Chapter 823: Chapter 823: Masterful Skills

Shi Hao sat cross-legged, his body trembling uncontrollably, as he endured immense agony. From his body, clusters of fiery character-light erupted, scorching his flesh until it became blurred and mangled.

As described by those outside, some places had already turned into massive chasms.

It was as if his dilapidated armor was riddled with gaping holes, appearing utterly pitiful.

But this was no mere armor; it was his fleshly body. For such damage to emerge was both disastrous and perilous. Typically, igniting divine flames ushers in a perfect metamorphosis, making one even stronger!

Yet, in his case, it was clear his body was severely injured. His energy and blood vitality were depleting, and if this persisted, his physical form would wither up entirely.

Hiss!

The flames surged even higher. Some parts of Shi Hao’s flesh began to shrivel, and where the skin broke, luminous white bones were revealed.

“How excruciating!”

Shi Hao quivered slightly, gritting his teeth as he endured this torment.

He finally understood why those of ancient times who sought to walk an unconventional path to godhood all failed and met miserable ends. This was not something any ordinary person could endure.

This was just the beginning, yet his physique was already reaching its limit, on the verge of severe damage.

He began to doubt whether he could persevere. This path he chose was far more brutal, more absolute, leaving no room for reservation compared to those taken in distant antiquity.

He was not merely drawing upon the “Ancient Fire” but was summoning the broader road of the Dao itself.

At this moment, countless principles of the Dao burned his body and spirit, like immortal swords slicing away his flesh and splitting his soul. The pain was intolerable.

With heaven and earth as the copper furnace and the myriad Dao as its flames, he refined himself. This was not a torment any ordinary person could withstand. Even at the start, Shi Hao realized this path might be his ultimate doom.

One after another, bluestone paths rippled like clusters of flames, converging towards Shi Hao, entangling him tightly.

This was just over a dozen primal principles, and already it was this overwhelming. One could only imagine how much harder it would get later; a single misstep could obliterate both his form and spirit instantly!

Over the course of several months, Shi Hao had meditated and communicated with the principles embedded within the bluestone paths. Now, he guided those principles, allowing over ten of them to converge on his person.

“I didn’t do it right. There’s a deviation. This isn’t refining; this is self-destruction,” Shi Hao silently reflected, summing up his failures.

Indeed, although he had invoked over a dozen principles, he hadn’t properly utilized the cosmic copper furnace. Instead, he was directly incinerating himself, an error in execution.

One after another, the ripples on the bluestone paths grew brighter, like serpents of light slithering toward him. They coiled around Shi Hao, tightening further into his body, intensifying the crisis.

More severe injuries appeared across his body, with some places on the verge of snapping apart. The dozen or so principles released, burned, and cleaved into him.

“This isn’t right!”

Shi Hao suddenly opened his eyes. He realized he had to make a change. Otherwise, he’d certainly perish before reaching the end of this path.

“Heaven and Earth as Furnace!”

In an instant, he broke free, rising above the ground yet still seated cross-legged, suspended in mid-air.

All around him, the void twisted, becoming hazy, as if shrouded in mist.

Boom!

A deafening bang echoed as though the heavens were collapsing.

Another tremendous quake followed, and the bluestone path seemed to ascend, closing the distance to him.

In that moment, this place underwent a bizarre transformation. Upon closer inspection, the void was caving inward, reshaping itself. The flames formed from over a dozen principles were pushed away, exiting his body.

Unnoticed, a furnace-like construct materialized around his body, forged from the void itself, ensconcing him within.

Particularly striking was when his body began to emit a divine radiance. Penetrating light illuminated the translucent surface of the furnace.

Outside, the observers felt a chill down their spines.

At this moment, a furnace formed around Shi Hao. Filled with blinding light, its shape was now discernible, though without the radiance, it would have been nearly impossible to see.

The distorted void, the bound heavens and earth forging a furnace–this was a tangible spectacle!

If not for the divine glow within, others would have struggled to perceive its existence, only sensing a blurred, flickering contour.

This scene was truly astonishing!

At this point, the dozens of light beams coiled around him transformed into raging flames. They boiled and scorched the copper furnace rather than his body.

The external onlookers exchanged bewildered glances, finding the scene nearly unfathomable.

“He is making audacious strides, choosing such a perilous path, even more extreme than those mythical figures of old who astonished the world yet fell or were left ruined!” A Sect Hierarch muttered, his expression somber.

This high appraisal left the rest shell-shocked. Could the Desolate, the Accursed Blood, Shi Hao, truly aspire to defy destiny?

Shi Hao’s expression grew tranquil. Enshrouded within the furnace, the flames of over a dozen principles burned and roasted him. He silently meditated, striving to find inner peace.

“It must be done this way!”

Heaven and Earth as the furnace, the myriad principles as the flames, a nascent concept now coming to life. Within the void, Shi Hao opened a crucible, sitting in its center, enshrouded by the infernos of over a dozen principles.

The scene grew ever more dazzling. The previously intangible crucible took physical form, infused with his blood vitality and mana while encased in Dao flames, taking on a simple and unadorned yet profound appearance.

Time slipped by rapidly; half a month passed. The Dao flames were ceaseless, burning ever more fiercely as the place grew even more enigmatic.

Shi Hao, immersed within the crucible, resembled a great elixir being refined. He absorbed the purest essence of heaven and earth, drawing energy from the Dao flames to strengthen himself.

The gaping wounds across his body began to heal gradually. His skin glowed faintly with life, no longer desolate and listless.

“But this still doesn’t align with my aspiration.”

Inside the furnace, Shi Hao contemplated, his injuries slowly mending due to the gentler flames filtering through the crucible, bringing restoration to his battered form.

Though he had benefited, this was not the path he sought to tread.

“I look to these principles and these ways, not to replicate or follow them blindly,” Shi Hao’s gaze grew resolute. What he sought was transcendence, not retracing the steps of those who came before him; he need only observe.

“I use these principles as flames to burn and refine myself, to forge my True Self, not to imitate ancient methods!” Shi Hao declared.

The next moment, the crucible remained, but the dozen or more flames intensified, blazing fiercely as they pierced through the furnace and permeated his body, igniting him completely.

Even with the crucible’s filtration muting their extremes, the flames were still unimaginably terrifying.

Shi Hao observed the Dao, yet he emulated no ancient practice. Instead, he used the flames to burn and temper himself. His body quickly began accumulating new injuries.

Outside, the spectators were shocked, increasingly unable to comprehend him.

“His body has reached the zenith of what a Venerable One can achieve. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’s forged a new path–how else could he withstand it?” someone remarked.

Several Sect Hierarchs gazed deeply at the scene in silence, their thoughts turning to certain phenomena. Only someone who had withstood the harshest Heavenly Calamity could endure this magnitude of Dao flames.

Otherwise, an ordinary Venerable One entering this would be reduced to ash in an instant. How could anyone endure such torment?

Those intending to tread his path would need an indestructible body and a powerful Primordial Spirit. Without them, the entanglement of so many Dao flames would inevitably leave one as ash.

“Does he… truly intend to comprehend the principles of all three thousand bluestone paths and become a god through them? This… is unthinkable!” A Celestial God’s heart stirred violently.

Even if it seemed impossible and destined to fail, they were still shocked by his audacity.

Others were equally shaken. Could this youth truly aim to decipher the Dao within the three thousand ancient bluestone paths and ascend to godhood?

“Has he gone insane? Such an endeavor is doomed. No result will come of it.” Someone shook their head, convinced he was fated to fail.

Even dedicating an entire lifetime wouldn’t suffice to grasp them all. Moreover, this was the Immortal Ancient, not some Pure Land. Who would grant him the time needed? Conflict would inevitably arise long before that.

If his presence was discovered, he would undoubtedly become a target for extermination!

“Wrong. His ambition reaches far beyond your imaginations. He does not seek to emulate the three thousand ancient Daos,” a voice said from within a Purple Gold Carriage.

The carriage was engulfed in chaotic mist, as though suspended in the primordial void before the creation of the world–mysterious and unfathomable.

This was the war chariot of the ruling imperial family. Many speculated that within it sat the mightiest figure of their dynasty’s history, who had now seen through the young man’s intent.

“He merely uses the three thousand paths’ principles as fuel for his fire, nothing more–he observes and studies, but does not walk their entirety,” came a voice from the Purple Gold Carriage.

“Why… would he do this?” Even some Sect Hierarchs frowned, failing to grasp this insight.

To master all the principles on the bluestone paths was unimaginably difficult, practically unattainable. But to set such a goal demonstrated immense ambition, a mighty horizon. With a lifetime of effort, maybe, just maybe, something remarkable could result.

Yet this youth… did not harbor such intent?

“He harbors grand aspirations, unwilling to remain shackled by this world. To him, the so-called three thousand Dao flames are merely ‘fire,’ nothing more. His aim is to transcend these Dao,” the imperial family’s mysterious figure declared from within the Purple Gold Carriage.

Everyone fell into stunned silence, their hearts filled with dread. This youth dared to embark on such a path?

If Shi Hao had overheard this analysis, he might have been startled, realizing that someone had glimpsed part of his thoughts and discerned a fraction of his journey.

But ultimately, so what? How many dared to follow such a path?

In reality, the observers outside were seething inwardly, cursing this madness as suicidal. Using the myriad Dao as flames to incinerate one’s self, such a path surely led to ashes.

“Even if the entire world understood his path, who would dare to tread it? Even he seems unlikely to succeed.” A Sect Hierarch mused.

“Perhaps he has already withstood the fiercest Heavenly Calamity. Look, he’s stoking the flames once more, igniting the crucible, tempering himself further!” someone exclaimed.

In the Immortal Ancient, above the bluestone paths.

Shi Hao summoned even more Dao flames. One after another, they rippled and transformed into streams of light, coalescing into fire that scorched the Heaven and Earth Furnace!

Amidst this, Shi Hao’s body incurred another round of injuries. The sheer intensity of the flames, now numbering in the dozens, overwhelmed even his iron will and tempered body.

All of this unfolded according to the blueprint in his mind. Step by step, he was forging his own path forward.

“One hundred and eight Dao flames now! And still, he endures?!” the onlookers gasped.

“He clearly understands–it’s impossible to rush forward in a single leap. Even while drawing upon over a hundred principles from the bluestone paths, he hasn’t allowed them to erupt in full fury. Instead, he’s using a ‘gentle flame,’ acclimating himself little by little, refining his body,” someone observed insightfully.

Then, Shi Hao ceased adding to the flames. Sitting within the furnace, his entire body shimmered and burned.

Parts of his body began to ignite, his flesh withering, and his whole frame shrunk visibly–his inner vitality, spirit, and essence constantly compressed and refined.

Meanwhile, more injuries emerged across his body. With holes and cracks numbering in the hundreds, no matter how controlled the Dao flames were, they inevitably caused damage.

Over another month, he gradually adapted, and his wounds ceased worsening.

Yet by now, his entire body was charred black like a piece of charcoal, riddled with over a hundred holes and injuries!

“Heaven and Earth as a crucible, flesh and blood as a crucible, and even the Primordial Spirit as a crucible…” Shi Hao murmured, readying himself for an audacious step.

He deliberately thinned the walls of the Heaven and Earth Furnace, allowing the flames to pour inside and directly temper his body unrestrained!

This was a horrifyingly daring act. Over the subsequent month of incinerating both flesh and soul, Shi Hao’s body became utterly desiccated. His wounds disappeared, as his flesh turned to thin skin clinging tightly to his bones.

Furthermore, his Primordial Spirit refined into a luminous orb of piercing brilliance!

Eventually, the flames inside and outside the crucible burned with identical ferocity. If the Heaven and Earth Furnace were dispelled, the situation would remain largely unchanged.

Time flew by, and Shi Hao’s nine months in the Immortal Ancient realm passed in the blink of an eye!

By now, the flames within the furnace had turned blue. One hundred and eight principles of Dao flames had unified, blending seamlessly, burning both his body and spirit.

“The flames have become pure–this stage of cultivation and metamorphosis has reached its limit, marking the end of the first phase,” Shi Hao realized.

One hundred and eight ancient paths of the Dao–though only partially ignited rather than unleashed in their full glory–were already dazzling enough to astound the world. Their fusion alone was enough to incinerate most beings into dust.

“I’ll let these flames burn at this level of intensity until all three thousand Dao flames emerge,” Shi Hao resolved.

Should this succeed, he could then consider intensifying each flame, communicating deeper, and unleashing the gods’ might contained within the Dao itself.

“Am I seeing this right? One hundred and eight Dao flames, burning him for months, and he’s still alive?!”

“Not just that–look! The flames have purified. They’ve refined him to an unprecedented level!”

Outside, spectators were staggered.

When the distorted void and Heaven and Earth Furnace dissipated, and the one hundred and eight flames retreated, Shi Hao plummeted, collapsing onto the stone stairs of the bluestone path.

“Overreach turned ruinous–he’s burned himself out!” came a judgment.

Even certain Sect Hierarchs frowned; it seemed he had indeed scorched himself past redemption.

At this moment, Shi Hao resembled nothing more than a skeleton, scorched black, his skin clinging to his bones and devoid of vitality.

He lay there, immobile.

“Child, please, don’t let anything happen to you. Wake up soon,” someone murmured from Immortal Mountain, their voice choked with sobs and sorrow.

Three whole days passed, and Shi Hao had not stirred. His body continued to dry out, his vitality diminishing further by the moment.

“Is he dead? He must have burned away his True Body,” someone from the Netherworld remarked, their expertise in life and death profound.

Not until the fifth day did Shi Hao revive, slowly climbing back to his feet. He frowned, taking deliberate steps towards the outskirts of the bluestone path, approaching the countless vibrant Minor Thousand Worlds.

“I must replenish my energy and divine power quickly, or this will spiral further downward,” he murmured to himself.

“In this condition, stepping into those vibrant worlds… even a random Venerable One could easily cut him down. His injuries are far too severe.”

Outside, many people fixed their gazes on the Stele, watching his movements, and shook their heads in dismay.

Meanwhile, figures from Fire Cloud Cave, the Netherworld, the Heavenly Kingdom, and other factions, revealed faintly cold smiles. In his wrecked state, entering those ancient worlds was tantamount to a death sentence for Shi Hao.

“Oh? He’s gone into the Minor Thousand World where the Primordial of our clan resides. Has he come seeking his own demise?” The Demon Dragon Dao Gate disciples laughed, unable to believe Shi Hao had ventured into their Primordial’s domain.

The others also revealed peculiar expressions. It was well-known that the Primordial of the Demon Dragon Dao Gate had already ignited divine flames and undergone a transformation some three or four months ago, attaining the rank of a Divine Seat!

“What dense essence qi this place holds!” Shi Hao took a deliberate, deep breath. Peering far into the distance, he saw auspicious light rising from the earth’s edge, the energies growing even richer.

Walking onward, he finally approached a stone cliff that shimmered like jade, radiant and resplendent. Beneath the mountain wall, he discovered a spring, from which divine light surged continuously, shrouded in glistening mist.

“A Divine Spring!” Shi Hao exclaimed with joy.

“Who goes there? Leave at once! My lord is in seclusion and must not be disturbed.”

“Ugly wretch, begone!”

Within the mountains, a dozen or more figures emerged in succession, all having transitioned from Venerable Ones to experts within the Divine Fire Realm. They stood guard, forbidding entry to the area.

Shi Hao ignored them, his gaze fixed on the Divine Spring. There, he saw a Jiao Long submerged within, its entire form gleaming as though carved from radiant jade.

Those watching from the outside world also witnessed this scene.

The Demon Dragon Dao Gate members reacted with shock upon discovering Shi Hao trespassing upon their clan Primordial’s place of seclusion.

“Heh heh, hahaha…” they erupted into laughter, unable to contain themselves. This was nothing short of suicidal.

In his current state–nearly burned to death, his body emaciated and devoid of energy–what chance did he stand against the already-deified Primordial of the Demon Dragon Clan?

The entire Demon Dragon lineage reveled in delight, their laughter brimming with schadenfreude.

“This is truly poetic justice. Our clan’s Primordial will personally slay this Descendant of Sinful Blood and wash away the humiliations we endured in the Spirit Realm!” someone declared with gritted teeth.

Even some major sects sighed secretly in pity. The Desolate One’s luck had run dry. Already severely injured and virtually burned to death, the first enemy he encountered was a terrifying powerhouse.

“Eh? Is he… smiling? Is that drool…? Did he burn himself stupid?” someone exclaimed, watching Shi Hao’s peculiar expression in confusion.

On the mountain, Shi Hao’s cracked lips parted into a dry grin. He swallowed hard, though his throat was parched, leaving nothing to swallow down.

Otherwise, it seemed as though drool would have been dripping from the corners of his mouth.

His gaze was fixed on the Divine Spring, his eyes blazing with fervor.

In the outside world, many were left speechless, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

After all, the reputation of the figure within the Divine Spring was immense, renowned across numerous regions–now having reached true godhood.

The Demon Dragon Dao Gate members, however, were incensed by Shi Hao’s expression. He looked like a starved ghost reincarnated, suddenly stumbling upon a lavish feast.

Their fury boiled over at this disgrace. That Shi Hao, in his near-death state, still dared to fantasize about consuming their clan’s Primordial. It was outrageous and shameful, enough to make their blood boil!

Written as a long chapter. Wishing everyone a joyous holiday and kindly requesting a monthly vote.

Thank you all.

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