The Hall of Human Immortals—just hearing its name sent tremors through one’s heart.
Three words, yet they weighed as heavy as a mountain!
“What kind of place is that?” Shi Hao asked solemnly. The White Tortoise had just hinted that it might hold the solution to his problem of burning ten thousand Daos to nurture a second strand of immortal energy. That place must be extraordinary!
“A hall built within a medicinal garden—what do you think it is? Though constructed by human immortals, I believe it could be called the Hall of Medicinal Immortals,” the White Tortoise replied.
It was a place of cultivation, but also a site for refining medicines. Where did all the herbs from this ancient garden go? Without much thought, most were likely refined there.
“After so much time, what could possibly remain? Could there still be immortal-grade medicinal powders?” Shi Hao wondered.
“Do not underestimate the immortals, nor belittle the most ancient stone halls. It is a place of seclusion, but also a site of alchemy,” the White Tortoise said, explicitly stating that elixirs of immortality had once been refined there.
Speaking of this, its pupils contracted involuntarily, for its own medicinal form had once been severed and sent there for refinement.
At that moment, the Fountain of Youth erupted with radiant light. The sword embryo in Shi Hao’s hand blazed like a hundred suns, unbearably dazzling, resplendent and sacred.
*Crack!*
The treasure chain within the spring shattered, its glow dimming. It was forged from mixed divine metals, and all the Radiant White Gold it contained had dissipated, absorbed into the sword embryo.
As the immortal radiance faded, the sword embryo in Shi Hao’s hand was now shrouded in a misty white haze, exuding an extraordinary sacredness—this was the Radiant White Gold, also known as Radiant Immortal Gold.
“It absorbed more?” the Divine Striking Stone exclaimed in shock. It knew the sword embryo had previously absorbed Seven-Colored Immortal Gold, dyeing its light rain in hues of the rainbow. Now, with the absorption of White Gold, the mist became even more serene and hazy, indistinguishable from true immortal qi as it spread outward.
Shi Hao also found it eerie. He weighed the sword embryo in his hand—its weight hadn’t changed at all. That much Radiant Immortal Gold should have weighed hundreds of thousands of pounds, yet after fusion, there was no increase in weight!
“Something’s strange, but I can’t recall what,” the woman atop the White Tortoise murmured, shaking her head in the end.
“Hahaha…” The White Tortoise laughed heartily, carrying the snow-robed woman as it burst from the earth. A treasure chain wrapped around it snapped with a *crack*, falling away.
This chain had been restraining it, preventing its escape.
With the loss of the Radiant Immortal Gold, the enchanted chain decayed, no longer able to suppress or imprison it.
“Thank you so much. I am finally free,” the White Tortoise said excitedly, darting left and right with the snow-robed fairy on its back, overjoyed at its newfound liberty.
Before, it could move about, but the enchanted chain contained spatial rules, confining it to a certain range on the ancient island. It had no means of leaving.
“All things will begin to wither, the world will grow desolate, and everything will change. Divine medicines will become muddled, turning into semi-divine herbs. Even elixirs of immortality will degrade, never again as potent as before. The only escape is to flee this world entirely,” the White Tortoise muttered, shuddering as if waking from a nightmare.
“What… are you saying?!” Shi Hao was stunned.
“Brother, if you have a way, find a means to escape the Upper Realm. Otherwise, everything will change, as if descending into hell. Even if some survive the cycle of epochs, they will never be as they once were—even immortal medicines will degrade.”
“Explain clearly!” Shi Hao’s heart trembled. With a *clang*, he flicked the sword, its sound like the cry of dragons and phoenixes. The white mist receded, and the sword returned to its dull, lusterless state.
The White Tortoise snapped out of its daze and landed. “There was once a prophecy—the heavens and earth will change, and one must flee this realm.”
“Where can one flee to?” Shi Hao pressed.
“A place where true immortality exists!” the White Tortoise said. But as for how to leave or find it, it had no answer—unless one became an immortal.
Shi Hao frowned. All signs pointed to a future of unimaginable chaos.
“The world will wither—are you so certain?” Shi Hao asked.
“I do not know. It is merely an ancient prophecy. Perhaps it is only a shift in the greater environment, a drastic change in the laws of heaven and earth. But there will undoubtedly be the most terrible upheaval!” the White Tortoise said.
Shi Hao pondered. No matter what the future held, the only thing he could do now was strengthen himself. If that day truly came, he would carve out his own path with his fists!
“I keep my word. You helped me escape, so I shall grant you a great opportunity. But whether you can seize it depends on your own fortune.”
“Wait.” Shi Hao spotted Luo Dao, Lan Yichen, Little Rabbit, and Louis outside the island, hiding beyond the spatial turbulence.
Worried about Shi Hao’s battle against the ancient freaks, they had followed to witness the outcome. Unexpectedly, they saw the ancient medicinal garden reappear.
“Can they be brought in?” Shi Hao asked.
“No problem, but they must not harm the medicinal garden,” the White Tortoise said.
“Wah wah wah…” When Little Rabbit stepped onto the island, her face flushed red with excitement. She rolled on the ground, squealing in delight—the sight of so many herbs nearly made her faint.
She cultivated the Dao of Nature, and the more spiritual herbs there were, the more beneficial it was for her cultivation. Here, she felt as if she had stepped into a fairyland.
For her, this was more than just an opportunity—it was a turning point in her life. The abundance of herbs intoxicated her.
The Black Gold Divine Medicine shuddered. Letting a rabbit onto the island? This… was absurd! No matter how many precious herbs there were, she would surely wreak havoc!
“Don’t worry, I won’t go wild. I’ll just taste half a leaf or a petal from each plant,” the Lunar Jade Rabbit vowed, patting her ample chest.
Then, a golden butterfly emerged from its cocoon, fluttering about in sheer excitement—it was the Imperial Butterfly!
The Black Gold Divine Medicine immediately stiffened, wilting slightly.
The White Tortoise, however, remained calm. It dared to let them in because it had the confidence to control the situation. Only it understood the layout of the island’s formations. Without its guidance, intruders would quickly find themselves in deadly peril.
The island didn’t appear vast—one could see its edges at a glance—but certain areas concealed deeper mysteries, accessible only through spatial gates, leading to entirely different realms.
Led by the Black Gold Divine Medicine, Shi Hao set off, traversing several void passages before arriving at an ancient site.
This area was devoid of vegetation, silent and still.
A stone forest stretched ahead, untouched by sound for countless millennia.
“This medicinal hall is peculiar. If you pass, you’ll gain a tremendous opportunity. But if rejected, you may die. Think carefully,” the White Tortoise warned, its expression grave.
The stone-built medicinal hall, said to have been established by immortals, appeared utterly ordinary—nestled within the stone forest, neither grand nor imposing, just plain.
Dull gray stones formed a two-zhang-tall structure, simple and crude in appearance.
It could hardly be called a hall—just a stone hut, crudely made, devoid of luster or aesthetic appeal.
“Are you sure this is an ancient immortal hall and not just a pile of rocks you stacked up for fun?” Shi Hao doubted, finding the old tortoise unreliable.
“You may belittle other places, but not this one. This was the seclusion site of human immortals, where elixirs of immortality were refined—coveted by countless supreme powerhouses. If this island could be breached, it would have been plundered long ago. Time has eroded everything, but the remnants here are enough to benefit you,” the old tortoise said.
Irresponsible as ever, it gave a brief explanation before stepping back, leaving the decision to enter to Shi Hao.
“Oh, right. A few creatures have entered. Can you activate the formations to eliminate them?” Shi Hao asked.
“I can only guide, not control the formations,” the White Tortoise shook its head.
Leaving the Divine Striking Stone behind, Shi Hao stepped into the stone hall alone. The moment he entered, he felt as if the stars shifted and fragments of time swirled around him.
In a daze, he saw a Kunpeng spreading its wings across the cosmos, shattering stars; a True Dragon soaring, piercing the nine heavens; a massive black hand crushing an entire starfield…
Then, darkness swallowed him, and he plummeted into chaos, witnessing the spectacle of the world’s creation.
Shi Hao felt lost. Where was this? Who was he? Why was his mind so hazy, his head splitting with pain?
“Ah—!”
With a roar, he forced himself awake. The visions vanished, leaving only the ancient stone hall.
Those were carvings on the massive stones, weathered by time, yet the scenes had felt so real, suffocating him.
Step by step, Shi Hao advanced. Undoubtedly, spatial laws governed this place—while the exterior seemed small, the interior was vast.
The hall was dim, resembling a cave carved by primitive men, adorned with simple stone murals.
Bones!
Along the way, he saw many skeletal remains, long decayed and ruined by time.
“Are these the bones of beings from the previous epoch?” Shi Hao was shocked. Some were enormous, like mountains, lying prone, while others were no taller than a foot, their bones still hard.
*Hum!*
Suddenly, one of the murals glowed, a figure radiating ripples of power.
“It’s here!” He recalled the White Tortoise’s warning—this was a trial. Fail, and he would join the bones on the ground.
The trial was tailored, matching the intruder’s level.
But Shi Hao soon paled. The ripples carried a wisp of immortal energy—the pinnacle of power for his realm, capable of suppressing even ancient freaks who hadn’t taken “that final step.”
“An attack imbued with immortal energy!”
Now he understood why so many bones littered the ground. This was how they had died.
Even in the Immortal Ancient Era, when the laws of heaven permitted ascension, few in the Divine Flame Realm could cultivate a strand of immortal energy.
A fierce battle ensued. Shi Hao fought with all his might against the ripples.
Finally, the mural brightened, and the humanoid figure leaped out, lunging at him.
*Thud!*
After hundreds of exchanges, Shi Hao punched through the figure’s brow, causing it to explode into a shower of light. The immortal energy returned to the mural.
He had won, but his shoulder bore a bloody hole from the enemy’s finger strike. This made him frown.
The Immortal Ancient Era was indeed fearsome, worthy of awe. The first trial alone had wounded him.
“I’m unfamiliar with their techniques. Aside from some shared secret arts, their methods of channeling power and cultivation are entirely different from the current era!”
Shi Hao reflected. The cultivation system of the Immortal Ancient Era was another path altogether, with only some similarities in divine abilities.
“If I could cultivate the methods of the Immortal Ancient Era, what heights might I reach?” he mused.
The unfamiliarity of the system had cost him dearly in battle, nearly leading to disaster.
He pressed on. The stone hall remained dim, its murals plain to the point of austerity.
*Hum!*
A tremor echoed as another mural lit up—this one depicting a sky full of stars.
A massive star flew out, hovering above Shi Hao’s head. There was no dodging—only resistance.
“Rise!”
His arms blazed as he lifted with all his might.
But the mural flickered again. A second star emerged, growing until it pressed down on him, the immense pressure making his bones creak.
He held firm, though strained.
These stars were unfathomably heavy.
*Bang!*
A third star appeared, joining the others. The weight made the veins in his arms bulge.
Yet the stars kept coming. Each time he endured, another was added—until nine stars bore down on him, threatening to crush him entirely.
This was a trial of physical limits. The pressure was suffocating.
Then, a tenth star descended.
*Boom!*
It felt as if the entire starry sky had collapsed onto him. Blood seeped from Shi Hao’s skin under the tremendous force.
But he endured.
Then, all the stars dimmed and vanished.
“This is insane. Even my physique could barely withstand it. Who was this trial designed for?” Shi Hao shuddered.
Suddenly, he remembered the White Tortoise’s words—this stone hall had once hosted the descendants of true immortals, seeking enlightenment, medicine, and tempering.
“The Immortal Ancient Era was terrifying… yet it still fell. How strong must its enemies have been?” Shi Hao murmured, his heart quaking.
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