“You’re pushing us too far!” Several young men from Sin Province couldn’t hold back, confronting the outsiders. This was Sin Province’s territory—outsiders coming to snatch their spots was bad enough, but to target them so blatantly was intolerable.
“It’s not us who oppress you—it’s the heavens! Your ancestors committed grave sins, cursed by the very skies, their blood tainted with the mark of iniquity as a warning to all. Thus, leniency is not an option—only severity!”
A man clad in crimson robes, wreathed in flames, spoke coldly. He hailed from the Fire Cloud Cave, a sacred dwelling of ancient divinity, a name terrifying enough to freeze blood.
For this was a lineage that once dared to challenge the might of the imperial clan at its zenith—and lived to tell the tale. Unbroken and unyielding, they still reigned supreme, overlooking vast swathes of the upper realm.
The men of Sin Province seethed, faces flushed with fury. One of them could no longer restrain himself, striding forward with intent to force his way through.
“I advise you to stay docile and know your place. Don’t overestimate yourselves!” someone ahead sneered, utterly indifferent to their rage.
“You’re making us enter last—how many of us will even pass the trial?” a Sin Province cultivator roared.
“There’s always a chance. After all, it’s a trial by strength—the weak will fall regardless of when they enter,” a youth chuckled dismissively.
“Easy for you to say! When strength is equal, a single step’s delay can mean the difference between heaven and earth!”
“Enough talk. If you insist on defiance, then try your luck,” a woman from the Demon Dragon Path mocked.
The young men exchanged glances and resolved to charge. They were no weaklings—each a genius of their clan—how could they meekly surrender their chance to enter the Immortal Ancient?
“Ants shaking a tree—how dare you act so recklessly?!”
Laughter rang out as the crimson-robed man from Fire Cloud Cave struck. A scarlet beam shot from his mouth, morphing into a ruler radiating boundless terror.
In an instant, the void trembled violently, shaking every Revered One present. The artifact’s power was overwhelming, enveloping the area.
This was a forbidden treasure. Though the rules here capped power at the Revered One realm, this ruler exuded a wisp of divine pressure—an anomaly.
“The pinnacle of Revered Ones!” someone gasped, paling. With this ruler, no ordinary Revered One could stand against it—it represented the absolute limit of the realm.
No matter how strong one was, here, they were bound by the rules. Yet this ruler, forged by a supreme taboo figure, had reached the apex of this realm—unrivaled.
True enough, the artifacts summoned by the youths shattered instantly, reduced to dust by the scarlet ruler. A wave of oppressive force sent them coughing blood, hurled backward.
*Hum!*
The Fire Cloud Ruler glowed, resonating with the void as it transformed into a crimson streak, chasing them down for the kill.
Shi Hao’s eyes turned icy. Standing amidst the crowd, he let out a soft shout. Golden lotuses bloomed around him, erupting into a golden radiance that surged skyward to meet the ruler.
*Boom!*
The collision filled the sky with golden lotuses, halting the ruler’s descent.
“What?!” Many gasped at the spectacle—someone had actually countered a supreme treasure!
This ruler was the epitome of the Revered One realm—invincible when unleashed. Yet it had been blocked.
“Break!” the crimson-robed man roared, channeling his full power into the artifact.
The Fire Cloud Ruler crackled with symbols, thunder roaring as it unleashed unparalleled pressure. Though still confined to the Revered One realm, its might dwarfed all others.
Though divine power was suppressed by the rules, its aura alone was enough to shake souls.
*Rumble!*
The ruler descended like a crimson dragon, its roar shaking mountains and rivers, scarlet clouds billowing ominously.
*Clang!*
Yet it was repelled once more, sent reeling by the golden lotuses.
“Who dares?!” The Fire Cloud cultivator’s brows furrowed. Either this opponent wielded a treasure of equal rank, or they were a monster beyond measure.
*Whoosh!*
A golden streak flashed, nearly severing his head. A lotus grazed him, shearing off a lock of hair as the aftershock forced blood from his lips.
His companions tensed, raising a bone mirror to scan for the assailant.
The other Revered Ones shuddered. What kind of being could oppose the Fire Cloud Ruler?
Yet when they looked, the golden lotuses had dispersed into motes of light—vanishing without a trace.
Shi Hao frowned. That had been his doing—the golden lotuses, manifestations of his tribulation transcendence, each capable of sundering treasures.
A test confirmed their might.
His mood darkened. The Demon Dragon Path and Fire Cloud Cave were too overbearing. Spotting the bone mirrors, he knew they were tools to detect the Sin Mark.
As the wounded Sin Province cultivators melted into the crowd, Shi Hao turned away, heading to inspect the other paths.
Eight roads led to the Ancient Supreme Altar—he needed to see if all were like this.
“Step back!”
Sure enough, another path was blocked by silver-armored figures exuding frost.
They barred Sin Province’s people, demanding they enter last.
“Why? You steal our spots and now bully us like this—this is too much!” a girl cried, on the verge of tears.
“Because our sect enacts heaven’s will, wielding judgment. We decree that you Sin-blooded descendants enter last!”
Shi Hao watched coldly. This was another ancient lineage—the Floating Truth Valley, a superpower dominating numerous provinces.
He sighed inwardly. The sects monitoring Sin Province were all terrifyingly ancient and mighty.
“Enacting heaven’s will?” Shi Hao sneered. Even if these sects colluded to obscure the heavens, such arrogance was beyond belief.
He checked the remaining paths—all blocked by major sects.
Their true aim was clear: to find the one whose Sin Mark blazed to the skies. Him.
The final path was guarded by a group tied to the Six Crown King, Ning Fei—stationed here on his orders.
Ning Fei himself hadn’t come, exempt from the trials. His lackeys were here to identify the Sin Mark’s bearer.
“Brothers, let us unite to find that person,” they urged politely.
“By the Six Crown King’s decree, to preserve peace, the ‘sinful demon’ with the blazing Sin Mark must be eradicated.”
Shi Hao’s killing intent spiked.
Eight paths, eight blockades—all hunting him.
Their mirrors would expose the Sin Mark on his brow, its sigils unavoidable.
“Then kill them all,” Shi Hao said coldly.
Even if it stirred a storm, he wouldn’t back down.
In the Spirit Realm, he feared none. Even Heavenly Monarchs would kneel here. His only concern was his physical body outside.
But from what he knew, the ancient barrier’s rules were absolute—no outside interference was possible.
Once this ended, the ten thousand Revered Ones would be teleported to the wilderness, beyond reach.
“And if things go wrong, the Divine Striking Stone guards my body with a Void-breaking Talisman. Escape is assured.”
His resolve hardened. Here, he would strike with absolute ferocity!
Meanwhile, outsiders had entered the realm, watching from afar as the colossal altar loomed like a mountain.
“The Supreme Nectar has replenished?!” someone exclaimed.
This was a priceless treasure—nourishing the soul and tempering the Dao Embryo. Yet it was nearly unattainable, the altar’s summit nigh unreachable.
Even Heavenly Monarchs had tried and failed.
“What’s happening?”
Elders observing the trials gasped as one path erupted in dazzling light, runes blazing—a battle of terrifying scale had begun.
“The Sin Mark’s bearer has appeared!”
A beam shot skyward, forming a radiant “Sin” character. Chaos ensued as combat raged.
“The Floating Truth Valley has engaged him!”
Soon, bloodied figures fled in disarray.
“They’ve been routed! Many slain, heads piled like a hill!”
Shock rippled through the crowd.
On that path, Revered Ones gaped as a youth, like a demon king, slaughtered his way through.
“Go. No one will stop you now,” Shi Hao said gently to the tearful girl, urging her forward.
Then he turned to the first path—where the Demon Dragon Path and Fire Cloud Cave stood, their arrogance unshaken.
The Sin Mark would blaze across the Spirit Realm. Chaos was inevitable.
Shi Hao unleashed his full power, ready to paint the world red!
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