Shi Hao was truly stunned. How could this person look exactly like him?
If it were just that, it might have been bearable, but even the treasure spells were identical—capable of unleashing the same techniques. This shook him to the core, sending waves of turmoil through his heart!
The man had gray-white hair, clearly in his twilight years. His body had been pierced by Shi Hao’s gleaming halberd, black blood pooling on the ground, carrying a putrid stench.
Shi Hao’s heart pounded violently. Was this what he would look like in his old age? Seeing the other pinned to the ground like this sent a tremor through him.
What was happening? The eerie transformation was filled with mystery.
Shi Hao stared at the man, clad in attire from the Immortal Ancient Era, exuding an aura of time—ancient and weathered, especially the bronze short spear that had pierced through his forehead and out the back of his skull, a gruesome sight.
“Is there… reincarnation in this world?” Shi Hao’s voice trembled slightly.
Could this person be connected to him? The resemblance was uncanny. If not for the deathly gray pupils, even the aura was eerily similar. How could they be so alike?
At this sight, Shi Hao felt a wave of desolation. If reincarnation existed, was this… himself? An old man from the Immortal Ancient Era who met a tragic end—was it him?
The thought made his heart tremble with sorrow. Such an end was too pitiful!
Judging by the attire and weapon, this man was ancient, likely truly from the Immortal Ancient Era. If reincarnation existed, Shi Hao dared not imagine further.
“If there is a past life, was I this wretched?”
Anyone seeing such a version of themselves would be heartbroken.
An old man, gray hair disheveled, eyes dim, black blood oozing—clearly having suffered the most terrible fate, reduced to such a miserable state.
And now, he had been slain by a “self” who looked exactly like him!
Thinking of this, Shi Hao felt a pang of grief. How could it be like this? It was all too sorrowful.
His mind grew hazy, thoughts swirling—reincarnation, fate, the previous era, the present life…
Suddenly, he snapped back to alertness. What was happening? His Dao heart was firm, unshakable. Even in the face of tragedy, he shouldn’t lose focus in battle.
Shi Hao regained clarity. He realized his emotions had been influenced by some inexplicable force. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so lost and distraught. At his level, his mind should not be so unsettled.
In an instant, Shi Hao’s gaze sharpened, his Dao heart steadied, his divine soul glowing, his forehead radiant.
And it was at this moment that he noticed the man impaled by the halberd was covered in intertwining bone runes—the glow of a reincarnation technique, about to take form and erupt.
These runes were intense, bursting forth in an instant. Unlike the dazzling treasure spells Shi Hao wielded, the light they emitted was sinister and terrifying.
It was a dark radiance, shooting out in waves, accompanied by black rain—cold, eerie, and reeking of decay.
“Break!”
Shi Hao roared. This was his innate treasure spell. No one knew better than him how fearsome and relentless it was, but he also knew how to counter it.
He used bone runes to resist, systematically dismantling the technique.
At the same time, he immediately activated his unique ability—immunity to magic—to shield himself, preventing the reincarnation technique from affecting his body.
Indeed, the dual approach worked. He directly blocked the reincarnation spell.
The next moment, Shi Hao’s eyes turned cold. He struck mercilessly, bone runes intertwining as countless symbols surged from his body, transforming into divine swords, Dao bells, and sacred pagodas.
Moreover, he channeled the Primordial True Solution, turning decay into wonder, unleashing his full power to suppress and kill.
“Boom!”
The strike shattered the already cracked creature, splitting it in half at the waist.
The being on the ground had no life force, no blood energy, no emotions—yet it suddenly spoke.
“You… killed me?”
Black blood spilled from its lips, its eyes dim and unfocused, its voice ancient and filled with sorrow.
Shi Hao gazed down calmly, withdrawing the halberd from the body and watching silently.
“Why?” The murky eyes held confusion, the blackened lips reeking of decay as it asked.
“Shh—!”
In a flash, Shi Hao raised the halberd high and slashed down without hesitation.
At that moment, the gleaming halberd blade streaked across the sky like a comet, illuminating the earth and Shi Hao’s resolute gaze. He was firm, decisive, unwavering—his conviction unshakable.
“Pfft!”
A soft sound. He cleaved the man in two from the crown of his head. Black blood splattered far, staining the stone path in a ghastly sight.
“Who killed me… and who am I?”
The figure uttered its final words before falling still. Then, it began to rot, black liquid spreading across the ground.
Shi Hao stood in silence, staring for a long time without speaking.
“You just killed him… but he looked exactly like you. Could there really be a connection?” the Divine Striking Stone said.
It had watched from afar, finding today’s events too bizarre, filled with inexplicable strangeness.
“Just an eerie transformation. Even if it were a living person identical to me, it wouldn’t shake my Dao heart,” Shi Hao said, his gaze clear and unwavering.
“Aren’t you afraid there might be a connection?” the Divine Striking Stone pressed.
“I don’t believe in reincarnation, nor that he’s related to me. Just an eerie trick—a petty ploy to unsettle me?” Shi Hao looked up at the void.
His eyes locked onto an ancient lamp suspended a hundred zhang above, like a beacon.
Shi Hao’s body erupted with radiant light, thunderbolts condensing into a lightning spear. With a fierce throw—
“Clang!”
The spear struck the eerie lamp, causing it to sway and emit ghostly flames.
“Die!”
Shi Hao shot into the sky, wielding the Void Halberd, slashing at the lamp with all his might, unleashing his full potential.
“Boom!”
The lamp exploded into fragments of runes.
Shi Hao didn’t stop. He summoned 1,400 flames, igniting one ancient path after another, illuminating the area with sacred serenity.
The flames converged into a furnace, engulfing the fragments and burning them to nothingness.
Then, he descended.
The corpse’s flesh rotted, revealing bones, black blood pooling.
As time passed, the blood dried, the bones lost their luster, then crumbled into dust.
The flesh and black blood vanished as well, a breeze scattering them into nothingness.
Shi Hao tried to retrieve the bronze spear, but it shattered upon lifting, turning to powder.
Even the short spear that had pierced the creature’s forehead crumbled like weathered sand.
“Unable to withstand time’s erosion, it should have turned to dust long ago. Only now, after being destroyed, has it returned to earth,” Shi Hao murmured.
He became more convinced—this was a corpse left behind from the Immortal Ancient Era.
Again, he summoned the path’s flames, burning the remnants to ensure no lingering threats.
“There is only one me in this world. My Dao heart cannot be shaken,” Shi Hao declared.
“You actually survived and killed him…” the Void Divine Vine trembled, peeking out from behind the Divine Striking Stone. Only after confirming the ominous presence was gone did it sigh in relief.
“Does the eerie transformation vary by cultivation level?” Shi Hao pondered.
The Void Divine Vine nodded hastily. “The Five-Crowned King once speculated the same. He believed there was conspiracy, rules, beings… and great terror behind it.”
Shi Hao reflected silently for a long time. Unafraid, his gaze grew even firmer. “I look forward to seeing what comes next!”
He began healing, quietly recuperating.
Earlier, it had felt like fighting himself—an exhausting battle of over 2,000 exchanges. His arms nearly broke, his palms split, and he coughed up blood repeatedly.
After a day and night, Shi Hao opened his eyes. Without delay, he pressed on, summoning 1,400 flames to temper himself.
This was a trial of life and death. As more paths ignited, the challenge grew harsher.
This time, he nearly burned himself to ruin. 1,400 light clusters formed within him, each containing runes that tempered his flesh and scorched his divine soul.
Nine deaths, one life. When it ended, Shi Hao lay motionless for half a day, barely human.
Had he not held a piece of divine herb in his mouth, he might have perished.
“Kid, don’t scare us like this. Cultivation isn’t supposed to be like this—you’re burning your lifespan! Stop, this is a dead end,” the Divine Striking Stone urged.
Those who walked this path in ancient times met tragic ends.
“No matter,” Shi Hao sat up. As the herb dissolved, he gradually recovered, his vitality returning after a long rest.
Soon, he resumed his breakthrough, unwilling to stop. He sensed that igniting the 1,500th flame might bring change.
After all, half of the 3,000 stone paths would then be alight.
“The eerie transformations grow deadlier each time. If another comes, you might not survive. You can’t go on,” the Void Divine Vine warned.
“Based on the Five-Crowned King’s experience and the interval between my transformations, the next one won’t come immediately,” Shi Hao said.
He insisted on igniting the 1,500th flame—a midpoint that could solidify his path to godhood and strengthen him for future trials.
Flames roared, engulfing the heavens—a breathtaking sight.
This time, Shi Hao’s flesh was nearly obliterated. Countless runes flickered across his bones and withered muscles.
His divine soul shrank but grew denser, more radiant, bathed in holy light.
The once fist-sized soul halved—not a loss of power, but refinement through tempering.
It became translucent, like crystal.
His soul grew stronger.
Yet this trial was the most perilous yet. Enduring 1,500 flames, half the paths alight, was torment.
Shi Hao nearly perished. When it ended, he forced himself upright, resisting the urge to collapse.
Even with divine herbs, it took over ten days to recover.
The difference was clear. Upon recovery, Shi Hao’s aura surged, divine mist swirling around him, accompanied by celestial phenomena.
This wasn’t his doing—the heavens themselves manifested it for him.
He felt immense power flowing within. To his surprise, he had reached the mid-stage of the Divine Flame Realm!
“Pity the divine herbs are spent,” he sighed.
The Void Divine Vine was reduced to roots and a small segment—consuming more would harm it irreparably.
“It’s time to see what’s happening outside. I wonder if Lan Yichen and Luo Dao found any rare herbs.”
Hearing this, the Void Divine Vine relaxed, its worries eased.
“And it’s time to test my progress after seclusion,” Shi Hao added.
He also wanted to know what had transpired in the depths of the Immortal Ancient, what treasures had emerged, and what the ancient freaks were up to.
“Though the road ahead won’t be easy,” Shi Hao frowned. The next eerie transformation wouldn’t be far off.
Moreover, this path consumed resources voraciously. With the divine herb exhausted, what would he use next? A headache indeed.
Suddenly, Shi Hao recalled something. “Void Divine Vine, I once saw you manifest a snow-white tortoise carrying a woman in white. What kind of herb was that? Have you seen it?”
“I have. It’s a longevity herb from the Immortal Ancient Era, once exclusive to immortals,” the vine confirmed.
Shi Hao’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“There’s a mysterious herb garden here, filled with divine plants that extend life—Vermilion Fruit, Qilin Trees… and even immortal longevity herbs…”
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