“Is this the power of a Heavenly Deity?”
Shi Hao flipped his hand, grasping the clouds in the sky as if he could suppress all enemies in an instant!
He felt as though he could pluck stars from the heavens, descend into the abyss to destroy the underworld, and command the cosmos—omnipotent, ready to slay formidable foes.
His blood energy surged, his divine soul expanded, and his physical body had grown incomparably stronger. His divine senses had sharpened to an astonishing degree!
In a fleeting moment, his spirit wandered the void, entering the cosmos, seated upon a massive star, surrounded by a dazzling array of celestial bodies that revolved around him, embodying the great Dao.
“Hmm, something’s wrong!”
In an instant, Shi Hao snapped awake with a sharp exhale, his expression shifting. It took him a long while to fully recover.
“Is this the backlash of the Sacred Sacrifice? I nearly lost myself!” he murmured.
When the great Dao first takes form, cultivators are prone to losing their souls, utterly adrift.
Fortunately, he hadn’t succumbed, quickly regaining clarity. Otherwise, his divine spirit might have wandered aimlessly, lost forever, leaving him in a dazed stupor.
Having stepped into the realm of Sacred Sacrifice, he calmed himself and didn’t immediately rush out to slay Heavenly Deities. Instead, he began consolidating his cultivation.
In this era, there were no heavenly tribulations unless deliberately provoked, so he felt at ease without the threat of divine lightning descending.
His blood energy continued to rise—like a roaring river, a surging tide, or the endless undulations of the ocean!
His strength was still growing, surpassing even his earlier sensations!
Indeed, had he lost himself, he would have missed this opportunity for profound enlightenment. It was a mystical realization. Shi Hao sat in silence, as if merging with the heavens and earth.
In a flash, he became the mountains and stones, the grass and trees, coexisting with the land, becoming one with it.
Finally, he transformed into the vast firmament, merging with the sky, standing as the sole deity gazing down upon the earth.
Was this what it meant to be a Heavenly Deity? Unreachable, indescribable, standing at the pinnacle of the mortal world.
Shi Hao forgot everything, motionless as a mountain, his eyes closed. Yet an invisible, terrifying majesty radiated from him, causing venomous creatures hiding in caves to tremble in fear.
At that moment, the Sage Wood glowed, gathering beams of radiant light that poured into Shi Hao’s crown and flowed out from his feet, cleansing his body.
Sacred Sacrifice!
But this was different from before—it was consolidation, an advancement of his Dao, tempering his body and soul, erasing the final flaws of this realm.
After an unknown length of time, Shi Hao opened his eyes. The moment his pupils dilated, two chilling beams of light shot forth, piercing the void, inspiring awe.
He noticed that the formation in this place had ceased functioning again, yet the three Heavenly Deity-level violet martens hadn’t emerged, allowing him to remain seated here undisturbed.
“Your state just now was peculiar—as if you’d merged with heaven and earth, devoid of any mortal aura. The violet martens completely ignored us,” the Divine Striking Stone remarked.
The Imperial Butterfly nodded lightly, fluttering its wings.
Shi Hao acknowledged with a nod.
Meanwhile, the violet martens stirred, but those at the True Deity realm trembled instinctively upon emerging, too afraid to approach.
A Heavenly Deity-level violet marten arrived, transforming into a streak of violet light that pierced the void and rushed forward.
Yet it didn’t attack. Instead, it circled Shi Hao twice. Though its mind was chaotic, it sensed danger and refrained from immediate aggression.
Moreover, it could feel that this person was in harmony with the Dao, having just merged with nature and resonated with the heavens, which greatly diminished its hostility.
Shi Hao remained still. As long as the sect master-level old marten didn’t appear, there was no issue.
Having passed the period of disorientation, he grew even calmer. Though he now possessed Heavenly Deity-level combat power, he didn’t rush out immediately. Aside from consolidating his cultivation, he also observed himself.
Rumors claimed that those in the Sacred Sacrifice realm had unstable cultivation—sometimes indistinguishable from true Heavenly Deities, yet at their weakest, they might fall below even True One or Divine Flame realm cultivators. It was bizarre.
Clearly, this was a trial, but one fraught with immense risk. He needed to understand his own condition before deciding whether to venture out and slay enemies.
Days later, he sensed a change within himself—his power began to decline from its peak.
At this moment, Shi Hao felt an illusion of impending doom, as if his Dao was dissipating, his blood energy waning, and even his divine soul growing feeble.
The shift was abrupt and swift!
In a single breath, he fell from the Heavenly Deity realm to the True Deity realm. Not long after, he weakened further, plummeting straight to the Divine Flame realm.
Shi Hao inhaled sharply but remained seated, not leaving this perilous land.
He cultivated silently, carefully observing himself.
Days later, his blood energy erupted, his Dao surged forward, and he began advancing once more, swiftly returning to the Sacred Sacrifice realm with Heavenly Deity-level power!
The fluctuations were extreme!
From peak to trough, from weakness to supremacy—it was like a cycle.
Tides rise and fall, life ebbs and flows, the moon waxes and wanes, the mighty inevitably decline…
Shi Hao was lost in thought. The Sacred Sacrifice mirrored life itself, the natural order of all things. He did nothing but observe himself.
Half a month passed this way. Shi Hao grasped a pattern—his Heavenly Deity-level power could last between two to four days.
Then, he would weaken abruptly, the reversal happening in an instant.
During the decline, he might indeed be inferior to even Divine Flame realm cultivators, and this state also lasted two to four days.
The formation in the perilous land reactivated, and the violet martens retreated once more. Shi Hao resumed his secluded cultivation, channeling the Sage Wood’s radiance to temper himself.
This time, the dozen or so Sage Woods nearest to him nearly dried up, their radiance absorbed entirely, on the verge of withering.
At last, Shi Hao opened his eyes. It was time to emerge.
And now, he had just transitioned from his weakest state back to his peak!
“It’s time to leave. I’ve kept you waiting!” Shi Hao rose, his black hair flowing, golden beams shooting from his eyes as the aura of a Heavenly Deity permeated the air.
The sensation was exhilarating—limitless power, as if he could pluck stars and seize the moon with a mere gesture!
“You’re awake?” The drowsy Divine Striking Stone rejoiced, having long grown weary of this place.
In the underground cavern, the violet marten clan stirred but didn’t approach, allowing him to depart.
The formation was still active, the perilous land filled with rippling energy, serene and undisturbed.
Shi Hao, holding the Myriad Spirit Diagram, stepped out.
Outside, he spotted two Heavenly Deities—one clad in azure armor, seated cross-legged, the other in silver armor, standing atop a mountain peak.
Shi Hao had been in seclusion for months. Even those Heavenly Deities who sought his death had lost patience, most having left long ago.
After all, the Ancient Immortal Realm held countless opportunities to explore and contend for.
This place, they had long confirmed, could strip intruders of their cultivation entirely. Even Heavenly Deities might perish if they ventured inside.
In the end, only two were left to guard the area, though they rotated shifts periodically.
Meanwhile, others were preparing to flood this land with Yin God Water, eradicating it once and for all.
Shi Hao stowed the Myriad Spirit Diagram and appeared at the mountain pass.
“You… you’re alive? You were truly inside!” The seated Heavenly Deity’s eyes snapped open.
He looked astonished. Some had suspected that Shi Hao wasn’t in the perilous land or had already perished. If not for the Heavenly Deity of the Immortal Temple insisting, no one would have remained stationed here.
“Shi Hao, your talent is extraordinary, your abilities peerless, your potential boundless. Will you join our sect?” The silver-armored Heavenly Deity atop the mountain spoke amiably.
“Oh? Then why have you activated the altar behind you?” Shi Hao sneered.
The silver-armored Heavenly Deity stiffened. His actions had been subtle—how had the other seen through them? His divine senses were unnaturally sharp.
The mountain peak was shielded by an esoteric formation, sealing all auras. He had been secretly channeling his Dao to activate the altar.
“You’re using the altar to send a message, aren’t you? Summoning reinforcements to besiege me. Pity—your greatest mistake was not fleeing the instant you saw me,” Shi Hao said coldly.
“Brat, have you lost your mind? Do you truly believe you can challenge Heavenly Deities now?” The seated Heavenly Deity in azure armor rose, his armor gleaming ominously.
“Do I need to feign madness to kill the likes of you?” Shi Hao scoffed.
The two Heavenly Deities paled. They realized this youth had likely succeeded in the Sacred Sacrifice—otherwise, how would he dare to emerge?
But this was too fast! Based on their knowledge, such a feat typically took several times, even tenfold longer. And those who achieved it were prodigies of unparalleled talent.
Had he broken the record? Their hearts pounded.
At this rate, Shi Hao might become the youngest Heavenly Deity in history, shattering all myths!
“Why haven’t they arrived? Weren’t they supposed to flood this minor world with Yin God Water soon, destroying it completely?” The silver-armored Heavenly Deity grew anxious. The altar was active, yet there was no response.
Boom!
The next moment, Shi Hao moved. The aura of a Heavenly Deity erupted, chilling the two to the core.
“Sacred Sacrifice is not true Heavenly Deityhood! How dare a firefly challenge the moon?!” the azure-armored Heavenly Deity roared.
Yet neither he nor his silver-armored counterpart advanced. Instead, they jointly activated the altar on the mountain.
Boom!
They tore through the void, forcibly summoning an endless expanse of black water—Yin God Water, drawn from a cursed land across realms!
This had been their plan all along—to drown the perilous land in this water, erasing it from existence.
But their preparations weren’t complete. They hadn’t yet located the source of Yin God Water!
“Too late!”
Shi Hao transformed into a streak of light, splitting into two—his true self and his spiritual avatar—to prevent their escape and crush them.
The silver-armored Heavenly Deity had already shattered the void, attempting to flee, only to find the space solidified by Shi Hao’s laws, sealing the area.
Moreover, Shi Hao exerted his divine might, forcing the Yin God Water to reverse its flow, preventing it from flooding this minor world.
“Your lives are forfeit!”
“Arrogant brat! Sacred Sacrifice may be the path of a Divine King, but you’re no true Heavenly Deity yet. Perish!” the azure-armored Heavenly Deity bellowed.
As he spoke, he spat out a green gourd, which rapidly enlarged, emitting wisps of chaos energy. Its mouth glowed, attempting to suck Shi Hao inside.
Shi Hao’s true form shrank, spinning toward the gourd’s mouth.
“Hah, is this all you’ve got?” the azure-armored Heavenly Deity mocked.
But his smirk froze. Just as Shi Hao was about to be swallowed, golden light blotted out the sky as his body expanded explosively. A single punch shattered the gourd!
The ensuing fist wind howled, striking the Heavenly Deity!
The Heavenly Deity screamed, forming hand seals to counter, but blood sprayed from his mouth as one arm was shattered, sending him stumbling back.
Meanwhile, the silver-armored Heavenly Deity was intercepted by Shi Hao’s spiritual avatar, locked in fierce combat.
…
“Gah!”
The azure-armored Heavenly Deity’s face twisted in shock as Shi Hao’s palm severed his head, sending it flying.
“We’re here!”
The void split as two more Heavenly Deities arrived, summoned by the altar’s activation.
“Then you shall die together!”
The battle that ensued was apocalyptic—ghostly wails, divine howls, blood rain descending upon the minor world, shocking all living beings.
In the end, four heads rolled—all belonging to Heavenly Deities.
“It’s time to venture out. Whether it’s the Heavenly Deities of the Immortal Temple or the mighty figures of the Nether Clan—I’ll slaughter every last one!” Shi Hao declared, his voice icy.
Clearly, the Ancient Immortal Realm was destined for a cataclysm!
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