Chapter 952: The Return of Huang

Over half a year had passed, and Shi Hao had yet to reappear. Some sighed in regret, while others gloated with schadenfreude—reactions varied.

A prodigy who had cultivated two strands of immortal energy, forced by a Heavenly Deity into the Chaotic Mosquito Lake—his fall was lamented by many.

Whether out of hostility or pity, discussions about him never ceased.

Only recently had the uproar gradually subsided, with few mentioning him anymore. After all, no matter how powerful one was in life, death reduced them to mere dust, indistinguishable from grass and trees, their former glory forever lost.

“Shi Hao, I will avenge you!” Cao Yusheng emerged from seclusion, his chubby face twisted in fury as he roared his oath.

Qing Yi and the Little Rabbit had sought help, pleading with Heavenly Deities to avenge Shi Hao, but their efforts bore little fruit, met with resistance.

No one was willing to offend a tribe with Heavenly Deities for the sake of a dead man. The living Shi Hao had been a prodigy with boundless potential, but a corpse? What was that worth?

“Farewell, Brother Shi!” Chang Gong Yan drank beneath the moon, downing one cup for himself and pouring another onto the ground in tribute.

In the Immortal Ancient, new talents still rose, forging glorious myths. The focus had shifted away from Shi Hao as new figures emerged to dominate the stage.

“What kind of place is that Savage Nest? It’s so terrifying that even a Heavenly Deity who chased someone in died there, never to return!”

The people were stunned. The banished immortal from the Savage Nest—the man who wielded a jade flute—had also been pursued by a Heavenly Deity, suspected of having cultivated a second strand of immortal energy.

Yet, after he fled back to the Savage Nest, grievously wounded, a Heavenly Deity followed him inside—only to perish within. Blood rain filled the skies, shocking the entire Immortal Ancient!

During this time, many other major events unfolded.

For instance, someone attempted to transcend a heavenly tribulation, causing a massive upheaval. It had been years since such a feat was witnessed, yet in this era, someone dared to temper their body with heavenly lightning as a baptism.

That day, the Immortal Ancient trembled, and countless spectators gathered to witness the spectacle.

Alas, the ancient freak failed in his tribulation, reduced to charred remains. By willingly invoking the heavenly punishment, he faced unimaginable torment, ultimately struck down by the merciless lightning.

On that same day, the natives of Immortal Ancient shuddered in horror, for as the tribulation descended, endless curses manifested, corroding the man—so terrifying that even Heavenly Deities trembled, fearing contamination.

For outsiders, the first encounter with the curse was manageable. But for the natives, it was like igniting a powder keg, exacerbating their own afflictions.

“The Ten Crown King’s sapling is actually a World Tree sprout!”

This revelation sent shockwaves through the Immortal Ancient ruins. Countless powerhouses mobilized, hunting for his whereabouts, sparking a frenzy.

Even in the previous era, the World Tree had been a supreme treasure. To plant such a sapling within oneself—needless to say—would guarantee the cultivation of a second strand of immortal energy.

Historical records from the past era confirmed it: this was one of the strongest immortal seeds!

In that era, some refined embryonic universe seeds, merging them with their bodies, while others nurtured World Trees within themselves—both paths led to the pinnacle of immortality, their might shaking past, present, and future!

Such a storm was unparalleled. Heavenly Deities among the natives could no longer remain idle, emerging from seclusion despite the risk of curse erosion, all searching for the Ten Crown King.

Even other ancient freaks suffered collateral damage, with several renowned figures encountering ambushes.

This was the final opening of the Immortal Ancient. All factions revealed their trump cards and fortunes, no longer hiding anything—thus triggering unprecedented chaos.

Only after a long time, when the most famous ancient freaks had either perished or vanished, did the turmoil gradually subside.

Amidst this, some shone like dazzling comets across the heavens, etching their names into memory.

Figures like the Ten Crown King, the banished immortal of the Savage Nest, and Ning Chuan blazed with brilliance, eclipsing the sun and moon. Though still alive, they had eluded the Heavenly Deities for the time being.

At the border of the uninhabited region in the Three Thousand Provinces, the cultivators of various sects were restless, their emotions turbulent. Over the past six months, they had witnessed events within the Immortal Ancient through the reflections of immortal petals, leaving them unable to remain calm.

“Excellent! Our clan’s genius has risen. He unearthed a divine herb, his power surging. May he return safely.”

“Ning Chuan is truly remarkable—he actually evaded pursuit by a Heavenly Deity!”

“Alas, that tribulation-transcending prodigy… His talent was unparalleled, yet he turned to charcoal. What a waste.”

Discussions ran rampant.

Some rejoiced, while others grieved. Shi Ziling and his wife were among the latter, their hearts heavy with sorrow.

“Tch, it’s been over half a year. Shi Hao hasn’t shown up—he’s definitely dead.”

“Someone so flamboyant was destined for an early demise. Surviving would’ve been abnormal!”

Clearly, many great sects held grudges against Shi Hao—the Celestial Clan, Fire Cloud Cave, Immortal Palace, Netherworld, and The Realm of Heavenly Equilibrium, to name a few. Now, their members breathed sighs of relief.

“Pity he died. I was waiting for his return.” From within a blood-colored war chariot came a voice as cold as an owl’s cry—the ruler of the Heavenly Nation, his tone dripping with malice.

Evidently, his wish for Shi Hao’s return was so he could personally end him, not out of genuine concern.

“Lucky for him. Had he lived, I’d have made him beg for death!” The disciples of the Dragon Demon Sect sneered.

“To die like this is a mercy. He was too fortunate.” The Devil Sunflower Garden also voiced their disdain.

Many ancient sects had lost disciples to Shi Hao’s cooking pot, and old grudges festered. Their hatred ran deep.

This time, with Shi Hao plunging into the black lake, many orthodoxies mocked him, some even bursting into laughter—especially those at the Divine Flame Realm.

Of course, many also lamented the loss of such a prodigy.

Regardless, with Shi Hao absent for over half a year, no one believed he still lived.

Attempting to glimpse his figure through immortal petals was futile—once one cultivated immortal energy, it shrouded their fate.

Alternatively, the dead could not be observed.

They only learned of Shi Hao’s achievements, including his two strands of immortal energy, through others.

When news of his dual immortal energy spread, jaws dropped, sparking an uproar. Everyone reacted as if they’d seen a ghost.

“Tch, in death, even a genius is just a pile of dirt!”

“Hmph, what if he reappeared one day, alive and well? What if he cultivated a third strand of immortal energy? Now that’d be a spectacle.”

“Brother, you’re delusional. A dead man can’t return, much less cultivate a third strand!”

Just as debates raged both inside and outside the Immortal Ancient, Shi Hao emerged from seclusion, rising from the black lake, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.

“Hm? There are still forces camped here, waiting to confirm my death?” Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed with a cold light.

Among the gathered creatures were golden elephants, horned dragons, and humanoid beings.

Shi Hao swallowed hard. After over half a year without food, the sight of the golden ancient elephant and dragon-aura-infused horned dragons made his mouth water.

“Must conserve resources!”

Muttering to himself, Shi Hao refrained from targeting the beasts. Instead, he silently dragged a humanoid figure into the lake without alerting the others.

This turned out to be a descendant of Di Kun, from his tribe.

Soon, Shi Hao extracted information about the past six months, his expression shifting between dark and stormy. Finally, he fed the man to the mosquitoes and strode ashore.

“Heavens! A man walked out of the lake!” A dragon-sparrow shrieked, its beak agape in disbelief.

“It’s him… Shi Hao! He’s not dead?!” The golden elephant trumpeted, its trunk raised to the sky in a mournful wail.

“Correct. Shi Hao has returned—from the depths of hell. Save your energy; none of you are leaving!” Shi Hao stepped onto the shore, his gaze sweeping over the assembled experts.

The shock was palpable. Everyone froze, a chill creeping into their hearts. This was beyond eerie. Wasn’t he dead? How had he crawled out of the lake?

They had been stationed here merely as a formality, obeying their clan’s Heavenly Deity decree—never truly believing Shi Hao could survive.

Yet now… it was like seeing a ghost!

“Kill him!”

The creatures roared, attacking in unison, some even activating dimensional escape talismans.

“Don’t waste those treasures!” Shi Hao bellowed.

Terror gripped them as they realized space had been sealed. None could flee. Their techniques and artifacts shattered against his immortal energy-wreathed fists.

*Thud!*

Shi Hao struck them down one by one, even True Gods falling before his onslaught.

Half an hour later, smoke curled above the black lake’s shore. A massive cauldron bubbled, its contents boiling—dragon-sparrow, golden elephant, and horned dragon stewed together in a hearty feast.

The aroma wafted for miles. Shi Hao devoured the meal ravenously, having gone without food for so long he nearly bit his own tongue in excitement.

“Delicious! Horned dragon, golden elephant, dragon-sparrow—all divine delicacies. I could eat this every day!”

Normally picky, Shi Hao’s hunger made even the simplest fare seem like ambrosia.

“Shi Hao… has returned?!”

The news spread like wildfire, shaking the minor realms of the Immortal Ancient.

How could a dead man reappear?

“I don’t believe it! That was the Chaotic Mosquito Lake—even Heavenly Deities can’t survive falling in. How could Shi Hao return?!”

The uproar was immense. Many refused to accept it.

Yet, undeniable evidence surfaced: Shi Hao was alive, feasting by the black lake, cooking golden elephants and horned dragons, roasting dragon-sparrows with gusto.

The crowd was dumbfounded. This… was unreal!

Shi Hao paid no heed. He knew the news would leak, but he welcomed it—this was his deliberate provocation.

“Right after returning, he’s cooking a feast… Is this a retaliation? A challenge to the Heavenly Deity tribes?!”

That day, peace was impossible. The news was too staggering.

Simultaneously, many in the Three Thousand Provinces learned of it.

At the edge of the uninhabited region, people glimpsed the unfolding events through immortal petal projections.

Of course, Shi Hao himself remained obscured by his immortal energy, but word of his return spread through others.

“How is this possible? Shi Hao… he’s alive? He’s back?!”

Not long ago, some had mocked his inevitable demise, certain he’d perish young.

Yet here he was—alive and kicking!

Many who had jeered—like the Heavenly Nation, Netherworld, Immortal Palace, and Celestial Clan—now felt as if they’d been slapped. Shi Hao… was back, alive and well!

Especially those who had joked, “What if he returns with a third strand of immortal energy? That’d be hilarious.” Back then, everyone had scoffed, calling it a pipe dream.

Yet now, the dream had become reality.

Many faces burned with humiliation. This youth’s return would undoubtedly stir a storm of epic proportions!

By the black lake in the Immortal Ancient, Shi Hao feasted heartily, tossing bones aside with satisfaction. At last, he exhaled deeply.

“Full at last. They should be arriving soon, no?”