The Nest Realm, a mysterious region outside the Ten Fiends’ Nest.
The dense forests and rugged terrain made flight nearly impossible here, as the laws of the air were suppressed.
From afar, the stench of decay wafted through—rotten wild fruits, thick layers of decomposing leaves, and the carcasses of beasts long dead.
But as Shi Hao and his companions pressed forward, their expressions darkened. The stench changed, becoming unbearably foul. The death of one or two fierce birds or divine beasts couldn’t possibly produce such a reek.
Soon, the ground was stained crimson. Corpses lay scattered across the mountainside, numbering in the hundreds, long dead for who knew how many days.
Normally, after achieving godhood, the vitality of flesh was hard to destroy—even in death, the body could remain intact for a long time. But here, that logic was shattered. Blood pooled everywhere, and divine corpses rotted.
The stench was nauseating, impossible to endure.
“What happened here? How could so many die at once? Even if they were ambushed, they should’ve scattered and fled, not piled up like this.”
Puzzled, they pressed on. Soon, horror gripped them—the mountains and forests were littered with corpses, visible every few steps.
“Bones piled like mountains… This is too much. What happened?!” Louis’ face turned pale. This place was terrifying—utterly silent, every living thing dead.
Counting the remains, they found thousands within just a few miles—nearly matching the total they’d seen over the past few days.
Worse, they were all concentrated in one place, as if they’d stumbled upon the gates of hell—a place of chilling slaughter and oppressive gloom.
Under a blood-red sun, beneath ancient trees and thorny thickets, divine corpses rotted everywhere. The scene was horrifying, devoid of sound save for their own footsteps.
Even Luo Dao and Lan Yichen looked uneasy, their knuckles white from tension.
“This is a death trap. We shouldn’t go further, or we’ll end up like them. Not a single survivor has been seen since we entered this ancient land.”
Not even a single bandit remained—only divine corpses. The bodies of weaker cultivators couldn’t even endure here, the stench of decay overwhelming.
Climbing over a broken cliff, they found even more corpses—piled into small hills, among them several prodigies.
The cliff face was stained crimson, blood long dried, yet the metallic stench still lingered.
“True Gods?!”
They were shocked to find some corpses had reached the True God realm—yet still perished here. How deadly was this place?
These weren’t prodigies, their bones unremarkable. Likely, they’d used secret methods to rapidly advance, aiming only to gather holy herbs for their sects.
Yet, they’d fallen here, reduced to rotting corpses.
Beyond the cliff, bones covered the ground like snow, blindingly white, radiating a murderous aura that chilled the soul.
What kind of place was this? It made their scalps tingle and spines freeze.
Counting again, they’d seen over twenty thousand corpses in this area alone—a demonic land where so many gods had died at once.
“We should retreat. There’s no need to risk it. I never imagined such a death trap existed, where even True Gods and prodigies lie dead,” Lan Yichen said, uneasy.
“You all go back. I’ll scout ahead,” Shi Hao said, unwilling to leave without answers. He had means to escape danger.
After a glance, Luo Dao and Lan Yichen gritted their teeth and decided to follow. If so many had died here, perhaps there was some great fortune hidden within.
Louis shuddered, wanting to flee, but too afraid to go back alone. Reluctantly, he followed.
Ahead, the bone field turned to white powder, with occasional broken fragments.
Stepping in, the cold intensified, as if they’d entered a slaughterhouse, their skin prickling as if cut by blades.
These weren’t recent bones—they’d weathered over ages, reduced to dust, forming a world of white powder, steeped in yin energy.
Walking here was agony, the oppressive gloom like treading through hell.
“There’s an odd law here, slowly eroding flesh. No wonder the further in we go, the fewer intact bodies remain.”
“We’ve reached the end. Whatever’s strange lies ahead.”
At the edge of the bone field, the air twisted faintly, emitting an eerie glow—a sign of a hidden, ancient formation.
“Help… me!”
A weak voice called from the deathly silence ahead.
They rushed forward, finding a prodigy—one Lan Yichen recognized.
The man’s lips, already rotten, moved weakly before his eyes dimmed, his last wisp of soul dispersing.
“Why did he die so suddenly?” Louis backed away, staring at the corpse.
Grim-faced, they realized even a powerful prodigy had fallen here—this was truly a demonic land of extreme peril.
According to Lan Yichen, this prodigy had reached the peak of the Divine Flame realm!
His body was decayed, his heart, throat, and brow charred and pierced, as if struck by lightning.
“Back!” Shi Hao suddenly warned, slashing the corpse’s skull with a sword-like finger. Foul fluid splattered.
A black speck shot toward Shi Hao’s left eye—a vicious, metallic-winged insect the size of a fingernail.
With a shout, Shi Hao blasted it with a golden rune, sending it crashing to the ground, split apart.
“Did this thing kill a prodigy?” Lan Yichen frowned.
“One insect couldn’t do it alone,” Shi Hao said.
Ahead, the air twisted—an ancient formation guarded a hidden land. A breach allowed entry, likely the source of the horror.
“Wake up. Help us analyze the formation,” Shi Hao said, rousing the Divine Striking Stone.
“With me here, no place is forbidden,” it boasted.
At the bone field’s end, the formation barred the way. Through the breach, light seeped. They stepped inside.
Instantly, the world transformed.
Stunned, they saw not darkness and terror, but a radiant, holy realm—streams of auspicious light cascading from the sky.
A brilliant world bathed in sacred light, like an immortal’s ancient domain.
“God trees! A whole grove!” Louis gasped.
Ahead stood dozens of ancient trees, their leaves glowing, trunks like jade, brimming with vitality—divine trees!
“I’ve seen this place before!” Shi Hao realized.
Before entering, he’d glimpsed sacred regions, including this grove, but hadn’t been able to reach it.
“We’re rich! Divine fruit trees! I’ve never seen anything like this!” Louis trembled.
None of them had. Dozens of trees stood together, radiant with holy light, too magnificent to be real.
“A great fortune… Could this be where I confirm my path?” Shi Hao murmured, relieved. He’d worried about finding enough divine medicine, but now, this grove might suffice.
Yet, despite their excitement, they remained wary. The corpses outside were proof of this place’s lethality.
“Stay close,” Shi Hao said, advancing.
The sacred aura intensified. Up close, the trees were towering, their bark white as jade, leaves emerald, radiating rainbows like celestial rivers.
The air was thick with life force, every breath filling their pores with spiritual energy.
“The fruits… they’re extraordinary!”
On the branches hung small, glowing fruits—like tiny suns, their fragrance intoxicating even through the trees’ protective light barrier.
Each fruit was the size of a baby’s fist, shaped like a human figure, shimmering in gold, crimson, white, or purple.
“So sacred… such radiant light!” Louis marveled, despite his fear.
Shi Hao’s expression hardened. No danger had appeared yet—what lurked here?
“Harvest the fruits first.”
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