At the bottom of the lake lay a woman, her body as flawless as carved white jade, radiating a soft, luminous glow. Her figure was exquisite, with curves that flowed like poetry, and her long blue hair cascaded down to her waist.
Without a doubt, she was a beauty of unparalleled grace—a woman who could topple kingdoms with her charm.
Her garments had long since rotted away, but critical parts of her body were clad in armor forged from Dark Immortal Gold. Her full bosom and other vital areas were shielded by this indestructible metal.
The Dark Immortal Gold armor gleamed with faint black light, unyielding even after countless ages. Yet, cracks marred its surface—not from the passage of time, but from some devastating blow that had struck her chest, damaging the otherwise imperishable metal.
It was hard to imagine what kind of force could have caused such damage!
Instinctively, Shi Hao knew this woman had existed for an unfathomably long time. Though her skin remained as pristine as jade, lifelike and untouched by decay, the ancient aura emanating from her armor spoke of eons past.
*Could she be… an immortal?*
Shi Hao’s heart surged with shock. This woman was too eerie—breathtakingly beautiful, yet sending chills down his spine.
Especially because, a thousand zhang away from her, lay a segment of bone—snow-white like jade. A dragon’s bone!
The skeletal fragment stretched ten zhang long, exuding a terrifying presence. Though its flesh had long vanished, two primordial Chaos Mosquitos perched upon it, motionless.
*That’s a true dragon’s bone!*
Shi Hao was stunned. The aura matched what he had felt when entering the Kun Peng’s nest and the ancient Immortal Slaughtering Grounds—supreme, overwhelming, inspiring both reverence and dread.
*Why was a true dragon’s bone severed here? What happened?*
A peerless beauty, radiant and flawless, lying at the lake’s depths. A segment of dragon bone, ancient and terrifying. The combination was unnerving.
*What kind of place is this? Why does such a scene exist?*
Shi Hao observed from a distance, not daring to approach. His mind was in turmoil—this was beyond shocking.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed a crimson dot between the woman’s brows—a puncture wound. *Was this the cause of her death?*
Yet, her body still pulsed with vibrant life force, as if she were merely asleep. *Could she still revive?*
A peerless beauty and a fragment of a dragon’s body, both resting at the lake’s bottom. The implications were staggering.
*Were they enemies, locked in a deadly battle that ended like this? Or allies, slain together by a greater foe?*
Shi Hao murmured to himself, unable to decipher the past.
He could only sigh. The Immortal Ancient Era was too terrifying—even true dragons and immortals had enemies, facing the risk of annihilation. *What kind of era was it, where even the strongest could fall?*
His gaze shifted to the two Chaos Mosquitos. Their immense strength made sense now—they had been born extraordinary, nurtured by this lake, and likely fed on the true dragon’s flesh left behind.
*Two mosquitos that consumed a dragon’s flesh—just the thought was madness!*
No wonder they perched on the dragon bone, treating it as their lair.
Even in death, a true dragon’s flesh would not decay easily. Its disappearance could only mean one thing—the mosquitos had devoured it.
Shi Hao was lost in thought. *Is this the secret behind the Chaos Mosquito Lake’s terror?*
The two palm-sized ancient mosquitos had noticed him but did not attack. Instead, they vibrated their wings, emitting a warning ripple of terrifying energy.
They were driven by instinct now. Had they retained their intelligence, the consequences would have been dire.
The Ten Thousand Spirit Diagram and the mysterious flame within Shi Hao had left a deep impression on them, deterring them from striking.
Shi Hao retreated, moving away from the dragon bone and closer to the peerless beauty. The revitalizing energy that had eased his pain originated from her, seeping out in faint wisps.
At first, his approach was smooth, but within ten zhang of her, an unseen force blasted him away, blood gushing from his seven orifices, his body cracking once more!
The sudden force formed a protective field around her, shielding her even after all this time.
Her body still harbored an eerie power, along with that overwhelming vitality—as if she were merely slumbering.
Wiping the blood from his lips, Shi Hao understood why the mosquitos hadn’t touched her.
He sat cross-legged ten zhang away, channeling his energy to heal. Ripples of energy emanated from the woman, transforming into radiant mist.
Like parched earth blessed by rain, Shi Hao absorbed the nourishing energy. Unlike the violent effects of divine medicines, this power was gentle yet potent, mending his wounds and replenishing his vitality.
Days passed—eight, nine—and soon a full month had gone by since he entered the black lake.
Gradually, his wounds closed, his body glowing with renewed vigor, shimmering like seven-colored divine glass.
Yet, while his flesh healed, the scars of the Great Dao remained. Even Heavenly Gods could perish from such injuries.
With two strands of immortal energy, Shi Hao knew recovery was possible—but it would take time.
Motionless, his mind serene, he devoted all his focus to healing.
Another month passed, and the Dao scars had visibly faded, nearly gone.
*Without the mysterious energy from this immortal woman, recovery would have taken far longer.*
By the third month, Shi Hao was fully restored—his spirit and body at their peak, two strands of immortal energy swirling around him. He had never felt stronger.
*Finally healed. I wonder what’s happening outside?* He suspected many believed him dead.
Rather than leave, he continued refining his cultivation. This was an ideal sanctuary for secluded training.
Another month later, the second strand of immortal energy, nourished by the woman’s aura, reached its zenith—just like the first.
*My immortal energy is complete. Unless I cultivate a third strand, this is my limit.*
He decided to temper himself further, pushing his body and mind to their utmost before attempting to summon a heavenly tribulation.
*Perhaps the tribulation could birth a third strand?*
In an era without heavenly tribulations, forcibly invoking one would be catastrophic—possibly fatal.
Shi Hao dared not act rashly. He needed to prepare meticulously, surpassing his previous limits.
*Heavenly tribulations vary by individual. With two immortal strands, mine will be even more terrifying—perhaps the strongest lightning calamity.*
He had heard tales of prodigies from the previous era perishing under tribulation. This was no trivial matter.
Preparation wasn’t just about conditioning his body. Over the next month, Shi Hao subjected himself to brutal training.
He shed the tattered armor linked to the Thunder Emperor and sat naked in the lake, enduring the corrosive black waters.
*Could this liquid be the blood of an ancient supreme being?*
The black water, stripped of its essence, was now only tainted blood—agonizing to endure. The mosquitos thrived in it, born from its depths.
For a month, Shi Hao resisted the liquid’s erosion, repeatedly wounded before retreating to the lake bottom to heal with the woman’s energy.
Six months had passed since he entered the black lake. Now, his body and soul had adapted, immune to the water’s corruption.
His progress was astounding.
Yet, he still refrained from invoking the tribulation. Instead, he provoked the mosquitos—avoiding the golden Heavenly God-level and Chaos Mosquitos, but engaging the silver True God-level ones.
Their needle-like proboscises struck his flesh, sending sparks flying.
Dense swarms attacked him, their piercing assaults tempering his body.
It was brutal. Though strong, exhaustion eventually left him vulnerable, his flesh punctured repeatedly.
*Am I torturing myself?!*
Each time he was gravely wounded, he returned to the lake bottom, sitting ten zhang from the immortal woman to heal.
*I must be ruthless. The Ten Crown King has his immortal sapling, and the man from the Slaughtering Grounds commands an immortal domain. They’ve had countless lifetimes of accumulation—I must solidify my foundation!*
The mosquitos’ venom and sharp proboscises inflicted severe damage, but through relentless cycles of injury and recovery, his body grew tougher.
*Clang!*
Their strikes now sparked against his skin, his body glowing with radiant light, as if forged from divine metal.
By the end of the month, True God-level mosquitos could no longer pierce him. His physique had reached unprecedented resilience.
*It’s time. I must leave and face the tribulation. I wonder if the outside world remembers me.*
Shi Hao emerged, ready to depart the black lake!
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