He was the ancient Celestial from the Celestial Clan who had survived since the primordial era. After years of absence, not only had he not withered away, but his vitality and spirit had grown even stronger.
The old Celestial, gaunt in stature, had indeed grown somewhat younger. His hair was streaked with gray, and though his body remained withered, a flame of life now burned within him, no longer lifeless.
“It seems you’ve gained fortune within the Imperial Pass. The flame of life hasn’t extinguished—it will burn for a few more years,” Shi Hao remarked.
Back then, the old Celestial had been nearing the end of his lifespan, but now he was vigorous, his blood energy abundant, with no immediate fear of life draining away.
“I came to the Imperial Pass to sell my life, to expend my last embers. If I died right after arriving, wouldn’t that be a waste of this cultivation?” the old Celestial said.
There was nothing to hide. When renowned ancient figures neared the end of their lives, they would enter the Imperial City, honoring the primordial covenant to fight!
The grand alchemists of the city would bestow divine elixirs upon them, extending their lives to ensure they could live on for a time.
“Beyond the pass, fortune abounds. Legends speak of immortal herbs. I ventured out several times, narrowly escaping death, but alas, I never found them. Living a second life is no easy feat,” the old Celestial sighed.
Shi Hao’s heart stirred. The lands beyond the Imperial Pass were indeed mysterious, harboring such heaven-defying treasures. He had heard tales of dying warriors who left the pass and emerged with a second life!
So it was all connected to immortal herbs and the like.
The old Celestial murmured, “Heaven-defying fortunes aren’t limited to immortal herbs. There are several ways to live a second life, but all are exceedingly difficult. The opportunities beyond the pass are hard to come by.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Shi Hao eyed him coldly, harboring no goodwill toward the old Celestial.
Back in the Three Thousand Provinces, Shi Hao had escorted Yun Xi for hundreds of thousands of miles, evading the War Clan’s pursuit, only for the Celestial Clan to covet his Kun Peng treasure techniques upon arrival.
In the end, the Celestial Clan repaid his kindness with betrayal, imprisoning him and nearly killing him.
Their treachery had left Shi Hao with deep disgust and resentment.
“Young friend, you’ve been in the Imperial Pass for some time now. By the reckoning of time, you should be conscripted. But knowing your extraordinary talent, I couldn’t bear to see you thrown into the meat grinder of the frontlines. If you perished, it would be a great loss. So, I proposed to an elder that you be sent to gather the immortal herb of longevity. What do you think?” The old Celestial smiled.
Shi Hao’s expression turned icy. He nearly stomped on the old man’s face. This was no favor—if immortal herbs were so easy to gather, they’d have gone extinct long ago. Why wait for him?
If they existed at all, they’d surely grow in forbidden zones, places where even ordinary people couldn’t approach, and where most Sovereigns would perish.
At the same time, Shi Hao was startled. The old Celestial was ancient beyond measure, yet he spoke of proposing to an even older elder. It was mind-boggling.
“You’ve always been blessed with fortune, a man of great destiny. After much thought, if anyone could succeed in gathering the herb, it would be someone like you,” the old Celestial said with a smile.
“I’m not interested in herb gathering. I came to the Imperial Pass to temper myself. Besides, we’re not subject to conscription—we can leave the pass voluntarily,” Shi Hao replied coldly.
“Is that so? But our region hasn’t received such notice. Everyone is within the conscription scope,” the old Celestial said, still smiling.
Beside him stood several middle-aged men clad in silver armor, their killing intent palpable. They were enforcers, powerful and eyeing Shi Hao like a tiger watching its prey.
“If you refuse the herb gathering, you can join the army. But that’s no child’s play—the battlefield is fraught with life-and-death perils,” the old Celestial said.
Shi Hao stared at him coldly, saying nothing.
“After years apart, our reunion as old acquaintances is a bond beyond age. Let’s set aside talk of war and catch up,” the old Celestial said with a smile.
“I thought reaching the Virtual Dao Realm would bring me close to you, an old sect master. But it seems I’m still lacking,” Shi Hao sighed, without pretense.
“Haha, young man, you’ve startled me. At such a tender age, you’re already comparing yourself to me? Should I lament or laugh bitterly?” the old Celestial mocked himself.
Then, his smile faded as he said flatly, “Sect masters are ranked in tiers. The weakest can claim the title at the Heavenly Deity Realm, while the strongest surpass the Virtual Dao Realm. An old relic like me, at the very least, has left my mark in the ancient annals of the Three Thousand Provinces. I can’t be too weak.”
Not just not weak—he was terrifyingly strong!
The old Celestial was no simple figure. He was a monstrous being, his cultivation unfathomably deep!
“Young friend, I truly admire you and regret my past decisions. I should have married Yun Xi to you and brought you into the Celestial Clan,” the old Celestial sighed.
Shi Hao ignored him. What was done was done—rehashing the past was meaningless.
“You may think me hypocritical, but I genuinely regret it. If I were to arrange for you and Yun Xi to become dao companions now, what would you say?” the old Celestial asked.
“Elder, let the past remain in the past,” Shi Hao said.
He knew reconciliation with the Celestial Clan was near impossible. Their totem had died because of him—a fact that couldn’t be hidden, and the old Celestial surely knew.
“True. Some people and things, once missed, are hard to reclaim. Especially when I heard of our totem’s tragic death—it pierced my heart like a knife.” At this, the old Celestial’s eyes flashed with a sharpness that made the heavens tremble, as if stars might fall!
“It had nothing to do with me. That totem was ancient, and it exhausted itself divining the heavens,” Shi Hao said flatly.
“You speak so lightly!” The old Celestial narrowed his eyes, suppressing his killing intent and regaining composure.
But he remained silent for a long time, clearly restraining his agitation. He dared not act rashly—this was the Imperial Pass, where none dared kill indiscriminately.
“Our Yun Xi hasn’t come. Why haven’t I seen the Three-Stone Heavenly Monarch either?” the old Celestial asked.
“I don’t know,” Shi Hao shook his head. Yun Xi had never gone to the Nine Heavens, so he had no news of her.
As for the Three-Stone Heavenly Monarch, even Shi Hao was curious. Where had he gone? Rumor had it he’d ascended to the Nine Heavens but then vanished.
The old Celestial said no more to him, turning instead to his companions. “Gentlemen, this young friend is a peerless genius, his talent and potential unparalleled in history. Don’t let such a pearl gather dust. When conscripting, consider carefully—and ensure his safety.”
Shi Hao watched him coldly. This time, the old man’s appearance couldn’t be benign—whether for the Celestial Clan’s sake or due to collusion with others.
Perhaps both.
“I’ve said it—we came here to temper ourselves, not to be conscripted. Are you forcing me to go?” Shi Hao said icily.
“Big Brother, don’t go!”
“Don’t take Big Brother away!”
A group of children cried out. Though young, they’d seen such scenes before. They knew that once someone left, it was often a final farewell—few who went to war returned alive.
“Honored sirs, the time hasn’t yet come. You can’t take this young man away,” Shi Houde and others spoke up.
“What adorable children. They inspire pity—they should be kept far from the battlefield. But… alas.” The old Celestial shook his head with a sigh.
Shi Hao’s heart chilled. The old man always seemed amiable, but his actions were ruthless. Was this a threat?
“If anyone targets the Shi Clan, their kin outside should beware of annihilation!” Shi Hao declared fiercely.
The old Celestial and the silver-armored men were startled, then fell silent. They thought of Ye Qingxian, Meng Tianzheng, and others—this youth named “Huang” was no lone wolf.
“Young man, you overthink. How has the Imperial Pass stood for millennia? Because all clans unite, willing to bleed for it. Prepare yourself—it’s time to leave the pass,” the old Celestial said.
The silver-armored conscription officers, also enforcers, nodded. They claimed they weren’t singling out Shi Hao—rules were rules. Even geniuses here for tempering must leave the pass when the time came. Those who refused must return to the Nine Heavens immediately.
“Fine. I was planning to leave anyway!” Shi Hao said. In truth, he knew this was a veiled conscription, likely aimed at getting him killed.
But he trusted they wouldn’t dare break the rules outright. Unafraid, he’d planned to leave regardless.
“Child, you must be careful!” Shi Houde and the other adults saw him off.
The children tugged at his sleeves, their small faces upturned in worry. Some girls wept outright, fearing he’d die outside.
“Master, you must come back alive!” A’Shou’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“I heard Big Brother is the supreme among the younger generation, unmatched in valor! He once slew ten kings of the foreign realm—he’ll return safely!” a child shouted.
“Child, survival comes first. Don’t be reckless!” The tribesfolk whispered their farewells, urging caution.
“Wuwu… Big Brother, you must come back safe!” a little girl sobbed.
Warmth surged in Shi Hao’s heart, a feeling long absent, as if he’d returned to Stone Village in the lower realm, surrounded by family.
“Don’t worry. Even the heavens can’t claim me. One day, I’ll crush the foreign realm!” Shi Hao laughed loudly, striding away.
“I want to know—how can the so-called sins and punishments of the Shi Clan be absolved?” Shi Hao asked the conscription officers on the road.
The old Celestial, his status lofty, had already left, no longer directly involved.
“Oh? You wish to atone for this line of sinners?” one asked in surprise.
“I am of this line!” Shi Hao declared.
“To atone for one, you must slay a hundred enemies. The Shi Clan now numbers barely a thousand. To fully absolve their sins, you must kill a hundred thousand foreign experts,” a silver-armored enforcer said coldly.
A hundred thousand kills?! Shi Hao inhaled sharply. That was nigh impossible.
This wasn’t dueling peers—it was the chaotic battlefield, where slaying a hundred thousand formidable foes was a herculean task.
For there, the foreign realm had “Dragon Slayers,” monitoring the battlefield, targeting those with potential or outstanding prowess for swift elimination!
Moreover, true battlefields might host Immortals!
Under such conditions, who in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths could slay a hundred thousand enemies?
“Do you still wish to try?” a silver-robed enforcer sneered.
“I do. Give me time, and I’ll do it!” Shi Hao vowed.
Soon, they arrived at a vast training ground, already crowded. A silver-robed enforcer laughed loudly, “Everyone, this man claims he’ll slay a hundred thousand foreign enemies. Do you believe him?”
Instantly, countless gazes fixed on Shi Hao.
Here, warriors of all clans gathered, preparing to leave the pass and battle beyond the borderlands!
“I want to know—if I kill members of the foreign realm’s ruling clans, like An Lan or Yu Tuo of the Imperial Clans, will their heads carry greater worth?” Shi Hao asked.
“Indeed. Some beings’ heads are worth a thousand others’. Some key figures’ heads are worth a hundred thousand!” a great knight astride a Heaven-Devouring Beast declared from the skies.
“Good. I understand now.” Shi Hao nodded.
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