Chapter 402: Departure and Guarding
"How did you come here?!"
The ancient demon commander stared at the woman wielding the crimson spear in shock, immediately realizing that the frontlines had likely collapsed. Otherwise, she couldn't possibly have made her way here.
It had mobilized its subordinates in a rush, only to discover a catastrophic problem. Years of complacency had made it underestimate this attack, and now it was paying the price.
Boom!
As the woman with the crimson spear struck, her weapon shattered the void, unleashing an overwhelming force as if it could overturn rivers and seas.
Li Hao had long noticed the immense world suppression within the true realm. In the Holy Land, he could easily split the void with a single sword strike, but here, even at full power, he could only cause minor distortions in space.
Yet the woman before him seemed to move with unrestrained dominance, her power unfettered by the restrictions of heaven and earth.
Bang!
The spear's glow pierced through one of the ancient demon commander's wings, but it roared and retaliated.
Both were True Lord-level beings, and without any reinforcements, it didn't believe it would lose.
"Life Silence!"
A life origin law erupted, and the ancient demon commander's domain unfurled. Blood light surged from within, condensing into a sinister skeleton blood head that charged toward the crimson spear-wielding woman to devour her.
The crimson spear woman activated her own domain. Her domain was filled with countless spear shadows towering like ancient peaks. Upon closer inspection, those "peaks" were all massive spears piercing the heavens.
Within her domain, the spears trembled. As she struck out, they shot forward, obliterating the skeleton blood head instantly. She then charged into the ancient demon commander's domain.
Whoosh!
Her spear thrust forward, radiating a sharp, blood-colored glow.
The ancient demon commander's domain twisted, as though it had been nullified. The spear pierced its chest and nailed it to the canyon wall.
The ancient demon commander had not expected such a terrifying blow. It seemed to be an extremely powerful spear technique, and her celestial power far surpassed its own.
Boom!
Black mist erupted from the ancient demon commander's body as it turned a deep red. Its eyes glowed with furious hatred as it unleashed a near-illusory wave slash.
The slash moved with unimaginable speed, like a crescent moon cutting through the void.
The crimson spear woman seemed prepared, however. Her figure flickered ghost-like, reappearing to one side before launching another attack.
"Soul Drain!"
The ancient demon commander roared in anger, refusing to let her approach. This human's close-combat ability was far too frightening.
A wave of gray light erupted, targeting the middle-aged general in its grasp first.
The crimson spear woman's gaze turned icy. She moved with ghostly speed, slicing off the ancient demon commander's arm with a single horizontal sweep of her spear, freeing the middle-aged general. But she couldn't completely dodge the incoming gray wave.
As the gray wave struck her, the crimson battle armor she wore ignited in blood flames, burning and dispersing the wave.
The ancient demon commander's pupils shrank. It realized something was wrong.
Many of the rumors from the outside world appeared to be true. It had been trapped here for too long, falling out of touch. But now it understood—the humans of the true realm had truly developed weapons and armor that could resist them.
With her crimson battle armor activated, the woman bore the attack, tossing the middle-aged general aside before charging forward again with full force.
Her hair billowed wildly, turning silver in an instant.
Li Hao's eyes widened. He recognized this state immediately—it was extreme transformation into immortality!
This was the first time Li Hao had seen someone else use extreme transformation into immortality, and he couldn't hide his shock.
Beyond extreme transformation into immortality, the crimson spear woman also unleashed another extreme state. Surrounded by the laws of the Great Dao, it was clear she had also cultivated Wen Dao Extreme State, making her impervious to myriad paths.
With her extreme state activated, the woman's power surged again as she relentlessly stabbed at the ancient demon commander, leaving puncture wounds all over its body. The wounds refused to heal.
The ancient demon commander roared in anger and shock. How could a human suppress it at the same level? Only the top prodigies among humans could achieve this.
It turned and fled, fighting as it retreated.
The woman's expression turned cold. Her heaven and earth avatar appeared, and her spear radiated a strange law of life and death.
"Life and Death!"
She thrust her spear, piercing through the ancient demon commander's domain.
The ancient demon commander was horrified to find its domain unable to resist. The woman's celestial law of life and death was superior to its own, warping and shattering its defenses.
Boom!
The spear pierced its head.
But this wasn't a fatal blow. In the instant she struck its head, the ancient demon commander unleashed its strongest hidden technique—soul harvest, an innate power of the ancient demon race.
A pitch-black blade of energy shot out from its yuan shen, slicing toward the woman.
The crimson battle armor's blood flames ignited to resist, but the black blade cut through and struck her body.
The woman grunted, her face turning pale. A momentary daze clouded her eyes, but she quickly recovered. Her celestial power erupted into silver flames, and with one final furious thrust of her spear, she struck.
Boom!
The ancient demon commander's body was torn apart. Countless spear shadows erupted, shattering it into pieces.
From the fragments of its body, a black shadow emerged—the ancient demon commander's yuan shen. It shrieked in fury, lunging at the woman to tear her soul apart and seize her body.
But the crimson spear woman had anticipated this. She immediately produced a celestial talisman and slapped it onto the shadow.
Blazing lightning erupted, engulfing the ancient demon commander's yuan shen. It screamed miserably as its soul burned under the intense tribulation force.
At the same time, countless spear shadows struck, shredding its yuan shen completely.
In just a few short minutes, the ancient demon commander had been slain by the crimson spear woman.
Li Hao and the middle-aged general stared in shock, then sighed in relief, a mix of joy and disbelief on their faces.
However, after destroying the yuan shen, the woman's face turned slightly pale. Though the battle had been swift, she knew better than anyone that it had not been as easy as it looked. She had used her sect's secret techniques to unleash several times her usual celestial power to tear through the commander's domain.
Otherwise, at the same level, the ancient demon commander would not have been defeated so easily.
Her teacher was right—these ancient demon commanders possessed terrifying soul attacks. Fortunately, she had come prepared.
"You're one of the survivors from the Great Empire's Fall War, aren't you?"
The woman steadied her breath and turned to the middle-aged general. Her cold expression softened slightly, showing a trace of respect.
To the soldiers who had fought in that war, she held immense reverence.
The middle-aged general's expression shifted. He roughly understood the war she referred to. He hadn't expected that the outside world would call it the Great Empire's Fall War. That made sense, though—several celestial emperors, whose names he once revered, had perished in that very war…
His thoughts drifted briefly, tinged with sadness, but he quickly returned to his senses and nodded at the crimson spear woman. "That's right."
The crimson spear woman gave a slight nod, then turned her gaze toward Li Hao, frowning slightly. "And you?"
A mere Saint-level, she didn't believe he could have survived that war. Even if someone miraculously managed to survive, a Saint-level cultivator couldn't have lived so long, especially in such a hostile environment.
After all, the Great Empire's Fall War was far too ancient.
Countless years had passed since that time; it was an age that felt almost mythical now.
"I'm not," Li Hao replied, shaking his head.
"I know you're not. Why are you here?"
The crimson spear woman seemed slightly impatient, her frown deepening. Simultaneously, her domain spread out, sweeping across the surroundings.
The middle-aged general quickly interjected, "He came from the Heavenly Catastrophe Immortal Emperor's pseudo-realm. He might even be a descendant of the Immortal Emperor."
Li Hao understood that he said this deliberately, embellishing his background to make the crimson spear woman take him more seriously. Perhaps this could even help them secure some benefits.
As expected, the woman's expression shifted slightly, her gaze sharpening as she looked at Li Hao more closely.
Soon, she noticed something extraordinary—this Saint-level cultivator had actually cultivated eight extreme states, just like herself!
Even the rarest Extreme Transformation into Immortality and Dao Ancestor Extreme State had been achieved. Such talent was truly remarkable.
Moreover, she discerned that Li Hao's soul lifespan carried a youthful, vibrant aura—he was barely over sixty years old.
Calculating this, he undoubtedly qualified as a top-tier genius.
Her gaze softened slightly, and she believed the middle-aged general's explanation. Aside from someone with Immortal Emperor lineage, it was indeed difficult for anyone to reach such a level.
To think that Heavenly Catastrophe Immortal Emperor had left behind descendants.
Although that era was distant and lost to history, the name of the Immortal Emperor had dominated an entire age. Even after countless millennia, the legends of the Immortal Emperor remained, and she was naturally familiar with them.
"The Xuanpin Gate… so it has cracks. Did you come out from there?"
The crimson spear woman's gaze flickered slightly as she noticed the gate at the end of the canyon, her eyes flashing with intrigue.
She had been sent here not only to clear out the ancient demons, but also to search for traces of the Immortal Emperor's relics.
To her surprise, she had actually found the pseudo-realm left behind by the Immortal Emperor.
The pseudo-realm created by an Immortal Emperor—who knew if any treasures remained inside?
"Mm," Li Hao nodded.
The crimson spear woman fixed her gaze on Li Hao. "How many people like you exist in the Immortal Emperor's pseudo-realm?"
Her question was aimed at gauging the value of the treasures left in the pseudo-realm.
Li Hao asked, "Senior, which aspect are you referring to?"
"Cultivation, talent, strength," the crimson spear woman replied succinctly.
"Not many, perhaps two or three at most," Li Hao replied modestly.
The crimson spear woman's gaze flickered. That few? It seemed the resources in the pseudo-realm were not as abundant as she had hoped.
But that made sense. According to records, the Great Empire's Fall War had been devastating. Many forces had poured everything they had into that battle, leaving nothing behind.
"Wait here," she said.
Her figure flickered and disappeared from the canyon. In the next moment, she appeared before the Xuanpin Gate.
She examined the gate closely, reaching out to touch it. Immediately, she sensed the presence of Heavenly Law restrictions—it couldn't be forcibly broken.
"A protection left for his descendants…"
Her eyes gleamed slightly, and after a moment, she turned and returned to stand before Li Hao and the middle-aged general.
"I detected an anomaly with the ancient demons here, so I came to launch a surprise attack. I must now return to reinforce the army."
The crimson spear woman looked at Li Hao and the middle-aged general. "Follow me. There are still other ancient demon commanders in the area. This purge may not be completed in one attempt. If you stay here, it will be dangerous when other demons arrive."
Hearing that they could finally leave this place, the middle-aged general's face filled with excitement and joy. His eyes even reddened slightly.
He immediately moved to follow her but noticed that Li Hao had not moved.
He turned back, slightly stunned, and saw that Li Hao remained standing in place.
"Brother…"
The middle-aged general's expression froze. From the look on Li Hao's face, he seemed to understand something.
The crimson spear woman also frowned, gazing intently at Li Hao. The middle-aged general's emotions had touched her heart slightly, but Li Hao's calm demeanor surprised her.
"Senior, if we leave here, when can we return?"
Li Hao asked, his voice steady.
He had not forgotten what the middle-aged general had said—once someone reached the True Immortal Realm, they could no longer return to the Holy Land. The Xuanpin Gate would have to be forcibly opened by a powerful expert, or he himself would have to reach extraordinary heights.
"You're unwilling to leave?"
The crimson spear woman seemed surprised. Entering the true realm was the dream of countless people in pseudo-realms. And yet this boy seemed reluctant.
"The Immortal Emperor's pseudo-realm has traces of relics. Once I report this, reinforcements will undoubtedly be sent to suppress the area. But I cannot guarantee when that will happen—it could be immediate or decades from now."
The crimson spear woman explained calmly.
Hearing this, Li Hao immediately understood what interested her.
He suddenly regretted saying too little earlier. If he had claimed there were many geniuses like him, perhaps her superiors would have sent forces immediately to liberate the Holy Land.
But then again, lying might have gotten him into trouble later.
"In that case, I'll wait here for your return," Li Hao said.
Although he was curious about the true realm and its vastness, his thoughts were more focused on the Holy Land and the familiar people there—Ren Qianqian, Yu Huang, Feng Lao, and Jian Zhu, among others.
Moreover, his cultivation method was unconventional, and staying behind wouldn't disadvantage him much.
In the true realm, a Saint-level cultivator like him might be in great danger, but in the Holy Land, his current strength ensured absolute safety.
"Brother, you…"
The middle-aged general's voice trembled.
The middle-aged general stood frozen for a moment. He hadn't expected that Li Hao, who had fought alongside him for three years, would choose to stay here. This place, where he had endured countless years, was long a land he had grown sick of.
He fell silent. Suddenly, he seemed to understand—Li Hao had stayed here, fighting by his side, simply to accompany him and help him break free from the battlefield of this ancient road.
His gaze turned complicated as he looked at Li Hao and said, "Brother, after three years together, I've never told you my name. My name is Nangong Jian. The next time we meet, I'll protect you!"
Hearing this, Li Hao smiled. After three years of fighting side by side, they had never even asked for each other's names. Yet their trust and camaraderie were as real as the bond of lifelong friends.
"No problem," Li Hao replied with a grin.
"And you?" Nangong Jian asked.
"Hao Tian," Li Hao answered.
"Alright, I'll remember it."
Nangong Jian etched this name deeply into his memory and then looked at Li Hao with profound emotion.
"Are you really sure about staying? The war outside is tense, and in the worst-case scenario, it might be a long time before we can free up enough forces to completely clear out this place," the crimson spear woman said to Li Hao seriously.
From her perspective, the pseudo-realm of an Immortal Emperor had likely yielded little in all these years, producing only two or three individuals like Li Hao. It was undoubtedly a barren place.
She had seen other pseudo-realms left behind by Immortal Emperors, many of which had long fallen into decay, with barely any Saint-level cultivators, and their cultivation systems were crude and incomplete.
"I can wait," Li Hao replied calmly.
Even in the true realm, his cultivation speed wouldn't necessarily improve much. Instead, he would face countless dangers. It was far better to remain in the Holy Land, where he could quietly consolidate his various arts and techniques.
If he managed to cultivate all seven arts to Ten Segments, the boost to his strength would be unimaginable.
Besides, no one in the Holy Land could threaten him anymore.
Seeing Li Hao unmoved, the crimson spear woman shook her head slightly, thinking he likely felt attached to the pseudo-realm because of his Immortal Emperor lineage. This was understandable; the pseudo-realm carried a profound connection to his ancestors.
She did not continue to persuade him. "I will slaughter the remaining ancient demon armies, then send someone to guard the Xuanpin Gate to prevent it from being attacked and consumed by stray demons. Once this battlefield is cleared, other demons may quickly occupy it. You should return to the pseudo-realm soon."
She didn't want to see anything happen to Li Hao. After all, the Immortal Emperor's descendants were rare and precious.
Saying this, she exchanged a glance with Nangong Jian, signaling that it was time to leave.
"Brother, wait for me," Nangong Jian said to Li Hao with solemn determination.
He was already at the brink of breaking through the True Immortal Realm. Once he returned to the outside world, he was confident he could achieve the True Sovereign Realm. When that time came, he would personally return to fetch Li Hao.
Before leaving, Nangong Jian entered the bronze war chariot, carefully retrieving the neatly arranged bones stored within.
"Brothers, I'll take you home!"
Nangong Jian looked at the white bones with red-rimmed eyes, his emotions churning.
The crimson spear woman saw the countless remains and her expression changed slightly. Although she was eager to return, she said nothing and simply watched silently as Nangong Jian carefully stored the bones into his Heaven and Earth Space.
"Let's go," Nangong Jian said after collecting the bones and leaving the bronze war chariot behind.
He turned around one last time to look at Li Hao.
Li Hao waved farewell, his expression calm.
Soon, Nangong Jian and the crimson spear woman disappeared from Li Hao's sight.
Before leaving, Nangong Jian glanced at the fragmented flesh of the ancient demon commander and gave Li Hao a meaningful look. He had deliberately refrained from mentioning Li Hao's ability to cook ancient demons.
He knew how shocking such a skill was. If word got out, and Li Hao lacked a powerful backing, he could end up a pawn exploited by others. If he had support, he would become a coveted treasure for various forces.
Once they were gone, the place became eerily desolate.
Li Hao looked out at the silent land and the gloomy sky. This was the same scene Nangong Jian had endured for countless years.
He let out a soft sigh and walked to the ancient demon commander's remains, collecting the fragmented flesh into his Heaven and Earth Space.
Even though the demon was dead, its flesh still radiated immense soul power. Li Hao could sense the overwhelming vitality contained within.
However, with his current cooking abilities, he might not yet be able to process such a formidable material.
Li Hao tested his broken immortal weapon on the flesh, only to find that it was like stabbing a wooden sword into a boulder—he couldn't leave a single mark.
At this moment, Li Hao fully grasped how terrifying the crimson spear woman was. In just a few minutes, she had managed to kill this ancient demon commander.
He collected the fragments and stored them away for later. For now, he did not heed the crimson spear woman's advice to return to the Xuanpin Gate immediately. Instead, he drove the bronze war chariot to the gorge and set up camp near the Xuanpin Gate.
He planned to stay here until reinforcements arrived to guard the area. If any stray ancient demons appeared and tried to damage the Xuanpin Gate, he would deal with them personally.
The gate had stood firm for countless years, and Nangong Jian had played a significant role by holding back the ancient demons outside the gorge.
Without his efforts, the relentless attacks of the ancient demons would have worn the gate down long ago.
Li Hao camped a short distance from the Xuanpin Gate, ready to retreat into the Holy Land if another ancient demon commander arrived.
To prepare, Li Hao buried hidden threads around the area.
His skill with setting traps and threads had grown increasingly refined. Although these threads could not harm an ancient demon commander, they could provide him with early warnings.
Time passed swiftly.
Since the crimson spear woman took Nangong Jian away, the gorge had remained peaceful. No other ancient demons had appeared.
The death of the ancient demon commander likely meant this portion of the ancient road had been temporarily cleared.
Li Hao projected an avatar of himself, sending it out of the gorge to scout the surrounding ancient demon territories. To his surprise, the territories they had yet to purge were now completely lifeless—countless ancient demon corpses littered the ground.
It was clear that the crimson spear woman had slaughtered them before leaving.
Seeing so many ancient demon bodies, Li Hao could barely contain his excitement. Using his avatar, he transported the corpses back to his camp.
Thus, Li Hao set up camp outside the Xuanpin Gate, cooking and eating every day. When idle, he buried more hidden threads and honed his sculpting skills.
In the blink of an eye, half a year passed.
Li Hao had yet to see the people the crimson spear woman promised to send to guard this place. He couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Clearing out the ancient road should mean reinforcements would arrive quickly, but months had passed, and not a single person had appeared. Could something have gone wrong after they left?
Li Hao began to feel anxious about Nangong Jian's situation. However, stuck here, there was little he could do other than worry. Shaking off his unease, he turned his focus to other matters.
Over the past six months, Li Hao had consumed nearly two hundred ancient demons alone. The strength of his soul force had grown even more formidable, and the immortal energy accumulated in his body had become increasingly abundant.
Under Extreme Transformation, when this immortal energy was released, it could be converted into heaven and earth power. Li Hao felt that he could easily crush Third-Tier Ancient Demons with it. Even without relying on his soul force or broken weapons, merely channeling this power into his Eternal Dao Domain could suppress them to death.
Time flowed like a river. Another six months passed, and Li Hao's body had condensed over one hundred golden veins.
He estimated that at this pace, in two more years, he could condense his third soul bone.
With the remaining corpses of ancient demons still in his possession, Li Hao calculated that consuming all of them would likely allow him to condense even a fourth soul bone, possibly even a fifth.
Each soul bone nearly doubled the strength of his soul force, making him unimaginably powerful.
With Nangong Jian's immortal object control techniques, his object manipulation speed had reached an unimaginable level. It was now even faster than the Abyssal Extreme Realm!
In the same cultivation realm, a single thought from him could suppress his opponents instantly.
After living alone in this place for a year, Li Hao began to miss the Holy Land. He wanted to return, but the guards the crimson spear woman had promised to send still hadn't appeared. His instincts told him something must have happened.
Clang!
One day, while eating, Li Hao suddenly felt one of his hidden threads vanish, severed by a surge of unknown power.
His gaze sharpened. He put away the freshly prepared dishes and crept to the Xuanpin Gate, concealing his aura and quietly releasing his divine sense to observe.
With a whistling sound, the figure of an ancient demon appeared above the gorge.
This ancient demon was several hundred meters tall, a Third-Tier Ancient Demon.
Li Hao's expression flickered, and he hid behind a large boulder without revealing himself.
The ancient demon noticed the Xuanpin Gate and let out an excited, low growl, diving down eagerly.
It quickly landed in front of the Xuanpin Gate.
Its gaze locked onto the crack in the gate's rune patterns, and its excitement grew visibly.
The demon stepped forward, preparing to enter the gate through the crack.
At that moment, a blinding cold light shot toward it.
The ancient demon sensed danger and screamed in shock, but its cry was abruptly cut off.
The broken weapon moved too quickly, instantly piercing through its body, killing its physical form on the spot. Immediately after, Li Hao's soul force surged out, suppressing its soul and scattering it into oblivion.
A Third-Tier Ancient Demon was now nothing more than prey that Li Hao could easily kill.
"Damn it. Did this one wander here from elsewhere? Could it mean the war outside has already settled?"
Li Hao stepped out from behind the boulder, his expression dark. The ancient demon territories they had cleared earlier were all lifeless. This one must have come from the outside.
If it was wandering here instead of heading to the front lines, it likely meant the battles outside were no longer urgent—perhaps the war had already ended.
"This crack... Second-Tier Ancient Demons can't enter, but Third-Tier Ancient Demons can sneak in. Nangong Jian guarded the gorge before, but with him gone and the crimson spear woman not sending anyone, this place could be attacked at any time. If they enter through this crack…"
Li Hao frowned deeply. He had already wanted to leave, but the reinforcements had yet to come, and this growing problem made him uneasy.
He thought about returning to the Holy Land to relax—go fishing, play chess—but if he left now, the Xuanpin Gate would remain unguarded. If a Third-Tier Ancient Demon came through the crack and entered the pseudo-realm, it would spell disaster.
If word of this place spread and the ancient demons sent hundreds of Third-Tier Ancient Demons, the consequences for the Holy Land would be unimaginable!
Sitting back down, Li Hao brooded over the issue. Despite the growing concerns, he pulled out the freshly prepared dish and ate his meal. Good food should never go to waste.
After eating, Li Hao's mood improved slightly. He stared at the crack in the gate and began analyzing the rune patterns intently.
The best solution would be to repair the crack.
But repairing it would likely be as difficult as becoming a True Immortal.
After all, the Xuanpin Gate was the handiwork of an Immortal Emperor. Its structure was built using the laws of an Immortal Emperor, and although countless years had passed and it had suffered immense damage, the fact that it still stood showed how extraordinary it was.
Time passed in silence.
In the days that followed, Li Hao spent his time eating, drinking, and studying the rune patterns on the Xuanpin Gate. When he grew tired, he would carve sculptures to clear his mind.
By now, his sculpting skills had begun to touch the threshold of the Ninth Segment, and the sculptures he created exuded an extraordinary artistic essence.