To follow in the shadow of others—even if not as a servant, merely as a powerful subordinate—was never an option for Shi Hao!
To this day, he had fought his way through countless battles, encountering all manner of foes, even daring to clash with the imperial clans of foreign realms, drenched in blood.
What was a so-called “young master” to him? He refused to acknowledge such titles!
“Young man, you must understand—there is always someone greater, and beyond the heavens lie even vaster skies. This world is far more complex than you imagine. Do you truly believe yourself to be peerless, unmatched across all ages? Let me tell you with certainty—no matter how dazzling the talents from your realm may be, none have ever truly dominated the path of immortality. All have been defeated!”
The creature spoke these words calmly, yet they carried the biting chill of a northern gale, enough to make one’s heart tremble.
His words revealed terrifying truths, stirring unease in the soul.
“Are you speaking of the Immortal Ancient Era?” Shi Hao pressed, unwilling to let the matter rest, his defiance unshaken.
“For the Immortal Domain, an era is not so long. Time is infinite, and the Immortal Domain even more so. Some lineages have endured beyond your wildest imagination!”
The mysterious being replied, his tone still indifferent, yet the weight of his words thickened the air.
He answered Shi Hao’s question about time, making it clear—this was no fleeting anomaly, but a constant truth. How could there be lineages that had existed since antiquity?
Were such things real? Shi Hao’s mind churned, his blood surging like turbulent waves. A fierce determination rose within him—he would rise, break free from this realm, and challenge the world!
Yet, a shadow of worry lingered. The vastness of the cosmos, the expanse of ancient realms, the unfathomable stretch of time—what horrors might emerge in the end, when chaos and war erupted?
Shi Hao could not calm his thoughts. He had once glimpsed beyond the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, but now it seemed he had only seen a fraction of the truth.
“They say the Burial Kings slumber for millions of years, even entire epochs, yet compared to the lineages of the Immortal Domain, they are but newcomers. Some predate them, and their progenitors still live!”
The mysterious being revealed another truth—the greatest warriors hailed from the Immortal Domain, undefeated since time immemorial.
The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, no matter how glorious, no matter how dazzling their past, had never produced a being who could truly dominate the Immortal Domain, era after era.
The revelation left Shi Hao speechless for a long time.
“Fortunately, there is a common enemy. The greater struggle lies beyond.” The creature added.
What kind of emotion was this? Shi Hao could not define it. He knew that if he traced back far enough, the Immortal Domain held unimaginable horrors—ancient beings whose origins could terrify even the bravest.
Yet, they had enemies. They were waiting for something!
If one were to trace back to that era, it would inevitably be linked to the words—”Emperor’s Fall.”
What kind of grudge, what kind of enmity, could persist across countless epochs, unresolved, evoking boundless terror at its mere mention?
“Ha, are there truly such ancient monsters, surviving all the way to this era?” Shi Hao’s thoughts drifted, uncertain of what to feel.
The joys and sorrows of mortal life, the passions and hatreds—they all seemed insignificant compared to the obsessions of those ancient beings.
They played on a grand scale—but it was deadly, capable of extinguishing entire realms!
The division of the supreme immortal herb into six parts, each sealing the remnants of a mighty existence, planted across different ancient realms—these were not isolated incidents. They would soon stir cataclysmic upheavals!
Lost in thought, Shi Hao sighed. The road ahead might be long, requiring ages of preparation before he could even step onto the stage. Or it might be brutally short—ending in an instant.
His blood burned with fervor, driving him forward. He would defy fate, force his way into the fray at the earliest moment! Yet, he also sighed inwardly—the path was treacherous, the great realms dark. He might be but a small fish, doomed to wither swiftly.
The creature did not hold a bad impression of Shi Hao, though neither did he offer any real assistance. He spoke much.
Clearly, he knew of the Borderlands War, of Shi Hao’s affliction with the Immortal-Severing Curse. He understood what had transpired.
Though harboring no hostility, he had no intention of intervening. To such beings, the law of the jungle was clear.
Since Shi Hao was soon to be crippled, there was no reason to act. A being destined for mediocrity was not worth his effort.
To him, the distinction between value and worthlessness was stark.
Naturally, Shi Hao would not beg for aid. His path was his own. The Immortal-Severing Curse, in their eyes, was incurable—at least for a young cultivator like him. He had nothing more to say.
Next, Shi Hao inquired about this place.
It was confirmed—this was indeed an extraordinary hidden land!
Here lay a path that needed guarding. Gazing into the distance, one saw only desolation—barren galaxies, withered lands, yet brimming with spiritual energy.
The energy was violent, surging like a tidal wave one moment, then drained dry the next.
This place was crucial—it sealed an ancient path, awaiting something’s return!
Upon closer inspection, Shi Hao realized this was a ruined land. The remnants of shattered stars still lingered in the distance—a broken world, long abandoned.
The Rain God and other ancient beings had once ascended here, becoming soldiers tasked with guarding this place.
Though the Rain God was strong, here he was merely a foot soldier, unremarkable. Yet, the Rain Clan’s origins were not insignificant—they were no weaklings.
After all, natural phenomena like wind, rain, thunder, and lightning were not mere words—they once represented ancient races.
Some even claimed that these phenomena were manifestations of the emotions of those ancient beings!
Yet, in this broken world, the Rain Clan had declined. No supreme experts remained.
In truth, this was a shattered cosmos, ruined ages ago, sealed off from the outside world.
In recent times, those guarding here had weakened to the brink of extinction.
For the path itself was reviving, spewing forth corrosive energy like smoke, heralding the arrival of something.
The guardians had nearly perished entirely.
Only after the Borderlands War ended did the Immortal Domain take notice, reopening the gates and reconnecting with ancient lands like this one, saving them.
The Immortal Domain acted, resealing the path!
“So that’s how it is.” Shi Hao nodded. The rise and fall of this broken world hinged on a single path—how terrifying.
“Are there many beings here?” Shi Hao asked.
“Not many. Less than a million, but all are cultivators,” the mysterious being replied.
Shi Hao was stunned. Though this was a self-contained realm, the population was shockingly sparse.
“If you dig beneath the star remnants, every inch of soil is littered with shattered bones,” the creature added.
At this point, Shi Hao needed no further explanation.
This world had been annihilated. The current inhabitants were merely later arrivals, tasked with guarding the path.
“Pity. I wanted to introduce you to the heir of a certain clan, but fate has denied you that chance,” the creature mused again.
“A clan’s young master? Where does he rank in the Immortal Domain?” Shi Hao smirked, unimpressed.
“Hard to say. If his progenitor has truly revived through him, he could rank among the top. If not, he might still make the top ten.”
Shi Hao was taken aback. He cared little for the so-called young master, but the idea of an ancient being reborn through another sent chills down his spine.
If such a monster were to emerge, any conflict would be disastrous.
“Of course, if you weren’t crippled, you could refuse to follow him and instead join one of the oldest lineages. If they favored you, you’d gain great opportunities—but it’s difficult.”
Shi Hao scoffed, uninterested. He already possessed ancient scriptures and secret arts—why would he need another lineage?
“Let me be blunt—the techniques of this world are nothing. They are remnants of a bygone era. Over the ages, the Immortal Domain’s cultivation systems have evolved, forging new paths. What do you have to compare?”
This finally gave Shi Hao pause. He had long contemplated forging his own path, but now he realized the Immortal Domain might have already done so.
Yet, this only fueled his fighting spirit. He would go further, see for himself who was stronger.
It was not arrogance—he had already begun carving his own unique path, seeding his body as the foundation. With further refinement, he believed he would one day reap the rewards.
“Can I kill this person?” Shi Hao asked boldly.
“The Rain Clan is none of my concern. But know this—killing a guardian brings no benefit. You are already doomed. Beware the consequences.”
Shi Hao acted without hesitation. With a flick of the Great Luo Sword Embryo, he pierced the Rain God’s brow, nailing his soul and staining the altar below with blood.
The altar hovered in the void, now crimson.
“Is it easy to enter the Eight Domains from this broken world?” Shi Hao asked.
“Difficult. Only at specific times and places can a projection descend. The weak find it easier; the strong, harder. The Rain God broke the rules, projecting himself recklessly. His fate was sealed by destiny.”
With that, the mysterious being departed, leaving the scene behind.
In the distance, a five-colored radiance shimmered, divine rainbows coiling around an ancient, flickering gate.
Without delay, Shi Hao turned and left, piercing through the boundary and returning to the Desolate Domain.
True to form, the spatial node collapsed behind him, vanishing without a trace.
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