Soon, Shi Hao arrived at another area marked with formation flags, where fifteen individuals were held—precisely the group of prodigies subdued earlier.
In a sense, Shi Hao had thoroughly offended the geniuses of the Celestial Deity Academy. In total, over thirty of them had been suppressed by him.
“I want to know why Yuan Qing suppressed me for ten years!”
He had already questioned another group earlier, and now he sought further confirmation from these people.
As expected, their answers were largely the same.
“Rumors say it was the Eternal Clan—the Feng Family—who requested the suppression,” someone responded.
Of course, this was merely hearsay, and the rumor had only surfaced recently. No one knew whether it was true or not.
Shi Hao frowned. He couldn’t recall ever offending this clan or having any interaction with them. He had no idea why they would instruct Yuan Qing to suppress him for a decade.
“Does this clan have any disciples in the Celestial Deity Academy?” he pressed further.
“Yes, Feng Xingtian—wreathed in three strands of immortal qi. His cultivation at this age is unprecedented, making him one of the most extraordinary geniuses across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!” someone answered.
“Feng Xingtian!” Shi Hao repeated the name, committing it to memory.
Then, he looked at the group and declared, “Gentlemen, please redeem yourselves!”
Without a doubt, another round of plundering began. After stripping them of all their rare treasures, he proceeded to erase their relevant memories.
Finally satisfied, he vanished deep into the ancient mine.
Shi Hao began contemplating how to reunite with the elders of the Celestial Deity Academy. Should he charge out or wait for them to enter?
Just as he pondered, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
In the darkness, pairs of emerald-green eyes lit up like those of starving wolves, sending chills down one’s soul and evoking sheer terror.
Shi Hao’s hair stood on end, and he immediately turned to flee.
However, he found even more green eyes blocking the exit, closing in on him. The situation was dire.
His expression darkened. With no other choice, he could only charge deeper inside.
“Roar—”
A beastly roar echoed, shaking the heavens and earth, causing the entire Primordial Ancient Mine to tremble.
Outside, the crowd paled at the ominous sound.
The two elders of the Celestial Deity Academy wore grim expressions. The Nine Phoenix Furnace had returned, but the disciples had not.
“What exactly happened? Their soul lamps are still lit—none have died. Why haven’t they returned?”
Helpless and exhausted, they dreaded the thought of losing so many prodigies—an unbearable loss.
In truth, after seeing the disciples return safely from the mine in recent days, they had let their guard down. Never did they expect over a dozen to vanish at once this time.
“There’s no other way. I’ll go in and investigate!” one elder declared.
Hearing the beastly roars, he feared the Primordial Ancient Mine was in chaos. Any delay might put the disciples in real danger.
“Let me go instead!” the other insisted, seizing the Nine Phoenix Furnace and dashing into the mine.
They couldn’t both enter—one had to stay behind as a contingency, lest they all be trapped inside.
What was meant to be a training expedition had turned into a disaster, leaving them frustrated and remorseful for leading the group to the Primordial Ancient Mine.
The elder transformed into a blur, moving at incredible speed. Holding the fist-sized Nine Phoenix Furnace, which radiated crimson mist, he vanished into the mine.
On the surface, the various factions erupted in murmurs. A major figure from the Celestial Deity Academy had entered the mine—an event of great significance. Would he return safely?
Indeed, the Nine Phoenix Furnace was extraordinary. In the hands of such a powerhouse, its divine might surpassed anything the students could muster.
“What is this?” the elder wondered as he descended, spotting pairs of emerald-green eyes fixated in one direction, as if pursuing something.
Ancient beasts—never seen before, yet terrifyingly powerful, formed from corpses!
The elder’s expression darkened with unease. Gripping the Nine Phoenix Furnace, he rushed forward, sensing the presence of his students.
Soon, he found a group of them confined within a formation, completely immobilized.
“At least they’re alive!”
The students were in poor condition, dazed and seemingly oblivious to what had transpired.
The elder soon located another dozen in a separate formation. Miraculously, not a single disciple had perished—a pleasant surprise.
Yet, his mood soured again upon seeing the ancient beasts.
Those creatures reeked of decay but exuded overwhelming power, inspiring dread.
“What are they chasing?” the elder mused, deciding to follow and investigate.
Whoosh!
Despite his age, the elder moved with the agility of a fleeing hare or a soaring roc, darting forward with incredible speed.
But as he pursued, a chill ran down his spine. From afar, he glimpsed a figure that made him tremble uncontrollably.
This had never happened before. Having reached the pinnacle of his cultivation, he had never encountered anything that could make his soul convulse and his knees buckle.
His strength was fearsome—enough to challenge the mightiest sects. Yet here he was, shivering in terror.
Even with the Nine Phoenix Furnace in hand, his innate fear remained unshaken.
Finally, the figure turned, revealing its face.
The elder felt as if struck by lightning. His scalp tingled, his white hair stood on end, and his entire body turned ice-cold in sheer shock.
It was a man with a vacant expression, his eyes hollow and devoid of life.
The elder recognized him.
“Is it… really him?” His voice trembled with overwhelming dread.
This was no contemporary figure, yet he and other top-tier experts were not entirely unfamiliar with him.
In some ancient temples across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, golden statues of this man were enshrined—a supreme powerhouse from the previous era!
Otherwise, why would his divine likeness be worshipped in those temples?
A single glance from those hollow eyes sent the elder’s blood running cold. He felt suffocated, as if his breath had been stolen.
The sensation was unbearable—his soul seemed on the verge of leaving his body.
What kind of being was this? Even steeped in deathly energy, his presence remained horrifyingly potent.
Without hesitation, the elder fled. Even with the Nine Phoenix Furnace, he dared not linger for a second.
The figure watched him leave, remaining silent and motionless before finally advancing again.
Shi Hao, too, sensed the impending doom—an overwhelming premonition of death. He knew an unbeatable entity was approaching.
In desperation, he retreated into the black ancient hall, standing beside the Six Paths expert in the starting stance of the Six Paths Reincarnation technique. Clutching the Myriad Spirit Diagram, he waited in silence.
With no escape ahead, the black hall was his only refuge.
In the distance, the roars of ancient beasts echoed as they surrounded the area.
Simultaneously, Shi Hao felt the deathly aura—like the arrival of the God of Death, marking his chosen victims.
He remained still, waiting for the creatures to leave.
He knew that stepping out would invite instant annihilation. If that humanoid being truly intended to kill him, he’d be in grave trouble.
Strangely, despite frightening the Celestial Deity Academy elder with a single glance, the humanoid figure hesitated now, unwilling to push open the hall’s doors.
He seemed conflicted, even agitated, debating whether to enter.
Shi Hao tensed. Who was this person? Why did his presence feel like the descent of an immortal being?!
Moments later, the oppressive aura faded, and the beastly roars ceased. When Shi Hao pushed open the black doors, the area was empty—the figure had left.
“Did he fear this ancient hall?” Shi Hao wondered, unsettled.
Who had left this black hall behind, instilling such instinctive caution in that being?
Moreover, was that figure a reanimated corpse? Could he be a supreme Immortal King?!
A cold shiver ran down Shi Hao’s spine. The earlier encounter had left him feeling utterly powerless—unable to resist, only to wait passively.
“Hmm, I must grow stronger. It’s time to head to the Celestial Deity Academy!” he resolved.
Having left the Three Thousand Dao Provinces, witnessed the strength of figures like Yuan Qing, and faced peril in the Primordial Ancient Mine, he realized that the Celestial Deity realm was merely the beginning. Greater paths lay ahead!
After a period of silent vigilance, once certain the mine was safe, Shi Hao dashed out, swiftly ascending from the exit.
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