The ground was littered with bones—some from coiled dragons, others from dragon-sparrows—a chaotic mess of massive, luminous skeletal remains brimming with divine energy.
By the black lake, Shi Hao lay sprawled on his back, using a segment of dragon bone as a pillow and resting atop a bed of vibrant sparrow feathers, utterly at ease. He let out a satisfied belch, took a swig of strong liquor, and savored the taste, feeling more relaxed than an immortal.
Half a year ago, he had been fleeing for his life, grievously wounded and on the brink of death. For months afterward, he had endured the torment of countless mosquitoes piercing his flesh with needle-like proboscises, tempering his body in agony.
Now, finally at ease after a hearty meal, his pores radiated multicolored light, his magic power surged, and his spirit brimmed with vitality. This rare moment of leisure was pure bliss.
“By the heavens! It’s really him—that fiend, the Desolate One! He’s alive!”
Not far away, a group of people arrived and gasped in shock. The rumors were true—he had reappeared, alive and well, unscathed.
“Is it really him? That’s the infamous forbidden zone—the Chaotic Mosquito Lake! No one has ever crawled out alive. How did he do it?”
They stood dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes. Had they not witnessed it themselves, they would have dismissed the news as a fabrication. But now, they were speechless.
Soon, a second wave of people arrived, including many natives of the Immortal Ancient Era. They stared ahead, wide-eyed, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
“Ugh, I ate too much. I can barely move. Why are you all showing up now?” Shi Hao sat up, rubbing his belly and swallowing hard as he eyed the hostile races before him—golden ancient apes, coiled dragons, and others who had once hunted him.
Of course, none of these arrivals were Heavenly Deities; the strongest among them were only at the True God level. Hearing that the Desolate One had reappeared, they had rushed over, as they happened to be nearby.
Arrogant! Some gritted their teeth and quickly retreated. Initially skeptical, they were now stunned and uneasy, eager to flee.
“You came, so why leave?” Shi Hao laughed, his earthen-yellow palm blotting out the sky like a thick cloud, covering the area.
“Kill!”
The creatures roared, struggling desperately. Regret gnawed at them—curiosity had led them to their doom. Coming here to verify the rumors was like walking into a tiger’s den.
In the span of a single breath, they were all subdued.
Shi Hao patiently strung them together with a coiled dragon’s sinew and hung them around his body.
“I’ll save them for later. Stocking up on food is important!”
This was his genuine sentiment. After months without meat, the sight of such wild game had made his eyes gleam with hunger.
Food? The onlookers were speechless, staring in disbelief. This guy was truly… savage!
The massive golden elephants, divine beasts, and others, originally as large as small hills, were now shrunk to palm-sized miniatures, strung up and dangling from him—a bizarre and terrifying sight.
“Damn it, it’s really him!”
As time passed, more and more scouts arrived, especially from nearby hostile factions. Unsurprisingly, one after another, they were captured.
Shi Hao harbored deep hatred for certain major clans that had nearly hunted him to death. Now that their disciples had appeared, he showed no mercy.
These people had made a fatal mistake—they hadn’t believed Shi Hao was still alive and had come to confirm it.
Of course, the later arrivals were more cautious, observing from a distance. Their scalps tingled as they watched him adorned with strings of prey, and they immediately turned tail and fled.
Shi Hao didn’t bother with unrelated bystanders—he wasn’t that “deranged.”
“Hey, Netherworld Clan, why are you here? You’re stinky and rotten—inedible! Get lost!” Shi Hao flicked his fingers.
With a series of wet thuds, several Netherworld experts, seething with hatred, were pierced and collapsed, black blood spraying high.
Outside, the cultivators of the three thousand provinces were stunned.
At this moment, Shi Hao wasn’t exuding immortal energy, so they could see him clearly. They exchanged bewildered glances.
As for the Netherworld Lord, standing atop a mountain of bones, his face twisted with fury. This was blatant contempt. After provoking Heavenly Deities in the Immortal Ancient Era, this brat still hadn’t learned his lesson—daring to act so brazenly.
“Assassins from the Celestial Nation aren’t extinct yet? Still popping up?” Shi Hao sneered, his smile vanishing for the first time as he disappeared from his spot, reappearing in the distance.
“Boom!”
Blood rained down as he blasted a humanoid figure out of the void, shattering half its body instantly.
The Celestial Nation’s top assassin of this era!
It was him—he had also come nearby.
The ancient freak of the Celestial Nation, their king, had his physical body obliterated by Shi Hao last time. But their contemporary heir had stayed hidden.
Today, he wasn’t so lucky. In a single breath, Shi Hao shattered half his body, then kicked him apart in a shower of blood.
Outside, in the three thousand provinces, a blood-red war chariot dripped crimson, radiating overwhelming killing intent as it rumbled and clanged.
The Celestial Nation’s master was enraged for the first time.
The Desolate One was humiliating the Celestial Nation, declaring war, challenging his authority—this was a direct provocation.
Others paled. Was this the power of someone who had cultivated two strands of immortal energy? Truly peerless. The Celestial Nation’s assassins were fearsome in the same realm, yet he had slain one in a single move.
Everyone sensed the gravity of the situation. If he were allowed to grow further… the consequences were unimaginable.
“Ugh, I ate too much. What now?” Back by the lake, Shi Hao patted his belly.
In truth, his physique was tall and lean, his stomach flat. To onlookers, this was nothing short of an insult to the major Heavenly Deity clans.
“How to digest this feast?” Shi Hao muttered, then suddenly locked onto a few creatures at the back of the crowd and laughed. “Ah, snack delivery!”
Those beings cursed inwardly and turned to flee—they were experts from the Demon Sunflower Garden, sworn enemies of Shi Hao since the descent of the Seven Gods.
This time, Shi Hao didn’t kill them. Instead, he shook them violently, then plucked a pile of glossy black jade-like seeds—their essence.
“Crunch, crunch!”
Sitting by the lake, Shi Hao leisurely snacked on the seeds while the humiliated experts fled in disgrace.
In the distance, the crowd was speechless. Whether natives or geniuses from the three thousand provinces, they all gaped—this was indeed a demon king!
Outside, at the edge of the desolate wilderness, the master of the Demon Sunflower Garden smashed a mountain with a furious slap.
Many trembled in fear. Clearly, Shi Hao was deliberately provoking them.
Not long ago, the various sects had mocked him, certain he would die young. Yet not only had he survived, he was now flaunting his defiance.
This was a slap to everyone’s face—unavoidable and stinging.
Many felt their cheeks burn with humiliation.
By the black lake, Shi Hao littered the ground with seed shells, his body brimming with energy. Each seed contained divine essence—a potent tonic.
“This guy… is too arrogant! Just standing here, eating and drinking—is he waiting to fight Heavenly Deities?!”
“Unforgivable! He’ll be crushed for daring to challenge the clans like this—he’ll die without a burial!”
Clearly, hostile beings lurked among the crowd, fists clenched, waiting for Heavenly Deities to arrive and execute him.
“These seeds are too greasy. Some fruit would be nice,” Shi Hao mused.
“Boom!”
A divine vine erupted from the ground—a golden solar vine from the Sun God Palace, another enemy faction. Shi Hao yanked it over, transformed it into sugarcane, and began chewing.
“He won’t live!” Outside, a golden ancient vine roared—the master of the Sun God Palace, who had once descended to the lower realm only to be severed by the Willow God and flee in disgrace.
This… should have been a momentous scene—the Desolate One’s return, drawing all eyes. Yet no one expected such a farce, leaving everyone dumbstruck.
“Boom!”
The heavens split, the earth quaked, and ghosts wailed.
Finally, the Heavenly Deities descended!
The small world trembled violently as space fractured. Several figures emerged from the black void, gazing down at the black lake.
Amid the scattered bones and remnants of his feast, a towering golden ancient elephant, as massive as a mountain, seethed with fury.
“Little bastard, you’re too arrogant! Do you think your tricks can defy Heavenly Deities? Today, you die!”
The golden elephant’s voice was icy, but soon its veins bulged, its golden eyes shooting beams of rage.
Because the brat was… using one of its snow-white tusks as a toothpick!
Shi Hao calmly shrank a pristine ivory tusk, pinched it between his fingers, and casually picked his teeth.
The crowd was stunned. This guy… was too brazen! Was he trying to infuriate the golden elephant to death?
“Boy, your insolence will cost you more than death—you’ll wish for it!” In the sky, a deafening roar echoed as the Coiled Dragon Clan’s Heavenly Deity appeared, eyes glowing like lanterns.
Shi Hao ignored him, tossing the toothpick aside and donning a dazzling suit of armor—crafted from coiled dragon scales.
“You seek death!” The coiled dragon bellowed, eyes bloodshot.
“Youth, your audacity will be your downfall,” a radiant dragon-sparrow said, wings blotting the sky.
Shi Hao responded with action, pulling out the dragon-sparrow’s “primordial true feather”—a treasure on par with an innate bone—and using it to… clean his ears.
“Die!”
The dragon-sparrow’s wings blotted the sky.
“Brat, you’ve got guts, but even a true immortal won’t save you today!” Ma Yuan arrived—the instigator of the Heavenly Deity hunt.
Finally, Shi Hao addressed him directly: “Old turtle, I’ll stew you alive later. And where are the others—the ancient ape, the divine beast, and that bastard Di Kun? Come out and face me!”
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