The Silver Millstone Mountain gleamed snow-white, as if it were a luminous snowy peak, vast and magnificent.
This was a range of metallic mountains, primarily composed of silver essence. Though the peaks were merely ordinary silver essence, the sheer quantity piled together was astonishing.
At the center stood a massive, peculiar mountain shaped like a giant millstone, its form bizarre and unlike any typical peak. It was this very mountain that gave the region its name—Silver Millstone Mountain.
A fierce wind howled as Shi Hao descended to the ground, followed closely by Luo Dao and Louis as they approached the shimmering metallic mountain range.
“Lan Yichen can merge with metal—it’s an innate divine ability that allows him to survive. He’s hiding in these mountains with the Eight-Treasure Qilin,” Luo Dao explained.
The two of them had split up to escape, desperate to survive the relentless pursuit by a large group of enemies. The situation had been dire.
Lan Yichen had taken refuge here, using the vast metallic terrain to evade the hunters. Meanwhile, Luo Dao had boldly slipped back into Radiant City, hiding in the most dangerous place—right under their noses.
Otherwise, escape would have been impossible. The exits of the Radiant Realm had been sealed with an inescapable net.
“Let me see who dares to steal the Eight-Treasure Qilin!” Shi Hao declared. Having just emerged from seclusion, his strength had surged, and he exuded an air of calm confidence.
An invisible pressure radiated from him, startling even Luo Dao. Nine months apart, and this young demon king had grown even more formidable.
Though the pressure was immense, it also gave Luo Dao an inexplicable sense of reassurance. Perhaps they could rescue Lan Yichen after all.
“There… there are so many people here, all of them experts. Can the three of us really take them on?” Louis trembled with fear. Despite witnessing Shi Hao’s brutality, the sheer number of powerful foes made him uneasy.
If he could have fled, he would have long ago. Staying by this demon king’s side was far too dangerous. But where could he go now? The Celestial Court likely despised him for leading Shi Hao here.
“Which factions are involved?” Shi Hao asked.
“Many. There are people from the Fire Cloud Cave, the Dark Divine Palace, the Sword Valley, and…” Luo Dao listed.
These were terrifying individuals—not only subordinates of the era’s strongest but also followers of ancient freaks. The place was swarming with experts, including a number of rogue cultivators.
The siege had naturally drawn attention, and powerful rogue cultivators and first-generation prodigies had arrived to join the hunt.
The Eight-Treasure Qilin could multiply the effects of any divine herb or sacred fruit several times over. Who wouldn’t covet it? In the outside world, ancient sects would wage war over such a treasure.
“Regardless of faction, anyone who stands in my way will die!” Shi Hao declared coldly before striding forward.
“Good!” Luo Dao clenched his fists, his face alight with excitement.
The past days had been filled with humiliation. They had obtained a rare treasure, only to be hunted down by major factions, barely escaping with their lives.
He and Lan Yichen had fought desperately, nearly losing their lives in the process.
Silver Millstone Mountain occasionally emitted bursts of white light—a sign of the overwhelming metallic energy. Many had come here to mine precious metals, believing the depths held divine materials.
“Halt! The mountain is sealed. No entry.”
As soon as they stepped into the silver mountains, guards appeared, blocking their path with cold expressions.
“Many have already entered. Why stop us?” Louis stepped forward to question them.
“Precisely because too many have come. The factions have set rules—no latecomers allowed. There isn’t enough silver essence left for everyone. Leave.”
Before Louis could argue further, Shi Hao stopped him and stepped forward. “We’re not here for the ore. We’re looking for someone.”
“Who?” The guards’ expressions darkened.
“Lan Yichen,” Shi Hao replied coolly.
“Hmph, another group trying to snatch a share? You’re too late. The mountain has been divided into eight zones. There’s no place for you here,” one sneered.
“Lan Yichen is my brother. I’m taking him home. I don’t need any zone or territory here,” Shi Hao said flatly.
“What?”
“Sound the alarm! Now!”
The guards immediately retreated, trying to send word into the mountains.
“Boom!”
A pair of massive Kun Peng wings unfurled behind Shi Hao. With a single flap, a tempest erupted, divine power surged, and mist billowed. The guards were sent flying, coughing blood as they crashed into the cliffs, bones shattered.
Even Luo Dao’s eyelids twitched. Shi Hao’s power had skyrocketed. Those guards hadn’t been weaklings, yet they were obliterated in an instant.
“Let’s go,” Shi Hao said, marching forward. He had come for blood.
The Eight-Treasure Qilin was rightfully theirs, yet others had coveted it, forcing them into a corner. With his temper, Shi Hao would never let this slide.
His killing intent was palpable as they advanced.
The mountain was barren, devoid of vegetation, its slopes gleaming with silver essence—a surreal sight.
Soon, they reached the second checkpoint. Like the first, it was guarded. In fact, the entire mountain range was patrolled at intervals.
“Wait… this man resembles Luo Dao,” one guard muttered, comparing a portrait to the silver-robed youth. His face paled.
Luo Dao struck like lightning, his hair elongating into a crimson waterfall, symbols blazing across the sky.
The guards screamed, summoning weapons to block. But the crimson strands pierced through their defenses, shattering their treasures and techniques effortlessly.
With a series of metallic clashes, the guards were sent flying.
Luo Dao pressed the attack.
Even Shi Hao had once been wounded by those strands—proof of their terrifying sharpness and divine might.
“Thud!”
In an instant, the crimson threads pierced the guards’ foreheads. None survived.
“You fight so fiercely now. How did you nearly die earlier?” Louis muttered, awestruck.
“Try facing multiple first-generation prodigies alone and see how you fare,” Luo Dao retorted.
Louis shuddered. Shi Hao nodded—Luo Dao’s survival against such odds spoke volumes of his strength.
They pressed on, cutting through four checkpoints without hesitation, swiftly approaching the heart of Silver Millstone Mountain.
The outer defenses were manned by experts, but none were first-generation prodigies—their purpose was merely to deter latecomers.
The true leaders, the powerful first-generation prodigies, were all gathered at the center, hunting Lan Yichen for the Eight-Treasure Qilin.
“Alert! Intruders have broken through!”
Finally, their presence was detected. The corpses at the checkpoints were discovered, and alarms rang out.
Instantly, the mountains teemed with figures, bone scripts flaring in waves.
Louis’s face turned ashen. The sheer number of experts lying in wait was staggering.
“Most seem humanoid. Will they revert to their true forms when killed?” Shi Hao mused, frowning.
Luo Dao looked puzzled. Louis simply gaped, speechless.
“Kill him!”
“Attack!”
The mountains echoed with roars as countless figures surged toward them.
Shi Hao strode forward fearlessly, his chilling gaze and overwhelming killing intent cowing many.
To them, he seemed like a bloodthirsty Asura.
“Fear nothing! We outnumber him! And the leaders inside will sense this soon!” someone shouted.
A barrage of treasures and techniques rained down upon them.
“Boom!”
Golden symbols ignited in Shi Hao’s eyes as his body erupted with radiant light, like an immortal ascending.
This was the Heaven’s Wrath Light—though restrained, its brilliance was dazzling, scattering like rain across the battlefield.
A perfect technique for mass combat.
“Thud! Thud! Thud!”
Over thirty figures collapsed, blood pooling around them. Silence fell.
The survivors recoiled in terror, retreating hastily.
Ignoring them, Shi Hao advanced toward the mountain’s core.
At the center loomed the massive silver millstone peak, towering above the rest.
A grand formation, jointly set by the top factions, encircled the mountain, trapping Lan Yichen. They had been tightening the net, confident of capturing him soon.
“Boom!”
Shi Hao struck relentlessly. Having studied formations alongside the Divine Striking Stone, he targeted the weakest point, tearing through with brute force.
Inside the formation, eight figures sat around the millstone peak—each exuding an oppressive aura like ancient deities.
“Impressive, breaking through to this point. You have some skill,” a silver-haired figure remarked, eyeing Shi Hao.
“You’re too late. Leave,” said a man with a third eye, his beautiful yet eerie face impassive.
They had already been informed of Shi Hao’s approach.
“I’m here for Lan Yichen. I’m taking him with me,” Shi Hao stated calmly.
“Hahaha!” A golden-horned man laughed before his expression turned icy. “And who do you think you are? Dreaming of taking him and the Eight-Treasure Qilin for yourself?”
“Do you think you’re strong enough to challenge us?” a woman shrouded in black mist sneered, her deathly aura marking her as a Netherworld clansman.
“Because the Eight-Treasure Qilin is rightfully mine,” Shi Hao replied, hands clasped behind his back.
“So, the mastermind has arrived. You’re the one behind Lan Yichen. And Luo Dao too—this is your trump card? Pathetic!” the golden-horned man mocked.
“Killing the mastermind means the treasure is up for grabs, no?” a crimson-armored woman added, her beautiful face twisted with amusement.
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