“No, I must find the Divine Striking Stone quickly to protect me.” He felt his body undergoing changes and needed to find a quiet place urgently.
Torrential rain poured down, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.
Then, Shi Hao was moved—the mountains below were scorched black, with many peaks toppled. The heavy rain couldn’t even extinguish the lingering smoke, and arcs of lightning still flickered.
Even though he had been so far away during his tribulation, the mountains had still been devastated, a testament to how perilous it had been.
“Damn it, you’re still alive.” The Divine Striking Stone flew over from a distance, and the moment it saw him, it blurted out those words, angering Shi Hao so much he almost punched it.
“You scared me to death! Endless lightning poured from the sky earlier—I thought you’d turned to charcoal. I was even considering setting up a cenotaph for you,” the Divine Striking Stone muttered.
The Imperial Butterfly also flew over. The earlier spectacle had indeed been terrifying—the area had been engulfed in lightning, like a silver river cascading from the heavens, forcing them to flee and watch from afar.
“Hurry, take me away. I need to go into seclusion.” Shi Hao immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, his chest bones glowing. His entire body ached as if countless ants were gnawing at him.
A divine radiance pierced the sky as the Divine Striking Stone lit up, carrying Shi Hao far away. They couldn’t stay here any longer—the tribulation’s commotion had been too grand, and some ferocious beasts might have noticed.
After putting distance between them, they landed in a valley.
Shi Hao’s chest bones throbbed with pain. The tribulation liquid he had swallowed transformed into the purest vitality, surging toward that area. Was this a sign of his Supreme Bone regenerating?
He was utterly astonished. The treasure liquid from the lightning pool was indeed extraordinary, making his chest tingle as if something were growing there—though it didn’t quite feel the same.
Because the rest of his body also felt uneasy.
“I’ve already guided the nourishing Supreme Blood essence throughout my body. Can it still gather in my chest?” He was skeptical.
Indeed, this time was different. From head to toe, his body emitted faint light, though his chest shone brightest. His entire form seemed to be growing, undergoing some transformation.
At the same time, Shi Hao grew groggy, his eyelids heavy. No matter how hard he resisted, sleep overtook him.
Finally, he collapsed among the flowers and grass, sinking into deep slumber.
He had no idea how much time passed before he awoke, dazed, opening his eyes to the brilliant morning glow. Golden light bathed his body, warm and comforting.
The thunderstorm had long ceased—it was now dawn.
The Divine Striking Stone lurked in the distance, eyeing him warily, as did the Imperial Butterfly.
“What’s wrong?” Shi Hao asked.
“You’re asking what’s wrong? In the dead of night, your body was covered in eerie glyphs—you nearly scared us to death,” the Divine Striking Stone said, still shaken.
“I was active at night? Tell me more.” Shi Hao frowned, having no memory of it.
“Who knows what happened? You were lying there like a corpse, but your body was covered in all sorts of bizarre symbols, as if the gates of the Six Paths of Reincarnation had opened. It was terrifying and ominous,” the Divine Striking Stone emphasized.
Shi Hao was speechless. He had no recollection, only remembering a deep sleep. It seemed his body had undergone some transformation, reacting instinctively.
He carefully examined his condition and felt stronger than ever before!
Beyond that, his body felt slightly different, though he couldn’t pinpoint how. When he exerted force and activated the Primordial True Solution, he noticed countless mysterious points of light on his body.
“Supreme Blood?”
Shi Hao was both shocked and doubtful. He sensed changes but couldn’t immediately grasp them.
The human body was mysterious, capable of unlocking treasures like the Martial Heaven Eye or Mind Reading. Shi Hao felt his transformation was tied to one such latent treasure.
He couldn’t locate it yet, but it likely involved his Supreme Bone and Blood.
“Never mind—it’s a positive evolution, regardless.” Shi Hao donned a magical robe and left the valley with the Divine Striking Stone.
Along the way, he fed some tribulation liquid to the Imperial Butterfly, making the stone envious enough to wish it had flesh and blood to partake as well.
Shi Hao reflected deeply. Successfully overcoming the tribution had made him unprecedentedly powerful, reaching the pinnacle of his current potential.
Now, he felt much more at ease, ready for the Great Battle of the Three Thousand Provinces, where his strength would be tested in combat!
“The so-called Six Crown King is looking for me?”
Shi Hao’s expression shifted. This youth, recorded in ancient texts as absurdly powerful, had emerged once more—and was seeking him out.
Clad in snow-white robes, the Six Crown King Ning Chuan was transcendent from birth, bearing celestial patterns on his back and dragon marks on his forehead. The night he was born, divine light illuminated the world, turning night into day.
Some said he might be the reincarnation of an unparalleled taboo figure!
But reincarnation had never been proven—it was mere speculation.
Others claimed he was connected to the immortals, inheriting a foundation of the Dao, with supreme imprints merging with him in the womb, forging his incomparable path.
“I came for the descendant of the Sinful Bloodline, whose forehead emits holy light and whose sin characters shatter clouds. The Great Dao must be guarded—it cannot be defiled.” These were his words upon arriving in Sin Province.
When Shi Hao learned of this, he gazed into the distance.
For a moment, it felt as though he could see through time and space—a white-clad enemy filling the heavens, his aura overwhelming, the Great Dao resonating, dragon roars piercing the nine skies, waiting in the distance.
“Arrogant nonsense!”
Shi Hao said coldly. No matter who that person was, no matter how transcendent, he feared nothing. If they met in the Immortal Ancient, he would fight to the end!
The Six Crown King Ning Chuan had already left. Sin Province was vast, and he wouldn’t linger in this area.
Moreover, rumors suggested other ancient freaks had emerged, seeking to meet Ning Chuan.
“Blazeheart City.” Shi Hao felt a stir of excitement.
Returning to the Fire Nation’s capital, he had inquired carefully and unexpectedly learned that the father and daughter from the lower realm might be in Blazeheart City.
The lead was vague, but it was better than nothing. Shi Hao set off immediately, eager to see Emperor Fire and his daughter, both of whom had once shown him kindness.
They had saved him, allowed him to cultivate in the Fire Clan’s ancestral grounds, and Emperor Fire had even personally guided him in the Dao.
With the great battle approaching, Shi Hao hoped to see Huo Ling’er before entering the Immortal Ancient—otherwise, it might be years before they met again.
He didn’t want time to pass, leaving regrets in its wake.
Blazeheart City was surrounded by fiery mulberry trees, their leaves shimmering with crimson light. Some ancient trees, thousands of years old, even burned with fierce flames, radiating scorching heat.
The Fire Clan was rooted in flames, their teachings built upon fire.
Naturally, they were attuned to it, hence the abundance of such trees near their dwellings.
Shi Hao arrived at the edge of a vast fiery mulberry forest, where people labored, picking leaves to feed flame silkworms. Flames occasionally erupted around them.
Within the forest, the temperature was high. The flame silkworms crawled on the leaves, each glowing with crimson light, their bodies swirling with runes.
These creatures spun silk of incredible toughness, suitable for crafting treasure robes. They were a type of exotic insect with considerable combat prowess.
Young women gathered mulberry leaves, tending to the silkworms.
“Hmm?”
Turning casually, Shi Hao caught sight of a profile—a figure picking mulberry leaves. His body froze, his mind blank.
The figure turned, carrying a bamboo basket filled with fiery mulberry leaves. Though dressed in rough hemp, her skin was like snow, her beauty innate.
Huo Ling’er!
No arduous search, no dramatic reunion—just a simple, natural encounter.
Yet, Shi Hao’s heart trembled, emotions surging within him.
Huo Ling’er was tall and graceful, her eyes clear, her beauty effortless. Sweat dotted her forehead as she worked like any ordinary mulberry picker.
Her clothes were coarse and worn, washed to paleness. She moved with quiet serenity, a stark contrast to her former fiery, lively self.
A princess of a nation, now picking mulberry leaves.
Shi Hao’s heart clenched. After watching silently, he stepped forward.
Just then, Huo Ling’er turned, basket on her back, heading in another direction.
Shi Hao said nothing. After a moment’s pause, he followed.
A thatched cottage stood behind the fiery mulberry forest, bamboo groves in front—simple, serene, and close to nature. Tree stumps in the yard served as natural seats.
It was humble, even austere. The palaces and jade towers of the past were now but memories.
Ling’er set down her basket, picked up a wooden bucket, and walked to a nearby river to wash clothes. Her tall frame and lovely face were focused and calm.
For some reason, Shi Hao’s heart ached even more.
Huo Ling’er sensed something and turned abruptly, looking his way.
A young man in green robes stood there, his face delicate, his eyes bright with emotion and concern, staring at her intently.
In that moment, Huo Ling’er’s heart skipped a beat. Though his features were different, his eyes and aura were unmistakable.
“You are…” Huo Ling’er’s voice trembled, tears welling despite her efforts to hold them back.
“It’s me.” Shi Hao stepped forward.
*Clang!*
The wooden bucket fell. Tears streamed down Huo Ling’er’s face as she whispered, “You… you’re alive.”
Those words carried immeasurable weight.
*Whoosh!*
From behind the cottage, a gray shadow shot through the fiery mulberry forest, shrinking from several yards to just over half a foot before landing on Shi Hao, flapping tiny wings.
“Little Wolf.”
This gray wolf pup was the descendant of the Wolf God, obtained by Shi Hao in the Hundred Shattered Mountains and later entrusted to Huo Ling’er. After all these years, its keen nose still recognized his scent instantly.
Shi Hao hugged the pup and strode toward the riverbank, meeting Huo Ling’er.
“I knew… you’d survive…” Huo Ling’er smiled through her tears, her natural beauty shining.
The descent of the Seven Gods had spread across many sects, and many in the upper realm knew of it. Huo Ling’er, hailing from below, had followed the news closely.
When she heard Shi Hao had fought the Seven Gods and perished, she was heartbroken, unable to accept it.
Later, news of a youth named Qin Hao—Shi Hao’s younger brother—ascending to the upper realm only deepened her sorrow, bringing fresh tears whenever she thought of the past.
The little wolf, now half a foot long, hopped down and tugged at Shi Hao’s pants with its teeth, leading him onward.
Behind the cottage, in the fiery mulberry forest, stood an unmarked earthen mound—no tombstone, no coffin, just the buried battle robes of a youth.
Shi Hao’s heart clenched as he turned to Huo Ling’er.
Tearfully, she said, “When I heard the news… I didn’t want to believe it. But I had to accept it.”
This was the cenotaph she had built for him, not far from her home.
Shi Hao’s eyes stung as he gazed at her, speechless for a long moment.
“We were so worried. Ling’er often grieved and cried,” the little wolf said. As the Wolf God’s descendant, it was no ordinary creature.
Shi Hao was deeply moved. Though his time in the upper realm had been short, he had faced countless life-and-death trials, unaware that someone far away had been mourning him, shedding tears in his memory.
“You… are Huang? The one whose forehead emits holy light, whose sin characters shatter clouds?” Huo Ling’er was stunned as Shi Hao recounted his journey.
Shi Hao wiped her tears and nodded, telling her everything.
*Dong…*
A deep bell toll echoed across the land, reaching every cultivator, no matter how distant.
Shi Hao looked up sharply. The moment had arrived—the Great Battle of the Three Thousand Provinces was about to begin!
“You… it’s too dangerous to go like this. The Six Crown King, the inheritor of the Immortal Palace, and others—they’re ruthless.” At the sound of the bell, Huo Ling’er knew the most intense and brilliant clash of their era was imminent.
“Don’t worry. Wait for me to return. Whether it’s the Six Crown King, the inheritor of the Immortal Palace, or anyone else—if they come for me, I’ll crush them all,” Shi Hao said.
Just like in the past, when they’d met in the Hundred Shattered Mountains, he was bold and confident.
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