Chapter 824: Chapter 824: First Battle of Becoming a God

The Primordial of the Demon Dragon Dao Gate–Yao Yi, saw a dark and shriveled humanoid figure approaching. His pupils gleamed with a sharp light.

“Get lost! Looking like a piece of burnt charcoal, all skin and bones–impossible to eat or sink teeth into!” Beside him, a being of the Divine Fire Realm reprimanded loudly.

These people were all from the Demon Dragon Dao Gate. They drove Shi Hao away, forbidding him from approaching, their faces filled with disdain and loathing.

In their eyes, this must be a loser, someone who had burned their Dao foundation during the process of igniting divine flames, leaving their flesh dried and withered, ending up in such a wretched state.

To their astonishment, the person didn’t stop but instead kept grinning, baring his teeth in a twisted smile that reminded of a flower–granted, a sun-dried, scorched flower.

His face was ashen and shriveled, yet his teeth remained conspicuously white. He continued to smile at everyone, especially Yao Yi. His gaze carried a peculiar intensity, enough to make people shiver, as though it dripped with “passionate affection.”

Even onlookers from the various sects beyond the scene remained silent, simultaneously struck by unease and discomfort, their imaginations running wild.

“This lunatic–could he possibly be… into men?”

By the Divine Spring, these newly ascended gods all wore dark expressions, rebuking loudly before unleashing attacks. One of them roared, spraying a burst of scarlet light that morphed into a Divine Sword, slashing down at Shi Hao.

“Clang!”

However, the blackened, skeletal figure merely raised one hand lightly, blocking the scarlet sword with his bare fingers and pinching it between them.

This sword, crafted from a rare beast fang, was incredibly sturdy and qualified as a Divine-grade Artifact. Yet the person didn’t employ any technique–he merely snapped it in half with a crisp crunch.

The group gasped in shock, their faces changing dramatically.

“Who… are you?”

They could no longer remain calm, their demeanor turning grave, their divine lights flaring up in their eyes, fixed on the scorched figure who seemed as though he had endured unimaginable fiery tribulations.

“And you lot… are from the Demon Dragon Dao Gate?” Shi Hao squinted at the insignias on their robes and recognized them instantly. After all, during his time in the Spirit Realm, he’d slain quite a number of them.

Everyone present wore solemn expressions. They now watched the charred man with grave seriousness, no longer daring to underestimate him.

“Friend, who are you, and what do you intend to do?” Yao Yi spoke up.

At the base of the stone cliff sat a pool of spring water, clear and luminous like jade marrow, radiating iridescent brilliance.

Yao Yi stood within it, his massive Jiao Dragon form coiled in place, exuding sacred radiance. His vitality was astonishing, his divine energy as vast as an ocean, far surpassing his former strength.

“I… am the very person you’ve been searching for,” Shi Hao replied, his blackened skin only making his teeth appear even whiter in contrast.

Yao Yi’s heart stirred upon hearing this. He spat out a bone mirror, shining it upon Shi Hao, and in an instant, sacred light surged from his forehead as a character was imprinted into the void.

“It’s you!”

With a splash, the spring water scattered as Yao Yi leapt out of the pool, his gaze icy cold. In that moment, he realized who stood before him!

The surrounding people were equally startled. Seeing the sacred light rise from Yao Yi’s forehead, they too instantly understood his identity.

“A descendant of Sinful Blood!”

“A filthy, lowly creature with Sinful Blood flowing so strongly in their veins!”

The crowd’s expressions darkened, turning extremely hostile and filled with uncontrollable disgust and hatred. Their eyes grew cold as though staring at a depraved beast.

“You people have such punchable mouths!” Shi Hao sneered, his figure flickering and leaving behind an afterimage. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.

Almost simultaneously, cries erupted from two Divine Fire Realm experts who had openly insulted the Sinful Blood Lineage. They moved to resist with all their might.

Unfortunately, their reaction was a fraction too slow–or perhaps they were simply too slow altogether.

Smack!

Both were struck–one’s left cheek split open, sending bloody teeth flying, while the other’s jaw shattered, his mouth similarly bloodied.

Each received a resounding slap, their faces visibly ruptured. Spun around three full times on the spot, both appeared dazed as their Primordial Spirits quivered in disarray.

To think these were gods, and yet they were so easily subjected to such humiliating strikes–utterly powerless!

Everyone present, as well as the countless cultivators watching from afar, was stunned. Especially the elder figures of the Demon Dragon Dao Gate, whose expressions turned unsightly to the extreme.

Just moments earlier, they had been laughing, claiming it was poetic justice–that a descendant of Sinful Blood had walked straight into death by approaching them, ready to be slaughtered.

But what unfolded shattered those expectations. Those two slaps felt as though they had landed squarely on their own faces, leaving a burning sting.

“Was it you who killed the Celestial God of our sect back in the Spirit Realm?!”

Beside Yao Yi, a young woman’s face turned ashen as her hair danced wildly. Flames of fury blazed in her eyes, filled with resentment and hatred as she glared at Shi Hao.

“Oh? How do you know that? By all rights, at the time, we were all traversing trials, so no one could’ve conveyed such news to you,” Shi Hao said, his gaze sparkling.

The Demon Dragon Dao Gate, Fire Cloud Cave, Heavenly Kingdom, and Netherworld–powerhouses like these always spanned multiple states, sending disciples into various regions to compete.

At that time, Yao Yi and these others had not been in Sin State and couldn’t possibly have known about the incident.

Outside, elders of the Demon Dragon Dao Gate wore grim expressions while members of other sects cast suggestive glances their way.

Clearly, the gate had violated regulations, utilizing taboo means to secretly transmit information while their stronger disciples pursued the Immortal Dao Flower Bud within the No-Man’s Land.

“You killed Yun Meng, the Celestial God of our sect. This debt must be settled!” someone remarked coldly.

By the Divine Spring, not everyone had received the information–only a select few of the most vital disciples knew. The rest were shocked, alarmed by what they heard.

A Celestial God of their sect had fallen–a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions!

“You hideous wretch of filthy, lowly blood–you’ll be annihilated!” the woman shrieked. Clearly, she shared some close connection with the fallen Celestial God.

“Ignorance,” Shi Hao murmured softly.

The next moment, he moved again, transforming into a streak of black light, ghost-like, as he approached the woman to strike.

“You wretched descendant of a cursed bloodline–die!” she screamed hysterically, summoning a bone umbrella that emitted a white radiance to suppress Shi Hao.

The Heaven-net Umbrella–this was a famed treasured artifact. The umbrella in her possession had been refined using a Divine Bone, its surface spreading out like a collapsing sky, densely packed with runes, resembling a sky full of stars.

As for the umbrella’s rib–like a pillar propping up heaven–it exuded an oppressive aura as it bore down fiercely.

“Hiss!”

Yet, shockingly, Shi Hao’s palm lightly swept across, severing the umbrella’s rib, and with one strong tug, the starry surface shattered into countless fragments.

The Heaven-net Umbrella was destroyed!

Bang!

Shi Hao’s leg swept out, slamming into the void with such overwhelming force that space itself twisted and nearly shattered. The sheer power of the blow was evident!

Yao Yi transformed into a streak of light, unfurling his Jiao Dragon’s tail to sweep up the woman, retreating just in time to avoid the strike.

Shi Hao’s kick missed, but the void it struck resonated with a booming reverberation, sending out a gale that left nearby individuals staggering.

“What incredible strength!”

Everyone felt their hearts pound. This seemingly lifeless, charcoal-like figure held unimaginable combat power.

Shi Hao didn’t pursue but instead reappeared at the spring, sitting cross-legged in its midst as he began frantically consuming Divine Power, his entire being suddenly flourishing with brilliance.

The intensity of this scene left the onlookers frozen in shock–the energy fluctuations were simply too violent.

The spring’s liquid, viscous and crystalline like divine nectar, enveloped him as the most primordial, purest Divine Substance surged into his body, fueling him like oil into a fire.

In an instant, Shi Hao’s shriveled form filled out slightly, and he shed a layer of old skin, revealing his true appearance beneath.

“Stop him!”

Yao Yi acted, shifting into human form as he led the charge, his roar like a volcanic eruption. His call summoned infinite symbols, a torrent cascading toward Shi Hao.

The Dragon Chant shook the heavens!

This was an incredibly powerful precious symbol that unleashed shocking offensive force!

One could clearly see the cliff behind Shi Hao turning to dust in silence, and several distant stone mountains beyond it crumbling to rubble.

This was the power of the Dragon Chant!

Yet Shi Hao held firm. Even though his opponent was a Primordial who had ascended to godhood, he could still endure. When he raised a luminous barrier around himself, the Dragon Chant’s rippling runes flowed harmlessly past his sides, sparing his body entirely.

“Whoosh!”

The group charged simultaneously, each unleashing their secret techniques, treasured artifacts, and blazing runes–all aiming at a single target.

“Swish!”

Shi Hao vanished again, his speed so astounding it was difficult to follow. When he reappeared, his glowing fist obliterated the body of a god in an explosion of divine light.

He moved like a ghost, erratic and unfathomable, constantly shifting directions. During his movement, his charred skin continued to fall away, revealing a radiant, jade-like brilliance underneath.

“Pfft, pfft…”

With rapid successions of impacts, six or seven experts had already collapsed, slain on the spot.

“Do you dare face me in battle and forfeit your head?!” Yao Yi bellowed, his gaze savage and ferocious. He couldn’t let things continue this way; his comrades were all being slaughtered.

“Why wouldn’t I dare?”

Shi Hao stopped as his once-emaciated body underwent startling transformations. His skin was now smooth and jade-like, his features refined and youthful, though a trace of weariness lingered.

As his body filled out, scars on certain parts of his form were still visible–large gashes that had yet to fully heal, some resembling gaping holes.

Yet, from within those 108 scars, flames burned and sacred light danced, elevating him to an otherworldly and divine presence.

“What… He ascended to godhood?!”

Not only the surrounding audience but also the external observers were taken aback, their hearts skipping beats.

Everyone had assumed his body was ruined, his foundational roots in the divine dao destroyed. No one imagined he had already ascended to godhood–those 108 wounds radiating divine brilliance nurtured his entire form.

“So this is merely the initial step of godhood… Not quite as I expected. I need to undergo further transformation,” Shi Hao remarked with a dazzling smile.

The crowd’s expressions turned sour. Ascended to godhood but still talking of further transformations–what kind of path had he taken?

“Yao Yi, avenge the Patriarch! Kill him!” the woman shrieked.

“Kill him!” The others roared.

They were certain Yao Yi was invincible. As a Primordial who had been a god for several months already, with roaring divine flames and unmatched mana, his power once crowned across states. Now, he must be even more unfathomable.

Furthermore, Shi Hao clearly bore the scars of severe trauma during his ascension–a body riddled with gaping wounds, his vitality weak and insufficiently strong.

“Roar…”

With a dragon’s roar like a tidal wave, Yao Yi soared skyward, launching an all-out assault on Shi Hao. An intense battle began.

After exchanging dozens of moves, both fighters blazed with ample symbols, their techniques interwoven–dragon roars and tiger growls echoing perpetually, shaking this Minor Thousand World.

“Pfft!”

Shi Hao launched intermittent attacks on bystanders as he battled. One failed to evade in time and was struck down.

“How dare you, wretched descendant of vile blood! Cease your savagery and surrender your life!” Yao Yi bellowed, pursuing Shi Hao relentlessly.

But his warning came too late. His actions, too, lagged behind, as Shi Hao moved in, appearing before the woman who had shrieked earlier. With a sweeping slash of his right hand, her defending arm was severed. Another light slash followed and her head fell to the ground.

“Ahhh…”

The woman screamed, her tone suffused with bitterness, hatred mingled with terror. She perished utterly unwilling.

“No!”

The ensuing scenes reverberated beyond the battlefield. From outside, sect leaders watched as the cultivators of the Demon Dragon Dao Gate grew ashen. Several nearly fainted from the shock.

Mere moments ago, they had been mocking the idea that Shi Hao had ascended to godhood unsuccessfully, walking into their domain to face certain death. They claimed their Primordial remained undefeated–as if towering imperiously over all challengers.

But events had unfolded contrary to their expectations, overturning all assumptions and leaving every member of their faction chilled to the bone.

“Demon Dragon Traps the Heavens!”

Within the battlefield, all the divine challengers had fallen to Shi Hao–only Yao Yi remained. Transformed into a Demon Dragon, he fought in his true form.

At his fierce cry, a beam of light resembling a dragon’s tendon erupted from his body, covered densely in runes. It looked like a heavenly chain, seeking to bind Shi Hao.

It was his innate precious symbol, the pride of his lineage–his Jiao Dragon muscle inherently etched with runes, which evolved into the Heaven-Trapping precious symbol.

The Divine Chains originating from his Jiao tendon struck toward Shi Hao as fast as a bolt of extreme lightning.

Slightly shifting aside, Shi Hao evaded the attack. The chain wrapped around a nearby mountain instead, slicing it cleanly apart before turning back to pursue Shi Hao with unyielding persistence.

“You’re too relentless. Fine, then–time to end you!” Shi Hao declared.

From the 108 scars on his body arose blazing suns, luminous and radiant. All now surged to full intensity, and his aura exploded upward.

This was divine-level power!

Shi Hao formed hand seals as he clashed with Yao Yi, tirelessly delivering palm strikes against the Jiao tendon chains. Sparks flew, and ringing clashes reverberated audibly as divine energy collided.

The sight left onlookers aghast. This was supposed to be a Primordial’s strongest symbol, yet Shi Hao was directly countering it–using his bare hands!

The two combatants darted rapidly across the battlefield, their movements impossibly fast. From one mountain to the next, they fought–mountain peaks erupting into rubble along the way.

“You filthy descendant born of darkness and sin–prepare to die!” Yao Yi roared, his power shaking the heavens.

The Dragon roared as it descended, its entire body radiating light while it simultaneously unleashed a multitude of symbols and precious abilities. Most notably, its innate Divine Skills were brought to their apex.

The Jiao tendon chains morphed into beams of pure light, finally ensnaring Shi Hao, attempting to constrict him into fractured pieces.

“Boom!”

The Pendulous Heavenly Wings unfurled, golden light pouring forth from Shi Hao. The massive black-and-gold wings appeared behind him and, with a powerful flap, shattered the Divine Chains completely.

“Ahhh…”

Yao Yi cried out bitterly, blood spurting from his mouth. The backlash severely injured him, as his innate ability was broken–a searing force surging into his body.

From Shi Hao’s body, the rune-laden Divine Chains fragmented one after another.

“I’m now a god. You’re no match for me,” Shi Hao remarked casually, his tone dripping with contempt without any elaboration.

Yao Yi seethed with reluctance. His body ignited as he attempted to ascend into the heavens, but he seemed trapped, unable to break free–his movements restrained by the Kun Peng’s field.

“Pfft!”

A godly wing swept through the sky, illuminating the entire Minor Thousand World. The radiant light became the sole brilliance in all existence!

The Kun Peng wing sliced as it descended, severing Yao Yi’s head. His blood sprayed into the void.

“No!”

“Ahhhh…”

Outside, the collective cry of the Demon Dragon Dao Gate resounded in agony. Many turned deathly pale, teetering towards unconsciousness.

Previously, they had ridiculed Shi Hao’s supposed failed ascension, his entrance into their sect’s designated world a mere extended suicide. They relished the thought of their Primordial effortlessly subduing him, flagrantly underestimating his prowess.

But now, reality had twisted cruelly–their preconceived triumphs reversed. Chilled to despair, each of them was forced to confront this devastating conclusion.

(To Be Continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (wuxiaworld.site) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.wuxiaworld.site to read.)