Chapter 498: Boundary Stone Illuminates, Battle for the Ten Spots

Seeing the opponent's laws vanish, Li Hao narrowed his eyes.

This was his first clash with a half-saint; he hadn't expected the power of the Eternal Dao Domain to surpass his imagination—merely by its presence, it had suppressed the opponent's techniques.

"What kind of Dao Domain is this?!"

Seeing his own law-based technique rendered useless, the half-saint spider demon clearly froze, even more stunned than Li Hao.

This technique had been mastered since childhood—a demonic art he had refined and elevated to the pinnacle of supreme techniques, cultivated to the level of Dao Entry, and now, combined with his nascent Saint Will, its power should have been ten times that of a Dao Law cultivator—yet it had been effortlessly shattered?

Boom! As soon as Li Hao moved, he exploded with speed; the celestial veins thrummed, his body suddenly stepped forward, and a gentle sword qi shot from his palm in an instant.

This sword qi, like an illusory spiritual light, swept across the half-saint spider demon's chest and abdomen, instantly tearing open a massive wound from within outward.

"Reel!"

Li Hao raised his hand, tugging the fishing line, sensing the position of the spiritual pearl, and swiftly retrieved it.

The half-saint spider demon, startled by Li Hao's lightning strike, erupted in rage; crimson-gold threads coalesced above his head, thousands upon thousands, weaving tightly around the surrounding space.

His purple spider eyes above glowed with cruel light as he roared: "Top prodigy? Don't even think of escaping!"

The ground around him suddenly rose into barriers, like vine-balls enveloping all four directions.

Li Hao had obtained the spiritual pearl and had no intention of further entanglement; seeing the enemy block his escape, he abruptly halted and turned.

"Let me dismantle your Dao Domain—let me see your secrets!"

The half-saint spider demon's gaze turned feral as he advanced toward Li Hao.

But Li Hao's eyes suddenly sharpened, as if a blade of icy light pierced from within.

The Eternal Dao Domain enveloped him, impervious to harm; he raised his hand and, for the first time, unleashed his own Sword Dao against this half-saint demon.

Alone,

Slash! The space seemed to split, violently fracturing— a black fissure appeared, as if severing the Floating Life Demon Domain, dividing heaven and earth!

The half-saint spider demon's body likewise split in two; the Saint Will upon his body shattered, invaded by hundreds of sword intentions—sun and moon, supreme softness, the Five Elements—all condensed into one, forming the sharpest blade!

Blood sprayed, countless legs severed; the half-saint spider demon's body was torn apart on the spot, and a Primordial Spirit flew out, staring in utter horror at the boy before him.

That cold, piercing gaze felt like looking upon dead matter! In that moment, the half-saint spider demon felt the shadow of death closing in—the boy, surrounded by that terrifying Dao Domain, gave him the sense of being dominated from above.

How is this possible?! He stared, stunned and trembling, at the opponent.

Li Hao's eyes were icy, ready to strike again, when he noticed a Buddhist seal talisman imprinted on the demon's internal core, radiating pure Buddhist light, faintly exuding the vast aura of a Saint.

His eyes narrowed slightly; he glanced coldly at the demon and said: "Cultivation is hard—don't seek your own death!"

With that, he retracted his Dao Domain and turned away.

The vine-ball prison that had risen from the ground shattered and vanished as he slashed; he strode away.

The half-saint spider demon's Primordial Spirit watched the boy's retreating back, its pupils contracting slightly, yet made no move to stop him.

"What kind of monster is this?"

It muttered to itself, voice trembling.

Soon, thick demonic energy shimmered over its body, the wounds gradually healing; the sword intentions within the wounds dissipated as the boy turned away—he knew this was mercy, the opponent sparing his life.

As a half-saint, he had nearly been killed by a Dao Law cultivator—absurd.

"A Saint reincarnated, perhaps… good, good… let that bald monk's disciple suffer a crushing defeat…"

The half-saint spider demon gazed toward the distant direction, seeing the boy vanish in an instant; deep light flickered in his eyes.

…

Before the rift in the void on the combat stage, Li Hao stepped forward, holding the silver spiritual pearl.

Li Hao waved his hand, suspending the pearl in midair, then turned and returned to his seat before the Divine Dynasty.

At this moment, the Buddhist judge announced Li Hao's time:

"Two minutes, thirty-eight seconds!"

Upon hearing this score, the crowd erupted in murmurs, yet compared to Chi Guang and Lin Lin Shuhai and others, it was far inferior.

Chi Guang had been silently counting as Li Hao entered; when Li Hao surpassed his own time of one minute forty-seven seconds, his lips had curled into a cold smile—but when he saw Li Hao emerge at around two and a half minutes, he was still slightly surprised.

The half-saint spider demon was no easy foe; his choice was to inflict a wound—faster, and more in line with his nature—he never liked being on the defensive.

But inflicting damage on a half-saint was extremely difficult; he had expended considerable true power to quickly wound and retrieve the pearl.

"Not bad—only forty seconds behind."

Seeing Li Hao return, Chi Guang gave a slight nod; the result matched his prediction—slightly lower by a few seconds, but still within his expectations.

Li Hao, hearing this, ignored him, merely adjusting the fluctuating energy within his body until it settled.

At this moment, Li Hao sensed a watching gaze—and an uncomfortable feeling. He turned to look: the twin Buddha disciple, who had been lost in thought earlier, was now staring at him, faint demonic energy swirling around him; his perpetually calm expression seemed to hold a faint smile.

Yet that smile was elusive—real yet illusory, holy yet sinister.

Li Hao raised an eyebrow, checked himself—nothing noteworthy.

Could the opponent know what happened inside the Floating Life Demon Domain? If so… Li Hao glanced toward the three Saints— their expressions remained unchanged.

If the twin Buddha disciple could perceive it, the Saints surely could too.

Li Hao looked again at Chan Tan— the monk smiled at him, no unusual expression.

Clearly, half-saints couldn't perceive it; Saints, however, couldn't fully read their thoughts.

No matter how powerful the twin Buddha disciple was, he couldn't surpass a half-saint… Li Hao's eyes narrowed in thought; he picked up brush and ink and began sketching the twin Buddha disciple, testing his Painting Dao experience.

Hm? Chi Guang noticed Li Hao picking up his brush again, utterly unashamed of falling behind him, still indulging in literary arts—he raised an eyebrow.

"Fourth! This Lin Qingfeng ranks fourth!"

"Slightly behind the Moonlight Buddha Disciple, but not by much."

"This performance matches my expectations—except for Chi Guang, the dark horse who shone too brightly, everyone else's ranking aligns with their reputation."

"Only slightly inferior to the strongest disciple of the Sacred Sects—still terrifying."

"This Lin Qingfeng will surely represent our Canglan Realm."

Many glanced repeatedly at Li Hao; seeing him paint, they were surprised—his demeanor suggested he still held back, calm and composed.

"This Lin Qingfeng isn't simple—only in the final confrontation will we see who's truly stronger!"

"But this battle's ultimate showdown will likely still be between Chi Guang and the twin Buddha disciple."

Not just Li Hao—even Lin Lin Shuhai was unreadable—but still, everyone felt the twin Buddha disciple was the most eerie and terrifying.

Li Hao painted silently; ink flowed across the canvas. As two more competitors emerged after over ten minutes, Li Hao completed his painting.

Painting Dao experience gained: 42,000!

Seeing this abundant experience, Li Hao froze, startled.

This twin Buddha disciple had 42,000 experience?!

This value approached that of the Emperor of Emperor Canghai!

Yet he was only a half-saint.

Meaning, this twin Buddha disciple's true strength was likely only slightly inferior to a half-saint!

Li Hao narrowed his eyes, glanced at the opponent, then turned to Chi Guang—his Painting Dao experience was 35,000, gained from earlier sketches; whether he had broken through since then was unknown.

But seeing him constantly jumping around before him, it was clear he'd made minor progress.

Li Hao put away his painting, feeling slightly relieved—but then a doubt arose. He looked again at the twin Buddha disciple, who now wore his usual vacant expression, the earlier smile seeming like an illusion. Li Hao's eyes flickered, studied him once more, then abandoned speculation, picked up his brush again, and began sketching Lin Lin Shuhai.

On the stage, the remaining five prodigies finished one after another.

Their times all exceeded fifteen minutes; the battle for the top twenty was over.

After completing his sketch of Lin Lin Shuhai, Li Hao gained 37,000 experience—slightly stronger than Chi Guang's earlier score.

Li Hao was surprised; he glanced at the calm scholar-like figure, who sensed Li Hao's gaze and returned a smile.

Li Hao nodded, tucked away his painting; then the Buddhist judge stepped forward and announced the rankings.

Those who had been eliminated had already noticed their times fell outside the top twenty—their faces were grim.

"I nearly got eliminated too!"

Zhao Gui Qingshu, seeing the rankings, felt a chill—he was on the edge, dangerously close.

But there were still two or three below him.

"Didn't expect only five made it under five minutes—this is a huge gap!"

"Only six made it under ten minutes—could there be hidden ones?"

Whispering spread through the crowd.

At that moment, the Thousand-Era Buddha Master slowly raised his hand; the rift in the void sealed shut, and the clouds above parted, revealing the scenes within the Floating Life Demon Domain.

From the projected clouds, Li Hao saw the half-saint spider demon he had defeated, lying on the ground, listless, yawning.

As if sensing the observation, the half-saint spider demon looked toward the sky, its dozens of purple eyes narrowing slightly, as if sneering.

Li Hao's eyes flickered—the Buddha Master could project the Floating Life Demon Domain at will; he might have perceived Li Hao's earlier battle.

But as long as he didn't reveal his Cultivation of Transcendent Perfection, later battles would inevitably expose some techniques—it wasn't a major issue.

Earlier, the half-saint spider demon had tried to probe Li Hao's absorption of killing resentment through his divine blood; Li Hao looked at the Buddha Master—according to the spider demon's words, had this one reached the Final Stage of Penetration?

If so, his physical body had already become a Divine Clan.

But the Divine Clan were regarded as demons in the Sacred Lands—this Buddhist Supreme Master surely knew the truth, yet showed no sign…

Li Hao's eyes narrowed in thought.

At this moment, the Buddha Master spoke: "This is a half-saint demon I captured and subdued, tasked with guarding the spiritual pearls—it is also one of today's examinees."

His expression was serene, his tone gently smiling: "To wrest a spiritual pearl from its grasp is already the feat of a peerless prodigy. Though you fell short today, do not be disheartened—devote yourself to cultivation; you still have the potential to transcend mortality and surpass sainthood."

Hearing the Buddha Master's soothing words, the faces of the defeated prodigies visibly brightened.

Outside, there were greater powers; today's defeat had struck them hard, but the Buddha Master's gentle words stirred deep goodwill toward the Buddhist Sect.

The spectators were stunned—none had realized the forty contestants had been stealing spiritual pearls from a half-saint demon! No wonder it was so difficult! "Now, the Boundary Stone illuminates—the top ten will compete. Are you all ready?"

The Buddha Lord gazed at the crowd; though his eyes did not fix on any one person, the twenty who had just advanced—including Li Hao—all felt he was looking directly at them, his gaze gentle and benevolent, radiating the care of an elder.

At the Buddha Lord's command, bodhisattvas stepped forth from Mount Shengshan; black, stele-like stones rose from the four corners of the arena, emitting divine light that linked together.

These were Boundary Stones; their divine radiance pierced the heavens, mirroring the faraway Boundary Stone array of the entire Canglan Realm. In an instant, above the clouds, the entire grand scene of Mount Shengshan was reflected across the sky.

In every kingdom and major city of the Canglan Realm, people could see this magnificent spectacle.

The towering Mount Shengshan, solemn temples, and hundreds of thousands of imperial princes, princesses, and noble youths who had come to watch.

Most importantly, three Saintly Phantoms stood tall, alongside the upright figures of countless prodigies—this sight sent the entire Canglan Realm into instant uproar! "That is the Buddha Lord, the Thousand-Life Buddha Lord, said to have endured a thousand lifetimes of suffering and comprehended all under heaven!"

"That is the Literary Saint, the ultimate sage of our scholarly hearts!"

"That is the Sword Saint, the ultimate goal of every swordsman under heaven!"

"So many! Are those the top prodigies of our Canglan Realm? I achieved the Three Imperishables at twenty-five and considered myself a dragon among men—but compared to these prodigies and monsters, I'm still far too weak!"

"I heard some Holy Maidens are already at the Dao Law Realm before thirty, mastering countless ultimate realms and divine arts, standing at the pinnacle of their realm!"

"The Twin Buddha Sons of the Buddhist Sect are said to be under twenty—they're an odd case. When born, they were wrapped in both Buddhist light and demonic aura; at three, they reached the peak of the Power Awakening Realm; at ten, they became Three Imperishables!"

"That one is a Saint reincarnated—said to be the rebirth of an ancient Buddha of the Buddhist Sect. Nothing to compare."

Countless people debated; many noble heirs from kingdoms and clans, unable to reach the Buddhist holy land, could only gaze upward from their family estates.

The grand scene reflected in the clouds, like gods and buddhas of the heavens, stirred blood and fire in every heart.

At the summit of Mount Shengshan, Li Hao and the others also saw this sight—the Boundary Stones had opened; now came the true clash of prodigies! If one performed brilliantly, they could instantly attract countless believers; after the event, temples built in their honor would bring endless incense offerings, greatly accelerating the accumulation needed to become a Saint.

Lighting three incense sticks was only the first step toward sainthood; the more incense offered afterward, the better—more incense meant greater strength. The primary force on this path to sainthood, besides one's own Saintly Dao, was incense power! "Finally, it begins."

Chi Guang's eyes blazed with fierce battle lust; other prodigies' gazes grew eager, while the eliminated candidates looked dejected, some with resentment and envy—even merely stepping onto the stage would let the hundreds of millions across the Canglan Realm see them, securing instant fame! At the Buddha Lord's command, Li Hao and the others ascended the stage, standing in a single line of twenty, each with distinct aura.

Of these top twenty, eight were from the Buddhist Sect—only two eliminated; the Literary Ancestor Holy Land had five, the Sword Ancestor Holy Land four, and the remaining three were Li Hao, Chi Guang, and Su Yun, the three independents.

Seeing only two eliminated from the Buddhist Sect, many secretly marveled—their depth this year was formidable.

As everyone's waist tokens soared into the air, beneath the gaze of the three Saints, the Dao's radiance enveloped them, swirling like a hurricane, launching pairs of tokens.

Everyone quickly scanned, finding their assigned opponents.

Li Hao saw his opponent was a young Arhat of the Buddhist Sect.

The Arhat looked back at Li Hao, smiling calmly, neither joyful nor sorrowful.

Li Hao gave a slight nod, then turned and descended the stage with the others.

Though he had clashed with the Buddhist Sect in the mortal world, strictly speaking, it was only Li Hao who had grievances with the Buddhist Lord; the Buddhist Sect here in this sacred land was another matter entirely—he had no intention of dragging his grudges here. Everything must be judged on its own merits.

The arena was cleared for the first combatants.

Li Hao saw his first match was Lin Lin Qingying, facing a Buddhist Holy Son.

As the battle began, both revealed their ultimate realms, manifesting wondrous phenomena; the entire arena filled with violent power. Lin Lin Qingying unleashed her Supreme Softness Sword Intent, her sword qi sharp as ice shards, crisscrossing endlessly. Yet the Buddhist Holy Son was equally formidable—a Buddha image shimmered, bathed in golden Buddhist light, radiating fierce, unyielding force.

Li Hao noticed a cluster of sword qi brewing within Lin Lin Qingying's dantian, filling the void left by her lost Dao Embryo.

Her combat strength, compared to her battle against the Moonlight Holy Son, had not diminished—rather, it had improved; she had gained insight into the Void Sword Dao.

When the battle ended, Lin Lin Qingying emerged victorious.

The Buddhist Holy Son lost, his expression darkening, yet he suppressed his emotions, bowed to Lin Lin Qingying with a Buddhist chant of "May fortune be with you," then descended the stage.

Lin Lin Qingying sheathed her sword and looked toward Li Hao, a faint smile gracing her ethereal face.

That smile, reflected in the clouds, made countless noble youths across the Canglan Realm's cities see stars in their eyes.

"Who is that immortal maiden? So beautiful!"

"Is she from the Sword Ancestor Holy Land? Tomorrow, I'll go there—abandon my blade, take up the sword!"

Countless voices erupted, chanting Lin Lin Qingying's name; the dazzling debut of her first match spread her fame across the entire Canglan Realm.

Li Hao smiled back, genuinely glad for her.

After Lin Lin Qingying descended, Chi Guang stepped forward.

His opponent was Zhao Gui Qingshu of the Literary Ancestor Holy Land.

Seeing his opponent, Zhao Gui Qingshu turned pale, cursing his luck—but then he remembered Li Hao had defeated Chi Guang, and that his master on the sacred mountain was close to Li Hao. If he surrendered easily to a man who had lost to Li Hao's rival, it would be utterly disgraceful!

Then fight! …And lose.

Zhao Gui Qingshu fell quickly. Chi Guang showed no mercy; with a single gesture, he unleashed a fire divine art—Zhao Gui Qingshu's body ignited with heartfire, his jealousy burning like wild grass. The speed and intensity of the flames even startled Chi Guang.

Still, though defeated, Zhao Gui Qingshu unleashed his Book Sea Divine Art—skyward flashed a dazzling storm of sword and knife light, only to be swiftly incinerated, leaving onlookers sighing.

(End of Chapter)