Shi Hao’s words instantly plunged the area into silence. Did he truly not regard the creatures of the Primordial Divine Mountain as anything significant? How dare he rebuke them so directly—who was this person? Everyone stared at him as if seeing a ghost, their expressions filled with disbelief. Even though the Flood Dragon had already warned some, they still found it hard to accept.
The Flood Dragon had cautioned them not to provoke this person. In their eyes, he should have been someone of similar strength—never had they imagined he would directly berate a powerhouse from the Demon Spirit Lake! The atmosphere turned icy, with no one daring to speak. The place fell into absolute silence. Even the Sixteenth Princess, the Eldest Miss of the Thunder Clan, and the other dazzling talents of the imperial capital like Gu Linglong were left stunned.
“So bold! Come, let me see who dares to speak such words.” A frivolous voice rang out from the distance as a figure approached step by step. In an instant, the crowd nearly suffocated under an overwhelming pressure, as if a towering mountain had descended upon them.
The newcomer was a youth of about fourteen or fifteen, with long emerald-green hair and sharp, narrow eyes that gleamed with piercing intensity. His steps were unhurried but steady, exuding an air of chilling composure and mockery. He strode forward, looking down at Shi Hao as if everything was under his control.
The Demon Spirit Lake was a forbidden land to humans. Any creature emerging from it would send entire regions into high alert. Such beings were rare, but each was overwhelmingly powerful.
“Flood Dragon, have you been cowed by him just like that? This person doesn’t seem all that impressive. I don’t see anything special about him,” the green-haired youth remarked.
The Flood Dragon remained silent, his expression cold.
All eyes in the vicinity were now fixed on Shi Hao. Many gathered around, anticipating the imminent clash.
“What are you strutting around for?!” Shi Hao suddenly snapped, his words causing the newcomer’s brows to twitch violently.
This was sheer audacity! Knowing full well that he hailed from the Demon Spirit Lake, Shi Hao still dared to challenge him. It seemed they had encountered a true tough opponent.
The green-haired youth scrutinized Shi Hao carefully but could sense no aura from him. The boy stood there calmly, like an empty valley—plain and natural.
The Flood Dragon said nothing, merely observing coldly from the sidelines. He saw no reason to involve himself in this mess and, frankly, had little patience for this arrogant spider. It would do him good to suffer a little.
“Some people think they’re unrivaled in their little corner of the world, unaware that when they step out into the vast Desolate Region, they amount to nothing,” the green-haired youth sneered, casting a sidelong glance at Shi Hao.
“If you know that, why are you still strutting around? Scram!” Shi Hao’s voice was icy, the last word—”scram!”—resonating like a hammer blow, shaking many to their core.
The green-haired youth’s expression darkened. This was humiliation! He had intended to lecture Shi Hao, only to have his words thrown back at him—along with that contemptuous “scram!” The insult was too much to bear.
“Do you even know who you’re speaking to?!” he roared, his face contorted with fury.
“Isn’t it just a spider?” Shi Hao replied with undisguised disdain, his tone utterly casual.
He had battled pure-blooded creatures many times before—even devoured an Azure Luan in the North Sea. He had long cultivated an invincible aura, making encounters with beings from the Primordial Divine Mountain feel trivial.
But the onlookers paled. This guy was far too domineering, openly belittling a creature from the Demon Spirit Lake! Everyone knew a terrifying battle was about to erupt.
“You deserve death!” the green-haired youth bellowed, his eyes narrowing. Gone was his earlier composure—his youthful temper had flared beyond control.
“You’re not strong enough. If you value your life, get lost now,” Shi Hao sneered, showing no mercy. He wasn’t afraid of escalating the situation.
“Good! This is exhilarating! I’ve long been sick of these spiders—what gives them the right to strut around our Martial Prince’s Manor? Scram!” A drunken voice laughed from afar as a staggering figure stumbled closer.
Several attendants hurried to support him, trying to pull him away, fearing he might provoke disaster.
“Has everyone in your Martial Prince’s Manor grown tired of living? Do you wish to be wiped out?!” the green-haired youth roared, already enraged by Shi Hao’s defiance. Now, even a drunkard was mocking him—this was intolerable!
“Pah! Who do you think you are? Crawl back to your Demon Spirit Lake! When the Fifteenth Grandfather returns, he’ll sweep you all away!” the drunkard shouted.
The crowd was stunned. They were well aware of the Martial Prince’s Manor’s affairs, but they hadn’t expected the conflict to escalate to this point.
“The Great Devil God is doomed—he won’t escape death. Before the might of the Demon Spirit Lake, he is nothing. And as for you insignificant worms, dare to spout nonsense? Die!”
The green-haired youth finally struck. Knowing Shi Hao was formidable, he didn’t immediately target him. Instead, he aimed to kill the Martial Prince’s Manor’s men first, then duel Shi Hao. He needed bloodshed to erase his earlier humiliation and reassert his dominance.
Yet the moment he raised his hand, another figure intercepted him.
“This is the human imperial capital. You’re nothing but a spider—how dare you spout such arrogance? Seeking death!”
The crowd was dead silent, hearts pounding. This boy was even more domineering than they’d imagined—not just rebuking but stepping forward to face his opponent head-on.
“Screech!” The Demon Spider could no longer contain his fury. His emerald hair suddenly erupted, transforming into a raging river of green light that surged forward with blinding intensity.
Shi Hao remained unmoved. Without dodging, he simply reached out and grabbed.
Boom!
The void trembled as countless green runes filled the air. Everyone knew how terrifying those strands of hair were—they could shatter treasures with ease.
Yet in the next instant—
Crack!
The emerald light vanished. With a single palm strike, Shi Hao severed dozens of those strands, sending them falling to the ground. Simple. Direct.
Simultaneously, his other hand pressed forward—a golden millstone of a palm descending with overwhelming force.
The Demon Spider roared in fury. This was too much! His opponent wasn’t even moving, keeping one hand behind his back the entire time!
He pushed both palms out, intending to teach Shi Hao a lesson—preferably by shattering that arrogant boy’s arm.
But in that instant, his heart lurched.
That seemingly casual palm strike was terrifyingly violent. The golden millstone sealed his entire body like a collapsing mountain. His own palms felt like feeble twigs trying to stop a landslide.
Boom!
The green-haired youth was sent flying, coughing blood midair, his entire body trembling violently. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
If he hadn’t retracted his palms at the last moment, reinforced by countless runes, his arms would have snapped. That golden millstone was unstoppable—its power was horrifying!
Thud!
He crashed into a boulder, blood spilling from his lips. The massive rock behind him cracked—then exploded into fragments.
The crowd shuddered. This was too brutal!
Everyone stared at Shi Hao in awe. A pure-blooded creature, sent flying with a single slap—how terrifying was this?!
Gu Lingyu turned pale, recalling how he had earlier contested with Shi Hao over the porcelain bowl—even summoning his sister to intervene. Cold sweat drenched his back; he could barely stand.
Gu Linglong, the Sixteenth Princess, and the Thunder Clan’s Eldest Miss were equally stunned, their beautiful faces etched with shock.
Who was this divine being?
Only now did they understand the Flood Dragon’s warning. This boy was a monster—even the Emerald Demon-Eyed Spider had been crushed in an instant!
“Ahhh—!” The Demon Spider howled, nearly mad with rage. His body erupted with light, runes covering his form as he transformed into his true body.
A massive spider emerged, its body covered in needle-like emerald bristles, each one crystalline. Towering several zhang tall, it hovered in the air, glaring at Shi Hao.
The crowd gasped. This was the true form of the Emerald Demon-Eyed Spider—horrifying to behold. Its eight legs were thick as spears, gleaming with a cold, deadly light.
Clang!
A metallic hum rang out as one leg shot forward—no different from a war spear. When fully extended, its edge was peerless, capable of piercing anything.
Shi Hao tested it by tossing out a piece of rune-inscribed bone.
The bone was not just pierced—it exploded into dust.
The crowd paled. How many in the human younger generation could face such a creature?
“Excellent! Such sturdiness—perfect material for forging treasures!” Shi Hao’s words left everyone speechless.
Clang!
His palm struck the spider’s leg. The Demon Spider shrieked as cracks appeared at the limb’s base, green fluid oozing out—it was nearly severed!
Enraged, the spider spat out a silken strand—glistening white, swift as lightning—aiming to ensnare Shi Hao.
Shi Hao dodged. The strand landed on a nearby weapon shop’s display, instantly reducing several treasures to smoke upon contact.
“How horrifying!” the crowd gasped.
The Demon Spider screeched, spewing endless silk—like cascading galaxies weaving into a radiant net of divine chains, descending upon Shi Hao.
Boom!
Shi Hao’s body erupted with countless runes, transforming into raging flames. Like a war god, he strode forward.
He didn’t even use a precious technique—just the most fundamental bone scripts from the Primordial True Explanation, manifesting as pure fire to counter the spider’s innate divine ability.
Sizzle!
The divine chains in the void shattered. The silken galaxies ignited, burning away. The Demon Spider screamed—never had he imagined a human younger than him could be this terrifying!
Thud!
Shi Hao’s kick landed like a golden pillar of heaven, crushing the spider’s body. The sound of cracking carapace was unmistakable—its entire form fissured!
With a final wail, the spider was sent flying, drenched in blood, unable to rise again.
“Not even at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm, yet you dare challenge me?” Shi Hao murmured.
His words—his sheer arrogance—stunned everyone.
He looked no older than thirteen or fourteen, yet he had already reached the pinnacle of the Spirit Transformation Realm?! This defied all logic, surpassing even pure-blooded creatures in cultivation speed!
“Good! Too good! This is exhilarating!” The Martial Prince’s Manor’s drunkard cheered.
Shi Hao raised his hand. A small bowl appeared in his palm, emitting rays of light. With a whoosh, the spider on the ground was sucked inside, shrinking rapidly until it was no larger than an inch, immobilized at the bowl’s bottom.
“One of the Primordial Five Poisons—essential for refining divine medicine. A prime ingredient,” he mused softly.
The crowd turned to stone.
Was he serious? Such a formidable pure-blooded creature—and he was treating it as… a medicinal ingredient?!
Scorpion, spider, snake, centipede, toad—these were the Five Poisons used in alchemy. But the Primordial Five Poisons he spoke of… in ancient times, they were forbidden demonic gods!
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