The Golden Crows are among the most powerful beings in the universe and command immense prestige in myths, with even the sun in the sky said to be an ancient, slumbering Golden Crow.
The one before him, however, was nowhere near that level—still far from attaining divine or holy status. Still, it was no ordinary creature; it emitted the aura of a Venerated and had a golden-yellow body, its wings shining with blinding light.
Shi Hao had no desire for trouble. He concealed his aura, avoided it, and watched as it soared toward the horizon, leaving behind a long, golden arc in the void.
“This ancient treasure realm is indeed unique, harboring formidable Venerated beings,” he murmured.
After the great calamity that shook heaven and earth, most of the Venerated across the Eight Realms had either vanished or perished. Outside a few ancient sects, it was difficult to encounter beings of this level.
The ancient treasure realm had remained sealed until now, so its emergence and the presence of powerful beings were reasonable.
“Weng!”
Suddenly, a roaring sound echoed from the distance, the void trembled, and he sensed a torrential force like an impending flood.
“What is that?” His heart stirred.
The horizon appeared dazzling, ablaze with golden fire. Even from afar, unbearable heat surged toward him, as though vast quantities of magma were erupting, scorching the heavens and earth.
Shi Hao’s expression darkened, and his scalp tingled. Without hesitation, he turned and vanished like a shadow.
It turned out to be a dense swarm of creatures, covering the sky and earth, numbering over a hundred thousand. All radiated light, like torches blazing through the air with magnificent force.
These were the Flame Crows, powerful beings with the bloodline of the Golden Crow. That so many gathered together formed a torrent sweeping across the heavens.
Most were black, spitting out ethereal flames, while others shimmered with pale gold feathers, shining with divine radiance as they crossed the sky.
Regardless of their individual powers, a swarm of this magnitude could crush anything in its path. A swarm of over a hundred thousand Flame Crows was truly terrifying.
“This is strange. What happened? They seem to be hunting something. Could it be that the noble young ladies and prodigies from above angered them?”
Shi Hao avoided them, swiftly weaving through the forests to flee the area. As powerful as he was, he had no intention of provoking such a monstrous force. Judging by the scale, this wasn’t even the entire swarm.
“This is a tribe that has built a city. With so many Flame Crows, we cannot possibly reach their ancestral lands.”
“But there must be supreme treasures in their ancestral lands. Didn’t you see the Venerated-level Golden Crows? If we could infiltrate, we might obtain the Flame Crows’ divine techniques.”
Just after Shi Hao left that area, he overheard some low whispers at the entrance of a valley. A few people panted heavily—they had also just escaped.
Looking closely from hiding, he recognized them—it was indeed the group of prodigies from the upper world, disheveled and singed, having fled an unknown distance pursued by enemies.
However, he did not see the noble young ladies, who must have scattered elsewhere.
“A few Venerated-level Golden Crows pose no problem. We are powerful enough, and we brought secret treasures from above, sufficient to suppress them. We can’t miss this chance at the Flame Crows’ treasure land.”
Indeed, they were the ones who had caused this disaster, seeking to infiltrate the ancestral lands of the Flame Crows.
Shi Hao made no move to intervene and vanished swiftly from the scene.
After traveling thousands of miles, he heard flapping wings again. Flames surged across the distant sky. This time, the firebirds numbered no fewer than one hundred and fifty thousand, burning the heavens until they twisted.
Shi Hao fled once more, unwilling to get caught in the conflict.
However, this time he unknowingly headed toward the Flame Crows’ dwelling place. Traveling hundreds of miles further, he encountered a city, where many bird-headed but human-bodied beings roamed.
Nearby, numerous volcanic craters spewed molten magma, creating an intensely hot environment.
Though the heat was unbearable, a thick spiritual energy permeated the air, causing his pores to open and a sensation of both pleasure and discomfort, an odd mix of pain and bliss.
“Earthen Flame Liquid!”
Shi Hao was astonished. Around this grand city, some of the surging liquid geysering forth wasn’t entirely magma. Some formed spring pools brimming with potent spiritual energy—these were indeed Earthen Flame Liquids.
This fiery spiritual essence was commonly found within magma but was extremely difficult to extract. Yet here, several pools contained large quantities, forming nearly eight separate sanctuaries.
Not too many, not too few—eight in total. Though not top-tier divine liquids, their sheer abundance made them impressive; one pool was nearly a small crimson lake.
Shi Hao’s heart pounded; his chest felt scorching heat—his Sovereign Bone had sensed the powerful divine energy, craving to absorb it and evolve toward full development and maturity.
“I can’t. There are countless Flame Crows and Golden Crows here, numbering in the millions. If I attempt to take these Earthen Flame Liquids, I would be hunted across the world.”
He had no intention of becoming a scapegoat for those upper-world prodigies who had provoked the Golden Crows. If he approached now, he would become their Scapegoat.
“I’ll wait first. If they appear again to probe the ancestral lands, I’ll take my opportunity here,” he thought carefully, realizing the Flame Crows did not guard the Earthen Flame Liquids strictly, likely because of the area’s abundant spiritual energy.
At the city gate, some flame birds were mighty, most clad in black armor, with a few in golden armor patrolling.
Inside the city, powerful presences were not scarce—Kings roamed, and the aura of Venerated occasionally flared, exuding divine might that deeply alarmed him.
Shi Hao observed for a while and then turned to leave.
Two days later, he lounged in a small pool, the white liquid emanating a fragrant aroma. Nearby vines flourished vibrantly, and the place shimmered with divine essence.
“Unbelievable! This ancient treasure realm is so rich in resources; some places even have spiritual energy condensed into liquid form!”
This was an abandoned ancient cave dwelling, which housed a pool filled with stone milk—an ethereal, white liquid radiating immense spiritual energy and fragrance.
Gulping down mouthfuls, Shi Hao then sat fully inside. This was the accumulation of tens of thousands of years, packed with potent spiritual essence.
Though not the most potent divine liquid, such a pool—one meter square—was still remarkable. Submerging himself felt like bathing in divine light, leaving him feeling weightless and blissful.
“Pity it hasn’t evolved into earth milk. That would be even more effective.”
Even so, this pool of treasure liquid was quite valuable. The most refined essence formed a white beam entering his chest, nourishing the bone.
Recently, this bone had grown increasingly active, autonomously awakening whenever sensing rich spiritual energy, drawing it in—clearly nearing full maturity.
Soon, the entire pool turned into clear water, its essence fully absorbed. Shi Hao felt warmth spreading through his body, and with a thought, his chest bone radiated power.
At this very moment, he perceived countless intricate glyphs—dense and complex, indeed similar to the pages of a divine scripture etched onto his pale bone.
This was an ultimate divine ability, the unique sovereign art belonging solely to him.
“This sealed world holds abundant divine substances. Perhaps I no longer need to seek opportunities from the Golden Crows,” muttered Shi Hao. If he could frequently access such spiritual pools, they would sufficiently nourish his Sovereign Bone.
Undoubtedly, this ancient treasure realm, sealed through endless ages, teemed with rare treasures of immeasurable worth. If the outside world discovered this, a stampede would surely ensue.
“Now that few know of it, I must gather whatever I can quickly.”
In the following days, Shi Hao made rich gains, exploring and discovering several powerful clans building ancient cities of their own.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, a distant tremor surged. A mighty, flaming light pierced the heavens, bursting through the clouds in a magnificent, radiant blaze.
The Golden Crows were in turmoil!
Shi Hao had no intention of going there, yet he sensed powerful presences emerging into the surrounding space—several Venerated rushing toward the site.
These were formidable beings from within the ancient treasure realm, powerful creatures of this world. If even they were hurrying there, something significant must be happening—perhaps a rare opportunity.
Shi Hao activated his Kunpeng Technique and flew toward the disturbance.
Still far away, a scorching heat wave blasted outward. Ahead, everything was ablaze in red.
Several Venerated had gathered in the distance, their eyes burning with intensity. Beings such as mighty silver lions, nine-headed giant serpents, and golden giants from ancient times stood guard.
Behind the Golden Crow’s ancient city, the heavens and earth had cracked. An ancient formation had broken apart, revealing the ancient sacred land sealed in antiquity, radiating boundless flames.
Shi Hao was stunned. The earlier volcanic activity and Earthen Flame Liquids were nothing compared to this.
Beyond the city, there stretched a boundless sea of magma!
Was this truly magma? Vaster than any ocean, endless, stretching to the horizon’s edge, this sea of magma surged with terrifying heat, its red waves radiating infernal energy.
Flames blazed brightly across the vast expanse. More strangely, ancient ships drifted upon this sea, ancient in design, floating atop the molten waves.
“The sealed ancestral land of the Golden Crows has opened today, bringing forth an extraordinary opportunity!” laughed a Venerated, exchanging glances filled with burning desire.
From deep within the magma sea, a colossal divine force pulsed, overwhelming spiritual energy surging forth, accompanied by a fragrant aroma. Inhaling even once caused the body to feel weightless and ethereal.
One Venerated, overjoyed, transformed into a five-colored deer, its hooves trampling the void as it charged into the depths. But soon after entering, with a “plop,” it plummeted into the magma, burning and steaming, its body scorched.
It cried out, fear flashing across its face. Hastily, it soared back to the shore.
Indeed, the sea was a “No-Flying Zone,” even for Venerated. Moreover, its heat was extreme enough to injure them, causing dread.
“Hey, he’s here too. Should we invite him to join us in exploring the ‘Golden Crow Sea’?” A few young men approached from nearby, one speaking—the group of upper-world prodigies.
One of them radiated sacred radiance, his eyes profound—it was Xuan Ming, who had once tried to recruit Shi Hao, only to be rejected. Glancing briefly at Shi Hao in the distance, he murmured, “No need. A genius from the lower world, though remarkable, would only be a hindrance here.”
Suddenly, an even more intense fluctuation erupted, a mighty divine force surging forth. Within the depths of the Golden Crow Sea appeared a magnificent spectacle: an ancient tree, golden in color, rooted within the sea, carrying sun, moon, and stars upon its boughs. A grand temple flickered in and out of existence, radiating imperishable divine light.
“Could it be…” Xuan Ming trembled with shock.
“The Solar Divine Tree, and the palace is…” The prodigies and noble ladies from above exchanged glances, their disbelief palpable.
“The origin of myths… its ruins have reappeared!” someone’s voice quivered.
Shi Hao was equally astonished. He sensed faintly that this place rivaled even the Chaos Lands where Willow God and Xiao Ta had ventured, perhaps even offering greater opportunities.
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