Shen Yao Gate occupied the most sacred land in the City of Medicines. This sect was founded by the ancient deity of medicine and controlled this low mountain.
An ancient well on the mountain brimmed with boundless vitality, exuding ethereal mist; it was the rarest “birth-gate” in all the world. A woman clad in gray sat in meditation before the well, exuding serene tranquility.
Since her arrival here, she had not stirred once. Her jet-black hair fell like a waterfall, and her entire presence exuded an ethereal charm, as delicate and flawless as a masterpiece carved from pure ivory.
“Bring him to me,” she spoke, her voice like celestial music, beautiful and enchanting, yet subtly laced with weariness and solitude.
Elder Lin Kun, the supreme elder of the Shen Yao Gate, paid no heed to these nuances, solely seeking her intervention. He wore an expression of hesitation and said, “Senior, that man is too formidable. If I go to fetch him, I will be slain without doubt.”
“Come here.” The gray-clad woman commanded.
Lin Kun dared not disobey. Obediently stepping forward, he was acutely aware of her terrifying might—he knew she possessed powers capable of shaking heaven and earth.
The ancestral well was incredibly powerful, a sacred “birth-gate” in the cosmos, guarded by countless divine formations placed by celestial beings. Anyone ordinary attempting to enter would surely perish. Yet not only was this woman unharmed within its depths, she was refining a mysterious cauldron.
The gray-clothed woman raised her hand, tracing brilliant golden strokes in the air—an ancient glyph, “Yu” (to command), radiating dazzling light before burning itself into Lin Kun’s chest.
“This is…” Lin Kun’s expression shifted. What immense power was required to accomplish such a feat? He could feel a strange force enveloping him.
Within the courtyard, A De and the middle-aged man were stunned and disoriented. The great figures summoned from the City of Medicines had been driven off. Just what kind of youth had they provoked?
Shi Hao cast a glance at them but said nothing. Having already stripped them of their powers, he saw no reason to waste further attention on these two.
The yellow copper cauldron exuded a powerful medicinal fragrance. Two golden pills rested atop a mound of gray ashes—an extensive array of spiritual herbs and auxiliary ingredients had been refined, leaving only this small remainder.
The pills gleamed magnificently amid the ashes, exuding a fragrant aroma that rendered the scarlet-feathered bird transfixed.
Shi Hao produced a jade vial and carefully collected the two pills. Their glow and fragrance vanished instantly. Observing the scarlet-feathered bird’s expression, he smiled and extended the vial.
The scarlet-feathered bird hesitated—should it accept or refuse? These were undeniably treasures, yet memories of Shi Hao sitting naked in the cauldron alongside the pills haunted its appetite.
“Forget it! This Sovereign shall rise by my own might, soar unaided, and laugh atop the human world!” it declared resolutely, rejecting the offer.
Shi Hao then offered the vial to the others, but they all declined, especially Huo Ling’er and Yun Xi, whose faces flushed red with indignation, shooting him fierce glances.
“If I reveal these two treasures beyond these walls, the world would tear itself apart for them, yet you cast them away like rags,” Shi Hao sighed, his solemn expression prompting eye-rolls from the gathered crowd.
“When we enter the Formation Array and gather the right herbs, prepare a batch for us, and you mustn’t refuse,” the fire crow added.
Shi Hao nodded agreeably, naturally willing, though this time he would definitely refrain from entering the cauldron himself; this would be pure alchemy.
He surveyed his remaining treasures with a sigh. His collection of spiritual tools had nearly vanished, and even the rare undersea herbs acquired years ago from the Kunpeng Nest in the Northern Sea had been squandered.
“In a single day, reduced to nothing. Empty-handed,” he muttered. The price of medicinal herbs had drained all his reserves, exhausted by purchasing forty-eight rare strains.
“Return my divine artifact and I shall present you with a cache of herbs,” Yun Xi spoke up. She remained intent on trading her clan’s treasures for their lost divine tool.
“What is a mere handful of herbs compared to such a treasure? Only if you bring your clan’s sacred herb can we speak of exchange,” Shi Hao replied.
“You…” Yun Xi’s delicate, flawless face flushed with slight frustration. Few sacred herbs existed across the entire Huang Domain, and these were essential for sustaining her clan’s prosperity. How could they be surrendered so easily?
“Then there’s nothing more to discuss,” Shi Hao shook his head.
“Young man, come with me,” Lin Kun, the supreme elder of the Shen Yao Gate, returned unexpectedly. Earlier repelled in panic, he now stood calm and composed.
The onlookers exchanged puzzled glances. Though his cultivation was high, he had clearly fled in fear before. How dared he return?
“You feel bold now, thinking you can handle me?” Shi Hao’s lips curled in sardonic amusement.
Lin Kun spoke with unshakable confidence, “The City of Medicines is holy ground, founded by the Medicine Deity. I cannot permit your arrogance and sacrilege here. Come with me to face justice.”
Shi Hao flicked a finger. A purplish ray of lightning, thick as a water vat and shaped like a young dragon, shot forth. It was a terrifying force—few in the Formation Array could withstand such a strike.
Surprisingly, a golden glyph “Yu” blazed across Lin Kun’s chest, radiating resplendent brilliance, repelling the lightning bolt effortlessly.
“Ah! Astonishing defense!” both the nine-headed lion and the fire crow exclaimed in awe.
BOOM!
Shi Hao splayed five fingers, unleashing a tempest of lightning—this was the Saber-Tooth Tiger Divine Art, unleashed with devastating effect at the Formation Array level. It could flatten mountains.
Yet the golden “Yu” glyph flared once again, completely nullifying the storm, obliterating every bolt.
Shi Hao’s expression shifted. He sensed the glyph had been recently inscribed. What power—what mastery—could accomplish such a feat? Indeed, it bordered on celestial.
Was there still such a supreme master within the City of Medicines? The revelation was beyond shocking.
“Young man, do not think yourself invincible. There are many who could tame you in this world,” Lin Kun assured himself, now fully confident.
“You all leave first!” Shi Hao sensed danger. With an opponent of such immeasurable prowess, he was uncertain and wished Huo Ling’er and the others to flee.
“That cannot be. We must face this together!” the fire crow protested.
Shi Hao drew the black broken sword without further word, cleaving it forward. This ancient divine instrument erupted in unparalleled dark radiance, engulfing the battlefield.
Although Lin Kun knew the glyph’s defense was formidable, he still felt fear at the impending strike. Relying purely on his own strength, he would have been instantly slain.
Such power was beyond any ordinary king’s capability. The shattered artifact surged forward like a black abyss, making the sky of the City of Medicines tremble.
“Ah?” Suddenly, the gray-cloaked woman atop the low mountain showed surprise for the first time—the first expression other than calm she had expressed.
In the next moment, the void quivered, and Shi Hao sensed his slash had been sealed. The vast dark radiance coalesced with emptiness itself, no longer manifesting its divine might.
From the distant horizon, a pale white hand descended, pacifying the storm and dissolving the crisis.
“Who is this?!” both the nine-headed lion and Yun Xi exchanged stunned expressions. Despite their prestigious origins and extensive knowledge, they had never encountered anything of this magnitude—this was a demonstration of a supreme ancient power.
In an instant, the dark radiance and the white hand vanished, and the heavens returned to peace.
Suddenly, the void trembled once more. A golden road unfurled in the heavens, and from afar came the gray-cloaked woman herself, gazing silently at the broken blade in Shi Hao’s hand.
“Come,” she spoke those words and vanished.
All looked at each other in astonishment. What level of cultivation could this woman have reached?
Yet this time, Shi Hao did not argue. He leapt into the sky, stepping onto the golden road, swiftly ascending the mountain.
Huo Ling’er, the red-feathered bird, and others followed, but none could reach the summit. They were barred from entry by powerful forces, left standing at the foot of the mountain.
Atop the low mountain, Shi Hao beheld the ancient well and the gray-clad woman. His heart pounded. He had long heard rumors of one who raided the Demon Spirit Lake and took Shi Yi away.
“Was it her?” His mind reeled.
Another person clad in gray would seem dull, yet this woman exuded an ethereal aura, transcending the mundane.
Jet-black hair cascaded over a face of peerless celestial beauty, pale and porcelain-like, almost surreal—her beauty rivaled only perhaps by Yue Chan and the Demoness.
She turned her gaze toward him. Her eyes were deep, filled with weariness and ancient wisdom, as though she had seen the rise and fall of countless generations, evoking an eerie sensation.
Though her presence was ethereal and pure, those eyes seemed to have endured the trials of endless eons, as if capable of piercing any secret.
“This sword, patched and worn, has long since lost its sacred resonance. I wonder if it may ever shine again,” the gray-cloaked woman mused, gazing at Shi Hao’s broken blade.
“I once met its former master, resting in his domain. I shall not harm you,” she added—only her second sentence spoken here.
Her voice was melodious, as though the harmony of celestial cultivation itself resonated through her words, leaving Shi Hao feeling spiritually purified, his entire being at ease.
Yet Shi Hao was stunned. She was a figure of unimaginable origin!
“The Huang Domain (Huang Domain) is soon to descend into chaos, and the City of Medicines will be at the heart of war. Leave quickly,” she said. It was a warning, perhaps a kind one.
“You are remarkable. In you, I see traces of my younger self, walking the path of cultivation. I long to witness how resplendent your Dao will become,” her gaze softened.
This gentle look was breathtaking, dimming even the sun and moon, embodying celestial beauty.
Shi Hao struggled for words. His mind thundered—an ancient being, a supreme expert beyond imagination!
“In the battle within the Illusory Spirit Realm, the supremacy of the Supreme Sovereign (Zhi Zun) Bone and the Double Pupils (Chong Tong) remained undecided, for the ultimate mystery of the Chong Tong was never fully revealed. That was merely a shallow contest,” she spoke—her fifth sentence.
As she spoke, her profound eyes glowed with unparalleled radiance. In that moment, it was as though she were rebirthing the cosmos, recreating heaven and earth itself.
Shi Hao was too stunned to speak. He perceived her irises subtly shift, transform—into twin pupils. The pressure was suffocating, peerless and overwhelming.
She… was also a Chong Tong (Double-Pupiled) Seer?
Shi Hao could hardly believe it. How could her Chong Tong unify into one when needed, returning to an ordinary appearance, only to re-emerge as desired? Such a phenomenon defied comprehension.
Within those twin pupils swirled waves of chaotic essence, as though creation and destruction unfolded anew—truly an avatar of the heavens.
Shi Hao’s heart surged, lips quivering, yet no words came.
In ancient times, those born with the Chong Tong were Invincible between heaven and earth (invincible in heaven and earth), undefeated throughout history. This legend had endured across ages, never forgotten by humankind.
Now, today, Shi Hao had encountered such a being?!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage