The Eternal Calamity of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 243 Inner City
"What kind of pipe dream are you having, wanting to become Brother Weiyangke's disciple?"

"Besides, isn't your master still alive? If you suddenly switch allegiances now, be careful you don't get kicked out," Shi Hao said to Cao Yusheng with a look of disdain.

Wei Yangke and Cao Yusheng seem to have no connection whatsoever. Moreover, given the former's astonishing strength, his disciple must at least be a prodigy who has cultivated three strands of immortal energy.

He didn't believe Cao Yusheng could be an exception, since even a peerless enchantress like the witch hadn't accomplished it.

"Hehe, I'm just kidding!" The chubby boy chuckled, scratching his head awkwardly. "My master is still alive and well, but unfortunately he spends most of his time sleeping and doesn't care about worldly affairs."

"That's good. I was really afraid you wouldn't know what's good for you and would rush in rashly. If you offend Brother Weiyang, I won't be able to help you."

After shaking his head, Shi Hao turned to look at Yuechan.

"Chanchan, are you coming? The team is one person short."

Upon hearing this, the people around him looked on with strange expressions, surprised by Shi Hao's boldness.

First it was the witch of the Intercepting Heaven Sect, and now she even dares to flirt with the Holy Maiden of the Patching Heaven Sect. Could it be that those rumors are true?
Yuechan was dressed in white, her hair was jet black, and her eyes were serene. She was ethereal and almost otherworldly, but she didn't even glance at Shi Hao, as if she hadn't heard him at all.

"Hey, Chan'er, where's my Qingyi? You're not going to ambush her again, are you?" Shi Hao persisted shamelessly, continuing to pester her.

Yuechan ignored him and turned away, her hair flowing, pure and immaculate.

"Where's our baby? Has it been born yet?" Shi Hao shouted.

These words were so shocking that Yuechan swayed and could no longer maintain her composure.

She clenched her fists, turned around and glared at Shi Hao, her face flushed slightly; she was truly furious.

Fortunately, she discovered that Shi Hao, that bastard, was using divine sense to transmit his voice, rather than openly flirting with her.

Otherwise, it would have already caused a huge uproar, and the news would probably have spread inside the Heavenly God Academy before they even entered it.

Despite this, Yuechan's current demeanor appeared no different to everyone else.

Immediately, all sorts of speculations arose, with people guessing about the past story of the two.

"You bastard!" Yuechan finally spoke, her voice like heavenly music.

"Hehe, are you coming?" Shi Hao chuckled mischievously upon hearing this.

On the other side, the witch watched leisurely, a faint smile flashing in her almond-shaped eyes; she was enjoying the show.

It's so enjoyable to have your enemy being publicly humiliated. Please give us more!

As she watched, the witch suddenly began to mutter to herself.
"Why can't that bastard learn to be as shameless as the little guy? He's like a dead man." She seemed to be thinking of a certain figure.

……

Just as everyone was about to disperse, the other two of the three supreme beings arrived. They joined forces with the middle-aged supreme being and called out to everyone.

They gave them a last-minute message: a white Qilin cub had appeared near an ancient city, and whoever could bring it back would receive all the resources the Heavenly God Academy would use to nurture that person, including the Qilin cub.

"A white Qilin cub?"

"Does that mean it possesses the Qilin Treasure Technique?"

Upon hearing this, everyone became restless.

In fact, they had heard about it before, but it wasn't on their way at the time, and they didn't want to waste time.

Now that the Heavenly God Academy has spoken out and offered generous rewards, everyone wants to go there and find out more.

Many eyes immediately turned to Ning Chuan, who had a significant connection with the Qilin clan. It was said that he was born with a Qilin mark on his forehead, a celestial map on his back, and mastered the Qilin Treasure Technique.

"Brother Ning, this is your good fortune! I think it was prepared just for you," said Gu Jianyun, a disciple of Sword Valley. He was an ancient oddball, but Ning Chuan greatly admired him.

"Brother Lone Sword is too kind."

Ning Chuan, with his handsome and refined appearance, said, "I will definitely go there. If it really is a Qilin, then we will have a connection with each other."

Hearing this, everyone was shocked, and even the three supreme beings in the sky couldn't help but take another look.

The little Qilin has a natural affinity with Ning Chuan, so it's highly likely that it will follow him. No one else will have a chance.

Thinking of this, some quick-witted individuals began offering their congratulations in advance.

“Once Fellow Daoist Ning Chuan enters the arena, he will naturally achieve immediate success.”

"With a purebred Qilin at your command, Brother Ningchuan is destined to shine brightly throughout the heavens and earth."

"At that time, I hope Brother Ning will take care of us!"

……

"cut!"

In a corner, the witch scoffed, "Starting to flatter now? Who knows if it will even work? It'll be laughable if it makes a fool of itself."

"We can't be careless. I think it's best to go over there. We can't let him kidnap the little Qilin," Shi Hao reminded him from the side.

The two had seen the little Qilin before they arrived, because the city where the little Qilin appeared was located right on their route.

To be honest, Shi Hao didn't think the little Qilin would easily follow someone, because the little guy was quite stubborn and wouldn't be born until it met that girl from the Immortal Ancient Era.

As you can see, even the Weiyang Guest only obtained the Qilin Treasure Technique back then, let alone Ning Chuan?

However, don’t be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the eventuality.

If, in this life, the little Qilin feels close to Ning Chuan because of the Qilin aura on him, it would be an immense regret.

"Go if you want. I have no grudge against Ning Chuan, and I've already got the Qilin Treasure Technique anyway." The witch saw through Shi Hao's thoughts at a glance and refused outright.

"So where are you planning to go? Are you going to kill the extraterrestrial beings all by yourself?" Shi Hao asked.

"I just received a telepathic message from the three supreme beings. I don't need to undergo the test. I just need to patiently wait for the final result," the witch said with a smile.

"what?"

Shi Hao's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Could it be that Brother Weiyang Ke has returned?"

"Perhaps. Apart from him, no one else should have such great power. Anyway, I'll stay here and wait for your triumphant return. Maybe this trip will move Little Qilin."

After speaking, the witch left, her exquisite body swaying, her smile as beautiful as a flower.

Shi Hao stared blankly at her retreating figure. After a moment, he gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, "Sure enough, it's good to have connections!"

Soon, Cao Yusheng, Long Nu, and Chang Gongyan arrived, and the four of them stepped onto the teleportation array together.

This was permitted by the three supreme beings; otherwise, traveling through mountains and valleys and then returning would take several months, which would be a huge waste of time.

……

A battle for the white Qilin cub quickly erupted!

Shi Hao fought Ning Chuan, employing all his skills. Both of them possessed three strands of immortal energy, making it a fierce and evenly matched contest.

However, the creature that ultimately won the favor of the Qilin was an unexpected one—the Taiyin Jade Rabbit.

This scene left the other prodigies speechless and in disbelief.

Shi Hao, in particular, was even more shocked.

He had seen that girl from the Immortal Ancient Era before, but he really couldn't find any resemblance in the little rabbit. Their appearances were completely different, and their spiritual fluctuations were also different. To call them similar flowers was simply nonsense.

Moreover, time is of the essence, and there is no time to investigate in detail.

In the rush, Shi Hao made another move because Ning Chuan and several beings from beyond the realm were closing in, trying to forcibly seize the little Qilin.

"Qiang!"

Sparks flew, the Daoist voices boomed, and various rules and regulations intertwined.

The two sides clashed in a fierce battle, which, from a distance, looked as if a bolt of lightning had enveloped the area, sealing off the sky and the earth.

Occasionally, a few sparks would fly out and land on the distant mountains, instantly blasting them apart and turning them into ashes.

This destructive power was so terrifying that it made many people's faces change.

"Ning Chuan, back in the Immortal Ancient Ruins, you were killed by me and forced to flee. Do you still want to come here to seek your own death?" Shi Hao shouted.

"Huang, in today's battle, I am determined to avenge my previous humiliation. You shall die!" Ning Chuan roared, his killing intent raging.

Boom!

One terrifying magical technique after another was released and exploded, instantly making the world dazzling and blinding, and even the sky was punched with a hole.

This was a battle between two young supreme beings, which made others tremble with fear and dare not participate, so they could only watch from a distance.

"Stop, everyone!" A sigh suddenly rang out.

Then, a beam of light flew in, cutting off the sky and imprisoning the void.

Time seemed to be affected; Shi Hao and Ning Chuan's movements involuntarily slowed down, forcibly separating them. The three supreme beings of the Heavenly God Academy had arrived, standing deep within the void, intervening and creating this extraordinary scene.

“You are all exceptionally talented seeds of immortality, rare even in the last era. Now that war is about to break out, how can you waste yourselves here?” the middle-aged sage said.

"Why stop? He has always regarded me as a descendant of a sinful bloodline, and has tried to kill me time and time again. I just want to settle my score with him," Shi Hao said bluntly.

"Hmph, sinful blood is sinful blood. What, you still want to refute me?" Ning Chuan sneered.

"you wanna die!"

Shi Hao was furious and was about to rush over when he was frozen in place.

"These are all things of the past. Let's not bring up who was right and who was wrong again." The middle-aged sage chose to smooth things over.

"Why?" Shi Hao was unwilling to give up and wanted to get an explanation.

"Don't ask anymore. Several forces are involved, and some of the people who experienced it firsthand are still alive." Another supreme expert abruptly ended the topic, remaining cryptic.

Seeing this, Shi Hao felt a surge of emotions. The Heavenly God Academy must know something, but they were unwilling to mention it, clearly out of fear.

"I..." Shi Hao opened his mouth.

After a moment of contemplation, he quietly fell silent, and the topic was dropped.

"Alright, everyone has done a great job on the mission. Now we'll enter the Imperial City."

After saying that, the three supreme beings waved their sleeves and disappeared from the spot with everyone.

……

The imperial city rises to the heavens, exuding grandeur and magnificence.

As a gateway to defend against foreign invasions, it bears too much history and is filled with traces of time and history.

Throughout history, only emperors or those who have signed the Primordial Covenant have been allowed to enter.

Therefore, from the outside perspective, mysterious, unknown, powerful, and vast are the best descriptions of the city.

After the three supreme beings of the Heavenly God Academy brought everyone back, they did not rush to reveal the follow-up arrangements, but instead took away the Taiyin Jade Rabbit and the little Qilin first.

This made Shi Hao very anxious, but he was helpless.

So, for the next few days, he could only wait in a nearby small town.

As a result, they unexpectedly discovered the shadows of a group of familiar faces, such as Shi Yi, Feng Wu, Teng Yi, and Zhen Gu... Some of them were former enemies, but now they have let bygones be bygones.

To Shi Hao's surprise, Qingyi and Qin Hao also arrived one after another.

The former had an ambiguous and lingering relationship with him; the latter was simply his own younger brother.

Amidst the continuous, oppressive battles, this reunion is a rare and heartwarming scene.

By this point, the outstanding talents of the three thousand prefectures had been roughly divided into several smaller groups.

The group consisting of the Immortal's side, the Ten-Crown King's side, Shi Yi and the Three Stone Heavenly Lords' side, and Shi Hao's side also had the largest number of members.

As for the witch, she seemed to get along well with everyone, but she declined all invitations and remained all alone.

Upon seeing this, Shi Hao sighed softly. He knew that the witch was looking forward to the moment she entered the city because the mysterious and unpredictable Wei Yang Ke was suspected to be inside the imperial city.

……

Swish!
Several figures suddenly appeared in the void. The three supreme beings appeared, and the Taiyin Jade Rabbit stood beside them, holding a small Qilin in its arms.

"Time's up, let's get going! Everyone here, pass!"

The announcement of this news by the middle-aged sage instantly surprised everyone, while some were even filled with joy.

They are lucky. When they first set out from the restricted area, there were as many as 100,000 people, but now only a few have made it this far.

"Take one last look at the world around us; we're about to leave the Three Thousand Provinces," said the middle-aged sage.

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent, some even feeling a pang of sadness.

Are you really leaving?

After all, this is the place where I was born and raised. I don't know how much time this long journey will take.

Perhaps, by the time they return, thousands of years will have passed; or perhaps, they will have simply perished in battle in the outer realms.

"Excuse me, senior, how do we leave?"

Not everyone felt reluctant to leave; some were eager to travel far away immediately to meet the immortals.

“Let’s take an ancient road to learn about the ancient covenant first, and then leave via that route,” the middle-aged sage replied.

The next moment, the three supreme experts joined forces, leading a large number of geniuses into the air and marching towards the imperial city, as if they were about to enter the city.

……

Chen Wu returned from another region and went straight into the Imperial City.

Here lies a vast and boundless world, where the sun and moon hang high in the sky, and streams of stars flow down, scattering brilliant rays of light.

Even so, large areas remain in darkness and are difficult to illuminate.

"Based on the stars, it is engraved with countless immortal runes to suppress an entire realm. Compared to the 108th Holy City of the Human Race's Trial Road in later generations, it is immeasurably more magnificent," Chen Wu exclaimed.

At this moment, he was walking in the darkness, surrounded by a deathly silence that was eerily quiet.

On the ground, large stars were embedded, but these were not refined into existence; they were real stars.

They were cut down, crashing heavily into the ground and creating deep craters. Due to the presence of the array patterns, they were strangely preserved here, exuding a primitive and wild aura.

"A cobblestone floor, nothing special."

Chen Wuping remained calm and continued forward, his eyes suddenly reflecting the scene of Shi Hao and the others searching for the ancient stone tablet outside the city wall.

Soon, after passing through a vast complex of ruins,

"Fellow Daoist, which realm do you come from?" A voice suddenly came from the dimly lit area ahead.

Chen Wu didn't stop walking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an old man sitting cross-legged on a huge rock by the roadside. The question he had just asked came from him.

Looking into the distance, there were other creatures, some standing on the big star, some lying on the ground, all of them seemingly dead and motionless.

Their clothing was ancient, and they came from different races. Even though they were very close to each other, they did not communicate. Some of these creatures were covered in thick layers of dust, having not moved for countless millennia, almost blending into their surroundings.

Such a scene is like turning the page of an ancient scroll, with an incredibly heavy historical atmosphere emanating from it, revealing the mottled traces of time.

"Fellow Daoist, please stop here. May I ask where you come from?" the old man asked once again.

"I'd say it's one of the three thousand prefectures!" Chen Wu said calmly.

"Three thousand prefectures?"

The old man listened and muttered to himself in confusion, "Although that realm is right next to the Imperial Pass, hasn't it already declined? When did it produce an unparalleled powerhouse like you?"

Indeed, in his eyes, Chen Wu was unfathomable. He could only be seen with the naked eye, but no life force could be sensed. It was as if he had perfectly merged into the world.

Just then, another untimely voice rang out.

“How could a true dragon be born in such a barren place as the Three Thousand Provinces? He might be a spy infiltrated from the borderlands. I suggest we investigate him thoroughly.”

Chen Wu looked up and saw that the person who had spoken was a man in a gray robe. He looked much younger, at least in appearance, and his face was pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time.

“Jiade, you’ve gone too far. You can’t get in without signing the Ancient Alliance. Searching your background indiscriminately will only alienate your allies,” the old man said, frowning.

Guardian?

This name sounds familiar.

After pondering for a while, Chen Wu finally recalled some of the other party's deeds.

Isn't this the minor character who, in the original timeline, took a liking to Shi Hao's Thunder Emperor Armor, tried to seize it, and ended up being imprisoned?

"Just because I came here early, how come I've run into all sorts of monsters and demons?" Chen Wu said helplessly, his words carrying a double meaning.

"What did you say?" Jia De's face turned cold upon hearing this, and his eyes darkened. "I have guarded the Imperial Pass for many years, and you, a mere charlatan, are at most at the Severing-Me Realm. What right do you have to lecture me here?"

As he spoke, bone inscriptions intertwined, and divine light shone forth, revealing his extraordinary cultivation.

"Hey you, dare to come over and have a duel with me?" Jia De beckoned with his finger, challenging him.

Upon seeing this, another person immediately rebuked, "Jiade, there's something wrong with your Dao heart. You've become so irritable after just a few words. I'm afraid you're going to suffer a qi deviation."

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this, Jia De sneered, his aura growing even more intense. "If you want to establish yourself in the Imperial Pass, you must first have enough combat power. As a senior, can't I give some pointers to the newcomer? If he happens to survive on the battlefield one day, he will definitely be grateful for my kindness today."

(End of this chapter)