Chapter 605: Ancient Demon Cataclysm, Ten-Stage Dao Mastery! (10,000-Character Update 2)

"Thank you for your kindness, Elder."

Li Hao could feel the other had no ill intent; otherwise, with that terrifying aura, killing him would be as easy as flipping his hand.

His mood relaxed, and he sat on a nearby stone. "Elder, could you tell me about these things? What happened in the war between the Emperor's Illusionary Realm and here? Why have the immortals and gods vanished? Did they all come here to fight?"

The middle-aged soldier, seeing Li Hao's calm demeanor with no trace of fear or retreat, found him much more agreeable. He was about to speak when his gaze suddenly sharpened, the calm in his eyes turning razor-edged.

In that instant, the sharpness made Li Hao's relaxed body tense instantly—he felt a chill sweep over his entire body, a potent killing intent that sent shivers down his spine.

But soon, Li Hao realized that killing intent was not directed at him.

At the same time, the malevolent thoughts drifting around them suddenly thickened. Li Hao felt a piercing whisper echo in his mind, stirring his inner bloodlust and murderous aura, his emotions growing agitated.

"What's going on?"

Li Hao was startled and quickly scanned his surroundings, but his spiritual sense could only extend about ten li.

At this distance, if ambushed, the enemy would be upon him in an instant.

Li Hao immediately entered the Immortal Transformation state, merging his body with heaven and earth.

But this time, Li Hao immediately sensed a vast difference between this Immortal Transformation and his previous ones.

In perfect Immortal Transformation, his consciousness scattered into heaven and earth—but within this realm, thick energy surged, threatening to drown his awareness.

"Perfect Immortal Transformation cannot be maintained for long!"

Li Hao instantly realized that if he tried to sustain this perfect Immortal Transformation as before, his consciousness might be swallowed and dissipated into this realm—just as he had felt when first awakening Immortal Transformation.

Yet beyond that, the power he now controlled through Immortal Transformation was several times stronger than before.

As he entered Immortal Transformation, Li Hao's spiritual sense extended even farther.

"It's coming—get inside the war chariot immediately and don't come out. Your fresh flesh is exactly what they love."

At that moment, the middle-aged soldier's voice rang out, icy and commanding, leaving no room for refusal.

He seemed transformed, radiating intense martial fury—the accumulated battlefield miasma forged over ten thousand years of war—unleashed instantly, like a peerless killing god, his aura terrifying.

Li Hao snapped back to awareness. His spiritual sense stretched forty to fifty li away, sensing powerful gusts rushing toward them—as if some colossal beast were hurtling forward at breakneck speed.

Li Hao didn't hesitate. He swiftly followed the soldier's orders and hid inside the bronze war chariot.

As soon as he entered, Li Hao sensed the interior was utterly different—a vast, boundless space within the carriage, like a sprawling square capable of holding an entire palace. Yet it was filled with neatly stacked skeletons, each preceded by stone tablets inscribed with names.

Li Hao guessed this was likely the work of the middle-aged soldier.

He had no time to examine the chariot's interior details—he extended his consciousness outward.

The middle-aged soldier stepped forward, twirling his ancient sword, summoning a swirling blade of qi that materialized midair, guarding the front of the chariot. His movements were clean, precise, radiating a sense of natural, effortless Dao.

Li Hao's eyes narrowed. Following the soldier's gaze, he saw the mist ahead had parted—revealing a monstrous bat-like demon, its wing membranes crawling with dark red veins like earthworms, hairless and bare, claws like a dragon's, tail like a giant serpent, bristling with spikes.

The moment the demon appeared, Li Hao felt suffocating pressure.

It was an aura far beyond that of Yuan Zu and other supreme sages—like a primordial beast, radiating overwhelming malevolence.

Li Hao finally understood the source of the malevolent thoughts drifting through the air—it was this demon.

"Hmph!"

The middle-aged soldier's eyes turned icy at the sight of the demon, even revealing a hint of bloodthirsty killing intent.

Without a word, he slashed forward—his figure flashing like lightning, closing the distance instantly, his sword unleashing a furious strike.

His movements were brutally simple; every gesture carried the weight of primal truth—deceptively plain, yet brimming with lethal power.

*Boom! * The moment his sword struck, it seemed to accelerate beyond time—its blade already landed the instant it was drawn.

A massive gash tore open across the demon's abdomen, jetting out blackish blood. It roared in fury, releasing thick black mist to engulf the soldier.

But before the mist could surround him, the soldier cleaved it apart with a single sword stroke, then closed in for hand-to-hand combat.

"Such powerful sword art!"

Watching the soldier's battle, Li Hao couldn't comprehend his footwork—but the sword technique he could feel: terrifying, naturally perfect, as if this was true sword art, the very essence of the Sword Dao.

"This isn't Ten-Stage sword art… it's even higher."

Li Hao was deeply captivated by the soldier's sword art. The power it unleashed could shake heaven and earth; even the residual waves sent chills through him—he knew that if he were struck, even his full defense might not spare him injury.

"This black mist…"

Li Hao watched intently, then suddenly felt his eyes burn—as if someone had poured chili water into them, a searing, stinging pain.

He was horrified to see dark red veins spreading across his eyeballs, as if his body were being corrupted and distorted.

"What… what kind of attack is this?"

Li Hao slammed his eyes shut, but the pain persisted. He felt that even if he gouged out his eyes and regrew new ones, they would still burn—this exceeded his understanding.

"Don't stare. That's its strongest attack—it swallows souls directly, acting on the soul itself."

At that moment, the middle-aged soldier's voice echoed directly in Li Hao's mind.

Instantly, a blade of light appeared in his mind.

The blade slashed through at blinding speed, severing the darkness before him.

The pain lessened, then vanished. Li Hao opened his eyes again, glancing briefly at the battlefield—seeing the soldier and the demon locked in combat within the black mist.

The black mist surrounded the soldier completely, yet could not touch him—his surrounding sword qi annihilated it.

Li Hao dared not stare again, only glancing occasionally, his heart shaken.

He had killed Hun Tian—his combat power was already at the supreme sage level—but he didn't even have the right to watch closely. Was this what immortal-god-level combat truly looked like?

As violent tremors echoed, Li Hao saw the soldier gradually gaining the upper hand, leaving deep wounds on the demon. These wounds refused to heal, blood continuously seeping out. The demon shrieked in rage, howling like a beast in torment.

Li Hao cautiously glanced now and then—when suddenly, a warning flared in his heart.

"Watch out—several third-rank ancient demons are approaching!"

The middle-aged soldier's voice rang sharply in Li Hao's mind.

Li Hao's expression changed. Knowing the source of danger, he scanned around and saw seven or eight massive, grotesque figures flying from dozens of li away—each bat-like, hundreds of zhang tall, varying in build, some with twisted wings, others with broken ones, as if corrupted.

They were of the same species as the demon fighting the soldier, but much smaller and far weaker.

Li Hao studied them closely and felt a chill—these third-rank ancient demons each bore hidden sacred domains, their aura rivaling that of Hun Tian and Long Sheng! The seven or eight third-rank demons arrived on the battlefield, glanced toward the soldier's fight, then scanned the surroundings—soon locking their gaze on the bronze war chariot.

Hidden inside the chariot, Li Hao felt as if their stares had connected—each sensing the other.

"Damn. They're coming for me."

Li Hao's face darkened. He drew his sharp broken blade, ready to strike at any moment.

With a howling wind, the seven or eight third-rank demons rushed toward the bronze chariot—but before they could attack, the sword qi hovering outside the chariot suddenly shot out.

The sword qi roared like thunder, slicing through space and piercing through three demons' bodies.

The demons, pierced by the sword qi, dissolved like snow, vanishing into the realm, their auras extinguished.

The remaining demons recoiled in shock, halting instantly. But the sword qi vanished after piercing the three. They cautiously glanced at the distant soldier—seeing he was occupied with the leader—and immediately dove toward the bronze chariot.

Before they even neared, Li Hao felt multiple sacred domains closing in.

At the same time, a thick, foul stench spread through the air.

Li Hao's expression darkened—he realized hiding inside the chariot was useless; staying put would only make him a fish in a barrel.

"Don't come out. These third-rank ancient demons can't break the chariot's immortal array!"

The soldier's voice echoed in Li Hao's mind again.

Even amid fierce combat, the soldier was still watching over him. Li Hao froze, a flicker of gratitude rising in his chest.

At that moment, sacred domains struck the bronze chariot. The carved mythical beasts on its surface seemed to awaken, roaring lowly as a radiant array enveloped the chariot, blocking the sacred domains.

The beasts' roars made the approaching demons hesitate, drawing back slightly—but soon, they lunged again, using their sacred domains to gradually erode the chariot's radiant array.

Li Hao sensed the array contained power beyond sacred dao—but that power was faint, and under the demons' relentless assault, though not yet breaking, it was being drained.

Li Hao glanced toward the soldier. The thousand-zhang demon was now covered in wounds, yet grew even more ferocious. The soldier remained calm and collected, fully suppressing it.

*Whoosh! * A violent wind surged—several demons summoned thunder, lightning, and dust to encircle the bronze chariot, trying to overturn it—but some force in the battlefield held them fast.

"Eat my blade!"

Li Hao no longer stood idle. He summoned his broken blade, burst out of the chariot, and slashed at the nearest demon.

The demon, caught off-guard by Li Hao's sudden attack, and struck by the blade's extreme sharpness, was instantly pierced through.

But its body healed instantly after being torn apart.

Li Hao's attacks couldn't prevent healing like the soldier's.

Still, Li Hao didn't lose heart. He used his primordial spirit to guide the blade, continuing to pierce through the demons' bodies, moving swiftly within them.

*Boom! * One demon roared and slammed its sacred domain into the broken blade.

Li Hao felt his primordial spirit tremble slightly, a dull ringing in his skull—he gritted his teeth and channeled the properties of Flying Segment and Hidden Bow into the blade, doubling his attack range and making the blade's trail vanish, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

Li Hao had already discovered his panel attributes still worked against supreme sages.

These demons weren't as terrifying as the one fighting the soldier—they were merely saint-level.

Kill!

Li Hao crouched on the chariot's floor, fully controlling the broken blade to strike several demons.

The blade remained devastatingly sharp, easily piercing the demons' bodies—but lacking other powers, the wounds healed quickly. The damage was minimal, merely causing pain.

For creatures capable of regenerating from a single drop of blood, such wounds barely counted as injuries.

They no longer dodged Li Hao's blade. Instead, they relentlessly slammed their sacred domains into the bronze chariot, draining the radiant array's power.

Li Hao, meanwhile, kept slicing their bodies repeatedly—yet the demons didn't notice that the locations he cut kept changing: skull, eyeballs, chest, wings, tail, and more.

Sometimes the blade glided along their flesh, carving through muscle.

The demons, only feeling pain and knowing their wounds healed instantly, paid it no mind—they only wanted to shatter the array and drag Li Hao out to devour him.

Without interference from sacred domains, Li Hao manipulated the blade faster and faster. His gaze grew sharper, focused like a master chef staring at his ingredients.

Blade in hand, eyes fixed on the meat—he hadn't struck yet, but his palm already seemed to feel the texture, the muscle fibers, the bone patterns.

With each cut, Li Hao had lost count of how many times he'd pierced their bodies—but in his mind, a phantom ancient demon's form was gradually filling in.

Every bone, muscle, and meridian in its body became clear in Li Hao's mind.

When the entire ancient demon fully emerged, Li Hao's eyes suddenly blazed with intense, piercing light.

Several ancient demons still attacking the light array suddenly sensed something, feeling an inexplicable unease.

"Strip the bones!"

Li Hao whispered.

The broken blade spun rapidly in his hand, like a stone skipping across water, carving a light, fluid arc as it glided smoothly and swiftly over the ancient demon's skull, instantly severing its bones from flesh.

In an instant—less than a breath—the demon's body became a corpse.

The body fell into death!

In that fleeting moment, all its organs were destroyed, bones separated from flesh.

But for the ancient demon, this did not mean death—it still had its Primordial Spirit; only its flesh had died, and the Primordial Spirit automatically detached from the body.

As its Primordial Spirit sought to rejoin the flesh and heal it, Li Hao's Primordial Spirit transformed into a blade and slashed out violently, while simultaneously, with his other hand, he drew the now-dead body toward him.

"Roar!"

The ancient demon let out a piercing shriek, sensing the danger of death; the other demons also sensed the change and hastily enveloped the corpse in Sacred Domains to prevent Li Hao from taking it—if all their bodies were destroyed, they would be truly annihilated.

Though they could regenerate from a single drop of blood, if not even a drop remained, they could no longer regenerate, and could only survive through their Primordial Spirits.

Li Hao's telekinetic force was blocked by several Sacred Domains; his Primordial Spirit, shaped into a blade, struck at the ancient demon's Primordial Spirit, aiming to annihilate it.

But the demon's Primordial Spirit suddenly emitted a dark black glow; the moment Li Hao's Primordial Spirit touched it, he felt searing, tearing pain, a powerful corrosive force surging through him—his Primordial Spirit seemed to be melting! "What kind of attack is this?"

Li Hao's face changed instantly; he hastily retracted his Primordial Spirit. In mere moments, his spiritual aura had withered significantly—he was wounded.

"Be careful—these ancient demons devour souls and inflict massive damage on Primordial Spirits."

The middle-aged soldier's voice echoed in Li Hao's mind, tinged with surprise and approval: "Just hold steady—I'll end this battle soon!"

Li Hao glanced toward him and saw the great demon was already fleeing, while the middle-aged soldier pursued.

He exhaled inwardly, relieved, and dared not summon his Primordial Spirit again; instead, he once more manipulated the broken blade, slashing at the other ancient demons' bodies.

The earlier demon seized its chance to recover, its Primordial Spirit swiftly rejoining its flesh and restoring it to life from the corpse.

Li Hao's broken blade struck another ancient demon; in an instant, it sliced through the body like a smooth surgical blade, cutting off its vitality and turning it into a corpse.

Another ancient demon's Primordial Spirit was forced to detach; the others hurriedly shielded its body with Sacred Domains to allow its Primordial Spirit to return.

Seeing this, Li Hao could only use the broken blade to repeatedly kill their bodies, forcing them to shift from offense to defense.

These ancient demons each possessed Supreme Saint-level power and protected one another; it was nearly impossible for Li Hao to kill them.

If he faced them one-on-one, he might have some chance—but Li Hao wasn't in a hurry; as long as he held them off until the middle-aged soldier returned, that was enough.

As his broken blade continued to cut, the ancient demons' bodies were repeatedly slain by Li Hao; the blade moved too fast—they had already realized its terrifying nature and tried to block or evade, but it was too late.

In a single breath, the broken blade could slay their bodies; now they finally understood that the human's earlier attacks had not been foolish—they had been probing their bodily structures.

But now it was too late to regret; they dodged and shielded each other, leaving no chance to attack the bronze war chariot.

After several consecutive attacks, suddenly, several ancient demons seemed to sense something, froze in place, then turned to look in one direction—and immediately fled in full panic in the opposite direction.

"It's too late to run now!"

The middle-aged soldier's voice descended—not as a mental transmission, but echoing from the sky.

Immediately, a sword shadow pierced through from afar, impaling one of the ancient demons.

The demon, pierced, instantly collapsed, shattering into black mist and vanishing into the heavens and earth.

Then, the middle-aged soldier stepped forward, appearing outside the bronze war chariot; with a casual flick of his ancient sword, a terrifying sword slash erupted—a brilliant, galaxy-like blade that cut across several ancient demons.

The sword slash carried dreadful power; the demons struck by it screamed and instantly shattered into oblivion.

The middle-aged soldier glanced once, as if sneering, then sheathed his blade and descended before the bronze war chariot.

"These beasts—they're cunning, yet stupid, coming again and again to die."

The middle-aged soldier spoke as if to himself, then looked at Li Hao on the chariot's floor, his eyes holding a faint smile:

"What technique is that? How could you slay their bodies so instantly? In such a short time, you've already figured out their bodily structure?"

Li Hao, relieved he had returned, smiled: "I'm a cook. These things may be strange, but to me, they're just ingredients. Handling ingredients requires understanding their structure, every part—pity I never got the chance to cook and taste each part." The middle-aged soldier, hearing this, was momentarily stunned; after several seconds, he snapped back, speechless: "You really are a peculiar man."

He casually stuck his ancient sword into the ground, wiped the blood from his body, and glanced at Li Hao's broken blade:

"Let me see that."

Li Hao didn't withhold it; he tossed it over without hesitation.

The middle-aged soldier held the broken blade, squinting slightly, and said:

"It's a fragment of a top-tier Dao Weapon—nearly become a Immortal Artifact. What a pity."

He tossed it back to Li Hao, scanning the surroundings: "What a pity—this battlefield was too brutal in those days. Most weapons here are broken; some were damaged at their roots, unable to withstand the decay of time, now useless. Otherwise, you might have found many Immortal Artifacts."

Li Hao thought of the weapons he'd seen beside the corpses along the way—all faded, their luster gone—and couldn't help sighing.

Yet this broken blade's rank was top-tier Emperor Weapon—no wonder it was so sharp.

"Top-tier Emperor Weapon—must be a Nine Tribulation Emperor Weapon, requiring over five thousand celestial treasures…"

Li Hao thought inwardly: Even if he scoured the entire Land of the Sacred Saints, whether he could find so many celestial treasures remained uncertain.

In other words, even the combined might of the Land of the Sacred Saints might not be enough to forge a single Nine Tribulation Emperor Weapon! "You've got guts—daring to strike out first. It's eased some of the chariot's power drain."

The middle-aged soldier said to Li Hao, smiling; his expression was slightly more natural and gentle than before—as if, with more conversation, he had begun to loosen up.

"Sir, were you fighting these ancient demons back then?"

Li Hao asked.

The middle-aged soldier nodded slightly, his expression growing grave: "These creatures devour souls. Since the Collapse of Reincarnation, they've escaped through the fissures and ravaged the entire True Realm. The True Realm's decline is inseparable from them."

Li Hao's heart tightened: "Sir, when you say 'True Realm,' you mean this Immortal Realm?"

"Immortal Realm? We never call it that. This is the True Realm—the original world from which heaven and earth originated."

The middle-aged soldier walked to the side, sat back against the chariot's wheel rut, and wiped blood from his blade: "Your previous world was a false realm—a world created by the Immortal Emperor. Think of it as his Dao Domain!"

He sighed softly, gazing into the distance, his eyes filled with nostalgic sorrow:

"When the ancient demon calamity came, the great Immortal Sects of the True Realm fought on the frontlines. The Immortal Emperor gathered his children and disciples into his false realm for protection, then went alone to face the demonic gods among the ancient demons…"

"The Immortal Emperor perished. The false realm decayed and sealed itself."

He smiled faintly: "But what true cultivator would cower? Soon after the Immortal Emperor departed, his disciples and children broke out of the false realm, came to this battlefield, fought alongside us, and sealed the path to the false realm, preserving the last spark. The skeletons you saw along your path? They were the Immortal Emperor's descendants—some were even his disciples…"

Li Hao froze. The man didn't speak in riddles; in just a few words, Li Hao's mind conjured the ancient, epic battlefield.

Immortals and gods fought bloody battles, slaying ancient demons.

"So this is why the Immortal God Path vanished… I see now…"

Li Hao understood. No wonder the Supreme Saints had never found the Immortal God Path—it had been deliberately sealed.

The Immortals and gods had vanished because they came here to the True Realm to fight the ancient demons.

All of this exceeded Li Hao's imagination—he had expected the Immortal God Path to lead to a vast, powerful Immortal realm, teeming with life, a paradise of gods. Instead, this place had been ravaged by calamity, countless Immortals and gods fallen.

"Sir, if these ancient demons could sweep across the entire True Realm, didn't anyone sense them when they first emerged?"

Li Hao pondered, asking.

If the True Realm was ruled by Immortals and gods, and these demons were outsiders, surely they would have sensed the danger early and prevented their growth.

"The Collapse of Reincarnation released them. No one foresaw it—it all happened too suddenly…"

The middle-aged soldier shook his head slightly, looking at Li Hao: "Now you know the state of the True Realm. Do you still desire it? Or would you rather return to the Diyang False Realm? Though the Yin-Yang Gate has a crack, it still holds back the ancient demons—unless their supreme leaders come personally."

Li Hao smiled bitterly: "Sir, I was being hunted—I was forced here. They're probably still guarding the gate."

The middle-aged soldier fell silent, then rubbed his forehead: "I'm getting forgetful—I forgot what I just said."

He sighed: "Unfortunately, I can't cross the Yin-Yang Gate—if I did, I'd break its seal. Otherwise, I'd accompany you."

He glanced at his sword again, shaking his head slightly—it was his only weapon. If he had a second, he could lend it to Li Hao to fight.

"Then you'll just have to wait here and die with me."

The middle-aged soldier smiled faintly—not with sorrow or self-mockery, but with serene acceptance:

"When I die, you can take this sword. If you're still alive then, use it to carve your way back. In the false realm, I doubt anyone will be your match."

Hum! His sword emitted a soft chime, as if speaking.

The middle-aged soldier paused, then chuckled softly: "Don't be stubborn. It's rare someone comes here. If I die, staying by my side won't help you. If one of us survives, that's already good."

The blade hummed again, trembling as if struggling.

The middle-aged soldier quickly soothed it: "Alright, alright, I won't say that anymore."

Li Hao glanced at the sword in his hand—he knew it was an Immortal Artifact, but felt no greed. This sword had fought beside this soldier for countless ages; their bond was deep, beyond ordinary comparison.

"Sir, are you the only one left here? Why don't you leave?"

Li Hao asked.

The middle-aged soldier shook his head slightly: "So far as I've seen, I'm the only one left. Leave? I want to—but this ancient path is sealed. Ahead, many lingering ancient demons still wander. With my current strength, I can't break out."

Li Hao looked toward the distance, but even as a Transcendent Immortal, he could see no more than a hundred li.

Were all those ahead ancient demons? "Is there no other path?"

Li Hao asked, then immediately realized how foolish the question was.

If another path existed, the man would have left long ago.

The middle-aged soldier shook his head: "No path remains. The only path left for me is to shed my last drop of blood for Lord Tianyang Immortal Emperor—to guard the Yin-Yang Gate as long as I can."

Li Hao fell silent.

He hadn't expected that though he had walked out onto the Immortal God Path, it was now blocked.

"If so, then I'll keep you company."

Li Hao jumped down from the chariot floor and sat beside him, smiling: "At least two people—we can talk and pass the time."

The middle-aged soldier stared, expecting Li Hao to sink into despair after hearing this—but instead, he was smiling.

Moreover, he could see that Li Hao was extremely candid, his nature inherently carefree.

"You're surprisingly easygoing."

The middle-aged soldier couldn't help laughing; he had fought here for countless years, long since growing indifferent to life and death. When that day came, he felt his heart would remain utterly calm, for he had prepared for it countless times already.

"Pessimism won't change anything. Better to find joy amid sorrow—at least it lifts your spirits."

Li Hao said with a smile.

The middle-aged soldier thought for a moment, then nodded seriously: "True."

"Senior, do these ancient demons appear randomly, or do they come on a schedule? They know you're here—why haven't they just rushed over and killed you?"

Li Hao asked curiously.

The other had said this ancient path was blocked by ancient demons, impossible to break through—so their numbers and strength must surpass his own.

"Hah. One of them marked me as prey. As long as it lives, no other ancient demon dares come here. They've already claimed me as food, allocated to it."

The middle-aged soldier sneered.

"That ancient demon from earlier?"

"Correct. It's a first-rank ancient demon, its strength equal to a True Immortal. Combined with its race's unique talent for devouring souls, even ordinary True Immortals aren't its match."

The middle-aged soldier's gaze grew deep: "And on this path, there are at least a dozen such demons—farther away. And where a dozen first-rank demons gather, there's a slim chance a demon lord may also be present..."

He paused, then his dark eyes softened into calm: "So here, I'm just waiting to die slowly. That demon I just killed—I could kill it. But I know another will come. Before it, I've already slain seven. With my current state, I can't kill more. I'll just endure, slowly wearing it down."

Li Hao understood: he was keeping that demon alive, using it as a barrier to block others.

Li Hao asked more about the ancient demons, learning their strength tiers from the soldier.

The third-rank demon he had just encountered was the weakest, yet still at the peak of Sacred Path, matching a Supreme Saint.

Second-rank demons hovered between the limit of Supreme Saints and True Immortals.

First-rank demons devoured ordinary True Immortals. Only a strong True Immortal like the middle-aged soldier could slay one.

"Even the weakest third-rank ancient demon rivals a Supreme Saint. Their starting point is absurdly high," Li Hao said.

Even celestial races like the Dragon Clan or Ancient Phoenix lacked such extremes.

"Ancient demons aren't part of any race in the myriad worlds. They emerge from reincarnation—powerful, terrifying, and growing at an astonishing rate. Otherwise, they wouldn't have nearly destroyed the True Realm in ancient times..."

The middle-aged soldier shook his head slightly, as if unwilling to speak more. His flesh slowly withered and shriveled, and he said to Li Hao:

"To conserve strength, I normally keep my divine blood sealed. Don't be alarmed."

His flesh withered and contracted, soon revealing white bone, returning to his earlier state.

Li Hao shook his head, scanning the surroundings. The several third-rank ancient demons the soldier had slain had vanished entirely, leaving no corpses—pity.

"Senior, next time another ancient demon comes, could you leave its body intact?"

Li Hao said.

The middle-aged soldier was surprised: "What? You feel it's cruel? Soft-hearted?"

"I'm hungry."

Li Hao said: "Didn't you forget? I'm a cook."

"..."

The middle-aged soldier stared at him with hollow eye sockets for a moment, then said: "Your soul lifespan is barely sixty years. You've cultivated to this level—and you say you're a cook?"

"Cultivation was purely accidental."

Li Hao muttered.

He had never seriously cultivated, except for comprehending the Ultimate State of Mind.

Perhaps it was precisely this mindset that allowed him to easily grasp the Sixth Ultimate State back then.

The middle-aged soldier fell silent, then said: "Fine. Next time, I'll leave you one. I'd like to taste it—don't disappoint me."

"Thank you, Senior. I won't let you down."

Li Hao smiled.

The middle-aged soldier said no more, leaning back against the cart ruts to rest.

Seeing this, Li Hao didn't disturb him. He walked aside and released a series of faint fishing lines, extending outward, laying a net to detect ancient demons as an early-warning system.

Though resting, the middle-aged soldier's spirit remained alert, watching Li Hao's every move. Seeing the subtle energy lines Li Hao laid with such unique technique, he found it intriguing, his curiosity stirring.

After countless years, had the cultivation system within this false realm become so peculiar? Once the fishing lines were set, Li Hao pulled up his interface, glanced at the soldier—no reaction. Confirmed: the soldier couldn't see the interface.

Previously, he had slain the Chaos Saint, cooked him into Dao, reaching Stage Ten.

Li Hao gained one Heart of Dao Entry and some Art Points.

But his Art Points were currently abundant; the real difficulty lay in cultivating his mindset.

"Previously, I entered Dao through the body, becoming a Saint of the Body. Now—should I choose Control Dao or Sword Dao?"

Li Hao stared at the interface, his gaze shifting between Stage Nine Control Dao and Stage Nine Sword Dao.

Advancing Control Dao would enhance his Primordial Spirit, object-control power, and include spiritual sense, soul strength, and more.

Sword Dao, however, would directly boost visible combat power.

Originally, Li Hao planned to use his second Heart of Dao Entry on Sword Dao, elevating his sword art further.

But now, stranded on this outer-realm ancient path, facing ancient demons that could appear at any moment, he hesitated.

In the recent battle, he had felt the ancient demon's nature—he had cultivated his Primordial Spirit to the Ultimate State, yet still been wounded by it.

"If my Primordial Spirit could grow further, and my object-control power increased, I could wield the broken blade faster. Even if surrounded by a dozen third-rank ancient demons, I could swiftly destroy their bodies, forcing them into defense, leaving them powerless to attack me."

Li Hao's eyes flickered.

After careful thought, he chose Control Dao.

He could always use the next Heart of Dao Entry on Sword Dao once Fishing or Chess Dao reached Stage Ten.

Though Sword Dao boosted combat power, he currently had no suitable weapon. Even stronger sword techniques couldn't annihilate these demons with a single strike.

If one strike didn't kill, they regenerated—useless.

After all, Stage Ten Sword Dao, though powerful, was merely barely at the level of Dao Offering and Sainthood.

Having decided, Li Hao no longer hesitated.

As the Heart of Dao Entry for Cooking was embedded, his Control Dao could finally be upgraded again.

【Congratulations. Control Dao has reached Stage Ten.】

Text flickered before his eyes.

Simultaneously, Li Hao felt a flood of information surge in—the world around him transformed utterly.

Countless colors appeared and vanished. The gray mist before him suddenly grew clearer.

His extended spiritual sense expanded rapidly—from ten li to dozens of li, then instantly to over a hundred li, still stretching further.

The Stage Ten Control Dao insight in his mind triggered an instinctive transformation in his body. As this change unfolded, a deep rumble echoed above his head.

Waves of tribulation energy emerged. Storm clouds descended behind the gray haze, shattering it.

"Hmm?"

The middle-aged soldier, leaning against the cart ruts, was startled. Blood and flesh sprouted in his empty eye sockets as he stared, astonished, at the tribulation clouds above.

Was this... a Saint Tribulation? He looked at Li Hao, seated cross-legged nearby, bewildered. He had never seen such a thing. He could tell Li Hao was already a Saint, with Dao Offering, Incense, and Ultimate Path powers fused.

The Ultimate Path was extremely obscure—yet it had spread even into the false realm.

But if all three Saint Paths were already complete, how could he still summon a Saint Tribulation?

Quickly, the middle-aged soldier sensed subtle differences in the clouds—and realized: this was a Dao Offering Tribulation!

"You've awakened a second Dao Entry-level power?"

Shock flashed in the middle-aged soldier's eyes. He had seen countless prodigies—among the True Realm's immortal sects, there were geniuses born with celestial bones. Yet even among them, few achieved such heights within a soul lifespan of sixty years.

Less than sixty years of soul lifespan—and he wields two Dao Entry powers.

(End of Chapter)