Perfect World

Chapter 574: Chapter 574: Battle Against Fate
 

“It’s a pity, Lord Huntian, how lamentable!” War King and others were shocked yet helpless upon receiving the news from the Western Border, speechless for a long while.

Shi Hao placed the Human Emperor’s Seal on the Dragon Scripture Desk where auspicious vapors billowed, surrounded by hundreds of Celestial Dragons. This precious imprint was extraordinary, capable of suppressing the fortune of a nation, its power boundless.

“Has His Majesty really left?” Peng Jiu asked. The others also opened their mouths. They knew they could not retain him; he was destined to depart.

“I want to go to the higher realms,” Shi Hao said. Then he paid a grand salute to the few Venerables, asking them to act as regents and to assist Light Wind.

If Light Wind truly was not suitable, then there was nothing to say. He asked War King and others to establish someone else, allowing Light Wind to abdicate and thus regain his freedom.

He believed that with the presence of those Venerables, the eight regions could not be shaken by any power because the strong from all races had already faced their own calamities during the great disaster.

“Your Majesty, are you going to the higher realms now?” War King asked. This departure could mean many years—normally, an entire lifetime would pass without the chance of reunion.

“No, I’m going to Three Lives Mountain to cultivate,” Shi Hao replied.

He felt uneasy in his heart. The gods and Flying Pythons from Heavenly Kingdom had perished, but did that signify the end? Logically, with the Absolute Heavenly Passage sealed, no more creatures should descend to the Lower Realm; but who could guarantee it?

This time, that will and the Python God descended, causing the leaders of the three sects to suffer unimaginable losses, thereby tearing a rift in the void.

What if someone was determined to send creatures that were igniting divine flames to the Lower Realm?

Shi Hao did not want to leave things unresolved. If he stealthily ascended to the heavens, laying low in the higher realms, hiding his identity, he might be safe. Even now, if he abdicated and hid in the great desolate area of the Lower Realm, never to appear again, there would be no danger.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝗴𝘰.co

Yet, he did not want it this way. What if a creature that was igniting divine flames descended, and taking its anger out on Stone Country, targeted those he knew? What then?

Therefore, he would inform the world that he was abdicating and secluding himself in Three Lives Mountain to comprehend the road, and he would close off to cultivate there.

In this way, if anyone were coming for him, they would naturally head straight to Three Lives Mountain, settling the issue without affecting those around him.

“Your Majesty, this is too dangerous!” War King exclaimed anxiously upon hearing this, trying to dissuade him.

Even those who tried repeatedly to retain him immediately expressed their feelings, advising him to ascend to the heavens or hide in the great desolate area for secret cultivation—he should not proceed like this.

“How could I simply walk away?” Shi Hao shook his head. If there were Cause and Effect, he would bear it, leaving behind no crises or risks. If there were none, then he would ascend to the heavens.

Shi Hao left almost everything behind, taking only a few items with him as he hurried to Three Lives Mountain.

On that day, the world trembled. The Stone Emperor had abdicated and secluded himself on a spiritual mountain to comprehend the road and seek self-detachment, shocking everyone.

It had not been long since his ascension, and he had just quelled various upheavals, steering Stone Country onto the right track. His immediate abdication went beyond everyone’s expectations.

All quarters paid attention, with even sealed-off sects like the Heaven Mending Sect and Western Sect sending envoys to verify.

“Little Stone is astonishing and exceptional; he has grand ambition, aiming to enter the divine dao. He does not cling to the scepter amidst the mortal dust; his dao heart is solid!” many sighed in admiration.

If they were in his position, could they let go so easily? It represented nobility and glory, the ultimate status among mortals—how could one abandon that?

“The myth of being undefeated or defeated—the Child with Dual Pupils—who cut down Venerables from all directions, and now Little Stone forges his own path, fated to shine even brighter.”

All directions were astounded, the eight regions were abuzz with discussion, everyone in awe.

Three Lives Mountain, more than twenty thousand li from Stone Kingdom’s Imperial Capital, known as a place of spiritual elegance, with mountain ranges and graceful peaks standing side by side, filled with Spiritual Energy.

Shi Hao chose a more secluded hill, built a thatched hut, brought over a huge limestone for meditation—extraordinarily simple.

He cultivated here, comprehending the dao—not idly waiting to see if a great enemy would arrive. He did not care, taking out the Myriad Spirits Diagram to attentively examine and ponder carefully.

This was his path, his dao. Every viewing yielded different insights. Within it were all kinds of creatures, from the mighty giant Peng bird to the insignificant ant—each capable of reaching the heavens.

“Why do I not see the Primordial—those creatures born with unique divine powers that astound the world?” Shi Hao muttered to himself.

Holding a luminous bone, he looked over it many times, feeling enlightened but also harboring his own doubts, silently pondering and deducing something.

According to the Willow Deity, the Supreme Bone was strong, but it might ultimately be a shackle, affecting the ultimate detachment.

Shi Hao contemplated the Myriad Spirits Diagram, combining these thoughts, and began to think about his future path.

In the following days, he temporarily set aside the Myriad Spirits Diagram, continuously delving into the mysteries of his bone and then trying to imprint all the runes into his flesh and blood.

The Engravement Realm involved inscribing various arrays and such into the flesh. This process could continue indefinitely, entering the Venerable Realm and even after igniting divine flames.

Shi Hao made a decision. He wanted to imprint the entire pattern of the bone into his physique, allowing each inch of blood and bone to possess it, not just this one bone.

In the following half-month, for Shi Hao, it was a laborious and challenging process.

The runes on the Supreme Bone, he had now seen clearly, gained them all, and was now trying with all his might to carve them all, integrating them into the other bones within his body and engraving them in every inch of flesh.

He placed great importance on this process. After several life-and-death battles, he deeply realized that his own precious symbols were the most powerful.

This wasn’t to say that his precious symbols were the best in the world. The Kun Peng’s technique was incredibly strong, reputed to be one of the Primeval Ten Fierce, and it shook the past and present, but that was the Peng race’s method, and it was not necessarily the strongest when he, a member of the human race, performed it.

Of course, he had recently been cultivating the Zhuyan Clan’s seventy-two transformations, transforming himself into a Kun Peng first, and then circulating that method had improved things greatly, becoming extremely powerful.

But he believed that it still would not reach the strongest state of a Kun Peng itself!

Only his own methods, or the precious symbols he created himself, were the most suitable for him, and thus he paid great attention to them, discarding all distractions and investing himself entirely in the process.

He was doing this also to break through to the Venerable Realm, continuously engraving, and naturally elevating and transforming once perfection was reached.

He aimed to reach a day when even without the Supreme Bone, he could still use this method. In fact, if he could truly understand karma thoroughly, without relying on that piece of bone to perform the technique, that might even be stronger!

At that time, whether there were these characters on his flesh and bones or not, he could still use the method, and there would be no limitations on the number of times.

“Ah, this is difficult!” Shi Hao sighed lightly, finding that after he engraved these characters on his physical body and other bones, after several days, most of them would be attracted to the Supreme Bone and land upon it.

“There is some radiant divine blood in the Supreme Bone; it nourished this bone. What would happen if I drew such blood towards other parts of my body, instead of just nourishing it?” Shi Hao murmured.

However, he dared not act recklessly because it was very dangerous and required careful deduction and serious study before making any decisions.

The next month was an extremely important process for Shi Hao. He reasoned and calculated for a long time and felt it necessary to try!

During this period, the nine-headed lion, Xiao Tian, Xia Youyu, and others came to visit separately, very concerned, but seeing that he was in retreat, they did not disturb him.

And the people of the world were convinced that Shi Hao had given up the throne, wholeheartedly seeking the way.

In the higher realms, within an ancient hall, chaotic mist was pervasive, indistinct and unclear, ethereal and mysterious.

In this place, there were several cushions, with figures sitting upright upon them, motionless as if they were fossils that had existed since ancient times, devoid of any Life Essence.

“Sirs, how are you considering?” A figure covered in chaotic mist spoke.

“This time is different from the past. We have to send down those who have ignited divine flames to live there permanently, not just for several days or decades, but until they are successful, finding the Detachment Chapter and a few other fates. So, to fight against the will of heaven, to gain the road’s approval, that’s the only way to allow them to stay for thousands or even tens of thousands of years!”

“Then let’s take action, fight against the will of heaven, and defy the road. We’ll send down some people. That Detachment Chapter is too important for people like us with little longevity left,” someone spoke.

“No matter success or failure, by fighting against the will of heaven, we might suffer the Road’s backlash, we have just this one chance!” Another figure on a cushion spoke as the chaotic mist surged.

The hall fell silent all at once, and for a long time, no one spoke.

“The blood sacrifice in the Heavenly Kingdom has been prepared. Could you all pay a certain price, project yourselves, contact the disciples in the Lower Realm, and assist them in performing the blood sacrifice?” This person was hazy and almost ethereal.

“I have a skeleton of a Void Beast nearing Supreme Level from my Netherworld. I can use it to break through the realm. I have a condition; I want to kill that young man named Shi Hao,” this person’s dark mist surged with emerging light of primal chaos, powerful and intimidating.

“I agree!”

…

Lower Realm, Flood Region.

This was a vast marsh, shrouded in dense mist, and unknown to when an altar had been built, it was entirely black, inscribed with many Divine Demons characters.

Just one glance from afar was enough to feel oppression, as if the souls of people were moths to a flame, distressing and uncomfortable.

On this day, several figures appeared on the altar, from different lineages, all concealing their True Bodies, only glancing at each other before nodding silently and then leaving together.

“Wow wow…”

In the Flood Region, within an ancient country, a demonic wind erupted, the fog covering the sky. A figure waved a large sleeve, and in an instant, an unknown number of creatures were swept from the ground, quieting down this region in no time.

Elsewhere, not belonging to the human race, this was the Tree races’ territory, flourishing beyond compare. Today it, too, was raided—a radiant figure stood high in the sky, holding a Blood Gourd, swallowing from all directions, countless creatures all sucked in.

The same event occurred on another expanse of land.

A powerful being, holding a Heaven and Earth Pouch, frantically collected living beings below. Among them, a powerful silver water dragon struggled fiercely; it saw the true face of the one acting.

“You are… a newly ascended Venerable from the undying great sects, why would you do this?!”

Alas, no one paid it heed.

This day was destined to shake the world and would be recorded in the annals of history!

And the higher realms, too, were in turmoil. This might affect the years to come for tens of thousands of years, with profound and immeasurable significance! (To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com)