https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-341-Absorbing-the-Extreme-Dao-Semi-Saint-Demons/13450529/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-343-Wrath-Hundredfold-Suppression-/13450531/
Chapter 342: Realm Stone Reflection, Quota Contention
Chapter 342: Realm Stone Reflection, Quota Contention
Seeing the other party's Laws vanish, Li Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly.
This was his first confrontation with a Semi-Saint, and he hadn’t expected the power of the Eternal Dao Domain to exceed his imagination. The Dao Domain alone was enough to suppress the opponent’s techniques.
“What kind of Dao Domain is this?!”
Seeing his Laws and Divine Powers rendered ineffective, the Semi-Saint Spider Demon was clearly stunned, even more surprised than Li Hao.
This Divine Power was a Demon Technique he had mastered since childhood, refined and evolved to the pinnacle of Divine Powers, and cultivated to the Dao Entry Level. Now, bolstered by his budding Holy Dao Will, its power was ten times that of the Dao Law Realm, yet it had been effortlessly destroyed?
Bang!
Once Li Hao made his move, he acted swiftly. The Heaven-Earth Meridian surged, and his body suddenly stepped forward, a gentle Sword Qi slicing out from his palm in an instant.
This Sword Qi, like an ethereal Spirit Light, swept across the chest and abdomen of the Semi-Saint Spider Demon, instantly tearing a massive gash from the inside out.
“Reel in!”
Li Hao raised his hand, guiding the Fishing Line, and quickly retrieved the Spirit Pearl.
The Semi-Saint Spider Demon was taken aback by Li Hao’s lightning-fast attack and immediately flew into a rage. A crimson-golden thread suddenly condensed above his head, weaving a dense web around the area.
His purple spider eye glinted with ferocity as he roared, “Top Prodigy? Don’t even think of escaping!”
Obstacles sprang up from the ground, enveloping the surroundings like a Vine Ball.
Li Hao, having obtained the Spirit Pearl, had no intention of further entanglement. However, seeing the path of retreat sealed, he abruptly halted and turned around.
“Let me dismantle your Dao Domain and see your secrets!”
The Semi-Saint Spider Demon’s eyes were filled with malice as he advanced toward Li Hao.
But Li Hao’s eyes suddenly sharpened, a piercing cold light flashing within them.
The Eternal Dao Domain enveloped him, protecting him from harm. He raised his hand and, facing the Semi-Saint Demon, unleashed his Sword Dao for the first time.
Sole Self,
Slash!
Space seemed to split, abruptly tearing apart!
A black fissure appeared, as if severing the Fuyou Demon Realm, dividing Heaven and Earth!
The Semi-Saint Spider Demon’s body also split in two, his Holy Dao Will shattering and being invaded by countless Sword Intents—those of the sun and moon, Utmost Softness, the Five Elements, and more. These Sword Intents condensed into a single, razor-sharp blade!
Blood spattered, and numerous legs and limbs were severed. The Semi-Saint Spider Demon’s body was torn apart on the spot, and a Soul Spirit emerged, looking at the young man in front of him with sheer terror.
That cold, sharp gaze seemed to pierce through him like a dead thing!
At this moment, the Semi-Saint Spider Demon felt the shadow of death looming over him. The young man, enveloped by the terrifying Dao Domain, gave him a sense of overwhelming superiority.
How is this possible?!
He was dazed, staring at the young man in shock.
Li Hao’s eyes were cold, and he was about to strike again when he noticed a Buddhist Seal Talisman inside the Semi-Saint Spider Demon, imprinted on its Demon Core, emitting pure Buddhist Light and a faint, vast Sage aura.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he cast a cold glance at the Semi-Saint Spider Demon. “Cultivation is not easy. Don’t seek your own death!”
With that, he retracted his Dao Domain and turned to leave.
The Vine Ball-like cage that had risen from the ground shattered and disappeared with his sword strike, and he strode away.
The Semi-Saint Spider Demon’s Soul Spirit watched the young man’s retreating back, his pupils constricting, but he didn’t make a move to stop him.
“This, this is what kind of monster?”
It mumbled to itself, its voice trembling.
Soon, a thick layer of Demonic Aura enveloped its demonic body, and its wounds began to heal. The Sword Intent that had caused the injury dissipated as the young man turned away. It knew that the young man had shown mercy, sparing its life.
As a Semi-Saint, it had almost been killed by a Dao Law Realm cultivator, which was simply absurd.
"Sage Reincarnation, huh? Well, well... let that bald monk's Buddhist Disciple suffer a crushing defeat..."
The Semi-Saint Spider Demon gazed in the direction the young man had vanished, its eyes glowing with a deep light.
...
In front of the Spatial Rift on the Battle Platform, Li Hao stepped out, holding a silver Spirit Pearl.
Li Hao casually waved his hand, suspending the Spirit Pearl in mid-air before turning back to his seat in front of the Divine Dynasty.
At that moment, the Buddhist Sect judge announced Li Hao's time:
"2 minutes and 38 seconds!"
Upon hearing this, the audience let out several gasps, but the reaction was much less intense compared to when Chiguang and Lin Shuhai had their times announced.
Chiguang had been silently counting the seconds as Li Hao entered the Spatial Rift. When Li Hao surpassed his own time of 1 minute and 47 seconds, a cold smile appeared on his lips. However, when he saw Li Hao return after just over 2 minutes, he was somewhat surprised.
The Semi-Saint Spider Demon was no easy opponent. Chiguang's strategy was to inflict a scar, which was quicker and more in line with his aggressive nature, as he never liked to be on the defensive.
Inflicting a wound on a Semi-Saint was incredibly difficult. Chiguang had to use a significant amount of True Energy to quickly injure the demon and retrieve the Spirit Pearl.
"Not bad, only 40 seconds behind."
Seeing Li Hao return, Chiguang nodded slightly. This result was close to what he had predicted, though a few seconds lower than expected, it still matched his assessment of Li Hao.
Upon hearing this, Li Hao remained silent, merely adjusting the fluctuations in his body to calm himself down.
At this moment, Li Hao noticed a gaze probing him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He followed the gaze and saw that the Twin-Born Buddha Prince, who had been in a trance earlier, was now looking at him. A faint demonic aura seemed to surround him, and his usually calm expression now held a subtle smile.
The smile was elusive, seeming both genuine and illusory, both holy and eerie.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow and checked himself, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Could it be that the other party knew what had happened in the Fuyou Demon Realm?
If so... Li Hao glanced at the three Sages, but their expressions remained unchanged.
If the Twin-Born Buddha Prince could sense it, then the Sages would certainly be able to as well.
Li Hao then looked at Zhantan, who smiled at him without any unusual expression.
Clearly, a Semi-Saint couldn't see through everything, and the Sages had their own limits.
No matter how strong the Twin-Born Buddha Prince was, he couldn't surpass a Semi-Saint... Li Hao thought to himself, picked up his brush and painting board, and began to sketch the Twin-Born Holy Son, examining his painting experience.
Hmm?
Seeing Li Hao pick up his brush again, Chiguang raised an eyebrow. Li Hao showed no sign of shame for his slightly lower score and instead continued to paint.
"Fourth, Clear Wind's score is fourth!"
"Only slightly behind Hao Yue Holy Son, but not by much."
"This performance aligns with my expectations. Apart from Chiguang, who stands out as a dark horse, the other rankings match their reputations."
"Only slightly behind the strongest Holy Son from the Holy Land, this is still an extremely impressive result."
"Clear Wind is certainly one of the candidates who will represent our Canglan World in the upcoming battles."
Many people looked at Li Hao, surprised to see him painting. Li Hao's demeanor suggested he still had reserves and was feeling relaxed.
"Clear Wind isn't simple either. The true test will come in the final confrontations, where we'll see who is truly the strongest!"
"However, the ultimate showdown will likely be between Chiguang and the Twin-Born Buddha Prince."
Not just Li Hao, but Lin Shuhai was also hard to read. Despite this, the crowd still felt that the Twin-Born Buddha Prince was the most enigmatic and terrifying.
Li Hao quietly worked on his painting, the brush strokes flowing seamlessly. As two more participants emerged after another ten minutes, Li Hao's artwork was complete.
The Painting Experience notification appeared: 42,000!
Seeing the substantial experience points, Li Hao was momentarily stunned, feeling a bit taken aback.
The Twin-Born Buddha Prince actually had 42,000 experience points!
This amount of experience was nearly on par with Emperor Canghai!
The opponent was a Semi-Saint.
In other words, the Twin-Born Buddha Prince's true strength was likely just slightly inferior to a Semi-Saint!
Li Hao squinted his eyes, giving the Twin-Born Buddha Prince a quick glance before turning to Chiguang. Chiguang's Painting Experience was 35,000, which he had earned from his earlier painting. It was unclear if he had made any further breakthroughs since then.
However, the way Chiguang kept leaping around in front of him clearly indicated a small improvement.
Li Hao put away his painting, feeling a bit relieved. But then a doubt crept into his mind, and he glanced back at the Twin-Born Buddha Prince, who seemed to be in a daze, the earlier smile appearing almost like an illusion.
Li Hao's eyes flickered as he looked at the other, but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he picked up his brush and began to paint Lin Shuhai.
On the Battle Platform, the remaining five prodigies finished their sessions, all taking more than fifteen minutes. The competition for the top twenty was now over.
Li Hao completed painting Lin Shuhai and received 37,000 experience points, slightly more than Chiguang's earlier score.
Feeling a bit surprised, Li Hao looked at the calm and scholarly-looking Lin Shuhai, who, upon noticing Li Hao's gaze, smiled back at him.
Li Hao nodded and put away his painting. At that moment, the Buddhist Sect judge stepped forward and listed everyone's times.
The eliminated participants, noticing their times were outside the top twenty, looked dejected.
"I almost got eliminated!"
Zhao Qingshu, seeing the rankings, felt a lingering sense of relief. He was on the edge, in a precarious position.
But there were still a couple of others at the bottom.
"Who would have thought that only five managed to make it into the top five minutes. There's a clear gap!"
"Only six made it into the top ten minutes. I wonder if there are any hidden talents."
The crowd below buzzed with discussion.
At that moment, the Thousand-Eon Venerable slowly raised his hand, and the Spatial Rift closed. The high sky was shrouded in mist, revealing the scene within the Fuyou Demon Realm.
Li Hao saw the Semi-Saint Spider Demon, whom he had defeated earlier, lying on the ground, looking listless and yawning.
Seemingly sensing the gaze from the projection, the Semi-Saint Spider Demon looked up into the void, its dozens of purple eyes narrowing, as if sneering.
Li Hao's eyes flickered. The Venerable could easily project the Fuyou Demon Realm, so it was possible he had observed Li Hao's earlier battle.
However, as long as he didn't reveal the Transcend to Immortality Ultimate Realm, it wouldn't be a big issue. Some of his techniques would inevitably be exposed in future battles, but that wasn't a major concern.
The Semi-Saint Spider Demon had tried to investigate Li Hao's Divine Blood and its ability to absorb Slaughter Grievance. Li Hao glanced at the Venerable, recalling the spider demon's words. Could the Venerable also have reached the Divine Blood stage?
If so, his physical body would have become part of the Divine Race.
But the Divine Race was viewed as the Demon Race in the Land of Sages, and the Venerable, as the supreme being of the Buddhist Sect, must be aware of this, yet he hadn't revealed it...
Li Hao's eyes showed deep thought.
At that moment, the Venerable spoke, "These are Semi-Saint Demons, captured and tamed by me to guard the Spirit Pearl. They are part of this trial."
His face was serene, and he spoke with a gentle smile, "To be able to retrieve the Spirit Pearl from their hands is already a remarkable feat for a peer. Even though you were defeated today, there's no need to be discouraged. Focus on your cultivation, and you still have the potential to transcend the mundane and achieve greatness."
Hearing the Venerable's comforting words, the prodigies who had looked dejected visibly perked up.
There were always others more skilled, and today's defeat was indeed a significant blow. However, the Venerable's warm words made them feel a greater affinity for the Buddhist Sect.
The spectators were all shocked, never expecting that the forty people had actually been fighting over Spirit Pearls from the Semi-Saint Demons. No wonder it was so difficult!
"Next, the Realm Stones will illuminate, and the ten strongest will vie for supremacy. Are those who have advanced prepared?"
The Buddhist Venerable looked at the crowd. Though his gaze did not focus on any one person, the twenty who had advanced, including Li Hao, all felt his eyes on them. His look was kind and warm, giving the sense of an elder's care.
Following the Buddhist Venerable's command, on the Buddhist Sect Holy Mountain, several Bodhisattvas emerged. Around the Battle Platform, massive stones as black as steles rose from the Heavens and Earth, radiating divine light and connecting with each other.
These were the Realm Stones, their divine light piercing the heavens and resonating with the distant Realm Stone Array in the Canglan World. In an instant, the clouds above were filled with the grandeur of the entire Buddhist Sect Holy Mountain.
In the various dynasties and major cities of the Canglan World, this magnificent scene could be seen.
The towering Buddhist Sect Holy Mountain, with its solemn and majestic temples, and the millions of princes, princesses, and young nobles who had come to watch.
Most importantly, the three Sage Dharma Images stood tall, and the numerous prodigies stood with proud postures. This scene instantly ignited the entire Canglan World!
"That's the Buddhist Venerable, the Thousand-World Buddhist Venerable, rumored to have endured a thousand lifetimes of suffering and comprehended all the secrets of the world!"
"That's Wen Sheng, the Supreme Sage in the hearts of all scholars!"
"That's the Sword Saint, the ultimate goal for all swordsmen!"
"So many people, those must be the top prodigies of our Canglan World. I achieved the Three Immortalities at twenty-five and considered myself a dragon among men, but compared to those prodigy monsters, I'm still too weak!"
"I heard that some Holy Maidens have reached the Dao Law Realm before the age of thirty and possess numerous Ultimate Realms and Divine Powers, making them the best in their realm!"
"That Twin-Born Buddha Prince of the Buddhist Sect is said to be less than twenty years old. But he's an anomaly, born with Buddhist Light and Demonic Qi surrounding him. He reached Force Mastery peak at three and the Three Immortalities at ten!"
"That's a Sage Reincarnation, said to be the reincarnation of an ancient Buddha from the Buddhist Sect. He's incomparable."
Countless people discussed, and many young lords of noble families who couldn't go to the Buddhist Sect Holy Land could only look up at the sky from their homes.
The grand scene reflected in the clouds, like the gods and Buddhas of the heavens, stirred the blood of all who saw it.
On the peak of the Buddhist Sect Saint Mountain, Li Hao and the others also witnessed this scene. The Realm Stones had activated, and now the true battle among prodigies would begin!
If one performed brilliantly in this battle, they could immediately attract countless believers. Afterward, when temples were established, they would receive countless incense offerings, greatly accelerating their Ascension.
Lighting three sticks of incense was just the first step in Ascension. The more incense one received, the more powerful they became. For those who followed the Incense Ascension path, the main power, besides their own Saint Path, was the power of incense!
"Finally, it's beginning."
Chiguang's eyes glowed with intense battle spirit. The other prodigies also looked eager, while those who had been eliminated looked dejected, some with eyes filled with resentment and envy. Even just stepping onto the platform would be seen by billions in the Canglan World, ensuring eternal fame!
At the Buddhist Venerable's command, Li Hao and the others all stepped onto the platform. Twenty people stood in a row, each with a different aura.
Among the top twenty, the Buddhist Sect had eight representatives, with only two being eliminated. The Wenzu Holy Land had five, the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary had four, and the remaining three were Li Hao, Chiguang, and Su Yun, the three Wanderers.
Seeing that the Buddhist Sect only lost two members, many were secretly astonished, realizing that this generation of the Buddhist Sect was incredibly strong.
As everyone's Waist Badges soared into the air, under the watchful eyes of the three Sages, the Great Dao light enveloped the area, swirling like a hurricane, and pairs of Waist Badges were shot out.
Everyone quickly looked around to find their opponents.
Li Hao saw that his opponent was a young Arhat from the Buddhist Sect.
The Arhat also looked at Li Hao, a smile on his face, neither happy nor sad.
Li Hao nodded slightly to him and then turned to leave the platform with the others.
Although there had been conflicts with the Buddhist Sect in the Mortal World, it was more accurate to say that Li Hao had a grudge against the Buddhist Master. The Buddhist Sect in the Land of Sages was a different matter, and Li Hao didn't intend to extend his hatred and resentment to them. He believed in dealing with each issue separately.
The Battle Platform cleared to make way for the first combatants.
Li Hao saw that the first match was between Lin Qingying and a Holy Son from the Buddhist Sect.
As the battle began, both sides revealed their Ultimate Realms, and phenomena unfolded, filling the entire Battle Platform with raging power. Lin Qingying unleashed the Ultimate Softness Sword Intent, her Sword Qi as cold and sharp as ice, continuously intersecting. However, the Buddhist Sect Holy Son was also extremely powerful, with a Buddha Statue appearing, seemingly blessed by the Golden Light of the Buddha, showcasing a formidable and unyielding power.
Li Hao noticed that Lin Qingying had a cluster of Sword Qi brewing in her abdomen, compensating for the previous loss of her Dao Fetus.
Compared to her battle against the Hao Yue Holy Son, her combat strength had not diminished much; in fact, it had improved, as she had gained some insights into the Void Sword Dao.
As the battle concluded, Lin Qingying emerged victorious.
The Buddhist Sect Holy Son's defeat left him with a sour expression, but he managed to compose himself, reciting a Buddhist greeting to Lin Qingying before turning to leave the platform.
Lin Qingying sheathed her sword and looked over at Li Hao, a clear and ethereal smile on her face.
This smile, reflected in the mist, made many of the young masters from the Noble Families in countless cities across the Canglan World eyes glow with Golden Light.
"Who is that fairy maiden? She is so beautiful!"
"Is she from the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary? I will go there tomorrow and switch from a saber to a sword!"
Countless people were boiling with excitement, calling out Lin Qingying's name, as the magnificent first battle spread her fame throughout the entire Canglan World.
Li Hao also smiled, feeling happy for her.
After Lin Qingying left the platform, it was Chiguang's turn to step up.
His opponent was Zhao Qingshu from the Wenzu Holy Land.
When he saw his opponent, Zhao Qingshu's face turned pale, and he inwardly cursed his bad luck. But remembering that Li Hao had defeated him and that his Master was close to Li Hao on the Holy Mountain, he felt it would be disgraceful to easily concede to someone who had been defeated by Li Hao.
So, he decided to fight.
...and lost.
Zhao Qingshu was defeated quickly. Chiguang didn't hold back, and with a wave of his hand, a Fire Divine Power was unleashed, causing Zhao Qingshu's body to burst into Heart Flame. The jealousy in his heart burned like a wild fire, and the speed of the flames even surprised Chiguang.
However, despite his loss, Zhao Qingshu still managed to display his Shuhai Divine Power Eruption, with a sky full of Sword and Blade Shadows, a dazzling and magnificent sight. But they were quickly consumed by the flames, leaving people in awe.
(End of Chapter)
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