https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-402-Divine-Bones-Dire-Straits-Part-2-/13451567/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-404-A-Decade-of-Defense-Returning-to-the-Holy-Land-Part-1-/13451569/
Chapter 403: Departure and Defense (7K)
Chapter 403: Departure and Defense (7K)
"How did you get here?!"
Ancient Demon Commander was utterly shocked upon seeing the woman with the red-tasseled spear. He immediately realized that the battlefield ahead must have already fallen into chaos; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to reach this place directly.
Earlier, he had urgently mobilized his forces, only to discover a significant problem. Years of complacency had led him to underestimate this attack, and now it had resulted in a major disaster.
Boom!
As the woman with the red-tasseled spear struck, her spear moved like a tempest, shattering the void and unleashing a terrifying aura.
Li Hao had long noticed that the world pressure in the True World was extremely strong. In the Land of Sages, he could easily cleave through the void with a single sword strike, but here, even his full strength could only cause a slight distortion in space.
However, the woman with the red-tasseled spear displayed an aura of unbridled power, unhindered by the laws of heaven and earth.
Bang!
With a spear light piercing through, one of Ancient Demon Commander's wings was impaled, but he also roared and counterattacked.
Both being true monarchs and without any reinforcements, he didn't believe he would lose.
"Silence of Life!"
A Life Essence Law Power appeared, and Ancient Demon Commander's domain unfolded. As his wing was injured, a Blood Light shot out from his domain, transforming into a gruesome blood-skull that lunged toward the woman with the red-tasseled spear.
The woman with the red-tasseled spear also unfolded her domain, where countless spear shadows stood tall, and an illusory landscape of towering Lonely Peaks could be seen. Upon closer inspection, they were all massive, sky-reaching spears.
The spears in her domain suddenly trembled and shot out with her strike, instantly shattering the blood-skull and then charging into Ancient Demon Commander's domain.
Whoosh!
Her spear suddenly thrust forward, emitting a bright crimson Blood Light.
The Law Power of Ancient Demon Commander's domain was distorted, almost rendered ineffective, and her spear abruptly pierced through his chest, pinning him to the rock wall of the nearby canyon.
Ancient Demon Commander clearly hadn't anticipated the power of this spear strike, which seemed to be some extremely potent Spear Technique. Moreover, the Immortal Power within her body was far stronger than his.
Boom!
Ancient Demon Commander erupted in black mist, his entire body turning crimson. His eyes flashed with deep anger as he unleashed a nearly intangible wave.
The wave, like a crescent blade, slashed out with unbelievable speed.
However, the woman with the red-tasseled spear seemed to have anticipated this. Her figure flickered, appearing like a ghost on the other side, and she immediately attacked again.
"Soul Suction!"
Ancient Demon Commander was both shocked and enraged, unwilling to let her get any closer. The human race's close combat skills were truly terrifying.
As a gray light rippled, his Inborn Power erupted, first affecting the middle-aged warrior in his grasp.
The woman with the red-tasseled spear's eyes turned cold, and she swiftly approached using a ghostly Body Movement Technique. With a sweeping spear strike, she severed the middle-aged warrior's arm, helping him break free, but she herself couldn't dodge the incoming attack in time.
However, as the gray wave hit, the crimson battle armor on her body suddenly ignited with blood flames, burning away the attack.
Ancient Demon Commander's pupils narrowed, realizing the situation was dire.
Many rumors from the outside world seemed to be true. He had been here too long, and now he understood that the human race of the True World had indeed developed armor and weapons capable of resisting ancient demons.
With the crimson battle armor activated, the woman with the red-tasseled spear withstood the attack, casually flinging the middle-aged warrior away, and then charged at Ancient Demon Commander with full force.
Her hair flew wildly, rapidly turning silver.
This transformation was all too familiar to Li Hao. It was the Transcendent Immortal Ultimate Realm!
Throughout his journey, this was the first time Li Hao had seen someone else use the Transcendent Immortal Ultimate Realm, and he couldn't help but be shocked.
In addition to the Transcendent Immortal Ultimate Realm, the woman with the red-tasseled spear also unleashed other Ultimate Realm powers. The Great Dao Surrounding her made it clear to Li Hao that she had also cultivated the Insight Ultimate Realm, becoming Impervious to All Dao.
As the Ultimate Realm was revealed, the woman with the red-tasseled spear grew even more formidable, relentlessly thrusting her spear at the Ancient Demon Commander. One by one, holes appeared in its body, and the wounds refused to heal.
The Ancient Demon Commander roared in shock and fury. To be suppressed by a Human Race member at the same realm was unheard of; only the top geniuses among the Humans could achieve such a feat.
It suddenly turned and began to fight while fleeing.
However, the woman with the red-tasseled spear's expression turned cold. Her Heaven and Earth Dharma Image manifested, and her spear suddenly emitted a peculiar aura of Law.
"Life and Death!"
In an instant, she thrust her spear, piercing through the Ancient Demon Commander's domain.
To its horror, the domain offered no resistance. The woman's Immortal Dao Law Power overwhelmed it, warping and destroying its own Laws.
With a resounding thud, her spear pierced its skull.
This, however, was not a fatal blow. At the moment her spear penetrated its head, the Ancient Demon Commander unleashed its concealed ultimate technique, the innate talent of the ancient demons: Soul Harvest!
A pitch-black blade suddenly emerged from its soul spirit, striking the woman with the red-tasseled spear in an instant.
Her crimson battle armor, burning with blood flames, was split open by the black blade, which then penetrated her physical body.
With a muffled groan, the woman with the red-tasseled spear's face turned pale, and the cold, lethal intent in her eyes wavered for a moment. But she quickly regained her composure, and her Immortal Power transformed into a silver-white flame. She thrust her spear with renewed fury.
With a loud thud, the Ancient Demon Commander's body was torn apart, and countless spear lights exploded, reducing its physical body to chunks of flesh.
From the carnage, a black phantom emerged—it was the Ancient Demon Commander's soul spirit, which angrily lunged at the woman with the red-tasseled spear, attempting to strangle her soul spirit and possess her physical body.
But the woman had anticipated this. She raised her hand and summoned an Immortal Talisman, which struck the black shadow with lightning speed.
Bathed in intense lightning, the Ancient Demon Commander's soul spirit let out a piercing scream as the overwhelming tribulation power scorched it relentlessly.
Simultaneously, a series of spear shadows pierced through, quickly shredding its soul spirit.
In a matter of minutes, the Ancient Demon Commander was killed by the woman with the red-tasseled spear.
Li Hao and the middle-aged warrior were stunned, then they simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a mix of surprise and excitement.
However, when the Ancient Demon Commander's soul spirit was finally destroyed, the woman with the red-tasseled spear's face turned pale. The battle had been swift, but only she knew it was far from simple. She had used a secret art taught by her master, amplifying her Immortal Power several times to easily tear through the Ancient Demon Commander's domain.
Otherwise, at the same realm, the ancient demons would not have been so easily defeated.
Her master was right; these Ancient Demon Commanders possessed terrifying soul spirit attacks. Fortunately, she had been thoroughly prepared.
"Are you a veteran who survived the Emperor Fall War?"
The woman with the red-tasseled spear quickly stabilized her internal energy, her face regaining its coldness. She looked at the middle-aged warrior, her eyes showing a hint of calmness.
She held great respect for those who had fought in that campaign.
The middle-aged warrior understood the battle she was referring to. He hadn't expected the outside world to name it the Emperor Fall War, but it was indeed fitting, as several Immortal Emperors he had heard of had perished in that conflict.
His thoughts drifted for a moment, filled with sorrow, but he quickly snapped back to reality and nodded at the woman with the red-tasseled spear. "Yes."
The woman with the red-tasseled spear nodded slightly, then turned to Li Hao, her brow furrowing. "What about you?"
He was only at the saint level, and she didn't believe he could have survived that war. Even if he had, a saint-level practitioner wouldn't have such a long lifespan, especially in such harsh conditions.
After all, that battle was far too ancient.
Countless years had passed, making it seem incredibly distant.
"I am not."
Li Hao shook his head.
"I know you're not. Why are you here?"
The woman with the red-tasseled spear was speechless and frowned.
At the same time, her domain spread, scanning the surroundings.
The middle-aged warrior hurriedly said, "He comes from the pseudo-realm of the Heavenly Catastrophe Immortal Emperor. Perhaps he might even be a descendant of the Immortal Emperor."
Li Hao knew that he was intentionally embellishing the story, aiming to make the red-tasseled spear woman take him more seriously, and perhaps gain some benefits.
Upon hearing his words, the red-tasseled spear woman's eyes indeed narrowed slightly, focusing on Li Hao and carefully examining him.
Soon, she discerned the truth. This saint-level cultivator had actually cultivated eight Ultimate Realms, just like her!
Even the most difficult Transcend to Immortality, the Dao Ancestor's Ultimate Realm, he had managed to cultivate. This level of talent was truly rare.
Moreover, she noticed that Li Hao's soul age exuded a fresh and vibrant energy, indicating he was only sixty years old.
By this calculation, he already belonged to the category of top-tier prodigies.
Her eyes softened, and she began to believe the middle-aged warrior's words. It was indeed difficult for an ordinary person to achieve such a level without the bloodline of an Immortal Emperor.
She hadn't expected that the Heavenly Catastrophe Immortal Emperor still had descendants.
Though it was an extremely distant era, the name of the Immortal Emperor had dominated an age. Even after countless years since his fall, countless legends about the Immortal Emperor remained, and she was certainly familiar with them.
"Mysterious Mother Gate, there's a crack. Did you come from there?"
The red-tasseled spear woman's eyes flickered as she noticed the gate at the end of the canyon, a glimmer of light in her eyes.
She had been ordered to come here not only to clear out the ancient demons but also to explore the Immortal Emperor's relics.
She hadn't expected to truly find a pseudo-realm left by the Immortal Emperor.
That was a world created by the Immortal Emperor himself; it was uncertain whether any of the Immortal Emperor's treasures remained there.
"Hmm."
Li Hao nodded.
The red-tasseled spear woman's gaze fell on Li Hao, and she asked, "In that Immortal Emperor's pseudo-realm, how many beings like you are there?"
She asked this to gauge the situation of the Immortal Emperor's treasures left in the pseudo-realm.
Li Hao inquired, "What do you mean by that, Senior?"
"Cultivation, talent, strength."
The red-tasseled spear woman replied succinctly.
"Not many, perhaps at most three or four."
Li Hao answered conservatively and modestly.
The red-tasseled spear woman's eyes flickered. So few? It seemed that the treasures left behind were not as abundant as she had imagined.
But that made sense. She had heard that the battle where the Immortal Emperor fell was extremely brutal. Many forces had poured everything they had into that fight, leaving nothing behind.
"Wait a moment."
Her figure blurred, and she disappeared from the canyon, reappearing before the Mysterious Mother Gate.
She examined the boundary gate, lightly touching it and immediately sensing the Heavenly Dao Laws enveloping it, making it impossible to force entry.
"Protection for one's descendants, perhaps?"
The red-tasseled spear woman's eyes flashed, then she turned back to Li Hao and the middle-aged warrior.
"I've detected something unusual about the ancient demons here. I initially planned to sneak in and launch a surprise attack, but now I need to return for reinforcements."
The red-tasseled spear woman told Li Hao and the middle-aged warrior, "Follow me. There are other Ancient Demon Commanders around. This purge might not be able to eliminate all of them in one go. If you stay, other ancient demons might come and cause you harm."
The middle-aged warrior's eyes lit up with joy and excitement, even to the point of tearing up.
He hurriedly followed, but noticed that Li Hao's aura hadn't moved.
He turned to look and saw Li Hao standing still.
"Brother."
The middle-aged warrior paused, sensing something from Li Hao's expression.
The red-tasseled spear woman frowned, her gaze fixed on Li Hao. She had noticed the middle-aged warrior's excitement and felt a bit moved.
But Li Hao's calmness surprised her.
"Senior, if we leave here, when can we return?"
Li Hao asked.
He hadn't forgotten the middle-aged warrior's words. If he cultivated to the True Immortal realm, he wouldn't be able to return to the Land of Sages unless a powerful being unlocked the Mysterious Mother Gate or he himself became extremely strong.
"You're reluctant to leave?"
The woman with the red-tasseled spear was somewhat surprised. Being able to enter the True World was a dream for countless people who had ascended from the pseudo-realms, yet this person was actually reluctant to leave the pseudo-realm.
"There is an Immortal Emperor's pseudo-realm relic. Once I report it, a large army will definitely be sent to suppress it, but I can't guarantee the exact timing. It might be right away, or it could take several decades", the woman with the red-tasseled spear said.
After all, based on Li Hao's account, the Immortal Emperor's relic had only cultivated a few monsters like Li Hao, indicating that the conditions were not ideal. She would report this situation accurately.
Li Hao immediately understood what could attract the other party.
He suddenly regretted not exaggerating earlier. If he had said there were many more, the higher-ups behind her might have sent people to liberate the Land of Sages immediately.
However, his lie would likely be noted and held against him.
"Since that's the case, I'll wait for you here", Li Hao said. Although he also yearned for the True World and wanted to see its vastness, he was more concerned about his friends in the Land of Sages and acquaintances in the Mortal World.
Ren Qianqian, Emperor Yu, Old Feng, Sword Master, and others.
Moreover, his cultivation method was different from others, so the loss wouldn't be significant for him.
At the Saint level, the True World might be very dangerous, but in the Land of Sages, he was absolutely safe with his current strength.
"Brother, you..."
The middle-aged warrior was taken aback. He hadn't expected Li Hao, who had fought alongside him for three years, to choose to stay in this place he had long grown tired of.
He fell silent, then suddenly realized that Li Hao had stayed and fought with him purely to accompany and help him break through the ancient path battlefield.
His eyes were filled with complex emotions as he said to Li Hao, "Brother, we've been together for three years, and I haven't even told you my name. I'm Nangong Jian. Next time we meet, I'll protect you!"
Li Hao smiled. Despite not asking each other's names over the past three years, they had fought side by side many times and had become sincere friends.
"Sure thing."
Li Hao agreed with a smile.
"What about you?"
Nangong Jian asked.
"Hao Tian."
Li Hao replied.
"Got it, I'll remember that."
Nangong Jian silently memorized the name and then looked deeply at Li Hao.
"Are you sure you want to stay? The war outside is intense, and in the worst case, it might take a long time to free up the forces needed to completely clear this area", the woman with the red-tasseled spear said seriously to Li Hao.
She knew that after countless years, a pseudo-realm could only cultivate a few beings like Li Hao, indicating it was extremely barren.
They had found other Immortal Emperor pseudo-realms before, some of which were already desolate, with few Saint-level beings and a very rudimentary cultivation system.
"Yup, I can wait."
Li Hao said.
Even in the True World, his cultivation speed wouldn't increase much, and he would face various dangers. It was better to stay in the Land of Sages and focus on refining his Artistic Skills.
If he could cultivate his seven Artistic Skills to the Tenth Rank, it would be a significant improvement.
Moreover, no one in the Land of Sages could threaten him anymore.
Seeing that Li Hao was truly unmoved, the woman with the red-tasseled spear shook her head slightly. She thought Li Hao might be reluctant to leave because he was an Immortal Emperor descendant and had a special attachment to his Ancestor's pseudo-realm.
She didn't try to persuade him further and said, "I'll slay all the ancient demons' army and send someone to guard this Mysterious Mother Gate to prevent any attacks. The battlefield here might soon be occupied by other ancient demons, so you should return to the Immortal Emperor's pseudo-realm as soon as possible."
She didn't want anything to happen to Li Hao, given his Immortal Emperor lineage.
As she spoke, she gave Nangong Jian a look and turned to leave.
"Brother, wait for me."
Nangong Jian said earnestly to Li Hao.
He was already at the True Immortal bottleneck and believed he would break through to the true monarch stage soon after returning. Then he could personally come to fetch Li Hao.
Before leaving, Nangong Jian went to the bronze chariot and carefully removed all the neatly piled bones.
"Brothers, I'm sending you home!"
Nangong Jian looked at the bones, his eyes welling with tears, his emotions running high.
The woman with the red-tasseled spear's expression changed slightly at the sight of so many bones, but despite her urgency to return, she remained silent and didn't urge Nangong Jian, watching as he carefully stored the bones in his Heavenly Earth Space.
"Let's go."
Nangong Jian put away the white bones, leaving the bronze chariot behind, and turned to the red-tasseled spear woman.
Then, he turned around and gave Li Hao one last look.
Li Hao waved goodbye to him.
Soon, Nangong Jian followed the red-tasseled spear woman, and the two of them vanished from Li Hao's sight.
Before leaving, Nangong Jian glanced at the Ancient Demon Commander's scattered remains and gave Li Hao a meaningful look. He didn't reveal that Li Hao could cook ancient demons, keeping it to himself.
He knew how astonishing this ability was. If it were exposed, Li Hao might become a sought-after asset if he had a powerful backing. Without such protection, he could easily become a pawn, a mere Go stone to be used and discarded.
Once they were gone, the place felt desolate.
Li Hao looked at the silent landscape and the gray sky, the same scenery that Nangong Jian had experienced for countless years.
He sighed lightly and approached the Ancient Demon Commander's remains, gathering all the pieces into the Heavenly Earth Space.
These ancient demon remains emitted waves of soul power, and though they were dead, Li Hao could sense the immense power within them. With his current cooking skills, he wasn't sure if he could cook them.
Li Hao tried using his broken immortal weapon to pierce the remains, but it was like trying to stab a rock with a wooden sword—no wound was left behind.
At this moment, Li Hao also felt the terrifying strength of the red-tasseled spear woman, who had managed to slay the Ancient Demon Commander in just a few minutes.
After collecting the meat, Li Hao didn't immediately return to Mysterious Mother Gate as the red-tasseled spear woman had suggested. Instead, he drove the bronze chariot into the canyon and stayed near Mysterious Mother Gate.
He planned to wait for the people sent to take over the defense, in case any stray ancient demons came and attacked Mysterious Mother Gate, so he could deal with them.
The Dao Sect had stood for countless years, partly due to Nangong Jian's efforts in blocking ancient demons outside the canyon.
Without his defense, the constant attacks and damage from the ancient demons would quickly render Mysterious Mother Gate ineffective.
Staying nearby, Li Hao could return to the Land of Sages if an Ancient Demon Commander arrived.
To this end, Li Hao buried Hidden Lines.
His line-burying skills had become increasingly refined, and he had spent a lot of thought on perfecting them. While these lines couldn't harm an Ancient Demon Commander, they might serve as an early warning system for him.
Time flew by.
After the red-tasseled spear woman took Nangong Jian away, the canyon remained calm, with no other ancient demons appearing.
The Ancient Demon Commander's fall seemed to have temporarily cleared the ancient path.
Li Hao projected his Incarnation and quietly ventured outside the canyon, exploring the Ancient Demon Fief. He found that the areas they hadn't cleared were now silent, littered with ancient demon corpses.
It appeared that the red-tasseled spear woman had slain them before leaving.
With so many ancient demon corpses, Li Hao was delighted and used his Incarnation to transport them back.
He cooked and ate them outside Mysterious Mother Gate, spending his free time burying Hidden Lines and playing with sculptures.
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Hao had yet to see the people the red-tasseled spear woman had promised to send for the handover of the defense. He began to worry. They should have arrived quickly after clearing the ancient path, but months had passed with no sign of them. Could something have gone wrong when they left?
Li Hao couldn't help but worry about Nangong Jian's situation, but there was little he could do from where he was, so he shifted his focus to other things.
During these six months, Li Hao had eaten nearly two hundred ancient demons, making his Soul Spirit even stronger and his Immortal Power more substantial.
Under the Ultimate Transcendence to Immortality, these Immortal Powers were released and transformed into Heaven and Earth Energy. Li Hao felt that he could easily suppress a third-stage ancient demon, even without relying on his Soul Spirit or the remnant soldier. Simply pouring this power into his Eternal Dao Domain would be enough to crush the ancient demon to death.
Time passed, and Li Hao waited for another half a year, during which he condensed over a hundred golden veins in his body.
Li Hao estimated that if he continued for another two years, he could condense the third piece of Soul Spirit Divine Bones.
He still had many ancient demon corpses, and if he consumed them all, Li Hao felt he could condense at least the fourth piece of Divine Bones, and possibly even the fifth.
Each piece of Divine Bones significantly boosted Li Hao's Soul Spirit Power, nearly doubling it.
Combined with the Object Control technique taught to him by Nangong Jian, his Object Control speed was now unimaginably fast, even faster than the Gui Xu Ultimate Realm!
In the same realm, he could suppress any opponent with just a thought.
After living alone in this place for a year, Li Hao began to miss the Land of Sages and wanted to return. However, the person the red-tasseled spear woman said would be sent to defend this place had yet to show up.
Li Hao felt somewhat restless, his intuition telling him that something was wrong.
Swish!
One day, while Li Hao was having a meal, he suddenly sensed a Hidden Line disappear, disrupted by some kind of power fluctuation.
His eyes narrowed, and he quickly put away the dish he had just prepared. He approached the Mysterious Mother Gate, concealing his aura and quietly releasing his Divine Sense to observe carefully.
With a howling sound, a third-stage ancient demon suddenly appeared in the sky above the canyon.
This ancient demon was hundreds of feet tall.
Li Hao's expression changed slightly, and he hid behind a rock, remaining out of sight.
However, the ancient demon seemed to have noticed the Mysterious Mother Gate and immediately let out a surprised growl, diving down toward it.
Soon, it landed in front of the Mysterious Mother Gate.
Its eyes immediately focused on the gap in the Dao Pattern, which made it excited.
It moved forward, trying to enter the gap to investigate.
At that moment, a sharp, cold light suddenly struck.
The ancient demon immediately reacted, letting out a startled scream, but the sound was cut off abruptly.
The remnant soldier moved too fast, instantly killing its physical body. Then, it suppressed the Soul Spirit, causing it to dissipate completely.
To Li Hao, third-stage ancient demons were now nothing more than easy prey.
"Damn, did it wander over from somewhere else? Could it be that the battles outside have already ended?"
Li Hao stepped out from behind the rock, his expression somewhat dark. The ancient demon fiefs were now all silent, so this ancient demon must have come from outside.
The fact that it wandered here instead of heading to the frontlines suggested that the battles there might have already ended.
"This gap, second-stage ancient demons can't enter, but third-stage ancient demons can. Previously, it was all thanks to Nangong Jian guarding the canyon. Now that he's not here, and the female general hasn't sent anyone to defend this place, ancient demons could come through this gap at any time."
Li Hao furrowed his brow. He wanted to return, but he couldn't wait for the person to be sent to defend the area. He found life here somewhat dull.
He wanted to go back to fish and play chess, but if he left, the gap would be left open. If a third-stage ancient demon came through and entered the pseudo-realm, it would bring disaster.
Especially if the news got out and hundreds of third-stage ancient demons invaded, it would be an unimaginable disaster for the Land of Sages!
Li Hao sat back down, frowning as he thought about these things. Despite his worries, he quickly fetched the dish he had just prepared, unwilling to let good food go to waste.
After finishing his meal, Li Hao's mood improved slightly. He stared at the gap, his thoughts turning to the patterns on it.
The best solution would be to repair the gap.
But repairing it would likely be as difficult as becoming a True Immortal.
After all, the Mysterious Mother Gate was the work of an Immortal Emperor. Everything on it was constructed by the Immortal Emperor. Although it had been severely damaged over countless years, the fact that it still stood was a testament to its complexity.
Time flew by.
In the days that followed, Li Hao spent his time studying the patterns on the Mysterious Mother Gate. When he grew tired of his research, he would turn to Sculpture to relax his mind.
Now, his Sculpture was gradually approaching the Ninth Rank Mindset, imbuing his creations with extraordinary artistic depth.
(End of Chapter)
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