The most majestic Ancient Reception Hall exuded an eerie power, its structure shimmering with radiant hues, its tiles golden, sacred and awe-inspiring in grandeur.
Inside the hall, the rotting wooden chest trembled. Though made of wood, it appeared as if it had been transformed into metal.
Within the hall, countless beams of light converged upon the rotting chest, as if attempting to summon something back into the present world.
The voice came from within the chest!
Shi Hao’s eyes blazed as he fixed his gaze upon it. Was there a living being inside? This chest had followed him for so long, yet he had never fully unraveled its mysteries.
Now, it had actually emitted a sound.
This was bizarre and deeply mysterious. It had lain dormant for untold epochs, buried in the Burial Grounds, only to suddenly awaken here.
“Who are you?” Shi Hao asked, stepping back as he distanced himself from the black mist-shrouded Ultimate Ancient Land.
**Boom!**
Suddenly, a streak of black lightning shot forth at terrifying speed, striking the rotting chest within the Ancient Reception Hall.
This black lightning was more dreadful than heavenly punishment, comparable to a Quasi-Immortal Emperor tampering with the power of karma. It carried an aura of world-destruction, its terrifying thunder engulfing the area.
With a resounding **bang**, the magnificent golden hall exploded, reduced to ruins.
The rotting chest was enveloped in the black lightning.
At the same time, within the black mist, the shattered stone tablet glowed, its inscribed Great Dao characters shining even more brilliantly.
**”The Opportunity to Become an Emperor!”**
The opportunity to become an emperor belonged to only one.
A faint sigh echoed, like an unyielding obsession reverberating through the void.
Then, Shi Hao glimpsed scenes of the past—the Undying Elder, the Feather Emperor, the Vast Emperor, and the Primordial Emperor had all once lingered here.
Attaining the status of an Immortal Emperor was far too difficult. At the very least, Shi Hao had never encountered such a being before!
Whose obsession was this? Was it echoing to warn him?
Was the rotting chest or this lingering obsession expressing goodwill?
Should he press forward, or turn back now?
Shi Hao stood motionless, silently observing the rotting chest before shifting his gaze to the deepest reaches of the Ultimate Ancient Land.
**Whoosh!**
Suddenly, the black mist surged violently outward, carrying with it vast amounts of dark matter—so dense it seemed impenetrable, the very essence of darkness.
Yet within it, Great Dao runes flickered, containing supreme mysteries that surpassed even the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level!
This shocked Shi Hao. Were these the true secrets of an Immortal Emperor?
Within that darkness, such Great Dao runes bloomed, spreading outward alongside the dark essence—not many, but still astonishing.
The profound scriptures of an Immortal Emperor were truly mind-shattering. Even Shi Hao was shaken. No wonder the Undying Elder and the others had died with regret and unwillingness.
Here indeed lay the opportunity to become an emperor!
What kind of place was this? Why did such things exist?
In the distance, the dark matter grew even denser, surging outward with terrifying intensity. Yet within it lay mysterious runes, containing world-shaking truths.
**”Those who learn from me shall live; those who imitate me shall perish.”**
Shi Hao did not lose himself. Instead, he remained utterly calm, murmuring to himself. He did not rush to seize the opportunity but stood like an outsider, coldly observing.
Had it been anyone else, they might have succumbed long ago—after all, an unparalleled fortune lay before them. Missing it might mean never having another chance.
Only after a long while did he cautiously begin capturing those runes, silently studying and contemplating them.
**”Hmm?”** Shi Hao’s expression shifted. All the scriptures were imprinted within the dark essence!
As he captured the Great Dao runes, the dark essence was simultaneously refined, threatening to merge into his body.
**”No wonder…”**
Shi Hao shuddered. He finally understood why the Undying Elder, the Feather Emperor, the Vast Emperor, and the Primordial Emperor had dark matter within them. Over time, how could they not be corrupted by darkness?
It had to be known—the dark essence here touched upon the true Imperial Dao level!
Beings like the Undying Elder and the Feather Emperor had spent their lives pursuing the status of an Immortal Emperor. They were ruthless, emotionless, believing the Great Dao to be merciless, treating all things as insignificant.
At their level, they would stop at nothing to achieve the Immortal Emperor’s throne.
What was absorbing dark essence compared to that?
Perhaps, after countless epochs, after endless cycles of time, Shi Hao too would walk such a path—for watching the rise and fall of eras, the ebb and flow of the world, would weary even the strongest.
In such a state, perhaps the only choice was to break through, to transcend all that came before.
But now, he would not succumb. Becoming an emperor at this moment held no great temptation for him.
Given the choice, he would rather abandon all he had now if it meant his kin and old friends could be revived, returning to the world of the living.
**”Stop. Turn back. Otherwise, you will be corrupted by him!”** The voice from the rotting chest sounded again, as the beams restraining it weakened.
**”Who are you, truly?”** Shi Hao demanded.
**”I am a lost soul, suddenly awakened here.”** The rotting chest trembled.
**Boom!**
The next moment, the depths of the Ultimate Ancient Land erupted once more with boundless dark light, crashing toward the rotting chest.
The force was heart-stopping, even causing Shi Hao to pale. It carried faint traces of an Immortal Emperor’s aura—divine might that shook the world, an overwhelming power.
The rotting chest cracked!
**Boom!**
Suddenly, the chest exploded, scattering radiant light like the most sacred of treasures emerging into the world.
When the dust settled, an ancient and mysterious temple stood in its place, weathered yet extraordinary.
**”The rotting chest?!”**
Shi Hao was stunned. This ancient temple had transformed from the chest.
It held unfathomable power, exuding the aura of creation itself—as if it were a relic from the dawn of time, now spewing forth chaos from within.
At the same time, Shi Hao was startled to see a living being seated within this most ancient temple.
It was a mass of light, enveloping a figure shrouded in mist. It sat there, its eyes suddenly opening, radiating an indescribable sense of mystery.
Though no overwhelming power could be felt, it was undoubtedly extraordinary!
**”What do you wish to tell me? Speak freely,”** Shi Hao said.
**”I cannot remember clearly. The ages have been too long. I am but a remnant soul, a wisp of spiritual imprint.”** It sighed, troubled and filled with endless regret.
Shi Hao studied the wooden temple closely—it bore a striking resemblance to the Ancient Reception Hall.
**”Was the so-called Ancient Reception Hall meant to summon you back?”** Shi Hao’s expression shifted as this sudden thought struck him.
**”I do not know. I only know that ahead lies great danger. You must see clearly what lies before you!”** the being warned.
The rotting chest had harbored a wisp of spiritual imprint, only awakening now, leaving Shi Hao deeply astonished.
He feared nothing. As long as no true Immortal Emperor appeared, no one in this world could kill him!
As the dark matter surged, Shi Hao silently observed, continuing to refine it. With each portion refined, he gained fragments of runes, reaping great rewards.
**Boom!**
Months later, Shi Hao shuddered violently as thick black smoke erupted from his body—the terrifying dark matter that had seeped into him, forcibly expelled.
Through months of observation, he realized that his own essence, spirit, and vitality had been absorbed by the Ultimate Ancient Land. This was an exchange.
He sacrificed his essence and spirit to obtain scriptures, while being corroded by darkness.
His expression darkened. Finally, he retreated, resting for over a year before striding boldly toward the depths of the Ultimate Ancient Land, seeking clarity.
Indeed, the closer he got, the clearer his vision became—and the more Immortal Emperor scriptures he could obtain.
Eventually, he halted, spotting a layer of dark light covering a vast expanse ahead.
Within it, a hazy outline could barely be discerned.
**”A living being!”**
Shi Hao was stunned. It was a colossal humanoid figure, vaster than any mountain, seated upon a stone throne, reclining—its body incomplete.
**Boom!**
Shi Hao erupted with boundless radiance, pushing his cultivation to the limit as he scrutinized the figure intently.
Finally, he saw clearly—under a blood-red dusk, amidst desolate rocky mountains, black mist churned as a giant lay upon an emperor’s throne carved from stone.
His body was pitch-black, his flesh seemingly decayed, emitting thick black mist—the true origin of the dark matter!
All darkness stemmed from this corpse!
He was broken, as if torn apart—his head split open, the fissure extending down to his abdomen.
Half of his upper body was missing—half a skull, his left arm—while his lower body remained intact. He lay reclined upon the stone throne!
**”This…”**
Even at his level of cultivation, Shi Hao was shaken.
Was this the greatest secret of the Ultimate Ancient Land?
At its deepest core lay a massive corpse—one that, if it stood, would tower between heaven and earth. Faint traces of an Immortal Emperor’s pressure and aura lingered upon it.
Even in death, it remained so terrifying—how horrifying must it have been in life?
The dark matter was nothing but the decaying corpse’s emissions, corrupting this ancient and boundless land.
Upon closer inspection, chains of order bound him to the throne. The light barrier that once must have been sacred now suppressed this place, though it too had been tainted black by the dark matter.
In appearance, he resembled a human—only unimaginably vast.
**”Stay away. This place is dangerous!”** The spiritual imprint within the temple warned from behind.
Shi Hao did not leave. Instead, he circled the area, observing carefully. Even at his level, enduring this close was difficult.
The dark matter was too dense, threatening to assimilate him.
It was no wonder the Undying Elder and the Feather Emperor had harbored vast amounts of dark power within them.
In the past, they had lingered here for long periods, seeking the Immortal Emperor’s scriptures, refining the dark essence.
**”Trace the origin, reveal the past!”**
Shi Hao roared, unleashing supreme power, channeling all his cultivation to reconstruct past events.
**Rumble!**
The world seemed to shake as anomalies manifested.
Yet this place was too extraordinary—involving Quasi-Immortal Emperors, even an Immortal Emperor. Shi Hao’s attempt to trace its history met immense resistance.
Beings of this level naturally obscured heavenly secrets, making them untraceable.
With peerless skill and overwhelming cultivation, Shi Hao forced the vision forth.
At last, he saw blurred yet real scenes.
He saw the corpse—breathing in the past!
**”He’s alive?!”**
Calculating the timeline, this had occurred just before Shi Hao crossed the sea. With each exhale, the corpse spewed thick black mist, transforming into Great Dao runes that blanketed the world.
It swept across the Realm Sea, reaching the distant shore.
Then, as it inhaled, the pure essence of the Immortal Domain, the Burial Grounds, and other realms was drawn here, converging upon it.
Shi Hao gasped, a chill running down his spine.
Even he found this horrifying.
Yet it had only been a single breath—not sustained. After this, the corpse fell dormant again, as if exhausted.
**”Exhaling his own dark matter, inhaling pure and sacred essence.”** Shi Hao frowned. This was an exchange.
He continued his observation, tracing the origin, peering into the heavens’ secrets.
He saw the Feather Emperor, the Vast Emperor—bringing vast amounts of purified power here to refine darkness and obtain the Immortal Emperor’s scriptures.
Then, Shi Hao saw the Dark Denizens!
One after another, Ancient Reception Halls were shrouded in darkness. Countless prodigies, countless talents—beings imprisoned in dark cages—were corrupted, absorbing darkness while their pure essence was siphoned away.
Shi Hao’s head spun. He understood now—the root of all dark calamities lay here, originating from this corpse.
Next, he saw the Undying Elder, the Feather Emperor, the Vast Emperor.
The four Quasi-Emperors must have also uncovered this truth, yet they could not stop. To obtain the Immortal Emperor’s scriptures, they periodically summoned Dark Denizens—effectively offering sacrifices here.
Yet they dared not persist for too long, fearing complete corruption.
Thus, they would enter slumber, resting, awaiting the next era, silently cultivating in the interim.
At the same time, the four Quasi-Immortal Emperors had once attacked this place, waging war in an attempt to breach it and seize the runes imprinted within the corpse.
They had failed.
The Undying Elder, who called himself the first Quasi-Immortal Emperor since the dawn of creation, had one caveat—this ancient corpse had to be excluded.
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