Chapter 1763: Return to the Leviathan Roc’s Nest Once More

The Northern Sea, with its surging waves, was not azure but as dark as ink.

This was the essence of the Northern Sea—vast, boundless, and ink-black.

Shi Hao walked upon the waves, treading the watery path that led beyond the sea. Memories flooded his mind—sailing out with Yun Xi and others, fierce battles with the sea clans, and his first encounter with the Witch there.

Some of his past adversaries had sunk forever into the depths, while others had ascended to the upper realms, their fates unknown.

Mo Shang, descendant of the Sea God, and Han Tian of the Flame Fish Clan—these two had been the strongest youths of the sea, once locked in fierce combat with Shi Hao.

“I wonder how they’re doing now,” Shi Hao murmured, shaking his head with a sigh. Some rivals, some old friends—time had swept them away, making reunions unlikely.

Reaching the Leviathan Roc’s Nest was no easy feat. Back then, he had overcome countless dangers to arrive there.

In ordinary times, the Leviathan Roc’s Nest remained hidden, concealed in the depths of the Northern Sea—or more precisely, within a mystical minor world.

Now, Shi Hao’s strength was incomparable to the past. He could rightfully be called the strongest beneath the Supreme realm.

Thus, his path was unobstructed. After wandering the Northern Sea for days, he detected a clue and forcefully tore through the void, entering the mysterious waters.

Ghostly skeletal ships drifted like phantoms.

These were but strange sights along the way—some were ancient ghost ships, others illusions conjured by formations, and some were the lingering spirits of the undying.

Shi Hao paid them no mind. At his level, no specter or demon could pose a threat.

Paper boats—he saw none on this journey.

Now, it was mostly bone ships, unchanged from before.

But that bloodstained paper boat from back then, with its haunting line of script, had left an indelible mark on him.

“Only I remain…”

Those delicate words, written by a woman’s hand, carried a sense of melancholy and loneliness that stirred the heart.

This time, Shi Hao found no paper boats.

He journeyed intermittently, crossing from one sea to another—black waters, then golden—a transformation brought about by entering minor worlds.

Finally, he arrived, nearing the Leviathan Roc’s Nest.

For others, this would have been nearly impossible, but he had found it.

The Leviathan Roc’s Nest should have remained hidden at this time, yet here he stood before it.

A massive stone cliff rose from the sea, and upon it rested the colossal Leviathan Roc’s Nest, wreathed in wisps of chaotic energy. His destination, revisited after so many years.

“Here again,” Shi Hao sighed softly.

He leaped onto the cliff—an isolated island in the sea.

The nest resembled a bird’s, though unimaginably vast—the dwelling of one of the legendary Ten Calamities!

Where was that river? Shi Hao searched. Beside the nest, there had once been a stream, a gate from which spiritual liquid flowed, carrying bloodstained black paper boats.

Though nearly dried up, it was still a mysterious path!

A flicker of joy crossed Shi Hao’s face, though his heart tightened slightly. Would he enter this time? Back then, he had been unable to pass through that gate.

After a moment of contemplation, he turned his attention back to the nest.

“I’ve returned,” Shi Hao murmured. This place held profound significance for him—it was here he had obtained the Leviathan Roc’s Treasure Technique, propelling his rise.

The lower realm, if not in an absolute age of lawlessness, was close to it. Finding such a treasure technique was nothing short of divine fortune.

In the past, this sea had witnessed earth-shaking battles—creatures from land and sea alike clashing as if it were yesterday.

“The Leviathan Roc… buried here.”

Shi Hao muttered to himself, then paused. Back then, he had seen no remains of the Leviathan Roc. It was said to be dead, but was that truly the case?

Soon, he found the dried blood pool where feathers and remnants of blood remained—the very place he had received its legacy.

“Even now, the nest suppresses the cultivation of outsiders. Anyone who approaches is affected,” Shi Hao mused. Little had changed.

But his current strength was unparalleled beneath the Supreme realm. He no longer needed to tread cautiously.

Having forged his own path and mastered countless techniques, the suppression here no longer crippled him as it once had.

A pity—such a mighty being, one of the Ten Calamities, had fallen in the lower realm, leaving only traces behind.

With a flash, Shi Hao entered the Leviathan Roc’s Nest, forcing open its entrance.

Inside was a vast minor world, utterly unlike the crude exterior.

Here, the space was intricate and refined. Shi Hao pressed forward without pause.

Along the way, he encountered many spirit herbs and divine materials.

Then, he returned to the collapsed cavern, locating the dried blood pool. He stood there for a long time, eyes closed, immersed in contemplation.

“The Leviathan Roc is truly dead,” he sighed, confirming his judgment.

But his exploration was not over. He sensed there were still secrets within the nest, things left undiscovered.

“Where are its weapons?” Shi Hao searched for Tianhuang, the Leviathan Roc’s broken halberd. Though shattered, it was extraordinary—yet it had flown away, eluding him.

“Hmm?”

Soon, he uncovered a hidden chamber—a minor world within, vast and profound. Chaotic energy surged forth.

This place had been missed in the past.

Then, he gasped. A peculiar aura washed over him, as if the Leviathan Roc itself were present. His mastery of its technique resonated intensely.

Undeterred, Shi Hao pressed on. Within this chamber, he found several eggs—not nestled softly, but laid upon cold, hard stone.

Golden eggs, massive and imposing, marked with black patterns. Without doubt, these were Leviathan Roc eggs.

Shocked, Shi Hao approached, examining them for a long time before sighing.

The eggs were either pierced or shattered, lifeless despite the lingering chaotic energy.

He confirmed their destruction—had they survived, their value would have been immeasurable.

The tragedy was clear. The Leviathan Roc’s offspring had been slaughtered before birth.

This was not the first time Shi Hao had witnessed such cruelty. The Crimson Dragon, for instance, was the sole survivor of its kin.

And the Heavenly Horned Ant of the Nine Heavens, grievously wounded by enemies, had been sealed in chaos by its father, nurtured back to life.

In those days, to eradicate threats, the descendants of true immortals had been ruthlessly hunted.

Some eggs had been sealed in chaos, nourished by treasures, their parents hoping they might one day revive.

“Poor Leviathan Roc offspring.”

Shi Hao thought of that unkillable being once suppressed beneath the Five Elements Mountain—likely the sole survivor.

But it had suffered greatly, its vitality damaged. Rumors spoke of it being sealed in chaos for a million years—proof enough.

Yet, that survivor was extraordinary, possessing an undying body. Whether through some devoured substance or an esoteric method remained a mystery.

After further searching, Shi Hao found inscriptions detailing the tragic fate of the eggs, evoking deep sorrow.

“One of the Ten Calamities—the Leviathan Roc—was female!”

Shi Hao was stunned. Fragmented words revealed this secret.

In his mind, he had always imagined the Leviathan Roc as male. How wrong he had been.

“No wonder,” Shi Hao murmured, recalling the surviving offspring’s claim of being posthumously born.

He had wondered how, given the Leviathan Roc’s appearances earlier in the era. Now he understood—the one seen had been its mother.

Continuing his exploration, Shi Hao discovered another hidden place—a stone cave.

Within, immortal mist swirled, mingled with a fierce, chilling aura—both sacred and terrifying.

Entering, Shi Hao stiffened. He sensed the fluctuations of the Immortal-Severing Curse.

Inside, he found fragments of bone—mere remnants, no more than a dozen pieces, all bearing the curse’s power.

“Leviathan Roc bones!”

Shi Hao sighed. No intact corpse remained—only these lifeless fragments. The rest had corroded away.

“The Leviathan Roc was indeed struck by the Immortal-Severing Curse!”

Frowning, Shi Hao pieced together its demise.

Wounded nearly to death in the ancient Immortal War, the Leviathan Roc had clung to life into this era, its body failing but suppressed.

In its final years, the curse broke free, and its old wounds flared. It was ground to nothingness here.

A tragic end. What more could Shi Hao say?

Searching the nest yielded no further secrets. The treasures were gone—even the broken Tianhuang Halberd had long since fled.

The expedition had been uneventful, contrary to his expectations.

Emerging, Shi Hao followed the dwindling spiritual river upstream to a luminous gate.

There, a branch of the World Tree lay across the river, blocking the gate—an astonishing sight.

The river, flowing from another realm, was nearly dry.

“Are there still paper boats drifting out?” Shi Hao waited, but none appeared.

Resolved, he decided to venture upstream, to see what lay beyond.