The withered leaves, still tender and green, bore traces of vitality despite the passage of unknown ages, refusing to perish.
Shi Hao picked them up. Though the internal glyphs had long faded, faint wisps of life essence still lingered within. He couldn’t fathom what kind of fierce battle had taken place here in the past.
After a brief silence, Shi Hao decided to press onward, descending deeper to uncover what was calling to him. Without seeing it through, his heart would never find peace.
Of course, this was only if he could continue downward. If the danger became too great, he would have no choice but to turn back.
At this moment, he retrieved his alchemy cauldron to shield himself.
The abyss grew darker, its rough walls spread like dragon scales, riddled with cracks. Waves of eerie energy pulsed outward intermittently, sending chills down his spine.
**”Boom!”**
The cauldron trembled violently, its resonance like thunder.
Glyphs flickered on the stone walls, striking the cauldron’s surface. Were it not for the cauldron’s protection, Shi Hao would have likely plummeted into the abyss.
**”Only fifteen hundred zhang deep, and it’s already this intense. How much further can I go?”** Shi Hao frowned.
**”Clang!”**
When he reached two thousand zhang, the cauldron endured a fierce impact. Strange patterns emerged from the walls, hammering toward him like invisible strikes.
The cauldron glowed, faint echoes of dragon roars and phoenix cries emanating from within. A brilliant radiance enveloped his body, shielding him in this perilous zone.
At this depth, no other living beings could be seen. This was likely the limit for most powerful beings—any further would invite unimaginable horrors.
As the ripples faded and the walls returned to stillness, Shi Hao paused to rest. Hesitation gnawed at him—should he press on? This abyss seemed bottomless.
**”The cauldron is extraordinary, its defenses astonishing, but even it won’t hold forever. Is there another way?”** he pondered.
**”Clatter!”**
Shi Hao donned a battered suit of armor, one he had obtained from the Yuan Heaven Secret Realm. It was riddled with holes, rust flaking off at the slightest movement.
Yet he knew—this armor was no ordinary relic. It originated from the vast, uninhabited wilds, possibly tied to the Thunder Emperor himself!
To his surprise, the moment he wore it, warmth surged through his body. The armor began to glow, dazzlingly radiant.
It resonated with the surroundings, as if sensing something. The rust itself shimmered, an awe-inspiring sight.
**”Hmm? What’s happening below? A glowing sphere—could another immortal artifact be emerging?”**
Above the abyss, many observers caught a glimpse of faint light flickering in the depths, stirring shock among the crowd.
On the cliffside, Shi Hao’s heart pounded. He steadied himself, then resumed his descent.
This time, the journey was unexpectedly smooth. The ripples along the path vanished, the rough walls silent and devoid of danger.
**”Strange… Why has this broken armor awakened here? Could there be something left behind by the Thunder Emperor?”** Shi Hao was genuinely astonished.
Like an armored gecko, he swiftly descended. In the blink of an eye, he reached three thousand zhang—no disturbances, just endless darkness and silence.
Seizing the opportunity, he accelerated his descent.
Four thousand zhang… Five thousand zhang…
Before long, he had reached eight thousand zhang. If others knew, they would be stunned—who could possibly descend this far?
Finally, he heard crackling sounds and saw a burst of brilliant sparks below.
At the same time, his armor grew even brighter, exuding a vigorous aura. Thunder rumbled, arcs of lightning dancing across its surface.
**”Hmm?”**
Shi Hao activated his Heavenly Eye and saw—not the abyss’s bottom, but something along the way.
On the cliffside, faint but persistent bolts of lightning slithered through the cracks in the stone, terrifying enough to shake one’s soul.
**”Such terrifying residual lightning…”** Shi Hao paled.
The remnants of immortal dao energy lingered here, the lightning coalescing into an unyielding force even after countless ages.
Alongside it was dried blood, still exuding a bone-chilling aura.
Two opposing forces clashed here—one of thunder, the other of killing intent and coldness. The latter’s owner had been slain by the former.
**”The Thunder Emperor was here. He killed something terrifying!”** Shi Hao concluded. No wonder his armor had reacted.
Should he continue? At eight thousand zhang, he had already encountered remnants of the Thunder Emperor’s power. What kind of place was this?
Despite the danger, curiosity burned within him. He yearned to see what lay at the abyss’s bottom.
**”I’ll risk it!”**
With the armor still glowing, Shi Hao pressed on, this time descending even faster—like a streak of light along the cliff.
Twelve thousand zhang… Thirteen thousand zhang…
Still no end in sight.
**”Just how deep is this place?”** Shi Hao’s heart chilled.
Then, he sensed a familiar presence. The Kun Peng Art activated on its own, manifesting wings on his back that resonated with something below.
**”Kun Peng!”**
Descending further, his Heavenly Eye caught sight of shattered scales and broken feathers embedded in the cliff—remnants of a Kun Peng!
**”It fought here too?!”**
Shi Hao’s expression shifted. This place was growing more terrifying and bizarre by the moment.
A pool of purplish-black blood stained the Kun Peng’s scales. Clearly, it belonged to a creature slain and dissolved by the Kun Peng.
**”A pool of festering blood?”**
Had the Kun Peng fought and killed such a being here?
Shi Hao studied the half-dried blood, its killing intent overwhelming. He dared not approach.
**”This was a battlefield from the last epoch…”** Shi Hao murmured, both awed and pensive.
Why had the mightiest beings of the past fought their way into this abyss? And why had the walls remained intact? They must contain supreme glyphs—an unparalleled formation!
Unease gripped him, but he pressed on.
This time, he moved even faster, skimming the cliffside. Along the way, he spotted more remnants of battle—some blood still fresh, its killing intent so intense it threatened to tear his body apart from a distance.
Shi Hao avoided these zones, descending rapidly.
At fifty thousand zhang, another sight seized his attention—broken feathers. Upon closer inspection, his heart quaked.
**”Phoenix feathers?!”**
Though their glyphs had been erased, the true feathers were embedded in the stone, surrounded by dried, dark-red blood. The feathers’ residual power had annihilated all life in the vicinity.
**”What kind of ancient abyss is this?”**
It seemed like a path—a battleground where supreme beings had clashed as they advanced, leaving these traces behind.
At ninety thousand zhang, Shi Hao heard faint, mournful whispers. He was close—likely nearing the bottom.
Here, he sensed the Willow God’s aura once more. Soon, he discovered a golden branch adorned with a string of golden leaves.
It belonged to the Willow God, still faintly pulsing with divine energy—though nearly extinguished.
Yet, this alone was staggering. After an entire epoch, a remnant of its life-and-death struggle still endured!
The branch, one zhang long, was embedded in the stone, glowing softly.
**”What?!”**
Suddenly, Shi Hao shuddered. The wall recessed inward, revealing a mutilated creature impaled by the willow branch.
**”Is this the enemy?”**
Only a partial skeleton remained—tall, with only the ribcage intact. The rest had vanished, pinned against the stone.
**”What did it look like?”** Shi Hao studied it. Judging by the ribs, the creature must have stood at least three zhang tall.
**”Pfft!”**
As Shi Hao’s presence stirred the air, the skeleton crumbled into dust.
Shi Hao was stunned. Even after eons, such a being’s remains should not have decayed so easily.
Then it struck him—the golden willow branch had suppressed it for ages, eroding it completely.
The branch remained, its divine might faded but its form preserved, still exuding a faint immortal aura.
Shi Hao carefully pried it loose and stored it in his Qiankun Pouch.
This was the Willow God from the last epoch.
Legends spoke of its rebirth—a seed regrowing anew. Did it remember its past? Did it bear some grand purpose?
But time had severed too many threads. Answers were lost to the ages.
**”The bottom… at last!”**
Shi Hao’s heart trembled. After descending one hundred thousand zhang, he had finally reached the abyss’s floor.
Bones littered the ground—countless, of all manner of creatures. It was a kingdom of death.
These were the remains of those who had ventured into the abyss and fallen from the cliffs, accumulating over countless years.
**”It’s calling me…”** Shi Hao murmured.
The bones held no allure for him. Instead, his gaze locked onto something else—a pristine space at the abyss’s center, untouched by any remains, bathed in soft light.
There stood an ancient, colossal altar, half-ruined yet exuding primordial chaos as if it had existed since the dawn of time.
Its presence alone inspired awe, compelling one to kneel and worship.
Upon the altar were stains of blood—silver, black, purple, blue, crimson—none dried, as if the battle had just ended. Even now, their killing intent was overwhelming.
Shi Hao’s soul quivered. For the first time, he grasped the terror of the Immortal Ancient beings. These were primal, untainted immortal bloodstains, their power undiminished.
A single drop could slay a sect master.
Beyond the blood, broken willow branches and shattered feathers lay scattered across the altar—a harrowing sight.
**”Was it you calling me? Why? What ties do I have to this place?”** Shi Hao whispered after calming his racing heart.
The altar blurred. Cracks in space appeared around it, warping time itself.
**”This place…”**
Shi Hao stepped back, an indescribable sensation gripping him.
A rumbling echoed. The altar seemed to restore itself, its ancient aura thickening as the surroundings grew indistinct.
**”Is that… nine dragons pulling a coffin?”**
Shi Hao’s heart pounded. In the haze, he saw mighty beings battling before vanishing into a bronze coffin. Nine dragons hauled it from the altar, breaking through some barrier and fleeing into the unknown.
**”So, the Willow God and the others lost. The Immortal Ancient epoch fell. This was… an escape route.”** Shi Hao murmured, entranced by the vision.
Was this a replay of the past? He stood frozen.
He had once seen, within the Three World Coffin, that the Immortal Ancient epoch had been buried—only the nine dragons and the coffin had escaped.
**”They lost…”** Shi Hao repeated numbly.
With a hum, the vision faded. The altar returned to its ruined state, bathed in soft light once more.
**”Why summon me here? It makes no sense.”** Shi Hao muttered, regaining his senses.
Suddenly, the altar flared again. The world seemed to distort, time itself in chaos.
**”The Three World Coffin left long ago. What else could be here?”** Shi Hao stared intently.
Then, his eyes widened.
This time, nothing was leaving—something was arriving!
A cauldron, hazy and distant, struggled to manifest on the altar but could not fully materialize.
Dimly, he could make out its three legs, two handles, and a rounded mouth. Inside, chaos churned; outside, strands of primordial energy shimmered.
Yet it remained indistinct, as though barred from this world.
**”Boom!”**
The altar trembled. For a moment, the cauldron grew clearer.
**”Blood!”**
Shi Hao saw it—the cauldron was smeared with horrifying blood, more than one kind, crimson and glaring.
Faintly, he heard a call—someone summoning him, urging him to join a battle beyond.
**”Me? What could I possibly do?”** Shi Hao was both stunned and bewildered.
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