“He’s out! Shi Hao has emerged from the ancient herb garden!”
Shi Hao’s appearance caused an uproar, as many had recently heard rumors that he had obtained a great fortune—a longevity herb. Whether true or false, such claims were bound to stir commotion. Figures like Jun Dao and those from the Divine Temple were adamant that he had indeed acquired it, proving that there was no smoke without fire.
In the void, dark fissures densely crisscrossed, and chaotic spatial currents swirled. A single misstep could lead to utter annihilation. Nearby lay the mangled corpses of many experts, all of whom had perished miserably just by approaching the ancient herb garden.
People watched as Shi Hao strode forward with ease, enveloping Xue Lin and the others in a radiant glow, traversing the treacherous terrain as if it were flat ground, successfully escaping the deadly zone.
Many gazed at Shi Hao with fervent eyes.
“Whoosh!”
With a single finger, Shi Hao unleashed a dazzling arc of light that pierced through the forehead of a powerful cultivator, killing him instantly. Blood gushed from the finger-sized hole in his skull.
Instantly, the crowd felt as if they had been plunged into an icy abyss. This was Shi Hao in his true form! The slain man had exuded faint hostility, and Shi Hao had struck first.
“Shi Hao, you’ve gone too far! Flaunting your strength and slaughtering fellow cultivators without restraint—do you truly believe there are no laws to bind you?!” someone shouted from within the crowd.
“Do you think you’re invincible, free to kill whomever you please? Ask the fellow cultivators here if they’ll allow it!” another voice chimed in, hiding their identity while inciting the crowd.
“Shi Hao, don’t think no one can stop you! When the wrath of the masses ignites, it will reduce you to ashes, leaving nothing behind!” a third voice declared passionately.
…
The crowd grew restless, the atmosphere no longer calm.
Anyone in possession of a longevity herb and the legacy of the True Phoenix would become the center of attention, inciting envy. Moreover, Shi Hao had been seen emerging from the immortal herb garden—surely, he had reaped astonishing rewards. Many breathed heavily with greed.
With a cold snort, Shi Hao unsheathed the Great Luo Immortal Sword, its dazzling radiance illuminating the heavens and silencing all noise.
“Whoosh!”
He raised his hand, and the sword emitted a razor-sharp beam, splitting a man in the crowd from his forehead down to his legs. The victim’s face twisted in horror as he realized he had been discovered.
With a sickening crunch, his body split apart, blood splattering as his corpse collapsed in two halves. He didn’t even have time to scream before meeting his end.
Those nearby shrieked in terror, their bodies chilled by the lethal strike.
Shi Hao didn’t stop there. With a resonant *clang*, he flicked the blade with his left hand, sending out a ripple of energy that bypassed everyone else and struck a beautiful woman.
“No!”
She tried to flee skyward, but the ripple caught her, reducing her to a mist of blood—utter annihilation.
Not far away, a creature paled and turned to flee, realizing Shi Hao had spotted him.
“I had nothing to do with this!” he screamed as he bolted.
“Whoosh!”
This time, Shi Hao swung his sword, unleashing a devastating beam that bisected the fleeing figure mid-air. Blood rained down as the sword’s energy obliterated his remains and soul.
“Keep inciting discord if you dare!” Shi Hao’s voice was icy, his actions speaking louder than words.
The once-restless crowd fell silent. Shi Hao’s reputation was built on battle. Those who had secretly stirred trouble had all been executed.
“If you want to sow discord, at least cultivate enough strength to hide from me. Maybe you should refine an immortal aura first,” Shi Hao remarked coolly.
Many broke into cold sweat. Did this mean his perception was so sharp that only those with an immortal aura could evade him? That seemed absurd!
“Members of the Heavenly Kingdom, Divine Temple, and Jun Tian Realm—remember this. From now on, in the Immortal Ancient, I will kill every last one of you I encounter!” Shi Hao’s words were devoid of emotion.
Jun Tian Realm was Jun Dao’s faction.
*Swoosh!*
He vanished like an arrow, disappearing from sight.
“Shi Hao obtained the White Turtle Bearing Immortal—the longevity herb! Have you all heard?”
Rumors spread across the minor realms of the Immortal Ancient, undoubtedly fabricated by Jun Dao and the Divine Temple. While many dismissed them, others grew suspicious.
Most terrifyingly, even the native inhabitants took notice, some beginning to investigate.
Yet, on that very day, Shi Hao embarked on a solo killing spree, slaughtering every member of the Divine Temple, Heavenly Kingdom, and Jun Tian Realm he encountered.
This sparked a storm of chaos.
These factions had roots in every minor realm and major city. Though they had retreated, not all had left. Shi Hao sought them out relentlessly.
In a single day, heads rolled, blood sprayed, and shockwaves rippled across the land.
Originally, Shi Hao had planned to seclude himself after leaving the herb garden. But the schemes against him, aiming to turn the world into his enemy, forced him to retaliate with bloodshed.
“Assassins of the Heavenly Kingdom, ancient saints of the Divine Temple, and Jun Dao—dare you face me?!”
Shi Hao’s challenge echoed across realms.
His sword spoke for him, his actions rendering explanations unnecessary.
Three days later, he ceased his rampage and vanished.
The event shook the Immortal Ancient, even rousing ancient freaks like the Dragon Maiden, Chang Gong Yan, Duan Hong, and Li Fan Ming, who emerged to investigate.
The natives also took action.
“Did he truly obtain the longevity herb?” a hoarse voice inquired in an ancient land, belonging to a formidable being from a powerful tribe.
…
“Don’t worry about me. I need solitude for enlightenment!”
Shi Hao prepared for seclusion, a matter of life and death, though he kept it to himself, sending his companions away.
“You want us to go to the Centaur Tribe?” The little rabbit’s eyes widened.
“Yes. I once gifted them a branch of the Willow Deity, forging goodwill with the Immortal Ancient’s remnants. Go there,” Shi Hao said.
…
Finally, they parted ways.
“The Frost Realm is no longer suitable for my seclusion,” Shi Hao murmured. Though it might hold treasures of extreme Yin, Yue Chan knew of it and would surely leak the information. Staying there would be fatal.
Only the Divine Striking Stone and the Imperial Butterfly remained with him, but he planned to send them away too.
His seclusion would be perilous, its outcome uncertain. He needed absolute solitude to break through.
“This object is still beyond my grasp. I can’t take it with me yet.” Shi Hao produced a small, pitch-black cauldron, cracked and enigmatic, forged from Dark Immortal Gold—a relic from the Primordial Era.
The cauldron was eerie, its interior like a bottomless abyss. Unwilling to keep it during his seclusion, he buried it in volcanic magma, with the Divine Striking Stone setting up protective arrays.
Then, he selected his seclusion site, laying traps and contingencies.
“Go now. Don’t linger here,” Shi Hao urged, sending the Divine Striking Stone and the Imperial Butterfly away.
This time, he was exceedingly cautious.
Jun Dao and the Divine Temple’s rumors might provoke the natives—beings of unfathomable power, possibly even Heavenly Deities or Sect Masters.
…
In an ancient mountain range stood numerous bronze structures, shrouded in mystery.
This was a sizable tribe, guarded by formidable experts. Outsiders would marvel at its layout, resembling the Celestial Court of the outside world.
At its center loomed a massive bronze hall, from which a jackal-like voice echoed.
“Di Kun, it’s been generations. Have you spent them in slumber? How fare you?”
Had anyone been present, they’d have been stunned—the speaker was an ancient freak from the Heavenly Kingdom.
“Why are you here?” another voice boomed like thunder, shaking the hall.
“The Celestial Court’s heir is dead,” the Heavenly Kingdom’s monarch stated.
“What does that matter to me? I’ve rooted myself in the Immortal Ancient,” the one named Di Kun replied.
“The deceased heir was named Di Chong,” the ancient freak said, his voice grating like a wolf’s howl.
“The Di lineage…”
…
Shi Hao entered seclusion, his location unknown even to himself.
Encircled by grand arrays, he meditated on the Dao, contemplating his path.
In his mind, the Little Immortal King’s methods and his own unfolded side by side, the insights from the ten-zhang chamber vivid before him. He compared and verified them.
Days passed in stillness, his form like a statue, silent as death.
Then, one day, flames erupted around him as he clutched an immortal seed. Primordial energies swirled, and heavenly laws descended, shattering the silence!
The Dao Fire refined his golden body, consuming his flesh and soul alike!
…
During this time, the Immortal Ancient was in turmoil as many sought Shi Hao.
“Whoever provides his whereabouts will receive ten caskets of divine fruit!”
“Or three peerless treasures!”
Bounties were offered for information on Shi Hao, with staggering rewards for accurate leads.
“Have the Divine Temple, Heavenly Kingdom, and Jun Tian Realm gone mad? Why such urgency to find Shi Hao? Even with grudges, this is excessive.”
“Rumor has it Shi Hao is breaking through, comprehending something profound. They won’t tolerate his advancement.”
Across the minor realms, forces mobilized in a frenzied search for Shi Hao!
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