In a certain sense, the so-called Dark Calamity was right here, and the beings trapped within the cage had all become its offerings!
To think there existed such a powerful and terrifying corpse here!
Shi Hao’s eyes were profound as he gazed at it for a long time. How could such a supreme being have fallen?
Perhaps it couldn’t even be said that he was truly dead, for he still breathed, inhaling and exhaling there.
What he exhaled was the essence of darkness, while what he inhaled was the refined energy from beyond the Boundary Sea. Through this exchange, it seemed as though he was purifying his own corrupted body.
Shi Hao refined some of the dark substances at close range, obtaining fragments of scriptures, before slowly retreating to a distance.
And so, he settled here.
Unlike the likes of the Annihilation Elder, Feather Emperor, and Hong Emperor, who would stop at nothing to obtain the scriptures of an Immortal Emperor, Shi Hao only refined a measured portion of the dark essence.
He sat in meditation here, seeking enlightenment, attempting to break through his current realm.
Yet, he had no intention of following the path the rotting corpse had taken in life. The fragments of scripture he obtained served only as references.
One year, two years…
Ten years, a hundred years…
Centuries passed in the blink of an eye. Shi Hao remained here, immersed in enlightenment and seclusion. Whether to pursue reincarnation or revive those he had lost, he needed to break through further, to attain supreme power.
“Be careful not to be corrupted by him. He may not be entirely dead yet.” The being within the sacred radiance in the temple had warned him repeatedly.
Shi Hao nodded in gratitude but did not leave.
During this time, he had encountered more than one Quasi-Immortal Emperor, especially after battling Feather Emperor, Cang Emperor, and Hong Emperor for over thirty thousand years. He had gained deep insight into their respective paths.
He was greatly inspired!
Even the Annihilation Elder’s system was extraordinary.
Now, Shi Hao reflected, drawing upon the strengths of all, silently forging his own path and comprehending his own Great Dao.
On this day, he suddenly jolted, raising his head sharply to gaze into the depths of the Ultimate Ancient Land. A chilling sensation crept over him, as though something was watching him.
Sure enough, within the darkness, a pair of hollow eyes slowly opened, fixing upon him.
Was this creature not dead?
Shi Hao stood ready for battle!
Yet, he was not overly concerned. If this being were truly unharmed, it would have emerged long ago. Why would it remain dormant here?
Soon, a vast divine will surged toward him, conveying a message: if Shi Hao were to guide living beings here, bringing vibrant vitality, he would be rewarded with a scripture of the Immortal Emperor.
Was this not the very essence of instigating a Dark Calamity? Shi Hao refused.
“Latercomer, do you wish to incur a great karmic debt with an Immortal Emperor?” A cold voice echoed as the corpse actually opened its mouth and spoke.
To Shi Hao, this creature was already dead, with only lingering obsessions remaining—hardly a threat.
“The dead should rest in peace,” Shi Hao replied coldly.
These simple words caused the creature’s eyes to darken, becoming as black as ink, growing even more terrifying.
“Those who see an Emperor and refuse to bow shall perish!” A majestic voice pierced through the darkness. Were it not for the light barriers shielding the area, the impact would have shaken heaven and earth.
Even so, the ancient land trembled, rumbling as mountains and rivers wailed in sorrow.
Shi Hao paid it no heed, sitting cross-legged once more to continue his enlightenment.
Swoosh!
From the darkness, the corpse’s eyes emitted blinding beams of light, crimson as blood, surging forth like vast flames, striking terror into the soul.
Shi Hao shuddered as his divine soul was assaulted. A will sought to seize control of his body and annihilate his primordial spirit.
“Clang!”
Shi Hao summoned his sword embryo, slicing through the void to strike at the invading will. Sparks erupted, accompanied by a deafening roar as the very fabric of space split apart, fissures spreading everywhere.
The obsession within the corpse was tyrannical, embodying the arrogance of its former self, believing itself supreme and demanding absolute obedience.
“Those who defy the will of the Emperor—die!”
From the darkness, the corpse exuding an aura of decay uttered these thunderous words.
Boom!
An immeasurable surge of dark substances erupted from it, transforming into a cataclysmic storm that surged outward.
Unfortunately, a barrier of light blocked most of the dark energy, allowing only a fraction to spill through, its power greatly diminished.
The escaping dark energy coalesced into a demonic dragon, claws bared, its might overwhelming as it lunged at Shi Hao.
Shi Hao frowned. Had this corpse truly reached the Immortal Emperor realm in life? Otherwise, how could its lingering obsession possess such power?
This demonic dragon could rival a Quasi-Immortal Emperor!
After a fierce battle, Shi Hao dispersed the dark dragon, only for it to reform into a black phoenix, its wings spread wide, carrying apocalyptic black flames as it swooped down.
Shi Hao summoned his full power, suppressing the black phoenix here.
Next, the dark substance continued to evolve, taking on forms and techniques reminiscent of the Ten Fierce, dazzling and terrifying.
The last of the Ten Fierce was a colossal boulder, vast enough to shatter countless celestial bodies as it descended, carrying an aura of annihilation.
In truth, the final form of the Ten Fierce was a mystical divine stone capable of reproduction.
Shi Hao remained unafraid. Having faced multiple Quasi-Immortal Emperors before, he calmly countered each manifestation of the dark substance, suppressing them one by one.
His approach was simple and direct. After a fierce battle, he eradicated all the creatures spawned by the corpse!
In the darkness, the corpse suddenly opened its mouth and exhaled forcefully.
Boom!
Heaven and earth split as the dark substance transformed into a hurricane, interwoven with countless Dao symbols. The shockwaves rippled through the Boundary Sea, stirring monstrous waves.
Yet the most terrifying aspect was its inhalation, which triggered a drastic change as it attempted once more to plunder the essence of the world beyond the Boundary Sea—only to fail.
“Suppress!”
Shi Hao roared, taking action. He could not stand idly by as this being sought to annihilate the life beyond the Boundary Sea. This was the terrifying power of an Immortal Emperor.
Even weakened by the barrier and its own physical deterioration, its remaining strength was still at the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level.
Boom!
This collision was far more intense and perilous than his earlier battle against the dark manifestations of the Ten Fierce.
Shi Hao felt excruciating pain!
For he saw the creature forcefully rise from its stone throne, the chains of order binding it clattering taut. This suspected Immortal Emperor-level being chanted incantations, spewing lethal light aimed at Shi Hao.
Though not a full-scale battle, the danger was extreme.
In the end, Shi Hao blocked its assault, preventing it from plundering the world’s essence.
Yet his heart was unsettled. Bound and suppressed, this creature could still unleash such power—truly horrifying.
Most importantly, it was but a remnant, driven only by obsession!
Had it been truly alive, emerging at its peak, the consequences would be unimaginable!
“Though dead, I remain an Emperor. To oppose me is to court death and oblivion.” The blackened corpse spoke coldly, exuding boundless malice.
“If you have the power, then kill me,” Shi Hao retorted icily.
He closed his eyes, resuming his seclusion to comprehend the Great Dao.
He had discerned that the corpse was shackled by its own afflictions, forcibly struggling at great cost. Now, it was about to fall dormant once more.
Bound by chains of order, the corpse seemed destined to slumber endlessly through the ages.
Time flowed like a river. Shi Hao spent a hundred thousand years here in enlightenment, undergoing astonishing transformations. His strength grew, and his physique evolved once more.
Over a hundred thousand years ago, during his battles with Feather Emperor, Hong Emperor, and Cang Emperor, he had undergone a similar transformation, nearly ascending to the Immortal Emperor realm before halting.
Now, he transformed again, not only touching the threshold but even stepping across it momentarily, nearly succeeding.
Yet, at the critical moment, he withdrew. Forcing the breakthrough would likely have killed him—he was still lacking, far from the natural culmination.
“I see the path now.”
Shi Hao murmured to himself. He was creating his own techniques, forging his own system, and researching peerless, invincible methods.
Over the next tens of thousands of years, Shi Hao’s body radiated light as his Dao aura surged. The gates within his body opened fully, his “Seed Within the Body” reaching its zenith.
In the end, his entire being transformed into a single seed. From afar, it appeared enigmatic and unfathomable.
This was a seed formed of the Great Dao, within which a figure meditated, comprehending the Dao and refining his invincible techniques.
The aura of an Immortal Emperor permeated the air!
As Shi Hao neared completion, he was stunned. The invincible technique he had derived was none other than—Heaven Transformation, Freedom Manifestation.
In the past, he had already mastered its application.
Yet over these tens of thousands of years, he had forged his own Great Dao and deduced an invincible technique from its very source.
The Heaven Transformation, Freedom Manifestation Great Method was the culmination of countless evolutions and refinements. At the moment of its completion, it underwent ultimate sublimation—only to reveal itself as the very same technique.
“How can this be?”
Shi Hao was perplexed. The method he had created was, in the end, Heaven Transformation, Freedom Manifestation?
Starting from the source, evolving through transformations, and culminating in sublimation—this was the path to success.
This method was unique. During its creation, it resembled a phoenix’s rebirth, revealing its true profundity only after a great transformation. Yet, in its final form, it was a familiar technique.
Shi Hao frowned.
Deep within the Ultimate Ancient Land, the corpse was roused, its eyes growing even colder. “Crush geniuses, dominate the heavens—those who defy my will shall die!”
Its gaze became eerily peculiar, shifting from pitch black to flecked with golden light. The massive creature abruptly sat up, straining the chains of order binding it.
“Roar!”
A deafening roar erupted as two divine beams, golden yet entwined with black light, shot from its eyes toward the temple.
“Boom!”
The being within the temple’s radiance shouted in defiance, resisting fiercely.
“You and I share the same origin. Today, we shall merge,” the corpse declared.
The wisp of soul Imprint within the ancient temple shuddered, as though struck by these Dao runes, awakening memories long buried.
Most crucially, it was ensnared by the two beams of light, bound together.
“Roar!”
The soul Imprint howled, suddenly erupting with boundless radiance before lunging at Shi Hao.
Even as a fragment, it exuded the might of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor!
Bang!
Shi Hao coldly swung his sword embryo, sending the soul Imprint flying. Light scattered like rain across the sky.
From the very beginning, he had been wary of the being within the rotten wooden chest.
For in the end, that chest had transformed into an ancient temple, resembling a Summoning Ancient Hall.
All these years, he had not forgotten the warning from the future Cao Yusheng: “Beware… the hall!”
To him, it likely referred to the Summoning Ancient Hall.
Now, his caution proved justified as the soul Imprint was repelled.
Swoosh!
Finally, the two beams of light dragged the soul Imprint back into the depths of the Ultimate Ancient Land, past the light barrier, merging it with the corpse.
“To think I would return to my flesh. I am still myself, but you are no longer you.” The corpse emitted a faint golden glow, the voice clearly belonging to the retrieved soul Imprint.
“What difference does it make? You are me, and I am you.” The corpse spoke as black light flickered.
“Back then, I had just stepped onto the Emperor’s path, my Dao unstable. When darkness invaded, I sealed myself here to preserve my true spirit, locking away my corrupted body.” The soul Imprint, glowing gold, explained.
“A portion of my soul left, taking some of my flesh with it,” the corpse said coldly.
“It was to save myself, preserving a fragment of pure flesh and soul for eventual recovery.”
“Pure? All has long been corrupted!” The corpse sneered.
From afar, Shi Hao’s heart trembled as he grasped the situation.
In the past, this being had just entered the Immortal Emperor realm, its foundation unsteady, when darkness invaded, corrupting both body and soul.
In desperation, it severed part of its body and soul Imprint, sending them away.
Then, it shackled its true form here—a self-imposed imprisonment.
It had realized its own affliction and acted to prevent bringing calamity upon the world.
Yet now, the corpse had lost control, turning against its original intent.
“I warned you to leave, yet you stayed. Now, you face dire consequences—you may perish here.” The corpse’s golden eyes sighed mournfully.
Shi Hao understood—this was the soul Imprint from the rotten wooden chest speaking.
He remained vigilant. He had not anticipated that the soul Imprint and the corpse shared the same origin, now abruptly reunited.
“You think killing you is difficult? Let me prove how simple it is!” The corpse’s pupils darkened into abyssal black.
Hum!
A sword embryo materialized beside Shi Hao, erupting with boundless radiance and the aura of an Immortal Emperor—before slashing toward him!
He was stunned. This was the Great Luo Sword Embryo!
At the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level, he had long dismissed the old rumors. The master of the Refining Immortal Pot had once claimed this sword might belong to the being who left footprints on the dam during the Era of Fallen Immortals.
Having crossed the sea and encountered that being’s lingering soul flame and remnants, and battled Feather Emperor and others, Shi Hao knew the sword was not his.
Yet never had he imagined the sword embryo would unleash Immortal Emperor power—now turning against him, beyond his control!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage