The witch left without revealing anything else, but her words left Shi Hao restless for a long time. These revelations were too shocking.
The keywords "great calamity," "descendants of the sinful bloodline," "other powerful beings fallen into the Desolate Domain," "igniting divine fire," and "true deities" kept flashing in his mind, lingering for a long time.
The outer area of Qinglin Garden was vast, with many bronze war chariots parked around. As Shi Hao passed by, he saw Liu Han and his group. Remembering how they had tried to have someone deal with him, he waved and said, "I’ll borrow your chariot again. You can pick it up at the Tiger Gate Inn later."
He spoke casually, but the faces of those people turned dark. They looked deflated, as if they had no energy left. How unlucky they were to run into this troublemaker again.
At this point, they had no temper left. All their pride and dignity as sons of noble houses had been put away. This guy had even dared to suppress the people from the Devil Spirit Lake, not giving Shi Ziteng any face, confronting him head-on.
They asked themselves, knowing they were far inferior, unable to compare with pure-blooded creatures. Seeing this youth again made them shiver as they stood by and watched him climb onto the bronze war chariot, each of them frozen in place.
“Stop bullying others just because you’re descendants of nobles. If you keep stirring up trouble everywhere, next time I’ll put you all into my Heaven-Evolving Bowl and let you have a heart-to-heart with that little spider.”
Shi Hao left this remark before driving the bronze chariot away, leaving behind a group of people who were both indignant and helpless.
"Wow, Liu Han! You’ve really got connections, lending your bronze chariot to someone from the Supreme Palace," someone teased.
"Get lost!" Liu Han was fuming, practically ready to explode. His outburst drew the attention of a crowd, who whispered among themselves.
Many people, upon learning the details, couldn’t help but laugh.
The Tiger Gate Inn was located in a bustling area of the capital, surrounded by gardens, a place of luxury. Shi Hao’s residence was a secluded courtyard, a quiet and expensive retreat with rock gardens, fountains, and flowing water, all arranged with great care.
He threw the bronze chariot outside the inn, but as soon as he returned, he sensed something was off. Someone had been watching him, and retaliation had come quickly, making his heart tense.
Yet he wasn’t afraid. In this capital, the only thing he feared was not making enough of a scene. He had come to Stone Country's capital to make a grand entrance and let his family know that he was still alive.
Of course, the best time for this would be during Stone Emperor's grand birthday celebration, where he could deal with all those who meant him harm in one fell swoop. But things rarely go as planned.
A thin mist rose, enveloping the courtyard. A few banners lit up, sealing the area, making it eerily silent, as though everything had come to a standstill.
“Hiding in the shadows, are you?” Shi Hao wasn’t afraid. He stood in the courtyard, staring ahead.
"You’re a bold young man, I'll give you that. But usually, people like you don’t live long. They die from their recklessness and foolishness," a middle-aged scholar stepped down from a small stone bridge, snapping open a folding fan with a crisp sound, looking quite refined.
"Are you from the Martial King's estate, a servant of Devil Spirit Lake, or do you belong to some other faction?" Shi Hao asked.
“Watch your tone,” the middle-aged scholar's eyes gleamed coldly. He wore a deep blue robe that gave him a scholarly look, though his gaze was icy.
"You want to kill me, and you still expect politeness? If you’re sick, you should get treated," Shi Hao’s words were sharp, and a small black metallic figure appeared from his sleeve, firmly gripped in his hand.
“You’re utterly arrogant. I’ll admit your talent is extraordinary, and you've caught the attention of many, but you need to understand that not every genius lives to reach their potential. No matter what your background is, how special you are, I’ll kill you before you grow. All your gifts will come to nothing,” the middle-aged scholar said in a sinister tone, speaking frankly as if he had no fear of future retribution.
His power was immense, his cultivation higher than Shi Hao’s. At this moment, he felt no fear, believing everything was under his control. That’s why he hadn’t struck yet—he wanted to humiliate this young enemy first.
“You’re overconfident. If you want to die, come and try,” Shi Hao said, looking down at him.
Being treated with such disdain by a young boy infuriated the middle-aged scholar. He was a well-known expert in the capital, acting on behalf of the Martial King’s estate today, yet he was being looked down on by a mere youth. It was unbearable.
“Courting death!”
The middle-aged scholar erupted. As he opened his mouth, a stream of divine fire shot out, instantly covering half the courtyard. The heat was astonishing.
Shi Hao was surprised. This scholarly-looking man turned out to be like a raging dragon, spewing fire the moment the fight began, which was completely at odds with his refined demeanor.
Shi Hao quickly dodged. That was the man's dao fire. If touched, it could burn his body to ashes.
Clearly, this was an expert at the Engraved Mark realm, a level higher than Shi Hao. His power was terrifying. After advancing to this realm, one could roam freely, just like a fish in the sea or a bird in the sky, unrestrained.
Reaching the Engraved Mark realm made one a true expert among humans, worthy of respect wherever they went. The best among them could even be ennobled.
This realm was exceedingly difficult to attain. One had to carve symbols into their bones and in their vital apertures, while also breaking the shackles of order. Only then could they start laying the foundation of their own path, each step more arduous than the last.
It was the true beginning of creating one’s own way, no longer fully relying on the symbols of ferocious beasts or birds of prey. At this level, one could start engraving their own dao symbols.
Of course, these so-called "personal symbols" were only simple combinations, not groundbreaking creations. Only supreme experts had the means to create original symbols.
With a whoosh, Shi Hao dodged, and the flames landed on the artificial hill, turning it into molten rock. The fountain evaporated, and half the courtyard became scorched and barren.
This was dao fire, a special flame born from the engraved symbols within one's body. Its divine power was overwhelming, easily subduing lower-level cultivators.
However, Shi Hao was no ordinary person. He had continuously broken through to extreme realms. Even without using his undying golden body, he could still challenge someone who had just entered the Engraved Mark realm.
"Do you cook with this fire often? Not bad, you're like a cook," Shi Hao mocked.
The middle-aged scholar’s face darkened instantly. He prided himself on being refined and elegant, often referred to as a scholar. But now, this young brat had insulted him, calling him a mere cook. It was intolerable.
"Whoosh!"
He opened his mouth again, spewing more fire, while his whole body began to glow. Threads of symbols coiled around him, and he rose into the air, enveloped in a blazing divine light as he charged at Shi Hao.
This was the power of dao fire, driven by secret arts, spreading in all directions to kill Shi Hao. He didn’t believe a mere teenager could defy the heavens.
No matter how talented he was, his cultivation level was still there. Escape from death seemed impossible.
This time, Shi Hao didn’t dodge. He directly unleashed his ten great vital apertures. Some of them housed a Kunpeng, a Suan Ni, a Black Tortoise, and a humanoid spirit body, while others contained weapons such as bells, towers, and cauldrons. These weapons could materialize and vanish at will, transforming as he wished.
When the ten apertures opened, they absorbed the dao fire, drawing in endless essence, like bottomless pits devouring everything.
The middle-aged scholar was stunned. Even though he had heard of Shi Hao’s extraordinary abilities, witnessing it firsthand still made his face change color. Ten vital apertures—this was defying the natural order. It was like witnessing a miracle.
The dao fire was drawn into the ten apertures, making them glow with even more brilliance, becoming increasingly sacred and radiant, replenishing Shi Hao’s energy and spirit.
"Break!"
The middle-aged scholar calmed himself, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. He fiercely controlled the flames from his body, intending to burst the opponent's cave, using his higher cultivation level to overpower him.
In fact, this approach wasn't wrong. Those with a higher cultivation realm generally had the ability to burst the caves of lower-level cultivators using their own battle energy and divine power.
However, the ten caves were too extraordinary. His suppression was ineffective, as Shi Hao continuously absorbed the essence through his caves, rendering the flames completely harmless.
"Boom!"
Seeing that he couldn’t burst the caves, the middle-aged scholar's expression became grim. He waved the fan in his hand forcefully, releasing a four-colored light. The earth rumbled, and endless symbols pressed down like a mountain.
This was the Four Symbols Fan, a powerful magical artifact that had a renowned reputation in ancient times.
Unfortunately, it was difficult to gather the divine materials in the present age, so the four-colored fan couldn’t compare to the sacred artifacts of that era. Still, for someone at the Imprint Realm, it was formidable.
The four-colored light shot out, as sharp and unstoppable as heavenly thunder, aiming to destroy Shi Hao. This was an extremely powerful attack. When a master of the Imprint Realm wielded a treasure in full force, most Spirit Transformation cultivators would be shattered on the spot.
Shi Hao felt the pressure but remained unafraid. The middle-aged scholar had only just stepped into the Imprint Realm; he was not a king or marquis-level figure.
His eyes gleamed, turning a light gold as he decided to test his abilities. A Kunpeng slowly emerged from one of the caves, spreading its wings and soaring into the sky, rushing forward.
The Kunpeng didn’t grow too large, as the courtyard was sealed, and Shi Hao didn’t want to attract too much attention. He limited its movements to the confined space.
"Boom!"
The four-colored light shattered as the Kunpeng charged through, smashing half of the middle-aged scholar’s body into a bloody mess. The treasure fan in his hand exploded instantly, leaving a gruesome sight.
"What kind of divine technique is this?" he exclaimed in shock. The battle had barely begun, yet as an Imprint Realm master, he couldn’t even withstand a single strike from a Spirit Transformation teenager. It was utterly astounding.
After using this divine Kunpeng technique, Shi Hao had no intention of letting him go. Having tested the Kunpeng's abilities, he decided to silence his opponent.
His heart was filled with excitement. He hadn’t even fully comprehended this technique, yet its killing power was already so overwhelming. It thrilled and astonished him.
"Hmm, there are more people here. I’ll need to deal with all of them." Shi Hao’s keen spiritual sense detected more individuals hidden in the courtyard, lurking in places that ordinary people couldn’t sense.
"Clang!"
In an instant, his body glowed, and the small black figure in his hand merged into his body, becoming one with him.
At that moment, his entire body emitted a dark light, shimmering with a cold metallic sheen. He had fused with his Undying Golden Body, instantly boosting his combat power.
Even though Shi Hao was already strong enough to deal with the middle-aged scholar, he summoned his treasure to ensure nothing went wrong and no one escaped.
"Swish!"
A streak of blood flashed, and the middle-aged scholar, whose body was already half destroyed, widened his eyes in terror. He couldn’t believe how terrifying Shi Hao had become. A single rush severed his head.
It was too quick. Even though he was gravely injured, it still shouldn’t have happened this way. He didn’t understand and died with his eyes wide open.
The others hidden in the area cried out in terror, struggling desperately. They knew what had happened—the opponent had unleashed ten caves, locking down space, making it impossible for them to move.
Shi Hao appeared before them, cold and emotionless. The black Undying Golden Body fused with him. With a few swift and ruthless strikes, the remaining four individuals were decapitated, all killed instantly.
He cleaned up the battlefield, inspecting their belongings. As expected, there were people from the Martial King’s Manor, and among them was a strong expert from the Rain Clan, bearing their family emblem.
"I haven’t even fully unleashed myself, and you couldn’t wait to act?" Shi Hao muttered to himself.
Soon after, he called for the inn staff and prepared several exquisite gift boxes. He placed a severed head in each one and ordered them to be delivered.
The staff at the Tiger Gate Inn had no idea what was inside. They simply carried out the task of delivering the boxes—four to the Martial King’s Manor and one to the Rain King’s Manor.
"You want to provoke and retaliate against me? I’ll gladly oblige. Today, I’ll accompany you all the way. When the time comes, I’ll personally pay you a visit." Shi Hao muttered to himself.
When the Martial King’s Manor received the four luxurious gift boxes, they were heavy, with glowing symbols. Everyone in the manor believed they contained precious treasures. But when the boxes were opened, all of their expressions changed.
With a loud bang, Shi Ziteng shattered the stone table with his hand, his face dark and menacing. He knew his men had made a move, intending to teach the boy a lesson. He hadn’t stopped them at the time, never imagining that their heads would be returned so quickly.
This was a blatant provocation and a slap in the face!
Moreover, one head was missing—that of the Rain Clan’s representative, who had visited the Martial King’s Manor earlier that day. He had gone along with them, yet his fate was unclear. What had become of him?
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