In the distance, darkness loomed, while nearby, a soft glow emanated, swirling with ethereal spiritual energy. The flowing mist resembled rippling water, making this place extraordinarily sacred.
Petals drifted down like rain, crystalline and fragrant, carrying waves of vibrant vitality in this land bathed in holy light.
Beyond that, pure white immortal qi dispersed, coiling around the area.
Shi Hao stood in silence, as if hearing the sighs of true immortals, experiencing the cycles of a hundred lifetimes, witnessing the transitions of the ancient immortal era. He remained motionless, lost in contemplation.
The sensation was surreal—in an instant, he saw countless scenes: some of living beings, others of flora, and still more of battles.
In a daze, he saw the sky stained with blood as one supreme being after another plummeted from beyond the heavens, crashing onto the earth, their blood dyeing the mountains and rivers crimson.
“Emperors are falling, forbidden powerhouses are vanishing…” Shi Hao murmured, as if in a dream.
He saw these scenes not with shock, but with a numb detachment. They were mere fragments, yet they spoke volumes of the brutality at the end of the ancient immortal era.
“Who was the enemy?” He stared at the countless images.
Yet, all he saw were the fallen, with no sign of the adversaries descending from the nine heavens. All that remained for future generations were broken, desolate scenes.
Then, he witnessed a vast continent suspended in the cosmos shatter apart.
Strangely, Shi Hao felt no surge of intensity or tragedy—just a slow, melancholic desolation, one fragmented scene after another, unhurried and subdued.
Yet, beneath it all, he sensed a hidden emotion—**despair**.
These were shattered imprints left for future generations, unwilling to reveal the full truth, fearing it would crush them with hopelessness. That era, those people, had suffered utter defeat.
Those who left these marks carried a sense of powerlessness, a deep loss, seeing no glimmer of hope.
This was the essence Shi Hao perceived.
A golden palm, radiating immortal aura, passed slowly, erasing all the images—especially the final, blurred ones, as if unwilling to burden future generations with the truth.
What was meant to be left behind was instead wiped away!
All that remained of the shattered imprints was a sigh before they dissipated.
Shi Hao realized—this was a message, delivered calmly yet steeped in sorrow, despair, and the absence of dawn.
“Better to remain ignorant than to drown in despair, generation after generation, era after era, stumbling blindly through the ages.”
For a moment, Shi Hao thought he heard such words.
When he steadied himself, a chill ran down his spine. What kind of grief had driven the survivors of that era to this point? To believe ignorance was kinder for those who came after?
Silence reigned. The petals lost their luster, the auspicious light dimmed.
The immortal qi dispersed into wisps of gray mist, and even the once-harmonious clouds turned lifeless.
The stars shifted, time passed, and the place seemed to have undergone a cycle—everything had changed.
Shi Hao remained silent, absorbing it all.
**Better to remain ignorant**—such a thought was terrifying!
“I want to know… why?” Shi Hao spoke aloud.
Ahead, all the vibrant colors vanished, leaving only a dull stone wall and faint carvings—the same scenes he had witnessed earlier.
He focused, scrutinizing, but found nothing more.
Was this the legacy of the ancient immortal era? A cruel joke!
Shi Hao had gained nothing here.
What use were these scenes? For cultivation? Enlightenment? They offered only a slow, despairing narrative—no inspiration, no guidance, just hopelessness.
He studied the wall. There was truly nothing else here.
“Why?!” he demanded again.
The immortal petals had bloomed three thousand times—just to lead him to this wall? Such grandeur, such a hollow conclusion!
A barrier stood before him—gray, ancient, blocking his path.
“Cowardice!”
Two words—his judgment of those who left these marks. Anger surged within him. After fighting his way here, this was all he found?
Should he turn back now? Retrace his steps?
But how could he accept that?
The three strands of immortal qi around him resonated, surging like three true dragons roaring, crashing against the wall.
**Boom!**
A violent impact, immortal qi billowing—he would break through!
“It makes no sense. They said this was the greatest legacy, the ultimate opportunity.”
His body radiated light, his mana churning.
He opened his heavenly eye, peering intently, seeking to pierce the wall.
“Hmm?”
After a long while, he sensed something—was there more beyond?
“So, a wall of despair blocks the way, leaving only a narrow path for the unwilling. Even if they had no faith in future generations, they still left a sliver of hope.”
Shi Hao murmured, piecing together the legends of the ancient immortal era, the greatest legacy, and the despair here.
**Boom!**
He struck, his fist slamming into the wall. His path lay ahead—he would not turn back.
No matter what, he would see for himself.
Perhaps this wall foretold that no matter how hard one fought, the end would mirror the last era.
But Shi Hao wouldn’t dwell on that now. Those concerns were too distant, too vast, too lofty. For now, he sought only strength—to walk his own path until he was ready to understand and shatter it all.
His goal now? To witness the final legacy of the ancient immortal era.
A strand of immortal qi spiraled out, striking the wall—only to be gently repelled.
“Strongest attack!”
Shi Hao roared, unleashing all his treasures and techniques. The Eight-Nine Heavenly Art revolved as his fist collided with the wall.
The three strands of immortal qi swirled, as if verifying something, gaining approval—**crack!** The wall split, revealing a human-sized passage.
Now, an even stronger wave of sorrow, rage, and shock permeated the air.
Ignoring it, Shi Hao stepped through the Wall of Despair.
Beyond it, he saw a staircase—crafted from stars, each step forged from nine celestial bodies, condensed by immense power.
It was awe-inspiring!
Each step radiated mystery, tangible beneath his feet. These were true stars of the cosmos!
What kind of power had the ancients wielded, to fashion even a simple path so magnificently?
Shi Hao ascended the staircase, surrounded by void, no end in sight—only this starlit path, leading to eternity’s unknown terminus.
His gaze sharpened, resolve unshaken as he pressed forward.
Soon, chaotic mist swirled, and the emptiness gave way to substance. The stairs seemed to climb toward the highest point, embodying infinite depth.
With each step, Shi Hao felt as though he traversed epochs, crossing through countless worlds—a sensation that stirred his soul.
Where was this leading?
Suddenly, fierce winds arose, and stars appeared in the void.
He seemed to have stepped into the cosmos, buffeted by celestial gales.
Before long, the wind shattered some stars beyond the stairs, extinguishing their light. Only the stone steps remained calm.
Terrifying. Bizarre. Shi Hao couldn’t fathom this path’s purpose or destination.
Finally, after what felt like years, he neared the end—nine final steps remained.
“Huh?!” Shock gripped him as he took the first step—it felt like piercing through a layer of heaven!
Step by step—one, two, three…
Upon the ninth, disorientation struck. Had he truly traversed nine heavens, reaching the celestial apex?
Looking back, only void remained. Forward was the only path.
“Have I truly ascended to the Nine Heavens?!” His spirit trembled.
Above the Nine Heavens, mist swirled, immortal qi permeating the air—yet beyond that, emptiness stretched endlessly.
“Only forward!”
Shi Hao stepped off the ninth stair.
Instantly, the world transformed.
No palaces. No immortals. Only a vast expanse of mounds.
What kind of place was this?
The earth was dark red, barren, dotted with countless mounds.
The soil seemed stained with blood, evoking grim associations.
At first, Shi Hao noticed nothing amiss—until he looked closer. The shapes of these mounds… were they graves?
Undeterred, he pressed on, deeper into the “hills.”
A dim passage led underground—a vast catacomb beneath the mounds.
The path was long, the journey arduous, but he finally reached the end.
Light shimmered, spiritual mist rising.
Yet, Shi Hao froze, horror dawning.
Now, he was certain—the mounds above were ancient graves!
Because before him lay rows upon rows of jade coffins!
Each coffin glowed, exuding immortal qi, spaced far apart.
Some were transparent. With trepidation, Shi Hao approached one, peering inside—his spine chilled, mouth dry.
What lay within?
A corpse, its blood radiant, shrouded in immortal aura.
Headless, yet its body remained uncorrupted after eons!
What kind of being was this?
A doubt arose—were these the immortals of old?
But glancing around, the coffins were not few—they stretched endlessly!
Heart pounding, he moved to another jade coffin.
Inside, another headless corpse, its severed neck smooth, the coffin filled with luminous blood like molten jade.
Shi Hao was beyond stunned. What nightmare had he entered?
Coffin after coffin revealed the same—headless bodies, radiant blood, divine light.
Were these immortals?!
“Why?!” Shi Hao roared.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. The headless corpse in the nearest coffin vanished, replaced by a jade tome and a mysterious immortal seed.
“What?!”
He whirled around, checking the previous coffins—
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage