Chapter 1881: Lifelong Cultivation Companions

The crippled immortal was split in half, his face filled with terror as his vision gradually dimmed. He was on the verge of death.

“Speak! What exactly is happening?” Shi Hao acted, releasing a surge of righteous energy to stabilize the crippled immortal’s body, trying to preserve his life.

“They… are coming soon!” The crippled immortal suddenly roared in a final burst of vitality, his entire body convulsing as his primordial spirit ignited, transforming into a rain of light.

Shi Hao was startled and stepped back. The void seemed to ripple with stardust, flowing past as it enveloped the blade of laws, swiftly fleeing into the distance.

The blade of laws had slain the crippled immortal, and now his primordial spirit had dissolved into light, merging with the divine blade before vanishing entirely.

“They are on their way back. The marks they left behind have awakened, seeking to understand the state of this world.” From the rain of light came the crippled immortal’s final, agonized scream.

Shi Hao understood—some beings were already capable of interfering with this realm, probing its conditions. However, they must still be very far away.

Otherwise, their true forms would have appeared directly!

A crippled immortal had fallen, just like that.

Shi Hao moved lightly through the void, covering tens of thousands of miles in a single step. He pursued, watching where the blade of laws was returning.

A massive black mountain, dark as ink, loomed in the heavens like a sword piercing the sky!

It had never appeared before—this mountain had only manifested recently. Clearly, like the Immortal Grave and the Primordial Ancient Mine, it was a passageway.

The blade of laws also dissolved into light, merging into the black mountain before disappearing entirely.

Shi Hao’s pupils contracted. He memorized this place, knowing it would one day become a terrifying battlefield, drenched in blood.

He wondered—how long would it take for these beings to truly return and set foot in this realm?

A growing sense of urgency weighed on Shi Hao. But time would not wait for him. After eight hundred years of cultivation, achieving immortality was still beyond reach. How could he face the battles to come?

Shi Hao ended his journey through the uninhabited lands and returned to the lower realm to seek counsel from the master of the forbidden zone, asking when that day would arrive.

“You worry too much. Their return is fraught with complications. At the very least, they are wary of each other. It will take at least a thousand years, perhaps even longer.”

Hearing this, Shi Hao was stunned. It would take that long? He still had time!

“Those beings are separated from you by at least one or two epochs. Emerging from that mysterious place will take an eternity.”

“One or two epochs?” Shi Hao’s heart trembled at the thought.

“Some monsters from the Era of Fallen Emperors may even appear—that would be even more distant!” The master of the forbidden zone spoke gravely, his tone solemn even when mentioning that era.

“Are there still beings alive from the Era of Fallen Emperors?” Shi Hao frowned deeply. The news was horrifying—this was no ordinary era. The mere mention of “fallen emperors” evoked endless speculation.

“Sever worldly ties and embark on the path of no return. Go.” The master of the forbidden zone said.

Shi Hao sighed softly. One day, he would truly set foot on that path of no return, bidding farewell to all he knew. He must leave no regrets behind.

Eight hundred years of cultivation, yet when he looked back on his mortal past, he fell into silence.

Vaguely, he saw his younger days—the fiery mulberry blossoms of Sin Province, the red-clad girl laughing beneath the tree, petals scattering like rain as she waved gently.

Shi Hao’s nose stung with sorrow. So many years had passed, yet he had never forgotten. But he had spent them immersed in cultivation, allowing himself to remain detached.

The fiery mulberry blossoms bloomed, petals shimmering. That girl had waited alone, hoping for his return—yet in the end, she had waited for nothing.

In a single moment, a colossal claw tore through the borderland imperial city, seizing all of Sin Province. In that final battle, Shi Hao had witnessed it—the red-clad girl standing alone outside the ruined mulberry grove, tears streaming down her face as she gazed at him helplessly, heartbroken.

“Reckoning… I long to grow stronger, to slaughter my way into the foreign realm, to slay Anlan, Yutuo, and the rest—to bring her back!”

Shi Hao clenched his fists, growling low. The memory was as vivid as yesterday. If he didn’t dwell on it, he could continue his cultivation undisturbed. But when he did, his heart ached with emptiness and bitterness.

A thunderous crack split the void. Shi Hao sighed—what could he change? By the time he achieved immortality, many years would have passed. By then, that girl would have long since aged, her hair white.

Would she even still be alive? It was impossible to say.

He had once sought to sever his attachments, but now it seemed futile. Some people and things could not simply be forgotten.

“Failing to protect you is the regret of my life.” Shi Hao gazed into the void, allowing himself one final moment of remembrance. To dwell further would only deepen his sorrow.

He truly had to seal away those memories for now. Everyone had their youth—he would bury that innocence deep within.

Because to dwell on it now would be unfair to Yun Xi. All these years, he had rarely returned to Stone Village, unable to face her openly because of his lingering attachment to the girl beneath the fiery mulberry tree.

Shi Hao returned to Stone Village and took Yun Xi’s hand, gazing at her. After all these years, her beauty remained undiminished—her purple hair shimmered, her eyes pure, her grace peerless.

Yun Xi looked up at him, slightly puzzled.

“These years… I’m sorry.” Shi Hao spoke softly, yet earnestly.

“Why say that?”

“Because we have hardly been like true companions. I have failed you.” Shi Hao’s heart was heavy with guilt.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. Rising in this age of declining laws is no easy feat. You should devote yourself entirely to cultivation—there’s no need to apologize to me.” Yun Xi’s voice was gentle.

Her skin was fair as jade, her eyes lively, every word and gesture exuding grace.

“Seclusion and relentless cultivation may not lead to immortality.” Shi Hao held her hand. “The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths have changed greatly, yet you’ve remained in the lower realm, never venturing out. Let me show you the magnificent landscapes of today.”

“There’s no time!” Yun Xi shook her head, refusing.

“This, too, is cultivation. Come.” Shi Hao took her with him to the upper realm, speaking earnestly. “It’s been many years since you last visited the Heavenly Clan. Let us go together.”

At these words, Yun Xi trembled. She missed her homeland deeply and finally nodded in agreement.

Shi Ziling and his wife smiled as they watched them leave, their hearts at ease, as if a long-held wish had been fulfilled.

“At last, we’ve seen this day.” Both now bore streaks of white in their hair, no longer young—inevitable signs of time’s passage.

“Good, good, very good!” The old clan leader, Shi Yunfeng, laughed heartily. Though aged, his spirit remained strong as he watched Shi Hao and Yun Xi disappear into the distance.

When Shi Hao arrived at Heavenly City, the Heavenly Clan was thrown into turmoil. After eight hundred years, his reappearance filled them with both fear and shock.

If he sought vengeance, their entire clan would be annihilated. Many of those involved in past events paled with terror.

“I bear no grudge. Let the past remain in the past.” Shi Hao spoke calmly.

Some of the Heavenly Clan’s experts nearly cheered in relief, their tension dissolving—especially when they saw Yun Xi, understanding dawning upon them.

“Yun Xi misses home. I brought her back for a visit.” Shi Hao said.

“Good, good! We’ve missed her too, always hoping she would return.” An elder’s voice trembled slightly as he stepped forward eagerly.

“Is the old Heavenly Man still alive?” Shi Hao asked. In this age of declining laws, he doubted the old man could last much longer.

At this, many in the Heavenly Clan wore expressions of sorrow, admitting that the old Heavenly Man was on his last breath, his life force nearly extinguished.

Shi Hao and Yun Xi went to see him, finding a skeletal figure with sunken eyes and a vacant gaze.

“I should have died centuries ago. I clung to life out of concern for the Heavenly Clan. Now that you’ve come and settled past grievances, I can depart in peace.” The old Heavenly Man smiled.

Soon after, his life force faded entirely, succumbing to time.

The Heavenly Clan mourned.

Shi Hao was speechless. The old man had truly held on, waiting for his arrival before passing.

He could not leave immediately—Yun Xi wished to pay her respects and attend the funeral.

Years later, Shi Hao and Yun Xi soared side by side, traveling through mountains and rivers, becoming true companions.

Shi Hao guided Yun Xi in cultivation while also studying the power of faith, seeking another path to arrange for Mu Qing, the Red Dragon, and others.

Time flowed like a river. Nearly two hundred years passed.

Shi Hao was now over a thousand years old, his power unrivaled in the mortal realm. Though not yet immortal, he had gained profound insights into the path of immortality.

The Heavenly Court flourished. Every day, endless streams of faith converged upon him without his direct intervention.

It seemed he could manifest an avatar of supreme power through faith alone, indistinguishable from his true self.

All these years, his true self had pursued the path of the Seed Within, while his faith-formed avatar walked another path—akin to the ancient immortals of sacrifice—seeking immortality through belief.

He walked both paths, sensing that immortality through faith might come sooner, being the easier route.

For two centuries, Shi Hao and Yun Xi had been true companions. Wherever they traveled, powerful figures paid their respects.

Yun Xi was serene as an immortal, her youthful vitality rekindled, her smile ever gentle, her every glance breathtaking.

In this millennium, Mu Qing, the Red Dragon, the Heavenly Horned Ant, the Golden Lion, and others had yet to cross the threshold into supremacy.

“The age of declining laws—how many heroes will you cut down?” Shi Hao’s expression was grave. A thousand years of cultivation had long surpassed the five-hundred-year limit, yet these individuals still could not succeed. It foretold a grim reality.

He suspected that even if they cultivated until their twilight years, they might only tread a broken path, never crossing that insurmountable chasm.

It was not their lack of ability—the heavens themselves barred their way!

“It’s fine. We still have time. A mere thousand years—how could we expect to become supremes so quickly? In this entire epoch, who has achieved supremacy at a thousand years of age?” The Heavenly Horned Ant spoke lightly, trying to ease the mood.

Shi Hao remained silent. Others might lack the qualifications, but the Heavenly Horned Ant, descendant of the Ten Fierce, should have attained supremacy within a millennium or two.

But in this era of fading laws and withered spiritual energy, the Heavenly Horned Ant and the others had been thwarted, trapped in an environment hostile to their ascension.

Lately, Shi Hao had been contemplating a decision.

“You… are leaving soon, aren’t you? Go. You must charge forward and rise swiftly!” Yun Xi said.

Shi Hao was taken aback. Indeed, he planned to leave, taking the Heavenly Horned Ant, Mu Qing, and others to a place where they might alter their fates.

“Don’t feel guilty. Don’t worry about me. These years have been enough. I know that one day, you will achieve immortality, while I can only accompany you for this single lifetime in the mortal realm… Just this one lifetime is enough! One day, you will depart, and I will have grown old…” Yun Xi’s eyes glistened, but she held back her tears.