Chapter 1855: Pu Mo

The former Dandelion Demon King was a truly ruthless figure, a name that struck fear into the hearts of cultivators across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. The corpses of the experts he slaughtered piled into mountains, a testament to his cold-blooded nature.

His clan never acted lightly, but once they struck, they left no survivors—and those who perished suffered gruesome fates. With a single wave of dandelion seeds, they would take root in the flesh of their enemies, draining them dry until not even marrow remained.

The small world they entered was lush with vegetation, but no fierce beasts or birds of prey were in sight. The mystical monkey that Zhu Yan sought had yet to appear.

After traveling for a long time, they encountered a massive iron rod blocking their path at the foot of a towering mountain. This confirmed their suspicions—the monkey tribe’s leader had also met his end.

On the ground lay its skeletal remains, a horrifying sight. Its skull had been pried open, with plant roots embedded within, its brain devoured completely.

“This Dandelion Demon Tree has refined tastes. I’ve had my eye on that monkey’s head for a while, but it got to it first,” the Crimson Bird muttered. The joke fell flat, and no one laughed.

The small world was thick with spiritual energy, yet an eerie desolation and killing intent lingered in the air, as if countless vengeful spirits still wandered.

“Whoosh!”

A colossal tree descended from the sky, its oppressive aura overwhelming. Alongside the fluttering snowflakes, countless roots tore through the void, seeking to drain the life essence of those below.

“A mere minor deity dares cause trouble?”

Shi Zhong, one of the young leaders, sneered, unafraid. With a single hand, he formed a seal, ancient symbols swirling into a primal imprint—the Heaven-Overturning Seal.

This was a legacy from the Primordial Imperial City of the Borderlands. Some techniques had been taught by Shi Hao, while others were inherited from their ancestors.

As the Heaven-Overturning Seal manifested, the massive tree trembled, sensing impending doom. It tried to flee—but it was too late.

With a deafening explosion, the very fabric of the world seemed to flip. The tree shattered into nothingness, its form and spirit obliterated.

“That’s it? I was hoping to take it alive. Just a minor deity after all,” the young man grumbled.

The Crimson Bird gaped, then shrank its neck, recalling how it had often scolded these youths, pushing them to train. Now, it felt a flush of embarrassment—clearly, it had long been surpassed.

That had been a genuine True God, yet it was crushed like an insect by this “little guy.”

“Each generation surpasses the last, wave after wave. Am I really getting old?” the Crimson Bird muttered under its breath, unaware that some among them had keen spiritual senses.

“Uncle Bird, don’t lose heart. You’re only a few realms behind me. Take it slow—from a cultivator’s perspective, you’re still a young sprout,” Shi Zhong teased.

“Get lost! I’m in my prime, a peerless genius. You brats are nowhere near my level—I just prefer to let you have the spotlight!” the Crimson Bird retorted stubbornly.

“Heh, hahaha…” The group of youths burst into laughter.

“Stay sharp. This place is strange—if there’s a minor deity, there might be something bigger,” a young woman named Zhu Lin warned. A flame mark flickered on her forehead, marking her as one of the leaders.

The land of death was eerily silent, littered with bones. They had traversed most of the small world, only to find this desolate and terrifying scene.

Aside from the plants, all living beings had perished—not a single survivor remained.

“Is this the same Dandelion Demon Tree from back then?” the Crimson Bird whispered to Shi Hao, uneasy.

Shi Hao shook his head. The dead tree wasn’t the one from the past—that one had been far more ferocious, even clashing with him in battle.

As they approached the heart of the small world, the Crimson Bird asked, “Could there be trouble?”

“If it were an Immortal, we’d already be doomed the moment we breached this world. If it’s a mortal-tier being, there’s nothing to fear,” Shi Hao replied.

He was confident this wasn’t the Dandelion Demon King from the Immortal Ancient Era. If it were, it would have struck long ago—why toy with them?

“Boom!”

As they neared the center, the sky darkened. A gargantuan tree loomed, blotting out the heavens, its dandelion seeds pitch-black.

This tree dwarfed the previous one in power, its presence enveloping the entire small world. Here, all life was under its shadow.

Massive roots, verdant branches, and ruthless black floss writhed like a dormant dragon awakening to unleash destruction.

“Kill!”

Shi Zhong and Zhu Lin charged forward, eager to claim the kill.

“Be careful—this is a Dao-Fleeing expert!” someone warned from behind.

The other leaders grew serious, stepping forward, ready to intervene.

“Don’t steal my prey!” the battle-hungry Shi Zhong shouted, lunging skyward.

“No way! You already took one—it’s my turn!” Zhu Lin refused to yield. Her fiery red hair billowed as she soared like a phoenix, flames scorching the heavens.

“These brats… they’ve grown this strong?” The Black Tortoise was stunned.

Though called “young,” the eldest among them were in their thirties or forties. Yet reaching the Dao-Fleeing realm at such an age was astonishing.

Only Shi Hao had achieved it in his twenties—an unparalleled feat. Those in their thirties were already rare.

And yet, tiny Stone Village had several!

“Damn it. With this guy and these maniacal youths, what kind of force are they building? Are they really planning to conquer the Immortal Domain?” The Black Tortoise shuddered at the thought.

“Boom!”

The sky churned with black waves as the dark floss surged—only to be ignited by Zhu Lin’s flames. A phoenix’s cry echoed as inferno raged.

This was the True Phoenix Treasure Technique Shi Hao had imparted. As a descendant of the Seven Kings with Vermilion Bird bloodline, she mastered it effortlessly, unleashing devastating power.

“Shi Zhong, if you interfere again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Zhu Lin snapped.

“I attacked first! Fine, I’ll let you have it,” Shi Zhong conceded reluctantly, not wanting infighting.

“Hahaha…” The other leaders, all prodigies no weaker than these two, laughed heartily.

“These kids don’t even take their opponent seriously,” the Crimson Bird sighed.

“Because they have the talent to back it up—true geniuses,” the Swan Sage remarked. Saved by Shi Hao and gifted divine medicines, he had stayed in Stone Village.

Though the end of the law nearly killed him, he ultimately broke through, extending his lifespan.

Thanks to Stone Village—protected by the Nine Dragons Coffin and nourished by rare herbs—it remained untouched by the era’s decay.

“Boom!”

In the sky, Zhu Lin clashed fiercely with the colossal tree, severing countless branches.

The tree transformed into a cold-faced middle-aged man, his gaze locking onto Shi Hao. “I never thought you’d return. But it’s too late—one day, you’ll all die.”

“It’s him!” Shi Hao recognized the Dandelion Demon Tree he had fought years ago.

“Dare to threaten my elder brother? Die!” Zhu Lin roared.

Phoenix wings spread behind her, radiant as immortal swords, slicing through the sky with unstoppable sharpness.

“Snap!” A massive branch fell, flames roaring as Zhu Lin, like a phoenix reborn, battled the black-clad man—his flesh woven from leaves and branches.

After a hundred exchanges, the phoenix wings crossed, sword energy erupting, cleaving the man into pieces. A scream tore through the air as his soul fled.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Zhu Lin pursued.

A streak of crimson light intercepted—another figure capturing the fleeing soul and smashing it down.

“Who dares steal my kill?” Zhu Lin growled—until she saw it was a dragon.

“Oh, it’s you, Nephew. Nice move—I’ll allow it,” she teased.

Laughter erupted, while the Red Dragon nearly snorted fire in rage. Decades ago, this “nephew” had been a brat trailing behind him—now she dared mock him?

“One more word, and I’ll suppress every last one of you!” the Red Dragon fumed.

A chorus of challenges erupted as the troublemakers—Zhu Lin, Shi Zhong, and others—stepped forward.

“Nephew, I challenge you!”

“Come on, let’s settle this!”

The Red Dragon was speechless.

“All of you, shut up!” Shi Hao barked.

He had watched silently, trusting these talents to handle themselves—only for them to start bickering.

“We were just joking.”

After scouring the small world, they found nothing but Dandelion Demon Trees—all uprooted.

Shi Hao sought memories in the enemy’s soul, but it had self-destructed upon capture. Every last tree was eradicated.

At the world’s heart lay an ancient coffin, its contents—cracked flesh with scales—unidentifiable.

“Not the Dandelion Demon King? Then whose scales are these?” Shi Hao wondered.

Inside, he found a peculiar bone altar, small and five-cornered.

Its shape was odd—yet familiar.

“The Six Paths Reincarnation Disk?” His eyes blazed. The altar’s edges resembled the disk’s fragments.

Years ago, he had seen a youth wielding a damaged version. Now, the altar’s depressions matched the disk’s shape—missing one piece.

“Did someone collect the other fragments?”

Further exploration yielded another prize—a dazzling, fragrant little dragon, captured by the Red Dragon.

“Fountain of Youth!”

Shi Hao had only obtained a few drops before the spring vanished.

“So it was a Immortal Spring Eye!” he realized.

In all the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, only a handful existed—lost after the Immortal Ancient War.

This one’s pool had been destroyed, repurposed into the coffin. The golden sand nurtured by its waters had long been taken.

The essence it once held had become this dragon.

Shi Hao had another spring from the Immortal Palace, its essence partly consumed by the puppy, the rest still in his possession.

“Perfect. Nurturing this dragon will restore a true Immortal Spring Eye,” Shi Hao smiled—the greatest gain of this trip.

Without the Red Dragon, this essence—disguising its aura, slipping through fire and water—would have escaped unnoticed.

Later, Shi Zhong and others unearthed rare herbs like the Spirit Flower.

With no more secrets, they prepared to leave.

“Elder Brother, back to Stone Village?”

“Or straight to the Western Tomb Realm?”

After a pause, Shi Hao nodded.

“Target: Western Tomb Realm!”