“Are you truly venturing into the Forbidden Land?” The Heavenly Horned Ant swallowed hard, visibly shocked. He had only been speaking casually earlier.
Given Shi Hao’s current cultivation, was it even possible? To the Heavenly Horned Ant, it seemed far too perilous.
“I’ll make the journey. If they allow me to observe the stone mural, I’ll remember their kindness. If not, I won’t force the matter,” Shi Hao replied.
The Heavenly Horned Ant stared at him, sensing a profound change in Shi Hao—calm and composed, utterly unfazed even when mentioning the Forbidden Land.
“Very well!” The Heavenly Horned Ant, ever bold and fearless, agreed without hesitation.
**Great Scarlet Heaven, Immortal’s Fall Ridge.**
This was a land of death, a Forbidden Zone where even True Immortals were said to perish—hence its ominous name.
The ridge stretched as high as the heavens, shrouded in gray mist, devoid of any vegetation. Desolation and silence were its eternal themes.
It was vast beyond measure, with several interwoven ridges forming one of the most terrifying Forbidden Zones.
None dared trespass. Those who approached halted, for to step further meant certain doom.
Over countless ages, countless beings had met their end at the foot of these ridges. A thick layer of bleached bones lay beneath the first ridge.
Shi Hao and the Heavenly Horned Ant arrived, hovering in the sky at the ridge’s height, their expressions solemn as they gazed upon it.
Between the ridges, an aura of immortality lingered, veiled in immortal mist. Lush patches of greenery exuded vitality, and faint traces of immortal herb fragrance wafted through the air.
This was the dwelling place of the Forbidden Zone’s inhabitants!
“The Heavenly Horned Ant seeks an audience, paying respects to the esteemed elders of Immortal’s Fall Ridge.”
His voice was courteous and soft, careful not to disturb any slumbering beings. He was certain that in this era, some among their kind must be awake.
In this Age of Decay, with the Great Reckoning approaching, which clan would dare remain unguarded?
As expected, the moment he spoke, a terrifying presence emerged from the depths of the ridge, exuding overwhelming power.
Gray mist swirled as the figure ascended to the sky, gazing coldly at Shi Hao and the Heavenly Horned Ant from a distance. Humanoid in form, its eyes were devoid of emotion.
It remained silent, simply staring.
Soon, two younger beings appeared—likely cultivators of the current era, not ancient relics. They flanked the terrifying figure.
“And who are you?” one of them demanded coldly, eyeing Shi Hao.
“Farewell, greetings to you, fellow Daoist,” Shi Hao replied.
“It’s you! What brings you here?!” one of them barked.
The Heavenly Horned Ant frowned. Even he sensed the hostility radiating from the pair. He knew this venture was likely futile—perhaps even dangerous.
Indeed, the Forbidden Zone was perilous. One should not approach lightly!
“I seek the *Indestructible Scripture*,” Shi Hao stated plainly, his tone serene.
“You dare come here?!”
“Preposterous!”
The two young beings bristled with hostility, their eyes icy, murderous intent barely concealed.
The Heavenly Horned Ant was puzzled. They had no prior dealings with this Forbidden Zone—why such animosity?
“I recall no offense given to you,” Shi Hao said.
“Over a thousand years ago, a True Immortal left this place to hunt you down—and never returned!” one of them hissed.
The central figure, the terrifying powerhouse, now stirred. Gray mist thickened, radiating faint immortal pressure.
Shi Hao’s eyes flashed coldly. In the past, the crippled immortal of the Immortal Palace had summoned two True Immortals—one from the Immortal Domain, the other from a Forbidden Zone—to pursue him.
Both had been dragged into the abyss by the darkness-corrupted Meng Tianzheng.
Shi Hao’s gaze hardened. Back then, this Forbidden Zone had struck at him when he was newly ascended—how could he have resisted a True Immortal?
“Let us leave,” Shi Hao said. Knowing the cause, he understood they would never let him see the scripture fragment.
“Halt! You shall not leave!” one of the young beings shouted.
“Elder, please act! Shall our clan’s True Immortal have died in vain?” the other pleaded.
Clearly, the central figure was an immortal-level entity, terrifyingly powerful, now awakened in preparation for the Great Reckoning. Even Forbidden Zones were uneasy in this Age of Decay.
“Young friend, stay a moment,” the silent powerhouse finally spoke.
Outwardly, he appeared as a middle-aged man with flowing gray hair, wreathed in surging mist—mysterious and formidable.
“What counsel do you offer?” Shi Hao turned back, pausing.
“Long have I heard of your peerless talent. Today, I wish to witness it—just one move,” the gray-haired man said.
The Heavenly Horned Ant regretted their recklessness. This was a mistake.
Yet, to his surprise, Shi Hao remained unperturbed. “Very well.”
**Boom!**
The next instant, the man struck. A single finger, crystalline as jade yet colossal as a pillar of heaven, descended with immortal might, crushing toward Shi Hao.
**A True Immortal’s Finger!**
Such power could obliterate any Supreme Being instantly!
But Shi Hao neither dodged nor drew his Great Luo Sword Embryo. Instead, he raised a single finger, glowing with radiant light.
**Bang!**
The void trembled as their fingers clashed, unleashing devastating ripples of Dao.
In the end, the opposing forces dissipated harmlessly between them.
The gray-haired man froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. He was a True Immortal—how could he fail to suppress a mere mortal cultivator?
Shi Hao stood unmoved, his voice calm. “Farewell.”
The Heavenly Horned Ant was stunned. Shi Hao had matched a True Immortal—not a crippled one, but a genuine, terrifying entity!
Shi Hao departed with the Heavenly Horned Ant, vanishing into the distance.
“Elder, why let him go?” one of the youths demanded.
The gray-haired man remained dazed, struggling to accept the outcome. “Chaos is coming.”
“What?” The two youths paled.
“Farewell is extraordinary. To calmly withstand a True Immortal’s strike—unbelievable!”
“If he’s so formidable, summon the Patriarch! Crush him utterly—he cannot survive!”
“Strike again!”
The gray-haired man shook his head. “The Patriarch has divined that this man is no ordinary foe. Our clan should not entangle with him deeply. My action today may have crossed a line.”
“Him? If the Patriarch acts, he’ll perish without a grave!”
“To fail in killing him would invite endless calamity,” the man murmured. “This Farewell has ancient monsters at his side, diminished though they may be. And there’s something about him… something unsettling.”
His meaning was clear: eliminating Farewell was no simple task.
—
Shi Hao returned to a grand hall within the Heavenly Court, sitting in meditation for a long time.
That very day, a radiant rooster descended from the skies, bearing a one-legged elder.
An old acquaintance—an emissary from another Forbidden Zone. During the Border War, he had visited Imperial Pass, seeking information about the Rotten Wooden Chest.
“To think you’ve reached such heights,” the elder remarked, his expression odd, deeply impressed.
Shi Hao welcomed him courteously, offering no elaboration.
“The Great Chaos approaches. Be cautious,” the elder warned.
Then, revisiting an old topic, he said, “Our clan’s princess may seek a Dao partner. Would you consider visiting our Forbidden Zone?”
Shi Hao declined. “I am honored, but I already have a Dao companion.”
“The more you refuse, the more our princess will resent it,” the elder sighed.
Shi Hao sat silently, exuding an inexplicable aura that unsettled the elder.
“I bring another message. Before the Immortal Domain’s forces retreated, they left precious medicines for the crippled immortal of the Immortal Palace. A millennium has passed—he may have recovered.”
“And if he has?” Shi Hao remained unshaken.
“Word has reached him from Immortal’s Fall Ridge. Be wary—he may emerge.”
“If he dares come, I will kill him,” Shi Hao said coldly.
The one-legged elder felt a chill. This young man was now unfathomable—his presence rivaled even their clan’s eternal beings.
He knew: the world was on the brink of upheaval, events destined for the annals of history!
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