Chapter 111: Sea Without Shore (补更 425)

In the Blue Lotus Courtyard, all eyes were cast beneath the towering presence of Li Hao’s Cosmic and Earthly Soul Form—like insignificant ants beneath the gaze of a god. Even Li Tiangang, whose Spirit Soul stood ten zhang tall, seemed dwarfed before this colossal manifestation, reduced to a mere child’s height compared to the giant’s knee.

The sheer magnitude of the scene left everyone stunned into silence.

Li Qianfeng, leaning heavily on Mother’s arm, stared with hollow eyes, disbelief etched across his face. This… is Li Hao’s true strength?!

He recalled how effortlessly Li Hao had defeated him with just a single chopstick. Even when he had unleashed the power bestowed by his Master—power that made him invincible among peers of the same realm—it had been utterly crushed by that same meager stick.

The truth was too overwhelming. His heart trembled, refusing to accept what his eyes saw.

While the Li Clan members stood frozen in awe, Li Tiangang’s expression betrayed his own shock—utter disbelief. This… is Li Hao’s Soul Form?!

Back in the manor, he had heard rumors: Li Hao had not inherited ancestral spirits, but rather a Demon Creature’s soul. That was one of the reasons he harbored such resentment toward the boy.

But this? This was no mere fusion of demon essence. This was something far older, far greater—something that defied logic.

Even his own Spirit Form felt like a fragile boat adrift in a boundless sea.

It wasn’t just Li Hao standing before him. It was as if the entire universe had turned its gaze upon him.

The sensation stirred not only awe—but fury.

A father should command reverence, not fear. To stand before his son and feel the urge to bow… it was an unbearable violation of the natural order.

Filial piety and maternal kindness. A strict father, a gentle mother. That is the way of the world. That is the unbreakable law.

“Hmph. So you’ve got some real power, huh? No wonder you dared to defy heaven.”

Li Tiangang drew in a deep breath, his eyes flashing with authority. Though grievously wounded from breaking his Heart Oath—his cultivation level having plummeted from Immortal Stage Peak to the early stage—he remained an Immortal.

Like a Fifteen Li Stage cultivator could effortlessly slaughter the strongest in the Divine Travel Realm, the gap between realms was insurmountable.

He roared, and behind him, his Spirit Soul surged forward. From his palm, divine light coalesced into a blazing blade of divine might.

“Today, no matter how strong your wings, I’ll cut them off!”

“Come on, then!”

Li Hao bellowed, his Cosmic and Earthly Soul Form blazing with golden light. Within its core, countless golden meridians pulsed—98 in total, meticulously replicated from the human body’s Great Meridians.

At the same time, the Yin-Yang Dual Meridians flared into existence, amplifying his soul’s power to terrifying levels.

With a thunderous sweep, the giant form raised its hand, summoning the might of heaven and earth to crush Li Tiangang’s form.

But Li Tiangang’s Spirit Soul slashed forward with its divine blade, its edge glowing like burning flame. A mournful howl echoed through the heavens as the giant’s palm was cleaved open with a single stroke.

The law form grimaced in pain, recoiling.

Li Tiangang’s Spirit Soul charged upward, blade blazing, driving straight toward Li Hao’s form.

Li Hao clenched his teeth—his palm burned as if sliced. The blade was impossibly sharp. Even his mighty form couldn’t withstand it.

No… the form is too large. Power is too分散.

Realization struck him instantly. This was his first time manifesting the form—he was still learning.

He instantly drew his power inward, compressing his soul form. In the blink of an eye, it shrank to roughly ten zhang—matching Li Tiangang’s Spirit Soul in size.

But without the ability to condense divine might into a blade, he couldn’t forge one. So he reached for his true weapon.

His gaze fell upon Ren Qianqian, the young girl clutching the Black Sword Case.

He was about to summon the sword within—Eternal Night—when a thought stopped him.

He turned, glancing toward the courtyard.

There, the old lady stood, her face twisted with sorrow.

A pang shot through his heart. He remembered the gentle, hopeful look in her eyes when she had handed him the sword—so full of trust, so full of love.

If he now wielded the Ninth Uncle’s side sword against his own father, would she not be heartbroken?

He swallowed hard.

No.

With a roar, he raised his soul form to defend, calling forth his own divine sword from within the courtyard.

It was the blade he had chosen during his ascension into the Divine Travel Realm, under the guidance of Second Uncle from the Treasure Vault. Though not among the Ten Greatest Swords Under Heaven, it was still a top-tier divine weapon—capable of slaying Immortal Stage Great Demons.

It was more than enough for Li Tiangang.

As he called, deep within the Mountain and River Courtyard, a wooden sword case snapped open with a sharp clack.

A golden light erupted—like a dragon’s roar—shattering the window.

A round-hilted divine sword, glowing with golden radiance, shot through the air, streaking through layers of space, howling toward the summoner.

The blade sliced through the courtyard, through the void, and pierced straight into the palm of Li Hao’s soul form.

In an instant, the ordinary-sized sword swelled under the weight of celestial power—its body expanding rapidly until it became a colossal golden blade, blazing with divine light.

With one sword in hand, the entire world seemed to shift.

The blade’s surface gleamed like molten gold, illuminating the charging Spirit Soul of Li Tiangang.

Li Hao’s soul form, eyes flashing with fury, swung the sword.

The air darkened.

From the sword’s edge, a massive, radiant moon burst forth—pure, overwhelming, the sole light in the universe.

The moon’s brilliance swallowed Li Tiangang’s Spirit Soul whole.

“Seventh Elder,” Li Xuanli murmured, his voice trembling. A moment of instinctive alarm slipped past his lips.

For an instant, the power and posture of Li Hao’s soul form stirred something deep within him—fear, not for himself, but for Li Tiangang, the Three Immortalities.

Li Mingguang, Li Wushuang, Li Yun—Third Generation heirs—stood frozen, mouths agape.

They couldn’t believe their eyes.

This… was Li Hao’s true strength?

This was what a Fifteen Li Stage cultivator could achieve?

Li Sibei swallowed hard, her throat dry. She felt a chilling certainty: if she faced Li Hao now, even with her Human-Heaven Stage cultivation, she might not survive.

This cousin—this prodigy—had surpassed even the idols of her childhood.

Just as the moon blazed, its light began to crack.

Then—a crimson spear of fire—ripped through the center, tearing the moon apart like paper.

The fragments exploded outward, scattering like embers.

Li Tiangang’s Spirit Soul stood tall, blade still raised, eyes cold and piercing—radiating the aura of one who ruled the heavens.

“So this is your power? Pathetic.”

He slashed again, the blade cutting through the air like a comet.

“Heavenly Pole!”

Suddenly, Li Qingzheng appeared—teleported—in front of Li Hao’s soul form.

Shock and fury flickered in his eyes. He had heard of such soul forms—ancient, legendary.

Before Emperor Yu, in the distant past, a few rare martial cultivators had achieved this form. They did not inherit souls from ancestors or demons. They drew their essence from the universe itself.

They were the pioneers of cultivation—honored as the Teachers of Heaven and Earth. Millennia later, they were revered as… Sages.

To achieve such a form meant Li Hao bore the mark of a Sage.

He could become a true Sage.

And in the entire Great Yu Dynasty—how many centuries had passed without a single Sage?

How could such a prodigy be treated like this?

“Fifth Uncle, step aside,” Li Tiangang said coldly, though he still held respect for the elder.

Li Qingzheng’s voice thundered: “What harm is there in speaking calmly? Hao is a natural talent! Why must you destroy him?”

“Talent? What good is talent if he’s lawless? At fourteen, he’s already killed brothers, plotted against his father. The higher his cultivation, the more uncontrollable he’ll become!”

“Foolish!” Li Qingzheng roared. “Hao has lived quietly in the manor, never provoked anyone. Why must you be the one to discipline him?”

“Because you spoiled him!” Li Tiangang snarled. “If I’d been here, I would’ve disciplined him long ago!”

Li Qingzheng opened his mouth to argue—

But then Li Hao spoke.

“Fifth Elder… Xiao Rou… is she alright?”

Li Qingzheng paused, looking down at him. “She’s fine. I used Immortality Power to seal her life force. She won’t die. She’s recovering. Your father didn’t use full strength… otherwise…”

Li Hao smiled faintly. “As long as she’s safe, it doesn’t matter.”

He turned to the elder. “Fifth Elder, please… let me face him.”

“Hao!” Li Qingzheng cried out.

“Let me see what he’s truly willing to do.” Li Hao’s smile widened. “Second Uncle isn’t here. You’re guarding the Ancestral Hall. Don’t risk breaking your Heart Oath over this.”

Li Qingzheng stiffened. He looked into Li Hao’s eyes—and saw not defiance, but resolve.

A wave of sorrow washed over him.

“Hao… I swear, as long as I live, I won’t let him harm you.”

“Fifth Elder,” Li Hao said, his voice steady. “The Ancestral Heroes’ residual souls in the Hall… they must not be compromised.”

Li Qingzheng’s expression darkened. He stared at Li Hao, then turned to Li Tiangang.

“Listen. Listen to this. Your son still thinks of the ancestral hall, of duty, of the family. What about you?”

“Heavenly Pole!” he shouted. “Your son was born in any other family, under any other father—he would be a source of pride!

“But you… you are his father.”

Li Tiangang’s face twisted. He couldn’t deny it.

For the first time, he felt a flicker of doubt.

He took a breath. “Fifth Uncle… he’s right. Step aside. This is our family matter. No one else needs to interfere.”

Li Qingzheng’s voice cracked with rage. “Your father is dead. If he were alive, he’d beat you senseless!”

The words struck like a dagger.

Chen Hefang, standing nearby, paled slightly.

Li Tiangang gritted his teeth. “Fifth Uncle! Move!”

Li Qingzheng’s eyes filled with sorrow. He looked at him—long and hard.

“You’ll regret this.”

Then, he stepped back—leaving the battlefield.

As Li Hao had said, he couldn’t afford to be injured. Not now.

With Li Moxiu absent, he was the sole guardian. If he fell, the enemy could exploit the chaos and breach the ancestral hall.

The ancestral spirits—mere remnants of souls—were fragile. A Four Foundations Realm cultivator could erase them in an instant.

That was why he had stayed in the hall for years, secluded, untouched by the world.

Though the Divine General’s Residence had long held power, those who coveted it were never ordinary.

“Still… you have the wisdom to think of the whole. Not entirely beyond saving.”

Once Li Qingzheng was gone, Li Tiangang turned to Li Hao, his voice icy.

“You’ve got some nerve. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

Li Hao laughed. Then his eyes hardened, cold fire blazing.

“Enough talk. Let’s go.”

Li Tiangang snarled. “Still so defiant?”

His Spirit Soul charged forward, blade blazing.

Li Hao swung his sword—not the Rising Moon, but the Sea Without Shore.

The Fourth Form. The Ultimate Sword.

Sea Without Shore. Heaven and Earth as companions.

As the sword posture formed, an endless tide of sword intent poured down from the heavens—like a storm from the void.

Sword Qi surged like an ocean, flooding the sky and earth.

The sheer force of this sword Dao left everyone in the courtyard breathless.

Even the child who had just reached Fifteen Li Stage had mastered sword Dao to such terrifying heights.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end