Chapter 1974 - Defeat

In the outside world, immortal kings from all directions were left speechless for a long time. Huang slaughtered his way towards the depths of Immortal Domain. He could get through in one piece even after facing that creature who escaped from that darkness ancient palace!

This really was the case, he did this relying on his strength alone!

He returned victorious, defeating his opponent.

Many people wanted to come over and ask about this, to find out just what kind of secret there was exactly.

However, they unexpectedly discovered that Huang went into seclusion.

“Cultivating in seclusion now, did he suffer damage to his foundation?”

“He should have been injured. However, there are also rumors that he wishes to break through the king level and become an emperor!”

Sounds of cold air being sucked in could be heard in Immortal Domain, leaving even immortal kings feeling shaken when they heard this information. They all got up one after another, looking towards the starry sea where Huang was.

They were speechless, their expressions incredibly grave.

What kind of later generation expert was this? To rise up so valiantly, overwhelming all opponents like this, was he now going to take another step forward?

Regardless of whether it was the immortal kings or the giants in Immortal Domain, they had all been trapped in the Immortal King Realm for a long time. Some creatures had remained here for an entire great era, unable to see the road ahead.

There were also those who tried to break through this barrier, struggling with everything they had for a taste of new skies. However, it was a pity, in the end, they still all died.

There were some other creatures who couldn’t see any future in this world, so they ultimately chose to ‘set off for the sea’, wishing to cross the Realm Sea and arrive at the other shore.

However, that ocean path was similarly too dangerous. Almost all of them failed, there has never been an emperor who returned.

“Is Huang going to stake it all? He is still too young! He should continue accumulating for some time. If he acts this rashly, if something unexpected happens, then that would be too regretful.”

An older immortal king said.

Immortal Domain’s old freaks were all worried, fearing that he would die because of this. If that happened, Immortal Domain’s losses would be too great!

After all these years, Huang had faced the creatures who crossed over from Realm Sea, even facing giants alone, killing them after bloody battles, establishing tremendous contributions.

His strength was something all could see!

Now, it was precisely these troubled times, chaos erupting from time to time, Immortal Domain’s borders about to be beaten into ruin. If something unexpected happened to Huang, Immortal Domain would lose an unmatched immortal king.

Huang’s reputation had long shaken up Immortal Domain. Regardless of whether it was ordinary creatures or experts who were high up above, everyone knew about him.

Now, Shi Hao went into seclusion, this stirred up huge waves. All sides were paying close attention, all of them nervously waiting.

Time flowed on. In the eyes of mortals, this was an extremely long amount of time. Huang’s name gradually changed from ear-piercing thunder to a legend.

One could see just how long this period was.

The true immortals were all waiting, but in the end, they also became a bit weary.

Ten thousand years, twenty thousand years…

During this time, Immortal Domain experienced several great battles. Creatures from Realm Sea slaughtered their way over, the battles intense, blood flowing like rivers. It was incredibly bitter.

Only in an age without Huang, did everyone realize just how great his contributions were!

Immortal Domain had a giant who died, his imprints erased by a terrifying creature from Realm Sea.

The great battles calmed down. Many places in Immortal Domain were in ruins. This world was full of gloominess, blood everywhere. The clans all used this chance to rest, all of them silently treating their injuries.

At this step, many people understood that the future was full of despair. Perhaps not a single immortal king would meet a good end, let alone others.

Within a stone cave, there was an extremely great formation arranged. The cave was full of hazy primal chaos, the aura inside terrifying, releasing the sounds of mountains collapsing and seas roaring from time to time.

With a pu noise, a streak of blood shot out. Shi Hao opened his eyes. He saw that the ancient cave was a mess, even the world shocking great formation that protected his place of isolation was cracking apart, the ground shockingly red.

After a hundred thousand years, he tried all different things, continuously attacking at the limit. There were more than ten times where he almost died.

He failed again and again, his heart as if covered in a haze. This torment made him feel helpless.

Shi Hao really did everything he could. He thought of every method to take that final step, break through the Immortal King Realm and become an emperor. However, ultimately, he still failed.

Moreover, there were extremely serious great dao injuries left behind.

After a light sigh, Shi Hao ate half a stalk of immortal medicine, silently closing his eyes. Only a few decades later, did he wake up again, his eyes erupting with brilliance.

“This path doesn’t work!” Shi Hao sighed. In the last hundred thousand years, he was forcefully trying to push his dao skills to the peak, refining his flesh to become even sturdier than immortal king weapons.

However, despite this being the case, he still failed. He forcefully tried to break through, using unmatched magical force to push his own dao skills to the peak, wishing to become stronger.

However, he suffered a backlash, his body breaking apart several times. There were even times when his body and spirit began to burn, almost turning into a blast of ashes.

Shi Hao came out of seclusion, shocking all sides of Imperial Court. Many people immediately hurried over, even Darkness Willow Deity, Golden Fur Hou and others wanted to know the result.

Shi Hao shook his head. Even though they had long made inward preparations, they still couldn’t help but release a light sigh. This was just too difficult.

“It is good as long as you are fine!” Grandpa Fifteen Shi Zhongtian said. He was scared that Shi Hao would fail and throw his life away in the process.

It was because from past until now, among those who tried to forcefully break through, ninety percent of them would all die.

In Immortal Domain, experts from all sides were shocked. Huang failed his breakthrough, the significance of this was extremely great. Many immortal kings felt a shadow looming over their minds, feeling like the emperor path truly didn’t exist.

At the same time, there were people who were shocked. Even though Huang failed to walk the emperor path, he could still continue living. They had to admit that he was quite amazing.

Then, Shi Hao paid visits to different experts, heading into some immortal king manors, sitting and pondering theory with them, discussing the secrets of emperor ascension.

The other kings were naturally willing!

During this process, Shi Hao exchanged some great methods with them, for example, the True Dragon Precious Technique that he obtained from an old immortal king who wasn’t part of the True Dragon Clan.

He passed it onto the Crimson Dragon. However now, the Crimson Dragon also already searched out the imprints in his blood. After verifying the two, he discovered that what he uncovered was also correct.

Regardless of whether it was the Crimson Dragon or Heavenly Horned Ant, they both suffered inherent weaknesses. They were plotted against before their birth, but fortunately, they were able to make up for their faults later on.

Comparatively speaking, the other immortal king experts’ descendants were not as lucky.

Shi Hao wandered about, using up several thousand years. It was because sometimes, when he discussed the dao with an immortal king, both sides would receive some benefits, immediately comprehending the dao. Many years might pass just like that, sometimes even over a century.

“This path has failed, so I should try a different path.” Shi Hao said to himself.

No one thought that he still dared continue, moreover taking a risk so quickly even after failing in his previous attempt.

Only, this time, Shi Hao remained low profile, leaving Immortal Domain. He headed out on his own, returning to the ruined Nine Heavens Ten Earths.

While walking through the past ancient land, looking at these ruined earths, he released a sigh. It had already been more than eight hundred thousand years since he entered Immortal Domain, this world already changed too much.

Shi Hao headed into the lower realms’ eight regions. Those tombs from the past were already gone. He released a long sigh, silently paying his respects to all directions in this ancient land.

The Nine-Headed Lion, Outstanding Horn Xiao Tian, Heaven Mending Pavilion’s Ghost Grandpa, those relatives from Stone Village…

Too many, too many!

Time slipped away, the years were ruthless. If it was a mortal, many memories would have long been erased, no way they could remember.

However, for Shi Hao, the past things seemed to have happened yesterday, still just that clear.

Then, he entered the three thousand provinces and then continued his way into the Nine Heavens. They were all ruined ancient lands floating in the cosmos. He offered sacrifices one by one, searching for memories of the past.

The cruel bloodshed, the tears of joy, the helpless situations, those past events that tugged at heartstrings… they all scattered with the wind, buried in this ancient and defeated great earth.

In a certain ancient land, Shi Hao stopped. His eyes erupted with brilliance, staring at an expanse of scorched earth.

Soon afterwards, in the underground depths, a creature revived. Then, it was roused awake, rushing over.

“It’s you, it’s actually you!”

Five Phase Mountain was ruined, buried in the very depths of the great earth. After all this time, it always remained here, sleeping, cut off from the rest of the world.

When it saw Shi Hao again, it was stunned, shocked and then felt joy.

Shi Hao was rather surprised. If not for his dao skills being deep enough, already on the path of breaking through the Immortal King Realm, he wouldn’t be able to sense that a piece of cold and hard stone underground was actually Five Phase Mountain.

He only remembered that Qin Family should have been here in the past.

After countless years passed, the past Immortal Qin had long passed on.

Five Phase Mountain experienced a great battle in the past as well, falling here.

“Dao friend, help me!” Five Phase Mountain said.

Shi Hao nodded. This was a piece of karma after all. Back then, Five Phase Mountain had protected him, and now, he reached here, just in time to return this karma.

Hong!

Divine light surged. Shi Hao refined the artifact, using unmatched immortal king flames to melt Five Phase Mountain, moreover supplementing it with some rare heavenly treasures.

In the end, Five Phase Mountain revived. The past seal had long disappeared, after all, even the body had been beaten into ruin.

“It’s the creatures from Realm Sea, some people entered this realm. They have some karma between them, so they fought here, resulting in me suffering as well!”

There were actually giants included among them!

Shi Hao nodded and said, “Don’t worry. A great showdown is about to arrive, they won’t be able to escape it!”

His eyes were full of killing intent. The Nine Heavens Ten Earths were ruined in that battle, the people suffering greatly, so he naturally wanted to participate in this great settling of karma.

He asked Five Phase Mountain where it was headed.

“I want to go into seclusion, but what pure lands are left in this world? I might as well just follow you into Immortal Domain.” Five Phase Mountain said.

Shi Hao tore apart the void, bringing Five Phase Mountain into Immortal Domain, showing him into Imperial Court. However, he himself didn’t return, instead heading to the next place.

He wanted to enter Burial Earth. That place had an Origin Ancient Artifact as well!

“Is this still Desolate Border’s uninhabited region?”

Along the way, Shi Hao released a light sigh. Back then, this place was full of mysteries, a grand and imposing Imperial Pass towering here, guarding the passage leading into the foreign realm.

However now, everything was ruined.

He roamed through the uninhabited region. Apart from many dried bones, there were many ruins that seemed extremely desolate.

En?!

Shi Hao was stunned. He sensed something again, looking into a certain place. Then, with a flick of his finger, the void was ripped apart, a small world appearing.

After entering this place, he sensed strong immortal spirit energy. This was an ancient little world that still sealed some immortal dao aura.

He stared forward. There was a pool that released green multicolored light. There was a divine lotus that was currently swaying there, clearly long developing sentience.

“Who are you?”

The divine lotus was frightened, swaying back and forth. Ripples flowed outwards, divine laws interweaving. It wasn’t weak, but of course, this was in the Mortal Dao Domain.

Shi Hao’s eyes swirled with radiance. In his pupils, there was time force that swirled. There were some scenes, some fragments that were reflected in his heart. He knew the origins of the divine lotus.

“It’s you.” He couldn’t help but release a light sigh.

This lotus was actually a bit related to him.

In the past, when the battle of three thousand provinces’ geniuses ended, the Nine Heavens chose heroic talents to take in and enter Heavenly Deity Institution, but they had to test to see who was the very best among the different clans.

At that time, they all respectively entered the uninhabited region outside Imperial Pass.

It was clear that this didn’t only involve strength, but also luck. If one’s luck wasn’t good enough, encountering disaster, perhaps they would have died along the way.

There was previously a woman named Qing Xian from the three thousand provinces that was extremely powerful, but died along the way.1

At the time, Shi Hao just happened to pass by, seeing her final scene.

However, this woman was quite heaven-defying. With her cultivation realm, she actually carried out a successful rebirth, turning into a seed, asking Shi Hao to plant and hide her here.

“I remember you said that there is natural luck belonging to you here, a stalk of Primal Chaos Green Lotus. You obtained this natural luck?” Shi Hao asked.

However, Qing Xian was confused. After her rebirth, it was the same as a new life, long forgetting everything else.

Moreover, as time went on, she revived in this world, broke through the earth and grew again.

Shi Hao stared at this pool, staring at the bottom.

There was another creature inside. To be more precise, it was a ruined Primal Chaos Lotus Seed!

Back then, he only planted Qing Xian outside, not in this small world. There was actually someone else who brought her in.

Was it this mysterious lotus seed?

1. Chaos Green Lotus c.1046