Chapter 1938: The Collapse of the Heavenly Court

The heavens and earth were bathed in a crimson hue, the entire cosmos transformed into a scarlet expanse—hazy and bleak. It was the lament of the Great Dao, carrying an aura of desolation and sorrow.

For Shi Hao had once obtained the Mark of the Heavenly Heart, recognized by the very fabric of existence. Even after relinquishing it, he remained deeply intertwined with this world, bound by an extraordinary connection and significance.

Now, he had been slain, his primordial spirit extinguished, dissolving into a rain of light that scattered across the universe, causing the entire starry expanse to tremble and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths to quake in resonance.

“No—!”

A cry tore through the heavens from the Celestial Court. Eyes bloodshot with grief, they witnessed through the grand formation the battle that had unfolded in the depths of the cosmos—ending in such tragic and heart-wrenching splendor.

Shi Hao had fallen. The masters of the forbidden zones, the golden palm bone, and others had also shattered, their remnants strewn across the starry void. The scene was unbearably cruel.

“Wuuu…”

A mournful wind howled through the cosmic rivers of stars, an eerie keening that had never before been heard in the void of space. Yet today, such an anomaly manifested.

Shi Hao’s demise had triggered too many unnatural phenomena.

*Pop!*

In the void, blood-red lotuses bloomed one after another, their roots embedded in the fabric of the cosmos. Each blossom shed cascades of crimson rain, a sight both haunting and sorrowful.

Then came black lightning, one bolt after another, while blood-colored clouds spread across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, painting the world in eerie and ominous hues.

The Celestial Court was plunged into mourning. The worst of times had arrived. Shi Hao’s premature death signaled the collapse of the Celestial Court itself. Even the skull of the forbidden zone master, who had intended to lead the divine generals away, had shattered into fragments.

Now, the dragons were without a head.

Wails of grief resounded through the heavens and earth. Many of the divine generals of the Celestial Court hailed from Stone Village, descendants of the original eight hundred warriors. Their sorrow was boundless.

“Ah—!” The Heavenly Horned Ant roared in fury, eyes bloodshot, voice hoarse.

“Master!” The Crimson Dragon’s scales bristled, its reverse scales nearly tearing loose. Consumed by grief and rage, it howled in anguish at this cruel parting.

Mu Qing, the God-Slaying Stone, the Imperial Butterfly, and Zhu Lin—all had eyes reddened with blood-tears, fists clenched, teeth gritted so hard that blood trickled from their lips.

“Hmph.”

A cold, disdainful voice echoed through the world—Ao Sheng, the Immortal King. “I am the will of heaven. I am the greatest karma itself. Who dares oppose me? You are all laughable!”

“Killing him was but crushing an ant—utterly meaningless,” Tai Shi, the Immortal King, remarked before being the first to depart.

Yuan Chu, the Immortal King, gazed down upon the lower realm through the immortal gate with an indifferent expression, offering only a faint smile before turning away.

*Boom!*

Ao Sheng stretched out his earthen-yellow hand, reaching into the dark and shattered depths of the cosmos where a bloodied corpse lay.

“Ao Sheng, enough! Must you desecrate his remains as well? It is beneath your station!”

From the immortal gate, a gnarled branch of the Peach Tree surged forth like a coiling dragon, intercepting Ao Sheng’s hand. Pan Wang had intervened, his voice icy.

He had intended to act earlier, but Tai Shi and Yuan Chu had blocked his path, standing guard before his abode, forcing him into a stalemate.

“Very well.”

Ao Sheng relented, yet his overwhelming divine sense still swept across the starry expanse, leaving no corner untouched—from the highest heavens to the deepest netherworld.

Though an Immortal King, he was a cautious being. Only after confirming that not a trace of Shi Hao’s primordial spirit remained did he finally withdraw.

An Immortal King could sever the cosmos with a mere thought, wielding power beyond comprehension. Even if a being hid for eons, should he will it, none could escape his gaze.

Ao Sheng, too, departed!

He had no desire to provoke Pan Wang to the point of no return—after all, they had already shattered the skull of his old friend, the forbidden zone master.

Were he to push further, Pan Wang might well descend into madness, engaging him in a blood-soaked battle within the immortal realm.

Amidst the stars, a shattered white jade pagoda drifted past Shi Hao’s lifeless form—evidence that even the master of the Fallen Immortal Ridge had come to investigate.

Pan Wang let out a cold snort, his killing intent palpable.

“My apologies, fellow Daoist!”

A voice emerged from the depths of the Fallen Immortal Ridge as its master summoned the shattered pagoda back, confirming that Shi Hao was indeed dead—his soul extinguished.

In truth, there was no need for doubt. Even a true Immortal King, let alone Shi Hao, would find it impossible to survive the combined assault of Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, Yuan Chu, and the master of the Fallen Immortal Ridge.

With four supreme experts striking at once, who could possibly withstand them?

Within the Celestial Court, the three Ghost Immortals exchanged uneasy glances. Shi Hao’s death marked the end of an era—would the Celestial Court collapse entirely, or would another rise to take his place?

That very day, the three Ghost Immortals withdrew into a stone chamber for secret discussions.

By nightfall, a misty haze enveloped the Celestial Court, and all its divine generals vanished without a trace.

News of these events spread swiftly to the immortal realm, stirring waves of shock. A peerless genius on the verge of attaining the Immortal King realm had been struck down mid-ascent.

True Immortals shuddered, especially those at the quasi-king level, their spines chilled by the realization that achieving the Immortal King throne required not just strength—but also the approval of those already seated upon it. To attempt a solo breakthrough was to invite doom.

Some, however, laughed—such as Ao Qian and others who had clashed with Shi Hao before. Even members of the Wang Clan, a long-life aristocratic family, clapped in delight.

As for the clans of Tai Shi and Yuan Chu, their arrogance knew no bounds. They sneered down upon the world, declaring, “What of it? Shi Hao overstepped his bounds—he deserved death!”

“Shi Hao, dreaming of becoming an Immortal King? A fool’s fantasy! How dare he aspire to stand equal with our ancestor, Ao Sheng?” one of the Ao Clan scoffed.

“Him? Barely worthy of the True Immortal realm, let alone the Immortal King throne!” a member of Tai Shi’s lineage mocked openly.

Shi Hao’s death sent ripples through the immortal realm, a stark reminder of the age-old truth—victors reign, losers perish.

Though many knew Ao Sheng, Tai Shi, and Yuan Chu had acted unjustly—descending as Immortal Kings to slay a junior—none dared speak out. The majesty of an Immortal King was not to be challenged. Shi Hao had not provoked them, yet he had still been slain.

Some mourned. Among them were youths from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths who had ascended to the immortal realm. They sighed, lamenting the heavens’ envy of genius.

“What a waste! Shi Hao had the makings of an Immortal King—unprecedented at his age, shaking heaven and earth. Yet he met such a tragic end!”

“He should have soared to the heavens, overlooking all of history. Instead, he was struck down by Immortal Kings!”

These former rivals had long since abandoned their competitive spirits, awed by his meteoric rise. Now, his death left them with nothing but regret and sorrow.

“Wuuu… How could you die? You promised to stand above all, to one day make the world bow before you!” On a star within the immortal realm, the Moon Rabbit wept bitterly, her ruby-red eyes brimming with grief.

Once spirited away to the immortal realm, she remained unchanged—silver hair gleaming, eyes like gemstones, forever youthful.

In another starry expanse, Qin Hao knelt, tears streaming down his face, fists clenched so tightly that blood seeped from his palms.

“Brother… elder brother… I hate this! How could you die? Struck down while ascending to the Immortal King realm—those old bastards deserve death!”

No matter their past conflicts, the pain now was unbearable. His brother, once an insurmountable peak, a towering divine mountain—had fallen.

“Shi Hao…”

Elsewhere, Qing Yi murmured, her eyes dim, tears flowing freely. The usual spark in her gaze was gone, replaced by heart-wrenching agony. Blood trickled from her lips.

“I regret it… I never should have left the lower realm, never entered the immortal domain. I regret our last meeting—another missed chance!”

She wept as never before, her ethereal grace shattered by grief.

“If you could return… I would rush to your side, never to part again!” Her jade-like skin radiated mortal sorrow, longing for days gone by.

Across the Three Thousand Provinces, the Celestial Court crumbled in a single day.

The world sighed in lament. A genius risen from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, destined to stand beside Immortal Kings, had met such a pitiable end.

Even his Celestial Court collapsed overnight—its divine generals gone, some dead, others vanished.

“What a pity. We should have taken it over—three emperors would suffice. The accumulated faith power would have been invaluable for cultivation,” mused the three Ghost Immortals, eyes glinting with greed.

“We could rebuild,” one suggested, though lacking conviction. Fear of provoking the immortal realm’s wrath held them back.

Unlike Shi Hao, they lacked the audacity to defy higher powers. A decree from above would force their submission.

“Joining the Celestial Court gained us nothing. Let us plunder his tomb—his body must hold secrets!”

One Ghost Immortal’s gaze burned with malice, fixed on the ruins of the Celestial Court—now a wasteland of broken walls.

At the rear mountain lay a fresh grave—Shi Hao’s final resting place.

“No. Best not act rashly. Pan Wang erected that stele. Even Ao Sheng showed respect by leaving the body untouched. We should avoid this karma.”

“True. Let us depart. Seek entry to the immortal realm. Our time in the Celestial Court was not wasted—we obtained true immortal scriptures.”

“Wuuu ah…”

In the days that followed, mourners visited the ruins—a testament to the end of an era. Shi Hao’s story had concluded, his defiance of heaven cut short.

At the rear mountain, a simple mound stood adorned with flowers. Some sighed, others wept—old retainers of the Celestial Court, unable to accept its fall.

They came to pay respects, hearts heavy with sorrow.

For years, the Celestial Court had flourished, reigning supreme across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, its glory unmatched. Shi Hao had dared challenge the immortal realm’s elites, slaying True Immortals—a brilliance now extinguished.

His death had shattered it all. The once-great orthodoxy was no more.

“Wuuu…” Young maidens wept.

“Damn them! Ao Sheng, Tai Shi—Immortal Kings yet so petty! Did you fear Shi Hao would surpass you?!” An elder cursed the heavens.

“Who weeps?!”

Suddenly, a voice echoed from within a great tomb—its earth cracking open.