Chapter 805: Unveiling

Parting is always sorrowful, but the road must be traveled forward.

Shi Hao set off, embarking on his journey!

Each province was vast beyond measure, spanning hundreds of millions of miles from one end to the other, with populations of countless races so immense they defied imagination.

The three thousand provinces, combined, held an incalculable number of living beings—truly endless.

Take the Sin Province, for example. It stretched 230 million miles from east to west and 80 million miles from north to south. Yet among the three thousand provinces, it was considered neither large nor small, merely a mid-to-lower-tier territory in the Upper Realm.

This time, just for the Sin Province alone, eight million Venerable Ones had qualified to participate after several rounds of selection—and that was already a reduced number. Otherwise, it would have been even greater!

How could so many people possibly all enter the “Immortal Ancient”? After all, there were still another 2,999 provinces to account for.

Many knew that the Immortal Ancient held great fortunes, hence the rush to register. Venerable Ones from various sects and beings from countless clans employed every means necessary to secure their eligibility.

Shi Hao was momentarily stunned. After emerging, he naturally learned of the situation—eight million participants just from the Sin Province alone—leaving him dizzy and overwhelmed.

“This is going to be brutal. How many will die in the end?” He foresaw mountains of bones, the withering of talents, and countless lives lost.

An old man chuckled and said, “Young man, you’re overthinking it. Didn’t your elders tell you? Entering the ‘Immortal Ancient’ isn’t easy, and the number of participants is fixed. There won’t be rivers of blood before the real contest begins. By the way, which sect are you from?”

“I know all this,” Shi Hao nodded. “But won’t it still turn fierce later?”

Qi Daolin had washed his hands of the matter, leaving everything unattended. Fortunately, Shi Hao had already gathered much information on his own.

“Old man, I must go. I still need to secure my qualification,” Shi Hao turned to leave, fearing he might run out of time.

“Hurry then. The event begins in two days. You’re quite the calm one,” the old man laughed.

Shi Hao hadn’t undergone the initial rounds of selection. To participate now, he needed a “token” from a sect, acknowledging him as a core disciple.

According to Qi Daolin, this wouldn’t be a problem—it could be easily obtained.

The Sin Province housed many races and numerous declining sects, some of which could no longer produce powerful Venerable Ones to compete. Thus, these sects became targets for opportunists.

Shi Hao traveled far, visiting over a dozen declining sects, only to find they had already been “visited” by others.

After most of the day, he finally spotted another sect—desolate, perched atop a great mountain.

“Kun Sect.”

At the mountain gate stood a massive boulder inscribed with these two characters. The sect was ancient, its stone steps worn deep by countless footsteps.

Yet, it was also truly fallen, barely better off than the Supreme Dao Field.

A few cracked ancient halls were the only remaining structures, on the verge of collapse. It was impossible to tell how many years they had stood.

Here, only a disheveled old man and a young boy remained. When Shi Hao arrived, the boy was preparing to flee.

In his words, this wretched place offered no hope. He had initially hoped to uncover ancient texts from the ruins to restore the Kun Sect’s former glory, but the clever boy had ultimately despaired.

The old man clung to a golden gourd, perpetually drunk and bleary-eyed, much to the frustration of his young disciple, who could do nothing about it.

Upon hearing Shi Hao’s request, the slovenly old man’s eyes lit up. He eagerly agreed to trade the sect’s token.

This further infuriated the Kun Sect’s young disciple. Such irresponsibility! Had he no thought for future generations? It only strengthened his resolve to leave.

For major sects, selecting core disciples to compete was straightforward. For minor sects, however, such tokens were necessary.

The so-called “token” was a bone talisman brought back by a disciple who had once achieved a decent ranking in the competition. Holding it allowed the sect to directly send one participant without further trials.

“Young man, what will you offer in exchange?” the old man asked with a grin.

“Ten spiritual herbs,” Shi Hao replied.

“This token is no ordinary item. Its origins are significant. Your offer is too low,” the old man said.

“What origins?” Shi Hao asked.

“This token was brought back by a disciple who once ranked just over a million—quite a high position. A pity, really. Had he entered the top million, you wouldn’t even need to undergo the trials—you’d go straight to the Immortal Ancient,” the old man chuckled.

Shi Hao was speechless. A ranking just over a million, and he called it “high”? If not for his desperate need, he would have turned and left.

“Young man, don’t underestimate it. Do you know how many participants there are across the three thousand provinces each time? And how many actually enter the Immortal Ancient? This ranking is absolutely high!” the old man insisted.

“Then… how old is this token?” Shi Hao wiped his sweat.

“Probably over a hundred thousand years. Back then, our Kun Sect ranked around a thousand in the Sin Province,” the old man said, taking another swig from his gourd.

Truly a fallen ancient sect!

“Final offer: four divine artifacts!” the old man declared.

Shi Hao was startled. Such audacity—demanding four artifacts of that caliber! After a moment’s thought, he countered, “One.”

“Three. No less,” the old man said.

The young disciple beside them flushed with shame. What a disgrace to their sect! The old man was haggling like a merchant, tarnishing their legacy.

“Master, must you do this? We could keep the token for ourselves,” the boy said.

“Keep it for what? You’re too young to use it. Should we save it for our descendants eighteen generations later?” The old man rubbed his wine-red nose and glared.

“But…” the boy tried to argue.

“What’s the point? All is fleeting vanity. Better to trade it for wine,” the old man said.

The boy fumed!

“Fine, young man. One divine artifact and a treasure spell. Take the token, or forget it,” the old man relented.

Shi Hao said no more. Since arriving in the Upper Realm, he had wandered between life and death, engaged in endless battles, and thus had no shortage of divine artifacts. As for the treasure spell, he offered the incomplete Golden Roc technique he had obtained from the Sky-Suppressing Sect.

“The Great Roc’s method—not bad! It shares a connection with our Kun Sect. A fine technique, though not the Kun Peng’s,” the old man said delightedly.

Shi Hao shot him a sidelong glance. The Kun Peng technique? For a mere token? The old man’s expectations were absurd.

The young disciple’s eyes widened. Their sect had long been devoid of powerful techniques, leaving him resentful. Now, he finally witnessed a formidable treasure spell.

When Shi Hao produced a divine artifact, not only did the old man’s eyes gleam, but even the runaway disciple halted in his tracks, reconsidering his departure.

“Master, why are your eyes shining? Didn’t you say our Kun Sect once had piles of divine artifacts? We might dig up a whole basket someday,” the boy said.

“Cough… More wine to trade,” the old man chuckled.

“What? Old man, if you dare, I’ll defect!” the boy shouted.

The deal was struck. Shi Hao lingered briefly, noticing the extraordinary landscape. With some adjustments, it could become a fine treasure ground.

“This place should be renovated,” Shi Hao remarked.

“Why bother? The moon in the sky, the beauty of the mountains—what you see as enchanting scenery is mere vanity to me. Far less substantial than firewood and rice, let alone wine.”

The old man waved dismissively and retreated into an ancient hall, cradling his gourd.

Shi Hao’s heart stirred. This old man was peculiar.

“Don’t mind him. He’s always playing the mystic. That’s how he tricked me here, claiming he’s lived countless years, unable to die, calling himself ‘Indestructible.’ Ridiculous!” the boy grumbled.

“Indestructible… Kun Sect…” Shi Hao’s heart trembled.

But time was short. He couldn’t stay. Turning, he departed.

Shi Hao traversed the void, heading for his destination, fully prepared.

A day later, a mournful horn blast shook the Sin Province!

The competition had begun.

This was an immense Dao Field, boundless and forged by ancient sages, adorned with countless glowing runes.

All participants entered, sitting cross-legged. Eight million souls, an endless sea, yet the field accommodated them all with ample space between, a testament to its extraordinary nature.

“The Spirit Realm has a dedicated zone for our Sin Province. You may stay there for only one day, as there’s no time to waste. Ten thousand will be chosen, then sent directly into the vast untamed wilds.”

The announcement reached every ear clearly.

The Spirit Realm, a grand world constructed by ancient deities from spiritual energy, resembled the lower realm’s Void God Realm but was far vaster, bearing a different name.

In just one day, the selection would conclude—eight million reduced to ten thousand. The cruelty was evident.

Fortunately, this took place in the Spirit Realm, where defeat didn’t mean death—participants could revive in the real world.

Yet, the time given was undeniably short.

As the higher-ups declared, there was no time to waste here. True powerhouses were needed in the untamed wilds!

The Dao Field was intricate, woven with countless patterns, impervious to outside interference. The final ten thousand would be teleported directly from this field, all judged and executed by the grand formation’s own mechanisms.

Every province followed this protocol to prevent foul play.

“Begin!”

With a thunderous roar, chaotic energy churned above the field. Space twisted and blurred, revealing massive gates that swung open.

Shi Hao’s brow twitched. The Spirit Realm’s entry was even more tangible than the Void God Realm’s, resembling an independent world.

This was his first time entering since arriving in the Upper Realm.

The realism was striking, as if a true great world had opened before him. Shi Hao’s mind raced, but there was no time to dwell.

“Spirit Realm, Void God Realm… Bird Grandpa and Crystal Wall Grandpa still owe me a treasure spell,” he mused silently.

Whoosh! Eight million beams of light soared into the sky, vanishing into the colossal gates. The spectacle was breathtaking, leaving onlookers awestruck.

The great battle had finally begun!

And at the same time, the same scenes unfolded across other provinces.

“Hahaha… After so many years, I, Jun Dao, awaken once more.”

Somewhere billions of miles away, within an ice cavern beneath endless snow-capped mountains, a figure stirred to life.

His violet hair cascaded, his gaze eerie, his aura terrifying enough to make even deities tremble. Unbelievably, he was merely a Venerable One!

Some needed no trials, no tests—their worth had been proven ages ago. They could enter the Immortal Ancient directly.

Simultaneously, in another ancient province, amidst a sea of volcanoes, one stood apart, exuding auspicious vapors. A crimson ancient coffin rose from the magma, unleashing a world-shaking presence.

The lid creaked open, revealing a peerless woman with fiery red hair, her tall frame radiating sacred light as she surveyed the heavens.

“Once more, I emerge from the Coffin of Life. This shall be the last time. All will end with the final opportunity,” she declared, her voice clear and resonant, shaking the nine heavens.

At the same moment, beneath an ocean’s expanse, within a crystal dragon palace, another awakened. Their gaze alone sent beams piercing the clouds, eclipsing the sun.

A woman with dragon horns soared from the depths.

Now, across the three thousand provinces, ancient lands erupted with dazzling light, piercing sky and earth alike.

The great battle had commenced. The most exceptional beings, preserved since antiquity, had all awakened!