This isn’t a cat, but a legendary Golden-Striped White Tiger?
“Impossible! The White Tiger of legend governs slaughter and warfare—its descendants grow ever stronger, and those bearing golden stripes are royalty!”
Many gasped in shock. The White Tiger was among the fiercest races between heaven and earth, its progenitor bold enough to challenge a True Dragon, its infamy shaking the world.
The “Silver Cat” retreated, its fur glowing as if draped in starlight, each strand crystalline and radiant. A formation of runes took shape within it, a terrifying aura spreading—it was ready to fight for its life.
“Hmm?” Suddenly, Shi Hao’s expression shifted. Leaving behind a spiritual avatar, his true form vanished from the spot, wielding a peerless immortal sword that pierced the void, trailing divine light and endless lightning as he streaked away.
Boom!
Miles away, a black mountain peak exploded into dust under his strike, the earth splitting with countless fissures radiating outward.
“You truly are patient,” Shi Hao sighed.
Someone had used a Void-Shattering Rune to escape. Though he sensed it, pursuit was futile. Even as his sword severed the void, the figure had already fled.
Undoubtedly, it was the First Assassin of the Celestial Nation!
The next moment, he vanished, swiftly returning to the sinkhole where the Golden-Striped White Tiger was wreaking havoc, only to be blocked by his spiritual avatar.
With a flash, Shi Hao’s true form returned, merging with his avatar.
The Golden-Striped White Tiger’s eyes darkened as it retreated, sensing dire circumstances.
Now, not just it but everyone knew—Huang had just chased the First Assassin of the Celestial Nation, his dominance shocking all!
“What a character, to leave without even reacting to his own brother’s death,” Shi Hao mused.
His words sent chills down everyone’s spines.
The First Assassin had abandoned Shi Hao, fleeing outright—proof he had no confidence in victory. Otherwise, he would never have retreated so decisively.
“This man is terrifying!” Qing Yi frowned. To remain indifferent as his brother died before his eyes, coolly and decisively withdrawing—truly a king who walked in darkness, worthy of the Celestial Nation.
“We’re in trouble. Someone this ruthless and patient will strike like thunder when he acts—it’ll be fatal,” Cao Yusheng said gravely.
The First Assassin of the Celestial Nation was reputed as the most fearsome young supreme of the Upper Realm, his true strength rivaling even the inheritors of the Immortal Palace. Yet he never fought openly, always assassinating—who could withstand that?
Among the three thousand provinces, he was one of the most dreaded youths. None dared provoke him, for being marked by him meant certain death—no chance of survival.
Even ancient freaks feared him, for no one could remain eternally vigilant. The moment they slipped, his blade would flash, its cold light illuminating ten provinces, blood staining the heavens!
“I hail from the Divine Temple,” the Golden-Striped White Tiger declared, its silver pupils flickering as it continued retreating.
The Divine Temple? The crowd inhaled sharply. Its origins were indeed terrifying—an ancient sanctuary, a legacy on par with the Immortal Palace and the Supreme Hall.
“So what?” Shi Hao was unfazed, stepping forward relentlessly.
“I bear you no enmity. Let us part ways here,” the tiger rumbled, its voice low.
“My Martial Dao Heavenly Eye sees the hatred buried deepest in your gaze. Sparing you would only invite calamity. Better to end you now,” Shi Hao said flatly.
Leaving this tiger alive would only invite its master’s retaliation. A battle was inevitable sooner or later.
Moreover, at Silver Grindstone Mountain, Shi Hao had slain a lion of the Divine Temple amid a siege by eight first-generation geniuses. One more rare White Tiger meant little to him.
“The Ancient Holy Son is on the verge of his final step—an eighty percent chance of success,” the tiger declared, lifting its head proudly as it locked eyes with Shi Hao.
Its words carried weight, brimming with pride for the Ancient Holy Son and a warning to all enemies.
The surrounding crowd gasped. The final step? Countless prodigies throughout history had strived for it, only to perish in failure.
The Divine Temple—an awe-inspiring legacy!
This sect had endured through the ages, possessing the Scripture of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, hailed as the supreme inheritance, a peerless celestial art!
The Ancient Holy Son was their ancient freak, unmatched among his peers, a figure who could shake the past and illuminate the present.
“If he succeeds, who could oppose him?” Some trembled, unable to believe it.
So far, only the Ten Crown King was known to have succeeded, while Ning Chuan was rumored to have attained an immortal aura—though unconfirmed.
Now, another contender emerged—the Ancient Holy Son. The crowd’s hearts raced with dread.
Many glanced at Shi Hao. Though mighty, if he failed to take that step, he’d be in grave peril. Such brilliance extinguished would be a tragedy.
This wasn’t Shi Hao’s first encounter with the Ancient Holy Son. At Silver Grindstone Mountain, he’d heard of him after slaying that lion.
Unperturbed, Shi Hao said, “I’ll wait for him to take that step. If he lacks judgment, he’s welcome to seek me out.”
“You—” The tiger recoiled, stunned and chilled. This man was clearly undeterred, unshaken by the Ancient Holy Son’s might.
Others were equally awed. Huang’s dominance was absolute. Yet, the hardest steel was most brittle—if he provoked the Ancient Holy Son, how could he survive?
“The Ancient Holy Son is about to emerge. Think carefully!” the tiger growled, its eyes darkening. It had no retreat left, refusing to yield.
“I said, let him come if he dares!” Shi Hao extended a hand, reaching forward.
“Roar—!” The tiger’s body swelled to the size of a hill, silver flames and golden stripes crisscrossing its form.
“Pfft!”
Its claws swept out, trailing wisps of chaos—an astonishing display of power.
“Clang!”
Shi Hao’s palm met the tiger’s claw with a metallic ring, surprising him. The tiger’s claws were unnaturally hard and sharp, remaining unscathed.
Against anyone else at his level, such a clash would’ve shattered their bodies instantly. But Shi Hao had cultivated an immortal aura!
“Rumors must be true. The Ancient Holy Son once discovered a Chaos Pool with mysterious liquid, using it to temper his body to an extreme,” Cao Yusheng remarked.
Likely, this tiger’s claws had been bathed in the same substance.
“Something so heaven-defying exists?” The little rabbit’s eyes sparkled with envy. “Why didn’t I find such fortune?”
“The Immortal Ancient holds countless opportunities. Perhaps we’ll stumble upon something equally wondrous,” Cao Yusheng said.
“Clang! Clang! Clang…!”
Sparks flew as the tiger’s claws shrieked in pain, nearing breaking point—yet Shi Hao remained unfazed.
“Roar—!” The tiger’s cry shook the heavens, its golden stripes igniting into a net meant to ensnare Shi Hao.
But Shi Hao shattered the golden web with a single slap, unharmed.
“Snap!”
The tiger paled. Its claw, tempered in the Chaos Pool’s liquid, snapped under Shi Hao’s strike. Fear gripped it.
“Could he have already taken that step—before the Ancient Holy Son?” The thought sent the tiger trembling, its confidence crumbling.
With a final roar, it spat blood, burning its essence in a desperate escape.
“Don’t waste your blood. It’ll ruin the meat’s flavor,” Shi Hao said, his hand enveloping the beast.
The crowd gaped. The tiger seethed—was it to become ingredients?
Without suspense, the once-ferocious temple beast, slayer of first-generation geniuses, was subdued—reduced to future meals.
Silence lingered, the onlookers cowed by his might.
“Huang lives up to his name! Driving off the First Assassin, slaying the Ancient Holy Son’s sacred beast—he’s courting catastrophe!”
“Storms gather. A supreme battle looms!”
Eventually, chatter erupted in the sinkhole.
Meanwhile, Shi Hao, Cao Yusheng, and Qing Yi debated how to retrieve the immortal corpse—a perilous task given its overwhelming power.
“Direct handling is impossible. We must excavate the entire chamber intact,” the Stone said.
“Agreed,” Qing Yi nodded.
“Something feels amiss. While cultivating here, I sensed unease. Others have found immortal corpses but left them untouched,” Shi Hao mused.
“Lend me your Heavenly Eye,” the Stone requested.
Shi Hao shared his vision. The chamber was transparent to his eye—save for the spot beneath the corpse.
“Strange formations surround it, yet they seem benign,” the Stone noted.
Faint cracks in the stone hid ancient arrays, mostly decayed but still functional.
Finally, the Stone deployed a “Relocation Array,” consuming vast resources to complete.
This array could safely move the corpse without triggering its latent power.
“Ancestral sages must’ve devised this for such scenarios,” the Stone said.
Before activating it, they evacuated the sinkhole, wary of catastrophic failure.
Even they stood ready on a distant teleportation array for instant escape.
Crack!
A strange sound echoed as the corpse shifted—ominously.
Beneath it lay a black pottery jar, cracked and oozing dark blood, then billowing black mist.
“Go!”
They teleported away instantly.
“A jar was hidden there? What was sealed inside?” The little rabbit lamented, torn between curiosity and regret.
But escape was imperative—the aura was too dreadful.
“Boom!”
The jar exploded, unleashing a tide of darkness as black blood surged from below.
“Run!” The crowd scattered in terror.
Miles away, Shi Hao’s group watched as black and immortal lights clashed in the distance.
Only after an eternity did calm return.
They hurried back, finding others eyeing the chamber—but none dared act in Shi Hao’s presence.
The jar had crumbled to ash, its black blood desiccated as if burned away.
The immortal corpse remained, though halved, still radiant with sacred power.
“Such a waste—most of it’s ruined. What was sealed inside?” Cao Yusheng mourned.
“Be grateful for what’s left,” the Stone said pragmatically.
Whatever the immortal had sealed must’ve been terrifying.
“An unimaginable creature, now reduced to black blood and purified by the corpse,” Shi Hao murmured.
Carefully, they secured the remains.
“Wait—there’s more!” The little rabbit trembled, pointing to the jar’s ashes.
Shi Hao’s blood ran cold. His Heavenly Eye had missed it—a green forehead bone, revealed as the wind scattered the dust.
“The sealed creature’s remnant,” Qing Yi said, then recoiled as the bone trembled.
“Willow Deity!” Shi Hao’s voice shook. On the bone, he sensed traces of the Willow Deity’s aura.
“A leaf—a golden willow leaf!” the Stone yelped.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage