The Pan King City was vast, built upon an ancient primordial continent that spanned across the cosmos. This land had floated in the universe for countless epochs, its origins lost to time.
It was the center of this universe, surrounded by countless celestial bodies, each massive star rumbling as it orbited.
Today, golden lotuses bloomed one after another across this cosmic sea, filling the universe with their radiance, illuminating the darkness. The myriad realms resonated with the echoes of the Great Dao, the chants of scriptures rising and falling like waves.
The Peach Banquet had begun, drawing the mighty of all clans, especially the arrival of the Immortal Kings, whose presence alone shook the heavens and earth, causing even the cosmic sea to tremble faintly.
The Pan King Manor stood at the heart of the city, which was also the center of this starry sea—the place where immortal energy was most concentrated.
Though called a manor, it was far too grand. Its towering gates were forged from ancient immortal mountains, standing tall and majestic, exuding wisps of immortal mist—a substance of immortality.
Shi Hao stood before the gates, speechless. He stared at them, itching to haul them away.
“Why have you stopped?” Zi Kun asked.
Bai Ze frowned. Along with the Pan Clan members, they were responsible for escorting Shi Hao to the banquet. But this guy was truly troublesome, causing no end of mischief along the way.
“I was just thinking—the Pan King Manor is too extravagant. These are two towering ancient immortal mountains, just standing here as gates. Wouldn’t it be better if I took them away to use as my own cave abode?” Shi Hao mused.
Bai Ze’s face immediately darkened. This guy was about to stir up trouble again. He was genuinely terrified—was another incident about to unfold?
Sure enough, the Pan Clan members nearby all wore grim expressions, their eyes sharp and suspicious, glaring at him sternly.
“I’m warning you,” Bai Ze said in a low voice. “Today, True Immortals gather, and Immortal Kings descend—this is a grand event the Immortal Domain hasn’t seen in ages. Don’t you dare cause trouble.”
He regretted ever bringing this troublemaker into the Immortal Domain. It was nothing but a headache. Thankfully, they were almost at their destination, and their duty would soon be over.
“Brother, where did the Pan King Manor get these mountains? Are there any left?” Shi Hao asked a nearby attendant.
“Brother?” The man rolled his eyes. “I’ve been cultivating for 180,000 years!”
“Elder, I’m serious. Where were these mountains mined from?” Shi Hao pressed.
“Just keep moving!” Zi Kun and Bai Ze grabbed him by the arms and dragged him toward the gates.
The ancient stone steps emitted a faint mist of chaos. Walking upon them, one could hear the whispers of the Great Dao, as if on the verge of enlightenment.
“I don’t feel like moving anymore!”
Shi Hao declared, squatting down as if to pry up a few stone bricks.
Zi Kun coughed and glared, silently warning him—these bricks were stained with the blood of Immortal Kings and were not to be trifled with!
The stones paving the ground had been quarried from the battlegrounds of kings—sites where Immortal Kings and Undying Kings had clashed in decisive battles, their supreme ancestral blood soaking the earth. These stones had become divine, each one a treasure capable of being forged into weapons.
“What a waste of heavenly treasures!” Shi Hao sighed.
He couldn’t help but marvel at the Pan King Manor’s extravagance. Every step was a shock, every inch paved with supreme materials exuding the aura of the Great Dao.
“Wait!” Shi Hao suddenly halted, his eyes widening as he stared at a flowerbed near the gates.
“What now?” Bai Ze was truly exasperated.
“Are those… divine herbs planted in that flowerbed?” Shi Hao asked suspiciously. Though the plot wasn’t large, it held dozens of plants, each crystalline and fragrant, their scent so intoxicating it felt like breathing in divinity itself.
“Indeed, they are all divine herbs,” a Pan Clan member replied impassively.
“This… this is too extravagant!” Shi Hao gasped. He wanted to ask if they weren’t afraid of divine retribution, planting such precious herbs right at the gates.
“What’s the big deal? Deep within the Pan King Manor’s medicinal fields, there are even multiple longevity herbs!” Zi Kun whispered, both informing and warning him to watch his words.
The Pan Clan members remained unperturbed, merely glancing at him dismissively, as if such divine herbs were beneath their notice.
“Well, if you’re going to waste them, I won’t hold back!”
With that, Shi Hao rubbed his hands together and moved swiftly—so fast that even Zi Kun couldn’t stop him.
*Pluck! Pluck!*
He yanked out two divine herbs, roots and all.
The two herbs, having developed sentience under the nourishment of immortal substances, shrieked in alarm. Unlike the lower realms in their age of decline, these herbs would never regress.
The Pan Clan members’ eyebrows shot up in fury.
“Ah, my bad. I only meant to pluck a couple of flowers. Didn’t mean to pull out the roots,” Shi Hao said smoothly, snapping off two blossoms before stashing the roots into his spatial artifact.
“What are you doing?!” Bai Ze’s face turned green with horror.
“Aren’t these just ornamental flowers? I was so delighted to see them, I had an epiphany! Look—this is the transcendent grace of a supreme being plucking flowers in enlightenment!”
Shi Hao struck a pose, mimicking the serene smile of a divine Buddha holding a flower.
Bai Ze and Zi Kun were dumbfounded.
“The Pan King Manor is vast and wealthy. Using divine herbs as flowers is perfectly normal. You two shouldn’t make such a fuss—it’s embarrassing!” Shi Hao scolded.
Bai Ze: “#$%&%&…”
Zi Kun: “@#$#%…”
They wanted to curse. Who was making a fuss here?
Even the Pan Clan members were baffled. This kid was just… bizarre. They’d never seen such an audacious troublemaker!
To them, he was still just a brat—after all, they had cultivated for over a hundred thousand years, their lives ancient and profound.
A steward approached, his expression calm. “It’s fine. Honored guest, please proceed inside—but no more incidents.”
His tone was gentle, devoid of the arrogance one might expect from an Immortal King’s household. Still, beneath the politeness lay a clear warning: *Don’t push your luck.*
Shi Hao, ever perceptive, clasped his hands and laughed heartily.
For the rest of the journey, Bai Ze and Zi Kun were on edge. Though Shi Hao kept his hands to himself, his commentary never ceased.
“Wait, this roadside stele was inscribed by the legendary Immortal King Wu Zhong? No wonder there are fragments of time swirling around it, brimming with the Dao of Time. Meditating here would be immensely beneficial. Ah, I once saw the remnants of Immortal King Wu Zhong’s Bell in the lower realm, but it’s been missing for years. I won’t dare hope for this stele, but I *will* find that broken bell!”
Along the way, there were cliff carvings and steles—some left by renowned True Immortal ancestors, others personally engraved by Immortal Kings. Each was a priceless treasure.
Shi Hao clicked his tongue. When would *he* ever build such a manor, where even the simplest stone was a divine artifact with a grand history?
Bai Ze and Zi Kun trembled with anxiety, practically glued to Shi Hao’s sides, ready to grab him at any moment.
“Are you two crabs or something? Why do you keep bumping into me? You’re not celestial maidens—stop touching me and back off!” Shi Hao snapped.
The two were at a loss, silently cursing and fretting the entire way, terrified he’d cause another scene.
Finally, they arrived at the Peach Garden via a pebble-strewn path. The stones beneath their feet emitted immortal mist, while the fruit trees lining the path glittered with crystalline brilliance, their fragrance intoxicating.
Shi Hao sensed something extraordinary—everything here was sacred.
“Is all this really necessary?” he muttered.
Unable to resist, Zi Kun whispered, “Legend says the entire Pan King Manor is actually a supreme treasure—the *Cosmic Mountain and River Seal*, a weapon of the Immortal Kings. Thus, every plant, brick, and stone here is an immortal material.”
Shi Hao was stunned, then awed as he surveyed the manor. So this was an Immortal King’s supreme weapon!
No wonder there were inscriptions from Immortal King Wu Zhong—they must have been left when he assisted in forging this treasure.
The Peach Garden was vast, bustling with guests.
None were ordinary—only the mighty or prodigious talents were worthy of attending.
Peach trees stood in abundance, some still blooming with pink petals that drifted like rain, radiant and breathtaking. Others bore ripe, crimson peaches, glowing with divine light and exuding an irresistible fragrance.
Guests sat on the verdant grass beneath the trees, jade tables before them laden with fine wine and delicacies. A misty haze enveloped the scene—a true immortal paradise.
Shi Hao was led to his seat. As he settled behind his jade table, he took in the surroundings.
“Are these peaches all immortal herbs?” he asked.
“No, only the mother tree is. Its fruits are the rarest longevity elixirs, capable of elevating mortals to immortality in a single day—priceless beyond measure,” Bai Ze sighed.
The other peach trees had been grown from the mother tree’s seeds. Though not as potent, their fruits still contained rich immortal substances, making them rare and precious medicines.
In the distance, a striking pair entered the garden. The man strode with regal bearing, his aura majestic like an emperor of cultivation. The woman, clad in snow-white robes, was peerlessly beautiful, her graceful figure swaying like a celestial fairy. Together, they strolled through the garden like an immortal couple.
“Qing Yi!” Shi Hao called out.
At that moment, Bai Ze and Zi Kun stiffened—because Shi Hao’s demeanor had shifted entirely.
No longer playful, he sat with an imposing air, his presence rivaling even the likes of Ao Qian, the young lord of the Ao Clan, or Pan Yi, the prodigy of the Pan Clan. All three exuded an invincible aura.
Those seated near Shi Hao, despite their own high cultivation, shuddered involuntarily, their souls trembling as they scrambled to their feet, not daring to remain close.
“Shi Hao!”
Qing Yi’s voice was soft, her flawless face alight with emotion, her eyes misty. She hurried toward him.
A thousand years had passed since they last met. Back then, she had chosen the path of immortality, stepping into the Immortal Domain, believing she would never see him again. Yet here they were, reunited after a millennium.
Shi Hao rose to his feet.
Qing Yi stopped before him, gazing at this young man who seemed unchanged yet more composed, his presence now commanding, as if he could suppress an entire era.
Bai Ze and Zi Kun exchanged glances. This was *not* the Shi Hao they had seen earlier.
“Qing Yi, is this your friend? Introduce us,” Ao Qian said as he approached. As the young lord of the Ao Clan, his every move drew attention, with peers from all clans watching him closely.
“This is Shi Hao—the one they call *Huang*,” Qing Yi said.
“Oh, it’s you. You’ve got guts, daring to come to the Immortal Domain,” Ao Qian remarked, hands clasped behind his back, his purple-gold crown gleaming. His demeanor was transcendent, exuding an air of supremacy as he scrutinized Shi Hao.
“You’ve got guts too,” Shi Hao replied flatly.
Then, he pulled Qing Yi to his side, facing Ao Qian with calm composure. “I took the Ten Thousand Dao Tree. Qing Yi is my woman. Got a problem? Let’s fight.”
No one expected such directness—challenging the Ao Clan’s young lord outright!
Shi Hao sensed the hostility and had no patience for words. If Ao Qian had an issue, they’d settle it the old-fashioned way.
Who feared whom?
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