The *Immortal Scripture* was finally in their hands. Shi Hao and the little ant were filled with satisfaction—their goal had been achieved, and their hearts brimmed with the joy of success.
Though there was regret—the second half of the scripture lay within the Land of Undying, a forbidden zone of life—they were in no hurry to seek it at their current level of cultivation.
For now, they only needed to focus on mastering the first half!
“You should leave now. The baleful energy suppressed beneath this place is too intense. Lingering for too long will corrode your bodies,” the crow warned.
This land was a burial ground for the bones of ancient ancestors. Though the killing intent usually remained dormant, there were times when it erupted violently—moments that would make even Supreme Beings pale in terror.
“Thank you, Senior!” Shi Hao bowed deeply, expressing his sincere gratitude.
“I hope you can master the *Immortal Scripture* and reach perfection!” the crow said solemnly, its gaze fixed on Shi Hao’s eyes.
“I will succeed!” Shi Hao nodded. The path ahead would be arduous, for it involved deciphering five additional scripture pages—something he would have to seek in the Land of Undying in the future.
“The mountain has collapsed. Are we just going to leave it like this?” the golden little ant asked.
After all, they had gained much here. Watching Immortal Peak crumble, they couldn’t help but sigh.
“Leave it be. If the invaders from the other shore ever return, they might even believe they were the ones who shattered it.” The crow chuckled before transforming into a plume of black smoke, darting around to rearrange the fallen boulders.
“Farewell, Senior!” Shi Hao turned to leave.
But would they ever meet again? Because he knew exactly what this crow truly was!
*Whoosh!*
Behind them, the black smoke coalesced once more, reforming into the crow—only to explode with a thunderous roar, splitting into countless enormous faces filled with despair and sorrow.
Finally, those faces blurred, dissipating into wisps of baleful energy that seeped back into the earth.
They were the spirits of fallen warriors. Even after countless ages, their emotions remained unextinguished—their deaths here, their unyielding obsessions.
A tragic people. A fearless host of souls. They longed to see their descendants rise, to cleanse the shame of their ancestors and truly defeat the ancient enemies from the other shore.
The invaders from the foreign realm had defiled this land, slaughtered these warriors, and exterminated their families and descendants, leaving nothing but emptiness.
This was a hatred that spanned millennia. Even in death, their despair lingered, manifesting as a peculiar sorrow that drifted through the world.
As Shi Hao walked away, he could faintly hear an ancient war song—though indistinct, its sorrow and tragedy pierced straight into his heart.
They had lost. All had perished in battle. Their wives and children, left defenseless, were slaughtered in turn, staining the earth with blood.
In a daze, Shi Hao saw a crimson-stained land—men of every race joining the fight, women and children wailing in despair—only to suffer a crushing defeat. Even the elderly, the young girls, and infants were mercilessly slain.
The ancestors had fought to the last—utterly annihilated!
This was the tragedy of the Immortal Ancient Era—once flourishing, now buried in ruin, drowned in blood by the invaders from the other shore, a cataclysm that had nearly ended the world.
“In this lifetime, I will not allow such a thing to happen!” Shi Hao swore silently, clenching his fists.
“Mother… Brother… Sister… I miss you…” The golden little ant’s eyes reddened as it glanced back with every step. Had its kin perished here in battle?
Unable to let go, it vowed, “I will grow stronger! I will storm the other shore and avenge you all! I will fight until my last breath—just like Father, until my blood runs dry, until the invaders tremble in fear!”
The journey back was uneventful, devoid of strange sights.
When they had first entered this place, they had seen countless corpses—their blood still warm, so vivid it was impossible to distinguish illusion from reality.
Shi Hao knew they had witnessed the truth—the final fate of the ancestors!
Tragic. Heroic. Heart-wrenching.
A pity. A sorrow. A lament.
They departed, leaving the ancient land behind, walking along the mountain path between towering peaks.
“By the heavens! Am I seeing things? That’s… *Huang*! He’s alive—he actually came out!” someone suddenly shouted.
Outside, many had lingered, waiting for news. In truth, quite a crowd remained, their figures faintly visible beyond the mountains.
The North Sea Stone Forest housed several massive cities, densely populated.
Everyone had believed Shi Hao would surely die within the ultimate trial ground—that his fate was sealed, irreversible.
Thus, many had left early, unwilling to waste time waiting.
Yet here he was—alive, walking out unscathed. This was an earth-shattering turn of events, news that would shake the entire North Sea!
No one had ever survived the ultimate trial ground. It was a place of unimaginable peril, a domain where none could walk out alive.
But today, someone had shattered the myth, achieving the impossible!
*Boom!*
The crowd erupted. Word spread like wildfire, reaching every great city and echoing deep into the North Sea.
“To return alive… Huang truly is a prodigy among prodigies!”
At this moment, no praise seemed sufficient. That place had claimed all who entered—none had ever succeeded, at least not in this era.
Even Shi Hao himself marveled. At his level, he had clashed with He Wushuang, both suffering mutual destruction. He knew that the dangers one faced in the trial grounds corresponded to their cultivation realm.
He had encountered He Wushuang. Had a supreme powerhouse entered, they might have faced a half-step Immortal!
The journey back was peaceful, free of mishaps.
The ancient coffin atop the colossal peak, the corpse seated on the broken cliff with its open eyes—suspected of revival—remained still, allowing him to pass.
Finally free from danger, Shi Hao exhaled deeply.
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, a gale surged forth, accompanied by black mist and torrential rain that washed over the heavens, flooding the land beyond the mountains.
It was too abrupt—utterly shocking!
“Disaster! The ancient divine peaks, untouched for a million years, have undergone a sinister transformation! Ghosts ascending to immortality—it’s real, they’ve appeared!”
Panic erupted. Many fled in terror as darkness enveloped the land, the air thick with oppressive gray mist.
Only Shi Hao understood—this was no ghostly ascension, no anomaly from the ancient peaks. It was something else entirely.
A tempest tore through the skies, sweeping Shi Hao into the void beyond the world.
Standing there, gazing at the cosmos, he felt the profound insignificance of an individual.
“It’s you!” A dark line formed between Shi Hao’s brows, his expression grim.
Two figures stood before him—one old, one young. The elder was unfamiliar, his sparse hair snow-white, his face deeply wrinkled, exuding an aura of decay as if death loomed near.
The youth, however, Shi Hao recognized. Not long ago, they had clashed in the Heavenly Deity Institution—where Shi Hao had beaten him bloody, nearly to death. His name was Wang Manglong.
A member of the Wang Clan, a lineage of eternal life—kin to Wang Xi.
“What is the meaning of this?” Shi Hao demanded.
“I think you know,” Wang Manglong replied coldly, his voice thick with murderous intent and bitter resentment.
Shi Hao’s heart chilled. Were the Wang Clan truly bold enough to eliminate him here?
“Your clan forced me into the Primordial Ancient Mine, nearly killing me. You treated me as a slave, suppressing and targeting me at every turn. And now you seek to wipe me out completely?” Shi Hao retorted.
“Ah, young man, you are remarkable—a talent that inspires awe. But that is precisely why many fear you. Allowed to grow, you could bring calamity upon my clan,” the elder said, his voice like a tolling golden bell despite his decrepit appearance.
“Killing me like this—isn’t it beneath you? And if the Great Elder of the Heavenly Deity Institution learns of this, do you think you’ll survive?” Shi Hao glared.
“Who will know it was us? All saw the ancient peaks undergo a sinister change, leading to your disappearance and death,” the Wang elder chuckled.
“You may think your methods flawless, but in this world, few secrets remain hidden. With the Great Elder’s unfathomable power, he will uncover the truth!” Shi Hao shot back.
“For the sake of my clan, to eradicate a future threat, even if that old monster learns the truth—so what? By then, you’ll be dead. Would he truly wage war against my Wang Clan?” Wang Manglong sneered.
“You think you’ll live after killing me?” Shi Hao said coldly.
“I’ve long been prepared. Provoking you at the Heavenly Deity Institution was deliberate—acting under orders. Establishing enmity there laid the groundwork, making your death here seem justified!” Wang Manglong’s face was pale, his eyes burning with hatred. “If the Great Elder seeks vengeance, he’ll only trace it back to my personal grudge. At worst, he’ll execute me—but for the greater good, he won’t annihilate my clan!”
“And this old man has little time left anyway. I’m content to accompany you to the grave,” the Wang elder chuckled, his gaze dark and predatory.
Shi Hao’s expression turned icy. “You hate me so much you’d sacrifice yourselves to kill me?”
“Originally, it mattered little. But your growth is too rapid. Left unchecked, you’d become a threat. Best to eliminate you now,” the elder said plainly.
Their words laid bare their intent—to strangle a genius in the cradle, preventing future calamity.
It spoke volumes of the Wang Clan’s fear of Shi Hao. Despite their immense power, they were willing to sacrifice their own to ensure his death.
“The invaders from the other shore are coming. As a seed of potential, if I survive, I could play a pivotal role in the war,” Shi Hao said calmly.
“Ridiculous! We kill you precisely to prevent your rise. Did you expect us to watch you grow stronger?” the elder laughed.
“You—!” Shi Hao’s face darkened. “Have you no thought for the enemy beyond?”
“Let the heavens collapse, let the world drown—what does it matter to us? So long as my Wang Clan endures, the affairs of the other shore are none of our concern!” the elder sneered.
“What did you say?!” Shi Hao roared.
“Young man, you are naive. Do you truly believe all eternal clans will fight the foreign realm to the death? The reason we endure, surviving since the last era, is because each of us has our own methods, our own wisdom!” The elder’s words sent chills down the spine.
“You—!” Shi Hao was both shocked and enraged. The elder’s meaning was clear—they were traitors!
“Ah, you entered the ultimate trial ground and emerged unscathed. You must have obtained what you sought, no?” The elder smiled. “Hand it over. Though we may die for this, it won’t be today. First, we’ll deliver your heaven-defying fortune back to my clan.”
“Old wretch! Your Wang Clan is nothing but scum!” Shi Hao gritted his teeth.
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