—only to face true peril. His flesh cracked, his soul ignited, threatening to burn away.
A low growl escaped him as the *Primordial True Interpretation* imprinted in his heart, the *Myriad Spirit Diagram* manifesting. He forged the diagram with bone inscriptions from the True Interpretation, weaving them into his flesh.
Blood stained his body as fissures split and sealed. The herb’s properties were indeed devastating to non-ape demons—nearly unbearable.
*Crack!*
A bone in Shi Hao’s chest snapped, piercing through his flesh in a horrifying display. The spilled blood didn’t fall—it burned midair, searing with terrifying heat.
“No!”
Yun Xi gasped, raising a treasure mirror. A divine light shone forth, stabilizing Shi Hao’s body and halting further damage.
“Truly terrifying,” Shi Hao muttered, compressing his sole Heavenly Passage to his skin, barely containing his crumbling form.
Simultaneously, the *Myriad Spirit Diagram* constructed from the True Interpretation’s bone inscriptions manifested within him, suppressing the turmoil.
Another day and night passed. Shi Hao endured. At last, stability returned—his boiling blood calmed, his flesh ceased cracking and glowing.
“He pushed the limit to two hundred stalks!” Yun Xi was speechless. This was unprecedented—a terrifying new record.
This time, Shi Hao didn’t act recklessly. He sat in meditation, restoring himself to peak condition.
Half a day later, he tested the results, having Yun Xi attack him once more.
“Success!” Shi Hao exulted. The first wave of attacks was nullified—magical immunity achieved!
Yet the second wave breached his defenses as normal, the magic invading his body.
He meditated, recuperating before trying again. The outcome remained: the first wave was immune, but subsequent assaults penetrated.
“This…” Yun Xi was stunned. He had truly attained this ability—an earth-shattering feat that would send shockwaves through the sects if revealed.
“It’s the best I can do. After all, I’m no ape demon,” Shi Hao mused. Still, he was satisfied. Nullifying the first wave alone was a tremendous advantage!
“Let’s continue. Let’s see what further effects remain.” Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed.
Yet from the two hundred and first stalk onward, the Blood Soul Grass seemed ineffective—its tyrannical properties no longer harmed him.
Undeterred, Shi Hao consumed the remaining stalks, refining a total of over two hundred and seventy.
Further consumption yielded minimal additional effects. Final tests confirmed only the first wave remained immune—no further breakthroughs.
“Incredible. You’ve truly gained this ability!” Yun Xi marveled, her eyes shining with divine light.
“Passable. At least there’s some result,” Shi Hao chuckled.
They departed soon after, venturing deeper into the ancient battlefield to hide. As Yun Xi explained, buying time was crucial—awaiting the revival of the Ancient Ancestor of the Heaven-Mankind Race.
Otherwise, crossing to Heaven Province was impossible. The entire Bloody Plains were sealed, fraught with peril.
“They’re here—they’ve tracked us again.”
Two days later, Shi Hao and Yun Xi looked up, spotting a flock of fierce birds circling above—the relentless Hundred Beasts Mercenary Corps.
Led once more by the Golden Crow and a Firecloud Sparrow, they soared overhead, homing in.
“These demonic birds are too sharp. We’ll be found sooner or later,” Shi Hao sighed.
Their only option was to press onward, seeking a perilous zone—preferably one inhabited by a True God-level entity to counter the mercenaries.
“Hmm? There are two more.”
Shi Hao noticed a middle-aged man seated on the Golden Crow’s back and a youth standing atop the Firecloud Sparrow, scanning the land below.
“What race are these humanoid beings?” Shi Hao observed the purple runic marks on their foreheads, resembling third eyes. Otherwise, they appeared human.
“The War Race—it’s them!” Yun Xi’s gaze turned icy. Among the forces targeting the Heaven-Mankind Race, the War Race was undoubtedly the main adversary—their feud ran deep.
“Is the War Race formidable?” Shi Hao asked.
“In the ancient era, they once ranked among the Ten Great Races—revered as the War Emperor Clan, peerless and supreme,” Yun Xi explained.
Shi Hao was startled. To be called an Emperor or Imperial Clan in the Upper Realm was an unimaginable honor. The Heaven-Mankind Race had only achieved this after producing six perfected Heaven-Men.
What legacy had the War Race possessed? Regardless, their might was undeniable.
“Trouble—they’ve spotted us.” Shi Hao frowned. The Hundred Beasts Mercenary Corps wasn’t renowned for combat, but their tracking skills were unmatched in Demon Province.
They had shaken off pursuers earlier, only to be found again thanks to these creatures.
“Found you at last.” The speaker wasn’t the Golden Crow or Firecloud Sparrow—it was the War Race elder seated atop the avian.
“The Destiny Stone is with you?” The youth spoke next, his bearing extraordinary, black hair cascading, eyes piercing as they locked onto Yun Xi.
“War Race, you’re playing with fire. When our Ancient Ancestor awakens, you’ll regret this!” Yun Xi retorted coldly.
“The future is uncertain. Even if that old Heaven-Man revives, someone will stop him,” the young War Race genius smirked, shaking his head. “You’ve fused with the Destiny Stone. Extracting it would diminish its power—what a headache.”
His gaze turned sinister, lips quirking. “Why not marry into our War Race?”
“Dream on!” Yun Xi spat. Her graceful figure, flowing hair, and ethereal beauty made her seem a goddess stepped from a painting.
“You’re not bad. Marrying into our War Race would be a fitting match,” the youth said flatly.
“Capture them,” the elder on the Golden Crow commanded, his voice imperious.
“At least there’s no True God,” Shi Hao muttered. Still, the odds were dire—he’d perish if forced to fight.
But he had one lethal card—he wanted to test the limits of his newfound magical immunity.
“Who should we kill first?” Shi Hao asked flippantly, letting Yun Xi choose.
“Insolent fools!” The avian flock and the two War Race experts sneered.
“Kill the War Race!” Yun Xi blurted—their ancient enemies.
“Kill *us*?” The War Race youth threw back his head in laughter, eyes chilling. “I won’t kill you. I’ll take you back to our clan as my bride. Your ‘from human to heaven’ transformation shall unfold within the War Race.”
The elder nodded. “A maiden fused with the Destiny Stone marrying into our clan—how *entertained* the Heaven-Mankind Race will be.”
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