Shi Hao quickened his pace and rushed forward.
Sure enough, he witnessed a wondrous sight—a small pool, not very large, brimming with auspicious mist and exuding a fragrant aroma!
Moreover, he faintly glimpsed a medicinal plant struggling to break free from the pool, radiating an indescribable spiritual aura.
Though the vision was blurred and obscured by wisps of chaotic energy, he could still make out the general shape of the plant—crystalline and translucent. Suddenly, it leaped up, transforming into a small beast that swiftly fled!
Shi Hao let out a loud cry, unleashing his divine abilities in an attempt to block its escape.
Alas, the small beast was shrouded in immortal mist, moving as fast as a streak of light as it dashed deep into the ancient cave, even tearing through the void along the way.
Shi Hao felt hollow inside, overwhelmed by disappointment. That had been a Longevity Medicine! He had been fortunate enough to witness it, only to watch it slip away.
He knew all too well that once a Longevity Medicine was startled, capturing it would be nearly impossible. Such beings were sentient, capable of soaring through the heavens and burrowing into the earth, making them extraordinarily difficult to catch.
How many Longevity Medicines existed across the ages?
Such treasures were so rare that one might not encounter them in a single lifetime—or even hundreds of lifetimes—let alone manage to harvest or capture one.
From what Shi Hao knew, only one existed across the Three Thousand Provinces. It had once been nurtured in the Lower Realm before being taken to the Upper Realm.
Of course, if one included the White Turtle Bearing Immortal from the ruins of the Immortal Ancient Era, that made two.
This rarity was staggering—only one or two per ancient realm.
Unwilling to give up, Shi Hao chased after it, but as expected, he found nothing. Longevity Medicines possessed no combat prowess, but when it came to fleeing, they were unparalleled masters.
“What a pity. What kind of beast was it?” Shi Hao lamented, regretting that he hadn’t even gotten a clear look at the creature before it escaped.
In this ancient mine, he had finally encountered a living being—and a divine medicine at that! His heart surged with excitement, but in the end, he had gained nothing.
“Ah!”
Shi Hao let out a rare, heavy sigh, filled with frustration.
To think that such a Longevity Medicine existed in the Primordial Ancient Mine, yet he had no means to capture it.
“Why is the fragrance still so strong?” he wondered aloud, turning back toward the pool.
The pool was small, no more than five feet square, its liquid crystalline and translucent, mingled with threads of chaotic energy. From time to time, auspicious light rose from it, transforming into showers of radiant rain, filling the air with an intoxicating fragrance.
“Hmm, this pool water is extraordinary!” Shi Hao exclaimed, both shocked and delighted as a realization struck him.
He recalled hearing about the ancient Holy Son of the Divine Temple, who had once encountered a Chaos Pool in the ruins of the Immortal Ancient Era. The mysterious liquid within had transformed his physique.
At the time, some speculated that the so-called treasure liquid might have been the remnants of a dissolved immortal medicine.
Now, Shi Hao felt a surge of excitement.
He scooped up some of the pool water and tasted it. The flavor was herbal, rich and fragrant, and almost immediately, his severely injured body felt slightly better.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed fragments of leaves, broken stems, and even roots at the bottom of the pool—all dissolving and merging with the liquid.
“It’s from that!”
Shi Hao was stunned, finally understanding that this was connected to the Longevity Medicine.
“Of course! The Longevity Medicine underwent nirvana, shedding its old form to be reborn anew, and then escaped.”
In an instant, he grasped the truth—this was the liquid left behind after the Longevity Medicine dissolved in the divine spring, possessing astonishing efficacy!
In this world, immortal beings were nearly impossible to find, but Longevity Medicines undoubtedly belonged to that category. Whenever their lifespan neared its end, they could undergo nirvana and be reborn.
Clearly, the immortal medicine that had transformed into a small beast had done just that. The leaves and old skin it shed had become supreme nourishing treasures.
These remnants, fused with the divine spring of the ancient mine, had formed a natural, priceless medicinal liquid!
Shi Hao swiftly set up a formation to prevent the essence from dissipating, causing the area to become shrouded in mist, the fragrance growing even more intense.
“Gulp!”
Shi Hao drank a large mouthful of the crystalline liquid, and his broken bones and damaged organs rapidly healed. The effects were miraculous.
This pool of treasure liquid, shimmering with light and permeated with chaotic energy, was undoubtedly worth cities.
Shi Hao believed it was even rarer than Life Stones. Obtaining this pool was more valuable than anything else.
However, this wasn’t the true immortal medicine—it was merely the shed “skin,” akin to a snake’s molt or a cicada’s shell.
“This place is perfect. With a pool of Longevity Liquid, I can cultivate here without rushing to leave!” Shi Hao murmured, feeling immense satisfaction.
Though the Primordial Ancient Mine was dangerous, for him, it had now become a sacred land for cultivation.
—
**Boundless Heaven, Celestial Deity Academy.**
This region was shrouded in purple mist, with dragon veins undulating beneath the earth. Divine birds spread their wings, and auspicious beasts roamed freely. It was a true immortal’s abode, serene and transcendent.
The area was vast, stretching beyond the horizon.
On the surface, it appeared peaceful, but beneath lay fierce competition—this was no place of comfort.
Today, a group of young people arrived at the Celestial Deity Academy, bringing news that caused quite a stir.
“**Huang is still alive!** He didn’t die. He traveled alone from the Three Thousand Provinces to Boundless Heaven!”
The news spread rapidly, causing a great uproar and drawing widespread attention.
Shi Hao’s cultivation of three strands of immortal energy had long been known. Though he had never set foot here, many had already taken notice of him.
“Wasn’t he lost in the depths of the Forbidden Zone in Dao Province’s Imperial City battlefield?”
Some were puzzled, having personally witnessed the events.
Back then, three supreme experts had searched for him for three days without success, concluding that he had met with misfortune and perished.
Who would have thought he had reappeared in Boundless Heaven, alive and well?
Clearly, the messengers were the geniuses Shi Hao had brought out from the Ascension Platform. Hailing from various great clans, they had rushed to the Celestial Deity Academy to spread the news—that Yuan Qing had exiled Shi Hao to the Primordial Ancient Mine, intending harm.
“Yuan Qing belongs to *that* faction,” murmured a high-ranking member of the Celestial Deity Academy, eyes gleaming with divine light.
Time was of the essence. The academy’s experts immediately set out for the Primordial Ancient Mine.
Soon, prodigies from all corners of the academy emerged, each reacting differently.
Cao Yusheng, the Little Rabbit, Chang Gongyan, and others were worried, hoping Shi Hao would return alive.
“Tsk, what a pity! The so-called three-strand immortal energy cultivator was exiled to the Primordial Ancient Mine!” Some gloated.
“Though this man hails from the weak Three Thousand Provinces, he’s no ordinary talent. But even if he miraculously survives, what can he achieve now?” someone sneered coldly.
Having arrived months late, Shi Hao would miss the initial opportunities. By the time he returned, the best resources—like the Phoenix Blood Pool—would already be claimed by others.
Without a strong start at the Celestial Deity Academy, his future prospects would dim. The finest immortal resources would be monopolized by the top talents.
Nearby, noblewomen of imperial descent and young prodigies with dragon-like strides gathered, each a supreme genius with boundless potential.
“Lady of the Wang Clan, as a descendant of immortals with keen perception, do you think Huang can return alive?” someone asked.
The crowd quieted as a noblewoman from a Longevity Family arrived, fresh from seclusion, to offer her insight.
“He missed his chance. A pity,” the peerlessly elegant woman said, shaking her head lightly.
Everyone understood—she meant Shi Hao’s delayed arrival had cost him access to rare treasures like the Phoenix Blood Pool.
“Indeed, Huang arrived too late. The Phoenix Blood Pool has already dried up. He’ll have no chance to undergo transformation there,” a young supreme genius declared.
“He can try to catch up, but the academy’s opportunities are lost to him. Even if he returns, he can’t compete with others who’ve also cultivated three strands of immortal energy.”
No one held high hopes for Shi Hao. Fate had played a cruel joke, denying him the academy’s greatest boons.
“Unless he finds a Longevity Medicine, nothing can compare to the Phoenix Blood Pool or the immortal abode’s treasures. Otherwise, his fate is sealed.”
—
**Primordial Star.**
Several experts descended—powerhouses from the Celestial Deity Academy, arriving posthaste to rescue Shi Hao.
“Yuan Qing has gone too far! Does he fear no retribution?”
“He’s from *that* faction. Someone must have given him the green light, so he fears no consequences.”
They conversed briefly before locating the ancient mine’s vicinity.
Disguising their identities, they searched discreetly for Shi Hao’s whereabouts.
Soon, they learned that Shi Hao had been sold as a slave to a local clan and sent into the Primordial Ancient Mine.
“Damn it! How could this happen?!” one of the academy’s experts cried, his face pale. They were too late.
“What a waste of a prodigy! Gone before he could shake the world!”
The academy’s envoys were livid, their gazes icy as they surveyed the area. They yearned to slaughter everyone in sight but restrained themselves—bloodshed wouldn’t bring Shi Hao back.
Instead, they waited outside the mine, hoping for a miracle.
Days passed, then weeks, but Shi Hao never emerged.
Their expressions darkened. A seed-level genius had fallen, and they had failed to save him—a tremendous loss.
“Let’s go.”
In the end, they departed, returning to the Celestial Deity Academy to report to the highest authorities and seek further instructions.
When the news reached the academy, the reactions were tumultuous, especially among the young talents.
“An unparalleled genius has perished.”
“We thought he might return, though overshadowed by the others. But to die outright…”
“Has Huang’s legend truly ended?” Even Yue Chan murmured softly, her expression complex.
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