A century later, Shi Hao emerged from seclusion, prepared to take a perilous gamble—risking his life to break through to the Immortal King Realm. Though he could now battle Quasi-Immortal Kings and suppress foes below that level, facing a true Immortal King would be a different matter entirely.
He was troubled. There was no time left for further accumulation—the peace was about to shatter.
In the Boundary Sea, a cataclysmic war had erupted. Creatures had already landed and were slaughtering one another. The powerhouses there were unimaginable—geniuses who had survived the tides of history, any one of whom could shake the heavens upon their emergence.
These beings were the protagonists of their respective eras, standing at the pinnacle of existence. Why else would even Immortal Kings and Undying Kings regard them as dire threats?
Their return heralded great chaos. Some remained themselves, while others had lost their true selves, becoming entirely different beings.
“Summon them!”
Upon exiting seclusion, Shi Hao ordered his disciples to call upon Chi Long, Mu Qing, and others—even the Heavenly Horned Ant.
In this era, only a handful of his old acquaintances remained. The Thunder Spirit, the Imperial Butterfly, and the Heavenly Horned Ant were among the few who had reached the pinnacle of the Dao, standing at the apex of power.
Many had perished with time.
The eight hundred disciples of old were gone, replaced by their descendants.
Shi Hao glanced at the mountain range behind the Heavenly Court—countless graves lay there. Some had followed him for years, but none could withstand the erosion of time.
Mu Qing arrived, Zhu Lin appeared, and the Heavenly Horned Ant, Thunder Spirit, Imperial Butterfly, and the God-Slaying Stone gathered as well.
These were the last survivors of their era.
Huo Ling’er was also present. Confined to the Heavenly Court all these years, she had never attempted to escape. At her feet was a half-foot-long wolf pup.
Everyone sensed that something significant was about to happen.
“Master, what troubles you?” Chi Long asked.
“I missed you all,” Shi Hao replied.
After a moment of thought, he ordered someone to open a grand tomb in the rear mountains—a special valley where two beings were buried.
This was a mystical burial site, not originally of this place but relocated from elsewhere.
When the tomb was opened, eerie howls echoed forth, like the cries of wolves.
“Damned grave robbers! Daring to desecrate your ancestors’ resting place? Have you no fear of death?!”
It was the voice of Cao Yusheng, furious and indignant.
“Woof! Woof!” A dog’s bark followed. “Who dares plunder my tomb? Woof!”
The Heavenly Court’s divine generals were speechless. How were these two still alive? At first, they were startled, but upon closer inspection, they realized the man and dog were not dead.
“We are the divine generals of the Heavenly Court!” one quickly explained—a descendant of the original eight hundred disciples.
*Crack!*
A crisp sound rang out as an old Taoist clad in divine robes shattered the divine source and emerged. It was Cao Yusheng—plump, aged, with graying hair and beard.
Beside him was a small dog, no larger than a palm, its fur tinged red with age. This was the dog once raised by the Endless Immortal King, though its cultivation had long since faded.
Back then, neither the man nor the dog had reached the pinnacle of the Dao, so Shi Hao sealed them in divine source and buried them here.
“What? Shi Hao ordered you to dig us up?” Cao Yusheng grumbled. Though displeased, he had no choice but to emerge.
Still, he wasn’t overly worried. With Shi Hao present, they could be swiftly resealed in divine source.
“Seven or eight thousand years since we last met.”
Upon entering the Central Heavenly Palace, Cao Yusheng sighed. Few of their old comrades remained—most had passed away.
Soon, the Lord of the Forbidden Zone, the Crystal Skull, and a few other ancient beings were also summoned.
Everyone knew something monumental was afoot—otherwise, Shi Hao wouldn’t have gathered them all.
“I intend to risk my life to break through to the Immortal King Realm. Today, I wished to gather with you all one last time,” Shi Hao stated bluntly.
Apart from the Lord of the Forbidden Zone and the other ancients, the rest were stunned.
Shi Hao ordered a massive cauldron prepared and personally retrieved the remains of an ancient beast—only half its body, radiating mysterious divine light.
“What race is this?” Zhu Lin asked.
“The Time Beast—Chi King,” Shi Hao answered.
*Clang!*
Cao Yusheng’s wine bowl fell to the ground. The little dog knocked over a jade table in shock.
Chi King—the being who had once slaughtered Immortal Kings of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, even refining one—had been… chopped up?!
“A fortunate coincidence,” Shi Hao explained with a smile.
“This is too satisfying! Well done!” Cao Yusheng roared. The little dog barked furiously—Chi King had once terrorized an entire generation.
This was a divine embryo, not Chi King in his complete form. Shi Hao had yet to consume it, unsure of its essence. Today, he would share it with his comrades.
Next, he produced a treasure tree—the Enlightenment Tea Tree, adorned with nearly three thousand shimmering leaves.
“Enlightenment Tea!” The Lord of the Forbidden Zone, now in the form of a white-robed man, was astonished.
This was a priceless treasure, aiding comprehension, consolidating cultivation, and breaking through realms.
“You need this most for your breakthrough. Don’t worry about us,” the Heavenly Horned Ant said.
“It’s fine. At the Immortal King level, such things are of little use,” Shi Hao replied.
Soon, the aroma of meat filled the air. The cauldron’s broth shimmered with rainbow hues, exuding dense, intoxicating fragrance.
If Chi King knew, he’d be furious enough to resurrect and die again!
The group feasted on Chi King’s flesh.
“No good! The essence is too bizarre. It didn’t explode me, but I can’t take any more,” Cao Yusheng was the first to complain.
Others soon felt the same, stopping after a few bites.
The Lord of the Forbidden Zone only sipped tea, abstaining from the Time Beast’s meat.
Shi Hao, however, consumed most of the cauldron’s contents, devouring half of Chi King’s divine embryo.
Afterward, they drank tea and discussed the Dao. After so many years, only these few remained, and they had much to reminisce about.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, the heavens trembled. Shi Hao’s eyes shot beams of light into the sky.
He knew—something was wrong. A great gate had opened, unleashing intense fluctuations.
Above, a door materialized, bathed in immortal light and auspicious clouds. A golden pathway unfurled, carrying a group of figures.
Then, the door vanished.
“Shi Hao, if you still live, come forth and receive the decree!”
A voice shook the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. A True Immortal, disdainful and cold, surveyed the land.
Silence reigned. No one dared respond.
In the Central Heavenly Palace, Shi Hao sighed. “I expected the Undying Kings to strike first, but it seems the Immortal Kings have beaten them to it.”
He remained seated, sipping Enlightenment Tea.
“Master!”
“Shi Hao!”
Chi Long and the Heavenly Horned Ant were anxious. Why had the Immortal Domain’s forces returned? This time, their hostility was palpable.
“Audacious! If this false Heavenly Court still stands, why does no one answer? Even if Shi Hao is dead, someone must receive the decree in his stead!” the True Immortal roared, labeling the Heavenly Court as “false” with icy contempt.
“Do you wish for my death so eagerly?” Shi Hao appeared, leading the Heavenly Horned Ant, Mu Qing, and a host of divine generals into the sky, his expression cold.
“What insolent True Immortal dares speak thus?” the God-Slaying Stone snapped.
“You’re still alive!” The True Immortal’s pupils contracted. Years ago, the Immortal Domain had sent geniuses under True Immortal protection to vie for the Heart of Heaven’s Mark. Shi Hao had slaughtered them all, even killing True Immortals.
Fear gripped him—what if Shi Hao struck now?
“Shi Hao, receive the decree!” The True Immortal unfurled a golden scroll, preparing to read.
Behind him stood a group, including several True Immortals and one being whose aura was terrifying—a Quasi-Immortal King.
Shi Hao frowned. The Immortal Domain had found a way to send a Quasi-Immortal King to the lower realm.
“Which Immortal King’s decree is this?” Shi Hao asked.
The True Immortal sneered. “Shi Hao, don’t overestimate yourself.”
Shi Hao’s gaze turned razor-sharp, forcing the True Immortal back two steps.
“This is the decree of Quasi-Immortal King Tuo Mu. Kneel and receive it!” he barked, gesturing reverently toward the Quasi-Immortal King behind him.
The Heavenly Court’s members seethed. The Immortal Domain’s envoys were beyond arrogant, demanding their lord kneel.
“Do you seek death?” Shi Hao’s words were icy.
“Read it to him!” Tuo Mu, the Quasi-Immortal King, commanded indifferently.
“Shi Hao, for establishing a false Heavenly Court and defying the Immortal Dao…”
The True Immortal listed Shi Hao’s crimes, decreeing his arrest and trial in the Immortal Domain.
“Shi Hao, receive the decree!”
Though no longer demanding a kneel, the True Immortal’s arrogance remained unchecked. With a Quasi-Immortal King backing him, he believed Shi Hao was doomed.
Little did he know that in just a few millennia, Shi Hao had advanced terrifyingly—slaying Quasi-Undying Kings in the Foreign Realm.
Had he known, he’d have fled in terror.
“Seeking death!”
Shi Hao’s fist, like a mountain, crushed the True Immortal into a mist of blood with a single strike.
“You dare!” Tuo Mu roared.
“You’re just a Quasi-Immortal King. Who gave you the right to judge me?” Shi Hao’s voice was frosty.
What angered him most was Tuo Mu’s disdain—issuing decrees instead of speaking directly, as if Shi Hao were beneath his notice.
“I am a Quasi-Immortal King. Defy the Immortal Domain’s will at your peril!” Tuo Mu glowered.
“Quasi-Immortal Kings are nothing. I’ve killed them before!” Shi Hao struck, teleporting the battle to the cosmos to spare the land below.
“You—!” Tuo Mu was shocked to find himself displaced.
The three True Immortals and their followers trembled in fear.
“Die!” Shi Hao roared.
In the ensuing battle, he slew Tuo Mu, shattering his skull and annihilating his soul with a single punch.
*Boom!*
Tuo Mu exploded, erased from existence.
The survivors were petrified. Had Shi Hao defied the heavens? In just a few millennia, he could slay Quasi-Immortal Kings?!
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