Chapter 1957: Entering the Burial Ground

With a faint sigh, a solitary figure stood upon the Three Thousand Provinces, gazing silently at the shattered land.

Huang had returned. Now a true immortal king, he should have found it difficult to come back—his overwhelming power would have been rejected by this world. Yet, he had once obtained the Mark of the Heavenly Heart and had even nourished this realm in return. Thus, he faced no resistance.

Alone, he watched the broken continent floating in the cosmos, a deep melancholy settling in his heart. The past could never be reclaimed.

Once, this land teemed with life, but now it lay desolate. The surviving races had fled to distant stars, abandoning this place.

How many old friends lay buried here? Their faces, their laughter, their voices—all condensed into a single, sorrowful sigh.

In the past, geniuses from across the Three Thousand Provinces had vied for supremacy, venturing together into the ruins of the Immortal Ancient Era. How many remained now? Aside from those who had ascended to the Immortal Domain, the rest were all dead.

When he thought of those bygone days—whether enemies or friends—few had survived to the end.

The Fallen God’s Son, the Dark God’s Son, the young lord of the Immortal Palace… These beings had once shone with dazzling brilliance, yet some had been slain by Huang’s own hand.

Now, Shi Hao felt no hatred toward those old foes. Instead, he wished they had lived to see the ruin of the Three Thousand Provinces. Standing in silence, he reflected.

Zhen Gu, born clutching the Blood-Coagulating Divine Spear, a mighty Prodigy; Teng Yi, the genius of the Fire-Gold Vine Clan, who had forged the Treasure Vessel Seal to annihilate his enemies…

All of them had perished.

Lan Yichen and Luo Dao had once followed Huang through the Immortal Ancient ruins during the Three Thousand Provinces’ genius battles. But after Huang ascended to the Nine Heavens and ventured to the Borderlands, he had never seen them again.

Time was merciless. They, too, were surely gone.

So many old friends, so much glory, so many legends—all buried. An era had long since passed.

In Shi Hao’s eyes, time flowed like a river, the years shifting like sand. He saw the past—every dawn and dusk—his heart a tangle of emotions: bitterness, joy, sorrow.

Life was a tapestry of countless flavors. Five hundred thousand years ago, countless geniuses had roamed this land, yet in the end, all had returned to dust.

He raised his head, gazing at the other shattered continents. The Nine Heavens themselves were broken. The once-eternal longevity clans, who had claimed to endure alongside the world, had all withered away.

Now, not a single one remained. All had perished.

Aside from those who had entered the Immortal Domain, those who stayed had died without exception. The mark of an entire era had been erased.

Turning his gaze to the Borderlands, he saw that the Emperor’s Pass no longer existed. It had been razed, leaving only ruins and shattered stardust in its wake.

Shi Hao departed, heading straight for the Lower Eight Realms. They, too, lay in ruins. The Stone Country was gone, the Fire Nation extinguished. Less than one in ten of its people remained. The desolation was overwhelming.

The Barren Realm held too many memories for Shi Hao—it was where he had been born. Returning now, he found the mountains and rivers changed beyond recognition. Five hundred thousand years had shifted the course of great rivers and toppled towering boulders. Truly, the world had transformed.

He walked alone, lost in thought, until he arrived at the ruins of the Heaven Mending Pavilion. The Ghost Grandpa, the Gourd Sacrificial Spirit… It all felt like yesterday.

Shi Hao stood motionless amidst the ruins for a long time, reminiscing about his days in the Heaven Mending Pavilion. Warmth and regret intertwined in his heart. Where were those old friends now?

*”With a hammer in hand, the world is mine!”*

The playful boasts of his youth still echoed in his ears. He thought of Xiao Tian, the silver-robed genius whose head he had once “adorned” with bumps, earning his eternal grudge.

He also thought of Xia Youyu, that ethereal woman in white.

Alas, the Heaven Mending Pavilion had become history, never to rise again.

These people, these memories, had left indelible marks on his life. Yet they were all gone, claimed by the relentless march of time.

Next, Shi Hao visited the old lands of the demon race, paying respects to the graves of his sworn brother, the Nine-Headed Lion, as well as the Fire Crow and the Five-Colored Luan Bird.

But the rivers had shifted, the mountains had moved, and the ancient graves were no more.

In the past, he had ridden the Nine-Headed Lion through the Hundred Shattered Mountains, later forcing the beast into a sworn brotherhood.

*”My years are endless, my lifespan vast. Yet why do I find myself constantly looking back? Those people died countless millennia ago, yet they still feel so close.”*

Shi Hao’s heart was heavy with regret. At the same time, he grew wary. Nostalgia had stirred even the emotions of an immortal king.

For he knew that he might not return for countless millennia. When he next appeared, what era would it be? Would this Barren Realm even still exist?

The name he bore now was borrowed from this very land—*Huang*.

Huang was about to depart. No one knew when he would return.

This time, Shi Hao mounted the Golden-Haired Hou, using a king-level beast as his steed, and returned to the Three Thousand Provinces.

They visited the Immortal Fall Ridge, landing on a star that served as the Golden-Haired Hou’s ancestral home.

The Golden-Haired Hou gazed at it with complex emotions. This was its farewell, for it would soon depart with Shi Hao, uncertain if it would ever return alive.

The next moment, they left, arriving at the Borderlands—the ancient battleground where chaotic light still flowed and spatial rifts stretched endlessly, marking the boundary between worlds.

Riding the Golden-Haired Hou, Shi Hao entered the Heavenly Beast Forest beyond the Borderlands. This place remained shrouded in mystery, for it bordered the Foreign Realm, its terrain unique and sealed by ancient formations that had never faltered.

Most crucially, the great formation suppressing the boundary between the Foreign Realm and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had kept this place desolate and silent.

Deep within the Heavenly Beast Forest lay a pool, beside which stood a stone tablet inscribed with the word *Reincarnation*.

And here, the Second Greatest Under Heaven was imprisoned—bound by chains, a rusted spear embedded in its skull, both a seal and a fatal wound.

Shi Hao arrived and beheld the Second Greatest Under Heaven.

Its massive form bore a pair of wings. At a glance, it resembled a colossal pangolin, armored in snow-white scales, though its head was distinctly draconic.

This was the Second Greatest Under Heaven—the being that had once rivaled the True Dragon lineage, battling to a near-stalemate before losing by the narrowest margin.

It, too, was a dragon—one that had contested for the title of True Dragon. Though defeated, its glory remained undimmed, for in that legendary battle, it had only been slightly inferior.

Later, at the end of the Immortal Ancient Era, it had joined the final battle against the kings of the Foreign Realm. Mortally wounded, it had fallen here.

*”Snap!”*

Without hesitation, Shi Hao shattered the chains binding it. His current mastery of the Dao was boundless, his strength terrifying beyond measure.

Even among immortal kings, he stood as a titan.

The chains that had imprisoned the Second Greatest Under Heaven broke apart, never to restrain it again.

*”ROAR!”*

In that instant, the Second Greatest Under Heaven’s eyes snapped open, unleashing a world-shaking roar. Any other being present would have been obliterated instantly.

But Shi Hao stood unmoved, silently observing. He sensed the Frenzy within the dragon’s mind, the chaos of its will. He understood the problem.

The Second Greatest Under Heaven’s primordial spirit had been grievously wounded. Whether it could recover was uncertain.

*”Clang!”*

Shi Hao acted, forming a divine seal and forcibly extracting the rusted spear. The Second Greatest Under Heaven roared in fury, but Shi Hao immobilized it.

It still lived, its magic power surging, its divine techniques flaring—but these were mere instincts, far from its former peak.

Upon closer inspection, Shi Hao realized its main soul was gone. Only fragmented spiritual imprints remained, barely sustaining its body.

Its weakened state made things easier for Shi Hao.

He suppressed it and cast it into the pool, where it joined the likes of Red King’s soul, all held under his dominion.

Next, he ventured to the Divine Medicine Range beyond the Borderlands.

Though sealed by formations, what could stop an immortal king of his stature? Having nourished this realm, the great Dao did not reject him, the heavens did not expel him, and the formations could not hinder him. Thus, he advanced unopposed.

*”Moo!”*

Shi Hao encountered the Golden Ox once more—a living being forged from Immortal Gold of the Celestial Path!

Yet this ox was peculiar. Its original soul had perished; the current one was a new consciousness born from the Golden Ox of the previous era.

More importantly, it was merely a beast of burden. The true master lay within.

Shi Hao lifted the Golden Ox with two fingers and suppressed it effortlessly.

Venturing deeper underground, he found a cave, its entrance howling with wind. Before it sat a golden-haired, golden-bearded Daoist, barely a foot tall, appearing even smaller as he sat in meditation.

Motionless, as if frozen for eternity, the Daoist exuded an aura of immense power. His true form, forged from Immortal Gold of the Celestial Path, was indestructible to most immortal kings.

*”Boom!”*

Shi Hao swept his sleeve, unleashing divine might.

The golden Daoist was suppressed—though, in truth, he offered no resistance, rendering Shi Hao’s full power unnecessary.

The Daoist’s soul was gone.

In the end, Shi Hao collected both the golden Daoist and his ox, tossing them into the pool to accompany the Second Greatest Under Heaven.

Next, Shi Hao rode the Golden-Haired Hou toward the Burial Grounds.

The Burial Grounds still existed, though partially destroyed—a conclusion Shi Hao reached upon arriving at their depths.

The outer regions had long since crumbled, but deep within, an entire realm thrived, exuding an overwhelming majesty.

Shi Hao’s arrival caused a great stir as he breached the Burial Zone’s innermost sanctum.

Contrary to expectations, the depths were not sinister. Though countless ancient tombs stood densely packed, the atmosphere was serene, surpassing even the tranquility of an immortal king’s domain.

Shi Hao’s presence immediately disrupted the peace, rousing the attention of countless powerful beings.

In another region, the scent of medicinal herbs filled the air. Shi Hao’s brows furrowed in surprise as he recognized a familiar longevity medicine—the White Turtle Bearing Immortal.

The area shimmered with radiant light. Before a grand tomb grew rare herbs, and at its entrance stood a phoenix, its feathers sparse, guarding the site. Far from gloomy, the place was sacred and serene beyond belief.

*”Raising a phoenix like a common fowl?”* Shi Hao murmured in astonishment.

*”Who dares trespass upon our Burial Grounds?”* a voice, both mysterious and mighty, demanded.

*”It’s him—Huang!”* another voice interjected.

Shi Hao felt a measure of relief. The Burial King who had once sheltered him, burying him in the sacred earth, still lived. The second voice belonged to that very being.

*”What? Huang? Where is he?”* The voices of San Zang and Shen Ming rang out.

They, too, had survived.

Shi Hao’s return to the Burial Grounds was not solely to seek Cao Yousheng. He had many questions—about the Foreign Realm, about the Burial Zone—that demanded answers.

*”We welcome the Immortal King,”* a Burial King declared, immediately recognizing Shi Hao’s terrifying power.

The grand tomb split open, the phoenix leading the way into a dazzling underground cavern.

*”Kid, you… became an Immortal King?!”* The White Turtle Bearing Immortal, the longevity medicine, shrieked in disbelief, as if seeing a ghost.

It had met Shi Hao in the past. How could it fathom that in just five hundred thousand years, the youth had achieved such heights?

Shi Hao descended into the underground world and bowed deeply.

*”I thank the Burial Kings for their life-saving grace!”* he said solemnly.

He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to San Zang and Shen Ming.

*”I am ashamed. Fellow Daoist, there is no need for such courtesy. In those days, I could do nothing but bury you,”* the Burial King replied.

*”You… did not become a Burial Warrior? You truly revived?”* San Zang’s voice trembled with shock. He immediately noticed the anomaly—Shi Hao was no Golden Burial Warrior, yet he remembered everything.

They had been secluded, dormant, unaware of the events in the Foreign Realm or the Immortal Domain.

*”By luck, I survived,”* Shi Hao said.

Two Burial Kings were present, one severely wounded—the very one who had attempted to transform Shi Hao into a Burial Warrior.

With a sigh, the wounded Burial King explained, *”In the past, my Burial Grounds were attacked by supreme overlords from the Sea of Annihilation. I nearly perished, and my domain shattered, scattering across the cosmos.”*

Injured and struggling to survive, he had been unable to search for Shi Hao, rescued instead by other Burial Kings.

*”Is Cao Yousheng still here?”* Shi Hao asked.

*”Yes,”* Shen Ming replied. *”He and the little dog are undergoing the transformation into Burial Warriors. They are currently in slumber.”*

*”Your prowess is vast, Senior, to keep a True Phoenix in your abode,”* Shi Hao remarked, awed.

He had heard rumors of an unrivaled being in the Burial Zone who raised phoenixes like poultry.

*”You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist. This is not my doing. It belongs to the mightiest of our Burial Kings—one whose legends have endured through the ages.”*

Legends spoke of a being who raised flocks of phoenixes as if they were chickens.

Even Shi Hao had heard of him.

Some called him *”The Chicken-Raiser,”* ranking alongside figures like *”The Butcher”* as supreme overlords within the Sea of Annihilation.

Shi Hao was stunned. *The Chicken-Raiser* was a Burial Warrior?

*”It was precisely because of that senior’s overwhelming power, his stirring of boundless storms in the Sea of Annihilation, that provoked retaliation. Tens of thousands of years ago, someone wielded a golden gourd to strike down our Burial Grounds!”* the wounded Burial King explained.

Such immense causality!

*”Senior, I have questions—may I ask them?”* Shi Hao said.

His heart was filled with too many doubts.

*”Ask.”*

*”How did the Burial Warriors originate?”* Shi Hao found it peculiar, fearing a connection to the Dark Creatures.

*”The Origin Ancient Artifact created the Burial Warriors,”* the Burial King stated plainly.

*”The Origin Ancient Artifact?”* Shi Hao’s eyes narrowed, recalling his exploration of the Burial Abyss with San Zang and Shen Ming, where the Burial Warriors’ Origin Ancient Artifact was enshrined.

*”We are not the only ones. The Foreign Realm also possesses an Origin Ancient Artifact,”* the Burial King continued.

Shi Hao’s pupils constricted.

*”The Foreign Realm’s invasion of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was driven by their search for something they believed was buried within your world,”* the Burial King added.