Chapter 398: Great Dream of Nine Abysses
As the tribulation clouds spread across the sky, waves of pressure radiated from them.
Li Hao sensed the destructive power contained within the clouds but remained calm. He merely glanced at the phenomenon before immersing himself fully into the comprehension of the Tenfold Control Dao.
The Control Dao allowed one to observe the operational laws of all forms of energy.
Even the Primordial Spirit was a type of energy. Before, Li Hao had used his Primordial Spirit as a blunt instrument, like a brute swinging fists in unrefined combat. He lacked finesse or systematic methods.
But now, with the insights from the Tenfold Control Dao, Li Hao immediately grasped numerous new ways to wield and refine his Primordial Spirit.
Additionally, the various soul techniques he had gathered from the factions of the Mortal Realm and the Land of Saints now underwent deeper analysis. Through comparative study, he stripped away redundancies, fused their essences, and began to form a novel method of controlling the Primordial Spirit.
As he delved into these revelations, the tribulation clouds overhead reached their peak of preparation.
For most Saints, the moments before tribulation arrived were spent hastily setting up defensive arrays, consuming precious pills, and bolstering their power to withstand the calamity.
The middle-aged warrior, watching Li Hao sitting motionlessly in meditation, furrowed his brows slightly. Yet he soon relaxed.
"With his talent, someone who reached this level wouldn't overlook his preparations," the warrior thought.
Tribulation interference by an outsider would only worsen the storm's ferocity. Furthermore, the interloper would also invoke a tribulation commensurate with their own strength.
Boom!
The tribulation descended suddenly, tearing through the void and striking directly at Li Hao.
Li Hao sat cross-legged, shrouded in the lightning's radiance. His hair floated wildly, yet his body remained utterly still, as unyielding as a mountain.
The middle-aged warrior blinked in surprise before his lips curled into a faint smile.
"This brat… so his sanctification lies in his body. He's actually a practitioner of the Body Refinement Path—the most grueling and time-consuming method of cultivation."
For such a short interaction, Li Hao had already delivered the warrior countless surprises.
As the lightning dissipated, Li Hao's body emerged unscathed. Not a single strand of his hair fell, as even those carried divine power.
Engrossed in his enlightenment, Li Hao only felt a tingling sensation across his body, akin to soaking in a warm spring.
During his first tribulation as a Saint, he had easily weathered the storm. Now, after incorporating Hun Tian's demonic body, his physical strength had reached new heights. Though not yet stepping into the Divine Flesh Realm, he was close. Withstanding this level of lightning posed no challenge.
After all, the tribulation only matched the intensity of a First Disaster Dao Sacrificial tribulation.
Without paying further attention, Li Hao continued his introspection. Raising his Primordial Spirit, he allowed it to hover above his head. The translucent figure mirrored his appearance, radiating brilliant light.
When the second bolt of lightning descended, Li Hao's Primordial Spirit suddenly stretched out its hand and caught the bolt mid-air.
The crackling of the lightning reverberated through the Primordial Spirit as it flickered and shifted, controlled as if Li Hao were wielding it like a blade.
The middle-aged warrior's expression stiffened. His eyes narrowed as he noticed Li Hao experimenting with the intricacies of Primordial Spirit techniques.
For a brief moment, the lightning seemed to resist before disintegrating entirely in Li Hao's grasp.
Subsequent waves of lightning fell one after another, faster and more ferocious than before.
Yet Li Hao's Primordial Spirit continued to absorb the strikes, occasionally grabbing them with precision, other times swimming through the storm like a fish in a stream. The bolts were either dispersed or dissipated harmlessly.
"What lies at the end of Primordial Spirit cultivation?" Li Hao wondered.
Perhaps at the Elevenfold Control Dao, he might grasp the answer.
Still, he vaguely sensed a gap. Despite the strength of his Primordial Spirit—capable of drawing upon celestial energies and transcending great distances in a thought—it lacked something crucial.
Before long, the resounding tribulation came to an end.
With the successful completion of his tribulation, Li Hao felt a surge of heavenly energy flowing through him. This gift, granted by the Heaven's Will, was even more profound and fearsome than anything he had experienced in the Land of Saints.
In the Land of Saints, he could faintly discern the Heavenly Will's consciousness. Here, however, it was intangible and distant, as though the merest sliver of its power could crush countless stars. Its enormity was awe-inspiring.
"Could it be that each world has its own Heavenly Will, and they vary in strength?" Li Hao's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
The revelation of the Pseudo-Realm, created entirely by the Immortal Emperor, left him in awe. To fabricate the vastness of the Land of Saints was to effectively forge a new Heavenly Will.
Li Hao's gaze fell upon his own body, particularly the embryonic form of the Three Saints Unified Will he nurtured within himself. Was this the prerequisite for ascending to an Immortal Emperor?
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Li Hao retracted his Primordial Spirit. The Heavenly Will's gift infused his Primordial Spirit, transforming it into an even more crystalline and radiant form.
This enhanced Primordial Spirit not only surpassed its former limits but now bore a faint golden filament running through it. This golden thread, resembling a skeletal framework, endowed the Primordial Spirit with an unyielding and indomitable presence.
Li Hao instinctively realized that the Primordial Spirit, at its zenith, could transcend the physical body entirely, functioning as a self-sufficient vessel. A being whose Primordial Spirit had reached this stage could theoretically exist without its physical form and suffer no diminishment in power.
The idea was terrifying, yet as it rooted itself in his mind, it became an irresistible fascination.
If such mastery were achieved, would it not be tantamount to becoming a true god?
"You cultivate both the physical and spiritual paths, walking two great roads at once. Your ambitions are bold… and your talents match them," the middle-aged warrior said, his tone carrying an undercurrent of admiration.
It struck him as a waste that such a rare prodigy was trapped here on the desolate Heavenly Ancient Road.
Were Li Hao able to access the True Realm and apprentice himself to one of its remaining immortal sects, he would undoubtedly achieve unimaginable greatness, perhaps even dominance over vast territories.
Li Hao opened his eyes and met the warrior's gaze with a light smile. "Senior flatters me."
The warrior shook his head slightly. His trained eyes discerned the terrifying potential within Li Hao. His body alone, capable of enduring tribulation unscathed, was leagues above his peers. Li Hao's future, unimpeded, would have been limitless.
But the reality was cruel. The path ahead was blocked. This ancient battlefield, or perhaps retreating to the Pseudo-Realm to live out his days, were the only fates awaiting Li Hao.
As Li Hao calmed his aura, ensuring it wouldn't attract any more Ancient Demons, he remarked lightly, "This place… the scenery has a certain forlorn beauty to it."
Opening his World Space, Li Hao retrieved a set of brushes, ink, and a painting board, setting them up in front of him. He hoped to gain valuable insights into Painting Dao by capturing the warrior and the battlefield's grandeur.
At this point, his Painting Dao had reached the Tenfold Stage, but accumulating experience points had become exponentially harder. Even painting a Saint of the Third Disaster only provided 300,000-400,000 experience.
The warrior raised a brow at Li Hao's actions but said nothing. Instead, he leaned back, watching curiously.
Li Hao began painting. With each stroke, the desolation and heroism of the scene unfolded on the canvas. His Saint-level mastery infused the artwork with faint traces of Dao Resonance, subtly drawing the attention of greater forces.
The warrior sensed the shift in energy and couldn't help but ask, "This painting… it's infused with Dao. Have you… entered the Dao through your art?"
To master Painting Dao was no different from cultivating Sacrificial Dao—it demanded great perseverance and precision.
"Hmm."
Li Hao nodded as he continued to paint. The middle-aged warrior's figure gradually took form under his brushstrokes.
Although the warrior sat across from Li Hao, his spiritual senses allowed him to observe the painting in progress. When he saw himself depicted so vividly, as though ready to step out of the canvas, his gaze wavered with subtle complexity.
If Li Hao's earlier talents merely evoked regret, the skill he displayed now revealed a genius surpassing the warrior's imagination.
For someone with such a limited soul lifespan to divide their focus and excel at so many disciplines was nearly impossible. With the right resources and environment, Li Hao's potential would undoubtedly soar to unprecedented heights.
"To think I would meet someone like you before my end," the middle-aged warrior murmured, his voice tinged with a sorrowful sigh.
Memories of ancient battlefields surfaced—of countless dazzling figures, transcendent Immortal Lords, and even the supreme Immortal Emperor, all having perished. Whatever potential Li Hao possessed seemed futile against the inevitability of mortality.
Shaking his head slightly, the warrior retreated into his thoughts, letting the weight of history settle within him.
Li Hao, however, sensed the shift in the warrior's emotions. Instead of speaking, he captured the fleeting melancholy in his strokes, adding a layer of profound depth to the figure in his painting.
Soon, the painting was completed, and a notification flashed before Li Hao's eyes.
[Painting Dao experience +3,482,993]
"…?!"
Li Hao stared at the number, stunned. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and checked again. The number hadn't changed.
Nearly 3.5 million experience.
This was an astronomical amount.
He had noticed that as his mastery in Painting Dao grew, the experience gained from drawing weaker subjects diminished significantly. While painting Half-Saints once earned him 30,000 experience, doing so now barely yielded 10,000.
Yet painting this middle-aged warrior had granted him an unimaginable reward.
"If this figure alone gives me this much… what about the First-Tier Ancient Demon he fought earlier?" Li Hao thought, his mind racing.
An enemy that could duel the warrior would likely provide similar experience, easily over 2-3 million.
"Gathering the experience to level up won't be hard," Li Hao mused, "but breaking past the bottleneck of Tenfold Painting Dao requires insight—a leap to a new realm. Would that be the realm of the Immortals?"
His gaze flickered thoughtfully. While insights were hard-won, the process itself was fulfilling.
For now, his priority was clear: accumulate experience and stabilize his foundation.
Stowing away the painting, Li Hao began sketching again, although subsequent works garnered significantly less experience, roughly halving the prior gain.
In this barren land, where distractions were scarce, painting became both a pastime and a meditative practice for Li Hao. Even if he were to stay here for thousands of years, he could find joy in perfecting his craft.
The middle-aged warrior occasionally glanced at Li Hao, noticing the faint smile playing across his lips. In such a desolate and hopeless place, the young man's carefree demeanor was a stark contrast to their grim reality.
"Does he not understand the depth of despair here, or has he truly transcended it?" the warrior wondered.
As Li Hao painted on, his accumulated experience climbed steadily, reaching nearly 8 million.
Suddenly, the warrior's expression stiffened. His gaze darted toward the horizon, his sharp instincts catching something amiss.
Li Hao, attuned to the warrior's mood, stopped mid-stroke. His face darkened as he quickly packed away his canvas.
"They've come again," the warrior muttered, his tone cold. "Seems they've caught the scent of fresh prey."
Flesh and sinew reappeared on his skeletal frame, restoring his full physical form. He grasped his ancient sword, the sharp edge gleaming faintly. With a steely demeanor, he glanced at Li Hao and ordered, "Get inside the chariot. Be cautious."
"Senior, you need not worry about me." Li Hao's voice was calm.
Releasing his Primordial Spirit, he extended his senses outward, his spiritual domain quickly expanding beyond 100 miles.
In the distance, waves of malicious intent thickened the air. Fierce winds roared, heralding the approach of massive, grotesque silhouettes—Ancient Demons.
They had just finished resting after the previous skirmish, and now the relentless reality of this place reasserted itself.
Whoosh!
Space suddenly tore apart as one of the enormous demons appeared directly in front of them, its movement impossibly swift. To Li Hao, the creature seemed to materialize out of nowhere, bypassing even his extensive sensory range.
The middle-aged warrior reacted immediately, lunging forward with his blade. The two clashed, the battlefield erupting into chaos.
Li Hao cast a glance at their fight, confident in the warrior's strength. Then, he turned his focus elsewhere—toward a group of Third-Tier Ancient Demons barreling toward the chariot.
There were over twenty of them this time, their ranks dominated by monstrous forms radiating malevolent energy. One among them stood out, towering over the rest. Its body stretched hundreds of feet long, and its oppressive aura sent chills down Li Hao's spine.
"This one must be a Second-Tier Ancient Demon," he deduced grimly, recalling the warrior's warnings.
The warrior's voice echoed in his mind:
"That's a Second-Tier Ancient Demon. Stay inside the chariot—don't engage."
Li Hao acknowledged the message but gripped his shard blade tightly. If the demons surrounded the chariot, he could repeat his earlier strategy.
As the demons closed in, the Second-Tier Ancient Demon led ten of its subordinates toward the warrior. The remaining Third-Tier demons swarmed the chariot, their Saint Domains crashing against its protective formations.
Li Hao narrowed his eyes. Ten demons, each as strong as a Saint, were no small threat. But he had already studied their anatomy and weaknesses—he wasn't afraid.
"Die!"
Using his Primordial Spirit to control the shard blade, Li Hao launched a sudden, precise strike.
Whoosh!
The blade shot forward with terrifying speed, piercing through one demon's body and instantly severing its vitality.
The surrounding demons froze momentarily, clearly stunned by the unexpected and lethal attack. For an instant, their bloodthirst was replaced by hesitation, as if questioning whether this prey might be more dangerous than it appeared.
"Perhaps they think I'm a hidden Immortal," Li Hao thought, smirking inwardly. He wasn't about to give them a chance to regroup.
His Primordial Spirit surged forth, targeting the slain demon's soul.
The Ancient Demon shrieked in piercing fury, sensing Li Hao's intent. The other demons quickly responded, projecting their Saint Domains to suppress Li Hao's Primordial Spirit, while thick, corrosive black mist spewed forth, aimed directly at him.
Previously, Li Hao would have had no choice but to retreat and continue his strategy of using the Shard Blade to stall them. But now, a surge of killing intent welled within him, coupled with a determination to test the mastery he had just acquired in Tenfold Dominance Dao.
"Primordial Spirit—Triple Blade Slash!"
Li Hao's Primordial Spirit transformed abruptly, manifesting into a sharp blade of light. It pierced through the oppressive Saint Domains and charged toward the engulfing black mist. The mist's corrosive power began eroding the blade's radiance, dulling its glow like rust eating through steel.
However, just as the Primordial Spirit Blade seemed to weaken, it suddenly shed its outer shell of corrosion, revealing a dazzling brilliance hidden within.
Boom!
The Primordial Spirit Blade struck, slicing cleanly through the Ancient Demon's Primordial Spirit, which stared in disbelief as it was sundered. Threads of energy, like barbed hooks, shot from Li Hao's blade and wove through the fragmented Primordial Spirit, shredding it completely.
Without hesitation, Li Hao's Primordial Spirit darted back through the black mist, twisting through the Saint Domain before merging seamlessly with his physical body. The pursuing demons hesitated, seemingly baffled by what had just transpired.
Li Hao understood the reason for his success: he had embedded the power of Abyss Return into his Primordial Spirit, transforming it into a deadly weapon capable of evading and overwhelming his foes.
The entire sequence unfolded in mere instants. When Li Hao's Primordial Spirit returned to his body, the targeted Ancient Demon's physical form collapsed into a lifeless husk. Devoid of its Primordial Spirit, the corpse would no longer regenerate, becoming nothing more than a rotting shell that time would erode.
"Roar!"
The remaining demons erupted in wrath and terror, their cries reverberating with disbelief and outrage. They had now discerned that Li Hao was not a True Immortal but rather a peer in their Saint-level realm.
Yet this mortal had effortlessly slain one of them, something unheard of.
From the moment of their creation, Ancient Demons possessed overwhelming dominance over all other species of their level. Their unique ability to attack and corrode souls made them nearly invincible against their peers. Only a select few, armed with extraordinary artifacts or rare secret techniques, could hope to escape them.
But this human had not just resisted their attacks—he had killed one of their own almost instantaneously.
What frightened them most was his precision. His attacks demonstrated an unnerving familiarity with their anatomy, as if he had dissected countless Ancient Demons before.
Li Hao, however, remained calm, unaffected by their outrage. He assessed his own condition with cold calculation. "One down, but there are still nine left. My Primordial Spirit sustained some damage and will need recovery."
Even so, achieving such a clean kill amidst ten foes of equal strength was already remarkable.
Li Hao wasted no time. Activating his Starry Heaven Vein, countless constellations shimmered into existence around him, forming a dazzling celestial domain.
1,464 stars orbited Li Hao, their radiant glow making him appear like a celestial sovereign commanding the heavens. The potent star power, more abundant in this realm than in the Lands of the Saints, quickly rejuvenated him, healing his Primordial Spirit at an accelerated rate.
Had his physical body been injured, it would have recovered in an instant under such conditions.
As Li Hao absorbed the starlight, he reviewed his recent fight, searching for inefficiencies. He identified areas where his execution could improve, allowing for faster and cleaner kills in the future.
Meanwhile, the remaining nine demons assaulted the Bronze War Chariot, desperately trying to drain its protective formations. Li Hao, realizing the importance of preserving the chariot's integrity for the middle-aged warrior's recovery, refused to let the demons succeed.
From within the chariot, Li Hao wielded the Shard Blade, slicing through their ranks to keep them at bay. Each slash disrupted their coordination, forcing them to prioritize defense over offense.
Half an incense stick of time later, Li Hao's Primordial Spirit had recovered substantially.
His gaze locked onto another demon. The Shard Blade surged forward, tearing through the black mist and Saint Domain to destroy the demon's physical body.
The demon's Primordial Spirit screamed in rage, rushing to reunite with its damaged body. This was not the first time its form had been destroyed, but every prior time, it had regenerated as long as its Primordial Spirit could rebind with its flesh.
This time, however, Li Hao's Primordial Spirit streaked forth like a lightning bolt.
"Primordial Spirit Swordplay!"
His Primordial Spirit condensed into a blade of unparalleled sharpness, imbued with the essence of his Sovereign Sword Dao. It carved a path through the mist, slicing directly into the demon's exposed Primordial Spirit.
Boom!
The sword strike severed the demon's Primordial Spirit, hooks of energy erupting from Li Hao's blade to shred the remnants into countless pieces. Without pause, the fragments were dragged into the void by Li Hao's technique, vanishing into nothingness.
The entire sequence was so swift and seamless that the remaining demons hesitated. For a brief moment, they froze, as if processing the reality that another of their kin had been annihilated.
Their fear began to outweigh their fury.
"What sort of human is this?" they thought collectively, their monstrous forms trembling. He wasn't an Immortal, yet he wielded a Primordial Spirit so powerful that it turned their greatest strengths into glaring weaknesses.
Li Hao didn't stop. Bolstered by the boundless star power of the Starry Heaven Vein, his strength seemed inexhaustible. He charged toward his next target, a chilling determination gleaming in his eyes.
Whoosh!
The targeted Ancient Demon instinctively turned to flee, while the others reacted with an eerie synchronicity, overlapping their Saint Domains in a coordinated attempt to suppress Li Hao.
Yet, the airborne Shard Blade abruptly shifted its trajectory, aiming at another unsuspecting Ancient Demon.
As the blade struck, the creature's physical form was swiftly obliterated, and almost simultaneously, Li Hao's Primordial Spirit followed up with a decisive strike.
The fourth Ancient Demon fell!
Li Hao seized the initiative, his gaze sharp as steel, continuing his relentless assault.
The remaining six Ancient Demons were gripped with fear. This was unthinkable—a complete reversal of fortune. Despite their numerical advantage, they could do nothing against Li Hao. Instead, it was Li Hao, hiding within the Bronze War Chariot, who consistently struck with lethal precision, often killing in an instant.
For creatures like them, whose dominance in their realm was almost guaranteed, this was the first time they had encountered such an overwhelming threat from another True Realm race.
Li Hao launched another attack. Overwhelmed by terror, the six demons began to retreat from the vicinity of the war chariot.
"Think you can escape?" Li Hao muttered coldly, sending the Shard Blade in pursuit.
It wasn't long before one of the lagging Ancient Demons was overtaken and dispatched. The others continued their frenzied retreat, but Li Hao leveraged the extended reach granted by his Flying Segment attribute. His attacks struck far beyond normal range, allowing him to catch up effortlessly.
In quick succession, two more Ancient Demons fell to his blade. Now only three remained, fleeing to a distance beyond Li Hao's sensory range.
Li Hao surveyed the battlefield and summoned the corpses of the fallen demons toward him. Not willing to leave any risk unaddressed, he secured their remains near the Bronze War Chariot before turning his attention to the middle-aged warrior's battle in the distance.
From where he stood, Li Hao could only perceive distant waves of intense energy fluctuations; the fighting had moved more than a hundred miles away.
He hesitated. With his current strength, he could eliminate Threefold Realm Ancient Demons, but entering a fight of that scale was inherently risky.
Looking down at the Bronze War Chariot, Li Hao made up his mind. Despite having only recently met the middle-aged warrior, the man had entrusted him with the protection of the chariot. Such trust could not be ignored.
Li Hao activated his Celestial Concealment and began stealthily moving toward the distant battlefield.
Upon arriving near the fray, he noticed the Twofold Realm Ancient Demon coordinating with several Threefold Realm Ancient Demons. They had blanketed the area in thick black mist, obscuring the combatants and limiting visibility.
Li Hao's eyes narrowed as he studied the battlefield. The Twofold Realm Ancient Demon and its minions appeared to be channeling a formation, consolidating their power into a focused assault.
Deciding on a course of action, Li Hao attacked.
Boom!
He unleashed his full strength, revealing his mastery of Extreme Dao and slipping into Full Fusion Ascension, merging his consciousness with the surrounding world.
Under this heightened state, the black mist no longer seemed impenetrable; he could faintly sense the aura of the middle-aged warrior within.
Whoosh!
The Shard Blade streaked forward, its trajectory sharp and unrelenting.
In an instant, it pierced the body of one Threefold Realm Ancient Demon, disintegrating its flesh with precise disassembly. The demon's physical body crumbled, leaving its Primordial Spirit momentarily exposed.
At the same time, Li Hao's Primordial Spirit, transformed into a sword, struck with devastating force.
Bang!
The demon's Primordial Spirit was obliterated.
Li Hao didn't pause. With blinding speed, his Shard Blade turned toward another Ancient Demon, while his Primordial Spirit pursued a third. The swift combination of physical and spiritual attacks wreaked havoc among the group.
In mere moments, five Threefold Realm Ancient Demons were reduced to lifeless husks.
The remaining demons froze, momentarily paralyzed by the sheer brutality of what they had just witnessed. Their shock left them vulnerable, and Li Hao pressed his advantage.
The Twofold Realm Ancient Demon, still embroiled in its battle with the middle-aged warrior, finally noticed the disturbance. Its focus wavered as it sensed the sudden loss of several subordinates.
When it turned its attention toward Li Hao, it froze in disbelief. Scanning the battlefield, it confirmed the deaths of five of its brethren, their life auras extinguished.
The demon's gaze locked onto Li Hao. Its immense stature trembled with anger, yet a trace of confusion also lingered. This human, a mere Saint-level cultivator, had somehow managed to annihilate its kin in mere moments.
"Roar!" The Twofold Realm Ancient Demon let out an earth-shaking roar, both enraged and incredulous. For all its suspicion, the demon could only deduce that Li Hao must be wielding some sort of supreme treasure capable of such feats.
Direct engagement with Li Hao, however, was unwise—it couldn't afford to leave its position and risk exposing its leader to the middle-aged warrior.
Instead, it barked orders to the remaining five Threefold Realm Ancient Demons, commanding them to attack Li Hao with full force.
The five demons launched themselves at Li Hao, their combined Saint Domains converging to suppress him.
Unfazed, Li Hao adjusted his grip on the Shard Blade and prepared to meet them head-on. Seeing that the Twofold Realm Ancient Demon was holding its ground, he felt a wave of relief—it meant he wouldn't have to fight all six at once.
Clang!
The Shard Blade lashed out, severing the flesh of one demon. The follow-up strike from Li Hao's Primordial Spirit, now wielding the power of his Sword Sovereign Dao, cleaved through the demon's Primordial Spirit with surgical precision.
Another Ancient Demon fell.
The remaining four hesitated, growing wary. They had witnessed the ruthlessness of Li Hao's attacks and now regarded him with a mixture of caution and fear.
"Too late," Li Hao whispered, his voice cold.
The Shard Blade carved a perfect arc through the air, striking down a second demon before the remaining three could regroup. With each kill, Li Hao's momentum grew, and his movements became even more fluid and lethal.
The Twofold Realm Ancient Demon could sense the growing pressure. Its heart surged with anger and frustration, but it refrained from joining the fight directly. The human's blade, though seemingly simple, carried an aura of extreme sharpness—enough to threaten even its formidable defenses.
Boom!
Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the battlefield, forcing the Twofold Realm Ancient Demon to refocus its attention.
The thick black mist dispersed as a mournful wail echoed through the battlefield. Moments later, the enormous Ancient Demon let out an anguished roar and fled toward the horizon.
The Twofold Realm Ancient Demon, witnessing the scene, froze in terror. Realizing the battle was lost, it abandoned its pursuit of Li Hao and scrambled to escape, following its leader.
"It may leave, but you cannot."
The middle-aged warrior suddenly appeared in the demon's path, his blade descending in a devastating arc.
The Twofold Realm Ancient Demon let out a piercing screech, swiping with its claws in a desperate bid to block the strike. However, both the claws and its torso were split cleanly in two.
The wound resisted healing, and its Primordial Spirit was also severed, writhing in agony.
The warrior intended to obliterate it entirely but suddenly recalled Li Hao's earlier request. With a twist of his wrist, the sword's trajectory shifted, executing another precise slash.
The Ancient Demon's body exploded into fragments, its massive, rocky flesh scattering across the battlefield in large, jagged chunks.
Meanwhile, two remaining Threefold Realm Ancient Demons attempted to flee, but Li Hao had already locked onto them. With a flick of his Shard Blade, they were swiftly dispatched.
As the final echoes of battle faded, the battlefield grew silent.
Li Hao and the middle-aged warrior exchanged glances. The warrior's eyes initially betrayed his surprise but soon softened into a genuine, approving smile.
"I didn't expect you to wield a mere fragment of a top-tier dao weapon with such precision. You not only held your own but even executed instant kills against Threefold Realm Ancient Demons. Truly impressive!"
The warrior's compliment came with genuine admiration. Based on Li Hao's strength alone, had he been part of the Tianyang Immortal Emperor's Legion, he would have easily qualified for the elite Diyang Army.
Li Hao chuckled, relieved that his earlier concerns about the warrior being overwhelmed were unfounded. To have survived countless years on this war-torn battlefield, the warrior was undoubtedly extraordinary.
"You said you wanted the bodies preserved. I left them intact for you."
The warrior gestured toward the battlefield.
Li Hao surveyed the massive chunks of demon flesh scattered across the ground. Though they were somewhat fragmented, the pieces were still sizable enough to work with. It wouldn't affect his cooking process.
"Perfect. Looks like we've got a feast ahead of us. I wonder how Ancient Demon meat tastes."
Li Hao smiled.
The warrior burst into laughter. "Their meat has little nutritional value. Back when we captured them as rations, we discovered they were incredibly difficult to digest."
"Let me handle it. I have some methods." Li Hao replied confidently.
With a wave of his hand, he collected the scattered fragments and also retrieved the corpses of the slain Threefold Realm Ancient Demons. Together, he and the warrior returned to the Bronze War Chariot.
Li Hao raised his hand, summoning a Chaotic Divine Flame into his palm.
Seeing the divine flame, the middle-aged warrior's eyes flashed with astonishment. "Chaotic Divine Flame? That's a secret technique of the Immortal Armament Sect."
"Oh?" Li Hao was mildly surprised. He hadn't expected the flame to be recognized so quickly, but considering the warrior's deep knowledge of the True Realm, it made sense.
"It's excellent for forging weapons, but I prefer it for cooking." Li Hao quipped with a grin.
With that, he began using the Shard Blade to expertly process the Ancient Demon flesh, suspending the pieces in midair as the Chaotic Divine Flame cooked them evenly.
The flames enveloped the thick slabs of meat, ensuring they were seared to a crisp on the outside while retaining a tender interior. The aroma of roasting meat soon wafted through the air.
Li Hao then retrieved an assortment of jars and containers from his storage space, brimming with spices and seasonings he had painstakingly collected and prepared. As he sprinkled the seasonings over the roasting meat, the mouthwatering fragrance intensified.
The middle-aged warrior, observing Li Hao's movements, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You really are a cook, huh?"
"Just a hobby," Li Hao replied, laughing.
"You sure have a lot of hobbies," the warrior remarked, recalling Li Hao's earlier painting, which had reached the Dao Entry stage. It was remarkable that someone with a soul age of less than sixty could be so dedicated to mastering such an art.
As the aroma continued to permeate the area, the warrior's long-dormant appetite began to stir. He glanced at Li Hao and remarked, "Earlier, when you used your Primordial Spirit to execute a sword technique, it looked like the 'Immortal's Guiding Path' from the Great Dream Nine Abysses Sect. Was I mistaken?"
Li Hao paused, remembering the skill's name from his system interface. The prefix was indeed Great Dream Nine Abysses, indicating its origins.
"You're correct."
Hearing this confirmation, the warrior's expression turned contemplative. "I see. The Great Dream Nine Abysses Sect was founded by Tianyang Immortal Emperor's second disciple. That Immortal King was a prodigious talent, a peerless swordmaster who developed the renowned Nine Abysses Sword Arts. There were only nine techniques, but it's said that aside from the Immortal Emperor, no one could withstand all nine strikes."
A trace of nostalgia flickered in his gaze. "You must be a descendant of that lineage. Though the Great Dream Nine Abysses Sect suffered devastating losses in the war, remnants of their legacy must have survived in your pseudo-realm. It's a shame… the sect likely perished entirely. Sometimes, I wonder if the True Realm itself has been overtaken by the Ancient Demons, leaving me as the last survivor…"
His voice trailed off, heavy with sorrow.
Li Hao, who had assisted him in the recent battle, seemed to draw out these long-buried memories. The warrior continued, "If the Great Dream Nine Abysses Sect is gone, I suppose that makes you its only half-successor."
The warrior's bleak tone resonated deeply with Li Hao, whose own thoughts drifted to the state of the True Realm. What horrors must have unfolded for it to come to such devastation?
"Senior, how have you survived all this time?" Li Hao asked, his curiosity overriding his tact.
Though the question bordered on impertinent, the warrior merely gave Li Hao a pained smile and replied, "You might think I'm a deserter. And you'd be right… I am a deserter."
"…" Li Hao shook his head. "Senior, you've held this gate for countless years in honor of the Immortal Emperor. How could anyone call you a deserter?"
The warrior's voice turned bitter. "Back then, when the battle raged, we arrived too late. By the time our reinforcements reached the battlefield, the fight was nearly over. My comrades were all slaughtered, and I was gravely injured. If not for an Immortal King who rescued me, I'd have died alongside them. He lent me his war chariot and treasures, which allowed me to survive."
"When I finally awoke, countless years had passed. The battle was long over, but this place was still infested with roaming Ancient Demons…"
Li Hao fell silent, understanding the weight of the warrior's words. The man's self-recrimination came not from cowardice but from surviving where so many had fallen.
The warrior gazed into the distance, his eyes reflecting the faint light of the stars. "All I wish is to see the state of the True Realm before I die. Has it been entirely consumed by the Ancient Demons, or did we win, and this battlefield was simply abandoned?"
Li Hao shared in this yearning, his thoughts clouded by the enormity of the calamity that had unfolded. If the True Realm had fallen, what hope remained for their path of cultivation?
The enticing aroma of roasted meat pulled them both from their somber thoughts. Li Hao spoke lightly, "Whatever the answer, we should eat first."
The warrior glanced at Li Hao, who seemed perpetually optimistic even in the face of despair. It was a contagious sort of vitality that brought a faint smile to his lips.
"With your current strength, you should be able to return to the pseudo-realm. Staying here serves no purpose."
Li Hao's gaze flickered, contemplating the warrior's words. His mastery of Tenfold Dao in multiple disciplines meant he could likely overcome the challenges posed by the Pseudo-Realm Gate.
"Let's eat first. You'll be the judge of my cooking skills." Li Hao smiled, expertly slicing the roasted meat with the Shard Blade and serving it to the warrior.
The warrior accepted a piece and watched as Li Hao began eating with relish. The scent of the perfectly cooked meat wafted into the air, promising a rare moment of peace amidst the chaos.