Chapter 872: The Indestructible

“Hahaha…”

Laughter echoed through the Purple Bamboo Forest, not just from Shi Hao but also from the Divine Striking Stone. Even Qing Yi couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. They had actually managed to scare off the heir of the Immortal Palace just like that.

“We should tell him the truth when we meet again. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be very kind,” the Divine Striking Stone said.

“Hehehe!” Shi Hao let out a mischievous laugh.

One could only imagine the expression on the Immortal Palace heir’s face when he learned the truth. The formation hadn’t even been broken, yet he had fled like a startled bird, abandoning the Enlightenment Stone and other divine treasures.

It was an absolute humiliation. He’d probably vomit blood on the spot, realizing he’d been tricked into abandoning everything in fear.

Qing Yi’s beautiful eyes sparkled as she watched the two of them, her lips curling into a smile she couldn’t suppress. This duo—one human, one stone—was truly wicked. Before the battle had even begun, they had already demoralized the Immortal Palace heir.

“Hurry up and break the formation. Can you dismantle it within two hours? We don’t want him doubling back and reclaiming his treasures,” Shi Hao urged.

“Alright, let me figure it out!” The Divine Striking Stone focused intently.

Outside, cultivators from various sects were closely watching, as this battle was of immense importance—a decisive clash between Shi Hao and the Immortal Palace heir, with far-reaching implications.

In a way, this was the first major duel among the geniuses within the Immortal Ancient, a fight of unprecedented intensity. Never before had two figures of this caliber engaged in a life-or-death struggle.

It was a spectacle that had captured everyone’s attention. All were eagerly awaiting the outcome.

Yet, no one could have predicted such a result. Without even a bloody fight, the duo had seized a great opportunity and frightened off the prodigious heir of the Immortal Palace.

It was unimaginable—a young supreme being hailed as invincible in this era had inexplicably suffered backlash, nearly going berserk, with half his body shattered and immobile.

The expressions of the onlookers were priceless, as if they’d seen a ghost. This… was utterly unexpected.

“Shameless!”

Outside, beside an ancient bronze Immortal Palace, several elderly servants stood with furious expressions, their snow-white beards trembling in rage. They were absolutely livid.

Even within the ancient bronze hall, a cold snort echoed, carrying unmistakable anger. For the Immortal Palace, this was an unbearable disgrace—injured without a fight, fleeing in panic. How could they tolerate it?

“The remnants of the Supreme Hall, their ancestors already defeated. Do they think they can defy the heavens in this era? Sooner or later, they’ll be exterminated.”

At that moment, a colossal creature with the head of a dragon and the body of a crocodile appeared in the void, towering like a mountain, its blood energy overwhelming. It let out a low roar, shaking the heavens.

The Dragon-Blooded Ancestral Crocodile was furious. Its descendant had fallen in battle, and the Immortal Palace heir had failed to exact revenge, instead fleeing in severe injury. It yearned to charge into the Immortal Ancient and slaughter everything.

Everyone trembled. This Ancestral Crocodile could undoubtedly tear apart a Heavenly God.

However, their attention soon shifted back to the small world, their gazes fixed on the Enlightenment Stone, wondering if Shi Hao and his companions could seize it.

Many coveted it—this was a supreme treasure. The Immortal Palace had actually lost one. Unthinkable!

“Wasn’t there a rumor that the Immortal Palace heir had merged his main and secondary bodies, making him unmatched among the younger generation? Why was he so pathetic today, fleeing without a fight?” someone remarked.

This was nothing short of a blatant slap to the face.

Everyone was stunned. Who dared to speak so brazenly, openly mocking the Immortal Palace in front of its mighty figures? Did they not fear dire consequences?

“Haha… indeed. Even the Enlightenment Stone was lost. Let’s wait and see if that heir gets slaughtered when he reappears!” another added mockingly.

“Humph!”

A heavy snort came from the bronze hall, followed by a silver ripple that rapidly expanded, surging toward the distant sky.

“Boom!”

At the horizon’s edge, a powerful being, towering like a peerless demon god, stood as tall as the heavens, its golden wings spread wide. With a single flap, terrifying energy surged forth.

The incoming ripple shattered completely, and a killing intent spread toward the bronze hall.

Everyone shuddered. Who was this, daring to strike back against the Immortal Palace’s mighty figures without fear?

Clearly, the golden radiance couldn’t penetrate the bronze hall either, dissipating silently outside. The being within the hall was unfathomably powerful.

“Project your celestial image across the stars, and we’ll fight when your true body emerges,” came the voice from the bronze hall.

At that moment, even the sect leaders were shaken. The words of the Immortal Palace’s mighty figure were earth-shattering.

Few in the Upper Realm were worthy of his attention. Anyone who was, without exception, stood as a peerless expert!

Moreover, the term “celestial projection” carried a mystical weight, startling the sect leaders. Few could achieve such a feat.

Celestial projection meant that even from the other side of the stars, one could ignore distance and manifest briefly on this side.

And during that time, they could even strike!

Such power was unimaginable.

“Who is this, capable of celestial projection? From the other side of the stars, he… manifests here to challenge the Immortal Palace’s mighty figure.”

The crowd was awestruck, their hearts roiling with shock.

“The Undying Being—it’s him!” someone finally recognized.

Had Shi Hao been present, he would have recognized him too—the Undying Being who had broken free in the Lower Realm, now reappearing.

“Old fools of the Immortal Palace, don’t flaunt your seniority. And the rest of you—if you dare harm Shi Hao when he emerges, I’ll hunt you down one by one when I return from the Forbidden Zone!”

The Undying Being’s words were brimming with arrogance.

The crowd was shaken. Many knew he had been forced into the vast Forbidden Zone by certain major sects, disappearing for a long time. Yet now, he was projecting his image across the stars from there.

“You dare bully the youth I favor? You have disciples too. If you don’t want them exterminated, behave yourselves!” the Undying Being added.

Behind him stood a faint, blurry figure of an elder, both standing firm within the Forbidden Zone.

Every sect was stunned. The Undying Being might be as distant as the stars, yet his projection exuded boundless arrogance, a testament to his growing power.

“Shi Hao… has such backing? This one is notoriously difficult to deal with and even harder to kill. Who would’ve thought?” someone muttered.

“This is troubling. If we bring up the Lower Realm, there’s also that Willow Tree!” another whispered.

Soon, the crowd fell silent, unwilling to discuss further.

“Wait for your return. I’ll kill you myself!” came a voice from the Immortal Palace, belonging to an ancient existence, its golden-bell-like tone resonating through the void.

“Anyone who dares harm the youth I favor, I’ll slaughter their entire sect!” the Undying Being declared.

Then, the celestial projection vanished. For a long time, no one spoke. Many felt a chill in their hearts.

—

Within a minor world of the Immortal Ancient, the Immortal Palace heir was covered in blood, half his body shattered. Suppressing his fury, he focused on healing, silently circulating his energy to mend his wounds.

A strange sound echoed as droplets of crimson blood, like scarlet pearls, seeped from his body. He carefully collected them in a jade vial.

This was Immortal Blood, a treasure coveted by all sects, capable of sparking wars.

His enlightenment had been disrupted, making fusion impossible for now. He sealed the blood away meticulously before beginning his recovery.

He retrieved a divine crystal, unsealing it to reveal a radiant golden pill, shining like the sun. Swallowing it, his body rumbled like thunder, his wounds visibly healing at an astonishing rate.

—

Back in the Purple Bamboo Forest, the formation roared, its patterns glowing brilliantly.

An hour later, the Divine Striking Stone finally carved a path, dismantling a corner of the ancient formation and breaking through.

“Haha… the Enlightenment Stone!” it cackled, lunging forward to take a bite.

Shi Hao grabbed it just in time. This treasure couldn’t be ruined.

“Clang!”

The Divine Striking Stone stubbornly took a bite, sparks flying.

“This damn thing is hard. Doesn’t seem to have the divine essence I need anyway. Probably can’t use it for enlightenment either,” it grumbled before reluctantly giving up.

“It really is that stone. To think it was lost by the Immortal Palace,” Qing Yi marveled, her eyes gleaming.

“So heavy!” Shi Hao exclaimed. The stone was unbelievably dense, living up to its reputation of weighing more than a star.

If not for the formation holding it in place, it would’ve long since sunk into the earth.

Shi Hao tried storing it in a spatial artifact, but the stone barely moved before the container shattered under its weight.

Even divine artifacts couldn’t hold it!

Finally, Shi Hao retrieved his alchemy cauldron, painstakingly placing the stone inside. With a splash, it sank into the cauldron’s lightning-infused waters—success at last.

The cauldron’s mysteries deepened in his eyes.

“Give me time to take that final step, then I’ll lend you the Enlightenment Stone for your breakthrough,” Shi Hao told Qing Yi.

The two began scavenging the area. The bamboo grove still held bone scriptures—insights from ancient sages—left behind by the Immortal Palace heir. Other divine treasures lay scattered about, all of which they took.

“Should we wait for him here?” the Divine Striking Stone asked.

“No need. Let him stew in his rage alone. We’ll meet him outside,” Shi Hao said.

“Good. Let him ‘reflect’ on his actions. Haha!” the Divine Striking Stone laughed.

And so, they departed, returning to the Verdant Spirit Realm.

“Boss, is my braised Golden-Winged Roc ready yet?” Shi Hao called outside the Eight Delicacies Pavilion.

Everyone’s expressions shifted. This demon had returned. Had he truly slain the Immortal Palace heir?

“N-not yet,” the owner stammered nervously. “Such a heavenly creature requires slow simmering for the braising.”

“Fine. Keep at it. I hope to enjoy that roc after this battle,” Shi Hao said.

Then, he turned to the crowd. “The Immortal Palace guy should show up soon. Anyone know him? Pass along a message—tell him to come and face his death!”

—

Back in the Purple Bamboo Forest, the Immortal Palace heir reappeared, surveying the wreckage. The Enlightenment Stone was gone. His face darkened, and he let out a furious roar, his hair whipping wildly as divine flames erupted around him.

Soon after, he arrived at Radiant City, standing alone atop its walls. “Shi Hao! Dare you face me in battle? Today, I’ll take your head!”

His thunderous shout shook the entire Radiant Realm.

“Shi Hao, crawl out here! If you want to live, I might take you as my servant!” the heir bellowed.

“My lord, word has it he’s in the Verdant Spirit Realm,” someone finally dared to approach and whisper.

“Boom!”

The heir vanished, streaking toward the Verdant Spirit Realm.

“Shi Hao, prepare to die!” he roared upon arrival.

Shi Hao soared into the sky to meet him. “Took you long enough. Been waiting. Are you human-shaped? If not, you’ll be braised alongside the Golden-Winged Roc!”