Chapter 1882: Seeking Another Path

Shi Hao’s heart trembled upon hearing these words, a pang of sorrow gripping him. Could such a day truly come?

He embraced Yun Xi and whispered softly, “No, you won’t age. You’ll remain forever young. I’ll seize for you an ageless beauty!”

He wasn’t skilled at comforting others, speaking only the raw truth in his heart. The more he thought of Yun Xi in this moment, the heavier his guilt grew. The mere thought of that day was unbearable.

Yun Xi smiled through her tears, a touch of melancholy and regret in her expression, yet ultimately at peace. “I know that day will come,” she said, “but I have no regrets. This life has been full and splendid. We’ve walked this path together, wept and laughed—all of it is etched in my heart, never to be forgotten.”

The more she spoke like this, the emptier Shi Hao felt. He gently kissed her luminous forehead and said, “Don’t dwell on it. Come, walk with me!”

The place he intended to go was dangerous. He had initially planned to leave Yun Xi behind and set out alone with Mu Qing, the Crimson Dragon, and the others. But now, he changed his mind—they would journey together.

“You shouldn’t worry about me—”

“Let’s go!” Shi Hao was firm, wrapping an arm around her slender waist as they headed toward the Heavenly Court.

Across the lands, palaces of the Heavenly Court stood tall, each housing a divine statue of Shi Hao, radiating dense and surging faith power—a staggering force.

Now, even without appearing in person, Shi Hao could overturn heaven and earth, striking down enemies anywhere in an instant. The sheer power of faith alone was enough to manifest his form across the world.

“Mu Qing, come to me.”

Shi Hao’s voice resonated through a grand palace. In every colossal temple the Heavenly Court had erected, the divine statues blazed with radiant holy light, his words echoing forth.

This was another wonder of faith power—no matter how vast the distance, it allowed him to manifest and communicate with his followers.

That day, Mu Qing, the Crimson Dragon, and others were summoned, hastening to his side.

Once gathered, Shi Hao assessed their cultivation levels and frowned. “Most of you have walked the Path of the Present Era, yet now you struggle to advance further. I want you to attempt another path.”

Most of them had focused on the Path of the Present Era because the Path of the Ancient Immortals required flawless Dao Seeds to reach the pinnacle—seeds that were nearly impossible to find.

Back then, prodigies like the Little Heavenly King, the Banished Immortal, and Da Xu Tuo had already claimed them all, leaving none behind.

Apart from the Path of the Present Era, Mu Qing and the others had also studied the techniques Shi Hao had pioneered. But they could only reference them, unable to fully inherit his path.

The very first step—seeding the Dao within one’s own body—was an insurmountable barrier. Even Shi Hao, when he took that step, had paid an unimaginable price, surviving by the slimmest margin.

Even someone as extraordinary as Meng Tianzheng had failed to fully succeed on this path in the past, falling short at the last step and nearly perishing, his cultivation crippled for years before he turned to other methods.

Shi Hao had long pondered how to bypass this barrier, to forge a viable path that others could follow. It was a question that had consumed him for years.

He believed he would solve it—eventually.

But time was not on his side. Shi Hao sincerely wished for these people to grow stronger sooner, to stand by his side rather than remain trapped in the mortal world.

“If I could give you flawless Dao Seeds, could you advance further?” Shi Hao asked.

Shi Zhong, Zhu Lin, and the others were stunned. They had already committed to the Path of the Present Era, missing the window to fuse with Dao Seeds. How could they start anew?

Moreover, such seeds were priceless treasures, nearly impossible to find. Even in the past, there had been only a handful, most taken by those who ascended to the Immortal Domain. Where could they be found now?

They knew that even Shi Hao had failed to obtain such a seed back then, forcing him onto the path of seeding the Dao within his own body.

“Elder Brother, don’t trouble yourself over this. Such immortal treasures are rare across the ages. We don’t need them. We’ll succeed on the Path of the Present Era in time!” Shi Zhong said.

“Don’t worry about that. I’m asking—if I found them for you, would you dare to start over?” Shi Hao pressed.

“Of course we would! But where could such treasures be found now, with the world itself withered?” Zhu Lin muttered.

Shi Hao nodded. He wanted them to cultivate both the Path of the Ancient Immortals and the Path of the Present Era, hoping the collision of the two might trigger a transformation, allowing them to break through.

After all, he himself had walked both paths in his youth.

“Good. Prepare yourselves. We depart soon!” Shi Hao declared.

Everyone was shocked. Did flawless Dao Seeds truly still exist? That seemed impossible—their numbers were fixed. Could any remain?

Soon after, Shi Hao instructed them to fetch Cao Yusheng and the Heavenly Horned Ant, bringing them along as well.

“I must prepare too,” Shi Hao said before descending to the lower realm.

Mu Qing and the others were startled to see him sling the Great Luo Sword Plank across his back—a grave gesture, signaling the peril of this journey. In recent years, Shi Hao had rarely wielded weapons.

Moreover, he began communicating with the Crystal Skull, the Golden Palm Bone, and the Blood-Dripping Eyeball—three ancient beings brought from the Western Tomb Realm.

For years, they had mostly lain dormant, silent and unmoving.

“Have you decided to merge with us?” the Crystal Skull asked, surprised.

“No. This time, I only borrow a hand,” Shi Hao replied, eyeing the golden bone palm. As for the skull and eyeball, he would never merge with them—that involved the head and soul, far too dangerous.

After a hushed discussion, they struck a deal. The golden bone palm fused with Shi Hao’s left hand!

Mu Qing and the others were both astonished and deeply worried. They knew how much Shi Hao despised bargaining with these ancient beings. That he had done so now spoke volumes about the danger ahead.

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious. To snatch treasures from the tiger’s maw, one must be prepared,” Shi Hao said with a faint smile.

He brought many with him—the Emperor Butterfly, the God-Slaying Stone, the Lightning Spirit, the Golden Lion, Mu Qing, and others, all among the finest of their time.

Naturally, the Heavenly Horned Ant and Cao Yusheng stood at Shi Hao’s side, ready to embark.

Returning to the upper realm, they entered the Nine Heavens region, arriving at the ruins of the Heavenly Deity Academy. There, they activated a colossal teleportation array. With a deafening boom, radiant light illuminated the night sky as they vanished.

They traversed time and space, countless starry seas flashing past as they entered a desolate, silent domain.

“Where are we going?”

As their warship emerged, it showed no signs of slowing, still hurtling forward at breakneck speed.

Suddenly, a vast expanse of green appeared ahead—a single blade of grass, enormous beyond measure. Its leaves unfurled, ensnaring several celestial bodies in the void before devouring them whole.

“The legendary Star-Devouring Grass!” The Heavenly Horned Ant gasped.

This entity, though lacking higher consciousness, was terrifyingly powerful. Most creatures could only flee at the sight of it.

“Be careful. We’re nearing our destination. This place is strange—and it truly nurtures a few of the most supreme Dao Seeds. Across eternity, they are peerless. If we can obtain even one, the path of cultivation will shine with unparalleled brilliance,” Shi Hao said.