Chapter 844: The Nest Realm

In the Nest Realm, within a stretch of primeval forest.

The ground was thick with fallen leaves, piled several feet deep, soft underfoot, the air heavy with the scent of decay.

Ancient trees towered densely into the sky, their sprawling branches forming vast canopies that blocked out the sun in many places, leaving the ground below perpetually shaded. Fruits and other organic matter that fell here quickly rotted.

The Nest Realm was named after the lair of one of the Ten Calamities.

Far from the Bright Realm, this was a sizable minor world—a place of towering ancient trees and savage beasts, teeming with venomous insects and deadly creatures, making it an extremely perilous land.

“Is this the suspected lair of one of the Ten Calamities?” Shi Hao asked.

“Not quite. This is only the outermost region. That place is far more treacherous—countless have died there, no fewer than eighty to a hundred thousand. The cliffs are stained red with blood,” Luo Dao replied.

The death toll rose rapidly each day, all because it was the lair of one of the Ten Calamities, rumored to hold heaven-defying fortunes that drove men to madness, like moths to a flame.

At the moment, they were deep within the mountainous terrain, where ancient trees blotted out the sun, colossal vines coiled around peaks, dragon-beasts roared, and primordial birds soared through the skies. The air was thick with a primal aura, and many prehistoric creatures lurked here.

Creatures like the Twin-Headed Dragon-Bird, the Ancestral Crocodile, and the Sky-Devouring Snail—each one terrifying in its own right!

Even Shi Hao had to retreat from some of them, their cultivation realms shockingly high.

These were the primordial beings of the Immortal Ancient, dwelling in special zones. They rarely ventured beyond their habitats, but they were not to be provoked.

“Let’s rest at the foot of this stone mountain. A great battle may be upon us soon,” Lu Yi suggested.

The stone mountain stood hundreds of zhang tall, barren and silent, yet surrounded by fragrant spirit herbs.

Within the Immortal Ancient, spiritual energy was so dense that medicinal plants thrived. Ancient herbs tens of thousands of years old were common, and even sacred medicines evolved from them.

Suddenly, Shi Hao’s hair stood on end. Golden runes erupted from his body, wrapping around everyone as he swiftly retreated, covering a distance of ten thousand zhang in an instant.

**Boom!**

From the spot they had just vacated, a massive head emerged, crowned with two fleshy horns, its body a sickly gray-white, dripping with viscous slime—a horrifying sight.

“A Sky-Devouring Snail!” Lu Yi paled. The “stone mountain” he had suggested for rest was, in fact, the shell of a snail—hundreds of zhang tall, its dark-brown carapace indistinguishable from rock.

“Fortunately, it’s only at the Great Perfection of the True God realm and hasn’t advanced further,” Lan Yichen remarked.

“We must be cautious. Its venom is lethal—even a powerful Heavenly God would perish upon contact. The slime alone can corrode one’s foundation beyond remedy,” Luo Dao warned.

The only silver lining was that this wasn’t a gathering ground for the Immortal Ancient’s primordial beings. Only scattered ancient creatures lurked here, making it far from the most dangerous zone.

“Those tribes truly possess heaven-defying treasures. The ancestral lands of the supreme ancient beings grow rare divine herbs of incalculable value. But alas, none dare approach,” Luo Dao sighed.

In those places, the primordial beings were terrifying beyond measure. Even sect leaders from the Upper Realm would struggle to survive if they ventured in.

Yet, curiously, these beings never left their territories unless some great upheaval occurred, remaining “docile” otherwise.

“I’ve always found it strange. Why don’t they emerge? And why are they nearly impossible to communicate with, like the living dead?” Lan Yichen mused.

“Some geniuses who entered the Immortal Ancient in past eras stayed behind by accident. Their descendants still live here, but without fail, they meet tragic ends—either dying mysteriously or going mad. Could it be related to this?” Luo Dao voiced his suspicion.

“The Immortal Ancient holds too many mysteries. We must tread carefully,” Lu Yi said.

They skirted the area, avoiding a direct confrontation with the Sky-Devouring Snail. Unless it reached the Heavenly God realm, its sluggish movements posed no threat of pursuit.

“We’re close. This is the region. No one has ever truly reached the deepest part of the lair—countless obstacles stand in the way,” Luo Dao pointed ahead.

A misty expanse stretched before them, gray haze swirling, not thick but enough to blur distant scenery.

Stone mountains, ancient trees, and winding streams dotted the landscape.

Yet, an eerie, sinister aura lingered here, unsettling the heart.

The trees here were short, barely taller than a man, their species unknown, seemingly ordinary.

But any cultivator who entered this forest would lose their way, often wandering for days.

“Beyond this forest lies the Calamity’s Lair?” Shi Hao asked.

“Yes, but crossing it doesn’t guarantee entry. Many have taken different paths, encountering bizarre spatial distortions and mysteries along the way.”

“If so many have died, why do people still come?” Shi Hao pressed.

“Who wouldn’t covet the lair of a Ten Calamity? Even if entry is impossible, the surrounding areas hold great fortunes. A few have reaped immense rewards,” Lan Yichen explained.

This forest was called the Ghost Woods.

The moment Shi Hao stepped in, he understood why. A single step sent the stars shifting, as if millennia had passed, the world transforming around him.

Here, the mist thickened, shadows danced, and one could easily lose not just their way but their very sense of self.

“Strange. For a moment, I nearly forgot my own name,” Lu Yi shuddered, his face ashen.

The others nodded. Even Luo Dao and Lan Yichen felt their souls tremble, as if they’d undergone a cycle of reincarnation.

Shi Hao frowned. “Just now, a sinister force tried to influence my soul, but my divine sanctuary blocked it.”

As they ventured deeper, they spotted other figures—cultivators searching for a path to the lair.

The Ghost Woods spanned no less than ten thousand li, vast beyond measure.

Yet, even here, they frequently encountered other experts. No one could say just how many had come.

Shi Hao’s group progressed smoothly, nearing the lair in just half a day. It was shrouded in chaotic energy.

“A range of broken mountains, all stone? Wait—no, they seem like volcanoes,” Lu Yi murmured, awed.

The sight was mystical—a series of shattered peaks, hollowed out like volcanoes, massive and imposing, exuding an aura of the Great Dao.

As the chaotic mist dispersed, the sky above came into view, even more breathtaking.

Above the stone mountains hung blood-red moons—thirty-three in total, looming ominously close to the peaks, appearing unnaturally large.

“Don’t tell me these represent the Thirty-Three Heavens,” Shi Hao muttered.

The blood moons seemed only a few hundred zhang above the mountains.

**Rumble!**

A deafening roar echoed as ten even larger celestial bodies emerged from the chaos, blazing with light—each ten times the size of the blood moons.

Blood-colored suns!

Lu Yi was stunned. “This is an ancient, unparalleled phenomenon! Ten blood suns and thirty-three blood moons, all pressing down on this land, nearly touching the ground!”

“Legend says these suns and moons were stained red by immortal blood during the Immortal Ancient War,” Luo Dao said, his voice tinged with awe despite having seen this before.

This was a spectacle beyond compare—ten suns and thirty-three moons, all suspended above the lair. Who else in history could achieve such a feat?

“Immortal blood dyed these celestial bodies… How terrifying. What kind of beings fought in that war? I wish I’d been born in that era,” Shi Hao sighed.

The others paled. This madman actually yearned for that cataclysmic epoch, where even immortals bled and the world was shattered!

“Ancient prophecies say such a war will come again. If you ever reach that pinnacle, you might witness it all and uncover the truth,” Lan Yichen said.

This prophecy, carved by a supreme immortal of the bygone era, carried the weight of the Great Dao, a testament to the carver’s unimaginable power.

Suddenly, another rumble shook the heavens. Three thousand colossal stars emerged, most of them blue, rolling out from the chaos to orbit the ancient land.

“Incredible! Surely these represent the three thousand ancient Daos,” Lu Yi gasped.

Upon closer inspection, some of the blue stars bore crimson stains, others half-drenched in blood—an eerie sight.

Now, Shi Hao believed the legends. These celestial bodies likely had indeed been splashed with immortal blood.

He stared intently for a long time.

“Something’s off. They seem close, but I feel they’re still far away, separated by layers of void,” Shi Hao frowned, sensing a vast distance still lay between them and the ancient land.

Luo Dao and Lan Yichen marveled at his intuition. While they had been lost in confusion, he’d discerned the truth at a glance.

“Correct. Many zones surround the lair, each vast and filled with opportunities. What seems near is, in fact, separated by divine lands, demonic territories, and sacred realms.”

Clearly, spatial rules warped perception here.

Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed with symbols as he peered ahead, and the landscape shifted before him.

“Ah! A land of fortune! The spiritual energy is so dense it’s formed a lake of liquid essence, with phoenix fish swimming within—their radiant wings shimmering. These are sacred creatures that extend lifespan, enough to make sect leaders covet them like mad!” Shi Hao exclaimed.

These were among the rarest beings, their life essence extraordinary.

Another zone held divine fruit trees, exuding sacred energy, their ancient trunks gnarled, branches heavy with glowing fruit. Cultivators flitted about, attempting to harvest them.

Yet another sacred realm featured an ancient palace drifting upon a river of life, its walls resonating with Dao chants and flickering runes, as if reciting scriptures.

“So mysterious!” Shi Hao gasped, his excitement mounting. Even ignoring the lair, these surrounding regions alone held treasures worth exploring.

Everywhere he looked, there was no ordinary land—each place brimmed with divine wonders. Obtaining even one would be a monumental gain!