Chapter 415: Hao Tian Faces the True Immortal
Chapter 415: Hao Tian Faces the True Immortal
"Heavenly Venerated Hao, we will fully cooperate with you to slay the ancient demons. Please arrange everything as you see fit, and we hope you can put past grievances aside!"
Famous House Sage hastily said to Li Hao, his expression sincere.
"That's right, the destruction of All Heavens is a result of our previous mistakes. We hope Heavenly Venerated Hao can give us a chance to make amends."
The other Sages also chimed in one after another.
"This is a True Immortal-level ancient demon, a genuine Immortal Deity. I am merely a First Calamity Saint. Why do you think I can do anything?"
Li Hao glanced around the circle, then fell silent before speaking.
The Holy Capitals were taken aback, their expressions turning complex. Mo Family Sage said bitterly,
"Heavenly Venerated Hao, you are now the only hope for All Heavens. If you are unwilling to take the risk, we will respect your decision. You are right; this is a True Immortal-level ancient demon. The gap is too great. Even if we all fight to the death, we might not be able to make a dent. If you have no confidence, you can leave and seek refuge, preserving the spark of hope."
Upon hearing his words, several Sages hesitated, but ultimately remained silent.
Li Hao sighed inwardly. He no longer had the energy to blame them for their past actions. What's done is done, and dwelling on it was pointless. With the arrival of this True Immortal-level ancient demon, no one in All Heavens could stand against it.
"I can only try my best."
Li Hao said.
If it were an Ancient Demon Commander, he would have turned and left without a second thought. But this was a True Immortal ancient demon. He had previously cooked and dissected one, and if he could seize the opportunity, there might be a chance to kill it, however slim.
Even with such a slim hope, if he were to back down now, the Ten Thousand Heavens and the Mortal World would become a hellish inferno. Moreover, the Primordial Ancestor and the God King wouldn't last long. Once this True Immortal pursued them, his Soul Spirit Power might not be enough to conceal the entire Holy Land. It could only buy them time to seek refuge on the Divine Yang.
Hearing Li Hao's words, the Sages couldn't help but show signs of relief. Law Sage looked at Li Hao and asked, "Heavenly Venerated Hao, how confident are you?"
"Less than one percent!"
Li Hao replied honestly.
Upon hearing this, the Holy Capitals' expressions changed slightly, their eyes filled with sorrow. But they also knew that it was a True Immortal-level ancient demon. Even a one percent chance was incredibly rare.
"Heavenly Venerated Hao's willingness to risk his life is truly humbling."
One Sage's face was filled with sorrow, and Li Hao's Sage Chest made him feel even more ashamed and regretful about their past actions.
The other Sages also looked bitter, feeling a deep admiration for Li Hao.
If it were them, they might not have such courage, nor would they be able to forgive so easily.
"True heroes are revealed in times of crisis. Heavenly Venerated Hao, please tell us how we can assist you. Even if it means charging into battle to cover your back, we will not flinch."
Famous House Sage said earnestly to Li Hao.
Li Hao nodded, then his expression suddenly changed as he looked toward the Ancient Hall.
He faintly sensed a presence that had already locked onto their location in the void.
The True Immortal-level ancient demon must have already dealt with the Primordial Ancestor and the God King. Although they had cultivated to the Divine Realm, in front of a True Immortal, they were no different from newborn infants.
Li Hao took a deep breath, immediately conjured his Incarnation, and rushed to the Holy Land.
At the same time, he looked at the Sages. With their cooperation, this battle would involve the strongest lineup of All Heavens.
If they still couldn't prevail, All Heavens would fall into darkness, forced to flee for survival.
"The ancient demons have noticed us. Prepare for battle."
Li Hao said gravely, "I will lead the attack. You just need to support me as best you can."
"Is it chasing us?"
Upon hearing Li Hao's words, the faces of the assembled saints changed, and they couldn't help but look towards the Ancient Hall with trepidation.
"Leave the battle to the Military Sage. Tell us what we should do."
The Supreme Sage of the Mo Family turned to the Military Sage.
Beside the Military Sage stood the Primordial Sage. They were both from the Cloud Mist World. Since Li Hao had destroyed the Void Sacred Land, the Cloud Mist World now only had the Primordial Sanctuary and the Military Family Holy Land left.
The Military Sage, a small, elderly figure in a soil-colored robe, had an extremely calm expression. Knowing the urgency of the situation, he quickly said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the black mist of the ancient demons has a vast range and can corrode Soul Spirits. The True Immortal-level ancient demon's ability is even stronger! Even if we all attack together, we will only be quickly wiped out, which would be meaningless. We can only entrust our power to Venerated Hao. Time is short, and we don't have enough time to prepare a comprehensive grand array, but I have a holy array that I have studied for many years. It all depends on whether you are willing to cooperate."
"Just say it!"
The Sage of the Famous House hurriedly urged him.
"That is the Sages' Celestial Array, which requires 108 Sages to cooperate. This array can combine 30% of the Sages' power and channel it into one person!"
The Military Sage said with a shocking statement.
Hearing his words, the Holy Capitals were stunned, looking at him in disbelief.
Such a military formation?!
Although the Military Sage mentioned only 30% of the power being combined, the combined 30% power of over a hundred Sages would be terrifying. Even if a hundred First Calamity Sages formed this array, they could likely rival a Primordial Ancestor God King, perhaps even suppress and defeat him!
Such a military formation was unheard of.
"Do you have confidence in this? We've never heard of such a military formation before."
A Sage couldn't help but ask.
"I have deduced it over a thousand times, and only failed twice!"
The Military Sage said in a low voice, "This military formation is not tolerated by the Heavens. Naturally, you haven't heard of it, or it would be considered a forbidden technique. I don't want to end up like a God King."
Hearing his words, the faces of the saints changed slightly. Indeed, such a terrifying military formation would allow whoever mastered it to rule the Heavens. If this formation were revealed, aside from the difficulty of gathering over a hundred Sages, any leak of information during the process would inevitably lead to suppression by the Supreme Sages.
"Let's start the formation quickly!"
The Yin-Yang Supreme Sage urged them.
The Military Sage nodded and immediately began setting up the formation.
Li Hao hadn't expected them to have something like this. It seemed that the Saints of the Thirty-Three Heavens all had their own trump cards.
The saints moved quickly. As the Military Sage set up the formation, the Supreme Sage of the Mo Family selected 108 Sages, arranging them by cultivation level from highest to lowest.
As the saints entered their positions in the military formation, a golden light array rose in the void, with its focus locked on Li Hao. The power of the 108 Sages, like golden divine rainbows, began to converge on Li Hao's body.
Li Hao immediately felt the power of the Saint Path flowing into his own Saint Path. In his Sea of Consciousness, projections of the Sages appeared, standing in the positions of the military formation, transmitting their power like long rainbows.
This military formation not only channeled the power of the Sages but also their Saint Path, as if it were being reflected and transmitted.
Li Hao immediately felt his Soul Continuation power rapidly increasing.
With the Heaven and Earth Soul Inheritance, he could Soul Condense 360 times. He had previously broken this limit and crossed the Ultimate Realm, but now, he was surging even faster beyond the Ultimate Realm.
Li Hao thought about the Li Family's Soul Breaking Technique, which inherited the True Dragon and had numerous ancestral spirits aiding in Soul Condensation, allowing the original limit to be broken once more.
However, their Soul Continuation was only at the Fourth Establishment Realm. Using Ancestor Soul Continuation, they could only condense their souls eighty times. Even if they broke the limit eighty times and reached the Enlightened Realm Soul Continuation level, it would only amount to a few hundred condensations.
Now, this Military Sage’s Military Formation possessed a similar effect, but it was different in that the Sages were breaking Li Hao’s limits for him, guiding him through the Saint Path Soul Condensation.
As the Military Formation continued to operate, Li Hao’s aura grew increasingly powerful.
At the same time, Li Hao sensed that the aura from the Ancient Hall was becoming clearer, rapidly approaching them at an astonishing speed.
"Be careful, he’s coming!"
Li Hao warned, his expression grave as he prepared for battle.
Hearing Li Hao’s words, the other Sages tensed and turned their attention toward the direction of the Ancient Hall.
...
Meanwhile, Li Hao’s Incarnation had already arrived at the Holy Land.
"Hao Tian, is this your Incarnation?"
As soon as Li Hao’s Incarnation returned, the Medicine Sage and Sword Master, who had been anxiously waiting, quickly greeted him.
"Yes, the situation is dire. A True Immortal-level ancient demon has infiltrated using a special method, beyond my expectations. We need to evacuate immediately."
Li Hao’s Incarnation spoke rapidly, “Notify the Nine Provinces Immortal Island immediately and explain the situation. We must evacuate and find shelter right away. Also, if anyone is available, go to the Mortal World and bring the commoners from the Dayu Nineteen Provinces. The Holy Land might not be able to accommodate everyone, so check if there’s any space on the Nine Provinces Immortal Island.”
He spoke quickly, conveying the urgency of the situation.
Hearing Li Hao’s Incarnation’s words, the Medicine Sage and Sword Master were shocked. A True Immortal-level ancient demon had descended?
In this world, there were no immortals, yet now a True Immortal-level ancient demon had arrived, akin to a tiger entering a flock of sheep.
"What about your True Self?"
Feng Boping appeared via teleportation, urgently asking.
Li Hao’s Incarnation replied solemnly, “The Primordial Ancestor and the God King have already sacrificed themselves. My True Self is joining the other Sages in a desperate battle against the True Immortal-level ancient demon. If we win, All Heavens will be safe. If we lose, you must evacuate and preserve the spark of hope.”
Hearing this, the few present lost all color from their faces.
"Hao Tian, that’s a True Immortal-level ancient demon. Do you have any confidence?"
Lying Heaven Sage arrived, quickly adding.
"No, I don’t, but we have to fight. Otherwise, the Holy Land is too vast. My Soul Spirit can conceal it, but the area is too large. I can only ensure that second-stage ancient demons won’t detect it. However, if it’s a True Immortal-level ancient demon, I have no such guarantee", Li Hao explained.
At this moment, many Semi-Saints within the Holy Land had overheard their conversation and rushed over, looking up anxiously.
Hearing Li Hao’s words, Mivu Supreme Sage and the Medicine Holy Capital remained silent, understanding that Li Hao was taking a risk to buy them time to evacuate.
"If you were to hide alone, wouldn’t the True Immortal-level ancient demon be unable to find you?"
Sword Master gazed at Li Hao.
Previously, Li Hao had stayed outside the Immortal Gate for twelve years, and Sword Master didn’t believe that Li Hao couldn’t evade a True Immortal-level ancient demon’s tracking.
Li Hao didn’t speak. If he were alone, he could indeed hide, and he could even use the Heavenly Earth Space to bring some people along. However, the area of the Heavenly Earth Space was limited. Compared to the Holy Land, it could protect far too few people.
Feng Boping remained silent, understanding Li Hao. The other party would never abandon his friends.
“In the Mortal World, I accompanied you, and now, I’ll accompany you again!”
Feng Boping said to Li Hao, about to take action.
However, Li Hao raised his hand and held Feng Boping’s arm, speaking in a deep voice, “Old Feng, I have no confidence in this battle. Please take care of my friends for me.”
In the crowd, Ji Xuanshen and others also rushed forward. The news of Li Hao’s departure had already spread in the Holy Land, causing everyone to feel uneasy. Now, hearing Li Hao’s words, their eyes widened, and their eyes became slightly red.
They were roughly the same age as Li Hao, or even older. Yet, they could only watch as their former rival and now friend charged to the front lines, fighting for their survival.
“I have no confidence, which is why I have to go.”
Feng Boping tried to break free but found that Li Hao’s Incarnation Power was immense, causing him to be startled.
“Stay and keep Second Uncle company. He’s already lost one fishing buddy; don’t let him lose another.”
Li Hao’s gaze swept over the crowd, noticing Li Muxiu’s anxious expression.
Li Muxiu was now in the Enlightened Realm. Although Li Hao’s voice was soft, he still heard it and his eyes immediately reddened.
He felt as if his heart were being cut by a knife, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Only when it was time to charge into battle did he realize how helpless and desperate he was.
Feng Boping felt a lump in his throat, his voice hoarse, “Don’t talk nonsense. You mustn’t die. I won’t allow it!”
Li Hao felt a mix of amusement and heartache, “Old Feng, please take care of them for me.”
He then turned to Mivu Supreme Sage and Medicine Sage, “Nine Provinces Immortal Island, please contact them as soon as possible. I will be fully engaged in battle soon, and this Incarnation will dissipate.”
“Do it as quickly as possible!”
He instructed.
Mivu Supreme Sage nodded silently. Though he had only known Li Hao for a short time, they had become chess companions. Plus, Li Hao had helped him with alchemy, and he held a high regard for this young successor. Now, however, he only felt pain.
In the crowd, the Li Family members watched this scene in a daze. He Jianlan, Li Wushuang, and Li Yuanzhao were already in tears.
They hadn’t expected to just meet Li Hao and now face another parting, possibly a permanent one.
“Why is your fate so bitter, Li Hao?” He Jianlan’s face was wet with tears, feeling sorry for the young man in the sky.
“Why does this burden have to fall on you?”
Hearing her mournful whisper, Li Tiangang and Ji Qingqing beside her were shaken, their fingers involuntarily clenching.
Behind them, Li Pingan stared at the young man everyone was looking at, lost in thought.
Li Hao quickly finished his instructions, his expression suddenly serious, “I need to focus on the battle. Everyone, please take refuge as soon as possible. Don’t waste the time I and the other sages are buying for you!”
With that, his figure slowly dissipated.
“Hao Tian!”
“Hao Ge!”
Seeing Li Hao’s Incarnation vanish like dust, many people were speechless.
Mivu Supreme Sage and Medicine Sage were the first to regain their composure, immediately taking action. One of them headed out first, while the other urged the Holy Land to move closer to Nine Provinces Immortal Island.
Feng Boping was momentarily dazed, but recalling Li Hao’s words, his eyes became complicated. He gave a brief instruction before tearing open a rift and entering the Mortal World to relocate the Dayu Commoners.
...
As they all took action, 500,000 miles away from the Ancient Hall in the void.
Li Hao and the other sages waited here. At this moment, in the void, apart from the 108 sages within the military formation beside Li Hao, the rest had hidden in the Void Rift.
With a whoosh, a terrifying presence suddenly approached. Soon, a figure rapidly moved through the void, closing the distance at a visible speed.
When the ancient demon's figure came into direct sight, Li Hao severed the Transcendent Power, his expression grave, staring intensely at the opponent.
His aura continued to rise, accumulating, as Ultimate Realm Power surged within him.
He entered the Divine Power State, his body radiating golden Divine Light. Then, he ascended to Ultimate Transcendence, his hair turning silver-gray. The tears in his body, healing ten times faster in the Divine Power State, showed no significant change. His consciousness merged with Heaven and Earth, achieving Unity!
"Here it comes!"
The saints tensed, their faces grim, as they watched the ancient demon emerge from the Immortal Gate.
The fact that it could come here meant that the Primordial Ancestor and the God King had fallen.
Two great Sages who once struck fear into All Heavens had perished, leaving a sense of sorrow and despair.
"No True Immortals, just a group of saint-level beings?"
The True Immortal-level ancient demon looked down at Li Hao and the others, its eyes filled with cruel killing intent. Its gaze fell on Li Hao, whose Soul Spirit fluctuations and aura, like a bright moon, were far more formidable than the two lesser beings it had slain earlier.
Fortunately, there were no True Immortals here, which was not the worst scenario for it.
If there had been a True Immortal, it would not have been afraid, but if that True Immortal wielded an Immortal Emperor's relic, it would have been somewhat wary.
A brief silence fell over the void.
They sized each other up. Li Hao did not rush to attack; he had no confidence in this battle and wanted to prolong the fight as much as possible.
But this silence lasted only a moment. The next instant, the ancient demon's eyes glowed crimson, and it wasted no words. It had no patience for such insignificant beings. It would crush them all, then search their souls to learn about this world.
Unfortunately, the two lesser beings it had killed earlier were not their True Selves and lacked soul essences, so they had been annihilated without giving it the chance to search them.
With a low roar, the ancient demon swung its Claw, sweeping toward Li Hao and the others, clearly intent on crushing them all.
The seemingly simple attack, when seen by the saints, revealed a Claw that severed Heaven, tearing apart countless Great Dao with an unstoppable, terrifying power.
Was this the power of a True Immortal?
The Great Dao, which they believed could never be destroyed, now crumbled and disintegrated.
With just one strike, the sliver of hope and belief the saints had harbored began to waver like a flickering candle.
But Li Hao's eyes erupted with a brilliant light. His power surged to the maximum, no longer concealed or held back.
The Immortal Power within him surged outward, combining with the Heaven and Earth Power attracted by Ultimate Transcendence, forming a storm-like vortex around his body.
The Eternal Dao Domain emerged, and the void around Li Hao split open. Eight incomplete immortal weapons shimmered into existence, controlled by his Soul Spirit, darting through the gaps in the ancient demon's Claw.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
As the void split, the terrifying wind pressure in the Claw's gaps was torn apart by the incomplete immortal weapons, slicing directly toward the ancient demon's vulnerable side, aiming to tear its skin and dismantle its body.
At the same moment, the Claw swung down, pressing toward Li Hao's head.
He roared, channeling all his power, and a sword appeared in his hand. With a divine gesture, he raised his hand and delivered a Ultimate slash.
This sword strike had the form of the Divine Guide, but its power was far greater, like an enraged immortal's strike!
Countless bolts of lightning surged through the void, and the heavens seemed to rumble in anger.
The sword strike shook the sky, drawing all the power within ten thousand miles into a torrent, concentrating it on the sword beam, which collided with the Claw.
A terrifying sound shook Heaven and Earth.
Cracks appeared in the void, and sword light covered the entire claw, forcibly lifting it up!
This terrifying impact left the numerous saints hiding in the Heavenly Rifts in awe, their eyes wide with disbelief as they looked at the young man shimmering with silver lightning. Was this Li Hao's true strength?!
As the sword light blocked the claw, the eight fragmented immortal swords, manipulated by Li Hao's Soul Spirit, swiftly slashed at the ancient demon's side. However, they produced a shrill, grating sound, their edges cutting through the ancient demon's skin as if slicing into a wooden stake, causing a stuck sensation.
Li Hao's expression changed. He had thought that the simultaneous disassembly of the eight fragmented immortal swords could achieve an instantaneous physical strike.
But with his Soul Spirit divided among the eight swords, the Object Control Power was also split into eight parts, weakening it to the point where it couldn't penetrate deep into the flesh.
At this moment, the ancient demon was also shocked. It had actually been injured, and as a True Immortal, it had been wounded by a saint-level being—this was simply bizarre.
It let out a low, enraged roar, revealing its true Immortal Intimidation. Immortal Power surged, and the eight fragmented immortal swords that had pierced its body were instantly shaken off, causing a violent tremor in Li Hao's Soul Spirit.
The 108 Sages who had formed a Military Formation with him all felt a shock in their Soul Spirits. Although they only bore a small part of the repercussions, it still left them dazed and disoriented.
Seeing the ancient demon's Immortal Power, Li Hao's expression grew extremely grave. His bones crackled, and the Heavenly Stars Vein appeared on his back. Shimmering starlight gathered around him, forming a radiant halo and bestowing him with a continuous flow of Heavenly Stars Power.
Witnessing this, the saints were once again stunned.
But Li Hao's actions were not yet finished. His body began to expand, Emulate Heaven and Earth activated, and in the blink of an eye, he grew from his original human size to thousands of feet tall, reaching up to tens of thousands of feet!
At this point, Li Hao's size was almost on par with the ancient demon.
At the same time, Li Hao's Heavenly and Earth Dharma Body emerged.
This Dharma Image was slightly larger than Li Hao's Emulate Heaven and Earth form, but not as drastically different as before.
Strangely, around Li Hao's Dharma Image, there were numerous saintly manifestation projections. Each projection was only half the size of Li Hao's Dharma Image, but there were over a hundred of them, filling the entire sky!
"Is that... my Dharma Image?"
The saints in the Military Formation were horrified to discover that their Dharma Images had been reflected and were now circling around Li Hao's Dharma Image.
Li Hao also noticed this, which he had not anticipated. What surprised him even more was that as he activated his Heavenly and Earth Dharma Body, these Sages' Dharma Images became visible, bringing even more formidable Power.
"Is this the path to the Ultimate Limit?"
Li Hao's eyes flashed, but he didn't dwell on it. He took a deep breath and used his final trump card, the Heavenly Dao Embryo condensed through the Three Saints Unification.
As this Heavenly Dao Embryo Power radiated out, the ancient demon in front of Li Hao also changed expression slightly.
"Slash!"
Li Hao recalled the eight fragmented immortal swords, selecting the sharpest one. He poured all his Power into it, and the sword light suddenly intensified, swiftly slicing through a moon-shaped arc and piercing into the ancient demon's side. It was so fast that the saints' Soul Spirits couldn't even keep up.
(End of Chapter)
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