In the void, there was an anomaly—an inexplicable ripple, like a faint breeze carrying a hint of something ominous, casting an eerie and chilling aura over the three thousand ancient bluestone paths.
“What are you talking about?” The Divine Striking Stone shuddered, sensing something amiss. It stood guard alongside the Imperial Butterfly and the Void Divine Vine, watching over Shi Hao from a distance.
“Let me leave. I truly don’t want to face this again,” the Void Divine Vine trembled. From the legendary Ye Qianyu of the ancient times to the Five-Crowned Kings of later eras, it had witnessed this ominous presence more than once.
Divine medicines could endure the passage of ages, rarely decaying, and thus bore witness to countless unforgettable tragedies.
“Wake up!” both the Divine Striking Stone and the Void Divine Vine shouted, urging Shi Hao to snap out of his meditative state before he burned away his true self.
A crisis loomed—one that could determine life or death!
On the three thousand bluestone paths, nearly eleven hundred flames converged, their runes dancing like living symbols, gleaming with metallic luster and exuding the aura of the Great Dao, transforming into a sea of law-bound fire.
The inferno raged, scorching heaven and earth!
Shi Hao sat cross-legged, engulfed in this terrifying blaze, facing dangers far beyond anything he had encountered before. The cauldron of heaven and earth itself twisted under the heat, on the verge of collapse.
In truth, Shi Hao had already sensed something wrong. Ever since the Void Divine Vine spoke of those past events, he had remained vigilant.
Yet he hadn’t expected the anomaly to strike so swiftly!
Silently, the eleven hundred flames receded, their symbols vanishing into the ancient bluestone paths, restoring calm.
This time, though injured, he was not on the brink of death. He had prepared by keeping a segment of the Void Divine Vine in his mouth, preventing his body from withering and inviting something sinister.
“What is this?” Shi Hao landed on the ground, his body charred but not fatally wounded. He gazed into the distance as wisps of gray mist crept closer, carrying an unsettling chill long before they arrived.
The mist was indistinct, revealing no figures, yet an eerie, bone-chilling presence spread, enveloping the ancient land.
The Divine Striking Stone shivered uncontrollably. Though it had no flesh, it felt as if goosebumps were rising on its nonexistent skin.
“It’s happening again,” the Void Divine Vine whispered, trembling with fear, having witnessed too many tragedies.
On the bluestone path, the spiritual herbs Shi Hao had placed earlier turned ashen and crumbled into dust, vanishing without a sound—all from a single, ghostly breeze.
“Show yourself!” Shi Hao roared, his body radiating light as he recovered his vitality, no longer emaciated.
“Be careful…” the Void Divine Vine quivered.
“Stay back,” Shi Hao ordered, his expression grave as he focused ahead.
The unknown was the most terrifying. Without knowing the enemy, even the mightiest of ancient figures had fallen to it, sending chills down one’s spine.
The gray mist drifted closer, its icy touch making Shi Hao’s hair stand on end. The contrast was stark—moments ago, he had endured scorching flames; now, he felt plunged into an abyss of cold.
This was only the beginning. As the mist thickened, the chill intensified to unbearable levels.
Boom!
Suddenly, the gray mist surged violently, flooding the area and obscuring everything.
The world seemed to freeze over. Even Shi Hao’s formidable body felt on the verge of being encased in ice, his skin prickling with dread.
It was as if the gates of hell had opened before him, ready to drag him into the abyss.
His eyes blazed with symbols, forming beams of light as he activated his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye—though not fully matured, its power was undeniable.
Yet, beyond the mist, he saw nothing—no creatures, no anomalies. The enemy remained elusive.
He stood firm, unmoving, ready to counter whatever came.
The mist coiled around him, tightening like a noose.
“Don’t let it touch you—not even a wisp!” the Void Divine Vine warned before hiding behind the Divine Striking Stone.
Whoosh!
The mist lashed out like tendrils, striking at Shi Hao with violent force.
Boom!
Shi Hao remained steadfast, his sole divine aperture forming a radiant barrier around him, shielding him like a blazing sun.
The mist recoiled, then sharpened into spears of death, stabbing at his defenses.
Clang!
Despite being mere mist, the impact against his barrier rang like metal, the force staggering.
The mist writhed, attacking from all directions, seeking to pierce his defenses.
Shi Hao’s gaze turned icy. After all this time, he still couldn’t identify his foe—only this relentless mist.
“Enough!” he roared. How dare this unseen force try to claim him?
He unleashed a storm of lightning, striking at the mist with the power of the Thunder Emperor’s technique.
Crack!
Arcs of lightning slashed through the air, illuminating the surroundings. Yet, instead of dispersing, the mist turned blood-red, reeking of iron, and surged toward him.
Within the crimson haze, shadowy claws seemed to reach out, as if from another realm, aiming to tear him apart.
The sight horrified the Divine Striking Stone and the others. What kind of abomination was this?
The mist coalesced, taking shape—
A massive, blood-red eye, trembling before snapping open.
Sssst!
A crimson beam shot forth, striking Shi Hao’s lightning blade. The weapon turned red, the corruption creeping toward his hand.
He hurled the blade away, watching it explode near the eye.
The eye closed, unharmed.
“What is this? Mist or a living thing?” Shi Hao frowned.
The eye reopened, unleashing more deadly beams.
“Begone!”
Shi Hao erupted with thunder, flooding the area with divine punishment.
“Nine Heavens Tribulation Light!”
Nine radiant clusters of lightning descended, embodying the pinnacle of the Thunder Emperor’s art.
Boom!
The blood-eye shattered, dissolving into mist before vanishing entirely.
Silence returned. The bone-chilling presence was gone, as if nothing had happened.
Shi Hao remained silent. He had fought, yet still didn’t know what had attacked him. This was merely a probe—not the true battle.
“Let’s leave. Don’t continue,” the Void Divine Vine pleaded, its voice trembling with trauma.
“I must see what this thing is. It won’t stop my path—my Dao!” Shi Hao declared, resolute.
The fall of the Immortal Ancient Era was tied to this place. Where could he flee?
He would not retreat from his pursuit of strength.
After recuperating, Shi Hao summoned eleven hundred flames once more, resuming his trial.
No anomalies appeared.
With the Void Divine Vine’s aid, he pressed onward, determined to grow stronger.
At twelve hundred flames, all remained calm, even as his body withered under the strain.
Days later, he summoned thirteen hundred flames, enduring the ordeal without incident.
Yet the Void Divine Vine grew more fearful. The longer the calm, the more violent the storm to come.
Shi Hao prepared meticulously, summoning fourteen hundred flames. The bluestone paths blazed with newfound grandeur.
Then—the anomaly struck.
Runes materialized in the void, merging into an ancient lamp that hovered above Shi Hao, casting an eerie glow.
It was a beacon—marking him.
An indescribable dread permeated the air. The three thousand paths fell into absolute silence.
Shi Hao’s instincts screamed—danger, tenfold greater than before.
Tap… tap…
Footsteps echoed down the empty path, steady and relentless.
At the far end, a figure emerged, walking with an oppressive rhythm that seemed to freeze the very air.
“Is this the mastermind?” Shi Hao murmured, staring down the path.
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