The golden little ant rubbed its eyes, making sure it wasn’t seeing things. It stood there, dumbfounded—it wasn’t yet mature enough to move this cauldron.
But the creature before it had just lifted the cauldron effortlessly, leaving the ant both shocked and furious.
“What’s wrong with you? Stealing my weapon—think it’s funny? If you’ve got the guts, let’s settle this!” it huffed angrily.
At that moment, everyone’s hearts pounded in fear. Shi Hao was terrifying—even the young supreme beings had failed to move the cauldron, yet he had lifted it with ease.
What monstrous divine strength! Truly peerless!
People had already held Shi Hao in high regard, recognizing that his three years of seclusion hadn’t weakened him—he remained a supreme figure of his generation.
But no one had expected him to be this strong!
In terms of pure physical prowess, he was likely among the top three. Aside from Jin Zhan of the Sacred Academy and the Little Sage, who specialized in body refinement, even the so-called “invincible” disciples of the Immortal Academy couldn’t match his physique!
“He clearly exudes the aura of the Immortal Ancient lineage, yet he didn’t fuse with a perfect seed. How did he reach this level?” muttered an old soldier, his expression grave.
“Impossible. That path is a dead end—no one should have succeeded,” the leader of the veterans said coldly.
They had already discerned that Qi Gu Daoist cultivated the modern path, different from the Immortal Ancient inheritance. His divine power was extraordinary, derived from a unique method of force exertion.
But this youth named Shi Hao had wielded immortal energy, his body shrouded in runes—proof that he walked the Immortal Ancient path.
And yet, without fusing with one of those legendary invincible seeds, no one should have been able to rival the strength of the Heavenly Horned Ant.
“You guessed right, elders. My stubborn brother took the so-called ‘dead end’ path—and surpassed all predecessors!” Cao Yusheng boasted proudly, as if it were his own achievement.
He even pointed at the Immortal Academy disciples, mocking their elders for their shortsightedness in denying Shi Hao a precious seed, forcing him onto this desperate path.
Outside the city, several elders watched, their faces burning with shame.
“You… used your body as the seed, bridged the broken path, and survived the death trial?” A veteran’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Just luck,” Shi Hao replied with a nod.
For a moment, the veterans stood petrified, speechless.
By now, sweat poured down Shi Hao’s forehead. The cauldron was unbearably heavy, threatening to snap his arms. The entire mountain, shrouded in immortal mist, trembled faintly beneath its weight.
The crowd gasped—even this immortal mountain, reinforced with divine arrays, was shaking!
And this was just a projection of the Primordial Mother Cauldron, not the real thing!
“Put it down! You’ve already proven yourself!” the city guardian urged, worried Shi Hao might injure himself.
The veterans snapped out of their shock, staring at Shi Hao as if he were a priceless treasure.
As Shi Hao set the cauldron down, the mountain quaked violently, as if struck by an earthquake. His arms ached, numb and sore.
He couldn’t help but marvel—the Heavenly Horned Ants were absurd, wielding such a weapon as if it were nothing.
Even someone as strong as him could only lift it, not wield it freely in battle.
Shi Hao had always prided himself on his physique, but facing this race, he truly understood the saying: *There is always someone stronger.*
Watching his dissatisfied expression—utterly devoid of pride—everyone was speechless. Cao Yusheng had been hyping him up, but even he didn’t know what to say now.
The young supreme beings felt the pressure acutely. In raw physical power, Shi Hao had surpassed them. To compete, they’d have to rely on their cultivation.
Meanwhile, the veterans’ eyes gleamed with greed, studying Shi Hao like a rare artifact.
The leader chuckled dryly, sensing his thoughts. “Don’t take it to heart. The Heavenly Horned Ants are unrivaled in strength.”
Shi Hao nodded silently.
The leader added, “But you’re astonishing—perhaps even unprecedented. You didn’t specialize in body refinement, yet you rival them. If you truly dedicated yourself to it, you might even surpass them.”
The little golden ant scoffed. “Nonsense! A human could never match us. Once I’m grown, I’ll swing this cauldron like a toy!”
“Little Gold, you’re exceptional—destined to surpass your ancestors. But this human is no ordinary foe. He might truly rival your race,” the leader said.
The crowd was stunned. Comparing Shi Hao to one of the Ten Fierce—the Heavenly Horned Ant—was unheard of.
“I’ve studied some body-refining techniques,” Shi Hao admitted.
“Oh? What methods?” the leader asked, intrigued.
“Bone-Tempering Art,” Shi Hao replied—a technique passed down by the Great Elder, said to originate from the Sacred Academy.
“Never heard of it. Care to explain?” the leader asked bluntly.
Such requests were taboo—cultivation methods were closely guarded secrets.
Yet Shi Hao didn’t hesitate, transmitting the details via divine sense.
“Decent, but incomplete. It’s derived from the *Indestructible Scripture*, far inferior to the original,” the leader remarked.
“What? You know of the *Indestructible Scripture*?” Qi Gu Daoist interjected, his usual stoicism shattered by excitement.
In the Sacred Academy, whispers of that ancient scripture’s power had reached his ears.
“I don’t. Even in the Immortal Ancient era, only a handful studied it. We know mere fragments,” the leader admitted.
“How vast is the gap between the Bone-Tempering Art and the *Indestructible Scripture*?” Shi Hao pressed.
“To be blunt, your scripture is rudimentary in comparison,” the leader said.
The crowd was stunned. The Bone-Tempering Art was already extraordinary—yet it paled next to the legendary scripture.
“If this era lacks a body-refining art rivaling the *Indestructible Scripture*, we’re doomed,” the leader sighed.
“There is one—created by a Sacred Academy elder. But we’re still searching for the *Indestructible Scripture* to cross-reference,” Qi Gu Daoist said.
“The *Indestructible Scripture* was among the supreme texts of the Immortal Ancient era—unrivaled in body refinement,” a veteran added.
According to him, mastering it rendered one truly indestructible. Even if the soul perished, the body would endure eternally, potentially regenerating a new spirit over time—retaining its original memories.
The crowd was awestruck.
“That surpasses even the Sacred Academy’s supreme scripture!” someone exclaimed.
“In truth, the *Indestructible Scripture* might have ranked among the top three in the past, but its indestructibility was never proven,” the leader lamented.
Hence, it wasn’t officially ranked so highly.
The veterans’ gazes burned into Shi Hao. “If you master it, you might prove its claims—whether one can truly become indestructible, defying heaven and earth!”
With his self-seed foundation, Shi Hao had limitless potential. The *Indestructible Scripture* could elevate him further.
“Where is it?” Shi Hao asked, his interest fully ignited.
Others leaned in eagerly—even non-body refiners saw its value.
“Lost,” the leader sighed.
Disappointment rippled through the crowd.
“The Heavenly Horned Ant could only lift this cauldron before learning it. After mastering the scripture, he wielded it like a stick in his youth—unstoppable!” the leader said.
Thus, Shi Hao lifting it meant he matched the ant’s pre-scripture strength.
“It can’t be lost! I’ll learn it someday!” the little ant protested.
“We scoured this city and ruins but found nothing. A true tragedy,” the leader lamented.
The loss of such a scripture was devastating. Innovation required standing on the shoulders of past giants.
“We theorize three possibilities: First, it’s hidden here for the ant’s descendant. Second, lost in the final battle—the ant fought to his last breath, scattering his belongings. Third, it may lie in one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths’ forbidden zones,” the leader said gravely.
Three possibilities—none certain.
But now, an opportunity arose. If it was hidden here, perhaps an outsider’s fortune could unveil it.
Their arrival might just trigger its emergence.
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