Chapter Thirty-Six: Winding Paths Lead to Secluded Places

"Yes, it has awakened, after a silence of one hundred thousand years, it has finally awakened!"

As Luo Hao succeeded in executing the Sky-Splitting Hand, in a shadowy and nameless palace, seven figures dressed in ritual robes sat cross-legged on the floor. Each of them wore an expression of excitement, their arrangement forming the constellation of the Northern Dipper, aligning perfectly with its counterpart in the heavens above.

"Eldest brother, you must summon the Golden Arrow at once! Notify the Grand Dream Celestial Palace, search all domains, find the one who has stirred the Ancient Will of Heaven."

"This must be done!"

"Agreed!"

...

"Let all remain as before, do not act rashly!"

After a long silence, a voice echoed, suppressing all other sounds, and then the palace fell into quietude. That voice carried a hint of lament and exhaustion—one hundred thousand years had passed. Since the great catastrophe at the end of the ancient era, the Ancient Will of Heaven had lain dormant for a hundred millennia. Now, with its revival, he was more exhilarated than anyone, but the bloody lessons of a hundred thousand years ago compelled him to act with utmost caution.

Near the pond!

Dust and smoke billowed skyward. When the dust settled, a giant palm print hundreds of feet wide appeared on the ground. At its center remained only a pool of green blood and six spider legs belonging to the Jade-Eyed Demon Spider.

"Ugh, cough, cough, finally it's dead!" Luo Hao gasped, staring at the massive palm imprint on the ground. He had not expected the Sky-Splitting Hand to be so formidable. Unable to restrain himself, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale as paper, harsh breaths filling the air.

"This Sky-Splitting Hand is truly extraordinary. When I executed it, it was as though I entered a mysterious state!"

Looking once more at the palm print, Luo Hao finally understood the essence of the Sky-Splitting Hand—it was not a collection of powerful techniques. Rather, a single palm was all it took, but that palm was enough to make ghosts wail and gods tremble, enough to shake the very heavens, enough to break through myriad arts.

A single palm shatters ten thousand arts!

This was the true core of the Sky-Splitting Hand. Among countless martial techniques, the pursuit of endless powerful moves often overshadowed the truth that the greatest strength lies in singularity, not multiplicity. Only by comprehending this could one truly begin to master the Sky-Splitting Hand.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

Sitting cross-legged where he stood, a vast dragon's roar echoed from Luo Hao's thin frame. Vital energy and boundless spirit power surged from all directions, converging upon him, pouring into his body.

Golden dragon force coursed through his meridians like raging dragons. Fierce and righteous, the golden dragon fire tempered every inch of his blood and bones like divine flames.

The six claw marks on his chest, oozing foul, dark green blood, began to expel black venom under the burning of the dragon fire. The wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, until only faint traces remained.

"Hu!"

Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Luo Hao's complexion improved significantly. He donned a fresh garment, but suddenly felt a chill on his back and beads of cold sweat on his forehead. An intense, overwhelming sense of danger enveloped him.

Whirling around, Luo Hao met a pair of fierce eyes the size of bronze bells, icy and menacing. Below those eyes was a sinister head covered in black scales, and a body stretching dozens of feet.

"Serpent Jiao!"

The creature behind him was none other than the Serpent Jiao that had vanished earlier. Under its chilling gaze, Luo Hao dared not even breathe. At his peak, he could have fought the newly birthed Serpent Jiao, but now, with his strength reduced to a tenth, he could barely match a novice spirit warrior, let alone a creature still possessing first-tier power.

His body taut as a drawn bow, Luo Hao watched as the Serpent Jiao's scaly tail lashed toward him with the force of a steel whip, causing ripples in the air. Just as he prepared to retreat, a flash of white light wrapped around the Serpent Jiao's tail caught his attention.

A Serpent Jiao egg!

Indeed, as the tail was about to strike, its movement suddenly softened, and a glowing white egg rolled from its grasp. Yet wisps of green poison encircled the egg, and its vitality was visibly waning, like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Whimper, whimper, whimper!"

Gone was the coldness in the Serpent Jiao's huge eyes; instead, there was a pleading look. It whimpered, nudging the egg toward Luo Hao.

Seeing this, Luo Hao instantly understood—this creature was begging him to save its child. He looked at the Serpent Jiao in bewilderment. "Big fellow, I'm not a beast healer, how could I treat your child, especially since it's just an egg." He sighed, thinking that even a veterinarian couldn't heal a demon beast.

"Roar, roar, roar, howl!"

The Serpent Jiao, a third-tier demon beast, possessed intelligence. Hearing Luo Hao's words, it roared, its four limbs gesturing repeatedly.

As Luo Hao watched the gestures in confusion, the Serpent Jiao saw only refusal in his eyes. In shock, Luo Hao witnessed the proud creature lower its head, bowing its massive body. It was begging; in this moment, pride and dignity meant nothing—it only pleaded for Luo Hao to save its child.

Seeing the Serpent Jiao bow its head and repeatedly make human-like gestures of supplication, Luo Hao, usually carefree, felt a surge of sorrow—motherly love knows no bounds.

"All right, stop bowing. I'll try, but I can't guarantee I can save your child." With that, Luo Hao picked up the egg. Its pure white glow was now shrouded in toxic green mist, the life within so faint it might extinguish at any moment.

"Boom!"

Golden dragon force burst from his palm, transforming into fierce golden dragon fire that began to burn the egg. Under the righteous fire, the egg radiated dazzling light.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"

As the dragon fire burned, drops of green venom dripped from the egg, hissing as they evaporated into blue smoke. Seeing the venom purged, hope and relief shone in the Serpent Jiao's eyes.

After a prolonged burning, Luo Hao's face grew paler still. Having exhausted himself against the Jade-Eyed Demon Spider, his strength was nearly depleted. Now, pushing the dragon force so recklessly, he was at the edge of collapse.

As the final drop of green venom was purified from the egg, Luo Hao felt the world spin and darkness engulf him; he lost consciousness completely.

"Where is this?"

In the darkness, Luo Hao groaned, uncertain how long he'd been unconscious. Seeing nothing but darkness, he pushed himself up instinctively.

Feeling the faint circulation of dragon force within, Luo Hao sat cross-legged and began to circulate his Twin Dragons Proud World technique. Vital energy poured into his body like rivers breaking through dams.

After a long while, his closed eyes snapped open, a flash of profound light appearing in the darkness. His aura was now restrained, like a treasured sword hidden in its sheath—ancient and unadorned.

With his strength restored, Luo Hao recalled his loss of consciousness and began to examine his surroundings. The dry walls were smooth, and, stranger still, he was lying on a stone bed. He was almost certain this was the Serpent Jiao’s lair, but it clearly would not have crafted a stone bed.

Summoning his courage, he left the bed, a ball of dragon force illuminating the space. At last, he could see everything around him.

He stood in a stone chamber, its walls polished and gleaming as if meticulously carved. Besides the stone bed he had slept on, there was a stone table not far away.

"What is this?"

By the light of his dragon force, Luo Hao noticed something resting atop the table, covered in dust. Approaching, he was astonished to find a pristine ancient scroll lying there.