If Shi Hao had been allowed to remain in the Emperor's Fall Era a little longer—not much, even ten or twenty thousand years—he could have lived out his Ninth Lifetime.
Unfortunately, the time he could remain was already nearing its limit.
Shi Hao's path differed greatly from everyone else's.
On the surface, he resembled Ye Fan and the others: they all swiftly cut themselves down to begin their next lifetime as soon as possible. But at their core, their paths were different.
Unfortunately, though Meng Chuan had changed much, he could not change how long Shi Hao could remain after traveling back to the Emperor's Fall Era.
But this was not a major problem. Once he returned to the Chaotic Ancient Era, Shi Hao could still transform rapidly; it would simply take time in the present.
After his return, Shi Hao raced toward his Ninth Lifetime. He used every means to hasten it, fighting bloody battles day after day. He often fell into mortal peril, only to survive through sheer tenacity.
Shi Hao possessed a treasure that could create another version of himself. The two fought each other until they went mad.
This violent, all-costs drive toward a breakthrough greatly depleted Shi Hao's life essence, but it also sent his accumulated insights soaring.
He comprehended the Dao amid bloody battles and accumulated insight on the brink of life and death.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Heart Imprint was born in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. This first Heavenly Heart Imprint to coalesce was known as the Immortal King Foundation.
Obtaining it did not guarantee one would become an Immortal King, but it would greatly help anyone who later sought to enter that realm.
The moment the Heavenly Heart Imprint was born, Shi Hao seized it and carefully contemplated its Profound Principles.