Chapter 834: Chapter 834: Slaying Oneself

Shi Hao was truly stunned–why did this person look exactly like him?

If that were all, it might not be too surprising, but even their precious techniques were identical, capable of unleashing the same methods. This struck a deep chord in him, causing turbulent waves to ripple through his heart!

This person, with a head full of long gray hair, had entered his twilight years. His body was pierced by Shi Hao’s gleaming halberd blade, spilling black blood everywhere, carrying a rotting stench.

Shi Hao’s heart thumped wildly–would he really look like this in his old age? Staring at this figure nailed to the ground, a faint tremble surged through him.

What was going on? The sinister transformation was shrouded in mystery.

Shi Hao fixed his gaze on the figure, dressed in clothing from the Immortal Ancient Era, exuding the breath of time, imbued with the ancient and weathered essence of endless years. Especially that bronze short spear, piercing through the figure’s forehead, exiting from the back of the skull–it was intensely glaring.

“Does the world… have reincarnation?” Shi Hao’s voice trembled slightly.

Could this person be related to him? The resemblance was uncanny. If not for the figure’s pupils turning an ashen gray, even the temperament was strikingly similar. How could they look so much alike?

Seeing this, Shi Hao unexpectedly felt a wave of sorrow. If reincarnation existed–could this… be him? Was this elder who faded away during the Immortal Ancient Era… Shi Hao?

Considering this, his heart trembled and palpitated, a faint sadness rising within. Such a bleak and desolate image of old age!

Judging from the attire and weapons, this person was incredibly ancient, most likely from the Immortal Ancient Era. If reincarnation truly existed, Shi Hao dared not fathom it further.

“If there was a past life, would it be this pitiful?”

Anyone encountering such a reflection of themselves would fall into melancholy.

An elder, draped in gray-white hair, eyes dim and lifeless, black blood dripping from their body–a clear indication of having endured the most terrifying events, reduced to this woeful and destitute state.

And now, they were killed by none other than a version of “themselves” who bore the same face!

Thinking of this, Shi Hao was filled with sorrow–how could it be so? All of this was heartbreaking.

He felt a momentary daze, his thoughts swirling around reincarnation, destiny, the past era, and the present life…

Suddenly, he snapped to attention. What was happening? His Dao mind was steadfast, indomitable–even faced with the saddest of truths, he should not lose focus during battle.

Shi Hao regained clarity, realizing his mood was manipulated by some inexplicable force. Otherwise, he would not have sunk so deeply into such disarray, nor shown such emotional instability–it was uncharacteristic of someone at his level of cultivation.

In an instant, Shi Hao’s eyes turned sharp and pure. His Dao mind stabilized; his Primordial Spirit radiated light, and his forehead bone shone brilliantly.

Right at that moment, Shi Hao noticed the figure pierced by the halberd had glowing, intertwining Bone Text. It was the Reincarnation Technique, and it was about to fully manifest and erupt.

These runes were extraordinarily fiery, bursting forth suddenly. Unlike Shi Hao’s dazzling precious symbols, the emitted light was grim and terrifying.

A pitch-black radiance shot out in waves, carrying rain-like light. Those luminous points, however, were entirely black–chillingly cold, eerie, and accompanied by a decaying stench.

“Break!”

Shi Hao shouted resolutely. This was an innate precious technique of his; no one understood better than him how fearsome and tenacious it could be. But equally, he knew how to counter it.

He clashed against the Bone Text, unraveling it with precise counteraction.

Moreover, he instantly activated his unique ability–Magic Immunity–to safeguard his body, making it impervious to the effects of the Reincarnation Law.

Indeed, the dual-layered measures proved effective, directly nullifying the Reincarnation Technique.

In the next moment, Shi Hao’s gaze turned cold. Ruthlessly, he struck, weaving Bone Text; runes erupted from his body, transforming into Divine Swords, dao clocks, divine towers, and more.

Additionally, he activated the Primal True Solution, turning decay into wonder; he launched a full-force Suppression Kill.

“Boom!”

With one mighty strike, this already fractured being was completely severed, split in two from the waist.

The lifeless figure on the ground showed no signs of vitality–no blood energy pulses, no emotions–but at this moment, they spoke.

“You… killed me?”

Black blood seeped from their mouth, their eyes dim, gaze scattered, their voice ancient yet tinged with sorrow.

Shi Hao looked down at him, his stare serene, as he pulled out the halberd from the body, quietly observing.

“Why?” the murky eyes expressed confusion; lips darkened by decay, emitting a foul stench as he questioned.

Hiss!

Suddenly, Shi Hao raised the halberd high, then swung it down with great force, without hesitation.

In that instant, the gleaming halberd blade streaked across the sky like a comet, illuminating the earth–and Shi Hao’s eyes as well. His resolve was firm, unwavering; his conviction was as unyielding as steel.

Slosh!

A soft sound followed. He cleaved the figure in twain directly–a strike that split through the crown of the head, bisecting the body completely. Dark blood splashed far and wide, staining the greenstone path with a chilling, visceral sight.

“Who killed me, and who am I?”

The figure uttered one final sentence before falling still, and then decay began to consume him. Black liquid spread across the ground in large pools.

Shi Hao stood silent, staring at the remains for a long time without speaking.

“Just like that, dead. But he looked identical to you. Could he really not be connected to you?” the Divine Striking Stone remarked.

It had observed the events from a distance, finding it extraordinarily eerie and inexplicable.

“A mere sinister transformation. Even if a living individual appeared, identical to me, my Dao mind wouldn’t waver one bit,” Shi Hao said with bright, unwavering eyes.

“Aren’t you concerned that there might truly be a connection?” the Divine Striking Stone asked.

“I don’t believe in reincarnation, nor do I believe he’s connected to me. Just another sinister transformation–mere tricks trying to disrupt my Dao mind,” Shi Hao replied, looking toward the void.

He directed his gaze toward the bronze lamp suspended a hundred meters above, like a beacon.

Shi Hao’s body erupted with dazzling light; ten thousand bolts of lightning encased him, condensing into a spear of lightning. He hurled it with immense force.

Clang!

The spear struck the ancient lamp in the air, causing it to sway and emit ghostly flames.

“Kill!”

Shi Hao soared upward, wielding the Void Halberd, slashing ferociously at the lamp with all his might and unleashing every ounce of his power.

With a loud bang, the lamp shattered, transforming into rune fragments.

Shi Hao did not stop. He summoned fourteen hundred streams of fire, illuminating ancient pathways one after another in radiant clarity, solemnly sacred.

The streams of fire merged, forming a massive furnace. It encased the fragments and burned them to complete obliteration, leaving nothing behind but emptiness.

Afterward, he descended to the ground.

The corpse lay decayed, unveiling white bones. Black blood flowed over the earth.

As time passed, the black blood dried up, the white bones lost their luster. Eventually, they crumbled into bone powder, reduced entirely to dust.

The blood and flesh, along with the black blood, also disappeared, scattered into dust by a soft breeze.

Shi Hao attempted to retrieve that bronze spear stuck in the figure’s forehead, but as soon as it rose off the ground, it crumbled inch by inch into copper powder, falling like dust.

The short spear that had pierced through the eerie figure also disintegrated this way, eroding like sand, turning directly into fine particles, as if it had been weathered.

“It could not withstand the power of time. Long ago, it should have returned to the earth, yet it preserved its form until now. Now, after being shattered, it finally returns to dust and soil,” Shi Hao murmured softly.

This further affirmed his belief that this was indeed a relic left behind from the Immortal Ancient Era.

He again called forth the fires lining the greenstone path, burning all these remnants and residues completely, ensuring no unforeseen adversities would arise.

“In this world, there is only one me. My Dao mind cannot be shaken.” Shi Hao declared.

“You’ve managed to endure and successfully killed him.” The Illusory Heaven Divine Vine cautiously revealed itself from behind the Divine Striking Stone. Confirming the dissipation of ominous energies, it heaved a sigh of relief.

“Different realms, different sinister transformations manifesting as trials?” Shi Hao pondered aloud.

The Illusory Heaven Divine Vine nodded rapidly, saying, “The Five-Crowned King once speculated similarly, believing there are conspiracies, rules, entities, and unspeakable terrors behind this phenomenon.”

Shi Hao contemplated this quietly for a long time. He remained fearless, his gaze becoming increasingly resolute. “I look forward to seeing what’s next!”

Then, he began to heal, quietly nurturing his strength.

This battle had felt like fighting himself–a grueling duel lasting over two thousand rounds. His arms were close to breaking, his knuckles had ruptured, and he’d frequently coughed up blood.

A day and a night later, Shi Hao opened his eyes. He wasted no time, continuing his cultivation, summoning fourteen hundred streams of fire to burn and refine his True Self.

This ordeal was a trial between life and death. With each fire ignited, more of the greenstone paths lit up, and Shi Hao’s path grew even more demanding.

This time, he nearly incinerated himself entirely. Fourteen hundred concentrated fireballs emerged within his body, rich with runes and interwoven Bone Text, tempering his flesh and refining his Primordial Spirit.

Nine deaths and one life–when it was all over, Shi Hao lay flat on the ground for half a day, completely immobile, greatly exhausted.

If not for the fragment of Divine Medicine in his mouth, he might have directly succumbed to the flames, turning to ash.

“Kid, don’t frighten us! Cultivation isn’t supposed to go like this. You’re burning your life force away–don’t continue this path; it’s a dead end,” the Divine Striking Stone warned.

Such reckless methods had led countless figures from antiquity down treacherous paths, ending in grim fates.

“No problem.” Shi Hao sat up. As the Divine Medicine dissolved into his system, he gradually regained vitality, recovering over an extended period until his blood energy surged anew.

Not long thereafter, Shi Hao resumed his cultivation again, refusing to halt. He felt vaguely that upon igniting his fifteen hundredth fire–even half of the three thousand greenstone paths burned–the outcome might shift entirely.

Because three thousand greenstone paths would have been traversed halfway.

“The sinister transformations are getting deadlier with each round. If one strikes next, you may not survive. You cannot continue along this path,” the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine warned.

“Based on what you described about the Five-Crowned King’s experience, and considering the interval between my own two sinister transformations, there’s still some time before the next one arises,” Shi Hao reasoned.

He insisted on lighting fifteen hundred fires because he believed this critical midpoint would fortify his strength and stabilize his progression on the path to divinity; greater power would enable him to confront further sinister transformations more effectively.

The fires surged, enveloping the heavens and the earth, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle.

This time, Shi Hao’s flesh was nearly obliterated. Countless runic inscriptions appeared across his skeletal remains and his withered body, glimmering and interweaving.

Not only that, but his Primordial Spirit had contracted in size, yet it was now more compact and radiant, exuding divine splendor amidst the flames.

The resplendent Primordial Spirit had shrunk to half its previous size, reduced from fist-sized, but this wasn’t an erasure of cultivation–it was refinement through thousandfold tempering.

It became increasingly luminous, like crystal.

The Primordial Spirit was growing stronger.

Still, this session was far more perilous than any prior–a true trial by fire. Fifteen hundred burning streams scoured his existence; half of the greenstone paths ignited, illuminating the heavens and earth.

Shi Hao was almost annihilated. As the trial reached its conclusion, he gritted his teeth, forcing himself upright, enduring the urge to succumb to unconsciousness.

Even with Divine Medicine at hand, recovering this time took over ten days. Only then did he gradually revive.

Indeed, something had changed. When Shi Hao finally recovered and began circulating mana, divine radiance surged around his body, mist-like glowing fog arose, further accompanied by faint manifestations of phenomena.

These phenomena were not emerging directly from his body but were descending and revealing themselves in response from heaven and earth.

Shi Hao felt immense power coursing throughout his being, astonished. He had already stepped into the mid-stage of the Divine Fire Realm!

“Unfortunately, the Divine Medicine is depleted,” he sighed softly.

The Illusory Heaven Divine Vine was down to mere root fibers and a small segment of vine; it could no longer be consumed, lest its vitality suffer irreparable damage.

“It’s time to take a look at the rest of the world. I wonder if Lan Yichen and Luo Dao have managed to find any rare divine medicines,” Shi Hao said.

Hearing this, the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine immediately relaxed, letting go of its lingering concerns.

“Also, it’s time to test my blade–to see the results of my closed-door cultivation,” Shi Hao murmured.

He wished to know what had transpired in the depths of the Immortal Ancient Era–what opportunities or wonders might have emerged, what actions the ancient monstrous beings might have undertaken.

“However, the road ahead is fraught with challenges,” Shi Hao frowned. Without a doubt, the next sinister transformation wasn’t far off.

Simultaneously, this path came at an immense cost–a whole stalk of Divine Medicine consumed entirely. What could he use next? The question troubled him.

Suddenly, Shi Hao recalled something. He asked the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine, “I once saw you manifesting an image of a snow-white tortoise carrying a woman clad in white garments–what was that plant? Have you encountered it before?”

“I certainly have. It was the Longevity Medicine from the Immortal Ancient Era, a rarity belonging exclusively to true immortals,” the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine confirmed.

Shi Hao’s eyes lit up with eager interest–a brilliant glint flashing in his gaze.

“There’s a mysterious Medicine Garden here, filled with various divine herbs that can grant extended life–like Vermilion Fruit and Qilin Tree–and even the Immortal Longevity Medicine…”