Chapter 986: Prelude to the Tempest

The bonfire flickered, its flames dancing as the rich aroma of roasted meat filled the air.

Night had fallen over Soul Island, where silver flames flickered among the stone forests like scattered stars. Above the fire, chunks of meat sizzled, their golden surfaces glistening with dripping fat that hissed as it met the flames, releasing an intoxicating fragrance that made mouths water. Paired with divine wine aged for millennia, the scene was one of pure indulgence, a feast to intoxicate the senses.

“So fragrant! My first taste of Heavenly Deity meat!” Shi Hao’s eyes sparkled as he tore a strip from the golden-roasted bird wing and stuffed it into his mouth, his expression one of sheer bliss.

“It’s been hundreds of thousands of years since I last tasted Heavenly Deity flesh,” murmured the ancient ancestor of the Soul Clan, his disheveled hair framing his face as he sat cross-legged among the stones, devouring meat and gulping wine.

Since the curse had worsened, he had spent those long years in a daze, devoid of pleasure, lost in endless gloom.

Had outsiders known that this old man and young man were feasting on Heavenly Deity meat, they would have been struck dumb with shock—utterly terrified.

A Heavenly Deity was the pinnacle of a clan’s combat strength. Even a major faction would have only a handful at most. Who would dare treat them as mere food?

This was a grave taboo!

Even in the Three Thousand Provinces, where supreme sect leaders wielded unfathomable power, none would dare do such a thing openly—unless they secretly hunted down a divine beast of heavenly rank and consumed it in the shadows.

“Aside from the paws, this golden-haired unicorn bear doesn’t compare to the silver crane in taste,” Shi Hao remarked.

“Naturally. Among delicacies, those that run cannot match those that fly. Still, these bear paws are exceptional—I’ve never tasted Heavenly Deity-level bear paws before,” the Soul Clan’s ancient ancestor mused.

“Hey, old man, you’re crossing the line! That bear paw is mine!” Shi Hao protested.

Inside a cauldron, four bear paws had been simmering for an entire day. Now, the two eagerly lifted the lid and dug in.

The cauldron shimmered with radiant light, the bear paws gleaming like translucent jewels, their mere sight enough to make one drool. Even the Soul Clan’s ancient ancestor couldn’t help but stare with gleaming eyes.

*Gulp!*

They washed down the feast with aged wine, brewed from rare herbs and mystical fruits over millennia. A single sip could enhance an ordinary person’s cultivation.

“What a feast!” they exclaimed between bites of divine wings and bear paws, drinking heartily in pure delight.

In the distance, disciples of the Soul Clan watched with both envy and dread. Those were four Heavenly Deities—reduced to mere food!

Aside from the two, the Soul Clan’s elder Heavenly Deity had also joined the feast, gnawing on a golden crane wing with satisfaction, his face glowing with vigor.

For anyone, this was a supreme tonic—Heavenly Deity flesh was akin to sacred medicine.

“My first taste of Heavenly Deity—excellent, absolutely delicious,” the elder Heavenly Deity slurred, already drunk.

“Senior, if you like it, we can hunt more,” Shi Hao offered, pouring wine for both. The suggestion sobered them instantly.

“Young friend, I’ve already entangled myself in great karma with the outside world. I truly cannot do this again,” the Eight-Armed Soul Clan’s ancient ancestor said gravely. This was far too taboo.

“Young master, this is enough. At your level, consuming too much Heavenly Deity meat is unwise—your body cannot handle such potent nourishment,” the elder Heavenly Deity added.

Shi Hao chuckled but continued devouring the feast without restraint. Unlike the others, he showed no discomfort, his body radiating golden light as his vitality surged.

The fall of the four Heavenly Deities was kept secret on Soul Island, lest it invite disaster.

Now, they urgently hoped Shi Hao would break through soon, undergo his heavenly tribulation, and help lift their curse. If they could rescue a few more sect leaders, they could unite and stand unshaken against external threats.

“Young friend, how much longer?” the elder Heavenly Deity asked.

“If I find the heavenly treasures I need, I can prepare immediately. It won’t take long,” Shi Hao replied.

“Sagewood?” the Soul Clan’s ancient ancestor inquired.

“Yes!” Shi Hao nodded.

“You intend to walk *that* path?!” the Soul Clan’s Heavenly Deity gasped.

“Absolutely!” Shi Hao affirmed solemnly. Since his emergence, he had always pushed limits, advancing relentlessly. Naturally, he sought the most perfect path.

“But it’s dangerous!” the elder Heavenly Deity protested before falling silent. This was no ordinary man—he had dominated the Immortal Ancient battlefield, proving himself beyond doubt.

“Immortal Ancient does have Sagewood, but it grows in perilous lands, guarded by vicious beasts and venomous insects. Extreme caution is needed,” the Soul Clan’s ancient ancestor said, nodding.

He could dispatch scouts to locate the finest and most accessible Sagewood.

“If you walk that path, you’ll need countless weapons—treasures to offer as sacrifices to resolve your own peril. My clan can provide them,” the elder Heavenly Deity offered.

To see Shi Hao ascend, they would spare no cost, even parting with powerful treasures.

“No need. My path requires no external weapons. My fists, my body—they are my finest and strongest arms!” Shi Hao declared.

Even now, he had never deliberately refined a personal divine weapon, relying only on seized arms.

The more he understood, the more he believed true strength lay within. Even the laws of heaven and earth could falter—how much more so mere weapons?

In the previous era, immortality was attainable. Now, even immortal energy was nearly impossible to cultivate. Such drastic changes were terrifying.

After the feast, piles of Heavenly Deity bones—bird wings, bear legs—littered the ground. The elder Heavenly Deity ordered them collected; these were top-tier materials for forging artifacts, not to be wasted.

“This coffin is truly bizarre!”

The three gathered around the jade coffin as Shi Hao sought their help in prying it open to retrieve the scripture within.

The elder Heavenly Deity tried for a long time but failed.

With a thunderous roar, the Soul Clan’s ancient ancestor forced the lid open, releasing a flood of auspicious light and mist.

Only a sect leader could brute-force it open—Heavenly Deities lacked the strength.

*Whoosh!*

The jade scripture, wrapped around an immortal seed, shot skyward, attempting to escape.

The three were prepared, their hands lunging forward to seize it.

*Hum!*

The scripture trembled, absorbing the immortal seed before plummeting back to the ground. With a *bang*, sparks flew as runes flared, halting its escape.

Heaven and earth seemed to converge, trapping the three and the scripture within.

This was the Soul Clan’s ancestral artifact—a stone furnace that sealed space and suppressed all within. The jade scripture, unable to flee, rebounded off the furnace walls in frantic flight.

“Seal!” the Soul Clan’s ancient ancestor commanded. The scripture froze, captured in his grasp.

The scripture shimmered with iridescent hues, carved from five-colored divine jade, its pages flowing with mysterious power. Strange characters flickered within, barely discernible.

With immense force, the ancient ancestor pried open a page. Five-colored divine light surged, manifesting chaotic energy—a breathtaking spectacle!

“This… this is a supreme scripture!” he gasped in awe.

As descendants of Immortal Ancient, they knew fragments of the past. In that era, such treasures represented the highest legacies—rare even across an entire epoch!

Frowning, the ancient ancestor realized… he couldn’t read a single character.

Shi Hao leaned in, scrutinizing each symbol, but found them equally indecipherable. These were not bone runes—there was no way to comprehend them.

“Senior, aren’t you survivors of Immortal Ancient? How can you not recognize these?” he asked.

“Time changes all. To adapt to this world, even our cultivation methods shifted, let alone our script. And this isn’t ordinary Immortal Ancient text—it’s ‘Immortal Script,’ known only to a select few,” the ancient ancestor sighed.

Otherwise, he too would have been eager to study it. Now, he could only stare helplessly.

The elder Heavenly Deity took the scripture but couldn’t even turn its pages. Only a sect leader could forcibly open it.

What to do? Shi Hao had hoped to glean insights from this scripture but found himself unworthy.

“Study Immortal Script first, then return to this. Without doubt, this is a peerless legacy!” the ancient ancestor said reluctantly, returning the scripture to Shi Hao.

Outside, the remaining eight Heavenly Deities grew uneasy. Four of their number had vanished, their connections severed!

Though they had gained some rewards, the sudden disappearance of comrades unsettled them.

Meanwhile, in the outer wastelands, the sect leaders remained oblivious. The Heavenly Deities’ activities within couldn’t be observed through the immortal petals.

They assumed those who entered without the Three Thousand Great Dao petals simply didn’t manifest on them.

“Ha! The first group has entered safely—twelve Heavenly Deities. This proves the passage is stable, capable of admitting them. Now, we can send the second batch!”

A sect leader laughed.

In truth, the first group included only a few key figures. The second batch comprised true elites—Heavenly Deities from the Immortal Palace, ancient corpses from the Netherworld, mighty beings from the Divine Temple, star-devouring beasts from the Beast Sea, and guardian kings from the Western Sect—all formidable figures.

Though they had fought fiercely for spots earlier, they hadn’t risked sending all elites in the first wave, fearing ambushes or instability.

Now, they saw no resistance—no natives barred the path.

“Years of peace have made those remnants complacent, their fighting spirit dulled. This… is excellent!”

“Once inside, capture Huang alive. Do not kill him—bring him to me. I shall refine him into a Netherworld slave!” the ruler of the Netherworld commanded, his voice thick with dark mist as he addressed the ancient corpse-turned-Heavenly Deity.

“Fellow Daoist, Huang should be handed to us. His sect is our sworn enemy,” a representative of the Immortal Palace interjected.

“Heh… give him to me. Seal him within my slaughter sword, let him endure its killing intent for eternity, nourishing my blade!” a voice from the Heavenly Kingdom demanded.

These figures hadn’t even captured Shi Hao yet but were already debating his fate.

Thus, this crucial group of Heavenly Deities was sent in, heralding a storm in Immortal Ancient.

Meanwhile, Shi Hao set off for an ancient land where Sagewood grew. There, he would break through, ascending to a higher realm.

His path differed from ordinary cultivators. Success would earn him the title of Divine King!