Shi Hao was truly at a loss. A chicken raised by a Burial Knight deep in the Ancient Burial Grounds was actually a True Phoenix before it molted? That was just too absurd—he couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
“If you don’t believe it, then forget it. There are rumors that the bird failed to be reborn from flames and was taken in by a great one. It was first buried under priceless burial soil for years before finally becoming a free-roaming chicken at the entrance.”
Hearing this, Shi Hao rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out. If this were true, the depth of the Ancient Burial Grounds’ secrets was simply unimaginable!
“Why don’t Yu Tuo and An Lan dig their way there and see who’s tougher?” Shi Hao muttered under his breath.
“If anyone dares to dig into our burial grounds, once they reach the doorstep of a true great one, they’ll regret it,” the female Burial Knight said coldly, her voice devoid of emotion.
“Nonsense! If immortal medicines truly lived in the Ancient Burial Grounds, wouldn’t they fear corruption? And even the most degraded immortal trees wouldn’t willingly be felled to make coffins—this is preposterous!” The crimson Heavenly Deity Tree sneered, utterly unconvinced.
In its eyes, immortal medicines were proud beings—how could they possibly degrade to such a state?
“Do you think the deepest parts of the Ancient Burial Grounds must be overflowing with death energy?” The Burial Knight glanced at the Heavenly Deity Tree, then gestured for it to take a closer look at the earthen pot in Shi Hao’s hands. “This so-called ‘Soil of All Things’ is one of the rarest burial soils in existence!”
It continued, “With such supreme burial soil, even if an immortal tree is felled once, it will eventually regrow without suffering permanent damage.”
If what it said was true, it was truly mind-blowing. The idea that mysterious Burial Knights carved coffins from the trunks of immortal trees was nothing short of shocking.
“I’m starting to envy the Burial Grounds. Are you sure I can’t go in?” Shi Hao looked at the Burial Knight with puppy-dog eyes. He wouldn’t rest until he got his hands on an immortal medicine.
“When did you last see this?” the crimson Heavenly Deity Tree asked.
“Before I went into slumber, since I’ve been there a few times,” the Burial Knight replied.
“How long do you usually sleep for?” the golden Heavenly Deity Tree inquired.
“Shortest was a hundred thousand years. Longest? Who knows? Time is endless—perhaps half an epoch.”
Shi Hao was speechless. Sleeping for millennia at a time—how was anyone supposed to compete with that? If they just kept sleeping, would there even be enemies left in the world?
“Are you really not going to take me into the Ancient Burial Grounds?” Shi Hao pressed, trying to see if there was any wiggle room.
“It’s not entirely impossible, but you’d be facing near-certain death. Still want to try?” The Burial Knight stared at him blankly.
“Uh…” Shi Hao wasn’t keen on suicide. After some thought, he asked, “Can I at least take a look around the outskirts first?”
Beside him, the two Heavenly Deity Trees felt dizzy. This young man’s audacity was off the charts—wanting to enter the Burial Grounds? He had a death wish!
“You’ll need to cross the mountain range to this location.” The Burial Knight sketched a simple map on the ground.
Shi Hao’s expression stiffened. He took a deep breath—he hadn’t expected it to be *that* place!
“I’m going! I have to see it for myself!” Shi Hao agreed without hesitation. The destination was exactly where he had planned to go.
It was the region marked on the ancient beast-hide map from Emperor Pass, a deadly zone bordered by the Divine Medicine Mountain Range, the Heavenly Beast Forest, and the Ancient Burial Grounds.
Shi Hao began his preparations, filled with anticipation. He wanted to understand the Burial Grounds and uncover its secrets.
But more importantly, he was originally headed there to seek the legendary, earth-shattering opportunity recorded on the ancient beast hide.
“Are you two going to merge?” Shi Hao asked the Heavenly Deity Trees.
“Naturally!”
Shi Hao and the Burial Knight stood guard as the two ancient trees collided in midair. In an instant, a surge of life energy exploded outward.
A dense mist of immortal energy churned violently in the void as two root systems fused into one.
These were the true roots of an immortal tree. Once connected, their vitality grew even more vigorous!
*Rustle, rustle!*
The branches swayed, releasing streams of essence like cascading starlight, saturating the area with an overwhelming life force.
Finally, the tree glowed crimson and gold, its hues balancing as the fusion progressed—though the transformation was far from complete.
They needed time—lots of it!
*Whoosh!*
The merged tree shot into the earthen pot, taking root in the Soil of All Things and absorbing its life energy.
“I’ll be going into slumber too—half an epoch should do.” The old tree spoke, mimicking the Burial Knight’s tone.
Shi Hao didn’t believe it could sleep that long and figured it would wake soon. “Rest well. Once you’ve transformed, I’ll track down the other two Heavenly Deity Trees!”
Soon after, Shi Hao encountered scattered cultivators from the other realm. Wielding his sword, he showed no mercy.
Whenever a great cultivator at the Dunyi Realm appeared, black mist would surge as the Burial Knight struck, sweeping through the enemies like a scythe.
“These people have a scheme. They’re not just after me—they’re trying to lure bigger prey. Could they be targeting the Great Elder?” Shi Hao muttered, uneasy as he prepared to leave the Divine Medicine Mountain Range.
He had pieced together that the other realm might have dispatched Supreme beings to lie in wait, hoping to ambush any rescuers from Emperor Pass.
Soon, he confirmed his suspicions from captives—there were indeed such elders outside the mountains, having laid down a terrifying formation.
Shi Hao paced anxiously. No matter how many enemies he killed inside the mountains, even if he felled Dunyi Realm experts one after another, he couldn’t relax.
“We need to warn the outside world. If the Great Elder and others come, they’ll walk into an ambush!” Shi Hao said.
He asked the Burial Knight if there was a way. With his current strength, breaking out was impossible—but they had to send a warning to Emperor Pass.
“Simple,” the Burial Knight replied tersely.
“How?” Shi Hao was surprised.
“The Divine Medicine Mountain Range has underground burial veins leading to the desert, drawing death energy from that battlefield. I can use them to send a message.”
Not long after, in the golden sands of the desert, countless skeletal remains rose and arranged themselves into words—a sight both shocking and awe-inspiring.
The Burial Knight’s abilities were bizarre. It could command corpse-trees and control remains, even from great distances.
The message, composed of bones, was what Shi Hao had instructed—a brief declaration to the outside world.
He assured them he was fine and needed no rescue. He was currently cooperating with a Burial Knight, slaughtering enemies and inflicting heavy losses on the other realm.
“I plan to bury all invaders—let’s give the other realm a surprise!”
Shi Hao repeatedly emphasized that Supreme beings were lying in ambush. There was no need for anyone from the city to risk their lives—he didn’t want casualties for his sake.
And it was true—he wasn’t in immediate danger and didn’t require saving.
“Hmm?” Shi Hao was startled when a large group of beings arrived—several elders and middle-aged men—successfully entering the mountain range.
“Are you heading to the Burial Grounds, or will you keep fighting? These ones won’t be easy—they’ve brought supreme treasures,” the Burial Knight warned.
Shi Hao’s eyes narrowed when he spotted one holding a small, foot-long ladder, white as jade but actually made of bone.
*The Hundred Calamities Ladder?* Shi Hao’s expression shifted.
With this treasure, they could bypass many dangers and traverse the mountains swiftly.
“Let’s ignore them. They can fend for themselves here.” Shi Hao didn’t want a direct confrontation. The elders and middle-aged men were numerous, and their treasures were formidable.
Besides, the mountains still housed deadly threats like the Blood Vine and Golden Ox. If these intruders stumbled into those areas, they’d pay in blood.
“Let’s move!” Shi Hao said.
“The Divine Medicine Mountain Range is vast. Traveling on foot would take too long. We’ll take an underground burial vein for part of the journey,” the Burial Knight suggested.
What followed was a bizarre voyage.
Shi Hao and the Burial Knight descended underground, where they found a pitch-black vein. A rusted war chariot stood waiting. Once they boarded, the decrepit vehicle vanished with them in an instant.
It was akin to spatial teleportation—crossing untold thousands of miles in a flash!
The next moment, Shi Hao shuddered as they emerged in another burial vein, surrounded by stone coffins. The Burial Knight led him swiftly back to the surface.
Shi Hao was baffled, glancing back repeatedly. The Burial Knight’s teleportation method was downright eerie.
“Where… have we arrived?” The moment they surfaced, Shi Hao sensed something was off.
His body tingled, his mouth went dry, and then—he began glowing brilliantly.
The area was eerily silent. Lush vegetation alternated with barren red earth, devoid of any sound, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
“Ah! Where’s my flesh?!” Shi Hao cried out in shock.
His flesh had turned to light and vanished—he was now a skeleton!
At the same time, he noticed the Burial Knight had changed too. The black mist around it had dissipated, replaced by white mist, revealing its true form.
It was a young woman—so beautiful it defied belief, flawless in every way. Her skin was luminous, her hair cascaded like silk, and behind her stretched a pair of pristine wings, radiating sacred energy.
She looked like an exiled immortal or an angel descended to earth.
“Impossible!” Shi Hao paled. Even if he’d never seen a Burial Knight’s true form, he knew their wings reeked of decay.
How had everything changed?
And most terrifying of all—he was now a skeleton?!
“Don’t worry.” A voice like celestial music reached his ears—the flawless, breathtaking Burial Knight spoke.
“What you see isn’t necessarily real… or perhaps it’s the truth. You’ll be fine.”
This place was utterly bizarre, inducing inexplicable transformations in those who entered.
“Was this how you looked in life?” Shi Hao asked after calming slightly.
“I’ve always been alive. There is no ‘before death,'” the girl replied with a faint smile, her earlier blankness gone.
Now, she was radiant.
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