Chapter 832: Chapter 832: Bizarre

In the void, something felt amiss; there were inexplicable ripples, a scent of blood in the wind, rendering the Three Thousand Greenstone Ancient Path eerily desolate and bone-chillingly cold.

“What are you talking about?” The Divine Striking Stone was startled. It was staying together with the Emperor Butterfly and the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine at a distance, guarding Shi Hao while he cultivated. At this moment, it too began to sense something strange.

“Let me leave… I really don’t want to face this kind of scene anymore.” The Illusory Heaven Divine Vine trembled violently. From Ye Qianyu, the strongest of the Primordial Ancients, to the Five-Crowned King in later generations, it had witnessed misfortunes time and time again.

Divine Medicine, capable of surviving for eons, rarely decays or perishes, and thus bears witness to countless profound and tragic tales.

“Wake up, quickly!” The Divine Striking Stone and the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine both shouted anxiously, urging Shi Hao to break free from his enlightenment state, to stop burning his True Self.

A crisis loomed; it could decide his very survival!

On the Three Thousand Greenstone Path, nearly eleven hundred streams of fiery light converged, runes leapt, mysterious symbols flickered with metallic gleam, emanating the aura of the Dao, transforming into a fiery sea of natural laws.

The flames blazed fiercely, burning heaven and earth!

Sitting cross-legged, Shi Hao was engulfed by these terrifying Dao Fires, thousands of times more perilous than any threat he had faced before. Even the Heaven and Earth Furnace was distorted under their relentless heat, on the verge of collapse.

In truth, Shi Hao had already sensed something amiss. Since hearing those ancient tales from the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine, he had harbored caution in his heart.

But he hadn’t anticipated the suddenness of the aberration!

Silently and soundlessly, nearly eleven hundred streams of fiery light retreated, their symbols sinking into the Greenstone Ancient Path, restoring tranquility to the surroundings.

This time, while injured, Shi Hao wasn’t on the brink of death. He had already placed a segment of the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine in his mouth beforehand, avoiding a state of depletion that could invite bizarre phenomena.

“What is this?” Shi Hao landed on the ground, his body charred black. Though not life-threatening, his injuries were severe. He glanced into the distance.

One wisp after another of gray mist emerged, even from afar, evoking unease–a foreboding sensation of cold, sinister oddness creeping toward him.

The distant mist was indistinct, devoid of discernible figures, yet an eerie, bone-chilling presence pervaded, enshrouding this ancient land.

The Divine Striking Stone trembled violently; it had never encountered anything like this before. Though it lacked a physical body, it too felt an unsettling chill that nearly raised goosebumps.

“It’s happening again,” the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine, the most sensitive of them all, muttered fearfully, haunted by the countless tragedies it had witnessed over time.

On the greenstone path, the few Spiritual Medicines Shi Hao had placed earlier silently transformed into gray-white hues and then crumbled into powder, vanishing entirely.

All it took was an ominous gust of wind–not a creature, nor violent fluctuations–and such a bizarre scene emerged.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” Shi Hao took a bite of the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine to replenish Primal Qi. His body radiated luminous brilliance, flesh revitalizing, swelling with vigor.

“Be careful…” The Illusory Heaven Divine Vine quivered.

“Step back–all of you.” Shi Hao instructed them to retreat, keeping their distance. His expression was grave as he stared ahead.

The unknown was the most terrifying; even now, it remained unclear what the enemy was. Yet ancient, extraordinary figures had been slain by it, chilling one’s heart to the core.

Gray wisps of mist floated closer to Shi Hao, bearing unfathomable cold that caused his hair to stand on end as if needles pricked his skin.

There was no need for explanation; this was an atmosphere of indescribable horror.

Having just undergone intense burning, his body ravaged by a thousand streams of rune fire, Shi Hao now felt as though he’d plunged into an icy abyss–the two extremes starkly contrasting.

This was merely the beginning. As the gray wisps thickened, the cold intensified to an unbearable degree.

Boom!

Suddenly, the gray mist surged wildly from afar, pouring in like a tide, shrouding the area in obscurity.

The world underwent drastic changes–bone-chilling to the extreme. Even Shi Hao’s incredibly resilient body felt as if it might freeze solid, goosebumps bristling across his skin.

This moment embodied immense terror!

The gates of hell seemed to open near humanity, appearing before Shi Hao, poised to escort him away and swallow him whole.

His eyes shone brightly, adorned with runes that transformed into beams of light. Although his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye had yet to fully manifest, it had already begun to reveal remarkable power.

Yet aside from the gray mist, Shi Hao saw nothing–no creatures, no sinister beings to speak of. He couldn’t pinpoint or perceive the eerie foe.

Shi Hao remained silent and still, confronting the unknown with calm persistence.

The gray mist encircled him, beginning to constrict, threatening to engulf him entirely.

“Be careful–don’t let even a trace of that mist touch you!” This was the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine’s final warning before it cowered behind the Divine Striking Stone, refusing to show itself.

“Swish!”

The gray mist suddenly stirred violently, transforming into one tendril after another, grotesque and sinuous like strange tentacles, lunging at Shi Hao with intense fluctuations.

Boom!

Shi Hao stood unwavering as the Unique Cave Heaven opened, forming a radiant barrier around him–a luminous sun perched atop the greenstone path, protecting him.

The mist’s tendrils failed to penetrate the barrier. They abruptly changed again, stretching taut, as sharp as blades–a forest of death spears stabbing toward the Unique Cave Heaven.

“Clang!”

Though composed of mist, the spears collided with the Unique Cave Heaven, astonishingly producing metallic vibrations of immense force!

The surroundings erupted into chaos as the gray mist boiled over, materializing more tendrils from every direction, aiming to pierce through the glowing shield.

Shi Hao stared at the mist. All this time, no creatures had appeared–only these aggressive mist formations, compelling his gaze to grow icy.

Boom!

He unleashed his power. Without the real enemy taking form, could they still hope to claim him?

In truth, this mist was potent enough to obliterate newly ascended gods. Ordinary beings couldn’t hope to contend with it. Only Shi Hao’s defense through Unique Cave Heaven remained steadfast.

Shi Hao struck back as arcs of lightning erupted around him, bombarding the mist, seeking to disperse its eerie substance.

Crack!

Bolts of lightning intertwined, bright as blades, sweeping across the void. This was the Thunder Emperor’s Treasure Art at full display–streak after streak of lightning descending onto the mist.

Yet to his surprise, it did not disperse. Instead, it turned crimson, resembling blood, emitting a pungent stench as it countered the lightning and surged toward Shi Hao.

Within the blood-like mist, faint outlines of limbs emerged, clawing at the void as if they sought to tear through and slaughter Shi Hao.

This aberrant manifestation left the distant Divine Striking Stone and others frozen in terror. What was this entity?

Their intuition screamed that this was no ordinary foe; it had endured through countless ages, damaging the Dao foundations of numerous legends.

The void trembled as the mist coalesced. This time, it began to take shape!

“Hmm?” Shi Hao narrowed his eyes in surprise.

The crimson mist consolidated into a singular form–a gigantic eye, dripping with sinister malice. It quivered faintly before abruptly opening.

“Swoosh!”

From the enormous blood-red eye, a beam of crimson light shot out–a deadly ray, morbidly brilliant.

Clang!

Shi Hao countered, wielding a Lightning Blade to strike the beam. Their collision sparked eruptions of light, but then his Lightning Blade turned scarlet, as though blood seeped into its handle.

Shi Hao quickly hurled the blade to prevent the blood-like substance from reaching his hand. With a resounding crash, the Lightning Blade shattered near the eye.

The grotesque eye closed but remained unharmed.

“What is this thing? Is it mist or a living being?” Shi Hao frowned.

The blood-red eye reopened, unleashing beam after beam–a more terrifying wave.

“Begone!”

Shi Hao erupted in fury, summoning a sea of lightning to rain down relentlessly, fully exhibiting the Thunder Emperor’s Treasure Art’s ferocious power.

“Nine Heavens Tribulation Light!” Shi Hao roared.

The heavens roared as flashes of blinding thunder appeared–not simple lightning arcs, but clusters of luminous energy resembling Divine Punishment.

Channeling the pinnacle of the Thunder Emperor’s Treasure Art, Shi Hao unleashed its supreme secret technique.

Nine streams of light descended simultaneously, amplifying the Treasure Art to its zenith. Like the blossoms of Dao Flowers, they illuminated the heavens and earth.

Boom!

The blood-red eye was pierced, its gaze lingering on Shi Hao one final time before disintegrating, dissolving back into gray mist, vanishing into the depths of the Three Thousand Greenstone Ancient Path.

Calm returned, as if nothing had transpired–a stark contrast to the prior bone-chilling horror.

Shi Hao remained silent, unsettled despite the victory. The nature of the foe–its form and essence–remained a mystery. This was merely a test, not the ultimate confrontation.

“Let’s leave–don’t continue further,” the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine pleaded, having succumbed to fear. Experiences like this had left it scarred beyond measure.

“I must uncover the truth behind it. I refuse to let its presence block my path, my Dao!” Shi Hao declared with resolute determination, his gaze unwavering.

The destruction of Immortal Ancient in the previous era was tied to this place–the heart of misfortune. Where else could he avoid such calamities?

Moreover, retreat was not an option; conceding would violate the essence of his pursuit of the Dao.

Shi Hao composed himself, drawing upon eleven hundred streams of fiery light once again to resume the path interrupted earlier.

No disturbances emerged; the ominous haze remained absent.

After consuming another segment of the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine, Shi Hao resumed his breakthrough, striving to forge forward and make himself stronger.

Calm persisted when he advanced to twelve hundred streams of fiery light, even as the flames threatened to burn him dry. With the Dao symbols densely arrayed around him, he skirted peril yet faced no abnormalities.

He quietly restored himself. Days later, he summoned thirteen hundred streams of fiery light. Lingering in this tranquil realm for a lengthy period, he ultimately fell from the air, body emaciated, gulping down Divine Medicine.

After days of recovery, Shi Hao felt himself grow stronger. His clarity returned; this line of progression would benefit him in contending with bizarre disruptions.

Yet the Illusory Heaven Divine Vine appeared increasingly negative, fearing calm would presage ferocious outbursts, destined to destroy his Dao foundation.

Shi Hao meticulously prepared himself before pressing forward again. Summoning fourteen hundred streams of fiery light brought life to the greenstone path, filling the air with grandeur.

And then it struck–the aberration!

Runes emerged in the void, merging together and igniting the space with a deafening explosion, throwing everything into disturbance!

Moments later, the unified runes quieted down, transforming into an ancient lamp. Suspended mid-air, its ghostly flame illuminated the area faintly.

Positioned directly above Shi Hao’s head at a hundred-zhang height, it resembled a celestial marker, seemingly guiding something.

Eerie, sinister energies coursed around.

A deathly silence enshrouded the realm–such stillness that even the sound of a falling needle could be heard. The Three Thousand Greenstone Path descended into absolute, suffocating quietude.

Shi Hao fixed his gaze on the distance, feeling an intense, magnified sense of danger–a foreboding presence stronger than ever before.

“Tap… tap…”

The empty greenstone path echoed with footsteps, unnervingly sharp and haunting, reverberating with chilling clarity.

At the path’s far end, a figure emerged, step by step, unchanging in pace, each stride exuding a suppressed, suffocating force of profound mystery.

“Has the rightful master arrived?” Shi Hao’s gaze pierced through countless truths to behold the path’s end. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote and provide support on . Mobile users, visit m.wuxiaworld.site for the full experience.)