The newcomer was not tall but extremely sturdy and robust, his voice booming like a great bell.
With white hair and beard, his spirit was vigorous, his eyes gleaming like golden lamps. As he walked, a fierce wind followed, shaking the surrounding mountains as if a prehistoric giant were on the move.
Shi Hao remained silent, gripping the Great Luo Immortal Sword in his right hand, a cauldron containing a celestial river and curses hovering above his head, while his left hand secretly held the radiant bone fragment—the Myriad Spirits Diagram.
He was prepared for a bloody battle, knowing full well that he was facing a Heavenly Deity. The gap between their evolutionary levels was vast.
“Young friend, there’s no need for tension. Let us converse and sit down to talk,” the Heavenly Deity said. Though his white hair cascaded over his shoulders, his face was smooth as jade, without a single wrinkle, appearing like a middle-aged man. Yet the depth of time in his eyes betrayed his true age—this was undoubtedly an ancient monster who had lived for eons.
“Elder, what counsel do you offer?” Shi Hao asked, remaining on high alert. Even though he could stand unrivaled among his peers, facing such an ancient being filled him with immense pressure. The chasm between their cultivation realms was insurmountable.
In the distance, the ancient freaks also maintained a cautious distance, watching silently. The appearance of a Heavenly Deity was no trivial matter, and none dared to be careless.
“Someone invited me to deal with you, but upon arriving, I changed my mind. You’ve cultivated two strands of immortal energy—such unparalleled brilliance is enough to stand supreme across the ages. I sincerely invite you to be a guest of my clan,” he said.
Though his words were cordial, a faint oppressive aura emanated from him, causing many creatures to tremble and nearly kneel in submission.
This was the might of a Heavenly Deity—irresistible!
Shi Hao’s two strands of immortal energy swirled around him, shielding his body and resisting the pressure. He remained unaffected.
“Elder, I am grievously injured now and only seek a quiet place to recover. Once healed, I will surely pay you a visit,” Shi Hao replied.
He did not take the elder’s words at face value. The man had been tracking him all along, and if his intentions were truly benevolent, Shi Hao wouldn’t have felt this ominous premonition.
“Then it’s all the more reason to visit my clan. With your injuries, you need protection. Let me see who dares trouble you!” the elder declared righteously.
His eyes swept across the crowd, unleashing an overwhelming pressure. Many couldn’t withstand it, their legs giving way as they collapsed to the ground.
In the distance, some ancient freaks smirked coldly, retreating further without a word.
“Young friend, there’s no need for wariness. I, Ma Yuan, am human like you,” he revealed, disclosing a crucial detail—he was not a true native of this land.
“Elder, are you a prodigy from the Three Thousand Provinces who remained in the Immortal Ancient and never left?” Shi Hao asked.
“Tens of thousands of years ago, my ancestors stayed in the Immortal Ancient. I am a descendant of the upper realm’s humans,” Ma Yuan explained, extending another invitation.
Shi Hao was inwardly shocked. Outsiders who reached the Heavenly Deity realm either perished or went mad—yet this old monster was alive and well.
“Elder, perhaps another time. I’ve promised to meet a friend and cannot break my word,” Shi Hao said.
Even though they were both human, he sensed no goodwill. The elder’s approach made his heart race, and he prepared for the worst.
“Then bring your friend along,” Ma Yuan said. Despite his white hair, his skin was smooth as mutton-fat jade.
His tone was calm, yet an undercurrent of dominance seeped through, no longer as amiable.
“Senior, I have matters to attend to. Surely you won’t force me?” Shi Hao retorted, consuming divine herbs and Eight Treasures Qilin to accelerate his recovery.
But his injuries were severe—his body was in tatters, ravaged by the flames of myriad runes, and healing would take time.
“Young friend, you truly refuse to spare me any face,” Ma Yuan said, his eyes flickering as he advanced step by step.
Shi Hao retreated, buying time to heal. With his Heavenly Eye, he could clearly see the greed and fervor in Ma Yuan’s gaze—fixated on his two strands of immortal energy.
He understood now—the elder coveted his body, likely intending to seize it for himself.
“Senior, are you forcing my hand?” Shi Hao challenged.
“Young friend, I extend my goodwill, yet you spurn it. Do you look down on this old man?” Ma Yuan’s expression darkened.
Shi Hao wanted to slap him. This old wretch sought to steal his flesh yet cloaked his intentions in righteousness, pressing him relentlessly.
If his cultivation were sufficient, he would have crushed the old fool with a single strike.
The divine herbs and Eight Treasures Qilin took effect, restoring some of his vitality. A fragrant aura enveloped him, his body glowing with radiant light.
“Young friend, I’ve spoken kindly, yet you refuse to yield?!” Ma Yuan closed in, his earlier smile gone, replaced by cold indifference.
“In this Immortal Ancient, races abound, and competition is fierce,” Shi Hao said, surveying the myriad creatures around them before turning to Ma Yuan. “As fellow humans, if you won’t aid me, why must you persecute me?”
Seeing no way to stall further, he abandoned all pretense.
“What nonsense are you spouting, youngster? As your elder, I wish to guide you, yet you speak to me thus? Where is your gratitude?” Ma Yuan scowled. “As a senior of the human race, it is my duty to teach you humility and respect!”
“Old scoundrel, your hypocrisy disgusts me. Cease your drivel!” Shi Hao snapped, tearing off the veneer of civility. With no more time to heal, he no longer cared.
“You dare insult a human elder? I’ll teach you how to behave! Come with me to my clan!” Ma Yuan roared, reaching out with a massive hand to seize him.
“You old cur, unworthy of the title ‘elder’! You’re nothing but a hunting dog hired by outsiders to deal with me, lusting after my immortal-energy-infused body. Have you no shame?” Shi Hao lashed out, humiliating him publicly.
At the same time, he struck back.
The surrounding area was sealed by an inexplicable force, preventing the use of escape talismans. His only option was a desperate fight for survival.
The cauldron above his head blazed, its lid opening to unleash a torrent of cursed water and thunder, crashing toward the outstretched hand.
“Pathetic tricks. Be still!” Ma Yuan sneered. At his level, he could overturn mountains and pluck stars from the heavens—his power was boundless.
With a resounding *boom*, his massive hand descended, freezing the celestial river and thunder in place. Such was the might of a Heavenly Deity—unfathomable.
“Foolish brat, you refuse to yield!” Ma Yuan scoffed, halting the celestial river before thrusting a single finger toward Shi Hao.
It was blatant contempt—a mere finger, rapidly enlarging like a pillar, aiming to crush Shi Hao where he stood.
As a Heavenly Deity, he had every right to such arrogance.
Shi Hao seethed with rage. The elder’s greed for his immortal-energy body was matched only by his audacity. It was unbearable.
His sword hummed, and he tightened his grip on the Myriad Spirits Diagram, simultaneously activating a divine talisman in defiance.
*Crack!*
As the colossal finger descended, a faint fissure appeared on the talisman before Shi Hao, erupting in dazzling light.
Simultaneously, a tremendous force erupted, striking the massive finger.
The result was astonishing!
Ma Yuan grunted, his face contorted in fury. With a *snap*, his finger fractured, blood dripping from the wound.
It was unbelievable—a Heavenly Deity, injured by a mere junior!
“Brat!” Ma Yuan bellowed, glaring at the talisman.
Shi Hao was elated. This talisman, like his escape charm, had been found in the ruins beneath the Firegrass Plains. Back then, he had discovered the abyss with the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin and the remnants of an ancient city, unearthing these relics.
During the cataclysmic explosion, even the bronze treasure box had been shattered—yet this guardian talisman had withstood everything.
That box was a divine artifact from antiquity, containing a miniature world—something even Heavenly Deities struggled to destroy.
Shi Hao had long known this talisman possessed formidable protective power, likely capable of withstanding a strike from a sect master. Now, it had proven its worth.
Humiliated, Ma Yuan formed hand seals, launching a fierce assault. His brow glowed as a crushing divine sense bore down, seeking to subdue Shi Hao.
“Brat, kneel and repent!” he commanded.
“I’ll repent your ancestor’s head!” Shi Hao cursed. He despised such hypocrites—fellow humans who preyed on their own kind.
The guardian talisman flared once more, and Shi Hao’s brow shone brilliantly. His spiritual power surged, faintly rivaling that of a Heavenly Deity.
“What?!” Ma Yuan was stunned—as was Shi Hao himself. He hadn’t realized the extent of his gains within the dark prison.
His soul force had skyrocketed, nearly matching a Heavenly Deity’s. Though not quite equal, it was enough to resist.
This was an immense fortune!
What kind of place was that dark prison, brimming with soul energy? Cultivating there had elevated his spiritual power to such heights.
*Boom!*
The massive hand struck again, repelled by the guardian talisman. But Ma Yuan reacted swiftly, avoiding the counterattack.
“Old fool, your strength is lacking. Still trying to intimidate me? Perhaps *you* should kneel!” Shi Hao taunted, retreating as he spoke.
“Where do you think you’re going?!” Ma Yuan growled. Unleashing a divine technique, he pressed forward, determined to capture Shi Hao and erase his soul, leaving only the coveted flesh.
Shi Hao allowed him to approach, relying on the talisman and Myriad Spirits Diagram for protection while matching him spiritually.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, the heavens and earth shook as the surrounding mountains crumbled. All cultivators paled, aghast at the spectacle.
Secretly, Shi Hao had unleashed the “Immortal Seed,” wreathed in primordial chaos. It collided with Ma Yuan.
Primordial chaos was terrifying—nurturing the Immortal Seed like the womb of the world. When agitated, each wisp could crush mountains and rivers. Now, concentrated and boundless, its unleashed power was catastrophic.
Ma Yuan’s oppressive hand met the Immortal Seed head-on—and detonated!
The primordial chaos, now the world’s placenta, surpassed all previous limits. The resulting explosion shattered Ma Yuan’s hand, blood painting the sky.
*Splash!*
Simultaneously, the cursed water from Shi Hao’s cauldron poured onto the wound.
“Ahhh—!” Ma Yuan howled, half in rage, half in agony. A Heavenly Deity, bested by a junior—how could he bear such humiliation?
Where was his dignity now?
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