Behind the dam, the Land of Darkness truly lived up to its name—an expanse of pitch-black void, stretching endlessly as if one had stepped beyond the edge of the cosmos.
Here, there was no vitality, no flow of spiritual essence, only a deathly stillness, like a realm of the departed. And now, Shi Hao ventured into it alone.
The most terrifying aspect was the altered laws of the Great Dao. If other Immortal Kings were to come here, though they wouldn’t lose their cultivation entirely, they would face immense difficulties.
To adapt to this place, one had to strive to comprehend its twisted rules of the Great Dao.
Otherwise, even their own divine bodies might shatter!
Shi Hao, however, felt no fear. Because he had forged his own path, taking his body as the seed. No matter how the heavens and earth changed, no matter how the laws shifted, he remained unshaken, relying on his inner Dao.
**”Boom!”**
Shi Hao struck out, a streak of light cutting through the void as he sought to peer into the depths of the darkness. But almost immediately, a vast, overwhelming force descended from the heavens, crashing against his own Dao and techniques.
Darkness became eternal. That light was extinguished.
Ahead, chains of black order intertwined like demonic shackles, gleaming with ominous radiance as they shot toward him at terrifying speed.
Shi Hao stood unmoving, allowing the power of this dark world to wash over him. He remained unperturbed—this was the purest essence of darkness given form.
**Clang!**
All the black chains of order stretched taut, piercing through the heavens like divine spears, cold and ruthless, aimed straight at him.
Around Shi Hao’s body, a radiant barrier flared to life, shielding him—inviolable by all laws!
**Crack!**
Every black chain shattered into fragments just an inch from his body, dissolving into specks of dark light before igniting in flames, utterly annihilated.
Shi Hao stepped forward, traversing the ancient dark land. In the distance, towering mountains of inky blackness stretched into the heavens, while vast rivers, so dark they chilled the soul, flowed in eerie silence.
As he advanced, he encountered living beings—or rather, their remains.
They were long dead, their frozen corpses motionless, some as massive as mountains, others of ordinary human stature.
A cold glint flickered in Shi Hao’s eyes. The corpses he saw were all at the Immortal King level—and among the most powerful of their kind.
Without a doubt, they were supreme beings who had, by fate or fortune, managed to cross the dam. Yet, in the end, they had taken only a few steps before meeting their demise.
With the slightest touch, the corpses crumbled into dust, vanishing without a trace.
These were the mightiest beings of countless eons, yet their end was so pitiful.
Some had come to quell the darkness, others seeking to transcend and become Immortal Emperors. But in the end, they were nothing more than dust in the cycle of reincarnation.
**Boom!**
Suddenly, the black ashes swirled violently, coalescing beside Shi Hao into a monstrous dragon, its scales black as the abyss, roaring as it lunged for the kill.
This was one of the creatures that had just turned to ash—yet now it had revived, unleashing a terrifying might.
**”Bang!”**
Shi Hao reached out, seizing the dark dragon’s body and gripping its massive head. With a sharp **crack**, he snapped off one of its horns.
This was no illusion—it had truly resurrected, its flesh restored.
**Roar!**
A dragon’s cry shook the heavens and earth, splitting the dark clouds asunder, causing the very land to tremble.
It erupted with the power of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, struggling fiercely to attack Shi Hao.
**”A construct of laws, borrowing a corpse to manifest—how dare you act so arrogantly!”** Shi Hao scoffed, unfazed.
With a mighty shake of his arm, the dark dragon in his grasp cracked apart, black demonic blood spilling onto the earth.
This was the will of the heavens given form—the same hidden force that had attacked him earlier, now taking shape to unleash its fury, seeking his life.
**”Is this all? Merely the laws of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor—nothing more than order for me to wield.”** Shi Hao’s voice rang out as his body erupted with blinding radiance, illuminating the darkness, his aura overwhelming.
The entire dam world seemed to transform into a land of light, fissures spreading as if it would shatter.
**Splat!**
Shi Hao twisted the dragon’s body apart. Black blood surged like a volcanic eruption, the Quasi-Immortal Emperor’s laws running rampant before exploding.
**Boom!**
The heavens split. On this ancient land, the dark origin force boiled like the descent of the Netherworld, extinguishing all life.
Especially as the dragon’s remnants detonated, the Quasi-Immortal Emperor’s laws tore through the sky, as if determined to drag Shi Hao into oblivion with it.
Had an Immortal King faced such an attack, they would have perished instantly, body and soul obliterated. But Shi Hao, from head to toe, was bathed in an unyielding glow. Neither the black blood nor the chains of law could harm him.
He strode forward. The ashes of other remains did not reform, allowing him to pass unhindered.
This was a land of eerie silence. Once the battle subsided, not a sound remained. Black death energy permeated the air, with tendrils of dark mist coiling around the mountains.
The mountains were colossal, dwarfing even the stars, standing like an impassable barrier ahead.
Shi Hao stepped onto the void, ascending the peak. He saw massive planets orbiting the mountain, densely packed, while on its slopes grew dark, corrupted divine herbs.
Even divine herbs had been tainted?
What fate, then, awaited any living being who set foot here? The answer was clear.
Further on, he spotted an immortal longevity herb—but it too was pitch-black, exuding a sinister aura, completely consumed by darkness.
Shi Hao moved as if on level ground. Clad in white, he stood out starkly against the black void, advancing step by step, leaving the mountain behind.
Now, he truly began his journey—into the heart of the Land of Darkness.
His white robes were like snow in the endless dark, a beacon for any being who might gaze upon him, a solitary figure marching through the abyss.
His pace quickened. As a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, a single step could reverse the flow of stars, send the sun and moon receding. He possessed the greatest power and speed in existence—at least, before entering this dark world.
As he pressed on, he encountered more remains, corpses long decayed, many reduced to dust.
The further he went, the more bones littered the ground.
Until, at last, he saw it—an endless sea of bones, most bleached white, like an overwhelming blizzard burying the world, stark against the darkness.
Among them were bones of other hues—gold, black, purple—but these were few compared to the white.
Shi Hao picked up a few bones, examining them closely. A tremor passed through his Quasi-Immortal Emperor’s heart.
These remains were extraordinary—not in their cultivation level, but in their innate talent. Their bones were perfect for the Dao, yet here they lay, discarded.
The bones were saturated with dark energy, fused beyond separation.
He studied them carefully. Were these beings different from those of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, or the Immortal Domain?
No. He recognized most of these races—their descendants still thrived in the world today, save for a few ancient creatures.
A cold fury ignited in Shi Hao’s eyes, his pupils sharp as sword beams. The pressure of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor radiated from him, his killing intent palpable.
Were these beings all from beyond the sea, lured here by darkness, then discarded or slaughtered?
**”The Ancient Temples of Guidance can bridge the two shores. Were these the lost, the fallen, brought here in droves, only to be culled or butchered?”**
Shi Hao felt he was nearing the truth, approaching the ultimate destination.
The journey continued across an endless black expanse, devoid of vegetation, lifeless and barren.
Millions of miles passed beneath his feet.
His white robes fluttered, his presence awe-inspiring. Though his features were refined, his eyes remained sharp as immortal swords, piercing the gloom.
Finally, he arrived.
Before him stretched an immense complex of structures, grand and ancient, their origins lost to time. Their majesty was oppressive, enough to make any living being kneel in submission.
Shi Hao halted, his gaze icy.
In the boundless dark, amid churning mist, he beheld a vast palace—limitless, blocking his path.
**”Legends say one must traverse the Land of Darkness to reach the Ultimate Ancient Land. Myth or truth?”**
Shi Hao stared ahead. Here, he too felt pressure—but to make him kneel? Impossible.
Without question, there was a Quasi-Immortal Emperor’s power here.
He stepped forward, entering the sprawling palace complex. Immediately, his heart clenched.
He saw a stele, drenched in black blood, inscribed with two words:
**Heavenly Court.**
The blood was dark, the stone etched with fragments of time, pulsing with the essence of darkness.
In fact, the entire palace complex, spanning countless miles, exuded a dense aura of death and boundless dark energy.
**”The Dark Heavenly Court!”**
Shi Hao’s voice was ice. This was no ordinary palace—it had been utterly corrupted.
His heart sank. To find the Heavenly Court here, of all places—its presence was overwhelming, bearing the might of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, yet devoid of life.
It was empty. Not a single soul in sight.
Only as he neared the central hall did movement stir. A voice, ancient, weathered, and oppressive, echoed abruptly, sending a chill even through Shi Hao.
**”A pilgrim, devout and sincere, crossing the sea with reverence, step by step, kowtow by kowtow, seeking an audience with this one. Yet you arrive with killing intent—why?”**
**”Pilgrim? Who are you?”** Shi Hao’s tone was frigid.
**”Emperor.”**
A single word, uttered with such authority it could make all living things tremble, their bodies and souls crumbling at a mere thought.
Here, in this vast palace, there was only one being—self-proclaimed as Emperor.
Lofty, majestic, and divine, his unseen form exuded an invincible aura that had dominated countless eras.
A true Emperor, residing here?
Shi Hao’s pupils contracted, his expression grave. But fear? None.
He was a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, with his own pride, his own indomitable spirit.
How could he fear?
Coldly, he stared ahead—and stepped forward.
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