The black paper boat! Seeing it again made Shi Hao’s body tense up, his heart trembling violently. How many years had passed since this thing was left behind? Why was it appearing here now? It was utterly unbelievable!
But before he could ponder further, the palm-sized black paper boat began to glow, pouring down starlight—ribbons of radiance, cascading rivers of stars.
“What in the world is this?” the Divine Striking Stone shrieked.
Shi Hao’s expression turned grave, his hair standing on end as he sensed immense danger. He unleashed his full power, striking out in defense. Those rivers of stars, those radiant ribbons, were actually blazing runes, descending in waves like a brand-new world, with endless divine and demonic figures roaring as they charged downward.
A tiny paper boat, yet it contained an unfathomable number of treasure spells, pouring forth without end, turning the surroundings into a land of calamity.
This was a bizarre battle—a small black paper boat drifting in the void, seemingly on the verge of collapse, yet scattering terrifying beams of light with every motion. Shi Hao had never fought like this before, locked in a desperate struggle, forced to give his all. The boundless, inexhaustible divine techniques didn’t feel like the work of a single person, but rather the combined assault of a thousand mighty warriors.
Runes manifested in clusters, transforming into endless rivers of stars, within which the paper boat drifted, ceaselessly unleashing treasure spells, forcing the youth below to fight with all his might.
Finally, the rivers of stars vanished, and the paper boat drifted away, as if slipping into the Netherworld. It didn’t burn up but instead faded into the hazy starlight, disappearing without a trace.
What was going on? This was nothing like what he had experienced in the Vermilion Bird Colosseum before! Shi Hao was utterly baffled, his heart filled with questions. Watching the departing black paper boat, he recalled his encounter in the Northern Sea—as if seeing once more those delicate yet chilling words written in blood: *I am the only one left.*
With these doubts weighing on him, he ventured deeper into the colosseum, where he came upon a stone wall. The carvings here resembled those on the stone gate he had seen earlier, but with one addition—a flawless, jade-white hand, delicate and unblemished, holding a black paper boat and placing it into a river of stars. On the boat were two words: *Hope.*
What meaning did this hold? Shi Hao stood frozen, staring for a long time without moving. The Divine Striking Stone was equally confused, staring blankly.
*Whoosh!* A flash of radiant light, and the wall transformed. The carvings blurred, revealing a path—as if leading into the river of time, tracing back to the ancient past. Beside the path were only two words: *Return.*
“What do you make of this?” Shi Hao asked the stone nestled in his hair.
“I can’t say for sure, but I suspect the owner of that paper boat was one of the masterminds behind the Divine Demon Wall—someone extraordinary.”
Shi Hao nodded in agreement. Whatever the case, this was something from an unfathomably distant past. He believed that so-called “path” might represent a belief—after all this time, what could remain of those ancient beings?
When he voiced this thought, the Divine Striking Stone disagreed, unusually solemn for once. “This thing is sinister. Legends say it appeared in even more ancient times, resurfacing every so often.”
It didn’t know what the Divine Demon Wall truly was, but it seemed to be selecting the mightiest figures of a region, as if needing them for some grand purpose.
“All I can say is, avoid it if you can. Those who get involved with it are said to vanish without a trace.”
Shi Hao’s thoughts churned. He recalled the radiant gate by the Kun Peng’s nest, where even the Heaven-Piercing Kunmu Tree had been severed. What lay beyond? Where did it lead?
“Even if I wanted to get involved, there aren’t enough stone gates here to challenge all one hundred and eight colosseums,” he mocked himself.
With that, he withdrew, but instead of leaving, he pushed open another stone gate, engaging in a fierce battle with a Taowu. The fight was brutal, but after emerging victorious, Shi Hao took a brief rest before moving to the next gate.
Six consecutive battles left him utterly exhausted, for the creatures he faced were terrifyingly powerful—all pure-blooded, their strength enough to make his peers despair.
He never encountered another colosseum as peculiar as the one with the black paper boat. The others were like the Vermilion Bird’s—whatever creature was carved on the gate was the one he fought, all at the Engraving Realm, as if tailored specifically for him.
“This is the horror of the Divine Demon Wall—it adjusts its difficulty automatically, as if alive,” the Divine Striking Stone remarked.
Returning to the Nirvana Pool, Shi Hao found Huo Ling’er still sealed within her cocoon, showing no signs of awakening. Leaving a message behind, he returned to the Divine Demon Wall.
“You really have a death wish, don’t you? Addicted to fighting now?” the stone muttered suspiciously. Each stone gate hid an ancient creature of supreme might; a single misstep could mean death.
“This is the best kind of tempering!” Shi Hao replied simply.
And he was right—to him, this place was a treasure trove, filled with powerful opponents waiting to test his limits. In his current state, finding a worthy adversary of the same realm was rare. Unless they were pure-blooded, most wouldn’t last long against him.
He craved these battles, yearned for the sharpening of his skills. Only through such trials could he grow stronger, reaching new heights.
Lately, he had been stuck in a rut—finding a truly formidable opponent was nearly impossible unless he sought out ancient monsters, for among his peers, few could challenge him.
And so, Shi Hao began his campaign, battle after battle, holding nothing back. Here, he could unleash his full power—his Ten Heavenly Passage, Kun Peng techniques, everything—without fear of exposure.
He wielded every treasure spell he knew, refining them through blood and fire, honing them to perfection. Along the way, he suffered grievous wounds, bled profusely—yet he felt no resentment, only joy. Only through such trials could he truly grow.
For an entire month, Shi Hao fought relentlessly, descending into a terrifying state of combat, clashing with creatures of all races in battles that darkened the skies.
“You’re insane! A complete madman!” the Divine Striking Stone couldn’t take it anymore. Watching him bathe in blood daily, covered in wounds yet reveling in it, the stone fled back to the Nirvana Pool.
Though battered, Shi Hao’s eyes grew brighter with each passing day. After every victory, he would sit cross-legged in the black colosseum, meditating deeply, contemplating his techniques and the Dao.
Faintly, he felt his understanding of treasure spells and runes deepening, even feeling the urge to carve out his own unique techniques.
Though his body was weary, his spirit was invigorated. Such tempering was hard to find elsewhere—a priceless wealth of experience.
Above the hall, mist swirled, golden light flickering. Though a month had passed here, likely less than a day had gone by in the outside world.
Ending his training, Shi Hao sat silently in a black colosseum for several days, healing his wounds before rising slowly.
His aura had changed—like a divine sword polished free of dust, shedding its immaturity, its edge now sharp and resounding.
Just standing there, he exuded an extraordinary presence—the result of battling dozens of pure-blooded creatures. Every fight had been a life-or-death struggle, for some opponents surpassed him in realm, making each clash a terrifying ordeal of blood and sweat.
Returning to the Nirvana Pool, he waited several more days until—*crack!*—the cocoon split open, crimson patterns spreading rapidly across its surface.
*Boom!* The cocoon exploded, flames surging to fill the void, startling the Divine Striking Stone into a shrieking retreat.
Shi Hao stood firm, letting the flames lick at him. His body, now crystalline and transcendent, was unharmed, only growing stronger.
A divine melody echoed as a flawless jade-like figure emerged—long hair cascading, eyes like autumn water, curves flawless as ivory, without a single blemish.
Huo Ling’er had undergone an unimaginable transformation through her nirvana. Her skin was newborn, truly reborn—stunningly beautiful, her jade-like body glowing amidst the flames, exuding an otherworldly allure.
Moreover, a pair of crimson wings unfurled from her back, fluttering gently, stirring waves of scarlet mist, as if a spirit danced within the fire.
*Vermilion Bird Wings!*
This was the mark of her bloodline fully awakened. Her nirvana had succeeded, unlocking her greatest potential. From now on, she would soar to unparalleled heights.
*Whoosh!* The wings vanished as she swiftly draped herself in a robe, her movements graceful and ethereal.
“If you feel cheated, I can let you take a look too,” Shi Hao teased preemptively.
“Hmph!” Huo Ling’er rolled her eyes, unusually refraining from a retort—knowing full well that engaging would only lead to more embarrassment.
“Ah, so you think running around naked in front of me is a form of disdain and punishment? Well then, let the disdain and punishment come harder!” Shi Hao laughed.
“Not worth my time!” Huo Ling’er licked her lips lightly, brushing it off—though her teeth ground silently, itching to punch him.
“Come on, let’s see if there’s anything else. If not, it’s time we left,” Shi Hao suggested. Time was limited; they couldn’t afford to dawdle.
Days later, they reached the end of the grand palace, where a fiery cavern blazed. A single scarlet feather, sharp as a divine sword, barred the entrance.
This was what Shi Hao had come for—his eyes gleaming, he rushed forward, only to be blasted back by densely packed runes.
This was a formation left by an ancient holy emperor!
“This is the Vermilion Bird Cavern. It’s not so easy to enter. Only those who resonate with it may pass. Leave it to me,” Huo Ling’er said.
Sitting before the cavern, she radiated sacred light, like a goddess of peerless beauty. The ancient cavern rumbled, chanting scriptures, until she rose, wrapped in flames, and stepped inside to begin a new cultivation.
*Whoosh!* She plucked the feather and tossed it out.
This Primordial True Feather appeared no more than a meter long, light as a whisper—yet with the slightest infusion of power, it unleashed sword beams that split the heavens and flames like an ocean.
“Now *that’s* a treasure!” Shi Hao marveled.
Three days later, Huo Ling’er emerged from the cavern, the mark between her brows now small as a cinnabar dot, radiant and pure, enhancing her saintly aura.
Finally, they stepped onto a star-engraved altar. In a flash of light, they left the Holy Emperor’s Palace, reappearing on the surface world.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage