This was too sudden, completely defying everyone’s expectations. They stood petrified, mouths agape, frozen like wooden or clay statues, utterly motionless.
A tragic, crimson surge of blood erupted as Ao Ling let out a low growl.
“Ah…”
He staggered backward, his entire right arm obliterated—shattered into a mist of blood by that golden palm strike. The right half of his body cracked and split apart, most of it exploding into fragments.
He had suffered a calamity here, his entire body nearly disintegrating under the devastating blow!
When had he ever suffered such a humiliating defeat? He was Ao Ling, a true immortal from an immortal king’s lineage, a powerhouse whom few dared to challenge in ordinary times.
Yet in this barren, desolate, and immortal-forbidden wasteland of a world, he had nearly been slain. How terrifying was that?
Even now, Ao Ling could scarcely believe he had been defeated.
With a sharp cry, his body radiated light as swirling blood mist enveloped him, rapidly restoring his form.
As a true immortal, his vitality was peerless. Even with only a wisp of life remaining, he could regenerate.
His foundational essence remained unharmed, his divine consciousness intact, so he immediately began healing. Immortal blood steamed as his flesh crackled and reformed in an instant.
“You brat!”
Ao Ling roared, striking again with thunderous force. His movements were like a tempest, his palm encircled by swirling starry rivers, capable of tearing through the heavens with a single motion.
As he moved, the stars trembled violently.
Boom!
Ao Ling stood tall, his palm descending like a divine decree. The winds and clouds shifted, fragments of time swirling around him as if he were a war god descending from ancient eras, exuding an invincible aura.
Yet, even as stars fell and the cosmos shattered under his strike, Shi Hao remained calm, meeting the attack with another palm strike, fearless and unyielding.
“Thud!”
A muffled explosion echoed through the void, like the birth of chaos itself—a sound so vast it seemed to herald the creation of the universe.
Ao Ling’s pupils dilated as excruciating pain shot through his arm. He groaned, his entire body trembling as his limb failed to withstand the force, fracturing and pulverizing once more.
His arm was crushed into a bloody mist.
His body, riddled with cracks, nearly disintegrated entirely, blood blooming like crimson flowers across the battlefield.
A true immortal, striking twice in succession, only to be grievously wounded both times—how humiliating was that?
Especially when his opponent was a mere youth from the lower realm, someone he had once dismissed as insignificant, not even a true immortal. Yet here he was, battered and humbled.
Despite his long years of cultivation and thick skin, Ao Ling felt his face burn with shame. Never had he suffered such disgrace.
Crack! Crack!
His bones groaned as he staggered backward, unable to withstand the overwhelming force.
Not long ago, he had arrogantly declared that anyone seeking entry into the immortal realm must first pass his scrutiny. Yet now, this young man had responded with two palm strikes, leaving him utterly defeated.
“You… you’ve become an immortal? No, that palm of yours…” Ao Ling’s voice trembled slightly as he stared at Shi Hao’s golden hand, his pupils contracting.
At this moment, everyone else was dumbfounded. Who could believe such an outcome?
The members of the Ao Family were stunned. Was this real? It felt surreal, almost like an illusion.
Ao Ling, a true immortal descending upon them, had filled them with joy. They had believed the Ten Thousand Dao Tree would inevitably be theirs, that all disputes were settled—that no matter how strong Shi Hao was, he stood no chance.
Yet the result was beyond shocking!
Luo Lin’s mouth hung open in an “O” shape, as if she had seen a ghost, her face a mask of disbelief. She was utterly shaken, her understanding of reality overturned.
How was this possible? It was absurd!
Now, she finally understood why her master had never forgotten this man. He was a monster, a god of war—challenging an immortal as a mere supreme being?
This man was invincible!
“He’s only cultivated for a thousand years, yet he’s achieved this? What will he become in the future?” Luo Lin trembled slightly, genuinely afraid now.
“Master is invincible!” the Crimson Dragon shouted.
Mu Qing, the Thunder Spirit, Zhu Lin, and others from Stone Village were equally astonished, cheering loudly. Shi Hao’s feat had put their minds at ease.
Ao Ling realized the truth—there was something unnatural about Shi Hao’s palm. Otherwise, how could a mere mortal wound a true immortal so severely? It defied reason.
“Ancestor, calm yourself. It’s not that you were weaker, but the chains of the Great Dao bound you, preventing you from unleashing your full power,” a supreme being consoled, offering him a way to save face.
“Indeed, the ancestor restrained himself. This was not a true reflection of his strength,” another added.
Ao Ling seethed in silence, humiliated yet aware that pressing the fight would only lead to greater losses.
Shi Hao watched him coldly but did not press the attack. Killing Ao Ling would serve little purpose. His clan had an immortal king, an invincible existence who ruled the immortal domain. Slaying one true immortal would change nothing.
“I have no desire for bloodshed, nor do I seek enmity with your clan,” Shi Hao said calmly.
Despite his advantage, he showed no arrogance, merely observing the group before him, leaving them in uneasy silence.
Ao Ling opened his mouth, his gaze fixed on Shi Hao’s left palm. He wanted to ask what it was, but shame kept him silent.
“The Ten Thousand Dao Tree is mine,” Shi Hao declared.
Ao Ling’s face flushed crimson, nearly coughing up blood. Earlier, he had imperiously declared the tree belonged to his clan, demanding Shi Hao surrender it. Now, the tables had turned.
“Let’s go!”
In the end, he dared not escalate the conflict, fearing the consequences.
“Tch, now you know what true invincibility looks like? In the future, we’ll all be slaying immortals!” the Divine Striking Stone gloated, acting as if it had won the battle.
The Ao Family members wore grim expressions. They had no retort. Even their true immortal had been defeated by Shi Hao. Denying his peerless talent was impossible.
Yet, one supreme being paused and said, “A hundred years from now, we shall send an invitation for you to attend the grand gathering of the immortal domain.”
Ao Ling did not object, his face expressionless as he boarded the violet-gold warship. They departed swiftly, vanishing into the distance.
The Divine Striking Stone gaped, realizing it might have blundered. If the immortal domain truly sent an envoy for Shi Hao in a century, should he go? It could be a trap.
“Let’s go. Time to find the next invincible seed!” Shi Hao led his group away.
They returned to the Five Elements Continent, the land of the Five Elements Sealing, where the “Heavenly Seed” lay hidden.
The continent shimmered with radiant hues—blazing flames, domineering metallic auras, azure oceans, and earthy yellow energies.
This time, Shi Hao wasted no time. He launched a full assault on the seals.
His left hand, fused with the golden palm bone, had already proven its might—capable of shattering a true immortal’s arm. He had no fear now.
Years ago, they had been too weak to proceed. Now, they faced no such limitations.
Boom!
Finally, all seals were broken. The mountains glowed, and at the center stood a stone mountain shaped like a treasure vase, now gleaming with light.
Legend spoke of a fallen imperial clan from the foreign realm buried here, their essence nurturing the Heavenly Seed.
This seed was extraordinary, its origins shrouded in mystery.
The treasure vase bore an imprint—a faint shadow wielding a sword, guarding the site.
Boom!
Shi Hao struck the stone mountain, slashing at the Great Dao Treasure Vase.
“To cultivate the self as a seed… someone has truly succeeded…” A sigh echoed as a figure materialized on the vase, gazing at Shi Hao.
“Cease your assault. The Heavenly Seed is yours,” the figure declared.
“Why?” Shi Hao was taken aback.
“It was meant for those struggling in the mortal realm, hoping one might ascend to immortality in this era of decay,” the voice replied.
Shi Hao’s heart trembled. A millennium ago, this shadow had spoken of the mortal realm. Now, it seemed connected to immortality.
But did he still need such a seed at his current level? He sensed something unusual about it.
“My time has come to fade,” the shadow murmured, dissolving into motes of light.
The stone mountain crumbled, the treasure vase shattered, collapsing with a thunderous roar.
A fist-sized jar flew out, containing the Heavenly Seed!
Within the stone vase lay countless remains—the fallen soldiers of an imperial clan from the foreign realm, all entombed here.
It had been obtained without a fierce battle, contrary to Shi Hao’s expectations.
Boom!
Simultaneously, the Five Elements Continent began to sink, disintegrating.
This vast land, one of the largest remnants in the Realm of Ruin, was collapsing.
“With the Five Elements Sealing broken, will even this continent vanish?” Shi Hao wondered.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a dazzling rainbow shot from beneath the continent, attempting to flee—a seed radiating five-colored light.
“Look! That’s the legendary Five Elements Seed!” Cao Yusheng shouted.
Rumors had long spoken of a flawless Five Elements Seed here.
In contrast, the so-called Heavenly Seed had not been born of this land but sealed within it.
Shi Hao acted swiftly, his golden left hand snatching the seed from the sky before it could escape.
Two seeds had been found here!
The Heavenly Seed was extraordinary, carrying profound significance.
“Let’s go!” Shi Hao piloted their vessel away from the collapsing land.
They spent the next half-year searching the Realm of Ruin, hoping to find another perfect seed.
But only ordinary seeds remained. The truly peerless ones were gone.
If such seeds were common, they would not be called invincible. They were rare treasures, and their current haul was already miraculous.
The Ten Thousand Dao Tree and the Heavenly Seed were tied to ancient legacies. Otherwise, why would they remain until now? They would have been claimed long ago.
Shi Hao and his group departed, returning to the outside world.
Time flowed swiftly. A century passed in the blink of an eye, and the grand gathering of the immortal domain was nearly upon them!
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