Even as Shi Hao uttered the words “Shi Changsheng,” he felt an unnatural heaviness settle in his heart.
Was this the so-called “Longevity Calamity”? And now, he had encountered it too!
He had never fully understood what the Longevity Calamity truly was, but now he had some guesses, glimpsing traces of its nature.
“Are you one being, or three?” Shi Hao asked.
The skull, the beast bone—their colors were clearly different, and the eyeball was far too large, unlike something that belonged in the crystal skull’s sockets.
“Does it matter to you whether we are one or three?” Flickering flames, purple-gold in hue, appeared in the crystal skull’s eye sockets, eerie and mysterious, pulsing in rhythm with one’s very soul.
“I don’t want someone else’s bones merging into my body,” Shi Hao said, refusing outright.
“Power that could be yours so easily, and yet you reject it. I cannot understand. Fusing with this bone would grant you the power of immortality!” the crystal skull sighed.
“That kind of power—I can cultivate it myself,” Shi Hao replied.
“When there’s a golden path before you, allowing you to rise swiftly, why take the long way around? You must know that the world is now obscure and treacherous, with hidden undercurrents. Every bit of strength means greater security. Your refusal is unwise,” the crystal skull said.
“Then what must I give in return?” Shi Hao asked calmly.
“Nothing. We merely wish to pass on this divine and sacred power, to prevent it from dissipating into the void,” the crystal skull answered.
Shi Hao shook his head and fell silent.
“Are you refusing, or do you not believe us?” the skull pressed.
“Once, a powerful being told me that the stronger an existence, the more it values balance and causality. Even though we had a good relationship, it always insisted on equivalent exchange—though it still managed to trick me in the end.”
“Very well. If you insist on thinking this way, then let me put it differently: in the future, when it is convenient for you, help us exact revenge and destroy our enemies,” the crystal skull said.
“You’re not being honest.” Shi Hao stepped back. Why hadn’t they mentioned this earlier? Only after being exposed did they ask him to shoulder a karmic burden—and even that was likely not the full truth.
In fact, through figures like Mu Changsheng, Wang Changsheng, and Qin Changsheng, he sensed immense danger lurking here, one that could lead to a death without even a grave.
He wanted no part of it.
“Young man, you are remarkable. Your growth speed astonishes us. But you must understand—time is the rarest resource in this world. You must cherish it. This is an opportunity to leap forward, saving you countless years.”
“I fear eternal damnation. I fear that after merging, one day, I will no longer be myself.” Shi Hao was blunt, seeing no reason to feign ignorance before those who understood.
There was no need for hidden agendas between them.
“The Age of Decay has arrived. The heavens and earth are undergoing drastic changes. Creatures from all realms have retreated, ushering in a rare and terrifying period of silence. I don’t believe time is lacking—this is my opportunity,” Shi Hao added.
He continued, “If you truly have plans, we can ally. Support me in other ways, and I will repay you in the future. You can see how fast I cultivate—I’m worth recruiting, not merging. Perhaps one day, I’ll become your strongest ally.”
“Young man, you are too cautious. We are not evil, nor would we devour you after merging. We genuinely admire you…” The purple-gold flames in the skull’s sockets grew denser, deeper, like two abyssal caves, inducing calm.
Gradually, Shi Hao felt an overwhelming peace, his emotions stilling, as if he were about to drift into slumber.
Unconsciously, he grew drowsy.
Shi Hao was already a Supreme Being, yet he nearly succumbed to sleep here, almost ensnared without realizing it.
“Shh!”
The Grass Sword Art erupted, streaks of sword light shooting from his blade, striking the altar one after another. A Supreme’s strike could bring down the stars themselves.
Yet, the artifacts on the altar were extraordinary.
The golden hand bone instantly soared, crashing down with a thunderous boom, blotting out the sky, enveloping the void and swallowing all sword energy.
After a violent collision came silent annihilation—countless black holes devouring the essence of heaven and earth.
When silence returned, the altar remained. The hand bone, forged like gold, floated in the void. The skull’s flames flickered uncertainly, and the eyeball swiveled, fixing on Shi Hao.
“Young man, do you wish to fight us?” the skull asked.
“You struck first. If you insist on force, I will meet it!” Shi Hao declared.
He had some confidence. If they were truly powerful enough to act without restraint, they wouldn’t be negotiating—they would have forced the merge long ago.
“Very well. Then leave. Not a trace of goodwill remains. We part as strangers,” the skull said.
“I told you—if you trust me, we can cooperate. Merging would only recreate your past strength, capping my potential. But if you aid me, the future could be far greater.”
Shi Hao did not leave immediately, instead offering these words.
After a long silence, the crystal skull relented, agreeing to his terms.
Shi Hao’s pupils contracted. They must be desperate, running out of time—otherwise, they wouldn’t have yielded.
Shh!
The altar shrank to the size of a fist. The golden hand bone, the bleeding eyeball, and the crystal skull all diminished, still arranged atop it.
The altar floated over, hovering before Shi Hao.
He dared not carry them on his person, fearing deception.
“Waking is not easy for us. It costs us greatly. Do not doubt—we mean you no harm,” the skull assured.
“Since we are now allies, can you tell me more?” Shi Hao asked.
“What do you wish to know?”
“Who are you? Why are you here? What is your goal? Did you construct the Western Tomb Realm? Why merge it with the Void God Realm?”
A sigh. The fist-sized altar fell silent for a long time before responding.
“Would you believe me if I said we are failures, shattered and forgotten?” the skull finally spoke.
“Not really,” Shi Hao replied bluntly.
“We are broken, true failures. Only fragments of memory remain. We don’t even recall who we truly were. Now, we have but one obsession—to regain our peak. We are the Longevity Clan, seeking to restore our glory.”
Shi Hao’s expression shifted. So this was the Longevity Calamity—a group of such beings.
“And your enemies? Do you not even know who they are?”
“No. Only indelible marks remain. We are the losers of the last Minor Cleansing,” the skull said despondently.
“What?!” Shi Hao was stunned. Their origins were far greater than he imagined!
The so-called Minor Cleansing was ancient, predating even the Immortal Ancient Era.
“The final battle approaches—the Great Cleansing is coming. We cannot accept this!” the skull roared.
Shi Hao pondered, realizing the future Great Cleansing would be terrifying, involving forces beyond imagination—monsters from different epochs emerging.
“What of the Western Tomb Realm? Surely you remember that?” Shi Hao pressed.
“It was an accident. We once found a bone scripture—here, see for yourself.” The skull spat out a charred bone fragment with faint inscriptions.
Yet, the skull denied any attempt to merge with the Void God Realm or any hidden schemes.
“Someone else, then?” Shi Hao remained skeptical.
“Yes. A newcomer, active in recent decades. We ignored each other, wary.”
“What does he look like? Any clues to his origins?” Shi Hao asked gravely.
“Over ten feet tall, reeking of decay, as if risen from a mountain of corpses. Unfathomably strong, with broken scales and occasional snow-white fur.”
Shi Hao’s scalp prickled. This description—it sounded like the Pu Demon King. Could it be him?
“Let’s go.” Shi Hao decided. Facing these three ancient beings, their depths unfathomable, their truths uncertain, the best course was to find another ancient monster—to fight fire with fire.
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